A FAREWELL

So much to share today. This morning we had a farewell party for a dear friend Mandi, another amazing military wife. She is moving a little closer to family while her hubby is deployed. It's funny, I hadn't caught up with Mandi in MONTHS and just this past week I saw her 3 times, first by sheer coincidence when she was sitting 2 rows behind us at the Sesame Street concert, then she was at the birthday party we attended over the weekend and now her farewell today. Oh, and do you know what, not one single photograph of her. Can you believe it, me the woman with a camera hanging off my shoulder all day every day and not one stinking photo ... although Mandi, if I do remember correctly you had one taken of us together at the party, care to share it with me :).

So anyway, we had a lovely pot luck brunch this morning in her honor. It was great. I really appreciate Joyce hosting this as she had at least 18 of us all with little ones running around. It was amazing to see so many children at the one house. Jay also caught up with a new friend he'd made last weekend, so he had a great time too.

Thank you so much Kelly for taking this pic of Jay and I, I don't get very many taken with the kids. I'll be so sad when you leave me too.

I would say that I could have a future basketball player on my hands, but we don't have tall genes in our family ha ha. He did get every shot in the basket though. He had so much fun playing basketball.

Jay and his new friend (Angela, we should get the boys together more often) and Flynn seeing how fast his golf ball will go down the slide.

For the brunch I cooked a French Toast Strata.

Ingredients:

4 cups day-old french bread, cut into cubes

1/3 cup golden raisins

1 pkg fat free cream cheese, cut into small cubes

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups low fat milk

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbs sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Additional pure maple syrup for serving.

1. Spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place bread cubes in an even layer in dish, sprinkle raisins and cream cheese evenly over bread

2. Beat eggs in a bowl with an electric mixer until blended. Add milk, syrup and vanilla. Mix well. Pour mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle over strata.

4. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes - insert a knife into the center, if it comes out clean then the strata is done. Cut into squares and serve with additional syrup.

SWIMMING

After the farewell we headed for the swimming pool to meet our friend Shannon and her kids for some fun in the sun. We had a great time and the babies lasted there for a couple of hours before the 'we haven't had a nap meltdowns' ensued. They fell asleep before we left the parking lot. Poor things were exhausted after a busy day. So my little daredevil Flynn has taken his antics to a whole new level ... not just one step, but two steps. First of all he discovered that if he lays on his back in the toddler pool his little fingers can reach behind him and he can touch the bottom, much to his delight. So for the majority of the time in the pool, he would lay on his back and flip himself over to his front OVER and OVER AND OVER (the pool is about a foot deep). Once he even managed to make it to the side of the pool swimming on his belly and grab on which was just fantastic - he was only about a foot away, but I was so proud because that is what we have been learning in swim class. For his second stunt he decided it would be so much fun to jump into the pool. So there he would stand with his feet near the edge and he would jump and land on his bottom in the water. He thought it was hilarious. Me, not so much. Of course though as soon as I finally set the camera up onto sports mode to capture this he stopped doing it and decided to get into the pool the 'correct' way. Figures.

Flynn swimming.

Water Wrestlemania - Jay, Sean and Luke

Flynn jumping off the side and this is how he lands, on his bottom. I missed getting a mid air shot darn it.

Jay and Sean joined us in the toddler pool during one of the time-outs in the big pool. Silly boys.

Jay being goofy. Marisol decided it was time to go home. She got out of the pool, climbed into her stroller and attempted to buckle herself in.

A CUTE KID

Look at my little girl, she's the 'cute kid' this week at the Goody Blog