*The other day I discovered something that Chris loves, Lavash Bread.  It's AWESOME!  They are huge rectangular wraps.  The great part is that they are full of protein, flaxseed, fiber...and only 100 calories per huge wrap!!  Lately I've filled Chris' lunch wrap with chicken, BBQ sauce, sweet corn, green onion, and cheese.

*I'm realizing finding a Boxer dog might be harder than I thought.  I've inquired about several Craig's List postings and have yet to have any success. We'll keep trying!

*When I was young we had a Slip 'N Slide.  When the neighbors came over to join, I would charge them 10 cents but then give them back their dime at the end if they helped me clean it up. :)

*I love the show "Hungry Girl".  There are tons of cooking shows that claim to be all about healthy recipes.  And while they are, I never end up learning much new from them.  Hungry Girl has the best, most unusual tips for eating healthy in each episode.  

*Last night I made some meatballs but decided to cook them completely in the skillet so I didn't heat up the house with the oven.  They were sooo yummy and Cameron devoured them.  The sauce I used was simply ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire.

swimming

Last summer we put Cam in swim lessons.  For one reason or another we didn't put him in a class this summer, which is a bummer because we did much more swimming...like this past weekend.  I will say that he is at least getting much more comfortable (jumping in, putting his head totally underwater a lot, etc.).  But next summer for sure we'll get this little guy swimming!

Sunday we headed out to OC to my friend Jen and her family's home.  The kids had a blast and it was fun to all hang out as families. :)

 Jen's backyard is pretty ideal for entertaining.  They have a beautiful deck which was perfect for eating our BBQ dinner.

Sometimes I look at pictures of us and can't believe we have been friends for 20 years!!!!  Talk about experiencing every phase of life together!! :)

On Monday we headed out to our home away from home, Palm Springs/Desert (not literally... but seems like that is always our destination choice when we take the kids out for an afternoon).  Chris' friend from college, P.J., and his family come down from Oregon to stay at their home every so often and it's always fun to get together and catch up.  The kids had a great time swimming again and their boys took a special liking to Kendall, which she just ate right up! Laura and I got to relax inside while they swam so it ended up being quite a relaxing afternoon for me too. :)

happy birthday, mom!

Today we celebrated my mom's birthday with a picnic in the park.  We've come to realize that this way of celebrating is a hit with everyone.  We've done Easter, Mother's Day, etc. at parks.  The kids love to play and we can usually sit and relax for a little while.  For lunch I made chicken salad wraps.  I have not made this chicken salad in a long time.  I used to make it all the time and I'm not sure why I quit!  It's sooo delicious and a great way to use those rotisserie chickens from Costco. :)

My mom opening her presents:

Chicken Salad

1 Costco Rotisserie Chicken (shredded)
1/2 cup lite mayo
1/4 cup lite sour cream
2 1/2 tbls. honey
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup Craisins or 1/2 cup cut up grapes

Combine all dressing ingredients and mix into chicken.  Let sit in fridge for several hours before serving on lettuce, in a wrap, on bread, etc.

new recipe

I've been trying to make meals that don't require the oven.  Sometimes I don't, which results in last night's enchiladas, which we all ate around the coffee table in the living room under the ceiling fan (our dining table is right by the hot kitchen).  Tonight I tried a VERY tasty non-oven recipe which scored a 9 from Chris, Sesame Noodles with Peanut Sauce.  The kids didn't rate it so well, but I really have stopped taking their opinions as meaning much since they are so incredibly picky. :)

*Yesterday my dad took the kids to McDonald's while I helped out during 3rd service (since Chris was still in San Diego).  What a trooper, considering Kendall decided to pee on the slide there.  I felt so bad when he told me what happened!!!

*Last night we met Chris and his dad and brother for dinner on their way home from their trip.  Afterward we went to Portillo's.  Craig (his bro) had recently tried their chocolate shake with chocolate cake mixed in.  I have to say it was very good and unique.  I couldn't believe how much the cake flavor came through!

*This morning was Cam's first day of kindergarten.  Chris' dad joined us on his way out of town.  Cam was a champ.  Not nervous at all.  It really helped when he instantly saw several friends from his T-K class.  I made another IEP cheat sheet for the teacher like I did last year.  It's just a one page sheet with a few bullet points as to some of Cam's needs and things that might help her throughout the year in working with him.

*I'm not 100% sure this is permanent, but I've switched the kids to almond milk.  I've just read so many negative things about dairy that I thought this would be an easy thing to adjust in their diets.  I'm not going no dairy (as they still eat cheese and yogurt) because it's such an easy form of calcium/protein. But for now, they seem to like it and it's not THAT much more expensive.  We'll see.

day without dad

Yesterday Chris' dad and brother arrived to spend the night.  Early this morning they headed out to golf and then drove down to San Diego, where they are spending the night and attending two Giants games.  Chris has really been looking forward to it, as have I (on his behalf) since he's been a little overwhelmed lately with work stuff.

The kids and I started our morning out early (as usual!) and waved goodbye as the guys took off about 6:15.  Since the heat hadn't really started, we walked up to their favorite donut shop for breakfast.

Later we made a trip to the library, then headed to one of their favorite parks in Oak Glen for a picnic lunch.  It was PERFECT up there.  The heat was almost non-existent (thanks to lots of shade and a higher elevation) and we had a fun time exploring the trail, old school house, and grassy areas.

Right now they are watching Toy Story and while we've had a fun day together, I'm eager for their bedtime as I have two Hallmark movies waiting for me as well as a nice bowl of Frugos.  I always like to get myself a treat when I'm alone with the kids.  It gives me something to look forward to :) Tonight's concoction is vanilla yogurt topped with caramel, Reeses, Butterfinger, and Oreos.

a few food things

*Last night I was with some friends and we were laughing about how little a couple of us knew about how various fruits and vegetables were grown.  I feel a little foolish admitting the fact that I didn't know potatoes grew underground.  :)

*This morning the kids and I went hiking.  There were tons of blackberries and Cameron LOVED picking them.  However he stored them in his pockets so he did NOT love how they ended up getting all mushy/wet in there. :)  

*Tonight I made Beerocks filled with chicken, spaghetti sauce, and parmesean.  I also tried putting peanut butter/jelly in a couple of them.  I'm going to try and freeze them and see if they'll work as homemade Uncrustables.  If they do, I'll next try a batch made with whole wheat flour dough.  How NICE that would be for me to just pop one in Cam's lunch rather than have to make one each day!!

*I surprised myself and went against everything I believe regarding dessert.  I bought a non-chocolate box of Skinny Cows....Strawberry.  Won't ever do it again. :)