We're messy — vote for us!

I've entered the Get Messy Contest hoping to win a new kitchen or at least some great Mrs. Meyer's products. You can help by voting every day between now and April 18. Normally I shy away from these type of popularity contests but I think we have a good chance of winning. Look at that face! You know you want to vote for him. Pretty please?

Vote here!

Back story: We were making donuts. Joseph loves to make donuts. And eat donuts. Most recent batch turned out more like warm beignets so I sprinkled them with powered sugar. Soooo good. 

On the tree 2013

So how long ago was Christmas? Because honestly folks, Will's little blue tree is still the nightlight in the boys' room and the ornaments are still boxed in the hall waiting to be stored. Despite it being 303 days until Christmas 2014, I wanted to share what Aunt Catherine made for us in 2013.

You guys love what Aunt Catherine does. My "On the tree" post from Dec. 2011 is my second most viewed post ever. She didn't disappoint again — those "snow cones" are pretty darn cute!

I realized a little late that it would be a great idea to take a picture of the boys with the ornament (or Mother's Day gift or Valentine's card) they made to easily answer the "how old were you when you made this?" question. So here is Joseph, age 4, with a very cute thumbprint Rudolph.

Will actually made this last year in first grade. It's now my favorite nativity. Does it get cuter than a  black-eyed pea baby Jesus? No, no it does not. 

Jump into the new year

So you may be thinking — Gee Christina, where are all your posts about walking?!
Way to NOT keep your resolution. Well, I did walk, okay more like shuffle, from the bed to the couch and then back again on January 2. And January 3, I walked from the van to the doctor's office. Seems the combination of a sinus infection and head cold was just too much. UNCLE! Slowly feeling better with antibiotics on board. January 4th William and I walked the length of the mall and back looking for school shoes with no success. No longer can one get just about anything at the department store!

Today I walked up and down the alley (big hill!) a couple of times while the boys jumped and jumped and jumped. Our lucky boys got a trampoline for Christmas from the grandparents. It's been a big hit! Sunday the high was around 55 and I would guess the boys spent close to three hours jumping (off and on). That is a lot of jumping! But there will be no jumping today. Or walking for that matter unless I find someplace warm. High temperatures will be around 22. What?! Coldest weather for Alabama in 10 years! And we are cold-weather wimps! Most of the city is shutting down because we don't know how to drive on sunny days. Add ice and watch the tires spin. Forget getting any milk or bread in a 50-mile radius. But don't worry too much about the South. We'll be back in the 60s by the end of the week.

So let's review: I don't walk when I'm sick. I don't do cold weather either.

Santa vs. Joseph

Oh my Will, always so happy to see Santa and tell him what to bring for Christmas. 

Joseph on the other hand ...

He wants nothing to do with the big guy in red. 

This year I suggested Joseph try standing next to Santa. But no, I was not even 

going to get that. Tears people, tears! I may or may not have yelled, "Stop crying. This is 

suppose to be fun!" I had backed down by the time we got to Bass Pro (yep, because

they have games and activities and 4-wheelers). But Santa didn't give up as easily ...

Santa waved a candy cane. Joseph looked up at me. I told him if he wanted the candy cane

he'd have to get it himself. So slowly, slowly Joseph inched closer. He got the candy cane 

but let his guard down for just a second because Santa reached both hands out and plopped 

Joseph on his lap. So fast I didn't have time to say that's okay Santa, no need to push. 

But there Joseph sat. I waited for the screaming and wailing. But Joseph just ... pouted. 

There were a few chuckles from fellow parents as the photographer clicked away. Not sure if Joseph even talked to Santa. He says he did but I did not see an exchange. 

And the candy cane is mine! 

(For non-locals, Joseph is posing here like Vulcan.) 

Happy to forget all the drama and get back to playing.

And you can't go to Bass Pro and not

sit on a 4-wheeler. Heck, I even sat on one.

Halloween 2013

What's that you say? Halloween was two weeks ago? It ain't over until I document it. Which means Halloween 2012 is still going strong. I sure thought I had posted pictures. There is at least one photo of Will.

Halloween this year was ... interesting. The four-year-old took full control of his costume. While Will always picks his costume, Nana or Mommy are the ones that make it appear. Not so with Joseph. He had an idea and told me what he needed to be an American Striped Fox.

You may ask, what is an American Striped Fox? It's a fox with stripes. It eats wild chicken, wild pigs, wild cows, pretty much anything wild. It can come in several color combinations — red and black, orange and black, orange and yellow and black. They are friends with bunnies and kittens. If you want to know anything at all about American Striped Foxes, just ask Joseph. 

No, it's not a real animal. See Joseph got a stuffed tiger for his birthday back in May. Striper immediately joined Baby Bunny and Joseph on all their adventures. About a month ago, Joseph declared Striper to be an American Striped Fox. (And no, he had not seen "What Does the Fox Say?"). Forget the Batman PJs already picked out, Joseph was going to be an American Striped Fox too. So basically, Joseph dressed up as his favorite stuffed friend. Sweet, I know.

Blurry but American Striped Foxes are very hard
to photograph in the wild! Good view of the tail.

But Halloween was coming fast. How could we pull this off? I told Joseph I would be happy to make his mask (I'm thinking felt, thread and a couple of nights in front of the TV) but Joseph ran to his room bringing out the mask he decorated at Art at Avondale Park the week before. I got red sweatpants and a turtleneck at the big consignment sale. Joseph helped paint stripes of yellow, orange and black. The tail — oh, I love the tail — was sewn in five seconds by a willing friend who knows her way around a sewing machine. It is a red T-shirt stuffed with polyfill. She sewed the tail to another strip of T-shirt so it was easy to tie around Joseph's waist. He decided not to paint it. Again, he knew what he wanted. 

Joseph asked for a costume for Striper  — 5 seconds
before trick-or-treating!

Will's costume was a little easier. Nana got him some skeleton PJs (PJs are the best for costumes —you're already dressed for bed!). But to make it a little more his style, Will wanted to be a Minecraft skeleton. Not familiar with the computer game? Just ask any little boy ages 8-12 within 30 feet of you (and probably their dads too) and they can tell you all about it. (If you are curious, Will only plays the creative mode, no mindless destroying of things/animals is allowed, and a majority of the time Will is playing next to a parent with a watchful eye. We like Mindcraft for the building aspect. Dad and son are working on an elaborate town — it even has an art museum.)

I got the bow printout here but made the grayscale pattern for the
head myself using InDesign when I couldn't find a ready-made one.

Like Halloweens past, we hit the school Harvest Festival the day before and then on actual Halloween night we walked our street with our neighbor pals and then headed two streets over to walk a few more streets with a longtime friend that has a street as nice as ours. Meaning the neighbors know the kids are coming and have goodie bags or full-sized candy bars waiting. Both boys got plenty of candy! The night ends back on our street at Mavis and Shea's annual Harvest party complete with apple bobbing and hot funnel cakes. After inhaling a bunch of sugar and maybe two bites of apple, the boys go to bed and then mommy does the importing job of "sorting" the candy. One of the best nights of the year!

Trick-or-treaters on our street always know to stop at Mr. Ed's house.
He's got the full-size candy bars!

This mini Stig and Mindcraft skeleton have been
trick-or-treating together since 2006.  

The candy is not even all gone and Joseph is already thinking ahead to next Halloween ... 

He's going as a Beetle Slug!*

*I'm told they wear yellow pants and like to use their amour 

to defend themselves from big brother attacks.

Goodbye box

Do you remember this box? It came into the living room in January after a neighbor took delivery of some large furniture. After eight months it was starting to fall down and wasn't played with as much. It was time for it to go. Several times I told the boys the box was going to go and there were small protests or I would think in my head, it's time, and then come in the room to find Joseph playing in it. For it was Joseph's box — he claimed it and didn't really want to share with brother. So if Will played with it, he was usually doing so with Joseph and not on his own. Will did try to sleep in it overnight a couple of times. Attempts that were quickly abandoned because hey, that floor is hard!

It was a jail, a helicopter, a hospital, a snuggle spot — it stretched the imagination! Which is why I let it "clutter" the living room for so long. Our house is not big and the box made it even smaller. After seeing how much fun the boys had with it, I think it was me who was having a tough time letting it go.  Because when they came home one day in September to a much larger-looking living room, they paused for a second and moved on.

The box was moved to the backyard where it lasted for a few more days. Then moved to the curb for recycling. But the memories will remain hopefully for the boys but definitely for me ... I'm going to go now before I get too weepy about watching their childhood pass, that it's going too fast. 

Goodbye box.

Final days -- the paper taped on front told
a story at one time. Inside it had become
 a storage spot for more boxes and stuffed
animals while stuff accumulated on top. 

Snuggle time with Baby Bunny.

Friends loved the box too. 

Cooking and a battle? Yeah, I think that's what's going on in this picture.

File under why not? Candy corn pancakes

Everyone is talking about apples. No really — everyone. Julia's Bookbag, Design Mom, SouleMama to name a few. So much so that I could't take it any longer and made praline apple bread yesterday. I subbed cream cheese for the sour cream which was okay but not life changing so not planning on doing that again (picture and recipe if you follow the link. I promise it is delicious and even more so if you have the right ingredients on hand). I thought about taking a new picture of the apple bread (mostly because I forgot I already had) but too late now because it's gone. 

But I did take a picture of the candy corn pancakes I made last weekend. When Joseph was three, he woke up everyday asking for candy. EVERY DAY. I am not kidding. It was infuriating because dude, in what world do you think you will get candy for breakfast? You're lucky you get your Lucky Charms. (Which, those days are numbered. Tried of him only eating the marshmallows. Come on, that leaves hardly any for me!) 

He's stopped asking every morning for candy but man, last weekend he was really, really wanting the candy corn sitting on the counter next to the chocolate chips waiting their turn to melt into yummy pancakes. So I thought, let's make a candy corn pancake. That should satisfy the demanding tyrant at my elbow. HA, yeah right. Joseph was not going to try it. But I did. And surprisingly, it was not bad. The candy melts just enough that it tastes like the syrup is in the pancake instead of drizzled on top. 

Here's what I did — First, I did not mix the candy corn into the pancake batter. I laid out of few candy pieces on the griddle and then spooned batter on top. I know, easy. So easy that I'm sure I am not the first person to make these. 

Would I make them again? Actually, the answer is yes. A nice treat for Halloween morning or just any fall morning. What do you think? Would you try them?

And 4K for Joseph

          

May the teachers appreciate your creativity and imagination while dealing with a rather wide stubborn streak. May you make new friends as you run in and out of the tunnels on the playground. May you say please and thank you and act like you were not raised by wolves. Look out St. Rose, Joseph has arrived.

No more diapers for this ducky (or rabbit)

Of course Baby Bunny learned to use 

the potty too!

Boy, potty training took FOREVAH with Joseph. I thought it would be easier with Joseph since he had big brother to mimic. I was wrong. When Joseph showed the right amount of interest, we got out the little potty. It was a novelty for a few days, then he just stopped. Not interested and very, very resistant. I was asking the pediatrician when should we start to worry that something else medically was going on and the magic number was Age 4. So about two months before his fourth birthday, Joseph got with it and stopped screaming every time I merely suggested he might need a potty break. We're still having more accidents that I would care for (especially at his age) but he has passed the "long car trip" test and the "shopping in a store" test. He might even this summer pass the "get of the water and not pee in the pool" test. We all joke the baby pool is warmer for a reason. (No, no it's just very shallow and therefore less water to warm up in the sun. At least, that's what I tell myself!)

Doughnuts!

This picture? The real reason for this post. 

My boys love doughnuts (okay, so does momma!). Nothing like the "Hot Now" sign at Krispy Kreme to lure us in. We even have a Krispy Kreme in town where you can watch the donuts being made. For the easily entertained like me, it's some fun! But sometimes I don't feel like driving (or paying) for the yummy goodness. And darn if the boys aren't sick of hearing "we can make those ourselves" when they ask for something at the store. So I rooted around the Web and found a fairly easy sounding recipe for a cake-like donut. We made them and ate them all. YUM!

Then trouble hit. I went to make the donuts again and the Web site with the recipe was gone. Vanished.  Wouldn't load. Now, there are hundreds thousands gazillons of recipes on the Web so finding another one wouldn't be difficult. BUT, the recipe I found first had this amazing chocolate glaze that tasted just like Krispy Kreme chocolate glaze!!!! Eat-it-straight-from-the-jar-with-a spoon good!!! I was not happy about losing the recipe for the glaze. A couple of week later I found that I HAD written down the recipe on a scrap piece of paper (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I'm screwed if Pinterest disappears!). REJOICE! So I'm sharing it here so I don't lose it again. And because I know you need some chocolate glaze in your life too.

Easy peasy cakey donuts

2 cups Bisquick*

2 T sugar

1 t vanilla

1 egg

1/4 cup water

a little bit of cinnamon

a tiny bit of nutmeg

*According to Wikipedia, one cup of Bisquick can be substituted with one cup of flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of oil or melted butter.

I didn't write down any of the instructions so basically mix everything together, roll out on a well-floured surface and cut out doughnuts/holes. Heat oil and fry (here's where a deep fryer would come in handy but I don't have one). They will cook very quickly so keep an eye on them and flip! Let cool on paper towels. Pop them in a bag with cinnamon and sugar to coat or cover them with chocolate glaze. 

Chocolate glaze 

2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate

3 T butter

1 cup powered sugar

3/4 t vanilla

2-3 T hot water

I didn't have the squares on hand so I used 3 small handfuls of chocolate chips and it turned out fine. Melt the chocolate and butter on the stove. Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients. Try not to eat the entire pan in one sitting. 

ENJOY!

Owl cupcakes

By now you may have noticed I haven't been able to do more than short little posts here and there this year. Here's another one ...

Aren't these cute?! My neighbor Christine made them for her daughter's recent birthday. I think she found the idea on Pinterest because Christine loves the site as much as I do. I'm posting the picture here so 1. I remember how Christine did it when I go to make some and 2. So I can pin this image on my little birdies board. 

We've got a pair of Barred Owls that like the woods at the end of our street. I love hearing them call back and forth at dusk and then a little later before midnight. Joseph did NOT like hearing them at first but now it's all cool and he can step out of the house when it's dark. I would have thrown Joseph an owl birthday party but the idea didn't fly with the boys.*

*Go ahead and groan ツ

Friday find — Southern Love written in cement

Adrienne Applegate

This is not my picture, nor is it my story BUT I love the poem so I asked to share both the picture and the story. On a recent trip to Wisconsin with her parents, Joseph's friend Odetta found a poem in a Madison sidewalk and being a toddler, stopped to read the letters. The author of the poem, Fabu, happened to drive by, saw an adorable red-head lying on the sidewalk and pulled over. How cool is that?! Fabu hails from down South and was Madison's poet laureate from 2008-2011.

Southern Love

I want love

to be like a good pot of greens

pick the tenderest parts

separate from the hard stem

wash gently and thoroughly 

removing every bit of dirt and grime

rinsing over and over and over 

with the clear, clean water of forgiveness 

season with savory meat, herbs and spices 

and then simmer, simmer, simmer.

I think it's a great description of what has to happen in a long, successful relationship — finding the good in each other, putting in the time and effort necessary to form a lasting bond. 

I'm a fan of poetry and have put several books on the boys' bookshelves. Our favorites include "The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders" by Jack Prelutsky and "Dirt on My Shirt" by Jeff Foxworthy. Then there are the classics, "A Child's Garden of Verses" by Robert Louis Sevenson and anything by Aileen Fisher. 

Favorite poems? poet? for adults? for children? Please share.

B is for building blocks

When Will was still a wee lad, one of our fabulous neighbors handed down a rather well-loved and rather big block set their boy had outgrown. By big I mean when one of those blocks lands on a toe, you know it! I was worried about such injuries at first but not many have occurred. What has occurred is many, many hours of creative play. Forts and towers and roads and castles ... learning about balance, cause and effect and a whole bunch of other skills along the way. I now love the big size of the blocks. I think they are easier (sturdier?) for building. I tried pricing a set like ours and they are not cheap. If you are handy with a saw and sander, make your own. 

But really, this post is just an excuse to share a cute picture of Joseph. Look at that concentration!

Moving upstairs

Geez, September is just about gone and I forgot to post this sweet picture of Joseph on his first day of 3K. He now goes upstairs to the "big kid" rooms and was very excited by that fact. It's all 1-2-3 A-B-C and potty training 101. Mommy has also gone back to school, sort of. I'm helping in the nursery. No more mommy's day out for me but they pay me to hold babies. Not a bad trade.

Friday finds

I must have been in the mood for a little fall color .

I went into the thrift store looking for old necklaces to repurpose into new ones. No luck, but I did leave with some very useful items for the kitchen. Tupperware pitchers are awesome so had to have it ($1.48). Vintage Pyrex is awesome so had to have it ($2.98). That thing on the bottom? It's a Tupperware sandwich keeper. We got two as a wedding present and they were one of the best presents we got! Really handy when it comes to packing lunches so had to have it ($1.48). 

Ready to roll the street.

Joseph got a new ride too. A knock-off Cozy Coupe SUV that needs a good washing but he doesn't care — he's one happy boy! And he didn't have to have it (he didn't fuss or whine or beg) so this momma thought he had to have it ($5.98). 

Random Thoughts No. 23

Been doing a lot of fall cleaning these days. (I'm sure it was on my to-do list in the spring but I found other things to distract me SQUIRREL!) Or as Chris likes to call it — making a mess. There is a method to my madness messes. I like to take everything out of the closet or cabinet and then put back what belongs in its rightful space. What, you think that's crazy too?

In other happenings ...

I stepped on a rusty nail. And our van got a flat tire. But hey, we finally got our new roof! I do not recommend stepping on a nail. No one likes to hear about such things so I won't go into detail. But it hurt, I mean really hurt. For days. And my arm hurt too because I was at least three years overdue for a tetanus shot. It been about two weeks but I'm mostly back to walking normal.

Pictured above is the best banana bread I've ever made. Actually, it's the second loaf. I know a recipe is a keeper when I want to make it again! I've been searching for a good recipe for years. It takes time because there are a bazillion banana bread recipes. Thank you Flour Bakery in Boston!

Will got a watch. It makes him look even more grown up. He's liking school. We're dealing with our first homework — about 15 minutes a night so not bad. Joseph is finally back to school too. He's excited to be upstairs in the big 3K classroom. Word on the playground is they get to play in the big gym. Just ask and he will tell you all about it. I'm also back to school, helping out in the nursery at Joseph's school. Holding babies is soooo much fun and I get paid to do it. Sweet deal!

We're gearing up for the leaner days ahead. Turned the A/C off. Cut the strings on the satellite. We still have Netflix so it's not cold turkey around here. Joseph is loving "Go Diego Go" and pretty much any animal documentary you'll turn on. Will has discovered the freakin' coolness of "Mythbusters." Chris is catching up on "Breaking Bad." I'm really missing my BBC America, especially weekends with The Doctor. But I've got big plans to finally getting around to watching a bunch of stuff — "Weeds," "Twin Peaks," "The Tudors," "Being Human," even "Mad Men."

What am I missing? I'll add it to the instant queue.

Playing in the rain

"Peter Spier's Rain" 

Sometimes, a parent can forget that a kid just needs to be a kid. Sometimes, all it takes is a book to remind us how special and fun and messy childhood can and should be. 

For this post, I have to thank Vanessa at Silly Eagle Books for her post on Peter Spier and his mostly wordless books. A few days after the post, I brought home "Peter Spier's Rain" from the library. And a few days after that, it did in fact rain fairly hard at our house.

I took Joseph and his friend Woodrow out to play in the rain puddles (mom's still responsible — no thunder or lightning). They had a ball getting muddy. Then they had fun getting clean in the tub. Ain't it great to be a kid!

Apple did not fall far from the tree

Here's Chris, aka daddy, in 1973, age 2.

Now for Joseph in 2012, same outfit, same hair, same sweet smile, age 3.

I know, right? They could be identical!!!

A boy and his pack-pack

This is Joseph. This is his pack-pack.

(Though now he has learned to say backpack. Darn!)

This is all his worldly possessions, as of this moment, captured. 

Joseph is quite the possessive kid. And the moment he set eyes on this backpack, he decided it was his. Never mind the fact I bought it for Will. Luck for Joseph, Will needed a tote bag for kindergarten, not a backpack. Some days, the bag is empty. Some days, it is packed full. Not every day does it go everywhere with us, but only important treasures are inside when it does. 

I get a kick out of this photo from Joseph's birthday party. One of his teachers happened to be at school for a meeting and was able to pop into the gym to say hi. He immediately ran to get his backpack and showed her everything inside, ignoring the rest of the party going on around him. Of course, she oohed and aahed over his treasures. (He probably did this because backpack does not go to school. Nor does Baby Bunny any more. Baby Bunny was getting in too much trouble.)

Maybe this is just one way he takes after his momma. I'm like a boy scout, always prepared. My purse is stocked with sunscreen, at least two Hot Wheels, wipes, bandages and much more. My diaper bag packing skills were awesome. I'm also "a hoopy frood who really knows where his towel is." Don't you?

Work in progress

I've started to dismantle the nursery (sniff, sniff). With Joseph in his big boy bed, it's time to return the crib to Aunt Lenora. The plan right now* is for the nursery to be a computer room/playroom/whatever with the boys' room having a reading nook. Still not sure where the legos are going to end up. Or the art easel. But that's why it's a work in progress.

The train table got moved to the living room to act as a coffee table which freed up a lot of space in the boys' room. Next step was to move the little bookcase from the nursery into the boys' room. Yes, we have a lot of books. Yes, I know we have a lot of books. Books are awesome!

Now all this room is missing is some comfortable seating. How about this from the Land of Nod ...

Or (the real reason for this post) Hey Mom, let's make some Rollie Pollies ...

*I reserve the right to change the plan at anytime without prior notice.