An Impromptu Kitchen Date with Ryder

Today was a long work day for Braden. Inevitably that makes for a long day here at home as well. Usually on days like today I take a break in the kitchen (smoothie for breakfast, banana bread for lunch, and granola for dinner) and I was planning on it until this evening when I could tell that Ryder was desperate for some undistracted Mama time.

It was already 7pm (his normal bedtime) and I was feeling like I didn't have a lot to show for my day - we'd had a playdate in the morning with some new friends and I had been able to do a bit of gardening while the boys napped in the afternoon. There were a few items on my counter and in my fridge that needed to be dealt with though, and so with a bit of reluctance at first (it would be so much easier, faster, and cleaner if I were to just do it myself) I asked Ryder if he wanted to be my big helper.

"Helper Mama!"

Immediately he perked up.

"Hop up"

And so I lifted him up onto the counter beside the Vitamin and we got to work.

First on my to-do list was to turn our almost over-ripe avocados into guacamole for the weekend. Ryder peeled the stickers off of the outside (a great start to helping) and managed to squish one so much that its green insides began to spill out. Yep, they certainly needed to be used. He was also eager to smush the gooey green dip around with the pestle.

Next up - Pesto.  I had a big container of fresh basil that I couldn't resist picking up last time I was at Whole Foods. I've been using it in our pasta for the last week, but there was still quite a bit left and this way we'll be able to pull out the panini press and have quick and tasty sandwiches all weekend. I substituted walnuts for pine nuts, since that's what I had on hand, but we've done that before with great results. Ryder's involvement came in operating the Vitamix - a first. 

And voila! 

Since we all know that no date is complete without awesome food, Ryder and I cracked open a rare box of Smarties to share. He doesn't get such treats very often and it was fun to watch him saver the chocolates. 

Our last project of the night was baby food. We washed, cut, and roasted a few squash and added 4 ripe pears. I added the mixture to my growing supply of freezer baby food. Lucky Baby Lynden!

And of course by the end of our night the kitchen was a wreck. But, I did feel like I made something of my day and most importantly, I got to spend a quality hour of one on one time with my sweet boy who is growing up way too fast. Even if 'Mama's Big Helper' makes projects take twice as long, I cherished every moment of our sweet kitchen date...and I'll wash the dishes in the morning. ;)

Parenting is teaching me to let go of some of the insignificant things that I value - like having a spotless kitchen and being fully in control of my circumstances. There are times when I struggle with frustration and impatience - I don't want to repeat myself, I don't want to clean up the 'oopsies' messes, and I just want obedient actions out of my child without reaching out to him on the level of his heart. In the midst of that, it's spontaneous nights like tonight that make up a childhood and so I tell myself that I won't regret the mess and extra work - even when I'm tired.

Speaking of which, it's time to feed the baby and get myself to bed so that we can do this all over again tomorrow. Have I mentioned how much I love being Mama?!

What To Do When Hubby Works 12 Hours on a Saturday?

We've been blessed to be able to spend most weekends together of late, but today was an exception. After making his breakfast smoothie and kissing Braden goodbye, I determined to make myself a Saturday-worthy breakfast anyway. 

Enter Belgian Waffles.

Since I was already going to have dishes to clean and had 4 extra egg whites (after making homemade chocolate pudding last night) I decided to go ahead and make a double recipe in order to freeze the extras for the busy days to come.  There's nothing quite like a toasted waffle with peanut butter and creamed honey all gooey and oozing into the squares - YUM! 

My toppings of choice were a handful of granola and sprinkling of fresh organic blueberries (thanks to yesterday's new Bountiful Basket!)

I ended up with over 12 full waffles all ziploc-ed, frozen, and ready to pull out at a moment's notice. Not bad considering 8am hadn't even rolled around yet.

After breakfast Ryder and I made a quick trip to Walmart to pick up a few lightbulbs and a few other 'necessities' - have you seen/smelled the new Burt's Bees soy candles? I saw them for the first time today and immediately fell in love with the Papaya Guava scent. It's warming in my kitchen now.  Mmmm....

I also picked up a fairly large galvanized pail (Made in the USA) with a lid for only $12 and came home with projecting on my mind. A quick look through my stockpile of fabric and a not so quick browse through Pinterest later, I whipped up a few pail liners with my sewing machine. Voila! I now have a diaper pail that seals - with washable liners. 

I had just one more item on my to-do list for the day and that was to turn some alien vegetables into baby food. Once again, my Bountiful Basket contained an unidentifiable vegetable (it looked like a cross between a cauliflower and the ugly succulents that rapidly reproduced in our WA flower beds). Thanks to a friend, who also picks up Bountiful Basket produce, I learned that it's actually called romanesco broccoli. Call me a wimp, but I wasn't about to eat this terrifying looking plant. Thankfully, the Vitamix can turn any substance into a silky puree, and so that's what I did with these and a bunch of carrots. Lucky Little Dipper has a treat in store for him!

And here are a few fun photos from earlier in the week. We've been enjoying the sunshine and on Friday had a great picnic lunch play date at the park with friends. 

Everything Pumpkin

Now that my calendar official reads 'November' I think it's time to deal with the pumpkins decorating my doorstep - before they freeze and become useless.

Aren't pumpkins beautiful?  Ryder is going to miss them on the front steps.  Any time we go for a run or bike ride, he is eager to point them out when we get back within view of the house. But, Baby Brother is going to be eating these pumpkins next year, so he's happy to share. :)

Here they are - cut, gutted, and then baked. My Vitamix turned everything into baby food consistency and the freezer is slowly being stocked to feed this family at a fraction of the cost of its store-bought counterpart.

Now that makes for one happy Mama!

While I was working on my pumpkins this weekend, these two barefoot boys were fine-tuning their long boarding skills on the driveway. Thankful for sunny days and deployments that come to an end, so that these two can make memories together. <3