Happy Thanksgiving! November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day with their loved ones and eating “yummy food” (as Keenan likes to say!). We started our day off on a yummy note with Cafe Bon (thanks to my husband) and pumpkin bread pudding (recipe coming soon!) for breakfast. Keenan was thrilled to have his own little dish of whipped cream to eat (a VERY special treat!). Also, the day started off even better because Keenan slept in until 7:30 a.m.!! He never sleeps in at my parents, so we were all excited! My husband downloaded some “white noise” on his phone and we kept it on all night in his room, as well as talking to Keenan about only waking up when it is light outside. I’m hoping the noise did the trick and he will sleep in the rest of the weekend (keeping my fingers crossed!).

Cafe Bon! (Sorry for the poor quality picture, I only had my phone with me).

SO good, especially with my husband’s whipped cream! (Another poor picture.)

We also enjoyed some thick-cut bacon that my mom prepared (sorry, I forgot to take a picture!). It was the perfect holiday breakfast and morning!

Shortly after breakfast, my mom discovered that their toilets were backing-up, thus the septic system was clogged! Awe…nothing like country living! Luckily, my parents’ were able to get a hold of someone to come out and unclog it (which they are working on as I write this). It just makes for a poopy day (no pun intended!). Fortunately, we aren’t eating our turkey dinner until 5:00 p.m., so we have a little bit of time to de-clog everything, clean the bathrooms and take showers (since we can’t use the bathrooms until everything is fixed). Most of our meal is already prepped, so there isn’t much that we need to do, aside from my husband’s risotto and baking my mom’s famous broccoli casserole.

On the menu for our turkey dinner is: turkey (cooked in the barbecue), broccoli casserole, butternut squash risotto, homemade cranberry sauce, artichoke torta, salad and pumpkin beer bread. For dessert, my mom made an apple crisp and a pumpkin pie. I can’t wait to try everything! I’ll be sure to take pictures and post about our dinner in the next few days.

Since it is Thursday and Thanksgiving, I thought I would link-up with Jessie at Jessie Loves to Run for her Thankful Thursday link-up.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. My Parents: They do so much for all of us and are always very supportive. They are so generous and give so much to everyone. I love you, Mom and Dad!

2. My Brothers: Though, they both can’t be here with us today (my middle brother lives in Canada) and my oldest brother, Chris, is watching from above. We know you are both with us in spirit. I’m thankful for all of the great memories we have together. We miss you Chris and I can’t wait to visit my middle brother, niece and sister-in-law for Christmas!

3. My husband: I am so thankful to be able to share my life with my best friend. He is a great father, cook and “handyman.” He makes me laugh everyday, and I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else!

4. Keenan: He brings a smile to my face and melts my heart everyday. He definitely takes on his daddy’s humor because just like my husband, he makes me laugh all the time!

Enjoying some play time this morning! (Sorry for yet another poor quality picture!).

Well, it is time to start cleaning and getting ready for our dinner! Enjoy the rest of your holiday!

Questions: What are you thankful for? What is on the menu for your turkey dinner?

Healthy Holiday Eating Tips + New Pumpkin Recipe! November 20, 2012

Wow, Thanksgiving is only two days away! I can’t wait! Tonight, I’m making Artichoke Torta (our family’s tradition) and getting everything packed to head to my parents’ house tomorrow. Keenan is so excited to go to my parents’ house that he keeps saying, “Go to Nonna and Avo’s house now!” I keep reminding him that we are going tomorrow and not today. He definitely has Thanksgiving down because when I ask him why we are going to Nonna and Avo’s house, he says “Thanksgiving and eat yummy food!” It is too cute!

Speaking of Thanksgiving and all of the delicious food that will be around, it is a great time to re-evaluate your eating habits during the holiday season, check-in on your goals, and have a plan in place to not get off-track. For myself, I look forward to eating all of the tasty goodies that I only get once a year. I allow myself to splurge, having a little bit of everything (though not going overboard). I always try to get some sort of exercise in on Thanksgiving or really push myself the day before, as well as working out the day after. I say “try” because it doesn’t always work out the way I plan, so I just aim to do my best. We usually do something fun as a family the day after Thanksgiving, so I might not have a chance to work out. Either way, I try not to be hard on myself and just plan to get back on track the following day (by then, my body is usually craving my normal routine!).

In preparation for the holiday season, here are a few healthy eating tips that I try to follow:

• Don’t starve yourself: With a big meal ahead, you might be tempted to eat as little as possible (or nothing) during the day, to save your calories. By not eating, your metabolism actually slow down. In addition, you might feel cranky, irritable and even tired, if your body isn’t consuming its regular calories as it is used to. Instead, eat as you normally do during the day, but a little lighter, saving room for consuming extra calories at your holiday feast.

• Portions: Since most of the foods at your holiday feast are probably ones you only get once a year, allow yourself a small handful size portion of everything and don’t go back for seconds. By having a taste of everything, you won’t feel guilty or too full! Even if you think you are still hungry, save yourself for a small slice of pie or other dessert. I’m sure that after having dessert your stomach will feel satisfied! We tend to eat with our eyes instead of our stomachs, so having a small portion of everything will be enough.

• Leftovers: I love Thanksgiving leftovers because you can do so much with them! When you think you need a second helping of your grandma’s casserole or mashed potatoes, think about saving it for the next day. This way, you get to enjoy your “once a year goodies” again the next day (without stuffing yourself the day of your feast). Change up the form, like turning mashed potatoes into potato pancakes with some turkey and cranberries. Or, chop leftover turkey into small pieces and add to a salad for lunch the next day.

• Exercise: Keep moving! Plan your exercise accordingly. If you don’t have time to fit in a workout on the holiday or the day after, do as much as you can on the days leading up to it. I try to workout extra hard on the few days leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as plan some time on the days after to workout (to make up for all of the calories I consumed!). If it means involving your family in your exercise, do it (what a great way to model healthy behavior!)! Go for a jog with your little one in the BOB stroller, a long family walk, ice skating, sledding or snow skiing! Most importantly, stay as active as you can during the holiday season, making sure to not miss a workout no matter how many things you have to do. The more you move, the more you will be able to stay fit throughout the holiday season and not gain those extra pounds!

• Maintain: If you have been working on weight or body fat loss the past few months, change your focus to just maintaining during the holidays. With all of the tempting goodies, it is hard to eat healthy 100% of the time. Take off some of the pressure and allow yourself to taste everything (a small handful size portion), without depriving yourself. But, keep things in check so you don’t go overboard. Be mindful of how your clothes fit and how you feel to make sure you don’t get completely off-track.

• Being Mindful: Take the time to truly savor each bite of the scrumptious food you will be eating. Listen to your body and know when you are full. Enjoy and cherish the time you are spending with your loved ones, appreciating each and every moment. Sometimes we get in “rush mode” (as I like to call it), due to the craziness of life and we forget to slow down during the holidays, taking the time to appreciate the important things in our life like family.

• Don’t Beat Yourself Up: If all else fails and you indulge in a little too much pumpkin pie, egg nog, gingerbread or stuffing, don’t be too hard on yourself. Get back on track the next day with your healthy eating and exercising. One day isn’t going to destroy all that you have worked hard for!

Well, today was another “semi-lazy” day at home. We were going to meet some friends at the park, but Keenan woke up late (8:05 a.m.!) and after eating breakfast, preparing tonight’s dinner (another new recipe, coming soon!), cleaning out Keenan’s closet and battling an eye infection (…from trying a new eyeliner on Sunday. Ugh, my eyes are just too sensitive!), we both were not motivated to leave the house. Instead, we had some good play-time of making soup in his kitchen, racing his cars, dancing and riding his trike. By the time Keenan went down for his nap, he was pretty tired! It was a great morning!

Lining up his cars and trucks for a race!

After Keenan went down for his nap, I headed to the box to do some extra work of kettlebell swings, snatches, GHD (glute hamstring developer), double unders and bench presses. Once he wakes up from his nap, we’ll head to the box to do today’s WOD of burpee box jumps, deadlifts and double unders (which I’m not looking forward to!).

Before I forget, here is my new recipe for pumpkin muffins. After searching the internet for new pumpkin ideas, I came across a couple of recipes for pumpkin pie muffins, so I experimented and came up with my Paleo-friendly ones!

Healthy pumpkin goodness!

Paleo Pumpkin Pie Muffins (makes 8 muffins):

Ingredients:

Muffins:

– 2 cups almond flour
– 1 tbsp baking powder
–  1/2 cup xylitol

– 1 tsp raw honey

– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
– 1/2 tsp cinnamon

– 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
– pinch of salt
1 cup pumpkin
2 tbsp applesauce

2 eggs
1/4 cup any milk
1/4 cup coconut oil

Filling:

1/2 cup pumpkin
2 tbsp xylitol
2 tbsp applesauce
1 tbsp coconut oil
– pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, mix all of the dry ingredients of the muffins together in a large bowl.

3. In a separate (small) bowl, mix the wet ingredients.

4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined. Set aside.

5. Prep a muffin tin by spraying it with cooking spray.

6. Mix all ingredients of the filling in a small bowl.

7. Add a scoop of the muffin batter into each muffin tin (leaving enough to cover the filling).

8. Next, add a scoop of the filling on top of the muffin batter, followed by another scoop of the batter (so the filling is in the middle).

9. Bake for 20-25 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Enjoy!

*Notes: If you don’t have Xylitol (or don’t want to use it), you can sub it for more raw honey!

Questions: How do you stay on track with your healthy eating and exercise routine during the holidays? Do you have any tips that you follow?

TGIF and Potty Training August 24, 2012

Enjoying his pancake with peanut butter and blueberry honey on top, along with some banana on the side (he didn’t want his sliced on top) this morning!

Happy Friday! I’m SO glad it’s Friday because it has been a long week. But, at the same time, I still have lots to do before I can embrace the weekend and relax. Tomorrow is Keenan’s birthday party, so we are heading to my parents after he wakes up from his nap this afternoon, to get things set-up and start prepping some of the food. Keenan’s birthday menu includes: guacamole, salsa and chips for appetizers, grilled chicken, Artichoke Torta, grilled peach salad, fruit and bread (fresh ciabatta from a local bakery). For dessert, we are having the “Pig-out Carrot Cake” and peanut butter ice cream (so the kids can have ice cream cones, Keenan’s favorite!) I’m also making Kettle Corn to put in small bags to give away as party favors, another one of Keenan’s favorite foods. Tomorrow should be fun! I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures and share the recipes soon!

Since we are leaving for my parent’s house this afternoon, we headed to CrossFit this morning. Since Keenan slept in until 8:00 this morning (whoohoo!!), we had a very quick breakfast of leftover peanut butter banana pancakes from last Saturday, toasted with some peanut butter, honey and banana slices on top (Keenan’s request from yesterday). You are probably wondering how we kept pancakes fresh from a week ago. When we make pancakes, we usually make a large batch, so we can freeze the rest and use for quick breakfasts. All you need to do is pop the frozen pancake in the toaster to defrost and toast. Toasted pancakes are the best!

Today’s workout was BRUTAL, to say the least! It was a partner WOD with a 30 minute time cap, completing 3 rounds for time of: 800 meter run, 45 squat cleans (women weight: 65 lbs) and 45 burpees. My partner was awesome! We both pushed each other to get the work done and it was great, because we were pretty much at the same level. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to complete the WOD within the time cap. We finished at 31 squat cleans of our third round. I pushed myself to run faster today (working on my weakness!) and boy did I feel it! I felt like I was going to puke in my last 400 meters. Anyhow, it was a good workout to end the week, especially with all of the yummy food we are going to be eating this weekend!

After CrossFit, we got some last minute groceries for tomorrow, headed home and had lunch. I made Keenan a chicken and cheese sandwich with torta, strawberries and a glass of milk. Since I didn’t have my “usual” breakfast this morning, I had it for lunch (Fage 0% Greek yogurt with flax seed, chia seeds, Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal and strawberries), along with a delicious iced coffee that my husband made! He tried something different: he made a coffee concentrate (that he chilled overnight) and added milk and Xyllitol (for sweetness) to it! It was like drinking coffee milk; it was SOOOOO good!

A quick picture of my favorite little guy and me after lunch (my post-workout sweaty self!).

Oh, about potty training: Keenan continued to go on the potty this morning and before his nap. We’ll see if this is the real thing and he is on the road to not wearing diapers in the near future. We have been working on “potty training” for a few months now, having him get used to the potty and the whole concept, but he hasn’t shown much interest. When we first brought the potty home, he was excited to sit on it and he actually went on the potty for a couple of weeks. After those first two weeks, he wasn’t interested anymore. I’ve heard and read that boys take longer to potty train than girls, but this sure seems to be a LONG process! I don’t want to force him; I want him to go on the potty when he is ready, but I feel we haven’t made much progress. I read about the method of staying home for 3-4 days, keeping your child naked (or at least without a diaper and pants) and having the potty near at all times. When your child starts to go, they will notice it and can sit on the potty. Sure, you will probably have lots of accidents the first day, but supposedly, each day gets better until they learn to recognize when they need to go to the bathroom. I’m tempted to try it, but I’m still a little hesitant. So far, I’ve made “going on the potty” a part of Keenan’s routine, sitting on it 2 hours after he wakes up in the morning, when we get home from being out and about, before nap time, after his nap and before his bath. But, I’m not sure our “routine” is enough for him to learn when he needs to go. For all of you moms out there who have done the whole potty training thing with your children, do you have any tips, suggestions, and/or advice? Any ideas are gladly welcomed!

Well, Keenan is waking-up, so it is time to pack the car and head out! Have a good weekend!

Organizing your life August 21, 2012

Have you ever been on an organizing or cleaning kick where you don’t feel your life is settled until you re-organize/purge things in your house? For some reason, I have been on an organizing streak lately, specifically to make room for Keenan’s new things, i.e. his IKEA table and free up additional space in our house. I don’t feel I can function at my best, until I get everything organized (I know my husband would roll his eyes, but it’s true!). As Keenan is getting older, it seems we have less “liveable” space, so I want to make use of the room we have, without it feeling cluttered. We have lived in our house for almost 5 years and some of our closets haven’t been touched since the day we moved in, so they are definitely due for some re-organization!

This morning, after breakfast (having our “usual”, of course), Keenan and I played with Play Doh at his new table and then we headed upstairs to organize. I sorted through all of his toys and put the ones he doesn’t play with anymore in a box to store in his closet. It was funny, as soon as I was putting the toys away, he immediately “needed” to play with them (even his old teething toys from when he was a baby)! He was such a goofball today; he wanted to “hangout” in his crib with several of his books, toys and critters, while I was sorting/organizing his things (I wish I had a picture of it all)!

Making ice cream cones!

Anyhow, I’m relieved, because my mission for today was accomplished. I finished organizing his room by lunch time and now, I only have our guest room closet to do! I feel somewhat better now that Keenan’s room is complete. Now, we just have to convince my husband’s parents to store the rocking chair and lamp (what we used when Keenan was a baby) in their storage container, until we need it again when we have a second child! I wish we had the extra space to store everything, but it is amazing how much stuff you to start accumulate when you have kids! For those of you who are parents, how do you manage to store everything (especially if you plan to have multiple children) and/or keep things organized?

“Hiding” in his old toy box, before folding it and putting it away!

For lunch, Keenan requested his favorite (once again), a peanut butter and honey sandwich, but this time, I made it with my mom’s leftover (from yesterday’s picnic) beer bread and blueberry honey from my mother-in-law. He enjoyed his sandwich so much that it was everywhere! I had a piece of leftover fried chicken (I figure my last piece of fried goodness for a LONG time!), a small piece of torta and carrots. It hit the spot! There is something really satisfying about eating a drumstick.

Making a peanut butter mess (even in his hair)!

My lunch, YUM!

After Keenan’s nap, we head to CrossFit ( I wonder what today’s WOD includes) and then home for dinner to make Cauliflower Rice, such a good dish! I am making it Mediterranean style with chicken, sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts and an onion with feta cheese. Look for the recipe tomorrow! Have a great afternoon!

Happy Birthday, Keenan!

Our little birthday boy this morning enjoying his new table and backpack from Grandma and Grandpa!

Two years ago, today, our lives changed forever. My husband and I welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world. I can’t believe it has already been two years! It seems like yesterday that we brought him home from the hospital; our little peanut of 6 lbs and 1 oz. Where did the time go? The past two years have been awesome, to say the least! We have thoroughly enjoyed our new roles as parents, even during the sleepless nights when he was first born or the occasional tantrums, now. The silliness, full-belly laughs, smiles, hugs, cuddles, holding his little hands in ours, tickles, conversations, play time, story time and most importantly, watching Keenan grow and develop have been the rewards of being parents. We love each and every moment that we spend with him, and we look forward to many more to come! Happy Birthday to my Sweet Pea, Keenan!

For his birthday festivities, we started the day off with one of Keenan’s favorite breakfasts of waffles spread with peanut butter and honey (except it was with the blueberry honey Grandma gave him for his birthday), along with fresh blueberries and strawberries. After breakfast, we met my parents at Sacramento’s Railroad Museum to show Keenan real “Choo Choo Trains” for the first time, followed by a picnic lunch. Keenan was fascinated by the trains! He kept asking to see more by saying, “More Choo Choo Trains!” He was so mesmerized by all of the trains, that he didn’t want to leave when it was time for lunch!

Sitting in the Conductor’s seat!

For lunch, my mom made her famous fried chicken (a family tradition anytime we have a picnic) and beer bread and I made my Grandma Rose’s Artichoke Torta and fruit salad (made with Keenan’s favorite fruits: blueberries, strawberries, banana and peaches). For dessert, we enjoyed Peanut-Butter Swirl Brownies! I put two candles on Keenan’s piece and we sang “Happy Birthday” to him. It was funny, he seemed a little apprehensive about blowing out the candles, but after we helped him blow them out, he devoured his brownie! After dessert, Keenan opened his gifts, which included a Firefighter hat from my parents (and he immediately wanted to wear it).

Enjoying his “birthday picnic” with Nonna and Avo!

Once we were all done and got to our car, Keenan fell asleep before we were even out of the parking lot, with his Firefighter hat still on! To make it more comfortable for him, I reached back to take off his hat, which scared him, so he abruptly woke-up and screamed, “Ahh!” We laughed SO hard!! Fortunately, he dropped right back asleep. But, as soon as we got home, as I was transferring him to his crib, he woke-up and didn’t want to go back to sleep. So, it was play time, pretending to be a Firefighter, wearing his new Firefighter hat, along with his boots and jacket (that Nonna bought him a few weeks ago) with his new backpack (that Grandma and Grandpa gave him for his birthday). We read the Firefighter story with all his gear on and he didn’t want the story to end. He wanted to keep reading and reading it!

Our little Firefighter!

Keenan was so set on being a “Firefighter” this afternoon that he didn’t want to take his gear off and get dressed to head to the gym. It was like pulling teeth to get him to take everything off. Finally, with a promise that he could wear all of his “Firefigther gear” tomorrow, he agreed to get dressed, so we could go to CrossFit. Today’s workout wasn’t too bad, but still challenging. We did 5 sets of 2 reps of power complexes (power clean, hanging squat clean followed by a squat clean) for the skill. For the WOD, it was 5 rounds of 5 deadlifts (185 lbs for women and 275 lbs for men) and 10 burpees for time. I finished in 4 minutes and 25 seconds, doing the RX women weight! Whohoo!

For dinner tonight, we are having swiss chard, sauteed with a red bell pepper, onion, sun dried tomatoes and Italian sausages, sprinkled with feta cheese. It should be good! Night, night!

If you are interested in the recipes for Artichoke Torta and Peanut-butter Swirl Brownies, here you go:

Artichoke Torta, YUMMY!

Grandma Rose’s Artichoke Torta (a very special food in my family that my Grandma would only make for special occasions, i.e. birthdays or holidays):

Ingredients:

3 packages frozen artichoke hearts

1 onion

1 cup olive oil

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup dried parsley

3 cloves garlic (minced)

6 eggs

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a 9X13″ glass dish by greasing with olive oil.

2. Boil artichoke hearts, drain and cool.

3. Beat eggs in large mixer. Meanwhile, place onion in food processor and pulse, until finely chopped.

4. Add onion to eggs, along with the rest of the ingredients (except for the artichoke hearts).

5. Place artichoke hearts in food processor and pulse, until roughly chopped.

6. Add artichoke hearts to the rest of the ingredients and mix in mixer on medium speed for a few minutes (until well blended/mixed).

7. Pour mixture into prepared 9X13″ glass dish. Place dabs of butter into each corner and one in the middle.

8. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool, cut into squares and enjoy for an appetizer or side dish cold or warm!

Yummmmmm!

Peanut-Butter Swirl Brownies by Martha Stewart (makes 9 large squares): *I followed the recipe exactly. It was probably one of the first times, in a long time, that I didn’t substitute any of the ingredients to make the recipe healthier. Since the brownies were for Keenan’s birthday, I thought I would make the “real deal” (which my husband was excited about!).

Ingredients:

For the Batter:

– 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan

– 2 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely choppe

– 4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

– 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

– 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

– 1/4 teaspoon salt

– 3/4 cup granulated sugar

– 3 large eggs

– 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:

– 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

– 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

– 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

– 1/4 teaspoon salt

– 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Butter lining (not overhang).

2. Make batter: Put butter and chocolates in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

3. Whisk granulated sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated.

4. Make filling: Stir together butter, confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.

5. Pour one-third of batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drop dollops of peanut butter filling (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining filling on top. Gently swirl peanut butter filling into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers.

6. Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Busy, busy busy… August 20, 2012

Keenan ready to eat his peanut butter banana pancake (making his “usual” funny face)!

Where did the weekend go? Since we had so many things to do, it really didn’t feel like a weekend. Aside from our “at home date night” on Friday night (which, by the way, my husbands Asian dish was delish!) and making peanut butter banana pancakes (my husband threw them together with whole wheat flour, flax seed, eggs, milk, applesauce, baking powder, chunky peanut butter and banana) yesterday morning, it really didn’t seem like much of a weekend. We were constantly on the go! Yesterday, I got my hair trimmed (I’m trying to grow it out) at a new salon. The person who has been cutting my hair for the past 4 years has not been listening to me lately, chopping my hair and giving me very short layers, so I decided to take the plunge and find a new hair stylist. It feels weird that I went to a new stylist yesterday, almost like I am cheating on my old hair stylist, but it is for the better! I was very pleased with the woman who cut my hair yesterday, so I think I will schedule another appointment with her in a couple of months. It’s funny how “we” women feel about changing hair stylists! Men don’t seem to have a problem of going to different people to cut their hair (at least my husband doesn’t!).

In addition to getting my hair cut, I ran errands and got groceries before we went to a wedding (a family friend of my husband’s) last night. It was the first wedding that we brought Keenan to. He had a great time, dancing up a storm with all of the little girls (especially one who was about his age). Keenan was so excited to dance that during the speeches, Keenan kept saying, “All done, dancey-dance time!” We put gel in Keenan’s hair for the fist time and gosh, he sure looked like a little boy! I kept looking at him and thinking, “Where did my baby go?” Anyhow, we all had a wonderful time at the wedding, last night. The three of us danced until pretty much the end (until Keenan dropped). As soon as we got into the car, Keenan immediately fell asleep, and for the second time EVER, we transferred him to his crib without him waking up! He was SO tired!

Our little GQ model!

Stealing a kiss!

Showing his dance moves!

Keenan’s “almost” first kiss!

The end of the night…Keenan was SO tired!

We all slept in this morning (Keenan didn’t wake-up until 9:30 a.m.!), so as soon as we got up, we headed out the door to get some errands done for Keenan’s birthday! He turns 2 tomorrow–can you believe it? We went to IKEA to get a small table (to add to his little play area for coloring and playing with Play Doh), Target and Costco (to stock up on food for his birthday party next weekend). Once we got home, I made my Grandma Rose’s special Artichoke Torta and Peanut-Butter Swirl Brownies (recipes to come later) for tomorrow. We are taking Keenan to Sacramento’s Railroad Museum in the morning, and having a picnic with some of his favorite foods, afterwards. My parents are coming up to join us, so it should be fun!

Having fun at IKEA!

Well, it’s time for my husband and I to FINALLY eat dinner (a grilled peach salad), finish assembling Keenan’s little table, re-organizing his toys to make the table fit in his little play area and wrapping his gifts! Have a good night!