Six months later...

Six and a half months ago I became a mother of two. I worried about it a lot, wondering when my life would return to "normal" after being a new mom... and I'm still waiting :) but things are getting easier day by day. Overall, Luke has a much more laid back personality than Max and is a lot less high strung! Things I never would have attempted with Max as a baby don't seem so bad with the two of them. For instance, we just went on a hike last weekend. It was nice not to worry about missing nap times (at this stage, Max would have screamed the rest of the day after having his schedule disrupted). We just packed a lunch and headed out. Max loved it so much, he ran the whole way tripping over many a rock on the way. I think I might just let him run alongside the car next time to get his energy out. :) Luke was very content to sit in the backpack and observe everything while sucking on his binky Maggie Simpson style. I think this summer is going to be really fun, full of camping, hiking and even (sigh) some fourwheeling.


Luke had his 6 month check up yesterday. He is still quite big for his age. He's 96% for height at 29.5 in, 75% for weight at 19lbs, and 75% for head circumference. The kid is a brick! He doesn't have many rolls (except for some nice man boobs), he's just solid. The doctor told me that he should be a great athlete, to which I explained that he received zero coordination from his parents genetically. The doctor said that for his size, he's really impressed he's able to roll around and sit up so well. It's exciting to see him so close to crawling, but it makes me tired to think of all the tiny toys I'll be fishing out of his mouth soon. It's also really exciting to see Max and Luke play so well together. Max is a wonderful big brother. He loves to share with Luke and will try to comfort him when he's crying the only way he knows how- with blankies. Luke is totally enamored with his big brother and I'm sure it's only a short time before Max involves Luke in his trouble making schemes.

MMMM Donuts!

We had a new donut shop open up here in Dayton. The donuts are delicious...and overpriced. My solution: make homemade potato donuts. I have had this recipe since Jr. High, but I only made it the one time for homework. That did not turn out well. My dad convinced me it would work to use leftover mashed potatoes (from who knows how long ago) and my grandma told me to crank up the oil because it wasn't boiling (without anything in it). Needless to say I ended up with blackened, gooey, potato lumps. Yum.
Round two went sooo much better! I started the dough last night because it has to raise for 2 hours and then another hour after cutting out the shapes. Max even helped out with the mixing. He really loves "cooking" and I need to find the patience to let him help more.
So here's the recipe from 8th grade Home Ec (thanks Bev!):
Scald and cool 1 cup of milk
In the meantime:
dissolve 1 T yeast in 1/4 C warm water, set aside
Combine cooled milk, 1/4 C sugar, 1t salt, and 1/4 C shortening
Stir in 3/4C mashed potatoes (mash 'em good) and 2 eggs
Add yeast/water. Stir until combined
Add enough flour to make a soft dough. The softer the dough, the lighter the donuts. However, it has to be sturdy enough to roll and cut out shapes.
Let rise 1.5 to 2 hours
Roll out 1/2 thick. Cut into shapes (I discovered it's much easier to do smaller shapes, kind of donut hole size) Some of my big hearts looked like those lovely sacs people hang from their tow hitchs when I finally got them into the fryer. mmmm schwety balls.
Place on well greased cookie sheet and let rise another hour. Or put them in the fridge until you want to make them and let them rise after you take them out.
Deep fat fry (sooo healthy) until just golden brown on both sides.
Let cool until you can handle them. Shake in cinnamon/sugar or frost. Joey said to add the banana as a part of your complete breakfast

Chocolate fudge frosting (This makes a lot so be prepared to eat spoonfuls from the bowl afterwards mmmm)
3 C powdered sugar
1/3C cocoa powder (I'm generous on this one)
1/3C melted butter
1/4C boiling water
1/4t vanilla
blend until smooth

It was a big hit and we are all sick from sugar overload. Happy Valentines Day!