The boys have been playing great together this morning (for the most part anyways). Earlier they created a submarine in the living room using sofa cushions, pillows, blankets... I love hearing their conversations about being in the submarine or on the floor which is the water - they are so creative - LOVE it!

Evan to Avery "You can't fly anymore - I took your powers!"

Yesterday while Avery, Owen & I were in the car waiting for Evan while he was at speech - Avery asked me for a nose paper - took me a minute and I figured out he meant a tissue - thought that was quite clever.

Yesterday afternoon while we were waiting at the pharmacy for Evan's prescriptions for his bronchitis he gave Owen a sword to play with and Avery a Spiderman book & a dinosaur then stated that was teamwork. Then he informed me he wanted to change his name to Smart Evan.

Avery has been on a kick lately where he will do something nice then say "wasn't that nice of me?". Bully one moment and so very helpful the next - you just never know what you are going to get around here!

Last week I took all three boys to Trader Joe's to pick out some carving pumpkins. We selected three - I had Owen in the front of the cart & the pumpkins in the back. This left Evan & Avery walking. As I paid Avery ran out of the store and down the sidewalk. Luckily as I grabbed the receipt & ran out of the store telling Evan to follow Avery I noticed Avery duck into one of the doorway recesses. As I turned around to talk to Evan, I discovered he had not followed. So I was in the middle of Evan & Avery and had Owen and the pumpkins with me - which way to go? I yelled for Evan and went after Avery. Evan then did appear taking his time leaving Trader Joe's (mind you Trader Joe's is a great store... but...). 

Alex and the boys carved a pumpkin last night while I was getting my hair done. The did a Darkwing Duck.

What did parents do prior to the creation of the Magic Eraser? I have needed it twice today - first when Avery wrote with a blue highlighter all over the half bath then as second time when they used what was to be Owen's green make-up all over the wall. Currently Evan is crying because I stated we might not go trunk or treating this year as they had just ruined Owen's The Hulk costume. Deep breaths... I NEVER pictured myself as a stay-at-home mom - but I love it more than I ever thought possible - but it is by far the most challenging job I have ever had. Now to go check on them to see what they have gotten into next.

Soccer & Corn maze

Friday night we had soccer practice then went to Pizza Peel for dinner. Katie, from Evan's soccer team and her family joined us for dinner. The kids sat in a booth and we sat at the table. I did get to hear Evan telling Katie that she was his BEST friend in the WHOLE world - such a talker! She replied that he was also her best friend - too cute!

Saturday was pretty crazy as we were running late trying to get everyone & everything needed for soccer & the corn maze into the car. We arrived a few minutes late for the game - oops! Evan still has no desire to play and so I am thankful for only one more game! Avery is a go getter. Coach Sara stated that her favorite part of the game was when Avery went up against the other teams biggest player with no hesitation. When he sets his mind to something he goes for it 110%!

Then off to the corn maze - after stopping to get some cash - in case it was necessary. I managed to forget drinks for Alex & myself - thankfully they sold water by the bottle! I also forgot paper plates, flatware, napkins (luckily Esther brought extras for us!)... I did remember all of the food - so we did eat well. with what we brought and what others brought we had hot dogs (turkey & grass-fed beef), sausages (chorizo, chicken with spinach & roasted red pepper, and hot italian chicken), corn (necessary at a corn maze - ha!), chips, pretzels & most importantly s'mores! YUM! Everyone ate and left prior to doing the maze and hayride except for Esther, Caitlyn and Ryan and our family. We had a great time - it was quite the maze! It took us about an hour and a half - crazy! The corn was the tallest corn I have ever seen and had no corn - I am wondering if it was a special hybrid created for mazes - possible? I don't know - I guess I could research that. Owen slept during the hayride. We thought someone stole our wagon while we were on the hayride - but we did eventually find it in a new location - whew! Avery passed out about half way through the maze he had literally been running ALL day! The place was great and had a sand box, a place with lots of bouncy balls, a Little Tykes area, a tractor, a hay house, a store, a giant spider, a pumpkin patch, two fire pits - sooooo much to see & do! The kids absolutely loved it!

Evan was up most of the night coughing so he and I have stayed home from church today. Alex took the two youngest for Sunday school then will stay to help with Extended Session and 11:00 - unfortunately we have left them one short by me staying home. Unfortunately I am not convinced that my sinus infection has 100% gone away - so we will see.

Last night Evan & Avery both informed me they wanted to be firefighters when they grow up. This morning Evan told me he wanted to be a teacher - a church teacher. He then proceeded to color (scribble) on every page of his drawing pad - this has something to do with what one of his church teachers does - hmmm... Now he needs every single page of the drawing pad torn off so he can teach. When I asked who he was going to teach - he replied his brothers Avery & Owen.

Happy birthday GiGi/Aunt Nancy! We love you and miss you so very much!

Lunch

Today I opened the refrigerator and was inspired by a container of leftover brown rice from ordering in Chinese the other day. I made fried rice with ham, broccoli, onions, carrots, eggs - all yummy stuff... well at the last minute I drizzled in a few drops of chili sesame oil - well... mistake! Too much - too spicy for the boys. So (except for me - the fried rice was YUMMY!) honey sandwiches all around - chunky peanut butter with big bear honey (honey in a small bear or in a jar just won't do!). As Evan is eating his sandwich - he eats it into the shape of a boat. As he is rocking it back and forth he asks me - "Do you know whose boat this is?" I replied that I did not. He then informed me it was Noah's boat - who knew? The do listen and they do learn - good to know! (At least most of the time - ha!)

Evan has been doing great with his site words - he currently knows 16 - but not every single time. Yesterday and today both he is getting stuck on "it" and "is" with me. He knew them for Alex last night... he sounds them out perfectly... who knows? Each time he adds an additional five new works to his list he earns a minifigure - after every group of "x" amount then he can earn something bigger. Last night with Daddy and he was able to earn a new minifigure - he got the Lumberjack - so with that he started singing the Lumberjack song from one of the Monty Python songs - too funny! I guess Alex had shown it to him once - again - scary how they do retain things!

Owen has been super fussy lately - not sure what that is about - teething, sinus, allergies...

Tonight is soccer practice - only two more left!

Yesterday we received a note from Evan's teacher stating that they have noticed a pattern that he is sleepy and won't pay attention on Thursdays. She then asked if there was something we were doing on Wednesdays that could contribute to this. I guess that is the end of Wednesday nights at church for a while. I know Evan loves it - but it is something that will have to be put on hold for the moment.

Tomorrow is a big day - soccer game, corn maze/weenie roast, then dinner at Duckworth's to help raise money for Breast Cancer. Currently it is amazingly gorgeous out - the perfect fall day - hopefully that will be the case for tomorrow!

Avery is still resisting potty training - he is doing pretty well with the poopy part... but he continues to pee in his pants the majority of the time - we have tried bribing, putting him on the potty every 30 or 40 minutes, big boy underwear... NOTHING seems to work! Owen has also started... will see how that goes - our boys seem to take at least a year before they will do it.

School Pictures

Last week was Evan's first experience with school pictures. We couldn't quite agree on what to wear so finally we compromised with a red shirt layered with a long-sleeved white shirt, jeans and of course, his Avengers shoes. He came home stating he had made funny faces - considering how his Aunt Diana likes to take pictures, this was quite possible. Today we were given the link to view the pictures - they were really great! They took them outside and he did a great job! Now we have to figure out which ones and how many to order.

Speaking of Avengers - our plan for Halloween is to go as The Avengers - Evan will be Ironman, Avery will be Captain America, Owen The Hulk, Alex will be Thor and I will be the Black Widow - should be interesting.

The other day Evan informed me "You need Iron Man stuff when you are a boy". Who knew? I guess I am more familiar with the Land of Barbies & The Sunshine Family.

Yesterday I went to Goodwill - it was a great shopping day there. I found two sets of flippers along with bags & snorkeling masks - the boys LOVE them - the insist on carrying them everywhere with them. This morning they were playing in the Living Room pretending they were at the swimming pool - too funny!


Last week this is what I overheard... "Avery, I am going to be a frog and you are going to be a frog catcher" Evan. Where do they come up with these things? Currently Evan is jumping around saying ribbit & Avery is going after him trying to catch him with the laundry container.

This past Saturday Avery kicked the ball off the line at their soccer game then went down to score the first goal! Yay Avery! Bad news was Alex & Tim were not there to see it as they were running a half marathon through mud and over obstacles & fire. They did an amazing job and completed it in 4 hours and 18 minutes - I was so proud of them.

This morning the boys and I played Hide & Seek - the boys kept hiding behind the sofa - the first time it was a great hiding place - after that... not so much - ha!

Mexican Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Pampered Chef Seasons Best Fall/Winter 2007

1/2 c almonds
3 eggs
16 oz Greek yogurt
1 package (18.25) chocolate cake
1/2 c chocolate chips
1.5 t cinnamon
1/8 t ground cayenne pepper (will see how this goes - seemed necessary for a Mexican Chocolate cake!)

1/2 t cinnamon
1 T sugar

1/2 c chocolate chips
1 c whipped cream

Additional whipped cream for serving

Brush Stoneware Fluted Pan with butter or coconut oil with a silicone basting brush. Chop almonds. Whisk eggs & sour cream together until smooth. Add almonds, cake mix, chocolate chips, and cinnamon - mix well. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly.

Microwave cake on High for 11-14 minutes or until wooden tooth pick comes out clean. Cake will be slightly moist on top near center. Let stand in microwave for 10 minutes. Remove pan from microwave to cooling rack. Loosen cake from sides of pan and invert onto a large platter. Cool slightly.

Can also be cooked in oven at 325 degrees for 50-55 minutes.

Combine remaining cinnamon & sugar into flour/sugar shaker - sprinkle over cake. Place remaining chocolate chips & whipped cream into microwave on high for 30-45 seconds, stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake. Serve warm with whipped cream.

I did this without the whipped cream and drizzled just the warmed chocolate chips over the top - very yummy!

Horseradish Encrusted Salmon - Mmmm!

This is definitely a family favorite and I think it is Bodaddy's favorite - next to bread pudding anyways.

This is from "The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook, Volume II" by Kitty & Lucian Maynard

6 fresh salmon filets (I typically buy a large piece and cut into individual portions)
.75 c dry white wine
4 oz softened cream cheese
1 T Dijon mustard
.5 c finely chopped smoked salmon
2.5 T finely grated horseradish (calls for fresh - I use the type from the jar)
2 t grated lemon peel
6 T melted butter
1.25 c fine bread crumbs (I like the wheat panko)
Fresh chives

Butter a baking pan. Place the salmon in the pan, pour the wine over it. In a small bowl beat the cream cheese until it is fluffy & add the mustard, salt, smoked salmon, horseradish, & lemon zest - blend well. Spread the mixture over the salmon. Combine the butter & bread crumbs & sprinkle evenly over the fillets. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes (depending on thickness it could take longer). Garnish with a cross of fresh chives & serve immediately.

I like to double or 1.5 the cream cheese mixture .

Pumpkin/sweet potato choc chip muffins

EGG AND NUT FREE PUMPKIN/SWEET POTATO CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS (can easily be dairy free)
This is my version adapted from The Food Allergy Mama (this is a double recipe)

.5 c of butter (non-dairy butter can be used if dairy allergies)
1.5 c applesauce - no sugar added
3 c granulated sugar
.5 c water
2 tsp. vanilla
2 - 15 oz. can pumpkin puree (not pie filling) or pureed sweet potato (or combo)
6 c. mixture of whole wheat flour/white wheat flour & flax seed meal
4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
2.5 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
.5 tsp. ground cloves
.5 tsp. ground ginger
2.5 c.dark chocolate chips - prefer mini - but typ have to use milk choc to get mini (dairy free mini chocolate chips - can be used if dairy allergies - I use Enjoy Life)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray mini muffin cups with baking spray or preferably rub with butter, set aside.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, applesauce, sugar, water, vanilla and canned pumpkin/sweet potato puree thoroughly.
In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger with a wire whisk. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.
Use a cookie scooper to divide batter among the muffin cups. Time will vary depending on if mini-muffins, big-muffins or loaves - so check - roughly 18-25 minutes (NOTE: Oven temps vary quite a bit, check on your muffins after 18 minutes to see how they are doing. Muffins are done when lightly browned and a cake tester comes out clean). Cool and serve!

I have also made mini loaves with this recipe that turned out great using the Pampered Chef 4 mini loaves stone - especially good when in a hurry




 

Donuts with Dad!

Today Evan's pre-school had donuts with dad. So after speech I dropped Evan off at Alex's work and they both went to school together. Avery was upset by this so we drove through Krispy Kreme and each got one - I also got a dark roast coffee since I have been up pretty much since 11:30 last night when Owen started screaming and had a 103 fever.

So Evan had answered some questions his teachers had asked him about his dad - this is how it went (his answers are in bold):

My Dad's name is Alex. My dad is 14 years old. His favorite color is white & red. My dad's favorite food is all of the foods and pizza too! My dad's favorite sport is basketball. I love it when my dad goes to the playground with me. My dad is really good at all things. My dad and I like to play my Mickey Mouse game. My dad likes it when I clean up my toys. My dad is great because he goes to work and goes to church.

How sweet is that? Alex said he wasn't the youngest or the oldest of the answers - ha! He was pleased with his favorite colors - upset by his favorite sport. We were impressed Evan knows what makes us happy - ha! The other answers were just so sweet!

These days whenever we go somewhere and meet someone new - Evan must tell them his name - then goes on to introduce his brothers then tells the person that Alex is his daddy, but that his name is Alex - then that I am his mommy, but that they should call me Erin.

At speech today one of the words they worked on was "mouthwash". Evan asked what that was - Ms. Cindy replied it was what dentists sometimes use. With that statement Evan when on to tell her that his Bodaddy was his grandpa AND his dentist. She was quite impressed with his vocabulary and his understanding of all of it.

Avery is getting better & better about going potty. Owen is now going some too.

Yesterday Evelyn, down the street from us watched Avery & Owen so I could work on our house. I got more done in two hours than I could typically get done in a week - crazy! I still have much to do prior to mom getting here on Sunday - assuming she makes it. Aunt Joan has been sick and then last night she fell and possibly injured her back - so we will have to see.

Today I was supposed to provide snacks for MOMS, thankfully Kelly took in doughnuts from Krispy Kreme since I couldn't take Owen. We were also supposed to take a meal for Stacy from our Sunday School class and she said we could take it tomorrow when we take the boys to soccer practice. What a day!