Tole's Kitchen

I've finally started my food blog called Tole's Kitchen. It is going to feature recipes, kitchen tips and gluten-free information. I'm still working on it, so things will be added and changing but for now, it's a start. First up - cinnamon rolls.

Impress your family with this tasty breakfast treat!

The Grammer Defense

This morning's verbal assault as we were getting our coats on for school:

Joshua: Be quiet lame-brain!

Noah: Don't call me a lame-brain. You don't even know what a verb is!

Noah's response was so funny I couldn't even address the name calling. I guess Joshua needs to spend some time here or here so parts of speech can't be used against him.

The Illusion of Depth

Is there ever a time when 3-D glasses aren't funny?

Hmmmmm.....
....that would be no.

Happy 6th Birthday Joshua

We are celebrating Joshua's 6th birthday today. With every birthday I am amazed at how fast the boys are growing up. You'd think I'd be used to it by now but I find that I'm still taken aback. This passage of time is punctuated even more with the home videos.

Here is a favorite Joshua memory of mine. This was taken the morning after his second birthday when he managed to get two balloons outside while still in his pajamas (jammers don't go outside!). It was the perfect combination of amazing weather, birds singing in the background and Joshua - completely content playing with his friends. I've shortened this video to a mere minute and a half because I recognize that only a mother could love watching her child play with a balloon for 10+ minutes (and that was after I thought to run in and grab the video camera). 

It was the sweetest thing to watch him talk to the balloons, push them in the swing, take them down the slide and just run with them. Oh, he was fond of balloons.

Today will be all about Joshua. He is six and looking forward, while I can't help but take a moment to look back.

For those needing a funnier Joshua moment. Here is an earlier balloon experience we call "Pop It!"

Birthday Cake

I recently asked Joshua what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday. Not what kind of cake should I purchase, but what kind of cake would he like me to make. This craziness was handed down from my mother who always let us pick out our birthday cakes for her to make. It was probably just a way to save money but I loved it. Watching her squeeze out all the little frosting stars was almost like magic as she brought each cake to life. She still has all of her cake pans and some have even been used again for the grandchildren. My most repeated cake was Scooby Doo. One year he had a green collar instead of blue - devastating! But I digress.

When the kids were younger the process was simple - pick a theme or character and find the appropriate cake pan or instructions to make it. We've had an airplane, teddy bear, Elmo, t-rex, Dora, drum, etc.

I had to think a little more to turn a regular fish cake pan into Nemo, but still not that difficult.

I'm not sure how we evolved into the "Mom can make any cake" way of thinking but lately, the kids have taken to describing their cake and then I try to create their vision. Last year Joshua wanted an omnitrix cake (Ben 10) with green bubbles (because there are ALWAYS bubbles when he goes alien) so I cut cakes and freehanded frosting to make this: 

The year before it was Star Wars villains on the fire planet. Once I found the action figures, this cake was simple. 

This year Joshua wanted all the characters from Mario party incorporated into a cake. He also wanted the cake to look like the piranha plant. 

I asked if he had seen  any Mario action figures and he thought Target or Toys R Us would have them - "places like that."

When no Mario figures could be found we settled on the piranha plant. He started looking at piranha plant pictures and thought there should be a couple of them and that they should shoot fire. I reminded him it was a cake not a video game and he decided on this:

Time to go mix up some fondant. It's a good thing the boys haven't seen Ace of Cakes or I would never be able to live up to their expectations and imaginations.

Bye Bye Xterra

Continuing with the "blogs for cousins" week, here is our scrunched Xterra kids.

We actually had to say goodbye to the Xterra and have now joined all the other mini-van families of the world. 

Cousin Video Series #4

And the conclusion...

Before an adult interrupts and squelches the fun.

Cousin Video Series #3

And better...

Cousin Video Series #2

They just get better...

Cousin Video Series #1

Last night we watched all of the pictures and video on Noah and Joshua's cameras from Christmas and the zoo. The following is the first in a series of four videos that Noah took on Christmas Eve of his cousins and brother. They are in the basement bedroom at Nana and Grandpa's. No adults were present - I think this will be blatantly obvious.