Zac caught a big fish

Granola bar recipe?

Benji loves the Kashi granola bars, but at the rate he eats, I really should stop buying them from Wal-Mart and start making an alternative. I tried a pumpkin granola bar recipe this evening but was less than impressed. (Of course, over-baking them didn't help, but I don't think they would have been that great even if I hadn't been putting Zac to sleep and had gotten them out of the oven at the proper time.) Anybody have a good granola bar recipe (or other snack bar recipe that is easy to take on-the-go and isn't super messy/sticky)?

Cold weather gripes

I myself prefer cold weather over the heat of Arkansas summers. However, my kids don't seem to take after me in this regard. It has only been colder for two days and I am already REALLY tired of the griping related to the following wintertime activities:

#1 - wearing a jacket
#2 - wearing a hat
#3 - putting chapstick on chapped lips
#4 - blowing noses
#5 - putting lotion on chapped cheeks

Of course, most of the griping comes from Benji but that is only because Zachary is too young to know the fine art of whining yet - thank God for this so that the sanity of the mother can be preserved. Part of me really doesn't care enough to deal with the inevitable whine that follows every minor request, "If they want to be freezing cold, then let them!" However, if I don't require them to follow #1 and #2, it is more likely that I will have to deal with #3, #4, and #5. It's a loose-loose situation - unless we move to the Bahamas. I'll have to bring this up to Shearn Yoong tonight.

But for now, I am wondering if any of you have any suggestions/hints/tricks/bribes that help your young ones deal with the previous gripes. And don't suggest logic or reason because that DEFINITELY has no effect on them.

Spiced pumpkin seeds recipe

Today was my first time to bake a pumpkin so I can use fresh pumpkin than than the canned variety in a recipe - we'll see if it makes any difference. But that also gave me the opportunity to roast pumpkin seeds - yummy!

Here's a recipe I found online which was simple but tasty:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
2. Combine the margarine, salt, garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce and pumpkin seeds. Mix thoroughly and place in shallow baking dish.
3. Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

The reason why Mommy doesn't exercise at home much

Hey, let me try those!

While my brother was flying a kite, I was ...

Doing gymnastics

Perfecting my jogging technique

Contemplating the nutritional value of leaves

Flirting with Mommy as we walked one round of the trail

Perfect kite flying day

Today was a perfect kite flying day. We took advantage of the wind and the beautiful weather and headed to Gulley Park after Shearn Yoong got home from work.

Just hanging out

Zachary

Brotherly love

Zachary was awake from 5 until 6:45 a.m. for some unknown reason (not for lack of Mommy trying to nurse him back to sleep). So once he eventually succumbed to sleep, he slept in until 8:15 a.m. - quite late for our family.

Benji woke up at 6 but stayed in his bed until 7 because his mean parents have made this a rule. Benji and I had some nice time together this morning - you know, reading a whole book without the Godzilla baby coming to try to eat the pages, stuff like that. But after 45 minutes or so, Benji starting missing his little sidekick and said, "I miss my brother."

There are time I wonder if the 25 months spacing between the boys was a little too close, but comments like that make this Mommy happy. I hope they always stay close and full of brotherly love.

Birthday pictures

Nona and Zachary at the playground

Drunk, half naked one year old

Benji still loves party hats too!

Zac's first bite of cake

Zac's cake

His first bite

Interesting... so THIS is sugar.

That's pretty good - I'll just help myself.

Forget the fork - I just use my hands.

You know, after this bite, I think I'll stick to eating leaves. It was okay, but foliage is even better.

Botanical Garden of the Ozarks

We visited the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks this evening. We were a little disappointed to see that it was smaller than we had hoped but what is there does look nice. They also plan on expanding in the future. However, we did get some photos there and enjoyed a family outing together.

Contemplating great things? Perhaps ... or perhaps not. More likely thinking about dinner!

Benji loved climbing the ladder up to this lookout in the children's garden section. We did it 3 or 4 times. We agreed it would be a fun place to live except for 2 things it lacked: a bathroom and a stove.

Considering his future ... should he take the path least traveled or stick with the pack?

Camping fun

Last weekend was the first time we took the boys camping. We all had a great time!

Benji thoroughly enjoyed the food!

The guys hiking

I love this shot that Shearn Yoong got of Benji throwing a rock in the creek.