Molokai

If it is cool and cloudy where you are (as it is here), click this link, enter the site, turn up your speakers and envision yourself on your own private beach sipping a drink with an umbrella in it. We are in the process of cementing our reservation for this fall, which gives us a full half year to anticipate, prepare and look forward...

All Hail the Dunkin' Dinner

For whatever reason, the chances of my children eating their food has a direct correlation to how the food looks and how easy it is to pick up. Thus, our first Dunkin' Dinner - featuring my first attempt at chicken nuggets (surprisingly easy, quick, tasty and fun to pick up and toss down the pie hole).

Chicken O'Nuggets (yes, O' instead of Mc for this house...)
The recipe's from this month's Family Circle (which Maggie and I mistakenly swiped from Freddie's last week - but that's another story...)

1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast, cut into nugget-size pieces
1/3 cup light mayo
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper

Mix the mayo and mustard together.
Mix the bread crumbs, garlic powder and thyme (and S&P) together in a pie pan.
Heat oven to broil.
Split the mustard mixture in half. Set half aside for dipping.
Brush chicken nuggets with mustard mixture.
Toss them into the breadcrumb mixture to coat.
Put them on a cookie sheet and broil for about 10 minutes - turning them over halfway through.

Ta-da! EAT!

The dunkin' dinner also featured cut-up veggies (The girls are deep into a love affair with cucumbers and have a long-standing relationship with grape tomatoes. I also bought some petite-hand-sized sweet peppers of various colors at Costco which are going over well.) And, there was also French bread to dip in olive oil/balsamic vinegar.

A little salad dressing, a little ketchup, and we're good to go.

Drama Queen

Can you tell what that face is saying? It is saying, "Do NOT take my picture! LEAVE me alone! I don't WANT to walk with you!" Yes, her t-shirt does actually say, "The World Needs Drama Queens" - but if anyone's asking, we have plenty here at our house. How was that shirt selected, you may wonder? After an exhaustive process that involved ripping every shirt out and trying as many on as possible in order to find one that was the perfect length so as not to in any way compromise the effect of the tutu. What are Mondays for if not to indulge the kids, right? The only thing I could think of doing instead was going to PetSmart and looking at the animals, and letting Mags dress herself did keep us busy for quite some time - and minimized our carbon footprint for the day. It also facilitated the spring cleaning goal of ridding Mags' closet of the clothes that no longer fit.



This picture is taken with the zoom lens from the street as Maggie steadfastly (and loudly) refuses to walk to the mailbox with Ellie and me because she does not have a purse. And SHE NEEDS A PURSE TO GO TO THE MAILBOX. AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!



Here, in a fine shot of sisterly love, Maggie has ripped Ellie's magazine (that Ellie and I retrieved from the mailbox) out of Ellie's little hands. You can almost hear Maggie saying, "Ellie, you're such a little kiss ass... Giggling and snuggling with Mama all the time. When I go join the circus, I'm not letting you come with me."

How to send chills down the spines of friends without toddlers

Ellie's room, sometime this morning, from her perspective:

"Hmm, I know I have poop in my diaper, but it feels a little different than usual. I wonder what's going on down there..."

"...Oh! I know! I'll just stick my hand down there in the back just... like... this... Wait a second... YUCK!"

"Wow, what the *^$! is that on my hand??? If I can just wipe if off with the other one... Oh no, there's poop on my sheet now, too... and both hands... and my little pillow!"

"...Well, this sucks. What to do? Mom doesn't know I'm awake yet. Hmm... Let me think... I'm just having trouble clearing my head over this... and the smell... it's kinda distracting..."

"...Gosh, I always do my best thinking when I put ONE THUMB IN MY MOUTH AND MY OTHER HAND IN MY HAIR!!! Why didn't I think of that sooner??? I hope I don't get too much of this poop on my face..... Oh, yeah! If I cry loudly enough, I bet Mom will come in and take care of things. WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAA, MAMAMAMAMA!!!!!"

(Edited to incorporate her father's feedback: "Of course she knows what's down there. It obviously had to do with all of the chili she's been eating." As her mother, I have to admit that this is 100% true. The girl loves her chili, and clearly has Jay connected the dots accurately. Pretty insightful there, Husband. Good job.)

What a difference a week makes!

Thanks be to the weather gods for offering up days like this on a weekend! It's back to clouds and rain today, but still not nearly as cold as it has been. Hopefully May will bring spring with it.

We took advantage of the sun Saturday morning to go to Lewisville Park just north (2 miles) of Battle Ground (if that gets your attention, Pops...)

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention this...

You be the one to try to tell Mags she can't wear her spring clothes in the snow. This was last Sunday.

Because that last post was kind of gross...

Here are some pictures of the girls, little rays of sunshine that they are... Just Ellie eating oatmeal in her hat and Mags by the fabulous Bisquick Cheeseburger Pie that we made for "Girls Pajama Night" when Jay went to a Blazer's game with Ric and Ray (in a rare demonstration of male bonding on this street that did not involve power tools, explosives or fire).