Updates

Ten weeks! Lately A-team has been waking once a night now, although still going to bed between 10 and eleven pm. He loves the bath, and loves to sit up. He'll sit in his Bebe Pod on the table while we have dinner. He is very observant, and tracks people and objects very well. He loves to watch mommy cook dinner or clean the house, and his big brother play. Then when he's had enough of that he'll let it be known that he wants to be picked up, as he loves to be held most of all. Then he'll tell some stories. Sometimes quite loudly with tons of smiles and an expressive brow, just like his brother. He's drooling a lot and likes to chew on things already. Although his hands are contantly grasping, and he stares at some things as if he really wants to grab them, he hasn't quite mastered that yet.

Now that the weather is warmer, C-note likes to go outside a little more often. He dosen't like it when it's windy, though! He's not allowed to go onto the driveway because of all the traffic coming into the farm, and he obeys that rule very well. One of the guys commented that he runs right to the very edge and stops short like he'll get zapped if he touches the pavement!

His excellent vocabulary and the ability to form perfect sentences continues to surprise and delight us! He's always polite, saying please, thankyou, and sorry at appropriate moments. He also has a huge imagination. It's really neat to watch him play. One day, I had left a bottle of newly-bought sunscreen on the table for Stu to bring to work. C-note started doing some motions with it and running back and forth from the kitchen to the livingroom. Curious, I asked him what he was doing. He pretended to unscrew the cap, and took out an imaginary computer, held it in one hand, and began typing on it with the other. He took the imaginary computer to the livingroom, put it down on the table, then came running back into the kitchen, throwing up his hands , saying, "Where's my computer? I lost it! Better get another one." Then he would do it all over again. In addition to all the English he knows, he also has his own language which he will babble on in when he's extra hyper. The only thing I can do is agree with him when he poses a question in C-noteese.

Herb and Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 tsp chopped thyme
1 tsp crushed rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup shredded old cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk

Method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Farenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease the pan with oil. Mix flour, herbs, salt, and baking powder and soda in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or two knives (or your hands) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheddar. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk. Mix with a fork until a soft, sticky dough forms. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet, making 12 biscuits. Bake until puffy and golden, about 12 minutes.

Sorting the Laundry

Thanks, guys.

Happy Mother's Day!

I know this post is very late, but you know how it is... ;)

Lasagne Casserole

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
4 or 5 cloves garlic, minced
2 peppers, (green, red, yellow, whatever) diced
1 small zucchini, diced
2 cups sliced mushrooms (or 1 227 gram package, sliced)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 jar or can of pureed tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 tub ricotta cheese
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, or half of a container fresh baby spinach, chopped and steamed
oven-ready lasagne
oregeno
basil
salt and pepper
250 grams shredded mozzarella cheese (half of a large bar)

Directions

In a large pot, brown ground beef. Add onion and garlic and sautee until softened. Add peppers and mushrooms and sautee for a few more minutes. Add diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add enough pureed tomatoes or tomato sauce to thin it out. Season with oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese and spinach in a seperate bowl. Season with a dash of pepper and a pinch of salt. Sometimes I put a pinch of ground nutmeg in it, when I think of it, or add some parmesan if I have it. Put a little tomato sauce in the bottom of casserole dish so the noodles don't stick. Put one layer of noodles down, scoop half of the sauce on top. Add another layer of noodles. Spread the ricotta mixture onto the noodles. Add another noodle layer, then the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Broil for a few minutes to get the cheese on top melty and bubbly.
I sometimes do a vegetarian version. Just add a diced eggplant and an extra zucchini.

Callum Logic

"The sun is outside in the sky. When it's dark outside, then the sun goes down on its wheels."

Eight Weeks

Wow, time flies! And life is so busy. This post only took about 20 hours to complete. Well, so far it's been that amount of time. Who knows what will happen between now and when I click "Publish Post." Ah, but right now, I am sipping coffee, listening to CBC while C-note cavorts in the bath, just like the old days, B.A. (before A-team) who has fallen asleep in the swing. We're supposed to be at Bible Study this morning, but lately wait a sec, C-note's calling...ok....lately the mornings have been a bit hectic and I've missed quite a few meetings. Hopefully I'll be able to attend the next one. I know it's not ideal to miss so many as organized devotions and social time with other ladies of my church is very beneficial for me, especially at this time when getting out and being social dosen't always happen, sometimes even for weeks.

Things are going well. A-team is waking twice per night, sometimes once. Last night he went to bed at 10:30, and woke at 4:30, then was up at 7:50, so that was very nice! I got more sleep than usual. There isn't really a schedule for the daytime, though, except for the feeding every two hours. Yesterday he had an "awake day," so I think today will be a "sleepy day."
I still feel like I'm getting nothing done, especially when my little tornado toddler leaves toys everywhere, my ironing from last week is still hanging on a chair, the floor hasn't been swept in days, and my garden hasn't been weeded yet...hang on, I have to go feed A-team...

Ok, so that was five hours ago. What happened in between? A hungry baby, exploding diaper, a streaking toddler while feeding said hungry baby, a bath for the exploding baby, washing stubborn toddler, lunch for all, more diaper changes, another feeding, rocking, and then sweet silence as they both went to sleep. Only overlapping slightly so I don't have time to sleep myself. Urg. I'm going now so that I can maybe steal a few minutes of relaxation on the couch.
Maybe.