It's 10:27 - but that is LATE for me. On the weekdays it's considered "late" if I can make it to 10:00. But I am positive that I could fall asleep around 8:30 every night. Anyways...tonight Chad is at a movie with a friend, and I am left searching the internet and wasting my precious sleeping time. Let me share with you the website that is keeping me up and I assure you that it will keep you up, too. Just go to Hostess with the Mostess and you, too, will be hooked. I know I need to go to bed, but I can't help but browse all these adorable ideas for parties. Brooks' birthday party is 3 months away and I am already thinking about it and getting excited about it. Really? I have 3 months to plan it and this is what is keeping me up tonight? My creative juices are flowing and I'm so excited to make some things for his party. People think that I'm creative, but really I just know where to look and do a good job copying from other people. So...if you like to copy ideas from other people then make sure and check out the website. And in case you're curious: I'm considering the Cookie Monster theme or the Monkey Business theme. What do you think?
I promise I will be shutting off the computer and closing my eyes now. Good night.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
My Little Fish
The first day that we got to Birdie and Scoops' house we went outside to play in the beautiful sunshine. Brooks immediately was drawn to the pool.
It started with simple splashing over the edge:
It wasn't long before splashing wasn't enough and Brooks was in the water "swimming":
That video was taken in about the first 5 minutes of him being in the water. He had absolutely NO fear of the water. He jumped again and again and again. (It took awhile for us to teach him how to count before jumping.) He kept pushing Birdie away and would have been very happy to be in the water by himself. I am so excited to get him in swimming lessons this summer - I don't think it will take for him to catch on.
It started with simple splashing over the edge:
It wasn't long before splashing wasn't enough and Brooks was in the water "swimming":
That video was taken in about the first 5 minutes of him being in the water. He had absolutely NO fear of the water. He jumped again and again and again. (It took awhile for us to teach him how to count before jumping.) He kept pushing Birdie away and would have been very happy to be in the water by himself. I am so excited to get him in swimming lessons this summer - I don't think it will take for him to catch on.
Mt. Bonnell with Gammy
Gammy was able to come down and hang out with us over Spring Break, and she wanted to visit Mt. Bonnell. We picked a beautiful day to go explore. And by beautiful I also mean HOT. It was about 80 degrees and it only reminded me about how hot it's going to be this summer. Anyways...about Mt. Bonnell: It was a beautiful day and we hiked around a bit up top, and walked some of the overgrown trails. It was more crowded than last time, but we found a couple of cliffs to take some cute pictures.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Martha Stewart??
Well...not quite - But I'm learning. I saw these reusable snack bags on etsy.com and I really wanted some for Brooks. They are super cute and they just make sense. You'll never have to use ziploc bags again! Well, I was going to order them but then my mom and I got to thinking: We could make those! That was such a silly thought. It took me so long to make the first one that Chad made a comment that if I made them for others and charged by the hour that we would be rich. The first one did take a long time and didn't work out. The second one turned out pretty cute, but I got the fabric inside out. The third one is adorable and usable. We gave it a try today when we went shopping with Brooks. Brooks loved his snack bag and his goldfish stayed inside the bag without spilling. I sewed this one a little bit deeper so he had to really reach in to get the snack (I think that helped it not to spill). All the sellers on etsy.com take cute pictures of their bags, so I thought I would show mine off as well.
I think I'll make a couple more and then put the sewing machine aside for a while. It takes me so long to do something so simple. Just in case you are super crafty, I put the link to the tutorial that I used in case you are interested: http://www.tacy.org/tutorials/SnackbagtutorialRevisedpdf.pdf
P.S. If someone can comment and also tell me how to add a link that would be awesome.
I think I'll make a couple more and then put the sewing machine aside for a while. It takes me so long to do something so simple. Just in case you are super crafty, I put the link to the tutorial that I used in case you are interested: http://www.tacy.org/tutorials/SnackbagtutorialRevisedpdf.pdf
P.S. If someone can comment and also tell me how to add a link that would be awesome.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Mom to Mom: From My Kitchen to Yours
One of my friends from high school came up with this great idea to post food ideas that we use with our kids. They are going to be shared on her blog so we can all get some new and fresh ideas for feeding our kids. So...here is goes:
When I first started feeding Brooks solid foods, I was very nervous. Breastfeeding was always so easy. I never had to measure anything or prepare anything. I just had it ready to go all the time. I wanted to make sure that I had a lot of information for the journey. I found this website: www.wholesomebabyfood.com. It's an awesome website that gives you a timeline when to introduce new foods, recipe suggestions, what causes allergies, what foods go well with other foods, nutritional information, etc. I got some great tips and great ideas for feeding my son. The one thing that has really stuck in my head is to make sure and introduce spices to your child from a young age. So, from very young, Brooks has had basil, garlic, pepper, oregano, season salt, cinnamon, cumin, thyme, ginger, and more spices sprinkled on his foods. I mix them in his eggs, I "sprinkle" them on his veggies to make them more exciting, I mix them into meatballs, I season his sweet potatoes with them - I use them as much as possible. This way he'll be more willing to try new things that have spicy tastes. I don't know if it's helped or not, but Brooks sure does seem to be a good eater at home, at friend's houses and out at restaurants. This was key for me because I didn't want to be dragging around food for him everywhere I go. I carry around some favorites, but I also want him to learn to eat what's in front of him or don't eat at all. Mommy doesn't have time to run around making lots of extra food. When possible I just feed him whatever we happen to be eating.
My favorite recipe from the website is for the Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Nuggets (I refer to them as Broccoli Pancakes). They are listed under finger foods. You can make a bunch at a time and put them in the freezer and then pop them out and heat them up as needed. They are delicious!
Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Nuggets
Ingredients:
1 16-oz Package frozen broccoli, cooked, drained, and chopped
1 cup Seasoned bread crumbs (you could try using baby cereal if you want, we know it works well with "baby meatballs")
1 ½ cups Shredded cheddar cheese (please use real cheese and not a "processed cheese food" product. Try tomato & basil cheddar.)
3 Large eggs or 5 egg yolks - Most pediatricians say it's ok to use whole egg in a baked good when baby is over 8-9 months old without allergies. We would recommend that you substitute 5 egg yolks for the whole eggs if serving this to those under 1 yr. Ask YOUR pediatrician.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375
1. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients and mix well.
*Add seasonings if you like - garlic powder, pepper, extra basil & oregano for example. Add a fruit or veggie puree to substitute for the eggs if desired.
3. Shape mixture into nuggets or fun shapes such as squares or squigglies etc..and place on baking tray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turn nuggets over after 15 minutes. Serve warm. Be sure to crumble these if your baby needs.
Another quick veggie idea is to cut up sweet potatoes into small cubes and saute in a pan with cumin and oil or butter. It might sound like it won't be good...but it is. It's yummy for parents and kids!
For a fun breakfast idea: I just found out about this new product called "Batter Blaster". It's organic pancake spray. In the news clip they talked about spraying fun shapes and how easy it is to use and it's good for you. My mom's coming down this week and we have plans to go to Whole Foods and pick some up (in the aisle with whipped cream in a can). I'll report later to let you know how it went.
For protein I do the usual chicken nuggets, turkey meat, fish sticks...blah, blah, blah. There's a great recipe for homemade meatballs on www.wholesomebabyfood.com, but I also like making protein balls. These are only good for kids old enough to eat peanut butter and honey. They are totally delicious for adults, and Brooks loves them too. I like them because they are easy to make and very portable for snacks and traveling in the car.
Protein Balls (I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Jill)
Combine 1 cup each of peanut butter, oatmeal, crushed cornflakes, and honey. I usually go lighter on the honey so that they aren't so sticky. Roll them up into any shape of balls. I do smaller ones for Brooks since he tends to stick the whole thing in his mouth. Put them in the fridge for an hour or so and then they are ready to enjoy!
For dessert I try to do fruit or yogurt. I mix blueberries in with yogurt or cottage cheese. And sometimes I mix cottage cheese with yogurt. Again...it sounds a little gross, but it's pretty good. Sometimes I mix yogurt with applesauce and throw in some cinnamon for a special treat. Yummy!
I don't think any of that is too exciting, but maybe it's something new for someone out there.
I can't imagine posting all of this without including a picture of Brooks enjoying some food. Here's an oldie, but goodie:
To view more entries on this subject:
Follow THE LEWIS FAMILY blog.
When I first started feeding Brooks solid foods, I was very nervous. Breastfeeding was always so easy. I never had to measure anything or prepare anything. I just had it ready to go all the time. I wanted to make sure that I had a lot of information for the journey. I found this website: www.wholesomebabyfood.com. It's an awesome website that gives you a timeline when to introduce new foods, recipe suggestions, what causes allergies, what foods go well with other foods, nutritional information, etc. I got some great tips and great ideas for feeding my son. The one thing that has really stuck in my head is to make sure and introduce spices to your child from a young age. So, from very young, Brooks has had basil, garlic, pepper, oregano, season salt, cinnamon, cumin, thyme, ginger, and more spices sprinkled on his foods. I mix them in his eggs, I "sprinkle" them on his veggies to make them more exciting, I mix them into meatballs, I season his sweet potatoes with them - I use them as much as possible. This way he'll be more willing to try new things that have spicy tastes. I don't know if it's helped or not, but Brooks sure does seem to be a good eater at home, at friend's houses and out at restaurants. This was key for me because I didn't want to be dragging around food for him everywhere I go. I carry around some favorites, but I also want him to learn to eat what's in front of him or don't eat at all. Mommy doesn't have time to run around making lots of extra food. When possible I just feed him whatever we happen to be eating.
My favorite recipe from the website is for the Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Nuggets (I refer to them as Broccoli Pancakes). They are listed under finger foods. You can make a bunch at a time and put them in the freezer and then pop them out and heat them up as needed. They are delicious!
Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Nuggets
Ingredients:
1 16-oz Package frozen broccoli, cooked, drained, and chopped
1 cup Seasoned bread crumbs (you could try using baby cereal if you want, we know it works well with "baby meatballs")
1 ½ cups Shredded cheddar cheese (please use real cheese and not a "processed cheese food" product. Try tomato & basil cheddar.)
3 Large eggs or 5 egg yolks - Most pediatricians say it's ok to use whole egg in a baked good when baby is over 8-9 months old without allergies. We would recommend that you substitute 5 egg yolks for the whole eggs if serving this to those under 1 yr. Ask YOUR pediatrician.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375
1. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients and mix well.
*Add seasonings if you like - garlic powder, pepper, extra basil & oregano for example. Add a fruit or veggie puree to substitute for the eggs if desired.
3. Shape mixture into nuggets or fun shapes such as squares or squigglies etc..and place on baking tray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turn nuggets over after 15 minutes. Serve warm. Be sure to crumble these if your baby needs.
Another quick veggie idea is to cut up sweet potatoes into small cubes and saute in a pan with cumin and oil or butter. It might sound like it won't be good...but it is. It's yummy for parents and kids!
For a fun breakfast idea: I just found out about this new product called "Batter Blaster". It's organic pancake spray. In the news clip they talked about spraying fun shapes and how easy it is to use and it's good for you. My mom's coming down this week and we have plans to go to Whole Foods and pick some up (in the aisle with whipped cream in a can). I'll report later to let you know how it went.
For protein I do the usual chicken nuggets, turkey meat, fish sticks...blah, blah, blah. There's a great recipe for homemade meatballs on www.wholesomebabyfood.com, but I also like making protein balls. These are only good for kids old enough to eat peanut butter and honey. They are totally delicious for adults, and Brooks loves them too. I like them because they are easy to make and very portable for snacks and traveling in the car.
Protein Balls (I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Jill)
Combine 1 cup each of peanut butter, oatmeal, crushed cornflakes, and honey. I usually go lighter on the honey so that they aren't so sticky. Roll them up into any shape of balls. I do smaller ones for Brooks since he tends to stick the whole thing in his mouth. Put them in the fridge for an hour or so and then they are ready to enjoy!
For dessert I try to do fruit or yogurt. I mix blueberries in with yogurt or cottage cheese. And sometimes I mix cottage cheese with yogurt. Again...it sounds a little gross, but it's pretty good. Sometimes I mix yogurt with applesauce and throw in some cinnamon for a special treat. Yummy!
I don't think any of that is too exciting, but maybe it's something new for someone out there.
I can't imagine posting all of this without including a picture of Brooks enjoying some food. Here's an oldie, but goodie:
To view more entries on this subject:
Follow THE LEWIS FAMILY blog.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
All Smiles
I love these pictures! It's hard to get Brooks to smile for pictures these days...he's too busy movin' and grovin' to stop and pose for a picture. But these were taken at the kitchen table while Gammy was just cracking Brooks up. I took about 20 pictures because I couldn't get enough of his smile. I posted a few of my favorites.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Pajama Playdate
While we were in Arlington, Brooks and I got to hang out with Cari and Parker. I can't emphasize enough how much our friendship has changed and matured after having these little guys in our lives. I still remember just being two silly junior high girls without a care in the world (well, except boys). Now we are real adults...MOMS, even! And sharing motherhood with my best friend is so precious. I love that we live in Texas now and Brooks will grow up around his buddy, Parker, and I can be in driving distance to my best friend.
Anyways, Saturday morning I called over to Cari's and invited ourselves over for some playtime. It was probably around 9:30 or 10:00 and we were all still in our P.J.'s (oh, how I love Saturday mornings). I don't even think I put shoes on Brooks. We just hoped in the car and headed over for a Pajama Playdate with Parker and Cari. Cari and I just sat and laughed at the boys interacting together. Parker would watch Brooks playing and just laugh. And I was surprised at how much Brooks wanted to interact with Parker. All he wanted to do was give him hugs. Unfortunately, I still don't think he understands how little Parker is in comparison, so he would also try to lay down on Parker or ride him like a pony. We were quick to correct him, of course. It was a quick playdate because Brooks had to get home for lunch and Parker had to take a nap...but it was such a fun part of my weekend.
Anyways, Saturday morning I called over to Cari's and invited ourselves over for some playtime. It was probably around 9:30 or 10:00 and we were all still in our P.J.'s (oh, how I love Saturday mornings). I don't even think I put shoes on Brooks. We just hoped in the car and headed over for a Pajama Playdate with Parker and Cari. Cari and I just sat and laughed at the boys interacting together. Parker would watch Brooks playing and just laugh. And I was surprised at how much Brooks wanted to interact with Parker. All he wanted to do was give him hugs. Unfortunately, I still don't think he understands how little Parker is in comparison, so he would also try to lay down on Parker or ride him like a pony. We were quick to correct him, of course. It was a quick playdate because Brooks had to get home for lunch and Parker had to take a nap...but it was such a fun part of my weekend.
Haircut
Before:
After:
Brooks had his second haircut while we were in Arlington last weekend. The special part about this haircut is that he got it cut by Lynn. Lynn has been cutting my hair since THE EIGHTH GRADE! She was so excited to cut Brooks' hair. She pampered him and showered him with kisses. There was no flat screen TV with Baby Einstein's and no fun booster seat, yet he still did just fine. And when he did start to get squirmy - we gave him a sucker (looking at the pictures I realized we gave him 2 suckers - one before the haircut so he wouldn't run around the store and break stuff, and one at the end of his haircut).
He looks so different with his new haircut. It's so short! And when I look at him I see a big boy instead of my little baby...tear.
After:
Brooks had his second haircut while we were in Arlington last weekend. The special part about this haircut is that he got it cut by Lynn. Lynn has been cutting my hair since THE EIGHTH GRADE! She was so excited to cut Brooks' hair. She pampered him and showered him with kisses. There was no flat screen TV with Baby Einstein's and no fun booster seat, yet he still did just fine. And when he did start to get squirmy - we gave him a sucker (looking at the pictures I realized we gave him 2 suckers - one before the haircut so he wouldn't run around the store and break stuff, and one at the end of his haircut).
He looks so different with his new haircut. It's so short! And when I look at him I see a big boy instead of my little baby...tear.
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