Preschool, Ear Tubes, & Old Friends

A strange grouping of words, but that is what we've been up to this week! First, Camden started preschool on Tuesday, and he loves it. I'm so happy that he has this opportunity to socialize (one of his favorite things to do!) and learn some new things, away from Mummy. I would say the only downfall to all of this, is that he is in the afternoon class, so from the moment he gets up in the morning, he is ready and waiting to go to school. Today, he had "Show & Tell", so I am anxious to go and pick him up at 3:00 and hear all about it.
Also on Tuesday, our friends Curt & Mary came for a visit. My mother grew up with Mary back in Maine, and they have twin daughters who are a couple of weeks younger than me, so we've known each other our whole lives.

On Wednesday, Griffin had ear tubes put in. The procedure was so quick, and although he had a rough day yesterday, he is back to his usual happy self today. The best news is, he slept soundly last night - - something that he hasn't done in months. I'm hoping that it will stay that way, too!

This morning, our dear friend Debra came for a visit. Debra took care of Camden from the time he was 13 weeks old, up until she moved to Arizona when he was 2 1/2. She use to work at Little Luke's, and then Camden went to her house once a week, when I was still working, so he could have a day of one-on-one attention. She'd never met Griffin, so I'm happy that she got to see him. Camden had a great time playing with her, and she and I had the chance to catch up. Debra is just one of those people who is such a natural with kids, and they are drawn to her. I'm just so happy that we had the chance to see her today.

In my last post I mentioned Jessica Seinfeld's new cookbook - - I have yet to purchase it, but I have already tried two of the recipes from it. First, I made the brownies, which contain both pureed carrots and spinach. I know...sounds gross. I must admit, I was very skeptical. The brownie recipe states that you must wait until they are completely cooled before eating, or you will be able to taste the spinach. Ew. While they were cooling, I took a big whiff, and sure enough, I could smell cooked spinach. This morning, I cut them into squares and dusted them with powdered sugar. The verdict: they are DELICIOUS. Really. I am not kidding. And, unlike other low fat brownie recipes that I've tried, they are moist, dense, and full of chocolate flavor. I was very pleasantly surprised. What's more, I served them for dessert at lunchtime, and everyone loved them. Debra commented over and over, but I did not have the heart to tell her that they had pureed carrots and spinach in them, even when she asked how I made them! Camden gobbled his right up and promptly asked for a second one, and even little Griffin had some (and cried for more). So, it is safe to say that this recipe is a keeper. I asked Steve for his feedback, and he said they were good, but he thought they tasted like "healthy chocolate cake" rather than brownies. Steve does not mess around when it comes to brownies (he is, after all, a brownie connoisseur), so I'm pretty sure I'll need to make him a pan of Betty Crocker brownies from time to time. The other recipe I tried was the pancakes (with sweet potato puree). I myself was not crazy about these pancakes, but I will definitely be making them again. First, I think my puree was too thick, which might have affected the consistency of the pancake batter. Second, Camden LOVED them. He ate two, and then asked for a third, all the while saying, "These pancakes are YUMMY!". Tonight, I will be making the macaroni and cheese for dinner - - I'll let you know how that goes.

I also feel the need to mention that for the past three days, I have had approximately two hours TO MYSELF each day, because after I drop Camden off at school, Griffin is ready for his afternoon nap. Camden stopped napping all together around age 2 1/2, so it is has been a long, long time since I've experienced complete silence in the house. I have gotten more done in the past three days than I've accomplished in the past year, I do believe!

Time to go pick Camden up at school!

First picture: the boys and I, with our friend Curt. Second picture: Griffie, in the waiting room before getting his ear tubes. Third picture: Camden with Debra today, when we dropped him off at school.