Dad's in Print!

Martin & MacArthur, a local retailer of Hawaiian wood products has featured one of Dad's hooks on the cover their latest catalog mailer (click on image to see larger view). Worth a mention - we’re so proud!

Almost-Vegan Beef-a-Roni

I never acquired a taste for Chef Boyardee, but am always looking for new recipes, especially heart-healthy and easy meals. Tonight both kids were sick and fussy, so it was as good an evening as any to enjoy some comfort food. I got a recipe for a vegan version of beef macaroni online and decided to try it. In addition to onion and garlic, the recipe called for a bag of MorningStar faux ground beef crumbles, two cans of tomato soup and elbow macaroni.

It came out pretty good, though I cheated and added grated cheese to the cooked concoction, which really added a creamy, comforting flavor. I ate a bowl-and-a-half without guilt - the great thing about eating vegan dishes is that you can pig out without as much consequence!

Budding Michelangelo

Big K is quite the artist - give him scratch paper and markers - he's good to go and occupied for at least a half-hour (which is an eternity in the space-time continuum of young boys). Check out his latest homage to that terror of Tokyo - Godzilla.

Godzilla Final Wars features a cornucopia of monsters from the Godzilla series: Mothra, Ghidorah, Hedorah, etc. As is typical in most movie franchises, the storyline is regurgitated - humans disturb Godzilla and assorted beasts, they fight it out and destroy city, then go away/into hibernation until the next movie.
I've uploaded the DVD cover and his illustration for context purposes.

OK, enough proud parent ranting for today! :)

Holiday Cards - Sneak Peek

We're ordering photo cards online from Sam's Club again this year (yes, I know - the evil affiliate of Wal-Mart!). As usual, we don't have a decent shot of both kids and since we are so NOT the photo studio types, I resorted to a collage again. Attached is a preview of the two monkeys in all their glory!

Christmas Lists

For the second year, we are using Kaboodle for our Christmas lists. It's a pretty neat feature - you simply download their software to your Web browser and when you see something desirable on the 'net, can easily add it to a created list.

You will find a variety of items, with an attempt to emphasize practicality. The kids are fairly low maintenance - Big K just needs color markers and paper to keep himself occupied, and Miss M can find lots of pleasure with an empty Kleenex box, socks and toilet paper rolls.

Another BORING alternative are the variable life insurance policies we are establishing for both kids. As both an investment and insurance protection vehicle, the intent is to put any money the kids get from birthdays, etc. into these accounts. (So their money actually is saved for their future use, vs. being used now for diapers, toilet paper, etc. - yes, I admit - that's what it oftentimes comes down to!)

First Haircut

Miss M has curly hair - we're still not sure where she got that from - and it was growing like crazy and getting into her eyes. We took her to a "kiddie salon" for her first haircut.

Decorated in bright colors, with chairs in the shape of fire trucks and airplanes - these salons provide "kid-friendly" venues for haircuts. Sesame Street blasts in the background and the stylist has an arsenal of animal crackers and lollipops to soothe ruffled feathers.

All went relatively well - we purchased the "First Haircut" package for $ 24.95 (kid friendly ain't cheap!) and got a lock of her hair, photo and card. Miss M is sucking on a lollipop, which was the only way we could get her to sit still long enough to snap the Polaroid.