Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Catching Up with an "Old" Friend :)
josh and i graduated with dana back in 1998.....(yes to some of you that makes us old...to others, that makes us just "babies" :D) i honestly can't tell you how long i have known dana but i certainly met her before 1998 :) after we graduated from chs, we both went to hope college. we lived in the same dorm, 1 floor apart and kept in contact with each other fairly often...weekly to daily :) we both had boyfriends up north--hers was at nothern and josh was up mtu so we often took adventures in the form of car trips to go up and visit our boyfriends :) these adventures were LONG and really helped solidify our friendship. dana ended up splitting up with that boyfriend while josh and i continued on our relationship adventure! :) after college, we went very different ways. we actually got married the same exact weekend (though we got married the 14th of june and i think dana and tyler got married the 15th) but they went all over the world as tyler is in the army and josh and i headed to mn. we have kept in touch via email, blogs, christmas letters, etc.
fast forward a "few" years.....we are both back in michigan! :) dana and tyler now have two little ones (norah and owen) and we, of course, have our two boys. so...finally, after all these years, dana and i caught back up in person! we scheduled a play date at the children's museum and had a WONDERFUL time! i am so glad to have kept in contact with her all these years and hope to do so for many more--even as our life journeys take us in different geographical directions!
fast forward a "few" years.....we are both back in michigan! :) dana and tyler now have two little ones (norah and owen) and we, of course, have our two boys. so...finally, after all these years, dana and i caught back up in person! we scheduled a play date at the children's museum and had a WONDERFUL time! i am so glad to have kept in contact with her all these years and hope to do so for many more--even as our life journeys take us in different geographical directions!
guess we should have gotten a picture of the two of us ladies :)
Weekly Menu
Sunday: Spaghetti, with AWESOME tomato torte (pseudo recipe below)
Monday: Grilled Salmon (below), Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Potatoes, Watermelon
Tuesday: Ribeye Fajita "Bowls" (see below)
Wednesday: Big Boy... :) (not much in Greenville you know) and Charley's Ice Cream for Dessert!
Thursday: Veggie Stir Fry (see below), Egg Rolls, Apples (mozzarella and ham for the boys)
Friday: Wine Marinaded Chicken, Baked Potatoes, French Bread, Marinaded Tomatoes, Fruit
Saturday: Birthday Party for our Friend Sade :)
Sunday-Thursday....I am gone :) Ask Josh what is for supper!
Tomato Torte (my mom in law made it so i do not have the exact recipe...but here is what i think....)
NEED:
big sliced tomatoes (i would remove the seeds and "pat dry" as well)
puff pasty sheets--thawed
olive oil
pepper
teeny bit of grated cheese
salt
DO:
roll out pastry
place tomatoes on pasty--make sure they do NOT touch
drizzle with oil
Bake at 350 until looks done :)
sprinkle teeny bit of cheese and just melt
sprinkle with salt and serve
AMAZING!
Salmon on the Grill
NEED:
fresh salmon (i used sockeye)
tuscan herb olive oil
salt
pepper
fresh herbs (i used basil, thyme and oregano)
DO:
wash and pat dry salmon
brush with oil and sprinkle with herbs
salt and pepper liberally
grill over med-med high 10-15 minutes until fish flakes easily
sprinkle with a bit more pepper/salt if you like and drizzle with oil before serving
i also made a "sauce" out of mayo and oregano vinegar :) mmmmmmmm so good!
Ribeye Fajita Bowls
NEED:
leftover ribeye sliced thinly :) (or steak)
peppers and onions sliced
tomato (optional)
grapefruit juice
limes (squeezed)
salt
pepper
garlic powder
cumin
chilli powder
toss the juices with the seasonings and put the meat into marinade. get your cast iron skillet smokin hot, add a bit of olive oil and toss in your veggies (not the tomatoes). let them cook to your liking, add the meat to heat through and tomatoes. serve over cilantro lime rice with a guacamole, sour cream (optional), cheese. Enjoy :)
Veggie Stir Fry
NEED:
Asian Hot Sauce (with the green top)--Ethnic Aisle--Few Dashes...1-2 tsp?
Soy Sauce 1/4-1/2 cup
Sesame Oil (Ethnic Aisle) --dash.....a little goes a long way....1/2 tsp?
Corn Starch 1-2 TBS?
Beef Broth or Hot Water with "Quality" Beef Base (1 cup or so)
Veggies cup up :) I used orange peppers, green peppers, red onion, pea pods and broccoli
DO:
mix the first ingredients and let them sit while you cook the rest
get the skillet super hot and then add a little olive oil (i used garlic olive oil). add the onions and peppers.....then the broccoli then pea pods. Get them done to your liking and then at the last minute, add the "sauce"--let thicken. if too thick, add a bit more broth...but small amounts at a time.
serve over HOT jasmine sticky rice (we buy the Mahatma brand)
Monday: Grilled Salmon (below), Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Potatoes, Watermelon
Tuesday: Ribeye Fajita "Bowls" (see below)
Wednesday: Big Boy... :) (not much in Greenville you know) and Charley's Ice Cream for Dessert!
Thursday: Veggie Stir Fry (see below), Egg Rolls, Apples (mozzarella and ham for the boys)
Friday: Wine Marinaded Chicken, Baked Potatoes, French Bread, Marinaded Tomatoes, Fruit
Saturday: Birthday Party for our Friend Sade :)
Sunday-Thursday....I am gone :) Ask Josh what is for supper!
Tomato Torte (my mom in law made it so i do not have the exact recipe...but here is what i think....)
NEED:
big sliced tomatoes (i would remove the seeds and "pat dry" as well)
puff pasty sheets--thawed
olive oil
pepper
teeny bit of grated cheese
salt
DO:
roll out pastry
place tomatoes on pasty--make sure they do NOT touch
drizzle with oil
Bake at 350 until looks done :)
sprinkle teeny bit of cheese and just melt
sprinkle with salt and serve
AMAZING!
Salmon on the Grill
NEED:
fresh salmon (i used sockeye)
tuscan herb olive oil
salt
pepper
fresh herbs (i used basil, thyme and oregano)
DO:
wash and pat dry salmon
brush with oil and sprinkle with herbs
salt and pepper liberally
grill over med-med high 10-15 minutes until fish flakes easily
sprinkle with a bit more pepper/salt if you like and drizzle with oil before serving
i also made a "sauce" out of mayo and oregano vinegar :) mmmmmmmm so good!
Ribeye Fajita Bowls
NEED:
leftover ribeye sliced thinly :) (or steak)
peppers and onions sliced
tomato (optional)
grapefruit juice
limes (squeezed)
salt
pepper
garlic powder
cumin
chilli powder
toss the juices with the seasonings and put the meat into marinade. get your cast iron skillet smokin hot, add a bit of olive oil and toss in your veggies (not the tomatoes). let them cook to your liking, add the meat to heat through and tomatoes. serve over cilantro lime rice with a guacamole, sour cream (optional), cheese. Enjoy :)
Veggie Stir Fry
NEED:
Asian Hot Sauce (with the green top)--Ethnic Aisle--Few Dashes...1-2 tsp?
Soy Sauce 1/4-1/2 cup
Sesame Oil (Ethnic Aisle) --dash.....a little goes a long way....1/2 tsp?
Corn Starch 1-2 TBS?
Beef Broth or Hot Water with "Quality" Beef Base (1 cup or so)
Veggies cup up :) I used orange peppers, green peppers, red onion, pea pods and broccoli
DO:
mix the first ingredients and let them sit while you cook the rest
get the skillet super hot and then add a little olive oil (i used garlic olive oil). add the onions and peppers.....then the broccoli then pea pods. Get them done to your liking and then at the last minute, add the "sauce"--let thicken. if too thick, add a bit more broth...but small amounts at a time.
serve over HOT jasmine sticky rice (we buy the Mahatma brand)
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Amazing Dad
josh is simply an amazing dad--he knew bedtime would be the hardest part of the entire week.....luke and jack are both daddy's boys at night and love to get extra "squeezies" and kisses. to help the evening transition, josh recorded books on my ipod video camera as well as special messages for each of the boys. turns out these were HUGELY helpful and a big hit with the boys--they LOVED them:) we didn't just watch them at night; we watched them all the time! :) whenever someone was sad, josh was right there in my "puter" :) luke even got angry at josh (on the puter) because he did not answer luke's questions! it was too cute! i love how awesome my husband is as a dad!
Blog 2 Print
I have used Blog2Print twice now and have been extremely happy with the results--it takes your blog (whichever posts you indicate) and makes them into a beautiful book--I love that I now have a "journal of memories" from 2008 and 2009. I plan to make my 2010 into one as well :) Plus I feel like an accomplished author as well! If you are interested in turning your own blog into a book, and if you use this link I can earn a free book :) No pressure! Happy day friends!
A week of the Boys and I
so josh traveled this past week....which i may or may not have posted :) a week with the boys and my brain is mushy.......
overall we had a great week--boys of course were a bit needier than usual and missed daddy but tried really really REALLY hard to be good boys for me.
highlights of the week:
**playtime with the bartlett children
**movies on my laptop that josh left the boys--messages and books being read!
**got the bathroom painted :)
**dinner with grandma and pa tractor
**visit to the bunny lady in sidney
**playground time
**daycare for the boys and rockford shopping for mom
**a great playdate in cadillac with new friends--the bells :) (an old hs friend of mine and her children)
**spending the night at grandma and grandpa dan's house--boys love to do that!
**wading in lake mitchell
**bark in the park with uncle roger and aunt missy
**exploring selma's fire trucks with grandpa dan
**visiting city fire and getting lots of stickers from fire fighter mark
**getting oodles of toys from grandma's attic (gi joes, cars, legos....)
**arts festival for hotdogs, chips and wooden toys!
**time with grandpa bill and fred
**mcdonald's lunch with grandpa bill
**new legos from walmart (thank you grandma)
**helping with chores (luke did dishes by hand and thought it was wonderful)
**ended the time in cadillac with a pukey jack in the car :P
**DADDY CAME HOME :) that is a major highlight :)
overall we had a great week--boys of course were a bit needier than usual and missed daddy but tried really really REALLY hard to be good boys for me.
highlights of the week:
**playtime with the bartlett children
**movies on my laptop that josh left the boys--messages and books being read!
**got the bathroom painted :)
**dinner with grandma and pa tractor
**visit to the bunny lady in sidney
**playground time
**daycare for the boys and rockford shopping for mom
**a great playdate in cadillac with new friends--the bells :) (an old hs friend of mine and her children)
**spending the night at grandma and grandpa dan's house--boys love to do that!
**wading in lake mitchell
**bark in the park with uncle roger and aunt missy
**exploring selma's fire trucks with grandpa dan
**visiting city fire and getting lots of stickers from fire fighter mark
**getting oodles of toys from grandma's attic (gi joes, cars, legos....)
**arts festival for hotdogs, chips and wooden toys!
**time with grandpa bill and fred
**mcdonald's lunch with grandpa bill
**new legos from walmart (thank you grandma)
**helping with chores (luke did dishes by hand and thought it was wonderful)
**ended the time in cadillac with a pukey jack in the car :P
**DADDY CAME HOME :) that is a major highlight :)
Monday, July 12, 2010
oh how i love thee nectarine
oh my gosh--the nectarines i have right now are amazing! i decided to take all that yummy goodness today and make it into a fruit salsa--
need:
nectarines chopped
lime juice
honey
hot peppers (i used serano on accident....want going to use jalapeno) finely chopped
red onion chopped
do:
toss together and let mingle at room temp for a little bit
so to go along with this vision of tastiness, i made a Caribbean jerk marinaded pork tenderloin (bottle of marinade--lawrys?) and white rice. i put the rice on the plate, then the salsa and then topped with pork! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
boys were 50/50 on the pork, both loved the rice and they had strawberries and apples instead of the salsa :) oh well i thought it was super duper tasty!
need:
nectarines chopped
lime juice
honey
hot peppers (i used serano on accident....want going to use jalapeno) finely chopped
red onion chopped
do:
toss together and let mingle at room temp for a little bit
so to go along with this vision of tastiness, i made a Caribbean jerk marinaded pork tenderloin (bottle of marinade--lawrys?) and white rice. i put the rice on the plate, then the salsa and then topped with pork! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
boys were 50/50 on the pork, both loved the rice and they had strawberries and apples instead of the salsa :) oh well i thought it was super duper tasty!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Gourmet sure does Taste Good.......
......especially when someone else makes it :)
i have been doing all of our cooking around here for the past few weeks and i guess josh decided it was time to show us what he can do :) last night he made an incredible gourmet supper for us!
he started by marinading ribeyes (not sure what he used....secret) and then he grilled them over hot natura briquette charcoal. they were perfection already but then he suggested we get out the blue cheese we bought that afternoon at the amish cheese store.......which was not like "store bought" blue cheese--instead, it is silky and intense! a dab of that on top of the already awesome steak and i was in food heaven!!! he also made baked potatoes on the grill--he has this really cool potato stand that we have never used before--it has prongs that go up in the potatoes so the heat gets right up inside. we rubbed the potatoes with fustini tuscan olive oil and liberally doused them with kosher salt. the end result was AMAZING--so hot and fluffy on the inside yet super crunchy and tasty on the outside! along the side we served fresh blueberries, strawberries and nectarine slices! mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
here's to an awesome dinner with my boys :)
i have been doing all of our cooking around here for the past few weeks and i guess josh decided it was time to show us what he can do :) last night he made an incredible gourmet supper for us!
he started by marinading ribeyes (not sure what he used....secret) and then he grilled them over hot natura briquette charcoal. they were perfection already but then he suggested we get out the blue cheese we bought that afternoon at the amish cheese store.......which was not like "store bought" blue cheese--instead, it is silky and intense! a dab of that on top of the already awesome steak and i was in food heaven!!! he also made baked potatoes on the grill--he has this really cool potato stand that we have never used before--it has prongs that go up in the potatoes so the heat gets right up inside. we rubbed the potatoes with fustini tuscan olive oil and liberally doused them with kosher salt. the end result was AMAZING--so hot and fluffy on the inside yet super crunchy and tasty on the outside! along the side we served fresh blueberries, strawberries and nectarine slices! mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
here's to an awesome dinner with my boys :)
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The Little Worker
josh is leaving for a week long trip tomorrow before it is even bright and early--after at least 3 years, he is finally getting the chance to travel to texas to work with his colleagues! he is thrilled to meet them in person and hammer out some good work.
needless to say, the boys are having a tough time (and i suppose mama too)--they love having their daddy around and are used to it :) when luke was having an especially hard time today, josh said to him, "but buddy, i am going for work. do you know how to do my job?" luke responded by wiggling his fingers and moving them over a pretend keyboard and said, "yes daddy i can do your job--see this is how you do it". oh that make our hearts melt. josh asked luke what daddy did when his fingers went like that and luke responded, "hack" :) (not quite....but that is what we refer to it as). oh poor lukie! he has brought this up several times tonight--that he can do daddy's job and wanted to go to texas with him. as josh put him to bed tonight, lukie said he wanted to go and could go since he knew how to do daddy's job. josh told him then he had to be 16 to work and if he wasn't 16 and daddy made him work, then police would take him to jail.......so then lukie got upset about jail and the police and said but i know how to do the job! the poor kid even said he would pack his own car seat!
i hope to keep them occupied this week with fun :) the beginning part of the week will be here and the latter part of the week will be up with my parents. here's to it all going well!
needless to say, the boys are having a tough time (and i suppose mama too)--they love having their daddy around and are used to it :) when luke was having an especially hard time today, josh said to him, "but buddy, i am going for work. do you know how to do my job?" luke responded by wiggling his fingers and moving them over a pretend keyboard and said, "yes daddy i can do your job--see this is how you do it". oh that make our hearts melt. josh asked luke what daddy did when his fingers went like that and luke responded, "hack" :) (not quite....but that is what we refer to it as). oh poor lukie! he has brought this up several times tonight--that he can do daddy's job and wanted to go to texas with him. as josh put him to bed tonight, lukie said he wanted to go and could go since he knew how to do daddy's job. josh told him then he had to be 16 to work and if he wasn't 16 and daddy made him work, then police would take him to jail.......so then lukie got upset about jail and the police and said but i know how to do the job! the poor kid even said he would pack his own car seat!
i hope to keep them occupied this week with fun :) the beginning part of the week will be here and the latter part of the week will be up with my parents. here's to it all going well!
For purposes of documenting cuteness
luke refers to couch potatoes as "tato tv sitters"
the following occurred:
jack spilled sugar on the floor so i asked him what lesson he learned. he replied, "not to open the bowl until it is at the table. And if you start the house on fire, like on accident, then tell someone right away" hmmmmmm i guess i can make the connection....i did thank him for telling me about the sugar mistake right away :)
Friday, July 9, 2010
Visit from "Uncle Jake"
jake and josh have been best friends since high school--they met in between 10th and 11th grade when they both worked at mcdonald's. funny enough, jake and i have had lockers near by each other from 6th grade through 12th grade. we have been through a lot...he was our best man, he made great effort to visit us and stay in contact when we were in MN and now, even though he lives in FL, he makes sure to see us when he is "home"..... one of these days i am going to send josh down that way to have a guy's weekend! :)
he came down our way to hang out for an evening, stayed the night and then went out to breakfast with us.
we love uncle jake--he is a member of our family for life! here is a great picture of the boys with him! even though they don't see him very often, jack remembers him and luke warms up quickly! we love you uncle jake :)
he came down our way to hang out for an evening, stayed the night and then went out to breakfast with us.
we love uncle jake--he is a member of our family for life! here is a great picture of the boys with him! even though they don't see him very often, jack remembers him and luke warms up quickly! we love you uncle jake :)
Cast Iron Grilled Fajitas=Amazing
i had an awesome and spur of the moment visit from my cousin allison and her boyfriend jim yesterday--that is a side blog--they happened to be in the area so they stopped by. we had a wonderful time visiting. turns out, jim (who i have known since i was a small child) and i have more in common than i knew! we both LOVE food and love to cook....might even call us foodies! he gave me this awesome recipe...and of course i tweaked it a bit. Enjoy!
**disclaimer....i do not measure :) just go with the flow and it will be yummy!
NEED:
Chicken Breasts--Boneless/Skinless
Peppers
Onions
Tomatoes
Jalepeno (optional)
olive oil
grapefruit juice
lime juice (i squeezed fresh limes)
black pepper (fresh ground is best)
oregeno (i used italian blend)
garlic powder
salt (i used kosher)
chilli powder
cumin
tortillas
DO:
mix together in a big zip lock bag:
olive oil
grapefruit juice (about a half a small can full)
lime juice (i squeezed fresh limes--2 of them)
black pepper (fresh ground is best)--i used quite a bit
oregeno (i used italian blend)--about 1 T
garlic powder about 1 T
salt (i used kosher) about 1.5 tsp
chilli powder 1-2 T
cumin- 1-2 T
add chicken to bag and let marinade up to 5 hours--i had an hour so that is what i did
toss the veggies (minus tomatoes) with cumin, chilli powder, salt and pepper. let them sit on a board all ready to go
put tomatoes in a bowl so they are ready to go (1/4 to 1/8 of tomato chunks)
put some oil in a cup/small bowl so it is ready to go
preheat grill--turn one side to HOT and put cast iron skillet on this side. turn the other side to med-med high.
grill chicken breasts whole until BARELY cooked through on this side. when chicken has a few minutes to go, quickly dump the oil into the hot skillet and then throw peppers and onions in. Let "blacken" while you cut chicken on the bias. Add chicken to the pepper mixture in the skillet and let the juices all mix. when the veggies are almost to the texture/consistency you want, add the tomatoes and let sear. the skillet is hot so i put all the mix into a bowl to bring inside.
while all this is happening--i recommend having your spouse "toast" the tortillas in a hot ungreased skillet for 5-10 seconds on each side and keeping them warm in the oven.
i served with cheese and sour cream on the side.
you know it was good when jack told me it was good chicken....look at that clean plate. and luke devoured his before giving me the thumbs up :)
SO TASTY! the grapefruit juice was a super tasty addition! bon apetit!
Summer O Fun
my friend art says one must have a theme for the summer.......so our theme is summer is:
Summer O Fun
here are a few highlights (that have been mostly blogged about already) of the fun we have had in the past month:
visit to the amish cheese house
wednesday playdates with my colleagues and their kiddos (the park, the zoo, jackie's house and our house)
daily (or almost daily) play time with the neighbors
inviting luke's best friend over to play (jacquelyn is so sweet)
visit to anderson and girl's orchard/petting zoo
thursday adventures to the flea market
buying and using a new slip and slide
riding bikes on the flat river trail
lunches, snacks and dinners at the dairy bear, dairy barn and charley's ice cream
watching daddy's tuesday night softball games
visiting with aunt and uncle from mo
time up north with grandma and grandpa dan
time at the farm with grandma and grandpa tractor
hearing that aunt sarah and uncle aaron are going to have a baby
working in our "workbooks"
making an ugly cake
celebrating birthdays
visit to chuck e cheese
rides on uncle aaron's boat and going tubing for the first time!
swimming in grandma bonnie's pool (uncle aaron's mom and dad's pool)
rides on uncle aaron's boat and going tubing for the first time!
swimming in grandma bonnie's pool (uncle aaron's mom and dad's pool)
trying out lincoln heights playground
visit to the "darth vader" park
driving tractors
having a campfire and watching fire works
lots of time running through the sprinkler--even mid day with our clothes on :)
Ramping it Up
jack loves to be creative and use things in unconventional ways--wednesday we took my old rocking chair and two lids to make ramps for cars and boats. we sure had a good time!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Parental Expectations
being a mom can be very difficult. i would say it is a hard job to have/do but it is not a job to me; it is a way of life. so i guess the moment you and your spouse decide to become parents, you choose to change your way of life--your life becomes amazingly fuller, more difficult than you have ever thought it would be (only at times i might add), incredibly complicated, immensely rewarding, intensely incredible.
i love being a mom. and i think i am a good mom, in fact many days i feel i am a great mom. but just like other moms, i find myself questioning myself.....am i doing things the best i can, am i doing things right, am i a being the best mom i can be? (and in my opinion any great mom questions herself at some point--that is how she stays on her toes and great)
so today my question to myself is.....are my expectations for my two boys too high (jack=4 11/12); luke=3 1/12)? this thought came about tonight as i was putting the boys to bed. i asked them to head downstairs and put pjs on while i got milk and snack together. i came down the stairs and found jack dressed and ready to go but luke was diddle dalleying around....with not an item of his clothes changed! oh that made me cranky and i heard myself say to him, "luke you are not TWO, get your clothes changed and get ready for our stories".....and then it dawned on me, the child turned three 1.5 months ago.....so he was still 2 fairly recently........ so than that question came into my head.
i sat here for a while tonight and came up with things josh and i expect our boys to do:
help set the table and clear the table
pick up toys they got out
put on their own clothes (with help IF needed) but not shoes necessarily
ask appropriately for help or items they need (this includes asking without whining and crying--this is very important to josh and i)
to follow directions
to listen to mom or dad when they say no--and not cry about it
be polite to others--including friends and family
to enjoy themselves and have fun every day
to be a good friend and empathetic towards others
to get their own snack from the snack drawer and cup of water from the fridge
to do simple tasks as asked by mom or dad (including chop olives for supper, etc)
to wash their hands on their own
to play quietly when asked
to be as creative as they want
to be aware that daddy works in the house and quiet when he is on the phone (or play downstairs)
to check in dad's office quietly before barging in to talk to him (he might be on the phone)
to give mom time in the afternoons to recharge (they play quietly on their own or together)
to go to daycare and be the best person they can be
to be a good brother
to work out problems--meaning problem solve--try to fix it themselves first before asking an adult for help
to not hit, use bad words or yell at others
to cry when they are sad, sick, frustrated, etc but not when a tiny little thing happens (like your brother taking your toy)
to use nice words to others
to speak appropriately with correct words (no baby talk allowed)
......i am sure there is more that we expect out of the boys but this is the list i came up with tonight.....
i guess my expectations are not too high after all :) i do want to be more aware of saying things like "you are not TWO do don't act like it" or "you are not a baby"........ that just makes me feel like a bully and those are not really bad things to be so i should not be condescending about them, eh?
thanks for listening to my ramblings tonight :)
i love being a mom. and i think i am a good mom, in fact many days i feel i am a great mom. but just like other moms, i find myself questioning myself.....am i doing things the best i can, am i doing things right, am i a being the best mom i can be? (and in my opinion any great mom questions herself at some point--that is how she stays on her toes and great)
so today my question to myself is.....are my expectations for my two boys too high (jack=4 11/12); luke=3 1/12)? this thought came about tonight as i was putting the boys to bed. i asked them to head downstairs and put pjs on while i got milk and snack together. i came down the stairs and found jack dressed and ready to go but luke was diddle dalleying around....with not an item of his clothes changed! oh that made me cranky and i heard myself say to him, "luke you are not TWO, get your clothes changed and get ready for our stories".....and then it dawned on me, the child turned three 1.5 months ago.....so he was still 2 fairly recently........ so than that question came into my head.
i sat here for a while tonight and came up with things josh and i expect our boys to do:
help set the table and clear the table
pick up toys they got out
put on their own clothes (with help IF needed) but not shoes necessarily
ask appropriately for help or items they need (this includes asking without whining and crying--this is very important to josh and i)
to follow directions
to listen to mom or dad when they say no--and not cry about it
be polite to others--including friends and family
to enjoy themselves and have fun every day
to be a good friend and empathetic towards others
to get their own snack from the snack drawer and cup of water from the fridge
to do simple tasks as asked by mom or dad (including chop olives for supper, etc)
to wash their hands on their own
to play quietly when asked
to be as creative as they want
to be aware that daddy works in the house and quiet when he is on the phone (or play downstairs)
to check in dad's office quietly before barging in to talk to him (he might be on the phone)
to give mom time in the afternoons to recharge (they play quietly on their own or together)
to go to daycare and be the best person they can be
to be a good brother
to work out problems--meaning problem solve--try to fix it themselves first before asking an adult for help
to not hit, use bad words or yell at others
to cry when they are sad, sick, frustrated, etc but not when a tiny little thing happens (like your brother taking your toy)
to use nice words to others
to speak appropriately with correct words (no baby talk allowed)
......i am sure there is more that we expect out of the boys but this is the list i came up with tonight.....
i guess my expectations are not too high after all :) i do want to be more aware of saying things like "you are not TWO do don't act like it" or "you are not a baby"........ that just makes me feel like a bully and those are not really bad things to be so i should not be condescending about them, eh?
thanks for listening to my ramblings tonight :)
My Little Artist!
here he is practicing his "name"--notice the two small circles on the white board--he drew those by himself! yay! not too bad for a just turned 3 year old! in addition, he drew a LOT of "L"s.....i helped with the first few, he tried a few and then needed help to perfect the "L".(these are not pictured)
people--i drew the one on the left (yes you can admire and even comment on my incredible artistic abilities) and luke drew the two on the right by himself! way to go little man! i am so proud of his efforts with drawing and writing--this is a fun stage for us! :) (minus the random 3 year old temper tantrums...but that is for another blog :P)
Monday, July 5, 2010
Book Reviews
in the past 4 weeks, i have read a few books that i enjoyed and want to review for you all:)
awesome book overall--first 37 pages or so were tough to get through for me as it was background information that was not very interesting to me...but turned out later i had to go back and skim that part better anyways! :) once i got through the first part, the rest of the book was so darn good that i would not put it down. it was a lot of mystery, little bit of suspense, a tiny bit of romantic interest and all around good. i feel compelled to warn you however, it was pretty graphic. it was not graphic just for graphics sake, as in just gory and gross, but it was graphic in a sense that the story could not be told without it. i finished this huge book in a week :) i am definitely going to read the next two in the trilogy--off to read the girl who played with fire and the girl who kicked the hornet's next.
**BLOG UPDATE July 7, 2010 ****
book 3: sisters by danielle steele
danielle steele is my go to gal when i need a quick fluffy read--i love love love her books and find joy in the simplicity yet compllicatedness of the stories--they sound like real people with real problems....but they are slightly more glamorous in most of the stories :) sister's is no different--it was a good read that moved quickly. the four sisters bond together as they encounter a tragedy in their family. i loved the family aspect :)
book 1: the girl with the dragon tattoo
awesome book overall--first 37 pages or so were tough to get through for me as it was background information that was not very interesting to me...but turned out later i had to go back and skim that part better anyways! :) once i got through the first part, the rest of the book was so darn good that i would not put it down. it was a lot of mystery, little bit of suspense, a tiny bit of romantic interest and all around good. i feel compelled to warn you however, it was pretty graphic. it was not graphic just for graphics sake, as in just gory and gross, but it was graphic in a sense that the story could not be told without it. i finished this huge book in a week :) i am definitely going to read the next two in the trilogy--off to read the girl who played with fire and the girl who kicked the hornet's next.
book 2: The Help
fantastic book that was well worth the additional money i spent on it since it is still only out in hard cover! i originally bought this book because a colleague of mine invited me to do an online summer book club.....but the club is only supposed to be through chapter 10 by saturday and i have finished the book.....about 24 chapters ahead! :) this book explores racial relations between white women and their black help in the early 1960's. it was a laugh out loud book in parts and in other parts it was tears of sadness, sympathy or frustration. this book is definitely on my must read list for others!**BLOG UPDATE July 7, 2010 ****
book 3: sisters by danielle steele
danielle steele is my go to gal when i need a quick fluffy read--i love love love her books and find joy in the simplicity yet compllicatedness of the stories--they sound like real people with real problems....but they are slightly more glamorous in most of the stories :) sister's is no different--it was a good read that moved quickly. the four sisters bond together as they encounter a tragedy in their family. i loved the family aspect :)
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