Name These Primary Tunes

Can you make any of them out? If so, you deserve an A+ in Toddler Talk 101.

From the Mouth of My Babe

This is is what enjoying your ice cream cone looks like. One of our favorite summer pastimes is riding bikes to the local ice cream shop. Davis always chooses Cotton Candy flavor.

While playing with Maddie, my princess doll said to her princess doll, "Aurora, do you want to come over and play?" "No!" exclaimed Maddie. "Princesses do NOT play. They only dance." 

Recipe Links Galore

While eating his first ear of corn on the cob this season, I asked Isaac how he liked it, "Yum. All I can say is YUM!"

Thought I'd share a few of our current favorite recipes, all taken (and slightly adapted) from other food bloggers.

Apple Nachos from Manifest Vegan. I skip the vegan chocolate chips and go with boring old Nestle and I toast the coconut and the almonds, and these have quickly become my very favorite snack/dessert/lunch. The kids love them too. 

It's just been in the past couple of months that I discovered the deliciousness that is lentils and I make them even in the summer because they are that good. I found this recipe via Making it Here. Super healthy, super tasty. 

These next two recipes are from my favorite food blogger at Mel's Kitchen Cafe. In the summer months I usually go on a cooking hiatus, and our dinners consist of mostly salads or cold cereal (with the occasional lentils, of course). If you hate to heat up the oven in the summer, make this Mexican Tomato and Corn Salad tonight for dinner, only stir in a chopped avocado before serving--and I promise you will thank me for introducing it to your life. 

Sesame Noodles with Peanut sauce. I love to add sauteed red pepper or zucchini to this dish, and it's easy to forego the chicken if you are in the mood for a vegetarian meal. I also don't usually cook all of the pasta required because it's a little too much for our family to eat, plus, it makes the noodles extra saucy, and you know how I like my noodles and my life extra saucy. 

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos from Our Best Bites. I make a double batch and then freeze all the left overs. It think they are best with corn tortillas. These never disappoint. Trust me.  

Got any current favorite dishes being served at your house? Please do share!

Family Weekend

This past weekend we took a little getaway with the kids for some highly anticipated family time. It was just what the children needed.

We spent some time just outside of Hartford at the Lutz Children's Museum. Maddie the gymnast enjoyed swinging at the playground outside the museum. 

So did Ryan and Isaac.

Davis rang the annoying train bell over and over and OVER.

After staying the night in Hartford, we headed north to a natural history museum and ecotarium in Massachusetts. Right after taking this picture on the train, Davis barked at Maddie, "Stop bothering me, please!" He didn't appreciate the hug she gave him during the Kodak moment. 

Checking out what different types of sand look like under the microscope and getting inside a giant bubble. 

Like most vacations with children, we came back more exhausted than when we left but it was worth it because the kids got to spend time with their dad. Some of my favorite lines from the trip were:

• Isaac, after getting bored of being at the children's museum and anxious to get to the hotel to swim, declared, "How can this be a vacation if all we do is look at animals all day?"
• We took the kids to the movie theater and while we were watching the previews and waiting for Brave to begin, Maddie announced, "This is so ANNOYING!" "What's annoying, Maddie?" "I just want Brave to start!"
• Davis took to saying "or somefing" after just about every statement he made over the weekend..."I want a dwink...or somefing" "Can we go to da park...or somefing?" "My name is Davy...or somefing."

The Farmer Takes the Life and the Cheese Stands Still