Breakfast

Today Jaiden decided to invite a few of his friends to breakfast. I asked him to get in his seat and he ran straight to his room. Moments later he had all of the above on top of his tray. I tried to move his elephant and giraffe off to give him more room but he wasn't having any of it. So, in order to get "skinny bones" to eat, I organized his animals and basketballs so that his plate would fit right in the middle.
Speaking of animals... This is a funny story. So, last night we had to stop downtown for a minute so Dal could help his buddy. We took Jaiden in to say hello to a few friends. Dal took him in to the party and they just happened to have a guy with a snake there. It was a circus party. The guy held the snake in front of him so Jaiden could feel it. Jaiden screamed, "Nope..nope!" He wanted nothing to do with it. Dal came out with him and we got into the car. Immediately Jaiden piped up, "I touch the snake!" "No you didn't," Dal snapped back. I had no clue what had happened. "I touch the snake!" Every five minutes, the whole way home, he would tell us what he didn't do. We just laughed because he acted like he was so cool. He tried to trick me but, thanks to Dal, I got the true story.

Short sentences...

Jaiden is almost two and has been talking pretty good for a while. We are so excited to start posting our favorite Jaiden quotes. Thanks to cousin "Jacers," we now want to start the weekly ritual. It has been fun watching Jaiden grow and develop. He makes us laugh constantly.

This week:

This is more like every morning. Jaiden loves to help give his fish, Herbert, "nums." After, he gets real close to the opening of the tank and sweetly says, "Hey fish. How doin'?"

The other day Dal was sitting on our bed. Jaiden walked in almost naked and said, "Hey Bob."

We were a little confused to where Bob came from.

My favorite was when I was getting Jaiden ready for bed one night. We said prayers, then I told him that I loved him and to have a good night. He looked at me with a sleepy cheeser and said, "I lub you mom. Night, night." I got close and said, "I love you more." That's when he put his hand on my mouth and said, "Bye, bye."

More New Friends...

We have definitely put our zoo pass to good use this summer. This time we were brave enough to take two toddlers to the "World of Flight" bird show. They both loved it!

Gabe and Sonja

Gabe has the cutest cheesy smile.

Jaiden proved to me that he was a big boy when he rode the train without closing his eyes or covering his ears. A total 180 from last time.

There's that "cheeser" again.

Jaiden was so excited to see a "Papa" cougar. He even roared for me.

These two boys have become great friends! They played so good together. The end of their day resulted in a dip in the "pool."

Another successful day!

While the Dads are Away the Moms will Play!

Jaiden and his new friend, Carson.

The most handsome dude in the whole wide world!

My new friend, Katie. Her husband works with Dal. It's nice to have met such awesome people through Dal's work.

My pretty blues. Zoo pretzels are so yummy.

The highlight of the whole day... when Jaiden was able to get out of his stroller and feed the ducks.

Carson is so cute... he loved feeding the ducks too. Jaiden got a little selfish with the duck food.

This picture killed me. Reason #1: Jaiden just wanted to throw wood chips in the turtle shell. #2: There's some random little girl next to him. #3: Carson is just chillin' in the back wondering what the heck is goin' on.

He almost made it to the top of the steps... then he heard a helicopter.

The end of our zoo adventure. I wish I could have just fallen asleep in the back seat.

Pool Time

Jaiden's first swim of the year... success! Him and his Uncle Austie Pie. I love how his water wings are as big as his head.

He's really in to wearing his super sweet sunglasses. He knows he looks "cool."


He loves Austen so much. We got to the rec early and for an hour straight we had to search the pool for his uncle. "Austie, Austie... where are you. Boo!"

When it was time to leave he got the shivers so he just chilled while I wrapped him up in his warm towel. He loved the pool so much. It was fun for me to see how brave he became once he got into the water. We love our little peanut.

Finally!

I have finally found the best chocolate chip cookie recipe! It's been a long time searching and experimenting but I can now say my mission is complete. I found this recipe in a new cook book I just bought from a good friend. I made a couple of changes... I added both milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips, coconut, caramel, and changed 1 of the 3 cups of all-purpose flour to wheat. I will never use another recipe again!! If anyone is interested in these "fool-proof" cookies you can find them in, "THE FOOD NANNY RESCUES DINNER" by Liz Edmunds. There are a ton of amazing recipes in this book.

A Crazy Kid... And a Good Recipe.

Jaiden seriously cracks us up... all day, everyday. The older he gets the more he learns how to push our buttons... especially my(Mom) buttons. He knows that if I can tell that he is getting slightly out of control he will get "nums" sooner or later. Yes, I gave in once again and he got sweets... and silly me for giving him a messy treat. He loves anything with chocolate. Who doesn't? This is the beginning...

...and this is the end. This picture doesn't look that bad, but it was. He had popcorn and cocoa everwhere. And, of course, it was in his hair by the time we got home. I love those goofy teeth!

Another one of his shenanigans. He's always trying to hide in a cupboard or closet. It's hilarious how he can fit into such small and awkward spaces.

All of this chocolate madness made me want to make something delicious... my second favorite type of brownie. Cheesecake brownies. I love this dessert because it looks great and tastes amazing. Here's the recipe. Enjoy!

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325*. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish/pan with cooking spray. 2. Cream butter and granulated sugar together. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla, beat until smooth. Next, add baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and flour until well incorporated. 3. Reserve 1 cup of dough, cover, and refrigerate for 25-30 min. Add remaining dough to pan and bake for about 25 minutes(when edges are puffed and base is set). Let cool on wire rack. 4. Mix cream cheese, remaining egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and confectioners' sugar. Spread over cooled base. Crumble reserved dough on top. Bake until filling is set, 25-30 minutes. Let cool, cut, and serve. Squares will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.