Our new favorite park.

As I was driving around neighborhoods I ran across a terrific little park that I just had to share pictures of. It was rainy the day we had time to drive by so we just got out for a few minutes. It's sunny today but I have way to many kids to go there. Perhaps later this week. As I look at the pictures they don't really do it justice, I'll have to take some more pictures next time we go!

My boys...

Sometimes a child will say something that just strikes you funny in the moment. Or, sometimes it is something sweet or profound. I'm writing these down almost more for me to remember them than to share.

After paying $12 to go to a really fun indoor play place Jonathan says "That was really fun! And it didn't even cost a dime!"

Ian "I want Jonathan to sleep on the floor with me so we can have connotations" I say "you mean conversations" he says "yes commentations"

Some of our dialog last night at Taco Bell -

Jonathan starts to mention that he misses some of his friends from Washington. So we start talking about a few of them. Then he starts talking about his new friends here. Then I mention that there is a slight possibility that one of his friends from Washington might move south somewhere near us (is that vague enough for a blog... I have him more info than that). Then Ian gets so excited he almost falls out of his chair and says oh we need to pray! This is the boy that for the LONGEST time we could not get to pray at bedtime for anything! So he doesn't start until every hand that is currently holding a burrito is holding the hand of the person next to them. So here we find ourselves in taco bell on the high table with Ian praying that this certain friend and family will move to Texas! Nothing makes a heart swell more than seeing there children seek God on there own. This leads me to our next moment.

Jonathan- "Jesus picked a great place for us to live" (referring to Texas) Then Ian says "yes lets pray that we don't have to go back to Washington... we don't belong there" Oh yeah that is what my 4 year old said, funny thing is that we have never said that about Washington... that was all him.

Lately having conversations with them has been more fun than with adults. There are just a kick!

Little reflections.

Children are but little reflections of there parents running around being the "at home" version of us in public.

So it never seems to really sink in that my children hear everything I say until I hear them say it. There are many phrases that weren't too offensive hearing adults say but when you hear it come out of a childs mouth you realize how vulgar it really is. Ok so vulgar is a bit strong for anything that would be said in our house but you get the point.

Today as we shopped in a book store for Christmas gifts Ian walked by me looking at all of the eye level items in sight. He ran accross some childrens books and one of them looked a bit scary, I think it had dragons on it or something. So in true Ian fashion he began talking, and talking, and talking about it. You have to picture this with a 4 year old that has one of those very baby like voices... not speach but voice. Then he begins to describe this scary book and in all honesty I'm only halfway listening to him at this point since I'm there with a purpose and we are running out of time before we need to move on to our next stop. Then my mommy ears picked up on a word that I say quite frequently but have never heard come out of Ian's little mouth. It was "crap" that got my immediate attention. Then I quickly searched my mind to try to extrapolate what he had been saying before that so I could piece it all together. Finally after quizzing the boy It all came together. "it was so scary that all my crap came out" When just then the guy at the end of the isle who had obviously been trying to hold in a laugh let a big hoot! I have learned to embrace those moments and enjoy them rather than be embarrassed, it is so much more fun!

I ran to the next isle nearly falling over in laughter to tell James of the event. Of coarse this would be a childs rendition of "it scared the crap out of me" Funny how they inturpret things so literally. So what must they think of holy Sh** how confusing that must be (we don't say that by the way), although I used to say holy crap and then Jonathan said it a few times and that became a thing of the past. I'm rambling now so I know I'm done.

Freak of nature...

For those of you at the cookie exchange that manage to track down my blog this is what I was talking about. This is my pregnancy with Ian in 2003. (top picture with black tank in front of piano is in 2001 Pregnant with Jonathan 33 weeks - he was born at 35 weeks)

Left to right top #2 33 weeks #3 34 weeks, blue shirt - 38 weeks, red shirt - not sure I think around 5-6 months. Gray sweatshirt - I can't remember but it just looked really funny.

Ok that is all.

Hands Down My Favorite Childhood Cookies.

A little explanation : I don't tend to have the average tastes. I'm not a big chocolate fan. I would gladly have any flavor of cake but chocolate, any flavor of ice cream but chocolate, and any flavor of chocolate but chocolate (white, flavored with essence of whatever).

So after hearing that it should come as no surprise that my favorite cookie... isn't chocolate. In fact my first words were "I don't want any" to a chocolate chip cookie. NO JOKE!

I can still remember the first time I had my favorite cookies. I was about 7 or 8 and it was after school. I was sitting on the floor in front of my parents warm crackling fireplace (must have been winter). My mom brought them out to me on a paper towel, still warm from the oven. I can remember taking a bite and thinking... this is my favorite cookie... ever! They have a little, not sure what else to call it but a bite to them. They pair well with Gingerbread tea (with vanilla creamer) or with a Chai tea latte. Although back in the day, I had them with plain old milk.

This recipe has been adapted from a "make a mix" cook book from the 70's. In the original recipe it makes a large generic mix that you then take a couple cups of then add the cookie specific ingredients. Well, in my house that is a dangerous prospect to have cookies that close to completion in my cupboard so I opted to figure out how to make a small batch.

Sarah's Sassy Snicker-doodles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Combine in medium bowl:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp cream of tartar

a dash of nutmeg.

In a large bowl mix together:

a little less than 1/2 cup sugar

a little more than 1/3 cup brown sugar

Cut in:

1/2 cup shortening

then mix in:

1 egg

Add the dry mixture to the sugar/egg/shortening 1/3 at a time. I use a spatula then switch to hands for the final blending.

Form round balls of dough and roll them in:

cinnamon-sugar and a dash of nutmeg to taste

Place on baking sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass.

Stoneware baking sheet - Bake about 9-10 min (7 min for metal pan) Tops should be crinkled and sides just ever so slightly browned. Allow to rest on the pan for 3-5 min then remove to a wire cooling rack to prevent edges from getting too hard. (unless you like them like that!)

There you have it. My favorite cookie recipes. Before I had children I worked for about 3 years and I was asked to bring these to each and every birthday party for 3 years. I would never give out the recipe. At the ripe old age of 30 I've since come to my senses and will now pass it along for others to hopefully enjoy as much as I do... well that isn't real likely but I hope you at least enjoy one batch ;-)

Goose Egg?!?

SO where did the name goose egg come from anyway? These are some of the questions I find my self asking when I hear my son say " Mommy I'm distracted from sleeping because of my goose egg" The goose egg soon became the scapegoat for many a "distractions"

You see the other day while simply walking, I repeat, simply walking. ... Jonathan in an almost choreographed way dropped a lego house, tripped on it then some how hit his leg on the wall and his head on the lego house... seriously ... leaving a scrap and large goose egg on his head. I to this day have no idea how he did that I just know that I have NEVER heard him cry like that... I don't know how he could have hit it so hard but he is very cautious now how he walks with legos ... yeah ok I couldn't type that without laughing :-)

Now of course knowing that this bump looks pretty bad in person and indeed got much worse before better turning all shades of purple, green and the like. We did have a talk with Jonathan so we would know what he would tell anyone that might try to probe him on how get got it! Oh and that is BBQ sauce from dinner on his face.

Chaos = Order.

It seems that way in my life anyway.

Why is it that when I have two children, one in school 5 full days a week, and one in school 2 part time days, can I not keep an apartment completely clean (never got bad but should have been a bit better). Then, add 4 more children and I'm Susie flippin' homemaker. I have the kids clothes laid out, meals all set at the table with color coordinating cups and plates for each child. Dinner even seems to come together better. WHY WHY WHY! Why does it take necessity to make me do it.

I enjoy a clean and tidy house, why can't I do that for just my family? It takes the necessity of adding variables: babies, parents of babies, choking hazards, time crunched days of pick ups and drop offs to make my day go smoothly and end with all the laundry and dishes put away with the floors vacuumed? Its curious but I suppose I'm not complaining.

I guess it is good to know how you operate ... for better or worse.

My Big Helper

Ian blew me away today. He is now not quite 4 1/2 but you would have thought he was a teenager with his babysitting training certificate and everything. He followed around the almost 1 and almost 2 year old watching there every move and giving them age appropriate toys. When he saw them with something questionable he would say, don't put that in your mouth, don't choke on that, let me show you what you CAN play with. He would usher them away from areas of the house that were not "play areas". He talked with them, "read" them books, played silly entertaining games and dances with them. I have to say I feel like I owe him some money. Although, at the end of the day he is tired just like I am and so about that time I don't feel like I owe him anything but a great big huh! ;-)

He is growing up so very fast before my very eyes, but we are enjoying every moment and I'm so proud of him.

Finally COLOR!!!

Ok I was seriously starting to wonder if ANY of the trees here turned colors or if the leaves finally just gave up and fell off. This week is the first week I have really noticed most of the trees turning colors. I was getting really worried there for a while! So, now I don't have to move back to the NW ... whew! That was a close one.

I love driving through the neighborhoods with the garages in the back, they seem to all be tree lined streets where everyone keeps the front nice and the leaves are all turning now it is soooo pretty. I really do look forward to buying one of those houses in the next year or two. I've been scouting neighborhoods trying to stay really close to work/church. It has been a HUGE blessing to live 3 min away.

So all that to say "fall is finally in Dallas"

Sarah