Craving

Ben really wishes he could drink Coke. He has had a few sips here and there. And, an occasional coke slush or Sprite - a "special treat". So, the fact that Rob and I both drink Coke and he rarely asks for a sip is pretty remarkable. Today, he asked. I told him no. He took it in stride. Later, I was messing around with my phone camera and took this shot of Ben. Then, he asked if he could take some photos of me.

Amongst some really bad, super close up images of my face, I found this shot. I think it should be called, Craving by Ben O'Connor.

A perfect day...

For snow angels.


For sledding.

For taking a ride.

For building a snowman.

For packing snow balls.


A perfect day for playing with two sweet boys and one sweet daddy.

Not just another ordinary day

We woke up to yucky ice but by mid-afternoon it was a beautiful field of snow outside our house. Oh, what fun! The boys patiently waited while everyone got on three layers of clothes each and we headed outside. Liam didn't make it off the back door step before he had his gloved hands in the snow. Our regular stomping ground was a whole new adventure today. They were delighted. Such sweet joy.




Just like today, this wasn't just another ordinary day two years ago.

After much waiting and wondering and wishing, today was the day we saw this precious face for the first time. A tiny baby boy, just five weeks old, living on the other side of the world. And, we would call him our son.

After much more waiting and wondering and wishing we brought him home. And, now we get to see this face everyday. We are blessed beyond measure. Thank you, God, for Liam.

Rain Forest

I've mentioned before that I love Ben's class this year. They are currently studying the rain forest. His amazing teachers built a rain forest in the class room. Everyday, Ben comes home with something new to share - today he learned that sloths live in the rain forest and they climb trees very slowly. Very cool.

Gotcha

Ben tried to run and hide when I got out the camera today. He was playing with his buddy, Jake. They both went under the table but I caught this shot. I like it because it captures just how silly my boy can be.

Apparently, no one wanted their picture taken today. When I turned the camera on Liam - I got a series of pictures that all looked similar to this one. He was a wild one today. No nap. He ran laps around his crib and did hand stands. (I know this because we have a video monitor.) On the move, all day, that one.

Sleep and whales

Liam sleeps with a stuffed horse. It is small and he cuddles it up at his neck. I had read to him and we had turned out the light when I realized we didn't have the horse. That would never do, so back on went the light and we began our search. Liam was delighted with this "game". Since we failed at our first pass through the house, I got Rob and Ben involved (they had been quietly reading in Ben's room). Soon everyone was laying on the floor in the living room looking under furniture. Joy. Thankfully, I found the horse under a kitchen chair. And, now this sweet baby is sleeping peacefully in his crib with his horse.

Ben has been obsessed with killer whales lately. He asks about them almost daily. All sorts of questions about what they eat, where they live, how big they are. We have done some research on the computer and looked at a lot of pictures. He found this whale in the bucket of tub toys and decided it was a killer whale and needed a bath. I think he scrubbed on that poor whale for about 30 minutes. No doubt, it's clean.

Good morning

This is how we started out the day. All smiles. Might have helped that I promised them a donut on the way to take Ben to school if they ate a good breakfast.

How I cook

Basically, the more time I spend in preparation, the less chance of food consumption. So, I go for quick and easy. Here's what we did tonight.

Quiche (my sister's recipe - thanks, Amy)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees or higher if you are in a hurry but not more than 350.

Chop some broccoli into smallish pieces and then spread into the bottom of a frozen pie shell.

Add shredded cheese - two or three hand fulls depending on the size of your hand. I prefer a Mexican or pizza blend. Whatever you have in the frig will do.

In a separate bowl, whisk 4 to 5 eggs. (If your "helper" accidentally pulls the egg carton onto the floor when you turn your back for 2.5 seconds and 7 eggs crack - you can scoop up what ever is salvegable and that will do, too.)
Add some whipping cream to the eggs. I've never measured so I'm not sure how much. Probably about 1/4 cup. Milk will do but whipping cream makes for a fluffer quiche.

Salt and Pepper.

Pour egg mixture into pie shell and spread evenly. You can top with more cheese, if you wish. Bake for 30 minutes and then check every 5 or so until it is done. Might take up to 45 minutes for eggs to cook.

Ben wasn't so sure at first glance. Quiche didn't sound good to him, tonight, even though he has eaten bowls full of it in the past.

After some gentle encouragement, he agreed to a bite.

And, surprise, surprise. He liked it. (I knew he would, little Turkey.)

Oh, how I love

this child of mine.

1 on 1

Today I got to spend time with each of my boys by themselves. It was field trip day for Ben's class. My sister and niece hung out with Liam so that I could join Ben for bowling! This was a first for Ben and he loved it. Bowling is now on the list of things to do on rainy days.




Liam and I were home alone this evening and I took the opportunity to cook with my baby. This was the first time Liam has gotten a chance to be the only kid cooking and I must say, he is a natural.

Millie

The boys and I went to visit my 98 year old grandmother this afternoon. These visits can be trying with the boys, as they demand a lot of attention and my grandmother is legally blind and very hard of hearing. Today, however, everyone was just about on the same pace. We ate ice cream sandwiches, danced to a little music and then broke out in a spirited pillow fight.

Liam threw the first pillow. Millie won. Ben went away crying. (She throws a mean pillow for a 98 year old.)

Thankful

It has been a long day and I am very tired.
Both boys struggled at different times during the day.

My heart is heavy for friends and family who are struggling with illness.
I am overwhelmed with grief for the Haitians.

I am reminded, time and time again, how truly blessed I am.
I am thankful for these sweet smiles.

Hide and Seek

We played a good game of hide and seek in the yard today. We hid behind the trash can, in the big bed of shrubs, under the picnic table and behind the tree.


I took this picture while I was hiding behind a big tree in the "island" of our cul-de-sac. I purposely didn't crop it because I was so struck by how small Ben looked in the photo.