I was chopping onion to make my mom’s Red River Reuben Roll recipe the other night. And as some of you would know, onions make my cry. Sob actually. My dear sister in law a couple years ago found me the perfect gift. Pink ONION GOGGLES. Indeed I wear them often. Elissa was having a messy snack of peaches and pears and insisted on wearing them by herself. No help from me.
Special delivery from Ebay…lot of 120 kitchen pretend dishes and play food for less than $10 and…they now have been soaked, soaped and disinfected for child play. Plus you can see the random Pampered Chef “toy” Mama Jane gave Elissa for her kitchen collection.
Smiley toddler girl (note this toddler girl sometimes has scratches and bumps due to her being a constant on the go girl!) in the kitchen in THE LEARNING TOWER. This was my “investment” so I could actually have 20 minutes to prep and make dinner. I had joked on the phone to my friend that I needed a modified cage each evening to make supper. It was nearly impossible. Elizabeth wants to be right next to me…needing mommy attention…not in her high chair or playing on the floor. And I of course want to hold her too but we also need to eat and doing both was not working. She couldn’t stand on a chair…it would surely tip and crack her head on our very unforgiving tile floor. Literally the day after telling this to my friend, I saw THE LEARNING TOWER in the Sky Mall magazine while on an early morning flight. It jumped out at me and was a necessity I decided. I searched around the internet and found it for much less the Sky Mall price with free shipping. It is a safe place for Elissa to stand next to the counter and play while I cook. Plus it has some add on features to turn it into a mini-playhouse. She actually points and wants to go in it now…we call it the castle. Perfect. And it holds up to TWO KIDS 18 months-6 years of age. (Although 11 year old boys the size of a small man have been known to try it out and it did not break!)
As I was chopping green pepper Elissa decided she also needed some green pepper for her cooking. And yes I am up early on Saturday morning, letting the boys sleep while dear daughter has already had her oatmeal and now is chowing down on a banana and raisins. I am sipping some fresh and hot coffee…only one large cup when I am pregnant.
Hunter came in second place last night at his wrestling tournament. He was pleased and we were proud. It was probably the only location in the state that they could have gone that wasn’t flooded…south east ND very close to SD but more roads in our area will flood once it warms up again. It was good for Hunter to get out of town and have normalcy.
There is going to be something VERY exciting happening at our house today. Due to the flooding, we are home this weekend as our other plans had to be postponed/cancelled. I am very sad to not be at the farm as planned but we will be there in a couple weeks. But…Nathan prepped last night to finish tiling our master bath shower and will work on it today. A shower in our bathroom. I am so excited. And the carpet layer for the basement arrives Wednesday. 13 weeks until I plan having this baby…on July 1…I talk like I have so much control! Before that time Nathan is going to get some house details done and I am going to try organize and so we can be ready to enjoy all the joys of a summertime newborn, a busy toddler and a baseball playing son along with the busy season of a small town lumberyard! Floods will recede. Snow will melt. Spring will arrive. Summer will be here soon! And we are excited.
I love this post! You have such a great family! Maybe I can come visit you this summer since I will be back in ND as I want to get away from the AZ heat!
I just can’t et over how cute Elissa is in the pic of her smiling in her tower. She looks just like you Katie! I love it!