This is why I love him

I was chatting with Chet in the kitchen when I noticed he was eating tortilla chips dipped in baby food. Yes. Eating like it was a treat. Baby food squash and mashed bananas that Cedar wouldn't eat during dinner.

I knew that Chet was not the kind of person who would throw away good food. But apparently bad food is also salvageable.

(He did just read this over my shoulder and say, "It was good food. Cedar eats better than I do.")

Now what to make of that?

Just remember what Grandma always says, "Don't turn your stomach into a trashcan."

Conversations with Sharks, Part II

Out for a walk -


Me: Buddy, bugs are nice.

Sharks: No, buggies hurt you.

Conversations with Sharks, Part I

Yesterday when I turned on the news-

Sharks: Barack Obama, mommy.

Me: Um, 'scuse me, buddy?

Sharks: Barack Obama.

Me: You are 2. How do you even know that?

Sharks: Mommy! Barack Obama!

I don't usually look at labels, but...

I used to be one of those people who would eat salads without salad dressing. Why eat stuff that makes eating healthy foods unhealthy, right?

After Cedar was born, that all changed. Salads just didn’t taste good. So I stopped eating my leafy greens.

Then one day I realized that it might be better for me to get my veggies even with the addition of salad dressing. So I went to the store and got me some Caesar Salad Dressing. And, um, croutons. Which Chet pronounces, ‘Cro-tons.’ (Like, crotons and protons and neutrons and croutons.) And yes, I ALWAYS mock him for it.

So there I was scarfing my Caesar salads. And I was loving them. I was thrilled to be eating my greens again.

Until yesterday when I looked at the salad dressing label. Note to self: NEVER LOOK AT THE LABEL OF ANYTHING THAT IS MAYONNAISE BASED. I should have known better.

Yeah, that’s 170 calories per 2 tablespoons.

Oops.

Sooo, I’ve decided to forgo the dressing in favor of this tasty treat. I’d much rather take in my calories this way:

Less calories than Caesar for a ½ cup of this.

Dig it.

How to calm fears

Like I mentioned earlier, Sharks is deathly afraid of the smoke detector. Which went off AGAIN yesterday while I was making dinner. The obvious solution to this problem is to become a better cook. Duh.

But, what I really want is to help him calm down and stop getting so frightened.

I mean, he has a meltdown every time this happens. He is inconsolable, poor little guy. He just clings to me and shakes and cries and cries and cries.

Any ideas? What have you done (or heard of someone doing) to calm the fears of your kids?

Hot Cross Buns

Let me tell you about my first experience making Hot Cross Buns.

Our smoke detector went off. In my defense, it is sensitive. Unfortunately, so is my firstborn. He went screaming off to bed (of his own accord) just to escape the "bad noise."

So...where was I? Oh yes. Well. I got hot and cross and the buns got burned.

However.

Once I cut off the burned bottoms, they tasted wonderful. Yummy bread goodness with a touch of sweet.

Now I am off to clean up the disaster that is my kitchen.

(P.S. That picture is not of my buns. It's from the recipe site.)

And they want her back? Really?

We pass this during our afternoon walk almost everyday.

She probably has a great personality.