3 Reasons...

...to love dogs.

#1

#2

#3

How many more reasons do you need????


I found Brock chillin' with the pups in the shade of a pear tree one stifling afternoon last week. He will frequently take breaks from his sword and shield play to rest with his 4-footed buddies and it's not unusual to find Brock's head snuggled into an accommodating Max and being watchfully protected by young, vivacious Meli.

We *heart* our pups.

Multiply and Replenish

We planted a few strawberry plants last year, and this year had to build a bigger strawberry patch to accommodate fresh congregations of new little sprouts! With freezer bags packed full of frozen strawberries from our garden, we knew that homemade strawberry jam was in our future.

Last Sunday, Clarke stunned everyone when he made the very first batch of strawberry freezer jam. All by himself! With hundreds of frozen berries awaiting a similar fate, there will be many more afternoons of strawberry jam making. And, seeing as Clarke is so good at it, I may just let him make all the rest. :)

In the Summertime

Last Sunday, in primary, the children learned to sing the song,
'Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime.'

Unfortunately, Brock was sick and stayed home with daddy.
This explains why he moped about the house today, sighing and exclaiming, "There's nothing to do. I'm bored."

I rattled off about 20 different activities.; to each, he slumped his shoulders and shook his head, dramatically, as if to say "Keep trying, mom."

So cloud watching and lazily dreaming doesn't appeal to a 4-year old??

Finally, I remembered the remnants of some sidewalk chalk and, taking Brock by the hand, we headed out to the front porch, the only shady resort from the hot, summer sunshine baking the sidewalks and driveways.

It was a brilliant idea (naturally)!!

We colored our front doorstep and when Brock grew weary of the sidewalk, he began coloring his hands and feet, happily explaining that this is how Jedi knights color with sidewalk chalk. Of course.

Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime

1. Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?
Do you fish in a stream, or lazily dream on the banks as the clouds go by?
Is that what you do? So do I!

2. Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?
Do you swim in a pool, to keep yourself cool, or swing in a tree up high?
Is that what you do? So do I!

3. Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?
Do you march in parades, or drink lemonades, or count all the stars in the sky?
Is that what you do? So do I!

Words and music: Dorothy S. Andersen, b. 1927
© 1964 by Dorothy S. Andersen.

Ever wonder...

...why we spend most of the year wishing for summer,
but as soon as summer arrives, we're anxious for fall?

Countdown to Cool Down: 39 days until Autumn!

Proof

Brock helped himself to nine cups the day he learned how to carefully manage the gallon of milk .
He can also dresses himself, showers on his own, can open the car door and climb into his booster seat, secure the seat belt and close and lock the car door behind him. He also pours his own cereal every morning and helps make a pb&j at lunchtime.
After hugs and kisses and a bedtime story last week, I tiptoed out of Brock's room and lightly whispered "I'll check on you in a little while." To which, my precocious child knowingly responded, "You don't have to check on me, mommy. I'll be just fine."
With bitter-sweetness, I recognize one new task that Brock has mastered every day. As a mom, I find his new found independence equally exciting and terrifying. Exciting to watch him embrace and learn from new challenges. Terrifying to imagine that my little boy is learning to live without his mom a little more each day. I once read a quote that our responsibility as parents is to teach our children to one day live without us. I used to think that it was a very profound message until I became a mom and now a message like that guarantees instant alarm.
Am I really teaching Brock to live independently of us?

And then a day like today comes along.
At 5:17 a.m., just 13 minutes shy of hearing the unwelcoming chimes of my alarm clock, Brock wandered into our room, Mr. Squishy (his pillow) under one arm. He climbed into our bed and snuggled into me. I reached over to pull him closer and felt it. His skin was on fire.
Squinting our eyes against the shock of the bright kitchen light, I carried him to the counter and began rummaging through our medicine cabinet for the thermometer.
Brock had a fever of 102 degrees!

Lethargic and sleepy, Brock spent his day camped out on our bed, PBS kids on tv, although the shows were largely ignored. "Mommy, I want you to snuggle." All day long, it was precious reassurance; proof, that even though Brock is growing up, mommy is still a very important part of his day.

My mom used to tease my brothers and me by telling us that she wanted to put us in a little mason jar so that we would stop growing up. At the time, we would just giggle at her.

Sadly, I understand now.
Kids grow up way, way, way, way too fast.

I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat!

A few months ago, Brock was watching a movie on *gasp* commercial television.
Suddenly, he shouts, "Mommmmmeeeeeee! Mommmeeeeeee! Mommmeeeeeeee!"
I immediately scrambled for the family room to see if he was okay.
Sitting on the couch, with a knowing smile and a nod of his head, he enthusiastically exclaimed,"Mom, YOU can have more money in YOUR pocket!"
And that was it.
The sudden DEATH of commercial TV at our house!

Clarke and I adopted a DVR lifestyle years ago and never watched commercials, but I suppose we never gave much thought to whether or not Brock was being inundated with advertisements as he watched his morning cartoons. Since most tv shows for kids nowadays are about 90% crap anyway, we were anything but sad to say sayonara to such childhood staples as the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.

Instead, we introduced Brock to Loony Tunes.
The best cartoons EVER!
Years ago, we had gotten the Loony Tunes collection on dvd and now Brock asks to watch them EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!! We've since added Charlie Brown to the mix and Brock is in retro-cartoon heaven.
Why don't they make cartoons like they used to????

The Best Cake Recipe EVER!

The name of the cake is "Too Much Chocolate Cake."

I know what you're thinking because I share your sentiments: What a dumb name for a cake!

Anyone who knows anything about chocolate cake knows that there is no such thing as "too much." It deserves a name like "Died and Gone To Chocolate Heaven Cake" or "Extravagance A La Mode" or "Who Cares if My Jeans Don't Fit Tomorrow Because I Ate This Entire Cake Tonight Cake."

In other words, this cake is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
• 1 (5.9 ounce) package instant, sugar-free chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup fat free sour cream
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  
• 4 egg whites
  
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate mini-chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, applesauce, beaten egg whites and water. Stir in the chocolate mini- chips and pour batter into 2 well greased 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans.
3. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cakes thoroughly in pan at least an hour.

Silky Filling & Frosting

2 cups of heavy whipping cream
2 cups of chocolate chips
1 1/2 containers of fat free whipped topping
1 container of whipped vanilla frosting

In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Place a heat-safe bowl over the top of the saucepan. In the bowl, mix the heavy whipping cream and the chocolate chips, heating until chocolate chips have melted. Remove from heat and let the silky chocolate mixture set, at room temperature, for several hours.
Mix one container of whipped topping with 1/2 c of chocolate/whipping cream mixture. This becomes your cake filling.

Mix the remainder of the chocolate/whipping cream mixture with 1/2 container of whipped topping and 1 container of whipped vanilla frosting.
Frost cake. Sprinkle chocolate mini-chips across the top.

Enjoy with vanilla ice cream or a big glass of milk!