Super Sprinkler Slideshow

We are THAT family!

The other night, we made a spur of the moment decision to head out for some yummy sno-balls. Pelican's is one of our favorite treat destinations. We loaded up the car and headed down the road. At some point I looked back to check on Eli and realized that we forgot to put shoes on him. So, I told Matt that instead of eating out sno-balls alfresco at the picnic tables and benches and having our little one run around in his bare feet, Eli and I would just wait in the car while he got the goodies! Matt asked, "Why?" My response was that I didn't want to be that family. You know the ones. With the baby running around in his bare feet. With the mom who couldn't even remember to put shoes on the baby. That family! Then, I looked at his shirt. The man I was going to send out to the sno-ball stand to represent my family was wearing this shirt.

I guess it's official. We are THAT family!

I guess deep frying is a love language around here!

When Jacob asked me if we could make donuts, my first thought was "why don't we head on over to the Dunkin' Donuts and just pick some up, instead!" But, his nine-year old persistence (which I now believe must be a superpower) had me Googling for a fast, easy donut recipe. Now, Google rarely fails me, but this time I walked away thinking that Dunkin' Donuts was sounding better and better.

The following weekend, over some poolside conversation with my S-I-L, Amanda, I mentioned the donuts that were becoming the bane of my existence and she had the answer to my troubles. "Biscuits!" she said. Biscuits??? Could it really be that easy?

Well, friends, on Thursday night Jacob and I headed into the kitchen to make the biscuit donuts and it was easy peasy! Basic steps are to get the basic Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits in the blue can (we used store brand, because we're cheap and they worked fine), peel them apart and cut out a hole. I let Jacob use a small circle fondant cutter that I happened to have in my baking drawer. Then drop them in some hot oil. Once browned, take them out and drain on a paper towel. You can top them with whatever you choose. Jacob wanted powdered sugar, but you could use a chocolate glaze or a plain glaze or sprinkles or cinnamon sugar or a flavored icing...sorry, I got carried away. Anyway, it was easy, it was fun, and they were YUM-O! Jacob liked the donut-making process so much that he suggested we open a donut shop. Good idea, except I'm not sure I want our financial situation resting in the hands of the deep-fried biscuit donut!

Anyway, here are some fun pictures of the whole process and my handsome kitchen helper!

Talkin' toddler

This blog serves so many purposes, but today I'm really using it as a journal/baby book. I want to document the expressive language that Eli has mastered. Hopefully there's at least one other reader out there who's interested in our chatty boy. Some are clear words and some are word approximations he pairs with signs. Here's the list of what he's saying or signing!

Dada
Mama (this one took forever!!)
Mema
PaPa
Brother
outside
car
all done
ball
bird
bat
snack
bubbles
cookie
cup
help
up
down
shoes
no
please
thank you
DVD
go
book
banana
apple
grapes
raisins
burger
night-night
bath
bed
baby
bye-bye
ice (for ice cream or any frozen treat)
sit
open
grass
hat
pants
nose
eyes
animal sounds for: cow, duck, horse, dog, cat, frog, sheep, pig, monkey, snake, gorilla, fish, bee, lion, rabbit

It amazes me what little minds can do. He's a little sponge and is soaking up everything going on around him. I was truly impressed the other day as we drove home from Mema's house. We were crusing down the road and I hear "ice, ice, ice, ice..." from the back seat. It took me a minute, but then I realized we had just passed our favorite Dairy Queen. Apparently we are living with more than one Smarty-pants!

Wordless Wednesday

Daddy's helper

“Man is a tool-using Animal.... Nowhere do you find him without tools; without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all.” ~Thomas Carlyle

Our oldest learned all about that "tool-using Animal" yesterday. Boy, was he psyched when his daddy came inside and asked, "Jacob, wanna use a power tool?" I've never seen him move quite so fast. So, with some trepidation I followed them outside to capture the moments on camera. This is just another one of those father-son moments that I adore watching. This is also another one of those moments that reminds me that he's not little anymore!!

Hey, Jacob! Can you slow down on this whole growing-up-business, please!! I'd greatly appreciate it! Love, Jennifer

Nothing says love like fair food!

We spent Sunday afternoon celebrating Father's Day at my parents' house. Their pool provided some great fun in the sun. After much soaking, both in the water and in the rays, we headed inside for some dinner.

Dinner conversation turned to the days of my childhood when my dad made his own pickles. They were so yummy! That brought us around to one of the best memories of my childhood-- homemade funnel cakes--and my bright idea that we continue to celebrate Father's Day by relieving that memory and having my daddy slave over some hot oil so that his family could gorge on some tasty deep-fried dough covered in sweet powdered sugar.

So, Daddy pulled out his trusty, old Pennsylvania Dutch cookbook and set to work. I was so excited and my sister and I had the opportunity to help. That in itself was a thrill to me. I'd never been allowed to help with funnel cakes as a kid, so this was a privilege I'd long looked forward to!

I apologize that there is no picture of the final products, but they looked so good, that my mind was not in that "you-must-get-the-photo" blog mode, but rather in that "you-must-eat-the-funnel-cake" mode. I hope you all understand!