ice cream date

these days we're working on rules and boundaries with chase. you know. the normal toddler stuff. keeping food on his plate/tray, using gentle touches, 'talking' in a quiet voice, sharing with his friends, staying seated in the shopping cart etc. as with most things in the toddler world, it's a work in progress. some days he does great and some days consist of a lot of reminding him about the rules.

lately though, it seems like he's recognizing more the behaviors that we are encouraging. he's eager to show us that he knows how to follow the rules. we took today to celebrate his effort...over ice cream! :) before we dug in, we had a nice little 'talk.' we chatted about how he is such a good boy. that mommy and daddy are proud of him. and that we are having ice cream as a little treat. oh and lots of hugs and kisses were involved too.

we had cookie dough ice cream with captain crunch and mochi in a waffle bowl. i think he liked the toppings as much as the ice cream itself.

this is the 2nd time he's had ice cream. i think it's safe to say he loved it.

Prepping for Sunday

i'm up late, preparing for sunday and the week. including choosing outfits for our holiday photo shoot with this talented lady. so excited! i also prep'd some healthy snacks for the kiddo - quartered grapes, yogurt mixed with bananas, raspberries & blueberries and whole wheat banana pancakes (not pictured). yummers and good night! :)  

small food//french toast bites

around here, weekend breakfasts are special. they give us time to connect as a family and get ready for a fun saturday or sunday.  today, we had mini french toast bites before heading out to the zoo.  the recipe was adapted from this book. chase loved them! here's the recipe: 

ingredients: 

1 large egg

1 tbsp organic whole milk 

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp soy nut butter (peanut or almond works too!)

2 slices of lightly toasted whole wheat bread

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp organic raspberry jam

directions

1. in a shallow bowl, beat the egg. stir in the milk & vanilla & set aside.

2. spread nut butter on one slice of bread and press the bread slices together to make a sandwich. 

3. melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat.  while the butter is melting, dip the sandwich in the egg mixture, turning it to soak both sides. 

4. when the butter foams, put the sandwich in the pan and cook until nicely browned on the underside, 3 to 4 minutes. turn and cook until the second side is browned, 3 minutes more. 

5. cut the sandwich crosswise into squares. 

6. dabble with some jam & enjoy!