Easter Fun

Easter weekend was a lot of fun. We went to my Grandma M.'s on Saturday for an Easter egg hunt and dinner with the family. Sunday we went to the Webb's for dinner and egg hunt. The kids loved looking for eggs and loved spending time with their cousins, grandparents and aunts and uncles. Here are some pics:

Smells of Spring

I love this time of year...the warmth, the outdoor get-togethers, and especially the smells. I took pictures of my two favorite spring smells. See if you can guess what they are!

I'm a Boy

Tonight we were getting ready for our bath and Cade undressed and then stood up on the toilet to look at himself in the mirror. After several minutes he said, "Mommy, I'm a boy." Curious as to whether he noticed the difference between boys and girls, I asked, "What makes you a boy, Cade?" He said, "My shoulders," as he tapped his hands on his cute, little shoulders.

I'm thinking he doesn't quite get it yet. :)

The Joy of Cookies

We all woke up a little cranky this morning...so to brighten our moods we made some yummy chocolate chip cookies.

Wow, just putting on our aprons cheers us up!
The kids love to add the ingredients and take special care not to spill anything.
Myla's new thing is to say, "Me!" when she thinks it's her turn to do something or when she wants something. She said, "Me!" when I got the brown sugar ready to add.
Then, of course, we have to lick the beaters.
The best part is eating them!

Here is the best cookie recipe I've ever found. I swear, it doesn't fail (and believe me, if anyone can fail making cookies, it's me)! You can add spices, nuts, craisins and white chocolate or raisins and make it any type of cookie you'd like. Make it your own!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

1 c butter

1 c white sugar

1 c brown sugar

Cream together. Then add...

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

2 c flour

2 1/2 c quick oats, put the oats in a blender and blend it until it's flour-like

Mix ingredients together. Then add 1 package chocolate chips. I always use milk chocolate chips, none of this semi-sweet nonsense. :)

Bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes. Enjoy!

New Amsterdam

My new favorite show is New Amsterdam on Fox. I love the premise of it...for a TV show it's unusual. You can watch past episodes on the Fox website. Here's a brief synopsis that I took from their website:

**NEW AMSTERDAM centers on a brilliant and enigmatic New York homicide detective unlike any other. And he has a profound secret -- he is immortal. In 1642, JOHN AMSTERDAM (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), then a Dutch solider in the colony of New Amsterdam – later to become New York City -- stepped in front of a sword to save the life of a Native American girl during a massacre of her indigenous tribe. The girl in turn rescued Amsterdam, weaving an ancient spell that conferred immortality upon him. Amsterdam will not age, she told him, until he finds his one true love. Only then will he become whole and ready for mortality.

Amsterdam has found this to be a mixed blessing. Over the course of three centuries, he's experienced endless adventure and honed his many talents. But everyone Amsterdam meets must leave him in time; friends, lovers and children grow old and eventually die, while he remains young. The exhilaration of eternal life has given way to emotional isolation and loneliness; the blessing has become a curse.

Having witnessed its entire history from colonial outpost to mega-metropolis, John Amsterdam is the living embodiment of New York City. He and the island of Manhattan are joined -- part and parcel. Bringing to bear the unorthodox techniques and unique knowledge gained from his vast life experience, Amsterdam today is one of the NYPD's best homicide detectives.**

Feeling the Baby Kick

I've been feeling the baby kick for months now, but just recently we've been able to see the kick from the outside. Cade and Myla love talking about the baby. In fact, everytime I sit down and my bump is more obvious they both put their hands on my tummy and say, "Baby!" in a high pitched voice. It's cute. I'm confident the baby will recognize their voices as much as he/she will recognize mine and Kevin's.

Tonight Baby McMillan was very active and Cade was nearby so I grabbed his hand and put it on my tummy so he could feel the baby kick. He was patient and kept it there. When he felt the baby kick he jerked his hand away and giggled...but immediately put it back to feel it again. It's been really fun to share this pregnancy with the kids. They are so sweet about it and very excited for the baby to come.

PS That's not my belly in the picture. Mine is a lot less attractive--full of stretch marks that I'm sure will never go away.