Just Playing and Swimming the night away

  We had a very busy Saturday.  In the morning, we left early to watch Robin at her last swim meet.  Baylor had fun watching her swim and cheer her on.  I forgot the camera because we were rushing out the door and Baylor was not really into the whole trip to begin with so he was a bit distracting.  After that we headed to the grocery store for corn and milk and a few other things we needed for the weekend.  Then it was across the river to a store to make a return and pick up a few other things we really 'needed'.  We are bicoastal and will shop on either side of the river here.  Some people don't cross the river for much other than maybe a trip to the other hospital or something major. But it works both ways and there are people on the east shore who never come to the west shore for anything.  After shopping for those much needed pool and backyard toys it was back across the river to home.  Baylor loves going over the bridges and seeing the trees in the water.  Now they are on the islands but in the rainy spring, the islands were underwater and Baylor first saw them growing out the water. As soon as we got home, we put the cold stuff on the refrigerator, grabbed a birthday gift and hustled to the neighbor's for a Vanessa's 4th birthday party.  Thankfully they had not started so I felt less guilty for being late.  The weather was nice and breezy under the tree and the party was fun for everyone.  It was past nap time when we headed across the driveway home. 

Baylor did not get into the pool until after dinner. We were waiting for Addy to show up as we were going to play with her while her parents went to a birthday party.  It was her first time here without her mom and she was upset for a few minutes.  Baylor and Addy go to the same sitter so they are well acquainted and Baylor was comforting her when she was sad.  He even offer her his own wooby for comfort. It was interesting watching him play at his house with her.  He became quite bossy, 'we don't put that there,' 'we don't do it that way' etc.  Lori had a talk with him about being a gentleman and his manners.  I am not sure if it was the talk or he just got used to her being here but he did get better.  

See the new yellow water toy we 'needed' while shopping?  It is part of a set of 4.

Addy liked the doghouse and had fun on the slide.  She loves her babies like Baylor loves his wooby and Daisy. 

Addy has an inground pool at her house but up until last week she has never gone in it.  Even as a baby she hated water.  They used to fight over who did not have to give here a bath because it was such a struggle. It was her idea to get into the our pool with Baylor and she was a little mermaid!  She is also using the potty and I think at least times during the short swim she said she needed to use the potty.  I  had brought one outside with us so it was a short skip to the lou.  All were false alarms so getting her wet outfit off and on each time was the biggest hassle.  But we would like to get Baylor on the potty so it was a taste of our future.

Megan and Jamie had a good time at the party and we were glad to have Addy for a few hours.  They are moving back down here in a few weeks into a home Jamie is buying in a neighboring town, and I hope we get together more often.  These kids gestated four feet apart 5 days a week for 9 months and were born 4 days apart so I think they are pretty connected.  It is good for them to grow up together as friends. It is a good thing. 

Bubbles

Finally, we have strawberries

Apparently it was a bit sour.

And now we are waiting for tiny tomatoes!

Sunflowers

P.S.  I am taking off the date stamp and going to suck it up that I will not know the day the photo was taken.

Canadian Bacon anyone?

How crazy am I to make my own Canadian bacon?  Call me crazy but I did it.  We love Canadian bacon in our home and it is expensive to buy the good stuff that is not preformed and fatty.  The WWW is packed with knowledge and within seconds I had an easy recipe/process.  A few more clicks and I bought the pink salt on Ebay and soon I was on the way to the grocery store for a whole pork loin.  They are pretty easy to find and bonus! it was boneless.  I am not afraid of a kitchen challenge, obviously, but boning meat is more of a waste of money and bones.  Chicken bones can be roasted and made into stock but pork bones really do not have much use. 

The process is easy: make a brine of salt, sugar, pink salt (nitrate), and water.  Submerge for two days, or three if you forget about it Tuesday night.  Technically it is considered Canadian bacon at this point but I wanted to smoke it too.  I love my kettle grill and love smoking meats!  And these babies smoked up beautifully!  They are a bit salty for my taste and next time I make them I will do the after brine soak to leech out some of the extra salt.  But for the cost of a pound and a half of Canadian bacon from Wegmans, I have two nice sized slabs of it for many breakfasts!  And the rest of the loin made delicious chops on the grill! 

Breakfast at my house anyone?

Water Baby

I think I  have mentioned Baylor loves water!  Yesterday he was in the pool three separate times.  I was in once with him and Lori was in it after dinner.  He just enjoys it so much.  He loves to pour water down my front and ask where it goes.  He loves his water shooters.  He loves to kick and splash and surf and put his face in the water and float and laugh! 

He loves to use the water shooters (we do not call them guns, shooters just sound nicer).  He has pretty good aim too and will tease me pretending to shoot another direction and quick aim it at me. 

He does not watch TV really but he does like his John Deere DVDs on the computer.  His friend Daisy does too.  She is the little gray and white cat he is cuddled up with. 

We tried a new fountain head on the pond and I think I like it better than the bubbler one.  You can run your finger through this one and it reacts like clay on a potter's wheel.  There is a sprinkler head also and I am sure we will try that one too but I am fond of this one right now so it is staying. 

And it is pretty to photograph!

A rare shot of me, because I am the one with the camera skills.  Especially rare because I am all wet and it is really not a good look for me.

When I was not in the pool with him I had him wear his floater which he loves anyway.  I am not sure what protection it would provide in a 12 inch deep pool but it made me feel better!

Lori works in a warehouse which is always hotter than the outside in summer and colder than the outside in winter.  She worked 4 days in a row, killer for someone who usually works 3 days a week.  After dinner she got in work clothes and all.  I did not feel like changing Baylor's clothes again so he went chunky dunking.  He loved it. 

Happy Birthday Robi

Last weekend was Robin's birthday party.  She is the daughter of my good friend Steph.  I have known her since I moved to this area in 1997 or 1998.  I can never remember the year because it was a crazy time in my life and I think I have blanked out a lot of it.  But I do remember how I met Steph.  I was at a new job and she had already been there for a few months.  She was walking around and I remember thinking I hope I get to work with her someday because she seemed like someone I would like to be friends with. I got my wish when they opened up a very early shift, 6 to 2:30 and we both applied for and were put on that shift.  We became friends like I wanted and have been ever since.  She helped me get through that rough time and I am grateful to her and her family who have essentially added me to their family. 

She is lucky to have a summer birthday because it can be outside with lots of people.  They have a nice sized backyard and this year added a trampoline.  It was pretty crazy with too many kids until Robin's Aunt Wendy took over and only allowed one kid at a time and made them stand in line.  Baylor waited his turn but I asked Wendy if her daughter Abby could show him the ropes.  He loves older girls and she is an excellent big sister and knew what to do. 

After a bit she was done jumping and Baylor had it all to himself.  I love this shot, he looks like he is the instructor to an exercise video.

I remember going to see Robin in the hospital the day after she was born. Now look at her, jumping with my son on the trampoline on her birthday. Baylor loved playing with her. 

And jumping by himself again.  We will be sure to come over some time when there are less kids around and he can jump until his legs wobble!

Happy Birthday Robin! 

And finally a picture with Nana Heidi.  She is Steph's mom, one of my adopted Mom's, and one of Baylor's grandmas.  She watched Baylor on Fridays from the time I went back to work in January 2009 to October 2009 when she became sick.  She ended up having a triple bypass and had a stroke while having surgery so she was not able to watch him anymore after that.  But she did a wonderful job with him when he was there and we are so glad she was able to watch him during those months.