A month already?

I guess its been awhile since I've updated!

 I'm done with winter.  I appreciate the mild winter, I really do and I love not having piles of snow.  But its still too windy most days to send the kids outside, and I am done with trying to find them things to do.  They watch way too much TV and play way too many videos games, I find this always happens around Feb/March when we are just waiting and waiting for spring and more importantly summer!

 Brody has turned into quite the back seat driver.  He's always convinced we are going the wrong way when we're driving. The other day he said,"Mom, the yellow light means slow down, not go faster."

 Cache is officially soother free.  It was really painless (sorry to all you moms who struggle with this!) I just cut the end off, and he didn't really care, he still went to sleep with it (he's only had for night time and naptime since he was about 4 or 5 months).  I just cut a little more every few days until it was too short to hold in his mouth, and he said he didn't want it and we threw it away.  He never cried or anything.  The only thing I've noticed is that it takes him a little longer to fall asleep, he just lays in there and talks and talks and talks.

 We need a Batman intervention at our house.  This does not even include all the shirts, pj's, capes, masks, etc.  They really do play with them all though.  They got into Batman/Superman right around their birthdays and Christmas, so most of their gifts from everyone were Batman related. 

 This is their improvised Batman-mobile.  Note the Batman pj's.

 I tried to get a cute picture before church one Sunday.  This was at first,  I must be super funny.

 And not much better, this is the final result.  Maybe we'll try again in a few weeks.  Brody is going through a Chandler-like smile phase right now with the camera.

Happy March everyone!

10 again, again

Its been awhile since I've done this, so here goes.

1. I've started Insanity again and after almost 2 weeks, I've gained 4 lbs (it has to be muscle, right? right??).  Wondering when can I expect my six-pack?

2. My kids have been loving Parent Preschool again, we've switched to mornings this time and  its been way easier for Cache, he's had no problems going to his class since we've switched and its great for them to be out of the house. But I'm not sold on the Gordon Neufeld theory for the mom's class.

3. No matter what anyone says, kale chips DO NOT taste "just like potato chips".

4. We moved Cache into a bed.  We just bought him a toddler bed for now.  It was on sale and cheap at Toys R Us, it matched his dresser, and we could use a crib mattress.  He's fallen out a few times, but other than that its been a super easy adjustment, both naptime and night time.  When we moved Brody to a bed a couple years ago, we moved him right to a twin bed, but I couldn't bring myself to put Cache in such a big bed, he's still so tiny!

 5. So random, but I saw Tim Tebow on Jimmy Fallon last night.  I know Casey can't stand him, but I was just so impressed by his demeanor and his charity work and what kind of values he seems to have. As a mom of two boys, I would way rather have my kids look up to someone like that than a player that has been arrested for DUI's and drug possession and has 8 kids from all different moms, no matter how talented they are.

6. We have had the strangest illnesses this winter.  We started out with ringworm (Cache still has a little bald spot on his head from that and its not growing back!), followed by chicken pox, followed by just some regular colds that ended up turning in to croup for Cache.  It was our first experience with it, and a little scary, but a quick shot at the hospital cleared it all up.






7. These are Brody's absolute favorite pj's.  They were hand me downs from Cade, and this picture does not even do it justice to how short they actually are. But he just loves them.
 
8.  I think its funny we've run into Baldry's twice in the last month and a half at two different burger places.  Maybe Five Guys next time Lindsay?

9.  I always love to get recipes on people's blogs because I know they've been tried and tested, and I love getting new ideas.  So I thought I'd post one, let me know if you try it and what you think of it! My family loves this, and I think my mom actually got the recipe out of the Friend years and years ago. I usually serve it with coconut rice.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1 egg
Bowl of cornstarch

Start with chicken breasts, cut into big cubes. Dip in beaten egg, then in cornstarch and put in frying pan.  Fry in a little oil until lightly golden on both sides (does not need to be cooked all the way through). Put in roaster.

Sauce (if you use any more than 4 chicken breasts, I'd double this)
3/4 cup of sugar
4 TBSP ketchup
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tsp soya sauce

Pour over chicken, bake in roaster at 375 uncovered for 50 min-1 hour, turning every 15 minutes.

Its a pain to make, but seriously so good. And you usually have everything you need in your cupboards anyway.

10. Loved the weather today.  Brody took his bike that he got for his birthday outside for a test run today and did awesome with no training wheels.

And a bonus one,

11. Casey and I finished the first two seasons of Modern Family.  I can't decide if I love Phil or Cam more. Or maybe Gloria.

Christmas in Pictures

Casey took Brody to the World Junior exhibition game in Lethbridge, Russia vs Czech.   I think Brody liked his mini donuts and blue lemonade more than the game, it was the first thing he told me about when he got home.

This is the best picture I could get of the new Christmas pj's:) I've bought Brody pj's every Christmas since he was a baby, and every year except the first, he puts them on, doesn't like them, and changes immediately into his old ones.

Cache sneaking a drink of the chocolate milk we left for Santa, had to make sure it tasted just right.

Christmas morning.

 Christmas morning, the boys slept in until 8:00! We opened presents, had a quick breakfast, then headed off to church.  It was a perfect sacrament meeting for Christmas with lots of music and I loved it. The boys played with their toys, Cache had a nap, then we headed to a great Christmas dinner later on at the Beazer's (which of course I forgot to take any pictures).
We headed up to Spruce Grove a couple days after Christmas, and had lots to keep us busy while we were there. And lots that I didn't take pictures of again (I need to get better at that, maybe a new camera would help me!). We went swimming, played with cousins, met my dad (the boys call him Cowboy Grandpa) at Chuck E. Cheese, where the big kids AND the little kids had so much fun playing games, Casey got to go to another world junior game, this time Canada vs Czech, we got to meet Baby Austen finally, went shopping at West Ed, snuck in a chick flick with Jackie and Megan, had "Christmas Eve" at my moms house, and opened more presents. We also spent New Year's with the Flexhaug's and some of their friends, with Chinese food, ice cream, and games, and where we barely made it until midnight. 

New dress up clothes!

Intense game of Hungry, Hungry Hippo.

The only picture I took of Austen, wearing his special Batman outfit just for Cache:)

So happy my Grandpa could make it to the festivities, he had a serious health scare at the beginning of December, but is finally on the mend, slowly.

Jenga gets a little competitive, especially when you have Casey making the rules.

Finally home again and trying to enjoy the warm temperatures and play outside, whenever then 90 km winds slow down and let us.

What do YOU do with the chicken pox?

Just one of many "movie nights".  The Grinch is always better when your wearing a superman cape.

A very mild outbreak (like as in less than 5 spots on each kid) of chicken pox at our house.  The boys are hardly even bothered, other than Brody is a little itchy.  I saw a few red scaly patches on Cache and didn't think a thing of it until it showed up on Brody too.  Last time I ignored a rash on those two, it turned out to be ringworm, so I packed them up and off we went to the doctor, who let us know what it was.  So, we've been home bound for a little while, going a little crazy, but at least it will be gone (or not contagious anymore!) by Christmas. And yes, just in case you were wondering, they were vaccinated.
 I guess that's the reason its really mild (I would have preferred it didn't show up at all, but what do you do?)!

"Mom, take a picture of us playing Batman".  Again, the superman cape.  I have it on good authority that Santa got them reversible Superman/Batman capes off Etsy.

A little hot chocolate.

Another movie night, this time Polar Express.

He loved it, I promise.

Major fort construction, of course by Dad, Mom's just not that creative.

 

 

So, we've been trying to keep entertained until the boys aren't contagious anymore, which I think is soon, since there have been no new spots for a few days.  Casey woke up this morning with the stomach flu, and I have my fingers crossed that no one else gets it.  And if they do, which is probably inevitable, that it is before the weekend! I am determined for everyone to make it to Christmas healthy.

And just a little note I wanted to write down before I forgot, cause it was just so darn cute.  I was up this morning with Brody, and it was still dark out and a cattle liner pulled in with all the lights all along the trailer on.  Brody looks at me and says,"Oh look Mom, a Christmas truck!"

A very Merry (and healthy) Christmas to everyone!

Just some pics

This is what we've been up to lately!  I wish I was a super, duper crafty mom that had all sorts of Christmas activities and fun for my kids, but alas I am not.  We've managed a few things though.

This was the last week of November if you can believe it, hoodies and green grass!

Pudding finger paint at Parent Preschool.  Brody doesn't love to get dirty, so he was done not too long after this, Cache on the other hand......

....doesn't mind a little mess!

Bad picture, but this was the excitement on the Ridge a couple weeks ago.  Glad everyone stayed safe.

Decorating, Batman in hand as always.

Was too tired to finish chewing his KitKat.

Gingerbread house with Dad.

Oh wait, I was there too, my children really do have a mother, no makeup and sweats and all!

Ward Christmas party, they had pictures done at the mall with Santa too, but I am too lazy to upload them.  They look pretty much the same, I think they are even wearing the same shirts.

If you look back at last year, you will notice a slightly different expression on Cache's face. He thought Santa was great this year!

Fun in the snow.

There you have it, lots of pictures, little writing.  Aren't those the best kinds of posts? 

Merry Christmas everyone!