Excellent Adventure: At the Beach

The girls went to lunch with Nami, Nana and PopPop and afterwards were able to enjoy some time at the beach.

Excellent Adventure: Behind the Wheel

The girls looking pretty comfortable in Geet's car.

Nami and Geet's Secret Garden

Annabelle and Grace at Longwood Gardens, part of their Excellent Adventure. 

Happy Happy "2" Michael!

Excellent Adventure

Yesterday morning, Nami and Geet took Grace and Annabelle on an Excellent Adventure. They packed up some of their favorite stuffed animals and set off about 7 in the morning.
The house is so much quieter (and I had been blaming Michael for most of the noise). I can't wait to hear about all of their adventures. Hopefully they will send some pictures that I can post.

Here We Go Again...

Eric is off again on another deployment. It is never easy, but this time just seems too soon. We were just getting used to having him home again, and now he is gone.  He had to report to base at about 9:00 last night, so the little ones stayed home and Annabelle, Grace and I drove him into work to say goodbye. 
We hope this deployment goes by quickly, that we have many visitors along the way (hint, hint), and that Eric is home safely before we know it. 

My Favorite People

Maine, Part 2 - Watersports

Michael just looks like trouble, doesn't he?
Annabelle was not a huge fan of the boat. She enjoyed tubing for a bit, but too much time made her feel sea sick. 
Grace loved every second. You could hear her screaming "Wahoo" the whole time. 
Annabelle kayaking with Uncle Geoff.
Michael kayaking with Daddy. 

Maine, Part 1

The new car was totally packed and we were off.  You can see how excited the kids look for it being 6:30 in the morning.  Eric tried to wake me up at about 3:30 or 4 to leave, but after being diagnosed with strep throat the day before, I respectfully declined and went back to sleep until about 6. 
Grace's expression pretty much sums up how we feel about traffic in the D.C./Baltimore area. After 5 hours of barely moving (for no apparent reason), we decided on the way home we would take an alternate route.
This is Windemere, our home for a week on beautiful Sebago Lake. 
Grace felt it appropriate to do her best swan pose (she has seen Barbie's Swan Lake a few hundred times). This was part of the beach at Windemere.

Ok, more to come. I figure I can stretch these vacation pictures out for a few posts. 

The Great Outdoors

I have decided that Michael should spend as much time as possible outside. Naked. It just makes cleanup easier.

The One With the Mustache

Grace: In North Carolina do they have those guys who ride their bikes and throw newspapers at your door?

Daddy: You mean paper boys?

Grace: Yes, paper boys, do they have them?

Daddy: Well, yes. You know who was a paper boy when he was a little boy?

Grace: Who?

Daddy: Geet.

Grace: GEET! Did he still have a mustache?

My Boy

I love this boy. I am pretty sure you already knew that, but I felt the need to tell you again. Love him. And for the record, he kinda likes me, too. 

The Girls

Popsicles

Mud

The other afternoon, Annabelle and Grace wanted to play in the backyard while Michael and Faith were sleeping. 

MAMA: Fine. Let's go outside. But - DO NOT PLAY IN THE MUD (It had rained)

The girls oh so sweetly agreed, and out we went. It was not 5 minutes later that Grace came to me looking like this....

And then while I was cleaning Grace off, George decided that if Grace could get all muddy then he could as well. 

At least Grace didn't get into the same mud that George did, because he came home smelling like a sewer.

Saturday Afternoon

Where Babies Come From

Daddy was being his normal self, teasing the children. He was trying to convince Grace and Annabelle they were not born, but instead were purchased them from the store. Annabelle seemed to be in on the joke, playing along. Grace, however, was not amused by this one bit. It took a bit of coaxing to get her to play along.

And then Daddy took it one step too far...

GRACE: So, what store did I come from then?

DADDY: WalMart. You came from WalMart and Annabelle came from Target. 

GRACE: WHAT? WALMART??? No way. No, NOT WalMart. I would definitely have come from Target. 

Super Michael

Grace Graduates

Grace's Kindergarten Class at St. Anne's

Grace and her teacher, Mrs. Asher. 

Very close to a great pic of all the kids. Faith was sleeping, and by the time I got her the other three were long gone. 

Grace and Annabelle - they really love each other. 

Mama and the First Born - I don't know where she got the idea she could go and grow up so darn fast.  SLOW DOWN, child. 

Oreos

I am out after dinner running a few errands. Eric is home with the kids, presumably putting them in bed. My phone rings...

MAMA (walking into grocery store at about 9pm): Hello? Hello? HELLO?!

CHILD: Hi Mama

MAMA: Grace? (I am startled because at this time, clearly they should be in bed)

CHILD: No, it is Annabelle. Hi Mama. 

MAMA: Hi Bellie. Are you ok? (As many of you know, Annabelle NEVER talks on the phone)

CHILD: Yes. Can you buy me some Oreos?

MAMA: I am pretty sure we have Oreos at home. 

CHILD: Not anymore.

DADDY (joining the conversation): Oh my Gosh, Annabelle! Did you call Mama ALL BY YOURSELF?

CHILD: Ummmm

DADDY: Dear, I had no idea that she called you. I was so busy putting Michael to bed, and dealing with Faith. 

MAMA: Really (please note extreme sarcasm)

DADDY: Yeah, ask Bellie. Bellie? Tell Mama what Daddy was just doing...

CHILD: Sitting on the couch eating Oreos. 

5 Months

Making Life Better

Anything titled makinglifebetter gets my attention. I mean really - who doesn't want to make their life (of the lives of others) better? So when Mom Central asked me to spread the work about how makinglifebetter was going to make dinnertime easy and fun, I was excited to do just that. 

I headed over to their website and was quite eager to see how exactly they were going to make my dinnertime better. And there I found recipes. Lots and lots of recipes. Tons of time and a huge budget are not things that I necessarily have, and makinglifebetter clearly understands that. 

makinglifebetter has a huge number of recipes, using ingredients easily found and probably already in your pantry. Quick, easy and priced for the times, there are so many that I cant wait to try. 

Here is just one that I recommend you try:

Grilled Pineapple a La Mode

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
6 Tbsp. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Spread
3 Tbsp. rum
8 slices fresh pineapple
3 cups Breyers® All Natural Vanilla Ice Cream
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
Bring sugar, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Spread and rum to a boil over medium heat in small saucepan. Boil 1 minute, then set aside.

Pour 1/4 cup rum sauce over pineapple in small bowl, turning pineapple to coat. Grill or broil pineapple, turning once, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Cut into bite-size pieces.

Scoop Breyers® All Natural Vanilla Ice Cream into 6 dessert dishes. Top with pineapple and remaining rum sauce, then sprinkle with pecans.

Cost per recipe*: $11.10

Cost per serving*: $1.85

*Based on average retail prices at national supermarkets.

Not so comfortable in the kitchen? You can even link to their YouTube channel for cooking coach videos. See many ideas on how to make dinnertime fun for the whole family, not a chore for the cook. Check out this link for recipes and ideas for a family game night.

Mamapedia

There are many situations that Moms have been dealing with since the beginning of time. The terrible twos, teenage angst, weird rashes, allergy treatments, when is the best age to introduce a pet - the list is endless. They are universal struggles that most parents will deal with at one time or another. 

Wouldn't it be great if there was a place people could go and ask anything (and I mean anything)? A place where we can learn from the mistakes of others and maybe even soak in some well earned wisdom of those who have already been there, done that? A resource and sounding board all in one...

Well, a magical place just like this does exist. Blogosphere, meet Mamapedia. 

 

Mamapedia enables you to search answers for your most pressing questions, such as childhood crushes, renting a house, and summer camps, to get empathetic and insightful answers from moms around the country. Everyone know of Wikipedia, right? Mamapedia is like that - only better. 

An encyclopedia of motherhood? Umm, sign me up please. 

Whether you have kids, or nieces and nephews, or have friends with kids and you want to have a small clue as to what they are complaining about all the time - you need to check it out. 

Take One

We are attempting to get a picture of all 4 kids together. I think Michael may have to be asleep for this to be successful.

Rogers Family Jeopardy

Answer: A pacifier, a small truck, a marker, 7 pretzels and 2 wipes. 

Question:  What is the pile of "stuff" I pulled out of the VCR yesterday? 

*

Answer: Michael

Question: Who is the one responsible for the aforementioned pile of stuff pulled out of the VCR?

Earn Your Stripes: Help rebuild America's playing fields

Mom Central teamed up with Kellogg's Frosted Flakes back in January to let our community know about its Earn Your Stripes (EYS) field renovation program. Aimed at renovating neighborhood sports fields across the U.S., thousands of fields have been nominated  - some with as many as 700,000 supporters! 

The semifinalist fields were chosen based on the feasibility of the field makeover, the location and age of the field, how often it gets used, how many events take place, what teams use it, the number of other athletic fields in the community, the demand, condition, and the impact a field renovation would have on the community. 

100 semifinalists are now counting on you to vote, and hopefully your favorite field will get a makeover. Maybe there isn't a field near you, but maybe there is one near where you grew up. How about near your favorite vacation spot, or even near distant family or friends who you know would appreciate the upgrade in their community. 

Whichever story or field strikes a cord with you and your family, make sure you vote for it. We will all benefit from happy, healthy and active kids! Voting runs through this month.

Miss Faith

Sisters

KaBOOM!

Are you sick of the same old neighborhood playground? Are you convinced there is no place fun to go with the kids where they can just run around and be kids? You could drive around, searching high and low for the perfect play spot and hope to find something that your kids will love. Or you can let KaBOOM! do the work for you. 

KaBOOM! is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding and creating play spaces within walking distance for every child. A fabulous part of what they do is an online resource where you can look up playspaces in your area, or an area that you may be visiting. There are pictures so you can get a really good idea about where you are headed, as well as a review to see what the space is all about. 

Mom Central has teamed up with KaBOOM! to help map online 100,000 playspaces in 100 days. A playspace can be a playground, field, a skate park, roller hockey rink, lake, dog park, community center, basketball court or ice rink - any place where kids can engage in unstructured play for free or a nominal fee. Check out the website, help the cause by adding your favorite playspace, and then find somewhere fabulous to entertain the kids. 

You Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours...

What George did not realize all the times that Michael fed him from his highchair was that one day Michael would want him to return the favor. 

The Girls

Electrolux is Going Green - Kelly Green

Not only is Electrolux going green with their new high efficiency washer and dryer, they are giving a set a away to make it easy for one lucky eco-enthusiast to show their "green" in their laundry room.

We have all seen Kelly Ripa in her Electrolux ads and commercials. She truly believes in the brand and is very excited about the new, limited edition washer and dryer.

“I love green … the color green and the act of living green,” said Ripa. “What better place to make a simple, every day difference than in the laundry room? Kelly Green is a gorgeous shade, and just by using the new Electrolux high-efficiency washer and dryer you can save energy and use less water. How green is that?”

Just in time for Earth day, Electrolux kicks off its virtual flower garden campaign to drive awareness and raise funds for Global Green USA. Starting today, when you click here and plant a virtual flower for a friend, Electrolux will donate $1 to Global Green USA to support their healthy green schools initiatives across America. Everyone who logs on to the site and plants a virtual flower will be automatically entered for a chance to win a new eco-friendly Kelly Green front-load washer and dryer!

And as if that wasn't enough, Mom Central will be giving away one eco-friendly “Kelly Green” washer and dryer set to a member of our community! To enter, simply click here and (1) tell us which flower you planted on the Electrolux site and (2) share your own “laundry tips” for saving time and energy. Mom Central will pick one lucky winner in a random drawing from all entries received!

Go forth and Be Green. And just maybe you will get lucky and win a fabulous washer and dryer, too.

Meet Faith

So, I have some news. Hopefully this will explain why posting has been so, um, sporadic lately. 

Our family has grown. Meet Faith.

No, I have not been hiding a pregnancy from you. I don't think it would be possible to have 9 months of fun go by without whining on here just a little bit. 

Eric, Grace, Annabelle, Michael, George and I have been blessed with an incredible gift. Usually when I think of gifts, I think of something wrapped in pretty paper with a bow, a gift tag and there is usually some sort of occasion to go with it.  We have come to learn that the best gifts do not, in fact, like to be wrapped at all (unless you count wrapped up in a snuggly blanket). No bow could make it more beautiful. And if there were to be a tag, I cannot imagine what it would say -  there aren't really words for this sort of thing.

Now that Faith is here, we cannot possibly imagine our lives without her.  In fact, I was about to post pictures from Easter morning and realized that there may be some questions about where the 4th child came from. I thought it might be nice to finally formally introduce her to the blog. 

Faith, this is the blog. 

Blog, this is Faith. 

You will be seeing a lot of each other.