Notes from the day

~Today's after dinner treat of choice? Addie's toes. I had cleaned Gabe up and set him on the floor as I was wiping Addie's hands clean. I look down and see Gabe's mouth wide open heading right for a plump, unsuspecting foot. It must have been good because he went back for seconds.

~Gabe is loving the freedom that is coming with being more mobile; I regularly see streaks of blue out of the corner of my eye followed by an eruption of giggles. Tonight I was in the playroom after changing Addie for bed and called Gabe to the gate to get him ready as well. Coming from the back door he makes a bee line toward me but then darts away just as I go to grab him. He walks halfway back to the door, turns, and runs in front of me, just out of my grasp, to the dryer. One more trip to the door then finally back to me as he decides that now he is ready.

Practice makes perfect

You'll remember in my last post I said Addie was taking "tentative steps."
Oh, the difference one day makes....
(sorry if it's somewhat shaky, I had to hide behind a door to get this.)

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Notes from the week

~Addie is obsessed with Gabe's curls. They seem to be whispering to her, "play with me, run your fingers through my golden softness and giggle with delight."

~The kids are getting more and more mobile with each passing day; just last night Gabe walked from the entertainment center to the fridge! Addie is starting to venture out alone as well, taking a several tentative steps before plopping down. She seems to favor moving to the side (a carry over from cruising no doubt) so she walks a little like a crab, heh.

~Gabe has started feeding himself!! He does better with hard foods for now (like cheerios and cheddar bunnies) but hopefully he'll figure out softer foods too (french toast and fruit.) For now, he would still rather squish them in his fist, raise his hand triumphantly in the air and ceremoniously fling the food to the floor. Oh well, one step at a time. :)

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quick freezer breakfast

Today the kids had apricot and pear oatmeal with banana bread french toast. I had made the oatmeal several days ago and the banana bread almost a month ago, and stored them both in the freezer.

apricot and pear oatmeal:
Combine 1 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup rolled oats, and 6-8 finely chopped dried apricots in a saucepan. Cook about 3 minutes then add 1 chopped pear. Blitz with an imersion blender for a smoother consistency.
To store, divide among several plastic baby food containers and stick in a labeled ziploc bag in the freezer.
To reheat, add a couple of tablespoons of whole milk to the oatmeal and pop in the microwave in 20 second intervals. Voila! Fast and tasty.

When I put away the bread, I cut it into narrow slices and stored them in a ziploc bag. The first few weeks the defrosted bread was just as good as (if not better than) when it was fresh. However, this morning I noticed that although it still had a pleasing taste the bread had become dry.

banana bread french toast:
combine 1 egg, slightly beaten, 1/3 cup whole milk, and a dash of nutmeg in a shallow dish. Dip each side of defrosted bread in mixture and place in a skillet on medium heat. cook about 2 minutes on each side. Let cool then chop into bite size pieces. The bread will still hold it's shape and is now as moist as ever.

home grown tomatoes

“Home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes
What would life be like without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love and home grown tomatoes.”
- Guy Clark

Lake Gaston

The past week was spent with family, decompressing by the lake. As is typical of Cabaniss family vacations, activities included reading, napping, canoeing, fishing, and playing games; the height of relaxation. :)
New slide show up.

edited to add: For more great pictures from the trip, head over to A Lovely Mile.