Month: April 2011

20 weeks….

Well……this week was the 20 week ultrasound.  It was Quinn’s turn to come with me.   They measured the heart, liver, kidneys, bones and a lot of other stuff.  Probably the most exciting was looking at the heart and all the chambers and getting to see it working…incredible.  I guess I should be speaking in the plural..since there are two little ones!!  Also, they  measured a lot of things in the brain……and everything was perfect!!  Everything seems to be just where it should be….20 toes and 20 fingers!!  Each baby is now 14 ounces and about 7 inches long!!  I can’t believe I have two human beings inside of me that are each 7 inches long!!

Quinn had a great time watching the little guys on the screen..at one point, the boy started opening and closing his mouth…that was pretty cool to see!!  The technician couldn’t find Baby B’s hand..the girl..she kept looking and looking…finally, the doctor came in and had to find it…there it was…..she had it behind her back……she seems like she might be the trouble maker…she didn’t cooperate for the ultrasound at all…she kept squirming around and turning her back to everyone!!

Easter weekend….

We had a lovely Easter weekend…we dyed eggs..and had the worst batch of egg dye….waiting for the eggs to turn into any type of color…took a LONG time……

But it was still fun…..though some of the eggs looked like they hadn’t even been dyed.

We got out the Easter baskets and set out carrots and water for the Easter bunny……

And then Easter morning….everyone searched for their basket and eggs!

Butterfly Wall….

So, we got inspired to make a butterfly wall after seeing Dana’s post about her butterfly wall on her blog, Made.

Everyone had a great time making butterflies.  We almost couldn’t fit them all on the spot I chose.

Next year, we will have to choose a bigger area for all the butterflies.

Some butterflies were made from paper.  Some were made from clay.  Some were made from pipe cleaners.  Some were made from newspaper.    Some had stickers, others had pom poms…..there was everything!!

And now that area looks awesome…some have even tried to fly away!

Cleaning Day…

So, today is the first day of Spring Break for my kids…so what better way to spend it….cleaning their rooms!  Aren’t I a mean mom!!???  We had such a productive day!!  Spring cleaning..a bit late!!  And River got lots of new stuffed animals!!

Closets were cleaned.  Bird cages were cleaned.  Beds were cleaned.  Shelves were cleaned….and many more things….and things even got dusted!

River’s room still needs some work…but we are working on it….and I wanted to get it all out of the way…so we could have the rest of the week to relax!  We filled lots of bags with trash and lots of bags to donate!!

Hope you had a great Monday!!

Making a doll…..

So, today, River watched a TV show and on the show, they made a doll…so she decided we had to make a doll.  She drew the doll and then cut it out.  She picked out material and we made the face on the embroidery machine.

Then we had to sew everything together and stuff it….and pick out hair.  I think she likes the finished product.   She hasn’t decided on a name yet….I’m sure she’ll think of many……..

English Muffins…..homemade using the bread machine…

Tuesday loves to eat English muffins for breakfast..but I wasn’t thrilled with the ingredients in Thomas’ English Muffins…lots of artificial stuff.  So, I looked for a good recipe, using the bread machine, of course…and I found a keeper!  I found it on the King Arthur flour website.  I cut down the amount of sugar and I think next time, I may try to make them with whole wheat flour.

It was a pretty easy recipe.  The bread machine did most of the work.  I had to roll it out onto corn meal and cut into 3 inch circles.  After it rose for a bit, you had to cook them on a griddle…who knew!

I had no idea that is how you made an English Muffin!  But they turned out great…and great tasting…and they even looked like English Muffins.  My daughter did say they didn’t have as many nooks and crannies..but hey, maybe the next batch will!

English Muffins

1 3/4 cups milk, warm
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 to 4 1/4 cups Unbleached Bread Flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast

Place the ingredients in the pan of your bread machine following the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the “dough” or “manual” setting. After the cycle is complete, transfer the dough to a cornmeal-sprinkled surface and roll it out until it’s about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out circles with a floured 3-inch cutter. Re-roll and cut out the leftover dough. Cover the muffins with a damp cloth and let rest for about 20 minutes.

Heat a frying pan or griddle to very low heat. Do not grease, but sprinkle with cornmeal. Cook four muffins at a time, cornmeal side down first, for about 7 minutes a side.

Check after about 3 to 4 minutes to see that the muffins are browning gently and are neither too dark nor too light; if they seem to be cooking either too fast or too slowly, adjust the temperature of your pan or griddle.

When the muffins are brown on both sides, transfer them to a wire rack to cool, and proceed with the rest. If you have two frying pans (or a large griddle), you’ll be better able to keep up with your rising muffins. Yield: 16 muffins.