The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Photo Booth

.....continued

How do you take pictures of guests at parties? Just catch them while in the act of shoveling food in their mouth. I think not! This is not a pasture. There are no cows here.

My wife and I thought of a better idea. A backdrop. Photo booth style. This way, we prevented the awkward glances, eating habits, and plain old hiding from the glass piercing into the soul.

Our first run at this concept was enlightening. Better opportunities in the future will be ours.

One thing I learned! Food colored icing and white teeth make you look like you devoured a Smurf. Just ask the young lady in the picture below. HAHA.

more to follow......

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Cuppy Cakes

....Continued

We made roughly a gazillion cupcakes for our little humans numero uno birthday party. Seriously. There were cupcakes all over the place.

My wife made the cupcakes and cooked them. We had yellow and chocolate.  My mother was gracious enough to ice them. I was whipped into submission and made the icing (my dad's recipe) and placed them out into the shape since I am artsy.

Results.

My father made this icing by hand every year around Christmas time. I am just lazy, plus I have a super duper fancy gadget that does all the work for me, so I use it. My father would be proud that I am able to carry on his icing recipe for another generation.

My mother ices the cake. She specifically asked me when the shade of color was just right. Again. Artsy.

A smattering of cup cakes freshly iced.

The end result.

Next subject. The birthday boy!

to be continued......

Neglect remedy.

Our oldest, has been a little neglected lately due to Parker's upcoming first birthday. In response, I am posting some pictures from an Oreo moment. Enjoy as much as he did.

On a side note: He has been having rough nights for about a week now. He wakes up crying and throwing up clear stuff. Not much, but just enough to make a mess. We think it is reflux and will be making an appointment for him in the upcoming week. I will keep you posted on that news. The littlest human also has a one year checkup on Monday.....eek.

The littlest human's party went off without a hitch on Saturday. I took over 200 pics, so I am editing those and will most likely be posting them in several different batches. Look for those in the coming days. I am very proud of our theme and how well it looked this year. One of the best yet!

Bubbles.

A clear film layer filled with air. 

Who knew such a simple concept would be emotionally gratifying for a little human. We as parents, could be made to do this for hours at a time if it were possible. Fortunately, we would pass out only after thirty minutes. Mr Derek has always loved bubbles (we have one of those bubble machines that claim to produce gazillions of bubbles). So, every Spring when bubble concoctions are prevalent in the stores we pounce. Several dollars for weeks of fun. Duh. That is a no-brainer.

As you can see, the littlest (newest) human is not quite sure yet.

What's for dinner?

On the menu tonight, we have Lemon Pepper Chicken, green beans, and what would any meal be without starch!

Not going to get too involved here. Remember, I am not complicated when it comes to cooking.

Grab some chicken. My breasts(not mine personally) were pretty large, so I filleted them and made two substantial portions out of one. Place chicken in a seal-able bag and add a little EVOO. For those not up to snuff on the cool cooking lingo, EVOO is extra virgin olive oil. Get your seasoning and coat each piece well. If possible, marinate over night to let the flavors infiltrate the chicken.

I use a lemon pepper, that also includes various herbs for a more beautiful flavor sensation.

Cook as recommended. Never eat raw chicken. Yuck. 

I use an indoor grill because we live in an apartment and are not allowed to have gas grills. I am too lazy to use charcoal, plus that can get messy.

Plate and enjoy,

As always, I do not endorse any product shown and if any company would like to come forward and help my cause, it would be appreciated.

Play date.

This past week, involved some much wanted warmth. Temperatures were in the middle 70's and it was sunny. So, one evening we met up with some good friends and had a little play date. Secretly, our little ones are in a committed relationship for the rest of their lives.

Patiently waiting for an open swing.

Sat still long enough to get this picture.

Dazed and confused.

Yoga anyone?

What is this? A jelly sandal from the little girl. 

Jail.

Swinging, is a favorite of both our sons. 

Afterwards, we went to our friends house to eat some grub and play a little on the Kinect. I wouldn't call it playing though, it was more like exercise. My arms were sore, two days after this adult play. 

Violent storms rolled in while we were there, with a tornado passing just a couple miles north of us. On our way home we ran into the aftermath. A major route was closed and we could see why. Trees were twisted and power poles were down on the road. Luckily, our house was spared as it lifted, not doing anymore damage.