Airplane Survival

Hello, Blog.  It's been a while.  I'm still trying to decide if I care.  This is what a week's long vacation does to a girl.  We've been back from our Arizona trip for three days now and I'm having a wee bit difficult time getting back into reality. 

We visited Nick's parents at their new home in Phoenix.  It was a nice visit and a great getaway.  One of the best things of our trip was Popper & Cinder's poooooooooooooooool!!!!  I'm so proud of Evander who learned to swim by the end of our stay.  :-)

But, I think this is a good time to reflect on airplane travel with small children. 

The flight to Phoenix was four hours.  Before our trip, this seemed like an icredible amount of time that I was going to attempt to keep three small children happy in a confined space.  I know a lot of you take longer car trips with your kids and manage well.  At some time during the trip...I'm sure we've all felt like this:

I actually don't need to take a plane trip to feel like that, though.  :-P

The kids did pretty well.  Marin did her predictable for an almost-two-year-old "I'm going to run around and walk away from you up and down the aisle as much as I can" bit.  The boys were very excited to be on the plane. 

In addition to a bag full of favorite snacks, here are some of the more interesting things I packed for the kids:



Blank books...

...that turn into these!

Evander loves making stories.  He illustrates all of the pages, and then tells me what to write on them.  He beams with pride when he finishes one and he hands it to Daddy to read. 



Button practice

This was just something fun I made and shoved in Emory's bag.  Lots of button holes to practice pushing the button in and out.  This got a little bit of play on the airplane...but the boys seems to want to fuss with it more now that we're home.



Tongue depressor puppets

These were to serve a two-fold purpose.  Puppet play (which Emory loved!!!), but also for Emory to practice saying the "k" and "g" sound (he says these as "t" and "d").  I read online that by depressing the tongue, it forces you to use the back of your throat which is where these sounds come from.  Somehow, in my little twisted mind, I thought that by putting faces on tongue depressors, that Emory would allow me to stick them in his mouth more easily.  Insert your laughter here.  I get about two good mouth sticks at a time...but when it happens...the "k" sound happens, too.  :-)

I also found small handheld electronic games for $1 at Wal Mart.  One was a racing game, the other a pinball.  Those were a huge hit!  The boys were not supposed to open their carry on bags until we got on the plane...but they both snuck these out in the car on the way to the airport.  I felt like psycho-mom---"Those are for the plane!!!!!!"  

But, the biggest thrill, of course, was the DVD player.  Our plane heading home had electrical outlets underneath the seats, so we could watch it for as long as we wanted! 

So, I would venture to say that as long as you have plenty of snacks and plenty of power on your DVD player (or iPad or whatever you watch a movie on these days)...you'll be good to go!

Thanking God for a safe trip and for all of the resting we were able to do (that sounds funny, doesn't it?  Like you have to do something to relax) and for all of the fun we had!!!  Thank you, Popper and Cinder for having us!!!


 

Poppy Pillow

This pretty thing is going with us when we travel to see Popper & Cinder in Arizona!  Well...just the pillow case.  Gotta save room for all of my clothes.  Anyhoo...I made this for my mother-in-law to put in "my" bedroom in Arizona.  Just scrap fabric and scrap red felt pieces for the flowers with a button sewn in the middle.  :-)

Bye Bye Baseball

Tonight was Evander's last "regular season" baseball game (one tournament game to go).  Emory will have  his last game tomorrow night.  We said farewell to ball tonight with a pizza party for Coach Nick's team!

I will miss the all of the "Hi Mommy's" from first base and the silly faces from third...

I'm sure Evander won't miss not being able to walk in this stuff...

Emory had a blast playing for his T-ball team.  It has been so good for him to play...he's watched his big brother get to have all of the fun in soccer for two years now.

Emory hit the ball hard...

And ran the bases with joy.

We celebrated tonight with pizza...

Although, some only ate Doritos (at least it wasn't just *my* child)...

And we had lots of fun playing together off the field as a team.  :-)

And look who's right up there with all of the boys...seriously...I will not miss peeling her down from every piece of playground equipment and bleachers these ballparks have had.

I made cake pops for the team.

This was the second time I've made cake pops, and although they were better than the reindeer ones I made at Christmas...I'm still not impressed with my cake pop skills.  Lack of skills.  I didn't have any red food coloring for the stitching (must have used it all for hummingbird nectar...although, I do not have a hummingbird feeder.  Hmmmmm....) so I used neon purple for the team color.  Evander wondered why they were pink and told me that these weren't right.  Lilac is purple, too.

Anyhoo...these cake balls.  I froze the batter and then froze the balls after shaping them, so that part was good...but I did not have enough white candy melts to properly coat each ball.  Soooooooo...the pops cracked and pooped on me.



Cake ball crack and poop.


Here's a pic of the best one.  Just remember this one.  :-)

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

We love you and hope you enjoy your pigs in a blanket...


Daddy's favorite cabbage rolls


Your "favorite" cake...

And these!



Evander remembered that we haven't had a bike lock on our bicycle adventures.



New sandals!  Baby girl shoe fetish



Original G.I. Joe!  Poor boy fell asleep in the car



Ahhhhhh...you deserve some relaxation time.



Celery Out Your Ears

Does anyone else buy celery and then consistently fail to use the whole bunch?  I'm tired of that.  Especially after I paid $3.59 for organic at Giant Eagle.  Celery ranks second on the Environmental Working Group's list of Dirty Dozen produce: Dirty Dozen / Clean 15.  And here's just a list of all 64 pesticide residues found on celery:  What's on my celery?

And now that I've typed "celery" six times in this post and see it there above...the word looks awfully strange.

Anyways...this isn't a crusade to buy organic, but an effort to use up all of my celery! 

Okay, so you can slice it and spread cream cheese or peanut butter on it.  Whoop-dee-doo.  You can chop it with onions for stuffing...but who really does that outside of the months of November and December?  You can stick it in with carrots, potatoes and a roast.  Bor-ing!  (Imagine a five year old boy saying that).  Here are three of my favorite gotta-use-the-celery recipes starting with my ultimate and the one I made yesterday! 

PEANUT SURPRISE (Not sure what the surprise is.  Maybe it's just surprising how yummy this actually is!)

1 10-oz package frozen peas (do they really sell it in 10-oz?)

1/4 c sour cream

1/2 c mayonaise (yikes...don't use a 1/2 c.  1/4 works just fine)

Clove of garlic

1 c red-skinned peanuts

1 c celery, finely diced

Combine all ingredients; mix well and chill, baby, chill. 

Like I said above, there is absolutely no need for all of that mayo.  This is a Grandma recipe, so I am sure there was no mayonaise concern back in the day.  Use light mayo and plain yogurt for the sour cream if you want to lighten it up some.  Oh---and do not cook the peas. 



All sorts of crunchy yumminess


WARM CELERY SALAD

2 T cooking oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t dried thyme
2 c garbanzo beans (1 can works)
2 T vinegar
3 large celery stalks, chopped

Cook onion, garlic and thyme in oil in a large skillet over medium heat until onion is soft, about six minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low.

Stir in vinegar and garbanzo beans until coated, cover and heat until garbanzo beans are warmed. 

Stir in celery.  Cover and cook for two minutes or until celery is warmed.  Serve warm.


HERB CHICKEN

1 6-oz package long grain wild rice
3-4 large chicken breasts
4 T oleo
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 c white wine (I just use water or chicken broth)
1/2 c (or more!) sliced celery

Prepare rice according to package.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Brown chicken in oleo.  Spoon rice in 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.  Add soup to drippings and add remaining ingredients.  Heat to boiling.  Pour over chicken and cover.  Cook at 350° for 25 minutes.  Uncover, bake another 25 minutes.

Ribbon Table Runner

I have been wanting to do something crafy with these ribbons for sooooooo long.  I found a whole bunch of "Barnesville Cheerleader Clinic" ribbons in my sister's old dresser at my parents house from when she and I got our cheer on (think seven and four years old).  Also included were a few field day ribbons (yikes), Fourth of July games on the square participant ribbons, and a Christmas parade participant ribbons.  Wheels turning...wheels turning...my vision was a table runner for summer time, but I needed a few more ribbons.

A-ha!  Nick.  I dug through a couple boxes of his old sports awards and found some ribbons from his track and field days.  When I told him what I wanted to do with them, he said, "I don't want food getting all over my track ribbons!"  Ha.  Well...I think this is a better thing to do with them than to have them hidden in a box rarely to be seen again.  :-)

Anyhoo...take a bunch of these...

And a bunch of scrap strips...

Remove the tag and eyelet of each ribbon...go ahead...let it rip!

Then, I trim the ribbons and strips to seven inches, or whatever length works...



I've never claimed to be a runner.


Sew three ribbons together with two white strips in between them.  (I sewed as close to the ribbon edge as I could to preserve the writing on the ribbon as much as possible. Examine each piece to see if you've caught both fabrics, if you missed...fix it real quickly.  Don't be too concerned because you will topstitch the quilt later which will secure the ribbons further). Trim your blocks and lay them all out to look nifty...



Can I help?


Add another seven inch strip between two of your blocks (I went vertically here)...

Measure the length and add a strip on the right side (I know, white on white is kind of hard to see on my white table).  Add a strip to both sides of the ribbon blocks that are the farthest to your left when looking down upon them.



This one *has* to be for me!

Make your quilt sandwich and sew together.  I used a zig-zag stitch on top because I liked the look and it made the ribbons extra secure with the white strips.  Add your binding and you are done! 


Here's the back.

And on the table with some summer-looking things.  Ha.

I think it'd also look cute on the wall if that was your style.  :-)

Cookie Dough Truffles

I haven't shared a recipe in a while.  I haven't shared any crafty things either.  That makes me sad.  But, I just have not been crafting lately as I haven't felt any energy at nighttime these days. 

Here is an awesome eggless recipe for cookie dough.  Traditionally, I have made these truffles with the chocolate coating during the Christmas season.  But the past few times, I haven't coated them at all...no need!  They are just as yummy without it.  I made them for a fondue night once---they are perfect for dipping in chocolate fondue!  Also great with ice cream, of course.



All sorts of sweet goodness.


COOKIE DOUGH TRUFFLES

1/2 c butter, softened
3/4 c packed brown sugar
2 c all-purpose flour
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 c miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1 1/2 lbs. semi-sweet candy coating, chopped

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add flour, milk and vanilla; mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.  Shape into 1-in. balls; place on wax paper-lined baking sheets.  Loosley cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.

Melt candy coating in microwave, stirring until smooth.  Dip balls in coating; place on wax paper-lined baking sheets.  Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.  Store in airtight container.

Bucket List

A lot of my friends have been talking about their bucket lists lately...I guess because we aren't getting any younger???

It's just a little fun list of things you'd like to do in your life.  Now, I have some goals that might be kind of common or obvious that I won't include on my "list" list...have a good relationship with my husband, show love to others, I want my kids to know Christ, etc.

There is a web site that helps you keep track of your goals.  I signed up for 43 Things before I even knew what a bucket list was:  43 Things  I guess there was a movie called "Bucket List" and maybe a country song that mentioned the words...but hey, I've been a little out of touch with the entertainment industry since I had my first child.  There's probably several other better "life goal" web sites out there, but I didn't bother looking for them. 

Some things on my list that I've hammered so far in no particular order of coolness or date completed:

• Go zip lining

I was a little nervous to do this, but it was something I wanted to try.  It's not really natural for me to do things that involve the air or water...except breathe and drink.  It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, and you have plenty of time to "warm up" before you hit the fastest zip and the longest zip (1100'!!!).  It was a beautiful thing to be in and above the trees and awesome to feel like a bird flying.  Tree Frog Canopy Tours

• Actually try some of the recipes that I've clipped from the paper and magazines over the years

This one was a huge hit.  Layered Mediterranean dip.  Yum, yum and can I say yum?  I'm pretty sure I will be working on trying all of these recipes as long as recipes are being printed and posted online!

• Donate my hair

• Get a sassy, short hair cut

The best way to kill two birds with one stone!  Picture on the left is about one month before I donated it...picture on the right is about one month after, so add a month of hair growth to both pictures.  Ha.  No one takes a picture of Momma but Momma!

• Have a professional photo shoot done

Now, that's not a professional photo...but that is me with my hair and makeup done by a professional...a friend from high school Kate Garrett.  She did an awesome job!  Kate Garrett Makeup

• Bike the Ohio & Erie Canal Tow Path

I forgot about this one until I signed back on 43 Things and saw it there!  But, we did 22 miles of the trail back in April. 

Some things that have not yet come to pass (think Galadriel saying that):

• Learn to fold a fitted sheet - I know I could probably just watch a Martha video online...but then of course, I have to find the time to do it when there aren't little children sitting on the sheet or trying to get under the sheet.  That's usually nighttime and that usually equals no energy!
• Learn to can pickles - I need to get on this as Evander absolutely loves dill pickles.  My grandma cans them, so I definitely should learn from her
• Read through my Bible in a year and every year after that - Haven't been able to stay on track on those reading plans!  The last time I read completely through it was in Old Testament and New Testament classes.  Tooooooooooo fast!!!!
• Be part of a flash mob - If you're organizing one, let me know!  I've yet to catch a flash mob in the country.  I was serious when I wanted to organize one for my high school reunion...but no one else was.  Ha.
• Learn guitar picking - Yes, yes...this would be awesome.  Again, time is an issue.  I just don't have the opportunity to practice instruments these days. 
• Go parasailing - Sounds like a beach vacation is in order
• Ride in a limo - I should have taken up the offer from a boy in 8th grade to ride to the formal in a limo.  Ha.
• Sing "Come What May" with my husband in public - Good luck with this one, right?  Actually...Nick and I used to sing duets at church while we were in college and first married.  :-)  I've wanted to sing this with him ever since we heard it at a wedding in 2004. 

Things that might come up this summer:

• Kayaking in a city - Hopefully in CLE!
• Eat vegan for a week - This ball has been hard to get rolling
• Have a block party - lots of fun!
• Eat an authentic Sonoran hot dog - New to my list...I want the real thing!  I'm sure I'd have to eat a real hot dog, though...not a vegetarian one.  :-)

What about you???  What are some things on your list?  Are you moving towards completing some???

Memorial Day Weekend

A little late...but...it was Memorial Day Weekend!  Which means...

My lilacs are in bloom!  We have one out back and out front, so no matter which way the wind blows their wonderful fragrance fills our house.


Time to watch a parade!  It's a lot cooler watching it than marching in it with the band.  We follow the parade down to the cemetery and listen to the ceremony there.  Before we even got in the car to go to the parade, Evander was saying he didn't want to "walk down."  Maybe next year he'll have a better understanding of Memorial Day.

Playing with her shadow

Time for a picnic!  I always feel a little weird about having fun on Memorial Day since we are remembering the so many men and women who gave their lives for our country.  But I believe this is why they did it---so that we can safely be with the ones we love. 


"I am an alien from the moon."


And among alllllll of the yummy food everyone brought, I had a hot dog bar set up where guests could create the flavors from across the U.S. 

I had fun researching the different regional styles of hot dogs.  I think the weirdest one is the Chicago Dog:  hot dog on a poppy seed bun, mustard, onions, sweet pickle relish, dill pickle spear, tomato wedges, pickled sport peppers and a dash of celery salt.

The Cleveland Polish Boy has cole slaw and french fries on it!

My favorite to eat was the Sonoran.  Bacon, salsa, beans, mayo, ketchup and mustard.  Never thought I'd have mayonaise on a hot dog, but I tell you...it works.  :-)  Can't go wrong with bacon, either, you know.

More on regional hot dogs: Hot Dogs Across the USA 

Of course...when it comes to dogs...this is how I roll.  Technically Italian Sausage, but whatevs:

Memorial Day...Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)