great parenting reminder

My good friend Laurie often forwards me her favorite "tip of the day" she reads on a site called "ScreamFree Parenting." I especially loved this one and wanted to share it. A great reminder for me coming off a long day with my kiddos.

"Nothing you do for children is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us, hovering, averting our eyes, and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted."

- Garrison Keillor

"All the hard work that you pour into becoming a better parent is worth it. Every second. You may not “see” any great result for quite some time, but you aren’t dealing with growing vegetables….you are dealing with growing adults.

I know that it’s nice to be appreciated, but seeking that appreciation actually makes you less likely to get it. If you can put aside your need to be recognized by your children, you’ll be much more relaxed and comfortable with the variety of roles you have to play in their development." --Jenny Runkel

chicken

I really hate to handle raw chicken. And it's not just a pregnancy thing.

Am I the only one?!

I actually *semi-dread* cooking it if it's on the menu that night. I mean, I think about it throughout the day and just wish it would somehow cook itself. My friend Kathryn is a cooking queen and says it's important to pound chicken breasts before cooking them because it not only tenderizes them, but also helps them cook more evenly. So, I now pound them before I cook them. An additional touching-the-chicken step in the cooking process, and I get why it's beneficial, but still dislike the extra time I have to touch them.

Yet, when said chicken dish is cooked and plated, it's good and healthy and I'm glad I made it.

Probably my favorite chicken recipe is Ina Garten's Parmesan Chicken. It's so easy and has a good flavor and the chicken is usually really moist. Served up like the picture with greens and a light citrus dressing on top is perfect. Maybe that's my problem. I don't have dozens of chicken recipes I like. So, I'm in need of new recipes. Please, share!

Randomness, I know.

the best Saturdays of all

I cannot tell you how much I LOVE when the weekend arrives and there is nothing on the calendar.

I love the spontaneity it brings, the possibilities offered.

Today, the kids slept in (unheard of) so we all woke up at 7:45am. Aron made a batch of his famous pancakes and we enjoyed a yummy breakfast with warm cups of coffee. I read the paper.

Aron asked what I wanted to do and I said I really wanted to eat Moo Time Creamery ice cream. This probably is my favorite ice cream in our area and it's not exactly close by: it's on Coronado Island in San Diego. But, Aron indulged me and we packed the family into the car and took a day-trip.

Yummy yummy ice cream.

And playtime at an Encinitas beach.

Perfect day.

to Florida, with love

I took Curren to Florida over Memorial Day weekend to visit my folks. We haven't seen them since Christmas and as you know, kids change so fast from month to month. Both my parents said they really enjoyed "getting to know" Curren better. And I LOVED having 1-on-1 time with him. The 5-hour flight each way went surprisingly well, thanks to God's amazing grace: on the full flight there a father of 3 sat next to me and helped entertain Curren, and on the return trip home, we had an empty seat next to us on the yet-again full flight. Thanks to toys, videos from my iPhone and music from iTunes, snacks, and running up and down the aisles, we made it.

In Orlando, my parents were the best hosts: lazy days, breakfast at Sweet Mama's Cafe, lunch at an amazing seafood restaurant, outdoor shopping, day trips to Celebration, FL (think picture-perfect "Stepford Wives" looking town with lots of cute shops, fountains, and the BEST ice cream ever at Kilwin's) and Winter Park, FL, and nightly trips to the park to let C run around. Curren loved all the attention from his Grandpa and Marmee and I enjoyed the relaxing pace of life.

Because I tried to pack light and didn't want to bring our nice camera, enjoy these pics thanks to the iPhone.

Dad and Mom, THANKS for everything! We had a fantastic trip.
First plane ride
Loving the fountains in Celebration
Lunch in Celebration
Shopping in Celebration
Starbucks break in Winter Park (and the last day I will ever see that necklace)
Watching the train in Winter Park
Swinging with bubbles at the park
Loving the musical rocks

week 32 belly shots and impromtu photo shoot

My good friend Allison from Texas was in town for a few days this week and stayed with me. It was WONDERFUL to see her and spend time together. We enjoyed a movie ("Up In the Air"), coffee out, shopping, and overall just good veg time. She did my birth shoot with Curren last year and now has a booming photography business in Dallas. If you are in that area, look her up.

On her last day here, we headed down to San Clemente to grab Pedro's Tacos for lunch (a must!) and she took some pics of me and the kiddos at the Pier. They turned out AMAZING! She is so flippin' talented. I love her.

And the fantastic necklace is courtesy of Julie at Joy's Hope. She made a batch in mid-April and I was lucky enough to snatch one up. Alas, she hasn't made any since. I've had dozens of people ask me where they could get one, so give her a shout out on her blog and tell her if you like it! :)