Fish tacos

We tried another new recipe tonight. We have some cans of salmon that we weren't quite sure what to do with. So we made fish tacos. We rubbed taco seasoning on the fish and broiled it at 500 for 9 minutes. While that cooked I did the prep on the other ingredients: cabbage, cilantro, avocado, tomato and fresh squeezed lime. They were really good!!

Late celebrations

Since we didn't have a chance to have cake and blow out candles on Sunday, we invited Jerry and Gail over for lunch on Tuesday. He requested a lemon pie as his dessert of choice. Levi helped me to make the pie and we topped it off with some lemon shaped candies. Matt made some delicious lasagna for lunch and we also had fresh asparagus and a coleslaw that Gail made.

Grandpa Jerry's birthday

Sunday was grandpa Jerry's birthday. Luckily we were back from the endurance ride in time to celebrate with him.

First we went to the Alumni car show and checked out all the shiny wheels.


Then we went to the IceBurg for lunch and Jerry introduced me to their cherry milkshake. I had a chocolate cherry one and I think I have a new favorite flavor! We got the food to go so we could eat at Fort Walla Walla. They had a free admission day, but after eating and playing on the swings we had to get home to show our house.

More teeth and miscellany

Miss Ellie currently has three molars coming in. The two on the bottom - one on each side - are visible. One on top can be felt with a fingertip but not seen quite yet. The amazing part about this...drumroll...she has slept through the night the past two nights! Now that I have blogged about it I am sure she will change her sleep cycle tonight but it was worth mentioning.

Levi has been having fun in Kindergym... well perhaps too much fun as he keeps Kinzie on her toes. He was given a progress report last week and let's just say I am hoping that he is able to make a little more progress before the class is over in early June.

We all went to an endurance ride this past weekend and Levi had fun digging in the dirt and watching the little mice pop up and run across his "dirt valley" before they disappeared into another hole. My mom was a lifesaver, tending to the kids while I rode 25 miles on my trusty steed and Matt was out shooting photos. Mom also provided most of our food for the weekend and it was amazing! Thanks mom for being such a great crew!!

Ellie will soon be 1 year old, I don't know where the time went, she sure is growing up fast!

No stopping her

As I was catching up on some things this evening I saw Ellie scamper off (crawling) to the kid's room. I followed her and found her on Levi's bed.

Yes, Ellie can now climb up into Levi's toddler bed all by herself. I even caught her with her feet up on the footboard, trying to climb up onto the changing table. Tonight while I was reading Levi his story in his bed, she stood up on her own a couple times, a little wobbly on the mattress but obviously testing out her new skills.

Sunday happenings

Sunday morning we had our usual pancake breakfast with strawberries and whipped topping. It was very good. Matt ran to get some parts so he could work on his motorcycle and then I went out to ride horses. When I got back we had lunch and then put Levi down for a nap. I had to wake him for our meet at the Blue Ridge Trail Riders, which is a chapter of the Adventist Horseman's Association. My mom came over to go with us to the lesson and potluck. We also met up with Jeneé and Maddaly there.

Lynn Serrano taught the lesson and I found it to be very educational. She discussed how to "talk horse" - communication, and safety. The kids all sat on the round pen fence as she talked from the center inside of it, and her friend Aaron was mounted on a horse and demonstrated things as she was talking. I think Levi had more fun climbing on the fence then he did learning horse safety but it was a good experience. He got a little bored about half way through and started looking for things in the dirt. After the talk, Lynn handed out a packet of horse safety information so I read that to Levi and other kids gathered around and added their insights. When I got to the part about not riding too close to the horse ahead of you because they could kick, Maddaly told me "Their shoes are very sharp!"

After the lesson there was a club potluck. The food was great but Levi was too interested in the other kids to eat much. He wanted to run around with sticks instead. It was a real workout trying to keep up with him and Ellie. She was crawling all over the place and trying to grab my food while we were eating.

Someone had a wild baby bunny and Levi loved sitting and watching the lady try to feed it. He even got to pet it.

When it was time to leave I loaded up the kids and got into the truck and tried to shut the door. I should mention here that I was driving Ugly because yesterday I ran over a screw with the wagon and it got embedded in the rear tire, rendering it flat today. Well the door on Ugly would not shut, no matter how hard I slammed it. I thought maybe it was not closing because we were parked on a pretty steep incline, so I rolled on down the driveway and tried again once we were on a level surface. No luck. So I got out and looked at the keeper. It was locked shut, no wonder the door wouldn't close. I didn't have any luck trying to budge it, so I drove home with my hand on the door to hold it shut. That was an experience! My mom said to me "We are taking my car to the ride next weekend!" Ah the adventures of youth! When we got home Matt came out of the house to have a look at it and he fixed it in a matter of seconds. Lesson learned.

Saturday fun

While the kids were dressed up for church I got a photo of them again with Buddy. Expressions are not as good as Friday's attempt.

Susan made Ellie's outfit

After church Matt and I made a great lunch, and then I took the truck/trailer with Sinwaan aboard out to Bennington Lake for a ride. I met a new woman, Sue, who wants to get going in endurance and she joined Ruth and Heather and myself on a nice jaunt around the Lake. Such gorgeous weather, it was even a bit hot.

Saturday night Darcia taught us a new way to eat sushi ingredients. It was fun and I learned a lot! A special thanks to the Kyle's for hosting and to the Darcy's for teaching me some new methods. The kids had a blast tearing around and hiding in the closet and pretending to sleep in Peter's bed. Even Ellie joined in on some of the fun.

Levi went to bed fairly well but Ellie was then up and down and up and down until about 1:30 am. Levi decided it was time to get up for the day on Sunday at 6:15 am. Lucky me!

Doughnuts!

While Levi was taking his nap today I made up the dough for some doughnut holes for the first time. It rose and was ready to fry after our dog biscuits were baked.

The recipe was very clear on how hot the oil temperature needed to be, so I went down and bought a candy thermometer and checked the oil to make sure it was hot enough. Apparently it was TOO hot because my first six doughnuts burned before the two-minute recommended cooking time had elapsed. So I turned down the heat and gave up on the darn thermometer.



I allowed time for draining after frying, then they were dipped in a maple syrup/powdered sugar/water mixture and then let set for a bit to drip and allow for the glaze to harden. The recipe only made 3 dozen so I ate one of the burnt ones. It was ok. Matt came along and also ate a burnt one. "It's like an orgasm in my mouth!" He was really thrilled (but also wary) that I now know how to make doughnuts from scratch.

They were made for a church brunch and they got eaten fast, we never saw them again.

For those of you who would also like to try your hand at making them, here's the recipe.

Maple-Glazed Sour Cream Doughnut Holes
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 3 doughnut holes)

Ingredients
6 tablespoons warm water (100° to 110°)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/8 teaspoons dry yeast
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups), divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
6 cups peanut oil
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons water

Preparation
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. Weigh or lightly spoon 5.63 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 5.63 ounces flour and salt. Add sour cream and egg to yeast mixture; stir until smooth. Add flour mixture; stir until a moist dough forms.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 3 minutes); add enough of remaining 1.13 ounces flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel slightly sticky). Place dough in a clean bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover dough with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until almost doubled in size.

3. Punch dough down. Divide dough into 36 equal portions; roll each portion into a ball. Cover dough with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray; let stand 30 minutes.

4. Clip a candy/fry thermometer onto the side of a Dutch oven; add oil to pan. Heat oil to 375°. Combine powdered sugar, syrup, and 2 tablespoons water; stir until smooth. Place 9 dough balls in hot oil; fry 2 minutes or until golden and done, turning as necessary. Make sure the oil temperature remains at 375°. Remove doughnut holes from pan; drain. Dip doughnut holes into syrup mixture; remove with a slotted spoon. Drain on a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Repeat procedure 4 times with remaining dough balls and syrup mixture.

Buddy's Birthday

Today my oldest dog Buddy is... well, old. He was born April 16, 1998, so he is celebrating his 12th birthday today. I told Levi we could make dog biscuits for him when I get off work.

Levi was very excited to help me make the dog biscuits.

He helped to press the dog bone mold into the dough...

...and carefully transferred them to the baking sheet.

When they were done and cooled he wanted to feed them ALL to the dogs but I had him stop at about five each.


Here's hoping Buddy has a couple more comfortable years left in him, he has sure been a wonderful advocate for his breed. Give your dog a pat and a cookie today (if you have one) in honor of my old boy.

Little Monkey!

Today I was preparing lunch when I heard Ellie shriek. It was kind of a "yikes mom, come help me" cry. I looked up and was astonished to see she had climbed halfway up the wire dog crate! The crate is a temporary addition while my female is in heat. I will be curious to see if she tries to climb it again or if she has learned her lesson. I don't think Levi started monkeying around this early in life.




We tried another new recipe today. From Health magazine Jan/Feb 2010, Eggplant Parmesan pizza. I pulled out the flour from the cupboard and was shocked to find it was whole wheat! I didn't have the time or energy to make another trip to the store so I used the substitution, hoping it would turn out ok for the crust. Working with it was quite a bit different than using all-purpose. While the dough was rising I worked on the toppings. Despite the extra-chewy crust it was very good.

Levi made his own little pizza with the leftover trimmings of crust.

Well no, we don't slow down

Another busy day, with Levi's Kindergym at 5 pm. We were a little late getting there, and the whole family went this time. Levi did better this class, sitting on his carpet square and waiting his turn. He still needs assistance with the tumbling and some of the other activities but I think in time he will figure it out.

Ready, set

tumble

Hurray!



Levi on the balance beam

Hanging around with a classmate

Learning to do a headstand


After class we did some grocery shopping and got ingredients for a couple new recipes. One of them I made tonight, Indian-Style Tofu and Cauliflower with Chutney. I was pretty excited about it but the end result was kind of disappointing. The flavor was lacking, kind of flat, and I did not care for the Basmati rice, which I had never used before. Matt had snacked on some chicken ahead of time so he wasn't hungry enough to eat his portion, since he didn't really like it anyway. Levi did eat some of his as it was fairly mild curry/cumin flavored. I have a couple other new ideas for tofu in recipes and I hope they are better than this one was.



An exciting thing for us tonight was that Ellie figured out how to say "M" instead of "B" so now I am "Mama" and not "Ba ba." Pretty cool!

Matt spent a lot of time today cleaning out the garage and was anxious to get back out there after dinner. I put Levi to bed and then tried to catch up on some website updates for clients.

I am still very behind on photos of our trip, maybe tonight I can get some more pictures posted of our second day of vacation.

Monday, Monday

I believe I got up about 2:30 am on Monday to prepare for our early flight from Fresno. Matt never did go to bed, electing instead to stay up and write on the laptop. Levi got right up and excitedly said "I am going to ride an airplane today." Again, we let Ellie sleep until were loaded and ready to go. Richard and Susan drove us to the airport.

We were on time for check-in but no one was yet at the counter, even though they want you there 90 minutes early, they do not open the counter until 4 am. So we stood in line, fairly close to the front, for about 10-15 minutes waiting for them to open. As we stood there the line grew longer behind us until it filled the maze.

The airport was not too busy yet so getting through security was not too bad. We did have a tragic moment when Levi decided he did not want to send his Rudolph (Roxie) through the x-ray machine. The security officer must have children. She spoke right up in a fun voice and said the animal needed to go for a ride through the tunnel. Of course! A tunnel, why didn't I think of that? We pointed out to him the little holes in the exit of the machine where he could watch for it to come out the other side. Here it comes! Levi nervously laughed with relief, and clutched it close to him as soon as was possible. He put his jacket back on and then had me zip it up with Rudolph inside.

Our first flight back up to San Francisco was on a Canadian plane, 4 seats wide. I had a woman seated next to me (she had the window). No switching seats this flight. Ellie again played with the safety brochure and then nursed and fell asleep. Our flight was about 40 minutes.

Arriving at the San Fran airport we were hungry. We browsed all the restaurants this time and decided to go back down to the other side for the same Greek breakfast we had on the way in. This time Matt got a Gyro/egg/feta croissant and I got the spinach/egg/feta. We also got a big blueberry muffin. I was going to get Levi some yogurt again but the place I got it last time was sold out, and their neighbors had some for $2.99, and $3. I could not see spending that much for a Yoplait.

We had a three hour layover here so we wasted some time watching the planes land and take off. I also took Levi back to the kids play area but it only held his interest for about 10 minutes this time. It was just as well, by the time I passed another clock I realized we only really had time for making it to our gate without rushing.

Our plane was scheduled to start boarding in the next 10-15 minutes but... where was it? It was late arriving. As everyone was boarding the rear engine shut off on its own. They said they usually only kick it on for electricity while they are on the ground but they wanted to get to the bottom of why it shut down. So they had the mechanics take a look at it and we sat and waited. It seemed like we waited on that plane at least 30 minutes before we taxied out and took off. Our flight up to Pasco was about 90 minutes. Ellie slept and I dozed off a couple times but it seemed to take forever. I again had someone in the window seat next to me. She sounded sick.

Upon our arrival in Pasco it was a very short wait for our baggage and then the challenge of getting it all out to the car. We had a big suitcase, a small suitcase, a stroller, a diaper bag, a backpack, two car seats and two kids. We managed. We loaded everything up and turned the key. Nothing. A dead battery. I ran back to the terminal to ask Security about getting a jump. She pointed me indoors to the Police. They were down a little hallway to the right. The man seated at a desk with a laptop seemed eager to help me solve my problem. He asked where I was parked (In B for Bobbitt ha) and said he would have to circle around to get in and would look for me. It didn't take him too long. He pulled up and helped us push the car back out of the parking stall so he could hook up the cables. After a while of charging he even agreed to stand and pose for a photo.



Now an hour behind schedule we found a Subway and went through the drive-thru. That was a new experience! We got back on the road and headed for home. We stopped at my mom's and picked up Missy (dog) who was overjoyed that her master had not abandoned her after all. Once home we unloaded the luggage and I took the dogs out. Time for work! I headed back out.

The kids took a nap and I went home at 4:40 to pick up Levi for his kidnastics class. He was still asleep but when I asked him if he wanted to go to kidnastics he murmured "Oh yes, I do" and got right up. Ellie was also sleeping so I just took Levi and left Matt home with her. Since we had missed the first two classes (Monday because I completely forgot, and Wednesday because we were out of town) I had a little detective work to do to figure out who his instructor was. The first lady I talked to said he was not on her roster, perhaps he was in the Kindergym class? Sure, that sounds right.

Levi's instructor was Kinzie and for awhile he was the only one. Then the other kids trickled in. They started out by sitting on the floor doing stretching by "making sandwiches and pizza." It is really cute how they turn it all into a game for the kids. Levi was fairly well behaved but did try to do his own thing a couple times, it looked like Kinzie really had her hands full between Levi and another kid named Peter (not Peter Kyle) who was running circles and running off. Kinzie held Levi's hand for parts of it - the balance beam, and when leading the kids around to other locations. It looked like he was having a good time. This was confirmed when it was over and he asked me "Mom, can I come back here another day?" You bet, every M/W until it's over.

Completely exhausted after that, we came home to a great dinner Matt had prepared of Penne with red sauce with chicken, and corn. Levi went to bed about 8 pm and Ellie was asleep by 9. I was in bed by 9:30 pm. That is a first!

Milestone for Ellie

Sunday morning and the last day of our visit. Richard made us all whole wheat waffles with strawberries and whipped topping.

Grandma Lille and Julie left to drive back to San Diego after eating. Julie told me that last night Levi was asking her about grandma Susan's nesting dolls. He asked her "Why does grandma Susan have so many kids?"

Matt's sister Amber watching a program with the kids.

Levi found some exercise weights, put them on and held up the walls.

Richard took some time to play ball with Ellie and they had a hoot!


Not too long after that Ellie fell asleep for her morning nap. Susan and Richard decided to take Amber, Matt and Levi for a walk along the canal. I stayed with Ellie and tried to get a nap myself after watching some Ninja Warrior but it was evasive.

After lunch Susan was playing with Ellie on the floor and Ellie was testing her skills of holding on with one hand while standing and bending down to pick up toys. Then she let go, and was standing on her own for a full five seconds. Her legs looked wobbly but I was able to grab the camera just in time!

And even more vacation

This morning Levi woke up as the sun was coming up. I could not believe it after such a late night last night. Very frustrating. As it was, we didn't head out to the kitchen until 8:30. (There is no clock in our room so I didn't know what time it was, I waited until I heard noise) I asked about going to Sabbath School & church, and Susan wanted to go but wasn't sure if we could make it on time.

I chopped vegetables and helped Richard make omelets for everyone and then we got dressed quickly. The church they attend is 40 minutes away and Richard broke the law getting us there in 30. The people in the parking lot were friendly and we noticed a security officer as well. Never seen that before. We headed into the Cradle Roll room and arrived in time for the story. Then it was craft and snack time and it was over. It seemed like a fun class, what little we were involved with.

Church was a different story. I would never consider myself a conservative, but apparently I must be, because the music bothered me. It was incredibly loud and there was a drum set. I have nothing against drum sets and I never thought I would argue that they don't belong in church as everyone worships differently and that doesn't make it wrong. This service just gave me a headache. The music was louder than the people singing, I think that is the biggest problem I had with it all.

I decided to take Ellie to the Mother's Room because in my experience that is typically a nice quiet place to hear the sermon and often the lights are dimmed in order to encourage the babies to nap. It was past Ellie's nap time, and last week she did fall asleep in the mother's room so I hoped for the same today. Well that did not happen. There were three girls in the room that were at least five years old, playing "Princess" and making altogether too much noise. As a visitor I did not feel comfortable speaking up to the mother but I do not think they should have been in there. What is the point of attending church if you are just going to let your kids run wild in a room? In the beginning the mother(s) would shush them and remind them to be quiet but it was not working. Ellie sat and stared at them. Eventually after another mother or two came in and started up a loud conversation and there was no hope of me hearing the remainder of the sermon I got up and walked out. I headed over to the other side. In our church it is a library. This happened to be a rented Lutheran church, so the room had kneeling benches and a variety of crosses hung on the wall. But there was one chair and a man sitting in it. He asked me if I was looking for the Mother's room. No, I tried that, too noisy. He offered me the chair and left. Finally, silence. By then it was too close to the end of the service to hope for sleep for Ellie but I took a minute to recharge.

After church we headed out to the courtyard and there was a table with chips, salsa and Horchata. What a deal. We drank some before heading for home.

Ellie really enjoyed looking at all the flowers in the yard.

Proud grandma Susan with Ellie

Lunch was a feast of cottage cheese loaf, baked potatoes & sweet potatoes, baked salmon, mixed vegetables, salad with fixin's and breads. Julie and Lille had stayed home with Amber and seen to it that dinner was all ready when we got home. After lunch Levi went to bed for his nap (over due) and fell to sleep quickly. I read some more of my book while Matt and other family members took turns with Ellie.

I also took Ellie for a short walk out in her stroller since I am getting a little cabin fever. The block they live on here is not long, maybe 1/8 of a mile and then it ends. This is a newer gated community with only one road. There are no sidewalks on the main road out front. So I walked down and back, and down and back again. It was a gorgeous day. I would have kept going but Ellie got fussy.

At six we ate again, popcorn...

Levi helped to make the popcorn.

...fruit salad, pretzels; and sat out on the patio to chat. Richard and Matt got into a lively religious discussion with Julie and Lille adding comments. Susan wanted to take Levi to the store for some strawberries and as I helped him get ready to go he asked me if I could come too. I didn't want to impose but decided to go along.

At the store we also picked up some cake and ice cream for an evening party for Lille. Matt used the timer on the camera to get this photo of everyone.

* * *

I feel like lately Levi has been getting most of his attention from Matt, as when I am around Ellie pretty much takes over my real estate. She is always in my arms and I know that must be hard for him. So tonight I made sure to brush his teeth and get him ready for bed and try to get some extra time with just him. That all went well.

He has started a bad habit lately of saying "Knock it off!" I take full responsibility for him knowing this phrase as I use it on the dogs when they try to fight through the crates. Explaining to him that this is not an appropriate thing to say to people only seems to make him more eager to say it. Everything is a test with him and at times it is really hard to know what to do to handle it. Being away from home and off his routine makes it so much worse. If anyone has suggestions on how to handle a sassy kid, I am all ears.

On a lighter note, Ellie has been trying really hard to say "Mama." It comes out kind of like "Ba ba" but it makes me happy regardless. She has been saying "Hi" and "Hey" and "Da da," and waving when someone leaves or if she anticipates someone leaving, or if we say "bye bye." She is also cutting another tooth! This one looks like a molar on the bottom left. It could explain the stuffy nose she's been dealing with, or maybe she is getting a cold. Either way, she has been such a good baby.