One Word Wednesday: Focused

J's Oreo Cakes and Diaper Monkeys

M & J love an oreo. I buy 2 packs of double stuffed oreos almost every time I go to the store.  M and I discussed once that we may have a little too much of the grocery bill going to oreos.  Then M said, "I don't want to live in a world where, as a grown-up, I can't buy as many oreos as I want." Agreed.

For J's family birthday dinner-party I made an oreo cake...

Oreo Cake: the busy mom way (adapted from Apartment Therapy)

Ingredients

1. Dark chocolate moist cake mix & ingredients asked for

2. 1 package double-stuffed oreos

3. 1 large can vanilla frosting

Directions

1. Crush 1 "sleeve" of oreos coarsely (it's not an exact science), and toss in a small amount of flour

2. Mix cake box according to directions. Once mixed, stir in the oreos tossed in flour

3. Bake cake in two 9" round pans the way it tells you to on the box

4. After cakes have been cooled on a wire rack, carefully cut off the top of one of them (this is your "bottom" layer, so it is flat)

5. Ice the top of the bottom layer, top with MORE crushed oreos. Put the top on, ice the top, and then just pile on the rest of the crushed oreos. 

For J's school birthday party I made a cupcake version. Beantown Baker was my inspiration, I just made 100 shortcuts. These are for toddlers after all.  Toddlers eat fruit snacks from under the couch cushions. At least mine does.  Regardless, they were delicious and way good enough for those of us following the 5 second rule.

Oreo Cupcakes (adapted from Beantown Baker)

1. Same ingredients as above cake-- (correction: I actually used a vanilla cake mix on the cupcakes- either one is yummy.)

2. Before spooning batter into cupcake liners, twist one oreo apart, and put it in the bottom of the cupcake liner- frosting side up

3. Fill up with batter, cook cupcakes according to box

4. Ice with vanilla frosting, top with half of an oreo and crushed oreo pieces

Wal-Mart did NOT have Toy Story cupcake toppers (what the hay, Wally?), so I took 2 stickers and attached them to toothpicks. I gave J's cupcake Buzz AND Woody. I hope he noticed.

Sometime soon I'll post the ziti recipe from the birthday party, and the strawberry cupcakes from Bean's baptism. I think we have FINALLY rid our house of the ridiculous amount of sweets. It was my pleasure.

Maybe to even the scales, we started feeding AP fruit and veggies.  She took to it really quickly, probably because she watches brother dip things in sour cream on a daily basis.

These two. just. don't. stop. I love it.

It looks like she's about to take a swipe at him, but Beaners has actually started waving. Several witnesses at this point. And she contorts her body to be near J all the time.

These pictures below may not be a great pictures, but they're an accurate portrayal of our evenings.

The plan is to be back soon with "One Word Wednesday" and some SIX MONTH pictures of the Bean Burrito.

My Auntie Kay's Dress

AP had the privilege of being baptized in my Auntie Kay's dress (born in 1938). 

My parents gave me Kay as a middle name.  Little Bean also has the honor of being named after her Aunt.

Auntie Kay (10 years old) & my Dad, Jay (4 years old)

My Auntie Kay was a wonderful person.  Kind, smart and talented. When I was in high school we lost her to cancer, our whole family was heartbroken.

Auntie Kay and Uncle Dean had an exciting life with their children, my cousins, Paul and Beth.  They lived in Hawaii, Kenya, Philippines and Costa Rica.  

They were settled in Miami when my family moved back to the States from Australia. I have fond memories of visiting them in Miami during summers and the holidays. We also took several extended family vacations together.  My family is very spread out geographically, so we all cherished these times.

After my Grandmother (Georgia May, born 1907) passed away, my parents found this little dress in her things.  I love that it was my Auntie Kay's dress, and I love that this particular dress was special enough to my Grandma to keep all those years. 

It's a strange and beautiful thing to grow up and learn about family in a new context. As a child I saw them as my Aunt and Grandma. Now I see them as mother and daughter.

It was such a blessing to have the past generations of women in my family represented at AP's baptism. 

Such a pretty little dress.

I think my Auntie Kay would say our little Bean did it justice.

AP's Baptism

"I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." Genesis 17:7

This past Sunday our little Bean was baptized.

(Judging from the above photo, it may have also been the worst day of J's life.)

Oh wait, here's a smile... but, AP isn't looking. I think this is going to be standard for family pictures for a while.

We were so blessed to have our family there, although we missed those unable to come.  Thank you for your support and for celebrating with us.

The little Bean looked so beautiful.  (More on her dress tomorrow.)

NINJA!

I know that many of you are unfamiliar with the concept of infant baptism.

We in no way believe that this is a condition to salvation, rather we believe it is a blessing and a sign of God's covenants with us and grace poured out on us.

A sacrament that will one day help explain to AP that God knew and loved her from the beginning.  That she has the promise of salvation through grace by believing in Jesus Christ, and that promise was sealed at her baptism.

As parents, we pray towards the day that she can profess faith, because we have faith in Christ's work.

Will, our pastor, reminded us that we are no more capable of salvation than an infant.  We all look to Christ "with humble reliance" to fulfill His work of grace in our hearts.

What a comfort to us as parents (as people). 

Yes, J is holding a pen and bulletin. Trust me, we weren't making it without them

"But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:4-7

We thank God for our precious children, may they always know Him.

(You can read about J's baptism here.)

Special thank you to my Dad and Whitney for taking pictures (although, I'm not used to BEING in so many pictures)! Whitney is extremely talented- check out her videography website here.

One Word Wednesday: Saturday