Happy Halloween!

This is my tired monkey! She did lots of visiting not too much tricking or treating. We only visited 3 houses, but it took all night! We are going to have to practice up if we are going to get candy next year!

Tippy Toes

Tonight Maci decided to walk on her tippy toes all the way to the house from the car. It was absolutely ridiculous! I don't know when she learned to do it, but it was definitely funny.

Baking Pumpkin Biscuits

The home bound kid has been cooking up a storm! Yesterday we made quiche and apple pie. Maci loves to help. Every time you go in the kitchen now she repeats until you give in - UP UP UP UP UP! She does this even when I am doing the dishes. She needs to see everything you are doing at ALL times.

Today as you can see we are cooking pumpkin biscuits. She loves to stir especially with the whisk. She also likes to sample her recipe as she goes. Last night Grandma Jane found the recipe in one of our magazines. Here it is if anyone would like to try it.

Pumpkin Walnut Biscuits
Mix together:
1 3/4 c. Flour
3 T. Sugar
1 T. Baking Powder
3/4 t. Salt
3/4 t. Cinnamon
3/4 t. Ground Ginger
Then using a pastry blender cut in:
5 T. Chilled Butter
After it resembles a coarse, flaky meal, stir in the chopped walnuts (Maci and I skipped the nuts!)

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the cream (we used fat free 1/2 and 1/2 - hey we are home bound we didn't have cream on hand), pumpkin and honey.
1/2 c. Cream
1/3 c. Solid packed pumpkin mash or canned pumpkin
1 1/2 T. Honey

Pour liquid ingredients into dry. Stir briskly until the dough pulls together, then let sit for 3 minutes. (ours was really wet...we just used extra flour when patting out)

Flour your hands and work surface. Gently knead the dough into a ball, then pat it into a a 1-inch-think disk. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut the dough into rounds and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet, leaving a couple of inches between them. Repeat until you have used all the dough. (I made Maci mini biscuits the same size as a doughnut hole.) Brush the biscuit tops sparingly with cream and then sprinkle with a little sugar. (We didn't I forgot oops)

Bake the biscuits on the center oven rack until they are light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Makes about 12 biscuits.

Enjoy. They really don't taste too pumpkiny.

When will this week end...

We are back home! Maci caught a virus that she so nicely has given Aunt Amy & Uncle Paul. It caused Maci to get a crazy high fever. She had Tylenol and Motrin and still registered a 104 degree temperature in the ER. Her temperature caused her to dehydrate and in turn made her heart rate to be WAY to high. She registered 215 before we headed to the hospital. They did a EKG and found that all was okay with her heart. Dr. Burdin thinks she just can't keep her heart rate down because her body keeps dehydrating. So we stayed at the hospital for two nights. We just got home this afternoon. She is doing much better. Now she is all congested. Dr. Burdin thought her allergy/asthma would kick in now and make her all snotty. We are just concentrating on drinking lots of fluids.

We need to start a new routine soon. Everyday when we get home we go out and let the dog out of the pen and play a bit with him. He was run over this week. It is my fault as I should have kept him at the farm. He just needed medicine everyday 2 times a day for his seizures, so I brought him to be here with us. So every time we come home Maci calls/shrieks for the dog. He was a very good dog for her. He let her wollar all over him and pull & poke and he never even moved. I am glad she is too young to remember or be effected. I will miss him.

On a happier note, Maci is increasing her vocabulary. Today she asked for me to put her shoes and socks on (she was ready to leave the hospital!). She said thank you to one of the nurses as they handed her one of her crayons. Every time she says things I just crack up. Earlier this week she on her days with Aunt Amy & Uncle Paul she learned all kinds of words. Uncle Paul taught her to say his name. Which I find very unfair. She still doesn't say mom. Every time you ask her to say mom she says dad. She just thinks she has two dads! Uncle Paul also taught her to say George and Grace (the cats). They read one of the Spot books. She was pointing out the ducks and saying quack. She is a hoot!

Say Cheese!

So today Maci spent the day with Aunt Amy & Uncle Paul. It was reported to me that Maci wanted nothing to do with Aunt Amy until the end of the day. It seems that Maci likes Uncle Paul. I think she better rethink her choices! I mean Aunt Amy is the one who does the cooking (not that Uncle Paul is a bad coice)! When I picked Maci up she was dancing and listening to Madeline music.

When we got home we did our daily visit to the cows. Maci has to scream at them and check out the pasture everyday. I had the camera with me and was going to catch a couple outside pictures before it gets too cold. I told Maci to stop and say cheese. AND I was SHOCKED when she actually said cheeeeese! Okay it was too funny. And she is still saying it. I think Maci is getting ready to start talking all the time....well she does now, but I don't understand her all the time.

Also, tonight we talked to Grandma Jane on the phone and she insisted on kissing the phone repeatedly. She is quite the kissy girl.

We are headed to the pumpkin patch this weekend. I will take some fun pictures and give you a new picture.

Yes is Here

Maci has shaken her head no for months. She was doing that about as soon as we started baby food. However, now the YES has finally come around. Last night I had board meeting and Maci was home with Derek. He said he was looking through a cookbook asking her what she wanted for supper. He said she kept saying no to all the different pictures...until macaroni and cheese! She shook her head yes and headed to the kitchen! Derek said she helped him make meatloaf by adding the oatmeal from the container. He said she had a blast. She has been saying yes sometimes prior to this, but I never knew if she really knew she was using it correctly. I would say now she does for sure!

Countdown to Jeanne Leaving

Well the countdown has begun. Jeanne is going to be off this Friday and all of next week. She is heading to Vegas to marry off her son. Aunt Amy has been reserved for several days during Jeanne's vacation. Jeanne might not return because Maci will be completly spoiled! I am sure we will have fun reports for you soon...

1946 vs. Today

Well this last weekend we had a party - a cleaning party! We cleaned out the White House basement. The basement was full of stuff that had been wet and starting to be very stinky. We carried LOTS of stuff out I will know how many trash hoppers tomorrow. In the process of cleaning, I was looking at Uncle Mark's journal for 1946. In 1946 diapers were $3.04! And I have a feeling those were not disposable, since they were only purchased once! They also purchased a receiving blanket for $.78. I don't think Maci has ANYTHING that was less than a dollar...

We found lots of treasures. I think Aunt Laurel must have received flowers weekly. She had many lovely vases. We also found their high school & college diplomas. Along with the treasures we uncovered some unpleasant things. Aunt Amy was cleaning out a corner and stirred up the nastiest smell. It was a good thing Aunt Nancy had brought us mask over from Grandma's house. Aunt Nancy was lucky enough to be around for the party. I bet that is the last time she comes to visit...well maybe Maci will get her to come back around. Maci warmed right up to Aunt Nancy because she was the only one to take her to visit Mark's cows. Maci has an obsession with the cows. We might have a cattle farmer! Or better yet maybe a veterinarian...

We had an eventful weekend. Jeanne was off this Friday so we added an extra day to the weekend. YEAH for us. Maci and I attended the Homecoming parade with Grandma Dunham. Maci loves to observe people, so parades are a natural fit. She thought it was a great time. We spent a couple hours at Grandma & Grandpa's house. She spent most of her time playing with all the toys. Madeline and Stella had to show her the ropes of where to find the cool toys.

Saturday we were off to the Alzheimer Memory Walk. We took POPO with us. He made it about 100 yards (his measurement) and turned back to find a nice shady spot to hang out while we walked the Long Branch Lake Dam. It was unseasonably warm this weekend for Missouri. We worked up a sweat. Maci took a nap! Then we headed to Grandma Jane's for the afternoon. Maci took another nap as soon as we got there. After her nap, Leah and the girls stopped by. We had to feed Shrimpy the bottle calf with Stella and Madeline. Stella and Grandpa Brad rode the 4-wheeler for a bit. Then we headed to Macon for Mexican. Stella rode with us. She gave Grandpa Brad lots of wet willies. He had both girls just cackling in the back seat. Poor Grandma Jane was getting squished by the squirming girls! Maci learned her one of her first bad habits of restaurant etiquette. She was out of her chair wondering about. We went to dinner early this night, but proves to make life hard the next day in Columbia! Then we spent the night at Grandma & Grandpa Young's. Maci watched Summer Magic (an Aunt Mary movie) she really likes movies with songs in them. She has just started noticing TV.

The next morning off to Columbia to visit the great-grandparents. We met them in Columbia for Great Grandpa Young's birthday (74th). Maci did very well for all the places we were dragging her about. She was ready to head home and just be free to play. For the first time I have noticed, Maci likes Grandma Jane and Grandpa Brad better than me. It was great when we were shopping because they had to tote her around. She may only weigh 21 pounds, but when shopping that is a heavy 21 pounds!

So this is my first week carpooling Parker and Maci. Barbara taxied them to daycare last week. You know there is a lot of responsibility that goes with taking another person's child around with you. I find myself driving with my hands at 10 and 2 (of course I always did before too...). I think this might just make me a better driver!

Other news on home front. Leah is still blaming her sickness on poor little innocent Maci. I talked with her this morning and now she thinks she has thrush. She is saying this was all onset by a couple sores she had in her mouth. She says it is very painful. However, when Maci had it I don't remember her complaining at all. Of course, she couldn't talk.

Anyone free on Friday? Maci is without a sitter. I think Uncle Paul and Aunt Amy are out of town. Of course, Leah is sick. So I think I might have a day off...