Recipe experiments

Everyone who knows me knows I like to try out new recipes and experiment a bit in the kitchen.  If I had time I like to imagine that we'd have a great home cooked meal twice a day (breakfast & dinner in my mind).  Maybe I'm a throwback to my farming ancestors, but there it is.  I LOVE playing around in the kitchen.

I appear to have passed that love on as both boys enjoy helping out. (ignore the bed head...no need to get fancy for the kitchen work.)

So, imagine my joy when my baby has started asking to experiment with recipes.  YAY!  Maybe he'll be a famous chef one day and have his own restaurant!  So of course I had to encourage him right? So I let him make a ketchup and mustard sandwich.  Which, for the record, will NOT be gracing any menus anytime soon.  We've added hotdogs to toast, and he's dipped his tortilla chips in a virgin strawberry daqueri.  But, today's request has taken the cake...so to speak.

"Mom, will you slice me up some bananas and pickles?"

What can I say to that?  He asked so sweetly, batting his super long eyelashes to let me know that he really did want the "salad" he was asking for....

So of course I said the only thing I could.  "Ummm, no."  Yeah, okay, I was saved by Daddy telling the kid that we're out of pickles (which we are) but...yeah, I may have to come up with another dream for him.  Apparently chef isn't going to do it.

Although the other night he told me he was going to be a rock star.  When I encouraged him he announced he'd play the drums and get all the girls, so maybe this chef thing isn't a complete loss yet.

Life on the go

I've been terrible about Blogging. I know it.

But, there are things to update about:

Sammy is in first grade and loving every second of it. He's an outstanding reader, wonderful at math and is very interested in science. Right now we're talking about what type of science project he'd like to have in the science fair which is coming up in March. Current ideas include: how many days does it take for a piece of bread to mold. How many rocks (or other item) does it take to make a bottle sink in a tub of water. There was an idea about a plant too, but I can't remember what it was off the top of my head. Science has never been my strong suit so I'm going to have to study up to help him. He's also back in swimming and doing amazingly well.

Alex is 3 going on 13. LOL. his vocabulary is exploding and he's a very energetic little guy. He's also incredibly stubborn. If it's not his idea he's not going to be getting behind it, but if I can somehow convince him that HE thought it was a good idea to sing his ABCs or whatever he's all over it. His big brother is his hero and best friend. I love it.

Scott is still busy with work and the boys and the gym.

Me, well, I've decided to step out a bit and start writing. Or, to clarify, to actually do something with those ideas and short stories that I've written for years. So...here I go off into the unknown. eeek! Scary & fun all wrapped into one.

So, this new year brings lots of adventours for all of us. Here goes!

the battle with the splint goes on

Alex hates his splint...and who can blame him? But, this sneaky 2 year old has figured out how to remove it. Multiple times a day. Now we're brainstorming options on how to get the splint to stay on his arm. Duct tape? Putting a tube sock on over the thing? Do they even make tube socks anymore??
And, as a result of this, we know that codiene ramps him up. As in spinning in circles and can't control himself. Perfect thing for someone with a broken hand who doesn't want to keep it in the splint to be doing, right? I scheduled a hair appointment for this Friday to cover all the grey that I'm sure I've sprouted as a result.

And the first break goes to Alex

Yes, Alex, at the tender age of two, is the first of the kiddos to break a bone. He has a closed metacarpal fracture. I'm reminding myself that if the boys take after their father this will just be the first of several broken bones we'll have to deal with. He's obviously no too upset about it, except with the splint starts to itch or if the swelling gets bad. We'll be seeing a pediatric ortho in a few days for a "real" cast, more to protect the break and keep it from getting worse when my gentle little boy flails his arms around and smacks into things.
there is never a dull moment around here...but I could have done without this bit of excitment, thanks.

Happy New Year!

It's been way too long since I've updated the blog, so I figured I'd do a quick recap.

Since Sammy started school I feel like we've been running in 6 different directions. There was soccer & swimming, both of which ended on Halloween weekend. Sam loved soccer and has decided that he wants to play again next year. He isn't so keen on swimming as he had a pretty rotten teacher this time who didn't even know his name until halfway through the sessions (at which point I realized she was calling him Sebastian. When I corrected her she argued with me. Really.) so we've taken a little break. I think he's going to start again in Feb. though as I feel like it's important that he knows how to swim well for as much as he likes to play in the water.

Alex is growing more and more every day and since Sam started school is actually using his workds more as opposed to just yelling and pointing (or going to get Sam who always seems to understand what he wants). He's enjoying his one on one time with Daddy every day and loves playing puzzles and learning how to use the computer, which both Scott & Sam have taken to teaching him. He loves watching football and still loves his dinosaurs.

Christmas brought many wonderful "things" as well as some great time to spend together as a family. The boys and I made cookies on Christmas Eve and started some fun traditions.

No doubt about it, we're very blessed.

It's been a busy week!

Sammy has started Kindergarten! The first day was this past Tuesday and he did amazingly well. He's thrilled to finally be in school and be a "big boy" going to the "big school". Feed back from his teacher has been very positive. She reported to Scott that Sam did "an amazing job" at pick up on Friday. Now, I've been trying to get details from Sam about what they did, but I've only been hearing about going to the library and reading stories.
He's loving it, and it's giving him a good foundation, so I'm thrilled.
Alex has been missing Sam each day, but I think he's really enjoying the one on one time he's getting with Scott. They're getting into a routine and starting to do some activities that have been difficult to do with Sam around.

And, soccer....Sam had his first game yesterday. Oh-so-painful. LOL. The other team was much more organized...our team had trouble remembering which goal we were supposed to use. It'll get better, and Sam had fun so that's the most important thing.

I'll try to be better about updating.

Summer colds

We finally got hit with the summer cold bug that's been going around. I was very hopeful that it would skip us, but no such luck. Why is it that summer colds are always so much worse (or seem to be so much worse) than winter colds? I think I'm going to dedicate a day this weekend to wiping the entire house to clorox to help get rid of any lingering germs. Nasty little buggers.

On the bright side, it seems to be a short lived bug. Sam is already feeling better, Alex appears to be on the mend (he's a day or two behind his brother on this thing) but sadly Scott is down with it now. It's going to be some long days for Daddy until he's feeling better again.

I've got to run, but don't forget to wash your hands!

Busy times in the Howe household.

I returned from my girl's weekend in Chicago a weekn ago tonight, and pretty much since the plane touched down we've been running non-stop. Not that I'm complaining at all, but hopefully it will explain to those who've sent an email asking for an update why it took me a bit.

Sammy has started swimming lessons, since he's still talking about learning how to surf when he gets older. I promised him that if he took all the swimming lessons offered at the Rec Center and passed all the tests that I'd let him learn how to surf. He's doing amazingly well and has told his swim teacher (Mark, who is a friend of Sam's preschool teacher last year) about his deal to learn to surf, so he's been getting a few extra pointers before each lesson too. He's loving it.
And, he's still in soccer camp, which is going very well. His fall league starts practice tomorrow night, so he'll be going straight from soccer to swimming. The only night this week that he doesn't have "something" going is Tuesday. Things will settle down after Labor day as far as the extra soccer camp & swimming lessons, but that's when school starts too. He says he wants to continue with his swimming lessons once school starts, but that will mean that he'll have something every night but Wednesday, plus school during the days and soccer games on Saturdays. I haven't made any promises yet...we'll have to see how it all plays out.

Alex is, well, Alex is 2. I now understand the phrase "terrible twos" as he throws tantrums like Sammy never did. It's quite exausting trying to keep up with him...and it's hard to be sympathetic about his frustrations when my frustration levels skyrocket in direct relation to his screaming tantrums. *sigh* I'm hoping this is a short lived phase that will play itself out before too long.

That's what's happening here...I hope all is well for all of you.
Until later,
ciao

Seafair is here!

which for my family doesn't mean we go sit on the lake and watch the hydros race. (although I still think that would be/will be a BLAST when the kids get a bit older) We started the festivities by hitting the "Tour de Terrace" parade about a block from the house last night. I manned our spots while Scott & Sam went into the carnival (tourture for Sammy) to get "dinner" aka chili dogs, hot dogs, fry bread...YUM!
The boys loved the motorcycle police (which was a big hit with Alex last year too), the cool cars (my personal favorite is the Shelby Cobra Mustang, 1969 I think Scott said), the Seafair pirates of course, and then: Ronald McDonald riding a segway. The kids went NUTS. They loved it.
Toward the end of the parade it started raining so I bailed on the last little bit and took Alex home while Scott & Sam stayed until the bitter end.
Today I'm getting a mani/pedi while the boys go and get haircuts and then, if the big kid is good, we'll hit the carnival for some rides. It's a fun weekend to be a kid!

Fun in the sun!

I don't really have too much to say this Monday morning, but wanted to share the adorable photo of the boys playing outside yesterday. They are such great pals that I just love watching them together.
So, yesterday we all got our swimsuits on and ran through the sprinkler, read books, played ball (no specific game, just anything with a ball) and enjoyed the sunshine. It was a lovely weekend.

Grab your honey and go on a date!

Last night Scott and I went on a date. With our differing schedules, two active boys pulling us in different directions and various household obligations, it's so easy to overlook the simple need to continue to date. We dropped the boys off with Auntie Cora and off we went for dinner and a movie. It was SO MUCH FUN! We sat in the bar and caught the last little bit of happy hour and ordered dinner. We had a wonderful pitcher of sangria with a calamari that melted in our mouths...and reminded me of Spain. We talked and laughing and people watched...just enjoying spending time with eachother. It was a glaring reminder that we need to do it more frequently than we do. So, listen up: GRAB YOUR HONEY AND GO OUT ON A DATE!

The goodies

The peach and blueberry gallette I made the other night was a huge hit. It was only the second time I've made it, but our little family of 4 ate the entire thing. The pastry fell apart this time (mental note, don't sub. margarine for frozen butter when baking desserts) but I served it over vanilla ice cream and no one seemed to care.
Sammy is enjoying soccer still and has made a deal with his dad about drinking his milk so he has strong bones and can continue playing.
Alex had his 2 year well baby visit and is 29 lbs and 35 inches tall. It puts him pretty solidly in the middle of the growth curve I guess. I was nervous about his appointment today because when he was asked how to ask for things last night he repied "NOW!" Ummm, not so much kid. LOL.

Think he's having fun?

Today was Sammy's first day of soccer. Think he enjoyed himself? LOL. I love this photo. Scott took several for me since I was at work during camp. I'm not sure who's more excited, Sam or Dad. I've already been informed of everything they are going to work on this weekend, which bag will carry the gear and that we need to get a water bottle for Sam to take. This could be the start of a wonderful thing.

Alex in the meantime doesn't understand why he can't play too. He really wants to get out there and kick the ball around too...but they don't have a 2 year old team. Can you imagine? LOL
Hope everyone's having a wonderful Thursday and planning a great weekend.

Can you comment?

I've heard from my mom that she can't comment, but I'm not sure why that would be....

As for us: Alex was still sleeping when I left home this morning. I swear he grew 2 inches yesterday after not getting up until 11am. If he keeps this us he'll be as tall as Sam in another month or 2. ;-)
Sammy was working on his list of chores. First on the list is "drop the 'tude". We'll see how that works out. Kid is 5 going on 15.
I washed all Sammy's soccer gear in prep for camp to start on Thursday...I'm going to be a "Soccer Mom!!" Now I need a minivan to complete my image. LOL.
Ok, off to work I go...let me know if you can comment or if it's a problem with how I set things up.
Thanks!

I've set it up so the blog is only open to "invited" readers

so if someone is trying to view the blog and can't get in please have them send me an email so I can figure out how to add them to the "invite" list.

I'm just playing with all the options, etc for now. I plan to use this to load photos of all of us so everyone can see the boys growing and keep up with our happenings. Hopefully it will be enjoyable.

I've been encouraged to set up a blog...

so, here we go.

I'm still trying to figure out the features and things on this, so it probably won't be too exciting for awhile, but it's a start, right?
Can I make it secure so only certain peeps (those approved) can view? I'm sure there's a way....
hmmmm....

So, in the Howe family news: Bryan just left, so we're visitor-less for the first time this weekend. The house seems so quiet, although part of that is probably because Alex is STILL sleeping (it's 9:38 am right now). He must be going through a growth spurt.

That's about it, I'm going to play with this some more and see what all this blooger site can do.