Making Memories

Tidbits from our life of late...

Kate started signing "More"in early October. This was a necessity as she is very interested in feeding herself little bits of anything she can get her hands on which has included far more things that I would have allowed with Deane. I guess I've really loosened up with kiddo #2.  She continues to make a lot of frustrating grunting and screeching sounds so we'll be continuing focus on words and signs for my sanity!

We are loving the early October gorgeous weather. Windows open...playing outside...wearing shorts! As I prepared for our garage sale, Deane and I carted a ball up and then down the yard.  I'm hoping this means he will be a good shopper, but I'm guessing it's more about being outside.

At the grocery store last week, Deane said "Hi Grammy" to a random woman who was probably in her 60s.  She looked nothing like any of his grandmas.  I found this exciting because I believe he is generalizing that most older women are grandmas and not just that this is my mom's name.

Deane has also started saying lots of functional things like "I'll get it!" if he drops something or Roxie comes to the door.  Functional language = happy mama!

Kate is now SO BIG!

"Go see animals at the zoo!"  We live about 15 minutes from Niabi Zoo and Deane knows when we are in the vicinity of the zoo (which is basically every time we drive into town).  He says a few variations, also "love the animals at the zoo".  He is especially interested in giraffes (because of the adorable baby giraffe).

Deane opted not to ring the bell on the train, but every time he hears it, he announces it.

Dad & Deane by the elephants

Being a monkey

Baby Giraffe

He loved calling everything a wallaby after we told him what these were.

Kate relaxing in her stroller, as we try to keep up with brother

Chris & Deane after feeding the giraffes.  Deane wanted to help, but got too excited and dropped the lettuce each time the giraffe came close.

Papa & Deane on the butterfly chairs

Deane is also very excited about rhinos, but we had to settle for the statue.

We also made the required Fall visit to an orchard/pumpkin patch.  This year Mom, Deane, Kate and I made a quick stop to Stone's Apple Barn.  The highlight was the animals, not the apples for Deane.

Baby Sister was less enthusiastic about the llamas

Grammy & Deane saying hi to the llama

This is how all of my photos of both children are turning out these days!

It's such a pleasure to stay home with my children.  Yes, there are hard days, hours, etc., but to be able to introduce them to new things throughout the day every day is a blessing.  I had not been to the Putnam Museum since I was a child.  It was amazing to explain to Deane what a submarine is and look at all the "pretend" (aka taxidermed) animals.

I think this was a "wigwam" - group photo



running the controls on a mechanical arm in the "submarine"

Deane was enthralled by the rhino!

When Deane does something to Kate (such as hitting or pulling a toy out of her hands), we ask him to apologize to her.  The other day he screamed at me and Chris jumped in and said, "Say sorry for screaming".  Deane looked at me and said  "I'm sorry I screamed".  This is HUGE.  He typically says "I'm sorry" but beyond that his use of pronouns is rarely correct and here he expanded it and conjugated the verb!  I love these little surprises.  Whereas a typical child might learn quickly and at a younger age, we are getting the opportunity to witness the development of language in baby steps.  It's a beautiful experience and I pray Deane continues to be motivated to speak more and more.

Our life has been full of many not so fun or happy moments this month and honestly several preceeding months.  I'm not ignoring these realities or pretending like life is better than it is.  I think my Making Memories posts focus on just how good life is even in the midst of struggle.  I posted about making big decisions recently and we have made one...to list our home for sale. It's sad as we thought this was a place we would be for a long, long time, our dream home.  It is a blessing to be on the same page with Chris about what is right for our family.  Now, we're looking for the relief that will come with selling or leasing our home so we can gain more control over our future and hopefully maintain the opportunity for me to stay home with the kiddos. 

It's been a wild, fun, surreal month!

Baby Kate Turns 1!

Kate's first birthday was Friday.  Sadly my sweet baby girl was sick with a cough, runny nose, sore throat, etc.  We had planned a birthday brunch for Saturday morning that we sadly had to cancel.  The preparations had already started so we pieced together some birthday fun when it was enjoyable for Kate.  Here are the bits and pieces of our preparations and celebrations:
Cream Cheeses:
Pumpkin Cream Cheese:
8 oz. light cream cheese, softened slightly
1 cup of pureed pumpkin (I used my own, but canned would work and maybe have a stronger flavor)
1-2 T. pumpkin pie spice
Mix and enjoy

 Boursin & Green Onion Cream Cheese:
8 oz. light cream cheese, softened slightly
1/2 package of Boursin
1/8 cup sliced green onions
Mix and enjoy.  This is good with pita chips as well as bagels.

Rainbow Fruit Tray - I ommitted the purple grapes since I accidently bought seeded grapes.

Our brunch ended up being a dinner so much of our brunch plans were just enjoyed by our family for breakfast over the weekend.

I tried out the rainbow cake that has been all over the web.  The cake was unbelievably moist and the frosting was delicious, but far too runny.  I used this recipe for the cake, but I also followed the sugggestion of this recipe to add fruit.  I used this Magnolia Bakery frosting recipe, but I doubled it.  It was FAR too much frosting and would have benefited from less milk.  I would recommend adding in a bit of milk as you go.  In addition to the fruit I used food coloring to brighten the colors.  I was very pleased with the flavor of the cake.

 I made some "Happy Birthday Kate" confetti on my Cricut as well.

These rainbow colored poms were made with tissue paper I already had using this tutorial.  I combined various shades of these colors.  They were basic, but festive.  I used pipe cleaner to hold them which made it easy to hang them from twine with scotch tape.

 Here is Deane "helping" his dad hang the poms.

I made a photo banner to hang across the mantel.  I just printed my favorite photo from each month on photo paper, cut circles and numbers using my Cricut and decogpauged those pieces together.  Using clothes pins, I attached each photo and decopauged number to the ribbon.
I'm most proud that I didn't spend a cent on any of our decorations.  I only used materials I owned.  It brings me such joy to make use of items that have been sitting in containers for such a special purpose as celebrating my little girl.

We didn't have the party we planned, but it was still fun to celebrate Kate!  You can see more of the ideas I collected on Kate's Pinterest birthday board.

Delicious Dry Rub Ribs

I don't like barbecue sauce.  Growing up, I avoided anything that was considered "barbecued" because I thought that meant it involved the taste of barbecue sauce.  On a trip to Memphis about five years ago, my husband introduced me to Rendezvous Ribs delicious dry rub ribs.  You can have sauce too, but you don't need it! 

The atmosphere at Rendezvous is as enjoyable as the ribs.  Their seasoned servers can be heard offering "Plate a ribs, pitcher beer?"  We haven't been to Memphis since my first visit, so we needed to improvise.

Last night my family spent the evening watching (and then celebrating) the St. Louis Cardinals and eating ribs.  Here's how we make them:
I buy what Hy-Vee calls Country Style Pork Ribs.  You can find them on sale for as low as 1.99/lb. in our area.

To get started, make your dry rub.  You can find several recipes for Rendezvous' dry rub, but I think you can use a little of most anything you have.  I will asterisk the ingredients I think are most important to the flavor.

Salt

Ground Pepper*

Paprika*

Celery Salt*

Celery Seed

Ground Oregano

Allspice

Cayenne (Red Pepper)*

Garlic Salt or Powder*

Onion Powder*

Chili Powder

Ground Coriander

I don't measure, I just throw it in.  I try to make about 3 tablespoons worth for the approximate 4 pounds of ribs. 

Then add about 1/4-1/2 cup of vinegar and equal parts water.  Mix.

Pour over the ribs in a tight container and refrigerate for as long as you can.  I usually let them marinade for a few hours.

Chris does the grilling at our house.  We like to charcoal our ribs.  I love the way it smells and tastes.  The following is Chris's rib grilling strategy in his words:

I light mostly charcoal and a few chunks of hickory.  I let it burn with the lid open for about 20 minutes.  Then I spread the coals evenly and put on the ribs.  I immediately baste them with their marinade making sure to get the liquid and remnant dry seasoning on the ribs.  Ten to fifteen minutes later I baste them again and repeat this ten to fifteen minutes later, then flip them and baste again.  One more basting ten to fifteen minutes later and then they are usually ready in a few minutes."

So if you lost count, that is five bastings over 33-48 minutes.  Precision is what we are offering today!  :)

The USDA changed pork cooking standards earlier this year.  I really like having the ribs a little pink and juicy, but of course cook them to your liking.

Can you imagine a group of people that don't want their picture taken while collecting their dinner?

Chris displaying his rib. 

My sister and brother loading up their plates...so happy I'm taking their picture.

Dad displaying his Cardinal pride.

At least I didn't take photos of them actually eating ribs. 

Enjoy your ribs!

The View from Here

My favorite thing about living in my home (other than making a home with my family) is our view.  The tree that is the center of our view is a constant and a symbol of each season's transition.  Here are a few of my favorite photos of the view:

covered with ice

mid summer with Roxie working the perimeter

early fall, starting to change

first cool morning with fog coming off the water

pretty fall colors are starting to appear

first frost

It's dark as I write this, but even the photos give me a feeling of peace.  Since long before this view was "mine", I have felt a connection to it.  Is there a view or place that provides you with peace?

Make Ahead Savory Breakfasts

I enjoy savory foods far more than sweet.  It can be a challenge at breakfast to find something delicious and savory that doesn't require cooking in the morning.  I love cooking, but only when it is enjoyable.  This does not tend to be the case in the morning for me while attempting to feed the kids, change them, and potentially trying to get ready to go somewhere.  I have begun cooking items at other times and freezing them.  Here are my favorite recipes:

Breakfast Burritos
12 Medium Tortillas
12 Eggs
splashes of Milk
1 lb. Country Sausage
approximately 1 c. Salsa
approximately 1/2 c. Cheese
1/2 white, yellow or red Onion
Salt & pepper
Directions:
1. Brown the sausage with onion in a medium pan.
2. At the same time scramble the eggs with milk.  Salt and pepper as desired.

I like to scramble the eggs and milk in the pan before I turn it on - one less bowl to clean!

3. Combine the two and add salsa and cheese. 

4. Put your tortillas in between paper towels and microwave for about 10 seconds to make them flexible.
5.  Place a couple spoonfuls of mixture in middle of a tortilla and wrap like a burrito...and you're done.
Freezing instructions are at the end, but from frozen, I usually microwave for about 1 minute and 45 seconds.

Breakfast Quesdillas
12 Medium Tortillas
1 dozen Eggs
splashes of Milk
approximately 1 c. of Salsa
approximately 4 oz. of Ham (or meat of choice)
2 c. of Cheese
Salt & pepper
Directions:
1. Scramble the eggs with milk. Salt and pepper as desired.
2. Add salsa, small handful of cheese and torn up ham to the eggs 

3. Toast each tortilla slightly in a hot pan (no oil needed). 
4. Place a scoop of the egg mixture and a bit more cheese over half the tortilla.
5. Fold over and flatten using spatula.  You can keep it on longer to melt the cheese entirely, but if you are going to freeze them, you just need to melt enough that the cheese doesn't fall off.  I typically microwave from frozen for 90 seconds.  I also cut them in half to freeze so that I can eat half with something else or Chris can eat two halves.

Freezing Strategy:
I cover a jelly pan with wax paper.  I place the warm assembled items in rows on the pan and place it in the freezer (as flat as possible) for a few hours.  Once they are individually mostly frozen, you can wrap each one in plastic wrap and place them in a large freezer bag. 

These photos show white flour, store bought tortillas, but I have recently started using this recipe from 100 Days of Real Food (lots of good suggestions for healthier eating).  I got a little overzealous last week and made this pile of dough

to quadruple the recipe.  I ended up only rolling out a little over half.  I would recommend doubling the recipe to have enough for the two recipes above.  I found these tortillas less flexible for wrapping burritos so I instead froze small baggies of the sausage mix (and I keep the tortillas frozen) to make burrito or breakfast tacos.

Other Go To Savory Breakfasts for Me:
Hard boiled eggs - throw in a baggy and sprinkle a little salt to take it to go
Peanut Butter Toast
Eggs over easy with toast
I'm officially in love with Egg in a Hole (thanks Pioneer Woman)

Happy Breakfast!

Making Tough Decisions

Dearest You (because if you are taking time to read my blog, you are dear to me!),
Chris and I recently went through this How To on Creating a Family Mission Statement. We had done this before we had children using Stephen Covey's How to Develop a Family Mission Statement (there is a newer version available on CD).  It's a good exercise.

Since then, my mind is rather preoccupied by BIG questions...

Are we really pursuing our dreams and seeking our purpose?  Do those things go hand in hand?

Are our big choices consistent with our mission - where we live, what we do, how we live?

Should we be living somewhere else to get the best services possible for Deane?  And would another option be equally good for Kate?

If we didn't live here, where would we want to go?

We don't have to change anything or everything today, but our experiences with Deane's early intervention and the heartache we've witnessed/experienced in recent years remind us the time is sooner, not later.  Part of our mission is "to embrace life fully"; we have to make sure we are doing that.  We recognize that much of the stress and hurt we have seen would not have been felt if others didn't embrace life.  We accept that failure, pain, stress, loss, and frustration are the risks of really living.  We believe the rewards can be overwhelmingly better than the risks.

Knowing our time is limited, how can we wait for later to dream big, dive in, aim high (feel free to insert your favorite cliches here)?  But the question remains, how do you know in which direction to take your next step?

If you have discovered fail proof, efficient methods for making life's tough decisions, please feel free to comment below.  I tease, but I also know that some of my readers are people who have taken a BIG risks - I have learned much from you and will continue to watch you, Embracer of Life.

Best Regards,
Annie

P.S.
I'm also wondering a lot lately....How in the world do you effectively discipline a 3 year old, let alone a 3 year old on the autism spectrum?
Slightly less monumental, but equally encompassing for me :)

P.P.S.
If you enjoy thinking about crazy places you might go to embrace life, I recommend Cup of Jo's Travel Fantasy posts.  Photos of crazy waterslides and restaurant islands seem to lighten up my days.

Anniversary Gift

Chris and I don't typically buy each other gifts, but this year for our anniversary, I wanted to make him something.   I came across Minimoz's awesome idea, but wanted to work with what I had and make it slightly more masculine for Chris.  Here is what I did:

1. I had this frame that I wasn't using so I decided to use the matting as the base for my creation.

2. I also had burlap (how I "manned" this up) in my possession so I just laid out a piece to wrap around the matting and cut.

3.  I just taped the burlap with packing tap around the matting.  You could certainly hot glue or use another adhesive.

4. I cut a heart using my Cricut, but you could also just cut out a shape using Autoshapes in your Microsoft Office programs or just by searching for a Google image to copy and resize.  I printed it on cardstock for a little sturdiness when tracing.  I just laid it over the frame to determine if I liked the size.

5.  I also happened to have a few atlases that I don't use (obsolete due to map app on my phone) so I just traced the heart I cut in an effort to make the destination in the center for each of my locations (where we met, where we married and where we live).

6.  I didn't have a map where I liked the layout for our "married" city (Iowa City), so I just searched for a Google image, printed it on card stock and cut it out.  It also gave a little more color (albeit pink) to my finished product.

7.  I used dafont.com (because it's amazing!) to find the font called Dutch Harley.  I just formatted to the size I wanted in Word and printed it on cardstock and used my paper cutter to trim it as much as possible.  I didn't measure anything; just eyed the layout.  I used removable double sided table because it was handy.

8.  It was tight to frame with the burlap, but the frame has those fold down thingys so I was able to tighten it appropriately...and that's it.  Sorry for the glare in the photos.

Another idea:  If your locations overlap (i.e. you were married where you met), you could do "We became a family" or "We became 3", etc. if that were another location.

You can see more homemade gift ideas on my pinterest board.  Feel free to put in requests if you are on my Christmas list :)