Jun
11
2012THUD
CRASH
CLUNK
(common noises at my house)
Aeralind: Are you okay, Bonwyn?
Bronwyn: I okay. I bonked.
SQUEAL
LAUGH
SHRIEK
Aeralind: Momma, I don’t feel well.
Me: Oh? Where do you hurt?
Aeralind: I hurt on Bonwyn.
Me: Really?!
I think they’re growing up too fast. Oh, but I love that growing sense of compassion in Aeralind; it balances me out nicely 🙂
Counting 3354-3367 good gifts.
- This boy laughing hysterically at himself every time I turn around
- How Bronwyn says “Aww, man!” When she has a potty accident
- How they play “nap” and say bedtime prayers
- How Aerie lights up with glee when I toss a blanket over her play house to dry
- How Aerie dips her eggs in spicy brown mustard
- How Sedryn lifts his head and smiles at me after each nap
- Hearing Derek mention how much he wants to maximize his time with the girls in the evening
- Spontaneous fishing trip
- Pure delight at casting and reeling in those silly rubber fish
- Kin man who fished out the dropped pole
- Hearing Bronwyn repeat “Right away, all the way, and with a happy heart” while defining obedience.
- Sunday editing photos night
- New to us desk with my own computer and room for my sewing machine
- Plans developing for a pirate big girl room
Jun
10
2012My friend Julia does a great series on things she has found helpful in her mothering journey. I’m joining up today with a quick post on my new favorite breakfast (the girls like it too)!
All winter long we alternate breakfast between oatmeal and eggs.
I’m still on an egg-free diet and, while I have found a million ways to vary up the oatmeal, it’s summer now: not every morning is suitable for hot oatmeal.
Enter granola. It still uses all the basic materials (that I buy in bulk or make at home): oats, honey, and yogurt (a girl has to have some protein to chase twins all day!). But I can serve it cool… and even snack on it mid-day.
I’ve tried a lot of granola recipes, but I’m finding that granola is one of those things where it’s okay to exercise my creative genes. I just sort of go with it. 🙂
Here’s my loose recipe, a couple variations, and a few granola making tips.
Ingredients
- about 4 cups oats (the toddlers measure… it’s never exact!)
- about 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or not)
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour or wheat germ
- 1/2 stick butter (I’m sure coconut oil would be amazing too!)
- 1/2-1 cup honey (enough to make it pretty moist)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 250 F
- Thoroughly mix oats, coconut, and wheat flour/germ.
- Dump in butter and add enough honey to make it pretty moist but not super sticky
- Toss in an oiled glass or ceramic baking dish. I use a 9×13 or two extra large loaf pans. Do not use a metal dish: you will burn it!
- Put into oven and stir outsides/bottom toward the top/middle of your dish about every 30 minutes.
- When it turns a tad golden brown, it’s done!
Tips
- If you like nuts in your granola, add them in slices or bits before baking.
- If you like dried fruit in your granola (or chocolate chips), add after baking.
- Feel free to add in some spices of your choice: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamon would all be good.
- Feel free to use some extracts. I’ve used vanilla and almond before. Both were pretty yummy 🙂
Variations
- Chocolate granola: Add enough cocoa powder (the darker the better!) to turn the oat mixture a chocolate color before baking.
- Banana granola: Mash a banana and add with the honey.
I think I’m going to try pumpkin next… wish me luck!
Jun
08
2012I don’t do a whole lot of structured art around here. I give them the supplies and let them go at it, usually while cooking dinner. Their current favorite activity is randomly cutting up magazines and sometimes remembering to glue their bits onto the paper I’ve set out and loosely directed them on how to glue down a collage. Ha! 🙂
So this week’s toddler activity was a semi-structured activity based on one of their favorite Noodlebug songs.
Source: rainydaymum.co.uk
And when I say semi-structured, I mean I handed them the objects and told them what colors they should be and what they were making. Ha! Here’s how our version came out.
We had fun playing and singing and coloring no mater what they looked like!
Jun
04
2012
#3344-3353
- Becca’s prayers
- Chanwey’s amazement at my girls’ independence/climbing abilities
- Seeing Shiloh give a ladder climb a try
- Just enjoying newborn photography
- Coming to terms that I still can’t photograph regularly yet
- Girls cleaning the exersaucer
- 20 minutes- just 20 stressful minutes before all the stressful meltdowns are over and everyone is taking a nap
- Hearing a concerned B ask a crying A “What happened?”
- Aeralind’s determined independence
- Princess shoes
- Daddy-daughter dancing
