Mix Tape - A Girl, a Boy and a Graveyard

It's sullen and grey out this morning...perfect for this haunting, beautiful song.

A Girl, a Boy and a Graveyard by Jeremy Messersmith
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Ben at Play - January 2013

Ben's (Second) Canvas Painting - Day One Through Day Five

We're not done yet...but here's a quick recap on the progression of Ben's painting so far:

Ben's (Second) Canvas Painting - Day Five

Ben was painting away in his pajamas this morning before we headed out the door to run some errands.  It's hard to tell from the image above but we used some silver paint I bought over the weekend.  As he squirted some silver paint on the canvas, he commented on how the color was just like Grandpa's sports car.  

A day five painting video:

Watch Me Grow!

Once a week, I sit Kate on the couch next to a brown pillow and take her picture.  We documented Ben’s first 52 weeks of life in the same way.  It’s nothing fancy.  I take the pictures with our point and shoot camera.  The lighting isn’t always ideal.  I just cross my fingers and hope that I get at least one (non-blurry) shot of said child looking at the camera.

 

We borrowed this idea from our good friends and I’m so happy we saw this little project through.  Babies grow and change and learn SO MUCH in the first year of life.  I still flip through Ben’s weekly pictures a couple times a month.  It helps me remember all the firsts we celebrated in those first precious 52 weeks of life.  I love looking back at his facial expressions, seeing glimpses of his personality and checking out all his cute outfits.  I’m hoping to put together a little montage of all his pictures to share soon.  

As the weeks pass, it gets more and more difficult to get a busy baby to sit still.  It’s nothing short of a miracle that Kate sits for at least one photo each week...

Lunch With Little Ones - Broccoli and Cream Cheese Sandwich

Lunchtime around here has gotten kind of boring.  Before Kate, I use to make some pretty awesome lunches like these homemade yogurt popsicles.  Once I got pregnant (and could barely peel myself off the couch), I began throwing the same few things on Ben’s plate every day.  Lunch has been very standard since then.  We typically have either a sandwich or crackers/cheese/meat or hummus and crackers as the focal point of our meal with some raw fruits and vegetables on the side.  Ben never complains he likes simple food and so do I.  However, I have to admit I feel a little guilty giving him virtually the same thing every day.  Now that Kate is eating alongside us as well, I thought it would be a good time to shake things up a little and get creative once again. 

Today I made broccoli and cream cheese sandwiches.  Which, in my opinion, are a lot fancier than the grilled cheese or jam sandwiches I usually serve.  I’ve made these before and I think they’re delicious.  Ben took a few bites and gave his sandwich a thumbs down (I was surprised.  He loves both steamed broccoli and cream cheese). And Kate, she couldn’t shovel it in fast enough.

Broccoli and Cream Cheese Sandwich

1/3 cup cream cheese

1 cup steamed broccoli

1 Tbsp. hemp seeds

1/8 tsp. tarragon

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

4 – 6 slices of bread 

Steam broccoli.  Put cream cheese, broccoli, hemp seeds and spices in a food processor.  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Spread between two sandwich slices and serve.  Extra spread can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three days.

Recipe adapted from happyhealthymama.com (Broccoli and Cream Cheese Sammy)

Playing in the Kitchen

At Naptime

Ben's (Second) Canvas Painting - Day Four

I have to admit, I’m not in love with the progression of Ben’s painting today.  I’m not happy with the colors I chose and I think letting Ben add circles with a cup makes it look like a piece of abstract art from the 80’s.  I’ll have to take the weekend to reflect on how we should proceed.