Pee Wee Parenting

One of the most amusing sibling dynamics is seeing your older child help shape, teach and instruct your younger one. Or something like that. Some Casen-isms for you.

While negotiating toys, snacks, etc. in the car on the way back from FW:
- "You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit."
- "Keaton, you have got to stop throwing down every toy I hand you."

On the way home from school today while passing Keaton's favorite sight - trains:
- "Keaton, we see that train everyday. Stop getting so excited about it."

Keeping up with the Kids

I remember doing a blog post when Casen was first starting to talk to document some of his first words, so I want to do the same for Keaton as he starts attempting some forms of communication beyond pointing and grunting (although that is still a significant portion of communication).

Mama
Dada
Hi
Bye ("Da" while waving)
Uh Oh ("Uh Uh")
Diaper ("Ba-pa")
Eye
Uh Huh
No No ("Na na")
Cheese ("Chz")
Woof Woof
Casen ("Sss Sen")
Bubba
Banana ("Nana")
All done ("Da da" while waving both hands)
Ball ("Da")
Night night ("Da da")
Dog ("Da da")
Duck ("Da"...anyone seeing a pattern here?)


Some of Casen's favorite things these days:
Spiderman
Scooby Doo
Practicing his songs for the end-of-year program ("Who's the King of the Jungle?")
T-ball
His new bike
Continuing to ask "why?" about everything on the face of the earth
School (the fact that it is almost over for the year is NOT his favorite)

Recipe Recommendations

If any of you are needing some new recipes to try, here are a few we've had lately that have been a hit (and you can rest assured that if I can pull it off, so can you).

First up, Food Network:

Melissa D'Arabian's Lemony Shrimp Scampi Pasta. Scott declared this one birthday/anniversary-meal worthy.

Rachael Ray's Pork Chops with Golden Apple Sauce


Lately, one of my favorite recipe sources has been Real Simple magazine. If you don't subscribe, you're still in luck because the recipes are online:

Easy Donuts


Cheesy Baked Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes This one is SUPER easy and fast.


Beef and Sweet Potato Turnovers (sounds strange but tastes good and sneaks in some good veggies). I used crescent rolls instead of puff pastry on this one, and they worked well. May try puff pastry next time just to compare.


I also love me some Pioneer Woman recipes:

Ginger Steak Salad. I had never made a steak salad, nor had I ever made my own salad dressing, but I was really happy that I gave it a try because this was great.

Crash Hot Potatoes


Tomato and Eggplant Pizza. Another first for me was making my own pizza crust, and again, very glad I gave it a shot. This pizza was SO good. I made a Canadian bacon pizza with this dough too, but it just paled in comparison to the yumminess of this tomato/eggplant one.

I love getting new recipes, especially ones I can pull off quickly, easily and cheaply, so please feel free to share your favorites too!

March 2010 It Lists

After a weekend of (watching Scott) attempting to bring our winter lawn back to life, I feel a strange compulsion to revive my neglected blog tonight. It must just be spring in the air. Couldn't possibly be anything related to wanting to procrastinate grading.

Instead of catching up from the events of the last four months, I'm just going to jump back in where we are now, and on top of that I'm not even going to be original. I'm going to steal a format from Jenny. It Lists!

Scott's It List -- yard work, yard work with Casen & Keaton "helping," getting rid of his Conan O'Brien hair (just yesterday), running, riding a bike with the boys in the trailer, and mixing up yummy coffee drinks.

Wendy's It List -- grading, procrastinating grading, attempting to move beyond casseroles and sandwiches in her cooking repertoire, reading an actual book for the first time in months (The Kite Runner), optimistically hoping to find time for more reading, and continuing her addiction to Red Vines.

Casen's It List -- Wii baseball, Berenstain Bear books, practicing t-ball in the backyard, pointing out Keaton's every move, asking "Why did you say....?" after EVERYTHING his mother says, choosing his own clothes, and drawing pictures that occasionally are identifiable as actual (stick) people.

Keaton's It List -- eating Nilla Wafers, saying no-no (with strong emphasis, pronounced "nuh-nuh" and always accompanied by a finger wag), climbing on anything he can find, insisting on doing everything Casen does, thwarting any and all efforts to get him to stay in a highchair longer than 2 minutes, waving hi and bye whenever possible, and charming people with his smile.

Casen's Valentine

A Love Story

My parents sent Casen a Valentine's card and included a rather large chocolate-covered marshmallow heart. I gave it to him Valentine's morning and let him eat some, but I told him we'd save the rest for later. After dinner last night I told him he could have a couple more bites. As he opened the wrapper he said "Helllooo, marshmallow. Did you miss me?"

This morning, I was in the playroom with Keaton, and he was sitting looking at a book in the living room, and he said "Mommy, do you hear my marshmallow singing? It's saying 'Casen, come and eat me...I'm so tasty...You'll think I'm tasty...please come and eat me...' Don't you hear it singing, Mommy?"

Three-Year-Old Theology

A couple of gems from Casen today...


This morning, while getting ready and watching our daily dose of PBS Kids:

Casen: Yea! Super Why is on, so that means Dinosaur Train is next!
Scott: How do you know?
Casen Because Dinosaur Train always comes after Super Why. That's just the way God made it.

(Why, no, I have no idea where he got that phrase. I'm sure I've never used that as a pat answer to some of his questions.)



This afternoon while playing with his Veggie Tales nativity, he graced one of the wise men with Woody's cowboy hat. His explanation? "Since the wise men brought presents for baby Jesus, God gave them a cowboy hat." Naturally!

Keaton's First Birthday

In honor of 12 months on Nov. 12, 12 things I love about our youngest...

- His smile. I dare anyone to see it and not smile back.
- Lately, he has started singing with me when I'm rocking him to sleep. Kind of a moan/hum, but melts me.
- His speedy crawl
- The pairs of teeth marks on the side of the crib. Only on the inside, not the top, since he has no top teeth.
- Big, open-mouth kisses on the cheek
- His admiration and interest in everything Casen-related
- On the other hand, his assertion of annoyance when Casen gets too interested in him, expressed as a shrill "Enh!"
- His love of bananas and bread. Any attempt to eat another food is immediately abandoned if either of those two are within sight.
- Big, blue eyes
- Love of bath time
- His hoarse, 80-year-old smoker voice
- And of course, his unwavering commitment to keeping his thumb in his mouth at all times.






Keaton's birthday was small-scale because a.) he's a second child and b.) he has been sick for three days and we had to cancel the friends who were coming in concern for their own health. Still, Da Don and Gammy Sue were in attendance, cupcakes were eaten, presents were opened, and our one-year-old was celebrated.

For the full album of cake and presents pics, visit http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2091862&id=54604329&l=4429a716a1.