Joy

Friday, June 26, 2009

Father's Day and Baking

Father's Day was low key for us since Josh is at church most of the day. He ended up winning the same prize as I did for Mother's Day (being a father the least amount of time) only he won a pie instead of flowers. It was actually more of a cheesecake. I don't know if he ate it or not come to think of it. It was store bought and looked gross. Claire and I picked out two new shirts and a tie for him at Goodwill. I also made him an apple pie - my first ever. I was pretty impressed with the way it came out actually. It was really good.

Here is Claire with her Dadda on Father's Day.
This week Claire and I have both been sick and stuck at home. Since Claire is a picky eater I decided to make the things she likes but make them better for her and with more good calories in them. Here is an EXCELLENT recipe for muffins I got from my mom that already is pretty healthy but I adapted it even more for Claire by using only whole wheat flour. They taste fantastic with or without the wheat flour. (I use the mini muffins tins for Claire's)


  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 T. buttermilk powder
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups raisin bran cereal
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped peeled tart apple
  • 3/4 cup grated carrots
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, beat the egg, water and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apple, carrots and walnuts. Fill paper-lined muffin cups or cups coated with nonstick cooking spray three-fourths full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.
  • Nutritional Analysis: One muffin equals 199 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 256 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fat.

I also made oatmeal cookies for her using the best oatmeal cookie recipe from Josh's mom. I left out all the butter and used applesauce and again I used the whole wheat flour. That of course tastes definitely not as good with no fat but Claire doesn't know. They are still sweet and shaped like cookies so she doesn't complain.

I was so excited. I was at Fry's and it is time to make more laundry soap because I am getting low (already! good thing it is so cheap) and Fry's didn't have Zote, they had Fels Naptha soap. I was happy because it smells a little more... I don't know, soap-like? Zote smelled okay but it is like no other smell I have smelled before.
The grating of the soap - It looks like cheese, I will remember this for future pranks.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Weaning the Whiner

It's official! As of June 19th Claire is weaned. It was time. She was starting to pull at my shirt and be whiney for it all the time. The week at my mom's house did me in. She was constantly whining and wouldn't eat her real food because she knew she could just fill up on "nummers" as we call it. She was such a brat the whole week that I knew we had to do it at least before our annual trip to the beach house with Josh's family. (I didn't want her attitude to ruin the best week of the year) When she got up in the morning on the 18th, she had some "nummers" and then I thought we would see what would happen when nap time came and she wasn't lulled to sleep by nursing. Nap time came, I offered her some drink from her sippy cup and laid her down. She went right to sleep! I was so happy. The next nap and that night she did the same thing and ever since has been a changed girl - back to my sweet Claire.
Although I am glad Claire is a big girl now and actually eats at meals, I am really sad about this new way of life. For over a year I have been able to eat whatever, whenever and however much I wanted. Now, I have already gained 3 pounds and will have to get back into my healthy eating and exercising:(

In other news, Claire has discovered buckets,Chapstick,

Beach balls. I finally found one that doesn't have the Disney Princesses or Dora the Explorer all over it. (some other things that Claire hates)

and popsicles, (homemade with V-8 Fusion)

She also has a new skill we have been working on. We say "Claire. How old are you?" and she holds up her one finger. She will not do this while on camera but I took a picture of her "1" she held up right after I asked her. It looks more like she is pointing at you... we are working at it.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Bouncing Balls

Claire and I spent the week that Josh was gone to kids camp over at my parents house.
Claire saw her Poppy dribbling her ball and decided she should try too. I love how she flaps her arm like she thinks she is really making the ball bounce. The second bounce you can see it best. What a goof.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Birthday Girl

Claire is 1!!!

It is still hard for me to believe that Claire is no longer a baby and is now a toddler. She has been "toddling" since she was nine months but now that she is one, she seems like such a big girl.

The day before her birthday, I took her to the doctor. She has never been for a well-baby check. Since we aren't doing vaccines, I didn't see the point of paying a copay to have the doctor weigh her, measure her and try to bully me into injecting carcinogens into her precious, pure body. We took her mostly because of her pigeon-toedness and slow weight gain. The doctor was amazed at how healthy she is and assured us that her weight and feet were perfectly fine. Her 1 year old stats: Height 28.5 in, weight 16lbs.


For Claire's birthday, on the 4th, we started the day out with some bear-shaped pancakes. I never realized how hard it is to make shapes out of pancake batter and I am wondering how my mom was so good at it when we were little. Claire actually ate a few bites of pancake so that was amazing. Then, Claire opened some gifts from our friends at church, which was a huge blessing seeing as we didn't get Claire anything for her birthday.

On the 6th, we got together with Josh's family. Claire swam in their pool which she loves because they have a shallow play shelf area that is only about a foot deep. She likes to lay out with her feet behind her. That is what she thinks swimming is right now.

Claire had her first bite of chocolate when she ate her mashable bear cake I made her. Josh decorated it after I gave up in disgust. She wasn't too enthused. She had a few happy moments though.

I made a regular sized cake for the rest of us that wouldn't have slobber mixed in.

Grandma and Grandpa got Claire the hook-on high chair that I have been wanting for a long time. I was very excited for it. It was more of a gift for me for sure. They also gave Claire a super cute book with bears called "I Love You Grandma"

Grandpa got a special gift for Claire. - A big, gross, lavender-purple monkey.

It is sincerely ugly but Claire loves it. (Thanks a lot Grandpa!) I have always told people that Claire hates monkeys (because I hate monkeys, they are disgusting and how people think they are cute is beyond me) and Claire hates purple. (Purple makes her hair look red and many of you know how I feel about that.)


The next weekend, we got together with my side of the family.
It was a combined celebration for my dad's birthday (same as Claire's) and my Aunt Faith's birthday (June 22) We ate and played our family famous domino game, Chicken Foot, opened presents, and ate some more cake. Claire was more open to eating the cake the second time around. My mom got Claire balloons and they were a BIG hit. She loves them and every time I take her in a store that has balloons, she is quick to point them out to me.

Aunt Faith and Marisol gave Claire her first set of Lincoln Logs.

Uncle Steve and Aunt Michelle got her a darling outfit and a Little People boat for playing in the bathtub.

Uncle Buddy got her two books that have the buttons on the side to make sounds. She really enjoys them.

Nana and Poppy got Claire some a little summer outfit and new shoes that are cute and stay on her feet. Claire will bring them to us to put them on.
Her big gift was a thrift store find. The Little Tikes cozy coupe. It was $15 at Savers and my mom order new sticker for it from Little Tikes. It is in excellent shape. Claire loves it.
We went outside to let Claire swim if she wanted. She mostly just acted like a goof and showed off her new sunglasses.

Then we came in and ate cake. At least she got messy this time.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Boomerang Express - VBS

I have been wanting to update for several days now but we have been so ridiculously busy that I haven't even had the time to check my e-mail, let alone type out a coherent paragraph and wait for hours as our newly downgraded internet connection uploads photos.

During the end of May, Josh was busy planning a graduation breakfast and recognitions as well as attending some graduations and parties for the youth. The next weekend was the youth group's first ever Dinner Theater at church. It turned out to be a huge success - which is fantastic - but it also took several weeks of preparation and practices and purchases.

When that event was done, we had one week before VBS which Josh and I and the Harwoods ran this year. The week was full of decorating the church and making last minute schedule changes and decisions. VBS this year was called "Boomerang Express" the motto was "It all comes back to Jesus" It was Australian themed so it was really fun the decorate the church to look "down under". We had a CD of the music and I played it every day when we got home and Claire would dance to it.
VBS week went really well. My main job was snack time and I had a great kitchen crew helping me make two snacks a day, and enough for 200 people. It was really fun but the sad news was for Claire. She had to go in the nursery for the first time. Five days in a row, four hours each day. She HATED it. The first day she cried the whole time but slowly the crying tapered off and by Friday she went straight to Denisse without any complaining. This is as happy as she got on the first day.


On Sunday, Josh left for Kids Camp and will be gone all week. Then he will actually have time to breathe - at least til youth camp in July.

Claire's birthday was June 4th but she had two parties. One on the 6th with the McKenzies and one on the 13th with the Coots clan. That post is coming up
.