Little House in the Big Woods - or Ohio

When you wonder if the book you are reading to your child is a little too advanced and if you should just wait and read it when they are older.....

You will find your 5 year old busily teaching her brother how to hunt and kill stuffed animals for meat, and then "make the meat".

She must have been listening all along.

Sleep Please!!!!!

I know it is just a phase. Katie did the same thing. But I am about to go insane.

I now have a 2 year old who desperately needs a nap, but refuses to take one. He plays in his room. He lays on the floor, peeking out of the crack at the bottom. He rocks in the rocking chair in there. He comes out the door every 15 to 20 minutes.

His eyes are droopy. He is crabby and whiny. But he refuses to give in, and I can not get him to sleep unless I lay with him for almost an hour. I don't have that kind of time.

We are experiencing the same delight at night basically. He has a hard time falling asleep, then wakes up sometime during the night, whimpering, "I'm hungry mama", "Go downstairs". ARGH!!!

I promise I am feeding the boy a snack right before bed, and he is eating, but for whatever reason, he has gotten it in his little head that nighttime is get up and eat time. The only night he got food was the rice krispie night.

To my crafting friends who remember the early history of baby Nicholas, any ideas? I think I am ready to try a baby gate at the door, but I am pretty sure he can climb over it. And I won't lock him in. I am starting to go crazy, and with school starting next week, we need to try to get past this phase quickly.

A Midnight Snack

Have you ever had that craving for a midnight snack?

Well, when you are 2, apparently this means wandering your way downstairs in the dark. Opening the pantry, grabbing the box of Rice Krispies and dumping half on the floor. Opening the dishwasher and getting out your own bowl. Attempting to pour the Rice Krispies into your bowl, but managing only to get them on the floor, not a single one in the bowl. And finally crying in the dark for mama.

Then mama walks downstairs in the dark, whispering Nicholas, steps in the pile of Rice Krispies, and then scoops up the toddler and sends him upstairs with the promise of a graham cracker.

After cleaning up the mess with a dustpan and broom (don't want to run the vacuum and wake the rest of the peacefully sleeping clan up), mama brings the promised graham cracker, lays with the toddler until he is finished, and then tells him DO NOT get out of this bed again!!!

5 Is Sweet

A week ago, Katie was invited to a High School Musical 2 party with her gymnastics training team. They were planning to watch the movie, have snacks, and paint nails. I figured that I would let her watch the first one at home before, so that she would kind of know more about the movie. She watched it and loved it.

We had been listening to the soundtrack in the car for several months, and now we are listening to the soundtrack to the second movie. She tells me that she likes the movie because of all the singing and dancing. Her two favorite things to do.

Last week she asked if the people were real, and I said yes. She asked if we could go see them, and I gave a short explanation of maybe someday.

Tonight, she asked again about going to see them, and I gave the more in depth answer of how they are actors and it is there job, and they have real homes, and may live in different parts of the country, but most are probably in California. Blah, blah, blah.

Then she asks again, so when can we go see them. Like I can just drive up to their homes and say hi. So now we have gone into explanations of if they ever have a concert that comes to Cincinnati or nearby then we could see them sing songs from the movie, but that would be it.

Having a daughter has it's fascinating moments.

Shopping Trip

I am finally about to finish a quilting project that I started in Texas over a year and a half ago. More details and pictures will come soon on that one.

In the meantime, I have found a quilting store in Cincinnati. It is called Quilter's Square and is located near one of our favorite shopping areas/ malls. We only stumbled upon this place accidentally. We had gone to Half-price books and then out for dinner. Across from the restaurant, Mike saw the quilting shop, and we decided to go over afterwards. It was closed. On our way home, we realized Nicholas had left his stuffed dog in the bookstore, giving me the opportunity to head back out there the next day.

And this is what I came home with:

A pattern I had been wanting to look at closer for some time called Yellow Brick Road, and the four lovely pieces of fabric above. I still need two more fat quarters to be able to make a quilt with them. I am thinking a purple and a tangerine.

Any thoughts??

Sometimes It's Love/ Sometime's It's Not

Recently, I had one of those days. You know the kind. Kids are yelling, whining, fighting--- constantly. At one point, I had to declare a Mommy Timeout, and sent both kids up to their rooms to take a break.

But the past three days, and finding this picture on my camera from a week or so ago, remind me that the two little people above do enjoy each other, and I desperately love being their mom.

Blueberry Festival

We have been having our very own blueberry festival over here.

We have tried Celeste's Blueberry Muffins. Mom and dad thought YUM YUM! Kids not so happy.

We tried Suzanne's Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze. DELICIOUS! And Nicholas agreed, while Katie was still skeptical.

Then we moved on to a known winner. What grandma has called the Bellerose Blueberry Cake. Although it turned out to be a minor catastrophe (aka - don't leave your husband with known baking problems to finish judging when the cake is done)

(aka - ask him about the pumpkin pie incidents - notice the plural)

However, this one is definately still a 1st place recipe, even when you can only eat the outside edges.

I think a new one will be made today, but for now a recipe to be shared.

Bellerose Blueberry Cake

1 c. blueberries (I used more)

1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg beaten

1 3/4 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. milk

1/3 sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix blueberries with the 1/4 cup flour. Cream sugar and butter well and add the egg. Sift flour with baking powder and salt and add alternately with milk. Beat well after each addition. Fold in berries. Pour into buttered 8 X 8 inch square pan and top with mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. (Or possibly longer- HEE HEE)

Or make as cupcakes and bake for about 20 minutes.

The Next Invention

Okay, smart people knowing how dumb people are, have put lovely buttons on our remotes to our cars, so you can push the unlock button and see your car lights blink, or if you are really lost, hit the car panic button and follow the loud obnoxious honking.

They have put a button on your phone wall unit, so that you can find the missing handheld phone that you left on the couch, desk, etc. Just follow the beeping noise to find your phone.

If you don't remember where your cell phone is and you managed to leave it on, just dial the number and you can easily follow your ringtone to the missing device. If it is really well hidden this may require several calls.

But the digital camera.... no such device exists. Now where are you hiding precious camera with the blogging pictures?? I know you are here somewhere.

Aquarium & Friends

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of entertaining and visiting with Nicholas' godmother and children. Since she was a high school friend of mine, and a college friend of Mike's it was a wonderful visit.

While she was here we tackled the nearby aquarium, and when I say nearby, I mean in a whole different state, Kentucky. Of course it is only a minute over the Ohio border but it did make Katie wonder how we were traveling to another state just for an aquarium.

I liked how the aquarium was layed out in general. You are basically on a one-way path that leads you to every part of the aquarium that there is to visit, ending in the gift shop. Where else? They did not allow strollers though, making it a journey of keeping track of 5 small children. But after going through on a very crowded day, I understand why they don't allow strollers in the summer. It was packed. But we did have fun and got some cute pictures.

And no, that is not a fish, but one of the many divers that were cleaning the shark tanks. This particular funny guy, played a cute game with Nicholas of can you touch my hand.

I Am Here

I am here. I promise.

Blogging time has been limited and therefore I have been busy trying to catch up on other blogs rather than entering my own.

I will try to make some posts very soon. But for tonight, I still have dinner to prepare, tomatoes to wash and ballet to take Katie to, which will keep me occupied until 8:30.

Soon, I promise. Soon.