What We Eat

I know, I know. I have been horrible at keeping up with this blog. The kids are getting bigger. Ben loves preschool and is an awesome reader and generally a big helper!
Caleb is still my sweet, mischievous, big-personality 3-yr old. He is pretty well potty-trained now (Hooray! Hooray!).

Miss Abigail is up and walking and is starting to show off her personality. She always needs to know what's going on and where everyone is. She loves to pull things off shelves and out of cupboards so it's been pretty busy around here.


This morning I was planning out our weekly grocery shopping trip and meals for the week and thought I'd share what a somewhat typical week of food looks like at our house. Breakfast is almost always cold cereal, instant oatmeal, or toast and fruit. Lunch is almost always sandwiches or leftovers. So that just leaves dinner. So here's what we're having this week:
Friday: Mom and Ben have a date so Dad, Caleb and Abby are going to have Mac & Cheese
Saturday: We're spending time with family and will probably eat with them
Sunday: Hamburgers and the rest of the bag of frozen sweet potato fries from the freezer and a fruit salad
Monday: Chicken Vindaloo and Rice and some steamed cauliflower and broccoli (and if I get ambitious, some naan bread)
Tuesday: Thai Fish and Veggies, supper easy and only takes a few minutes because you just steam the fish on top of the veggies and mix up a quick sauce
Wednesday: Cafe Rio style Sweet Pork Burritos - I made a bunch of the pork a while ago and so I have some in the freezer that I just need to thaw out and throw together
Thursday: Homemade pizza and fruit and veggies

Since most of these are using extra stuff I already bought for past meals and just froze the extra, the only things I need to buy are some fruit, bread, milk, and coconut milk. I've found taking kids with me to the grocery store is actually best for my budget because I want to get in and out as quickly as possible so there is no extra browsing - just grab what we need and get out!

If you have any meals you or your family love, let me know. I'm always looking for new meal ideas.

Sneak Peak (into the past few months)

Alright, it's late so this will be short but I've been horrible at updating the blog this summer - we might have had a few other things going on . . .

So consider this a sneak peek into what our summer was like with more posts and details to follow.

June: Swim lessons, lots of playing at the park, Touch-a-truck, Abby is 3 months old!

July: One last trip to Louisville, Cameron defends his dissertation, Abby's 4 months, Trip to Indiana  Dunes, Caleb's 3rd birthday, Indianapolis Temple open house, Move to Utah (holy moley, that was a crazy month!)

August: Settling into our new house, Exploring Cedar City Parks, Brown family reunion, Abby's 5 months, Ben's 5th birthday

I'll try to post some more details and pics in the coming weeks but now I'm going to sleep :)

Random Thought of the Day

Having a dishwasher makes cooking so much more fun! It has been many years since we have had a dishwasher and while I still agree that I'd rather have a washer and dryer than a dishwasher, it sure is nice to have both. AND the boys are (slowly) learning how to put their dishes in the dishwasher after eating. Win! Win! Win! Win! Win!

Graduation and Baby Blessing

A few weeks back we had a busy but wonderful weekend. The whole Pace family was able to come out and celebrate with us which made it a lot of fun.

We went to Ohio and toured the National Air Force Museum at Cameron's request. :) The kids did awesome even with all the walking that was involved. Mostly I was keeping my eyes peeled for kids or taking care of Abby so I didn't get any good pictures but I think everyone had fun.

 The next day was Cameron's graduation. It was a long ceremony - like 5 hours long. I guess that's fitting since he spent 5 years working on this PhD. He doesn't defend until July though so you can't call him Dr Pace yet.

Cameron with his research adviser, Samir

 

Way to go!!

On Sunday (Mother's Day) we had Abigail's baby blessing. Cameron and his dad and brothers participated along with three of our really good friends. It was a beautiful blessing and it was so fun to have her wearing the dress my mom made me for my baby blessing. Between the blessing and Ben running back to me after the primary kids' song and whispering "Did you hear me do a good job for you, Mom?"  I was two seconds away from happy tears the whole day.

We are so, so blessed!

Two Months

I can't believe our little Abigail is two months (now half way to three months, really)! 

She is such a fun, easy-going baby. 

She loves to kick her legs to scoot around.

She smiles and coos all the time and loves playing pat-a-cake.

She loves to be held but only if she's facing out so she can see everything.

She is a super sleeper and will sleep from 10 pm - 6 am or so.

She still doesn't/won't take a pacifier or any fingers or thumb or anything.

She loves splashing in the bathtub and screams at us when we take her out (even if she's been in the tub for 20 minutes),

At her doctor's appointment she was 10 lbs 13 ounces and 23" long (although I don't think their length measurements are all that accurate). 

She's survived her first cold, her first road trips, and general mauling by her brothers.

We think she's pretty darn cute.

 

Hanging out at church

A 4 year old's "Mortality Lullaby"

The other day I was making dinner and could hear Abby starting to fuss in the living room. Ben is such a great help and loves to sing and talk to Abby to help her feel better. I heard him starting to talk and sing to her and then started listening more closely to the little lullaby he was making up for her. It went something like this:

"It's okay Abby, Ben's here and you're okay.

And you're not going to die - not until you are old, because you are so little.

And Mom is the oldest so she is going to die first.

And then Dad is because he is the second oldest.

And then I will die because I was born the first of the kids.

And then Caleb will die because he was born next.

And then you will die but not until you are old so it's okay.

Don't cry. It's okay. Ben is here."

At least it entertained and kept Abby happy for a while longer :)

They Make Me Laugh

The funny stuff kids say and do is what makes the hard parts of parenting all worth it. Here are a few of my favorites from recently - sadly, I haven't been very good at writing them all down and I know I've already forgotten quite a few.

Ben: If your head hurts you can just do a somersault to make it feel better.

Caleb: You are the big cute and Abby is the little cute and Dad is the big biggest and I am the little littlest.

Me: What about Ben?

Caleb: He's just a medium.

Screams coming from the backseat of the van where Ben and Caleb are sitting.

Ben: Mom!! Caleb is eating my chocolate donuts.

Caleb: Yum! Yummmmmmmmm!!

Mom: What chocolate donuts?

Ben: The pretend ones I just made!

Mom: Then just pretend to make some more.

Ben: okay

Caleb: (grabs the air in front of Ben) YUM! YUMMMMM!!!

Ben: (Screaming) MOMMMMMM!!!!!

Ben's prayer at lunch: and please tell my mom to give us snacks and not healthy snacks but really yummy snacks.

Mom: Can you help clean up that mess?

Ben: Sorry I can't. I've just got two hands not five.

Ben: Are you poopy, Caleb?

Caleb: No, you poopy Ben!

Ben: Caleb, no! I wear underwear, not diapers so I'm not poopy.

Caleb: Diaper head!

Ben: I am NOT a diaper head!

Caleb: Diaper head! Diaper head! Diaper head!

Ben: CALEB!!

As you can see the two year old really knows how to push his brother's buttons (or as Ben calls it "He's undoing my buttons." :) )

It's so fun to spend my days with these three crazy kiddos.