Showing posts with label sneaky toddler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sneaky toddler. Show all posts

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Just Another Saturday




































He looks so innocent, right? Such a nice little boy, he could never do anything. . . . like this:




































This is our bathroom door, which, by the way, has to be kept closed so that Nick doesn't flush valuable things down the toilet. Or eat makeup. Or pull the toilet paper off of the roll and drag it all over the house. Or take a q-tip and try to poke it into a place on our cat that the cat didn't like very much. Now we'll have to figure out a way to clean the crayon off. Not sure if they were washable crayons. I could only laugh and grab my camera. He's a toddler, after all.

Nick was driving me just a little bit crazy this morning, and I figured it'd do us both good to get out of the house for awhile. He gets bored if I don't keep him entertained. So I took him to Panera for lunch. It's the only fast food place that doesn't make me sick, and the only place where I'll order Nick a kid's meal. He got an organic roast beef and cheddar on wheat bread.





































He actually ended up eating the whole thing. Do you see that empty bowl? That's what they used to give me cheese for my soup. The cheese is piled next to his sandwich. Nick also ate all the cheese that was supposed to be for my soup. Then he found another use for the bowl.





































I actually like taking Nick out to eat by myself, but I usually pick sit down places because they'll get everything for you. Today was a challenge, but the food was good and Nick and I had quite a conversation. It went something like this:
"Mmm. Bread. Eat."
"Yes, that is good bread."
"Mama, cheese!" (pointing)
"Yup honey, that's good cheese on your sandwich. Oh,w ait, you want this bowl of cheese?"
"Cheese! Want cheese!"
"Okay, here you go. Oh no, don't dump it! Argh."
"Mmmm." (Eating shredded cheese by the handful)
"No throwing napkins! No!"
"No throw! Ha-ha!"

Pause for chewing.

"Tea! Tea!"
"Nope, you have to drink your milk. The tea is for mommy."
"Hat. I hat."
"Yes, that bowl does look like a hat." (Getting out my camera)
"Bowl hat! Bowl hat!"



















After our lunch, we took a little trip to the library. Nick has been wanting lots of stories lately, and I figured we could use some new ones to read. Also, I wanted some new books for myself. I've been feeling really bad since the weather turned cold on Friday. I have nothing against fall, it's just that something went crazy with my sinuses and my head Friday night, and I feel like I'm in a nasty fog. I figured that a weekend of lying around reading would help me adjust to fall.

Anyhow, Nick was up to his usual tricks at the library. He ran around pointing at all the stuffed animals perched on the shelves, shouting out their names. "Tiger! Tiger up there!" then he decided to scream, "Stories!" while furiously yanking stories off of the shelves. When we wandered into adult nonfiction, Nick kept announcing, "Stories!" over and over again. "Yup, Nick, there are lots and lots of stories here."

A helpful four year old stood next to me, saying, "You know, we're not supposed to throw books." Nick went right to her and plopped in her lap, ready for a story. When she got up to leave, Nick grabbed her hand and tried to follow her. How come he'll hold a stranger's hand but not mine? Whenever I picked him up or tried to hold his hand, he screamed and then shouted, "Down! I down!"

At least we got some great books to read. Now, onto my busy weekend of lying around and waiting for my headache to go away. I think I can handle that.  :)

Monday, August 16, 2010

Semi-Naughty Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies and a Cookie Thief

In our little family, chocolate is the ultimate food. Even Nick loves all kinds of chocolate--even the darkest chocolate. But my husband noticed yesterday that his dress pants were a little bit tight. I've been trying to eat healthier as well.

I believe in treating myself, though just in small portions. I suppose I could also call these compromise cookies, since they're slightly healthier without tasting like "diet food." For me, lowering sugar and raising the amount of fiber are dietary goals. This recipe is a combination of several I found online, with a few of my own twists. The whole wheat flour and flaxseed give these cookies some fiber, and I've lowered the sugar somewhat. Don't worry, though, these cookies are very chocolatey. Enjoy!



















Semi-Naughty Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Start out by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the following in a metal bowl:


• 1 cup butter, well softened (It's okay if a little of the butter melts--it'll make the cookies chewier.)
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup baking splenda

Then combine the dry ingredients in a very large bowl:
• 2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2 cups of oats (I used the old-fashioned kind.)
• 1 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

In yet another bowl, mix together:
• 2-3 T of ground flax seed
• 7 T of water
• 2 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1 egg

Add the liquid mixture to the butter mixture. Stir.


















Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients, and mix it all together. Above you can see what the dough looks like. Be careful not to overmix; that'll make your cookies tough. I used my hands to form small circles with the dough, and then I flattened them on the cookie sheet. These cookies don’t spread much while they bake, so it's okay to put them close together.























Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Then you can eat them, and if you only have a few, they're not too bad for you, either.  ;) 

Nick absolutely loved these cookies. I gave him one, and then another, and he just went bonkers, shouting "Cookie!" and stomping his little feet. I bet Greg will do the same when he gets home.




Do you think my boy likes chocolate? 




































Yummy cookies. . .  mmmm