Today's recipes

I made three recipes today, two from Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book and this Vegetarian Chili from 101 Cookbooks. The bread items are a simple cornbread which is still baking (verdict not out) and "Sea Biscuits" which I would rather call "ship's biscuits". These seemed exciting to me, a kind of cracker made from sprouted wheat berries and rye flour, salt, baking soda, and oil. I also thought my little pirate might enjoy them...they did not go over so great, but I sure had a lot of fun sprouting the wheat!
But I am singing praises for the "chili", to which I had to, had to add celery, which I wouldn't call chili but a hippie stew in mass quantity. Just the thing to bring back last summer (fall, actually, but the sun was shining) and an amazing farm tour I went on, which concluded with live music and a feast of local food and drink. The star of the feast for me was a stew much like the one on my stove, thick with pulses and beans and grains. Anything to remember that, yes, summer DOES exist.
Try it, it's hearty!

Hmmm.

As our family photos scrolled past on the computer, Trevor spotted this one from Noel's baptism and asked "Is that God?"

Potty capers

Not that anyone's doing anything serious with it, but I got a potty seat off Craigslist and Noel sits on it sometimes. Yesterday, Trevor was going "#2" on the big toilet and Noel ran into the bathroom, excited to sit on her potty, too. I said to Trevor (from the safe distance of the living room), "teach your little sister how to use the potty." The next comment I heard was Trevor saying "Okay, Noel...SQUEEEEZE!"

Noel's 20 month word list

mama, dada, madada, done, please (peez), more, eat, butter, cheese, apple, berry (sounds like bey-ee), baby, baba (sheep), boa, no, yeh, uh oh, anna, annie, bubble, pool, bee (means ant), hat, doo-doo (means shoe), poopoo, peepee, night night, hi, bye, star, moon, choo-choo (sounds like too-too), up, high (for swinging), ball, balloon, woof (means dog), bear, egg, nanny (candy) nana (banana), help, MINE!, drive (sounds like dive), bike, aguagua (water), out.

I'm back

In case anyone is checking my blog every day (for funny stories, new pics of the kids, and product giveaways), here are some funny stories, new and not-so-new pictures, and, sorry, no product giveaways yet.
Nana, you will appreciate this one. Especially since you're probably the only person reading it! We sometimes sing the kids a lullaby that Todd remembers from his infancy, the one about Blanket Bay. Oh, I don't really know all the lyrics, but it begins with being wrapped in a cozy blanket and ends with sailing away to Blanket Bay. One night last week, Trevor and Noel were wired and taking forever to get to sleep (they're sharing a room now so they can really get each other going). One or another of us would have to keep going in and saying go to sleep, time for bed, close your eyes, etc. It was one of those nights when a third parent would've come in handy. I said "get in your boats, it's time to sail to Blanket Bay." Trevor decided it would be a race, and of course his was a speedboat. Fifteen minutes later, Noel was still yelling "mama, mama" so I went in to tuck her back in one last time. Trevor was sleepy but still awake, and as I left the room, he said "I still have not yet found Blanket Bay."
A few pictures from Trevor's birthday. He did a 1/4 mile run in the morning, and celebrated in the afternoon with a few friends. Todd painted the beautiful dragon. For his birthday dinner, he chose "beans, rice and cheese."

I don't know if this is as funny as it is disgusting.

We have had lots of runny noses around here lately and I said to Noel "go get a tissue." Well, she went straight to the bathroom waste basket, opened the lid, pulled out a soggy wad of used tissue and very proudly wiped her face with it. YUCK.

Birthday Week