Mr. McDonald is VERY old indeed!

Elijah and I were singing Old McDonald to Addie awhile back and I asked what else he had on his farm. Apparently Mr. McDonald is VERY old because, he also had dinosaurs and monsters. He began growling louder and louder as we sang. Addie laughed, then stared, then pouted, then cried louder and louder. Elijah thought it was great that he could make her cry so easy. One look at me though and he knew it wasn't cool, so in the sweetest voice he could conjure he said "sawwwreeeeyy Addieee, its kay." She calms down, then "RAAAAWWRRRRR," the loudest roar yet, followed by the loudest wail yet. Elijah smiled in accomplishment at his newly found ability to make Addie react.

Note; it is rare for Elijah to be cruel to Addie, usually he just would be to Chloe. Generally he is very caring to her.

Elijah loves filling things with water, anything, like the other day when he filled Bobby's shoe with water and brought it to us, dripping the whole way.

Chloe left her naked Barbies in the bathroom and Elijah brought me one pointing out its "diaper" saying it needed changed and "ewwwweeee."

Mom's Nap Time Waltz

For the kids nap time today, I decided I was going to take time to relax and enjoy a book. Once they were in bed I went to get a drink of water, decided I should rinse the dishes from this morning and load them into the dishwasher. Problem with that-dishwasher was full, okay Ill just take a few minutes to unload it. Un load, load…hmmm, maybe I should sweep the kitchen is pretty bad-okay Im just going to sweep and get a bowl of yogurt then go read. Finish sweeping, go to bathroom, decide to tidy up the bathroom. Head back to kitchen for my lunch and pass the massive pile of laundry that needs sorted. Sort laundry, take to rooms, and realize I have been procrastinating on putting away Addie’s clothes lately. Okay I’m just going to do this, THEN go make my lunch. Put away Addie’s clothes, then start going through taking out the too small ones. Go get my lunch and start to sit down (note my rear did not touch the couch yet)and Addie starts to cry-go get her so she doesn’t wake Elijah up, and eat my lunch with my left hand while I feed her as well, while attempting to hold my book and read it. Oh, and about an hour later I remembered to go get my drink of water!

Bread To Love On

This bread is buttery, smooth, crispy but not crunchy, slightly chewing and great for impressing uh- I mean entertaining. Eat it by itself, with dipping oil, on a sandwich, or even as pizza. It is rather inexpensive to make and you should have the ingredients in your cupboard already! It may sound like a lot of work, however, your actual working time it around 15 minutes, and it will taste like you slaved over it! I hope you enjoy it as much as I am trying not to right now, Bobby asked me to save some for him.

Focaccia Bread

1 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3-3 1/4 cups All purpose flour

2 teaspoons active yeast

Tuscan Herb Olive Oil (Below)***(see substitution)

I use a bread machine on the "dough" setting for the hard work. Otherwise use the knead, rise, knead, rise instruction found somewhere on the web. When the dough cycle is finished, remove from pan onto lightly floured surface. Knead 3 times, squish, squish, squish. Place a clean towel over it and let it sit for 15 minutes. After that, turn the over to 200 and let heat up for a minute or two, while it is heating stretch push and pull the dough into approx a 10x15 inch rectangle and place on greased baking sheet. Turn oven off and cover loaf with towel, then place in warm oven for 30-45 min. Remove loaf and preheat oven to 375. Poke holes all over top with your finger and brush herbed olive oil over top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm with dipping oil, or great for Caprice sandwiches, even homemade pizza!

Tuscan Herb Olive Oil

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 Tuscan Herb Dipping Spice (at HEB Central Market)

Combine and let sit for 20 minutes. Wans't that just so hard? If using an unsalted dipping spice add a little to taste. Store in a glass jar at room temperature for, well, a few months ;)

***I recommend getting the dipping spice, however, you can substitute with fresh herbs, or Italian seasoning, garlic pepper and a little salt. The spice only costs about $1.50 per 1/3cup, the trouble is finding it! It is by the bakery in little baggies at HEB.

For a fantastic sandwich spread (not that the oil isn't fabulous on sandwiches) replace olive oil with real mayonnaise and refrigerate 1 hour before use.

Caprice Sandwiches

Focaccia Bread (one loaf makes about 8)

sliced fresh mozzarella (2 oz per)

fresh basil leaves (8big leaves per)

tomato slices (1 Roma per or 1/2 medium)

Tuscan Herb Olive Oil (or the mayonnaise)

slice a square of bread in half, drizzle oil or spread mayo on halves, then layer basil leaves, cheese, tomatoes, and more basil.

Last Minute Entertaining

This super easy recipe I have made a few times when we have had unexpected company and they usually had no idea I was doing anything other than going to get a drink of water, each step only takes a minute and can be spread out. Most of the ingredient you can keep on hand for when you need it, or just have a craving. For a little more "scratch"ness, I added the recipes for homemade whip cream and graham cracker crust.

2 cups milk

1 large box instant chocolate pudding (6serving size)

1 tub whipped topping thawed (or 2 cups homemade whip cream)

1 cup chocolate chips

1 graham cracker crust

put chocolate chips into graham cracker crust and heat in oven at 250 for about 10 minutes, remove from oven and spread melted chips on bottom of crust, freeze for 30 minutes. While its freezing mix milk and pudding mix together, let sit for 5 min then add in half whipped cream, stir well then pour into pie crust, spread the remaining whipped cream on top and fluff with spatula.

Graham cracker crust

1 cup crushed graham crackers

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 c melted butter

Press all ingredients into bottom of un-greased pie pan.

Whip cream

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar

Place in blender and blend til thick

Or use a hand mixer in a tall bowl and beat til thick

For a thicker whip cream (for decorating) add 1/2 pack of plain Gelatine, following directions on package

Wow, what full hands you have!

Bobby is a magnificent father! He is so natural with the kids, it appears so easy for him so much of the time that I am actually jealous. However, on occasion he has the awkward moments that make me feel slightly less laughable.

While finishing up at the doctors the other day, I asked him to take Elijah and Addie’s car seat out to the car and get the stroller, so we could walk around the shopping center. He took Elijah by the hand and picked up the car seat-note that he didn’t have Addie, her baby-bag, or a purse to carry! As I sat back (feeding Addie) and with pure delight watched as he tried to figure out what hand was supposed to open the door. Knowing he still had 2 more doors and a car door to open this way, I tried to hold back most of my laughter. He turned and looked at me saying “I’m just not used to it.” I told him there is no getting used to it, unless you figure out how to grow an extra arm.

Later that day we were at HEB and Addie had gotten fussy so I took her out of the seat, carrying around the extra 17 pounds of Her Chunkiness, my back got sore by the end. I handed Addie to Bobby, who had been pushing the cart, saying “hold her for a minute” then I started walking, went into the next aisle, waited and he never came. I walked back and he was still standing where I had left him with Addie and the cart. I asked “are you coming?” He replied that he couldn’t push the cart while holding a baby too. My bad, I didn’t think about taking the cart when I handed Addie off, however, 50% of the time when I am shopping without Bobby, I am holding Addie and pushing the cart at the same time.

Along with seeing that, I heard a woman tell Bobby for the first time “looks like you have your hands full”, I loathe that comment as it is all I hear when shopping with the kids, and he knows it. Even when they are being perfect angels I still get told that, really like you telling me that is going to make it any easier. I have begun replying with “that’s what I hear”. For those (now hundreds) of people who have told me that, yes, sometimes I have my hands not just full but overflowing, but that is how God chose to bless me, and I am overwhelmingly grateful for my blessings, even on the “bad” days. I have one absolutely handsome marvelous husband, three beautiful, adorable, silly, rascally kids, and one I will get to meet in Heaven. A roof over my head and a mess under my feet. If the only cost to me is my hands being full, I will take it!

Retail Therapy, the drug of choice!

Shopping is an amazing thing. We go on shopping trips for fun with our friends, we go for “retail therapy” when we have had a bad day, we go just to get out, we go “for exercise.” For some it can be completely frustrating and over whelming, for others a way to relax and unwind, and for a few a drug. A drug that makes them giddy and excited, and they gotta get more! I used to fall into the third category, then after realizing that same as cash really meant same as double the cash, I quit cold turkey. Then after producing my litter of munchkins, I fell into the first. Seriously, have you ever taken 3 kids shopping?! Even when out of tp, it’s just not worth the trip! I would go in a store for 2 items and leave an hour later with 2 of the kids crying and the other one whining.

Our shopping excursions since Addie’s birth have been spread out as far as possible. When I do make it into Target-for example, I get what I need and get out(4 bathroom trips later), no funny business! Last week I had the pleasure of going with Bobby to Target, he took Elijah and I went off with Addie.Then, I realized they had new merchandise! I had not seen anything new in months, I wondered through each aisle in amazement and awe! So many pretty things, “Look at the bedding, we could use new bedding” “oh wow, these dishes, they are so pretty” ”that frame! I need new frames for the kids photos” “Oh! Baby clothes! Ruffle butts!!!” the list goes on…My experience was probably similar to that of a foreigner going shopping in America, “wow look at all this stuff-ShamWOW, with a name like that I must need one! A salad fork, and a dinner fork, I never knew you need 2 kinds of forks!” It was like retail love at first sight all over again! “Sigh”. It wasn't until I got home, that I realized I had been to Target numerous times, with all of that fabulous merchandise looking at me, and I never saw it-and I am a pretty observant person!

Then again at Hobby Lobby, the colors, the fabrics, flowers and ribbon. I can’t afford to go shopping with Bobby, because then I see what is right in front of me, begging for my attention-as it is supposed to, seeing as experts are highly paid to find a way to display each item for the highest monetary gain-and I want it, I drool over it. I can touch it and picture where it would look best, and in my fantasy of the new table cloth the kids are being perfect angels, so I must get it now! Now! NOW! Because the sale won’t last right!? This, my friends is retail therapy…we see, we want, we imagine a perfect world, and then we buy.

I think from now on I will go shopping only with all 3 kids, or at least the 2 youngest, so I only see what I need, and save 100’s of dollars every month, it just might be worth the cost, being my sanity of course!