Phone Companies

AGH!! Does anyone else get as frustrated as I do dealing with the phone company? Maybe I'm the only one who gets lucky enough to speak to the most incompetent customer service providers around. I would go to almost any length to avoid calling AT&T. So, we're changing phone services because AT&T doesn't provide a decent long distance plan for us -- we don't need unlimited long distance, and anything else they're offering us is highway robbery. So we're trying out Vonage, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it turns out to be a good service. I must say that speaking to their customer service agents hasn't been nearly as painful as AT&T so far. That's encouraging to me. But the pain is that in the process of transferring our number over, we haven't been able to receive phone calls this past week, and probably won't until next Tuesday. And you guessed it -- it's AT&T's customer NO service's fault. However, when it comes right down to it, I don't really mind not having the phone ring.

Oh, I also figured out why I haven't been blogging much lately. I left my camera at Alli's last weekend, but when I get it back I'll have to get a picture of my youngest computer genius. It's much easier to avoid the computer when he's around, or he thinks it's his turn to control the mouse and keyboard as well as the fascinating blue power button.

My First Blanket

I actually did it! I crocheted this blanket. It was really fun learning how to do it. Hannah asked if she could have it, and I'm really glad that she can so easily overlook all the mistakes in it. She is so good for my ego as she thinks I am amazing to have made it. Now Nikki wants one, too and I have to figure out what pattern to do for hers.

Walking

We got this of Ryan last week. He was tired and grumpy, but he is doing such a good job walking these days! How is it possible that today is his birthday?!!

I posted this one because he sounds like a duck. What is it with boys and their sound effects? He is always making some funny sound.

Homemade Granola and Granola Bars

For a while now I have been trying to fix a problem I first noticed in the grocery store. When I shop, I buy groceries for Nate and me and then I buy some things for the kids that I don't eat because they are not healthy enough. That just kind of bugs me. Shouldn't I be just as concerned about what they eat as I am about what I eat? Don't I want them to grow up enjoying healthy foods and making healthy choices? Meals aren't really a problem because there is no way I'm cooking two different meals. They've just had to deal with it and have learned to like pepperoni-free whole wheat pizza and grilled salmon, etc., etc., etc. But what about snacks? How do you get your kids to eat healthy snacks when they are used to other stuff? I don't think goldfish and cheese crackers are bad snacks for kids, but can I really call them healthy? Granola bars are healthy, right? Well, the ones I usually buy for the kids are full of high-fructose corn syrup and almost protein-free. So, is there a better way? I found a granola recipe that I really like, but the girls aren't big fans of just granola, so I went looking for a granola bar recipe that I could make. I found a recipe online and changed it up a little bit today, and they were really easy to make. I need to make a few more adjustments to it, or find a different one because they ended up a little crumbly. Tasty, though. Has anybody ever had success with making granola bars? I'll try those again another day, but here is the recipe I have for granola that I really like.

Homemade Granola
from www.everydayfoodstorage.net

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
1/2 cup shredded coconut (I don't like coconut, so I don't add it)
dried fruits, if desired (tropical fruit is good, raisins, blueberries, cranberries, cherries are all great)

Heat oven to 275 degrees. Combine brown sugar and water in a 4-cup microwave safe cup. Microwave on high 5 minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from microwave and stir in vanilla and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, mix oats and nuts. Add the brown sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly. Spread onto 2 cookie sheets and bake for a total of 45 minutes or until golden brown. After 25 minutes, stir and put back in the oven for the rest of the time. When granola has cooled completely, add dried fruits.

Miscellaneous Photos

We had Lydia and Eliza over for a sleepover last night. We couldn't believe it when everyone was asleep within 30 minutes of putting them to bed. Didn't even have to go back in their room once. Eliza had her first week of kindergarten last week -- it really must have worn her out. :) We broke out the pool for them this morning, and even Ryan got to play for a little bit. The sky was overcast and he turned blue, though.

The yard maintenance guys trimmed down a bunch of limbs on trees throughout the neighborhood last week. The one in our front yard was really getting overgrown, so they trimmed it way back. After they were done we noticed this robin's nest exposed, but the robin wasn't leaving. She now has three babies in there, and it has been really neat to watch her feed them. They're starting to get really big. I'm afraid they are going to push each other out of the nest. It would be so neat if we could watch them learn to fly.

And then we have Ms. Crazy. She wanted me to take a picture of her hair. She actually did a really pretty up-do, but the whole outfit kind of stole the show from her hairstylist skills.