Sunday, May 29, 2011

Sunday Morning Pancakes at the Hayes'

Ring, Ring…
Melissa: Well, hello there Momma!!!
Me: Hey, whats up? Wanna come over for breakfast? I can make pancakes, bacon and I have fruit…just come over please!!!! I need adult interaction, this operation potty training is getting to me.
Melissa: (laughter) Sure, I just got out of the shower. Are we still going to go the fountain?
Me: Um, yah it doesn’t look too windy out. Just thought we could have some breakfast and then head over.
Melissa: OK, T is still sleeping. I will get ready, and then wake him and load him up. Are you like “getting ready” ready?
Me: (Laughing) Oh no, I haven’t put make-up on since last Sunday, YES as in a week ago!!! Well, I take that back, I put a little on at the cabin. But I am not planning on getting all “done up”.
Me: (Screaming at Jackson) “Hey Jack, remember you have big boy pants on…do you have to go potty?
Jackson: (Screaming back at me) NOOOOO mommy, no that’s not OK. (his new saying…according to him NOTHING is okay)
Melissa: (more laughter) Wow, sounds like fun at your house during operation potty training…
Me: OH YES!!! OK lover (yes, we call each other lover) when will you be here?
Melissa: see you in 40. Need anything?
Me: NOPE! Okay, Drive safe, see you soon. BYE!!!!

After I got off the phone I realized…I don’t have any pancake mix, my house was a disaster and Jackson was running around telling ME what to do.
1st things first, go upstairs and throw on a dress…last thing Melissa wants to see is ME in the little nighty I was wearing. We don’t want to scare our guests!
Dressed… check
Deodorant…check
Brush teeth…check
Yelling downstairs at Jackson if he has to go potty…his response still has not changed….NOOOOOOO Mommy, no potty, that’s not okay.
I looked at myself in the mirror and thought….”really how long will it take to throw on some foundation and mascara?”… check
Back downstairs…
House is still trashed…(Not really, but I cannot see straight when there is more than like five different things pulled out and all over the floor) No time to pick up, got to think of a way to make pancakes WITHOUT pancake mix.
Light bulb went on in my head…make them from scratch!
So I pulled out the cookbook of recipes I have…blew off the dust (lol, seriously) and opened it. Sure enough there was the little post-it note with the homemade pancake recipe AND I had all the ingredients!
Now who better to help me than my little “No mommy, its not okay” monster!
I will walk you through the steps on how we made our homemade pancakes, and I will not leave ANYTHING out!
Post-it with the recipe

Mommy's Little Monster Helper
...and our ingredients

Cracking the eggs
Shell and all, so when he wasn't looking
...I tossed it and cracked a new one! 

Ready to pour the flour in

Did you know that in order to make
the Hayes' homemade pancakes
your assistant needs to wear one
croc AND it must be
on the wrong foot????
(side note: wow, my cabinets need some help...anyways different day, back to pancakes)


Pouring the flour in

next is the milk

taste test #1
lots more to come...keep scrolling
(side note: thinking to myself, should I show Melissa the photos before we eat OR after?
I went with after!!!!)

Sugar


Taste test #2
...pretty sure by the smile on his face its tasting pretty good!

Taste Test #3
AND for the record this was his little scoop of sugar and the teaspoon did not go back into the mixing bowl, just an FYI

OK this is where it gets interesting
Baking Powder...

I told him it was yucky...
I swear...

But he insited
...and agreed!

Salt
...look at that hand in the bowl
Pretty sure that is Taste Test #4
I am loosing track

...time to mix

Taste Test #5 coming up...

told you...

... and he LIKES it!

Good ol' Aunt Jemima

Confession...I lied
I left out something...
Vanilla...I added vanilla. 
Its not in the recipe, but its a MUST!!

OK back to pancakes... 
on the skillet cooking...
YES, its 10:45 a.m
and YES my stove is dirty
Sorry, this was all last minute...ReMeMbEr?!?!?

Mommy's Little Monster Helper was not allowed to help with the hot skillet...
...so he went and watched out the window for his bestest...TrEnToN!!!!

In the mean time, I was jamming out to my play list on Pandora (those of you who KNOW me, know my love for Pandora) I made the bacon (bless the inventor who invented microwavable bacon),
cut strawberries, set the table, lit the candles AND flipped pancakes...
I know I AM amazing! (wink, wink)

40 minutes later...
Trenton arrived!

Told you...
table set and candles lit

Life is good
and we made today
EVEN better!!!

Time to EaT!

Bacon...my child LOVES bacon!

...yes a must for Melissa and I
MoNsTeRs

Pretty sure in this photo
Melissa was wishing her Monster came with vodka!

...come Lord Jesus,
be our Guest,
and let this food
to US be blessed... AMEN!!!

We all ate...not in silence of course
not with two- two year olds
there was words...
LOTS of words!


while we cleaned up the kitchen
the boys sat on the couch and giggled as they
watched Chicken Little

...in a pancake comma

After we cleaned up the kitchen
Melissa showed me Trentons lover
...Sugarland
When he heard her come on he came running to the computer!
...at least we know he has good taste!

Now off the fountain!!!
(those photos will be in a different post!)

(last side note: I didn't tell Melissa about all the taste tests! LOL)





PaPa's Cabin

Since I had some time off from work, Ashley, Jackson and I decided to drive up to the cabin on Thursday night. Our thoughts were we could miss the Memorial Day traffic and get out of the Valley. Typically I would be typing get out of the heat, but its been BEAUTIFUL here, so I am not complaining.

Jackson fell asleep before we even got onto the highway.
He did not nap all day, he told me he was to "nacited, for Aunt Ashies tar"
(translation: Too excited to ride in Aunt Ashley's car)

We stopped in Payson for fast food...and groceries.
 (its always fun to see what is lurking around inside Safeway, however I must admit I was a little let down, majority of the shoppers were quite "normal")

...and a new reason to stop in Payson
is to allow Jackson to go POTTY!
(happy dance)

Yes, the day has come...Jackson is officially out of diapers except for naps and night time, however he still wakes up dry from both!

While I was inside shopping, Aunt Ashie had Jackson go potty in the back of her car in his potty chair.
I really wish I could have seen this as when I got back in the car she told me she didn't know what to do so she just tossed it in the rocks! I can just see her looking around making sure no one was looking!
 And then trying to discreetly toss his potty in the rocks!

We got to the cabin safely, however once getting there we both realized we are the TWO biggest babies...
or I should say scardey cats.
She talked me into going up on the DARK porch and unlock the door
AND
go inside AND flip the breaker AND turn on all the lights AND make sure the murder was not in there...
all while she and Jackson kept watch in the car.
 The murder that lives there...wasn't there this time.
We have never SEEN him, but we both agree, he's there...

Not sure what came over me but I did it....I didn't like it,
but I did it.

You know this reminds me of something...
...the other night I saw a BIG black roach like bug in Jackson's room when I was leaving from putting him into his bed. It was like 2am and I caught a glimpse of it as I was leaving his room. It was slowly making its way across the floor. I stopped, froze and wanted to run, but it was in my baby's room.
So I looked for the closest thing to smash it, as I was barefoot.
I kept one eye on the little sucker and reached for one of Jackson's tennis shoes.
Something came over me and I felt like a GIANT (hell, I was compared to that sucker)
I slammed the shoe down on the little sucker so fast, and I got him. I lifted it slowly to make sure he was dead...
NOPE, still moving.
So I slammed it down again. This time gave it a little more muscle, but not enough to make guts go everywhere...hello, on carpet!!!
I left the shoe on the little sucker and ran for toilet paper.
I grabbed that little sucker as quickly as I lifted the shoe.
I shivered in "grossness" and flushed him down the toilet.
Then I went back in Jackson's room with the spot shot just to make sure there was no remains.

Sorry got off on a tangent...but what I was trying to say is
I am stronger, more brave lately....
and I like it!

So I got the cabin opened up and we got the car unloaded.
Yes, I had to walk to the car each time with Ashley as she is NOT
stronger or more brave,
 yet...

A little while later PaPa and Great Grandma Nobok showed up!
(translation: Nobok = Nowak)

Jackson and PaPa built us a fire...
it was chilly in there!


Jackson did EVERYTHING that PaPa did...


Watching the fire grow bigger...

PaPa and Jackson played a bit after they got settled,
Jackson showed PaPa how he goes potty on the potty and then we got Jackson ready for bed...
HUGE melt down.
To his defense it was like 10:45 p.m and he was overtired
So after I got his pj's on he crawled up on PaPa's lap and was OUT!
Seriously, in minutes Dad said he was snoring...



As Ashley and I watched Jackson crawl up on Dad's lap and snuggle right in and lay his head on Dad's shoulder we commented on how great it is that Dad and Jackson are so close...
Our Grandpa did not live that close, so we rarely got to really see him therefore we did not know him...
and never did we ever crawl up and snuggle in on his shoulder and fall asleep...

Good night Jackson, sweet cabin dreams!

Jackson woke up early the next morning...5:45 a.m early!!!
I kept him in bed with me until 6:00 a.m
...as we are still in operation potty training
 and I wanted to make sure he went potty ON the potty!
...and he did!

Finally by 7:00 a.m we had the whole cabin awake and up moving around.
Jackson was dressed and already outside exploring the lot...
Seeing him run around made me remember when I was little, running around with my sisters and playing...
I found my self smiling a lot as I watched him out exploring.
He is so very BRAVE (of course like his momma!!!) and would go down on the lower lot and walk all over, picking up sticks picking dandy lions, and rocks...he LOVES rocks.
Just like Aunt Ashie...She always had rocks in her pocket...and so does Jackson when he is up there.

He is very busy so it took ALL of us to keep an eye on him.


Out exploring

Next on Jackson's agenda...well actually not NEXT, it was always a priority on his list
but FINALLY it came true...
PaPa's motorcycle!!!!

We all laugh...PaPa's got a really cool motorcycle!


"PaPa, whatcha doin?"


Pulling the quad out of the shed...
aka: PaPa's motorcycle
I am still laughing to myself...

Jackson did EVERYTHING that Dad did...
I think he truly idolizes Dad...and he respects Dad.
...who wouldn't?!?!?!
FINALLY...
a ride on PaPa's motorcycle!!!
...still laughing
...and finally alone time for Momma!
Don't get me wrong, I love him...But it was a nice 5 minute break for me!

I actually got to get dressed, wash my face, brush my teeth and slapped some make-up on...
...then I heard, the front door fly open
 "where's my momma..."
I wanted to close the bathroom door and hide
...too late
little feet running down the hall....
bathroom door flys open...
the CUTEST little boy in the door way...
"I found you, momma...whatcha doin momma"?
alone time....OVER!


Next...
Time to water all the trees, plants and flowers


Jackson pays close attention to EVERYTHING you do...
I adjusted the hose, so he re-adjusted the hose...

working on MomMom's flower garden...
something about this photo makes me see Mom...
Maybe cause he always helped Mom with it, or cause she loved it so much...
not sure what it was...
but when I took this picture and looked at it...
I smiled and whispered..."are you here Mom"?
...I am sure she was.

Next was a walk with Great Grandma Nobok...
...I LOVE this photo


maybe I LOVE this one more...


but  either way...
this one is a close second to them all!

Jackson held on to Great Grandma's hand for most of the walk. When he let go, Grandma said she told him he needed to help her walk and he would come running back to "help" her...
He is her Sugar Doll for sure!


Busy boys need to stop and have a snack...
what better place than on PaPa's motorcycle?!?!?
...laughing again to myself


I LOVE this little man...


Look at those eyes and luscious lips...
I want to eat him up!
...but I won't.


Everyone needs a hound dog I am convinced.
Meet Sager...

She use to live with Shannon, but now she lives with Dad...
We all love her...


She can be a little prissy at times...
she wanted to lay on my lap instead of the rocks!



She even gives the BEST hound dog hugs and kisses...
She is a gentle GIANT...
I <3 her


...back exploring

he liked hanging out behind the cabin in another one of
MomMom's flower gardens...
he wanted to be alone...
no he was not pooping...
...at least not in this photo!

I love how he carried his juciy juice with him on his adventure...
...he talks to himself
I wonder what he says...
do you think he talks about his mother?!?!?!


Later he got put into a time out...
he found a little boy who has been in time out
ever since I have known him...
...tee hee


Jackson decided it was time for the little boy to come out of time out...
Jackson did not understand why his hands were on his face,
...all the time!
...I told him "just because, he's very sad".
...Jackson asked, "why"?
Guess Jackson thought little boy needed to eat...
When Grandma saw little boy in the high chair and Jackson sitting back down in the time out chair minding his own business...
she held back the outburst of laughter that Ashley and I were not doing so well with holding back,
and asked..."why...why is he in there and who put him there"?
...guess I know where Jackson gets, "why" from.


Grandma cooked a great roast...
...she is a good cook, we do not say thank you enough.
...Thank you Grandma!


While dinner cooking...
I was playing i-pad with Jackson
...Ashley found the camera.
I do not like the way I look on the camera...
...huge surprise, who does?!?!?


He is getting really good at all his games on i-pad
...it is not THE i-pad
it is just...i-pad

Jackson is teaching me to count to 20
...yes I already knew how to count to 20!!!

Well I guess I got lazy, cause this is where all the photos end...

Here's to another great weekend on Quail Trail
...cannot wait to go back.


...and he gave us the best of them!
Miss you Mom
and again...
Thank you Grandma!!!