Rhys & Evan

How did I miss this picture in my blogging? Obviously taken this fall (note: t-shirts and lack of snow), here are best buddies, Evan & Rhys. Aren't they funny?!

Pyramid

The little chokable Legos are banned to downstairs. The big Cael-safe Legos are kept upstairs for all to play with. And played with they are! Here's a recent creation...


What else? A pyramid.


Complete with the valley temple (middle bottom), causeway (middle path to pyramid), the sarcophagus (inside the pyramid), and boat burial pits (left & right of the causeway). Very nicely done. Unfortunately, Rhys was the photographer and is unfamiliar with the flash as you might notice in these next photos...


Proud of their accomplishment, in particular the self-timer on the camera!

Buffalo chili

Do you realize how picky I am? Well, it cannot be understated, that's for sure! Kim's hubby sent us home with some frozen ground buffalo to try. It took me a couple weeks to work up my nerve. I settled on making chili with it. Wow! It was great!


You see, I love chili. Canned Nalley chili to be exact. However, a year or so ago, I made an unfortunate discovery in my can of chili and have not been able to eat it since. I've been looking for an easy, yummy chili recipe ever since... Little did I know, I had the perfect recipe right on my shelf. It can be found in the best OAMC cookbook ever: Don't Panic- Dinner's in the Freezer.


Here it is, if you don't yet own the book (but you really should!):

Chili Con Carne
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
3/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (I use more)
1- 16oz. can tomatoes, cut up (I used 2- 10 oz. cans of Ro-Tel tomatoes at Cynde's wise suggestion)
1- 16 oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained (more would be good too)
1- 8oz can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

4-6 servings.

Cook ground beef (or buffalo, LOL!), onion, green pepper, and garlic until meat is browned. Drain fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil, salt, & pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes longer.

If using for OAMC: cool, place in gallon bags, and freeze. On serving day, thaw completely. Simmer until heated through and serve.

Hints
Serve with tortillas or cornbread. Top with grated cheese, sour cream, onions.
If you prefer a slightly thinner consistency, add more tomato sauce, tomato juice or V-8.


We decided next time to use only one can of Ro-Tel and one can of regular tomotoes. It was a bit too spicy for the kids to really dig in... Also, Jason wants more beans and more "juice". It is great but pretty thick. We were able to eat it with a fork.

1st Gymnastics Meet

Kjersten, Aspen, and Hannelora.


Of course, I'm opposite of where she lands... Grrr... She was first to go at each event so I never did get good pics of her actual events!


I can only imagine this is harder than it looks. Makes me laugh to watch the girls practice this as it looks ridiculously simple to me.


Getting ready for her spectacular cartwheel.

It was fun to watch her actually perform. When she's in class, she's either too far from the window for me to see or I'm too busy chatting (imagine that?!) to see what she's learning. My only exposure is when she's somersaulting across the house.

Christmas cometh...

Proof that the tree is up, decorated, and the presents underneath are wrapped. Has been since this weekend. Jason and the kids put the tree up on Friday while I was out shopping with friends. Saturday, they decorated while I napped (still catching up from my shopping day) and I wrapped all those shopped-for-presents that night after they went to bed.

First PB & honey...

I know... he's only 18 months! But, he just wanted what we were eating so very much! How could I deny him a peanut butter and honey on mama's homemade whole wheat bread?!

Winter weather...

This is the only Christmas craft we'll be doing in the foreseeable future. These are snowflake window clings from Family Fun magazine. Here's the link for this really simple fun craft.

And here are the "real" snowflakes from today. Lots of snow. The kids are thrilled and I can't say I'm upset. I mean, it is December and we do want a white Christmas, right?

No holiday photos? What gives?

Nope. Not one photo.

We spent the day in completely non-traditional fashion (for us, anyhow...) After a lazy morning, I took Lou and headed to town. I hate to admit it but we needed groceries and I took advantage of the very slow shopping day to fill our pantry and refrigerator.

Following our marketing, we met the boys at the theater. Movies in the theater are extremely rare for our kiddos and this was Cael's maiden viewing of the big screen. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. (Head's up: it's sorta stupid and the innuendo is annoying!) Everyone survived, although Cael did succumb to a nap mid-movie.

After loading up on sugar (Raisinettes and gummy worms), we headed home for a completely non-healthy dinner of appetizers. It was lovely! And great fun!

The only reason we departed so far from tradition is our family abandoned us! Jason's parents headed East to Auntie Heidi's (a long overdue Thanksgiving trek) and my dad headed West to have dinner with my extended family. It was the perfect excuse to do something different.

(We're having friends over in a few weeks for our Thanksgiving turkey dinner. Yes, I really do love turkey, potatoes, stuffing minus nasty stuff, and pumpkin pie. Stay tuned for pictures. That should be a great night!)

My birthday present to me...

Originally submitted at Toys R Us

Maclaren Volo stroller with hood is lightweight and easy to use at 8.6 pounds. Easy and fast to fold & go with handy carry strap. Modern single position, easy to clean, self locking wheels, removable mesh seat. Ergonomic foam gripped handles and angled frame for comfortable pushing. New f...

Maclaren Volo Citrus Lime/Black Stroller

Finally... the perfect stroller!

By mom2mykiddos from Montana on 11/24/2008

5out of 5

Pros: Lightweight, Durable, Smooth Ride, Easy To Maneuver, Easily Stowed, Easy to Set Up

Cons: Not Adjustable

Best Uses: Infants, Toddlers

Describe Yourself: Parent of Two or More Children

I've been looking for "the" stroller to replace our collection of various kinds. We have a Graco Travel System, a few umbrella strollers, and a double jogger stroller. With kiddo #4 (the last) turning 18 months, I've passed along the travel system to a friend and thrown away the impossible-to-steer, poorly-made, no-feature umbrella strollers. The Maclaren Volo is the perfect replacement.

First, it is compact and lightweight. I no longer need to keep in the back of the van. It's small enough to slip on the floor at the kids' feet. Set up is quick and easy and, most importantly, ONE-HANDED!

Second, its features are well thought out. The single brake set & release is very easy to use. The canopy is large and provides nice coverage. A small basket underneath holds the essentials. (I did purchase the Maclaren organizer and appreciate having somewhere to keep water bottles and the cell phone.) It maneuvers very easily, even with a single hand and the wheels seem to absorb small bumps nicely. Our toddler loves to sit in his stroller, moving or not.

Third, improvements over last year's belt buckles makes securing a busy toddler easier.

Additionally, the black frame looks great and the lime (it really is a bit more "lime green" than the photo shows) & black helps hide the dirt from the wheels brushing against the canopy when folded. (The grey and white canopies on other Volo strollers readily show the dirt. Yuk!)

Finally, the 55 lb. weight limit ensures that we'll be using this stroller until #4 has truly outgrown strollers. This will make those trips to the zoo, the fair, and Disney World much more enjoyable!

I realize this stroller is not meant for newborns and it does not adjust to allow for napping, but it is extremely well made and comfortable for baby and whomever ends up pushing him along.

This was my birthday present to me. I'm a bit of a baby gear junkie and we're quickly leaving the "baby" stage behind. This is likely one of my last baby purchases. I researched and researched before buying. (I've known I wanted it since April. Yes... nearly 7 months!) But, persistence paid off. I have the newer version with features I appreciate and it's perfect!

Movie Time...

Kjersten in Charge...

Yes, I know cheese sticks are a choking hazard. Yes, I intervened after some photo taking... I just love how little girls love to line up and boss other kids around. At this age, George & Ole don't mind much. Those days are numbered, I'm sure!

Love the Bread...

Rhys actually asked if I would bring bread to his karate party. Not candy. Not sweets. Not chips. Bread. The kid actually wanted my bread. I'm so impressed! Stay tuned for my post on the whole wheat recipe.

Snacks for the Mama...

My favorite snack ever... And, now, Costco carries it so it's actually affordable!

In an attempt to eliminate (or drastically reduce) my Diet Coke dependence, I tried this. Ummm... Not quite the same. Not at all the same. Not a good substitute. Turns out, I really love the carbonation and the Coke flavor. Hmmm... Any suggestions?

Mat Man Has One Head, One Head, One Head...

Sing to the tune of "The Bear Went Over the Mountain."

Introducing Brennen and his Mat Man!

This is part of our handwriting curriculum: Handwriting Without Tears. Awesome program. And it is so much fun! Just ask the kiddos!

Happy Birthday to Me...

Yes, my birthday was before Halloween. (I'm a bit behind, as usual...) Here's the yummy lemon cake and charming note cards from my friend, Cynde. She took that picture and had the cards made. I just love them.

I had a great day and was spoiled by a bunch of people! My kids bought me a mini-Cuisinart (it matches my big one perfectly) and some other requested kitchen things. Below, you'll see Cael who found the Snickers the kids tucked into a bag of treats for me. Cael was quite unhappy to give up his find. (I was impressed that he knew it was worth opening and that he found a way to do it.)



These are photos of the wrapping paper my kiddos made for my gifts. I just loved the pictures!

(bombs: courtesy of Rhys)

Science With Friends...

Making whales for our ocean boxes. Funny how the smell and feel of modeling clay is familiar even after 25 years.

My Awesome View...

(from my dining room table)

Smart Baby Boy...

He loves this chunky puzzle. Cael will play by himself in his room putting the pieces in and out or playing with the pieces like toys.

Happy boy too... (I know it's a bit blurry, but he's just too sweet!)

Dueling toddlers...

When the parents are busy playing Whist, the babies will destroy. Bret and Cael dismantled the kitchen and living room. When that lost its appeal, they progressed to duking it out over the "popcorn popper" toy. Since this was at midnight, you just know it didn't end well with either baby happy...

My election day thoughts...

And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him...

Romans 8:10a