Popcorn Pals

We had Evan and Andrew for the day yesterday. It was really fun... we miss having them around as much as we did during the school year.  They are darling boys, so well behaved and just slide in as part of our family. It's great. :)  

After naps yesterday we made popcorn and filled these cute little holders I had bought.  They weren't half as excited about them as I was but that's okay!

Look at ME!

Norah can now sit up by herself and as you can see... she's mighty proud.  This was her first bath by all alone. I've joined her since she was born so it was exciting (not having to get all wet) but sad too as she is growing so fast. I know I say this over and over but I cannot believe that she is almost 8 months old.  This has been the fastest 8 months of my life.  

She provides me with pure joy. I smile just thinking about her and have to stop to remind myself to thank her for being so easy going.  She has the personality I wish I had!!! :) Happy all the time, goes with the flow and takes quite a bit to get fussy!

I love you Norah Grace!

Family Chores

I've been toying around with the idea of chores for Braden and Olivia for quite some time. I've looked at different charts, reward systems, etc.  Steve and I have talked about the different philosophies of doing chores because you are part of a family as opposed to doing them for money and we finally came up with a place to start.

Last weekend was our first "Family Chore" day.  We chose one thing that we could do as a family on Saturday morning.  Olivia, mommy and Norah (who sat so patiently in her exersaucer) cleaned the downstairs bathroom and daddy and Braden cleaned the upstairs bathroom.  

It went really well!  Olivia and I had a blast dancing to music, scrubbing down the toilet and floor.  Steve had a harder time convincing Braden that it was "fun" but everything got done in the end.  

I'm so excited about this.  The kids are very helpful during the week with throwing things down the laundry shoot, letting Magnus out, feeding him and removing dishes from the table.  I think if we are able to continue doing our Saturday morning chores we may start some type of allowance this fall.  We'll see.  I love that they are helping us and that they will realize that being part of a family means chipping in on the household chores.

I am pondering what to have us do this week.  I want to find two things that won't take too long, that the kids can be actively involved in and that will genuinely help us out.  Right now I'm thinking maybe vacuuming, sweeping and dusting the first floor and bedrooms.  :)

Norah's First...

cold! :(

She is super congested (you can see the watery eyes and stuffy nose) but is doing her best to show us all her smiles and share her happiness.  Poor Norah!

Braden's Weekend

Olivia went up to Steve's parents for a special weekend while Steve played in an alumni golf outing.  Braden, Norah and I stayed home to get ourselves organized and for some much needed bonding between Braden and I.  I told him it was, "Braden weekend" and we could do whatever he wanted! 

We started Friday night with a sleep over in my bed.  It was super sweet cuddling with him although he snores like an old man! :)  The morning had us making waffles and then we packed up for a trip to the zoo.  

Braden had fun picking our route, our pace and just being the center of attention.  

The highlight was the dinosaur exhibit which is at the zoo right now. We went and saw a similar one at the Brookfield Zoo last year.  They are life size (or close to it) dinos who make noises and move.  It was fun to learn some new facts and Braden was able to guess each time if the dino was a plant or meat eater by their teeth... smart boy!

He was a VERY good boy and although disappointed that I wouldn't buy him something from the dino store (it's ridiculously expensive) we moved on and enjoyed the rest of our time at the zoo.

On the way out we stopped at the gold mining station and bought a bag of rocks (again a total rip-off but he loved it).  He poured them into a sieve and washed away the dirt to expose some pretty colored gems to take home.

He worked very hard to find each and every gem... no matter how small!

Our lunch date took us to Alterra and then home for naps.  We went to Dunham sports afterwards to buy a fishing pole for Braden to use at the Olson Lake home and later this summer at Uncle Steve's in Duluth.  He picked out some buoys and lures as well - such fun. I had NO idea what I was doing in this aisle. Thankfully someone from the store was able to help us out.  

The last errand was to the grocery store for the items to make Pesto Noodles for dinner.  Braden LOVES pesto so we got all the fixings (along with a few other needed things).  

After dinner we snuggled on the chair to watch, "Alvin and the Chipmunks... the Squequel."  It was really cute. 

Just as we were going to head up to bed we saw fireflies out the window.  The two of us ran outside to try to catch them.  I haven't had that much fun in a while and I certainly don't remember them being that hard to catch. Braden caught two and I caught one.  What fun being a kid can be. :)

Today ... well I'm not sure what's in store. I have to go consult my little social planner.  

Fun at the Lake

The Olson family bought a lake home this summer and we have been greatly benefiting from it.  We went out Friday morning and stayed ALL day.  It was perfect.  The wind was blowing, the water temp was inviting and the sun was kissing everyone's cheeks.  Olivia it turns out is a little water baby (as long as it doesn't get on her face) and played in a tube most of the day.  Braden got in a few times but had the most fun fishing from the dock.  Norah was a trooper and took two naps, ate her lunch and even floated in a baby float.  She continues to be so easy going - I'm a lucky mommy.

We were joined by Wanda and Meghan(and her darling little boy Landen), two of our team mates from school as well as Sara and Ava.  Thank you Kristin for an awesome day.  I didn't take any pictures except for this one of Olivia who is naked in her car seat and was asleep before we left the driveway on the way home. Braden is asleep behind her. I think the lake house is the perfect place to tucker all the kids out. :)

My favorite chef!

We've been pumping out the zucchini bread lately... yummmmm!

Book Club at the Lake

I LOVE my book club.  

They are seven of the best ladies around and I am so proud to be able to call them all friends.  We meet about every 6 weeks and have been doing so since before Braden was born so for about 6 years.  Crazy when you think of all that we've been through together with babies, marriages, etc.  Ryan wasn't able to make it this month and we missed her a lot.  We met at Kristin's lake home - it couldn't have been more perfect. :)  

Thanks ladies - for being such wonderful friends who are supportive, open and always up for a good time!

Seafood Pasta Salad

I had a few requests for the recipe so here it is!  This feeds 12-14 people.

Pasta:
1 lb fettucini, broken into 2 inch pieces
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook pasta "al dente." Drain, rinse in cold water, and drain again. Place in large bowl. Mix with oil and vinegar. Season to taste; mix again. Cover and refrigerate. This will keep 1-2 days in the refrigerator.

Vegetables:
16 thin asparagus spears, trimmed into 1 1/2" lengths (I added a bit more!)
2 1/2 c. broccoli cut into bite size pieces
2 1/2 c. tiny peas, fresh or frozen
6 scallions
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 lb spinach leaves, stems removed

Separately boil or steam asparagus and broccoli until tender-crisp. Rinse in cold water. Drain. Steam fresh peas briefly or use defrosted uncooked frozen peas. Store each vegetable separately in plastic bags. Mince scallions; combine with tomatoes. Rinse and dry spinach. Store separately in refrigerator. May prepare everything but spinach 1-2 days in advance.

Seafood:
2 lbs bay scallops or halved sea scallops
2lbs large shrimp, cooked, shelled, deveined (I only used shrimp)
1/3 c. olive oil
3 T white wine vinegar
3 T sherry wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
2 scallions minced
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

Poach scallops in simmering water until opaque (about 2 min). Drain. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise (I didn't do this). Combine scallops and shrimp in bowl. Add oil, vinegars, and garlic. Mix well.  The rest of the ingredients will be used during salad assembly. This can be done the morning of serving day.

Herb Cream:
1/3 c. white wine vinegar
2 T dijon mustard
1/2 c. packed fresh basil leaves or 4 T dried, crushed basil
2 cloves garlic
1/3 c vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1 c sour cream
1/2 c whipping cream
3 T minced parley
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

In food processor or blender combine vinegar, mustard, basil and garlic.  Add oil slowly and process until smooth. Add sour cream, whipping cream, and parsley. Process until smooth. Season to taste.

TO ASSEMBLE:
Arrange spinach leaves as border on a large platter. Toss pasta with vegetables and tomato-scallion mixture. Place in the center of platter and make a well in center of pasta. Drain seafood; toss with minced scallions, salt and pepper. Mound in the center of the pasta. Serve with herb cream.

Prepare at least one day in advance to blend flavors. Although this is time consuming, it is very simple to assemble on the day of serving.

ENJOY!!!

Super Hero Squad

Today we had a play date with Daniel, Tyler, Evan, Isaac, Ella, and Rory!  What a great bunch of kiddos.  The costumes (as you can see) made their way out of the chest in the basement for some use.  Magnus (at the top) is standing in as Yoda.  We also have Bumble Bee, a Power Ranger, Darth Vader, A Swamp Monster, Iron Man, and Super Woman.  If you're in need of saving I think Jackson Park is the place to call!! :)

Fru Fru

Meal Co-op Meal Week...97 I think (if I calculated correctly)!

This was a seafood pasta salad that Linda Peters, a dear teacher friend, made for Kristin and I after Norah was born.  It was delicious so I asked for the recipe and plugged it in for meal co-op.  It was a bit more work than I had originally thought but was YUMMY and worth it. 

Steve commented that it was a "fru-fru" meal.  I asked why and he responded that I  had taken a picture because I thought it was pretty.  Any meal that is "pretty" is apparently fru-fru.  Gotta-love-him! :)  He did enjoy it though and I think consumed three plates full.  The kids didn't care for the "greens" but did love the shrimp.

Organizing BUG

Trying to get into a routine this summer with the mindset that I am now a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) has been harder than I thought it would be.  I (surprise, surprise) have high expectations for myself and what I will/can accomplish, how things will go, what it will be like etc.  It's that perfectionist in me and while I'm much more relaxed than I used to be - I still have a long way to go. ;)

For over a year now I have wanted to organize the kid clothes in our attic. They started out organized when we moved in and then as we've added Olivia's to the mix and then Norah - they've just gotten out of control.   Now enters... the organizing bug! :)

I purchased 22 bins (and used about 4 that I previously had full) and went through each item of clothing that we own.  There are bins for GIRL 0-3 month summer, GIRL 0-3 month winter and BOY 0-3 month.  It's a little obsessive but I LOVE it!  It's beautiful up there I must say and now if I need anything at all - or when I am putting clothes away that are too small I know exactly where they go.  No more tossing them into a laundry basket and then just setting them in the attic for "later."

Hmmmm what project to take on next???

Cooling off on a HOT day!

Summer Fun Idea = Swimming at Cool Waters

We went to cool waters on Saturday and had a blast.  Last year Olivia literally would not leave my leg and Braden took a while to warm up to the water.  This year Olivia was the first to go down the slide and they were both having a great time "swimming" in the deep end.  It was fun to watch Braden's confidence soar as he put on his goggles and dunked his head under water. He was delighted when he kicked his feet as that is what he calls swimming.  Norah did great too but got cold fairly quick.  It was the perfect way to cool off on a very hot day!

East Troy Electric Railroad

I'm working on our summer fun list and today happened to be a day without anything scheduled so I thought we'd take advantage and head out somewhere.  We drove out to East Troy and boarded the Electric Railroad Car.  

Braden and Olivia had fun sitting in the pretend rail car before we left.

I told them each they could bring one toy.  Braden chose a pair of binoculars and Olivia her Pinkalicious wand.  They took hold of their tickets and on we went.

They train cars were beautiful.  They were originally run in Chicago in the early 1900's I believe.  I loved the fancy seats, the pretty light fixtures and of course imagining what life was like back at that time.  Braden and Olivia had a great time looking out the windows and searching for animals. 

The stop left us at The Elegant Farmer (an orchard we freqent each fall) for a quick snack of homemade muffins and then back onboard for the ride home. It was really fun and I was so proud of them both for what GREAT listeners they were and how well behaved they chose to be.  Norah was of course a trooper in her Bjorn. I don't know what I would do without that thing!

Speaking of Norah I don't feel like I blog much about her so here is a picture I took today while the other two were napping.  She is getting so big and continues to be the happiest baby on the block.  She smiles almost non-stop and is very calm and easy going.  I'm glad I am at a point in my mommy hood that I appreciate her demeanor for what it is! I'm able to relax and play with her a lot instead of worrying or feeling like I should get things done.  It's such a treat.  

She is eating two meals a day and loves everything we've given her. I have yet to make my own baby food and am feeling really guilty about it from both a health and monetary standpoint but plan on changing that soon.  Maybe I can make it my weekend goal to puree up the peas and squash I have on hand.  

Okay - Off to play.  Now she's napping and the other two are up!!  Never a dull moment at our house. :)  

Welcome to the World Lola Leigh Potter!

Congratulations to Nikki and Steve who gave birth to Lola Leigh Potter yesterday. 

I could hardly contain myself the entire day as I knew Nikki was in labor and I just wanted to be by her side rooting her on!  She wanted to have a natural water birth and I am soooo proud of her for doing it.  Lola was a trooper and cooperated with all of mommies wishes. :)  Hopefully that's a sign of a very agreeable personality. hehe  

She was born at 2:48pm yesterday, July 8th.  Lola was 18.5 inches long (a little peanut) and was 6lbs 14oz.    

Lola is a very lucky little girl to be born into the Potter family.  She will be extremely loved by a very special mommy and daddy.  We love you both and cannot wait to meet our newest little family member.

4th of July

We had a blast once again this year.  Thanks everyone for coming to celebrate with us!!

The parade is the highlight of the weekend for me. I truly enjoy watching the stream of floats, bands and groups but more importantly watching the kids enjoy it all.  They of course love the candy tossed into the street and make a mad dash each time it rains down.  

Happy 4th of July!

Pictures of the Kids

My friend Jen (who took pictures of Norah when she was born) took some pictures of the kids this week.  I called her when we were on our way over to a park by her house and she joined us with her new lens!  She is a really awesome photographer. I love the colors and the moments that she is able to capture.  Thanks Jen!  Click HERE to see the pictures.  If you need a password use "sunshine."

First of Many Hiking Trips

Our family LOVES to hike.  I have a list of local (within about 1 1/2 hours) family friendly hikes.  My parents bought us this great backpack when we had Braden and it started to fall apart so REI replaced it for us and now it's brand new for Norah!

We're on our way... hats, snacks and all!

Steve and his kiddos!  

Thankfully Steve carried Norah because we ended up hiking up and down really steep hills.

At one point we walked past this big tree/bush that was surrounded by hundreds (no lie) of butterflies!  I happened to catch one sucking nectar on the flower.

Hiking seems to bring out the best in us!  Braden and Olivia make a GREAT team helping each other when the trail gets tough, showing each other new discoveries and just plain having fun.

Our family shot... too bad you can't see Norah!  She sure enjoyed traveling on Steve's back!! 

Braden is completely in his element when we are outdoors.  He is entranced looking for bugs and trying to figure out how the world works.  

This was the first of hopefully many family hikes this summer!

Summer Fun!

A few days ago the kids and I sat down and brainstormed all of the fun things we'd like to do this summer.  We wrote them down on notecards and then decorated them. :)  They are hanging on our kitchen window which overlooks the back porch/playroom.  We'll take them down as we accomplish them.  I had been planning on doing something like this but wasn't sure how to put it together and at my friend Kate's baby shower last weekend her sister had this notecard idea!  Thanks Jen.

On our list:

Go to State Fair

Visit the Central Library (downtown)

Eat breakfast at AL Johnsons in Door County

Go to the Family Farm

Go to Great America

Make Smores

Catch Fireflies

Eat at Alterra by the Lake

Swim at Cool Waters

Get Olivia Baseball Stuff (created solely by Braden!!)

Play at the Beach on the Lake

Eat Pizza from Lalis

Get a bird feeder and hang it up

Attend a Brewer Game

Go on a Train Ride

Sleep in a tent

I am so excited!!!  Today we are going to try to accomplish the bird feeder.  Wish us luck. :)