Good Eating

This year I decided to stay in and make brunch for Father's Day. The menu consisted of Asparagus Tart, Mixed Green Salad with Crab Cake and Mango, Chicken and Apple Sausages and Eggs, Mixed Fruit and Mexican Chocolate Bread Pudding. Everything turned out delicious and enjoyed by all. I think I should do this more often.

It was also Lee's birthday this weekend and we celebrated with a simple dinner at home and a new dessert I found at Costco. They are 3 different flavored (orange-lemon delight, lemon-raspberry half and half, raspberry-mango parfait) mousses from Jessica Pastries. They are 35% cream pastries with jelly and fruit puree. They are very yummy and not too heavy and sweet.

We also went to Sunday Brunch at Il Terrazzo at the Phoenician. We had a great time and enjoyed every bite. We went with the 3-course menu as well as the breakfast buffet. Way too much food, but we took our time to enjoy it. I am proud to say that the kids behaved very well. Our friends were prepared and brought along a laptop to play movies after the kids were done eating. It worked great!

Summer is Here!

Summer is here and Ethan and Hayley have been enjoying the pool the last few weekends. Ethan also started his swimming lessons with the city of Chandler.

Breakfast Buddies

Now that Hayley is eating more and more solids - real food - she has been joining Ethan in the morning for some breakfast. Hayley is very good at sitting down and eating her breakfast, but Ethan is not so good. He has to be told many times to sit still and finish his breakfast! At least with Hayley next to him, it works like wonders as he loves to imitate her. So, I highly encourage breakfast time together.

Ethan's First Movie Experience

I took Ethan to his first movie, Shrek Forever After, and he did great. The seat was not too comfortable for him; if he sat all the way in, then he would fall in between the seats, so he had to sit near the front of the seat without falling. I had to put my bag for him to lean onto. I didn't realized that they had booster seats for kids until after the movie was over. Overall it was a good experience for both of us. I guess with some popcorn he was good to go even though he had to go to the bathroom twice during the movie. I think it helped to be with his friends as well.

Proper Protective Equipment (PPE)

We have been trying to teach Ethan to be gentle with Hayley, but there is still work to be done. Meanwhile, having the proper protective equipment (PPE) for Hayley seems like a good idea. Ethan tends to bump into Hayley on purpose and then Hayley would fall. The helmet looks so cute on her! But I think we will save it for riding on a bike.

Time for a Change

Now that Hayley is 20 pounds and over 1 years old, she can legally sit in a forward-facing carseat. Ethan seems to be very happy with that and kept saying "Mei Mei and Ethan, same"! We bought another Sunshine Kids Radian65 and it fits quite well side by side, except the middle seat is a little raised, so the carseats are not flushed.

Still No Peanuts...Plus Others

We wanted to know if Ethan is still allergic to peanuts, so we had his blood drawn to test for peanut and nut allergies....well, the results are in. He is totally allergic to peanuts - at a class 6, the highest level there is for allergies. Other nuts to also stay away are pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts (no Nutella). But he is clear for almonds and cashews. So, almond butter sandwiches here we come. Wonder if he will like it.

Ethan did great during the blood draw. He didn't even move or cry. Daddy was right by his side. We were so proud of him!