Dylan is 10 months old today!

Happy 10 months Dylan!  You are growing up so fast.  You are taking steps like a champ.  He is consistely taking 5-10 steps at a time, but if he really needs to get somewhere (away from a certain someone) he crawls.  It is what he does best.  He can make it all the way up the stairs by himself, which he loves to do.  He has fun playing dinos and trains with brother.  And his newest trick is to throw a ball...or any object for that matter.  He is waving anytime anyone says "hi" or "bye".  He growls like a dinosaur (not sure where he learned that from, but I may have an idea).  It is pretty cute. 

He is just growing up so fast and is quickly transforming from a baby into a little boy.  He makes us smile and brings such joy each and everyday.  We love you very much Dylan!

 

And for the reccord, he is incredibly spoiled.  I searched all over for a Sofie la Girafe teething toy, which was a little over-priced, but he has enjoys chewing it.  It actually is just a glorified dog toy.  But that is besides the point.  Ha.  Although Connor might enjoy playing with it more.  That is still up for debate.

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Watercolor Paintings

I saw this wonderful idea for an art project here.  I didn't follow her directions.  I am not very good at that sort of thing.  Not at all.  I tend to do my own thing.  And I cheated.  I used cookie cutters and traced them on the watercolor paper, then painted around them.  All the while Connor made his own master pieces on several sheets of paper heart cut-outs.  He kept telling me he was drawing all sorts of animals.  What an imagination.  Watercolors is so simple, not very messy, and very fun.  What a fun morning.

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Photo Assignment

I had fun experimenting with 'bokeh' in this photo. I love using random items, hence the wine corks.

I got the idea of the photo assignment here.  

Any other ideas for random things around the house to photograph???

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Black & White

I stepped out of my box & took the camera out of auto.  I don't even like the ones I took on the auto setting, maybe this with become the norm for me.  Maybe.  Some of the shots I love, some didn't turn out at all, but some will end up on the wall.  I walked away with a better understanding & had lots of fun.  That is what it is all about.

Connor

Dylan

 

Here is what I learned:  Connor is too fast for me.  I am still quicker than Dylan.  Dylan lets me get close to him.  Connor does not.  Connor doesn't fall for the silly faces behind the lens.  Dylan does.  Connor runs far away from the camera.  Dylan is completely interested in the camera.  I really want a new lens.  Some of the photos are dark.  Some are light.  But all are perfect representations of each boy.  Connor is active, loves to roar like a dino, and doesn't stop moving.  Dylan is always watching brother, is content playing with the bark, and has many different facial expressions.

I am not going to edit any pictures for awhile, I am just going to keep attempting to shoot them & play around with composition for a few months, then worry about photoshop.  Photoshop still scares me, so I am just going to concentrate on the camera for now.

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It is the little things...

It is the little things that really make a difference.  After cleaning all the bathrooms one night last week, Connor got up the next morning and first thing he said when he went into the guest bathroom and said, "Ohhh, Mama, you cleaned the bathroom" as he was wiping his hand along the counter and toilet seat.  Then telling me how pretty it looked.  It really wasn't even very dirty to begin with, but it was so sweet that he noticed and acknowledged it.  I love how he notices the little things (he definitely didn't get that trait from Chris).

I had brought Dylan to bed last Thursday morning and he hadn't seen Chris since Sunday.  Dylan rolled over,  saw Daddy and immediately got so excited and wouldn't stop giving him hugs & kisses.  It was so sweet.

Connor before bedtime has been asking for 'cuddle time'.  So sweet.  Then he asked for an extra book, we generally give in.

This last week we got a package from our Coug friend Kevin.  In it were 4 Cougar football Pez dispensers and what seems like a lifetime supply of Pez.  Connor was so excited (as were all of us) for some new Coug stuff.  We will be sure to have these handy during all games in the future.  Connor is still running around the housing shouting, "Go Cougs".  I can never hear that phrase enough!

Other little things that make me so happy....Connor saying, "I love you Mommy!" for no apparent reason.  The way his face lights up when there is a treat on his plate for dinner.  They way he says "Thank you Mommy" when I do something nice for him.  The big cheesy smile on Dylan's face when he wakes up and I walk into his room.  The joy Dylan gets when we chase his around the house.  The boys playing together so well lately, although not always---it is so sweet how they love each other so much.

How proud the boys are when they draw.  Just look how much fun they are having...

This picture was taken the day after Christmas, can you tell?!?  Oh how I don't miss the mess!

Dylan was up at 4am this morning, which meant I was too.  So, I decided to put some bacon in the oven, make some coffee, cut up apple slices for Dylan to 'teeth' on,  and made some fresh orange juice for Connor.  I was a hero this morning.  Too bad Connor was up by 5:15am---guess both boys just wanted to make sure to see Daddy off to work.  So, by 6:30am I had completed breakfast, did puzzles, played dinosaurs, attempted to nurse Dylan back to sleep countless times, and have already spent  3+ extra hours with two very special boys, which is more time than some parents get to spend with their kids in a day.  That I am thankful for!

It really is the little things that matter most in life.  It isn't the cars, the house, or big milestones.  It is the moments that bring the most joy.  Enjoy those moments, you will never get those back.

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Puddle Jumping

Oh to be a kid again!!!

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Recipes for the week

With Chris working lots last week and only being home for dinner 1 day.  We ate pizza, left overs, and Chinese take-out.  YUM!  Boy is it funny how my boys love Chinese food.  However, I was able to make a few things, some new recipes as well.

The Double-Chocolate Layer Cake recipe I used for Connor's dinosaur cake was delicious!  It was light and moist.  I think I have finally found my go-to chocolate cake recipe.  And I don't normally like cake.  But I do now.

My new favorite pizza dough recipe is from Pioneer Woman Cookbook.  (I love homeade pizzas!)  If you haven't noticed, this is a wonderful cookbook & her website is full of great recipes too.  The one thing I have realized about her recipes is that they do take a bit of time.  But they are completely worth it.  You just have to plan ahead a little.

I saw this recipe for Cauliflower Soup and after my sister-in-law raved about it, I decided to give it a try.  Chris was wreary from the begining.  I thought it sounded good, since there is not a vegetable that I don't like (besides lima beans, but then again, aren't those a bean?  Hmmm..not sure, but they are gross!).The soup wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either.  We ate it, but will likely not make it again.  Connor didn't like it.  Chris said it was 'okay'.  Dylan thought it was tasty.  I just thought it was lacking something.  I thought it might be good made into clam chowder or some other seafoood soup-but then I would be the only one eating it.  I think the problem I had with it was that I don't like my veggies soft.  I like them crisp/hard, even when they are cooked.  But give the recipe a try, I am sure it was just us.  We are kind of wierd!

Then again, we may have been having the high expectations of this wonderful, delicious, tasty, flavorful, perfect soup we had just days before....

French Onion Soup.  It was pretty easy to make, it just took awhile.  But it was worth every minute!  Yum!  If you get a chance, make this soup, you will not be disappointed.

Side note...I had to try all those soups last week while it was still a bit chilly out because this week it is in the 70's.  I like Texas!  Happy January!!!

And after talking to a good friend Cheryl, she said they made Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos Poppers.  I was shocked that Cheryl liked them, since they are not normally fans of "hot & spicy" things.  So, I knew we must try them!This is a version of the recipe, but in her cookbook, she added 1 green onion sliced, 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, and brush bacon with BBQ sauce before putting in the oven.    And we LOVED them.  However, I did leave quite a bit of seeds and membranes intact (we like em' hot).  They were SO good.  In fact, I still have some stuff left and will be making them again tonight :) 

I do have a little trick for filling them, instead of using a spoon...

Put mixture into a ziploc bag, then cut a small edge off and squeeze to fill.  So much easier!

And while I am at at it, mine as well share my latest disaster...

My poor Sweets! 

Sweet potato fries that is.  I guess I left them in a bit too long.  Or the oven was too hot.  Or both.  Too bad too, because they sounded so good.  Good thing I bought a box of them at Costco, I still have plenty to try again.

Last night we had chicken nuggets.  It is something I used to make all the time, but haven't in a long time.  The recipe is based on a recipe in Deceptively Delicious Cookbook.  I used 2 chicken breast and cut them into 'nugget' sizes.  Dipped them in flour, then coated them in the sweet potato puree mixture ( 2 pureed sweet potato mixed with 1 egg).  Then into the bread crumb mix, which is a couple cups of bread crumbs, a little paprika, and a few tablespoons of flax meal.  Then into the oven for about 20-25 minutes at 275 degrees.  They were just as tasty as we remembered them.  I need to do some more recipes from this cookbook again...stay tuned.  I do like the sneak in some veggies whenever possible.  Like putting kale and spinach into our smoothies---can't even taste it.  Gotta love that!

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Happy Birthday Connor!

Happy Birthday to our funny, lovable, adorable, dino-loving Big Boy Connor!  It is truly amazing how quickly these last 3 years have gone by.  We still remember bringing home our quiet, content little 6 pound baby home from the hospital on a cold day in January.  Our first night home with him was our longest night with a very unhappy baby who could not be consoled...oh boy, were we ever in for parenthood we thought.  And said out loud, "What were we thinking?  Is this going to be how the next 18 years are?"  Oh my.  Luckily, it was isolated to that one long night and he has brought us so much joy and love.  (There have been a few other long nights, but nothing like that first one). 

Connor has grown into such a sweet, loving, funny, and smart little boy.  When he wants to, anyways.  Other times he is stubborn as can be.  Wonder where he gets that from?!?  He has grown up so much in the last year.  He loves to help clean, do the dishes, set the table, and even help with the laundry.  In the last few months he has really started to talk A LOT!  He has worked really hard through all of our speech therapy and it shows.  We are SO incredibly proud of our little man!  It it so wonderful for us to finally be able to truly understand everything that he is thinking---what an imagination he has.

This was our sweet little baby Connor when he was just a month old...

This just about a year old...

Connor about 2 years old...
 

And here is Connor  as a 3 year old...

Wow!  How he has changed.  Still the same cute boy, just growing up so fast!

He had a fun birthday party!  It was all about dinosaurs.  No surprise there.  He had fun singing happy birthday to himself.  It was so funny.  And he even sang himself happy birthday while going to bed tonight.  How sweet.  He did a great job blowing out all three candles all by himself.  Way to go Connor.  And he had fun playing and opening his gifts. 

The dino cake...

The birthday boy shirt - the 3 is made of dino material, not turtles (apparently that is what it looks like)...

 

Connor  holding up '3' with both hands...

And opening the gifts, always lots of fun...

Another big dino - it roars back at you among many other things.  It was a big hit...

Connor loved getting all the birthday phone calls today and everyone singing him happy birthday...

 

And of course we had to have Starbucks this morning to start of the day because the birthday boy wanted it...

We had a very special day celebrating Connor's Birthday!  We are so grateful for a healthy & happy 3 year old.  We love you very much Connor!

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Getting a little crafty...

Well, Valentine's Day is the next holiday, so what better time to put up a few decorations while taking down the Christmas decorations.  Okay, who am I kidding, I just don't have any regular decorations for our house, so I have to use holiday decorations.  But I have made a couple new ones this year in an attempt to counteract all the dinosaurs that are slowly quickly taking over our house. 

 

The hearts are made out of left-over candy canes from Christmas.  And the red things (although you can't see them very well) are felt fortune cookies with candies inside.  They make a nice little centerpiece on the table.  I do have all the supplies to make a Valentine's wreath, now just need to find the time & energy.

And the boys canvas boards are finished and hanging in their rooms.  Sadly, this was the first (and only) thing we have hung on their walls.  The decorating will come along soon enough right, so what if it is 6 months later...

By no means are they perfect in any way, shape, or form--but they are not supposed to be.  The boys both had fun helping and getting their hands & feet all messy with paint and finding fun animals to decorate them.  They were both excited when we finally hung them on their walls.  

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Oh sweetness!

Sweet potatoes are Dylan's new favorite toy!  And it keeps him so entertained, I haven't even moved the box of them---however, I often find sweet potatoes laying around the house.  Oh what fun!

Seriously?!?  Who needs toys when you have sweet potatoes???

And just look at this sweet little boy when he wakes up in the morning...his messy bed head is a good indication that he slept good.  Connor tells him that he has 'funky' hair.  Which is true.

 

 

Dylan makes such silly faces.  He makes us laugh...hope he made you smile today too.

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