Happy Birthday, Aunt Mo Mo!!

Today, Saturday, October 25, is Maureen Hess (AKA Aunt Mo Mo)'s birthday. This blog is dedicated to her by her niece, Hannah Olson.



On Wednesday, Hannah and her mommy made a special treat to send to Seattle. Hannah was VERY EXCITED because this was the first time she was baking in her NEW apron. Thank you, Aunt Mo for the Owl Apron. It is a big hit!

Here are some pictures from our baking experience. Hannah is suited up and ready to go. Let's see, what ingredients need to go into the mixer?


Every good recipe MUST have chocolate in it. Hannah measures the cocoa precisely and into the mixing bowl it goes. (Later the measuring cup found its way into Hannah's mouth. Is baking cocoa safe?!?! ~ Mo, I promise, we did not use the measuring cup again, after Hannah tasted it:-) )
You have heard it said that a watched pot never boils, but is that true for baking these yummy treats? Hannah, could that be CUPCAKES in there? (Please ignore the spots on the oven. I'll get my cleaning girl on it right away. Oh, yeah, it looks like that because my cleaning girl has already been at work. I believe Hannah had the oven door covered with dishing washing soap suds. I wouldn't recommend them as a oven door cleaner... obviously they leave spots!)

Ahhh... the finished product, wrapped up and ready to go. See, Mo, this is what they looked like BEFORE the cross country trip. You might have received a container of crumbs mashed together with icing.
Of course the baker needs to try her product. No, Hannah isn't grimacing, that is a chocolate mustache. The cupcakes received a "more, more" rating from Hannah.Happy Birthday, Aunt Mo, we wish we could be there to celebrate with you in person. Hannah has been talking about your birthday all week. Sending out a BLOG HUG!!!

Feel free to wish Maureen a happy birthday in the comment window. We will be sure that she gets them.

Love you, Aunt Mo Mo! Dana, Daryl and Hannah

Our Friend Christopher

Last Friday, our friend Christopher came over to play. It was so fun watching Hannah with him. She was very interested in the "baby," although he wasn't much smaller than she is! (He is 10 months younger!)

Here are some pictures from our day.

Apple Picking

On Tuesday, Daryl took a personal day and we drove up to New Hampshire to pick some apples. Yes, there were apple farms closer, but we just needed to feel like we were getting away from the island for a little while. We had a great time.

First we stopped to feed some sheep and goats at a farm. Hannah didn't mind them eating from her hand (with help from mommy). Mommy was a sucker for her "more, more" and bought another handful of feed. Of course, then Hannah was done feeding, so mommy fed the animals.


Next we went to Mack's farm and orchards to pick apples. Hannah LOVED eating the apples. She was working on that apple for a good hour or more... around the orchard, visiting the scarecrows, through the store, in the car... We finally had to sneak it away from her at the Cracker Barrel restaurant. I felt a little bad doing that. She had worked so hard!


It was a very nice family outing. Now on to making some yummy apple treats. Any ideas?

Baking Cookies

Well, last Friday was another no nap day and this is a clip of what Hannah was doing INSTEAD of napping. She was able to pull some of her clothes from her hamper into the crib. She was especially interested in the shirt with the owl on it.



So after an hour of listening to her chatter away in her crib, I decided to get her up and make cookies. I don't think Hannah has had actual cookies before! She has had animal crackers and graham crackers, but not an actual chocolate chip cookie. Well, she now knows about them and loves to ask for them. Here are two pictures from the experience.

She doesn't have an apron "like mommy," so I did the towel around the neck trick. She actually liked it and wanted me to keep clipping it on her the rest of the day. She "helped" to dump the ingredients into the bowl and liked to watch the mixer going around. I put the cookie dough on the tray and she REALLY wanted to taste it. Being the "good mommy" I said "no" because of the uncooked eggs. Wouldn't you know, I glanced away for a second and when I looked back, she had some cookie dough on her lips. I think she will survive that as well.

Just look at the delight on her face. When was the last time you enjoyed a chocolate chip cookie THAT much!
I do believe we will be making cookies again. Hopefully not because she didn't nap, but just because it is a fun winter or rainy day activity.

Falls, Bumps and Bruises

This week has had its share of bumps and bruises... I think Hannah would agree.

Wednesday began with me jumping back on the running training schedule. I have been nursing a cold/cough (ok... babying) for 2 weeks now and have stopped running in the mornings. Wednesday, I decided I just needed to do it, even if I did cough a lung up (ok... not really). I made it... I did the previous week's schedule, but I was able to run/walk for the entire program. (Sorry, this update was a digression, but I wanted everyone to know that I am still running!)

We got home and we were getting ready to head out to the library story and music time. While I was showering and changing, Hannah was knocking all her plastic letters off the refrigerator, especially the D, which is her favorite letter (D for DA! as she likes to shout... she doesn't know which letter is the D, but she likes the sound). I was putting her bag together when I heard a letter slide across the floor and a loud crash, followed by crying. I picked Hannah up and in trying to comfort her, I asked her what happened. "D, D, D," she said through her tears. I can only imagine she meant she fell on the D!

I thought the fall just her wounded pride, yet by the time we reached the library, I realized she had a cut on her forehead and a nice goose egg. Oops! I felt like I head to tell everyone the story of her falling, just to justify her bruise. Poor Hannah!

The next big event happened during naptime on Friday. We read stories and I laid her down like normal. She often takes a little while to fall asleep, so I heard her chattering away in her bed. The next thing I heard was a terrible crash and lots of crying. I ran into her room to find her on the floor!!! To this day, I don't know what happened exactly. The side of her crib was down, so either 1. I didn't make sure it hooked when I pulled it up or 2. I never pulled it up. She fell asleep once I calmed her down and I laid her back down, but I was so nervous for her entire nap that I kept going into her room to check her breathing. I thought I was through that phase of motherhood (checking the breathing of a sleeping baby). She survived and I suppose I will too.

Our Little Helper

Was it really just a year ago that our little girl was a little baby? It seems these days she is growing up right before our eyes. She loves to be wherever her mommy or daddy are and we are experiencing her wanting to "help." The other day I needed to do something in the kitchen, probably get supper ready, so I set Hannah up at the sink. she picked up a wash cloth and got right to cleaning her tray!!!She has already learned that you are not done washing dishes until the counters are cleaned! Way to go Hannah!
Over the weekend, Daryl started one of the items on my "honey do" list... creating a shelf in the place of the missing drawer in her dresser. Hannah got right in there to help daddy with the "measurements." (She actually repeated this word to Daryl!)
"Daddy, what can I do to help?"
Can you really fall in love with your child more and more each day? Granted, we definitely have our moments of conflict ("Nooooooo, mommy" as she pushes my hand away... drives me crazy!), but I just cannot imagine my world without this miracle of God. To be entrusted with such a precious life... that is truly God's grace in this crazy world!

(Just a post script to the nap strike... SHE NAPPED TODAY! Yippee!! I really needed it as I have been SO TIRED because of my neverending cold/cough. We both got a nap today.)

Another Nap Strike?!?!

Can it be? Can we really be in the middle of another nap strike? Friday, Saturday, a brief nap on Sunday, and Today, Hannah has proceeded to play in her crib for an hour! What is going on?

She has just started REALLY walking... could that be it? Please don't tell me she is giving up another nap. I already miss her morning one (she gave that one up at the end of the summer), kind of. It is nice to be able to get out in the morning without being concerned that she is missing a nap. BUT I do NOT want to give this one up too. I'll let you know how it goes.