Happy Chompo to me

Derek had a birthday this month and we nearly celebrated in secret (off the record, at least), but here I am with one little snippet from his big day. The kids gave him chocolate covered raisins from Costco because I thought he really wanted them and I'd blown the budget on his gift and $10 was all I had left for the kids to use. :) He'd been to Costco, looking for snacks for work, and considered these. Then, from time to time, he'd ask me after I made a Costco run, "Did you get any chocolate raisins?" Uh, no - I try not to walk down that aisle because I want everything covered in chocolate and don't need them in bulk!

Anyway, we got him his raisins for his birthday. And then we ate them while he was at work. Not all of them, but a lot of them. Okay, most of them. I kept singing to myself from one of my favorite Frances books,

Happy raisins to me.
Is how it ought to be.
Happy raisins to Rachael,
happy raisins to me.

And one of the things I love best about Derek is how he spoils me rotten. "Go ahead and eat all my birthday chocolate raisins. I got them for you. I mean, you got them for you." He is so generous with me, he lets me sleep in and take naps when he gets so much less sleep than I do, he washes dishes and folds clothes while I run with my friends. Seriously, I am one lucky girl.

And I owe him another jar of chocolate raisins.

Muffin Monday

Except it's Friday. And we had muffins on Wednesday this week. But we USUALLY have muffins on Mondays! :)

These are a new recipe and I loved them. You'll love them, too - the brown sugar and pecans on top were the best part, but those bits of apples inside were a close second. I love having buttermilk on hand lately, it's not very expensive and makes better waffles and muffins. Mmmmm...

Of course, you might not like them. You might pick off all the pecans and eat around the apples. You might ask for "plain muffins," insist you don't like them and then eat most of it anyway. You might cry about not having another muffin all the way to the bus stop. In the end, you might take me up on the original offer of trying it and then having cinnamon toast instead.

But just in case you love them like the REST of us.... give 'em a try.

Buttermilk Apple Muffins

3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. oi
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. chopped apple
1/2 c. buttermilk

Topping:
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. pecans, chopped
3/4 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 325. Blend brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Combine dry ingredients and add to wet mixture. Add apples and buttermilk and mix just to moisten. Fill paper lined or greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins. (After 20 minutes, I upped the temp to 350 and baked another 2-3 minutes. This just wasn't enough.)

It's good to be 3

This week, I was driving home from Wal-mart one afternoon with my happy little 3 year old helper and thinking what a great life I've got these days. We have enough to keep us busy and happy in the mornings, then Carver heads out to preschool and I get to spend time with my moody preschool girl. Sometimes she's all sweetness. I love that I don't plan around naps anymore, that running errands is usually pleasant. She loves that when her brother is at school, she gets to sit in his booster seat. Then we have an afternoon (like yesterday) where I believe she spent at least half the time crying in a loud, obnoxious way. And I remember that it's all part of being 3.

I told her, "Grace, you are such a good girl."

She replied, "but I pick my nose."

Yes, well - that is gross, isn't it?
But you're still my favorite 3 year old.

Grace LOVES to be 3.
She like to have 3 of everything if possible.
3 toast triangles
3 piggy tails
3 outfits a day
3 siblings to accommodate her

She was desperately sad not to be able to participate in the church Primary program and talk in a microphone. Since then, she and Carver use the tripod for various talks and musical numbers. I have no idea what the gloves and boots have to do with it.

This girl knows how to move her hips! She calls it doing her "hippups." This is a peek at Howell Family Dance Party 2010 on New Year's Eve.

P.S. After reading a couple comments, I realized that I never asked Derek's permission - so I just did. :) We were ALL very silly that night, but I was lucky enough to be behind the camera. What a good sport he is!