Favorite Kids' Books

We have a LOT of books at our house. Not too many, because i don't think there is such a thing. We keep coming back to certain books that are favorites of both the big and little people, and I thought we would share.

Amazing Airplanes 

Jacob went through an airplane phase a couple of years ago, and Aunt Jessie got him this book for his second birthday. We all loved reading it. Jacob even memorized it. Then, we left it somewhere. We were sad, him especially, so i went online to buy it again. Imagine my surprise when i found there was a whole series!

i bought the series and found the rest of the books as delightful as amazing airplanes was. so delightful, that when this set had been taped and repaired and pieced back together number of times, i bought it again. These books are that good.

Every day after lunch, each kid gets to pick a song to sing and then we read a book. Aliza ALWAYS asks for the monkey book. This is a favorite of Jacob's too. We received it free from the publisher (Thanks Simon and Schuster!), but I would gladly pay cover price for it.

Warning: Do Not Open This Book

Clever and interactive. I enjoy reading this one time and again.

There are monkeys, toucans and alligators. And, on Aliza's personal favorite page, a banana.

Our final favorite book is one of a series, but we have only one. The kids beg miss jenna to read this one every time she comes over to babysit. I bought it when i was pregnant with Jacob because the cat kinda resembled Cricket.

Skippyjon Jones

He is a crazy, mischievous little guy with a big imagination.

There are fun songs, silly voices and wild adventures. The giggling is non-stop. I look forward to more books featuring this guy.

What are your kid's favorite books?

Don't Laugh. No, Seriously. Don't laugh.

We had a little girl turning three over the weekend. We threw a fantastic backyard party. I got the bright idea to make a watermelon cake. After looking at some tutorials I was all "It does seem THAT hard." Boy, was i wrong. First, go check out how to make one here.

I made the whipped cream on Thursday. It was actually insanely easy. I set everything up in the kitchen aid mixer and a couple minutes later it was done. However, making the whipped cream so far ahead of time was my first mistake. By the time i got it out of the fridge on Saturday to frost the watermelon, it wasn't quite as fluffy as it was supposed to be.

Second mistake: i didn't cut the watermelon exactly roundly. From my experience frosting cakes with buttercream, i thought i would be able to smooth out the bumps with the frosting. Flat whipped cream was not so forgiving.

The poor cake looks like a cake wrecks fail cake. HOWEVER, the watermelon, berries and whipped cream were incredibly refreshing on the hottest day so far in August and both cakes got eaten up.

Party Prep - Popsicles!

My kids love sweet treats as much as the next kid, but we really limit sugar, especially refined processed garbage. Im a crazy hippy. Its been stupid hot here, so I've been making them popsicles. I use plain whole milk yogurt and chopped up fruit.

One of the littles has birthday coming up, so i borrowed a bunch of popsicle molds to make treats for all the kids. I got two 2lb tubs of vanilla yogurt and a bunch of strawberries. I chopped the strawberries, mixed them into the yogurt and put them into the molds to freeze. I used about eight strawberries in each tub. Each tub made about a dozen popsicles, but i had two different sizes of molds. If i had all of the smaller ones (the ones we usually use) i could have made closer to 18 from each tub.

Kids totally dig these and if you use plain yogurt instead of vanilla there is no sugar! Enjoy!

Freezer Meals Part Four: Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff!!!

We ate this one this week so i took some pictures. I learned that its not a very photogenic meal, and food photography is hard. :)

2 lbs beef (stew meat recommended, i love tenderized round steak)
1 lg onion, chopped
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cream of onion soup
8 oz sliced mushrooms - fresh or canned. if canned, drain.
1/4 tsp pepper
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
8 oz sour cream

For  freezer meal, I add all ingredients to bag, etc. The sour cream and cream cheese does look a little funny when it cooks all day, but boy does it taste delicious.

If you are cooking fresh, wait to add the sour cream and cream cheese until about 30 minutes before you are serving.

Cook on low 6-8 hours (are you noticing a pattern here?). Serve over egg noodles.

YUMMMMMMMMM

Freezer Meals Part Three: Man Pleasing Chicken

Man Pleasing Chicken

I am a little confused about the name of this meal, as it pleases everyone, but the woman the most. Tasty and easy - what's not to love!

1 each red and green bell peppers, chopped
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped (Add more if you like carrots!)
1 lg onion, sliced
3 zucchini, sliced
2 tblsp flour
2 lbs boneless skinless thighs (there is enough sauce for more chicken if you have a big family or like leftovers)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup dijon mustard
1/8 cup maple syrup
1 tblsp rice wine vinegar

Add all ingredients to bag and freeze. Thaw overnight in fridge before cooking.

You can cook this two ways. I prefer crockpot on low all day (6-8 hours) because it is easy. You can also bake in a foil lined pan at 450 for 20-30 mins until internal meat temp is 165.

I usually serve over rice.

Tangy and sweet - this one always gets clean plates!

BLAST BALL

Blast Ball is similar to t-ball. This was Jacob's first year to be old enough to play at our rec center. He had SUCH a good time. Basically the kids would hit the ball, run to first base and stomp on it. The base had a squeaker in it and made fun noises. The fielding team would all run after the ball and whoever caught it would say "BLAST BALL!" and throw it into the coach at home plate. It was hilarious, disorganized and awesome. Like herding cats. But the kids had a blast (see what i did there) and thats what matters.

Freezer Meals, Part Two: Mongolian Beef

Crockpot Mongolian Beef

1lb stew meat

2 tsp olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 tblsp minced garlic

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1/2 cup water

1 tsp fresh minced ginger

Freezer Instructions: Add all ingredients to prelabeled freezer bag, freeze flat. Thaw in fridge the night before cooking.

Cooking Instructions: Add all ingredients to crock pot, cook on low 6-8 hours. 

I serve this with rice and steamed broccoli. I could probably eat it once a week, there are great leftovers and the kids eat it up. LOVE this recipe!!!!!

Crockpot Freezer Meals: Cincinnati Chili

About a year and a half ago, I decided i wanted to start making some freezer meals to have on hand for when life is too busy to cook (so basically, everyday). I found some recipes, invited some friends, went shopping and we had fun prepping out meals together.

Ive been hosting these once a month or so. A week ago, two girlfriends came over on Sunday afternoon and we made thirty meals in two hours. Not too shabby, especially as there was a lot of gabbing in between chopping and measuring. I have picked some real winners and a couple losers. I plan to post some of my favorites this week. I hope you enjoy!

CINCINNATI CHILI
2 lbs ground beef, browned
6 oz tomato paste
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tblsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 15oz cans kidney beans

Freezer Instructions: Add all ingredients to prelabeled bag. Freeze. When ready to eat, thaw in fridge overnight.
Cooking Instructions: Dump everything into a crockpot with 1 cup water. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

We have also taken this camping and just heated over the fire in a big pot for an hour or so. The cocoa powder and cinnamon make the flavor unique and really, really delicious.

summa time

 aliza is getting to the age where she is truly in love with her big brother. she says "JAKE-AH!" whenever she sees him and always wants to be doing whatever he is doing. its too much for my heart.

 Jacob is way into ninja turtles, thanks in large part to uncle max and uncle bryce. he wears his shell constantly, to eat, to bed, everywhere.

aliza is turning into quite the chatty cathy. she is doing great at repeating and understanding words, with her own special brand of attitude. she is a little bit sassy, a lot independent (way more than jacob was at her age) and a lot of mini-me. (notice she is also wearing a "turta" shirt.)

Bucket List Check Off

...running a half marathon, check!

I wanted to run the 13.1 miles in 2.5 hours. I hit it right on the money. I trained for several months, had a great running partner and a fun course. If you live in the area and haven't ran Prairie Fire, what are you waiting for? There were tons of people with signs and cheering, live music, coffee stations as well as water and gel stations, etc. Plus i scored some sweet bling. I felt very accomplished when it was over (nine months later i am still patting myself on the back, lets be honest) although i couldn't walk for three days. :)

Stitch Fix #1

Have you heard of stitch fix? Lots of people have been saying how amazing it is, so I decided to try it. I filled out my style profile, linked to a pinterest board with several pins of things i liked, and wrote the stylist a note to the effect of "I have four small kids and a limited budget but i am trying to start dressing like a grown up." Then, I scheduled my first fix. Five items were delivered to my house. I tried them all on, decided what i wanted to keep, and sent the rest back in the pre paid envelope. Easiest shopping ever. I loved all five of my items if we are being honest, but kept these two. A cute navy dress that i can layer for fall or wear by itself in summer to church or work, and a polka dot casual shirt. Each item comes with a notecard giving two different ways to wear and accessory suggestions which is awesome!

Have you tried it? If you are interested, you can use my referral link and i get bonus cash. Thanks in advance! I really think you won't be disappointed. They are adding a wider range of sizes, including plus and maternity, so there is a little something for everyone. :)

I took pictures of me actually wearing these, but the lighting was terrible and my camera battery chose that moment to die. Next month, i plan to give you guys the full fashion show. 

Our Four Year Old

Its only a few months late... but Jacob had the best birthday a four year old boy could ask for. We had planned it at the park, and it was drizzling on and off. We decided to go ahead with the party.

there was mud, there were snacks, there were happy happy children. best party ever.

birthday butterfly

 my sweet baby girl turned one last weekend! I can't even believe a year has passed. it is definitely quicker the second time around. we hosted a fall festival costume party to celebrate. Aliza dressed up as a monarch butterfly, and Jacob was Thomas the Tank Engine. Shane, Darci and their kids all had great costumes too: super heroes for the kids and Shane dressed as Jeremy. Hilarious. Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Tam made the trip down from Topeka too.

 Aliza can say hi, dada, cat, and nom nom nom. Hilarious words, right? Noticeably absent from the list is mama, but I'm trying to come to terms with that. She pulls to standing and cruises around on furniture, but absolutely refuses to stand by herself or take steps unassisted. She claps and waves and is just generally so sweet natured and happy (except when Jakey is picking on her).

I tried to have all fall themed food. Ghost bananas were a hit at a previous party we went to, so they made a reappearance. I made her applesauce muffins instead of a cake and spider web pizzas. It was fun and tasty!

 She mostly loves to eat anything and everything, often two fisting it. Ever since her lip and tongue tie revision surgery in August, she has been chewing and swallowing much better and without choking all the time. I have yet to find a food she refuses. I know its a matter of time before she gets a little pickier, but for now I am just enjoying it.

Kris was in town from LA with her kidlets, so the whole Gibson crew was together at the party. I love them!

Spring Camping Trip

 We went with some families from our small group on a camping trip in May. Yes, I know it is October and this post is a little overdue. The kids had fun and did surprisingly well sleeping outside. It was hot and there were a lot of bugs, but it was still a good time. We are looking forward to the next trip in a few weeks!

Florida Trip

 My mom and I took the kids to Florida last month. She was having her 40th reunion, and I wanted to introduce Aliza to her Florida family. We spent a couple of days in St. Augustine, where we got to see Grandma (Great-Grandma) and Aunt Laura, Uncle Greg, Kristin, Anna and Alex. It was great to see them and spend time there.

 On the way down to St. Pete, we stopped in Orlando for lunch with my oldest friend. We have been friends since third grade at Deep Creek Elementary. We haven't seen each other in over 15 years, but it was like we have spent time together everyday. We are so much alike and have many similar interests. Our kids are about the same age, so she brought her oldest down to St. Pete so he and Jakey could play at the beach together. It was great. I'm proud to say I introduced her to the Outlander series, just in time for the Starz series. :)

While in St. Pete, we spent time with even more family and friends. swam in the pool for hours every morning and spent every afternoon at the beach. The kids loved soaking up the sun and hanging out and I enjoyed relaxing. Although we had a heck of a time getting home (American Airlines is the worst customer service EVER), overall, it was a great trip.

 

p.s. three year old travel trip - find a car seat that can go on the airplane! A lot of them can (but not all). I had no trouble with Jacob squirming or getting anxious or anything, since is he used to being buckled up in the car already. It made the air travel portion of the trip just a little easier. :)