Our Week, thus far.

Wednesday November 7, 2012

I guess I’m sorta at a loss as to where to go from here. It turns out all my mornings start with the boys waking up, coffee, and then chaos ensuing. I wanted to avoid being repetitious and well . . . ordinary, but that seems just funny now. Of course my days are repetitious and ordinary. I’m a mom.

We had some great events this week so far. Grandma Jennifer (David’s mom) came over for a lovely visit Monday morning. Hudson got lots of playtime with her since Harper decided he was tired and went down for an early nap. I got a shower during that time, which is always a great bonus to any day, and also a chance to fold a huge mound of clean laundry (now that our washer is fixed).

After Grandma Jennifer left we spent the afternoon in the kitchen. We pulled the seeds from our pumpkins and baked them using an excellent recipe from the Art of Manliness website, which is an excellent website by the way even if you’re not a man (No, they didn’t pay me to say that although that’s an idea . . . .). We went with the cinnamon and sugar seasonings. I was really hoping it would make the seeds taste like a big, juicy cinnamon roll, but they just tasted like slightly sweet pumpkin seeds. Dang. The boys showed interest in the seed baking only at the beginning when I used a huge knife to cut open the tops of the pumpkins.

We also baked some sweet potatoes (Washed. Slathered in butter. Wrapped in foil (poke holes). Baked for an hour at 350 degrees), which I originally decided to try for Baby (that’s what Hudson calls Harper). I have been trying to feed Harper foods from the 25 most nutritious foods (hence the avocado on his tray in picture below), foods Hudson realized at a young age were not for him. It turns out neither boy likes sweet potatoes (or avocados, although the avocado pit is Hudson's new favorite ball). (Unfortunately, sausage did not make the 25 most nutritious foods list. That is something my boys will eat!) Luckily, I love sweet potatoes and it coincided with lunch-time, so bam. Done fed. I won’t lie. I don’t remember what the boys had for lunch, but something healthy and nutritious I’m sure. We also made David homemade chocolate syrup for his chocolate milk he likes (aka Daddy Juice). That is quite a bit of time in the kitchen for us. So, yeah, maybe a traditional meal wasn’t made . . .

Before a late nap, we went for a quick visit to see Grammy (my mom) at work and get some ice cream. The boys were sort of melting down as was, well, the ice cream, but it was fun. After we left I drove until both boys were sound asleep. Ah. Always so quiet when they are sleeping.

Tuesday we had a typical wild morning. Then we cleaned up, loaded up, and met Mimi and Poppy (my grandparents) at Bobby’s house (which is The Parent’s House). Hudson calls my dad Bobby because he couldn’t say Grandpa or Papa when he was younger and it just sort of evolved. So now his grandpa is Bobby, Bob for short, and BOB! when Hudson wants to get his attention.

I don’t think I mentioned before that we live in a cozy little condo, which we love dearly (all 714 sqft. of it)! Clearly it doesn’t have a yard though, just a much-used patio, so we head to The Parent’s house often to employ the extra space and the outdoors. Tuesday was probably the last warm day of the season. The boys and the grandparents played ball in the leaf-covered yard. I love Fall by the way. It’s such a beautiful time of year in Idaho.

While the boys played with Mimi and Poppy yesterday, I got a chance to shower there and even a chance to go somewhere alone: to pick up a book hold and to vote. I was relieved to get the voting over with, although I did feel oddly patriotic and emotional in the voting booth. Now I don’t have to lie if people ask if I voted. (I’m joking, Mom, of course.)

After the boys’ afternoon naps Tuesday, I had a few errands at the mall. Harper stayed with The Parents, while Hudson and I had a chance for a date. I forgot how fun it is to take just Hudson (not that I don’t love chasing a one-year old around; trying to keep him out of the road, off the escalator, and from diving under the dressing room doors). We brought quarters for the gum-ball machine which Hudson insisted on transporting in the back of a small toy container truck that has been his choice of toy for days now.

Hudson has recently realized how delicious all things chocolate are, so instead of him being ok with "Daddy’s Juice" being only Daddy’s, he has really been wanting some chocolate milk. Hudson is definitely on the small side for his age and struggles to consume a lot of calories. Instead of fighting this losing battle with glorious chocolate I decided to mix a little syrup with the half and half we use for our coffee. He drank the whole glass in about a minute. Maybe I should switch to mixing the chocolate syrup with heavy whipping cream or even straight butter!

After sacrificing the house to the boys this morning for a chance to write I think it is time to be done. Harpo (how Hudson pronounces Harper) won't stop hitting Hudson with a small wooden bat.