It's been a while since I've posted any recipes. I've sort of been in a new recipe slump, but lately my motivation to cook and get food storage more organized has been rejuvenated. I tried a great recipe of chicken fingers that I have to share because it was just too good. I'm always looking for better/good/different ways to cook chicken and here it is courtesy of allrecipes.com with a few minor adjustments:
Lemon Chicken Tenders
Takes about 35 minutes-ish
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup Italian Season bread crumbs (I used Stove Top stuffing-I buy the big canister since we use it a lot with chicken pillows too)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces (chicken finger size)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar (I only filled up my 1/2 cup about 3/4 the way)
1/2 cup lemon juice (same ratio as sugar, but I had plenty of sauce to drizzle)
1 1/2 tsp curry powder (not a huge fan, so we didn't even put this in at all)
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. In a small bowl stir together paprika, salt, & pepper. Sprinkle seasoning over chicken pieces. Dip pieces in egg, then dredge in bread crumbs. Arrange chicken pieces in a single layer in an foil-lined (make sure you grease/spray it, I forgot and the chicken stuck) cookie sheet.
*What I did to make it easier and more like "shake and bake" I stuck the bread crumbs (stuffing), paprika, salt, & pepper in my blender and pulsed it a few times to combine it all into a more shake and bake like consistency. Then I put all my chicken in a bowl with the egg, put a lid on and shook it all up, you could probably just stir it though, it was a little messy when I took the lid off. Then I drained the excess egg and dumped my powdery crumb mixture, secured the lid and shook it up again. It worked great at coating the pieces and was a lot less messy than dipping them one at a time. Then I put them on the cookie sheet.
3. Bake in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes turning once.
*Since I can never remember, I just set the time for 7 minutes, turned the chicken, sprinkled a little more pepper over the top to make it a little more like lemon pepper chicken and put it back in for another 8 minutes.
4. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together sugar, lemon juice, and curry powder, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
*Yep, except without the curry. :)
5. Drizzle lemon sauce over chicken, return to oven, and bake 5 minutes more.
*Even using about 75% of the called for sauce it was just perfect so it wasn't too sweet or too tangy and we had plenty to just take a spoon and pour almost a spoonful over each piece of chicken.
Damon hasn't been too keen on food lately, he's been watching his older brother no doubt, but tonight he ate all his chicken. We had it with a side of risotto, which I put way too much Parmesan in, but it was still edible-we'll try again another time, and some orange jello with mandarin oranges in it. (The jello was about to expire, I had to make it eventually even though we're not all super jello fans, well except Logan, who did eat that). I think Logan would have liked it if I would have waited on the jello and bribed him with it while he was still hungry, but we'll definitely put this recipe on a once a month schedule. It's a great recipe to figure out some more good rice side dishes. So, I hope you enjoy! One recommendation though, unless you have another set of hands in the kitchen, I don't recommend trying to do the risotto and the chicken at the same time, luckily Morgan was home in time to help, but risotto is a pretty constant thing, so next time I'll just do one at a time, it got kind of crazy.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home
The last two weeks have been quite hectic to say the least. This will be a pretty boring, but informational (at least to me for my memory's sake) post, with a few okay pictures tossed in to break up the monotony. :) The craziness all started last Saturday. As Nursery Coordinator, I'm in charge of the monthly deep cleaning for the toys. Our wards rotate, so each ward only has to take care of it 4 times a year. Our ward was assigned March. It was too short of notice to get any groups (YM, YW, Scouts) to help out, so I just figured I would do it by myself, I mean, really how long could it take to deep clean two nursery rooms. I was sort of dreading it, and then my counselor in Primary said that she would be able to help, which was a great relief and then that same week, the Nursery Leader from another ward called and said they totally dropped the ball in February and didn't do it and would be more than happy to help or take a room, or whatever I wanted. Me still not realizing the amount of time it takes with few numbers said they could take one room and I would take the other. This really worked out the best because we didn't have to work around a lot of different schedules.
I got there early about 8:30 on Saturday even though I was planning on getting there at 10:00. I got things started and realized I had forgotten the bleach (to soak the toys in). I tried calling Morgan, but he was out keeping the boys entertained, so I called my counselor and she said she would come up early too, thank goodness she did. We were able to finally finish everything up about 11:45. She had warned me before what a big project it was and that it took her and the primary presidency about 6-7 hours to do both rooms....I didn't believe it....now I do! I'm so glad that I already have helped planned for the next three times I have to be in charge of this project. It really could be done in about 1 hour per room with enough people. I was glad to get out of there earlier than I thought though because Morgan would be leaving for about a week on Sunday and I wanted to spend some time as a family before he left.
He had a big review course in Houston for his Dosimetry Exam coming up in June. We took him to the airport early Sunday morning and dropped him off. The kids loved seeing the airplanes and thought it was really cool. We were all ready for church and ended up catching the last 20 minutes of sacrament meeting. It was easier to go than to find a sub for my responsibilities. They actually both sat on either side of me like angels for about 5 minutes, and then I ran out of cheerios!!!! Both of them wanted to get down and run around and so I took Damon out in the hall and Logan followed soon thereafter. Logan did pretty good to be quiet and sit out there with me, but Damon was fighting and wiggling to get down and run around, but my rule is that once they enter nursery, they lose all run around in the hallway during church benefits. We struggled through the last 15 minutes (I have no idea how my mom, or Morgan's mom for that matter did it with 5 kids on their own). Nursery time was sort of a struggle and I ended up going back and forth between nurseries for a while. I was able to catch most of Relief Society which was a good thing, I needed that few moments to prepare me for the rest of the week.
When we got home, I had to go visiting teaching. I didn't realize when I made the appointment that Morgan would already be gone and I thought I had a babysitter, but nope, now I had to take the boys with me, which was fine. Logan did great and didn't want to leave, Damon however was so determined to play with the door that he fell down the stairs, really fell hard. The stairs were right by the door and as he was pulling on it to open it or close it he lost his balance. I jumped up and flew down those stairs faster than I have moved in the last 3 months. He seemed okay so I picked him up. I ended up giving him my keys to calm him down and distract him. I let him down and he immediately proceeded to try and stick my keys in the electrical outlets. Oiy! So, I had to hold a squirmy boy for another few minutes while we wrapped things up.
That's when Logan threw his tantrum about not wanting to go home, so to get him in the car I had to tell him that soon we would be going to Grandma and Big Papa's house (not a lie, we were going up for a birthday party, but not as early as this). We got home and Logan refused to get out of the car, refused to come inside, and then refused to take off his shoes. *sigh* So, we headed up about an hour earlier than planned knowing that my kids would be so delightful after not getting a good nap. I did drive around for a while giving them extra time to sleep, but I didn't have very much gas in the car and was afraid I wouldn't make it home and I really didn't want to buy gas on Sunday. The kids had fun playing with cousins and did really well, no tantrums and we had a great dinner and lots of fun, but I was exhausted by the time we left.
Monday was a beautiful day and made up for any of the past, present, future of my single parent time with the boys. We were able to play outside almost all day long. On Tuesday, I had two visiting teaching appointments, but it was another great day so we got to walk and be outside most of the day. Wednesday I had my Dr. Appointment and then I went to the cannery after to finish up our year supply of oats. Then Thursday, poor Logan had a run in with mean mommy. We were out for a walk and as we walked past a neighbor's house, he snuck in the fence to go on their slide (neighbor's I don't know) I told him to come back and he didn't, then I said come back or we'll go home--and we had just come out. :( He wouldn't listen, so I had to drag/carry two screaming and fighting boys all the way home.
They were a little muddy from and earlier escapade and as I was taking off Damon's shoes to take him inside Logan flipped out and ran off. I tossed (gently placed) Damon inside, shut the door and ran after Logan in all my pregnant glory while telling him to stop and come back. I finally caught up with him and he was laughing!!! That's what got me. How could he not understand how serious of a situation this was?! I grabbed him and set him down on the nearest doorstep and gave him a spanking. (yes, I sort of felt bad after, but not enough that I regret it and really he probably didn't even feel it, but boy did he understand). It was the final straw. I carried him and loved him on the way home as he cried. We had a nice long talk about how he needs to listen to mommy and can't run away from me and that he needs to ask to use other friend's toys. Somewhere along there I must have said "this is not a joke" because the rest of the day I kept hearing, "mom, it's not a joke huh" We stayed in the rest of the day, but I tell you what, everytime we walk by that fence now, it's "I have to ask mommy and no going on the slide" and when he refused that temptation the first time I could have baked him a cake, you would have thought he just won the Nobel Prize for how proud I was. I also had a Stake Nursery Leader Training Meeting that evening which was the same evening Morgan was coming home. (YEAH!) It turned out that the meeting didn't got very long so me and the boys got to pick up Daddy at the airport. Oh how we missed him!!!! but we did survive.
Logan and Damon were both so happy to see daddy. The next morning when they saw him they were so hyper, running around the house yelling daddy daddy daddy. It was too good!
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Logan likes watching his shows on the computer now, but doesn't like Damon trying to climb up with him. I think in this picture he is telling Damon no and in the process of spitting on him (a habit we are trying to break, along with scratching). The faces were just too crazy not to post. On Friday we got to spend the whole day with Daddy. We did run several errands together as a family, which I love.
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The kids even got some quality Play Doh time. Both of them were total Daddy's boys for most of the day and I think a little afraid to let him out of their sights.
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It was too cold to play outside, and by the end of the day we needed something else to do. We found some discount tickets for Kangaroo Zoo-a bounce house/slide mecca for the kids and decided to go, since it would only be $6 for the whole family. The kids absolutely loved it and of course I forgot the camera. It was have been a perfect photo op too. We'll have to go again before Logan is 3 and has to pay full price. :) I even got to go on a couple slides with the kids, but don't worry mom, I was careful not to hurt my bulging belly.
I got there early about 8:30 on Saturday even though I was planning on getting there at 10:00. I got things started and realized I had forgotten the bleach (to soak the toys in). I tried calling Morgan, but he was out keeping the boys entertained, so I called my counselor and she said she would come up early too, thank goodness she did. We were able to finally finish everything up about 11:45. She had warned me before what a big project it was and that it took her and the primary presidency about 6-7 hours to do both rooms....I didn't believe it....now I do! I'm so glad that I already have helped planned for the next three times I have to be in charge of this project. It really could be done in about 1 hour per room with enough people. I was glad to get out of there earlier than I thought though because Morgan would be leaving for about a week on Sunday and I wanted to spend some time as a family before he left.
He had a big review course in Houston for his Dosimetry Exam coming up in June. We took him to the airport early Sunday morning and dropped him off. The kids loved seeing the airplanes and thought it was really cool. We were all ready for church and ended up catching the last 20 minutes of sacrament meeting. It was easier to go than to find a sub for my responsibilities. They actually both sat on either side of me like angels for about 5 minutes, and then I ran out of cheerios!!!! Both of them wanted to get down and run around and so I took Damon out in the hall and Logan followed soon thereafter. Logan did pretty good to be quiet and sit out there with me, but Damon was fighting and wiggling to get down and run around, but my rule is that once they enter nursery, they lose all run around in the hallway during church benefits. We struggled through the last 15 minutes (I have no idea how my mom, or Morgan's mom for that matter did it with 5 kids on their own). Nursery time was sort of a struggle and I ended up going back and forth between nurseries for a while. I was able to catch most of Relief Society which was a good thing, I needed that few moments to prepare me for the rest of the week.
When we got home, I had to go visiting teaching. I didn't realize when I made the appointment that Morgan would already be gone and I thought I had a babysitter, but nope, now I had to take the boys with me, which was fine. Logan did great and didn't want to leave, Damon however was so determined to play with the door that he fell down the stairs, really fell hard. The stairs were right by the door and as he was pulling on it to open it or close it he lost his balance. I jumped up and flew down those stairs faster than I have moved in the last 3 months. He seemed okay so I picked him up. I ended up giving him my keys to calm him down and distract him. I let him down and he immediately proceeded to try and stick my keys in the electrical outlets. Oiy! So, I had to hold a squirmy boy for another few minutes while we wrapped things up.
That's when Logan threw his tantrum about not wanting to go home, so to get him in the car I had to tell him that soon we would be going to Grandma and Big Papa's house (not a lie, we were going up for a birthday party, but not as early as this). We got home and Logan refused to get out of the car, refused to come inside, and then refused to take off his shoes. *sigh* So, we headed up about an hour earlier than planned knowing that my kids would be so delightful after not getting a good nap. I did drive around for a while giving them extra time to sleep, but I didn't have very much gas in the car and was afraid I wouldn't make it home and I really didn't want to buy gas on Sunday. The kids had fun playing with cousins and did really well, no tantrums and we had a great dinner and lots of fun, but I was exhausted by the time we left.
Monday was a beautiful day and made up for any of the past, present, future of my single parent time with the boys. We were able to play outside almost all day long. On Tuesday, I had two visiting teaching appointments, but it was another great day so we got to walk and be outside most of the day. Wednesday I had my Dr. Appointment and then I went to the cannery after to finish up our year supply of oats. Then Thursday, poor Logan had a run in with mean mommy. We were out for a walk and as we walked past a neighbor's house, he snuck in the fence to go on their slide (neighbor's I don't know) I told him to come back and he didn't, then I said come back or we'll go home--and we had just come out. :( He wouldn't listen, so I had to drag/carry two screaming and fighting boys all the way home.
They were a little muddy from and earlier escapade and as I was taking off Damon's shoes to take him inside Logan flipped out and ran off. I tossed (gently placed) Damon inside, shut the door and ran after Logan in all my pregnant glory while telling him to stop and come back. I finally caught up with him and he was laughing!!! That's what got me. How could he not understand how serious of a situation this was?! I grabbed him and set him down on the nearest doorstep and gave him a spanking. (yes, I sort of felt bad after, but not enough that I regret it and really he probably didn't even feel it, but boy did he understand). It was the final straw. I carried him and loved him on the way home as he cried. We had a nice long talk about how he needs to listen to mommy and can't run away from me and that he needs to ask to use other friend's toys. Somewhere along there I must have said "this is not a joke" because the rest of the day I kept hearing, "mom, it's not a joke huh" We stayed in the rest of the day, but I tell you what, everytime we walk by that fence now, it's "I have to ask mommy and no going on the slide" and when he refused that temptation the first time I could have baked him a cake, you would have thought he just won the Nobel Prize for how proud I was. I also had a Stake Nursery Leader Training Meeting that evening which was the same evening Morgan was coming home. (YEAH!) It turned out that the meeting didn't got very long so me and the boys got to pick up Daddy at the airport. Oh how we missed him!!!! but we did survive.
Logan and Damon were both so happy to see daddy. The next morning when they saw him they were so hyper, running around the house yelling daddy daddy daddy. It was too good!.jpg)
Logan likes watching his shows on the computer now, but doesn't like Damon trying to climb up with him. I think in this picture he is telling Damon no and in the process of spitting on him (a habit we are trying to break, along with scratching). The faces were just too crazy not to post. On Friday we got to spend the whole day with Daddy. We did run several errands together as a family, which I love. .jpg)
The kids even got some quality Play Doh time. Both of them were total Daddy's boys for most of the day and I think a little afraid to let him out of their sights..jpg)
It was too cold to play outside, and by the end of the day we needed something else to do. We found some discount tickets for Kangaroo Zoo-a bounce house/slide mecca for the kids and decided to go, since it would only be $6 for the whole family. The kids absolutely loved it and of course I forgot the camera. It was have been a perfect photo op too. We'll have to go again before Logan is 3 and has to pay full price. :) I even got to go on a couple slides with the kids, but don't worry mom, I was careful not to hurt my bulging belly. Logan was even brave enough and able to climb up most of the toys and ladders himself. I think he really liked being that independent. Damon needed help, but by the end of the night even he was being let down the slides by himself. We stayed for almost a 2 hours, and the kids were getting tired and we were all getting hungry. It just happened that there was a Weinerschnitzel, Panda Express, and Quizno's all by each other. Perfect! Hot Dogs for the kids, Chinese for me (a rarity when pregnant or at all for that matter) and Quizno's for Morgan. Yes, we really did go to three locations and ended up eating all our different food in Quizno's since there wasn't any crowd. It really was the perfect day especially with us all together as a family.
Today (Saturday) we've been focusing on getting our 72 hours kits up to date. Last time we did them was just after we moved to Oklahoma and Logan was so little he didn't really need anything. It was quite a change this time....and most of our stuff was expired after 3 years. We got to play outside a little bit and run around for some errands. It definitely wasn't as jam-packed as yesterday, but it was a still a good day. And to top off all the craziness of the past two weeks, we also get to speak in church tomorrow! I finally finished my talk a little earlier (hence, I'm actually blogging) and Morgan is finishing up his now. All I know is that I could not make it alone and I need my husband and I'm so glad that he is home now and here with us. Logan and Damon love him so much and so do I! Until next time....which hopefully will be before March is over.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Marching Along
Ah, March, it has begun so quickly. So, quite a bit has actually happened in the last little while. I haven't posted in a couple weeks because our computer got a very nasty, very sneaky virus. Needless to say, we ended up having to change our credit card information (our bank was so awesome when this whole mess happened), we had to completely re-format (totally erase EVERYTHING) on our computer, and re-load it all, and now we're going to have to keep tabs on our credit for a while to make sure nothing fishy turns up. We didn't have any anti-virus software installed and we totally paid the price. We were even considering scrapping our computer and getting a new one, but luckily we have an awesome brother who loaned us his portable hard drive and we were able to save all our files and get our computer cleaned up and back to normal and now it's running faster than it has for a long time. We still need to do a few adjustments to it though, I busted our CD/DVD burner so we need to get that fixed, but that seems like a lot less than paying for a whole new computer. And we did order some good antivirus software and learned our lesson.
On good news though, I have some awesome kids who keep me on my toes, but make life fun.
Lately we have been doing puzzles. Damon just likes to put in the pieces in the box and take them out.
But Logan insists that I help him do the puzzle (about 20 times each sitting). It does get a little monotonous, but since I do get to sit down I can't complain too much. He's getting better at the puzzles too. Pretty soon he can just do them by himself and I'll be doing them 20 times with Damon.
Although, sometimes even he gets lucky enough to fit a piece by himself.
I do have to make sure they have separate puzzles though. These are great from the dollar store. 25 pieces and fairly durable, at least for what it is.
This past week was a week of nesting and projects. Since Damon was born when Logan was 17 months, I feel like I should be having this new baby right now since Damon is 17 months and my nesting habits are kicking in already. I really wanted to do something with the "nursery"/boys' room. I had this great vision of paint and decor and once I got that in my head I couldn't sleep until it was done. So, one morning I went and got the fabric and made these curtains. Logan was actually really excited about them though I'm not sure why. I was going to surprise Morgan with the painting while he was away for his test review in Houston next week, but honestly once I bought the paint I cracked it out that same day. I'm so impatient...no wonder my kids are too. :) Anyway. I'm SOOOOO glad that I didn't wait. It was a much bigger project than I anticipated, but I LOVE it! And my husband was such a good sport and trooper and helped me out with it. I can't imagine having done it by myself. I'm good with a paint brush, but no good with a paint roller. So, here's the finished project: Just imagine the curtains with the room because the picture I got of it was really dark and didn't turn out and Damon is sleeping right now so I don't want to get another one right now...maybe later:
I started out doing the light blue around the room, I had to tape and measure everything and surprisingly it turned out straight and level across the whole room.
Then we painted all the brown/tan color on top. It was interesting trying to get that done with the kids hanging around. Damon is brave and likes to climb up and down the ladder, but Logan will only go about two steps.
Logan was really excited when he saw all the painted balls on the walls. "Look mom, a soccer ball, and a basketball, and an ice cream cone (golf ball on a golf tee-he knows that now)."
It was a really fun project and I'm glad it's done. I think it will satiate my desire to paint the rest of the house for a while. I really like painting, but I'd forgotten how much of a chore it is....kinda like having kids, once enough time passes you want to do it again. :)
There are still a few touch ups to do where the kids touched the paint or smeared it, but I think I got most of the big places. I'm just glad it's dry now!
The boys love it and so do I. It turned out just the way I wanted. I think the only thing we'll add later are some murals on the wall, maybe a soccer scene, or basketball, or football, or something like that. The top walls still seem so bare. I do have some shelves that might make it look better, but the biggest part is now complete! So, since that has really been my focus we haven't done much else. Potty training is at about the same as it was two weeks ago...non-existent. He still insists on sitting on the potty for an hour before bathtime, but nothing happens and he absolutely refused to wear underwear, "no, mom, I just need another diaper" soon though we're going to have to take the next step. Today while I was making some flight arrangements for Morgan's review next week he comes up and says "mom, can you wash the poo poo off my hand" yep, he stuck his hand down his diaper full of poo. It was not a very happy moment, but now he's quietly watching Curious George downstairs, so I think I'll go take a nap. Whew....until next time....
On good news though, I have some awesome kids who keep me on my toes, but make life fun.
Lately we have been doing puzzles. Damon just likes to put in the pieces in the box and take them out.
But Logan insists that I help him do the puzzle (about 20 times each sitting). It does get a little monotonous, but since I do get to sit down I can't complain too much. He's getting better at the puzzles too. Pretty soon he can just do them by himself and I'll be doing them 20 times with Damon.
Although, sometimes even he gets lucky enough to fit a piece by himself.
I do have to make sure they have separate puzzles though. These are great from the dollar store. 25 pieces and fairly durable, at least for what it is.
This past week was a week of nesting and projects. Since Damon was born when Logan was 17 months, I feel like I should be having this new baby right now since Damon is 17 months and my nesting habits are kicking in already. I really wanted to do something with the "nursery"/boys' room. I had this great vision of paint and decor and once I got that in my head I couldn't sleep until it was done. So, one morning I went and got the fabric and made these curtains. Logan was actually really excited about them though I'm not sure why. I was going to surprise Morgan with the painting while he was away for his test review in Houston next week, but honestly once I bought the paint I cracked it out that same day. I'm so impatient...no wonder my kids are too. :) Anyway. I'm SOOOOO glad that I didn't wait. It was a much bigger project than I anticipated, but I LOVE it! And my husband was such a good sport and trooper and helped me out with it. I can't imagine having done it by myself. I'm good with a paint brush, but no good with a paint roller. So, here's the finished project: Just imagine the curtains with the room because the picture I got of it was really dark and didn't turn out and Damon is sleeping right now so I don't want to get another one right now...maybe later:
I started out doing the light blue around the room, I had to tape and measure everything and surprisingly it turned out straight and level across the whole room.
Then we painted all the brown/tan color on top. It was interesting trying to get that done with the kids hanging around. Damon is brave and likes to climb up and down the ladder, but Logan will only go about two steps.
Logan was really excited when he saw all the painted balls on the walls. "Look mom, a soccer ball, and a basketball, and an ice cream cone (golf ball on a golf tee-he knows that now)."
It was a really fun project and I'm glad it's done. I think it will satiate my desire to paint the rest of the house for a while. I really like painting, but I'd forgotten how much of a chore it is....kinda like having kids, once enough time passes you want to do it again. :)
There are still a few touch ups to do where the kids touched the paint or smeared it, but I think I got most of the big places. I'm just glad it's dry now!
The boys love it and so do I. It turned out just the way I wanted. I think the only thing we'll add later are some murals on the wall, maybe a soccer scene, or basketball, or football, or something like that. The top walls still seem so bare. I do have some shelves that might make it look better, but the biggest part is now complete! So, since that has really been my focus we haven't done much else. Potty training is at about the same as it was two weeks ago...non-existent. He still insists on sitting on the potty for an hour before bathtime, but nothing happens and he absolutely refused to wear underwear, "no, mom, I just need another diaper" soon though we're going to have to take the next step. Today while I was making some flight arrangements for Morgan's review next week he comes up and says "mom, can you wash the poo poo off my hand" yep, he stuck his hand down his diaper full of poo. It was not a very happy moment, but now he's quietly watching Curious George downstairs, so I think I'll go take a nap. Whew....until next time.... Thursday, February 25, 2010
Here I Come to Save the Day!
Wow! Time flies when you're having fun, or are really busy. :) This week I tried to introduce my kids to playing Superman. Of course, they were adorable, but only lasted about minutes in the cape.
I don't get it. Superman was my favorite game. I have childhood pictures of me tying dish-towels around my neck and running around the house and yard. My boys seemed more intent on trying to get the "cape" off.
We did have fun for a few minutes though. I guess we'll just have to build up to playing new games. I did feel like a good mom for trying though. Now that I'm getting back a little more energy and I don't feel so "carsick" all the time, it helps the time pass to find games to play while we're still stuck indoors with the cold weather.
Saturday was fun. We went swimming in our basement, sort of. The kids were downstairs watching a show as usual while Morgan and I were taking our showers and getting ready for the day, when Logan starts yelling and saying, "Mommy, the water is coming" I thought, oh it must be one of his shows, so I sort of ignored it until he started coming up the stairs. Then I thought Damon must have turned the show off.
Nope. Our basement flooded a little bit. We can't find any evidence of how or why it happened and we're baffled by it. I'm just glad it didn't cover the entire basement, and nothing got ruined and especially grateful we hadn't invested any time or money finishing it yet. Now we need to figure out the problem.
Our best theory is that something clogged the drain for a while until the water pressure was enough to clear it out, but the water wasn't dirty like sewer water or anything, so we don't know if it backed up, or just clogged. I have a hard time imagining that this came from the little drips that naturally come from the appliances. We'll call the home warranty department and see if they know anything, but we haven't had any problems since.
Logan loves the camera and knows how to take pictures. I would have posted some, but he didn't quite grasp the concept of getting people in the pictures, so it was a lot of pictures of his thumb, and the carpet. Maybe next time our budding photographer will have something.
Logan giving Mommy smooches. The other day I said, I love you Logan, and without hesitation or help he said, I love you too Mom. It melted my heart.
And of course this little guy melts my heart too. He's really starting to talk up a storm and tries to keep up with his brother in about everything. Who knows, maybe we'll have both kids potty trained before the new baby arrives, wouldn't that be a miracle. :)
His smile is so contagious and I can't help but smile when he does.
The kids love to have a "picnic" and today I let Logan be in charge after he grabbed the box of Kix from the counter. Damon would go over by him and sign and say "peese" and Logan would give him some Kix. It was really cute! They are both getting a little better at sharing, but also a little more stubborn. Logan knows if he takes a toy Damon is playing with that Damon will have a meltdown and Damon also knows how to purposely intrude on Logan's space and make him upset. But in the end they prefer hugs to hitting. At least right now, so I'll cherish that while it lasts. :) Until next time...
I don't get it. Superman was my favorite game. I have childhood pictures of me tying dish-towels around my neck and running around the house and yard. My boys seemed more intent on trying to get the "cape" off.
We did have fun for a few minutes though. I guess we'll just have to build up to playing new games. I did feel like a good mom for trying though. Now that I'm getting back a little more energy and I don't feel so "carsick" all the time, it helps the time pass to find games to play while we're still stuck indoors with the cold weather.
Saturday was fun. We went swimming in our basement, sort of. The kids were downstairs watching a show as usual while Morgan and I were taking our showers and getting ready for the day, when Logan starts yelling and saying, "Mommy, the water is coming" I thought, oh it must be one of his shows, so I sort of ignored it until he started coming up the stairs. Then I thought Damon must have turned the show off.
Nope. Our basement flooded a little bit. We can't find any evidence of how or why it happened and we're baffled by it. I'm just glad it didn't cover the entire basement, and nothing got ruined and especially grateful we hadn't invested any time or money finishing it yet. Now we need to figure out the problem.
Our best theory is that something clogged the drain for a while until the water pressure was enough to clear it out, but the water wasn't dirty like sewer water or anything, so we don't know if it backed up, or just clogged. I have a hard time imagining that this came from the little drips that naturally come from the appliances. We'll call the home warranty department and see if they know anything, but we haven't had any problems since.
Logan loves the camera and knows how to take pictures. I would have posted some, but he didn't quite grasp the concept of getting people in the pictures, so it was a lot of pictures of his thumb, and the carpet. Maybe next time our budding photographer will have something.
Logan giving Mommy smooches. The other day I said, I love you Logan, and without hesitation or help he said, I love you too Mom. It melted my heart.
And of course this little guy melts my heart too. He's really starting to talk up a storm and tries to keep up with his brother in about everything. Who knows, maybe we'll have both kids potty trained before the new baby arrives, wouldn't that be a miracle. :)
His smile is so contagious and I can't help but smile when he does.
The kids love to have a "picnic" and today I let Logan be in charge after he grabbed the box of Kix from the counter. Damon would go over by him and sign and say "peese" and Logan would give him some Kix. It was really cute! They are both getting a little better at sharing, but also a little more stubborn. Logan knows if he takes a toy Damon is playing with that Damon will have a meltdown and Damon also knows how to purposely intrude on Logan's space and make him upset. But in the end they prefer hugs to hitting. At least right now, so I'll cherish that while it lasts. :) Until next time...Thursday, February 18, 2010
Warm Weather
I love that the weather is getting a bit warmer, although I wouldn't mind a couple more big snow storms, we sure could use it. These last couple weeks have gone by really fast.
This is the latest form of entertainment for the boys. They like to tip the chairs over and climb all over them.
We've only have a few cuts and bruises, but boys will be boys!
And it really does keep them occupied while I'm making dinner or unloading the dishwasher, or something like that.
I love this little guy. He's been teething lately, all four of his canines, just how Logan's came in. One finally popped through, but he still occasionally wakes up at night. Tylenol has been our best friend lately. I love those baby blues though!
Well, we're not starting potty training with Damon, but he likes to do whatever Logan does, so maybe we will :) We're starting slow, first just getting Logan even excited about underwear. I let him pick out some at the store and they had a blast wearing them all night.
Of course, they had to wear them on top of their pajamas. It took me a while to convince Logan that they go "under" your clothes, like "under"wear. :)
Before we started the potty adventures though we took a trip to St. George for President's Day weekend. It was also our 6-year engagement anniversary. Papa made "Wilson" the mouse for the boys.
Damon was a little too occupied with the camera and the piano, but he giggled a couple of times.
Logan thought it was pretty fun, but was still a little nervous. Maybe when he's just a little bit older he'll appreciate Wilson more.
This is the latest form of entertainment for the boys. They like to tip the chairs over and climb all over them.
We've only have a few cuts and bruises, but boys will be boys!
And it really does keep them occupied while I'm making dinner or unloading the dishwasher, or something like that.
I love this little guy. He's been teething lately, all four of his canines, just how Logan's came in. One finally popped through, but he still occasionally wakes up at night. Tylenol has been our best friend lately. I love those baby blues though!
Well, we're not starting potty training with Damon, but he likes to do whatever Logan does, so maybe we will :) We're starting slow, first just getting Logan even excited about underwear. I let him pick out some at the store and they had a blast wearing them all night.
Of course, they had to wear them on top of their pajamas. It took me a while to convince Logan that they go "under" your clothes, like "under"wear. :) 
Before we started the potty adventures though we took a trip to St. George for President's Day weekend. It was also our 6-year engagement anniversary. Papa made "Wilson" the mouse for the boys.
Damon was a little too occupied with the camera and the piano, but he giggled a couple of times.
Logan thought it was pretty fun, but was still a little nervous. Maybe when he's just a little bit older he'll appreciate Wilson more.So, when we got back home I had a doctor appointment. Everything seemed normal, and then they tried to get a heart beat and that little baby was being a stinker and we couldn't find it. I started to get nervous thinking something happened, but they said we'd do an ultrasound to make sure everything was okay. My real ultrasound appointment isn't until next week, but we did take a sneak peek and everything looks normal and healthy and it's a...............................BOY!
Of course, what else would it be. :) We'll just get all our boys out and then we'll have that baby girl that I know is going to come eventually. We're really excited though, we're already set up for boys. :)
Speaking of boys though, potty training really sucks! Actually I really have no idea what I'm doing. I did order a couple books off Amazon to give me some ideas, but I tried just putting Logan in underwear and seriously not 5 minutes after he peed, but not in the potty. And then it was mostly my fault for the other 3 accidents because I just kept getting distracted and didn't get him on the potty soon enough. He would sit on the potty AFTER he already went. I couldn't handle the smell of pee though, so that's when I got the books and said we'll try again another day...that and Logan kept requesting a diaper. :) So, if you have any ideas, let me know. I'm just not even sure Logan is physically ready, but we'll see how it goes the next little while. Until next time...
Saturday, February 6, 2010
February?
My, my, my, January went by dreadfully slow, but now that the first week of February is basically over, it's cruisin'. I think we're finally settling into a nice groove at home and it helps that there have been some bright days this week and we have actually gone outside and taken fun walks and met friends in the neighborhood. 
Logan and Damon found the backpack a while ago and Logan loves to put it on and say, "see ya later, I'm going to school" or work, or the store. I think he's going to have a really fun time at school in several years of course, I don't think I'm quite ready for him to be that old yet.
For as picky of an eater that Logan is (which has actually been getting better) he loves bologna. I used to love bologna as a kid, but now the thought of it makes me queasy, I even hate the smell it leaves on my hands after I take of that little red band around it (yeah, it's only on the cheap kind, but Logan eats it, so why go for "gourmet" bologna).
I'm glad they like it though. They won't eat it as part of a sandwich, but if I do pieces of bologna, cheese, and crackers, they'll eat it like a "lunchable" meal. This was just a snack so I gave them the whole piece, they thought that was pretty fun too.
And I don't normally let the kids on the table (well, when we play Play-Doh, or with crayons, it's just easier to have Damon up there), but Damon can now climb up on the chairs and onto the table and it's his favorite pastime. He'll spend hours just going up and down and giving me that look when I tell him to climb down from the table. Yeah, he knows he's not supposed to be up there to and he does it just to tease me. Damon is such a teaser. He loves to tease and taunt Logan too.
Logan has also taken an interest in "cooking" lately. I've had to re-arrange a few counter items (ahem, steak knives) so they can't reach them anymore. He usually pulls it up to the stove, but I actually needed the stove, so we found a good compromise in letting them pull chairs up to the island to "help" me cook. 
I was making some really good buttery sauteed brussel sprouts (I know, sounds gross, but they taste just like broccoli that way and so are edible). I let Logan and Damon play with all the sprout discards and they spent I think a good hour putting them in the cups and then dumping them out. Logan especially loved being able to use the tongs. Damon just liked to dump the cups out.
We were playing with some balls this week and Logan threw this one up and it just stopped right there between the blinds. It was hilarious. I had to take a picture for proof, although now that I'm writing about it, this picture just doesn't do the moment justice.
Anytime the kids see the camera it's a chorus of "cheese." And they both try to get their picture taken.
Look, a semi-normal smile. Logan is such a handsome little guy. He's also a very friendly little guy. When we go on walks around the neighborhood he practically jumps out of the stroller to go play with his "friends" (anyone who is walking is pretty much his friend). He's usually really good with other kids too about staying in the area, I don't have to worry as much about him or Damon wandering off if there is a group. So, here's to warmer weather and meeting more friends, until next time....
Logan and Damon found the backpack a while ago and Logan loves to put it on and say, "see ya later, I'm going to school" or work, or the store. I think he's going to have a really fun time at school in several years of course, I don't think I'm quite ready for him to be that old yet.
For as picky of an eater that Logan is (which has actually been getting better) he loves bologna. I used to love bologna as a kid, but now the thought of it makes me queasy, I even hate the smell it leaves on my hands after I take of that little red band around it (yeah, it's only on the cheap kind, but Logan eats it, so why go for "gourmet" bologna).
I'm glad they like it though. They won't eat it as part of a sandwich, but if I do pieces of bologna, cheese, and crackers, they'll eat it like a "lunchable" meal. This was just a snack so I gave them the whole piece, they thought that was pretty fun too.
And I don't normally let the kids on the table (well, when we play Play-Doh, or with crayons, it's just easier to have Damon up there), but Damon can now climb up on the chairs and onto the table and it's his favorite pastime. He'll spend hours just going up and down and giving me that look when I tell him to climb down from the table. Yeah, he knows he's not supposed to be up there to and he does it just to tease me. Damon is such a teaser. He loves to tease and taunt Logan too. 
Logan has also taken an interest in "cooking" lately. I've had to re-arrange a few counter items (ahem, steak knives) so they can't reach them anymore. He usually pulls it up to the stove, but I actually needed the stove, so we found a good compromise in letting them pull chairs up to the island to "help" me cook. 
I was making some really good buttery sauteed brussel sprouts (I know, sounds gross, but they taste just like broccoli that way and so are edible). I let Logan and Damon play with all the sprout discards and they spent I think a good hour putting them in the cups and then dumping them out. Logan especially loved being able to use the tongs. Damon just liked to dump the cups out.
We were playing with some balls this week and Logan threw this one up and it just stopped right there between the blinds. It was hilarious. I had to take a picture for proof, although now that I'm writing about it, this picture just doesn't do the moment justice.
Anytime the kids see the camera it's a chorus of "cheese." And they both try to get their picture taken. 
Look, a semi-normal smile. Logan is such a handsome little guy. He's also a very friendly little guy. When we go on walks around the neighborhood he practically jumps out of the stroller to go play with his "friends" (anyone who is walking is pretty much his friend). He's usually really good with other kids too about staying in the area, I don't have to worry as much about him or Damon wandering off if there is a group. So, here's to warmer weather and meeting more friends, until next time.... Friday, January 29, 2010
The Dentist
So this week...yesterday (Thursday) in fact I went to the dentist. Last time I came out of their office I vowed never to go back, was in tears, and seriously was ready to drive all the way to St. George back to my old dentist. I even told the babysitter (my awesome cousin MeChel who came up last minute - you don't know how much that meant to me! Thanks again!) to prepare for a total meltdown when I got home.
I'm not sure why I was even having such a hard time at the dentist, it was really bothering me, but it was almost like having anxiety attacks when I thought about it. And it's not that he was a bad dentist because I don't think that at all, well, maybe it had to do with the fact that the last time I visited it was to yank out a huge tooth in preparation for an implant...dental implant of course. :)
I kept postponing the appointment, but knew I couldn't much longer because I wanted to take advantage of the insurance paying 100% (instead of 50% which is huge on a $2,000 procedure--and that's only for one of the three appointments--yikes) of course, I also wanted to make sure I was in the 2nd trimester when it's safer for all that stuff. Alright, cutting to the point of the story, there are 3 dentists where I go (if you really want to know where, ask me) and I had only seen the one. I saw a different one this time and seriously I was whistling (not really, my face was numb) and happy and totally ready to go back in 4 months for the final appointment of this procedure and no they didn't give me happy gas...couldn't...pregnant.
It was just a world of difference. I can't even really say exactly what it was that was different other than I felt like my dentist (yes my dentist now, I'm totally going back and requesting him again) empathized with how awkward and uncomfortable it really is to have three people's hands in your mouth at the same time, pulling, and drilling, and sucking out your spit and somehow that made me more relaxed. I'm also the type that likes to know how things are going and how far along we are and how much longer it will take and of course a few words of encouragement are also welcome, "you're doing great, hang in there, we're almost done" that sort of thing. (Yes, I do like to be treated like a child at the dentist, it makes me feel better). So, the short and long of it all, I used to hate going to the dentist, but now I don't. :)
I'm not sure why I was even having such a hard time at the dentist, it was really bothering me, but it was almost like having anxiety attacks when I thought about it. And it's not that he was a bad dentist because I don't think that at all, well, maybe it had to do with the fact that the last time I visited it was to yank out a huge tooth in preparation for an implant...dental implant of course. :)
I kept postponing the appointment, but knew I couldn't much longer because I wanted to take advantage of the insurance paying 100% (instead of 50% which is huge on a $2,000 procedure--and that's only for one of the three appointments--yikes) of course, I also wanted to make sure I was in the 2nd trimester when it's safer for all that stuff. Alright, cutting to the point of the story, there are 3 dentists where I go (if you really want to know where, ask me) and I had only seen the one. I saw a different one this time and seriously I was whistling (not really, my face was numb) and happy and totally ready to go back in 4 months for the final appointment of this procedure and no they didn't give me happy gas...couldn't...pregnant.
It was just a world of difference. I can't even really say exactly what it was that was different other than I felt like my dentist (yes my dentist now, I'm totally going back and requesting him again) empathized with how awkward and uncomfortable it really is to have three people's hands in your mouth at the same time, pulling, and drilling, and sucking out your spit and somehow that made me more relaxed. I'm also the type that likes to know how things are going and how far along we are and how much longer it will take and of course a few words of encouragement are also welcome, "you're doing great, hang in there, we're almost done" that sort of thing. (Yes, I do like to be treated like a child at the dentist, it makes me feel better). So, the short and long of it all, I used to hate going to the dentist, but now I don't. :)
Friday, January 22, 2010
Bad Mother Moment
Well, it looks like Friday has become the latest blogging day, although, really I'm just trying to post at least once a week, or when something interesting happens...so...for the last 7 weeks, the kids will go down in the basement and watch a show while I'm taking a shower. It's pretty cold down there, so I had a space heater that would buzz if it got knocked over, so I didn't worry much. Everything else is very safe and baby-proof down there so I thought all was well. Until just a few days ago, the boys were getting a little braver and would touch the heater and I thought to myself, hmmm, it's probably not a good idea to have that down here unsupervised anymore, but the moment passed. So, on Wednesday, I'm up on the computer ( I wish I were doing something more noble, say, cleaning or cooking, or well, anything but basically wasting time) and I hear Logan say something about the heater. I don't worry about it, but I listen for the buzz if it gets knocked over. No buzz...everything's fine...not. I few seconds later Damon is crying and Logan is coming up the stairs saying, "What's that on heater mom?" I rush down to find flames lapping at the concrete floor (at this point I'm SOOOO grateful our basement isn't finished or this could have been so much worse). I tell the kids to get away and go upstairs and blow out the fire, in the process spreading ash everywhere. It wasn't really too major. The smoke alarms did go off and I had to open the basement windows for the rest of the day. The alarms terrified the kids most of all. Damon had dropped a set of play keys (well, real, but useless) in the heater, the plastic keychain, along with a hair thing and other flammable objects started the fire. Most of the keys were charred black. I have no idea how long it was sitting in there. My guess is that when Damon started crying it was because he dropped them and then tried to get them out and possibly burned himself a little (no evidence of that thankfully). So, the heater is ruined, but the kids are safe, lesson learned, NOTHING is safe in our house with Damon around. :)
"Damon did you put the keys in there?" "Uhhh, maybe?"
"I mean, who, me?"
On a happier note though Logan has a new kitchen fetish. He loves to push the chairs against the counter and find any utensil, bowl, whatever and say he has to cook. (Of course, now I have to find a new spot for all the steak knives). The latest was the bowl hats.
Logan thought it was the best hat in the world and would get so upset if it fell off. He would say, "no bowl hat, don't fall" My kids are great and teach me many wonderful things each day. Maybe by the time the third one comes around I might just have a few things figured out....but then again, I might not. Until next time....
"Damon did you put the keys in there?" "Uhhh, maybe?"
"I mean, who, me?"
On a happier note though Logan has a new kitchen fetish. He loves to push the chairs against the counter and find any utensil, bowl, whatever and say he has to cook. (Of course, now I have to find a new spot for all the steak knives). The latest was the bowl hats.
Logan thought it was the best hat in the world and would get so upset if it fell off. He would say, "no bowl hat, don't fall" My kids are great and teach me many wonderful things each day. Maybe by the time the third one comes around I might just have a few things figured out....but then again, I might not. Until next time....
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