The Best Sugar Cookies

My favorite cookies of all time are sugar cookies. I use to love eating my Grandma's on Christmas Eve before I went vegan and decided to find a vegan recipe. I found this one called Just Like Granny B's on Vegweb and let me tell you...I think they are the best I've ever had! I took them to my my families holiday party and everyone loved them. Of course everyone is always hesitant to try any of our vegan food, even though they are always pleasantly surprised! I loved the look on their faces after taking a bite and asking about the recipe and I informed them that tofu is in them,haha.
My brother jokingly asked "there isn't any meat or anything in here is there?" being smart, of course. He took a bite, and I said "nope, just tofu" lol.
They are really soft too, which I love. I think I'll be making some again soon. The only problem is that I can't seem to stop eating them because they are so yummy!

Holy Freaking Cold

We attempted to go sledding today. K had a huge meltdown before we left and refused to wear his snow boots, said it was too sunny outside, you name it. Well, after showing him pictures of Gwen with her Mommy and Daddy sledding...he calmed down and decided he wanted to go sledding too...a box of cookies later and we were in the car and on our way!
When we got to the hill we realized that today probably wasn't the best day for sledding. It was 10 degrees outside and very windy. Unfortunately the hill faced the wind...ouch. It was painfully cold. Certainly not a good idea for a 2 year old. We went down a few times and then Kieran and I sat in the car while Josh and Nevin went down one more time before deciding they had enough.
Oh and I hurt my tail bone...badly. Nevin and I were sliding down together and hit a bump, went flying and my tail bone landed on part of the sled sticking out. I'm still in pain, hours later. I think Nev hit his too. The hills were more like ice than snow from being used a lot. So anyway, it was a fun, but very short time. We'll be going back on a not so windy day. ;)
This is the best picture I got..haha!!

Zoom!

Today I had my teeth professionally whitened with the Zoom! technology. They like to do four 15 min sessions, but I only made it throuh two. Boy am I ever glad I stopped at 2! The dentist told me it might tingle or burn a little and not everyone can made it through all 4 of the sessions. Well, they got me all set up and put the heating lamp on. Almost instantly I could feel a tingle that then turned into burning, towards the end it was getting pretty painful. Then he came back, asked how I was doing and applied more bleach for my 2nd session. The 2nd one got to where it was unbearable and after that was over I told him I had to stop. He told me there would be some sensitivity to my teeth and gums for a few days and that it was normal. He also told me not to eat anything with color for 48 hours...ummm...what? Haha.
So I came home and did some research online. The only things popping up in my Google searches were horror stories. Things like lips swelling and not going down, blisters, one lady mentioned parts of her gums turning black and eventually to yellow and them falling off with new gum underneath. Yuck, I thought...glad that didn't happen to me! Well, I was wrong...later on I looked in the mirror to find that parts of my gum(at the tips where my teeth meet) were dark brown to black! Luckily only on the sides and not the front so it's not so noticeable, but still! I also have some tiny blistering. The only thing that ticks me off is that at my consultation they didn't tell me any of this. They make you pay when you schedule your appt, so after going over everything at my consultation, we paid(and got a great price, btw). They only told me of some of these things after I already paid and right before they started. My teeth are whiter, though. So I'm happy about that. I really wish they would let you come back for the sessions you weren't able to finish, though since my teeth aren't as white as I'd like. They did send me home with trays and a home bleaching kit.
So, would I do this again or recommend it to a friend? Well, I'm torn. It seems to work well for some, but some people have had some serious complications. I think I'd suggest getting some molded trays and bleach for at home use from the dentist instead.

Nevin's 11th Birthday

I just love how he was so sweet to think of his brother. Kieran had said earlier that he wanted to blow the fire "please I blow fire?" and Nevin saved him a candle to blow. He really is the best big brother! I'm so proud of my sweet 11 year old boy.

Cinnamon and Applesauce Ornaments

The boys and I had a lot of fun making these and they smell oh so good!

Here's what you'll need:

Cinnamon- enough for about 2 cups
1 large jar of applesauce
Cookie cutters
Parchment or wax paper

Mix equal parts of applesauce and cinnamon in a bowl:

Have a little taste if you'd like:

Mix until it's a dough consistency:

Roll it out with your hands and/or rolling pin onto the wax or parchment paper:

Use cookie cutters to cut fun shapes:

Use a straw to make holes in the tops:

Then let dry over night:

After they dry, thread ribbon through the holes and hang from your Christmas tree!

With a Corncob Pipe and a Button Nose

Printable Address Labels

I was planning on ordering some Christmas return address labels... when a the thought crossed my mind that maybe, there are some free ones I could find online and print!
After many searches, I found some.
http://www.worldlabel.com/Pages/holidaytemplates.htm
This link above has many different kinds...as well as gift labels at the top.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC011001891033.aspx?CategoryID=CT101467671033
These are fun and festive too!
All you need is a printer, scissors and adhesive! I used my little Xyron, but a glue stick would work just a well.

Vegan Thanksgiving Feast

So I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of what we had for Thanksgiving!



We had Tofurky, stuffing, mashed potatoes,carrots, corn, green beans, cranberry sauce, roasted veggies, mac and cheese, yams, rolls and last, but not least...pumpkin pie! It was all so good.

Happy Birthday Nevin!!

I can't believe my little 5lb 13oz baby boy is now 11 years old!!! It truly amazes me how fast the years have gone by. What a blessing he's been.

We are having a small get together tomorrow with pizza and cake, but we already gave him his present...a laptop! He's always wanting to borrow ours and since he learns at home...it seemed like a great idea and we got a great deal on it! He loves it.

Happy birthday my sweet boy!

Mama Num Num's Are Delicious!

This is Kieran's newest saying. He was nursing and out of the blue said "Mama num num's are delicious!". Usually he says "Mama num num's are so nummy!". It's so cute. He's been saying it for about a week now...at every nursing session. It's pretty rewarding to hear that... not to mention adorable!

A Night Out

Last night I actually went out! I went to my friends holiday party and had such a great time. Being a Mom that does everything revolving around her family, I forgot all about the fun girl I can be. It was nice being her again for a while. Kieran didn't go to sleep until I got home, which was late...kinda thought that might happen. An early bedtime sounds good! :)

Our Thanksgiving was fabulous! I'll post pics of our yummy vegan feast soon.

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!!

A Video of Kieran

Best Friend Mommy

Kieran has recently started calling me his best friend, Mommy. It's so super cute! I don't know where he learned it. If Josh wants to take him to the store without me he'll run to me and say "I want to stay with my best friend Mommy!" or yesterday when he was having pictures taken, he asked the photographer "please, I see my best friend Mommy?". I just love it! He also says please before almost everything. This kid has great manners...saying please, thank you and your welcome. He must have just picked it up from hearing us, as I've never told him he HAD to say them. LOL!

Healing

I am so glad that I will never have to have my wisdom teeth out again. Well, hopefully not! The dentist that came in to remove them decided against removing the top ones because they are so close to my sinuses. It seems to be taking forever for me to heal. The pain is practically gone, but I still have a hard time opening my mouth and it's hard/hurts to chew. It's been about 8 days since they were removed. When I went in for my checkup...the dentist told me the reason for that was due to having extensive work done...he said it was difficult getting the teeth out so they had to do a lot more work in there. They were very impacted and completely sideways. He went into detail, but I won't bore you :P. He seems to think I still need my top out(he's not the one who removed them), but I don't think so! LOL! I have lost a few pounds from this, which is a plus, I guess..haha. I can't wait to eat real food again!
There is only so much smooshed food a person can handle.

Blog Giveaway

Everybody loves free stuff...especially when it's something so pretty!
My very talented and crafty friend, Sarah is giving away a beautiful pair of earrings!

Check out her blog at Wake Up And Live for more details and good luck to you!

Also...check out more of her awesome stuff at Simply Sarah's

Tomorrow is the Day

It's definitely going to happen. I'm getting all of my wisdom teeth out. I talked to the nurse on the phone tonight and went over my health history, breastfeeding concerns, how I'll feel and other things. I'm very nervous. It's crazy...if you cancel... you have to give at least 48 hours notice or they charge you $300! But they can have me come in, get all set up and tell me they messed everything up and can't do the procedure because they weren't prepared? Where is my $300? Hahaha! What if someone came down with the stomach flu in the middle of the night? They have to pay for not coming in? Crazy. I see where they are coming from, but that's a lot of money...on top of how much it already costs. okay, done with my little rant. :P
So I'm nervous. The nurse said I'll be under heavy sedation, but might hear them talking. I'm just worried that I might feel the pain and not be able to tell them, or that I'll have to pee really bad(as I've mentioned before). I have a whole lot of concerns..I guess I'm just a worry wart. I'm sure everything will be fine. I'll be glad to finally have this taken care of. So no food or beverages after midnight. It will all be okay. *sigh*

My Kid's Are Amazing

I get so much joy from being a Mom.

A few nights ago I asked Kieran "want to sing the ABC song?". Totally thinking I'd be singing as he tried to follow along. Well, to my surprise, before I even opened my mouth to sing, he started singing it and sang the whole thing! I was shocked! About at shocked as when he counted up to 10 during the summer. Children are so amazing with the knowledge they absorb.

Tonight Nevin came up to me while I was crocheting and said he was bored. I asked him if he'd like to learn how to crochet and he said "sure, is it hard?". He picked it up rather quickly. He now knows the single chain :). He can be my crochet buddy! He's so proud of himself and I'm proud of him. Not only am I proud that he picked up on it, but even more because he didn't give up when he thought it was too confusing.

Halloween Time

We had such a fun Halloween!

Kieran started the day by painting a pie pumpkin:




Later we set up the candy on the porch with a sign saying to help yourself to a handful. We do this so that we can go out as a family. After having some pizza we headed out for some Trick or Treating! Nevin was an Unknown Phantom(his mask was neat...he could see out, but you couldn't see in). Kieran was a Zebra. He loved showing everyone his tail..."do you see my tail?" They both really enjoyed going out. K was such a big boy about it. He'd walk up and hold his bucket out and say "trick or treat" then he'd say "Thank you" or "Happy Halloween" ...he's getting so big! He was a little freaked out by Nevin's mask, but handled it quite well. Every so often he'd say "hi Nevin" and " Nevin...are you being scary?" and Nevin would say "yup, I'm being scary" and all was okay. I guess it was his little way of making sure everything was okay. :) Nevin was such a good big brother...helping Kieran up and down porch steps.

Since K is vegan...we bought a few bags of vegan friendly candy and when we got home, we quickly swapped out the candy with the new stuff. He was none the wiser to it. I'm curious as to what other vegan kiddo's do on Halloween when it comes to candy?

I hope everyone had a great Halloween! Here are some pics.








As you can see by the picture above...Nevin was soooo done and wanted me to stop taking pictures already! Hahaha.

11 Years...

is how long Josh and I have been married! Today was our Anniversary. 11 years ago me, a 7 month pregnant 19 year old and Josh a 20 year old geek decided on a whim to get married. We drove down to Ohio with the little money we had on a cold and rainy day to elope. Told nobody. We panicked a little thinking we weren't going to make it before it closed...turns out we just didn't turn back the clock in the car ! When we got there we realized that it cost more than we had on us. So the nice man waited around while Josh ran to the ATM. When he returned...he informed us that the machine ate his card! Yikes! The man was so nice. He wrote down his home address and told us to send him the $20.00 whenever we could and he went ahead and married us anyway! Seemed like all odds were against us but it kept working out...and look at us now! We took one picture of ourselves with a disposable camera held out in front of us. We no longer have the picture, but the memory holds strong. That was the beginning of our loving, complicated, crazy, fun, stressful,wonderful marriage that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Happy Anniversary Josh! I love you.

I Can Double Crochet Now

Yay! It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Now on to learning more.

Oh. I finished a scarf and now have two wash cloths or dish rags. Not sure of their purpose yet.

As soon as I get my camera working I'll post pics.

Sick Again

Can you believe I'm sick again??? This never happens to me...back to back. I thought that I would be lucky and not get sick again for a while and that I already did my time..haha. It seems to be the same exact thing as before too. Not cool.

Baths Were Never So Much Fun

On Sweetest Day we went to the mall. We decided to go our separate ways for a short while and when we met back up, Josh surprised me with a gift! There is a store there called LUSH. I 1st heard of the place from my sister in-law who lived in Oregon for a while. She raved about it! I had always meant to order online, but just never got around to it. Then I found out that our mall just opened a Lush store! Yippee! That place is awesome. Most of the things they carry are vegan and have it listed. So this is what he got me...

Floating Island Bath Melt


Bathos Bubble Bar


Sex Bomb Bath Bomb


I just used the Sex Bomb and let me tell you...it is heavenly!

So of course I had to go and check the place out for myself. I needed shampoo anyway. ;)
So I got some shampoo bars. I was worried they wouldn't work well, but they work fantastically!


I also got some conditioner

They even gave me a couple free goodies. :)
I know what I want I want in my stocking for Christmas!

Vegan Hamburger Helper

I had a craving for Hamburger Helper last night. For what reason, I don't know. I haven't had it in so long that I don't think I even remember what it tastes like!
It's loaded with soy product, so it's not something to eat ALL the time, but it's a great comfort food. :) Here is the recipe I found.
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1 package burger-style crumbles (Smart Ground brand recommended)
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup vegan cheddar shreds
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
dash of hot sauce
green onions for garnish

Directions:

Cook the macaroni, drain and set aside.

In a saute pan over medium heat, mix together veggie burger crumbles, tomato sauce, hot sauce and spices. Add soy milk and veggie shreds, stirring until smooth.

Mix in macaroni, add a little salt and pepper, top with a handful of chopped green onions, cook until just thickened.

Makes a yummy, healthier version of the old school cheeseburger macaroni!

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 30 min


I changed a few things. I added more "cheese" than it called for, added some liquid Braggs and a can of diced tomatoes. I chose not to use hot sauce. It was pretty tasty and I had the left overs for lunch today. The whole family gobbled it up!

Vegan Boys Shoes

So I've always found it difficult to find non-leather shoes for Kieran. There seems to be an abundance for girls, woman and men, but for boys it's so hard! If I am lucky enough to find a pair they are so stiff that K can't walk good. We have a couple pair of canvas shoes, but in the winter I think it would be best to have something warmer. Here in Michigan we have some harsh winters and we are in for a good one! Last winter we stuck with the canvas ones and just doubled his socks. But he's 2 now and all over the place. I can order some vinyl squeaky shoes(he had some last year), but I'd love to get him some flexible tennis shoes. If anyone knows of any...please share with me!
This brings me to something I've had on my mind. A while back I read an article in VegNews. It was asking veg*n's if they would buy leather shoes if bought at a second hand store. A lot said yes and some said no. I can see the reasoning on both sides. I mean...if someone gave me a pair of used shoes and they were made of leather. Wouldn't it be a waste to just throw the out instead of putting them to good use? I wouldn't purposely go out to a regular store and buy them, but I think this is different. Then again, I think the thought of knowing I'm wearing "leather" might freak me out. I don't know. I was just considering finding some hand be downs or used shoes at the Salvation Army or something. Then it wouldn't be so bad?
A lot of people probably think it's silly that I'm struggling so much with this, but I'm sure some of you veg*ns out there understand! LOL.

New Hair

So here is my new do. I'm still getting use to the bangs, but they are growing on me. It really does make me look so different! My G-ma told me I look 12 like this...lol. It's fun getting different styles and mixing things up a bit. I'm letting the bangs grow a little longer, but keeping them and then maybe dying it dark? We'll see. It's all fun.

Funny Things Kieran Says, Birthday Party and Visiting Grandma

A couple nights ago while sitting in bed, Kieran put his hands on his head...by the bottom of his neck and made a grunting sound while pushing up. He looked at me and did it again saying "I take my face off" and "I can't get it off"...tried a few more times and said "Mama Take Kieran's face off". It cracked Josh and I up!!
Then yesterday at the mall, Josh took him on the elevator. He's been on them before, but these are different. They are glass so you can see out and watch as you go up and down. Well when they started to go Kieran said "We're flying!" in much excitement and when they got off K said "We were in a airplane!". He told me all about it and later we went back on the "airplane". He was so cute! He really thinks it's an airplane...or as he calls it the "little airplane". He's been asking to go on the BIG airplane now. He must remember from our trip to Florida. He liked to watch out the window as we took off.
This morning when K woke up J said "Come on Bat Man" Kieran looked at him funny so J said you're wearing a Bat Man shirt. So K looked at him in all seriousness and said "I not Bat Man...I Kieran". Hahahaha. I just love this age!

Nevin went to a Birthday Party at the mall yesterday(reason we were there) and his friend had it at a place called Ridemakerz. It's really cool. Like a build a bear for cars! You get to design your own car and come back and add more too it...make it remote control..anything. Nev can't wait to go back! He had a great time. After the mall we went to Baby Bliss(the new store is awesome) and picked up our Training pants order. It's hard finding Cloth training pants in K's size. He's just 22-23lbs and so many start at 30lbs! these were in his size range so I'm hoping they will work.

We went to my Grandma's last night and she showed me so many old pictures. It's so neat seeing my Great Grandparents, Great Great Grandparents and aunts and uncles. And learning so much about them. Well, I guess I've heard the same story a million times...but I NEVER get sick of hearing them! It also makes my Grandma so happy. We ended up ordering Pizza(no cheese for us vegans) and stayed pretty late. The kids just adore her.

Spell It Out

I belong to a group over on Flickr called iSpy started by my friend Tabitha. Each week someone posts a challenge. This week the challenge was called Spell It Out. This is what I came up with...taking full advantage of our Halloween decorations.

Halloween

We are just about done putting up the Halloween decorations here. Well, Kieran will be re-decorating for the duration of them being up..hehe! I love Halloween!
We went to the costume store last night and N and I got our costumes. Hubby isn't sure what to be yet and I think I'll have to order K's online. We are so excited!

OMG...Bangs

So I posted an entry yesterday and there was an error when I tried to publish it and...I lost the whole thing! Nothing ticks me off more.

Okay. Well, Saturday I went to get my hair done. I casually mentioned to my hair stylist about getting bangs. Not the side swept bangs I had, but REAL bangs. He thought it was a fantastic idea. I told him I wasn't quite ready for them yet. Well, later on he says...so how about those bangs...are we going for it? I thought to myself "why the heck not? Don't be such a wuss" and said "Yes". So he cut them. They looked great. I mentioned maybe him cutting them just the teeniest bit shorter and he did. Boy did that make a difference. He cut them much shorter than I wanted and now they look uneven(though he may have done that on purpose...I really don't think so). I do not like them them. I don't know what I was thinking. Yes I do..I was bored. Haha! I haven't had bangs since grade school. It's so strange. Josh said he likes them. I just feel so, well, different. I'm so not use to this look. I'll get use to it, I'm know, but I won't be keeping these. Start the grow out process...now.
If I get brave enough, I might post a picture of my new do. No promises, though. :P

So Many Projects

Since learning how to crochet I've started so many things, but haven't finished any of them. LOL! So at the moment I'm making 2 blankets, one dish cloth, and 2 scarves. I guess now I'll have some variety to work with. ;) I still only know the single crochet and haven't learned how to add another color or finish things off properly...I'll have to do that soon! I'm excited to learn some different techniques, but I'm also afraid that I won't be able to figure it out. I wish I knew someone that could teach me hands on. I'm thankful to You Tube, though...they work much better than books for me! K likes to "make" things too. It's cute watching him struggle with the hook and yarn...twirling it all around. I told N that I'd teach him how too.

Speaking of N...he had his 1st guitar lesson at the music store up the street from our house last night. He loved it! He can't wait to go back. I'm happy because he was a bit hesitant on going because he was nervous. He made the deal that if he didn't like it..he wouldn't have to go back. Today he can't stop asking how soon he can go back! :)

Sick

Man, we've been struck with a yucky virus in this house! 1st N, then me and K and now I think Josh is getting it. Symptoms include(but not limited to):
-Snotty nose
-Sore throat
-Ear pain(as if your ears may explode)
-Fever
-Muscles/body aches
-Headache
and even a little nausea/puking on my part.
This seems to be going around in our area. I hope it doesn't find you!
Nevin seems to be just about over it and it will hopefully leave K and I soon. We are already feeling a bit better than a few days ago. I'm just hoping it's minor fro Josh...poor guy's gotta work!

Go Figure!

So I was nervous all night, all morning and then get in the dentist chair, have the bib on, the dentist comes it and says "So we're taking out a wisdom tooth today" and I say "actually all 4" he looks confused, looks at the x ray and says "oh boy" I can't do those. We have to have another surgeon come out for this". Um...yeah I knew that! The appt was made weeks ago they have my records and x rays and the appt was made for 4 extractions with sedation. UGH! So I was actually really relieved...hehe! But also frustrated since I was all geared up and ready...gave myself many pep talks as did my hubby. They are going to call me Monday to and let me know when they can fit me in.

We ended up having a fantastic day. We went to a little downtown area near here and went to a consignment shop where we sold some clothing and also bought some, and got a puzzle for K. Then we went to a Japanese restaurant and had a yummy lunch. Then went to Baby Bliss and got a pair of shoes, a dress up magnet doll that K is just loving!

and this game for Nevin

which seems really cool.
We had a great conversation with the owner there. She is such a nice lady. She told us about how they are expanding their store! They will now have a much bigger space with lots more goodies! I can't wait to see it. She also told us that her nephews name is Kieran. I love to hear stuff like that, since people seem so surprised when they hear his name...like it's so different. I've now heard of about 4 Kieran's :).
Then when we thought we were all done...we decided to stop into another consignment shop and found this!

I just looked it up on Oompa Toys and it's listed for $46.99 and we got it for 14 bucks! Score! Though it is missing a few blocks. Kieran loves it. He is just so eager to learn and soaks things up like a sponge.
We ended our eventful day at the park. The weather was so gorgeous today!
It was much better than having my wisdom teeth removed. Haha! ;)

A Little Beck

Welcome to Jukebox Friday!


So we went to the cider mill today! We got some yummy apple cider slush's. They are so good. Nevin and Kieran both made friends and played and fed the ducks. Kieran got a real kick of of that! It was a beautiful day.

I'm still real nervous about tomorrow. Maybe I should just ask them to take two out and the other 2 some other time? I'm not looking forward to this. Ugh.

Scaredy Cat

Tomorrow morning I am having my wisdom teeth removed...all FOUR. I'm terrified! The dentist told me that it's going to be a bit difficult for them and that they'll be cutting at bone to get them out. They've needed to come out since I was a teen. So they'll be knocking me out...which also worries me. I'll just be passed out. So weird! And what f I have to pee? What then? That's another huge concern. Also...what if K is all freaked out when my face is swollen? Still..I think I'm mostly worried about having to pee. I have such a weak bladder! No coffee for me tomorrow, that's for sure! So any of you that have had this done. Approximately how long does the procedure last? How will I feel? How long does it take to heal and what do I eat?
Thanks! LOL!

So my friend Leah posted this on her blog and it put me in such a better mood that I wanted to share it here! Hope it puts a smile on your face. Cheesy...yes, but you can't help but be in a good mood after watching! :)

A Loss

It's been a sad past week/weekend. Dear friends of ours lost their baby boy just days before his due date. My heart breaks for them. I wish I could take the pain away or make things better somehow. I know there is nothing I can do. I just cannot even imagine. Things like this are so unfair. Please keep them in your thoughts, prayers, or whatever it is you believe.

Family Fun Day

On Sunday we went down to Ann Arbor on a whim and had a great time! We went to the book store and picked up a few books...Veganomicon, 5 Little Pumpkins Sitting On A Gate(for K), a star Wars book(for N)and a couple others and just walked around downtown and through some alleys looking at graffiti. After that we went to Seva( a vegetarian/vegan restaurant) for dinner. I LOVE this place! If only it weren't so expensive. It's just so nice not having to worry about anything or wondering if they will have something for us to eat. I didn't even think about taking pictures until we were almost finished...well they were, I'm a slow eater ;). Well here are some pics of our half eaten food. I had breakfast for dinner. Josh had Pasta Alla Bosca Nevin had a grilled Tofurkey sandwich Kieran had Penne Pasta with tomato sauce. Everyone was happy with what they got. Yum yum yum! After dinner the kids each got some sorbet to go and Josh and I split a piece of cake. While walking back to the car we heard Michael Jackson music playing. When we followed the sound we found this guy!

From what I found out...he regularly puts on these performances. We stayed and watched for a few songs and tipped him. Kieran was mesmerized and Nevin thought the guy was so cool(he use to be a huge Michael Jackson fan). It was a fun and adventurous day!

Progress

I made this little thing. It's nothing really. Maybe it could be a Barbie blanket? Hehe! I gave it to Kieran and he said "Make bigger one" , so that's what I'm doing! I'm making him the baby blanket that this yarn was originally meant for. I find that I tend to make it smaller and smaller as I work my way up. I need to work on getting my loops all the same size. The 1st 2 rows look a bit messy, but I'm getting better! Nevin has asked for a red blanket, so after K's I'll be starting on his. This is going to take some time for sure! I love it, though. It gives me something to do while watching movies and shows on my laptop. It's also relaxing. I haven't started learning anything fancy yet...still the single chain, but I'll get there.

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

Finally! I now own this book. I cannot wait to get started on making some cupcakes! The only problem is deciding which kind to make first. They all look so yummy! Just looking at the photo's in the book makes me drool! Yum yum yum.

Crochet

So I was inspired by my dear friend Sarah to learn how to crochet. I bought this yarn and a "learn to crochet kit" from Michael's when I was pregnant with Kieran. I so wanted to make him a baby blanket! Well, I just couldn't get the hang of it and gave up. I picked it back up last night and with the help of some You Tube video's I'm figuring it out. This is what I have so far. I know...it doesn't look great, but I'm a beginner! LOL! I am determined this time!

Kieran's Songs

Kieran really likes music. The one he's been asking to listen to, or watch most recently is Song 2 -by Blur(or as K calls it "wahoo"). He loves watching this vid and talking about playing the guitar and drums(he loves pretending to "play drums" and guitar).

Some others are Bumble Bees -by Murmurs, I Like Birds -by Eels and last but certainly not least...ANYTHING by Raffi!!

Feeling Crappy

Flu, food poisoning, my cycle, depression, sleep deprivation...all or most of the above? I don't know. But I do feel crappy. I woke up with the worst cramps, very tired and now I just puked...wonderful. I'm shaky, and the room is spinning. Not sure whats going on, but I hope it passes soon!

Bath Time Fun

I got this great idea from Dayna over at The Sparkling Martins. We mixed food coloring and water and froze into ice cubes. I'm thinking next time that we might use more food coloring and less water. Regardless...Kieran loved them! Even after going through 3 trays worth he wanted more. Some of the colors bled into the others while in the trays, but Kieran didn't seem to mind one bit. :)
I think we'll be doing this again tomorrow since it was such a hit!






Then we had some fun with the colander!


Being silly!


We also went to the teacher store today and picked up some fun educational things for the boys. A couple books...one about Egypt and one about Reefs, a word search and hidden picture book and a United States puzzle for N. Some foam Nuudles, a little play thing with cars, boats, airplanes for K as well as cookie cutters for Play Doh.

I had the Nuudles when Nevin was real little and he loved them! He still does and Kieran had a great time playing with them tonight.

Festival

Yesterday we went to the Ypsilanti Festival. It was great! We watched a band play, saw clowns, went on some inflatables(there was a tall shark slide I went down with Nevin), played instruments, watched a rubber duck race, learned, played and just had fun! Some pictures from the fun event... There was this girl and a guy pretending to be statues. I took a lot more pics but my camera wasn't working properly and half of my pictures weren't on the card. :/ This band playing on the street.Kieran got quite a kick out of it. Played drums(I'd say this was the highlight of our day)! We played with water and cornstarch. This was really neat and we plan on making this at home soon. They also had a toddler area with tons of toys! Kieran had lots of fun here.