Kumquats and such

I will start by saying this, we do not typically celebrate Valentine's Day. Not because we're old and cynical, but just because it pales in comparison to the rest of the holidays. However, now that we've got  a 2 1/2 year old who knows what these things are, things seem to be changing:)  Jason surprised us both with flowers sent to the house a couple days early! Reagan's bouquet even had a balloon attached! Thank you Jason for taking care of your girls! We love you!

On Sunday, February 10th, we had most of both sides of the family over to celebrate Cindi's 60th Birthday! After a fun night of planning with Uncle Kevin, we decided on a Greek-themed menu and minimal decor.  Jason, Reagan and Uncle Kevin shopped on Saturday, then we had dinner at GG's house that evening. The following day, Jason was busy in the kitchen, I did my best to clean up the house, and Uncle Kevin came to lend a (much-needed) hand. Earlier that morning, I got up to make lemon-roasted garlic hummus and Cindi's birthday cake. I was finished in plenty of time, and pleased with the result. I placed the cake on a high table in the living room, but didn't give it much thought...Tommy snuck in from the stair side of the table and ate off quite a sizable chunk: That put me back in the kitchen to make the "back-up" box cake, but then my duties were complete. Here's a look at the decor: Uncle Kevin and Aunt Lisa bought Mil the most beaut...

I've mentioned it before, but I will say it again: I love Play At Home Mom !!! This site is the best for ideas to interact with, engage, and teach your children. Reagan takes a bath almost every night. She has the typical assortment of toys (rubber boats, cups, a turtle, etc) to entertain her, but lately, she just leaves them in the bag. I decided to introduce some new things during bath time and they were a huge hit! Here are some pictures from our "adventures in bath fun." First up: BUBBLES ! It's a bit too cold to just hang out in the yard blowing bubbles, so I decided that bath time would be the perfect opportunity for a mess free bubble party! I LOVE this shot.  Secondly, (and straight from PAHM), I added: WATER BALLOONS !!! She absolutely loved when I poked a small hole in them and they became "water fountains!"

For Super Bowl Sunday, we usually get together with a small group, make some yummy snacks and enjoy the game (ok, ok, I enjoy the commercials!). This year was no exception. Grandma, Papa, Geoffrey, Glenna, Chris and Gary Mike all came over. In preparation for the festivities, Jason and I purchased 6 (yes, 6) of these: Apparently I'm quite the wing rookie, because I had no idea what kind of preparation was involved...thank goodness Papa (who came over early) and Reagan were there to tackle the job: While the wings were being chopped up, Jason pulled out a surprise purchase...CRAYFISH! He cooked a small batch as a "tester" and Reagan, Papa, and he gobbled them up! As the last of the test batch was eaten, our friend, Chris, pulled up and immediately got to work prepping his cheddar jalapeño cornbread...YUM!  After everyone arrived, Jason cooked the remainder of the crayfish and everyone got to enjoy a little treat: Grandma made delicious...