creative juices a-flowin

Artwork and learning is abound all over this joint.  

Yesterday was Dylan's last day of after-school KidzArt, and he created a sun and moon celestial sort of thingamajig.   I love the vibrant colors, and the curly-q's alongside the sun.   I think this class has really given him more confidence in his creativity, and its taught him different techniques and tools ("Mom, we used oil pastels today!").   Andrew and I both enjoy creativity and appreciate art, and I hope we can keep Dylan's interest piqued as he grows.

Logan made this adorable Easter bunny at preschool today.   I just love the projects he brings home.  They've been practicing their cutting and gluing at school.  At any given time lately, I can find him sitting at the kitchen table, safety scissors out, construction paper in hand and tiny little pieces showering the floor. 

They just completed a Number Book at school showcasing their cutting and gluing, and he brought that home today as well.  He proudly showed me every page and recognized and pronounced each shape correctly, even octagon.

He's been counting absolutely everything lately.  Number of steps he takes, forwards and backwards.   Number of raisins in his bowl.   Number of orange slices on his plate.  How many dead worms are in our driveway.  Number of Leapster games he has.  How many Easter eggs he found at the egg hunt.    The pile of Matchbox cars on the floor.  He also wants me to read everything to him,constantly.   And I mean everything.  The warning sticker on the dryer, every road sign, every menu item, food labels, and books, books, books. 

I'm glad he has such an interest and he's such a little sponge right now, soaking it all up and storing it up for life.

my peeps

As the weather warms up and Easter approaches, it can only mean one thing.  The Washington Post Peep Diorama Contest is underway, and I can't wait to see what people have come up with this year!  Andrew and I have thought about coming up with our own diorama and one of these years we might just actually do it.  We sat and brainstormed ideas for themes taken from the headlines of the past year...

• Snowpocolypse 2010
• Tiger Woods Sex Scandal
• Michael Jackson Drug Overdose
• Mark Sanford's Argentine Mistress
• Michaele and Tareq Salahi White House Crashers
• Representative Joe Wilson's outburst during the joint session of Congress
• David Letterman's Affair and Blackmail Drama
• Kanye West dissing Taylor Swift

So many scandals to choose from, so little time....

Here is a slideshow of some of the past winners, and there are more here.  My favorites include..

Say Anything scene with John Cusack and his boom box and No More Wire Hangers from Mommie Dearest ....  Brilliant!

And the best ever  "Peep Set Me Up!" infamous hotel room bust of Marion Barry!


Maybe next year we'll have our own diorama to submit.  Perhaps I should go out and stock up on Peeps after Easter so they're nice and stale by then...

an absolutely eggcellent day

Yesterday, our friends The Tate's organized an afternoon of family fun at their local nature center for some of their friends.   It was a fantastic weather day (hard to believe we had all that snow just over a month ago), and the kids frolicked and ran amok accordingly.   We had a fabulous potluck buffet lunch, and some great organized games the kids all loved.

There was a Peep on a Rope game (mouths only, no hands allowed!)...

You can see how well Logan followed the 'no hands' rule..

An egg spoon race...

An egg hunt...

And even an early visit from the Easter Bunny..

But best of all, we all got to spend the day with some of our favorite friends, enjoying good food,fun music and gorgeous spring weather.  One of the very best parts of parenting is re-living the sweet anticipation of each holiday, each season and each special event thru your childs' eyes.    And raiding their Easter baskets, too.

two of his favorite things

Grandma Lynn and Red Robin

A double whammy!

more signs of spring

Sidewalk chalk on the back deck (Logan wrote this all by himself!)...

And Dylan doing his homework on the screen porch.  Hooray for spring!

its all how you market it

This morning.....

Me:  "C'mon Logan, its time to go to my doctor's appointment."

L: "No, I want to just stay home."

Me:  "Nope, I have an appointment, we have to go, we're going to be late...."

L:  "I don't like it there.  Let's just stay home."

Me:  "No, we really have to go, Logan, they're expecting us.  I have an appointment.  C'mom we have to get in the car!"

L: "No!!! I don't want to go!!!!!   I want to stay home!!!!!!!"

Me:  pause.........   "Do you want to go see mommy's arm get stuck with a needle that's going to suck my blood out?"

L:   "YEA!!!  Let's GO!"

two signs of spring

I do believe spring has sprung.  How do I know?   I found these items in my backyard this afternoon:

Trampoline hair:

And lots of jumping!  Jumping with no jackets, even!

....and these cute little perky flowers which weren't there a couple of days ago.

Spring, thank goodness you're here.  We were all about to lose our minds.

mean mommy

I am a mean, mean mommy. Last night, I made brussel sprouts for dinner, and I asked the kids to try them. They don't eat nearly enough vegetables and I just wanted them to try something new. I don't believe in frozen brussel sprouts... they're horrendous and disgusting. I wouldn't eat one if it were the last vegetable on Earth. Nope, these were fresh delicious little tiny cabbages and I told the kids leprechauns eat them, to get them into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit. I also told them if they didn't eat them, there would be no dessert and I meant it. I gave them eat a tiny little bit next to their chicken piccata and corn casserole.

Did they eat it? Dylan may have taken a small lick and declared them inedible. Logan didn't so much as even look at them. I did allow them have some fresh pineapple for 'dessert' but I stuck to my guns with the no sweets for dessert. Mean mommy!

Me? I had two servings and I'm eating the rest for lunch today. Delicious, I say! You have to buy fresh, and either pan sauté or roast them in the oven. No frozen box brussels, and I also don't think they're very good boiled.

Here is how I usually like to prepare them:

1 lb fresh brussel sprouts
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
pancetta or bacon, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

• rinse and chop of the bottoms, peel off any loose or yellow leaves, then cut each one about four times so it resembles shredded cabbage
• heat olive oil in deep frying pan over medium heat
• add pancetta and garlic, sauté until slightly browned
• add brussel sprouts, stir until all leaves are lightly coated with oil
• sauté approximately 10 minutes, until sprouts are a nice bright green, add a dash of sea salt
• add balsamic vinegar, sauté an additional 5 minutes, vinegar will start to caramelize the leaves
• turn burner down to low, sprinkle sprouts with parmesan cheese until melted
• Serve and enjoy! They have a nutty, sweet and sour taste thanks to the vinegar along with a great chewy texture.
• If you're vegetarian, omitting the bacon or pancetta wouldn't take away from the flavor.  Perhaps adding some walnuts would add another layer of flavor and chewiness.  I may try that next time.

Now, what are the odds I can get the boys to eat carrots and cabbage I'm making tomorrow for St. Patrick’s Day?   Hmmmmm...  Probably as likely as my seeing a leprechaun run through our backyard. 

trash talking

Add a new phrase to Logan's Wii Trash Talk repertoire.

Overheard today, while he was playing Mario Kart..........

"You wanna piece of me?"

Then he proceeded to answer his own question...

"No...Two pieces!"

you're going down!

Logan has been infatuated with the Wii for a while now.  At first, he would only play the sports-related games and mastered bowling and then moved onto speed slicing and swordfighting.  He's unlocked most of the games on Wii Fit Plus.  I don't think I've talked much about his athletic skills but the boy is ULTRA competitive and HIGHLY coordinated.   Not just at the Wii but playing baseball in the backyard, or soccer at the field.  He can hit, throw, kick, run and has fantastic eye coordination.   While Dylan plays sports mostly for the social aspect and is very laid back about winning and losing and not exactly always focused on the goals, Logan is IN IT TO WIN IT.  Once he starts playing orgazined sports, its going to be very interesting because a.) he's very competitive and b.) he HAS to win or else there's going to be HELL to pay.  He even gets pissed at the Wii characters when he's beaten and threatens them....

"Take THAT! How’s THAT feel?! I am doing good huh guys??! Take THAT again! You like that? I am the BEST!  You going down... you going down to Chinatown!  I'm coming up guys, you better watch out!!”

I don't think we have to worry about his confidence level anytime soon.  Sportsmanship, perhaps...

big boy limbo

I don't think I'm totally used to the amount of alone time I have with Logan.  I mean that in the nicest possible way.  Don't think less of me as a mother.  But since Dylan started first grade in fall, I've been adjusting to doing things with Logan alone.  I think I feel a little guilty sometimes when we're off having adventures while Dylan is sitting in class.  It had Dylan alone for 3 1/4 years before Logan arrived.   And then we had two years to spend our days together, the three of us.  This school year, I've gotten to spend 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, with Logan (minus his 6 hours of preschool a week -AKA- my sanity saver!) . This is our alone time together. And he's a big boy now, my little buddy. My little helper.  He helps me with cleaning toilets and putting laundry in the dryer.  I'm trying to teach him how to pay bills, he's pretty good at the computer.  Naps are long since over, and we can enjoy the day embarking on whatever inspires us.
Its interesting how different my time is with Logan during the day before Dylan gets home. When Dylan gets off the bus, I suddenly fade into the background. Dylan takes center stage in Logan's world and the two of them are off, sometimes laughing, sometimes fighting, but always engaged with each other.  Logan will watch Dylan do his homework, completely intrigued.  He'll follow Dylan to the bathroom to tell him about what happened on Curious George today.

Logan loves that he's a big boy now, totally capable of climbing all the structures and mastering the big boy swing.  He and I had a conversation at the park today about the solar system, and he reminded me that Neptune is one of the planets.  I didn't even know he knew about Neptune.  He's growing up so fast, and can spot any number from a mile away, with the number 100 being of particular interest for some reason.  He'll get mad and retort "Never, EVER, in all my LIFE, mom!".  I have my mean face on, but inside I'm laughing.  His whole three years, how dare I!  He'll put his hands of his hips, put on his sassy pants and declare "It's not MY fault!".  He is 3 going on the terrible tweens.  He's yelling at me one minute and wants to sit in my lap the next.  He's in a state of Big Boy Limbo.

It takes a lot of ingredients to get through a day with him:  kisses for hurt knees, cheese sandwiches and chocolate milk, bandaids, deep breaths, giant hugs, flexibility, a solid sense of humor, and the ability to answer 'why' questions at the speed of sound.  

Mostly though, it just takes a whole, whole lot of patience. 

"there is a light that never goes out..." *

Some people have lifelong friends they've known since kindergarten.  We moved around a lot when I was young.  My Dad was in the military and we moved almost every year, or every other year, until I was in middle school and we finally settled in Maryland.  I'm not complaining.  I think moving a lot probably taught me how to make friends easily.  But until we got to Maryland, I guess I was kind of a serial friend...coming in and out of my other little friends lives' before we could really connect.

I met Sara and Ronda when we were 7th graders in middle school.  They knew each other even before then and were kind enough to let me into the friendship.  I'm pretty sure we all had braces at the same time, and I know we spent those tender years of angst exploring music together, boyfriends, and maybe a little peach brandy.   There were adventures in a semi-stolen VW Karmann Ghia, and a small car fire in a VW Bug in front of the entire high school.  There were school dances, parties and a lot of black clothing.  There was supporting each other through break ups and crushes.   There was a lot of hairspray.

These are my (almost) lifelong friends.  Next to my family, they've known me the longest.   We've known each other since before husbands, kids, college and careers.  We knew each other when we were vulnerable insecure teenagers, trying to figure out how we fit in and what we were supposed to think.

We met here last night for dinner.  Sara was in town for work, and Ronda lives in Maryland.   Almost four hours we sat and talked and laughed and reminisced.  We don't get to do that often enough, but when we do its seamless.  The 26 years have landed us each in lots of different places and pursuits. But through the years, we've remained in touch, and still share a love of writing, being outdoors, travel, food, books, family and adventure. 

We're approaching the big 4-0 in 2011.   I think we're all truly content in our lives.  We're lucky, all of us, to have found what makes us happy. And we're lucky to still have each other to share that with. 

Good friends are like stars... you may not always see them, but you always know they are there.

*The Smiths

goodbye winter!

Today has been the first nice day we've had in months.  The last of the snow is gone from the yard, and we could finally get out there and start cleaning up the mess this crazy winter has created.   I scooped a half ton of dog crap out of the yard so the boys could finally get out there and PLAY and RUN and be BOYS.  Its been months, truly.  And ahhhhhhhhhhhh, what a feeling to have the sun shine on my face, music blasting and finally feeling that maybe, just maybe, spring will be here soon.   Because honestly, if it snows again I think I'll just cry.  Goodbye winter, be gone!

Andrew got the garden beds all prepped and ready and has a bazillion seeds starting to sprout in the basement, just ready to go outside once its warm enough.  This will be Year Two of the garden and I'm excited for eating good, healthy, fresh things right from our yard.  All sorts of peppers, tomatoes, spinach, beets, lettuce, sweet potatoes, herbs, broccoli, and who knows what else.

We didn't quite finish raking leaves last fall before the harsh cold set in, so Andrew tackled that today, too.  But not before Logan took residence in them, rolling around like a wet dog.

Hey Daddy-O

Friday night was the annual Sock Hop dance at Dylan's school.  So off we went, adorned in argyle, denim, and greased back hair...

The boys got some tattoos when we arrived...

The kids had an Elvis sighting..

And boogied the night away.

This move is part of Dylan's 'Robot Dance' .  Ouch!

Doug

“Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.”
- Eskimo proverb

Rest in peace Doug.  May your family take comfort knowing your suffering is over.  And may we all learn something from your courage.  You will live on forever in the hearts of those who knew you.

Firecracker Casserole

We love us some Mexican food at our casa... its one food we all agree on.  My very picky boys love to eat anything having to do with tortillas, beans, sour cream and cheese.   We have a rule in our house - eat what I make for dinner or else get no dessert.   I really try to avoid having to make the boys separate meals from what Andrew and I are eating as often as possible.  Yet Andrew and I aren't going to eat chicken nuggets or grilled cheese sandwiches seven nights a week either.  So when my Aunt Kathy shared this recipe with me it became a huge hit all around.  

I don't know why the 'Firecracker', it isn't really that spicy (she didn't name it).  And if you want to eliminate all spiciness, just use a can of regular diced tomatoes instead of the Rotel ones with chilies. I usually just tell the boys I'm making my Mexican Casserole and they know its this.  We always eat all the leftovers, and its really good with a nice crisp cold green salad. 

Mexican 'Firecracker' Casserole

• 2 lbs ground beef (or ground turkey)
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 to 2 tbsp chili powder (to taste)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 4 flour tortillas (8" size)
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can (10 oz) Rotel diced tomatoes w/green chilies undrained
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour cream (optional)

I always like to have all my ingredients out before I start cooking so I don't have to search for anything and risk burning something.  Not that I've done that or anything.

In a skillet, cook the beef and onion until cooked thru, drain.

Add beans, chili powder and cumin. Transfer to a sprayed 9 x 13 baking dish.

Arrange tortillas over the top.  I usually put two whole round tortillas on first:

Then I cut the other two tortillas in half and fit them over top of the whole thing:

Next, combine the soup and tomatoes.    It looks really unappetizing so just don't look too long.  Its good, trust me.

 Pour over tortillas. Sprinkle w/cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 for approx 30 minutes, or until heated thru and bubbly.

 
Cut it like a piece of lasagna (it will be messy, use a spoon to get all the good stuff onto your plate).  Top with sour cream and serve with a green salad.
 
 

 
 Ole!

happy nectar

Dylan's been taking an art class after school with KidzArt for a few weeks now, and every week he's been bringing home his masterpieces.  This is what he made this week; his first attempt with pastels. 

He was a holy mess when I picked him up, looking quite the part of an artist gone wild, covered in black pastel crayon from head to toe.   But I think he's really enjoying himself and its a great creative outlet for him.  He's never been much into drawing or artsy stuff yet, so this has been a great initial glimpse into his artistic side.

I've been trying to interpret this drawing, or at least trying to figure out why the lizard is so happy to see the flower.  I asked Dylan about the meaning of the drawing and said the lizard is happy because he's getting ready to drink the flowers' nectar.

I think there's something about it that reminds me a bit of a Georgia O'Keefe painting..

i see your true colors

My boys are picky eaters.  PICKY.  I don't know how it started or where it came from, since Andrew and I are always open to new foods, and are pretty adventurous with the kinds of flavors and styles of food we like.    I've written about their pickiness before but the amount of headache it causes me warrants much more writing about it.

They don't eat anything green.  Period.  Some of their loves are totally quirky, off-the-wall things you'd never imagine kids would eat.  Refried beans.  Black beans.  Tomato soup.  Sharp cheddar cheese on Triscuits. (Those are all Dylan.)  

Logan, on the other hand, survives these days off macaroni and cheese, and cheese sandwiches.  American cheese, on a bun.  That's it.  He prefers to make it himself, and it never touches the plate he eats it so fast.   Another love of Logan's - fruit snacks.  I refuse to buy Fruit Roll Ups.  Anything the color of Cyndi Lauper's hair in the mid-80's can't possibly be good for anyone, not to mention they're filled with high fructose corn syrup.  

But fruit leathers made from real fruit are a great, wholesome snack and a much better choice.  He eats them by the boatload.  With ingredients like Organic Apple Puree Concentrate, Organic Apple Juice Concentrate, Organic Pomegranate Juice Concentrate, Citrus Pectin, Vegetable And Fruit Juice ( Carrot, Blueberry) for color, and Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate, I'm okay with that.

They sell this brand only at Target in the cereal aisle and they're about $2.99 for a box of 10.

Recap - Star of the Week

As I mentioned, Dylan was Star of the Week in his first grade class last week.  On Friday, Logan, my Mom and I were special guests there.    Dylan got to make his first official presentation, summarizing his 6 3/4 years on this Earth.   His teacher let him take questions and every hand shot up, eagerly wondering how he got photos of Scooby Doo and  Tom and Jerry.  Check out that form with the pointer.  He was so proud of himself!

Afterwards, I read a book to get everyone in the mood for lunch.

Then it was time for the wonderfully mysterious mystery item!  We were to bring a surprise item from home, but keep it hidden.   Dylan gave three clues, each a little more specific than the last.     But still... no one guessed what it was.

Clue 1:  This is part of an animal.

Clue 2:  The animal lives in the ocean.
Clue 3:  This animal is brown.

Bonus Clue:  Its a type of crab.

A horseshoe crab tail to be specific, which we found on the beach in Florida a couple of years ago.   All the kids gathered around to feel it.  

Dylan's teacher said it was a great mystery item and seemed to like that it was educational and not just a random stuffed animal that a lot of kids bring in when its their turn.

After the fabulous mystery item was revealed, we were off to lunch in the cateteria with his class.  Everyone enjoyed cheese pizza, except me who dared to try the cheeseburger and a sort of salad (lettuce and a radish?)...

Since that didn't exactly hit the spot, we signed Dylan out of school early and embarked on a pilgrimage to Friendly's for a celebratory dessert.  Dylan ordered his usual mint chip sundae. 

Logan pulled a Logan and ordered a bowl of sprinkles, no ice cream.  And then a bowl of cherries.  Thankfully we had a nice waitress.

And I bellied up to this big boy... some sort of molten chocolate peanut butter cake sundae that was completely ludicrous and supplied three days worth of calories.  I couldn't finish it all but I gave it my best try.

A celebratory ending for a totally awesome day in First Grade.

happy little video

A while back, a foodie, music loving friend introduced me to the band OK Go.  They're totally fun, upbeat, goofy and quirky.   Good qualities for a band, right?

They've produced a new video which premiered yesterday and its just about the coolest thing I've seen in a while.  Both boys sat here watching it over and over again and have pretty much memorized it.  They love marbles and contraptions and the mechanics of Rube Goldberg machine stuff like this.  You have to wonder how long it took the band to pull this off...

Pretty darn cool.  Go ahead, click on the video link...it will make you feel good.