Just laugh if off...

I am trying to do better about writing down the funny things that my girlie's say. Here are just few. Emery: (everything ends with mom) I need hep (help) mom! I bonk my head or arm or knee, mom. I so sad, mom. I go ni-night, mom. I need nana (banana), mom. PPPPPease. Thank thee (this is for everything. when you hand her something, or you sneeze or when Ava needs to say thank you. Always, thank thee!) I na maaaa, mom (I need more, mom). the way she says it though sounds more like enema. Ava: (everything starts AND ends with mom) Mom, I'm fweating (sweating), I'm fweating mom! Oooh mom, these shoes have farklies on them (sparklies). She also has a hard time with when to use "me" and "my". Mom, where me glasses, mom? Mom, where me shoes? And my all time favorite right now is... Mom! OH! MEEE!! Goodness!!! Oh me gosh, mom!!! maybe she is a wee bit o' irish!!

YUM-O!

Puff Pancakes with Maple Baked Fruit

Total Time: About 1 Hour

For the Maple Baked Fruit—Pit and Slice:1 lb. peaches or nectarines1/2 lb. red plums Pour Over; Bake:1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Add:1/2 cup fresh raspberries1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Dollop with: Sour cream

For the Puff Pancakes—Melt:4 t. unsalted butter

Whisk Together; Pour into Dishes:1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole or 2% milk, 2 eggs, 3 T. sugar , 1/2 t. vanilla extract and a pinch of salt

Serve with: Maple Baked Fruit, above

Sprinkle with: Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425°.

Pit and slice peaches and plums for Maple Baked Fruit; spread in a shallow dish. Pour syrup over fruit; toss gently to coat. Bake along with pancake until bubbly, 20 minutes. Add berries and stir fruit gently. Spoon fruit inside puff pancakes.

Dollop with sour cream.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter for Pancakes, in each of four 6" individual low-sided dishes (or 4 t. butter in one 10" glass pie plate) by placing in heated oven. Remove dishes from oven when butter has melted. Do not allow to cool.

Whisk the batter’s remaining ingredients together until smooth. Pour 1/3 cup batter in each dish (or all into the pie plate). Do not stir batter in with melted butter. Bake until golden and puffed, 20–25 minutes for both the dishes or pie plate. Serve pancakes right from the oven with Maple Baked Fruit.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar. They fall quickly so serve right away.

I have also served these with just butter, sliced strawberries and powdered sugar. Let me know if you try this out and what you think. Oh and I didn't think it takes 1 hour at all; about 30 mins start to finish!

The funny things kids say....

The other day I was trying to get some laundry done and both of the girls were playing in Mimi's room. They were both laughing and giggling and actually playing really well together. Then I hear Ava say "Come on Mimi... Let's do it like rabbits"!!!! I of course thought "Where in the world did she hear that" and checked in on them. Both of them were on their hands and knees 'jumping around like rabbits'!!! too darn funny. I had a special date with Mimi today while Ava was playing at a friends house. Emery was very sad that she could not stay and play with the big girls and was crying really hard. You know the kind where they are "huuhuuuhuuuhaaa" some like to call it "snubbing". Anyway, she was really upset. I told her that we were going to go on a special date and go shopping. She stopped crying and say "K". Then gets this great look on her face and says "For Shoes??????" :) :) :) Smile Smile Smile! I told her yes that shoes would definitely be on the list of things to look at. She was completely content after that. She is only 19 months old. We are really in trouble with this one!!!

Prayer is AMAZING!

It is true. Prayer is Amazing. For those of you that do not know Ava really does have an eye condition. It is called Optic Nerve Hypoplasia or ONH. This is where the Optic nerve is under developed. There is no cure for ONH. However, we have been very blessed because most children with this condition have little to no sight and usually have Growth Hormone Deficiency. We just recently had Ava tested for this and her results came back normal. Ava has amazing vision in her right eye but very little in her left eye. Her new pediatric Ophthalmologist, Dr. Goei, gave us some surprising news. Ava should be just as blind in her right eye as she is in her left, but she is not. We are not sure what the actual vision is as far as numbers goes, but the other day Ava asked me what something was on the floor and it was a very small piece of clear plastic. I had not noticed it all day. Anyway, Dr. Goei's wants us to start patching the right eye or the "good eye" for 2 hours a day. Since Ava's eye has been like this since birth, the brain has noticed that the vision is not as strong and has basically stop the use of the left eye. So with patching, we are hoping it will make the connection between the eye and the brain stronger. We have no idea if this will work or not, because in other cases someone that has ONH as badly as she does should not see at all. The patching has been a struggle though. Ava will turn 3 in June and is a very active little girl. 2 hours out of her day is a very long time. The 2 hours consists of me sitting right next to her the WHOLE TIME. It is very hard to watch because she hates wearing the patch. We have tried all different types of rewards or activities to do but she still doesn't want to wear it. So that is where prayer comes in. The other night I was at the end of my rope with the whole patching thing because I couldn't stand to force pain upon my child and I could not see any improvements so I went to the Lord. The very next day, I told Ava that we needed to patch in a little bit and she said " I know mom, and I am not even going to fight you on it. I know it will help my eye get better." Oh the blessings that can come if we just ask for them!!!!

Other things I have been meaning to write down.

After church (April 20, 2008) I was doing my normal "need to get some adult conversation in and Sunday/church is a great place to do it, plus most of the dads have the kids so I can actually CARRY ON a conversation" chatting with a few of the ladies. I see that Josh and the girls are walking to the car in the parking lot so I follow suit. As I get to the car (mind you the dress I have on is quite modest until the wind blows... and I don't wear slips...so I have pretty much B-lined it to the car to avoid any embarrassing mishaps)anyway, Josh is laughing and holds up his hand. He is holding a diaper and no it is not a new one. Back up a bit, while I am doing my conversing, Josh meets me with the girls to tell me he is going to the car. Ava in the mean time is telling us that her diaper is "soggy". over and over and over and over. And if you don't know Ava, when I say she says something over and over, I MEAN IT! She doesn't stop, even if you acknowledge her. Apparently, as the girls and Josh were walking through the parking lot, Ava's "soggy" diaper falls to her ankles. She flips out, cause she cant walk with this thing between her legs and Josh can't stop laughing. He of course is NOT laughing at her, but at the situation itself!! When they meet me at the car Ava says "Mom, my diaper was really really soggy and it just fell off!!!!!" The we bumped her head while we were trying to put the next diaper on and the funny moment left...!!!!! :) Mimi has become quite the little chatty-patty as of late. One day I was driving and Mimi says "Mooooooom, a bum bum bum won mo tah!!!!!" I of course had noooo idea what in the world she was talking about. But she too, like her sister, are very VERY insistent and continued to repeat this to me. I tried to explain that I did not know what she wanted. After what seemed like an eternity and she is now YELLING this at me I start rattling off random things. Do you want a drink? a binkie? a baby? a ball? your silky? out of the car? a snack? Nothing. FINALLY it stopped. I look back thinking that she must have given up and fallen asleep. No, she is just as happy as can be sitting back there. Taking in the new peace and quite I start singing along with the cd that is playing (baby Einsteins ABC's). It was the "B" song " I'm catching my baby bumble bee". How did I not know that she wanted to listen to the "bumble bee song one more time". I then ask her if she wanted to listen to this song and she happily replies "YEAAAAAAH"!

WHOA!!! New Template!

I know, I know it is a bit bright, but I like it! I have not had the chance to write a blog in what seems forever. We went out of town to Texas for 13 days and came back with the "junk". I mean that great green stuff that moves in to your nose and throat. Isn't it fabulous?!? Me and the girls had it. Actually, I am still suffering from a great sinus infection, but I think the worst has past. Our Texas trip was fabulous! My parents live on a lot of land so we can just let the kids run free. This is the first time that the girls have been old enough to actually enjoy the other cousins. Between my sisters and myself we have 9 kids. It is nothing but craziness. The weather was perfect so we got to play outside most of the time. My dad dug the kids a "mole-hole" for them with the dozer. This whole is no ordinary hole (obviously by the name). The older kids named it a few years back. When I stand in the whole you can not see my head. Now I know I am not very tall, but I think the whole has got to be around 5.5 feet deep. The dirt that was dug out of the whole is right next to it and the kiddos love to climb to the top of the "mountain" and slid down into the mole-hole. I must say, it is some kind of fun!!!! :) Pretty much the trip consisted of 1.the kids going to the mole-hole, 2. coming back saying they are hungry, 3. the adults feeding them and sending them back, 4. spraying them off with the water hose before they can get in the clean bucket of water to then go to the shower!!!! Like I said, fabulous trip. Oh I forgot, one day my really good friend Tricha and her 2 little kids came to my parents house. We went down to this dam that had broken not to far from the house and played in the pond and mud. My sisters, mom, Josh, Tricha and myself would all hold hands with a child in between us and run as fast as we could and jump in the pond. Nothing but good ol' dirty fun!!! (I will have to get the pictures from my mom and post at a later date).

Birthday Ideas

Okay, Josh turns 30 this year and I need some birthday ideas. Every time I ask him what he wants to do he says "Oh I don't know, maybe go to dinner." We don't have a lot of extra money (who does, right!?) so it needs to be cost efficient but good. 30 is a big one so I want it to be good and fun. His parents will be here a couple of days after his birthday so we could do something while they are here. PLEASE HELP!