No Pictures

I've totally started seeing things through the camera lens, and I want it to stop.

Today I was sitting on the floor with my three littles, playing with plastic easter eggs and little metal buckets shaped like a bunnies and chicks. Bodie was cracking me up - he'd put the eggs in his bucket, take one out, act like he was going to share it with his brother and then snatch it back as soon as Owen tried to grab it. Then he saw an interesting egg, crawled over to get it knocking his bucket over in the process, came back and threw his hands up in the air when he saw the capsized bucket. He was just so darn cute sitting there with his chick bucket perched between his chubby little thighs. He was wearing a green diaper and a t-shirt with a flower on it (dont' tell his dad!). He looked like spring. :) The first thing I thought was "Where's the camera?"

Then I realized the camera was upstairs at the computer where I'd left it. My first instinct was to get up and run up to get it, but then what? The kids were all happy, and playing....together! As soon as I moved, they'd all move. They'd want to know why I had gone upstairs, so the two older ones would probably follow me, and then Bodie would crawl away since there was no one to play with. I'd have to put him back, put the bucket back, force feed him some easter eggs, and then try to get him to look at me...which would be no fun for him since he wouldn't see *me*, he'd see the camera staring at him. I'd probably have to take 10 pictures to get a good one, and since it's overcast, I'd have to use the flash. All he wanted to do is play with some easter eggs and a bucket and instead, he'd be flashed in the eyes and have me hollering at him to look at the camera instead of the eggs, or his brother, or me.

So I sat there. I played with my kids and some silly eggs, and some buckets. I was actually able to notice the expressions on their faces. I really studied them and let myself just enjoy the moment. It didn't last long. It never does with little ones. But while it did last, I let it sink in. I etched the scene in my memory. But I didn't take a picture.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I think little moments like this... and just letting yourself live the little moments...is worth a thousand pictures.

First Steps and Froggies

Well, it happened. Our last first steps. Boo-hoo! Check out this big boy!!!

We also made some cool froggies - a really easy craft with paper bags and construction paper. Their eyes are really freaky...or maybe it's just me. The kids don't seem to mind.

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Paper Towel Rolls

You should see my craft cabinet. I hate to throw stuff away, as many of you know, so the craft cabinet has become my favorite place to stash stuff like the bags onions come in, oatmeal boxes, and paper towel rolls...you know, stuff most people put in the trash.

Owen discovered the overflowing supply of paper towel rolls and decided to start just painting them. Just painting. I had no idea what his grand plan was, but it kept him quiet. He did two and then decided he was going to glue them together to make an airplane - no prompting from me, totally his idea. I figured yarn would hold better than glue, though.

Then he decided to start painting some for Maggie, who caught on and started painting herself. I was a little at a loss when she said she wanted to make a castle out of them. Hmmmm, how do you make a castle out of five paper towel rolls? But WAIT! I had almost forgotten about my stash of cardboard boxes that I'll never use up in the loft. Viola! A castle. Nevermind that Dave says it looks like Mead. What does a dad know about a castle?

One

Dear Bodie Quinn,

Today you are One. That's just silly. I mean, One? Who's One?

You a such a little ray of sunshine! Everyday I'm thankful for your big toothy grin. I thought I'd never see anything as cute as your gummy grin, but I think teeth suit you! You have been such an easy baby! You hardly ever complain, and you're content to just crawl around between everyone else's legs, seeing what you can get into.

Your personality is definitely starting to show, though. It's not as easy for your brother and sisters to pry something out of your fist, or your mouth. You're very vocal, which some people might describe as LOUD, but in this house, you have to be loud to be heard.

You LOVE to eat. You sing a little song and rock back and forth when you eat. You love food of all kinds, but you're especially fond of ice cream. It makes you scream with delight! Another of your favorites is red hots. Once you happened upon a red hot on the floor of Molly's room (imagine that), and it promptly went in your mouth. When I realized what it was, I tried to get it out quickly, because I thought it would burn your mouth, but you weren't having it. Since that day, I've caught you with red hots in your mouth at least twenty times. I'm not sure where you've got them stashed, but you sure do like them!

Ever since you were a newborn, you've done this cute little thing with your foot, where you roll it kind of like you're trying to crack your ankle. I'm not sure why, but that really tickles me. You do it all the time. You also like to bounce in your crib, holding onto the side rails. In the middle of the night when you wake up, sometimes the only thing I can see in the dark is the moonlight shining on your blonde, almost-bald head bouncing up and down to beat the band. It makes me smile even though it's three a.m. and I'm tired as all get out.

It's been a great year. You've grown and changed so much, and it's all gone by so fast. A lot of our firsts are over now, but I know there are many more to come.

Happy Birthday, Little Man! I love you!!!

Love,
Mommy

Abelskiever

I got in Dave's car a few weeks ago and there was this weird cast iron pan in the floorboard. Apparantly something his dad had given him. It was like a skillet, but it had seven little cups. I had no idea what it could possibly be for - maybe poaching eggs but the cups looked too small. Anyway, I figured it would at least make an interesting conversation piece hanging from the wall.

Then maybe a week later I see this commercial for a "Pancake Puff Pan". Know what it was? Yeah, it looks exactly like that weird plan. I do some hunting on the internet and discover that pancake puffs are actually a Danish dish called Abelskiever. And they do sell actual Abelskeiver pans. If you're interested, you can even buy an itty bitty dollhouse Abelskeiver pan.

So I found and cleaned up the ole' pan and made some Abel...whateverthehell. It was good. A huge pita, but good. Like..well, like puffy pancakes.

Here's the recipe I used: Please note that I believe this is supposed to yeild approximately 48 thousand abelskeivers, so I recommend cutting it in half. I was bored with it after about 12 thousand of them.

2 c. buttermilk - which I didn't have so I used heavy cream (some of the
recipes apparantly call for heavy cream to begin with so I figured that was
safe)
4 eggs, separated
1/2 t. vanilla
4 c. flour - I only had whole wheat, and it was too dry, so I had to add
more milk
4 t. baking powder. Yikes. A lot of baking powder
1 T. sugar - except I used 2 b/c I didn't think it would be sweet enough
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 T. veg. oil - for the bottom of the cups, I used butter

Beat egg whites until stiff. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks,
add buttermilk and vanilla. In a third bowl, combine dry
ingredients. Make a well and add wet ingredients. Fold in egg
whites. Place a little oil in the bottom of each cup, add batter.
Cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook the other
side.

O.k. notice it doesnt' say what temperature, so I did medium, but that seemed a little too hot...med-low'ish is about right. It is HARD to flip the suckers. A metal skewer works a lot better than a chopstick. My batter was too thick in the beginning, like I said, but maybe with regular white flour it would work as is. I got better at the flipping and judging when the first side was done after a few batches.

All in all, a fun little cooking experiment and they are yummy. But not something I'd do regularly, I don't think. I think next time I'll try adding something to the middle...maybe jam or fruit?
Oh...pics.
Cooking the first side. Potholder on pan handle is absolutely necessary. It's just instinctual to try to grab it when you're trying to flip. Ouchie.



Other side. They're not burned...well, the middle one is a little...just darker from the whole wheat. The middle one does cook a little faster, but there's not a great deal of uneven-ness, like I thought there would be.



On the plate. Note the varying degrees of ugliness. lol. Not too bad for a first try, though! :P