Friday, June 28, 2013

Good food for on-the-go men (and women, I suppose)

Today, I was waiting to get my truck wired to pull the horse trailer, when the owner of the company stopped by the truck to chat with the boys. He looked at me, with a long pause, and said, "don't let a minute of this get away from you. My three boys are now 31, 33 and 35 years old and I still come home and wish I heard the chatter of those little voices all about the house." He's right... and I know it. My treasure: the time I am given to help guide these little men into the fullness of who they are, nourish their hearts, build strength into their character.

And a little great food goes a long way into this process as well! So here are some quick recipes I've made recently, which I think you will enjoy. 

Banana Pancakes:
2 bananas
4 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Mash banana first, then beat in the eggs and add the cinnamon. I pour 1/4 cup batter at a time onto the griddle, on 350 degrees. They take longer to cook than traditional pancakes, so be warned. We top with maple syrup (of course). :-) 

To-go Bars: (great for any outing or just a morning, elevenzies, onezies and late afternoon snack time)
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/2 shredded coconut (not sweetened)
3 Tablespoons honey (you can use finely ground dates, as a substitute if you prefer)
3 cups oats (grind 1/2 of the portion into flour texture)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup peanut butter or almond butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup semi-sweetened chocolate chips (optional)
1/4 cup raisins (optional)

Spread onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until firm and starting to turn golden. Cut into bars, place in ziplock bags and store in the fridge or freezer until use.

Pumpkin Chai Pancakes: (yes, we love pancakes)
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, melted
3 Tablespoons honey
1.5 cups oat flour (finely ground oats)
1 cup almond flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon each of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves 1/4 cup canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla 
milk (just add until it's the right consistency to pour as pancakes)

Pour into pancakes on griddle and cook at 350 degrees.

Melted Cheese Happiness: 
Place 1-2 Tablespoons grated cheese into a small pile on a very lightly greased cookie sheet. Make several piles if you don't want to be totally selfish and just make one for yourself. Place in the oven to broil, but WATCH CAREFULLY! When they turn golden brown on the top, they're ready. Wait for them to cool slightly, as they will become crispy and YUMMY!

We all love snack time!

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

More goodness from the peanut gallery

"Madigan, do you want to make some cookies?" "Yes, Mommy, but can we make them for everybody?" That little servant-heart... brings so much joy!
"Paugie, you are comical!" Where did 'comical' enter our 3-year-old- vocabulary collection? Not sure, but he used it correctly and knew what it meant. Tigers rock!
Madigan's explanation  as to why there was a pancake resting on his pillow at bedtime: "'Sweet Helper' [I do refer to him as such, when he's being a particularly helpful man around the house] is stuffed, but he's taking a pancake to bed in case he gets hungry later." A simple narrative of events in a man's life.
"Mommy, here's your hair tie! You left it on your last visit." When I was in town last.
"I will watch one Curious George before the day's end." Who am I to argue? 
"Baby Wochwan, I wish you knew how much I wuv you." The statement alone would have been sufficient, but stroking baby brother's head simultaneously really did it for me.





Wednesday, June 19, 2013

I love strong(willed) men, among other things.

Madigan awoke (way too) bright and early on Father's Day, because he was so completely out-of-his-mind excited to make breakfast for his daddy. He made pumpkin muffins, eggs and coffee and outside of some guidance on specific proportions/ingredients he did it solo! I was so proud of him and he was so proud of himself. And Daddy was an enthusiastic recipient of the goodness.

We had a little "Battle of the Will(s)" - as in Declan WILLiam. Little toot was throwing a tantrum when I put him in his high chair to poison feed him. He took a handful of his strawberries, looked up at me hatefully and smacked them into my cheek with a thorough slap. I wiped my cheek, put on a movie for Madigan, placed Lochlan on the floor with a plethora of toys to entertain him and glanced over to see Declan watching curiously while continuing to squeal in anger. I removed him from his entrapment (high chair) and migrated, along with a tray of strawberries, to the sofa. Once he was placed securely in my lap the battle ensued. I held him close enough to keep his arms and legs from reaching their intended target (any part of me) and gently kept reminding him that as soon as he was willing to calm down and try one bite of the strawberries he had been so ugly about, I would happily put him down and be on my merry way. Two hours later (seriously) he sighed and reached for a strawberry. He enjoyed it so much that he ate every strawberry on that tray! He was a winner, in his own way - he seemed to see it that way too and was all smiles and happiness following our altercation.

My blue-eyed boy... aside from being the happiest guy in town, he is also rather intuitive (dang it!). This morning, after going to bed too late last night (my fault) and waking up several times throughout the night (thank you baby teeth), I was less than gracious when he awoke at 6:00am. I think it was both the look on my face and my relative silence (we usually oooh and ahhh over him rather rambunctiously when we get to see his face each day); he burst into tears and was almost inconsolable. I quickly adjusted my attitude, showered him with kisses and made sure he could see my smile in the dimly lit room. I assured him that every minute with him is a minute I cherish and his happiness came storming back. He ate some breakfast and then cheerfully went back to sleep. When I went to get him later on, he reached for my face and plastered me with slobbery open-mouthed baby kisses. I have a lot to learn from this little person. 

And the latest from Tiger tales:
Upon finding Madigan's battery operated truck submerged in the kitchen sink, I was given this explanation: "Mommy, my truck is now clean and fluffy." Interesting perspective.
"Mommy, we need to call the fire department because I'm going to watch a movie." Not sure what the Tiger's planning on watching, but this should be interesting.
"I'm so hungry. Paugie, nothing could be worse." Conversation I overheard in the living room this afternoon. My poor starving Tiger.

We did a little science experiment today to try to help the Tiger understand that some things dissolve in water and some things don't.  We discovered that cinnamon and pepper do not disappear but that sugar, honey and salt all disappear when mixed in water well. He couldn't believe that the sugar was "gone" but the water still tasted great!
Cooking Master
A lil' bit proud of his handiwork.
You're never REALLY too big, right?
There it is: A Pauge Face
Blue Eyes
He looks like his Grandpa Murie.
Did somebody say happy?
Yep!
Those lil' brothers
They love each other!
a lot!
Science experiment #1
Science experiment #2
Science experiment participants

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Eee-Hee Ma

It's Pauge-speak for "Thank you, Mommy". It has become the preferred method for showing appreciation around here and Paugie seems rather flattered when his brother mimics him by using it. And yes, I kinda' love it.

The photos below are unremarkable, except that they mark this day, which was lived well. The big brothers "washed" some of their toys and a good bit of the kitchen in the process. I waded in after a while to help them close down shop.

Happytown smiled, and then smiled some more. He cut 3 teeth over the past week and today I think the strain of it all finally caught up to him, so I held him in the baby pack up close to me all day. Tonight, he was not on board with putting himself to sleep, so I just laid him on the bed next to me. He snuggled in as close as he could get, grabbed my finger to hold tightly and was fast asleep. Only then was I able to place him in his own bed. He's too precious for words.

Paugie was in a cuddle mood today, too (must be something in the air!) and followed me around with blankie in hand and thumb in mouth. When I asked him what he needed, he pulled me over to the couch. I laid him down and covered him with his blankie, holding him close. He gave a little whimper and I knew my mission was accomplished. Tonight he and his hardy broom were doing a team project on house re-arranging cleaning (hence the overwhelming volume of Paugie photos below).

And the latest from Tiger:
"Daddy, you need to get dressed because we're goin' to Ankie Tae's house."
"Madigan, Ankie Tae is in Scotland, so we can't go see her at her house."
Pause... "Daddy you need to get dressed because we need to fly to Scotland." He was a faithful assistant in helping me de-fur the Great White Dog - chore of the century! Maybe our dust/hair bunnies will stop cantering about the house now? Tomorrow morning Madigan has big plans for telling his Daddy how much he adores him. More on that later...

Happy(town) Father's Day

I love hanging out on with you.

Sunday, June 09, 2013

Baby Gone to Pot Part III

Tiger in tub part I

Tiger in tub part II

Tiger in tub part III

Large tiger in tub - accessories included.


Paugie in tub part I

Paugie in tub part II
Paugie in tub part III
Paugie in tub part IV
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Happytown tub time part I

Happytown tub time part II
Happytown tub time part III

Saturday, June 08, 2013

Plane happy

We got a package from Gumbum in the mail yesterday, which included matching outfits for the boys. Madigan and Declan were SO EXCITED this morning when they found out they had MATCHING airplane shirts but they were practically beside themselves when they realized that Lochlan had one too!!! They proudly wore them to Starbucks to show their "friends".

These following photos tell a part of this story we call life, though they capture but a moment in a (precious) day; Paugie being independent (because he can), Bundle spontaneously grabbing onto his little brother and showering him with affection. These brothers love each other so much and continually convey it to one another in their own, unique ways. How blessed am I to share my days with these special men!








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