Happy Halloween

Yesterday was our ward chili cook-off/Trunk or Treat and it was a fantastic evening. We had my niece with us so she could have some fun while her mom was working and it gave me a taste of what next year will be like! The chili part of the evening was so much fun, I think we got to sample 17 different chili dishes from burn your mouth off to meatless and bean less. We did not win, but I did have a nice case of heartburn later in the evening to remind me of my samples!

We ended the evening with the trunk or treat, which was huge since the other ward was invited as well. I think the entire parking lot was almost full of cars. For Peter's first real Halloween he scored in the candy department, not that he will actually get to eat any! He was a little green dragon and so adorable I thought. The costume even had a built in roaring element. He had so much fun running around with all the other kids in their costumes totally oblivious to what was actually going on.

Alan was brave and took both kiddos around to get candy while I manned the trunk. I think he spent most of the evening trying to keep them from stealing each other's candy. (And yes, those are Wal-Mart bags you see. I remembered to bring everything we needed, expect his trick or treating bag! )I really enjoyed seeing all the little kids in their cute costumes.

Me and my little Dragon-who kept trying to steal my hat because it was apparently hilarious that I was wearing it.

And here he is with his dragonskin shed trying to calm down after such a fun evening. He was on cloud nine. You would have thought we actually let him eat some of his candy he was so wired.

Egg Noodle Recipe

After a few requests I have decided to put some of my favorite recipes on here as I try them out.

I wanted to make chicken noodle soup the other day and I decided I would try it from scratch. I know, tons of work, but I had the time so I thought why not. I have made chicken soup before but I used rice instead of noodles and I was craving real homemade noodles. I realized then that I did not have Grandma Kissling's recipe that I remember so much from growing up and amazingly my Joy of Cooking did not have one! A quick phone call to my mom and with recipe in hand I went for it. The recipe was super easy-really, the easiest recipe I think I have ever tried. It was totally nostalgic for me to roll the noodles and break them apart since that was our job as children. And I think they turned out pretty well although I think they were a little bland so I would suggest adding some salt, which I have added to the recipe.

If you have any questions about this recipe just ask. I know I have a few of Grandma's recipes that everyone might like so I will try to post them as I use them or remember! Enjoy!

Learning Stories

Here are some funny little stories that I don't want to forget but I don't have pictures for them.

It is amazing to me what things our little man picks up, for instance. I have been teaching him to sign (which by the way is the most fabulous thing, it cuts the tantrums down by like 75%) and he has done really well with single signs. But a few weeks ago he started putting signs together. For instance we were at the coffee shop around the corner playing with some friends and I was holding him because we were getting ready to go. He signed that he wanted down and I told him no, we were getting ready to go. He then grabs my face and pulls me in for a kiss and then signs "down." Very adorable and a nice try at trying to get his way!

Another one; we were sitting at the dinner table finishing dinner and lets a big fart rip. He looks at me and then Alan and laughs a big man laugh. Were he learned that I do not know, must be a boy thing. Needless to say Alan and I about fell out of our chairs laughing so hard, which I am sure only encouraged him more.

Alan takes Peter to nursery even though he is not old enough because he is such an active little one that sitting through Sunday School and Priesthood is torture for him and dad. He has learned a few things...like to steal other people's toys and if someone tries to take his toy that if he yells at them they leave him alone. So the other night he was playing with this big truck that he got for his birthday and Alan tried to start playing with him. And was promptly yelled at. Apparently not even dad is immune.

Peter also still loves bath time, so we have to be very careful as to when we say that word because if he hears it he will run straight to the bathroom door and start pounding on it and pulling at his clothes. Many tears are shed if it really is not time for his bath.

The Hungry Caterpillar

As many of you know, Peter is an eater. For instance a typical breakfast for him could include a waffle, and egg, a banana and a cup of milk...where he puts it all I do not know, but I guess that is his mom in him. I am usually pretty ravenous in the morning as well. Anyway, I guess it is only fitting that he has recently discovered the Hungry Caterpillar book that has been on his shelf. This is the first non cardboard book that he has really been interested in and surprisingly he has been pretty gentle with it.
Until of course after I took these photos, and he ripped one whole half of the butterfly off! To his credit he was not being mean, just trying to turn the page. Oh well, I guess that is what tape is for! I am sure this will not be the last of the pages that I have to tape up after my little bookworm goes through them!

Fall Fun

Peter and I hopped a ride with my sister to go visit my parents house for a few hours to let the kiddos run around outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. In his playing Peter stopped to pick some green beans with my mom. He decided to try a few but I think he likes them better cooked. :)Peter also found my mother's flower bed and was so cute bending down to smell the flowers. After a summer of working on just touching flowers and not picking them he is surprisingly very gentle with flowers. His aunt Amy did pick one for him that he carried around in his chubby little hand the rest of the day, it actually ended up coming home with us.(Not sure why this paragraph is underlined but I can't find a way to turn it off)

Amy was all prepared for our visit with a huge pile of leaves to play in. These pictures are a bit deceiving because he was not the biggest fan of sitting in the leaves, I don't think he quite knew what to do with them. And he had leaves everywhere afterwards...really, everywhere!

Recently Peter has really just loved swinging, he has always liked it but the other day we went to the park and I couldn't get him off. So he was super happy to have a go on grandma's swing. He even did pretty good on the big boy one-although every time the dog would run by he would let go and reach out for it which made me a bit nervous but he always seemed to keep his balance so we did not have any swing falling off drama.

It was nice to get out and let Peter just run. He loves to visit the chickens and still doesn't quite know what to do with the cows, especially since during this visit we were petting the babies that are in the process of getting weaned from their bottle and one of them must of thought his had looked like something good to suck on because he sucked Peter's hand right into his mouth! Peter just looked at it like what are you doing? Needless to say we had a good hand washing after that!

It was a good visit with aunties, grandma and cousin, Peter played so much he didn't even want to stop to eat-which is saying alot for him!

Fun with a Blanket

Alan got home a little early from class one day and while I was working on dinner he and Peter had some fun. It is amazing what you can do with one fuzzy blanket, a hardwood floor and a long hallway! This first video is not the best picture but it captures Peter's squeals of delight the best.

I wish I could have captured his ear to ear grin, but they were moving too fast!

The next day Peter pulled out the blanket and wanted me to play this game with him, apparently I am not as good at this game as dad because he got bored after one ride. Oh well, at least I have a freshly polished floor now...

Rockin Away

We inherited a great little rocking chair from Alan's family. I believe he got it for Christmas one year and his parents have kept it for him all these years and now Peter is the proud owner. It is still a little big for him but he has learned to just recently get into it, getting out sometimes is a different story. But he has so much fun with it, I think he really likes that he can sit in a chair that is just his size.

I have been initiated into parenthood today...

Caution-This post is not for the weak of stomach!

(Due to the content of this post, a picture will not be provided-just use your imagination)

So we had a first tonight. Peter was taking his bath as normal splashing around and having a good old time. Well apparently too much fun because as I was standing him to get out of the tub he starts pooing! This is a first so I had a momentary brain freeze of what to do as I watched it floating in the water touching all his bath toys. (At least it was solid, I am thankful for that!) My momentary freeze allowed Peter to notice the said floaty and reach out and try to pick it up-Yuck! As I snatch his hand away in horror he then proceeds to step in some of it. I knew I needed help so I ever so calmly asked Alan to come and help me get Peter out of the tub without spreading the mess and so I can clean up and sanitize the tub. Alan's response was "This is so disgusting-this is why I left bedside nursing!!" After cleaning Peter off and sending him with dad to get a diaper on I proceed to douse the tub and toys in scalding water and bleach. Peter in the meanwhile having no clue as to the drama he had just created and feeling pretty good I think because he sat gibber-jabbering happy as a clam while date got him ready for bed.

I guess it is official-I am now truly a parent. I have cleaned poop out of the bathtub-Gross!

Apples, apples and more apples

I blame my lack of blogging this week on apples. My family goes and picks apples at an orchard near their house where they can get them for like 30 cents a pound so they asked if I wanted some and I of course said YES! well they went a little crazy picking this year and we ended up with a bushel of apples. Which when I first saw them on Saturday I thought wow that is a lot of apples but I will dry a bunch and make some into apple pie filling and we should be good, well it is now Thursday and I have been working on these apples everyday. It reminds me of Mary Poppins bottomless carpet bag-I swear I work up like 20 or so apples and then I look in the bag and there is barely a dent gone. But I am down to the last few today so hopefully I can return the apple peeler I borrowed. That is definitely a handy tool by the way, my parents have one that suctions to the table and it makes life super easy! Not that I or Alan are complaining he is especially in heaven since we now have 18 quarts of apple pie filling ready to go! And one great by product is that our house smells like cinnamon and apples the perfect autumn sent. I am just glad I am done, who knew I would spend all week up to my elbows in apples!