A Father Is...

There in every memory

See his love and care
Strength and hands to count on
Freely he does share
Provider, toil so faithfully
To make our dreams come true
Give strong and tender discipline
Though it is hard to do
A Father is God's chosen one
To lead the family
And point it to His will for life
Of love and harmony.

(by Sue Skeen)

Emily made a Father's Day gift with this poem on it at school and I thought it summed up her daddy pretty well. I hope that all of the wonderful dads out there had a great Father's day filled with love and hugs from their children.

Mailbox Monday

Blog hop? What's that? The latest dance trend?

It's a way to find other bloggers you might like and to share your blog too. It's a "you check out my blog, I'll check out your blog" kind of thing. 

I follow Simply Stacie's blog and so I thought I'd try out her blog hop. You never know what interesting stuff you'll stumble across out there in the blog-o-sphere.

I Heart Tori & Kate

Okay, I have something to admit. I've become a reality TV junky. Not all reality TV - just a few shows that I'm obsessed with lately.

It all started when after Ryan was born and I stopped working. No more sitting at the table grading papers all evening for me (high school English teachers out there will relate). I had time to watch some TV, especially while sitting comfortably on the couch feeding the baby or folding laundry, both of which I do A LOT.

Here's a run down of my new favorites:

Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood - I love Tori and Dean. Who woulda thought it, but Tori is a cool chic. I want to hang out with her. We could talk baby stuff and I'd love to hear more about what it was like growing up as a bizillionaire. (Another confession: I just finished reading her first book, too. I told you I'm obsesssed.) I also love the Guncles. Mehran is so sweet. Who wouldn't love a best friend like him?

Giuliana & Bill - Another surprisingly likable couple. Why is it so entertaining to watch them live their regular lives. I guess because their "regular lives" are a lot more exciting than mine. Giuliana cracks me up. They make such a cute couple and I would love to be invited to their next dinner party. (Did you see the episode when Giuliana cooked for the first time? Loved it.)

The Next Food Network Star - This one just started up again and I'm way too excited about it. Sometimes when I'm in the kitchen I imagine that I'm about to serve my dish to the selection committee and I only have a few minutes to pull it off. (Okay, okay, I'm a huge dork.)

Kate Plus Eight - Another big confession. I like Kate. Most people don't, or at least it seems that way. I will say that her fake nails, hair extensions, and high heels make her less of a relatable mom than when she was cooking in her small kitchen and serving up dinner on paper plates, but I still like her. I even voted for her on Dancing With the Stars a couple of times even though she could not dance worth a darn. She had to put up with her husband cheating on her in front of the whole world, so how can you not be on her side, even if she is a bit really uptight?

I would soooo love to have a girls night out with Tori, Giuliana, Susie and Giada from the Food Network, and Kate. Do you think they'd all make the trip to Oregon to hang out with me? Maybe not, so I'll just keep watching them from afar and pretending that they're my girlfriends. (Wow, that sounded pathetic, huh? Good thing I have awesome girlfriends of my own to hang out with already.)

If you could have a reality TV girls night out, who would you invite?

Homemade Hot Wheels Birthday Cake

My big boy had his 4th birthday recently and he requested a Hot Wheels cake. (Then the day before his birthday he asked for a Spiderman cake but it was too late. Oh well.) 


So I decided to attempt to make and decorate my own cake. I made a two layer vanilla cake with vanilla frosting. 


The only real problem came when I tried to remove one layer from the pan and it stuck. I guess I didn't grease the pan well enough. One corner of the cake crumbled. I had to think quick....so I turned that crumbled, sagging corner into a grassy hill. No one even noticed. Score one for me! 

I'd say the cake turned out fine but it was a far cry from looking professional. That's okay though, because all that really mattered to Mason was that he got to blow out the candles and eat tons of frosting.

This post is participating in Friday Follow.

King of the whys

Mason has been rolling out the funniest sayings lately. It must be his age (happy 4th birthday to him last week!) - or just the fact that he's a big goofball. He is definitely in the "why" stage.

We were driving down the highway and he had been asking me questions non-stop for an eternity (okay, 15 minutes but it felt like much longer).

We were crossing a bridge so I asked him if he saw the bridge and the boats, etc. Then he pops off with, "STOP ASKING ME QUESTIONS MAMA!" Okay question man. Like he's one to talk.

Then a few days later we were out on a walk around the neighborhood.

The conversation went something like this: Mason asks about something and when I answer he asks why. I try to explain and then...

"Why?" he asks again.

"Because...(insert some random answer)," I say as I try to think of something that will satisfy his curiosity because saying I don't know does not cut it for this kid.

"Why?" he asks again. Repeat above sequence about three more times.

Then Mason says, "Why, why, why, why! Why do I ask why all the time?"

"Good question, son!" That's the only response I can muster.

Wordless Wednesday: Happy baby

Just makes me smile. 

See more Wordless Wednesday at Life Down Our Lane.

Whatcha Reading Book Review - Your Four Year Old: Wild and Wonderful

"Wild and wonderful" definitely describes my four-year-old!

Dr. Louise Bates Ames has written a whole series of parenting books on specific ages. These books were originally published back in 1989, but much of the advice is just as relevant today. Kids' behavior patterns haven't changed much in twenty years and good parenting techniques haven't either.

Ames has written parenting books about developmental stages, behaviors, and parenting advice for children from one-year all the way up to 14 years. I personally have only read Your Four Year Old: Wild and Wonderful but if you are looking for some parenting tips then you should check out this series for any age child.

What I liked best about this book wasn't the actual advice and tips. It was finding out that my 4-year-old is normal. His wild and crazy behavior, mood swings, and overall goofiness fits right in with what the author describes. In the blink of an eye he goes from being a big boy with polite behavior to a whining, tantrum-throwing maniac. Also, he responds well to definite rules and concrete information.

I thought one of the funniest observations in this book was that four-year-olds are very interested in bathrooms. After reading that I have noticed how true it is. Take a four-year-old to a new place and he or she will inevitably want to check out the bathroom, even if it's just to see what kind of toilet is in there.

After doing a little snooping around online, I noticed that there are quite a few negative reactions to some of the topics in this book series, so be warned that not everyone loves Dr. Ames' advice. Like I think you should do with all advice books, I will take from it what works for me and my family and be happy with that.

Fresh Spring Roll Recipe

One of my favorite appetizers to order at a Thai restaurant are Spring Rolls. My favorite Thai restaurant Typhoon calls them Salad Rolls. 


I have wished many times that I could whip up those tasty rolls at home myself. Well, I finally took the time to find a recipe and buy all of the ingredients. I had to try three stores before I could find the rice paper spring roll wrappers. I was a little unsure if I could make them taste as good as those master Thai chefs at Typhoon but I have to say that they turned out to be delish! 

Fresh Spring Rolls
1/2 cup rice noodles
8 rice paper spring roll wrappers
8 lettuce leaves
1 carrot, julienned 
1/4 c. fresh basil leaves
1/4 c. fresh mint leaves
16 medium prawns
1 tbs. vegetable oil
salt & pepper


Directions: Cook the rice noodles according to the package, which is usually soaking them in hot water for a few minutes. Saute prawns sprinkled with salt & pepper in oil until they are pink. Allow them to cool. Slice the prawns in half lengthwise. Prepare all ingredients ahead because you must work quickly with the spring roll wrappers once they are wet. Fill a shallow dish with hot water and place wrapper in until it is soft (about 20 seconds). Remove the wrapper and gently lay in on a damp towel. Place a lettuce leaf in the middle of the wrapper, then top with a small mound of rice noodles, carrots, basil and mint. Place prawns in a straight line across the filling. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll the wrapper upwards to form a neat roll shape. Serve immediately with a dipping sauce. 


This post is participating in The Nourshing Gourmet's Pennywise Platter. Making your restaurant favorites at home is a great way to be "pennywise." 

Japanese Lesson

As the kids were playing on the swing set in the backyard this afternoon I overhead an interesting conversation. There was a mini Japanese lesson going on right before my eyes.

Emily was swinging and asking her 3 year-old brother, "Do you know what konnichiwa means?"

Of course he replied, "Uh...what? No, I don't know."

Then she tried to prompt him, hoping that he'd remember. "It starts with h..." She made the h sound for him.

"It means hello," she told him in her big, 6 year-old, I-know-everything voice.

"Oh, okay. Konnichiwa."

"Yeah, you say it when you see someone you know. You walk up and say hello or konnichiwa," she added making it an etiquette lesson as well.

I was cracking up. Conversations like this between my kids remind me of how quickly they are growing up, so I also felt a little wistful. Then I realized that the only reason she knows what konnichiwa means is because she loves Kai-Lan. I let out a sigh of relief. And smiled.

Thoughts on birthdays

What are birthdays like when you're a mom?

Birthdays have taken on a whole new meaning at this point in my life. I can remember counting down the days until my special day and looking forward to presents and a party. Gone are the days of piles of presents and balloons and sleep-overs with giggling girlfriends. Now I enjoy my birthday by spending some special time with my husband and kids; and instead of presents and a party I look forward to relaxing and going out to dinner (no dishes, yeah!).

Moms of young kids spend their birthdays changing diapers, running errands, doing laundry, feeding children, and picking up toys, among many other chores...but they also spend their birthdays wrapped in big hugs, enjoying homemade cards, and being told, "I love you SO much, Mama!"

So here's to my 34th year being the best one yet! Even though the magical excitement of birthdays has long since vanished it's still a day to reflect on the many blessings in my life. Happy birthday to me!