Help...

...I can't stop eating the baby food, thanks to this wonderful cookbook.

My good friend, Erin turned me on to it and after checking it out from the library, repeatedly, my parents gave it to me for Christmas! It provides all kinds of tips on yummy food combinations as well as training on the basics of making your own baby food for babies up thru 4-5 years! One of my favorite parts is all of the amazing pictures. It never fails to inspire me to try and make meal times interesting. Sadly, having two kids rendered me much busier, so I'm having to be much more intentional about actually making it. Hopefully, Erin and I (and whoever else wants to join us) will be getting together soon to prepare several recipes at once so we can have them frozen and ready to go!

Today, I made Tomato and Cauliflower Gratin. It was so yummy that I found myself pulling out the spatula and licking the last remnents from the blender! Keegan LOVED the new meal! Xander also liked it as a spread on some crackers. I think I might even play around with the food combination and turn it into a soup for ME! Now if Rich only liked tomatoes...

In case anyone wants to try it, here's the recipe!

Tomato and Cauliflower Gratin

1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets

1 1/3 cups pealed, seeded and chopped tomatoes

2 tbs butter

1/4 c shredded chedder cheese

Steam cauliflower for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, saute tomatoes in butter until tomatoes are soft and mushy. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Add tomato/cheese mixture and cauliflower to the blender and blend to desired consistency using water from steaming. Try not to eat it all before feeding baby. ;)

LIFE protected!

WOW!!!!!!!!!! I still get tingles when I think about today's Supreme Court decision. It brings back so many memories of the many fundraising scripts, letters and training speeches that I have written/given to raise money for this fight!

I was shopping at Costco when I called my mom to ask her a quick question. She asked if I had seen the news. My heart immediately sank. My first thought was that there had been another shooting similar in nature to the tragic one at Virginia Tech. She told me that I needed to get to a computer quick or turn on the news. Obviously, she couldn't leave me hanging like that when I was out shopping, so she told me the wonderful news. Instead of more loss of innocent lives, we have made a nationwide move towards protecting life! FINALLY, the ban on the gruesome abortion procedure where a child is partially born before his skull is crushed, has been upheld. Not only that, but the majority opinion took up a profound positive position on the value of every human life. For an excellent legal perspective (from our in-house soon-to-be attorneys), check out the thoughtful comments at Mr and Mrs Miller's blog!

In honor of this momentous day, I decided to offer my first "sale" of sorts at Sleek Mama. I'm waiving all shipping fees through Friday! At a time like this, I just want to cuddle with my babies and hopefully, I'll enable other mom's out there to cherish their babies in the everyday moments of getting things done! Life sure is precious!

I Took His Hand and Followed

This is a beautiful old inspirational poem about the rewards of joyful and relaxed time with our little ones. I've printed it out and posted it in my kitchen so it can serve as a frequent reminder during busy times. Although, I don't typically have a problem ignoring housework, I have weaknesses in other areas...

Inspired by this poem, the boys and I went exploring at the Riparian Habitat yesterday!

I Took His Hand and Followed

Author Unknown

My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I...
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,
We wandered through a wood...
My kitchen wasn't swept today
But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade
And now my small son knows
How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,
We climbed a sunlit hill...
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,
That I didn't brush the stairs,
In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy
To noble manhood grow,
In twenty years, the whole wide world
May look and see and know.

Importance of Play

One of my areas of interest centers around childhood development - specifically the biology, physiology and psychology of how children learn! What better stage in life to be than to have young children. It is so exciting to watch my boys explore, discover and learn new things!

One very important aspect of learning at this age is imaginative play. Kids need free time to make up their own worlds. This is where true learning takes place in the younger years. By playing, they are making sense of and practicing all of the new things they are learning. So I've been working on making sure I'm at home a little more often so that Xander has the time to explore thru play. It can take time and doesn't always happen according to my plans. There have been many times where I try to hurry him on the the next activity and fail to realize that he is FULLY engaged in what he was currently doing. I'm slowly learning to read him better and foster areas where he is already showing interest.

I've been reading several great books on the subject and hope to blog a bit on what I'm reading, but in the meantime, here's an article to get things started!

Brain Play
Why Preschoolers need to Pretend
by Jane Faull

Recent brain research has convinced many parents of the importance of providing their children with stimulating early experiences--reading and talking to them and taking them on excursions. What parents often don't realize or value, however, is that preschool-aged children absorb those experiences and make sense of their world most effectively when engaged in imaginative play. Preschoolers who spend more time in dramatic play are more advanced not only in general intellectual development but also in their ability to concentrate for long periods of time.
Read more here...

Pretend

Alexander's imagination continues to grow. He is getting more and more into make-believe. It is so entertaining to just sit back and watch what he comes up with.

Easter Prep!

On Thursday evening we did some Easter preparations. Alexander loved coloring eggs with his Oma.

But my favorite part was when Mom pulled out our old Ressurection-tivity scene. When we were little my Mom got a paper-doll Ressurection scene which she colored and laminated. Each year, we would put it up. There was something so powerful about getting to move the paper figures around and re-enact the account! I had mentioned this fascination before, but Easter has an even more powerful effect on me. I loved inviting the neighborhood kids over and walking them thru the gospel using our "tivity" set! I also remember putting together all kinds of "programs" each year to try and communicate to my family and really to God, how grateful I was for what Christ did. Looking back, they seem pretty cheesy now, but at the time, I put everything I had into them.

Easter has always been my favorite holiday because it celebrates the hope I have. I can't wait to see what Easter traditions develop for my little brood in the upcoming years!

Here's Oma giving an account!

Hurray! Jesus is Alive!

Upstaged!

I've been upstaged. I'm used to getting comments on my beautiful carriers when I travel, but this time all eyes were on Alexander. In order to make sure that he didn't lose Teddy (and in hopes that Teddy would help him sleep on the plane), Alexander "pouched" him. He was so cute and made many new friends as we weaved our way thru the airport.

Of course, despite our best attempts, the can of apple juice that Xander drank on the plane prevailed and he wet out of his diaper big time. The result was quite comical and he didn't get his usual "cute daddy-in-training" comments when we arrived back in Phoenix. Instead it was just strange looks and snickers...

I'm so thankful that both of us had our carriers. It makes travelling so much easier!!!