I Love to Grill

 Lemon and Dill Barbecue Salmon Kabobs [recipe via Plating Pixels]

If you follow me on Instagram, or are Facebook friends with me, you probably noticed my hashtag #ilovetogrill. 

 Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Kabobs [recipe via The Mediterranean Dish]

This summer I really got addicted to grilling. In general I don't cook very many of the same recipes more than once and this summer I embraced that principle with grilling.

Apple Cider Glazed Pork Chops [recipe via Delightful-E Made] 

with Peaches and Sugar Snap Peas

At first I thought I would be limited on what I could do on the grill, but I discovered a love of grilling and so many flavors that I hadn't experienced before.

Rack of Lamb [recipe via Food & Wine], Okra and Corn on the Cob

I grilled salmon, chicken, steak, shrimp, scallops, pork chops, lamb, veggies, and fruit. Oh, yeah and burgers too! The list goes on and on.

 Grilled Salmon and Sea Scallops with Sugar Snap Peas and Summer Squash

I especially loved making kabobs and tried every recipe I found on Pinterest that sounded like it might be good.

Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Kabobs with Bacon Wrapped Mushrooms 

[recipe via Taste and Tell]

Besides the amazing taste, one of the main reasons I love grilling is because of how easy it is to marinate food and fire up the grill for a meal. With a 3.5-year-old and an infant, time is a luxury I don't have a lot of, and grilling met my need for variety and great tasting food.

Sweet Maple BBQ Chicken Kabobs [recipe via A Dash of Sanity] with 

grilled Brussels Sprouts [recipe via Alton Brown] and Zucchini

Let me tell you, it was one delicious summer of food on the grill!

Teriyaki Salmon Skewers [recipe via Simply Recipes]

Now that the weather is cooling off, I will probably turn to warm soups and chili and cornbread as my go-to meals, but I truly love grilling, and when the weather permits, I will be outside with my grill!

Grilled veggies for The Pioneer Woman's Grilled Veggie Enchiladas 

[recipe via The Pioneer Woman]

Follow me on Pinterest and let me know if you have any favorite grilling recipes!

Hamburgers and Sweet Potato Fries

Chattanooga Aquarium Play Date

Now that school is in full swing (Tues - Thurs), we have been making an effort to have a friend day on Mondays and Fridays (sometimes this just means going to hang out at the Y, sometimes it means doing an activity, sometimes we do both).

On Monday we met up with some friends at the Chattanooga Aquarium. We had 8 kids with us, so we worked on a buddy system to keep track of the kids. They all did great. It didn't hurt that it was the middle of the week and not busy.

The oldest boy in our group, Patrick, buddied up with Jack. This worked well (for the most part). Jack kind of likes to do his own thing, but he also really likes hanging out with our friends' older boys.

We only had time for one building, but we did catch the divers in the big tank. I think all of the kids with us were brave and each asked a question.

 

We had such a fun time, even if we only had 1.5 hours to play.

If you haven't been to the Chattanooga Aquarium, I would definitely recommend it. We have a family pass this year and try to take advantage of it when we can.

Start of Preschool 2015, 3s Class

Last year, as I walked Jack to his first day of preschool, I had a big lump in my throat. It would be our first time apart for any appreciable amount of time during the day. I held back tears as he made this first transition of many that will prepare him for adulthood. My little social boy didn't bat an eye as he marched into his class with new friends and new teachers.

This year was a little different. We barely had time for a photo as I herded my sweet boy out the door and quickly buckled him and his little brother into the car. On the drive to school, we talked about the importance of not having a potty accident at school, and then in a flurry, I dropped him with a new teacher and new friends. I don't even think he stopped to hug me goodbye.

What a difference a year makes.

A month later, we are in less of a hurry. I am learning from my more experienced mom friends and packing lunches the night before, while also making a more concerted effort to not be late every.single.day. Jack is also taking a moment to pause and give me a hug and kiss before he runs off. Each morning at drop off, he also tells me that he will miss me. I love my sweet boy who is growing up too fast!

Here is a little about Jack at the start of Preschool 2015, 3s Class: 
(questions asked after one month of school, because I'm behind)

My teachers this year are: Mrs. Lisa and Mrs. Melinda.

I am: 3.5 years old.

I am: 40 inches tall and weigh 37 pounds.

My best friend's name is: Drew [I would be remiss to not include Audrey, Anya, Sammy and Roan, but he specifically said Drew when I asked]

My favorite thing to play is: Everything

My favorite color is: Every Color

My favorite book is: Madeline

My favorite TV show is: Rescue Bots

My favorite food is: Pizza

When I grow up, I want to be: A Fire Fighter Man

Something I really like: Playing with Drew at school

Something I don't like: Eating Food

My favorite thing about myself is: My Legs

Something I want to do this year: Go to Pumpkin Patch, the Fire House, Preschool and the Beach House.

A Look Back: Start of Preschool 2014, 2s Class

Hidden Hills Farm Tractor Play Day

Today marked our second visit to the Hidden Hills Farm and Saddle Club for a play day. It's hard to believe that Isaac was only a month old for our first visit! Thankfully Daniel was off of work today (after working the last 10 days with only one day off) and we were able to take advantage of the beautiful weather and a farm full of tractors to play on.

This play day was made for Jack and Daniel. They were in a truck heaven. Hopefully in a couple of years, Isaac will be enjoying this experience just as much.

There was a skid steer that Jack got to drive (and then ride in the bucket of).

There were tractors to sit on and play with all of the controls (and Daniel gladly patiently answered every question Jack had about every lever and button in every tractor).

There was a backhoe to operate (Daniel was in his mid-twenties before he got to use a backhoe, and may have been a teeny bit jealous).

There was a bucket on the backhoe to ride up in the air in (you just had to trust the operator working the bucket).

There was a Kubota utility vehicle to drive in the back field. Jack had fun steering it any way but in a straight line.

 

 

And of course, there were horse rides again.

This was little boy heaven (and I have two little boys and one big one if you count Daniel).

The Cow Milking day that we attended in May was a fun event, but the Tractor Day is going on our calendars as a family day for the future.

If you missed this week's Tractor Day, they are having another one next Thursday, Sept. 24. The cost to visit the farm is $10 for your first child and $5 for subsequent kids (babies are free). Tractor Day is definitely worth the visit. We had a wonderful time!

Jack gets to help drive a skid steer, then take a ride in the bucket.

Jack and Mommy ride in the Backhoe bucket.


Jack and Daddy play with the dump truck, while Isaac gets up close and personal with the skid steer and Mommy almost has a heart attack.

Cloth Diapers, 2015 Update

We have been using cloth diapers this time around (as we did with Jack) and I thought I would share a quick update.

We are actually using the same diapers we bought 3.5 years ago. We used them for about two years with Jack and then put them in storage. Of the 30 diapers we had, 10 leaked when we pulled them out to use for Isaac. Sadly, some of my favorite patterns are among our diapers that are no longer usable! It took me several weeks to figure out which diapers were the culprits and to set them aside. I tried stripping them, but that process did not seem to work.

We ended up purchasing 10 new diapers as replacements from Just Simply Baby (our favorite diaper the first time around). I still generally like this company, but was a little disappointed in two ways: 

1) Just Simply Baby no longer sells a microfiber insert. This was my favorite insert in that it dries the fastest and seemed to be the most absorbent in my experience. Their new standard inserts are called "Microboo" and they are really thick and take FOREVER to dry. (Microboo is a combination of Microfiber and Bamboo.) 

2) Several of my newly purchased diapers leak. This is disappointing since they are brand new. 

I reached out to the company regarding the fact that they no longer sell microfiber AND the fact that some of my new diapers leak. They offered to sell me some leftover microfiber diapers (in lieu of an exchange – even though I thought I ordered microfiber) and they have not responded regarding the new leaking diapers. This is disappointing.

Anyways, overall we are still having a good cloth diapering experience with Isaac. I like that he rarely gets diaper rashes (when he does, a little coconut oil clears it right up). I like that the price is so much cheaper than disposable. And I like that cloth diapers don't have a smell to them (I have been using some Honest Company diapers that were given to me and they don't smell... however, in my experience with disposable diapers, I think that Pampers Cruisers work best, but they smell).

Also, we rarely have blowouts with our cloth diapers, so I am a big fan, even if it takes a little extra work with having to wash them (Rockin Green is still our go-to detergent).

Previous Cloth Diaper Posts:
Cloth Diapers (2012)
Cloth Diapers, A Follow Up (2013) 

2015 Vacation: The Beach with Kids

Several people have asked me about our beach experience with a baby and toddler. Was it worth it? How did we manage? That kind of thing. So I thought I would share a bit about how we made it work and whether we would do it again.

 

When it was just Daniel and I, we would occasionally vacation at the beach but we rarely got in the water. We were content to bike and take long walks on the beach. And we typically went to the beach in the winter to avoid crowds (you won't see us at Disney World any time soon).

With kids, we have discovered that vacations are easier if we actually embrace the beach and take advantage of the water and sand (though we still try to go right after peak season –late summer/early fall– to avoid crowds). Most kids are content to splash in the water and dig all day. Jack (age 3.5) is no exception and would spend every day digging if he could. The beach offers endless sand for this purpose.

Here are some ways we have found that make vacations to the beach with children a little easier:
Our best tip for planning vacations is to decide on a budget before you get started. We have learned that this saves us a lot of frustration (this is a good idea whether or not you have kids). When Daniel and I start on the same page regarding how much we are willing to spend, we don't spend valuable vacation time fighting over the cost of restaurants or outings. Plus with a cap, I don't think we have ever spent the entire amount we have allocated. With kids we spend less money because we spend the majority of our time on the actual beach playing.

One thing we have relied on (for the last 10+ years) is the website vrbo.com (Vacation Rental By Owner). We always book last minute to get the best deals. Daniel is great at calling potential rentals and negotiating a cheaper rate. We have discovered that you have more negotiation power when 1) you are not set on a specific location, and 2) you are willing to go last minute. With kids we think that being right on the beach, with quick access to the water, is ideal (more on that below).

Besides negotiating price, we also ask about the flexibility of check-in and check-out times. On vrbo.com you can see the booking calendar and if you know that no one is checking out the day you are checking in, you can generally ask to arrive early. It's the same with leaving. If you can ask to check out a little later, it makes a world of difference. This year we had a noon check-out instead of 10am. With kids, the extra two hours made a big difference. We had time to go down to the beach one last time. Time to walk Sophie. Time for everyone to get cleaned up without having to rush out the door.

Another way we take advantage of the beach is to book lodging right on the water. On our first trip to Destin with Jack, we were in a condo that was across the street from the beach. This meant lugging all of our gear down to the water, and having to lug it back. We had to plan more and pack more items (like lunch and lots of snacks) so we could take full advantage of the beach. The last two years we stayed right on the beach and it made a world of difference. We could run in and out of our house or condo at our leisure. We could easily take Isaac back inside if he was getting fussy while the other parent stayed with Jack. We found that we were in and out at the beach all day long instead of making one big, arduous trip to and from the beach each day.

For gear we used a small float with sunshade for Isaac and a puddle jumper for Jack. Jack really just needed shovels and buckets to be happy. Having a mat to sit on was nice and we figured with the outdoor shower at our condo, we didn't have to drag towels down to the water with us. 

We do wish we had a large pop-up tent (or umbrella) and chairs. My sister had these things in her arsenal last summer when we went to Mexico Beach and it made sitting on the beach more enjoyable (we are learning!).

With Isaac being 4 months old, there were definitely some challenges – Isaac would get hot and we were always trying to keep him shaded so he wouldn't burn. But overall, we are glad we went. The beach is a great place for young kids and worth the challenge of a baby.

Our days went like this: 
Sleep in. Eat breakfast. Go to the beach for a couple of hours. Get cleaned up. Go somewhere for lunch. Go back to the beach (Daniel and I took turns taking Isaac back inside and playing with Jack). Get cleaned up for dinner. Take a walk on the beach as a family after dark. Go to bed. Repeat. 

Besides having a laid-back schedule that didn't wear everyone out, breaking up our day like this meant that we had lots of built-in potty breaks for Jack.

The biggest things we have embraced are 1) you need a budget, 2) lodging on the beach is ideal, 3) you don't need a lot of stuff (swimsuits and sunblock, check) and you don't have to do a lot of activities to have happy kids, and 4) we need to invest in some beach specific gear like a tent and chairs.

I think my best advice would just be to keep it simple, and if you forget anything, I'm sure you can find a Walmart or Target (we did!).

Chats with Jack ⎮ June-September, 2015

I am determined to keep blogging about life, I know one day I will look back and be thankful I did. That being said, my kids are only 3.5-years and 4-months old and it is already getting to be more challenging. Hoping to just keep at it as I can. Here are some of the interesting chats we have had with Jack over the last couple of months...

I'll check the rer-mometer [monitor] and let you know when Isaac wakes up.

When someone works SO HARD to build something, we don't tear it down. 
[very upset at Sophie for knocking over a block tower].

Daniel and I were discussing an [electrical] transformer in our backyard and Jack wanted to know where the transformer [robot] was.
D: Some words mean more than one thing.
J: It's more than meets the eye?
D: Something like that.

Mommy, I found a nice spider! 

My tummy hurts... I had too much sugar.

J: God lives at CVS.
Me: Actually, God lives everywhere.
J: He doesn't live in my neighborhood.
Me: ...

When Isaac gets bigger we will have two Jacks.

Jack is convinced that sneezes are called "bless yous." 

Mommy has to read because she knows the words to all the books.
 

Aunt Emily is special, so we can park in the blue space [handicapped parking].

One of my friends doesn't love me. I love everybody, but not bad guys.

I can jump off the diving board, my goggles will protect me.

Me: Is daddy smart?
J: Yes.
Me: Is mommy smart?
J: All of us are smart.

 
Mommy, when I grow up I want to be a superhero.

Daddy does rock climbing for work.

Mommy, why are they the champions of the world? [listening to Queen in the car]

Everything is my favorite.

Hey Daddy, don't rest!
 

Done going potty but still sitting on the toilet... Jack was looking in Daniel's Northern Tools catalog and said, "I'm looking at all the machines."

D: Does Anya have any brothers or sisters?
J: Yes, I'm her only brother.
D: Are you anyone else's brother?
J: Yes, Charlotte and Audrey's.
D: Is Isaac your brother?
J: No.
D: Are you Isaac's brother?
J: Yes.

Is zoo-case really sugary? I like zoo-case. [koolaid]

It's a piranha [pinata].
 

 

There is a bad little cat with green eyes that is scaring me and making me itch inside. It goes in my leg and sucks my blood. Can I sleep with you? [has a recurring bad dream about a cat making him itch]

J: It's the Mariana Trench.
Me: That's the deepest part of the ocean.
J: No, it's the deepest, darkest place on Earth.
[thank you Octonauts]

Asher is my friend and he loves duct tape.
 

J: I want to paint my room.
D: That's a lot of work buddy.
J: That's ok it won't be hard for five of us.
D: There's only three of us.
J: I've got a couple of friends.

I have to get good at my new skills.

Mommy, grass and salmon are yummy. [dill on the salmon]

Note from Daniel:
The last few nights that we've “played” in the garage, Jack has insisted on setting up both camp chairs, then insists that we sit in them and have snacks while he props his feet up on the lift. [I suggested I use the office chair; but it just wouldn’t do].

Basically he’s been making his own man cave.

He also insisted on wearing the PFD [his old one that’s small]. Can’t remember why, I think it was to protect him from bad guys?

Sees picture of himself playing with Tonka truck at 10 months and says, "Look Isaac's playing with the truck."

Jack told me he wanted the episode with the five-zero and directed me to the number 50! 
He is also adding numbers up to 10 with the use of his fingers.

Jack dumped a box of craisins on the floor. He picked them up [they were all covered in dog hair] and proceeded to tell me that I could have the furry ones.

J: Go mommy.
Me: The light is red, we have to wait until the light says we can go.
J: Mommy, lights don't talk.

Says things are "easy peasy."
 

I've been rewarding Jack with tokens that he can exchange to watch TV, he calls them token tots.

J: Here you go sir.
Me: Thank you sir.
J: You're welcome sir.
[I've been working on teaching him that you are supposed to say "ma'am" if it's a woman]

Mommy, did you know that all boys are action figures? [after a conversation with Aunt Angela about barbies vs action figures]

Me: Did you know my name is Virginia Cheree Moore?
J: [shakes head] I don't like that name.
Me: What's my name?
J: Cheree and Mommy.

Mr. He-Man [instead of Mr. T] says "I pity the fool." 
[keeps confusing Mr. T and He-Man action figures]

   

I'm doing it the old fashioned way.

Me: That's how we learn, we investigate and discover new things.
J: And we do flip overs.

To me: You went poop. Great job!

D: Who knows more about cars, Mommy or Daddy?
J: Mommy does.

When they talk fast it's called Spanish.

 

Me: Are you flying in a spaceship, airplane or helicopter?
J: None. I'm flying with rocket boots.

 

Recently learned how to spell his name: J A C K spells Jack!