Date Night...er, Afternoon

     We've been aching for a special date.  Especially as since Thanksgiving Isaac has been passing through the "I don't need to sleep through the night, I need to sleep with you" Phase.  More accurately, the "Not only do I need to sleep with you, I need to sleep ON YOUR FACE-cheek to cheek drooling into your ear kicking your hip all night" Phase.  Sadly this long stretch of sleepless nights timed perfectly with my coming down with a bit of The Anemia that needed a few iron infusions to get under control. Needless to say, we've been a couple of dark-circles-under-the-eyes-sad-sacks laying around the house this month (BUT, thankfully, healthy otherwise! Hallelujah!!)

    So today (after a full nights sleep in our own beds!) we trekked off to The Rainforest Cafe for an early dinner adventure/date afternoon:



We must look so ridiculous to the people around us.
With a three year old on my shoulders and a two large diaper bags draped over my sides we waited for our table making monkey & alligator noises.

We got seated right under the Gorillas!!

He LOVED it!!
We had to totally rearrange our table so Isaac could watch the monkeys come to life every 8 minutes.

When signing "Go monkey Go!" didn't work we had to resort to good ol' fashioned coloring.
And eating 3/4 of a pizza BY HIMSELF. Wowzers!

 



     He is my handsome little boy. It thrills me to see his little personality come to life and to find things that excite him: today it was a personal pizza and howling gorillas.  And that in spending time together making monkey noises in public, seeds are actually being planted of how much our Heavenly Father loves us both. The Lord craves time with us and He designed us to crave time with Him & with each other. Relationship is at the very heart of our God and I want Isaac to deeply understand that Truth...via dancing monkeys. :) 

January 2014

 

New Years Tradition

  I love that Isaac has been home long enough that we actually have family traditions; meaningful & purposeful events in our family life that are repeated.  Last year we started the tradition of making Dutch oliebollen to welcome in the new year. (What better way to usher your resolutions in than with 'oil balls'?!)  We already had it on the calendar for this year and Isaac was totally ready for it...

Getting the ingredients ready

An extra plastic frying pan and a bottle of rosemary on the ready just in case

Adding the spices
(That would be garlic salt in his right hand...NOT apart of the original recipe!)

Someone got his arm "stuck" in the flour jar.
(Who's been reading Winnie the Pooh?)

Wanna try some, Momma?

Too slow!

Working on the stirring

Then the mixing

Almost ready to cook!

I think this was actually his favorite part.

Playing in the water...I mean, doing the dishes.

Oil + balls = olie bollen

Dutch Oil Balls!

Admiring their hard work

East and West

Success!

     Isaac has had a rough time being left alone with anyone other than myself, including Gramma, so spending a special day together was important for everyone. There was a dance party that I was too slow to grab the camera for and fun with blocks on the floor and a "This Little Light Of Mine" karaoke jam session all without me being actively involved. Isaac even left my side to give Gramma a kiss and then SAID 'gam-ma'. Looks like 2014 is off to a good start for these two!

Isaac & Gramma
New Years Day 2014