How to Make Pumpkin Bread Muffins

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups pumpkin (This was from our Halloween pumpkin that turned out to be bred for looks not taste.)
• 3/4 cup oil
• 3 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Combine ingredients in no particular order. Pour in bread pan. Think “Wow that is really full.” Stick it in over anyway and bake 325 for 1 hr. At the end of the hour the batter has spread all over the oven and will not even be remotely cooked.

Dump it out and spoon almost of all of the middle into a muffin tin. Bake muffins at 325 for another 15 minutes.  Snack on the outside that actually cooked while muffins are baking.

This actually tasted very good, even if the recipe and the cook were flawed. Earlier in the day Joe had tried cooking cookie dough in the microwave at work and ended up with a smoke cloud and burning sugar smell. Apparently we both need cooking lessons.

I love that C is crawling. He is very cute. Several time yesterday he tried to go crawling to get something PB had and PB would take off with it just as soon as he got there. He was getting frustrated. Lots of work, and no luck. He has also discovered that even if he can see something out on the balcony that looks fun to play with, he cannot crawl through glass to get it.

PB is growing up which can be both frustrating and wonderful. He can be a pain to deal with, but then he is amazing other times. He generally likes to help out with chores. Today he sprayed the foam to clean up spots on the carpet. Another day he wanted to keep “washing” the car with his own spray bottle and rag long after we were done waxing. He also did most of the work while cooking a box of mac and cheese: he was so excited we were eating something for dinner that he actually likes.

Here are my adorable kids, who are far to young to smile at the same time.

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Just a few nights ago, I realized that C had gone from his belly to sitting. He had been a bit of a shelled turtle before. If he fell on his belly or was laying on his back, he was stuck. He was quite grumpy sometimes because of it. Then all of a sudden, he figured it out. Figuring it out made it easier for me, because I didn’t have to rescue him anymore.

Tonight he did this.

Go C!

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These cute people came and visited.

We packed a lot into a week (at least a lot for our assortment of small children) including:

• Ikea, a spur of the moment activity because they are re-doing the outside of the apartment and we wanted to get away from the banging. And then we ended up with free breakfast.
• Story time at the library.
• Several parks (including attempting to play volleyball which doesn’t work too well with kids).
• Playing out on the deck with sensory bins and paint. (Little MM tried to eat the paint and was quickly excluded from the activity.)

• Buying a pumpkin at a farm, complete with hay ride.
• An indoor playground
• Riding to the top of Stone Mountain and watching the laser show there. CD even enjoyed the fireworks after he realized the loud sounds didn’t mean much.
• Going to the puppet museum that actually ended up scaring our kids. They did enjoy playing puppets, and PB liked the Sesame Street puppets but there was some scary stuff there too.
• And just talking and enjoying each other.

My little tidbit of late is I say “I can’t do this” too much. They are just destructive words. I usually can just fine, and the Lord is always there helping. I should say “I am doing this, and I can continue to do this, and I can enjoy it.” I want to cultivate a more positive, grateful attitude.

PB turned three. Three sounds better than two to me…minus the fact that I have to start paying for him at some places. He loved his birthday, and is still creating happy birthday presents to open. We had a little birthday party in the park with friends, ate his favorite foods including tons of cupcakes and opened presents. I told him we would open presents just as soon as Dad came home. I thought that he would be taking a nap when Joe got off work at 2:00, and then we would open them that evening. He wasn’t sleeping though, so we opened presents about thirty seconds after Joe walked in the door.

I love to play with PB. He is old enough to sit and enjoy activities I think of. We played Cooties today. It took a lot of effort on my part to keep him interested and rule-abiding, but with encouragement (and a bit of rule modification) he played the game all the way through. He is usually very cheerful, except when he is tired and then he can be horrid. (He has a not desirable habit of waking up whenever he hears someone up. I’ll get up at 6:00 or earlier, and this is much too early for him.) A couple of things he needs to work on is eating a better variety of foods, and potty training.

PB favorite activity is to sit in the rocker and listen to songs. He loves listening to music. His second favorite thing to do is play cars. He is getting more creative in his play. Here are some things he did that I found cute:

• Dumping out his boxes used to organize his toys and sorting, stacking and turning them into roads, stepping stones and hats.
• Tackling his brother. And CD is usually okay with it. Sometimes he laughs and laughs. My greatest joy is seeing them make each other laugh.
• Trying to erase the crayons with his chalk eraser…but also coloring a picture with deliberate marks more than scribbles
• Gaining more independence: helping me with laundry, other chores.
• Playing with friends.  I love that he is old enough to make friends.

I am enjoying the cooler weather. I forgot how wonderful it is to go outside in a jacket and not be surrounded by mosquitoes.

Last Saturday we attempted to go disc golfing. After the first hole, we were cheerfully informed the course was closed to put down milch. We were bummed at first but played at the playground and decided to go shopping for PB’s birthday. When something doesn’t work out there are often better things to discover. In the parking lot for the store was an event with crafts, firemen, police, free food, and bounce houses. I think it was a fundraiser and safety fair. It was great fun and a bit educational. I did sneak away while Joe was with PB and bought him a few presents.

My favorite thing lately is seeing the kids make each other laugh.

I want to commit to be happy more. It is a choice. I can avoid dwelling on my mistakes or problems, and simply strive to do better. My life is wondrous only as I choose to see it that way.

And conference was wonderful, wasn’t it?

You only get one picture today, but there’s some good ones of our family at the end of this post (kudos to my awesome sister-in-law).