Bunt Cake

Usually I only use recipes I have a high success rate at when company is coming over.
Today I had brownies planned for some friends who were coming to dinner (the brownies were for dessert) only to find out when Jeff called at lunch that they did not like chocolate! Crazy none chocolate eaters aside, I did not have a dessert.

What I did have was a pumpkin bread with icing (box mix).
As I was looking at the directions I noticed one could use a bunt cake pan to cook it. Guess what I just got for Christmas!




- From my iPhone

Smile!

- From my iPhone, iGoblin

Max's Birthday and My Birthday

Max's birthday was the 13th (he turned 4). We went bowling with my parents, Jeff's parents, Sonja and Jordan. Good times were had by all.
Sorry I have no pictures as I was to busy running pizza and bowling.
Sonja and Jordan hosted cupcakes and presents. At my request Max got a lot of clothes. I know it is not super exciting but he needed them! He fits a 4 or a 5T!
Here is Max in the superman nighties he got.





Max had his 4 year doctor appointment and he is practically perfect in every way. He got 6 shots all the usual immunizations; chicken pox, mmr, flu etc (Jeff had to bear hug him but he recovered quickly)
Actually he is quite proud now and will tell you all about his "6 shots in my legs"
Here is Max playing at the doctors office before his appointment.






Then there is my birthday. I am 29, wow that is almost 30 (then I will be old).
Tricked you, you thought this was not going to be a post about the Childrens's Museum, guess where we went the morning of my birthday.

I wanted some place free (we have a year membership) that would keep them entertained so I did not have to break up fights all morning.
Here is Gwen playing.






Max sorting fruit





Gwen playing with a projector





Max and Gwen snacking






Gwen driving a car. She chauffeurs anyone else who wants to play.






- From my iDea

Haircuts

Max and Gwen got haircuts today.



Gwen mainly got a trim. Not much difference but it did perk up the curls!



Max was not so willing to hold still. If you have seen him recently this should be enough to make you think "Wow, that is short!"
I loved the full look but the mop that would never lay flat was getting to me.

- From my iGoblin

We Have Come to an Accord

Gwen decided she would let me knit if I let her hold my pinkie finger. It's not a great system but at least it is a system.
I should add to all of this she did not sleep well last night and has an awful cold.
I looked over at her after a few minutes of knitting....






The rocking motion of holding my finger while knitting had knocked her out. Still tightly attached to my finger.
What can you do when a grumpy baby has finally found a peaceful moment wedged in next to you? Other then her death grip on my finger this is actually rather pleasant.






Looking around at the few things I can reach- I traded her a knitting needle for my finger!

Alpaca blanket here we go!

- From iGoblin

Hard to Make Progress

It is going to take a very long time to finish Sasha's alpaca blanket this way.




Those are Gwen's hands



I think I will have to teach her to knit before she will let go.

- From iGoblin

Tacoma Children's Museum

We love the Children's museum. We received a year membership last year for Christmas and it has been great. We go at least once a month (more if I can manage it like in the summer).
Anyway we had a great time this Saturday.












They have a farmer's market set up with baskets, vegetables, fruits, a cash register and ground you can "plant" them in. Gwen loves to collect things so she put everything in her basket!


They also have a mini lighting board (you can see why I like this place). There are three theater lights, each with a basic color gel (red, yellow and blue). There are three sliders on the board Gwen is sitting at; you can mix the colors any way you want!









And where is Max you may ask...
He would be anywhere there is balls. Brand new is the ball pit with tubes to put the balls in.










The staff at the Museum is great they are ever present tidying and setting up. I do not know for sure who made it but this was cool. Max could put the ball in one tunnel and it would roller coaster around and come out ten feet away. He and a few other boys (no I am not being sexist that was who was there) played for a while each taking turns rolling.











Gwen enjoys the office phone. Although I think she thinks it is a cell phone, she does not stay near the wall but wandered all over with it.












This is Max's favorite exhibit hands down. There is a magnetic wall and PVC pipes with magnets that one can organize to make mazes for balls to go down. One of the coolest parts is on the far left there is a vacuum tube which one puts the balls in and it sucks them up to the top.
The first day Max saw this he would not do anything else.











- From my iDea