Gotta Get This Kid Music Lessons

I was going to call this Piper's musical debut, but then I realized I have other videos up on the blog of Piper and I singing together. So - change of plans. Without further ado, here is the world-wide premiere of Piper's new hit single, "Everybody Jump and Jump!"

 

 All kidding aside, she was sitting there strumming her guitar (and Willow's auto-harp earlier) and singing to herself for a good twenty minutes before Willow took out her camera and filmed Piper singing.

MDSW 2013 Recap

Guess where I was today?  Somewhere south of here... fairgrounds... horrible traffic once you get within a mile of your destination?  You guessed it!  The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival!



 Wearing a fabulous hat, nonetheless!

 

Would you believe I bought this hat at Home Depot?  Just squint your eyes a bit and imagine a mint julep in my hand - I could be at the Kentucky Derby!

 This had to be one of the best MDSW that I have been to in a long time.  The weather was beautiful - mild, and maybe only in the high 60s for most of the morning.  I wore my sports jacket all day - but there was a huge variance in what I saw other people wearing (everything from tank tops to fleece coats).

 I saw lots of animals, including mohair goats:

 

 Alpaca:

 

 Standoffish sheep:

 

 And the teeniest baby bunnies:

 

 The colors were amazing, too.

 





 Even the lack of color was beautiful:

 

 I came home with just four skeins of yarn:

 

 Two minty bars of soap:

 

 And two cherry tomato plants - one is a Black Cherry (a sweet purple cherry tomato) and the other a Sunpeach cherry (a pink-orange non-acidic cherry tomato):

 

 So, even despite the fact that I couldn't have any ice cream or kettle corn because of my temporary caps on my molars, I have to rank this up there as one of the best MDSWs I have ever been to... and I can't wait until next year!

Purple Belt Conquered!

Guess who is the owner of a shiny, new purple belt in Tae Kwon Do?

 

 Willow! I wasn't in the best position in the audience to take pictures, but I did manage to catch some video as Willow was working through her form (to prove she knew all the moves for the green belt and was ready to move on). It's interesting - in the lower levels, the instructors counts out the moves, and so the students are paced out - but as you move higher, you have to do it all in your head, and it becomes something like a dance.

 

 Congratulations, Willow! We're so proud of you! Now we have to buy sparring equipment, because with the purple belt level, she gets to learn how to do hand-to-hand combat.

Life Is But A Dream

Easter Egg Dyeing (With Bonus Stress!)

Dyeing Easter eggs should not be this stressful! But, add in a "ME DO IT" toddler, and little cups a dye - well, you have a disaster in the making. This picture is misleading - it looks like they were playing nicely and that Piper wasn't grabbing for everything in sight:

   

Piper dyeing her eggs. At this point, I kind of gave up on guiding her or I would have ended up with PAS dye all over my white shirt. And what on earth was I thinking wearing a white shirt while helping the kids with their eggs!?!?

 

 Willow and her eggs:

 

 Here are all of our eggs - we will be eating these for a while:

 

 Some of the ones I did ending up with fingerprints - I'm calling it a design feature:

   

This was nerve-wracking. I also didn't think to lay paper or a tablecloth down on the table, so now the table looks like it has been dyed as well. It's a good thing we aren't fancy in this house!

 I am not sure how I could have better contained this - I can't really leave her out of the festivities - but holy hell, she wants to do it her way all the time. Andrew just smirks and says, "Gee, Jo - where do you think she got that from?" Gah!

Willow had some bonus eggs she wanted to show off. She made these at her friend Amanda's house:

 

 Showgirl eggs might have been a safer bet with the toddler... a hot glue gun can't be worse than flinging dye everywhere, can it?

Oh, The Drama

The terrible twos have arrived. En force.

 Willow and I went shopping for a new outfit for her spring pictures last night. This kid has grown so much that all her dresses (except for the snazzy yellow one she wore to the dance) was either too tight or too short. We found a pretty dress at Kohl's last night - isn't Willow lovely in it?

 

 Willow coming downstairs in her dress drew a very unexpected reaction from Piper:

 

 Oh my Lord. She went ballistic! She was spitting with anger that Willow was wearing a 'fancy dress' (Piper's words) and she was not. It was a tantrum of epic proportions, so I had to take pictures. We have really been trying to get Piper to express herself with words rather than flipping out. I held her for a bit, and explained that she had to tell me why she was so upset, because I don't understand tantrums.

 A few more fat tears and some shuddering breaths, she came out with "Piper wear fancy dress..."

 

 Luckily, I had a fancy dress for her, too.

 

 This child is so mercurial - I foresee a bumpy ride for many years. Entertaining, but bumpy.

 Two pretty girls on the sofa - and neither one freaking out!

 

Another Pair of Socks

Not meant for me.

(sigh)



Damn me and my cankles.

Quick Book Report: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a fantastic book! Celaena Sardothien is an assassin imprisoned and enslaved in salt mines who is offered a chance of redemption if she can win a contest against some of the worst murderers, thieves, and soldiers to become the King's Assassin. A king, who massacred Celaena's own family and is responsible for her becoming an assassin to begin with. I wouldn't have expect Celaena to be such a likable character, but she was - despite everything that happened to her, she has a sense of humor and play that endears people to her, even when they don't want to. Maas' worldbuilding was wonderful - and I loved the backstory of the disappearance of magic and Celaena's own mysterious beginnings. I can't wait to read the next book in this series when it comes out.

View all my reviews

More Clothing Nostalgia

I am not sure how many more times I can pull this clothing nostalgia act. When Willow was Piper's age, I had my 35mm camera, not a digital camera, so I was a bit more stingy with my picture-taking. Add to that the fact that Willow and Piper are opposite season babies, so getting the same clothing that fits them at the same age is becoming much more few and far-between... but I managed one more today!

 Here is a pic of Willow in the Easter dress that my Mom made her when she was about 20 months old:

 

 And here is Piper at 25 months in the same dress. On Piper it was more of a tunic shirt- she wore it over jeggings to school today (and quickly shucked them off when she got home):

 

 I don't know, Mom - that Canada dress might be the last outfit standing - and that is only if it still fits Piper when the weather finally gets warmer!

Pumpkin Bisquick Waffles

Since we normally swear off pancakes for Lent, I am have trying to come up with other breakfast ideas for the interim. This morning, I decided to make pumpkin waffles. I know, I know - semantics - pancakes and waffles are not all that different, but it is just a tradition for us to not eat pancakes for Lent. I went to my now go-to stop for recipes, Pinterest, and first searched for quick waffles, but nothing piqued my interest. Next, I searched for bisquick waffles, and BINGO... I found this recipe. I inadvertantly changed it up by forgetting to write down an ingredient, so here is my version:



Pumpkin Bisquick Waffles

2 1/3c Bisquick mix
1/2c canned pumpkin
1 1/2c skim milk
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp pumpking pie spice
2 eggs

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Make a pool in the middle of the dry indredients, and pour the wet ingredients in. Stir just to combine - don't over mix the batter. Bake in your waffle maker according to its directions. I poured about 3/4c of batter for each waffle, and we had 6 large waffles. If you are using Weight Watchers, each waffle is 6 Points Plus.

If your waffle maker makes smaller waffles, you may have more waffles when all the batter is used up. Did you notice what I forgot to include? No, not the nuts. Don't get me wrong - I love nuts, but they have no place in my waffles. I forgot the oil. The original recipe calls for 1/4c. of vegetable oil, and somehow I missed that when I was writing it down. I did spray my waffle maker with Pam, so my waffles didn't stick to the waffle maker.

And let me tell you, this recipe was toddler approved:



Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash and Chicken With Peanut Sauce

Looks yummy, doesn't it?

 I love peanut sauce - I don't know how I didn't even know about it until a few years ago. One of my favorite meals is dish of whole wheat fettucine, shredded chicken, scallions, carrots, and peanut sauce... but the pasta adds in 5 Weight Watchers Points Plus all on its lonesome, and I didn't want to spend that amount of points in addition to everything else (I have BIG comfort food plans for dinner) - so I decided to experiment with spaghetti squash.

 Spaghetti Squash And Chicken With Peanut Sauce

1 serving

 2 cups cooked spaghetti squash
3oz shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2c steamed shredded carrots
2 scallions, sliced into thin rings (on the diagonal, including both white and green parts)
2 TBSP 365 Organic Peanut Sauce

 Steps:

 1. Cook the spaghetti squash any way you prefer. I had a medium-large one, and I sawed it in half, scooped out the seeds, and stabbed it a few times through the shell to create air vents. Place it cut side down on a large plate, and pour a few tablespoons of water on plate, and microwave for 10 minutes. Once finished, turn the squash over and microwave for 6 more minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then scrape out the flesh. You will have enough for a few meals.

 2. Steam your shredded carrots. When I cook this dish with pasta, I just throw the carrots in with the pasta for the last few minutes - so I had to find a different way to cook the carrots. You just want them softened a bit, not cooked all the way through. You will notice that mine look like ribbons - that is because I didn't actually have shredded carrots! I used my peeler to create long ribbons of a medium carrot and used that instead.

 3. Mix all ingredients together, and eat!

 If you look at these ingredients separately, they are only 4 Weight Watchers Points Plus (0 for squash, carrots, and scallions, 3 for the chicken, and 1 for the sauce) - but when I plugged it into the Recipe Builder, it came to 6 Points Plus, so I will count it as that. I think that this particular peanut sauce really makes the dish - every other sauce I have tried has had more calories and fat - and this sauce has a great kick to it.  This made quite a big meal - for reference, that green bowl is deep and 8" across.

I just wish now that I had made a double serving so I would have some for my lunch tomorrow!

Boo-yah - I'm 40

 Edited to clarify - my birthday was back in November. I was just having a particularly good night last night and thought I looked damned good for 40.

Doll Sleeping Bags

I love having crafty people in my life. On one of my recent Pinterest perusals, I found these cute doll and stuffed animal sleeping bags made from quilted fabric, and the pin led me to the Hazelnuts blog. I printed off the picture, showed it to my mother-in-law, and said I thought Piper might like one. A few days later, my mother-in-law gave me these three for Piper:



She had repurposed an old bedspread, and Piper loves them! Piper didn't understand that the largest one wasn't for her (as you can see she has it on her while her baby doll is next to her in one as well). She insisted they come to bed with her, so now she sleeps with her three favorite companions, all in their own sleeping bags. Thank you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I am not sure why schools can't call it Valentine's Day - but I suppose the sentiment is just the same!

Nostalgic Outfits

Hey Mom - remember these cute overalls you made for Willow:



Well, they fit Piper, and probably for the last time - they are celebrating Valentine's Day this week and she insisted on wearing these because there are hearts on the ribbon detail:



(Yeah, ignore the mango she smeared on the front when I wasn't looking.)

  I know, I am not in this picture. Trust me - I don't feel nearly as cute this morning as I did in that first photo.

Wordless Weekend

Or-Kid Day At Longwood Gardens

Piper, Willow, and I all had the day off today for MLK Day, but unfortunately Andrew did not, so we three girls had to get out of the house and let Andrew have some quiet time for a few hours. What did we do? We went to Or-Kid Day at Longwood Gardens!



For those of you who have never been to Longwood Gardens before, it is a huge garden complex owned by the DuPont family, and they have different exhibits through the year. The current exhibit on orchids opened a few days ago, and it is gorgeous! Here are some of the photos I took:

   

 If you would like to see more photos, click on the slideshow link:

 

 I enjoyed this show so much more than I did the Philadelphia Flower Show last year. I think because it was MLK Day, Longwood anticipated having more kids coming (and there were plenty of kids there), so they had activities for the kids as well. There were serious photographers there with their fancy cameras and tripods, but no one was jockeying for position to see the flowers, and there was plenty of room to maneuver strollers around. I can't wait to go back when the weather gets a bit warmer and we can explore more of the outside grounds as well.

Book Review: Hex and The Single Witch

Hex and the Single Witch by Roxanne Rhoads
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wish there was a way for me to give this book 3.5 stars, as right now I am wavering between a 4 for story and 3 for writing. As much as I enjoyed the story - and it was a fun story with witches, vampires, fae, and the start of an interesting back story of a 'Others' war that happened when the heroine was a child - I had serious issues with grammatical errors and loose writing. After a few times of coming across such things as 'shear' for 'sheer', 'taught' for 'taut', 'full proof' for 'fool proof,' I started to get twitchy. I'm going to continue reading this series (Mike, oh my!), and I really hope that Ms. Rhoads improves her writing style.

View all my reviews

We Will Rock This

 Presenting Willow and her cheerleading squad! They didn't get much time to go out there and strut their stuff, but they were the only cheerleaders at the basketball game and they rocked it.

My 2013 Wish List

I hate resolutions.  I've only had one year - the year I got pregnant with Willow - where I made five resolutions and kept them all.  Maybe that was it for me - I perfected it, and fate was never going to let me get that far again.  Instead, I'm creating a wish list for 2013 of all the things I hope to do or have happen in my life.

1. To become more active.  I'm feeling 40 right now, and I really shouldn't.  As part of this, I really need to work on my endurance levels.

2. To travel more, even if just locally.  We love taking day trips with the girls, but we always seem to do the same sort of things.  Let's try new places!

3.  To get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes.  That's a hard one, and ties in directly with #1.  Even though I was back down to my pre-pregnancy weight a few months after Piper was born, my body was a different shape once again, and those clothes (and some of them I really love!) are not comfortable to wear.

4. To finish craft projects!  Let me tell you, I am fantastic at starting stuff!  Finishing... um, not so much.

5. To read the books I have!  Don't get me wrong - books will still be purchased, but I think I need to reason with myself - only buy one book for every ten I read that I already own.  I also received many books as part of giveways, and to my surprise, from authors who want me to read and review their books.

6.  Ditto with the yarn.  Well, maybe that one won't be on the ten to one ratio, but I could knit from my stash and not buy anything new all year.  I didn't say that was going to happen... The problem is that I always come up with new patterns that I don't have enough of a single kind of yarn for.

7.  To not yell at my kids so much.  I'm bad about this - I have a short fuse about so many things.

8.  To clean out large chunks of the basement - it's ridiculous how much stuff we have down there.

9.  To follow through with my garden and not let the weeds get the better of me.

10. To paint the rooms in our house - we still haven't done this and we have been in this house for nearly 6 years!