You Should Be Jealous...

So I don't know what gasoline costs all of you (that are out of the Springfield area)...but this is where we are sitting today! :) Making me do some more Suburban dreaming...ha ha!

Totally Tuckered Out!

So I have to admit that this is only the second (maybe third?) time one of my kids has fallen asleep in their high chair. I feel like such a bad mom! We had a late night on Friday, Ellie was chilling nicely in her high chair Saturday morning while I did some chores...and the next thing I know, she's totally out! The funny thing about my kids when they sleep is that they almost always look like they are faking it. :) But she stayed out for a few hours--don't worry, I did move her to her bed after the photo opportunity!

Carrott Fries!!

Okay, dinner tonight was a total hit...worthy of a blog post! Anyone else ever get those fliers from school that are SO ANNOYING?! You know the ones, where they tell you how to feed and raise your kids? :) Well, the other day I happened to be reading one--don't really know why--and I saw a fun recipe for carrott fries. It sounded yummy...I like carrotts, and so do most members of my household--except Gracie. She is my pickiest eater BY FAR! Everything I make is totally disgusting and makes her want to throw up. I figured I would try a new spin on the carrotts and see if they might find their way down her digestive tract...and sure enough, she loved them! The picture is PROOF!

In case you want to make carrott fries of your own...toss carrott sticks with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 425 for about 10-15 minutes. Wa-la! Yummy carrott fries! I even kept mine under the broiler for just a few minutes--because I like to put everything under the broiler for extra-toastiness.

The other picture is one of my very favorite cookbooks. "Deceptively Delicious"--GREAT!! I don't really have a problem getting my family to eat fruits and vegetables, they actually inhale fruit like it's straight sugar, and they all have several vegetables they like. But I really love the idea of adding even more nutrients to my meals (and flavor!), it makes a mom feel good. Some of our favorites are pumpkin pancakes (or sometimes sweet potato), chicken kabobs with pineapple and sweet potato, macaroni and cheese with cauliflower, and pita pizzas with spinach. I do have a few pointers of my own to add, though...

*instead of storing your purees in a large quantity, freeze them in ice cube trays first...each cube is a few tablespoons and it's easier to defrost just what you need for each recipe than to chisel out the amount from a large mass...

*if you aren't into making the purees, jars of baby food are perfect!!!!! it's not as "economical" as the other ways, but much easier to add a #3 jar of sweet potatoes to my pancake mix than steam and puree the real thing all weekend long. it is really the same thing, anyways!

So that's about all I have to add for tonight...now go and make delicious and healthy meals for your families!!

Tag Again...Sorta!

Okay, so this time I kinda "tagged" myself...I read this cute tag on Brittany's blog and thought I would do it too. Sorry if that's lame! I am really in the mood to add something to my blog and Dave has my camera, so...I'll do this picture-less post! Enjoy!

I am...tired! Oh, my name? Amy Petersen Brown
I think...cheese is the most perfect food
I want...to take a REAL vacation with my family!
I have...so many blessings
I miss...my mom, of course! Can anyone else believe she's been gone for over 7 years?!
I fear...cancer and spiders
I feel...like the luckiest girl ever!
I hear...the phone ringing, my kids throwing stuff downstairs, and the dryer buzzing...
I smell...chili in the crock-pot! yum!
I crave...lately it's been salty stuff
I cry...when i get overwhelmed
I search...for shoes, always for shoes!
I wonder...if i'll ever sleep through the night?!
I regret...not having more direction during my college planning. And also, that I didn't get that last pair of jeans in my size, now they're gone!
I wish...to see my mom and Amanda again
I love...my husband and my children, and brownies
I care...what my kids look like when we go out in public
I always...feel grateful
I worry...about too many things, and probably not enough about some things!
I am not...crafty. Not even close!
I remember...phone numbers and license plates
I believe...that the Church is true!!
I sing...to the radio in the car
I don't always...make my bed. It seem silly to make it when I'm just going to get back in it!
I argue...when I think I'm right. :)
I write...oops, not as often as I should. Which is funny because I actually love to write!
I lose...my patience all the time
I listen...to my kids' talk about their day
I can usually be found...at the computer! Or at Walmart!
I need...a good massage and a pedicure
I forget...to write down my kids' reading minutes on their reading logs!
I am happy...most of the time!

So I'm just gonna tag anyone who reads this, because I have no idea who actually does and I would feel really stupid tagging someone who isn't even remotely interested in my life. :) I'll hopefully be posting some pictures of my beautiful bride sister soon!

Spencer

Spence cheesin' it up while I am trying to keep him entertained at the doctor's office...just moments after this shot he tore the place up--but it's grins for now!
He loves to have his picture taken, but it's hard for him to wait far enough away, he always wants to see it! I barely caught him on this one before he came to see what it looked like.
The other night Spence was coloring at the table, I was folding laundry and Dave was doing some homework...we looked up and found this! Crashed! So adorable, he's so sweet when he's asleep!

Just a few more musings on Spencer Dew...he has really taken to his name lately. When we try to call him anything other than Spencer he says "No, I Spencer!"...Anytime I say "I love you" he always says "I love you, too" and usually gives me a little kiss...If I ask him who his best friend is he says "You!"...This kid is a hugger! I love that he will just randomly, in the middle of some serious play, come and give me a hug and kiss and then go back to his very important business. Spencer is probably the greatest source of laughter in our home, he is all boy and all joy and I just love his little face! This little kid rocks my world! I love you, Dew!

Ellie's on the GO!!

Ellie the jellybean is a crawler! I can't believe it came so quickly! We are back to gating the stairs and being better at sweeping the kitchen floor. :) Her favorite thing is to find paper items on the floor and eat them up! For example...business cards, magazines, homework--that's a new one, huh? My baby sister ate my homework! She also is great at finding the dirtiest shoes and chewing on them, gross! The other day at soccer practice she totally chowed down on a grass salad...what can i say? She's a health freak! She is also a very loud growler, I usually cannot take her into Sunday School with me, she is so loud that no one can hear the teacher! I know I say it every time I post about her, but she is really so much fun! I am so glad she decided to come to our family, what would we do without her?

FUNKY

Joe's class reached their "compliment goal" and decided that to celebrate they would have CRAZY FUNKY DAY!!! This meant they could wear funny clothes and silly hair...so Joe wore his clothes inside out, mismatched socks and shoes, and wanted little ponytails in his hair! He was way overdue for a haircut, so it wasn't as hard as you might think to get those little elastics in his hair. He didn't like having it done, though! You should have heard the moans and seen the tears, he is so grateful to not be a girl! ha ha But the pain paid off...Dr. Kopp (the principal) was the judge and Joe won "FUNKIEST BOY", mostly due to the fine work of his mom!