Pitas, People!

OK...so I know this is 2 posts in one day, but there have been new culinary adventures!  We were having Indian food for dinner (chicken tikka masala), so I decided to make pitas.  They turned out pretty well!  They were light and fluffy and had the "pocket" in the middle.  I'll roll them thinner if I do it again - they were pretty thick.  But good!  Wm was a BIG, BIG fan!  He loves all things carb.

Here they are all puffed up right out of the oven!

And again, in action, with dinner

Wm, of course, refused to eat my chicken tikka masala and, instead, feasted on plain chicken, rice, pita, pea pods, and craisins.  He did so well we are taking him out for ice cream later.  He asked for a chance to "gigest" before going.

Lasering!

 

Wm enjoying the brownies we made.  They were SO good!!!

 

I pulled up a carrot in the garden to see how they're doing.  Swimmingly!!! 

AND, the Big News...I am getting LASIK tomorrow afternoon!  I will be able to SEEEEEEEEE!!!!!  I am super pumped.  Insanely, super pumped.  By this time tomorrow, I will be glasses-free!  Although, Wm is still not happy about this whole thing.  He keeps insisting that I will look "weird and ugly" and it will apparently showcase the bump on my nose (per Wm).  He'll get used to it.  

Wm is tie dying today at school.  I can't wait to see his finished product!  I wish I got to tie dye at work...

Playing with Myself

Seriously.  This may top all other hilarious Wm conversations.  He was picking out the Lego guys he was going to take into bed to play with (he gets about 10-15 minutes of in-bed playtime before lights out).  Aunt Jess and Uncle Drew got Wm Lego guys that looked like each member of the family for his birthday.  So there is one that looks like me.  Wm was laying in bed playing with the Mommy Lego person and he goes, "Mommy, would you like to play with yourself?" and hands me the Mommy Lego guy.  Then launched into a whole 10 minute list of different ways I could play with myself.  Meanwhile, Steve is turning purple in the doorway trying not to laugh.  Wm finally says, "Hey, Mommy!  You can play with yourself in bed with Daddy if you want!"  Steve had to leave - he couldn't contain it anymore.  Wm continued, "Do you want to play with yourself tonight and tomorrow or just tonight?"  Then says, "But don't stay up too late playing with yourself."  I have no idea how long this would have gone on, but I finally managed to say, "Wm, you can keep the Mommy Lego person tonight and we'll play with Legos together tomorrow.  Good night!"  And ran to the safety of my room.

Earlier today, I was chasing Wm in circles around the house.  I decided to be sneaky and creep up on him the other way.  He figured me out and creeped up behind ME the other other way.  When he screamed, "BOOOOOO!" behind me, I jumped a foot in the air.  Wm chuckled and said, "I turned the tables on ya."

Man...you can't pay for this kind of entertainment.

Left to our Own Devices

Steve has left Wm and I to our devices this weekend since he is working some tournament.  Wm and I have been having an awesome day so far.  Unfortunately, we are holed up inside because when we went out to pick tomatoes, we got par baked.  Prepared for just such an emergency, I got Wm a little Lego set earlier in the week.  It is a creator set that turns into lots of different things.  Wm's favorite is a crane.  He has also been playing Lego Indiana Jones.  His two favorite things combined:



Wm really wanted to have a picnic, but it's too freaking hot, so I suggested an indoor "Parisian Picnic" with a giant platter 'o food that everyone can pick off of.  Wm LOVED that, so I think it may become a weekly undertaking.

There was a brief hiccup in Cory's Awesome Baking when Steve thought he had gained 7lbs in one week.  He told me I had to stop baking delicious things.  BUT, luckily, he had weighed himself in the evening after eating a big dinner.  After weighing himself in the morning, he discovered that he has not gained 7lbs.  He celebrated with a DQ milkshake and my baking is back on!!  Wm and I are making brownies this afternoon.  I made biscuits this morning, but Wm was not interested in them, as they are neither sweet nor chocolate.

Lastly, Steve FINALLY sat down with his boss and got more details of The Promotion.  Allen gave him the choice, he can either run Soccer First completely or he can be Operations Manager of all of Sports Ohio.  Allen gave him the weekend to think about it and then wants an answer next week.  Steve wants to do something new, so he is going to choose the Operations Manager option.  It will mean a 50 hour work week...which Steve is not keen on.  But, also, a significant raise and expanding on the aspects of his current job that he likes the most.  And, he'll be going in later, so he will have the mornings with Wm - since kindergarten doesn't start until 9AM - and will take the booger to the bus stop every morning (then, if all goes according to plan, I will be at the bus stop when he gets home).  

Speaking of kindergarten, I have been singing its praises and Wm is slightly more excited.  But mostly he's still insistent that he wants to stay in preschool forever.  I think once he gets to kindergarten and meets new friends and sees how awesome it is, he will be thrilled!

The End is in Sight

We got the best news ever yesterday.  There was an envelope in Wm's mailbox at school when I picked him up...and in contained a wonderful letter!  A letter verifying that after this month, my pay deduction for child care will be nullified and we will have a credit of $140!!!  The means only this month and next month left to pay for!  Oh, glory, glory!!!  The bloodsuckers are almost done bleeding us dry!  Wm has developed an annoying disdain for kindergarten since he discovered Tye and Alex aren't going to the same school with him and is now insisting he is "never going to kindergarten" and staying in preschool forever.  Meanwhile, I am doing the dance of happiness that the end is in sight!!!

I put in a formal request for a flexible schedule at work that would shift my hours and allow for some working at home so that Wm can totally avoid latchkey.  Steve would be there to see him off to school and I'd be home at the end of the day.  That's something that's really important to me, so if they don't approve my flex time request at work, I will likely look for something with reduced hours so that I can be home when Wm gets home.

Wm got a venus fly trap!!  He is very proud of it and waters it every day.  Steve killed a fly and stuck it's fly corpse into the trap's trap and convinced Wm that his fly trap is a verifiable fly killer.  Wm was SO EXCITED.

Let no ice cream go to waste.

I have Julia Child's bread rising right now.  It is in direct competition with Ina Garten's for final winner of the Cory Standard Bread Recipe.  I will let you know the hotly contested results of the bake-off.

Cooking Machine

Drum roll, please!  The mixer that has made it all possible:

I dealt with the woman selling it on Craig's List, but she lived waaaaaay out in Dublin, by where Steve works, so he was sent to pick it up on his way home from work.  Alone. Steve came home with the Kitchen Aid mixer and it was SO GROSS (dust, food caked on it...I won't even think about it).  I was like, "why did you buy that?!!?!?!" and was horrified.  He was like, "it works great, I tried it out before I gave her the money - bring me the alcohol."  He took it into the kitchen with a razor blade, alcohol, and a scrubber.  He cleaned it with that for a half hour.  Then he sprayed it down with Dr. Bronner's and wiped it down with hot, soapy water.  Then he put it all back together and washed it with dish soap.  And it looked amazing!!!  Like new!  It took him nearly an hour to get it clean, but there is not a speck of dirty, grime, or caked on food anywhere on that thing!  Steve is a cleaning master!  But, I can see why she was selling it for $80!  If she would have spent an hour cleaning it, she could have gotten twice as much!  

In any case, as soon as it was spankin' clean, I decided to make something in it.  I have never made pie crust before, but I stumbled upon a really yummy sounding blueberries and cream pie recipe.  I decided to give it a whirl!!  I decided to tweak the crust recipe a bit - I wanted to use butter and lard (so it would be flakey and flavorful).

        

The crust, the finished product, and the delicious, delicious goo inside!

It. Was. Amazing!  I want to marry the crust and have its babies!  The pie is sweet, crunchy, and OH, so good!  Steve said it was the best pie EVER!  

Then, this morning, I decided to make Ina Garten's honey white bread (she is pretty much my idol - I LOVE Ina...and Jeffrey).  It, too, turned out GREAT!  Wm said it was the best bread he's ever had!  WINNING!!!!

So, basically, as you can see, the mixer is pretty much awesome.  I can't wait to make other delicious things with it!!  Steve and Wm are both bigs fans as well. :)

We took Wm out to play tennis this morning and he did SO WELL!  He is a natural!  I told him that tennis is his game.  Of course, I didn't think to bring the camera or my phone to play tennis, so I didn't get any pictures.  I realized that later and was so sad - Wm looked so cute out there hittin' balls with his tiny racket.  Next time!  Now Wm is off to play in the sprinkler!

 

Douche

We were driving home from dinner last night and Steve and I were just chatting about our days in the front seat.  I said something like, "so she's doing that," and Wm pipes up from the backseat and says, "DID YOU JUST CALL ME A DOUCHE?"  I was like, "no, William, I did NOT call you a douche!  What the what, man?" And he sits back and goes, "oh, OK, I just thought you said 'Will is a douche.'"  No idea where he gets it...no idea.


We have been harvesting our zucchini!  I think we are done with peas already.  It's amazing how much work goes into the garden for 2-3 weeks of produce.  The broccoli is still going though!!  And our tomatoes are starting to turn red! 

The awesome news today is that I found a Kitchen Aid mixer on Craig's List for $80!!!!  They are $200 new, so this is a significant savings!  I am already plotting all the amazing things I can make!  Tonight: whole wheat chocolate chip cookies.  Tomorrow: 2 loaves of honey white bread.  Sunday: Who knows?  The sky is the limit!!!!! 

Funny Will-isms

Wm has been hilarious recently.  Here are the last 3 great things he has said:

1. Wm asked if he could watch TV (he actually watched some things in the hotel room in Denver and once again realized that TV can be fun).  I told him he had used all his screen time playing Xbox.  I then mumbled, unsolicited, that I hated TV, hated the sound of it, and want it off all the time.  Wm asks, "you hate ALL TV?'  I respond, "yes...all if it."  And he goes, "well, what about your cooking shows, Mommy?"  Touche!    He is a wily one.

2. I called and made an appointment for my free consultation with the Columbus LASIK Guru.  I was telling Steve about it - and how much it cost (a lot) and Wm pipes up, "you know, Mommy, if you want $1,000, I can get you $1,000!"  So I ask him where/how he is going to get $1,000 and he says, "my radio says all I have to do is text Sunny95 and I could win $1,000!"

3. While playing with his Lego guys, we hear Wm enact this...

Obi Wan: You cannot win, Vader!

Vader: I will sword you!

Obi Wan: Really, Vader?  REALLY?  Sword me?  Wow.  WOOOOW.  Really?

[Vader making swording sounds]

Obi Wan: I am not even mad.  I am disappointed.

Scorcher!

We came home to CRAZY hot weather!  We got out the sprinkler for Wm to run through to try and cut the heat.

 Steve couldn't resist getting into the action...

Mr. Cutie

And the garden continues to thrive!  Here's my bucket o' peas from this morning:

Aunt Jess's Pics

Aunt Jess's pictures are in!!!!  She got some GREAT ones!  Here they are...

The whole fam at the Renaissance Festival.  We'd never been to one before and had a great time!!!  

The WHOLE fam in the mountains!

Eating ice cream! 

The Cutest Keefers

Still cute...

The fam getting ready to go into Casa Bonita

I heart baby feet!!!

Wm riding a buckin' bronco

How cute is he?  Seriously. 

The mountains again!

Can I keep him?

Home!

We have finally gotten home!  It seemed like the drive would never end.  But, really, the drive home seemed even faster than the drive out (we hit no traffic at all).  And, one Mr. William, Kid Awesome was AMAZING.  He played happily in the backseat for over 40 hours total.  No whining, no complaining, no evilness whatsoever!  He played his Nintendo, played with his Lego guys, watched cows, played with the light up sword Uncle Drew got him....and, basically, happily entertained himself the whole way!  I think he handled the trip better than Steve and I did!!!

We had a GREAT trip to Denver!  Instead of just telling you about it, I'll show you...

Wm riding the Denver Bull at the outdoor downtown mall right by our hotel (walked right outside our lobby and into the mall!)  The hotel in Denver was AMAZING!!!!  Super nice - and Steve got a room that usually goes for $379/night for $74/night on hotwire!

Of course, we can't go anywhere without checking out the local Lego Store.  Here's Wm with Sponge Bob.  Aunt Jess & Uncle Drew were nice enough to get Wm his first Pirate set.  He is currently obsessed with pirates!

The fam in front of the mountains

I pilfered this bandana from a restaurant that used them as napkins.  I am wondering if I can convince Wm to wear it around his neck like a "cowboy" when he's eating.  King of Slobs!!  

Wm in front of Casa Bonita.  A real intense Mexican restaurant that includes roving musicians, an indoor cliff diver, an arcade, "Black Beard's Cave," and MORE!  The food, sadly...suuuuuucked.  By the experience was neat!!  And this is where Uncle Drew got Wm his light up sword!

The Cousins!!!  Griffin is the smiliest, sweetest baby ever!!  SO CUTE!!!  We were so sad to leave him!!  

Wm and Steve out front of REI...Steve's favorite store in Denver.

Wm got this hat in REI. It was on wicked sale.  The flaps are magnetic and you can flip them up (as pictured) or flip them down and have a sun hat.  Wm is a fan of flipping one side up and calling it his "pirate hat."

Bakin' Sisters!  Me and Jess showing off our sweet aprons.

We made sure to stop at this place again on the way back.  It's in Hays, KS and has REALLY good food!  Steve got the Schnitzelwich (fried pork loin sandwich with bacon horseradish sauce).  It was YUMMY!  It's also a microbrewery and Steve got a really cute beer tshirt here on the way home.  

Wm's food at Gella's.  They serve the kid's meals in that hot rod!  The center is a little plastic bowl.  Wm left his fries in there, but took out his chicken fingers.  He kept the hotrod!!

After a VERY long car ride home (and after a yucky hotel stay in Kansas City where the hotel was weirdly humid and our room had ants), we came home to a garden going wild!  We have a TON of those giant broccoli heads!  Plus, I picked a big bowl of pea pods and a gargantuan zucchini!!  The carrot tops are looking huge and we'll have enough tomatoes to make vats of sauce.  Garden success!!!

There should be even more pictures coming since Jess took some really good ones!!  As soon as I get my mitts on those, I'll post 'em!  

Can't wait to go sleep in my own bed......

Renaissance Festival

We have been having a great time in Denver!  Yesterday we went to the Medieval and Renaissance Festival.  It was a blast!!  The highlight for Wm was the petting area that had cows, ponies, goats, sheep, pigs...you name it!  We got some food and Wm fed them, which he loved.  I think the highlight for Uncle Drew was gnawing on a turkey leg.  There was a bunch of awesome stuff that we wanted, but it was crazy expensive. Damn you, Awesome Hammock Chair!

Everyone chilling out while Wm enjoys a soft pretzel.

Wm and Uncle Drew hanging out with a cow.

Drew and Griff checking out the goats

Cousins 4 Eva!

Feeing a carrot to the cow.

On the Road

We have arrived in Denver!  The trip was loooooong - but Wm was GREAT in the car.  He literally played Xbox for 20 hours quietly in the back seat.  Here is a picture tour of our trip:

We left at 5:30AM.  Wm slept for about 5 minutes and then woke up and played Xbox the entire way!

Leaving Ohio!

Day 1: Stopped for breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Indiana

Welcome to Illinois!

Stopped for lunch at a really cool little diner in Greenville, IL

Historic downtown Greenville

Steve crossing the Mississippi

Welcome to Missouri!

Finally got to the hotel in Kansas City.  

Back on the road: Kansas.  It pretty much all looked like this on Day 2.

Stopped for lunch at an AMAZINGLY good place in Hays, Kansas.  Steve began plotting our move to Hays.  Wm LOOOOOOOVED it!

Finally in Colorado!!!

Finally in Denver!  The Boys meeting The Baby Griffin for the first time!