Amber Waves of Grain

You have exactly 10 months from today to buy me an amazing Christmas gift.  Need some help?   Here's my top 5 list for Santa . 1.  A real unicorn (just a test to see if Santa is real). 2.  A vintage mint green camera.   Like this one on Etsy ( LINK ).   3.   Family Portraits.   Real ones. Not the kind on my front porch with the timer. Not the kind at Sears. Rather, the kind where the kids are bathed and a real photographer chases us around a park or downtown and catches magical moments between kids picking noses.      4.  A spa day .   I'm not sure what this means exactly but I'm pretty sure it involves being pampered and not chasing kids.   I'm thinking manicures, pedicures, headicures ( that's something, right? ), massages, and a big, white, fluffy robe.  Oh, and maybe I could stay in a hotel that night so that the relaxing isn't reversed by wrestling the kids at home through dinner ...

Every now and then I like a really good, quality hot dog.   And, everyone from church has raved about Garcia's Hot Dog stand here in town.  We finally tried it last night. Let me start by saying that it was t he best hot dog I've ever had .  I didn't know I could feel this strongly about a hot dog.  But, now I do . The stand is at 16th & Emerson (NE corner) for those of you locals. This isn't the best picture but it gives you an idea.    I had his regular hot dog which he will wrap in bacon ( don't skip the bacon like I almost did - trust me) .  He also had sausages and such. Nathan had a chili cheese dog loaded with toppings.  He wraps them in foil and bags them so you can take them to go and they stayed plenty hot. The prices were great ($5 total for 2 of us).  The hot dog left me wanting more.  The owner was super nice and we got quality service. We'll definitely go back. Hot dog! Hot dog! Hot diggity dog!!...

We accomplished something on my 2013 Bucket List ( LINK ) today!   We took the kids to the Rhythm Discovery Center in Indy.  Here's a link to this fun place:  LINK .   It exceeded my expectations.   The kids really enjoyed it.   Basically, it's place with lots and lots of hands-on percussion instruments and the kids can just play their hearts out.  ( note to parents:  take Tylonol ). It only took about an hour to go through the entire place.  We could have spent more time but we chose to leave for lunch and naps. Next time maybe we'd stay longer or return after lunch. Here are the kids at the entrance:    Once you're inside, you'll walk through rooms with lots and lots of percussion instruments. Most are hands-on.   There's a kiddie corner with LOTS of handheld instruments. Big drums. Little drums.   Even giant windchimes.    They have a big area of chairs in a circle where ...

I haven't blogged much lately. I'm just not feeling it .  I think you should at least get some photos, right?  Here's what's been going on at our house. Keegan got a new bed.  He had been using Nathan's 30+ year old mattress.  I'm sure it was filled with bed bugs and cooties. Letting the kids jump on the old mattress made me the coolest mom ever for an entire morning. We moved him up to a full size bed so that it could double as a guest bedroom.  Now you can come visit.   Savannah is still the sweetest thing ever.  Ever .  She turns two in a few weeks. I taught Keegan how to wash dishes.  Get to work, kid. We've spent a couple of times with my parents.  ( Mom & Dad- Look! You're on the internet!)  And, that's it!  Hoping to have something more exciting to blog about soon!

Thanks, everyone, for the notes & prayers about Keegan's food issues ( LINK about it in case you're new).   We've had surprisingly more good days than bad.   I'm so encouraged. Tonight was a MAJOR success .  We're talking miracle . Keegan ate *and liked* some fried chicken drumstick! He couldn't touch it with his hands so he held it with a napkin.  That's okay.   He willingly tasted it without a battle.   He claimed he liked it. He even asked for another piece.   I cried happy tears (which little boys don't understand, by the way) .  I gave him a brownie.   And, a yo-yo.  Why not, right?    And, lots and lots of words of affirmation. Praise God!  Thanks, everyone!

I've found a new recipe that I love.  It's quick.  It's easy.  And, it's a big hit when I take it places.  It would be a crime if I didn't pass this along.   Really . This is Paula Deen's recipe and a photo from her website ( LINK ): She calls it " Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding."     Here's the recipe. Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding Ingredients : 1 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 2 cups milk 1 5-ounce box instant French vanilla pudding 6-8 bananas, sliced 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies Directions Line the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream chees...