Baking with Mom

     Growing up and even still today one of my favorite activities is baking with my mom.  It used to be that we'd bake cookies together and by the end of it I had run off to play leaving my mom with the mess.  Now that I think of it the last few time we've baked together she's been the one to run off and "play" leaving me with the mess!  Either way I think baking is one of the best things to do with my mom, and now I love baking with my kids.  
     Noah and I have baked several things together and he's actually getting quite good at "helping".  Over the weekend we went to the Bissett family reunion (Kyle's mom's extended family) and we got a family cookbook filled with family recipes.  Today we tried our first recipe called Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies.  This recipe was from Kyle's great uncle - how cool!!  Not only that but it was Grace's first time "helping" to bake with Noah and I.  As soon as Noah saw me get out the Kitchenaid mixer he grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the counter to help.  Seeing Noah Grace followed and tried to pull a chair up but Mommy had to help a little.  Grace felt like such a big girl and was so proud to be standing up at the counter helping.  I gave them each a stick of butter  (the recipe called for 2) with the wrapper on, so their sweaty little hands could soften them.  They were also very good at taste-testing the chocolate chips to ensure quality :).

taste-testing is the best part!!

so proud of themselves!!!

The cookies were delicious!!!

Summer is officially here!

Now that summer is "officially" here we have been enjoying several summer activities.  The backyard baby  pool has been very popular, as has the neighborhood swimming pool. 

I bought 2 little fishing nets that come with plastic toy fish and they have LOVED playing with them in the pools.  Grace is quickly learning "fishy!" which sounds more like shee shee but we know what she means. 

Grace has also learned several words even though they don't exactly sound the same.  Here are her newest words.

baaa = bye (waves)
dah-dee = daddy
dAH-dee = doggie (gets higher pitched than with Daddy)
mah-mah = mom
oeh aaah = Noah
ah eeee = so big!  (raises arms up)

Gotta love these cute little attempts at speaking.

Coming soon: video of Noah singing a song from Tangled

Philly Mud Run...we did it!!

Today I accomplished something I'm actually very proud of, I completed the mud run!!  Yes that means I ran 6.21 miles soaking wet, covered in mud, and tackling 10 or so obstacles.  Check out some of the pictures my dad took throughout the course.

 waving to Noah and Grace who were a little confused why we were doing this

 jumping from right above the Videon sign! Plug? Yes indeed!!

 all 'clean' from the plunge into the water

 the LAST obstacle before the finish line

 and it wasn't easy!!

 but we did it!!

 Team Brown & Sticky at the finish line!

Definitely the best way ever to support those suffering with MS.  Interested in joining us next year?  Here's the website for it: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/pae/fundraising-events/mud-run-ms/index.aspx

A Dutch Wonderful Day!

    Before Monday the only thing I remembered about Dutch Wonderland was riding the 'big scary' slide with my Dad.  I have a picture of me with my dad on this slide and I was determined to get one of me with Noah.  It was so surreal to be riding with Noah because it feels like just yesterday I was the kid! 
    The day was a blast.  We spent four hours there and didn't even get to do everything they had.  First we road the train around the park and Noah asked to sit next to me!!! Noah is a major daddy's boy.  Kyle is everything to that kid so for him to want to sit next to me instead of Kyle was HUGE!  After we road the big train we of course had to ride the little train next.

*isn't this Noah in a nutshell?*

He enjoyed a few other really cute kid rides on his own before Gracie-cakes joined in the fun.  We don't have any pictures of it but we really enjoyed the litte boats.  Noah rode 3 times in a row with one parent and the other would have Grace in a different boat and we waved to each other.  It was really fun to see the kids look for each other and get excited to see each other's passing boats.   

Grace also rode  few on he own and just smiled the entire time it was so cute!  She felt like such a big girl riding with her big brother!  They also each had a pony ride - Grace's first.  Noah loved the pony ride however Grace was not so sure about it. Speaking of not so sure, Kyle insisted on taking Noah on this...

Seeing the 2 most important boys in your life hanging 50 feet in the air was extremely unsettling and I was very happy when they were back on the ground :).  The kids did great all day and the weather was perfect.  I felt so blessed to be able to enjoy a wonderful day with my family.  Noah's been talking about 'dutch wonderland' ever since!

Let's Try this Again....

So I set up this blog almost 3 years ago and have since posted twice.  I really have had a hard time learning the whole blog se up and how to use it - and frankly I still don't reallyknow what I'm doing - however I'd like to start this up again for two reasons.
 First I want to have an easy way of documenting my kids life and growth. They change and develop so quickly that I want to remember each and every little moment.  I think blogging is probably the fastest/easiest/most permanent way to do this.  Now that Noah is talking he's saying so many hilarious and adorable things that I want to be able to remember them.  I may be 3 years late with Noah but hey its never too late to start! 
Second, I want to keep in touch with friends and family.  With my sisters Jen in Louisiana and Amy in State College, and several friends around the country - Shannon in DC, Amie in GA, Kelly in TX...etc, I want to be able to keep in touch and stay connected.  Frankly trying to have a convo on the phone with 2 kids screaming in my ear just doesn't work :). 

I hope you will join me in this effort of staying connected and sharing the wonderful moments of childhood by reading my blog.  I can't promise that I'll update every day, or that it will always be interesting, but it will be about us and our life.

Also if you have any blogging info or tips they are very much welcome!

Summer 2011