Mommy and Kenley Date Time!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Like Cheez-its... But not

Thursday, April 26, 2012

I have mentioned before that I am making an effort to involve Kenley in the kitchen. What does this look like practically? Glad you asked! Here are my thoughts on involving a 2 and a half year old in the kitchen:


Tip #1: Choose something to make that is not a necessity for a meal. If I am getting dinner ready and trying to coordinate all the different components of our meal to be done at the same time, it is probably not the best time to involve Kenley. I like to involve Kenley in the "extras": cookie dough balls, crackers, feeding the sourdough starter, adding ingredients to mixing bowls, putting things in the juicer, etc.

Tip #2: Kids like dedicated tasks to be "theirs". For Kenley right now this means that I scoop the ingredients into the measuring cup or spoon and it is her job to dump that into the bowl. She also usually gets to stir the ingredients together until it is "mommy's turn". Sprinkling cheese is also a great task but a lot of cheese seems to disappear from grater to plate over here :).

Tip #3: Explain to your kids what the ingredients are that are going into their food! I love explaining to Kenley that bees make honey and it is naturally sweet just as it is! My goal is to make healthy food fun and tasty so that when she is grown and out on her own she will not go out and overdose on white flour and HFCS! I often think about the fact that as I am instilling these cooking abilities to Kenley they will benefit my future son-in-law and grandchildren! As Kenley gets older baking will also be a great way to incorporate fractions and math too! 

Tip #4: Plan kitchen time for when siblings are occupied with something else! When little CLo goes down for her morning nap around 11 is the best time for Kenley and I to cook and have our alone time. It is early enough that we can prepare breads that will be eaten around dinner time and it is also early enough that I can have time to clean up whatever dishes we create before Daddy comes home!

Tip #5: Don't stress if the finished product doesn't look like it does on Pinterest. It is always okay to go back and fix it later but it is not okay to get mad at your child for not doing something the way that it "should" be. I know someone (who shall not be named) who hates to cook and I think that the reason for that is in large part because when she was a child her mother would freak out if she didn't do things just so. She couldn't handle the pressure that her mother put on her in this area and it turned her off to cooking completely. That makes me so sad because cooking and baking are so much about creativity! I want to foster that creativity in my kids!

Tip #6: Make it a big deal! When you are eating the finished product talk about how good it tastes and thank them for the hard work that they put into making it! Remind them that they made this wonderful food! Have them tell Daddy all about how they made it! Kenley loves telling Daddy all about what she has made!

Tip #7: They will make a mess. You will be cleaning flour off of random surfaces in your home. They will most likely need a bath. They will eat a spoonful of the flour. They will probably sneak some chocolate chips and put their fingers in the honey jar and then touch their hair and your hair and the table.... If you know ahead of time that you will be cleaning up a big mess then it isn't as big of a deal when you actually are cleaning up the mess and the kid who is covered in chocolate.

Tip #8: Prepare your heart. If you go into the event with a great attitude then you and your children will be blessed with making memories together. Flour on the floor, honey in your hair, and all!

Those are my tips! I hope they inspire you to get cooking with your kids!

Oh and last but not at all least......Make these crackers! They are amazing and taste like cheez-its even though there is no actual cheese in the recipe just good ol' pastured butter! Seriously!

I look away for two seconds,

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

And Kenley dips all of the extra bread in her soup... Thanks kid

The Zoo!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Sunday after church we headed to the zoo with our good friends the Peters! It was a gorgeous day in Seattle. We could not possibly have asked for better weather! I guess Kenley remembered our zoo trip from last year because she kept asking to see the giraffes. Giraffes are definitely her favorite animal right now.

We started the trip with a little picnic. This picture is mainly here to show that Claire and Asher were there too. I guess Kenley and Gracen were just "into" seeing the animals :) 


I actually didn't take any pictures of animals without kids in the pictures. You can kind of see the girls looking at the bears in this picture.



Kenley's favorite! We were actually walking past the pens as they were putting the giraffes in their barn so we got to see them really up close without a huge crowd in our way! Kenley LOVED it! She narrated everything the giraffe did. "Giraffe is eating a tree" "Giraffe is funny" "Giraffe is 1!" 


I can't say that going to the zoo is something we would do all the time, but once a year it is a fun treat! Especially with friends!

(By the way, I love that blogger changed so that we can upload multiple pictures at once and make them BIG!!) 

2 Little Monkeys Jumpin on the Bed!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Saturday Mornings

Saturday, April 21, 2012

I think that every Saturday morning should be just like the one we had today! We were woken up by sunlight pouring into our windows. That is not normal here! It was a very welcome surprise! 

After some family snuggle time, Kenley helped me make the Sourdough Donuts from PeasandThankYou. These donuts are light, fluffy, and delicious PLUS they are made with sourdough starter AND soaked overnight so they are better for digestion AND they are naturally sweetened with maple syrup. Triple awesome if you ask me! 



{Our Titus 2 group is going through the book "Loving the Little Years" by Rachel Jankovic. This past week as we were talking about the chapters I was reminded how I really need to let Kenley help me in the kitchen more. She is super eager to help, I just need to take the extra time to let her!

I have found out that I actually really like having her help me! We make these cookie dough balls almost every other day and I love getting to spend that time with her. Pretty soon there will be another little set of hands wanting to help mix everything so I am trying to enjoy this time where it is just a "Ken-yee and Mommy" thing. I love making these memories with her and I feel like I am indoctrinating her into healthy eating!}



Obviously the thing to do after a yummy donut breakfast is go for a swim in the (cooled down) hot tub!


We are definitely those crazy Washingtonians who see a glimpse of the sun and proclaim it to be a Summer day!

Happy Summery Saturday!

P.S. If you need a book to read that will encourage you and convict you all in a great way go pick up "Loving the Little Years"!

Too Fast!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

I was clearing out the random folder on my computer desktop last night and came across these photos of the girls. I was shocked at how much Kenley has changed. Claire has obviously changed a ton too, but it is more expected with her. I won't lie. A tear was definitely shed when I saw Kenley's sweet baby face from a year ago.


How did they go from this...
To this????
I'm guessing that this growing up thing will not get any easier for their Mama.

Happy

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Ordinary Days

Friday, April 13, 2012

We had a great time hosting Easter brunch on Sunday. One thing that I could have done without... I sprained my ankle while hiding the eggs for the egg hunt. I am so lame.
Monday was rough. I was on crutches and couldn't carry Claire at all. That morning I resorted to picking her up out of her crib and then trying to bride her with her bottle to follow me back to our bedroom. She wasn't a fan and gave up when she was halfway to me. Thankfully I am feeling much better and am back up to about a 95%!
Despite doing a lot of laying around this week I have still tried to keep busy in the kitchen. My first attempt at growing sprouts! Next time I would only do about 1 tsp at a time! I did 2 Tbsp and have ended up with about 3 cups of sprouts. I like them but I don't know if I can consume so many within a week!
I am also growing a sourdough starter! We are on day 3 following Mama Pea's plan. She posted a recipe for sourdough donuts this morning! I can't wait for my starter to be ready!
Kenley is really into singing songs lately. Her favorites are "The ABCD's""The Alligator (elevator) song" "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Jesus Loves Me"

I started singing the ABC's to Kenley today and Claire decided that I wasn't doing a good enough job....
Then Kenley joined in...
Even if my singing isn't great, dinner sure was!

I am long overdue for a grocery store trip so this meal was more of a throw everything together and hope that it turns out type of meal. Quartered Yukon gold potatoes + chopped onion + chopped carrots + chopped red pepper + black beans + garlic + a bit of butter + S and P... Baked at 400 for about 40 minutes and then topped with cheese and put back in the oven until bubbly! Garnished with cilantro! YUM!

I am not at all a fan of herbs but I am trying to incorporate more cilantro and parsley. Parsley is great for cleansing our blood and cilantro is great for detoxing our bodies of heavy metals. We have been juicing the parsley and I have been putting chopped cilantro on anything Mexican-ish that I eat. I am proud to say that I am less of an herb-hater now!
It had to be done! Banana soft serve made in the Champion Juicer with Raw Cookie Dough Bites mixed in! YUM!
She fell off of a bar stool. Almost every day I wonder to myself how it is that she hasn't broken any bones yet. We know its coming soon. She has NO fear OR awareness of her surroundings... not a great mix!
Funny that I say that about her when I am the one with the sprained ankle...

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Photos of Easter 2012

Sunday, April 8, 2012

So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said:
“Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’
“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,
“‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten you.’
And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,
“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’
Therefore he says also in another psalm,
“‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’
For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
(Acts 13:16-39 ESV)

He is Risen! What a glorious day!

We started off our Easter morning with a few treats for the girls in the baskets I made last year. I think I will keep using these baskets for them until another little baby comes along and I need to make something new!

Their eggs contained a few Annie's cheddar bunnies, a few Annie's bunny grahams, a high quality chocolate bunny, a bracelet, and 2 bunny shaped marshmallows. I wanted to allow the girls to have treats but at the same time I didn't want them to be too overloaded with sugar and junk!

I also found a brown haired baby for Claire that matches Kenley's blond haired baby (That she LOVES) so both babies got put in the baskets too!
Of course she found the chocolate bunny egg first!
Kenley and Gracen's cheesy fake smiles... What is it with 2 year olds and the fake squinty smile????

We are totally "The Goodfellows" of our church with our matching outfits! I love it!
Sweet Friends!
After church, I was able to host Easter Brunch for the first time! I made cheesy eggs, roasted potatoes, and bacon. YUM!!

Whenever anyone would ask what to bring I said fruit.... we had 4 fruit plates :)


Time for the first egg hunt outside for the girls! Can you spot the eggs?
Two-year old approved













Happy Easter!
 
FREE BLOGGER TEMPLATE BY DESIGNER BLOGS