It's a Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood, sort of...

I had 2 interesting interactions with 2 different neighbors today. The first was a conversation with 1 neighbor who just got back from a long road trip. I asked how it was and she asked how the baby was doing. Then, she said that her and her husband are trying again to have a baby (from another neighbor I know that they've had a few miscarriages over the years). I responded with an, "I'll pray for you" and she said, "Thank you so much." The funny thing is that I rarely say this to my friends, much less people I hardly know! So, a seed was planted, and I really hope that this couple is able to have a baby.

The 2nd interaction was later on in the afternoon. I noticed out of our front window there was a lady and her dog on our lawn. The dog was sniffing around and looked like he/she was about to do some business. I really hate when dog's poop in our yard, especially when it stays there and we have to pick it up. The lady had a plastic bag with her, but I opened the window and asked if she would move her dog to another yard. She looked a little offended and said that the dog probably wasn't going to go. I said that it grosses me out knowing that my kids play on this grass. She moved along. It wasn't until later that I realizd that this is a neighbor who lives down the street. Oops, I might not have said anything if I recognized her. It still grosses me out though.

Playdough

Leah gave the boys a box of playdough for Christmas and I usually bring it out for them to play with while I finish making dinner. Today I sat down with them to play with it and it was a little stressful. I realized that I don't like mixing the different playdough colors, who would have thought I'd be like that?? The boys could care less about keeping the colors separate so I was able to follow along with them and help them build whatever it was they wanted. We made lots of snakes at first. Then, Ezra got bold and asked me to build a fighter jet. Surprisingly, I was able to craft fairly recognizable F-14, at least recognizable to a 3 1/2 year old.

Then, this is what the F-14 looked like after playing with it for about 30 minutes.

I am not a fan of the playdough smell. I'd rather eat paste. Although, I was never really in to eating weird stuff. Justus does like to nibble on cat food here or there. He's really not that weird though.

Gianna hasn't really done anything weird yet.

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

On a weekly basis, I've been trying to go through the toys, books, kitchen stuff, clothes and anything else in the house to clear out what we aren't using and donate it to the California Grey Bears. Some of the hardest things to get rid of are stuffed animals! I'll pick one up that hasn't been used in a while and remember who gave it to one of the kids, and I just can't do it! If I can't remember who it was who gave it to us, it usually gets tossed, but for some reason, I picture these little critters and the faces of those who so lovingly gave them to us. Actually, one of the ones that has been so difficult to part with is the dumb, blue, ugly dog that my brother won at the Boardwalk for Ezra when he was a baby. I keep thinking that it will be funny to give my brother when he and his wife have kids. The 2nd hardest thing to get rid of is this silly little happy meal toy that makes fart noises. It's hilarious! For this one, I'm just waiting for the batteries to run out, then I'll toss it. I'm going to go fill up a bag with some stuff now.

Big Kids

These kids are just growing so fast, it's crazy! Ezra learned how to ride his bike without the training wheels over the weekend. He kept saying as he was riding around, "I'm such a big boy now!" Truly he is. He's also sleeping on the top bunk, although will occasionally sneak in the crib with Justus when the light first goes out at night.

This is Ezra posing next to his aircraft carrier. It holds a couple of fighter jets, a jumbo jet, some people, and a space shuttle.

Justus learned how to ride the scooter and generally loves to have his helmet on.

Auntie Gigi (Giselle) threw a lovely baby shower for Gianna on Sunday. The group gift was a scrapbook album full of pages already decorated! I just have to put the pictures in. It is awesome, I can't wait to fill it up.

Blueberry Milkshakes and Baby

The boys had a nice and healthy blueberry milkshake for dessert the other night. Here are the happy pictures of them.

When she isn't swaddled, Gianna sleeps with her hands out like this. It's a little freaky. The first time I saw her doing this, I touched her hand and it was cold and for a split second thought she was...... so, I grabbed it and she moved and I was relieved. Geesh.

Butternut Squash

I roasted some butternut squash this morning and now the house smells great! With the rain falling outside, it is the perfect winter day! Here is a simple and delicious recipe for the squash:



Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

1 medium butternut squash, about 1 1/2 lbs.

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. dried rubbed sage

coarse salt and ground pepper

5 garlic cloves, peel on

1 cup half-and-half

pasta (such as cheese ravioli or any short pasta)

toppings (grated parmesan cheese, chopped toasted walnuts, finely chopped fresh sage)



1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a large, sharp knife, trim ends; halve squash crosswise to separate bulb from neck. Peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut both pieces in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out seeds; discard.



2) Cut squash into 2-inch chunks; transfer to a small rimmed baking sheet. Toss with oil and sage; season generously with salt and pepper. Scatter garlic around squash. Roast until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Remove and discard skin from garlic.



3) Transfer squash and garlic to a food processor; puree. With motor running, add half-and-half through the feed tube; process until smooth. Add 1 to 2 cups water; continue to process until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary. Season again generously with salt.



4) Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot. Pour sauce over pasta; toss to coat. Add some pasta water to thin sauce if necessary. Serve with desired toppings.



To Freeze: Cool sauce to room temperature; transfer to airtight containers, leaving 1 inch of space. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to use, place plastic containers upside down under hot tap water to help release frozen blocks of sauce. Place blocks in a large saucepan; cover and reheat over medium-low, adding water to thin if necessary.



How much sauce?: This recipe makes about 4 cups sauce, enough for 3 lbs. cheese ravioli or 1 1/2 lbs. short pasta (8 servings). For 4 servings, use half the sauce (about 2 cups), and cook 1 1/2 lbs. cheese ravioli or 3/4 lb. short pasta.



Recipe from Everyday Food magazine.

Poor Kid, Pt. 2!