Muffin Tin Monday- Soup and Such

(Upper left, going clockwise around) Sliced Apples, Homemade Veggie Bean Soup (including beans, carrots, celery, tomatoes, onions), Milk, Shredded Low-Fat Mozzarella Cheese, Multi-Grain Corn Chips, Red Grapes

"I love MTM!"

It's Monday and that means another Muffin Tin Meal! We skipped last week because we had family visiting from out of town.

Tonight, we had a soupy meal! I made veggie bean soup to share with a friend who had surgery and there was plenty for our dinner, as well. The soup was full of veggies and I had high *hopes* that Lil' Miss would gobble it right up- veggies and all. However, that wasn't necessarily the case... What will it take to get some veggies into that kid?!

The fruit, cheese, milk and chips were a big hit, though! Oh well- better luck next time.... :-)

Just Dance!

"My friend, Cailin, came over to play with me, today."

"We decided to have an impromptu dance party!"

 "Dance..."

 "Dance..."

"Revolution!! Boy, do we have a lot of energy!!" 

JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes

Honest- the weather man said that it was supposed to be 82 degrees, today. 

He lied- it ACTUALLY was a chilly, windy 60-something degrees!

"Play ball!"

Today, we joined the MOMs Club of Concord team as we showed our support for finding a cure for juvenile diabetes by walking a 5K for the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. The temperature was quite brisk when we first met up but after walking three miles, we quickly warmed up. We had fun walking with friends, supporting a good cause and fitting in a little exercise, as well.

In our ongoing mission as parents, we want Katy to learn several things from our participation in such charitable events. First of all, we want Katy to grow up knowing that the world is a bigger place than just her little world. We want her to grow up with a open mind to those around us that are different, that suffer from ailments other than our own. We would like Katy to show compassion and charity to those in need. We also want Katy to realize that we not only talk to the talk, but we also walk the walk- in this case, literally!

Princess Katy for a Morning

"Nana and Bapa took me on a Princess outing the other day."

 "I love to dress up!"

"Here I am showing Nana the wonders of stickers and glitter. Mommy wasn't so fond of the glitter... that she later found on my face, in my hair, on my clothes... basically, EVERYWHERE!!"

"This is as close to a group picture as they were gonna get. There's only room for ONE princess, you know!"

"Even princesses get hungry, too!"

Wordless Wednesday- Mini-Me

It's Strawberry Pickin' Time!

Katy showing Bapa how to pick strawberries. :-)

"Oooh, look! There's a strawberry!"

"Only pick the red berries!"

 Down on the (Patterson) farm with Nana and Bapa Jones!

Yesterday, we braved the chilly temps, wind and the mud (triple yuck!) and trekked out to Patterson Farms for our annual Strawberry Picking. Even though this was Katy's third year picking strawberries, this was the first time that she was able to "help" pick the berries. At first, we had to tell her not to pick the green ones- only pick the red ones!- but she quickly got the hang of it and soon we had two big baskets filled with red, delicious berries! Yummy!

Food Lion Auto Fair

"Today, I went with Bapa Jones, Daddy and Mommy to the Auto Fair at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. I got to see a lot of really old cars." 

"One of the antique car owners was nice enough to let me sit in his car- by myself! Vroom, vroom!!"

"Let's go THAT WAY! Sometimes, I can be a bit of a backseat driver."

"I really liked sitting in the old-fashioned car- it was fun to 'drive'!"

Autism Speaks 2nd Annual Light It Up Blue Gala

Dressed to the nines! :-)

LNC Table

Ted's company, Lionel NASCAR Collectables, was one of the sponsors for the Charlotte Autism Speaks 2nd Annual Light It Up Blue Gala. So, he and I joined some of his co-workers for a night of food, fun, silent auction and a night to be "grown-ups."

The event was black-tie, so we got dressed up all "fancy-fancy" (as Katy would say), left Katy in the capable care of her Nana and Bapa Jones and we enjoyed ourselves out on the town! Since our seventh wedding anniversary is on Monday, we decided to kind of count this as our "anniversary celebration." It was nice to get all dressed up and stay out late :-).

From the report we got from the grandparents, Katy had a good time, too. She was well-behaved (at least that's what they tell us, now- we'll see if that story changes in ten years or not ;-P) and only really started asking for me around bedtime.

Twirling Dervish in a Yellow Dress

"Do you like my new skirt? Mommy sewed it and I picked out the T-shirt, flip-flops and headband to match."

"I especially like the matching purse that Mommy made with it. It's good for holding an extra pair of shoes- never can have too many shoes!"

 "Twirly, twirly, twirl!"

Wordless Wednesday- Oh, To Be A Child Again!

Sentence of the Day- Ladybug Picnic

It was so nice out today (even a little too warm, if you ask me),  that we decided to have a picnic and eat lunch on the front porch. While Katy was holding her sandwich, she saw an ant scurry across the front steps.

She pointed to the ant and said, "Oh no- buggy!" Katy does not like bugs. In fact, she makes it a point to point out every single bug that she sees. She's even gotten pretty good at stomping on them when we go for walks (I like to think of this as good hand-eye coordination).

Teasing, I told her, "Better guard your sandwich, girlie- he (the ant) might want to eat it!"

Stuffing her sandwich (Sunbutter and strawberries) under her arm (SMOOSH!), with the other arm extended in "halt" fashion, Katy yells to the ant, "Go home, buggy! No eat my lunch! Mine!"

Muffin Tin Monday- Birthday Party Nosh

(Top, clockwise) 

Grilled Hot dogs on a bed of lettuce, strawberries and cheese wheels in silicone muffin tin liners.

We went to a birthday party this weekend for a friend of Katy's. Because of her allergies to eggs, nuts and soy, I always make sure I make bring something along that I know that she can eat. Also, because it was a birthday party, I try to make it "fun" food that is more of a "treat" (aka, something I don't normally feed her on a regular basis like the hot dog).

I try not to make a big deal of her allergies. Though, it does seem that way, sometimes. I don't want others to have to feel like they have to go way out of their way to cook for Katy. Soy is found in almost EVERYTHING and who makes a birthday cake without eggs?! I don't want her to grow up stigmatized because of her allergies. However, as her mother, it's my job to make sure that she is safe.

So, I've just learned to bring snacks and food along with me when we're out. It just makes life easier that way. Plus, we've been on this journey close to a year so we've learned a thing or two along the way. For example, we know that Katy can eat the ham, hamburgers and apples from Cracker Barrel. Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt has several flavors and toppings that are Katy approved. My latest find is that Domino's hand-tossed pizza with regular tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese are free of soy, nuts and eggs (I'm really excited about this find)!

I digress- back to MTM. I've only been doing this a couple of weeks, now, and Katy has started to request her meals in muffin tins. She looks forward to eating her meals out of a muffin tin and I've found it's a great way to use up leftovers and little bits of food.

Sentence of the Day- Not So Fond of These Ones... :-(

Katy says a lot of things that are funny, cute and surprise us with her insight, intellect and ability. However, just this last week she started saying several phrases that I am not particularly fond of. They are;

"I can't do it!" (Even though, sometimes she says this while she is doing the task she just proclaimed she cannot accomplish).

"I want it NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

"Puh-LEASE!" (enter in hands on hip and sassy facial expressions)

"Stop it!" (This statement is usually uttered when Daddy and I are administering some sort of freedom-restricting task such as buckling her into the car seat, holding her in the store so that she doesn't get down and do the toddler version of "supermarket sweeps" in the middle of Target, wiping her face clean from the remnants of dinner, etc., etc.)

Chick-Fil-A Backstage Tour

 

Don't we look cool with our hats, shoe covers and Chick-Fil-A badges?

We took a backstage tour at Chick-Fil-A, today, with the MOMs Club. While going on the tour, we got to see biscuits being hand-rolled and cut, we got to see how their famous nuggets are made, we saw lots of lemons being squeezed for their fresh-squeezed lemonade and we even got to make our own ice cream cones! 

We even learned a couple of things, too! For example, did you know that Chick-Fil-A also served burgers and steaks way back in the beginning (in the 1940s)? Or, did you know that Chick-Fil-A actually came up with the nugget? I was impressed to see all of the fresh ingredients being used (they chop all of their veggies fresh, every morning- no bagged lettuce for them!).

It was fun and interesting to see how some of our favorite foods are made at Chick-Fil-A. Of course, it was also fun to play at  the play place after the tour, too! ;-P

Sentence of the Day- Little Songbird

Katy loves to sing! She has always loved music and since she was very little, she has be-bopped her way through songs in the car, in the house, in the store- wherever she can!! Now, that she has an extensive vocabulary and has a good grasp at sentence structure, she loves to not only sing along to songs using the correct lyrics, but often, I hear her making up her own lyrics to familiar tunes. Case in point, this morning, Katy had just gotten off the toilet and was running into the play room (free as a jay-bird, I might add) and I hear her singing (on the top of her lungs at 7AM, of course!);

"Oh happy day! Oh happy day! I got a naked tushie. I got a naked tushie" (to the tune of "Oh Happy Day")

I kid you not. I could not make these things up if I tried!! HAHAHA!

Peace and Quiet is Not Just a Pipe Dream

Pipe cleaners and an old grated Parmesan Cheese jar- so simple!

Katy putting her new activity to use!

Pipe cleaners and an old grated Parmesan Cheese jar. Who knew?! 

Who knew that these two very simple, very inexpensive materials would buy me five, ten, fifteen, TWENTY minutes of peace and quiet? Enough time to check emails, blog AND check Facebook? Yet, that is exactly what they did.

I'd seen tons of "tutorials" and mommy blogs out there touting a similar concept- the wonders of pipe cleaners and a Pringles can with holes cut out of the top. "They" say that it enhances small motor skills in children and causes them to think about color, texture, etc. It seemed too simple, too unrefined, too basic to be interesting, education and engaging. And yet....!! 

A couple of weeks ago, you might remember that I hosted a busy bag swap with my MOMs group. One of the busy bags involved said activity- canister with pipe cleaners- and Katy loved it! But then the lid broke...

...and then, one night, we finished our BJ's-sized canister of grated Parmesan Cheese (Boy, that thing took forever to finish!). Shaker lid with pre-cut holes- a light bulb went off in my head. I washed out the container and lid, took off the label and bought some new pipe cleaners from the dollar store. *TA DA!* a new, sturdier busy bag activity was born! 

Katy loves her new toy! What does one do with this newfangled gadget, you might ask? Well, simply put, Katy stuffs the pipe cleaners in the pre-cut holes. Then, she unscrews the lid and does it all over again. Sounds too simple to be fun, huh? Well, don't ask me- she loves it and I'm not knocking the extra few minute it allows me to get things done!!

**To make this activity more "educational" I could (and probably will) cover each hole with a different colored hole reinforcer. Then, Katy would match up the correct colored pipe cleaner to the matching colored hole.

***Also, I like to assign tasks when Katy plays with this activity. For example, I'll tell her, "Katy, please pick out only the RED pipe cleaners in the jar," or, "Katy please put THREE YELLOW pipe cleaners in the jar." On and on- you get the idea.
****As an added bonus, the canister is clear (once the label is removed) and Katy can see the pipe cleaners when they are in the jar. 
*****I love that this activity is self-contained- when you are ready to clean up, just stuff all the pipe cleaners in the jar, screw on the lid and you are cleaned up in a jiffy!

Simon Mall Kidgits Spring Break with Discovery Place

"Mad Scientist" explaining molecules.

 Katy, taking it easy, sitting in the back after the loud *Pop!* of a balloon and large fire ball.

Liquid Nitrogen experiment- Katy decides to get a little brave and creep a little closer to the action.

Today, Discovery Place was putting on a demonstration as part of the Simon Mall Kidgits Spring Break program. We got a visit from a "mad scientist"- complete with lab coat and safety goggles- and he taught us all about gas, liquids and solids. He did all sorts of cool experiments to help demonstrate how different objects react with each state of matter.

There was fire! There was liquid nitrogen! There were shrinking balloons and banana hammers! We learned about static electricity with an electrified silver ball.

All in all, it was a very engaging demonstration (coming from the adult's perspective). Katy was interested and excited... that is, until there was a large fire ball (demonstrating what happens when fire and helium meet)- that scared her a bit. Then, there was a loud "POP!" when the balloon came out of the liquid nitrogen- that REALLY scared her and caused her to leave the group of seated kids and come running and crying to me in the back! After the balloon pop, Katy was a little skittish and spent the remainder of the demonstration in my lap, happily munching away on Cheddar Bunnies.

As we were leaving, hand in hand, Katy looked up at me and said, "That fun, Mommy. Thank you. I like it." Melt my heart!

Wordless Wednesday- Looks Like the Easter Bunny Paid Us a Visit!

"Hippity, Hoppity, Easter's Come and Gone..."

"I've done this egg hunting before- I'm an old pro."

"Mommy, I see an egg OVER THERE!"

Pretty Girl

Group Shot!

Since the local school district has Spring Break this week, the MOMs Club had their Easter Egg Hunt today so some of the older children could participate. The kids had fun making a craft, eating a snack and hunting eggs. Katy did much better this time- she knew right what to do and got down to hunting kids with the rest of the gang. Her only problem was that because she was holding her bag a little precariously, every time she'd put an egg in her basket, another one would fall out and then she would see it and exclaim, "Look, Mommy, another egg (even though it was the same egg she had just put in the basket moments ago)!" (It could have been a scene out of 50 First Dates). We had fun!

Sentence of the Day- Potty Time!

While we were shopping this weekend, Katy had to use the public restroom. After we had exited the restroom, Katy ran to Ted (who was waiting outside) and exclaimed at the top of her lungs so that the WHOLE STORE could hear her,

"Daddy, I go potty! YAY!!"

Needless to say, we made a very quick dash to the exit after that comment!

Muffin Tin Mondays- Get Better Soon Tin!

Get well soon, Katy Grace!

The Jones family celebrated Easter with a sick baby. So, our eating isn't quite up to par, yet and today's tin includes more of what I'd call a "snack" rather than a meal. (From top left around) Gogo Squeez Applesauce, Canteloupe chunks, token veggies- carrot sticks, Shredded cheese, red grapes and Cheddar Bunnies.

Hoppy Easter!

"The Easter Bunny brought me a basket full of goodies!"

"Oooh, Color Wonder! I love Rapunzel!"

"Look at all of the special treats in my basket!"

"Do you see this basket? Mr. Cottontail used to use this very same basket to leave treats for Daddy when he was a little boy."

"The Easter Bunny wants to make sure I don't get any cavities. So he left me a new toothbrush and toothpaste in my basket."

"What's better than Band-Aids? MUPPET Band-Aids!!"

"I guess the Easter Bunny isn't ALL bad... Happy Easter, Peeps!!"

MOMs Club- Easter Party at Jackson and Macy's

"Today, I went to an Easter party at my friends, Jackson and Macy's house. All of my play group friends were there."

"Just like last year, I wasn't so sure about hunting eggs in the grass...Then, I saw all of the other kiddies running around, finding eggs and having fun."

"So, I decided to join in the festivities. Look, Mommy, I found a (plastic) egg!"

"Woohoo! We found the motherlode!"

Behind the Scenes in Picture Taking

"Nana and Bapa Jones got me this pretty dress from Hawaii for my birthday. Mommy wanted to take a picture of me in it to show them. I, on the other hand had other, better things to do than sit for a picture."

 "I don't really like sitting still for pictures. I'm two, you know."

"I didn't really want any part of the camera, so I hid my face in the corner. Mommy said that I could just stay in the corner."

"Run away from the camera! Run away- Ooh, look here's a door stopper!"

"Peek-a-boo! I see you (and those smudgey fingerprints on the window panes)!"

"Do you know what that yellow blur in the background is? I do! It's a 'cool (school) bus!! I LOVE school buses!"

"Blink and you miss it! I come by the closed-eyes syndrome honestly- both Mommy and Daddy seem to have an awful lot of pictures with them and their eyes closed."

"Okay, I guess I'll FINALLY stop running away from the camera and stand still long enough for a picture-CHEESE!"

"Mommy- why are you sprawled out on the floor, looking completely exhausted? You aren't tired from chasing me around, are you?!"