Dishwashing Success Story!

There has only been one year in our 7 1/2 years of marriange that we have enjoyed the convenience of a dishwasher, and that one year wasn't this past year! Shortly after we moved into this house the dishwasher died.
While at a local do it yourself center Adam noticed that some appliances were on sale and we decided to get the new dishwasher. Buying it was the easy part, installing it was the "growing experience."
I won't explain all the details; suffice it to say that by the time it was all said and done it had taken 24 hours and been installed three separate times (and consequently uninstalled due to leaks and other catastrophes!) But now it's done! We were thrilled to load that thing up with all the dishes that had accumulated in the 24 hour period and watch it work. In the end, I am very impressed with Adam and his utter determination not to be taken by an appliance--You did a great job!

This picture was taken on the first day of installation, towards the beginning of the day, which is why Adam is still smiling!


Parker was Adam's other trusty assistant.



We sent the kids to the basement to play when we thought it was only going to take a couple of hours to install. By the time the second day rolled around we had to sweeten the deal by providing a "cookie picnic" in the basement in the fort they had made with the dishwasher box. They were so patient and did remarkably well even though the project was seemingly endless.

A Romantic Dinner For Five, Please

We have enjoyed a gloriously, if not uncharacteristically, warm week here in Michigan. We got all the way up into the 60s and it lasted long enough that ALL the snow melted! There has been sunshine to clear away the gray skies and it has been a much appreciated mid-winter break.

Yesterday morning however, winter made a comeback. It was only an inch or two of snow, but for some reason it was really slippery. Adam called on his way home from work to tell me that he had slid off the road and needed me to bring the snow shovel. We arrived and got him out, then made our way back home to have our Valentine pancake breakfast. The kids thought it was really fun that Cupid turned our milk pink with his magic arrow!




When they got home, the kids went down to play and Adam and I prepared our fancy dinner at the fanciest restaurant we were willing to take three kids--home! We set the table with a table cloth, candles, and goblets that we haven't used once since we received them as wedding gifts. The best part? There were no plastic plates or cups (except what we gave Meredith--fancy does have limits, you know) and the kids used their fanciest manners. Parker even brought some pennies from his piggy bank so he could pay the handsome waiter (a.k.a. Dad) We had salmon, rice, and grilled vegetables--and the kids ate everything! I'm thinking we might need to break out the "fancy-ware" more frequently if it gets results like this! To top off the meal we enjoyed cheese cake. It was a really fun night and is the beginning of a great family Valentine tradition.

When Meredith saw me preparing the cheesecake she pulled up a chair and got her apron down and before I knew it, I had a helper!

When Parker realized that we were having a special dinner, he wanted to be dressed for success so he went and put on a button-up shirt.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A Closet Encounter

At the beginning of the school year I arranged the girls' closet so that Madelyn would have access to her clothes. This had two purposes: She has always been an independent kid and likes to be able to do things herself, and putting clothes away is my least favorite part of the whole laundry process! I installed (doesn't that sound professional--it is a wooden dowel with holes drilled on either side and strung up with a rope) a second rod on one side of the closet at just her height. I then made some of these nifty labels out of craft foam and my trusty Sharpie. She loves the control it gives her and I love that she gets to put away her own clothes! I just installed a rod in Parker's closet last week and it seems to be equally successful!

Hot Chocolate Therapy

So, I really love living here in the Midwest. I like the seasonal changes. For a few months, I even like the snow that seems to fall incessantly. I don't mind shoveling the driveway, wearing 5 layers IN THE HOUSE just to stay warm, and I like building a snowman with the kids as much as the next mom, but unfortunately my winter tolerance ends before the winter season does!

This is where the hot chocolate therapy comes in. My best friend gave me this recipe years ago and it has served me well through many a winter season. I used to make it in a respectable quantity (which is the quantity I'm sharing with you), but I now quadruple the it so I can share the chocolatey goodness with everyone else I know who needs a break from winter!

1 1/2 c. powdered milk
1 1/2 c. flavored powdered creamer
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt

Add 1/4 c. per mug and stir in 6-8 oz. hot water.

This is a recipe that allows for a lot of flexibility; I like to try a different flavor of creamer each time. Hope this warms you up too!

The Botched Escape

On Thursday Parker hurt his foot and hasn’t been able to walk since. Parker, Madelyn, and Evan (the little boy I babysit) were down in the basement. As the story was told to us, Evan was the monster and Parker and Madelyn were trying to escape from him. In an attempt to outwit the monster (who must be afraid of heights) Madelyn convinced Parker to climb to the “safety” of the window ledge and then jump down. When they jumped, Parker landed wrong on his foot and that was the end of the game. He was able to hobble to the hallway and then Adam had to carry him upstairs. X-rays revealed that there was no break, but the foot was quite swollen. On Saturday Adam put a splint on the foot in hopes of stabilizing it, and getting the swelling down. Parker has remained remarkably sedentary, for a four-year-old, and has been crawling to get where he needs to go if we’re not there to carry him. It didn’t take Meredith too long to figure out that she can now out run Parker, and she has been using that bit of information to full advantage; she steals a crayon or car that he is using and takes off running while squealing with pure delight at finally being able to get the upper hand in life!

Maybe next time they'll try a different escape route!

Visitors, Bows, and Paint

It's been a while since I posted, but I have some good things in the works!

This past weekend we enjoyed a visit from Pops, Granna, and Beka. We know they love us because they are willing to visit from AZ even when the daytime high here is 10 degrees! We drank lots of hot chocolate, played games, and generally tried to stay warm. Within minutes of their leaving the kids were already asking when we would see them again. We had a lot of fun--thanks again for coming!

A couple of nights ago I hosted a bow-making party. I love making hair bows, but it was so much more fun to do it while sitting around with a bunch of friends! This picture does double duty--it shows off Meredith's new bows, and also the new shade of yellow on the walls. I love how the paint color looks in the kids' rooms--it's bright and sunny, which is a wonderful contrast to the eternally gray skies that make January so dull here. I'll show more of their rooms as I complete them.

Ode to the Humble Homemade Playdough

I don't have pictures to go with this entry as we are in the process of setting up our new camera to be friends with our computer, but I wanted to pass along my favorite playdough recipe.
I needed something to keep the kids entertained yesterday while I prepped the kids' rooms for painting and I remembered a new box of neon-colored food dye I purchased a couple of weeks ago just for playdough. I quadrupled the batch (I needed them to be REALLY entertained!) and with four new colors for them to squish, mold, and cut, I was able to finish the prep work! And as an added bonus for me, they didn't even get any playdough in their hair!

Here's the recipe:
1 c. water
1/2 c. salt
1 c. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 T. cooking oil
food coloring

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until it pulls away from the sides. Knead in for a minute once it cools then store in some sort of plastic.

(Note: If you're making a large batch and want to make the playdough into different colors, just add the dye when you're kneading instead of adding it to all the other ingredients in the saucepan.)