Pinterest Round-up

I have had some really great luck with Pinterest when it comes to finding new recipes. In fact, at the beginning of the week I take a look and pick out a few to try.  Sometimes I pass it over to Jason and have take a look.  I have found many pretty good recipes, will probably try again and a few REALLY good recipes that I want to share.

The weather has been cold and its perfect for soup. Here are my favorites.
http://simply-delicious.co.za/2013/07/16/baked-gnocchi-with-bacon-tomato-and-mozzarella/

http://crockingirls.com/recipes/nicoles-corn-chowder/

http://recipeswagger.blogspot.ca/2012/08/creamy-tomato-tortellini-soup.html?m=1

I have made these muffins a couple of times and love them. I use whole wheat flour and leave the apples in big chunks.
http://www.midgetmomma.com/2013/10/10/whole-wheat-apple-muffins/

I have made this the last 2 year for Christmas morning, so yummy
http://thedishydecorator.blogspot.com/2012/01/cinnamon-roll-casserole.html?m=1

A couple easy desserts.  Reegan loves the strawberry cookies and helps me make them
http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/01/23/strawberry-chocolate-chip-cookies/

http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2011/04/recipe-review-berry-cobbler.html

Enjoy!

Right now

Right now Gavin is 18 months and Reegan is 5 weeks from turning 4 years old.  2013 was special for us. Our children are growing before our eyes and becoming little people instead of babies.  This saddens me, but excites me as well.  I see just how my behavior and actions affect them and how they say and do everything I do.  It's great and a little more than slightly annoying at times :).  These little people don't just teach themselves and it is a job that I am so honored and scared to have.

Reegan has grown so much this year. I am seeing glimpses of the young lady she is slowly turning into.

• She is loving preschool and asks me almost every day if she gets to go to preschool.  Christmas break was not welcome by Reegan. 
• Loves to sing and makes up songs every day about everything
• Loves gymnastics- does handstands, teeter-totter, and cartwheels in the living room
• Obsessed with everything Hello Kitty and princesses
• Loves her baby dolls and rocks them to sleep many times during the day and pushes them in her sparkly wagon and stroller
• Tries to be a mom to Gavin and tell him what he can and cannot do
• Whenever I ask her what she wants for breakfast or lunch she always responds with "hmm, I don't know yet, I will think about it"
• Tells us she had dreams about kitty cats 
• Loves to play up high, down low, on the side, too slow game (high five game)
• Repeats Daniel Tiger Neighborhood
• Takes a nap 3-4 times a week, unless she naps with me. Then she will almost always fall asleep
• Asks for music so she can dance every day
• If she hears the word project gets really excited, then sometimes sad when its a cleaning project and not a fun art project
• When I leave for work she asks me to call her with my face (Facetime) before bed
• Tries to tell jokes, but they never make sense
• When she gets mad at me she will tell me.  "I am so mad right now", "you need to be nice", 
• Every time she is told to lay down and go to sleep she gets up a million times to go to the bathroom, she needs water, needs an animal to sleep with. Then after laying down for 2-3 minutes tells us she can't sleep.
• Learned how to skip on Thanksgiving and now wants to skip all. the. time
• Thinks every snack should be fruit snacks
• Wants to "write" on the grocery list and will often grab a pen and a scrap paper and ask what we need at the store
• Loves the time after Gavin goes to sleep in the evening so we can play games and with her "special" toys
• Wants to look at pictures on my phone and play games on the iPad every day
• Tells us how she and Gavin are going to get married when they get bigger because they are best friends!
• Calls me her BFF (I may have started this)
• Wants to wear dresses and leggings everyday, does not like jeans
• Goes to bed around 9 but doesn't go to sleep if she has napped until close to 10:30 and wakes up at 8. Falls asleep by 8 when she doesn't take a nap
• Asks to eat at Panera whenever we are at the mall (I am easily convinced) and wants to go out to eat every meal!

Gavin is the sweetest little guy with huge personality. He wants to make us laugh and will do anything he can think of to get a laugh.

• Currently says: mommy, dada, ball, car, dog, purple, one more, thank you, more, bye-bye, hi, Bella, papa, one, two, three. Understands a LOT more
• Gets so excited whenever I say anything about food- eat, dinner, snack, milk and will either hang on my leg while I try to get it ready or will try to climb into his highchair
• Likes to play with balls, especially his soccer ball
• Likes to play with cars and will run them over the ground or us
• Will mimic everything that he possibly can.
• Goes to sleep around 8 at night and wakes up around 9 right now (I think he's growing) and takes a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon. He usually would fall asleep as soon as we placed him in bed, but has found that he can play and stand-up in bed.  We don't like this new found independence in bed.
• Still takes his pacifier at nap time and will rub his head/hair when he's tired and rocking with us.
• Obsessed with books and brings us books to read to him all day long.
• If he gets cranky,90% of the time food will cure it and the other times he just wants to rock in the chair.
• Climbs on everything and loves to jump on Reegan's bed (then he gets in trouble)
• Follows Reegan around and wants to be wherever she is.
• Will wave and say hi all day long to us
• Tries to do somersaults
• gets excited when he hears the garage door open and runs arounds
• has started jumping and tries to skip like Reegan   
• If he wakes up before Reegan he is constantly trying to get to her room to wake her up. He also does this the days she is at preschool and we are home together.

 There is so much more that I can't think of. Their love for each other is amazing and while I know there will be moments of dislike, I pray everyday that their relationship grows and they continue their friendship. I didn't know I could love so fiercely and I am so thankful to be their mom. They are a light and being able to spend every day with them has been the greatest gift.

One of my goals for 2014 is to better document the every day.  What new things they are doing and the funny/cute things they say.  One way I'm doing this is a photo a day on Instagram/Facebook.  5 days down, 360 to go!