Date Night

John and I enjoy our date nights! Seems like we're due for one right now as a matter of fact! But this date night was with my oldest. He and I desperately needed some one on one time. Being the oldest can be rough on a little guy with a new baby in the house. He's asked to do so much as my helper. He gets diapers and burp cloths, entertains the baby like a pro, takes Judah potty when absolutely necessary and does pretty much anything I can't do when I'm nursing the baby. And by the time the two youngest are down for naps and it's just he and I, I'm so drained I fall asleep reading a story. So, date night was established. For our first "date" he chose Starbucks. We enjoyed our drinks and a special treat while playing games and talking. He's such an amazing kid and I love hearing his take on the world. Oh, if we could all see life like he does, the glass is definitely half full!

It's a new season!!

For a very, VERY long time the boys and I have been in a season of eating dinners without daddy and weekends that were like any other day because dad had to tend to the store. Now we knew going in to the own your own business thing that there would be sacrifices and that we would have to have that "do what you gotta do" attitude to make it work. It's been a long season in the trenches of building a business. We're still in the trenches with the business so to speak as the downturn of the economy has slowed things. We want to see it thrive, but for now we're so excited at the door that has opened to us and the new chapter in our lives. Big daddy started a new job this week and is thrilled to be back at a place he enjoys, doing work that he is super gifted at. So as if owning a business weren't enough, he's added a 40 hr a week job. But, the good news? He'll be home for dinner and be able to spend a lot more time with the boys and me. We'll still miss him most weekends, but we're excited at this brand new season.

The latest recipe...

It's very overcast and windy today, Judah woke up with the sniffles and sleep deprivation is starting to catch up with me. I so wanted a nice brothy soup for lunch, but I don't buy canned soup. So, from scratch here we go! Found a super simple veggie soup recipe and made my own tweaks. Fifteen minutes to chop and dice, 5 minutes in the pressure cooker and wala! Sure hit the spot! The boys gobbled it up too! And you know you've got a tasty broth when they ask for straws to get every last drop. Now if only I could figure out how to get more sleep.

The Big "From Scratch" Experiment

At a play date last week, we moms got to talking about recipes and cooking from scratch. I have been on a huge "from scratch" kick for some time now cooking meals and snacks for my family completely from scratch. A) I know exactly what is in it. B) It's a whole lot cheaper than buying the grocery store's convenience version. C) It surprisingly doesn't take that much more time and D) It's just plain fun. So our conversation got me thinking. Yes, I have a newborn and yes life is pretty full right now, but why not experiment a little. So, I'm launching a from scratch experiment.... And what did we decide to tackle first? Chocolate pudding! It was the conversation starter after all. And then I remembered that my sister-in-law sent me a fabulous raw cookbook that had a chocolate mousse recipe in it made from avocados. Yes avocados! She had made it for her son's b-day one year and they all raved about it. So why not? And after viewing several different versions, here's the recipe we came up with:

Chocolate Pudding
1 avocado
2-3 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder
2-3 tbsp honey (you can also use agave nectar)
splash of vanilla
squeeze of lemon

And the verdict?



Caleb couldn't believe an avocado could taste so good! And Judah, well...pictures speak louder than words.

A little late...

As with most things these days, some activities I once freely indulged in have been put on the back bunner. Thus, my Easter pics from last weekend, that before would have promptly been downloaded and shared, are still in my camera. But alas, the house is unusually quiet and I can upload my pictures! So my post may be a little late by my standards, but what can you do?
And it's funny what can happen in a week anyway. Like how my little Kellen has grown so much or how we've discovered dairy is upsetting his little tummy. So yes, I've been off dairy for about a week now. I thought it would be so hard, but surprisingly, I've learned to enjoy substitutes. And we Walston's are about to turn the page in our storybook to a new and exciting chapter. So a lot can happen in a week. Stay tuned...

3 Weeks Later.....

Three weeks later and a lot has changed! Spring has sprung, my two oldest boys all of the sudden seem so big and independent and there are three car seats in my Ford Escape. Then there's the sweetness in my boys I've noticed towards their new baby brother.
Caleb is so in love with his new brother and can't go ten minutes without telling him so. Judah shows his affections a little differently like peeking in over the bassinet and yelling, "Mom, Kellen is awake!".
And then there is everything else. Like actually going somewhere. Leaving the house for a trip to the library is quite the event and grocery shopping, cooking dinner and running errands have to be very well thought out, planned and executed. But in the midst of all the change is a feeling of joy and contentment. There is a sense of taking in every moment and not sweating the small stuff. I just cleaned the floors for the first time yesterday, and although they were quite gross, reading to my kids or playing trains (and NAPPING) super ceded three weeks of dirty floors. So now, were kind of sorta in a groove. We can leave the house and do our weekly baking. And next week, we tackle house cleaning...maybe.