Asparagus anyone?

What's for dinner?

The question that is asked everyday and everyday lately I have been stumped as to what to make or direct my husband to make. Fresh asparagus was on sale the other day so I bought some. I have never cooked asparagus before and actually had to look up how to cook it. We are going to keep it simple. I think I will add salmon patties and rolls on the side and call it a meal. I did find a great site that goes into more detail than you would ever need about asparagus. Check it out.

(click the picture to go to an info page on asparagus)

"I Dreamed of Africa"

I watched a movie titled I Dreamed of Africa this past weekend. The movie was OK. It made me want to read the book.  As I was watching the movie I was reminded of how I have always wanted to go to Africa. I don't want to go to see the animals or meet the people even though that would be a wonderful adventure. I want to go to have a sense of where it all began. I am not a follower of a religion that has a origin of life story. I strongly believe in evolution and that life is ever changing. I want to go where man's beginnings are. I want to feel it in the air. I want to walk the footsteps of those that first used language and first loved one another. I have dreamed of Africa and one day I hope to get there.

I DREAMED OF AFRICA

Trying out my new diaper covers.

Grandma was so kind to knit Ben some diaper covers. I like to use the old fashioned cloth diapers with diaper pins. These covers work great. I like to use dipers without covers sometimes to just let my babies air out. I threw some Baby Legs on Ben to keep his legs warm when we were outside.

What did we read today?

It was such a pretty day today. We went for a walk and hung out on the back porch for a while. Eliot picked the book out that I read but she didn't sit still long enough to listen to the whole thing.

My pet apple.

Evan has a lacing toy that is an apple with a worm on a string. It is a great toy for preschoolers to work on fine motor skills. Well, Evan uses this apple as his "pet". He takes it for walks and has even slept with it. Well, at least it doesn't need a litter box.

"Daughter of Kura"

I have found the perfect time to read. I am pumping two times a day at work when I am away from Ben and that gives me the best time to read. I can't very well be doing much else. I finished my Mary Stewart book and now I'm reading Daughter of Kura by Debra Austin. It's not too bad. I am about a quarter of the way through it. I am a fan of prehistoric fiction. I am not really sure why. My favorite book is The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel. I read it for the first time when I was 13. I guess it got me hooked. I'll pick up any book now that has any type of early man in it. I'll let you know how it ends. Happy reading.

Who's up for a walk?

Lyn, Annika, Ben, and I headed for the walking track for some exercise. Hopefully I can make that a habit.

Pita anyone?

I wanted something lighter for dinner last night. So Pita sandwiches it is! We started with onion flavored pita bread. They were stuffed with shredded cheddar cheese, baby spinach / spring lettuce mix, chicken breast, and topped with Italian salad dressing. they are simple and a breeze to make. I used the pre-cooked chicken breast that is already sliced from the deli section of the grocery store. The kids liked them OK. Everyone came back for seconds. I would have liked to have added more ingredients if I would have had them. Onions and feta cheese would have worked great.They were definitely a nice break from just a regular sandwich.

Mama can I have that "E"?

When we arrived at daycare this morning Evan said "Mama, can I have that "E"? Give me that "E"." I thought he was just looking at his name on one of his old coloring sheets from his preschool class. I told him to hold on and when we stopped we could get it. I really had no idea what he was talking about. When he got out of his car seat he reached down and pulled out the letter "E". It was a black construction cutout of an "E". I remember making it months ago for an art project. Wow, I really need to clean out my van.

2 month shots

Ben went to the pediatrician's office today for his 2 month well visit. Everything is going well as expected. He received two shots and one oral dose. He still weighs 12 pounds.

I'm almost finished...

I am reading a book right now by an author I have always been fond of, Mary Stewart. I get into reading jags where I will read everything about vampires, faries, Arthurian legend, cavemen, etc.... The last time I was at the library I looked for the first book in Mary Stewart's Arthurian legend Merlin trilogy) series. I have all of the books in the series at home except the first one The Crystal Cave. Years ago I lent it out to a friend and never saw it again. That is always a double edged sword. I want to share books that I love but I hate to never see them again. I have almost learned my lesson. Right now I am reading The Prince and the Pilgrim. It is more of an easier read than The Merlin Trilogy. I recommend it for any time you would want an easy yet almost forgetable read.

Lyn the big sister

Lyn is growing up so much. She knows more about the appropriate care of young children than most adults I know. She has been a great help to me with Ben. I never insist that she help out with him. I am not one to MAKE older children help take care of younger children but she just naturally wants to help out. Thank you so much Lyn for all that you do!

Going red...

As you may have noticed from any recent pictures that have made it on my blog I have decided to be a redhead for a while. I was headed for the bottle of blond hair color but I was persuaded by my husband to go red instead. So far I am happy with it. I think I will let my hair grow out a bit more before I go get it cut. I have always been pretty low maintenance when it comes to hair styles so don't look for anything too drastic in my future. At the most I will go really really short.

The first full day of Spring!

It is a cool rainy day. It is a far cry from the great sunny day we had yesterday. But it is a time for new beginings. It is the first full day of Spring. I am so looking forward to warmer weather. I plan on incoorporating more exercise into my days. I am determined to loose about 30 pounds. I want to do more with the kids. I even want to go out on a date or two without children in tow. I see this season as a time to work on goals and make a fresh start. Wish me luck!

A day at Ruffner Mountain

We took Evan and Eliot to Ruffner Mountain today. They did really well. I can not believe they walked all the way to the quarry. It was over 2 miles that we walked over pretty up and down terrain. I set up a slide show on the sidebar for any to enjoy if they like.

Chicken enchiladas

Eliot helped me make chicken enchiladas last night. She is turning into such a big girl.

The sun is shinning!

I was such a nice day today. I just couldn't bear staying inside all day. I took my lunch to a local park to enjoy the sunshine. There were children playing on the playground, people on the Frisbee course, a fraternity practicing a cane routine, "granola girls" soaking up a little sun, and a couple walking arm in arm walking the track. It was a good day. I took some pictures of the sights around me.

How big are they now?

Evan, Eliot, and Ben had a WIC appointment this morning. Everyone was weighed and measured. Evan and Eliot are only 2 pounds and 2 inches apart. Ben weighed in at 12 pounds. He's getting big. Evan is considered a bit on the short side for his age but he is still on the chart! We were there for nearly two hours. I thought the kids did very well. I kept Ben in his sling except when he needed to be weighed and measured.

What did Eliot do at school today?

When I arrived to pick Eliot up from daycare today she was working on an art project. Her class was making butterflies. Her teacher told me she was the only one in her class that didn't mind getting her hands messy during art time. I told her that she has opportunities to get messy at home all the time.

Ice skating anyone?

I took the big kids ice skating today. Lyn did great. It was just her second time ever ice skating. Annika and Connor gave it a try and had fun. Danny didn't feel like trying but he watched everyone else with me from the sidelines. I did make one lap around the rink.

Second day of spring break

I started this day by going grocery shopping. We tend to buy big groceries only once a month. Dad, Ben and I went and brought home all kinds of goodies. After lunch we went to the library to pick up some books and CDs. It wasn't the most glamorous day but at least we got out of the house.

Our new necklaces

A few weeks ago I came across a web site talking about amber teething necklaces. They are supposed to sooth an infant's teething pain. I don't really believe amber has healing soothing properties but I really liked the look of the necklaces. I ordered a mother and child matching set. I got the child one originally for Ben but I ended up giving it to Eliot instead. Lyn was with me when I picked the necklaces up from the post office. They were hand made in Lithuania. When I picked up Eliot and Evan from daycare I showed Eliot my necklace and asked her if she wanted one too. Of course she said yes. Evan was a bit upset I didn't have one for him too. The necklaces are pretty cool. Each bead is unique and different.

First day of spring break

To kick off spring break I spent the morning shopping with my big girls. We found a lot of stuff for the up coming warmer weather. Lyn found a great shirt at Academy. It actually says "peace love volleyball". Of course I had to get it. We ended our morning by eating lunch at Wendy's.

Always a book in his hand

Danny has always enjoyed reading books. When he was a toddler he could sit for a long time and look at books. He never tore them up. At the time I did not realize such a specific intense interest in certain things was a sign of autism. Now I am thankful that Danny chooses to become enthralled with something that teaches him something. He pretty much always has a book close at hand. He likes nonfiction but he will read an age appropriate novel too. He had a bit of a struggle when learning to read. His teachers were trying to use phonics but he learned to read using whole word sight methods. He reads way above his grade level now. In fact he rarely forgets what he reads.

Just hanging out

To pass some time today Connor and Danny were playing a game while Ben watched from Granny's lap. (She popped in for a quick visit.) They made up a crazy game of toss with trivia thrown in. They were enjoying the new bed set up in their room. There is now a full bed, a twin bed, and a crib in the boy's room. Evan and Ben don't sleep in there regularly but now there is plenty of room for all the boys.

Soaking up my sweet baby.

Ben was just hanging out in my lap as I worked on the computer. He was sweet at that moment. Now, last night was another story. He was up for hours crying.

Fun at preschool

Evan has been enjoying his preschool class. Today they had fun playing with shaving cream. The best part of having the little kids close to me while I work is that I get to peek in on them when I am out of the office.

Rain rain go away...

It has been raining hard for a few days now. Everything is flooded. I took a video of the drainage ditch in our back yard. The rain is still coming down. A lot of roads were closed yesterday in Shelby County. I don't think it will get any higher at our house but who knows!

Hanging out at Burger King

It was such a pretty day yesterday. It was over 70 degrees outside so we had to get out of the house. When I got off work I loaded the kids up and we headed for Burger King. I like their playground when the weather is nice. It is not too big and all the kids can have fun there safely. Dad was a bit under the weather so it was nice to be able to give him a break and let him have the house to himself.

7 weeks old today

My sweet little boy is 7 weeks old today. He has come into his own. He is now the typical fussy little boy. He is sleeping good for me at night but he is giving Dad run for his money during the day.