Best Chocolate Covered Strawberries...EVER

Alright last but not least I made a little Valentine dinner for the fam....Pan Seared Steak with Shallot Butter Sauce from Matt's new Americas Test Kitchen cookbook...yum. Hassleback potatoes and lemon, pinenut greenbeans! For Dessert I made this http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/chili-chocolate-covered-strawberries-recipe/index.html Chocolate Covered Strawberry Recipe mmmmmmmmm I added Ancho Chile Pepper/Powder and it doesn't taste spicy just enhances the flavor of the Chocolate. Ave and Madyx LOVED them... Matt and I enjoyed them with some Asti great combo! Happy Valentines Day

preschool party

What do you mean I don't go to preschool? I sure think I do ;-)

Avery with her loot bag ready to receive her Valentines!

Ave passing out her little treats! Love watching this age group they are cute and so interested in it all!

My little valentines!

Look at the little grin....Future Hunk Valentines 2011

Avery's sure mom here is a pic of my Valentines outfit!

Made these fun Valentines for Ave's classmates all of them loved them! We just took a pic of her holding her hand out and edited it in photoshop. Cut around her hand with an exacto knife and stuck the lollipop through. I saw the idea on a blog and thought I would give it a shot! love it!

My Little Valentines

Avery's Valentines from Mommy and Daddy
Some new sunglasses, colored bubbles, valentine color book, and hello kitty plates, cracker jax, and the cute little mailbox was in the 1.00 bin at target.

Madyx Valentines Loot from Mommy and Daddy
A new hat for summer, colored bubbles, crackerjax, and toy story plates.

Matt's Valentine Loot from Jen and Avery
Wired Magazine, Scooby jammie pants from Avery, Butterfinger, Crackerjax and a card from the wife. :-)

I cut some hearts out and set the table the night before Valentines. Everyone was pretty surprised in the morning. I made breakfast eggs, bacon and heart shaped toast and of course pink (strawberry) juice. It was fun!

Park Day

The weather has been so nice we had a picnic at the park. This would be Madyx naughty face that he makes. He was standing up instead of sitting on this little motorcycle....

Avery has mastered the monkey bars. It makes my heart flutter watching her little body swing across so I high off the ground but she LOVES it. She came home and said "do you know whats happening to me?" I said what "she said I am growing and now I can do the monkey bars" It was too cute!

They adore eachother and it makes my heart swell!

She is my beautiful baby girl! Love this pic so much....on her tummy getting ready to go down the slide.

18 months Old

This is our little Buddy Boy! He is already 18 months old and he is just so much fun. He talks nonstop but you can only understand a few words....most the time he sounds like he is speaking Chinese. He loves to be silly, tackles you to give you hugs, and when he knows he is doing something naughty he makes the funniest face!
Here are a few things about Madyx:
Weight 24lbs 14oz 26percentile
Height 35inches 42percentile
Head 19inches 65percentile big smart brain ;-)

He hated the pediatrician. He kicked and screamed and pushed them away every second he got. He knew what was coming but luckily only got one shot!

He wears size four diapers
Eats all day long
Signs Milk, Please, All Done, and Bath
He says Sister, Mama, Dada, Baby, Dog, Woof Woof, Bath, Uh Oh, Poo Poo, Jui (juice),
He lifts up his shirt nonstop and says bewee (belly)
He now points to everyones nose

He understands so much...If you tell him to go get a book from his room he goes right in and gets it, he throws trash away if he sees something he knows goes in the garbage. Really any direction you give him he follows!

WE LOVE HIM SO MUCH!

Ladybug Land

Avery got a little lady bug land for Christmas. We ordered the larvae online and watched them turn into pupae and then full blown lady bugs. It was very neat...Matt and I enjoyed it just as much as she did. One of the ladybugs died so we decided we should probably let the other 8 go. Avery now misses her ladybugs and wants more! :-) Easy pet drop a couple drops of water in and they do their thing!

These two...

Avery and Madyx are just best buddies....I LOVE it! They play so well together and if Madyx does something Avery doesn't like she generally tries to explain the correct behavior...Here they are carrying around some loot in their bags...Ave of course has princesses and Madyx has Toy Story!