Just Rollin' Along

Today was one of those proud days as a parent. It's Evan's 5-month birthday, and he decided to mark it by rolling over for the first time! He did it twice! Of course, the second time Andy, Xander, and I were crowded around him on the floor, and when it finally happened the three of us cheered like maniacs and scared the living daylights out of the baby, but that's okay. We were just really excited! He's getting ready to crawl, even though it should be another couple of months before he can. He really tries; he scoots his little butt upward and wiggles, inchworm-style, around so much that he ends up actually moving a couple inches or so. It's so cute.

I got a chance to do some leisurely cooking this afternoon, which was nice. I was kind of upset that I didn't take any pictures of it for you to see, because dinner turned out really great. Andy suggested I take some pictures of our empty plates once we were finished, because that is about the time that I remembered that I had wanted to take some pics. But how silly would that have been? Nobody wants to see that! At least, I don't think...

Anyway, I made some tomato sauce from scratch, and it turned out super. I made it healthier, from a recipe that is a clone of a Healthy Choice recipe. The key is adding a bit of sugar to the sauce. It cuts the acidity and really enhances all the flavors. I dropped some homemade turkey meatballs that had been frozen into the sauce, and let them simmer in it for about 2 hours. They turned out melt-in-your-mouth tender and juicy; so good! Then, on the side, we had pan-fried asparagus, sauteed in garlic, crushed red pepper, and then finished with some fresh cracked white pepper and parmesan cheese. Andy actually told me it was the best asparagus he's ever eaten! That's quite a compliment, considering we eat a ton of asparagus. It was so absolutely simple, too, but sometimes that is the best way to make food. I finished off the plate with rigatoni, to go with the sauce, and some bread. I was in comfort-food heaven. Xander liked everything, too, so right there dinner was a total winner in my book.

Too bad Evan didn't like his meal. It was his fifth or sixth day eating baby cereal, and he isn't liking it too much so far. He gets really cranky in the high chair and gets to a point where he just refuses to open his mouth for the spoon. When he does open his mouth, it's so he can cry, not eat. So you shovel more cereal into his face, and then he gets even more distraught. It's a vicious cycle, really. But I digress. The point is, I wish I could say that dinnertime was joyous for every member of my family, but it just was not to be.

The Wii Fit has been taking up a lot of our time now, which is good. We are turning into addicts, but we figure there are much worse things to be addicted to, and this is something we can actually be addicted to in front of the kids! So what if it makes us feel guilty and lazy if we skip a day? So what if it asks each of us questions about the other's posture behind his/her back? Who cares if it wonders if we trip over our own feet when we flunk the balance test? It's fun! I leave you tonight with some shots of my Mii, or virtual version of me on the Wii. She's even wearing her little workout clothes! Love it.

Birthday, Anniversary, Easter Egg Hunt, Oh My!

Wow, it is really exhausting having two kids sometimes! I just can't imagine having more than that, I think I'd be in over my head. Today was busy and crazy, but finally here I sit, ready to write. That is, if I don't fall asleep first.

Xander has had a very full week, but the highlights had to have been his weekend with Nana and Papa, and Daddy's birthday on Monday. Luckily, his behavior has for the most part been much improved, even though last week he did some truly ridiculous things. Let's see. Decorating kitchen chairs with stickers? Check. Giving Fred, his trusty stuffed dog, a bath in the sink? Check. I sometimes wonder if he sees that I'm busy with Evan and tries to come up with the most obnoxious thing he could possibly do to grab my attention. Well, he succeeded.

Back to this past week, though. We went to the Easter Egg Hunt at Eckert's Farm over the weekend and had a great time. The weather was gorgeous and we hit the farm early enough that the real crowds hadn't shown up yet. That evening, Andy and I had an actual date. We finally got to try The Pasta House, a restaurant we've been wanting to go to for a while, but had never been. I wish I could say we had a spectacular experience there, but I'd be lying. The food was just okay, and the service wasn't much better. For the price we paid for the meal, we'd have been better off going to The Olive Garden. It would have been closer to home, too!

Andy got to take off for his birthday on Monday, which was nice because he rarely ever does. Evan had his four-month checkup that morning, and we drove there with snow coming down. It was ridiculous to me; it is April, right? Luckily the snow didn't last very long, and it didn't accumulate at all. Evan's appointment went well; he is 16 lbs. now, 25 in. long. The doctor told us we could start feeding him cereal, so we figure we'll wait until after Easter weekend to try that, since we'll be away for a couple of days.

The rest of the birthday was, I hope, relaxing and fun for Andy. He requested baked ziti for dinner and a lemon cheesecake for dessert, and I was happy to oblige. He responded by buying me flowers! He set them up on our windowsill with a bit of Andy quirkiness mixed in. Back to the cake. I really enjoyed making it, as it's been forever since I've made a cheesecake. On the other hand, I have sworn off such evil goodies for the duration of my diet, so it was hard for me not to be able to try it. I hear it's good though!

Most exciting was the fact that Andy could finally buy the Wii Fit with his birthday money, and he picked it up on Sunday night. We're already kind of obsessed. And sore. That thing really does work you out! It's been too long since we have been active like that, and it showed in our muscles the morning after our respective workouts. I'm so glad we have it now, though. It should be easier to use during stolen moments that we aren't too busy with the kids.

I'll end with something random. Andy got a little trigger happy with the camera when we were taking food pictures, and made a silly piece of hummus art. Here you go.