Job Security

As long as people do stupid things, my husband will have a job!

All time favorite story from Daniel: Lady who caught her eyelid in the zipper of her zippered jacket. Seriously? Exactly how do you accomplish that?

Think Outside the Box? Not Here!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Flannel Pancakes

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. white flour

4 t. baking powder

2 T. sugar

1/4 t. salt

2 T. butter, melted

1 T. vanilla

2 eggs, beaten

2 c. milk

Mix dry ingredients together; pour in wet ingredients and beat well. Fry! Serve with butter, maple syrup, blueberry syrup. mini chocolate chips, cherry pie filling- endless toppings!

Waiting for the Fire

Or maybe waiting for the marshmallows!

Third Person (Your Child)

We roasted some marshmallows tonight; sat around a little campfire. Daniel poked around at the fire like he always does. . . it created lots of smoke, as fires will do.

Jacob, perched in his lawn chair, waxed eloquent: "Daddy, you and Mommy have children. You are parents. Your children are getting smoke in their eyes!"

Wow. Gotta love creative complaints.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

1 T. yeast

1 cup warm water

2 T. oil

1 t. salt

1 c. fresh ground whole wheat flour

1 1/2 c. white flour

Dissolve yeast in water; add remaining ingredients and knead until soft. Turn out onto oiled counter and cover. Let rise for 40-60 minutes. Roll out into pizza crust and top with toppings. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Maternal Grandmother

Lunchtime.

Cambria: "Baby grape!"

JD: "We're having a baby, too!" thoughtful face "Whose tummy did me and Cambria come out of?"

Me: "My tummy!"

Daniel: "Whose tummy did you think?"

No hesitation. "Grandma Linda's!"

Those pesky elementary bugs!

A june bug flies through the kids' bedroom. Don't know how it got there. We take care of it.

JD to Cambria: (really don't know why he thought her reponsible for this) "I really wish you wouldn't let those junior bugs in the house, Cambria!"

Tooth. I Mean Teeth.

Last night JD and I had a huge discussion of the plural form of the word tooth following this comment:

"Well, Mommy, I'm going to go downstairs and brush my tooth."

"You mean teeth, Jacob."

"No, I mean tooth."

I explained that tooth was, well, one tooth and teeth referred to all of them. We discussed mouse versus mice and I was really pretty confident that at the tender age of four, he grasped the concept!

Downstairs we go.

"Oh Mommy, now I can't find my toothbrush. Wait, I mean my teethbrush!"

Why is the English language so confusing to little people?!

Someday I'll Catch a Fish!

But right now I'll just practice casting!

True Iowans

Golf Course Reality Check

I want to remember her second year this way. . .

exuberance

energy

early morning hugs

ever present questions

Today, when she was running out onto the green, I called her back- you can't do that, kids can't play just anywhere at a country club, it's not polite. She stopped; cheese, Mommy. . . because I had been taking her picture earlier, and then came running back to me. I love her enthusiasm for life. Love it!

This is the kind of image I want to remember when I see the negative side of all of her exuberance. . . too many questions, never any quiet, early early morning hugs. . .

God, help me keep it all in balance. I don't want my little girl running wild across the golf course, I do want her to be well behaved. But thank You for all of that unbridled joy that she brings to our lives.

Love him!

The Ocean