a trip to the package store

I wish they just sold alcohol in the grocery store, it would make life simpler.  However, I might miss out on stories like this...

Okay, first off I hardly every drink and certainly haven't had alcohol in the past year.  However, I cook with wine (shrimp scampi) and vodka (vodka cream pasta).  Tonight was a shrimp scampi kind of night and there was no wine in the fridge.  On our way to the grocery store we stop at the package store for a bottle of white.

It just feels so weird to shop for alcohol with two small children in tow.  I tell myself it's a normal chore and go in.  I'm carrying Lydia, Oliver is walking next to me, I've got my credit card and ID (ha, those days have past) in my pocket.  We find a bottle of white and go to pay. 

"Is that a girl baby or boy"

-Girl

"Are you breastfeeding?"

Wait, what?  Damn it, this is why I don't shop for alcohol.  I'm all about talking about nursing my baby with friends, other interested mothers, people with questions.  I'm not all about talking breastfeeding with the little Asian dude at the package store. 

-Yes, but this wine is for cooking

"How old is your baby, Can you turn her around so I can see her, How old is he, How far apart are they in age?"

Am I on that "what would you do show?"  Where is the hidden camera?  Guess not.  The guy gives Oliver a lollypop and we get on our way.

Note to self, Jim will purchase all necessary alcohol.  

park

Walking on a path to the playground.  This particular path has plenty of people, dogs, and a lake.  The lake is exciting.  You can throw bread for fish, see people boating, walk on a damn, and even touch the water.  Oliver pushes his dump truck around collecting dirt, rocks, and eventually goes for the water.  He is next to the water collecting some for his truck, and I walk 6 feet away to check on Lydia in her stroller and snap a photo of her.  While I'm snapping said photo some old cranky folks walk by and clearly disagree with my level of parenting, or lack there of.  

Once past me..

"Did you see that, she was busy with the baby, she doesn't know he's next to the water, that's not safe, girls are having babies much too young."

1. WOW, thanks, I didn't know I looked that young! 

2. I knew right where Oliver was, and I was okay with it

photographic proof that I knew he was next to the water

3. So you're scared he falls in.  It's not a drop off.  It's like 4 inches deep next to the shore.  He falls in, we go home, and he is more careful next time.  

4 months

Happy 4 Months to sweet Lydia

Lydia continues to be a happy girl and a good sleeper.  She enjoys sucking her fingers, admiring the ceiling fan, looking at Oliver, and licking her legs while laying naked in her crib.  She is getting stronger and able to hold her head up longer while laying on her belly, but it isn't her favorite activity.

Lydia smiles, but tries to save them for special occasions.  Her newest trick in blowing raspberries. 

Height, 25in (95th%)
Weight 13.1 (50th%)

boo, couldn't get the photo to stay in the
correct direction, but still adorable

 

natural dyed easter eggs

Yesterday and this afternoon Oliver and I worked on dying some Easter eggs.  Instead of the little kit we used different foods and spices.  We did this last year also, but it worked a lot better this time around.

You can google or pinterest search plenty of ideas.  Here is the basics on what we used and did.
Before cooking the eggs we gave them a little wash with dish soap and warm water
For the food items we chopped and boiled them then poured the colored liquid into a smaller pot with 3-4 eggs.
For the spices we just put a palm full into the small pot and added the eggs.
We used raw eggs and cooked the eggs in the colored water. 
We also threw in 1/4 cup of vinegar while the eggs were cooking

Once the eggs were cooked, about ten minutes, we spooned the eggs into a bowl and poured the color over them and let the eggs set until they reached our desired color. 

Ha.  This was the "cleaning out the fridge recipe"

Chopped up a red cabbage & boiled it
these are my favorite
Oliver enjoyed eating the boiled cabbage while I made dinner...isn't he awesome?

my house smells like and Indian restaurant

Now, in my kindergarten teacher brain I think mixing some of that red cabbage liquid with some of the turmeric will yield me with green eggs.  No, that's not the case...you just get light yellow eggs.  Oliver really wanted some green ones, so we cheated and added a squeeze of green food coloring, not so natural.

the beet liquid was really beautiful, we saved it to try to make paint

 

I read that paprika would make orange, it didn't work.  I threw those not so orange eggs into the beets and it made these awesome speckled eggs.  A lovely fail. 

on the table

Give it a try.  Super fun and easy.  Oliver really loved it and said things like "blue, I thought it would be red"
"oh my it got spots"  "that yellow looks smooth" 

minus those green ones...

glow in the dark egg hunt!!!

This, by far, is Oliver's most favorite Easter activity.  He runs around like a little crazy man hiding and seeking the eggs.  A perfect pre bed activity and a perfect motivator to get those jammies on and teeth brushed quick!

supplies

-eggs

-basket

-LED lights

We pick our LED lights up in the wedding isle at Michaels and we use a 40% off coupon.

open egg

twist on light

put light in egg
hide
seek

*note, I've never purchased a package of these and had all the lights work

they are finiky

ready to play!!

eggs in the bathrom

eggs in the office

Lydia found one!

egg in the plant

eggs in the basket on the move

painting paper eggs

Oliver loves painting, who doesn't?  So today we cut out a bunch of eggs and got to it. 

We used

-a muffin tin

-paint

-q-tips & paint scrapers

-paper bags

-scissors

-paper

-sharpie (I adore sharpies)

-something to trace (egg cookie cutter)

                                                                              ready to go

                                                                           hard at work

        finished product drying

     once dry we piled books on them to flatten them

    

life sized easter basket

A fun Easter activity for the small one...

Items needed
-kiddie pool
-cozy blanket
-stuff to play with (colorful eggs, basket, etc..)
-baby
-sibling (optional, but adds fun)

Line kiddie pool with cozy blanket

Add fun stuff and unimpressed baby

Practice sitting

Tummy Torture time

Hanging with Cozy Bear

Add brother for extra fun