An April Fools' Day Tribute

April 1st has always been a special day for my family. It is my Granddad Harold's birthday. He is no longer with us, but the memories of the times we shared are still very fresh in my mind. It's fitting that April Fools' Day was his birthday as he enjoyed 'kidding around'. I can still hear my grandmother's voice saying "Oh, Harold". They were such a special couple, married almost 65 years.

Granddad was a very social person knowing just about every person's name in their small town. He loved sports - he and my grandmother went to several Olympics. They also had season tickets to OSU football, basketball & wrestling. I remember my sister & I spreading out the OSU Orange blanket in their living room as our "wrestling mat" and taking turns pinning him in record time! This photo of them was taken almost 20 years ago at some kind of OSU event.

My Granddad Harold developed Alzheimer's and "missed" the last 12 or so years of his life. During most of those years he would still greet people with a smile and a handshake and joke around a little. It seemed like the same old Harold to most people. He really 'fooled' them that he didn't remember their names anymore. Granddad was kind, caring, a gentle spirit, and loyal. He was a man of integrity, honest, trustworthy and a good friend. He had such enthusiasm for life - he lived a great life.

Happy Birthday, Granddad Harold! We love you! And that's no April Fools!

"I GO in a CUP!"

This sweet child of mine has had no interest in going to the potty. We talk about it, he'll sit every now and then (if promised some kind of treat), even AJ has shown him how it's done, but nothing has ever "happened" - until tonight. JJ thinks it's great fun to get in the shower with Daddy. He had already had his bath for the night. But when he asked to join Daddy in the shower, we said yes. I pulled his diaper off and noticed that it was dry after two hours. So I mentioned to Daddy that JJ may be able to go if given the opportunity. When they were finished, JJ was asked if he would like to sit on the potty and earn an M&M. His answer was "No, I don't want to." Then JJ was asked if he would want to try to go in the shower cup we use for rinsing the boys. He says YES and proceeds to go in the cup! Not sure what this means for his future in potty training. But if it gets things flowing, I guess I'll take it. By the way, the cup will be cleaned before it's used again & he earned three mini M&M's for his effort tonight.

Our Trip to the Zoo

This week was Spring Break. One of the things we did was go to the zoo. It's one of our favorite family activities. The weather was beautiful! Lots of other people had a the same idea, but we had our game plan in place. We arrived first thing when they opened, and since we are Zoo Members :) we bypassed the line to buy tickets and walked right up to the the "Members Only" window. Then we hiked (and it's a HIKE) to the back of the zoo. The area we like the best is the Rainforest. It is very warm and humid in that building (since it's supposed to mimic the rainforest and all) so visiting when it's still cool outside is smart. We have never seen a sloth up close until this day! The boys thought is was especially neat because Diego, The Animal Rescuer, helps a sloth on his cartoon show.


The sea lions were taking a nap and the penguins didn't feel like swimming, so we headed over to the Big Cat displays. Our zoo has two new snow leopards and a keeper was showing this skin (I guess it belonged to the 'old' snow leopard! Anyway, AJ was willing to touch it after being reassured that it was not alive and wouldn't hurt him. JJ wanted nothing to do with it. He actually said "Let's get out of here!"


By then the zoo was getting pretty crowded. I let the boys play in the zoo park for a while before we rode the train and called it a day. Here they are pretending to be pirates. JJ would then try to climb the ladder you see behind him and somehow end up on the ground with mulch in his teeth. Time to "get out of here"!

We had a great time. AJ walked the entire morning - he was a trooper! As we were leaving, the line to purchase tickets was all the way out to the parking lot. There was also a line of cars waiting just to get into the parking lot! Crazy! It pays to plan ahead. I'm sure someone was really happy to get our parking spot!

No More Training Wheels!

AJ has learned to ride his bike without training wheels! He is so proud of himself (as are we). He is having a ball riding up & down the street. Stopping is the tricky part. Daddy explained that he should try to make a skid mark, then put his feet down. He's about 50/50 on graceful dismounts, but he's getting there. Way to go, AJ!!

What happened here?

It tends to be a tad bit curious for the boys to quietly entertain themselves upstairs for any length of time. So when I hadn't heard any yelling, crying, etc. for half an hour one morning, I went to check on things. This is what I found.

Apparently, they decided to build a "fort". AJ's bed not only had the bedding stripped off entirely, but the mattress had been removed as well. Pillows and blankets from the guest bed had also made their way to the boys room to create the "walls" of the fort. I was pretty impressed with their efforts, I must say. Putting the rooms back together was another story.

More Crumbs, Please!

Here is JJ being served his requested apple for breakfast after AJ had already finished his breakfast (cinnamon toast). JJ all of a sudden ditched his fruit for the crumbs left behind by his brother. When I heard him ask, "More crumbs, please." I went to investigate. Of course you like the crumbs, JJ! Those are sprinkles of SUGAR you are eating! I had to eat the apple myself so it wouldn't go to waste. Sigh.

What can I say? We LOVE cookies!

A couple of Saturday's ago, we baked cookies with the boys. Daddy is the "cookie chef" at our house, the boys are expert tasters, and I clean up (and eat a few myself, who could resist?). Our favorite recipe is Mrs. C's world famous chocolate chip cookie recipe. Well, it may not be quite that famous. But these cookies hold many childhood memories for J and his best bud Matt as they were growing up in their tiny Kansas town. Mrs. C, Matt's mom, no doubt loved baking for her son and his best friend. I'm sure she thought they could use the calories since they were both pretty skinny kids. Don't even ask how many dozen these boys could put away in a single day during their younger years without an extra pound to show for it! Thanks for the recipe Mrs. C! My boys love it as much as yours did! And they too can use the calories!

Yummy Goodness!

Want a bite?

The guys were teenagers when they created this recipe book.

Try it for your family and let us know what you think.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3.5 oz package vanilla instant pudding
2 eggs
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Combine flour & baking soda: set aside. Combine butter, sugars, vanilla, & pudding mix in large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth & creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 to 9 1/2 minutes or until browned.

Yeilds about 4 dozen cookies. Enjoy!