Homemade Belly Band!

If you are pregnant or have been pregnant in the last few years, surely you have heard of the wonder that is the "Belly Band."

If not, behold...

Essentially, it keeps your regular jeans "up" without even having to button them. Genius!

I found that it is very simple to make belly bands without shelling out $10-$20. I'd offer a tutorial, but there are probably millions out there that would be much better than mine. Plus, I never take pictures when I sew. I'm in too much of a hurry!

They also work great for layering purposes, as pregnancy demands longer shirts. In my opinion. ;)

I made the shirt, as well. Though in my haste, it turned out too small. Making it not much of a maternity shirt!

Not the best example as I am wearing it with leggings... but you get the idea!

Not enough stripes for you? Do not dismay. I made a full-blown shirt as well. And this one includes a bit more room for growing and even some snazzy ruching on the sides.

Fresh Squeezed {Letter} Lemonade

I had to come up with a recipe for some lemonade that was on the healthy side, since my kids just love it. [Thanks to Grandma!]

The problem is that any frozen lemonade from the stores is not much more than high fructose corn syrup. Yuck. So began my quest for perfect lemonade...

So much prettier than a can, no?

Ta-da! Blueberry Lemonade!

Fun with letters for the kids!

Perfect Lemonade:

• 5 Lemons; squeezed
• Simple Sugar Syrup (1 cup water, 3/4 cup pure cane sugar, heat until dissolved.)
• Mix and chill. Add 3-4 cups of water to taste. OR use a bottle of club soda for lemonade with a kick!

My great ideas:

Thaw a bag of frozen organic blueberries (or any fresh or frozen berry/mango/sqeezed grapefruit juice, etc). Puree them in a blender. Freeze the puree in silicone letter trays. Add the letters to the lemonade~ it's fun and extra nutritious!

Monday Muffin Madness.

Monday Muffin Madness. Because it is Monday. We made muffins. And it was madness... all. day. long.

Typical.

Since waking up at 8:00, the older kids ran around the house excitedly yelling and throwing things. (This continued all day.) M screamed and threw temper tantrums at regular 1 hour intervals. Dax did his own thing, which involves getting stuck in the bathtub, playing with outlets, and trying to torture hug the cat.

So the end of the torturous day arrived, and I threw hot dogs on the grill. Exhaustion had set in by that point.

However, let me tell you about the muffins.



The muffins were delightful.

They are healthy.

They are everything you want your kids to eat in the morning.

They kind of make me feel like a good mom. For a few brief minutes anyways... (that feeling was definently short-lived today!)



Monday Madness Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup sucanat
• 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt (I use Stoneyfield Farms or homemade)
• 3 tablespoons canola oil (I used organic coconut oil today)
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts (feel free to omit and use chocolate chips when necessary!)
• 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place paper baking cups in 12 regular size (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups. Spray paper baking cups lightly with cooking spray.
Place flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir to combine; set aside.
Place egg, sugar, yogurt, oil, banana and vanilla in a medium bowl. Mix well. Add to flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in nuts and oats. Divide batter among muffin cups.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until browned and toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.

Bathroom Talk

Yesterday Maycee [ 3 years old ] requested to use a public restroom while we were out eating pizza as a family. She is very chatty one-on-one, when she knows she has all of your attention.

I quickly used the bathroom first, as she took of her rain boots and etc. :)

M: Ooooh Mom, I like your shoes!
Me: Thank you! Auntie Annie gave them to me.
M: Oh, and I love your new jacket. [ not actually new, ha ]
Me: Well, thanks!
M: Did God make you?
Me: Yes, He did.
M: What do spiders eat?
Me: Flies and bugs.
M: What else?
Me. [ pause... ] Ummm... mosquitos.
M: Skittles?
Me: No, mosquitos.
M: Oh. Who bought your underwear?
Me: Um... I did, I guess!
M: Oh. What do horses eat?
Me: Grass or hay. And maybe some grain, like oats.
M: Oh... what do oats eat?
Me: Oats don't really eat anything. They are food; something that is planted and grows.
M: But what do oats eat?

Explaining why oats do not consume food took up the remaining 2 minutes that we were in the bathroom. After which of course I thought to myself, why didn't I just say something simple like "oats need water and good soil to grow."  There's always the next bathroom break, I suppose.

Halfway Point

Well, the halfway point [ 20 weeks ] through my pregnancy is here, and that is something to celebrate. 

Even if it is my fourth pregnancy, knowing you are half-ways there is one thing that just doesn't get old!

Yeah... I know it's the easy half...

Sunday Sweetness

Thor went to Sunday School (4 and 5 year old class) this morning. He normally hops right in, but was feeling shy today. He and Cousin Jayva (also 4; also not wanting to go in) were so sweet. They found comfort in each other and walked in together. Thor's hand was on her back, gently guiding her into the room as he walked beside her!

I love asking him what he learned because his version is so cute. Today's conversation went like this:

Me: Did you hear a Bible story in Sunday School today?

Thor: It was about a man who was in a pig pen. And he wanted to eat the pig's food! (laughs)

Me: Did that man run away from his mommy and daddy? [Prodigal Son]

Thor: Yes he did. But I don't want to run away from my mommy and daddy.

Me: Oh good! I would miss you so much!

Thor: Yeah. I would miss you so much. I miss you even when you and daddy just go to get popcorn. [referring to our movie date nights]

Oh, how sweet a four year old can be!

Go Fly a Kite!

So I'm a day behind in blogging, but yesterday was a perfect day for kite-flying!

(Most days in North Dakota are!)

My friend and I learned a couple of good lessons flying kites with 5 little kids. The main one being this:
Only one kite at a time!

Wednesday Happenings.

Today we built a tractor, two buildings, a cow, and a tree out of legos. And if you think that is easy with 214 pieces and three small children, you are wrong!

We also made our first batch of homemade play dough. It is the pink stuff in by the legos. It was so easy, I cannot wait to make more!

Maycee hugs Dwight nonstop, stuffs him in a variety of baskets [beds], wraps him up like a baby in blankets, and yet he still loves her. 

That is unconditional love.

Dax & Dog.

Those lovely droopy eyes. 

That soft, pink nose.

That sparkly little boy!  

What big teeth you have, dog!

Somber, sweet hugs. 

High in his chair... 

:) 

Who's Your Daddy?

Thor has told me several times that when he grows up and gets big, he wants to be a Papa, not a Daddy.

I ask him why but he never can seem to formulate an answer.

Leif took another approach. "You cannot be a Papa unless you be a Daddy first. Do you know how Papa Kevin got to be a Papa? He was Mommy's Daddy."
Thor thought for a moment and got distraught. "But I don't want to be Mommy's Daddy!" he cried.

He has also informed us that he wants to play guitar, and fly airplanes and helicopters! And drive monster trucks. What a fun adventure he will have!