Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

I've been trying to brainstorm to find ideas for quick but healthy breakfasts in the morning.  I never have time to cook for the kids but I want to make sure that they have something to eat.  I decided something like a cookie or a bar would totally appeal to them so I went on an internet hunt.  I saw a few recipes and then decided to kind of create my own.  Pardon the photography but I decided to quickly snap a picture with my phone before the bars were all gone :)

Ingredients

• 4 c. dry oats (old-fashioned)
• 1 1/2 c. flour (I used whole wheat flour)
• 1 c. brown sugar (not packed)
• 1/2 c. sugar (I used raw sugar)
• 1 tbsp cinnamon (in all honesty, I don't measure...I just shake some in until it seems good)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 c. coconut oil
• 4 eggs (I used 2 whole eggs and the equivalent of 2 eggs from egg whites)
• 2 heaping scoops of vanilla whey protein powder
• Optional: 1.5 cups of raisins, craisins, or any other dried fruit. My kids are far too picky for that so we left them plain.
• 1/2 tsp salt (I forgot this the first time, sorry!)

Instructions

Pour all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and then mix well.

Press mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

You are probably supposed to let them cool before cutting them but that's not how we roll around these parts.  The kids give this recipe a thumb's up, which is great since this is what they'll be eating for breakfast :)


You can try all different things to change it up a bit.  I have a batch in the oven now that has some coconut in it and you could also easily add peanut butter, too.

Delicious, Healthy Peanut Butter Cookie recipe

My poor, neglected blog...oh well, it is what it is.  At any rate, some friends asked for a recipe I just made and figured it would be easiest to post it here.  I found this recipe on a Weight Watchers app so I can't take any credit for it.  I am pretty pleased with it because all six of my littlest kids ate them and asked for more, including Max, my Aspie :)

Okay, here goes:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup canned chickpeas, not drained * (however, I misread this and used a full cup and they turned out delicious so I will continue using the full cup)

1 cup peanut butter

1/4 cut regular butter, softened

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (yes, used this, too, and my kids had no idea.  I think it gave it a great flavor!)

Instructions

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.  (You can use cooking spray but I used parchment paper)

*Pour chickpeas into a 1 cup measuring cup and pour in enough chickpea liquid just to cover the beans; puree chickpeas and their liquid in a blender or food processor....or, my fave, the Vita Mix.  (Now, this is where I got confused and poured in a full cup of chickpeas and then poured in enough of the liquid to cover...worked great and, imo, more of the healthy ingredient is better).

In your mixer cream peanut butter, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and egg; mix well again.  Add pureed chickpeas; blend thoroughly with mixer.  Add flour, salt, baking soda, and cayenne pepper; mix again.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between cookies.  When cookie sheet is filled, press each spoonful down and make cross-hatch marks with a fork.

Bake until cookies turn slightly golden, about 12-15 minutes (for me it was 15-17), depending on desired crispness.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes and then serve them up.  I had to hold my kids back while they were cooling because they definitely smell super yum while they are cooking.

Enjoy!

ps.  I didn't calculate the nutritional info because it's going to depend on what kind of peanut butter you use and the amount of chickpeas you use.  Sorry!

Fun with Perler Beads

Holy cow, it's been almost a year since I've blogged.  I didn't mean to forget the blog but I'm going to work extra hard to start blogging a couple of times a week. I want to make sure I document the kids more since they are growing up way too fast!!

This week is Spring Break for us so yesterday we headed to the craft store to pick up some supplies.  Today we decided to try making some creations with perler beads.

I think the kids enjoyed it but it did end up being frustrating for some of them.  Minnie made a super awesome monkey but when I went to iron it I messed the whole thing up.  What a bummer!  Riley fixed it for her, though, so we ended up with a few pieces that worked.  I made a bunny for Truman and a butterfly for Daisy.

After beading we decided to walk about a mile and a half up the road to the campground.  They have the only park within walking distance and the kids really needed to get out and get some running and rough housing done.  We had a great time until Truman fell and busted his lip.  The walk home wasn't much fun.  I love the picture of my boys swinging.  I don't have any brothers so it's a lot of fun to watch  my boys together :)



XOXO
Lea

Spring in New York?

Yesterday was actually a warm day!  That is amazing, my friends.  It snowed the day before Easter and I was appalled.  Where am I living?  I don't think I'll ever get used to this cold climate.  I definitely miss the beach.

But, since the day was warm and lovely, I decided to take a nature walk with Daisy and Truman.  Truthfully, I was just trying to waste time and burn off their energy after Daisy's dentist appointment but it sounds better if I say that I wanted to take them out just so they could do some exploring ;)  I have a good Mama friend that inspires me with all of her nature frolicking so I totally pretended that I was her yesterday and that we were living in sunny California (Miss L, you know I'm talking about you!)

I got a picture of Truman doing what Truman does (that is never stopping for a single second)...and whomever thought putting little stampers in the treasure box a the dentist office was a good idea should have their head examined.  I will be cleaning purple stamps off of Daisy and Truman for a while...or at least until I find the hidden stamper and throw it in the trash ;)

Daisy enjoyed playing on the trampoline for a bit and had a big smile to prove it

After the trampoline she moved to her favorite swing on the swing set.  This child has more expressions and is more animated than any other child I have ever seen.  Let's face it, I've seen a lot ;)  She is a royal crackup and brightens my day everyday.  However, I will say that I can tell that a little bit of Truman is rubbing off on her.  She's starting to act like a wild animal sometimes.  In the dentist office today there was the CUTEST little red headed girl in a beautiful smocked bishop dress with a big white hairbow that was climbing up on all the furniture, acting wild, yelling, etc.  I don't know who she belonged to but her mom surely should be able to control her better than that.  Ha!  ;) 

In other news....I'm heading to New Jersey near the beginning of May to do a photo session.  I'm pretty excited about this session as I adore the mom and her family is beautiful.  I can't wait to capture them with my lens.  I'm hoping to meet up with another friend and her family while I'm there.  I can't wait!

We'll also be making a family home to Indiana in July.  I'm booking sessions for that trip, too, and will have final dates once Sam has his leave approved.  The sessions I have tentatively scheduled will be a blast, too.  I am lucky to love what I do!  

xoxo
Lea

Busy....

Oh my, my kids are just always busy.  They don't relax which means I don't, either.  It's a bit after 10:00 am here and Daisy and Truman have already had me fix them oatmeal for breakfast, chicken tenders for their second breakfast, and popcorn for snack.  10 am...people...10 am.  If I didn't have kids I wouldn't even be out of bed yet! Ha!

We've also managed to take baths and wash hair and then get ready for this afternoon's dentist appointments.  I'm really looking forward to this appointment because it's for Max and Lincoln and I get to bring Truman and Daisy with me.  Doesn't this sound like a party??!!  Not to mention Max just looooooves going to the dentist and is very cooperative .  In case some of you don't know, kids with sensory issues aren't really fond of people poking around in their mouths with weird looking tools.  It makes for a super fun visit, trust me ;)


Truman did want to play with the webcam on my laptop so we took a couple of silly pictures.  Yeah, the quality is horrible but here we are in all our silliness.

In all the hustle and bustle of my daily life with seven kids, I've realized I must take time out to enjoy the silly moments...because they are what we will remember :)

I did some soul searching on Easter and  found the best quote yesterday and it rings really true for me:

Judging a person does not define who they are.
It defines who YOU are.


I also found some great words to live by that I think everyone can benefit from.  I'm working on putting this into practice.  Will you?

BEFORE YOU TALK, LISTEN.

BEFORE YOU REACT, THINK.

BEFORE YOU CRITICIZE, WAIT.

BEFORE YOU PRAY, FORGIVE.

BEFORE YOU QUIT, TRY.


Imagine how much more loving and peaceful the world would be and could be :)  

XO
Lea

Excitment

There are some possibilities on the horizon for our family that I am SO excited about.  Sam and I have done a lot of talking about this and this may be a great thing for us.   I'm very interested to see how this plays out and hope to have some idea soon :)

Daisy turned two in March and I never blogged about her birthday because I am a serious slacker in the blog department.  I was quite fortunate that a good friend of mine saw a doll set that reminded her of me and of Daisy.  Both are redheads and they are the perfect combination for us.  Here are the 'Mama Lea and Baby Daisy' Tumbleberry dolls.  I love these two dolls and these will be so fun to play with as Daisy grows up.  Right now Mama Lea doll spends a lot of time nursing Baby Daisy doll....and I am working on weaning Daisy but she's not very happy about it ;)

I really don't think we could have found a more perfect doll set for Daisy's birthday and the fact that a good friend thought of me when she saw this pair really makes my day :)

So....

So...I have ignored my blog for a while now and think it's kind of time to start blogging again.  I have tons to say, as always.

For now, my biggest wish is for the weather here in upstate New York to turn warm.  I'll admit it, I am not a fan of cold weather.  I can't stand freezing.  I also don't love sweating myself to death but right now I need the temperatures to meet in the middle and give me some warmth.  My kids do SO much better when they can get outside and play in the glorious son.  Now, they can't have too much sun as 6 out of the 7 have my casper-like skin...but a little vitamin D is good for all of us.

The kids have been exceptionally unhealthy this winter.  This is really not the norm for us and I'm ready for the sickies to leave us.  Max and Daisy had ear rechecks the day before yesterday and now Max's other ear is infected and both of Daisy's ears are infected plus her lungs area crackling now.  Oye.  More medicine for those two.

Three of the boys are playing ball this year.  So far I've only gotten the schedules from two of the teams and I can already see that I am going to have to clone myself as a lot of the games are at the same time but on different fields.  This should be interesting, to say the least.

Minnie went to the dentist yesterday and had two baby teeth pulled.  She asked me if the Tooth Fairy would be bringing her two surprises since she had two teeth :)  She was pleasantly surprised when she woke up today to find a Webkinz carrier for her old, raggedy Webkinz (the one she drags with her everywhere) and also a cute little stuffed Hedgehog.  Minnie is such a good kid that the Tooth Fairy thought it was okay for a little indulgence this time ;)

This past month has been full of stress for me...from a near tragedy with one of my children,  3 flat tires, and various kid illnesses (fun times, ha!).  I knew that I had been stress eating but I had NO IDEA  exactly how much damage I had done.  Well, I figured it out yesterday and am now resolving to be much more mindful about what I put in my mouth.  It's time...I MUST be in better shape for my birthday in October.  It's a big one and I'm determined!!

Okay, need to switch laundry, make lunch, and put a special two year old girl to bed.


Here is a picture of Minnie wearing her new glasses the first day she got them.  They are pink, of course.

First Day of School

Yesterday was a big day at the Thomas house.  Five of the seven kids started school!  Adria is going into her junior year,  Riley is entering 5th grade which is also middle school, Max into 3rd grade, Minnie into 2nd grade,  and Lincoln's first year of school-Kindergarten!

Everything seemed to go well and the kids had a great day!  I had a feeling it wouldn't really make a difference in the amount of free time I have...and I was right...Truman was even more of a pistol than normal and this time I had no older sibling home to come and tell me what he was getting in to ;)  ...that little Truman... ;)

Very Special Day

Seven years ago today I gave birth to my 4th child....a beautiful baby girl, Minnie Grace.  I was more excited than you can even guess at the prospect of having another girl.  Adria was almost 10 so I hadn't had a baby girl to spoil in quite some time.  She was the most perfect baby-mild mannered, nursed great, slept great, such a pleasant little creature.  Daddy figured out that she loved sitting in her boppy with the massage chair on.  She would sit there with a contented look on her face and watch her surroundings.

Seven years later she is still the happiest and easiest child I have had.  She is literally almost never any trouble.  She's rarely in a bad mood.  She rarely fights with her siblings.  The only time we ever have to get onto her is when she is short on her sleep. Boy, when Minnie is sleep deprived she turns into some kind of alien...definitely not my happy-go-lucky princess ;)  Thankfully, that's a rare occurrence and something we don't have to worry about  much.


She is such a special little girl. Max was diagnosed with autism when she was 1.5 and she had to go on the back burner while we went to every kind of therapy known to man. The focus was not on her, in the least, and you would have never known. After growing up with a brother with autism (that she is only 1 year apart in age ) she now picks other children in her class to befriend that have issues...you know, those kids that others think are "weird" or "strange". Her very best friend is a little autistic boy and I'm so proud that she has the insight at her young age to look inside a person and see what they have to offer instead of judging by outward appearance. I expect great things from her and whatever she does in her adult life I have no doubt that it will be AMAZING.

Happy Birthday, Minnie Grace.  You have blessed my life in more ways than you can ever imagine and I have no doubt you will continue doing so.  It's kind of bittersweet to see you grow up so fast but I do look forward to seeing what a wonderful young woman you will be :)

 

This is one of the earliest digital images I have of Minnie, Max, and Riley. 

First Day of Summer Vacation

Yesterday was the official first day of summer vacation for Riley, Max, and Minnie.  We didn't do too much except attempt to get ready for our vacation and long drive to Florida.  I had written a long post out yesterday that I somehow erased so for now I'm just posting pictures. 

Riley had asked me to take some pictures of him in his Link get-up.  I had to oblige him because #1 he never asks for me to take pictures and #2 I want to remember these ordinary moments that make up childhood.  It all goes by so quickly!

Excitement Brewing

Well, once again I've neglected my blog. Oops! What can I say? Things are just busy around here in a house with 7 kids.

Summer is officially here today but we still have two more days of school after this one. I'm ready! I'm ready to be able to sleep past 6 am and I'm ready to play with my kids all day long, every day.

We had a nice Father's Day weekend spending time with the awesome Thomas Dad! We didn't do too much but just hung out around the house. We played outside some and played with sidewalk chalk. Daisy seemed to enjoy it!

 She decided she's better taste the chalk..nutty child!!

We're leaving on vacation soon and I'm so excited!  We haven't taken an honest to goodness vacation since we lived in South Carolina and that was three states ago!  It's been a long while.  We'll be going to Florida and the only thing I'm not super excited about is the 22.5 hours in the car...and that's what mapquest says.  You know they aren't planning on someone driving with as many kids as we have ;)  Bathroom breaks are not a quick process and when you factor in that I'm still nursing Daisy...well, that takes some time.

Well, time to switch the laundry...the washer is going non-stop around here trying to get ready to pack.  Happy Summer!

A sneak peek for the "M" family :)

I had the most fun session on Monday evening. Let me tell you, the kids are sweeties!! I am fairly certain that Miss Sophie has an incredible future in acting. She's incredibly animated! I could have watched her expressions for hours.

Stay tuned because I will be adding more images soon!

Birthday Picture

No words, really.  Just a sweet girl before I gave her the real cake.

ETA:  For some reason some of my pictures and videos are not posting right.  I think there is something wrong with the sidebar so I apologize for that!

My Obsession

Okay, so most people that know me know that I LOVE dolls.  I just adore them.  About a year ago I discovered Waldorf dolls and ever since I have been hooked.  There is just something extra special about a handmade doll made with wonderful materials.  They are so much nicer than those crappy plastic dolls made in China.  It's something to actually feel good about giving your child.

I made a video to share with a friend of mine so she could see our dolls.  I decided I'd share it here, too.

One

My princess is one.  I just can't believe how fast this past year went by.  She is such a joy to me.  How in the world did I get so lucky to be her mother?  She is the most perfect baby girl in the world (and I'm not the least bit biased, ha!).

Time Flies

Wow, it's been a while since I've visited my blog. How did that happen? I was so sure I was going to keep current with it this time.

In just a few short days Daisy Faith will be turning one. I can't get over how fast the past year flew by. The fact that my last baby is almost an entire year old astounds me. Really, where was I during that year? I know I didn't spend enough time cherishing the special moments. I'm vowing, as of right now, to really work on taking time to enjoy life..and not always looking forward to the next thing; enjoying the here and now..that's important.

Because I realize we didn't document hardly any of Daisy's first year, I went ahead and ordered Sam a Flip video camera. I'm planning on him having it on pretty much 24/7 to capture all the crazy moments of our lives. Like just yesterday as I was carrying Daisy down the stairs, I slipped on my yoga pant leg, and fell down the entire flight of stairs. That would have been just lovely to have on video tape ;o)

Another thing I've been super lax on is taking pictures of our lives. Yeah, I'm a photographer...but I need to get past the fact that all pictures need to be perfect. I need to just snap away and not worry about creating that "perfect picture". Because of the quest for the perfect picture I just don't pick up the camera some days (totally shameful, I admit).

So, right now....today is Tuesday and I have no cake ordered, nothing planned for the baby, and no present. Her birthday is Saturday! I'd better get on it!!

And...just because I think she's dreamy....

The Haircut

So, last night Sam decided that he would cut Truman's hair. At the time I thought it was an okay idea. I even liked it this morning....until I pulled up a picture of him from Thanksgiving. Now I really miss those soft, blonde curls.

He definitely looks older now.

This Boy

This boy....there really are no words for him. At 4 years old, he is one of the most energetic children I have ever seen. Quite frankly, I'm a little concerned about how he'll ever be able to sit still in school. I just don't think many teachers will appreciate his wonderful personality and enthusiasm for life. We have one year to work on his self control. In the meantime, he is a riot! He cracks me up on a daily basis and also showers me with sweet little boy love. He's the first to hug and kiss me and tell me how much he loves me :o)

As much as I want him to be able to control his impulses in a school setting, I certainly hope his sweet, loving ways don't leave him anytime soon. I cherish those wet, juicy smooches that he plants on my face.

3 Months Old

So time got away from me and the princess is now 3 months old. I just adore this chubby baby girl! She has a great personality and loves to cuddle. She now sleeps about 13-14 hours a night and just loves to snuggle. I seriously think she's going to pass up Truman before too long. As it is, they wear the same size cloth diapers. Now, really, how is that possible? She's 3 months old and he's almost 23 months old. Nutty!

I've been working on my sewing maching and crocheting so hopefully I'll have some of my projects to post the next time! I'm sure slow, however, because it's a little hard to be crafty when you have a baby attached to your boob ;o)

Hodgepodge of pics

Yes, I have several pictures to post so they are going to be all jumbled in here. None of them are great but they are ones I like. One picture has horrid motion blur but I think Daisy looks sweet so I decided not to get rid of it. I think with her red hair and blue eyes, purple is my favorite color on her. Love it!

The first picture is a picture of Ava and Minnie. Ava's parents, Maria and Steve, are good friends of ours that we met when we lived in Washington. They were in Boston visiting Maria's parents so they decided to swing up by our house. It was great seeing them and the kids had a blast together.