Little baker

Whenever we have time and are in the mood, we try to get Amara as involved as we can in baking and/or cooking.  I've heard, and seen firsthand, that getting kids involved with cooking/food prep gets them interested in what it is to eat.  Sure, who wouldn't eat cake--but it works for other things too :)  We decided to make a cake and got out our ingredients...starting by reading the directions (closely).

Next, measuring is key--since getting her kitchen set for Christmas, I think Amara has become even more interested in cooking, baking, measuring, counting, etc.  It's great to see her develop!

Pouring is always dicey--especially with a glass bowl and measuring cup!  Maybe I should invest in some plastic ones?  She did a great job though--so proud (me AND her).

(ignore the post-nap hair) but look at that smile--she is so proud of doing things herself and I'm happy to let her!  Sure, we may need a few extra eggs to have around the house, but seeing her confidence expand and grow is so rewarding.

The moment of truth--the taste test!  She hasn't figured out that the beaters area a once-done test, but she manages to always sneak them back in the bowl while we're photographing!

After several licks...and I'm POSITIVE daddy's cue to say "CHEESE!"

The other night, we made meatloaf and Amara helped daddy cook. I didn't get any pics b/c the camera had died, but the licking process had to be switched up.  She did great crushing crackers, cracking eggs, stirring, etc. but we really had to watch her to keep her from licking any of the raw things in there!  Lesson learned for mom and dad!

Super Beasts Graduation

I can't believe Amara has been going to the Little Gym for over a year and a half!  She started when she was just over a year old, in Fall '09, and this was unbelievably her 3rd medal class or graduation!

Grandma Jackie got Amara a special TLG shirt for her big day, so she was all ready to go.  It happened to fall on MLK Jr. day in January, so we were all able to ride up together and celebrate her big day!

Miss Amber uses Amara a lot to demonstrate moves, which helps Grandma out--she is really starting to flip and twist and do things like the wheelbarrow with ease!  They also lined up quickly to do the airtrack--always a favorite.  I can remember when they all would just sit on it, or maybe crawl...but now they all run and jump and can't wait to run around to the back of the line!

Amara was running and jumping so much, it was hard to get a good pic of her--i think the video is better :)

You can see she loves it though--I think you can count her teeth in this one--and you can really see her cute shirt.

On to the bars, which have become a favorite of hers--she goes across with ease, and I guess this has developed into her releasing her feet and swinging down to the ground too!

She's always liked the balance beam--the latest though is doing the forward roll on it!  Amazing!  They have a pad on it, slightly larger than the normal beam, but she has no fear!  Just a little support from Grandma and she's down in a flash.

Up on yet another bar with Miss Amber.  This one was for a flip!  She holds herself up then goes head over heels--

Daddy got into the ball portion of class.  They are practicing partner play, rolling, kicking, etc. We've even considered enrolling her in a soccer class to give her more of an opportunity to play soccer for a longer period of time (they only play with the balls for a few minutes a week).

Finally the moment of truth--she received her 3 rd medal and rushed the platform! I think she tried to get up there several times before it was her turn--they were all seated on the "watching wall" waiting on her turn, and she was so excited to finally get her reward.

Proudly showing us her medal!

The class.  I think this class (Super Beasts) goes up to age 3.  She just transferred into it a few classes ago--the Big Beasts went up to age 2 and a half, and Miss Amber said she was ready to move up--so this will be her last group.   In fact, the next session of classes will be the very last one with Grandma, before she'd start attending classes on her own--just with other kids and a teacher.  Wow, this has gone fast!

Waiting for stamps after class on the watching wall--then hand sanitizer and out to get ready!

Shaking her bells at the end of class--one of her favorite parts!

After class, we all headed to Stake and Shake for a special treat lunch.  We had a great time, and got in the car for the long ride home. She's always so tired she can barely keep her eyes open, but daddy kept her entertained from the front seat and we made it (just) in time for a long nap.  Congrats Beanie!

Galaxy: Preparing Uncle Matt & Aunt Steph

Saturday Uncle Matt and Aunt Steph called to see if we wanted to go play and OF COURSE we jumped at the chance!  We told Amara before her nap, in hopes she'd rest and be ready to go, and was she ever! She came bounding downstairs at 3, asking to go "jump in balls with Matt!"

We took off and met them at Galaxy off of Wilson Rd.  I think everyone with time off or a birthday this month in Columbus was there--I literally had to park out of the lot, on the street it was so packed!  Granted--I can understand kiddos with Winter bdays are kind of stuck this time of yeah, but oh man!

Amara put Matt right to work, chasing her up through the maze of tarps and holes to the slide 4 stories above them!  I'm pretty sure Matt took some lumps from the "bigger kids" (7-9) who were whizzing past them in the maze as if they were standing still--I told Steph, never more at a place like that can kids make you feel like a dolt!

They moved on to the ball pits after they had exhausted their climbing for a moment, but not too long passed till they found another climbing path that led them up into some overhead tunnels!

Matt took a break and sent Eric up into the tunnels for a bit--I have to say, wasn't missing that part so much :)  I really do enjoy these types of things usually but between being uncomfortable and how INSANELY packed it was--I was glad for the boys!  They were both getting sweaty though as well, and for a second, I regretted the long sleeves that Amara was in, though she wasn't nearly as winded :)

Slide number 3, I believe seemed huge when Amara came down it--I like this "speed skater" pose you can see--and someone's leg creeping behind...

That would be daddy--not as roomy for grown ups as Amara made it appear! 

SOMEONE (while I was parking the car) apparetnly noticed these blue hanging monkeys at the prize station, and decided it was the goal for the night to land one.  600 tickets.  OUCH!  Luckily, good sports Matt, Steph, and dad, made it their passion to win all the tickets for her they could, and after about an hour, luckily had just enough for the monkey and a few tootsie rolls!

They played almost every age-appropriate game in there, for her--some SEVERAL times, considering the menial amount of tickets some of those games give you!

After deciding it was WAY too packed to stay for dinner, we all headed to Cici's. Man do I wish I'd taken the camera inside there!  We had a big time slap-happy show-off in full effect!  It started out harmless, everyone ate, but then the seat-swapping started.  Amara booted Steph, to wedge herself next to Matt--and then the "cake" (brownie) stealing began--I know she stole Steph's AT LEAST once, and possibly Matt's and Eric's. 

Someone got up to get another buffet plate, and the next thing I knew, she was in the booth behind us, giggling and flirting as usual--I think all in all we were only there a half hour or so, but I think all our sides hurt from laughing at our little clown.  We really like that place (not just for the $4.99 buffet that all the men in my life can put a hurt on the place for) but largely because she can eat right away and we don't have to eat--that is a super WIN for us!

Of course blue monkey (daddy named Jingles, for all the tokens that were jingling in his pocket as he was winning the tickets for him) slept in her room, and to my amazement, we didn't hear much from her after she went down at 7:30--though she was up bright-eyed and ready to go the next day, as usual--no sleeping in for this kid!

What a blast!  I'm not quite sure who had the MOST fun, but we all had fun--I told Matt, at least they don't have to be prepared for THIS phase right away, but it sure is a fun one when they get there!

New Year's (traditions)

A few years ago, after tedious discussions about my aversion for pork and sauerkraut--but a yearning for tradition and good luck tokens, we found a few of our own. 

Interestingly, there are about a million out there--some bizarre, mostly all cultural--but we kind of picked and chose from what we liked and felt was reasonable.

The first year, we went a little overboard--we started the New Year's day family photo--which, conveniently we had one from our trip to Pebble Beach to support, the "food that is ring shaped" where we made doughnuts, cookies, and did we try onion rings?  I don't think so, but it was on there--I know we did a black-eyed pea casserole one year (traditional in the South) but I get my years mixed up now--

The big keeper was our pork fried rice though. We had all the family over and made a TREMENDOUS batch of Guy Fieri's pork fried rice and it was amazing!  I'm pretty sure the lot of us ran through 12+ cups of rice, giant bowl of veggies, and 2-4 lbs of pork...

The pork is good for luck in just about every culture we found, as is rice for health.  Rings (ring shaped food) I think is for unending fulfillment or something like that--we even managed to get cabbage in there (in the rice) and I know that is favored in several countries too.

This year, all we did was the pork fried rice and photo--taken late, just before bedtime after a long day of playing, organization, and box shuffling in the basement, but hey, it's tradition.  We said "we'll always remember what we were doing that New Year's day 2011, exhausted by the toddler, pregnant, new house, and list of projects that seems to never end.

There are lots more we want to explore--some sound more like a superstition than anything--from not wearing shoes all day, to the doors in the house you use, and on and on.

Here's to tradition and Happy New Year!