Funny Boys

Jul 29, 2010 by Lindsay

Today has been a quiet day around our house. I have some sort of stomach bug that has forced me to do some bonding with the couch and thankfully the boys have been great about playing by themselves so I can rest. It’s late in the afternoon and I have managed to stomach a popsicle and a peach. Poor baby boy is kicking me in the stomach as if to say, “Momma, please feed me something!”

Anyways, the title for this post came to mind two days ago when we were riding in the car and Andrew said something that just made me laugh. I had the thought to sit and write down some of the funny things he has said lately so I can remember them forever!

Andrew Spencer at 2 years & 4 months old ~

• After sitting at a stop light next to another car the light turns green and we both start to go, apparently I wasn’t going fast enough because Andrew said, “Mommy! That car is beeding (beating) us!”

• One morning during breakfast I told Andrew that I had bought tickets for us to go see our family in Ohio and I asked him if he knew how we were going to get there, his response. “On a paceship (spaceship!) To finity and yeond! (To infinity and beyond)

• I went in to get the boys up from naps and greeted them by saying, “Hello, sweet boys!” Andrew responded with, “Hello, sweet Momma! You’re booful!” (beautiful)

• After discovering that he had done something that deserved a discipline Andrew held up his hand to me and says, “I have my discipline here.” (Wanting to avoid having it on his rear end!)

• We had eaten snacks in the car one afternoon and Andrew left his snack bowl there. After discovering it a few days later he says, “Mommy, I want some cratoons (croutons) in my bowl and eat them in the libin’ room (living room) and watch Petting Farm.”

• Talking about the baby on the way I asked him what we should call the baby, after a second he said, “Blueberry!”

• Daddy was talking about people’s names and he asked Andrew what he calls me, “Daddy calls Mommy on the phone!”

• Andrew was put in his crib one day for whining and was told that we would come talk to him when he had settled down. After a few seconds we could hear him calling out, “Daddy, I’m done whining now!”

• We did video chat with my grandparents in Ohio one afternoon and I explained to him about how they live in Ohio and we are going to go see them. Then I asked if he remembered his Mimi. I told him that Mimi was my mommy but that she lives in Heaven now with Jesus. He thought for a minute and said, “Oh, Mimi’s with Uncle Kevin!”

• In response to almost any question asked his current thing is to start with, “Um, actually….”

Until about a month ago Joshua hardly ever said things. We have him clap his hands to say, “please” and “more” but other than that he didn’t have much interest in talking. But the past few weeks we have noticed him saying more and more words. Joshua at 16 months old says ~

• sshhhsss (shoes)

• bye bye

• Papa (he uses this for Spencer’s grandpa and my grandpa)

• peeshhh (please)

• when asked what a duck says he can respond with, “caak, caak!”

• obaaa (obey)

• he will imitate any funny noises we make like blowing his lips or making a “roar” if we are talking about lions or tigers

I am sure that in a year he will be saying some funny things just like his big brother! There are sure to be many funny quotes to share with three little boys in the house!

I took these pictures today after naps. The boys both sleep with a blanket and a sippy cup with water for nighttime and naps. But sometimes the end up with multiple blankets and/or sippy cups in the bed. What cracks me up is that when I go into get them they both insist on bringing everything out with them, Andrew is usually standing there with an armload of stuff waiting to be picked up. Today when I was getting Joshua he was sitting down with a sippy in each arm staring at his two blankets trying to figure out how he was going to carry those too! I just laughed as I threw a blanket over each of his shoulders and hoisted him and all his loot out of bed! haha

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Field of Dreams

Jul 3, 2010 by Spencer

Last weekend we traveled to Gainesville for my brother’s wedding. Congratulations Travis and Claire! It was a morning wedding so we were done by about 2pm. Like any good Gator fan wanted we wanted to visit the Swamp, a field of dreams. Kids dream of playing in front of 90,000 plus fans at the Swamp on a Saturday night. We wanted to go but after a good yet long morning the boys were falling apart and it was now 2:30 on a HOT summer day in Florida. Plus we had a 3 hour drive home. We were tempted to just go home so the boys could get a nap in the van.

Lindsay and I have been to games, most memorable was Tim Tebow’s last home game against FSU last November. But we have never been when its empty. Plus the boys had never been there and we probably won’t be bringing them back any time soon. Everything inside of me as a parent said, “forget about it and go home.” After all the boys reached their melting point about an hour earlier. Getting them in the van and on the road would give them a long overdue nap. But something else inside of me said, “Seize the moment.” So Lindsay and I pulled out of the hotel parking lot with the interstate on the right calling our name we turned left towards the UF campus. We were risking our sanity to visit the Swamp.

We made the trek around the stadium to take pictures by the Bull Gator outside the stadium and then headed inside. It’s crazy to think that this empty structure has been part of so many memories, so many winning touchdowns, interceptions, sports center catches and the occasional defeat. When it’s full of people it’s electrifying, when it’s empty it’s surreal. We took a moment to take it all in, Andrew practiced his Gator Chomp a few times, I think Joshua got a few Chomps in as well, and started taking some pictures.

Typically if you try and go on the field a security guard will appear out of nowhere and tell you to leave. However we noticed a few people on the field so we decided to jump the wall and let the boys run on the field of dreams. While the boys couldn’t fully comprehend that they were running on the same that we see on tv every fall they had a blast! I must say that is was fun for me too.

As parents often times we wait for special events to do something with our kids or we just think of the extra hassle and skip it all together. I’ve realized over the last few weeks that our boys just love going outside and running. My boys love fields soccer fields, baseball fields, football fields, any field with open space. They don’t need fancy equipment or even a ball just a field and a dad to run with them. It’s summer in Florida and it’s HOT but kids don’t care because they have an open field to run in!

So parents, I’m talking to you dads in particular, get off the couch and take your kids outside. Pack some water, sunscreen, maybe a ball and get outside. Too many times I choose the easy way, pop in Toy Story and watch a movie with them. Not any more. We are going outside.

If you don’t have kids or they are no longer at home find a single mom and offer to take her boys out become a father figure to those boys, they need it. Not that a single mom can’t do a great job raising her boys but a great mom can’t replace a good dad, and a great dad can’t replace a good mom.

You don’t have to wait to visit the Swamp, any field can be a field of dreams!

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Two Recipes and a Picky Eater

Mar 18, 2010 by Lindsay

Last week we had a party to go to and I was supposed to bring a “casserole.” I made Delmonico Potatoes just like my Mom used to make them, they are one of my favorite things!

You will need:

8-9 baking potatoes (a few less if they are HUGE like the ones I used, I think I only used 5)
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 C milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
paprika
butter

Boil potatoes with skins on until done (the skins will start falling off when they are nice and done.)

Peel and let cool.

Shred them into a buttered 9×13 dish. (I am sure that a bag of hashbrowns would work the same and would allow you to skip over these first three steps!)

Heat the cheddar, whipping cream, milk, salt and dry mustard on the stove until smooth.

Pour cheese mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika and dot with butter.

The recipe says to refrigerate overnight and remove one hour before baking, but I always skip that step and they seem to turn out fine! Bake at 325 for 1 hour uncovered.

This next “recipe” can’t really be considered a full-fleged recipe. It’s only two ingredients that make for a very tasty lunch.
All you need is this

and some of this

Lunch is served! It’s a very sweet dressing and it really can be eaten on a salad all by itself! (If you want to get a little fancier with it I would suggest adding strawberries and pecans too!)

Now, about my picky eater. I take full responsibility for allowing this little munchkin to become quite the picky eater.

When he started eating baby food if he wrinkled his nose and turned away I just moved on to something he did like because I didn’t feel up to a fight. (I was lazy! I admit it!) Well a few weeks ago I realized what a limited diet he had and knew it was time to make some changes. Also, he is almost a year old and I am ready to be done feeding baby food! So after a few miserable feeding times that could be titled, “Mommy vs. J-Man – Battle of the Wills” I am glad to say that he is becoming quite the self-fed-variety-eating baby!

We still have a ways to go before I can say “He will eat anything I put in front of him,” but we are getting there!

I have it admit that it was worth the struggle for a couple days to now have a happy, eating baby! Now we just have to work on being a “tidy eater!” Haha!

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The end of a chapter

Nov 5, 2009 by Lindsay

Tonight is a monumental night in the Blunden household. Spencer and I were playing with the boys on our bed and I got a side view of Andrew’s teeth. I thought to myself “He’s getting little buck teeth.” So I looked at Spencer and asked, “should we pitch the binky tonight?”

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My Little Sweet ‘Tater

Sep 27, 2009 by Lindsay

Well we are officially starting baby food with Joshua. He is slowly warming up to the idea.

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