Spicy Orange Honey Glazed Pork Loin (No Salt Added)

We are more and more excited about our loso adventure with every meal. We have two tasty loso recipes under our belt, and are feeling like this won't be too hard (or tedious) after all! 

We had bought a large pork loin from Costco (great place for nothing-added meats). I couldn't do our normal plum sauce - I wasn't ready to tackle that loso battle, plus we had no plums - so I looked for a recipe I had made years ago while we were staying with my in-laws. 

I don't remember it being anything too exotic or special - just some pork chops cooked in orange juice and brown sugar - but it was tasty and low sodium. I found two similar ones - one with a tasty looking rub and the other with an exciting glaze. Cam looked them over and enthusiastically said, "Let's do a combination of both!"

Apparently we are feeling a bit more adventurous.

I frankensteined the recipes into a sweet/spicy/tangy and tender pork loin roast and Cam tried his hand at no-salt-added mashed potatoes. Both were a smashing success. Adults and kids all ate (and liked!) both. 

Here is the recipe for your cooking pleasure (and so I can remember it!)

Spicy Orange Honey Glazed Pork Loin

Ingredients

• 1 boneless pork loin roast (~4lbs)

Rub:

• 1t Mrs.Dash
• 1t powdered garlic
• 1/2t black pepper
• 1/4t white pepper
• 1/4t ground ginger

Glaze:

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2t molasses
• 1T ground cumin
• 1T chili powder
• 1T ground coriander
• 1 1/2t ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1T cornstarch

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a rack on a shallow roasting pan lined with foil.


2. Trim excess fat off roast. Combined rub ingredients and rub all over pork. Set roast, fat side up, on rack and roast in preheated oven for 60 minutes.


3. While the roast cooks, whisk together first nine glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. In a small bowl or cup, mix cold water and cornstarch until smooth. Whisk into glaze mixture and bring glaze back to boil. Cook glaze, whisking, until desired thickness. Remove from heat and set aside.


4. Brush roast with glaze, and bake fifteen minutes longer. Brush with glaze again, and bake for fifteen minutes or until a thermometer reads 145 degrees.


5. Remove roast from oven and let rest ten minutes before slicing. Serve with glaze if desired.

Adapted from Taste of Home Orange-Glazed Pork Loin and Honey-Orange Glazed Pork Loin.

Breakfast Cake Success

My dad always made a breakfast cake twice a year for breakfast before General Conference.
General Conference is a special deal in my parent's home while I was growing up; and to have something extra special to look forward to, Saturday morning we would awaken to the aroma of sweet cinnamon and know the moist cake with crumbly cinnamon topping was awaiting to be devoured downstairs.

After it properly cooled of course.

My dad always made us wait at least a half hour after he pulled it from the oven because, he insisted, cutting into it while still too hot, would spell disaster.
With enough begging we might convince him to make if over long weekends or for another speical occasion; but, generally breakfast cake was a bi-annual treat.

So, of course, when we started moving out we all insisted it be added to a family recipe book we could take with us.

I remember my first General Conference away from home and the anticipation of having an entire breakfast cake just for my sister and me as I prepared the treat. I remember the nostalgic aroma as it baked. I remember the slight let down as I pulled a cake, with no crumbly topping to speak of, out of the oven.

The super fluffy, crumbly-topped cake was instead a slightly dense, brown sugar and cinnamon marbled cake.

I couldn't figure out what went wrong. Did I prepare the topping wrong? (How do you get softened butter to turn into a crumbly topping anyway; even if mixed in a food processor... which I didn't have.) Was it the pan? (Our family had a beaten aluminum-type pan that we kept solely for its breakfast cake making abilities.) Was it the climate or altitude? (I had moved from soggy, sea-level Seattle to arid Rocky Mountain Utah.)Was it comeuppance for never (that I recall) offering to help prepare the treat while my father slaved over the KitchenAid mixer? (We have been reading a lot of The Little Red Hen around here, it is Zoe's confidence.)

During subsequent tries, I fixed what factors I could but it was always a slightly heavy, dense, marbled-more-than-topped breakfast cake. That didn't stop me. I resigned myself to its new identity and continued the General Conference weekend tradition within my own growing family.

Until this month when we moved to Missouri.

Yesterday, for General Conference, I again made the breakfast cake. Out of the oven came what I remembered from my childhood all those years ago: a light and fluffy cake topped with a sweet cinnamon crumbly topping. I probably ate half the pan myself.

Cameron commented that he likes the way it turns out in Utah better.

Homeschool vs School

I am not going to homeschool Dallas. I had been contemplating it but Cam and I both feel he needs the social - both interactions with other kids and with other adults - for a season. We may re-visit this decision later. The deciding factor (for me) was Dallas saying he wants to do school in a school, not at home with me.

Oh well, that doesn't stop me from homeschooling him all I can now.

Dallas and Chey are working on Handwritting Without Tears preschool curriculum. So far they are not doing any handwritting but they are getting use to coloring/drawing a lot more than they use to; gotta build up that finger dexterity and strength. We are liking it so far (they really love the wood pieces).

We also frequent the library where I get random science-y kids books that catch me eye. Sometimes I let Dallas choose from a few topics. I really should try getting a "unit" going because right now the subjects are super sporadic: volcanoes (complete with discussion of plate movement, the concept of pressure along with a baking soda and vinegar experiment, and that rock melts into lava), germs (how you get them and what your body does to fight them), how your body heals, skeletal system, animal/vegetable/mineral classification, mutually beneficial animal relationships, and tornadoes... Yes, I see a few "units" I could have made out of some of those. A little fore-sight could do wonders. I don't know how much information on any one topic Dallas could discuss now, but he is enjoying learning. Chelane picks up a topic or two once in a while.

We are also doing alphabet crafts. I found a book at the library that gave me the idea, I tweaked it a bit, and now the kiddles often ask to do the ABC's when I talk about doing "writing or crafts" (that is what we call school work around these parts).

Add in all the ideas I get from the free get-ready-for-kindergarten stuff I have gotten at registration and boy-oh-boy Dallas has some fun!

Chey feeding Zoe

Chey and Dallas were both in less-than-favorable-graces of Mom and Dad tonight (care of not listening at the park coupled with blatant disobedience) but it is still shower night and boy did those kids need to be washed. Chey had been reduced to sitting in her little chair right next to me (otherwise her personal choices left much to be desired) while I finished feeding Zoe. Cam was down the hall getting Dallas going on his shower.

After Zoe shoved a fist in her mouth, I decided she must not want to finish her jar after all and left to use the bathroom telling Chey she "needed to be in that chair when I got back or she would be in trouble." When finished, I walked back out to the kitchen just in time to see this:

Sometimes kids make up for hours of horrible behavior with only minutes to spare...

Early Riser

We are still struggling to set a schedule for Zoe. Honestly, I am not trying very hard at all. My other two children seemed to set their own schedule and it worked well for all of us. They slept through the night and got up when I did. I am sure these memories are EXACTLY how Dallas and Chelane behaved as babies and is in no way affected by the time that has elapsed.

Zoe is a bit more sporadic. Her time of falling asleep is a bit more variable and she sometimes wakes up in the night. She almost always wakes up between five and seven in the morning, sometimes she falls back to sleep.

This Friday was one of those times she didn't.

She was getting so squirrely in the bed with me that I, not being ready to greet the day just yet, put her on the floor by the bed and rolled over to go back to sleep. Zoe entertained herself by exploring the two-by-three square of carpet by the bed, and bit of carpet under the bed.

Taken 6:53 AM Friday, March 23, 2012

Donating

I have officially joined the ranks of plasma donors. Zoe turned six months on Saturday so now I am legal.

I am very thankful for this unexpected source of income. Cam is still looking for a job and I can't find anything I can do around his schedule... plus my Utah teaching license expired last May and I am not qualified to renew it (Utah does a three-year cumulative point system). It is definitely a blessing we are both healthy enough to be regular donors.

All my trepidation - the small amount there was - was unneeded. Giving plasma wasn't any different from giving blood, except I don't feel as whoozie afterwards. I count that as a plus.

With Solid Food

Zoe was not happy. I think she was hungry or bored and needed something to distract her. I was indisposed and asked Dallas to grab the cheerios and give Zoe a couple to eat. I was expecting three or five on the floor and came out to this:

Zoe concentrating very hard on the cheerios

And this is just the living room. There were a few in the hall and in the kids' room. I am sure there would have been more except we don't have any other rooms!

She had a heck of a time trying to get them in her mouth and didn't have a high success rate, but it sure kept her busy!

Zoe

Since I took that break from Blogging I have decided this is a very good way to keep track of the growth and changes my children make. That being said, I have a lot of catching up to do including the introduction of Zoe.

Zoe at birth. She had a fight with the birth canal and doctor, but that is another story!

Zoe was born in September. She is currently five months old and so much fun! She has figured out how to roll from front to back (she was doing this late two months) and then from back to front and is now army crawling around. I don't think she is satisfied with her mobility. She will pull herself up on to hands and knees. She loves playing with her siblings toys and looking at (and slobbering on) books.

Zoe around two months old.

Last night I was giving a family night out of the nursery manual. Zoe was a few feet away from me and the kids. We were all on the floor. Once I pulled out a picture and held it for Dallas and Chey to look at, Zoe started making her way over and soon was looking at the picture and gumming my knee. She really loves to be involved.

Dallas, Chelane, and Zoe a few weeks after she was born.

She doesn't take a pacifier and isn't fond of a bottle. She was fed from a bottle for a day six weeks after she was born; the day I had my gall bladder out. Luckily, she took the bottle for Cameron that day. She has discovered her thumb and, when she is really tired, will plug herself with that and drift off to sleep. Note that she only does that when she is REALLY tired and SHE has to plug herself with it, she doesn't take kindly to me trying to plug her!

Zoe and her thumb.

Now I preferred my thumb so much that I sucked mine until Kindergarten. So I am a bit worried about the thumb sucking. However, Chelane likes her binky. In fact until we lost it she sucked on it ALL the time. Even now she will sneak a Zoe binky (since they aren't being used) once and a while. Apparently they can both be addictive!

She has also started on some solid food in the last week. We have done cream of rice, cream of wheat, mushed banana (all these mixed with pumped milk) along with bread, white rice, and even waffles right off the table. She seems fond of eating like the rest of us.

Zoe on February 13th, almost five months old.

She is growing and changing so much everyday. She is such a joy to us and we love her!

Playing with Zoe

Zoe loves to be around people and dislikes being left out. Luckily Dallas and Chey adore her and usually keep her around. There are a few times that they start playing with her and then migrate to another room leaving her behind. After a few minutes, Zoe will start yelling. If no one responds that usually turns into a cry. She has been doing this since about month four (she just hit five months four days ago).

We have to talk to the two about being gentle and not making Zoe's body move, especially in painful or awkward ways. Dallas loves to carry her and Zoe loves to be carried and given the attention by her older brother; she often smiles when he talks to her and comes to pick her up.



Dallas and Chey were playing Duck, Duck, Goose and let Zoe join in. I will admit this video is staged as I was not quick enough with the camera before.

I love that even with their vast age differences, my children love playing together!

Sledding

After taking Cam up to campus, we stopped by a store to look at sleds. It is the perfect time in Logan to look at sleds 1) there is more snow on the ground this weekend than any other time since we moved here January 1st, 2) all the stores are clearance-ing their snow items to make way for spring.

We grabbed a plastic dish for $3. Went home, dressed in our snow clothes, drove back to campus where Cam took Zoe and the car back home while Dallas, Chey and I trudged up USU's east hill. Unfortunately I forgot the camera. We took turns sledding in various combination of bodies on the sled. The kids both decided they liked all three of us sledding down together best. We took a break and built a snowman - that turned into a snow angel and sled down once more before we had to head home to take care of Zoe.

Luckily we did all of this before 11am because now, at 3pm, the light snowing has turned to a drizzle and the snow is disappearing. There has been an odd amount of rain and snow this winter since we moved here. I think Logan has received more precipitation by rain than snow. We have been spending lots of time at the library.

The Many Faces of Chey

I want to remember how much of a goof and spit-fire Chey was as a pre-schooler, just in case she decides to change :)

She was potty training in these pictures with the power of her new Agent P shirt from "Phineas and Ferb," one of the kids' favorite TV shows (and I will admit I like them as well). To commemorate the beginning of potty training I asked her to smile...

Potty Training

We potty trained Chelane this last month. We started January 16th going cold turkey. We put on the underwear, bagged up the diapers, and had a talk about keeping dry.

She didn't pick up on going potty nearly as quickly as Dallas did, but she did take herself to poop the first day. We dealt with (what seems to be common) regressing with peeing the second day which she quickly fixed. We thought everything was dandy until she started regressing with pooping the second week.

With encouraging her to start pooping on the toilet again in mind, we made up a potty chart that second week that has a separate "poop" and "pee" sections . Once she filled up the first row (six bowel movements in the toilet) we went to McDonalds (her pick, whenever we ask what she wants for dinner she commonly answered McDonalds so she can, " have chicken nuggets, french fries, apples, and slide down"). Once she fills up the entire poop (12 times) and pee (36 times) she gets sticker earrings. It looks like we will be sticker earring shopping tomorrow!

She is doing great. She hasn't wet the bed at all, in fact she gets herself out of bed in order to go. Chey also has only had two accidents since she started pooping in the toilet again: yesterday when she decided candy she was eating was more important than going potty, that upset us, and a few days ago when Dallas was taking his sweet time in the bathroom and Chey really had to go, that one upset her.

It is nice to have two using the toilet and only the little one in diapers. Downside: our one bathroom is getting lots of use and the toilet needs to be cleaned often, but I'll take it :)

What Does Your Servant Look Like?

I know parenting shouldn't include sarcasm but around here, too often it does. Mostly when an exasperated Mommy meets a lazy Dallas.

The questions: "I'm thirsty (with an already filled glass just waiting for him at the table)" "I need my shoes (which are by the door like they always are)" or "Where is my ?" gets replied with a, "Go get it yourself, what do I look like? I am not your servant!"

A few days ago I started to reply with my, "You can get it, what do I look like?"
He replied very emphatically, "Not my servant!"

Christmas! (almost two months late)

We actually celebrated sometime during the first full week of January. While it wasn't a up to full Christmas standard - it was after all the first time we celebrated with just our own little family and it was right after a move - it was great for a first go.

A few days before we celebrated (and about three days after we moved in and were mostly settled) we set up the tree. I put hooks on the ornaments while the kids were free to put them anywhere on the tree. I think next year we will have a talk about balance and distribution...

As you can see there are a few clusters of ornaments. In fact, once when tell Dallas to put one on the tree I specifically said to not put it on a branch with another and to spread the ornaments out, so he put it on the branch right next to it instead

Ok, I admit it! I put some of the ornaments on the tree...

We had a nice Christmas Eve dinner of meatballs, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and corn with strawberries and grapes to finish it off and sparkling apple, peach, pear, and grape to drink. (Chey likes to call it "sparkly juice")

I have found my kids love asparagus and I am extremely happy about it.

Also note the festive tablecloth (that is still on our table to this day). I am growing leaps and bounds in homemaking/interior decorating

This is about where the story ends however. Neither Cam nor I remembered to pull out the camera Christmas morning... I told you we are still learning!

Something Dallas got for Christmas/his birthday was a bike and he enjoys new challenge (he has never ridden a two-wheeled bike before... don't get too excited, it has training wheels).

The first time it was ever ridden was to the park. I realized after we started that the way to the park is on a slight incline the entire way. Dallas had to climb that learning curve fast! Then on the way home he was given the chance to work on braking. While at the park he got some practice on the mostly flat pathway.

On the trail in the park. Chey was walking faster than he was riding.

On the sidewalk heading home, he starting picking up speed. He is still wary of going much faster than a run but he sure loves it!

You may notice the weather in those pictures looks not very wintery. We had a week or two of fairly warm, dry weather in beginning/mid January. Since then the snow, rain, cold, and wind have all shown their face and it is no longer very good bike riding weather.

"Steady Days"

We moved again and are in Logan, Utah now. Logan is an amazing city. Before we moved we heard comments like, "Logan? I used to live there, you will love it!" No one explained why we would love it, just we would. After a month we do love it, and I can't seem to explain why either. It is a lot of little things. Everything is so close. We can walk to the store, the library, the church, the transit center where we can hop on and ride somewhere further for free. Running errands takes 15 minutes total instead of 15 minutes just in travel time. I am sure there are other reasons I love Logan, but this cozy feeling is one attribute I just can't get over!

Cam's started school (the actual Computer Science coursework, yahoo!) and we are settling in at home. We started going to the library since the cold and wet weather of January made going out to play difficult most weeks. By chance I looked up some parenting books and stumbled on "Steady Days" by Jamie C. Martin. It is a small, thin book so I figured I had a fighting chance of actually finishing and applying the book.

The subtitle is "A Journey Towards Intentional, Professional Motherhood." Intentional and professional mothering is something I have struggled with since having Dallas.

Up until Dallas was born I was constantly in school or working, usually a combination of the two. I had something other than myself telling me where I needed to be, what I needed to do and my sense of hard work and responsibility (I felt guilty if I didn't do assignments to the best of my ability, I couldn't even fathom intentionally skipping class or sloughing off assignments) took care of the rest. After he was born I was suddenly at home ALL THE TIME and no one telling my what to do. I had no idea what to do with myself. I had intentions of setting specific days to clean, of always having dinner of the table when Cam got home and other "homemaker" duties. Unfortunately, I didn't. There were times it got very bad (we won't go into details, but I never left the house so I wouldn't shower until Cam told me I smelled... yeah I guess that was too much detail, huh?). However my work ethic was still there making me feel incredibly guilty, but I didn't know what exactly what I was feeling guilty for.

I only felt accomplished when I was working outside the home so I found a job and kept working. I felt I needed that something telling me what to do! After working part-time in the tutoring, para-educating, and substitute teaching realm; I finally landed a full-time teaching job! If that wasn't going to make me feel accomplished I didn't know what would! However, even while teaching full-time and being told how much I was benefiting the 150 students in my classes; I felt guilt for what my children (and, to a lesser degree, the house) weren't getting.

So what gives? I realized "doing" work didn't fulfill that guilt for sloughing off my responsibility to my children. I was a good professional educator, why couldn't I figure out how to be a good professional mother? That is why this book really caught my eye: "Intentional, Professional Motherhood."

The book has been an eye-opener. It isn't full of ground-breaking thoughts or techniques, but has given me clear ideas and methods to make being at home with my children productive and meaningful. Along with creating a "Steady Routine" the book suggests finding one thing to improve upon at a time. It is so easy to tackle things one at a time.

If I sound like you, or you sound like me, I would recommend giving this book a gander. You'll take some, you'll leave some, but I believe it will be a good experience :)

Halloween

Halloween this year was some carving pumpkins, trunk-or-treat at the ward party where Dallas also tried his hand at eating a donut on a string (he gave up after two nibbles), and the Children's Museum "Enchanted Woods" event.

The "Enchanted Woods" was done in the middle of October. The children gathered at the entrance of the museum where King Aurthur sent them on a quest in search of the Golden Rose (if you ask Dallas what they were looking for on their quest, he will still tell you, "the Golden Rose"). They were to ask those they met for assistance and to give them any assistance that they could, because the kids were knights (Aurthur knighted them before they embarked on the quest) and knights always help those around them. The children traveled through the museum meeting Robin Hood, Long John Silver, Humpty Dumpty, Dorothy and the Scarecrow, and many other storybook characters. They helped everyone they met and in return the kids got information on where to find the Golden Rose (if the character knew anything) and a little treat (donated to the museum by local businesses: some small toys or coupons or candy... one stop gave them all schoolboy apples from a local farm). It was very fun for the kids and taught them a few good lessons as well. I have no pictures from that day... not good planning on my part.

Dallas' favorite song is "What's This" from Tim Burtons "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Dallas has never seen the movie, but he loves that song (and can sing most of it himself). When it was time to carve the pumpkin we went online to glean ideas from free pumpkin templates. One template was Jack Skelington, the main character, and singer of "What's This", on "Nightmare Before Christmas". Dallas was sold. He wanted a "Jack" pumpkin. So I gave it a whirl.
Unfortunatly, Jack has a stitched mouth which is fairly difficult to carve into a pumpkin, but it all worked out, although Jack is missing a few teeth...


The ward night I again didn't bring the camera with me so you don't get to see Chelane wearing her Trick-or-Treat bag around her neck and pointing to it when asking for candy or Dallas trying to eat the donut on a string. We must be content with pictures in really bad lighting instead...

Dallas got to be Woody this year and Chelane was stuck using his old Buzz Lightyear costume from last year. She did love being Buzz, although she was mistaken for a boy a lot.

These pictures are after the Trunk-or-Treat. Chelane wanted her face painted, which she didn't hold too still for and didn't keep her hands off afterwards... oh well, I should have seen that coming! Dallas has a Chinese yo-yo in his hand. He LOVED playing with it until he (or his sister) pulled the paper off.

The kids weren't the only one who dressed up. I came almost straight from work and didn't bother doing anything fun. However, Cam went all out. He grew out his hair and sideburns since mid-September when Dallas mentioned he wanted Dad to be Wolverine from X-Men for Halloween. Cam visited a local cosmetology school right before the Trunk-or-Treat to get the hair right.


He finished the look off with a flannel, jeans, his leather jacket, and old army dog-tags.

Please excuse the deer-in-the-headlights look, I really have no idea how that happened! This may be a costume we just improve upon every year, Cam had lots of fun dressing up!

The Wild Locks

Chelane was cursed blessed with fine and wispy hair that also has a loose curl. The fine/wipsy part forces her hair to do very odd things when slept on, and doesn't allow for easy styling; while the 'loose curl' part gives her hair wave with no determinable direction. Put these together and you have a volatile combination.

If left to its own devices, Chelane's hair makes her appear to be a homeless child of seeing-impaired parents. Unfortunately I don't have a picture to prove my point... or perhaps the lack of pictures does just that.

Before I started working, I put effort into Chelane's hair... once and a while (see object 1). Her hair would be very cute for approximately 15 minutes after I put it up (again you will need to trust me, I never took pictures of the ruined product).

Object 1: Cute hair Chelane

After moving to Utah, I have no time in the morning to do Chelane's hair (not to mention I am often gone before the kiddos awaken). However, on days off I attack Chelane's hair with a renewed vigor. Since it had such natural curl, I decided to force it to work in our favor and broke out the defuser.

Just like her mommy's hair, while Chelane's hair has an abundance of curl in the back, the front will not curl to save a life; so I pinned it up. I honestly believe the end product is amazingly cute (but I am bias) and wish I could make her hair do this every time.

Chelane was very unhappy at being subjected to the hair dryer. We had to console her with her binky. But oviously the binky wasn't consoling too well...

A less accusing Chelane. See all the curls?

From the back.

Of course I dolled her up so we could go out. By the time we reached out destination, Chelane had mushed most of the curl out of her hair. Oh well, at least I have pictures to prove it was cute.

Dallas's Mad Skills (lots of pictures!)

Girls like guys with skills. You know like egg-cracking skills, acting skill, photography skills...
(Yes, I shamelessly took that from Napolean Dynamite, a movie I don't really like.)

Dallas has some hidden talents. First, he likes to take pictures; pictures I did not know about until I was loading my pictures onto the computer. I did delete some of his less than complimentary work, but here is (most) of the rest in all it's glory.

Dallas and still life:

The Buzz lightyear beachball. I really feel he captured those little Green Men...

I call this one: Vacuum Over Couch

A picture of Netflix. Looks to be Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner.

Dallas and Portraits:

Chelane less than willing to allow her picture taken. I believe she is practicing for her future diva days... oh, wait she already is one

Chey and Daddy


I think he really captured Cam in this one


Say, "Cheese". Dallas taking the picture of a friend.

As you can see, not only does he take these completely independently, he is quite good at getting the item of interest in the center of the picture. Not bad Dallas!


Second, Dallas acts... sort of. As I mentioned back in this post, Dallas has started "acting" in some "partici-plays" at the local Children's Museum. Here is a picture of him as the "Woodcutter"


In this play there was a bit of standing and sitting and a few lines; not much acting. Dallas would jazz it up a bit by falling to the floor or other oddities. That play wasn't nearly as exciting for him as the play where he was the Big Bad Wolf. Unfortunately, I only have phone pictures for that play, but here they are:

I am sorry if they make your head hurt. Focus and crispness are not the forte of the phone pictures...

Dallas in his adorable Big Bad Wolf costume waiting to start.

Dallas just blew the house made of sticks down! (You can see the employee (in blue) moving the house as it "blows down")

Dallas trying to "huff and puff and blow" the third little pig's house down (his little lips are puckered and his cheeks are full of air... you can't see it with the phone-picture, but he is).

Dallas did so amazing with that part. He was attentive, followed directions, and LOVED trying to blow all the houses down. It was great fun to watch.


Third, Dallas has gained some culinary skills. Back in June, I bought some alphabet cookie cutters, so one lazy Sunday afternoon Dallas and I made sugar cookies and spelled the names of everyone in the house with the cookies cutters. Dallas had great fun and I learned that sugar cookies need to be a bit thicker than, say, pie crust...

Anyway. That day Dallas asked me if he could help crack the eggs. I gave him a short tutorial of what to do, helped him crack an egg, and thought nothing of it until we moved. A month ago, he asked to eat German Pancakes, a recipe that takes 6 six eggs. Then he asked to crack them. I gave him the bowl, and the eggs and watched:

Sorry that is is sideways and small.

I was pretty amazed. He did all six eggs and I haven't cracked many eggs since. Later I showed him how to cut up potatoes one day while making soup. He was able to cu them himself and safely. Daddy got quite nervous seeing Dallas with a knife, so I haven't continued to nurture that skill.

Yesterday, Dallas also helped my clean and carve a pumpkin. The wonders of this kid never end. More to come...

Chey's Birthday

Back in September, Chelane turned the big oh-two.

The question on everyone's lips: "is she in her 'terrible twos'?"
And my answer is: "Chelane is very advanced... we have been dealing with the 'terrible twos' for a few months now".

Chelane (and Dallas) had a wonderful time opening the cards and gifts. Here are some pictures of the day. We were going to have cupcakes and have her blow out a candle, but somehow we never got around to it. Blame it on the Mommy working; I am not good at scheduling family things while working full-time. But we do have some fun pictures nonetheless.

Chelane opening her card.

Chelane opening her first gift: the backpack. She didn't want to take it off all night.


She is very happy to show it off.


Opening Tinkerbell. Dallas and Chelane both enjoy playing with this one :)


Last gift: Baby doll set that I bought at Kmart over a year ago.

Both kids enjoyed celebrating the birthday. Chelane is growing up very fast. She is very vocal and extremely opinionated.

Also of note: as you may have noticed, the back of Chlane's hair is quite short. That is Mommy's handiwork. It was a failed attempted at what was envisioned to be a very cute bob. Obviously the "bob" part didn't pan-out; however, it has tamed her wild locks (by removing them)... for now...

Kassie #2

My mom habitually calls us kids by our sibling's names. I thought it had something to do with all us kids having K- or J- names; you seem to be setting yourself up for failure giving your kids like-sounding names (however, now that I have kids of my own, I find Moms mix up all their kids' names no matter how different they sound).

My little sister, Karma, seemed to get the worst of the sibling-name-mix-up. She was called "Kassie" so often we starting nicknaming her "Kassie #2". No one was immune from calling her by the wrong name. It wasn't only my mom, it was everyone in the family (and even some family friends).

Once when I was very upset with her, I sternly said, "Kassie!... " and the rest of my tirade was lost in laughing. I couldn't keep a straight face after calling her by MY name.

Chelane has started calling me Kassie. Cam and I correct her and say "Mom" after every time. She more often calls me "Mom" now.

It is our "fall break" here in Utah so we took the kids to the Kangaroo Zoo (much like the Bouncy Place back home), went to Temple Square and visited the Visitor's Center (Cam wanted the kids to see the large Christus), then headed a little more South to visit with some friends until Karma was off work.

All day we were telling the kids that we were going to see Karma, and Chelane would say, "Karma?" However once we got there, we asked Chelane, "Who is that?" and she said, "Kassie". While carrying her, Cam drilled her on the "Who is that?" question. Chelane would say "Karma" then when she got in earshot of Karma, would change to "Kassie". Karma decided Chelane was just doing it to get a rise out of her (where on earth did she learn to do that?!) As for me, I think it is just a reminder to Karma that she can never escape her past as "Kassie #2".