Spider web crafts

This weekend we got into the fall spirit and made some cute spider web crafts. I love fall!  Now, if only it were cooler . . . but I guess anything is better than 100 degrees. :-) 

One of Oliver's creations:

Oliver's spider webs:

Theodore didn't get to decorate a spider web this time, but he had fun posing for me, and then he got to decorate a mini pumpkin with a marker. :-)  

One of Buttercup's spider webs:

All of Buttercup's:

IBM Uptown Classic race report

This past weekend I ran the IBM Uptown Classic 10k. I ran it for the first time 3 years ago in 43:07 and had really good memories of the race, so I was looking forward to running it again. I started training specifically for this race around the end of June with the hopes of getting a new PR, and I had 3 months of solid running, with several good long runs and speedy runs.  I decided to do a real taper for the race, and everything was going great, and then I ended up having some random knee/calf pain last week (during my lowest mileage week in months!!!). I'd heard of runners getting weird pains during their taper weeks, but this is the first time it happened to me. I took an extra day before the race off to rest my knee, but it was still bugging me the morning of the race, so I decided to forget about trying for a PR and just run it at a pace that made my knee feel the most comfortable.

I ended up running it in 45:16, which is a little over 2 minutes slower than my PR, but is also 3 minutes faster than the 10k I ran in March. :-)  I also ran at a consistent pace, which is something I've always struggled with (part of the reason why I love running on the treadmill!). My knee did bug me during the race, but thankfully it's just fine now. :-)  

Splits from the race:
7:31
7:18
7:16
7:22
7:11
7:17 

Oh, and this was the first race where Oliver and Buttercup both got to do the kids' run. They ran a 1k, which is just about 3/4 mile. :-) Here are some pictures of them before their run! Way to go, guys!! 

Fun monster craft

Since Oliver is off of school this week, I thought it would be fun to do a craft like we used to do! Except Oliver is apparently too old for crafts (or so he said) and he didn't want to do it. So I got started on it by myself, and once he saw that I was squishing paint, he decided to jump in and join me. :-)  

(I got this idea from Totally Tots.)  (Also, sorry for the blurry phone pictures.)

First, you'll need some construction paper and paint. (We used tempura paint.)  Squeeze some -- a little will do, but Oliver really liked squeezing, so we ended up with a lot -- onto  the paper.

Next, fold your paper down the middle and squish the paint together. 

Let your paint creations dry overnight.

Once the paint is dry, time to get to work decorating your monsters!

Theodore mainly played with the scissor box while the other two were working on their crafts. :-)

 Here are the kids' finished monsters (Oliver's on top, Buttercup's on bottom). Lots of fun! And I'm glad Oliver ended up joining in and having fun making this. :-)

Playing at the "far away" museum

Oliver has the week off from school, and we've been having so much fun with him at home. :-) When I first told him that he had a break from school coming up, one of the first things he said that he wanted to do was go to the "far away" children's museum. We decided to go today, and it was our best visit yet! Everyone was so well behaved, the museum was not crowded at all, and we just had a great time.

And as always, I'm amazed at how well Theodore does in the car, skipping his usual nap and meal times, etc. It definitely makes things easier for me. :-)

Pumpkin bread with cinnamon cream cheese topping

Mmm, I love fall baking, with the savory scents of cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon filling my house. It just makes you feel good inside to smell all of the yumminess baking in the oven.  :-)  

I made this pumpkin bread today and I ended up baking it for a little too long (recipe said to bake it for an hour and 10 minutes, but mine was done in about 40). It looked dry, so I made up a glaze to add a little bit of moisture and sweetness.  The result?  Super yummy, and reminds me a lot of carrot cake, but with less fat and calories. :-)  Yum!

Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup canola oil

3 large eggs

1 16-oz can pumpkin (the plain kind, not the "pie mix" kind)

2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

butterscotch chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 2 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine sugars, oil, and applesauce, mix well. Add eggs and pumpkin, mix well. In a large bowl, combine flour, spices, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture, stir and mix well. Divide the batter into the loaf pans. Sprinkle with butterscotch chips if desired.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until done. 

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Topping

*keep in mind that I didn't measure anything as I added it!

about 2 heaping tablespoons of whipped cream cheese (regular, not light or fat free)

1 tbsp packed brown sugar

dash of cinnamon

skim milk

Stir brown sugar and cream cheese together until they're well mixed. Add cinnamon, and stir. Add milk, a little bit at a time, until it's about the consistency of yogurt. Spread on the top of your still-warm pumpkin bread and enjoy!

Toddler cuteness

Wow, I have really been slacking on updating our blog! Life has just been really busy lately. We've also been spending as much time as possible outside since it's been cooler! Nothing like a hot summer to make 80 degrees feel almost cool. :-)

Anyway, the reason for this blog post is to document Theodore's current list of words and other fun stuff. He's just talking and talking these days. I'm pretty sure he has more words at 16 months than Oliver did, and maybe has close to as many words as his sister did! 

Here are as many as I can remember right now:

Mama (his favorite word!)
Oliver 
Buttercup 
no
ball
milk
cup 
that
what's that (I really need to get a video of him saying this, it's so cute!)
banana
stop
dog
book (he also says "dog" for book)
more
cheese
cracker
Os (like Cheerios)
uh oh
bye bye
hi
hello
phone
um (this is one of my favorites! And he uses it appropriately, too!)
shoe
Anna
please
blueberry
bubble(s)
outside
swing
gentle
night night
mwah (like a kissing sound)
all done
hot
thank you
hold
mmm/yummy

He loves to play outside in our faded, steering-wheel-less Cozy Coupe, opening and closing the door and telling me, "Bye bye!" 

Often when we're outside, he'll wave at the cars and trucks driving past on the road and say, "Bye bye" in his soft, sweet little voice. :-)

He's such a sweet baby boy! He is a typical toddler though, and lately he's been a very picky eater. Tonight he pretty much went to bed without eating dinner, but he had a huuuuge lunch so I doubt he'll starve. ;-)  

Oh, one more cute thing -- this morning I was combing Buttercup's hair at the table, and he came over to see what was going on and slapped his sister on the leg for no reason. I told him no and told him to go sit in time out, and he did! He walked over to the rug and sat down, and he stayed there until I got him. What a sweet baby. :-)  

More pictures soon, I promise!  

A visit from Granddaddy!

This week Granddaddy surprised us with an impromptu visit! We've had a great day visiting with him, doing our usual things and hanging out with him and Max. :-)