Why ask why?

Is anyone else out there sick of answering questions posed by their pre-schooler?  I have to admit I am, especially when the same question has been asked and answered more than once in the last 10 minutes.  I read on someone's blog awhile back that one should endeavor to answer every question that their child asked.  At first I thought this a noble idea, but now I know it is just down right impossible.  I'm all for fostering my child's curiosity and imagination but I wonder if the author was thinking about questions asked out of context or questioning "why" when asked to pick up their room.

For example the other day while driving to the park for a play date HT pointed out the window and asked:   "What's dat way Mama?"  

"That's north."

"Which way are we going?"

"East"

"What do east do?"

"It doesn't do anything it's the direction we are going."

"Why?"

"So we can get to the park."

"Why?"

"So we can play with our friends."

"Why?"

"Don't you want to play with your friends?"

"Uh-huh."

Finally in exasperation and slightly irritated I asked,  "Then why are you asking me why?"

"But Mama, its my job!"

At the Park

Last week was the 10th annual Wasatch Front Shop Hop.  For those of you who don't know what that is, consider yourselves lucky that you have not yet been caught up in the insanity.

I went.

And I went with the kids.

To all 15 shops.

The farthest north being in Brigham City, the farthest west in Tooele and the farthest south in Springville.  Don't feel sorry for me I brought it upon myself.

All kidding aside I did enjoy visiting most of the shops and seeing all the wonderful quilts and fabrics.

Papa took pity on me and went with us on Saturday to visit the last 4 shops.  I told HT if he could be patient and obedient then we would get lunch and go to the park after we got done.

We ate at a place called Two Jack's Pizza, so if you ever find yourself in Springville and you are hungry you should try them, it was very good pizza, loved the hand tossed crust and the sauce.

It was a very lovely day and the boys were glad to be out of the car and to have some fun at the park.

On the Go and/or I Gotta Go

I mentioned in my last post that EM has decided to tackle the stairs.  

This boy wants to grow up and grow up fast, if the stairs weren't bad enough I found him the other day in the bathroom.  I don't think he's quite ready for potty training, but boy am I glad his brother remembered to put the lid down!

Eight Months Old

This is my sweet boy, my sweet little bundle of energy that goes and goes and goes every waking hour.  He has completely worn himself out (and me).

He turned eight months old on Sunday.

The teething continues, the drooling continues, has two teeth and one on the way, has learned how to crawl but would rather walk and now that he is mobile absolutely hates to be confined.  He is pulling himself up onto everything he can and has decided to tackle the stairs.

He gives the best hugs and slobbery open mouth kisses that only a mother could love.  Takes delight in the simplest things and delights me every day.  Loves to giggle at his brother who in turn loves to make him giggle.

And I love him very, Very much.

Lord, help me to raise this child with wisdom, with patience, with grace and with compassion.  Help me to "Train up {this} child in the way he should go. . . "  (Proverbs 22:6)  

Fresh Corn Salad

"What?!" you say "a recipe, this isn't a cooking blog!"

Yeah, yeah I know, but Fringe Girl over at the Domestic Fringe is hosting a summer recipe carnival, she says she is desperate (okay maybe she didn't say she was desperate, but she did say she wanted to "steal our ideas") for good summer recipes, that don't involve using the oven.  And since I consider her a new friend I am here to help her out, that's what friends are for.

So here goes.

This is what you'll need.

3 cups fresh Corn cut off the cob or frozen corn, thawed

1/4 cup Red Onion, diced

1 Tablespoon red wine or apple cider Vinegar 

1 medium Tomato seeded, peeled and diced (I forgot to peel mine, worked out fine.)

1 cup seeded and diced Cucumber (I used a whole medium sized cucumber, because I like cukes)

1 Tablespoon minced fresh Basil or fresh Parsley (I used basil, loved it.)

Ranch Dressing or Creamy Italian Dressing, to taste.

Rinse the red onion in water.  Combine diced onion with vinegar and let sit while preparing other ingredients.  DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP or your salad will be overwhelmed by the onion and that is ALL you will taste, if you're okay with "onion" salad go ahead and skip the vinegar, but I really, REALLY wouldn't recommend it.  

(I should state here that I don't really like raw onion, in fact I usually avoid it like the plague, but since I have found this little trick I will try it in other recipes that call for raw onion, like potato salad, I usually just leave them out, 'cause I really can't stand raw onion in things, they tend to overpower the dish and that is all you taste, but I said that already, you know the overpowering thing.  Okay, now I'm just rambling.)

Back to the recipe.

Remove the corn from the cobs.

Here's a little trick I learned for cutting the corn off the cob.  Set your cutting board aside and get out your bundt cake pan, (yes, I did just tell to get out a bundt cake pan) insert the pointy end of the corn cob in the center hole as shown:

and start cutting.

The neat thing about this trick is that all the corn lands in the pan and not all over the counter and the cob doesn't slide all over the place while you are trying to remove the kernels.

See, every kernel in the pan, easy peasy!

(Now if someone has a trick for getting all the silk off of the corn, please share!)

Prepare the other ingredients as instructed and combine with dressing to your taste (I used maybe a 1/3 to a 1/2 cup of ranch dressing).  Chill then serve.  This makes a great summertime salad and is very light and very refreshing and goes with anything you are grilling (ahem, franks perhaps Jill).  We had ours with marinated grilled chicken breasts.   My three year old declared it "Delicious" and Hubs told me "You could make this again".  He even suggested that maybe next time I could add some bacon.  I scooped mine up with a corn chip, like salsa.

Voila!

I got this recipe from our local Fox News affiliate.  It was featured on August 4, 2009 and was made by the chef from a local restaurant, unfortunately the printout I got doesn't list her name or the restaurant's.

Now its your turn, head on over to the Domestic Fringe and link up so we can all steal share each others yummy summer recipes.

Trains, trains, trains!

Have we mentioned here before how crazy HT is for trains.  Well for a while his interest had waned, but it is back again and he is playing with them almost every day, all day.   It is fun to listen to him playing in his bedroom and making up stories to act out with the trains.  Building track, taking it down, watching Thomas on DVD, on demand, in the car, etc, etc, etc.

Watching Thomas with Thomas, Toby and Rosie.

When I posted about taking him last Memorial Day to see Thomas at the Heber Valley Railroad and said that we probably wouldn't be going this year Auntie decided he needed to go and took him.  Especially after he saw an advertisement on the TV and got all excited "Thomas is coming, Thomas is coming, we have to go see him, we have to go!"  She's such a softie.

What a difference a year makes, this time he was happy to stand next to Sir Topham Hat,

and to get his picture taken in front of Thomas.

I keep telling her he has enough trains, what do you think?  He came home with Rocky and this past week she has bought him Gordon and Molly.

The engineer with his collection. 27 engines, 37 cars and one that spells his name and it seems to me that we are missing a few.

You Know You're A Parent When . . .

a once tidy guest bedroom has turned into the Island of Sodor.

Your home office has become a nursery,

the office has been moved into the living room,

there are toys in every room and on every surface/floor of your house,

and you wouldn't have it any other way!

What about you, do you have a "You know you're a parent when" moment?  Leave me a comment, I would love it if you would share.