Splish Splash

We are taking advantage of the hot summer days left and decided to bust out the kid's outside toys.  I under estimate how fun it is to simply put out a kiddie pool and table.  The kids had just as much fun as when we go to the big pool.  The secret ingredient... good ol' H2O.  We slapped on some sunscreen and camp outside for  a while.

Tink and Tank enjoyed themselves tremendously.

Whaaat?!?  I get to splash and it's OK to do it?

Having a very Zen moment.

Have a fabulous Friday!

Baby Food - Croque Bebe

I made something a little different today for Little Man's dinner other than puree.  It seemed to be a hit from the looks of the pictures below (you be the judge).  Found the recipe in one of my baby books What to Expect the First Year and thought is seemed pretty easy since I already had all the ingredients available.

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks 

1/4 c. breast milk or formula

1 slice whole wheat bread, cut in half

Cheddar cheese slices

Vegetable oil cooking spray

1.  Beat egg yolks and milk in a bowl

2.  Place cheese between bread slices.  Pinch all around the edge of the bread to create little sandwich pocket.

3.  Dip into egg and milk mixture, coating both sides.

4.  Heat pan and coat with cooking spray.

5.  Cook sandwich pocket on both sides until golden brown, should be soft.

I cut the crust off and then cut into bite size pieces.  I had a little egg and milk left over to make two more slices.  He liked it because I didn't see any hit the floor.  Yummy!

August Photo Fun

August came and went like a flash.  It was a great month and I have a few random photos I would like to share just because.

The kids went to visit their new triplet buddies and ended up taking a dip in the pool.  Priceless!

He started climbing on furniture.

Just because her hair is this AWESOME!

Just because HIS hair is awesome!

Standing up more confidently.

I love baby feet!

ER visit = Fun Times

Learning to do dishes like Daddy.

Out for a stroll

Just because he can.

This is my view in the mornings.

Hello there!

No booster seat, eating like a big girl.

Little Man

This is how peacefully they will always play, right???

Exploring...

Summer wind down in full effect.  Looking forward to next month.  Let's do this!

Spanish Flash Cards

My husband and I always said that we would speak strictly Spanish at home to the kids.  They would eventually pick up English in school.  That is how we grew up, our parents only spoke Spanish.  I  personally didn't learn English until I was 5 years old, in kindergarten.

I found these flash cards on Amazon a while back and I really like them.  My daughter likes them just as much because they mimic things she is learning at daycare.  They have letters, numbers, colors, and shapes.  And even a few animals and action words all in Spanish.  The makers of the flashcards, FlashKids, have a pretty cool website with even a few freebie items to download.

Interesting that there are no Spanish words for the letter "W".  I tried googling it and only Spanglish words popped up.  I guess putting "Whiskey" on children's flashcard would not be a smart thing to do.  If anyone finds one please let me know, very curious!

These flashcards below are not in Spanish but they make it very easy for me to translate and help my daughter expand her vocabulary.  They are based the character Max the Monkey.  They go through his day such as breakfast, at school, at the park, etc.  It leaves rooms to ask questions about what they see and also goes through things that may be familiar to them and you can build from that.  I like them very much.  They also come with a cute little canvas bag.

Happy flashing!

Latin Festival Fun

Today we had an awesome day with our friends at the park at the annual Latin Festival.  The Latin Festival is all about showing your country's pride and celebrating it at the same time.  Everything from music to food makes us proud.  In preparation for this year's festival, I made some shirts for my kids.  My husband was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and even though I was born in the US my father is Puerto Rican and mother from Honduras, making me HONDURICAN!  What a mix right? But what beautiful kids that makes when you mix it all up.

Exhausted after a fun day.

The weather was perfect, the company was great, and a good time was had by all!

Sweet Sibling Moments

Bringing second baby home was joyous and blessed moment but in the back of my mind I always wondered how big sister would respond.  My husband recalls the day he picked up our daughter to take to the hospital to meet brother.  She happily entered the car and sat in her seat and noticed that there was a second one right next to her.  Her face turned to total concern.  We had been preparing her telling her that "hermanito" was in mommy's belly and to give him a kiss  and she would.  I don't think she really realized what was going on since she wasn't even 2 yet.

She walked into the hospital room and got so excited and yelled, "Mami!", then her face changed to concern again because I was carrying a small little thing called her brother.  We told her to come meet her "hermanito" and she was very cautious.  Let just say the best part of her was that she was able to climb into my bed and play with the controls.

Through the weeks I began to see moments of pure sibling tenderness that just melt my heart.  I feel extremely blessed to have two healthy & wonderful kids.  She loves her brother and he just loves her right back.  Their faces light up when they see each other every day.

Such a yummy kiss!

Peek-a-Booo!

This is how you should wear your hair.

Are you laughing at me?

Welcome to my crib!

The highlight of meeting brother.

I thank God every day for such wonderful blessings!

Jugo de Tamarindo - Tamarind Juice

I think this is one of my favorite juices growing up and it's all I drank during my 1st pregnancy.  Yummy, just thinking of it makes me thirsty!  Growing up, every Hispanic household would prepare this juice.  The most popular way was to buy the frozen pulp and then mix with water.  It is very refreshing and I can never get enough of it.

I am able to find the actual pods that grow from the tree in my local Mexican supermarket.  It's a customary beverage for many in the Caribbean and Central/South America.  You can eat it right out of the pod or make dishes with it.  I also enjoy eating it when the pods are cracked open and the insides are rolled in sugar.  It's acidic taste with the sugar make a heavenly combination.

Here is how I make juice from it.

Grab about a pound of Tamarindo.

Crack open and remove the shell.

Once open remove the veins.

This is what you should have removed and your fingers should be all sticky.

Place peeled Tamarindo in a large bowl or pot.

Pour drinking water to cover it.  Let it sit for about an hour then with hands mush to release the pulp.  The water will turn brown.  Once you feel the pulp has separated from the seeds, strain it into a pitcher. 

Add water and sugar to your liking.  Some like it more acidic than others.  We use cane sugar but you can use anything you prefer.

This is as customary to us and lemonade is to others.  Enjoy!