Bedtime is the best

Sorry I haven't posted much in a while.  I've been tired and busy doing other things after the little ones go down.  And really, putting the girls down is one of our favorites...NO, not because that means we have 10 hours of quiet time without children, but really because we have a routine that runs pretty smoothly and it requires family bonding.  Aubrie will undress herself while Adam undresses Emilie and the bath water gets warm.  Then he bathes both girls and I get their milk ready and sometimes I'll take that time to straighten out their rooms, put clothes away, replenish wipes...stuff like that.  Then they come racing out of the bath tub and Aubrie needs my helping putting on her penguins (robe) and Adam gets Emilie ready for bed.  Here he is brushing her hair.

There's not much better than a dad with his girls.  So once Aubrie picks a book, the three of them settle in the chair and I kneel at their feet and read the book to them.  The selection tonight was "The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too." by Mo Willems.  Probably my favorite author. 

Here is Emilie showing us her happy face.  She's getting help from Aubrie who is trying to tickle her chin.

Here is Aubrie's and half of daddy's angry face.  It was funny because when we read the part about the pigeon being angry, Aubrie said, "I was angry today!"  I highly doubt that.  We were at bible study today and she LOVES it.

After we read the book, we say our prayers and pass out kisses.  Here is what is about to be a big sisterly kiss.  :)

 Once all that mess is over, Aubrie uses the potty and brushes her teeth and Emilie gets put down in her crib and another day goes down in the books.  Success for mom and dad. 

Both of Emilie's Mother's Day Out teachers are expecting and they held a little shower for them so I was spending the past couple of night's trying to get these hats finished for them.  I learned how to crochet from YouTube.  I've really enjoyed it and I'm not too good at it, but these last two hats were my best.  For a while, I couldn't get the sizes correct, so I switched the stitch and now they turn out much better.  I really enjoy making these little hats because I think of the sweet little babies that will be wearing them.  I love how these turned out. 

A sweet owl for the baby girl.

A monster for the baby boy

I hope everyone is doing well and sticking to your New Year's resolutions!!!  :)  I really didn't make a good one for myself this year, but I'm sure I'll come up with some project or goal and try to achieve it.  Love to all!

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Spinach and Artichoke Dip

It was just a typical day at the Mark house.  School, laundry, errands.  I was late getting the girls to Mother's Day Out because Aubrie was busy putting on "make-up" and Emilie is going through this phase where she walks back to our closet, digs something out of the dirty clothes and then wears it on her head and walks around the house.  So I'm always finding our dirty clothes throughout the house...this evening she brought one of Adam's size 15 shoes into the kitchen and dropped it on the floor while I was cooking and just walked away.  I kept having to step over it while I was trying to get dinner cooked.

I usually have bell choir today but we don't start up until next week.  Which is good...I needed an extra day to try and accomplish things around the house.  I just can't seem to get a handle on things.  It seems like before we moved, I had moments where I could sit down and watch trashy television while the girls napped, but now I don't have ANY.  There is ALWAYS something to do.  I think I'm re-arranging things.  I've been unpacked, but now that we have lived here a couple of months, I'm realizing, "ok, I don't like that there.  Let's switch these two things.  I think this drawer is better for those utensils."  Silly stuff like that is slowing down my every day chores so I'm just behind.  I still have a huge laundry basket full of Adam's work clothes to iron.  I better hurry and get them done because soon I'll have two!  :)

I made Spinach and Artichoke Dip for a friend of mine.  It is one of my favorites.  This recipe comes from Becky, a teacher I was an aide for.  Ever since I've had her dip, none of the restaurant dips satisfy me.  I love this dip and it is easy.  You'll surely impress your friends when you bring this to a party.  You can put it in a bread bowl and serve it with little slices of bread, or you can serve it with tortilla chips, which is my preferred method.  Either way, this dip is delicious!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

from Becky Bragg Cogdal

1 package of frozen spinach
1 jar of Alfredo sauce
1 can of quarterd artichoke hearts
1 1/2 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese
Tabasco sauce

In a large bowl, thaw the spinach according to package instructions.  Drain the artichoke hearts and chop them up with a knife into smaller pieces.  Once spinach is cooked, add Alfredo sauce, hearts, and Parmesan cheese.  Stir together and melt for a couple of minutes in the microwave.  Stop it and check it and give it a stir.  Once warm enough to serve, add a couple of dashes of Tabasco sauce and stir.  Try it and add more if you like.  I do about 5 dashes. 

Yum Yum!!  Love to all!

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Crab Legs and Homemade Bread

The last of our company left today.  Adam's parents had to head home to get back to work.  They have a couple of inches of snow waiting on them when they get there.  I'm crossing my fingers for them that it continues to snow and they get a snow day tomorrow so they'll have time to rest and prepare for the 2nd half of the school year.

On New Years Eve, Nick and his fiance, Ashlie, were on their way back home from a SC, GA trip and it worked out well for them to stop here and stay the night.  Nick played basketball with Adam at Belmont and is now a lawyer in LaPorte, IN.  Ashlie teaches at a Mother's Day Out program and is also a photographer.  Nick is SO lucky to have Ashlie.  She's perfect for him and we are looking forward to their nuptials coming up in July.  The girls enjoyed showing off their toys to them.  We (the adults) could only stay up until 10:30 on NYE, but it was so good to see them. 

For Christmas, my in-laws got me a ....KITCHEN AID MIXER!!!  It is amazing.  It is red, it is beautiful, and I love it.  I used it for the first time before Nick and Ashlie came to beat the egg white for a coconut cream pie.  I was showing off how I could walk away from it to go put the flour and sugar back in the pantry and by the time I got back to the mixer, the whites were almost finished!  It was amazing. 

I put it to use again tonight, but this time using the dough hook.  I found a recipe on Pinterest.  Men don't really understand Pinterest, and I am probably the last person to join Pinterest.  But it is an online pin board that you can post all your ideas, favorite things, inspiring pictures, Do-it-yourself projects, and recipes and all your friends can see them.  You can steal other people's ideas or they can add yours.  Well, this recipe was for a pull apart Garlic Parmesan Bread.  Here's the blog that the recipe originated from...

The Pastry Affair

I haven't had a chance to look at any more of her recipes, but this one was a keeper.  It was pretty easy and it tasted delicious!

Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread

from the blog The Pastry Affair

Yields 1 loaf
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups barely warm water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups all purpose (or bread) flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yeast and water. Let sit 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. Mix in the olive oil, salt, and flour. If you have a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, or until elastic. If you are doing this by hand, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until dough is elastic, 7-10 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel.

Allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until dough is doubled in size.

In a small bowl, combine melted butter, parsley flakes, and minced garlic. Set aside.

Punch down the dough. Tear off small pieces of dough (roughly the size of the bowl of a medium spoon), coat in the butter mixture, and place in the bottom of a bundt pan. Repeat this process until you have one layer of dough balls. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Continue layering the dough balls and cheese until you have 3 layers. Cover the pan with a clean towel and allow to sit until dough has doubled in size, 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bread is golden brown. Serve hot with a side of marinara or tomato sauce.

Tonight we had crab legs to go with it.  I love boiling crab legs at home.  We get the zataran's crab boil and boil it for about 3-5 minutes.  It is so much better than a restaurant because you just leave them soaking in the water and they are tasty, warm, and easy to crack open.  The girls had fish sticks. 

Adam returns to the grind tomorrow.  The girls also go back to school and I'm back to my usual schedule.  We sure enjoyed being home and enjoying each other these past two weeks.  To help me get through my blues, I look to the future and find things to look forward to.  We have a lot of fun coming down the road.  :)

Aubrie is blow drying Grandma's hair

Emilie with her pal, PoePoe

The girls applying make-up and doing their hair.

Emilie had pigtails today for the first time.  She was super cute.

The girls riding on their cars with Tia.

We were watching the Rose Bowl Parade today and when Aubrie saw the queen, she went and dressed up and put on her crown and started waving.  We've got to work on the smile, though...

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Christmas Break Fun

It has been a busy Christmas Break in our house.  You've seen the pictures of the back splash that we did with our friends (saints) the Sundstroms.  We also painted the kitchen, half the bath, the formal living, and the formal dining.  Then our other Saint, Andrew, came over on one of his days off to play cards, but Adam was trying to "finish" a project before we started and it turned out to be an all day event and we never got around to playing cards.  Andrew helped Adam put in two faucets in the bathroom, one light fixture, and put in a new light fixture in the bonus room.  I mean, he was a lifesaver.  Andrew really is handy.  He doesn't read instructions until we get stuck, but rarely does he get stuck and can't figure it out.  Plus he brings a lot of enthusiasm to a project and makes Adam feel like they can do any project.  :)

Together, Adam and I cleaned out the garage, did some recycling with all of our cardboard boxes, and changed out the shower head and faucet in our master bathroom.  It made a huge difference.  It used to take 3 minutes to get hot and the water pressure was weak.  Now it is hot in seconds and it sprays hard.  Love it!  I love all the projects we have done.  Adam had such a great attitude and was ready to attack things these couple of weeks.  He usually is hesitant, but this time I was the one needing motivation to get up and get it done.  

However, on Saturday he woke up with a headache and feeling nauseous.  He took four naps that day and didn't eat a good meal until dinner.  We concluded that he was run down and had a migraine.  Luckily he is better now.  I didn't like having him out of commission. 

We have really enjoyed these past two weeks and it will be sad when he goes back to work on Tuesday.  He will be missed.  The girls have had fun with him, too.  They've been having some fun playing with all their new toys.  Plus they are starting to have fun playing together.  You'll hear Aubrie say, "C'mon Emmie!" and Emilie will go trotting off to join her sister. 

Princess dress up

We really had to work on walking in high heels

Brianne and Dan got Emilie membership to the Adventure Science Center and we went on Wednesday.  Here is Aubrie pulling the rope so the lever can lift the card.  Thanks Brianne and Dan.  We had a blast!!!

Pretending to be eagles.

Aubrie's favorite was dressing up as a doctor and playing with the fake corpse. 

Driving the ambulance.

We had the Burtners over on Tuesday for Mexican food.  I love having their crowd over.  Look how big and blessed our dinner table was!

Max and his big fan, Aubrie.

Reading books to Reese and Emilie

Emilie playing dress up.  She patted her chest and said, "pretty!"

The girls were having a blast running down the hallway, then joining hands, and running back down the hallway.  So sweet.

Tonight Amanda put Duke (Aubrie's huge stuffed horse) in her bed, so when she came out from the bathroom and went in her room to go to bed, she saw him and said, "Duke!  Get in the barn!"  She's so funny.  Emilie is talking a lot now, too.  She repeats everything and she is starting to sing in the car.  Love those girls.  I hope everyone had a Happy New Years.  We are looking forward to a great 2012!

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