{Une Baguette}

Lovin' my new baguette pan.
You don't have one?
Get one, stat.
Yes. It makes 3 loaves at a time.
No. I will not provide an explanation for the disappearance of the other two loaves.
Don't judge me.

Ok, I had a little help eating them.
Which is why I need to make more.

Recipe for instant friendsHere we go:
6c flour
1TBS yeast
1 TBS salt
2 1/2 c water (approx.)

Dissolve yeast in water.
Mix flour and salt, add yeast/water and mix with dough hook.
Cover with towel and let rise for an hour.
divide dough into thirds.
Roll each third into a rectangle (maybe 6x10 inches?)
Roll up the rectangle into a long tube (like you would for cinnamon rolls)

pinch ends off and tuck them under
Slam bread dough on the counter once or twice if you want it particularly dense
cut diagonal slits in the top
brush with olive oil
let rise 20 minutes+

preheat oven to 450* with a cake pan (that has 1 inch of water in it) on the bottom rack . Keep oven at 450* temp with the water in it for 10-15 minutes

bake baguettes at 450* for 20 minutes (careful when you open the oven, it will steam your face off)

after the 20 minutes, turn the heat down to 350* and let bake another 10-15 minutes.

Serve with homemade butter.

It's crunchy.
It's yummy.
It won't last long in your house.

More, Please!

Remember when I was in love with the Sonoma Turkey Flatbread Sammie? (if not, click here) Well...MOVE OVER Quiznoz!

I just discovered the extreme perfection that is the Lamb Gyro.
I feel so much shame for my initial hesitation to partake.
I also feel kind of ripped off because Reese ate half of it.
Yes. Reese has discovered food.
(it's about time!)
I'm so proud.

The Gyro.

It's like what the Sammie wants to be when it grows up.

"...Root, Root, Root for the Dodgers...."

Aaron just registered Reese for T-Ball.



I found a cute little T-Ball set online and almost ordered it for her.
I expected Aaron to be stoked about the girls having their own practice set, but when I showed it to him, the first thing he said was, "Uhhhh, yeah you'll need to make sure it's the official league size".

Um, our KIDS are not exactly "official size" either.
He loaded 'em up and took them to buy gear.

He's gonna be one of THOSE Dads.
You know. The one that buys himself a team shirt, and behaves obnoxiously enthusiastic at games.
He will argue with Refs when bad calls are made.
He will make everyone on the team feel special.
He will volunteer to help coach.
He will put sunscreen on the kids.
He will take them team for treats after the game, even when they lose.
He will make sure their uniforms are clean when the game starts, and dirty when it's over.
He will teach them how to play fair and be a good sport.
He will volunteer to drive to away games.
He will go to practices.
He will help practice at home.
He will cheer louder than the other Dads.
He will believe in his kids and encourage them to work hard and do their best.
He will proudly display the cheesy little trophies and ribbons long after the season has ended.

Yeah.
He will be THAT Dad.

I grew up with that Dad.
It was the best and I'm so glad my girls will, too.

My Garage is a Mess

Adios Winter! Gringo Fiesta II

Did I really not blog even ONCE about Gringo Fiesta II?
How did this happen?
We had a lovely 10 day Feasting of all things capable of sending you on an urgent run for the potty, where you might exclaim "Fire in the Hole" upon your arrival.

But we are seasoned Gringo Fiesta participants and therefore have built up a nice tolerance for the massive amounts of guac, salsa, jalapenos, beans and onions that were consumed over the past week and a half. The kickoff party was at our house with The Meadows and the Glovers (since Tia is "Mexican" and all). We laughed so hard that night, I wonder if she hid a little something something in the Tres Leches cake she brought.

Maybe it was my Sangria.
Either way, it was a fun night. I can't believe I didn't take any photos. 10 days later, the "Closing Ceremonies" were hosted by the Meadows, because about 3/4 into the week and a half of feasting, the girls both came down with ear infections, and I had a sinus infection and some sort of nasty virus that knocked me out for a few days. Kasey stepped up with some rockin' carne asada tacos and they did NOT disappoint.

What we learned:

= awesome.

It Happens

For everyone out there feeling like Mother of the Year, today.

Busy Bees Under the Sea

Today was a blast.
It's always a blast, but today was a particularly fantastic day, even though I wasn't feeling particularly fantastic. I heart preschool.

March
Letter of the Month: U
Shape of the Month: Clover
Number of the Month: 4
Colors of the Month: Light and Dark Green

3rd: Under the Sea
Book: Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae (used for dramatic play activity)
Book: Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
This is a classic and I highly recommend it for every house with small children.
Book: Dolphin’s First Day by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
(the kids made dolphin sounds when I turned the page. I had them tell me what they saw happening in the pictures, rather than read the story to them, because it was very wordy and not age appropriate, but the illustrations were fantastic.)

Dramatic Play: Underwater Adventure I used a roll of blue tablecloth, Busy Bee artwork, and crepe paoper to decorate the classroom like the ocean. Let them be a fish, and octopus, a shark, an eel, a whale, a squeaky dolphin, a crab, a starfish…
Fine Motor Centers:
1) cutting 8 legs for octopus artwork
2)Magnetic fishing pole (I don't have a picture of this, but it's a cute plush magnetic fishing pole, with magnetic fish, turtles, and starfish for the children to pick up
3)Ocean Adventure magnet scene4)Aquatic life flannel board (whale, shark, crab, lobster, starfish, alligator, and several fish)
5) Let's Go Fishing! (always a hit)

Sensory: feeder fish in a tub for the children to pet, feed, and care for.
Talk to the children about being gentile with the fish, and how to care for them. (um...yeah, I failed to do this until after I had encouraged the children to just reach in the tub and pet the fish. I had no idea they'd actually be able to catch one! Oopsie.) Check out the video footage of my Busy Bee's sweet cat-like reflexes, as well as me freaking out when I realize there is a live fish trapped between his fingers. I say a panicked, "okay" after every word after that. Also, my voice does not always sound this terrible. I've been fighting a sinus infection for a week and I feel and sound like garbage.

Art: Paper plate Jellyfish and octopus wind socks

Math/Science: Sand dollar size matching
I also put out a jar of sand, the conch shell at this center, along with a magnifying glass for the kids to examine them with.

Practical Life: What do fish need to live? Why can’t we live under water?
One of my Bee's brought a conch shell to show and tell.

"What do you hear in the shell?" answers were: "the wind", "this is a phone? My Dad is calling me! Hmmm, he's whispering too quiet, I can't hear him enough", "waves", "there's a bear in here", and "a toilet!"

Language: U Words-the kids came up with "underwear", "underground", and "us". We'll add to this list all month as they think of more U words to share.

Gross Motor: "Green" Fishing
I set up a clothespin fishing center and let the children “fish” for items that are green during our end-of-class circle time. Some of the items were a frog, a turtle, Peter Pan, a crayon, a block, and a fake plant.

Music and Movement: Aquatic Songs
A Sailor Went to Sea Sea Sea
Slippery Fish
Tiny Turtle Tim
Baby Shark

Cooking: Ocean Blue Jell-o
Snack: blue jell-o gold fish and whales
PS-when I make jell-o or instant pudding, I put it in old baby food containers. The kids love having their very own mini cup of jello.