Random acts of kindness

Most of the time Greg or I go with Dale to brush his teeth at bedtime, to ensure plenty of proper tooth-scrubbage. Occasionally (more than we should, I'm sure) we send him in to do it himself.

One night recently after brushing his teeth all by himself, he came out of the bathroom and said, "Daddy, you come brush your teeth now." Greg said he would brush his later, before he went to bed. Dale was ok with this, and we proceeded with getting him to bed.

Some time later I went into the bathroom (the first one to go in since Dale had brushed his teeth) and found this:

How lucky are we, getting our toothbrushes and toothpaste laid out for us!? Thanks Dale! :)

Works For Me Wednesday - Pancake Shapes

4/2/08 - Edited to add: I am re-posting this today as part of WFMW Greatest Hits edition. I am amazed at how often I get blog hits from a google search "pancake shapes". I also get tons for "cake mix cookies" so you might want to check out that post too. :) And then go to Rocks in My Dryer for more WFMW Greatest Hits!

You know, sometimes you bust out in some cool parenting tricks just for the fun of it. Other times there is some mom-guilt involved. Yesterday was one of those inner "you're a great kid and I need to ease my conscious" times. (Please tell me I'm not the only one who ever gets those?) More blogging to come on those thoughts later. There is obviously a lot to blog about... it being a WEEK since my last post and all.
Anyway... Dale loves trains, so for his extra-treat breakfast yesterday I made him train-shaped pancakes! Sooo easy, and I am not an artist! (although I do have some experience drawing trains... I'm sure you have some experience drawing your child's passion as well) ;)
Simply make a nice, thin, pancake batter and pour it into a clean, empty mustard bottle. Ta-Da! Edible numbers, letters & shapes, in an instant!

Whew. I feel better. And that Works for Me! :) To find great ideas that work for YOU, (and links to tons of free stuff!) be sure and visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer!

Works For Me Wednesday - Wedding Pics

I went to a wedding this weekend and as always, it got me to thinking about my wedding. Especially all the things I wouldn't change if I had it to do over again.

One of those things was how, or rather, when, we had our pictures done.
Many times you go to a wedding, either enjoy or endure the ceremony, watch the new Mr. & Mrs. charge down the aisle and out the door, and make your way to the cake and punch, only to wait, and wait, and wait for the happy couple to appear. Or for that matter, any of the bridal party. Or maybe a family member? Hello? Anyone?

Where have they all gone? Back into the church of course, to take pictures!

We decided we didn't want to keep our guests waiting, so here is what we did:

We got all dressed & ready really early. We emptied the church of (almost) all family members, florists, wedding party, etc and Greg waited for me at the front. I came walking down the aisle, just like I would be doing in the ceremony, but for his eyes only. He could see me in my dress for the first time without peeking through the crowd and over Great Aunt Flossie's head.

We took our time together, admiring our clothes and enjoying each other's company and the beautiful decorations ... alone. We called it our "moment". It was a wonderful break in what can be a very hectic day. We did have the photographer stay in to capture the look on Greg's face when he saw me for the very first time. (Cuz you know... it was my wedding day... and I was looking pretty spiffy!)

After our "moment" we had family & wedding party come in and we took pictures - without being hurried because wedding guests were waiting, and without having to wait for the guests to file out so we could take pictures.

So - once our ceremony was over we headed right out the door and straight to the car to start the reception - no waiting! And that Work(ed) for Us! Now.... for all of us who are married and unlikely to be planning a wedding soon, head on over to Rocks in My Dryer for Works for Me Wednesday to, you know, find some ideas you might can use now!

Cake, anyone?

Memorable Moments Monday

Memorable Moments Monday

This weekend I didn't so much have a "Memorable Moment" as I had a "moment" going through some memories. I will explain:

Alan's wardrobe has been increasingly slim pickin's as the weather has turned cooler and he, of course, continues to grow. I knew there had to be more of Dale's hand-me-downs that what I could find in the closet, so Greg made a trip to the attic to see what he could find.

Sure enough, down came a big box full of fall & winter stuff, some that fits now, and some that will be perfect in a few months.

I felt like it must be Christmas morning as I pulled out item after item of things for Alan to wear, both at home and for going out. I was so excited!

With each item my excitment turned more to nostalgia, and soon I was crying! More than any size before them, for some reason, out of this particular box, every little shirt and outfit brought back a memory of Dale wearing it. I could so easily picture his baby cheeks and hair, and hear him saying "uts!" (oops). Oh, if only I could go back for just one moment to scoop up an 18-month old Dale and give him a big squeeze!

Dale - 16 months

With the tears of nostalgia were mixed tears of hope, as I also looked ahead. I imagined Alan wearing these clothes in the months ahead, doing the things Dale did in them. Walking, bending, talking, growing. Creating many more Memorable Moments. And us doing our best to treasure every tiny moment, because they really, really do go by way too fast. :)

For more Memorable Moments, visit Eskimo Kisses & Air Hugs! :)

Dale the Photographer

The other day Dale asked to take a picture of me. That was fun, so he asked to take more pictures. I said 'sure'. He wanted to take 100 pictures, he said. He ended up taking over 90! Here is a sampling of his work. (The pic of me wasn't so flattering, so we'll skip it)

He took a picture of his feet:

And then Alan.
And then his feet again.
And then his racecar. He got to use the zoom on that one! He missed the first time and got nothing but floor. He found his mark in the second shot.
Later, a picture of Alan playing on the rug. This is the second one. He wanted to get my foot in it.
And then himself.

And then Alan again.And then me on the phone.And then himself again.He also took several of the view out our front door, the carpet, the couch, and the toy set that was in the living room. Aren't digital cameras great? :)

PhotoHunt - Practical

Practical:
1 - usable; workable; useful and sensible

2 - this week's Photo Hunters theme

I don't know if y'all are aware, but Alan loves himself some peekaboo. He will sit under a blanket and not move a muscle until somebody asks, "Wheeeeere's Alan?" (Kind of the question version of "Heeeeere's Johnny!!")
Then you bust out in "Peekaboo!" and pull the blanket off of Alan's head, if he doesn't beat you to it.
The other day I left Alan in his room after a diaper change. I came back some time later, and there he sat, under a blanket, waiting on someone to find him. Of course, I jumped right in and did my part. And then I wondered how long he'd been sitting there like that! :)

So, Alan, being the practical baby he is, knows something useful when he sees it. This a baby that very quickly realized a kitchen towel is quite usable for a game of peekaboo!
Very sensible and practical, don'tcha think? :)

For more practical PhotoHunters fun, click here.

Boomerang Baking

This is the way to go my friends.

A week or so ago, my Dad asked me if I would bake a cake or two to be auctioned off at the charity benefit his workplace holds every fall. I did this for him last year, and since being in the kitchen creating is (usually) a relaxing, enjoyable thing for me, I agreed.

I picked out 2 new recipes (risky, I know). Dad paid for the ingredients, plus a little extra, for my 'trouble'. ;-)

Last night, I made two cakes, back to back. I was in the kitchen all evening. I was proud of my creations.

The top one is an Apple Raisin Bundt cake. The second is Pumpkin Orange, and those are candied orange peels on top.

Then at 7:30 this morning, I kissed them goodbye and sent them on their way, with a promise form my Dad to let me know how much money they brought.

He sent me a text in the early afternoon saying the bidding overall wasn't so good and the cakes had brought $20 each. :-P

Later, I talked to him, and found out he had bought one of them - the Pumpkin one. Well, yay! If he was going to buy one anyway, it had better have been mine, and now at least I could taste one of them. I was glad it was the pumpkin one too, because I was more likely to make the Raisin one again to see what it was like.

Even later, Dad showed up at our house, and lo and behold, he was carrying the Raisin cake. I pointed out that was not the pumpkin cake.

Yeah. He knew. He had bought them both.

Okay. So I could be slightly embarassed that I sent 2 cakes away to auction, and my Dad (who had already paid for them once) bought them both.

But lets think about this:
I spent an entire evening in the kitchen and produced 2 very good looking cakes.
And then sent them off without even a taste.
And then they both came back!

I haven't tasted the Pumpkin one yet, but I can tell you the Raisin is magnificent! :)
Worth every penny. ;)