The swing

Simple, adorable thing I HAD to share. While at the park when Cooper was little, my good friends shared the fun “share the swing” trick with me. You know the little bucket swings that have little holes for your kids legs? Well, my friends would put their little ones back to back in the swing, genius! That way, even if your little one is a little young to be in all by him/herself, they can share with their older sibling….exhibit A: Oh my goodness! How sweet! Overall, Cooper LOVED sharing the swing with his sister. After awhile, he wanted it back to himself, but for awhile, he was quite proud being the big brother. And Allie simply adored it! Giggles all around. Here’s another snapshot to help you visualize. Sweetness! I just want to gobble up those chubby little thighs! Scrumptious! =)

Enjoying Home

This is my second summer “celebrating” Cool Summer Days. Last summer, my conclusion was, this is a great idea because it does get you out trying new things, having a blast, and creating precious memories with your kids. However, with that being said, it can also drive you a little batty if you feel the need to stick to your schedule. Especially with a “new” baby (okay, so she’s 4 months now, that’s still new alright!? hehe), grant yourself some relax at home time.

I love that my son plays with his toys. We often have people come over and comment on how many toys we have (thankfully, most of which I haven’t had to purchase, thank you grandparents!). I keep reviewing them, trying to determine what we could get rid of that Cooper doesn’t play with. Thankfully? He really does play with nearly all of them! Wow! What a creative, fun, playful little fellow!

Grammy & Papa just recently bought him a little outdoor grill. And Cooper does just love it! After feeling like Cooper needed a little one-on-one mom time, we headed out to the backyard after sweet sister went down for a nap to just hang. He cooked me a hot dog, a cupcake, and was just the sweetest thing ever. I love that my son now tells me that he loves me back. Melts my heart! Even remembered to wash his “chicken hands”, as mommy calls hers in the kitchen. hehe

More fun at Concert at the Park

I’m becoming more and more a fan of creating some lasting traditions in my children’s lives. I won’t be hard core about them because let’s face it, we need to have flexibility and fun in our lives. I NEVER want to go do something out of the sheer feeling of obligation. That would be horrible!

Concert at the Park has never (yet) felt like an obligation. Only pure, child-like fun! Here we are with some friends waiting for the train… And here are the kiddos ready to ride! Know why they’re all sweaty? They were dancing the night away! =) Nothin’ beats a picnic dinner out on a lawn with some bad cover band watching your kids dance. Precious!

Local cesspool…I mean…public pool!

Alright, so my husband being of the medical field is a bit over conscientious when it comes to germs at the public pool. I mean, yeah, don’t let your kid drink the water, but also, it’s hot! Enjoy the pool!

Check out what your local community pools have to offer. One of our local pools has a kiddie pool that is open for a few hours in the morning during swim lessons for only $2/child. What a deal! And I met up with a friend so we could take turns watching our older ones while the other sat with our new babies. It was surprisingly relaxing! Even our kids “kicked back” for awhile. Here they are actually “swimming”.Go check out your local pools! C’mon…that pool looks ridiculously clean, right? =)

Superhero Smoothie

So, as with nearly every other mom on the planet, my son has much difficulty consuming vegetables. It’s now to the point where my mother instincts are screaming, “Figure out a way to sneak them in!”

Cue the hallelujah chorus from Real Simple’s smoothie recipes. Our first go was the Spinach, Grape and Coconut Smoothie. It was a hit! He drank over half this glass…so, here’s the recipe:

Spinach, Grape, and Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients

· 1 cup seedless green grapes

· 1 cup packed baby spinach

· 1/2 cup ice

· 1/4 cup coconut milk

Directions

1. Place the grapes, spinach, ice, and coconut milk in a blender.

2. Blend until smooth and frothy.

**I will give a slight disclaimer here…there will be little pieces of spinach in it. So, not all kids will drink it. I just told Cooper they were superhero boogers. He seemed to go for it (also helpful? Green is currently Cooper’s favorite color, yay!).

Smoothie #2 which was an even bigger hit (surprisingly):

Kale-Apple Smoothie

Ingredients

· 3/4 cup chopped kale, ribs and thick stems removed

· 1 small stalk celery, chopped

· 1/2 banana

· 1/2 cup apple juice

· 1/2 cup ice

· 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Place the kale, celery, banana, apple juice, ice, and lemon juice in a blender.

2. Blend until smooth and frothy.

**I also added a teensy bit of honey.

And last of all, also successful:

Carrot-Pineapple Smoothie

Ingredients

· 3/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple

· 1/2 cup ice

· 1/3 cup fresh orange juice

· 1/4 cup chopped carrot

· 1/2 banana

Directions

1. Place the pineapple, ice, orange juice, carrot, and banana in a blender.

2. Blend until smooth and frothy.

Good luck with the getting toddlers to eat battle. It’s not a  fun one people! Hang in there though. =)

Steam engine rides

Museum memberships…are they worth it? Depends! Best way to figure it out? Do the math to see how many times you’d have to go before it pays for itself. If you’ll actually GO that many times, it’s worth it.

For us, the membership at the Sacramento Railroad Museum is ABSOLUTELY worth every penny! We’ve been at least 5 times since I purchased it, brought friends, and now…we’ve even made use of the free steam engine rides during the summer.

Look at his wonder as he watches out the window… And my other two sweets…hubby and Allie. And me with my two loves! Ahh…friends!And to make the “day trip” bearable for hubby? Lunch out at Joe’s Crab Shack. Mmm, mmm good!  The origin behind today’s “celebration” was the first steam engine ride. Quite a success I’d say!