September... a fresh start

September is always highly anticipated around here (okay maybe just for me) because it means back to routine!!!!  Normal bedtimes, normal meals, schedule, structure, and discipline. I find our family thrives on routine. By the end of summer everyone is getting a bit antsy, and over tired. Burnt out, whether they want to admit it or not.

And this year we had a six year old to get off to Grade 1, and a 2 and three quarter year old to get off to dance school. One was excited, the other less so. I'll let you figure out who is who.

Jake is pictured below as "nervous"- fourth from the left.

At least he's honest.

The good news is the first week of the new routine has passed, and so have the tears. And life is slowly getting its groove back at the Boyd haus! 

Daddy's Favorite Amelia

Every once in a while Daddy sings this little song to his Amelia:

"Teeter totter, 

"Harry Potter,      

"Amelia is my ...

"Favorite Daughter!" 

She loves it, of course.

Happy Father's day to the best dad in the world!

A birthday cupcake

On January 29th, 2016, somewhere in the far reaches of a country where very few cupcakes can be found, one of my best friends turned 35 years old.

But even though she is far and away, I baked her a cupcake anyway....

And then I ate it.
And it was good.

Happy birthday Judy!!!

PS: Photo evidence of cupcake devouring was not taken due to the all consuming deliciousness of the double chocolate delight.

A New Year

It's been a quiet start so far, which is welcome. I like to enter the New Year with a sense of calm and routine. We had a wonderful Christmas holiday, full of early mornings, and late nights, visits to the mainland, gatherings with friends, good food, and one heck of  New York New Year's party. The holiday blessings were many, but I won't lie, there is something nice about getting back to the routine of work, school, normal bedtimes, normal meals.

Here are some January snap shots:

Uncle Jon had the good fortune of spending his first days of the New Year in hawaii; the proof is in the t-shirts. Amelia was very happy with her turtle shirt. 

We ate quite a bit of decadent, probably not so healthy foods over the holidays, so I am trying to make a different vegetable soup at least once a week. I find soups are the best way to get almost any vegetable into my kids. I puree their portions, but to be honest husband and I prefer a chunkier soup. It feels more satisfying somehow when there is something to chew. This was a basic vegetable soup but I am going to try a wedding soup this week. I'll keep you posted on how the pureed meatballs go over with the kids. 

Two new things have been implemented into our weekly routines: treat Fridays and video game Mondays. It probably sounds like exactly what should be eliminated from a weekly routine, but husband and I are tentatively trying these special days out as a way of actually cutting down treat and screen time around our home by confining those things to these two specific days. So every Friday Jakob and Amelia get to choose one treat, any treat, of their choosing to share after dinner; and every Monday after Amelia goes down for her night Jakob and dad play a few rounds of a video game. It's only been three weeks, but so far the kids have adapted surprisingly quickly and impressively well to the new routine. It has benefited us in more ways then we thought so for now we are sticking with it. 

And a few from the holiday baking that went on in December (I couldn't resist. Our holiday baking was abundant this year!) 

Amelia really took to cookie baking this year. In fact, anytime I do anything in the kitchen she is right there behind me dragging along her stepping stool...

Pistachio cranberry crisps, cherry dreams, mint chocolate crinkles, mint chocolate chip and good old kid decorated sugar cookies!)

 I hope you have all had a great start to the New Year - may it be a happy and healthy one for you all!