Five Brown Kids

After a romp in the sprinkler the other day my kids and their friends set up some towells on the driveway to lie down and dry off. "We're sunbathing Mom," Taye said, "like turtles."

And probably not his last! Time: 32.57

We climbed mountains at our house this week. Mon, Wed and Fri after school the boys had spring swim clinic. A few weeks of serious swim classes in preparation for summer swim team. Jaxon is making great strides and Taye is a delight to watch. He must be half fish. Happy to dive in, swims with perfect form and then laughing and smiling when he hops out. I've never seen a 7 year old swim laps with such joy. On Wednesday Jaxon's preschool class walked to a nearby elementary school to check out the kindergarten class and tour the school. That was a hike for him. Scotia also had gymnastics on Wednesday morning. Swim Wed afternoon. Thursday eve Taye had soccer practise. Friday more swim. And then today. This area of our church hosted a Day of Service: Lengthen Your Stride 5km Charity Run. Tryone worked so I showed up with my kids and neighbours and just told the boys to meet me at the food table when they were done. Taye is near the finish line, just one lap around the church left. ...

It's pleasant summer kind of weather around here - hot but not too hot and no mugginess. Friday night found half our street out playing. Lots of frisbees and footballs and bow and arrows. Yep. Tyrone's been muttering under his breath about Davey Crockett. All week the kids (by which I mean the ones who I birthed and the ones who just hang out at my house as if I had birthed them) have been creating and designing and re-working and improving on their bow and arrows. By Friday night they had a pretty sweet model, and even one of our grown up neighbours had to take a few turns shooting it at his house.

It's almost strawberry season here and this is another delicious salad - from Courtney this time. Tyrone LOVES this salad. It's just a toss together salad. one head of romaine lettuce chopped, or a few handfuls of the Costco spring mix, or a small bag of fresh spinach, chopped one cup of sliced fresh strawberries shredded Asiago cheese if you desire Mix with Briannas Blush Wine Vinaigrette . (The one with the strawberry) Top with sugared almonds just before serving. Sugared Almonds - Take a heavy pan and toss in 1/2 cup of slivered almonds, 1/4 cup of white sugar and a tbsp of butter. Put the heat on medium. Watch carefully - in about a minute the sugar will start to melt. Then you need to stir them constantly with a wooden spoon. In about 3 or 4 minutes the sugar will melt to a golden color and will coat the toasted almonds. Remove from the heat and spread on a plate until they cool. Break apart and sprinkle on salad.

Here are two funs blogs that I follow religiously.... The Meanest Mom This Mormon mom just tells it like it is with a fantastic dose of humor. Highly recommend for your daily laugh. Seriously So Blessed This blog is a ficticious account of a Mormom mom who's got it all. It's great!

Saturday morning after my long, long run the boys had soccer. It was a beautiful sunny day and they had a great time playing. Afterwards Dad left to play ball and we decided to eat our lunch at a nice park nearby before heading home. We enjoyed our lunch at the picnic table and watched some kids swimming in the lake. The boys thought that would be fun so they grabbed the keys and headed up to the van in the parking lot to change back into regular clothes. Jaxon came back first and left the keys for Taye in the van. Taye though Jaxon had the keys so he just pressed the lock all doors button and then hopped out. Lock Out!!! We borrowed some one's cell to leave a message for Dad who was busy balling and then enjoyed picking flowers and getting wet at the lake. Jax is one fearless cookie! We headed back to the van when we thought Dad would be close to finishing up with ball but he was having a banner day and playing late. Arrrghhh.... we waited for over an hour in the parking lot. We ...

1 cup couscous 1 1/4 cup chicken broth 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp (or more) fresh lime juice 1 tsp red wine vinegar 1/2 tsp cumin 4 gr onions, chopped (never use these) 1/4 cup (or more) cilantro, chopped 15 oz can of corn, drained 15 0z can of black beans, drained 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1. Bring chicken broth to a boil, add couscous, turn off pot, cover and let sit 2. Whisk oil, lime, vinegar and cumin 3. Fluff the couscous, break up any chunks, add veggies 4. Add dressing, mix well and refrigerate I love, love, love this salad and I think my Mom loves it even more. Since I first got the recipe from a friend of Tyrone's family it's been a requirement at most Ripple family gatherings, too bad for Jake who doesn't like couscous of all things! *Couscous can be found in little boxes near the wild rice or other such things at a regular grocery store and in bulk bins at places like Whole Foods or Fresh Market. It's really easy to cook and takes on the flavour of whatever yo...

We met our friends after school at the park and they played for hours while Carleen and I caught up. These kids love each other!

The Ricks were here. Drove up Saturday at lunch time just like they had a million times before. Except we haven't seen them all in months. The kids had a great afternoon playing. We all loved dinner at Pei Wei and then a grownup party! The kids woke up to Easter baskets and pancakes for breakfast and then we headed out for church. Taye loved his basket but was disappointed that the EB hadn't hid any eggs. Never fear Taye. The EB just wanted to make sure you really had enough time to hunt them down. They came home to a house and backyard full of eggs and had a wonderful time finding every one. Tyrone laid out a Venezuela blanket on the lawn and we picnicked in the sunny back yard for lunch. The Ricks needed to catch up on a lot of Vitamin D. Tyrone and the kids set up our tent for an overnight adventure and the boys slept out in the chill. Monday morning Courtney and I went for a run for old times sake. She still kicked my butt. The Ricks are so generous and kind and fun and it...

The other afternoon before we left to pick up Taye, Jaxon went on a photo spree and this is what he found....

Every now and then Tyrone threatens to drive off with my mini-van and return home with a big old SUV. But look at this - in my trunk I have one single jogging stroller for runs, one regular stroller for walks, a large kite for windy days, a bag of pails and shovels for any park with sand, two lawn chairs for soccer games and a few odd soccer balls and Frisbees. You can't do that in a Pilot!

1 large bunch broccoli, cut into small flowerets, not cooked 10-12 strips bacon, fried crisp and crumbled (I buy a precooked pack and then just toss in the microwave - much faster and less mess) 1/2 cup raisins 1/4 cup chopped red onion 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup vinegar 2 tbsp sugar Combine broccoli, bacon, raisins and onion in a large bowl. Blend mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Pour over broccoli mixture and stir to coat well. Cover and marinate at least one hour. This is another great Emily salad that I just can't get enough of!

Easter is coming and so are the Ricks! See you in a few days!

We're cheering for you! Tyrone's first job out of college was at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and Jaxon was born there too so we bleed two shades of blue.

Our neighbourhood has two yard sale days a year. One in the spring and one in the fall - there are no yard sales allowed except on those two days. A long time ago the boys decided it would be fun to sell cookies and make some extra money. Saturday was the day and Tyrone worked of course! We got our treats on Friday but Saturday morning we got up early and put out our signs and set up our table for some sales. Lots of traffic went by and a few people stopped. They were so kind. Jaxon was very brave to ask our neighbours if they wanted anything, Taye was great at helping the people who stopped and telling them the options and prices and getting them the correct change. After paying me back for the cost of the items they sold they each made four dollars. And the leftovers they are happy to eat. Sweet! I've now made a commitment stop and buy anytime I see a kid stand. The boys were so thrilled anytime a customer stopped. And it was obviously a much more valuable experience than just ...

This is just a moment I want to remember when I'm ready to pull my hair out and I'm taking a breather reviewing my blog. The boys were still out playing. I'd finally dragged Scotia inside so I could cook supper and she was playing happily in the playroom. And I was busy making supper and enjoying the pleasant 75 degree breezes blowing in my windows. Ahhhh.....

Feed the baby, rock the baby, push the baby in the stroller, talk on the play cell phone and try to share the diaper bag. It was a fun morning!

These little treats are delicious. Perfect for an after school snack or quick dessert. 1 cup powdered sugar 1/4 cocoa powder 2 tbsp milk 1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy) coconut to roll in if you like Mix, roll, refrigerate. (Add a little more milk or powdered sugar to get the right consistency - you don't want them wet and sticky or dry and crumbly. ) We've add crushed candy canes to these before and it was yummy.