Kids in the Kitchen

It's a known fact that kids like to help out in the kitchen, at least when they're young and sweet and want to be your superhero. Tonight I've decided we're going to make the most of Zeke's eagerness to be a top chef in our kitchen and get him to help me with dinner.

On the menu: Mac 'n' Weenies.

It doesn't have to be anything particularly sophisticated. Aside from the fact that Zeke LOVES the macaroni and hotdog products you can buy from the grocery store, we have our own version at home that I feel is more nutritious and cheaper to make.

We start out with a box of regular mac 'n' cheese. He talked me into splurging on the Scooby Doo shapes this time, so we'll go with that. Make up the mac 'n' cheese as you normally would but throw in some frozen veggies of your choice (we'll do broccoli tonight) with the pasta while it's cooking, then drain. Add the milk, butter, cheese powder, and extra cheese if you like (cheddar or Velveeta, whatever you have on hand), and if you're really adventurous, a can of condensed cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup! You'll need more milk, obviously, but the finished product is pretty rich and luscious. Yum! And for a little extra zip, I like to add a splash of Worcestershire sauce, some ground black pepper, and perhaps a little Mrs. Dash for some oomph!

The last step is for the weenies. I like the all-beef hotdogs, sometimes bratwurst, but you can use whatever you like. I'll slice them up, and Zeke likes to mix them into the macaroni. He's such a good helper when he wants to be. LOL Then when "he" is done cooking, it's time to wash up and set the table.

I'm hoping when he grows up, he'll become a world class chef and keep our kitchen well stocked with gourmet meals. *grin* But in the interim, we'll settle for simple meals prepared in our own little kitchen with good times and lots o' love.

They've got plenty of time to grow up later!

Happy 4th Birthday, Zeke!

Today my oldest hits the ripe old age of four. And as usual, I think back to the day he was born and can't believe it has been so long already. Has it really been four years since that pink, squirming baby first emerged into the world and turned my and my husband's lives upside down? Yep, it has. He went to the daycare this morning and proudly announced the day to the director, but added also that he wasn't ACTUALLY going to be four until this afternoon. Well, technically that's true. But he wanted to be sure they knew it and that he's still only three this morning. LOL

I spent some time at a local party store yesterday (with Zeke in tow...we had just come back from the doctor's office for his well-child visit), and can you believe there was not a single Superman party item besides a couple of packs of stickers?? I thought Superman was a classic! The superhero of all superheros! At least he was when I was a kid some...oh, never mind how long ago that was. But the point is Zeke wanted a Superman party at school, and we quickly learned that wasn't going to happen. He spent the next 15 minutes or so flitting about from one theme to another. FINALLY Batman won out over Scooby Doo, and we were able to buy what we needed.

Trying to be a little more budget-conscious than we have been in the past, I opted to make cupcakes for Zeke's class rather than shell out $15 to have someone make them for me. We found some cute little plastic bats in the Halloween section of the store, and I ran with it. The cupcakes (Funfetti white cake with Funfetti fudge frosting and sprinkles) turned out great, and the bats added a nice finishing touch.

The Cupcakes

I even thought ahead enough to throw in a disposable camera so that his teacher can take pictures of the party I'm inevitably going to miss. (Pictures to be added later, of course.) I just hope things go smoothly. He slept very well last night, which makes a world of difference when it comes to being in a good mood versus being a crotchety little so-and-so (yes, I'm willing to admit he has his moments).

Just for fun, here are a few pictures of the little man over the years...

Zeke's first snow day in 2007.

Going fishing, though played with more rocks and dirt than fish.

His first pictures...EVER!

One day after a trip to Walmart, he decided to decorate himself.

Goofing off in school, I believe, at the hand of Ms. Ashley!

Zeke at age 8 months.

Bath time antics!

Zeke at 4 months. Looks a lot like Gabe does now!

Fall Festival 2006.

Zeke on his 1st birthday!

The first haircut at the hair salon. Such a big boy!

Family Dollars and Sense

I'm excited. Usually Darling Hubby (DH) and I discuss just about every aspect of family and married life without much difficulty, and we've always been mostly on the same page when it comes to our finances. Lately we've been working on a detailed budget, something I've dabbled with but never really did anything with in the past.

Being the "nerd" of our union by Dave Ramsey's definition (and it turns out we're both kinda nerdy with respect to money, only I'm the one who likes the check book to balance to the penny while he just sort of guesstimates and would qualify as the "free spirit"), I started working on a spreadsheet and have come up with a pretty sophisticated budget sheet for our income, outgo, and ongoing expenses. *Gives herself a pat on the back* This masterpiece, now in its third edition, has all kinds of formulae pre-programmed into play, so I just need to key in a few numbers, et voila!

So I'm excited because I printed out a copy of next month's budget and left it accidentally-on-purpose under his travel mug. Evidently he looked it over and with some detail because later that day, he brought it up and actually had some ideas to contribute! WOO HOO!! He's finally on board!

Like I said, we've been pretty much on the same page at least where the larger purchases are concerned and what our overall financial goals were, but while I've given up the use of my beloved credit cards for almost a year now, DH has been using his as a matter of "convenience." There have been instances where I divulged just how much his bill was in a particular month and was met with raised eyebrows and a fleeting look of panic in his eyes (just for a second).

Now...he uses cash. *grin*

It's really true what people say about the pain you feel when you're handing over your cash money as opposed to swiping a credit card. OK, so I use debit, but I'm still the one balancing the checkbook and feel the pain every time I deduct something. It's really helping me control my spending.

This Christmas we are buying gifts for the kids in the family and making gifts for everyone else, with the exception of gift cards for dinner for the grandparents. And with a bit of luck and a lot of care and hard work, we're going to be laughing all the way to the bank in just a few short years!

Our next goal is to start working with Zeke to instill in him a good understanding of what money is, how it's earned, and what it's worth. We're probably going to start with "commissions" with his household chores once he turns 4 (which, incidentally, is next week). We both agree it's of great importance that we start him off on the right foot when it comes to money so that he doesn't make some poor financial choices in his adult years.

It's so good when husbands and wives can agree on things like that. *smile*

Parents out there reading this: Any thoughts or comments about how you've raised your kids to handle money? What works? What doesn't?

From My Bookshelf

One of the books I'm reading now is one I actually started a while back but didn't get to finish. It's titled "Boys Should Be Boys" by Dr. Meg Meeker. If you haven't heard of this one, I highly recommend it.

In this book, Dr. Meeker talks about the various aspects of boyhood that those of us with sons really need to look at. It's insightful for me because I'm not quite wired the same way as my boys, or my husband for that matter. Being the only female in our household, it's helped to shed some light on why men and boys do and say the things they do and explained why I don't necessarily see things the way they do.

The book's approach to rearing sons is traditionally Christian. I must admit the first time I picked it up, I thought Dr. Meeker was living in some sort of bubble and didn't really understand what our boys are exposed to over the course of their childhood years, particularly in today's high-tech society. But this second attempt is hitting home a little more, and I have a greater appreciation for the differences from even as recent as my own childhood years (which were not that long ago, by the way!)

I'd like to recommend this book for any of you out there who have sons, whether you're a mom or dad, because what Dr. Meeker has to say really can help you out in either role. A definite two-thumbs-up from me.

The Scoop on Poop

If you're the kind of person that has a problem with potty or bathroom humor, you may wish to skip this post in its entirety. I felt the need to address this issue in a post of its own due to the sheer volume of diapers parents of newborns have to deal with, as well as the challenges we face on the subject morning, noon, and night.

If you're still reading at this point, you're brave! LOL

A couple of nights ago, I had the pleasure of changing Gabe's diaper shortly after his bedtime feeding. He had felt the call of nature right there in the middle of his meal (something I am told he comes by honestly, at least according to my husband), and so after the feeding was complete and burps were (carefully) coaxed out, we headed to the changing table. What proceeded to unfold before me was no less than something right out of a horror movie!

There I was, talking to the little guy and trying to engage his attention, all the while skillfully unfastening the soiled diaper and proceeding to wipe him clean. I am a pro at this by now, you see. However, just because I thought he was done means absolutely nothing.

He gave me a big grin, and I responded in kind...only I learned moments later that wasn't one of his "Hi, Mommy! I'm glad to see you!" grins. No. This was one of those "I'm straining, and here it comes!" grins.

Oh yes.

The next thing I knew, we had projectile poop. This wasn't diarrhea (thank God), but it found a way of getting everywhere and on everything. And those blasted sticky strips on the old diaper were of no help either, sticking to the new diaper as I was trying to make the save, and schmeering poop on the changing pad and wipe box. Ugh! Meanwhile I had a wash cloth covering his privates in an attempt to keep from getting a golden shower, as the cold air tends to trigger that function regardless of whether or not there is adequate coverage.

A second clean diaper in hand, I went to change him again, only this time I heard a rumble in his tummy, and suddenly we had another--albeit smaller--erruption of the same. Dammit! In all, it took nearly 10 minutes to change his diaper, what with wiping, then more pooping, then wiping again.

The grin that followed was one of pleasure, as I'm sure--young as he is--he understood exactly what he was doing. It had to be planned...HAD to be planned! And he was happy.

So when we finally got things cleaned up, we were able to salvage the situation with about 8 times as many wipes as I would normally use. We finally had a clean bum, a clean changing table (that's why God created the Lysol wipe), and a happy tummy. And all was right again with the world.

I'm sure there are parents out there who can relate to this kind of fiasco. That being said, potty training truly is a blessing in disguise, and I don't know how some parents cope with using cloth diapers. That just wouldn't work for me.

In the mean time, I will continue to cause Pampers to make a considerable amount of money off of me, but I've resigned to the notion that this is just how its meant to be.