henry and daddy

Boys just find their dad's intriquing. Henry is no exception. He loves James' tools, his shoes, his travel coffee mug, his clothes and his cell phone, but more importantly, he just loves him.

picky eater

Naomi didn't care much for the spanish rice concoction I made tonight for supper.

I think she has issues with texture since, as a rule, she loves rice....by itself, she loves corn....by itself, she loves beans....by themselves. So, I don't know what her deal is, at least she finally ate it half an hour after Henry and Marcail were finished!

days of summer--12

After playing outdoors, there are filthy feet and legs to clean, sweaty heads to shampoo and dirty faces to wash. But, bathtime seems to be a favorite playtime for our Marcail before the washing begins!

neighbors and friends

Another day is almost gone. Thanks to our neighbors, we were able to get through a long afternoon by playing outside in the front of our building! I've told you about Rahul and his mom, Ruwena. The kids love to play together with Rahul. They had a little girl about 4 months ago, Surena, and the girls just love to talk to her and look at her. Just look at that little beauty!

Surena and her mama, Ruwena.

You all know Henry.

Marcail and Rahul have their hands up for no particular reason.

Henry is loving writing in his notebook because he now can write the first two letters of his name.

We always enjoy playing with our friends after naps. It helps make the day go just a tad faster, plus Ruwena and I get to talk "mom talk"!

a bit blurry

Because my camera needs some professional help in the flash department, you will be seeing some blurry photos until we can take it into the camera doctor. I have to put the camera on a different setting and it's extremely sensitive to movement. Not such a good thing when I take pictures primarily of our kids.

It seems to do okay when we're outside, but indoors it feels a little ill.

kid-isms 14

As the kids were playing today, they decided to bring out their books and make a row with them. They like to pretend it's a train track. Henry, on the other hand, thought it would be fun to play restaurant. He balanced his book on his hand and held it up like this: He said to me, "It's kinda like a yawnstrant."

In the middle of the night last night, Naomi came out of her room. I heard her, so I got up to see what was wrong. Sometimes, all she needs is a drink. This was not the case. She didn't want a drink. So I asked her what was wrong. She said, "I cared of the guyk," which translates into, "I'm scared of the dark." Poor thing!

just us girls

While Henry was still napping, the girls and I played around with the camera.

homemade crackers

In my quest for healthier eating, I decided to try making my own 100% whole-wheat crackers. They are so simple and open for many variations and different seasonings. Yesterday, I just followed the recipe. The next time I think I may add just a bit of honey to sweeten them up a tad.
After they were done baking, we shared some with our neighbors, Rahul and Ms. Ruwena. They really enjoyed them too. I am so excited about the these easy, healthy alternatives to boxed crackers!
Before Baking:

After Baking:

Crispety-crunchety goodness!

I will share the recipe for those who may like to try their hand at them:

Whole-Wheat Crackers

2 C. Whole Wheat Flour

1t. Baking Powder

1/2 t. Salt

2/3 C. Warm Water

1/3 C. Oil

Preheat oven to 400.

Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.

Combine dry ingredients, then stir in the water and oil. Mix until a smooth dough.

Divide the dough in half and flatten each half onto cookie sheet. Use rolling pin or even your fingers to smooth out.

Once dough is spread thin, use a sharp knife to cut the dough into squares.

Spray dough with oil. Sprinkle with your choice of topping.

Bake 10-12 minutes.

days of summer-- 11

Today we went to a water park with our new friend, Carolee. She just loves to hang out with the kids! It's called Tropical Splash and the depth of the pool is probably about 2 ft. They have three water slides and two baby slides. Needless to say, all three of the kids enjoyed the big slides the best!

Carolee is warming up Henry. He started getting chilly.

Naomi wasn't afraid of the big water slides at all!

We brought a picnic for lunch. The park had picnic tables under umbrellas. It was a nice break from the sun!

Carolee, Henry, Marcail and Naomi

henry's much needed hair cut

Henry got his hair cut tonight. As you can see in previous pictures, it was getting awfully long. We were going to go for the shaggy, beach boy look but couldn't stand it any longer. Plus, it was getting hot for his little head to have so much hair!He was a brave boy again while Daddy buzzed his hair away. He would smile up at me and say, "It not even hurt, mama!" While Henry's hair was being buzzed off he told the girls to leave his hair alone so that he could sweep it up after he was done!

Of course, he got some M&M's afterwards for being such a good boy during his hair cut!

We couldn't leave the girls out in the candy department. They got some too!

the sweetness

Took a trip down memory lane today as I looked at an old photo album on Picasa. Thought I'd share some of my faves with you all! I just can't believe how much these babes have grown!