Happy Easter ... He Is RISEN!!!

Ben got home safe and sound. We thought of going to church at 8am. Um ... let's just say that didn't work out as planned. We cruised around the house ... hunted for our Easter baskets and finally walked out the door at 11am. But ... not before our neighbor snapped a few shots of the crew. Good thing these were taken before church. Eli didn't make it in his class for more than 5 minutes. We brought him to "big church" where I gave him a mint with red food coloring which he DROOLED all over his shirt. And ... at lunch ... I dropped a pile of noodles on my dress. I told you ... if you want us looking good ... you have to catch us early!
And these ... are some fancy shoes that my sweet friend Emelye sent me. They didn't quite make the full body shot picture but something so cute needs to be shown to the world! Thanks, Em!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Easter Egg Hunting Time ...

Every Spring, the people of "Mayberry" have an Easter egg hunt. Sure ... it was raining this morning but that didn't stop us. It just gave us an opportunity to bust out our rain gear (or sea jackets as How called them) and strut our stuff in our highly underused rain boots. We are in Day 9 of Ben's Trek to Ireland and NOTHING was keeping me inside with these two all day long.

Besides ... when else is your mom going to allow you to eat so much sugar before 10am?

A little balloon smacking to make the time pass more quickly ...
Like our Easter baskets? Yep. I can't find the cute rabbit ones I bought last year ... so I found some nice pastel colored paper ones. Eli didn't care ... he was too busy licking the umbrella to notice.
Trekking through the mud to find those fancy eggs ... and hoping to get a GOLDEN COIN!!!
Eli was the best egg finder. He had a hard time staying on his feet (as can be seen by his SOAKING wet pants) ... but he threw eggs in his bag at lightening speed.
And as the rain started to do less of a sprinkle and more of a downpour ... we headed inside to meet the Easter bunny. I have one brave child and one "I'm not going near that thing" child. But I can't be too upset with the "INGNTT" child ... because he found a GOLDEN COIN and won us a $20 gift card to The Coffee Shop. YIPPIEE! More sugar ... here we come!

I'm Going To Be Dad ...

Joshua's new thing is that he's "going to be Dad." Well ... that ... along with "call me Pilot Sean," and "Mom, my name is Jack," ... and "I'll be back in a few minutes, Mom. I have to go talk to my friend, Schimmy."

Ahh ... the brain of a three year old. I'm digging it. You just never know what you're going to get. And if you're wondering what exactly it takes to "be Dad?" According to the How man ...

"Dads work hard and put together the color of wominoes (dominoes) game."

Ben will be back in the country TOMORROW! We're practicing giving super huge hugs! And the boys will be excited that they don't have to sneak into the closet and steal Ben's hats and drag them around the house anymore. Or is that me who's excited about that? The E man can create quite a closet mess when he's on a hat hunting mission!!!

Padded Walls Are Totally Under Used ...

I think they might be the wave of the future ...

At least for anyone with a three year old!

Greek Week ... and So Much More ...

My children don't like to eat.  I don't get it.  Ben likes to eat.  I like to eat.  How did I produce two MALE offspring who find eating ... well, such a chore?  

My solution.  To find a solution.  Good plan, huh?

I made my weekly trip to Costco where Eli eats anything  if it's in a plastic cup and comes with a small fork.  Last week, he ate cottage cheese with dried blueberries on top.  Seriously?  The kid passes on chicken nuggets and fries but will eat cottage cheese with shriveled up fruit?  

I'm not sure I was liking what that said about my cooking skills.  I settled it in my brain that he ate it only because of the plastic cup.  I was a fabulous chef!

On my way to the checkout line I found it.  I could hear the choirs singing ... the gal who wrote the baby food cookbook I used ... now writes a bookazine.  (It's a real word).  Annabel Karmel saved the day ... once again!  I flipped through that magazine (oops, bookazine) and got super excited.  (I, for one, do not typically get excited about cooking food but Annabel makes it looks SO YUMMY!)  

At home, Joshua snagged the book and made his first request.  Soup Au Pistou?  Chicken Tagine?  Not in this lifetime.  No.  Joshua requested the candy train.  And made even more clear demands that we go to the store IMMEDIATELY to find all the ingre-gi-ants.  I obliged.  How could I deny my firstborn a killer candy train?

So ... here he is ... laying the tracks - with a delicious lemon filling, I might add.
And this one ... taking his taste testing ever so seriously.
For the record, I suggested mini-Oreos for the coal but How insisted that they didn't look right.  So, raisins made a last minute appearance.  I admit, they did look PERFECT!
This is my child.  This is my child on too much SUGAR yelling, "CHOO, CHOO!" ... any questions?
After the train ... it was onto more serious cooking endeavors.  GREEK WEEK!  I even made my own chickpeas.  (And by made ... I mean ... no can opener here.  I bought them in bulk and gave them an overnight bath).
Greek Week required participation amongst all members of the crew.  Joshua got the job of salad spinning ... 
My first meal.  Falafel ... Greek salad ... Hummus ... Tzatziki ...    
My second meal ... Greek spinach rice with sausage and feta cheese.  (This one was a crowd favorite!!!)  There were more meals that week just so you don't think I only fed my family twice.  I just stopped snapping photos ... 
But I did capture this one.  Sneaking into the pantry.  Dumping most everything on the floor and opening a bag of veggie sticks.  Perhaps this is why he finds himself resistant to food at mealtime??
And ... in other non-cooking news ... while the mouse is away ... it's time to finish projects!  I spent the boy's nap time working on some fabric covered initials. 
And this is why the laundry doesn't get done and the floors don't get mopped.  Oh well!

For Anyone Interested in Being Really Jealous ...

Check this out ... 

Eat More Chickin ... Do Less Thinkin

So ... yesterday was a great day.   We went to Tia Rosa for lunch and devoured their green salsa and salmon enchiladas.  And then, since I guess Ben needed his fill of Americana before trekking across the seas, we hit Chick-Fil-A for dinner.  Ahh.  Chick-Fil-A on Family Night.  An experience really like non other.  Just driving in the parking lot and seeing the endless stream of minivans will comfort your soul with the knowledge that the reproduction rates in our neck of the woods are alive and well.  

I guess we weren't the only ones wanting to ditch a night of cooking ... 

We saw this crew.

And this crew.

And this crew.

It was like a random meeting of the blogging world.  All together ... in human flesh.

And this one was a bit confused.  Is it a problem that he kept "baa-ing" at the cow?

And this one.  It's his latest thing.  "I'm going to give you a BIG kiss!"  Really sweet but each time I just keep my fingers crossed that his eyeballs stay firmly secure in his noggin.

And J How giving the cow a little post-dinner LOVE.  I'm loving the ketchup on his face!  

I've been at this parenting thing for three years now and I've tried, people ... really I have.  But I'm not a diaper bag kind of girl.  I don't bring hand wipes with me.  Nor to I remember extra diapers or clothes.  What you put on in the morning is what you wear ALL day long.  I apply my makeup one time.  I don't comb my hair throughout the day.  If so, it would be bigger than ever.  I buy clothes in multiples so when I get a spot on the "A Team" shirt, the bench warmer gets ready for action.  This shirt below, I have it in 8 beautiful shades ... really, it keeps my thinking to a minimum.  To be thought-free.  That's what I'm aiming for. 

I guess what I'm saying is ... if you want to see us beautiful ... you've got to get to us early.  But .. not too early ... or we're still looking a bit weathered from the morning rush.  Oh heck.  Just come see us whenever.  Just don't mind the smudges.  Or the repeat shirts!