Grins at the duck park

When we were at the duck park yesterday, I was trying to take a picture of Buttercup's face. I didn't care if she was smiling or not, I only wanted a picture of her face instead of the back or side of her head. The problem is, as soon as you point a camera in her direction, she whips her head around and/or runs away. So, I bribed her with a (very small!) piece of candy to smile for a picture. As soon as he heard the word "candy," Oliver ran over as fast as he could to stand next to her so he could get some, too. :-) They're so crazy. :-)

Big water at the duck park

We had a big (and much needed!) rainstorm last night, so naturally this afternoon the kids and I headed out to look at the creek. Since they've both outgrown their rubber boots and I haven't gotten around to getting them new pairs, I decided to go to the duck park since it seemed like the place where Oliver was least likely to end up covered in mud. :-)

Eight months

Guess who's 8 months old today???

If you guessed this little guy, you were right!


Theodore is doing so many fun, new things these days. He claps, crawls, feeds himself, and holds his own cup.



He hasn't had too many new foods yet, but so far he hasn't turned his nose up at anything. The only thing is that he rarely lets me spoon-feed him. He never turns down yogurt, but the only other time that he'll eat off of a spoon is if he's super hungry. It's just too much fun for him to feed himself!



His latest trick is pulling himself up to standing!! He's not quite strong enough to really stand yet, but he does get himself up on his toes before he wipes out. :-)





He's still a super happy, laidback little guy, too. (Whew.) Everyone who comes in contact with him always says how happy he is. And he really is a happy guy! He rarely cries (except at night, ha ha).


And of course, no matter where he is, you can count on his big sister (and brother) being nearby. :-)


Happy 8 months, little fat boy!

En garde!

What's better than 70 degrees at dusk in January?

Walloping your sibling with a light saber, of course!



On a side note, Oliver is the quintessential gentleman when sparring with his female friends. He never fights back -- he just deflects and blocks their blows and steps back to keep himself from getting hurt. Fighting with his sister is a totally different story. ;-)

Rosemary roasted chicken with potatoes

I found this McCormick recipe a few months ago, and I love it! It's healthy, delicious, and everyone requests second helpings when I make it.

Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Potatoes
2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp crushed rosemary leaves
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
6 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (I've made it with bone-in thighs, boneless thighs, and boneless breasts and it comes out the same every time, so use whatever you have)
1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium green bell pepper, sliced (optional)

Mix oil, all of the spices and salt in a large bowl. Add chicken, potatoes and peppers; toss to coat well. Cover bowl with foil and refrigerate for several hours.

Arrange chicken, potatoes and peppers in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.

Roast, uncovered, in preheated 425 degree oven for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, turning potatoes occasionally.

Yum!

Taking a (brief) break from Legos

One day last week, the kids were looking for something to do while the baby napped, and I suggested that they play with their Playmobil sets.

Buttercup was excited to play with her nursery set. Here she is, putting the baby down for a nap.

And in this picture, she's feeding the baby a jar of food in its bed. :-)



(By the way, it's hard to take pictures of tiny, little Playmobil pieces!)

At first Oliver looked at me like I had two heads (whaaat? not Legos?!) but then he got into it, too. He combined his construction and beach sets to make a . . . construction-beach set. :-)


After a while, Oliver posed everyone in a circle for snack time. :-)


The construction workers got to take a ride in the cargo bucket!



About an hour later, both kiddos were tired of playing with their Playmobil sets and decided it was Funny Face Time.



I love how much they love playing together!