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!

Year in review (2010)

So, Eric and I were reviewing our Christmases and New Years' Eve's together, and we got quite a chuckle out of it.  We've been together now 6 holiday seasons and we can't believe it, but each one (and each year) just gets better.

This year was a heck of a busy one for all of us.  If we think back, Amara was only 19 months old in January.  The whirlwind of 2010's activites hadn't revealed themselves in any form to us, but man were we in for a ride! 

We kicked the year off with showers for soon-to-be-arriving cousin Giddeon, her 4th, and for visiting friend baby Ali.  Next, we started preparations for Kristin's upcoming nuptuals and Amara's 2nd birthday!

Shortly after that--though no one else knew yet, Eric and I found out in June that we were blessed and lucky enough to be parents for the 2nd time, just before me experiencing a ruptured disc, prohibiting me from doing much over the Summer.

Somehow in all of that, we found, bid on, and won the bid for what would become our 2nd home together, and our 3rd move in just over 4 years.  Add on to that celebrating near all our families' birthdays, and we had a very busy Summer as we moved into Copper Ct.

Fall brought us lots of moving, organizing, planning, working, and preparing, as we learned Amara would be a big sister to another baby girl in our family.  We also added another class to our growing repertoire for her, and she became a Bear Cubbie at the local Gantz park barn tumbling class with a few new friends.

In November we found out that Amara will be a cousin for the 5th time, but the first on the Young side to Uncle Matt and Aunt Steph.  Time will tell if the streak of boy cousins will continue or be broken.  We were also VERY lucky to have sold the house at Schuylar, in just over 2 months in a terrible housing market and recession--it was meant to be.

Eric and I can't believe all this year has brought us--all positive things, but wow, we wonder why we're tired :)   We're still organizing, and planning, with now only 6 weeks until baby sister arrives...but we couldn't be more happy and thankful for all of life's blessings in 2010.  The room is almost ready, Amara talks about baby sister often, and we haven't figured out yet how to be parents to two little blessings, but we will. 

Many thanks to all our friends and family for all our great memories--way too many for us to list, but all of them are special and remembered in our hearts.

Christmas evening

After the busy morning, we headed over to mom and dad's to see if Santa visited there, and to visit the boys.  We hadn't been there just a few minutes when they showed up too--

...but not before Beanie got to receive her first (of I'm sure will be many) motorized scooters from Grandma and Grandpa.  It was SO cute--they said they ran across it in a store and decided she just had to have it!  She jumped right on it without hesitation and quickly learned how to protect her knuckles from getting scraped on the cabinets as she blazed through the kitchen at lightning (2 mph) speed.

She had fun opening and sharing with the boys--they all got their share of farm equipment, Beanie, her first combine!  We even got some pink John Deere gear for baby girl--a first for us, considering with Amara, all our digs were green and yellow :)

Uncle T and boys got her a cookie monster, a new favorite friend for her bed, and she loves her Weebles tree house and yummy pizza and mixer set to accompany her new kitchen set too.

We stayed and played with her toys and their toys and boxes, and whatever we could find, but it wasn't long till we could see the energy draining and the day wearing on her (and all of us).  We packed up and headed home, with the promise to return tomorrow and get her goodies to play with, and for a quick visit of course.  Watch out for the newest driver!

Christmas morning

No surprise to us, Amara woke up right at 7 Christmas morning--this has been pretty typical for her the last few months, so we weren't expecting a Christmas miracle like last year--when she slept in till almost 11 (miracle for US that was). 

After the kitchen set, the red wagon from Grandma and Grandpa Jahn was next to be opened--and of course, proved to be the item requiring the most tools and assembly for the entire day.  Later on though, Grandma and Grandpa Young got their workout in driving her and chasing her all over the kitchen and living room in that thing.

She came into our room, like always and snuggled with us as we watched a few cartoons and asked her if Santa had come--she wasn't the 'typical kid' you think of on Christmas, blazing down the stairs, I think she barely realized what was happening.

We all made our way downstairs--Eric and I started on breakfast, as she admired the gifts and boxes with bows.  Her kitchen set was disguised by a sheet to cover things up, complete with bows--but I think she passed it up several times before she really got curious.  Finally, she asked "what's under there" and we told her she had to pull it off to find out, and she discovered her new kitchen pieces! 

Just about that time, the grandparents showed up, ready to open gifts themselves.  We had a full house, Uncle Matt/Steph, Aunt Kristin/ Jim also came as the morning went on and we all enjoyed breakfast bake, tater tots, biscuits, cookies, juice, and coffee. 

Amara would open a present, then take a break--ask for her blanket and lie in my lap.  A combination of being low on sleep, overwhelmed, and unsure about this whole production, toy opening took quite a while for sure.

A few highlights though--she did enjoy playing on her (newly constructed by dad and grandpa) balance beam.  The window markers in mom's stocking were a hit with she and Uncle Matt as they drew on the kitchen door.  All the different food kits (veggies, sandwiches, apple pie and tea set) partnered well with her kitchen as she played and kept us all in food and drink all morning too.

She did perk up though, when ERIC opened HIS remote control car--we were all cackling at her laughing and chasing it, the dog, running it down the stairs, and all over the kitchen.  I bet we played with that the most of anything besides the kitchen, it was hilarious.  She crashed it into everything and everyone--even to the point we suspect we might have broken something, but we're going to charge him up and see how it goes tomorrow.

Everyone was winding down from all the excitement and heading back to their respective houses to rest and recover and we did the same--though, I'm sure, for about half the time we all needed.  I guess knowing that we were heading to see the cousins at Grandma and Grandpa's might have hindered that a bit--but we assured her she could still stay in her jammas!

We all had a great and magical morning, filled with laughs and giggles.  What an amazing little girl we have and are so lucky to have our little (so too be expanding) family!