Workin' At the Carwash...

Workin' at the carwash, girl....

Top Chef: Nashville

Spend any amount of time with Raif and I and you will soon learn that we love good food (and wine). We love to eat good food and we love to cook it as well. I dare say it is one of our passions.

So you can imagine our delight that our children have come to appreciate good food as well. They eat fish, shellfish, all manners of meats, pastas and veggies. While most 3 and 4 year olds tend to stick to plain flavors our children enjoy complex dishes like Beef Wellington and stuffed chicken wrapped in prosciutto.

And recently, along with their interest in eating well they have also taken in interest in cooking. Over the last couple of weeks they have started helping me cook every night. Though sometimes I will say it is a challenge to find something for them to help with I do enjoy their enthusiasm. They help make the salads almost every night and make pancakes now every weekend morning. They have also made pesto and helped to stuff and wrap those above mentioned chickens. They are learning simple cooking techniques and phrases and rapidly becoming budding chefs. Hmmm - I wonder if their college plan covers Le Cordon Bleu?

Loblolly Lane

A friend of mine from Atlanta, Eunice, has started her own girl's clothing line called Loblolly Lane. When I say started - I mean she quit her consulting job and is full time running a clothing company out of her basement and upstairs closet. I have so much respect for her for taking a chance like that. Mad props to you Eunice. Besides having tons of guts, Eunice also makes some adorable and affordable clothes. She has tons of fabrics that you can custom order or have her choose the combos for you. The last time we were in Atlanta Quinn got her custom fitting and got to choose her own fabrics (with a little direction from Eunice). We got her dress and she LOVES it. It is always the first thing out of the closet after laundry day. She put it on this morning and said "Mommy I just look gorgeous in this." As you can see, she does....


So for all you Moms out there with little girls check out Loblolly Lane...It is definitely worth it.

Homemade

Last year we put a bird feeder on the deck outside the kitchen window. The kids have enjoyed the past year eating breakfast with the birds and have even learned several different types (which is actually limited by the number of species Mommy knows, which is rather small).

A couple of weeks ago I found some pine cones and have been debating what to do with them. Last night we decided to make homemade bird feeders. Out came the peanut butter and birdseed and the kids had a blast. The dogs even got in on the act and thoroughly enjoyed licking peanut butter off the kids' hands. The traditional feeder came down and these went up.

I figured that was the end of it, man I was wrong. From the first sight of birds eating off of their bird feeders this morning the kids were in heaven. I had to pry them away from the window to eat breakfast. Every time a bird nibbled off a seed there were squeals of delight and rounds of applause. They have watched those birds eat every morning but something about the fact that they were eating something that the kids made made it magical and new.

It is amazing the difference when you get kids involved in something. Homemade really is best.

Beak 'Em Hawks

OK, it is that time of year again.... college basketball season. Tonight is KU's preseason opener and so we decided to get into the spirit today.

As everyone knows I am a somewhat KU fanatic and so am always excited for this time of the year. But considering that the Erim household's collective college football record is 15 and 19 and our collective pro football record is 4 and 17- I can safely say that even Raif is probably happy to begin to leave football behind for the year.

Rock chalk.

Lucky Number Seven

Seven years ago today I married my best friend. I could probably go on and on about how much I love him and everything that has transpired over the last seven years but that would take forever so instead I will just say the following:

Raif - there hasn't been a single day in the last seven years when I haven't been happy - even with some of the dark days we have had - and I owe that happiness to you. I love you with all that I am. Here is to the next seventy.

Happy Halloween

A weekend Halloween means a day filled with all things All Hallows' Eve....

Breakfast of pumpkin pancakes

An afternoon of candle, mummy and witch making....

Dinner of ghost pizzas....

Trick or treating - of course....

Bedtime filled with our homemade candles, popcorn and spooky stories....

Here's hoping your Halloween was just as magical and fun.