Luka and the Beanstalk, oh no, that's "Bead"

Today, Luka stuck a bead up his nose at school. Yes, we have now experienced that legendary event in parenthood when your kid sticks some weird object up his nose. It was a bright blue bead that was just out of our reach. Luka also has trouble mixing up "blowing" his nose and "inhaling" so that was pretty tricky!

We'd already had "the talk" about how he is not to stick stuff in any of his bodies "holes" or any of the openings in Axel's body. You know - nose, eyes, ears, belly button and other unmentionables.... But, to no avail, I guess. (However, I think this incident may have cured him, at least for the next few years.)

We called our doctor. They were booked for today (!) and told us to go to the emergency room (!). We then called urgent care run by a Children's Hospital clinic near our neighborhood and they were not open till 5 p.m. (it being 2:45 pm at the time). It just seemed ridiculous to go to the ER for this (not to mention quite costly), so I, luckily, remembered the walk-in clinic at (hold your breath, are you ready?)....Wal-mart!!!!! OK - that will teach me to be a snob. I had noticed it the other day on one of my few forrays to Wal-mart. Luckily for us, it turned out!

There was not much waiting (compared to the ER, anyway), and the nurse practictioner was able to reach in there with a special tool and get it out for a mere $65 (no sarcasm here - the ER would have been over $500 I am sure)! That was a real relief and we were sooooooooooo happy to avoid the ER.

So, I ask you, what is wrong with our healthcare system that I am thrilled to get care at a clinic in Wal-mart? I know the healthcare system needs fixing all right, and if I knew how, I bet I could be president (oh, now that I think about that more, I guess not...). All that matters right now is that Luka's nose is in good shape and bead-less for the time being and hopefully forever into the future!

Axel man is growing up - or is he?

Today, I took Axel to the grocery store and thought I'd let him walk next to me like "a big boy" - he is now 21-1/2 months. He is walking well and loves to do "big guy" stuff. However, he also likes to be a little imp and sometimes run or walk away on purpose and start giggling when we say, "Come to Mommy/Daddy, Come back here!" etc. So, today, he runs down one aisle away from me and then starts pulling bottles off of the bottom shelf and throwing them hard on the ground! I don't think he did that part to be a stinker, I think he just thought it was fun to grab and toss them, not realizing really what it all meant. But, of course, out of the four bottles he threw down within about 5 seconds, before I could get to him, two of them broke! He was just happily grabbing them and tossing them! In any case, the guys who worked there thought it was funny and were really nice about it, but I was horrified! He had salad dressing on his shoe afterward, but otherwise, he was okay! ...Those crazy kids!

Recipe: Zucchini Pancakes

The kids like cooked zucchini with a bit of salt and pepper a lot (yes, it is true!), but we were getting a bit tired of that this week, so I decided to use our zucchini for a different and quite tasty purpose. We ate them for dinner with some sausage and Axy and Luka agreed that these pancakes were very good too! You could, however, eat them for breakfast too.

4 eggs
2 cups grated zucchini
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 TBS olive oil
4 tsp baking powder
butter for the skillet

In large mixing bowl, beat eggs, add shredded zucchini and mix well with fork. Add flour, sugar, salt and olive oil and stir to blend well. Finally, add baking powder and mix well using a large spoon, scraping sides with spatula as necessary. Do not overbeat.

Spoon batter on to cooking surface. Cook until there are no longer bulbbles forming in the pancake--about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook for a few minutes longer. Serve with butter and maple syrup if desired. Sit back and think how smart you are for getting zucchini into your kids unnoticed. :)

Luka's Show & Tell Presentation: Movie!

A few weeks ago, it was Luka's turn to be the "star" student at school and he wanted to talk about pilots. He had decided that he wanted to be a pilot during "career week." The kids had a great time with that. Even today, Luka got very excited when we saw a plane in the sky and said, "Hey - that is what I want to do - fly planes!" Well, that must be in his blood - just like his grandpa!

He did a version of his presentation at home by narrating the slides I made for him. You can access the movie and his narration by clicking on the image below. I am not the greatest at editing sound, so be aware that the sound goes from soft to loud. But, Luka is a real star! Have fun viewing his 2-minute masterpiece.

Axel and Mommy Party Down

Well, not really... We were holding down the fort for a week (yes, a whole week, from Sunday to Sunday!) while Reynald, Luka, Jean-Claude and Annick went on a trip to visit various national parks and other interesting parks in Colorado, Utah and Arizona (the Grand Canyon). Tonight, they went to the South Rim when they heard the North Rim was closed for the season. They have also been to Zion, Bryce, Colorado National Monument and other sights. We will have to get the full scoop from them when they get back and post their pictures. Sounds like Luka is having a great time with them.

Axel and I are "riding" his bike a couple of times a day, going to the park, sometimes eating out (the Mediteranean place at the mall and Noodles), and just hanging out. Not so bad, but we miss our guys! :)

Laura's Banana Bread

(by way of Laura, Silver Palate and Margaret D)

8 TBS (1 stick) butter - softened
3/4 cup sugar (or substitute Rapadura)
2 eggs
1 cup of white flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of whole wheat flour
3 ripe bananas - mashed
1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 cup of chopped pecans

350 degree oven. Use greased loaf pan. Cream butter and sugar (with wooden spoon). Add eggs one at a time (with whisk). Mix white flour, soda and salt together. Then, stir in whole wheat flour to the dry mixture. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Stir only till combined. Fold in mashed bananas, vanilla and nuts. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes until done. Cool for 10 minutes on rack. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

Variations: Add 3/4 to 1 cup of (frozen or fresh) blueberries or raspberries with the bananas. Will take a little longer to bake.

Oh Madeleine, oh Madeleine

Reynald's parents brought us two big bags of Madeleines de Commercy (and often send us these in packages). These divine little cakes are coveted at our house. I make a pretty good recipe too, but the "real deal" are these from Commercy which are reputed throughout France as being "it". See this article on Wikipedia for more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madelines

This article does not mention though that they likely were created for Stanislas, the exiled king of Poland, who was living in Lorraine, and then made for the French king as well. See
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Cakes/Madeleine.htm.

Here is the recipe I use:

MADELEINES

(Makes ~12 and recipe doubles well)

- 1-1/4 cups regular flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar, plus some for dusting
- the grated rind of 1 lemon or 1 orange
- 1 TBS lemon or orange juice
- 6 TBS unslated butter, melted and slightly cooled

Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 12 cup madeleine pan. Sift (yes, sift) together the flour and the baking powder.

Using an electric mixer (preferably a stand mixer), beat the eggs and confectioner's sugar for 5 - 7 minutes (even with a standmixer it still takes a while) until thick and creamy and the mixture forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted. Gently fold in the lemon or orange rind and juice.

Beginning with the flour mixture, alternately fold in the flour and melted butter in several batches. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, then carefully spoon into the pan. Tap gently to release any air bubbles. e

Bake the madeleines for 12 - 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Tip out on to a wire rack to cool completely and dust with confetioner's sugar (optional) before serving.

Note: if you do not have madeleine pan, you can use a mini-muffin or other such pan. They will still taste great even though they will not be in the traditional shape. Adjust the cooking time as necessary.

Luka's Birthday Count Down

Yup, it is still a long way off, but the minute he got in the car after his 4th birthday party, he asked, "When is it my birthday again?" But, he is "mature" now and happy to give his friends their gifts in the meantime, rather than wanting to keep them for himself. :)

In honor of his upcoming special day (no matter how far off still), here is a count down just for him:

Grandparents arrive and new photos

Jean-Claude and Annick arrived earlier this week from France for their 5-week stay in the US. The kids enjoy them and we are glad to see them as well as appreciate their help. Some pictures below from the past two months. More of the grandparents as their visit progresses.

Luka in the "baby" swing at the park.

Axel on his new "bike" - with push handle to protect Mommy's and grandparents' backs!

Axel having fun at the home improvement store.

Go, Horsey! (Favorite activity of the boys, unfortunately for Papa!)

Luka qui fait le fou dans le jardin.

Luka, Axel, Annick, JC in Eldorado Springs (cold day for a hike!)

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I have not made this recipe, but the Chocolate & Zucchini food blog is awesome, and I love flourless chocolate cake, so am putting it here so that I can whip it up when I have time.

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Source: http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2005/08/announcing_wbw13_like_wine_for_chocolate.php

Flourless Chocolate Cake

- 2 sticks minus 1 Tbsp) butter
- 7 oz dark chocolate
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- a rounded TBS flour

Note: best made a day in advance (or at least in the morning if you plan to serve it in the evening).

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper (don't need to if using a non-stick pan).

Melt together the butter with the chocolate (in a double-boiler or in the microwave slowly and for just a few seconds at a time, blending with a spoon between each pass). Transfer into a medium mixing-bowl. Add in the sugar, stir with a wooden spoon and let cool a little. Add in the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition. Finally, add in the flour and mix well.

Pour the dough into the pan, and put into the oven to bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off but leave the cake inside for another ten minutes, then put the pan on a cooling rack on the counter to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and take it out about an hour before serving. Garnish with whipped cream, raspberrry coulis, or other.
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Axel's First Steps

Yahoo! Axel's long-awaited first steps solo were today. It was at the doctor's office for his 18-month check up showing her he really COULD walk! Now, we just have to get him to do it more on his own... stay tuned!

Axel's current stats:

Height: 32-3/4 inches
Weight: 22 pounds and 7.5 ounces
Head circumfrence: 19 inches

Axel/Luka Update

Axel stood up for the first time (that we saw, anyway) on his own today! I turned around and Axel was on top of the wooden kid table, standing up all by himself, just looking at me! Look, ma! No hands! Then, he was all excited at me taking his picture, so would then again balance on his two feet (no hands) and smile proudly for the camera.

He has a new word too: "Encore". Papa was very happy he has a French word as one of his first ones. He loves saying it and says it over and over (but does use it appropriately). He also says "Luka" pretty clearly now and is very proud of that too.

Speaking of Luka, this week he pretty much stopped wearing "slips spéciaux" to bed and now just sleeps in his underwear like a big boy. Yipee! He has done at that at nap at school for years, but I think he liked wearing the PullUps at night because sometimes he was too scared to go potty in the dark! Now, as long as he goes wee wee before going to bed, everything is fine.

Picture below of Luka in the cowboy hat and boots he made at school the week they studied the Stock Show (big event here in Colorado in January). He was very proud! (He's holding a basket of safari animals!)

Galette des rois - 2007

Here are pictures of the kids this year celebrating Epihpanie French style. Axel and Luka both got feves and they played with their crowns for weeks. Luka decorated his and Mommy made Axy's. Next year though, I am sure he can do his own.

Go here to see the recipe I have been making for the last two years.

If you read French, try this one. Or, this one. These look pretty easy too and I notice that they use more eggs than the one I used above, and use powdered almonds instead of almond paste. If I remember to look this up next year, I will try one of those.

And, some history about the tradition of the galette des rois and epiphanie in France to be found here (my blog) and here (a well-known French recipe blog).

Axel's new words

Tonight as the tub was filling up for Luka and Axel's bath, Axy looked at it and said (unprompted), "Bubba" for all the bubbles that were filling it up, and he said "aught" for "hot". Then, we kept asking him repeatedly to say those words and he thought that was great and smiled while he said them for us several times. He was kind of shy, but repeated them for us and we all had fun laughing together.

Luka/Axel Update

Luka's favorite song (still even though Christmas is over): 12 Days of Christmas, all of which he can sing all by himself! He also considers "Ne pleure pas Jeanette" his "favorite" song and has me play it over and over on the iPod. I knew we'd like the easy repeat feature!

Axel's favorite song: any of the ones in the three French song volumes with fun pictures; any song to which he can boogie down (movin' to the music!)

Axel's favorite book: Any Coco the elephant book (Cocol Vole, Coco et les autres, Coco et Sidonie, Coco Mange, Coco tout nu). Actually, of these, his definite favorites at Coco Vole and Coco et les autres. He loves the part where Coco, Gigi, Nana and LuLu dance (see below) and the all of Coco Vole - that plane is just so cool!

Axel's new words: he likes to say l'hippopotame ("pippopa" or "popopo") and "tralalalalala" as in "Coco, Gigi et Nana dansent...tralalalalala!"

Luka's current favorite game at school: tag!

Luka's first day of ski lessons!

Luka getting ready to ski - first day of lessons!

Saturday was his first day of ski lessons at Eldora Mountain Resort. It was a family affair with all of us there. The wind at Eldora was crazy -- the closed the lifts - but the kid lessons went on anyway and Luka got to ride the "magic carpet" and do the pizza move! He really liked it and we are looking forward to more skiing fun.

Axel having fun at Eldora too

Learning to Walk and Art work

Axel learning to walk - happy man!

Luka's artwork from school when they studied health and safety. He dictated the text to his teacher. It says, "I was running on the street; after I hurt my thumb so my mom picked me up and said "What happened, Luka?" and she got me a bandaid." (See picture and band aid below.)

Jill's Buttercream Icing Recipe

Buttercream Icing

(Jill's notes below.)

2 lb. bag of powdered sugar
1 ½ cups Crisco (butter works great too)
2 tsp. clear vanilla extract (I use real vanilla unless I want really white icing, for that you need this clear stuff)
7 Tbsp. water or milk

Put Crisco, water and extracts with a small amount of powdered sugar in large bowl. Mix on medium speed and gradually add the rest of the sugar. Mix for 10 to 12 minutes (this is why I use a stand mixer) until fluffy.

Axel Talking

Axel is very discerning about the words he says and repeats sounds that he thinks are fun. Ask him to repeat something, and sometimes he will, but he may just laugh mischeviously and choose to say it later when he is good and ready.

"Words" he said on his own with no prompting include "Wahoo!" after Mommy said it to express excitement. Today, after reading "Coco et les autres" he also said "Coco" on his own and also "Tralalalalalala" after the part where Coco, Gigi and Nana dance together and sing that. He really liked that word!

He says his famous word "ooos" (or however you spell it) less, but here is a funny video of him saying it for us at Disneyworld.

Nouvelles en Français

Salut à tous les français !

Tout va bien au Colorado, et les fêtes se passent sous un metre de neige. On a eu une grosse tempête de neige juste avant Noël qui a littéralement paralysé le Colorado pendant prés de deux jours. On était coincé à la maison, mais c'était mieux que de devoir laisser son vehicule sur la route et d'essayer de rentrer a pied, ou bien d'être coincé a l'aéroport comme beaucoup l'étaient. Il y a deux jours, une deuxième tempête est arrivée et nous sommes de nouveau coincés à la maison depuis, ce qui nous fait des vacances ! Ce qui est surprenant c'est que toutes les grandes surfaces n'ont presque plus de produits frais depuis une semaine et que les gens se battent presque pour acheter les derniers cartons de lait ou des fruits. Un manque de preparation totale qui a de quoi inquieter si on devait un jour faire face a qqchose de plus serieux qu'une tempête de neige.

Ces dernières semaines, on a fait quelques periples, avec un trip à Omaha dans le Nebraska pour retrouver le frère de Eve et sa maman a l'occasion du long weekend de Thanksgiving. Un weekend sympa et reposant, mais parcourir les routes du Nebraska en plein hiver n'est pas conseillé (on a vu des dizaines de voitures dans le fosse à cause du verglas et on a mis 12 heures pour rentrer au lieu de 8).

Histoire d'aller chercher le soleil, on est allé passer une semaine de vacances en Floride (Orlando) debut décembre. On etait en fait invites pour assister au lancement de la navette spatiale Discovery. Ce fut un évenement plutôt special car nous connaissons le pilote de la navette qui est un ami d'enfance de Eve (ils sont allés dans la même école a Anchorage). C'est le seul astronaute d'Alaska.

Le décollage de nuit a ete très spectaculaire avec une lumière éblouissante (meme a 5 km) et un bruit infernal. Vraiment une expérience unique, pour Luka aussi qui n'en revenait pas et qui j'espère ne l'oubliera pas. On en a aussi profité pour aller à Disney World et le "Royaume Magique" de Mickey pour une paire de jours. Beaucoup de monde à notre avis meme si c'est la saison basse, mais les manèges étaient sympas et on a pu emmener Axel avec nous a peu près partout. Luka a aussi vu Cendrillon (dont il est un grand fan) dans le château.

Pour Noël, nous sommes allés passer 3 jours dans un chalet perdu au fond d'une vallée à 3500 metres d'altitude ou l'accès se fait en raquettes ou à ski. Ce fut plutôt une aventure (10 km en plus de six heures pour y arriver) avec des chutes de neige toute la journée et des temperatures approchant les -15 degrès. Les enfants ont eu froid par moment mais heureusement qu'on avait des "hand and toe warmers" sinon on aurait du faire demi-tour. La remorque les protège assez bien, mais il y a tout de même des limites. Eve et un ami ont du souvent etre derrière la remorque pour m'aider. Le chalet était bien équipé, avec des lits pour 20 personnes, il faut juste amener sa nourriture et son sac de couchage. Le sauna chauffé au bois était un plus appreciable. Et je ne parle pas de la poudreuse qu'on a pu skier aux abords du chalet sans se bousculer.

Pour Nouvel An, nous avons simplement prevu un petit diner avec des amis, et on sera surement couché avant minuit. Les temps changent...

Samedi prochain, Luka va commencer a prendre des lecons de ski pour 6 semaines a une petite station pas trop loin. On espère qu'il sera bientôt autonome... Pour 2007, on n'a pas prevu grand-chose. Mes parents seront chez nous en printemps. Ils voudraient aller vers Yellowstone et aussi le Grand Canyon et les parcs nationaux de l'Utah. On espère aussi que ca permettra a Luka de pratiquer son français.

Pour voir quelques photos de nos derniers periples, cliquez sur "Trip to Florida" à gauche - il y aussie une vidéo du décollage de la navette. Tous nos meilleurs voeux pour la nouvelle année et à bientôt !

Reynald