Adventures in Potty Training, Starring The Poo Flinging Monkey

Preface

Potty training. Ya know, I thought that getting my toddler to fall asleep the whole night was hellacious. Well, to be honest, I still think it was and I try desperately to not make the mistakes I thought I did with him with our youngest. So far it has paid off...but the opossite issue I had with Post has arisen lately. Post had no problem napping and every problem sleeping through the night. Xire has developed a problem taking naps and sleeps great through the night. This is because, this lil bug is still sick. I digress.
Potty Training.
An Idea occurred to me: Why give stickers or snacks for going potty? Why not a reminder reward?
A temporary old school tattoo.
So every time our son goes potty like a big boy, he gets a tattoo. A Potty Tattoo. He knows why he gets them and I think it can serve as a reminder to go to the potty. Plus, my son looks like a bad ass Potty Prince. Like mama and papa, covered in tattoos.

Scene

Loud Jungle noises arise from behind the door.
What is going on in there? Sounds like the same non-sense as usual: monkey business.
Hours upon hours this rambunctious behavior ensues in the trembling ears of listeners, ease-dropper, ear-gawkers, in the middle of the afternoon. Babies are held and shushed to sleep as bursts of loudness empty out of the room.
It sounds to outsiders like the primate is trying to communicate with his mother. Where is she? Probably, trying to sleep somewhere in another room...Or not at all, with all this commotion.
The mama Ape enters the scene, grumbling and tired from an afternoon of planned rest lost to the mid-day hootenanny of her child, she opens the door. An over powering smell of fecal matter fills the air. Furniture has been re-arranged, clothing and blankets strewn around the room (covered in the same brown matter as the smell), toys displaced in corner and crannies (hiding from the stench).
SQUISH!
The mama ape lifts up her foot while a look of sheer disgust wipes across her face. The little monkey leaps at the mother with glee, she has returned.
'see mama I have cleaned it up, aren't I a good little monkey?.....'

Hilarious I am sure. I quickly swept Post up, deposited him into the tub, grabbed 3 wipe-ies. Three, did i seriously think that was enough to fulfill the cleaning of this mess: walls, door, drawers, drapes, bed, floor...Covered! While Xire was screaming his head off and Post wanting desperately to escape the tub, mama successfully cleaned the room, leaving a quarter bottle of vinegar and a pile of Clorox wipes behind. One wash later, the house was seemingly at a balance, as balanced as it could be with a sleepless toddler and mama roaming around the digs.
I explained to my brother as I was cleaning up: I really shouldn't be upset, I should just be excited with anticipation that one day I won't have to change his diapers anymore. He doesn't like the feeling of his diaper being dirty, so he takes it off. Some drops on the floor, and my son happens to be a very tidy kid, so he collects what he can to clean it up. Really, in retrospect, he is being very very good.
So that was yesterday.
The day before yesterday, my brother had headed out of town to head home after a short visit. About an hour later I am heading out the house with 2 lil ones to rescue him. His engine died and went to heaven. My poor brother has been stranded here in Utah almost the whole week and practically his whole vacation time.
So
Colorado! Holy Smokes, no pun intended. My lovely home sate is up in flames. My parents have been on pre-evacuation for a number of days. The Waldo canyon fire has claimed 16.5k acres as of this morning. For up dates check geoMAC and InciWeb. On top of this my brother was 2 mi from the High Park Fire in Fort Collins, Co where he lives. So back to my folks, they decided to come out here to escape the fire and help my brother with his car situation. O, adding to this, a day or two before the were under pre-evacuation, a water main broke and flooded the basement of their house. Hows all that for bad luck.
Alright, enough of that.
loves-ies and kissies

Tie Dye Rasta Lion

pack-n-play sheet for Xire's crib

My best Lady, Jenna, and I bought dye to tie dye Post's onesies when he was one month old.
Never happened.
So I got on a kick today. I love dying garments so I stretched on my rubber gloves and got to work. Kids think this is a crazy fun activity so make sure the clothes they are wearing are alright to get stained. Adults can get a little more serious about their creations, hence the lion.
Here is how you can create this bad boy. I like Rit dyes but you can use which ever brand you like. You can get Rit at the grocery store on the same isle as bleach.

You are going to need:
 red dye (make sure you get a red-red it can turn a bit purple if you get an untrue red color)
yellow dye (golden yellow is a great choice here)
green dye (my green was an earth green, it has a bit of blue in it)
3 squeeze bottles (you can get them at the craft store, ours are from the candy section )
Hot water
Rubber gloves
Rubber Bands
cotton garment or material in which you would like to dye
plastic bin or metal sink
baby gate, cookie cooling rack, metal grate (anything with a bunch of wholes in it)
Cold Water
mild laundry detergent
Plastic store bags (recycle recycle recycle)
microwave
simple picture of a lion to work off of
and Reggae Music ;D

**here are some videos and links to get your bearing:
How to tie dye a smiley face
How to tie dye a heart
Rit Tie Dying
Note: you don't need top soak your shirt in soda ash

1. fold your picture of a lion in half. you are making a symmetrical face so you only need to know what one side looks like. you don't need awesome drawing skins to create this.

2. fold you garment in half as seen in videos above. Draw out half of your lion face with your kiddos washable marker. Don't add too much detail because it will get lost. Think outline, eyes, nose and chin/mouth.
3. As seen in the smiley face video, gather for the eye. the only thing you should not pay attention to in this video is how to make the mouth.
4. Next, as seen in the heart video, for the nose (just the triangle part of the nose)
5. Next, as seen in the heart video, gather the outline of the head. As he says, make sure this is a straight line when you are done so the the rubber band does it's job.
6. Next find your chin/mouth line and gather it into a straight line, using information you learned in the heart video.
7. now that the face is done, take mental note of what this looks like so when you are dying you know what part you are working with.
8. in an accordion manner, gather the material around the face, and rubber band where you think the mane should stop. Accordion the rest of the material and rubber band as you please
9. dunk garment in water and ring out.
10. I only had a child's gate. hahaha what a mom. So, place the child's gate over your plastic bin. you are essential creating the work place as seen in the videos.
11. place 4 T of liquid dye or 1/2 pack of powder dye in a squeeze bottle. Pour 2 c of blazing hot water from your faucet into bottle. repeat for each color.
12. Put on gloves, remember the face part, dye it red. The mane, yellow. The outer area, green.
13. place dyed garment in a plastic shopping bag. Twist the bag to close. Place this bag in another bag and twist to close.
14. As read in the Rit Tie Dye Section, place garment in the microwave for to minutes. I checked mine every 1 minute because I wanted to make sure it didn't explode.
15. Let it sit for an hour or two: make dinner, bathe the kiddos, put them to bed. Okay, now go out side to the hose and open your bag and remove garment. Recycle your bags
16. rinse the dye out until clear with cold water. remove rubber bands, and rinse again. Make sure water rung out of garment is clear.
17. wash garment in mild detergent and dry in drier on high.
18. Ta-DA!!!!!

Love love love and Blessings!

Lego Boat!

So still absent. Completely preoccupied with the lil one being sick, packing up the house, and searching the internet for places to live.

Walked in the living room the other day and Post had built a "boat". Everything he builds with Legos is a boat....until today when he told me the creature he built was a duck. I saw it. It was there. Quack!
Back to the other day. I couldn't for the life of me wrap my mind around how he figured out how to build this thing. Super complicated i thought for a lil 2 yr. old. I give him lots of props for patience and working through his frustration. I am proud. Check it out!

 That night i made an amazing Pizza. I love it. So good. Snarffed 4 pieces, all the corners with the crust. This concoction had stuffed honey and goat cheese crust.
Took some pointers from the recipe in SOS pg 240 for portabello caramelized onion and goat cheese pizza.

Mine....All fresh ingredients here. Even used the canned tomatoes my grandfather canned and gave me to make the sauce. OOOHHHHHHH so good! I speak of canned tomatoes in the recipe, you can use store bought.

Mushroom Caramelized Onion and Goat cheese pizza with stuffed crust (honey and goat cheese)
Pizza Crust (after mix let it rise in bowl in oven covered with plastic wrap)
1/2 Onion, caramelized in butter
3 mushrooms, chopped small
4 oz chevre goat cheese, chopped with a butcher knife (this will get you multiple different sizes of goat yumminess)
1 c canned whole tomatoes, chopped (do not include juice from the can, juice from the tomatoe you chopped is fine)
1 t dried rosemary, broken apart with fingers
2 t basil
salt/pepper, fresh ground
pinch of minced garlic, ~ 1 small clove
pinch of onion powder
honey
butter

Preheat oven to 450 F
caramelize an onion
I have failed at this multiple times, either I had the heat too high, didn't stir enough, or wasn't watching my pan after the onions started to turn. Here is how you can be successful at caramelizing onions. Place 1-2 T unsalted butter in a pan. turn to medium. Once butter in melted add finely chopped onions. move onions around occasionally with a 'flat spatula.' Once the onions start turning yellow you are going to want to watch them closely. keep stirring them until they are a dark golden brown. Do Not burn them, it will ruin your dish. A good indicator that you are close to being done is that your butter is gone. I don't include time this takes because it depends on your pan and your stove.
1. when onions are a beautiful golden color add your mushrooms to the pan and cook it all together for about 2-3 minutes. Mushrooms will be brown and onions will be a bit darker. remove from heat and set aside
2. Meanwhile, make your sauce.
Homemade red sauce
combine chopped tomatoes, rosemary, basil, garlic, and onion powder in a microwave safe bowl and mix. (you can do this in a sauce pan over med-high heat and reduce the liquid down. I am going to zap mine in the micro because I am a mama and need to save time-o) Salt and pepper to your liking. zap in microwave on high for 2 minute. stirring each minute. It may take longer with some micros. You just want your liquid reduced.
3. roll out your dough until it is 1/4" all over.
How to stuff crust
You can do this with whatever your favorite stuffed crust may be. Here we are doing honey and goat cheese so....About an inch from the edge make a line of honey around the pizza. Make is a think generous line, because honey is good, good for you, and goat cheese is great with it. on top of your honey make a line of goat cheese. Fold over your dough until it just covers your filling and press it into the base dough. you can use a fork for this too. Make sure that all the filling is covered all the way around.
4. Spread red sauce on dough base. Top with caramelized onions and mushrooms. Top that with goat cheese. Move ingredients around to make it all even. Next, I sprinkled a bit of basil  on top.
5. Pop pizza in oven on a pan or pizza stone. It is best to work on them anyway. bake for about 10 min. and check. you want the crust to be golden. When done pull out and rub crust with butter so it doesn't harden too much.
Enjoy

shoulda stuffed my crust more...yummy

Poor lil Xire is still sicky-poo. At least he isn't waking every 2 hrs in the night. I love my sleep and was used to it. he is still cute when he is sick

Tonight: had no cream so i used coconut milk

Artichoke Asparagus Caramelized onion Egg Pie
1 Frozen Pastry
1/2 onion, chopped and caramelized (refer to above recipe for how to caramelize onions)
2 c asparagus, chopped into 1/4" pieces
1/3 c artichoke hearts, chopped
1 1/2 t tarragon
pinch of garlic powder
3 eggs
1 c coconut milk
1/2 c milk
3/4 cup cheese grated


Preheat 350 F
1. prepare frozen pie shell according to instructions
2. when caramelized onions are golden, and heat is still on the burner, add asparagus, artichoke, tarragon, and garlic powder. Cook until butter and moisture are gone. remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a bowl beat eggs until fluffy, add coconut milk, and milk. Salt and pepper to your liking. beat again until fluffy. Add cheese and pour into pastry shell
4. Bake about 35 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle tarragon on top and let cool for 5 min.

Too Darn Hot!

So for the past 3 weeks or something, I have been singing this song. And by the way, this is THE best version of this song. Ella Rocks It! It feels so good to sing, just right down there in your sexy vocal chords. Oh My God! Just the sexiest song around!
So my AC has been broken until today! and that is why I have been so absent. Just too darn hot, to cook!
;)
But today! I cooked and today.....I failed horribly. Or maybe the recipe was just bonk. I'm not gonna go into that too much. It was just all the flavors disappeared, especially the cheese.

Cheese in America is far too often overshadowed by ___________. It is like we have no idea how to treat cheese and eat cheese and appreciate it. It needs to be treated just like Wine and on that note with wine or beer.
So I decided the filling is so much better fresh than in the little pies. Besides....it's too darn hot, for something warm. Let's go fresh!
Had to throw this together when I returned from the doctors office at 5p....then just ate filling.

Butternut Fontina Stuffing
1 1/2 c frozen butternut squash, defrosted and drained completely of water
1 c corn
1/2 lb fontina cubed
1 Smoked (vegi) Sausage broken up
Large pinch of nutmeg
salt and Pepper

1. mix together and enjoy! I did!

So here is a note, I have for 3 years racked my brain on how to get a teenager in good self-esteem. It is a hard one cuz every teenager is different. Ours seems to misunderstand many things on why things are ran the way they are in our house. And I give him credit in that it is difficult to explain and complicated. So one thing is it isn't we want to lock him in a dungeon it is just there is one parent in the house to care for all three boys, ages ranging from 16-2months. And that person is me. It is all up to my capacity, what I can do. So as much as he would love me to fall asleep and allow him to be out all night...and i would love to fall asleep and not wake until the youngest needs to be fed, it isn't gonna happen. It is a lesson I didn't understand until I was 20 or 21. I had gone to a get together and told my father I would be home at about 1a. I was in college, visiting for the summer, an adult. I didn't come home until maybe 2 or 3a to find my dad waiting for me. I told him he could have gone to bed and he said,
"I love you and i am always gonna stay up for you. It isn't that I don't want you to go out it is just you are my daughter and I worry about you and want to see you get home safe."
I then understood. A parent can't change it, once a parent always a parent.
Anywho, I am getting beside the point.
It is time for our eldest to care for his younger brother from time to time....and get paid.
Perhaps if he felt he was part of the family and cared and had a responsibility that benefited us all he would feel a sense of accomplishment. And so,
Today when I needed to take our youngest to the doctors because the poor lil bug has a bug at such a young age, this ended up being my game plan. Nothing too strenuous just waking Post up from a nap and feeding him a snack and playing with him: $5/hour. It is not going to be all the time. Only in emergencies or tight pinches that I use this card, for both of their sakes. Besides they need some bonding time. After all they are brothers.

So I am exhausted. In dire need of a mental break and emotional break. It is way too hard to see my lil bug sick: getting xrays, deep snot suctioning, nebulizer machines that don't seem to work. I am ready and i pray for his health to return.
Actually, stop here: Both the little ones' health to return.
Post had a shot last friday for Hep A and the next night and following day had a fever of about 102.5. I so hate vaccinations but I am a slave to worry and am terrified of not giving them. I also think that no matter how much I try to wrap my mind around them it just is a big hole of questions I can't fill with enough info to understand. This is where there should be parenting classes for Children Years 0-5 Health: 101.

I don't really know what day it is. What my children's symptoms are. What the news is saying or.....did I eat lunch? Have I eaten today?......

Space food!

Things have been rough on Green St. Super rough. I suppose I need to lower my expectation that, perhaps, one day all 3 boys will be good to me. It is not going to happen though so far only one day has been fulfilled. Today was forecast for:
Moody teenager throughout the day with a 90% chance of cold shoulder,
Helpful and nice-to-his-younger-brother toddler sunshine as the day goes on,
And a chance of I'm-sick-mama...hold-me from the lil guy
It wasn't too rough, because after a battle with the eldest of the gentlemen last night, I am too exhausted to, honestly, care what the weather says. And, today mama needed a reward for her hard work: I bought a long deserved and coveted Goldfish plant.

It doesn't look like this yet, but in full bloom it looks like this

Yesterday, Post and I made space food for dinner. This is the only title I was able to come up with for this dish: Space Food.

It came out good and if the toddler eats it then it must be satisfactory.

Savory Sweet Beets and Okra over Grits

1 Beets, chopped

2 Nectarines, halved browned *

2 okras, chopped

3 T water

4 T Butter

1/2 t Nutmeg

1/4 t Cumin

1/4 t Coriander

1 t fresh Ginger, grated

Salt and pepper

Grits

Browning Nectarines

1 T butter in a skillet, melt. When butter hot add nectarines face down. Cook for about 2 minutes until caramelized and remove from heat and cover. Remove skins when semi-cooled

1. boil chopped beets in 3 T water covered for 5 minutes or until water is gone.
2. meanwhile, in a small sauce pan melt 4 T butter on medium. Add okra and cook for 5 minutes. Add nutmeg, cumin, and coriander. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Add ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Add beets and turn off heat.
3. Prepare grits.
4. chop nectarines into bite sized chunks. Add to okra and beets
5. serve atop grits and salt and pepper to liking 

Our grits are stirred in but we agreed it would be better atop grits

This evening we made Asian cuisine. It is a cheats recipe. Super easy

Vegetable Udon and Egg
1 Pack of Wide Udon noodles, prepares
1/4 pack of frozen vegi mix
1/4c water
3 T light Soy Sauce
3 T Teriyaki Sace
2 t Ginger, grated
2 eggs
sesame oil
sesame seeds

1.cook Udon noodles
2. Add Water and Vegi mix to a skillet. On Medium heat cook until defrosted. Add Soy Sauce and Teriyaki sauce and ginger. Cook for about 5 minutes until liquid is evaporated. Transfer to a plate or bowl to keep warm. Turn off skillet and leave on burner.
3. add a tiny bit of oil to skillet and crack eggs into pan. Cover and leave for about 5 or until cooked to liking. Some pans may require you leave the heat on low. I have my handy dandy cast iron skillie so it keeps heat really well.
4. Drain noodles and serve to plate topped with vegis and egg. Garnish with sesame oil and sesame seeds

Liar Liar pants on fire!

We have all told our share of lies and we have all been equally lied to. We have all stretched the truth to tell a story, though technically it isn't the truth anymore and therefore can be chalked up to a lie.
Once when I was a teenager, I snuck out with my boyfriend. I had been doing it for a long time and was pretty darn good at it. Only thing I didn't realize was the more often I did it the closer I was to being caught. See I thought i was the worlds best liar. I had my ducks in a row, i thought: good grades, home on time when asked, did my chores, coached lacrosse, etc. etc. I mean I would go the whole 9 yds. to be able to sneak out. Winter posed a huge problem, snow. So when I arrived home from school that day, I grabbed the dog and chased him in the field next to the house to make foot prints in order to hide the ones I was gonna make later. I pushed it. waited and waited for my parents to go to bed, and cut it close. I had a bad feeling but I was living on the edge and decided to take my chances, not thinking of what I would ever do come I get caught. So i left the house, ran through the field, and hoped in my boyfriends car. As we got to the top of the road I saw a car come around the corner that looked like my dads, hesitated and then decided to go on. We headed to his house in the town south of mine and continued with our evening. At some point in the night my boyfriend wakes up because his dad is calling him from around the corner. They leave to converse and I lazily check my phone (Another intuition....). My parents had gotten me this cell phone a couple weeks before, told me to take it everywhere, and I debated...do i take it when I sneak out or do i leave it? what are the consequences of both. Something was telling me I was busted (did my parents contact his parents? is that why he was coming to talk to his son?) I think it was though I have never asked for the answer. There were a bunch of calls from my parents. I turned stone cold!
"We gotta go!"
We hopped in the car, as I frantically searched my mind for the very best lie. As we arrive in town I tell my boyfriend to go the back way to the dirt roads near the house. A snow was falling lightly from the sky.
"stop the car. (opened the door) I will see you later."
I stepped out into a thin layer of snow and watched him drive away. I waited about 2 minutes and then called my parents.
"I'm alright, come pick me up, I am on Mt. Herman."
They picked me up and brought me home. Here is where my most guilty lie came out. To this day I still get a cringe that I even told it and believed that I was hurting no one. What I didn't realize was, although I had made a pact to dig the deepest grave and come out on the other side of the earth where they could never prove anything, I was going to have to sell my soul and conclusively hurt myself. So i still get sick when I remember. I mean I really get acidity in my stomach, a cold sweat, etc. That is when i went to far in telling a lie to my family.
"I blacked out. Woke up on the bench next to the rock."
The rock was Monument Rock at the base of Mt. Herman, and you have to take a trail there. I have PTSD and have since I was 12 years old. There is no point in going in to details about how but there is an importance to the symptoms I have had in relation to it. one symptom: I used to blackout and find myself functioning somewhere else in town. It was as though I was watching myself on a movie screen from atop a cloud. Stress always triggered it. Whether it be a fight or a nervous conversation or a date or a test coming up. And once I became stressed there was a snowball effect to how much and to what i would stress out over. To this day it still happens. I go to my happy place on the cloud where I am safe and no one can get me, I know I go there because I can feel it and have learned to be able to control it, in most circumstances, to not completely blackout. I won't remember what is said and i go into complete fight mode, like an animal being cornered. I feel like one. Like I am being attacked.
So my parents know about these blackouts because at that time in my life I was working very hard on them to control them and other symptoms. It was a cheap shot to them and to myself. I knew it was my only card and I played it.
"But you're not wet from the snow or cold."
"I don't know what happened I just woke up at the rock."
That is the extent of it. And I pledged to dig the deepest hole so i would never have to tell the truth and get in trouble for it.
I was grounded for 2 weeks while my parents did some gum shoeing. There were other events and they aren't as important as the fact that i got off scott free.....but I had sold my soul. And now I can't lie without a deep sickening feeling.

This is something teenagers haven't figured out. That you can and will hurt yourself if you lie. It is something that as parents we have already learned and we are desperately trying to get our kids to understand.
There are so many things i want to be as a parent. and I will probably post all those things as I go along. But one thing recently. I read that Haile Selassie I, emperor of Ethiopia 1930-1974, never showed anger or irritation or nervousness or rage or frustration. "It seemed that he never knew such states" (pg 6, "The Emperor" by Kapuściński). I value this, I want to be this. Just a thought.

Motherhood is a fierce ocean. Where we are just trying to stay afloat, be the calm to the storm. Storm clouds are up over head. but there is a break in the clouds and sun is shining through in the shape of a heart. Amor Vincit Omnia. Love conquers all.

If you're naughty and you know it, clap your hands!

So yesterday I decided that I really wanted cookie dough. Not because it is summer and hot, but, because it is seemingly a sin; you know with the raw egg and everything. So yeah. Right. why not do it vegan and all problems solved. So after the little ones laid their heads down to rest, mama rushed to the kitchen to whip up a batch of baddies. Then swept over the the neighbors to give them half the dough for their parenting down time.
I would love to add here. I LOVE my neighbors. If I could kidnap them and bring them with us to Washington, I would. It is like having family next door but without the obligation to family stuff, you just wanna hang out and do stuff together because you can. My son also loves their son Kai. He often wakes up in the morning or after a nap asking where Kai is and trying to walk out the door to see what the little rascal is up to. There are so many other reason to love my neighbors. Like their outdoor-si-ness, that they line dry their clothes even though they don't need to, that they use foil instead of drier sheets and home made washing detergent, that they care for my kids as their own and mine theirs, that they are go adventuring all the time, that they are artists like me, that they don't have internet and ride bikes to the library and sit out on the lawn to use a public service.....

stalking my neighbor's laundry

.....Hahaha that was my neighbor calling, her ears must be ringing. We will go to the aquarium tomorrow because...why else.....fish are cool!
ok recipe.

Vegan chocolate chip cookie dough
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c vegan butter spread, soft not melted
lil less than 1/4 c applesauce
1 t vanilla
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
vegan chocolate chips

1. mix together until smooth
2. EAT!

I decided to drop spoon fulls of the dough onto parchment paper and fold it over to flatten the dough into a cookie shape....And freeze it! midnight snack here I come.

For dinner last night i made a modified version of Fish Tagine. It is a Moroccan dish cooked in a Tagine. As I don't have one I used a good ol' American crock pot. This dish is an art form and that is how it is to be treated: with a lot of love.
Today my arm pits smell like Turmeric, yummy.

Modified Fish Tagine

2 white fish fillets
1/4 olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced
1 carrot, cut thin
1 celery, cut thin
1 large potato, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
4 T Sauce goddess, Moroccan twist
3 T Oil
1 lemon juiced
1 bell pepper
1 t ginger
1 t salt
1/2t pepper
1/2 t turmeric
1 lemon sliced
hand full of red olives

1. Set your crock for 4 hours. put 1/4 c oil in bottom. distribute onion slices across the bottom, crisscross celery and carrots to make a bed for your fish.
2. toss potatoes in spices and arrange around the perimeter of the pot. Place tomatoes on top of the potatoes.
3. mix 3 T of oil in a small bowl with sauce goddess and lemon juice. pour over vegis. **leave about 3 T of mixture aside
4.Place fish on carrot and celery bed and pour remaining sauce goddess mixture. Arrange pepper strips on top of fish. arrange lemons on and around the fish and evenly distribute the olives.
5. Salt and pepper to your liking. cover and cook for about 3 hours.

So for tonight! i am trying to rid my freezer of its contents and I love making kiddo food. So. Here is an easy recipe for vegi nuggets.

Vegi Nuggets
1/4 pack of mixed vegis, frozen
1/2 c couscous
1/2 c water
4 T light soy sauce
1 T Teriyaki
1 egg
1/4 to 1/2 c flour

1. in a medium sauce pan on high. Place frozen vegis and couscous. Pour in water and wait to boil. Turn down heat to low for a simmer and cover. 5 min.
2. Transfer to a blender while hot and pour in. Add egg and blend until smooth. The heat from the mixture will cook the egg.
3. transfer to a medium bowl and mix in flour for a dough.
4. set oven to high broil. Foil a cookie sheet and drop a teaspoon of batter onto cookie sheet. sprinkle with flour and press each down with a spoon to flatten a bit. toss in oven
5. Every 5 min. flip your nuggets until they are golden on each side. cool and serve with a dippin' sauce to your lil pumpkin.

Cream Sauce in the Summer!

Snagged the idea for this recipe from Veggie Mama as I was remembering the amazing toasted Cauliflower at Aion Cafe in Boulder, Co. If you haven't been there, GO! it is a must. Some buddies of our opened it up and I am truly in love with it. So here is my version of this already tasty Veggie Mama recipe.

Roasted Cauliflower and Cream Sauce Pasta
1 head of Cauliflower, chopped into bite sized chunks
1 T Olive oil
1 t Truffle oil (the cheap stuff)
1 T rubbed Sage
Salt and Pepper
1 large Garlic clove, cut in 2
1 c Cream
2 T dried Rosemary
1 Large pinch of each: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger
1 Clove
1 T flour
Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
Pecorino Romano, Grated (~1/4 c)
1/4 c Walnuts chopped rough

1. Preheat oven to 430 F
2. Combine cauliflower oils, salt and pepper, and sage. Toss to coat. Spread on cookie sheet. Bake for 30 min.
3. Use both garlics to rub inside of sauce pan. Toss one of the halves and squash the other with a knife. toss it into pan. stir in cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove. add rosemary to pot by breaking it up with your fingers. on medium, bring pot to a simmer for 10 minutes. whisk in flour to thick sauce. remove clove and garlic.
4. meanwhile, make your penne al dente style.
5. put pasta and sauce on plate topping with cauliflower, grated pecorino and walnuts. Don't goover board with you pecorino it is a bang for your buck kinda cheese, a lil goes a long way.

Good Old Recycled Fun!

So we are moving and today I swung by Whole Foods to get boxes from produce and grocery and specialty. Here is a note on that, if you need to pack things heavy go for Produce boxes first (bananas, apples, oranges) then alcohol boxes. If you just need boxes, and some big ones, hit up grocery. They have a wide array. Make sure you stop by in the morning because that is the main time things get stocked.
So i brought home a bunch of boxes. I hear some shuffling and my middle child is setting up boxes in the living room, crawling through them, climbing in them, and letting out the biggest amount of laughter. So Note here: if it is a rainy day and your kids need some fun. Swing by the grocery store and pick up boxes. Here are some things you can do with them:

build a fort
build a castle
make a tunnel
make a haunted house
make an obstacle course
make robot costumes
invent something (like a hug dispenser, or a cookie dispenser....you'll figure it out)
play basket ball
.....the list goes on.

Some of my greatest memories where with boxes and moving to Washington has provided me with the opportunity to harvest my children's imagination when they are stuck indoors for a Super (and I say super because I like to play in the rain) rainy day. I have a fantastic list going and will post it soon.

So at about 3 months I put our middle child in a play saucer, tucked a towel behind him and watched him have fun standing and sitting. No more always laying down. I don't get as much time lately to do tummy time with our youngest, but my mom suggested letting the little one play in the exercise-mobile we have from her house (she had it for Post). Great idea. So today while box time was ensuing at great proportions of gayety, I set Xire up to enjoy some play time of his own.
This little booger has been an independent soul ,of sorts, since in the womb. And I am not sure independent is the correct word. I will come up with a better one when i find it. So in the womb, i swore he was a girl, had dreams he was a girl....found out: not a girl, that is a big ol' penis on the screen. Alright. I later went through a period of time when I felt less connected to him as I did with Post. I mean with Post, i knew exactly what he was going to look like at birth and at the age he is now, I also was positive he was a boy. So far all my prego-dreams have been right for him. But Xire tends to prove me dumb every time. He is my miracle lesson in submission to the universe. For instance, he is an IUD baby. You know they rate those things so high for not getting prego, well let me tell you, I know a lot of IUD babies. Also, my body just knew that thing was not supposed to be in there: is this menstrual blood? is it a baby? is it my husband? no. no. no. Out. Out. Out it went. Midwife found it in my cervix, give it 2 weeks that bugger would have been out. So that is how this lil angel came about, against the odds. And he has been pushing for his way ever since.
I thought he might not like standing in that thing and playing because Post could only handle it for 10 minutes. Nope, that lil dude hung out in there twice today for 30-40 minute increments. The last time was in the kitchen while i prepared Post's dinner and Post thought it so great to see his brother playing in something he used to enjoy....granted this is on the other side of a gate. They sat there giggling and cooing at each other for a good amount of time.

So since we are moving I gotta get rid of this freezer, I mean what is in it. And I challenge myself to a duel. I am gonna cook with all of it until it is gone for the next weeks. Here is what i got in there:

Artichokes
Asparagus Vegi Blend
Asparagus
(6) bananas
Basil
Blueberries
(2) Beets
Butternut Squash
Breaded okra
cauliflower
Caribbean Green Sauce
Corn on the Cob
sweet corn
(3) Cod fillets
Shredded Cheese
(3) 1 lb. blocks of cheddar
Edamame
Ginger
Halibut Fillet
Hot Chili's
Kale
mango
(2) Orange Juices
Parsley
Peas and Carrots
Pepper Strips
Pie Crust
Pineapple
(2) Pineapple Starfruit juices
Sugar Snap Peas
Strawberries
Stir Fry Vegis
Swedish Meat Balls
(2) Sweet potato Orange Pineapple mix
(2) Tomato Sauces
Tomato Paste

Not that you may be interested but here it is. And now I am gonna blow through it in recipes.

Something about a sista!

There is something about having a Sista to talk to when parenting gets rough. Yesterday I miss my middle child, but at the age he was before this 2 year old stage. I miss the mornings he wakes up and is bubbly and happy, and that is lasts all day. Now it lasts an hour or two at most and I have to enjoy the good mood while it is gracing my presence.
Something I am gonna have to teach myself is that i will have to repeat what I say, multiple times. And not just to all my kids eldest to youngest but to my husband and to myself. Yesterday I aggravated myself so much with my perfectionism. I realized that as much a perfectionist i am, I am also ousting out moments of relaxation and happiness in my life. Instead of doing dishes last night while the meal was in the oven I decided to enjoy watching my kid outside playing and making lemonade: moments i would have lost had I kept up with my chores. Yet when I came in and had finished bedtime routines I realized I was going to spend the better part of my 'me'-time cleaning up from the day.
But there is something about being able to call another veteran mama and talk to her about the strife of being a mama that seems to make it all comical and not as important. You know, knowing that there is another woman out there, besides your mother or grandmother or aunt, who knows exactly what those days are like. I love it!
So I decided to hit the sack yesterday instead of write out to the world, emotional exhaustion had hit.

Apple Cheddar Smoked (vegi) Sausage stuffed Hot buns
1 1/4 c warm water
1 pack of active yeast
1/2 t salt
1 T sugar
2 1/2 c flour
2 T coconut oil
1 Field Roast Apple-wood Smoked sausage, broken up into bits
1/2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 apple, peeled and diced

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and grease a muffin pan
easy dough
2. In a medium bowl, gently mix yeast in WARM water. mix in salt, sugar, flour, oil. Knead to work ingredients through for about 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap.
Filling
3. In a separate bowl mix sausage, cheese, and apple.
4. Keep dough cover while working. Flour cutting board and pull off enough dough to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand. Work dough out into a flat circle on the cutting board. Take a Table spoon of filling and place in center of dough. Fold edges of dough to the center, all the way around, into filling is covered. place seam side down in muffin pan. repeat until dough is done.
5. Brush tops of dough with oil and pop in oven for 20 minutes, check in 15. Let cool because insides will be smokin'.

Ice Lolly Adventure 1: Cinnamon Turmeric Creamy

Ice Lolly of the Day: Cinnamon Turmeric Creamy
 We are having a lull in our hot weather and for some reason i am becoming back the heat while my AC remains kaput by making Ice Lollies. I love turmeric and Cinnamon tea with a bit of honey and a bunch of milkiness. This is something presented to me when I had a severe muscle strain about a month back.
Turmeric according to Ayurvedic medicine has many uses. Also, a Hindi friend of the family swears by its healthful uses.
Here is the low down: http://www.turmericinfo.com/
You can find useful information about it almost everywhere. I made it today because my sons allergies are back and he is wiping snot all over the house and I have an ouch due to him swiping me on my tattoo i got a week ago. Ill show ya when it is healed.

This time of year you can chase down a freezer pop mold just about anywhere. You will need one. But if you don't and you are impatiently drooling over the mention of an ice lolly you can make them in an ice tray then cover your ice tray with plastic wrap and poke a hole with a tooth pick, leaving the tooth pick in the filled cube slot, repeat for each cube....it works I swear because this is how i rocked it back in the day.

Cinnamon Turmeric Creamies
1/2 t Turmeric powder
1/2 t Cinnamon powder
3 T local Honey
1/2 c Water
milk or milk substitute

1. Place turmeric and cinnamon measuring cup and pour boil water over until you reach 1/2 c mark. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes.
2. Strain and Stir in Honey until dissolved.
3. Pour into mold so each is about even and then pour milk or milk sub over until m old is full. Put top on each mold and put in the fridge until completely frozen.

Plantain Run Down

By the end of the day I count my stars I am still alive. Here is my normal route of activities:

530/6a: nurse baby Wake up and water grass
645a: Isaiah leaves and I get the toddler outa bed
7/730a: Nurse the lil ones
8a: breakfast
830a-1130a: Any series of the following events can ensue (this is really my only time to get stuff done outside the house and sometimes even in the house:
grocery shop
park
errands
walk
make dinner or prep it
pack
laundry
play outside
10a: nurse baby
12n: lunch
1230p: begin toddler naptime routine
1p: nurse xire and take a nap
3p: Teenager gets home
330p: nurse xire, wake up toddler
**and this is where it gets hairy because from here on out it is an insane remix of baby crying, post playing, Elmo, post crying, mama loosing her patience and holding on by a thread, etc.**
5p: start dinner, or heating dinner
545p: serve dinner to the boys (maybe eat mine)
6p: nurse xire
630p: start bath for toddler
7p: bed time and story time
715p: Give Xire a lil night cap
730p: bath for baby and mama
8p: bedtime for baby and
815p: water the lawn and then......
FREEDOM!!!
1030p: bedtime for teenager and mama is pooped
2a: nurse Xire

It is hard to get to talk on the phone or make things extra or enjoy something when freedom starts at 8ishp. And honestly i don't have a lot to give to the world by then. I just want to shut myself into a cave and hibernate until the next episode of the Stoker Family. Most times it is a repeat and I am not complaining it can just be hard for others to understand, it is a one woman juggling act, and why should they completely understand they aren't me. Just have to meet ya'll in the middle of the road.

So lately it has been a continual guarding of the baby. Post is on a toddler rampage where no matter what mood he tends to attack the baby. And then the baby wails and I am stuck trying to calm the lil one and correct the middle one. I have tried allowing him more baby-helping contact and so on but it seems that it just happens anyway. I can't wait for this phase to pass because the lil guy is terrified of his brother. It was all funnies before but now it is much more. The baby cringes and stiffens, somewhere in between playing dead and hyperventilating like a squeaky toy, when he hears his brother coming close (voice, feet, anything).
This too shall pass. This too shall pass. This too shall pass.....I am waiting.

Dinner tonight, a plantain version of Breadfruit in Coconut sauce from the Rasta Cookbook, pg 59. Since breadfruit doesn't exist in Salt Lake City, I settle for Plantains because i am sick of potatoes (alternatives to breadfruit):

Plantain Run Down
3 green Plantains, chopped and fried in oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 T coconut oil
1 bayleaf
1 sprig of Thyme (seriously 1 only, I put too much in mine this time, you don't need a ton of that stuff)
freshly ground pepper
2 c coconut milk

1. heat coconut oil over medium heat in a sauce pan. Add onions and cook until soft (not brown)
2. Add tomatoes, thyme, bayleaf, and pepper.
3. stir in Coconut milk and bring to a boil. add fried plantains, cook for 20 minutes

40 days and counting

 My husband left today. It is always a bittersweet departure. Half of me knows that this means the next time he comes home there will be a U-haul loaded in the driveway and i am excited (40 days and we will peace out from the SLC); the other half knows I will fair packing and time without my best friend and I am apprehensive.

I get cranky every time he leaves. Those days I don't want to talk to him and I am moody. And once he leaves I spend the rest of the day in my room sulking and watching foreign romantic comedies. I'm such a sap. He is used to it and is a good sport about it because there are times I can be a full out.....a-hem, female dog. He is used to the tears and long hugs. I think he secretively likes it so I will snuggle him after being snappy all day.

I suppose the hardest part is the 2 year old missing his papa and wondering where he went and when work ends exactly: will he be home for story time? But he snaps into things and knows papa is at work and will be home soon, a word he has no concept of. It is however hard for him to go from a ton of attention to just mama juggling 3 boys. I love him cuz he really does try to work with me; in actuality, they all do. Here he is playing my bass:

All in all this works for our family and for our relationship. Both of us have spent time in long relationships where every moment is spent together, and for me it was o so stifling. This works because he gets him time without me and the kiddos, and I get time without him, and when he is home I get time to myself, though as much as i try to stretch it, i miss all of them after about an hour. Plus when he is here it is wild and crazy fun time! As much as I crank about the hard times when I wanna rip my hair out, I forget by morning or in a couple days when i see one of the kids do something funny or beautiful.

I love my husband. Wouldn't trade him for anything or anyone in the world. I am so loved by him and so cared for. He is so patient with me when i know he is at the brink. I couldn't really ask for more in a man. He provides for his family and enjoys doing so. He loves his family and especially his children. He knows how to be serious and silly. When I was younger I always wondered about the secret moments in elder's relationships (you know when we take our hats off at being parents and we are ourselves again). Now I finally know what that is like and it gives me more respect for my parents and grandparents, etc. Because we are human and we have this amazing ability to LOVE!

Candied Salmon over Garlic Buttered CousCous
ok here it is again: Israeli couscous, I love this stuff! Here are some facts about it besides that kids will eat it. It is High in Vitamin C and potassium. You get 8g of protein per 1/3 c of this stuff, for those looking for a protien source other than meat this is your friend. It is my friend.

1 lb Salmon, washed and cut into portions for serving
2 T of oil (use your fav.)
4 T Black Strap Molasses (<--another health friend, Google it)
2 T Stone Ground Mustard
4 T Dill (Fresh (chopped) or Dried)
3 T Butter
1 c Israeli Couscous
1 c water
garlic powder

1. In a small bowl, mix oil, molasses, mustard, and Dill. Stir and set aside
2. Set oven to High Broil. Foil a cookie sheet and lay out your Salmon.
3. In medium sauce pan, heat butter until melted over medium-high heat. Add Couscous and stir. Add water, bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes
4. Meanwhile, pop Salmon into oven for 5 minutes.
5. After Couscous has simmered for 5 minutes, Remove couscous from burner and keep lid on for 5 minutes
6. Salmon: open up oven and with a spoon spread some molasses mixture over top the fish. Broil for another 5 minutes. Repeat adding molasses mixture when time is up and put back in for 3 mintutes
7. Put couscous on plate and sprinkle garlic powder to your liking on top. Place fish next to couscous.
Bon appetit

Vegan White Sauce Lasagna! For Mama C

Alright Mama C. I dedicate this post to you. I have finally come up with a vegan version of your favorite food for you. You will be happy to know it includes coconut milk!
Yaya!

Vegan White Sauce Lasagna
1 can of Coconut Milk
1/3 c vegan creamer of choice
1/4 c fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 c Vegan butter
1 T Lemon Zest
1/2 to 1 t nutmeg
5 sprigs of Tarragon, leaves from stem and chopped roughly
2 sprigs of Rosemary, leaves from stem and broken into bits with fingers (I really do mean your fingers)
1 Container (4 oz) of Vegan Grated Parmesan
Fresh ground Salt and Pepper
1 package of lasagna noodles (make sure no egg), prepared
1 package of extra firm tofu
1/2 lb. of spinach cooked or frozen and defrosted, water drained as well as possible
2 c chopped mushrooms
1 to 2 bags of Vegan shredded mozzarella ( like mozzarella so I used 2)

**note while you are making Alfredo you can prepare your noodles also it is wise to begin draining your tofu at this point to. Wash your tofu, place a clean towel on a plate, tofu on top and place a heavy cutting board or pan on top of tofu for about 20-30 min.**

Vegan Alfredo Sauce <--this recipe is for the amount you need for lasagna which is about double what you need for linguine

1. In medium sauce pan over medium heat, stir coconut milk, creamer, and lemon juice. Add Spread, stir occasionally as it comes to a simmer.
2. Add 1 T Lemon Zest and 1/2 to 1 t of nutmeg (I like nutmeg so i add 1 t). Remove from heat.
3. Add container of vegan grated Parmesan, whisk to combine (it works best if you add a little parm and whisk and then add more and whisk, etc. until it is gone. Add tarragon and rosemary, stir. Stir in fresh ground salt and pepper to your liking (I love pepper so i add a bunch to mine).

Lasagna
4. in food processor combine spinach, mushrooms, and tofu. Process up until mixed
5. in the bottom of your glass dish put enough sauce to cover the bottom. then add a layer of noodles. Next your tofu mixture,and then some cheese, next sauce. then noodles, tofu mixture, cheese, sauce, etc. until ingredients gone. make sure you have a layer of noodles on top, topped with cheese.
6. Set oven to 375 Degrees F and place lasagna in oven covered with foil for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes remove foil and let cool. If you have extra cheese you can put it on top or if you have extra sauce you can put that on top too.
Enjoy!

I have already eaten half of this bad boy. Ooops. Had to slop it back together to get a pic. Ummmmm YUM

Boobs for you and me!

No cooking tonight. The AC is broken and it is a whopping 96 degrees outside in the shade. So no cooking. I did however prep the Vegan Lasagna this afternoon and the salmon I was going to make. i guess it will all get bumped.

On hot days, Slurpees are a MUST. I know they are chalk full of sugar and artificial flavors and colors but there is something about them that I just can't shake, call it my childhood lust. I mean I have not control, I have to really really try not to drink it as fast as i can until a brain freeze hits. Really try.And i do manage to make the biggest size last as long as possible. At lunch my lil man strolled in with a tiny Slurpee for himself and a huge one for mama. Then at dinner My oldest strolled in with a huge one for mama while lil man (middle boy) walked in with cheese pizza on a plate for the mama bear of the house.

I do I love my boys. Speaking of which our eldest just turned 16. The big 16.

 Happy Birthday, my Love.

Oh my, I can't believe he is so big. I remember the first day i spent with him when he was 13. i was so enthralled by his manners and his enthusiasm for skateboarding, being that I spent some time making long boards in my past. I truly fell in love with him that day. He is a good kid and like all kids is just growing up and experiencing the world, learning from his mistakes, choosing his vices and loves. Just growing up. it is hard to see kids become adults. And at the same time so beautiful to see them take on the world. The go from pooping/sleeping/eating as their job to playing as their job to academics and real jobs and possibly parenting and so on. What a crazy modern succession of events. Crazy and mystifying.

I love hearing my husband say when I ask him what our 2 year old is doing,
"being a kid mama,"
 as I look over and he is ripping apart a box to make who the heck knows what.....maybe a boat.....maybe a robot costume.

Kids make our world go round and I suppose that is one of the huge reasons i am drawn to Rastafrari. Youths are crucial. Their happiness is crucial. Instilling positive thinking is crucial, hard work is crucial, music, art, love, a family basis.....it all is crucial.

So check out this clip reminiscent of me chasing my son this morning as he is running into the street.....
I am yelling, "Post! Post, Stop!!
he of course sees the other kiddos riding bikes in the street and is gayly laughing his butt off to go join their fun while his mother is chasing him, in her pjs, no bra....and let me add here I am a cheerful 32 H/I while nursing my children and a normal F otherwise. This is what I felt I looked like:

So it must have looked hilarious in real life (the scene of Granny in the field):

 I am aloud to joke about my breasts. really I am. breast are a beautiful thing. This all goes along with my belief that children and the public need to see breastfeeding more often until it is seen as a norm and we stop completely sexualizing breasts and acting like their exposure is disgusting. Watch out if you are a parent that shields you children from boobies, because i am the mama that will straight up pull my shirt up and breastfeed my children in front of you. yeah, i am a tandem nurser, in the morning i have 2 children drinking the milk of life and i am proud!
don't look if you don't like boobies! And don't say anything!

It is far less offensive and health threatening to be breastfeeding in public than to be smoking a cigarette around children. For real people! the other day I was at City Creek Mall in Downtown Salt Lake breastfeeding my youngest while my son played in the water fountain. I was the first person there, and honestly that doesn't matter. Moments later, the table near use decides to light up and the worst part is they were women. Seriously what has happened to the collective unconscious of females, that we light up with children around. I don't care if you choose to poison yourself, and I pray for you, but to poison those around you and to poison children who are developing into healthy beings....not to mention playing outside, is a hideous mark on our kind. how selfish. I mean even when my husband mentioned it to this woman she looked at him and pretended he didn't exist and the lady was standing 20 feet away from me!
So seriously, put it out, you probably should anyway, respect the children of the world and give them a chance to be healthy without your influence. Jeeeesh!

Last note: Check out this mama's Blog. She has a great story about bed time. Yep we have all been their. This particular story hits home because my son so does this......hahahahahahhahahahahahaha. click below!
Whack a Mole

night night! mwa!

keekies.......

I am not Vegan. I have nothing against vegans, however the only thing that I am weary about the whole thing is not eating completely nutritional sustenance. This is stemmed from a story i remember from a friend of mine in High school. Her mother was vegan for a very long time and mal-nutritioned herself. As a result in her old age she made frequent trips to the hospital, lost all of her hair, and became incredibly weak. What i like about it? The diet forces one to seek alternative sources of protein besides meat, which as an American society we eat far too much meat and drink too many calories, With that said.
My great friend Mama C has asked me to create my white sauce lasagna recipe in a vegan form. This sista seriously loves the White Sauce Lasagna. Tomorrow I am setting off on such an endeavor. I am ready. A little nervous being that I am a cheese fiend and I know there is no way this is going to exactly taste like my favorite Italian meal. However, open mind, open heart, open taste buds....we will see how it turns out.
The first time i experienced White Sauce Lasagna, it wasn't an taste-experience it was a aesthetic experience of beauty. Being a vegetarian verge pescatarian, The meat dish in a tradition Italian meal lay out doesn't put out for me....I ate a lot of white beans and in this occasion a HUGE hunk of Pecorino Tuscano. Yes a rather large chunk. This was the best cheese I could have imagined and I was in Orvieto, Tuscany where Pecorino originated. OMG! to die for and I will never forget that taste. The creaminess, the subtle sheep milk flavor, the smooth texture, the Huge. Hunk. of cheese. for. ME!

So keep posted and wish me luck!

Oooooo, so remember the baking soda mural on my little mans floor during nap time?
We are trying to head out for a morning bike ride to breakfast, tiny-sauce is getting a diaper change and dressed, papa has medium-sauce dressed in a cute yellow shirt and pants, I am just pulling over my shirt when I hear,
"keekies mama. keekies" (ie cookies)
"no cookies, honey, we are heading to eat breakfast. hold on one sec-ola."
"keekies, mama. keekies"
**I smell chocolate**
--so like most mamas I hide things from the kiddos in my bedroom. My underwear drawer houses a blue china bowl my good friend Morgan's mama gave me when i left for college, a jar of Ghirardelli chocolate powder.....and let's hult there--
SCREEEEECH! put on the breaks.
I stop in the hallway to find a large pile of chocolate on the floor. O it smells good and the extent of it is gone for use. He then proceeds to help me clean it up by smearing the dry substance all over the floor.
It happens again. Mural number II.
.....I cleaned up part of it before it dawned on me to photograph this piece of art.