Blueberry Quinoa for the Baby

One new rule of mine is to try to prepare and consume food without unpronouncable ingredients. This rule is thrown out the window once in a while.

Like when we eat out.

Or when I use quinoa.

Quinoa is a nutritious super food- a grain that is also considered a protein, and contains 9 essential amino acids. It is non-allergenic and you cook it just like rice. Because it hadn't been passed from the Incas to the Americans yet was a child, (or so I assume...) I've never before heard of the likes of it.

Recipe for Blueberry Quinoa

• 2 apples
• 1 banana
• Blueberries (as many as you would like!)
• 1/4 cup cooked quinoa

Steam together apples, banana, and blueberries. Add cooked quinoa and blend into smooth puree.

Blueberries. Apples. Bananas. And Quinoa.

I also made a more simple recipe while the quinoa was cooking~

Sweet Pea Spinach

• Sweet Peas
• Spinach
• Steam. Blend. Done.

There. If my kids do not grow up into adults who like a variety of healthy food, it's not my fault.

Produce inserted in picture for visual interest only. There's just spinach and peas in the jars. That's it.

Telepathic Tonka

Sometimes I think Tonka is telepathic.

This afternoon,  I found myself asking him out loud:

"When are the guys coming in tonight, Tonka?"

At that moment today, I realized that I ask him an awful lot of questions.

"Where did I put my phone, Tonka?"

"What would be good for dinner tonight, Tonka?"

"Why are these kids so crazy, Tonka? What am I doing wrong?"

"A snowstorm in May, Tonka? What does this mean?"

But then I remember that he has been run over three times.

So that leads me to doubt his telepathic abilities.

Life is a Puzzle.

"Wherdisungo?"

What, you don't speak toddlerease? This is Maycee's favorite phrase when she is trying to put a puzzle together, and is translated as "Where does this one go?"

Sure, she looks calm and cute in this picture. Not all puzzle sessions are this pretty.

The problem with Maycee and puzzles is that she gets her heart set on a specific puzzle piece that she likes.
Then she wants to build the puzzle around that piece, even though it is often a middle piece that requires first building another part of the puzzle up around it before it can be fit in.

Out of frustration, she will try to jam various pieces into it to make it "fit." Yeah, it sort of fits... but then the picture is all messed up.
As I redirect her to another piece and tell her we have to come back to that one, it hits me. Isn't life just like this? We try to make something happen right now. We see that "piece" we like and want it to fit into our lives right now.  That job. That new car. That relationship. That financial situation, or that hobby that just speaks to us.

We cannot possibly make it fit unless we step back and look at the big picture. We have to build on what we already have in place and believe that there will be a perfect spot for that specific piece when the time comes for it.

So take a lesson from lil' Maycee.

If something isn't going as planned in life, don't give up. Take a deep breath and reexamine. Lucky us, we have a connection with the One who made the "puzzle" that is our life.

God reveals so much about life through the simple things. I just hope I am listening - and open to His lessons.

Wow, that was pretty deep. Let us end this blog post with some wonderfully-disturbing pictures of this fascinating creature: the aforementioned two-year old herself.

Enter child throwing herself protectively over a pile of library books.

Oh, the horrors. The baby is coming. Must protect my belongings.

Dax is clearly amused by the reaction he is creating. Maycee, not so much.

Their eyes lock. Showdown, on.

Meltdown.

Yes, Dax. All girls are really like this.

Equipment. It's just cool around here.

Tonight as I was reading Maycee a book of her choice, one we just got titled "Construction Trucks." I realized that she could rattle off every piece of equipment on the pages effortlessly. Bulldozer. Excavator. Backhoe. Dump truck. Concrete Mixer. Wheel Loader. And the one she had to think about for a second... Grader. (It was a red color instead of a stereotypical shade of yellow.) Not bad for a 2 1/2 year old girl.

Amazon.com, how I love thee and your unlimited array of kids books with free 2-day shipping.

 Next up in recent equipment happenings... a squishy, soft, blue-eyed baby looks so great against the contrast of a rough, dirty, steel loader bucket. Don't believe me? Well, look with your own eyes...



North Dakota red scoria, courtesy of the oil fields.

Dreamy baby Dax Crosby. I love his eyes.

Man stuff.

Serious stuff.

Three-year-old feet on a trailer. Love.

Run little buddy!

That Kind of Rain.

There is something about rain. Not just any dreary, run-of-the-mill rain, but a certain type of rain. Maybe the kind of rain that follows a drought. Or a sudden rain storm on a sunny day. Or that kind of rain where it just pounds. Or in today's case, the first real rain of spring, following a [very] long winter.

This kind of rain is exciting.  If you are like me, you cannot just pretend it isn't raining, because it cannot be ignored. You forget that you are longing for sunshine. You open your windows to let the fresh smell inside. You find yourself drawn to get outside and just play.

And today, we did.

We are so fortunate to live on the edge of a coulee, where the creek rages in the springtime months. We can see it from most of the windows in our home, so it really is like our playground.

And wouldn't you know... I brought my camera along.

Setting out.

I love these kids. Such adventuresome fellas!

This stick made me nervous. Three year olds just aren't that coordinated.

Notice the dog in this picture... ready to jump in the water...

And in this picture- dog under the water! It's so deep and fast right now, he just couldn't stay above right away.

That laugh!



Oh, that laugh!



Tonka blends in to his surroundings just perfectly right now.

Fresh air, running water, and sweet grins. What's not to love?

I will say these coulee-adventure-hikes are not without peril. The hills are a bit steep for young legs, and occasionally one of the tots pick up way too much speed running downwards. And you can picture the rest, right? ;)

The biggest hurdle of our adventure yesterday? Had to be carrying all three kids one-by-one across a large creek-made trench filled with water so we could get to the bank of the creek. And then back again. Lucky I have a strong back! (For now!)