What We're Saying Lately

Sometimes it is just funny to listen to what comes out of Gavin and Graeme.  Words, that is.  Lately, they have a few gems that keep coming up, so I thought I'd share them.  You'll notice there's a theme.

Gavin and Graeme's Top Phrases:

1. Graeme: "I peed in your driveway!"  (flowers, tree, grass, etc.)
2. Gavin: "Did someone say poop?" OR "What's that your poop?"
3. Graeme: "Emergency!  Emergency!"  (when he has to go, of course, usually while driving on the freeway)
4. Both: "Wait for it... wait for it... wait for it..." (followed often by a fart noise, learned from cousins Connor and Cole)
5. Both: "Marmaduke, WHAT did you EAT?"  (also learned from Connor and Cole)
6. Graeme:  the ever-present, sing-songy "WHY?"
7. Gavin: ending any comment with "ya poop!"

This was a lot more interesting before I began writing it down.  As soon as I sit down to write the cute things escape and leave the poop talk.  But, really, it is clear that I do have two boys and they are growing up to be just that.  Sweet, but very potty-talk-oriented.

Graeme also has some gem facial expressions when he gets upset with someone (usually me).  I've tried to capture them here, but these are (alas) fakes as I never have my camera when he's really doing them.

 Best Approximation

Except that when he really does it, you can't see his eyes. 

Just the furrowed brow.

Here's Gavin's version, as he does it too.  

It wasn't till after the picture I realized he's chewing on his sock.  

Eww.

What's Going On?

Lately, I've been working slowly toward putting together a website for more work oriented issues: health, wellness, happiness, fun, yoga, sanity, organization, etc.  So, I wanted to ask:

What are the things you're most interested in reading about in terms of personal health and well-being?

What issues are the biggest struggles in getting through the day or moving forward toward your dream?

What are the topics that you're just a little bit afraid to deal with or areas where change would be difficult?

What is going well, and how can you get more of it?

I'll still, of course, be writing here and posting about our life and the boys.  Just hoping that my new site, when it is finished, will be relevant and fun to read as well!

Please help me out and leave comments about what's going on with you, your friends, or family that you'd be interested in exploring.

Just for the record...

I did jinx myself.  Turns out when you have distractions at home, potty training goes out the window.  Good practice, I suppose, as long as the friends you have over are very understanding!

Remarkably Yummy!

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a month!  When my parents came to visit, we made it for them and, though a little suspect at first, it turned out to be remarkably yummy.  The sauce would be great on anything savory.  The recipe is from the Top Foods Summer magazine, which I can't find online (alas), as a link would be much faster!  The recipe itself is quite simple, so you can still chat, drink wine, and cook without stressing.

"Dry-Spiced" Flank Steak with Pomegranate-Thyme Reduction Sauce


Ingredients
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1 Tbs. ground coriander
1.5 tsp. smoked paprika
1.5 tsp salt
3 lbs. flank steak (though this would be equally good, I think, on chicken, pork, or whatever vegetarians eat ;)
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup red wine (drink rest while cooking and chatting)
1 Tbs. soy sauce
2.5 Tbs. sugar
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, chilled
3 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste

How To:
1.  Mix cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and salt in bowl.  Rub onto both sides of steak and refrigerate uncovered 6-12 hours.  (Read: do it the night before or first thing in the morning.)
2.  Combine pomegranate juice, red wine, soy sauce, and sugar in medium sauce pan.  Add garlic and bring to boil.  Lower heat to medium and cook about 25 minutes until reduced to 3/4 cup.  Whisk in butter and thyme leaves.  Salt and pepper to taste.  (This could be made ahead too and warmed to serve.)
3.  Grill steak.  Timing on this depends on the thickness of the steak and how you like it done.  So grill like you normally would - sear each side for a few minutes, etc.  Or cook inside with olive oil.
4.  Serve with sauce. Garnish with thyme if you want presentation.

Yum!

Next Chapter: Big Kid

I fully realize writing this post might jinx the progress we've made on the subject of potty training, but I'm prepared for any relapses.  So I thought I'd share.  Without too much detail. 

As of this weekend, Graeme is officially a Big Kid and out of diapers!  Sweet!  After speaking with another mom about a 3-day intensive potty training method, I decided to try it on our little guy.  A few dry mornings and the fact that he hide somewhere every time No. 2 came along gave me the clue that he might be ready to try the next step in socially acceptable behavior. 

Enter Diego mini-potty and three days with no pants.  For Graeme.

I gave Gavin the option to participate in "Naked Day", but he opted out with a furrowed brow of disapproval at the thought.  (Not that Gavin doesn't like running around naked like all other kids; he's just developed a habit of getting dressed first thing in the morning.  Choosing only from 4 favorite shirts and 3 pairs of pants.  All other clothing is unacceptable.)

Back to no pants. To put your mind at ease - particularly if you come over to our house often - I rolled up the carpets and didn't let Graeme sit on the couches while pantless.  Remarkably, we had only a few accidents!  (None of them were very messy either which was great... not to say that couldn't still happen. But...)  I stayed with him the whole three days and the accidents, of course, happened when I wasn't right with him. He got a jelly bean every time he went without fussing.  Within the week, he is noticing when he has to go, and doing it all himself.  We've ventured out more and more and things are getting to be normal.  He's been dry at night as well, as long as he doesn't go to bed really early.  He is very proud of himself too, which is the cutest part.

Now the project is weaning him off jelly beans!  

What a Picture is Worth...

To make up for all the blog posts I meant to write thus far this summer... snapshots of our world.  (Ok, well of the bees in our garden.)  After years with this camera, I've figured out how to do super zoom (and, yes, I know that's extremely technical language).  Now I've got lots of pictures of bees.  And my boys.

 Though the flower is on the way out, the bee is still having fun!

Afternoon sun highlighting a zinnia, accompanied by bolted cilantro (coriander).

Cute kid No.1 swimming in grandma's pool.

Cute kid No. 2, who jumped off the diving board multiple times.  

(Floaties on, for the record.)

We got to hike Tiger Mountain while the kids were at grandma's.

They totally changed the trail in the 5 years since we'd been there!  

Yikes!

 

Carrots in the garden.  Biggest ever!  

It helps to be away a lot so the carrots actually have a chance to grow without being pulled too early by little munchkins.

Happy bee in our only sunflower open thus far.

Rollin' in pollen.  Looks fun!

Yum!  Raspberries!  

Alas, the season is over for our hard working plants, but we got a lot of raspberries out of them.  

The boys enjoyed them thoroughly!

Last, another friend from the garden.  A cool, striped dragonfly.  There has been a hummingbird buzzing around too (they are remarkably loud), but he was too fast for my shutter finger.

("Pay no attention to the weed in the garden bed beside me," says dear dragonfly.)  

I try to get most weeds, but gave up on the clover.

An unfortunate decision, as it is now everywhere!