Father's Day Weekend

Father's day seems like such a long time ago.

Beloise has been potty training this week and I loaded these pictures on Monday thinking I would get to writing and posting them. Here it is Friday and they are still just sitting here.

Last Friday the weather was decent. So my Beloved made a fire in the fire pit and we gorged ourselves on marshmallows.

Check out Ballerina's Marshmallow stache.

Not to be outdone Beloise is sporting a mallow-tee.

I love to watch my Beloved with his girls. 

These two I tell ya'

This is normally what I get when I try and take a nice picture. We have several sets of at least 10 self-portraits where I was just trying to get ONE normal one. This man has more facial expressions then I ever thought possible. I have about two.

Fire-pit-family-time wouldn't be complete without Penelope.

Like I said. . . 

Saturday morning we had breakfast on the back deck. I made a DE-lish ham and cheese skillet strata. You know how you usually have to let it sit over night? I picked up a few cookbooks from the library and happened to pick up one that unbeknownst to me is full of over 200 recipes that take 30 minutes or less. In said cookbook was a recipe for a spinach and goat cheese skillet strata. My Beloved is not a fan of non-cheddar cheese so I knew that wouldn't fly. So I altered it a bit by adding his favorite ingredient, ham, and he loved it. 

After breakfast it was time for worship. Beloise hid in a box to pray. . . Daniel had his closet Beloise has her box.

After worship we headed down to Boot Barn in Troutdale to pick up Daddy's Father's day gift. I didn't know what to get him so I had him guess the two things I was thinking of and then he chose which of the two. It was either a new fishing pole, his good one was stolen with his truck years ago, or this cowboy hat that he has had his eye on for a few months now. You should have heard our guessing conversation it was hilarious. At one point he had me envisioning a fishing pole flying North. In the end he guessed them both and even he couldn't decide so we asked Ballerina if there was one that she wanted to get Daddy more than the other and she chose the hat. Ballerina also picked out a Waterlily for the pond, that he had been looking at. When I asked Beloise what she wanted to get Daddy for Father's Day she said Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. So we got him a Bible, as well.

After naps the girls were delighted to find letters from Aunt Nay in their mail box.

~And So That's What She Did.

P.S. I am fighting with my new photo program and it is winning. Therefore not all the pictures are edited, oh well someday I will figure it out.

Mail

On Monday I had set up with my Grandma J. to watch Ballerina for the day so that I could put all of my attention to the first day of potty training for Beloise. Then Sunday Beloise had a bit of a fever and a few other things flew in and I thought perhaps we should wait a week. But since Ballerina was already aware of the plans for her to spend a glorious day with her two of her favorite aunties not to mention Grandma J. I decided to go ahead and just have a mommy-daughter-day with Beloise and let Ballerina have her fun.

We started the day by stopping at Winco and filling a bag full of Jelly Beans. I wish I had taken a picture of Beloise carrying this bag through the grocery store up to the checkout with Grandmas and Grandpas oooing and awwing at her, chuckling to themselves about what a happy girl she was. It was priceless.

Later in the day we walked to the park. Beloise slid down the slide several times and then we swung on the swing together. Another moment for the memory book. I don't know that there is anything better then snuggling with my girls. And swinging with her clinging to me was delightful. 

Last weekend my Beloved made a few improvements on the playhouse area. We had been talking about a picket fence for some time. While driving home one day we saw that a neighbor had a stack of fence sections for sale. We took advantage of this opportunity to do less work ourselves and purchased the sections from them. Once the fence was up it still needed something. . . my Beloved pulled the old mailbox that was once by our front door out of the garage and screwed it into the last fence post.

While Ballerina was at Grandma's I had Beloise make a card for her sister to put in the mailbox. Ballerina hadn't even seen the mailbox yet so she was delighted with it all the more when it had a letter inside just for her. She was so excited she ran into the house to make one for her sister.

They had gone through six or seven pages before I realized they were only making a quick scribble and hurrying out to stuff it into the mailbox.

I really need to get out and do some weeding in this area but I still think that it is coming along nicely. Beloved also put in a floor for the house, complete with linoleum. It's nice to have the house level and out of the dirt.

I planted a couple of blueberries in the planter to the South of the house but they don't look like they will make it. We are hoping to be able to do some fence staining this summer so we figured on doing this section at that time. Or perhaps it will get a coat of white.

~And So That's What She Did.

Auntie The Great

Last Friday my Aunt, known to my children as Auntie the Great, came for a visit. I cleared my normally busy Friday schedule to make way for a day of shopping at Cascade Station (Ikea, Ross, Marshall's and Target were on the must hit list).

This was Beloise first time shopping 'till she dropped. After we got home, and long after proper nap time, she zonked out while watching Planet Earth or Tom and Jerry I can't remember which it was.

. . .

My Beloved likes to bring things home from work. Sometimes they are alive. I'm just thankful that the creatures he brings home tend to be small and fluffy or fish and I don't have to worry about being obligated to touch them. 

 Friday evening my Beloved brought home these adorable little duckies. The girls named them Minnie and Daisy. We put them in the bin that my Beloved had fashioned into a pet home when we brought the baby chicks home. Day one he used straw on the bottom and by that evening the straw was soaked from all the ducks in and out of the water.

While he was cleaning it out he had to find someplace to put the little duckies. He chose my empty pot. This was when we first realized that these little guys can fit through the chicken wire on the lid.

I was bathing the girls, Beloise was out of the tub at this point, diapered as above, while going back for Ballerina I heard a few squeals of delight and thought nothing of them. When I came out there was only one duckling in the pot. The other, as our Pointer pointed out, was in a corner. Just sitting there like a mechanical dog that has run into a wall. Unaware of the ability to TURN and continue on a different course.

I gently scooped her up placed her back in the pot and watched as this determined little duckling continued to jump. . . and jump. . . and jump to squeeze back out to freedom.

Since Friday was also Auntie the Great's birthday we had cake with strawberries and whipped cream. My Aunt is gluten sensitive so it was a gluten-free box mix and it took FOREVER to bake. Didn't help that I used one tall 8" pan instead of the two 8" pans the box called for. So around 8:30 we sang Happy Birthday and enjoyed some cake and berries.

Before bed I placed a cooling rack over the chicken wire to keep the ducklings from getting out in the night and getting lost in the house or "played" with by the dog.

Sadly when I woke Saturday morning I found both little duckies had died in the night. Poor little guys. Ballerina was very upset. Wild animals are so hard to domesticate, I figure they probably just gave up when they discovered there was no escape.

Since Ballerina got the privilege of sleeping on the floor in the guest room with Auntie We let Beloise sleep with us. My Beloved was kind enough to snap this shot after I had fallen asleep. I know that most mom's do not like pictures of them sleeping or on bad or no make-up days but I cherish the pictures of my kiddos snuggling with me no matter how I look in them. I took many of my Beloved snuggling the girls but when I snuggle them there isn't usually anyone around to take a picture.

~And So That's What She Did.

Freezing Up Some Food

This morning I mopped up a lake in our dinning room, my Beloved made the coffee and I was tired of eggs and toast. I didn't know what else to make. Then I remembered two things, a package of sausage in the fridge and a recipe my friend Suzanne gave me. So this morning I whipped up 30 of these little delightful breakfast biscuit muffins.

They are great, easy to grab breakfasts, they freeze well and after a quick zap in the microwave they are ready to go. Great for us and great for my Beloved as he dashes out the door in the morning mere moments after his alarm buzzes.

This got me thinking, I am in the freezing food mood. Last week I made 59 tamales and froze most of them. We have a chicken in the freezer. And now I am contemplating freezing some macaroni and cheese . . .oooh I should bake it in the muffin tin for easy portions. Also I was thinking that since we have a little taco meat leftover that will probably not be eaten in time I should make some muffin tacos or pizzas or something like that.

*After writing this and before posting it my Beloved brought home a flat of FRESH strawberries. These are the sweetest strawberries I have ever tasted, to my memory. I have half of them in the freezer and I might make freezer jam with the other half if there is enough.

What recipes do you freeze? What are your go-to recipes for quick dinners? Feel free to link up with a recipe on your blog (Let me be honest, I don't know how to do that but it sounds good. So if you know how, please feel free) 

Speaking of food have you ever made one of these?

It's a German Pancake I got the recipe here. it is delightful, although I doubled the recipe and added a few minutes cooking time because the first time I made it, it was scarcely enough for 4 people.

Here is the recipe from Suzanne's kitchen:

Breakfast Muffins

1 tube refrigerated biscuits

1/4 lb. sausage browned & drained

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

5 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

Shape biscuits with fingers in bottom and up sides of greased muffin cups. Divide sausage and cheese among the cups. Beat eggs, milk and salt. Pour over cheese. Bake @350 for 20-25 minutes or until the eggs are set. Makes 10 muffins.

***I also use bacon or little smokies etc. for meat.***

Hope you enjoy this recipe with your family.

I'm so irritated that I forgot about this picture of Ballerina with "Dora's last egg". So here it is.

~And So That's What She Did.

A Whole Lot'a Simplicity

My relaxation of choice while the kiddos were napping. A little wine, a little chocolate, and a whole lotta Simplicity.

This year we decided not to plant a garden. . . well we more let the garden bed go too far this last year and therefore did not feel the desire to tackle it in order to get garden fresh veggies that our children shun over store bought canned veggies. However I have always wanted an herb bed but didn't know where to put it. My sweet, handsome, muscular, Beloved built me this sweet raised bed. I bought some starts and placed them by the front door, hoping that they would magically find their way into the soil. . . and they did! 

I love my husband.

I decided to plant half the bed with strawberries and the rest is cilantro, which is laying down on the job, lettuce, see it there with it's hand up, I think it has a question, and in the back is some oregano. There is one spot in the back that my Beloved wants to fill with a tomato plant. I'm not sure how well it will do in this location but for the prospect of fresh salsa we are willing to try. :)

I'm also brainstorming for some ideas on how to label my sections. I want something cheap, as in free, but pretty and possibly whimsical. Here's what pinterest and I have come up with.

In My Own Style

I like these but they mat be a little too DIY.

My Chic Life

Love this and I might have a few corks laying around.

Studio Blog

This is great as well. I think it would look best in front of rosemary or lavender of which I have neither.

Design Your Revolution

I would love the spoons but since I have never done anything like this I think it would have to break my free rule. Perhaps someday.

Which is your favorite? Do you have a link for something better. . . ooooh do tell.

My Beloved also spruced up this area. Which if you remember I teased that we were going to do something with and I think we might be getting close to possibly making that happen-ish. I'll let you know soon. We get side tracked easily and our yard plans change from year to year.

Aaaahhh this is my family doing what we love. . . I'm on the swing on the porch with a drink and a book watching all of this take place. . . HA I wish, I think I was actually cleaning mud out of the living room rug.

I do love to watch the girls play. Especially when they have no idea that I am watching. Beloise was playing down on the slope eating a Rice Krispy treat, humming to herself and wandering aimlessly until she suddenly stopped turned on one heel and spun around then wandered a little further only to repeat this action. . . So sweet. . . I wish I knew what she was thinking at those moments. . . I remember I used to run out into the fields of tall grass around my house with my mom's Tom Sawyer book, spread out a blanket and pretend I was reading. Or my sisters and I would tie the grass together at the top, for a doorway, and trample sections down for our houses and then go visiting each other. I miss fields. Even the ones I used to play in are much more developed now. Not houses but horses or shop garages, orchards and gardens. My tall grass is gone.

. . . *sigh*. . . that's progress.

This weekend Ballerina ran, sobbing, into the house where I was preparing breakfast. Apparently my Beloved had told her that Dora (the Rhode Island Red chicken from the original batch gifted from my Dad) was going to be butchered that day. Not being sure why this would bother her, since Dora is the meanest chicken and chases the children whenever she is out of the pen, I asked her what she was going to miss about Dora. "I just like her color," was the reply. Perfect, I thought this will be an easy fix, "next time we get baby chicks we will get a red one okay?" At first she wasn't okay with this solution because she wanted a BIG red one but after a while her sobs subsided and she was okay with it . In fact she ran into the kitchen later that day, hands clasped, with a large grin on her face.

"Mom, I have a suprisemint for you!"

"What's that?"

While jumping up and down with joy she opened her hands to reveal a large brown egg.

"Dora laid her last egg!" 

I am going to warn you this next picture may be disturbing for animal lovers not used to farm mentality that some animals although loved while living and serving a purpose are eventually killed for meat. . . . 

Well it isn't terrible, if you have seen a chicken at the store it's pretty much the same. . . .

but with a neck. . .

Last chance to skip ahead really fast to the comment section.

Ta-Da. This is the first chicken that we have butchered. I say we but those of you who know me, know that my Beloved did all of this, I won't touch it until it looks like something from the store. He said it was pretty simple, he watched a few YouTube tutorials so he's an expert now ;D. 

The girls were fascinated by this and now they keep asking to see Dora in the freezer. I'm hoping that she will make a tasty soup perhaps next week. If I can wait that long. Before every meal I get the question from my little monsters "Are we are going to eat Dora?"

That's healthy right?

Perfectly normal? . . . I'll check into therapy *sigh*.

~And So That's What She Did.

A Week of Summer in Spring

This last week the weather seemed more like summer than spring. It was De-lightful!

I can't wait for summer schedule. We eat breakfast, the girls get dressed, we have worship and they spend the rest of the morning outside until lunch. Which gives me incentive to do yard work. Even if it is just weeding one flower bed.

After lunch if there is time they head back outside for a half hour or so and then it's down for naps, right during the heat of the day. I stay in and clean while they nap and after naps, you guessed it back outside they go. I love it. The house stays a bit cleaner. . . well not cleaner but less cluttered.

This past weekend I finally managed to make the breakfast I have been planning since mid-winter. Huevos Rancheros (recipe to follow) and Pina Coladas on the back porch. My Beloved was very happy with this choice. I'm on the look out for some umbrellas for our drinks. I am pretty sure that Party City will have them if Winco doesn't.

After breakfast and worship the girls begged to put on their swim suits and play in the sprinkler.

My Beloved just purchased a new spray nozzle with something like 7 settings so they had fun playing with that.

This is how we do a water slide!

"Oh no, slides wet!" Beloise doesn't care for being sprayed with a hose. I don't either. I'm planning on picking up a little swimming pool this weekend or next.

Ballerina's art is getting better all the time. 

This is one of the pictures she drew recently. Things at least remotely resemble what they are supposed to be.

She's also become rather creative with her block towers.

Cheater Huevos Rancheros

When I don't have much time but want a taste of Mexico to remind me of that trip we took before we had kids, this is my go to recipe. Oh how I miss the Coco Bar.

Per person:
2 eggs
1 corn tortilla
shredded cheese
salsa
fresh cilantro, if you've got it.

• Heat canola oil in a small frying pan for your corn tortillas. Place corn tortillas in hot oil for about 30 seconds per side just to warm them, give them a tasty flavor and make them a little more pliable. 
• Fry your eggs as desired in a separate pan.
• Place a warmed corn tortilla on a plate top it with some cheese, your eggs, more cheese and some salsa.

See why this is the cheater version. . .

~And So That's What She Did.