Delicious Ice Cream Cake

Today we had Cael's birthday party!  He was so good with all the chaos of lots of people around, trying to finish building his swing-set, and getting things going for lunch and birthday cake!  Cael thought the ice cream cake was delicious- well so did I!  But you can't go wrong with ice cream!

My decorating of the cake didn't quite turn out as I had hoped. The gel icing was a little runny. I think if I were to do something like this again, I would partially freeze the icing in the frosting bags to help set it up a little! But it tasted good and that was all that mattered! Cael asked for more even after devouring his already huge slice. I would definitely do an ice cream cake like this again, though! Quick, easy, and yummy!

Ice Cream Birthday Cake

Today is my oldest son's 2nd birthday!  I can't believe how quickly the last 2 years have gone.  I am also just amazed at what he has learned to do and say!  My perception gets a little skewed working with the population of students I see throughout the school year, but I swear we have a genious on our hands!!!  OK, so probably not a genious, but he really is a smart kid! 

Those who have read previous entries know that we attempt to eat healthy, despite our busy lives.  So I have to admit, we have been slacking quite a bit lately!  It's either take the time to cook, or take the time to play with the boys.  We usually take the time to play with the boys, although many times they don't give us much choice!!  Over the summer I discovered some yummy non-dairy ice cream options in the store!  Well, now Cael is hooked on ice cream.  He pretty much wakes up asking for it, and literally goes to bed asking for it!  We usually have ice cream once a day!  So, we figured for his birthday, since he isn't too keen on cake, we would have an ice cream cake.  We discussed buying one from DQ or Baskin Robbins. Cael has had a sensitivity to dairy.  During the summer I have experimented giving him small amounts of cheese and regular ice cream.  He doesn't seem to have too many issues.  However, the other night in an attempt to reward him for being so good, we went to get ice cream from a local burger  place.  He devoured it- I mean slurped his cup until every last drop was gone!  Do you think he liked it?? I'd say; however his little belly did not.  I was up and down with him all night. 

So, because I figured it will be his birthday, he will probably "need" a little extra ice cream.  I decided to throw together my own ice cream cake! I would have loved to actually make my own ice cream, but I have no time to experiment with that.  So I bought 2 flavors of non-dairy ice cream- vanilla and peanut butter/chocolate!  I opted to use the same monkey cake pan I used for his first birthday.  Here is my quick preparation of a non-dairy ice cream cake:

Supplies:
3 pints non-dairy ice cream (any preferred flavors)
1 cake pan
wax paper

To make

Step 1: Choose your first/top layer of ice cream.  Set it out to thaw for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2: Line the cake pan with wax paper.  When the ice cream has thawed, spread evenly into the bottom of the pan.  Place in the feezer for 1 hour to let it set.

Step 3: Repeat the previous steps until all 3 pints of ice cream have been set.

Step 4: After all three layers of ice cream have set, turn it upright on a platter.  Place in freezer with wax paper in place until ready to decorate!

Step 5: Decorate as desired.  I will be decorating mine in the morning.  I prepared a gel icing to use with the following recipe:
      Ingredients:        
          1 envelope unflavored gelatin
          1 tablespoon cold water
          1 cup light corn syrup
          Food coloring

      Directions:
          In saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let sit for about 5 minutes. Stirring, heat mixture over low heat until clear and dissolved- do not boil.  Add corn syrup and heat without boiling. The mixture with become a thick water consistency.  Remove from heat, separate into small containers to prepare for multiple colors, and refrigerate. Add food coloring and put gel into icing bag and apply to cake.

Serve and ENJOY!!

 We will not be completing this until tomorrow for Cael's birthday party!  I will post pictures of the completed cake after I finish decorating it!  Can't wait to dig in!

Getting the Oldest to Sleep... Final!

It has been a long process helping Cael fall and stay asleep since moving to his "big bed."  We had tried a weighted blanket, but he didn't like it on when awake, so I would sneak into his room before I went to bed to drape it over him.  We hadn't noticed any significant difference in his sleep patterns.  I have since been using the weighted blanket with Cason.  Not sure it really helps him either, but sometimes if he has been warm and snuggly against us, I will put the blanket over him to mimic that feeling.

We recently made a trip out to Wyoming (where I am from) to visit my mom and dad.  They don't have a bed to accommodate a toddler, so we brought his playpen/bed we have used for sleep when traveling.  He slept in this for close to 2 weeks.  This seems to have helped reset his sleep patterns.  Since he wasn't able to get out, I was able to just leave him in the room, in his bed to fall asleep.  He had no problems (except the occasional call to spread out his blanket over him again)!  He stayed asleep with the random scream to cover him up in the middle of the night (only happened twice I think) but then was right back to sleep. 

Since returning home, I have pretty much been able to repeat the scenario.  After our book and milk, I leave him in his bed.  He may read for a short time, then will call a few times to have his blanket spread out, and then seems to finally dose off.  We are at the opposite end of the house and not needing to hang out by his door or in the next room.  At night he might wake once, but will either fall back asleep, or I can go in and cover him up, and back out he goes.

Andy is now back in our room (YEAH), Cason has moved to his crib in his room (a little bittersweet), and Cael's sleep is improving! 

Hopefully I don't jinx it by posting this!!

Getting the Oldest to Sleep... Part 5

We continue the journey of getting our oldest son, Cael, to sleep through the night.  He has done much better.  My husband, who is sleeping in the room next to our son's, makes it 4 nights in a row of our son sleeping through the night, but it never seems to fail that on the 5th, Cael has a wakeful night.  Very discouraging for my husband, who would like to come back and sleep in our bed.  I would love for him to come back into our bed as well, but I am also working on getting our youngest, Cason, to sleep more comfortably, which often results in him taking over my spot in the bed and I move over to my husband's spot.  (We are dealing with some back discomforts with him, and frequently making trips to the chiropractor). 

Anyways... 
In our efforts to help Cael sleep through the night, I've had an idea in the back of my head to try a 2-way monitor that would allow us to talk to him to comfort him.  He will typically wake and require reassurance that we are near-by and then can usually go back to sleep.  I thought this would be a great idea.  When I looked for a monitor of this type a month or so ago, I didn't find one (although, I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for and if they made one).  I had a little extra time (between feedings, playing, lunch, and getting everyone down for naps) to look again the other day. I found exactly what I was looking for!!!  So EXCITED!!  Just the thing we need.  My husband was excited too (he was all ready to come and sleep in our bed)!! 

But not so fast...
I asked my husband to sleep in the other room one more night just to make sure the plan worked.  It was a good thing he did!  I tried out the monitor and demonstrated it with our son before going to bed and reassured him that if he needed anything we would be able to talk to him and get him what he wanted!!  Cael woke up in the middle of the night, my husband talked to him through the 2-way monitor, and screams ensued.  My husband had to go into Cael's room and reassure him that he was right there, spread out his blanket, and tuck him in!  OK, we thought.  He just needs to get used to it.  I tried using it at nap time and when we were trying to get him to sleep the next night.  Each time I used it, he got out of bed panicked.  I even made sure to let him see me as I was talking through the monitor so he could try to make the connection that I'm right there.  He needed some hugs and squeezes, blanket spread back out, and tucked in again.  He even needed another round of milk and a book read to him at one point.  Finally he was to sleep.  But not for long.  At 9:30, just after my husband and I went to bed, Cael woke up.  My husband attempted to calm him by reassuring him through the monitor that he was right there.  Cael just began to scream bloody murder!  Loud enough that I heard him down the hall and through 2 closed doors.  My husband went in to console him.  I got out of bed to help,but he seemed to be calming down, so I went back to bed.  A little premature.  Screams came again.  Cael and I had milk and a book for a third time.  He finally calmed and went to sleep.  We decided we probably shouldn't use the 2-way monitor again.  I think it is scaring him because he knows we aren't in there, but our voices are. 

Well so much for that idea!  We were really hoping this would be our fix to be back in the same bed, but it was not meant to be.  Our saga of bedtime continues, but hoping not for much longer.

Getting the Oldest to Sleep... Part 4

Getting our oldest to sleep continues to be an experience!!  However, things are getting much better!  YEAH for us! 

The bedtime process begins around 6 with baths (first brother, and then him), milk and a book with mommy, and then into bed.  As I've said previously, he has never been able to settle very quickly when going to bed, so I let him read in bed by himself. 

Actually getting him to fall asleep is the most difficult process.  This is taking anywhere from 30 minutes (VERY rare) to 90 minutes (more typical).  He is plenty tired by the time we get ready for bed, but he just has a difficult time shutting down.  There have been a couple nights recently we've just forgone bathtime, as it would be too much of a struggle and get him worked up even more.  Typically this is if he's fallen and bonked his head or something and gets really mad/upset.  So, we go to book and milk.  I usually read and give him milk after bath to help relax and prepare him for bed.  But, some nights he has other plans.  He tries to find some way to stay up.  He will try to pick different books in the middle of the one we are reading, or needs medicine on his back, or needs kisses from dad and brother.  Usually then, we do what he needs (other than another book) otherwise he will fixate on that and be an all out war, and then tell him he can read in bed.  He will read for 15-20 minutes quietly, and then he is in and out, up and down out of bed getting more books, having to show me a picture, ask about something he sees in the book, or need his blankets spread out- again.  After a few warnings to stay in bed, I will close the door for a few minutes and let him try again.  Usually after about 3-4 times of this, he will eventually let me tuck him in and go to sleep (after calling a few times to make sure I'm nearby). 

I know I should just leave the door closed, but I have a hard time even closing it on him to begin with.  The look he give me as I close the door makes me feel so bad (a look of worry, sadness, anger all rolled into one). I feel like the meanest mom.  And he can be just so darn cute trying to work it when he's attempting to break out of bed (a mischevious grin saying "I'm too cute- you won't do it!").  The other night was particularly entertaining.  I walked in to see him breaking out, and as he noticed I was coming in, he ran to a small pile of books on the floor and tried to scoop them up as quickly as he could to get back into bed, all done with a little smile on his face.  I had to snicker!  It was so hard not too!

While getting him to fall asleep continues to be a work in progress, him staying asleep has become much better.  He is usually waking once, if at all, but still hasn't made it the 5 nights in a row my husband is shooting for so he can come back into our bed.  Teething has been our enemy, or possibly our friend- I'm undecided.  Typically when he is teething, he is more tired than usual and tends to sleep better, but is also extra grumpy during the day because he is uncomfortable.  So I'm not sure if this is the reason for better sleep?  Or could he just be sleeping better in general, more comfortable with knowing someone is nearby, and the pain with teething is waking him up?  I made a weighted blanket a few weeks ago to try with him.  He does not like to have it one him when awake, so I can't use it to help settle his body down to fall asleep.  But I sneak into his room before I go to bed and drape it over him.  It seems to still be on him in the morning if he has slept through the night, so maybe it is helping, too??  Whatever it is, I'm really hoping the trend continues.  Either way, my husband and I will be able to share our bed again in August, when we move the baby into his own room.  Hopefully he will be able to make it to our room before then, but there is a light at the end of that tunnel!  To be continued... but hopefully not too many more times.....

Joys of Parenting: Wa-Wa

It has been amazing watching my oldest son grow and learn.  Especially lately.  He seems to be learning new words daily, and understanding more and more about his world.  Today was a great day.  He is a kid who has a one-track mind.  If you tell him we are going to do something, go somewhere, or get something, he will repeat it over, and over, and over, and over, and over (do you get the idea???) until it happens, we get there, or he gets it.  Today we went to the park.  He said park every 20 seconds- if not more frequent- making sure that we were in fact going to the park and needed the reassurance that 'yes, we are going to the park,' so that he wouldn't get upset.  We told him that when we get home we could have ice cream, and said 'ice' the entire drive home to make sure he was getting some ice cream.  We told him our plan that as soon as we got home, dad would jump out of the car, run into the garage, and get our ice cream.  So he did alternate use of 'garage' and 'ice' so he understood the plan!

Today we also watched "Pluto."  This was his fisrt exposure to the old Disney cartoons.  He was watching very intently as we would explain little things- oh no, he got hurt, he fell into the snow pile, he found the bone, etc.  It was fun to watch him pick up on little things and even begin to tell us what happened- oh no, snow, bone, etc.

While he is learning so many things, I've pondered what kind of concepts he hasn't picked up on yet.  As he gets older, I have been wondering about how potty training will go.  We already bought him a potty, hoping he might get interested in it to make potty training easier.  But I got to thinking...  I don't know if he truly understands what it means to pee?  He knows when his diaper is wet, but has he really made the connection to how it happened?  He understands that mommy and daddy have to go potty and is even able to offer up the sound effects (pssssssssssss).  But when we ask if he needs to pee, does he understand what we mean??  Well today I found out I'm pretty sure he doesn't.  We had a beautiful, warm, sunny day.  After the park we put some water in his wading pool and let him walk and splash around.  I took his pants off before he got in so he was walking around in his diaper and t-shirt.  He kept squatting in the water trying to drink it.  He got the back of his shirt and bottom of his diaper wet and asked to take them off.  Sure, why not?  All kids should run naked at some point!!  I have to say, it was one of the cutest things.  (I'm not going to post any pictures or videos so I don't embarrass the poor little man, so you'll have to trust me!)  He tried to squat in the water a few times, but it was a little cold on his weenie.  The dog was barking, so he ran across the yard to try to tell him to stop.  He apparently sat on the runner on the car to take a load off.  But the best part was when he started peeing on the lawn. He stopped, watched the arc and pointed at the "wa-wa" (water), tried to get out as much wa-wa as he could, and then looked at us and asked for "more."  I have been chuckling about it all day since.  What a learning experience for him, I guess.  He's peed on the floor if I've let him walk around naked a little too long after bath, but never made much acknowledgement of the fact.  So this was fun to observe how much more aware of things he is, how much he is learning, but how much he has yet to learn. 

I enjoy every day with my boys.  It is the best thing in the world to watch them grow and learn and give them an opportunity to experience as much as we can offer!

Sun Dried Tomato Basil Cashew Cream Sauce

My favorite discovery in searching for non-dairy options is definitely the cashew cream.  It has such a yummy, nutty flavor that I can't seem to get enough of!  I made a batch of cashew cream last night to make my banana "cream" pie dessert- sooo good!!  So I used the leftover cashew cream to make a sauce to go over noodles.  This was the best noodle sauce I've made with it, and my husband really liked it as well!  Cael has yet to eat a sauce (however I'm not sure if it was the just the noodles or the sauce as he didn't like the noodles at all tonight)- although he does devour the banana "cream" pie.  I dipped some leftover french bread in this tomato basil sauce to test my experiment.  I found two great uses in one. Make it thick for a dip/spread and make it thinner for a noodle sauce.  Soo YUMMY!!

Ingredients
1/2 c. thick cashew cream
1/3 c. sun dried tomatoes
4 tsp. basil
1 tsp. crushed garlic
3 pinches salt

Combine all ingredients into a blender.  Blend on high until smooth.  Add water until desired consistency is reached.  We made noodles and chopped up chicken and covered it with this sauce.  ENJOY!!