Classic Shrimp Stir Fry

1 lb. shrimp, raw*

1 lb. baby bok choy, washed and chopped

2 lg. portabella mushroom caps, sliced thinly

2 green onions, chopped

1 T. garlic, minced

1/3 c. plus 2 T. soy sauce

1 T. ginger root

Prep Time: 10 minutes      Cook Time: 10 minutes        Servings: 4

1. In a wok (or fry pan), heat 2 T. soy sauce on low heat. Add the shrimp. Peel the skin from the ginger root and discard it. Then mince the ginger (ginger in small doses adds so much amazing flavor to a dish; in large doses, ginger tastes like lemon pledge) and add it to the pan. Once the shrimp is lightly pink, pour the shrimp into a bowl for a few minutes.

2. Heat 1/3 c. soy sauce in the wok on medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and let tenderize, usually about a minute. Add bok choy, green onions, and garlic. Cook until the greens become slightly wilted (for optimal flavor) then add the shrimp. After about a minute, remove the wok from the heat.

3. Serve immediately!

* I use raw shrimp that needs to be cooked and peeled. It takes 5 minutes to peel but it somehow tastes amazingly more tender than the already peeled and cooked shrimp. Plus, it is about 1/2 the price and the way that our 4.5 year old eats shrimp, we need it to be as cheap as possible! If you are using cooked shrimp (you can tell because raw shrimp is grey while cooked shrimp is pink), skip the first step.

Serving Suggestions: My husband and son ate this over white rice. I'm on a special nutritional plan, so I ate it without a side, but next time I will make quinoa so that we can all enjoy an identical dish.

Frugal Friday: Chive Blossoms

Chive Blossom Vinegar

• chive blossoms
• white vinegar

Prep Time: 5 minutes               Cooking Time: n/a

Fill a sterilized mason jar with chive blossoms. Add enough white vinegar to cover the blossoms. Cover and let sit in a well lit area for 7-14 days (Remember: The longer, the stronger... For a milder flavor, filter the blossoms out after 7 days. For a bolder flavor, wait 14 days.)

The vinegar will turn a vibrant pink. When it is done "brewing", it can be used as a substitute in recipes which call for vinegar.

Serving Suggestions: Add equal parts EVOO for a modern twist on balsamic vinaigrette. Use as a side with fish and chips. Or create a base with it for crock pot barbecue chicken.

Roasted Turnips with Greens

Roasted Turnips with Greens, Scallions, & Thyme

• 4 turnips with greens
• 3 scallions
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 T. coconut oil
• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper

Prep Time: 5 minutes                 Cook Time: 30 minutes

Begin by washing your produce thoroughly. Cut the greens off the turnips about 2" above the turnip, then cut the turnips into quarters. Slice the scallions in half lengthwise. Heat the coconut oil over low heat in a skillet with a dash of salt and pepper. Add the quartered turnips and scallions. Cover and roast for about 30 minutes or until turnips are tender.

Roughly chop greens with the leaves off a sprig of thyme. In a fry pan, heat EVOO over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes but don't let the greens turn brown. When the roasted turnips have cooked completely, combine both dishes in a bowl and serve.

Serving Suggestion: We enjoyed this with ground chicken burgers. The roasted turnips were amazing and my only regret is that I only made 3!

A Suburban Foodie Living in Rural Illinois

I've always enjoyed experimenting with new foods... Unless you speak with my mom. She will likely recall a time when I ate spaghetti. At restaurants, I literally only ate spaghetti. She would occasionally let me take a "life experience day", which meant that we would both skip out on our responsibilities and explore whatever intrigued us at the moment. Most days began with lunch at Red Lobster, where I would order, yes, spaghetti. But as I matured, so did my palate. I've learned to try everything at least once and preferably cooked in multiple fashions. So when I married, my husband was accustomed to everything frozen and quick. He would at times offer to make dinner and would whip up the most amazing meat loaf known to mankind. But most times, he allowed me creative liberties in the kitchen. Remind me to never share the story of the French Onion Soup. 

Living in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, variety was never an issue. I would pass an Asian market on my way to work or cross the street to grab a quick bite at the supermercado. When we decided to move to central Illinois, I had no idea how bland the dinner menu would become. I've scoured Pinterest and googled recipes, but there are only so many ways to prepare potatoes. While trying to find a local source of raw milk, I happened across a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) named Golden Oldies Farm. This concept is nothing new. There are dozens of CSAs in suburban and even urban localities. But in rural Illinois, there are not many. I contacted them for additional information and quickly signed up. Because there are only 3 of us (DH = dear husband, DS = 4.5 year old dear son, and myself), it made sense to split our share between our family and my parents. I'm going to share our experience here and will include recipes for the produce we collect each week. My recipes are dairy free and often vegan, but I will tag them appropriately for quick reference.

Find a CSA farm near you here. Please bear in mind that they often discontinue selling shares once the season has begun, but still contact them because each is individually owned and may operate differently.

Stay tuned for our meals of the week!

Whenever I look into his big blue eyes, I feel lost. He is such a beautiful boy. Especially now, since the days of snuggles and helpless cries have gone. He is so independent. He has always spoken well. He enunciates. In his high pitch voice, he very seriously says, "Actually mommie..." and I cannot help but belly laugh. That of course frustrates him and causes him to be even more articulate. He's small for his age so his outspokenness catches strangers off guard. His 34-lb body barely stands over 3 feet tall, which often causes people to call into question his age. But he is in fact 4 years old, plus a month. Most individuals make it clear how blessed we are to have a healthy child.

We are blessed. He is an amazingly vibrant boy. He is smart... and that is what others say about him (You can only imagine how brilliant I think he is). He is kind. He is generous. He is caring. He exudes good qualities. He is amazing. He is vibrant. He is not healthy.

I rarely speak about that aspect of our lives. It hurts too badly. He has never known any differently and a complaint never leaves his mouth. Instead, he will occasionally tell me in private about the pain. After seeing a specialist for the first year of his life relating to his sleep disorder, we felt a well-deserved reprieve. Until he turned 2 years old and this began. He has an autoimmune disorder which has only ever been unofficially diagnosed. He has seen dozens of doctors (one visit, he saw 5 at one time!) in several hospitals and practices. This one says it is beyond her area of expertise, this one says, "I'm a dermatologist, I can only treat what I see", this one says that the method of diagnosis is too invasive. All the while, I treat him at home, calling specialists when things gets too complicated, and wishing that Mary Poppins will find her way to our home with "a spoonful of sugar" and some medicine.

Leaving yet another specialist's office this afternoon leaves me feeling depleted. My little boy hurts and, even though he never speaks of it, he shouldn't hurt. He should be carefree. Instead I tote him to doctors who pass on the responsibility to another practitioner, requesting that we check back in a few months.

Somehow this dead end leaves me with hope. Even though we have no new information, we've checked one more name off the list.

This past weekend, we attended a 2-day circuit assembly. (As Jehovah's Witnesses we attend a few special events throughout the year which focus on a Scripture based theme. For resources with similar Scripture based topics, visit www.watchtower.org) Attending such an occasion is a big deal in our home. I look forward to visiting with old friends not often seen during the lunch break and after the sessions. I feel spiritually filled up. With a 3-year-old however, I have learned the true definition of a new word; on that I thought that I knew well in past years. Each year since his birth, it has taken on a new meaning. This year, "exhausted" has reached an entirely new level.

I say this, not to complain. I love my boy more than myself. He is not a demanding child (the threes are exhibiting a bit more of this behavior, but I attribute that to our chaotic lifestyle). [Excuse me for a moment, "J, what are you doing? Don't dump your cereal out of the bowl please. Stop driving your trains through your spilled cereal please." Clean up, clean up everybody do your part. Clean up, clean up....] Sorry about that. I am back now. I say this because I keep hearing the same message. It is one that is directed at those parenting, but really resonates with me on a deeper level.

The theme this weekend was "Let your name be sanctified" based on the model prayer (aka: Our Father or the Lord's Prayer) by Jesus Christ at Matthew 6:9. One part was directed at parents and how Jehovah's name can be sanctified (made holy) through the methods we use to rear our children. One overseer, whose speaking ability really inspires me, spoke about the need to maintain an open line of communication with our children. In doing so, he said to prepare ourselves as parents to be shocked. If we are prepared to be shocked, we won't spazz out. And if we don't want to hear what our children have to say because it will freak us out (his words, not mine... Lol.) to overreact the first time they confide in us or ask questions about sex or friends or their bodies. I have always believed this to be true. As a FT working mom, I struggle with this, but I think that I do a good job. My boy often runs to me saying, "I'm frustrated", "I'm tired", "I'm happy." I stop whatever important to me thing I am doing and try to help him resolve the important to him problem. It usually relates to toys or sharing, but it is the most important thing in the world to him.

Now for the lesson that I learned. I, like most people I know, struggle with feelings of worthlessness. I have a difficult time feeling that I deserve a personal relationship with my Father in heaven. I feel that my problems are so unimportant in relation to what he deals with on a daily basis. But he never asks us to treat other individuals differently from how he treats us. And while it is sometimes frustrating to drop what I am doing to respond to J's problem, it is deeply satisfying when I find a way to help him work through it and equip him with the skills to overcome the same obstacle in the future. Our God doesn't get frustrated when we interrupt him. How much joy it must bring our God when we ask for his help! All these years, I've been looking at my relationship with Him as a child. I never realized that becoming a parent would equip me to finally work towards overcoming this major obstacle. Thank you for that "food at the proper time"! (Matthew 24:45-47)

Long story short... It was a very long two days and I was only able to sit through a few discourses, but I think that I learned something that will forever impact my relationship with my heavenly Father. :)

Things I thought I'd never say as a parent...

Daddy to little boy J: "No, you don't have to eat the banana bread if you don't like it. But you cannot run over it with your tricycle."

Survivor: The Fishbowl

Sometimes I feel like my fish are stars in Fishie Survivor. The only issue is that "Boat" (as named by a 2 year old), is a year old and always seems to win. He doesn't play a fair fight either. He usually starts eating whatever fish remains before it has even lost the game. Now we are off to replace "George" before little guy J realizes that they aren't just playing hide-n-seek with each other.

Sounds that make us go.... OH NO!

Imagine ten minutes ago, the terror in my mind as I hear the toilet flushing. The hubs is in bed, so he can go leave for work at 8 pm. I rush to see what has taken the great white waterslide to its sewery demise, never to be seen again. I follow the trail of toothpaste, contact lens packets, and child flossers. I take a deep breath and look into the porcelain throne.

NOTHING.

I take a mental inventory of what likely occupied the packages. It all looks the same. I ask the little one if he can show me what he flushed. He looks back at me confused. His expression almost says, "What is supposed to be flushed?"

I go back in the living room. I separate myself from the ticker tape of thoughts going through my head. Baby J climbs on my lap and asks to cuddle a few minutes later. I ask him if his pants are wet, because he is due for a diaper change.

"Nope." He replies.

"Are your pants wet?" I ask.

"Nope. I went on the toilet."

"You went on the toilet?" I ask flabbergasted.

"Yep. I went in the big, white toilet. I said buh-bye to my potties."

My jaw drops. That explains the toilet flush. What a relief! He didn't flush my contacts or his dinner. And he is trying!

Now we just have to work on removing the underwear before going.

:)

So it begins...

Before baby J was even born, we were told that someday soon he would know more than we do, or at least think he does. Well, it is beginning.

Yesterday we went to Legoland. If you haven't been, I encourage you to go at least once (but buy your tickets online beforehand). There is nothing that can't be done with a Lego. If you have a child with you who doesn't already own every Lego set known to mankind, plan to buy one on your way out the door several hours later. We did. We bought baby J his very first Duplo. It is a 62 piece set, which sounds like a lot more than it is, with a person, the makings for a house, alphabet blocks, 2 flowers, a cat, and a car base. I set them all out for hik so that he could play with them when he woke today. I even left out the single Duplo firetruck bought for him by a friend long ago.

I looked at all the pieces and wondered what he would create. His first task, of course, involved the car. He loaded the flowers on the base like a flat bed. I thought, "Wouldn't have been my first move, but okay." Then he took the person, put her in the firetruck. He put the cat on the back and attached it to the car base using the trailer hitch. You see, I hadn't noticed the hitch but he had formulated a creative plan in the split second that I set him at the table.

So it befan today. He is learning at a much greater level than I am. At this rate, he will know everything by the time he is twelve.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

What a hectic week we have ahead of us! There are so many things happening work-wise, which makes me appreciate the guests we had this past weekend. Meemaw, Peepaw, and cousin L came to visit. It was very refreshing to just hang out and play games. I always look forward to their weekends here.

The only thing that I don't like is... when they leave. Usually baby J gets so upset! He will ask for them every hour on the hour for days. Thankfully, he is beginning to grasp simple concepts. We explained to him that they had to go home and that we would see them again very soon. He adapted quickly!

Besides that, we are enjoying a quiet morning. Then we will be taking the car to the dealer. Then home again for naptime (him, not me... Well, maybe I will join him for a few minutes.) After that, sorry, but you may not see me again for a few days.

Since September

Since September, baby J...
... has turned 2. Gone through 2 growth spurts. Learned to count to 15. Pretends to spell words. Invents his own Brown Bear books ("red car, red car, what do you see? I see a yellow car looking at me. yellow car, yellow car, what do you see? I see a blue truck looking at me.) Picks up his toys. Asks to go to bed when he's sleepy. Puts his own shirt on. Went # 2 in the "froggy potty"... once.

Since September, I...
... have started a cloth diaper service. Learned that I get to choose what time work happens. Written an editorial for a well-known Chicago publication. Forgotten to blog.

Sorry!

My baby isn't anymore.

A few weeks ago, baby J made the connection that he is identified in a particular manner. He has called others by their names for awhile now. He knows his meemaw and peepaw. He knows his mommie and papa. He even knows his uncles and uncles by friendship. But when we would ask his name, he would reply with a confident "baby". I'm not sure how he adopted this name for himself, as he is never called baby. I call him "bugs" (not sure why) and papa calls him "little man". Other people call him by the shortened version of his name. I began to pay more attention to how other people identified him. Nope. Nobody calls him baby. I was fine with this reference for himself, because he is my baby and the nickname won't be fitting for much longer.

And he has already begun to outgrow it.

 A few days ago, while playing the "who's that?" name game, he called himself by his name.

In fact, I overheard he and his papa having a conversation yesterday. Papa reprimanded him for having his tongue out while climbing on the bed (he was getting the duvet wet) and asked if he was a little doggie. He replied, "I no doggie. I boy."

My baby J is redefining himself as a boy now. He is almost 2. He is a boy. And too rapidly in my opinion.

I'm baaa-ack...

Life is eventful and as a mommie, I feel pretty uncertain of every choice I make. But, usually, at the end of the day, I get a silent reassurance that we are doing just fine. When I look at my little guy slowly drifting into sleep while cuddling his "bwown bearw" book, I know that we are all going to be okay.

But yesterday, we had a long day. After looking forward for months to the visit of a traveling overseer to our congregation, we had to leave early. My poor baby J was having an issue again. The issue is one that we thought had been resolved over a month ago.

Go back 2 1/2 months...
We had tried nearly all natural methods, a few traditional ones, and finally had to mutually agree with our doctor that antibiotics seemed the best route to get this under control rapidly (as it had gone on for several weeks without improvement). He took a regimen of antibiotics and probiotics.We were ecstatic when it worked. The problem cleared up. And he had only a day of nasty antibiotic side effects.

Now to the present...
After napping peacefully as we listened to the well-prepared discourse by the traveling overseer, he woke rather pleasantly. I left the auditorium to change him and found that *sigh* it was back. We took our things, quietly left the auditorium, and proceeded to the emergency room. There, the physician's assistant recommended a straight catheter to retrieve a sterile urine sample for urinalysis and culture. I was happy that she was being so proactive, but secretly in terror that my boy would have to go through that. I quickly asked if I could breastfeed him while they placed the cath. The nurses looked at me like I was crazy. Here I am with a nearly 2 year old about to have a straight cath placed and I ask about nursing him during?!? They were apprehensive, but I stood out of the way, contorted myself as one nurse prepared to place the cath, the other held him down with my husband's assistance. It seemed like forever, but he nursed and occasionally let out a gasp of discomfort. Afterwards, the nurses said that went "surprisingly well". I'm sure they attributed none of it to the many positive results that breastfeeding a child in distress produces. But I do.

And so, while I get strange looks when I mention that I still breastfeed my 23 month old, I'm confident that I have made the right choice for my family. Had I not, he would've been a lot more traumatized and in more pain. I owe this one to our Grand Creator who knows what he is doing!

Learn more about the long-term benefits of breastfeeding.

Kissy Face (The Sequel)

In a previous post, I described baby J's "kiss" routine with all of his bath toys. Tonight, while bathing, he began handing me his toys. First, his rubber duck. "Kiss kiss". I gave his ducky a peck on the bill. Then his tug boat. "Kiss kiss". This time I gave a big smooch only to hear poppy warn, "He just peed in the tub."

No more "kiss kiss" with the bath toys.

Dairy-Free Day!!

It is so difficult to know what is dairy-free and what isn't. I've been wondering if baby J's restless nights are linked with somehting that I've been missing (or something that isn't missing) in his diet. Reaffirmed. Walking into Wendy's today, I noted a large chart, about the size of 3 posters, hanging as I entered the front door. It is a new feature and I am glad they have added it. It has a list of the 7 most common food allergens and their presence (or potential presence) in foods offered by the franchise. They are broken into 3 categories, distinguishable by different colored dots. Red means that the allergen is present, blue means that the food is cooked on the same surface or in the same oil as that allergen (and may be cross-contaminated), and green (?? the colors are on the chart, but I don't recall this one) means that the food is prepared or manufactured on the same line as the allergen (and may be cross-contaminated). Wow! What a concept! Just put it out there for everyone to see. So dairy-free at Wendy's is even more limited than I had believed. There were a lot of red dots. But now I know.

This encouraged me to venture into the land of the unknown regarding other fast food restaurants and allergen information. Here is what I've found so far. I will continue to update the list as I learn more. And remember that just like all processed foods, the ingredients continually change and so the facts today may not be the facts tomorrow.



McDonald's (note that the bottom section lists actual allergens- like milk- and what products they are in)

Arby's lists the allergens in red next to the name of the food item.

Burger King

Chipotle makes it easy by only using dairy in their cheese and sour cream. That's why we love you, Chipotle!

Panda Express says milk in the Orange Chicken and mixed veggies, so no more for baby J, but at least the Mandarin Chicken is still okay!

KFC says go for the Original or Grilled with Dairy allergies, but avoid anything breaded or extra crispy.

Popeye's makes you work for any info. They list all ingredients, but only a few allergens that are contained in each. For example, they list "wheat" as an allergen, but not "milk", although the ingredients clearly state that they contain milk. Sigh. Virtually everything has an allergen. Buh-bye.

You've got to love Subway for just putting it all out there. Usually good old non-processed ingredients.

Taco Bell lists the allergens in a great, easy to use chart; but it is only accessible online. It isn't possible to print it.

Wendy's who gave me this idea.

White Castle for those with iron stomachs.

Have fun eating out with the help of my list! These are just places local to me, but if you'd like to review other options, a great resource is the Go Dairy Free dining out guide and the shopping lists.

What's For Dinner: Kale, Potato, & Chicken Hash

We had started receiving fresh produce deliveries from Ripe Organics, a local small business that arranges organic produce deliveries based on what is at the peak of season at the time. Last week, we received so many goodies, "God's Candy" as I tell baby J. A few items included yummy plums, juicy peaches, fresh romaine, red potatoes, and kale. Yes, kale. What does a midwestern girl do with kale? Google it, that's what. And a recipe came up Bobby Flay. His was a side dish, but if I am going to invest that much time (30-minutes from start to finish) into a dish, it is going to be the entree. So, I improvised. Here is what was for dinner... (Please disregard any preconceived notions, because my husband of 7 years actually asked when we would have it again. I responded, the next time it's delivered.)

8 c. torn kale leaves (about 1/2 bunch; removed from the stalks)
2 T. wasabi and horseradish paste
1 bunch green onions, minced
1/2 t. ground pepper
1/4 t. salt
2 c. cooked shredded potatoes (frozen is fine, but see note below first if using fresh)
3 t. EV olive oil
1 T. minced garlic
1 lb. ground chicken

Place kale in a large microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave until wilted (about 3 minutes). Drain, cool slightly, and finely chop.

Meanwhile, mix wasabi/horseradish paste, green onions, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Add the chopped kale and potatoes. Stir until mixed.

In one pan, saute ground chicken.

Heat oil and minced garlic in another large nonstick pan (take my word, you'll want non-stick for this one) over medium heat. Add the kale mixture, spread into an even layer and cook, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes and returning the mixture to an even layer, until the potatoes begin to turn golden brown and crisp. This will take 12 to 15 minutes. Just before this mixture is done, add the cooked ground chicken.

Fresh potato tip: Boil potatoes until they can just be pierced with a fork but are not completely tender. Let cool slightly, then shred.

It only took about 30 minutes and it was colorful and delicious! Can't wait for our next delivery to see what we can cook up!!

Oh, and if you have leftover potatoes or a different kind of meat, substitute away. I have a feeling that you can do a lot of substitutions with this simple recipe.

Kissy Face

Sorry... I am very very sorry. I hadn't even realized that my last post was on June 28th. Yikes! It doesn't feel like it was that long ago.

Baby J reminded me today, though, of why I love to share little snippets of our life online. He was in the bath tub with all his Munchkin bath toys. He has a dozen or so and each is in the shape of a sea creature. He would gently lift each toy out of the water, rinse it under the faucet, give it a kiss on its mouth, then hand it to me and say "kiss kiss". This went on repeatedly until he and I had both kissed each little toy creature three times. While he was putting them all back in the tub for a fourth round, I unsuspectingly reached behind him and pulled the bath plug.

Then he climbed out of the tub and I bundled him in a towel. He walked towards the stairs and up towards bed. As he closed the gate behind him, his little pinky got caught. I quickly swooped him up only to hear "kiss kiss". And I did. Then he called poppy and asked for another "kiss kiss".

Before bed, he as usual gave us our individual hugs and "kiss kiss", then said his sweet "buh-bye" as we tucked him into bed.

I can't wait until morning. Then I will be able to have my morning "kiss kiss". I just can't get over my little kissy face.

The newest family addition

Please allow me to take a moment to introduce the newest member of our family. She doesn't have a name yet, but already has a purpose. According to our latest library addition about potty learning, a doll which potties can help a child connect the idea of drinking, urinating, and wetness. So, today, we began our search for such a doll. First, please know that they only come in pink. Some are even capable of pooping, if fed special separately purchased "baby food". But baby J liked this little girl. She has her own potty which is very similar to his froggy potty (also chosen by him, per "the book"). We searched for big boy pants and found "mouse" (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) underpants which he gleefully carried around the store.

When it comes to such matters, there is no shortage in the potty market. Actualy potties can range from $9.99 to unlimited amounts (the most expensive I found was $80.99!! It had better train the child for you). Some have splash guards or music or handle bars. There are "starter potties" and those for advanced children. The book section is loaded with wisdom on the matter too. But, when you make it to the potty-ing dolls, expect a limited selection of girl dolls.

One comes with juice packets, baby food, and disposable diapers (I'm too cheap to buy them for my own son, why would I buy them for a doll?!?). The other comes with cloth diapers, a potty chair, and a BPA-free (not really) bottle.

Everything Potty Training Book: $9.99

Lots to Love Babies potty doll with accessories: $15.00

"Mouse" underpants: $9.99

Baby J splashing in LTLB's toilet water: Priceless

Tot Time

Baby feet in the swimming pool are the cutest. I love baby J's little toes anyways, but to see them beneath the water makes them appear even more magical. Those little round toes remind me of grapes fresh off the vine; I just want to gobble them up (don't tell James that I said that; he's never understand that phrase.) Baby J was especially fond of looking at them once I pointed them out too.

We scrambled frantically to the froggie slide. We were the second people in line at the gate. While tot time is restricted to children under 6, children under 6 can still be stressful to a little guy. Last time we were there, baby J saw the slide. And baby J loves slides (the way I love baby feet). So he ran to it. Once he got to the top step, though, he found it a bit intimidating. And the boy who pushed him down it didn't make him less paranoid. Today, I hoped to conquer the fear before the others arrived. He did come down the slide, but not the way you think. He pushed his way down the steps when the hoards of children under 6 arrived. Hopefully next week will be more promising.

The cutest part, though, was that the whole time we were hanging out in the pool, he kept gravitating towards the large, twisty waterslides. I'd hate to be the kid waiting behind baby J in that line! Thankfully, that is a few years off.

While we didn't make much progress in overcoming the slide fear, we did have a great time together just splashing and walking in the water. That's where you'll find us twice a week. By the end of the summer, he should be holding his own on that froggie.