Let's hear it for SPRING!

When the sun is shining... go climb a tree:

Wander through the green grass:

And play with a puppy:

As you can see, the camera has been seeing quite a bit of action lately, out of the kitchen. We've been hanging around outside (literally!), spending time with family (grandparents, great-grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins - you name it!), and welcoming Baby Ginger to the family (Uncle T's sweet pup). I do miss sharing recipes and food, so I promise to work that back into the schedule soon. Just in case the pictures weren't enough, however, here's the conversation-of-the-day:

While cleaning up, the girls were pouring, filling, and dumping water back and forth. Elise had the pitcher full of water; Abby had an empty bottle:

• Abby: "ELISE! MORE!"
• Elise: "Abby, I'm going to hold this pitcher right here until you have nice manners."
• Abby (in the sweetest little tone): "Elise, may I have some more water please?"
• Elise: "Yes you may, Abby. That was much better."

Have I mentioned lately that we are LOVING these girls more than ever? And can you blame us???

Not-so-wordless Wednesday

They used to just LOOK cute... but now they SOUND adorable, as well:

• Abby to Uncle Travis, referring to his new puppy: "Uncle, I not know that her vagina. I thought that her belly button."
• Elise to Abby: "Abby, only babies pee pee in their underwear. And that's gross." (in her defense, Abby had NOT had an accident, was just on her way to the bathroom rather quickly)
• Abby: "Momma, maybe when I grow up, I know how to chew a gumball?"
• Elise: "When I grow up, I drive Grandpa's truck. And I go to Target and buy big carseats for Gran, Grandpa, Grammy, and Gramps." (how's that for a mental image?)

Happy word-ful Wednesday! 

Soul Food

For those of you who clicked on this blog post hoping to find a new recipe... you're about to be disappointed. The "soul food" we got this week was in the form of friends. Friends from childhood who hold a place in my heart so deep that an afternoon together truly is good for my soul. Thank you Auntie Sara and Mark, Kate, Julia, Lucy, Anderson... Aunt Jo, Megan, and Lizzie... Uncle Zach... thank you all for just being you. Being together is fun, it's comfortable, it's full of memories, it's entertaining, it's rewarding... it's sitting-on-the-front-porch-talking-about-the-world kind of goodness. And I'll order that off a menu, hands-down, any day!

Saturday, lovely Saturday

One might ask: "What do you do when it's supposed to be 90 degrees in early April?"... and we respond with "Get out in the yard shortly after 8 am and work your tail off!". 

Then, after a day full of sunshine and outdoor fun, one might ask: "What ever are you going to eat to re-fuel those tired bodies?" ... and we respond with "Salmon, asparagus, whole wheat rolls, and fresh mango!"... thanks to our very own grillmaster. John served us a fabulous meal - Abby and Elise helped brush the asparagus with olive oil, getting it ready for the grill, and John concocted one of his marinade/sauce creations for the salmon with local honey, organic orange zest and juice, sprinkle of basil, splash of water, dash of worcestershire, salt, pepper, avocado oil, and a whole lot of awesome. 

We (actually, this probably only applies to me) have been feeling a little frustrated with the little ladies' bedtime. It usually rolls around at 7:30 - teeth are brushed, books are read, ducky and froggy are carefully spread out on pillows, and lights are out. No one cries. No one gets out of bed. But no one..can stop...talking. Abby sings her "ABCs". Elise discusses whether she'll wear a blue shirt or a green shirt when she wakes up. And on one particularly entertaining night last week, I overheard Elise say: "Momma? Daddy? Can you hear me?"... pause... "See, Abby, they can't hear us!".

Well, do you know what Saturday gave us today, in addition to fresh air and good food? Very tired children. In Abby's own words: "Momma, I go to sleep with not a peep."

Wordless Wednesday: SNUGGLE

Eating the rainbow

When they say that you're on the right track if your child is "eating the rainbow", I'd say we are well on our way:

Food is not a battle in this house. But rules were established on day one and there were no substitutions. Did we have disagreements at the dinner table with the girls? Yes. Did we win? Yes. And I'm not saying that we won at that exact moment in time, but in the long run, we won. I love that I can fix a beautiful array of fruits and veggies, chicken or fish, dip and homemade pita bread, and proudly watch as the girls work their way through each and every bite. Mealtimes easily last 45 minutes to an hour - we talk about our day, we share stories with Daddy, we laugh, we listen, and we eat. Dining with my family is one of my greatest joys, and why shouldn't it be?