nboysmommy’s blog

The weather here has made an unusual turn to be quite warm the past few days.  To me, it's inexplicable to go from 20 degrees, snow and wind to 70 degree warmth. Nevertheless, we're taking advantage. This weekend we did a little yard work, a little shopping and a little monkeying around at the Zoo.  (Side Note: This was our THIRD trip, and we still have yet to complete the full zoo tour.) The place is simply monstrous in size.  This visit we focused on the big cats, monkeys, gorillas, the petting zoo and a train ride.

Here's Nick and I enjoying the train ride and a moment...

I can't believe Rod got Nick to actually pet an animal. Needless to say, he wasn't too fond of the petting zoo portion of the trip. Must be the "Daddy Super Powers" that promote bravery, brawn and comfort in little boys.

What fun would it be if we didn't break the food rules from time to time?  Here's Nathan wolfing down popcorn, pizza and ice cream! I can't tell the difference between him and the "Hungry Hippo". 

Which, by the way... he wasn't happy being "fed" to. Nick was contemplating about it...he ultimately decided he didn't want to be hippo food either, but sat long enough for a quick snap. 

These were actually taken through glass. Pretty good... 

The best ride and view in the entire Zoo!

I think Rod and I are getting soft. [Where did those tough armed service members go?] We had a good time and enjoyed seeing the boys excitement over the animals. But, after the Zoo trip, coincidentally, we were both thinking about the "selfishness" of the entire concept of taking an animal from its natural habitat and putting it on display for viewing pleasures. Being Zoo patrons ourselves, we realize we're contributing to that. I definitely understand that a lot of research and intensive care goes into zoo production, but it's just something about looking into the eyes of an encased gorilla or pacing tiger that shakes my soul a bit.

Boys, your Daddy is a Great Man!  His shoes are BIG to fill. 

But know that on your journey there, we both are here to help you steer.
 

You see...we love and expect a lot for you, under no specific terms. We hope to fill you up with traits that'll help you stand tall on your own. 
 

Strength and smarts and a loving heart... are all things Daddy is.  He's proud to protect and care for you,  those special boys of his. He'll tell you not to fill his shoes, and find your rightful pair. But Mommy thinks the two of you have a wonderful example for your future shoes sitting right HERE.

I never thought I'd be saying this about my one and two year olds, but...

They made their own dinner! (Gotta teach them young, ya know?) They have a great interest in cooking, which I've found, translates to a better appetite. It seems that when they have a hand in making things, they take pride in eating them as well!  Nathan loves to play with the wooden Melissa&Doug pizzas at school, and started requesting Pizza for meals at home. So, pizza it was! I figured I could let them have at it since we were in a "wipe-able" room (the kitchen).

The Basic Ingredients:

 

I put down some foil for their work surface and started with the crust. They were excited about that! 
 

 Then, I narrated the instructions and acted out examples for them to add the sauce and toppings.
 

Yup, you're BUSTED for stealing samples Nick!
 On to the cheese and pepperoni: (and more of Nick tasting it all!)
 

Here's Nathan's Pizza Ready for the Oven!

...and also what's left of Nick's mangled toppings!
 

 All done and cooling off!

Cut & Serve!

Classic Gooey Cheese Shots

...and this is why it was ALL worth it!

A   C L E A N    P L A T E !!!  (mostly, but good enough for me!)

I think that's the most I've ever seen Nathan eat at once!

...So here's the last Hooray for Halloween!

Family "Monster Hands" Craft and a Spooky Cookie House.

I gathered some left over green paint, black card stock and Halloween print paper.  First thing that came to my mind was "Monster Hands"!  So, we all traced and cut our handprints out. We painted them green. Then, we cut small triangles out of the printed paper to make sharp finger nails! (or CLAWS, I should say!)

 

I purchased a Wilton pre-assembled cookie house kit thinking it would be a "simple" task. NOT! For the record, this was totally the opposite of age appropriate. I almost backed out once I saw that the icing came in powder form for hand mixing. But, I couldn't turn down their super excited faces, so I proceeded cautiously with fear of a big mess!

Nathan actually got to use an electric hand mixer for the first time. He handled it very well and I was shocked that we didn't have any splatter, spileage or goups of mess on the counters.

On to the fun part: DECORATING! ( and sampling the decor without Mommy's okay!)   

Here's the finished "Monsterpiece"... Cute project, nonetheless!

Hungry anyone? 

I have a Giant Hot Dog and a Juicy Hamburger on the menu over here!  But wait...they're way too cute to eat!

Earlier in the day, the boys weren't at all interested in wearing their costumes. Come evening time, I opened up the door for them to watch the trick-or-treaters and pass out our treats. They weren't too sure about giving our bucket of treats away, but once Nathan saw other kids outside collecting, he looked at me and said: "Mommy, hot dog? Put on!!" "Go go outside and tricky treat, please!"  So, we went!

Here they are gearing up to go out. Hot Dog!! Nathan wants to "ketchup" on his trick or treating!
   
Check out the back view...great "buns" Nathan!

Daddy even made it home in time to join the crowd!

They really enjoyed themselves. Nathan was very good at saying "Trick or Treat, Please!" and "Thank You" after picking his own candy. (Often more than one piece if allowed by our friendly neighbors.) Nick was a Big Boy and picked his treats himself too, of course. He was always content with one. He loved watching the other kids walk around. After about 20 minutes of trick or treating on our street, we headed back home. The boys had one mini lollipop each of their loot and the rest of the stash has since mysteriously disappeared. Out of sight, out of mind! They didn't even miss it. We headed to the store to pick up some odds and ends and Nathan decided to do a little shopping of his own.

Gotta appreciate a kid that wants bananas after trick or treating. Good Job, Son!

What a difference a year makes. This is them on October 31st last year.

The N Boys and parents wish everyone a Happy, Healthy, Fun and Safe Halloween this year!

Good thing for a little virtual fun, because the above "virtual costumes" may be the only glimpse any of us get of the N boys dressed up this year. They just have no interest in wearing the painfully adorable (costly) pottery barn set up we got them. I'm not too worried, with enough room to grow, there's always next year.

Last night, one of our neighbor's "paid it forward" and left a Boo at our door. A fast neighbor I should add. We were right there a few feet away from the door and by the time I opened it up and looked out, there was no one in sight. Spooky...  I looked down and saw a treat bucket! I admit it was a pretty cool gesture. I'm glad I started the game. We got a lot of chocolately goodness and sugar filled treats.

Speaking of chocolatey goodness and sugar filled treats... We're officially "that house" this year. You know... the one kids are bummed out about once they see the stash.  The stash that's chocolate less, candy less and has the nerve to be healthful or healthy-like. LOL  Sorry kiddos...I'm a mom of tots and there's a bunch of preschoolers in the neighborhood. So, I decided to cater to them. (Okay Okay... more like cater the "parents") - No "Boo's" Please! Why not applaud us for our good intentions?  Hahaha...

Want to know what we're passing out?

Well, we didn't go as far as fresh fruit and toothbrushes. But, I don't think we'll dissapoint with:

• Goldfish Crackers
• Fruit Roll-Ups
• Crayola Crayons
• CapriSun Juice Packs

That said, I was urged to be completely sugar-free, organic and had thought about forgoing the edibles all together for things like puzzles, play-doh and glow bands. But, I didn't feel like running all over town to gather things, so I grabbed what was available at Target and viola! 

Any one notice the "Boo" theme going? ;o) 

I should really rename the blog "Creative Mom on a Whim".  It has a nice random ring to it...

Well, I couldn't bypass the urge to treat some special kiddies (and grandparents) in our lives with some treats of thier own.  The solution: Smelly Feet & Treat Bags! Sounds great right?  I got the idea for making little footprint ghost from another Mommy Blog I frequent. (Thanks Sheena & Caleb!)  I thought the G-Parents would get a kick out of seeing a part of how the boys have grown and also enjoy a little cho-co-la-te!  They were super cute, quick and easy. The way all toddler crafty things should be!

Here's Nathan & Nick ready to make their footprints:

On to the Treat Bags:

Big Kid Loot: Vampire teeth with HUGE hanging gummy tongues, Spookiwi Soda, Candy and a fun card with a little mwooohaha moola!

Tot Loot: I went with all organic treats: Juice boxes, Yogurt bars, Fruitabu smoooshed fruit flats and instant oatmeal.   

Then I boxed it all up to ship it off to various parts of the U.S.  Hope everyone enjoys their tricks and treats and gets them by Halloween! Booooooooooo! We Miss Yooooooooooouuuuu!

We've caught the Halloween spirit and are spreading the "fright"!  I decided to start a "Boo" in the neighborhood.  I filled up a few plastic pumpkins with assorted treats and Rod and I went out at night and "Ghost Knocked" on peoples doors! It was pretty fun. (Near leg injury from haulin' tail away from the doors...and all.) Some of the treats I gave were Halloween cupcake kits, Jones Spoookiwi and Bloody Orange Sodas, Campbell's Soup, Assorted Chocolates, etc.  For the houses I spooked with small children, I put some healthy tot treats like Earth's Best Cereal Bars and Organic Juice Boxes.

            Here's  the "chain note" I came up with and included in each one:

That's our Boys!

I hope in another 10 years, they are still this enthusiastic and happy about dishes and vacuuming. (and each other)

1) Snacks of Sorts: We're still exploring/rotating new foods each week to please the "picky palettes".
The snack stash this week includes:

*YoBaby Organic Yogurt Cups (Apple & Blueberry)              *Envirokids Organic Leapin Leamur Cereal (PB & Choc)

*Country Choice Organic Oatmeal (Car. Apple & Berry)        *Plum Organics Fiddle Sticks (Apple Carrot)

*Del Monte Organics Sweet Peas & Corn                              *Red Mill 10 Grain Pancakes & Organic Maple Syrup

*Welches Organic 100%Grape Juice                                     *Organic Bananas & Strawberries

*Earth's Best Whole Grain Cheese Pizza                               *Alexia Organic Julienne Fries w/ Sea Salt

*Tyson's 100% Natural Chicken Fun Nuggets                        *Gerber Graduates Fruit Splashers Purified Water (Grape)

*Earth's Best Organic Vanilla Yogurt Cereal Bars                  *Horizon Organic Whole Milk with DHA

*Chungs Mini Egg Rolls                                                         *Smuckers Uncrustables Grilled Cheese

2) His way or the highway: These days at bedtime, Nathan's demands are uncompromising. He wants a certain pillow that he does not wish to share. He wants the blanket just so. He wants specific "Thomas" pajama pants AND he wants to be on the LEFT side of NICK'S BED!  - and it all MUST BE just so.

3) Supplements: Even with a medley of delicious foods and an array of options, my picky eaters still have their times when they accrue more waste than they do full bellies. So, I have a complete set of supplements from their Omegas to their Calcium, and their Daily Multi's too. I love the L'il Critters gummy vitamins. They're not hard and chewy like other brands and they taste great without being overly sweet. The pediatrician recommended the Tums for Kids for Nathan as a Calcium supplement and the Culturelle Probiotic Kids Packets to help strengthen their immune systems. It's especially good to use during the periods that antibiotics are being taken to help replace good bacteria.

4) Cafe World: My poor pet Frank, over at Super Poke Pets has been neglected lately.  I've found a new social network game on facebook called Cafe World. Here, you can cook the foods of your choice, design your cafe, pick your equipment, employ friends, etc. I'm hooked! Here's my cafe "The Mod Bar" :
I know what you're thinking...How do I even have time for games? LOL - I play when the kids nap or sleep. Fun outlet for the mind.

Carol's Daughter: These are by far THE BEST haircare products on the market right now for mixed hair. In saying that, I'm extremely hard to please when it comes to my hair. I expect a lot out of my products. Cleansing, Conditioning, Moisture, Sheen, Frizz Control, Humidity Guard, Protection, all while not being too heavy or too greasy/oily or too scented. I cannot stand overpowering or unnatural scents. All that said, Carol's Daughter Tui Hair Smoothie, Shampoo and Balm have all been GREAT! I'm so bummed that the local Sephora is no longer carrying the products in store and only online. Then I went online to find that they are sold out of the signature kits. Argh... well, I guess I'll be replenishing my stock directly at the Carol's Daughter website from now on.  One more rave for the Tui Hair Smoothie. OMG I could eat the stuff, it smells so good and makes my hair feel so silky and hydrated. MMMmm! It is worth every penny!