Time for the big boy pants...

I had two thoughts for a title for this post... the one you see above, or: We might just be crazy. On the spur of the moment today, we decided to start potty training Henry. With a six-week old infant. Yikes.

I always thought that we'd potty train him closer to age 3. Basically, out of laziness on my part... I figured it made sense to do it when they're older and ready, rather than dragging out the process. If it meant that we had two in diapers for a while, so be it.

But Henry recently was moved up to the "Toddler 2" room at daycare, which means they have a tiny-sized bathroom in the room, complete with teeny-tiny toilet and sink. It's actually pretty cute! He's still in diapers, of course, at daycare but everyday they let him sit on the potty, and he's been pretty receptive to it. They can only flush the potty if they actually go... which is a pretty big incentive for an almost 2-year old!

So between the new potty at day care, and the fact that Henry has been showing interest in the potty at home a few times this week, I went out and got a little potty seat and Thomas under-roos today. As expected, he went ga-ga over the Thomas-roos... the pic above is him wearing them while watching Thomas. He could NOT wait to put them on. And I gotta say, it's super cute. Who knew that seeing him in big-boy undies could make me feel a bit sad... he's turning into such a big boy.

We put him on the potty multiple times this afternoon and tonight and he was really into it... almost too into it, since he would go just a bit and then two seconds again he wanted to get back on and go again. But, I suppose that's a good problem to have! We had a few accidents, but overall, we were really amazed by how interested he was in it.

We'll see how it goes in the coming days and if his enthusiasm keeps up. But it seems like we're on the road to potty training!

Welcome, Fall!

Well, I guess it's officially been fall for a few days now, but it finally really feels like it. I love this time of year. I know I'll be sick of the cold weather come January 1st, but fall in Minnesota is so beautiful that it's hard not to love it.

Fall always makes me want to cook comfort foods, and I pulled out the crock-pot yesterday to make some chili. Yum! I was on a cooking kick, so I also made some banana flax seed muffins. Well, the recipe was a flop. Either I did something wrong or I baked them too long, but they were kind of rubbery. Even Henry agreed. When you're worried about your toddler choking on a rubbery muffin, as I did this morning - that's when you know it's time to throw them out!

I do love cooking with flax seed and have a sure-fire winner recipe for flax muffins that I'll post below. I've made them many times - and while they're a bit labor intensive - they're so good and good for you. I buy the flax seeds whole and grind them in the food processor before I use them (you lose the health benefits if you eat them whole). Enjoy!

Apple-Carrot Flax Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup ground flax seed
3/4 cup oat bran
1 cup brown sugar (I usually add a little less than this, they're still nice and sweet)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup skim milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I usually add 1 tbsp. and they still turn out fine)
2 cups shredded carrots
2 apples, peeled, shredded
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup chopped mixed nuts (I don't usually add these)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, flax seed, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the milk, eggs, vanilla and oil; mix until just blended. Stir in the carrots, apples, raisins and nuts. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.
Bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Mmmm... Apple Crisp!

Whew - what a busy weekend! My friend Katie and her 7-month-old son Steven came to visit from South Dakota. It was lots of fun - and a very crazy household with three kids and a yapping dog running around! (Well, Teddy just lays there and Steven only crawls.. but you know what I mean!) Seriously, Steven is just adorable and so full of energy. Like I told Katie, the one word I would use to describe him is delightful!

So, we had some friends over on Friday night for drinks and appetizers. We sat outside to enjoy the great weather, although the bugs were terrible. Still, it was nice considering that was probably the last warm stretch we'll get for months and months.

We had a bunch of apples at our house, so I decided to make apple crisp for Friday night. I found a "healthier" recipe from Cooking Light, which was just delish. My friend Julie requested it, so I thought I'd post it in our blog if anyone else wanted to give it a try.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup regular oats

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons chopped pecans

7 cups sliced peeled apples (about 3 pounds)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, oats, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans. Combine apple and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Spoon apple mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish or 1 1/2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Thomas Mania Strikes!

Move over WonderPets, Henry is now officially obsessed with Thomas the Train. This development happened pretty quickly... in the past 2-3 weeks he went from knowing nothing about the "Really Useful Engine" to a 24/7 obsession that leads him to shout "Thomas! Gordon! Percy! Toppem Hat! ALL ABOOOOARD!" at the top of his lungs at all hours of the day. It's pretty amazing how he can pick out all the characters just by sight. Maybe it's a girl thing, but they all look the same to me!

In short, the kids looooves Thomas, as you can see from the Thomas paraphernalia we have at home. We have a cute little train set that my mom picked up at a garage sale, along with some Thomas books and a Thomas pillow that Henry sleeps with every night (thanks, Rena!). Even a singing Thomas toothbrush - which I have to admit, has made brushing his teeth much easier!

So, hoping to get Henry his Thomas fix, I took the boys to the Barnes and Noble at Eden Prairie Center yesterday, since they have a Thomas the Train table that I thought Henry would like to play with. Well, he loved it... and I was thankful to sit in a chair and rest for a while as Teddy slept in the stroller.

Henry played and was in Thomas heaven. The table has everything - lots of train bridges, a roundhouse and other fun things - which for the posted bargain price of $800 for the whole set, I guess it should! However, after about 45 minutes, we had a few other errands to run and had to pack up and leave. As you can guess, that didn't go over very well with Henry! He started crying immediately and scooped up all the trains to take with him. After asking nicely, I had to pry them from his little fingers and explain that we would go home and play with his trains, but we couldn't take these with us. Well, he wasn't having it. So I had to pick him up and carry him out, all the while he was shouting "Thomas, Edward, Bertie!!" throughout the store. Thankfully, the tantrum stopped pretty quickly and we were able to do our errands without any more tears.

Honestly, I felt bad to tear him away from his beloved trains, but it was kind of humorous - I just wonder what everyone else in the store thought was going on! We must have been a sight to see. I guess if they have little boys that love trains, they hopefully understand!

A House Divided

With a little more than a month to the presidential election, we're often talking politics in the Lechner household. Which has gotten a bit more interesting this political season, since I - gasp! - definitely have more of a liberal leaning this time around. It makes for some interesting conversations between Matt and myself... which I'm sure will continue over the coming weeks. Hmm... wondering if I should get an "Obama Mama" shirt? I guess we'll see..

Our little family of four...

Hi everyone... this is Becky, checking into the blog.

I'm a bit late to the blog-scene, but have been reading a few other "mommy" blogs for the past few months and have gotten sucked in. I figured - with the addition of little Teddy to our family - now would be a great time to update our own blog with new pics of Henry and Teddy, so friends and family can check in from time to time. I'm hoping to do this on a somewhat regular basis, although I guess we'll see how it goes! Although, I can promise you, I won't be blogging about sports, like my hubs does. :)

When Teddy turned 2 weeks old, we had a professional photographer come out to our house for some family pictures. I figured it would be easier to have someone come to us - rather than pack up the kids and go to a studio. I think it was easier on us... but I'm not sure about the photographer! Henry was a bit, um... rambunctious that day, although Wendy with Swaddlebee Photography still managed to get some great shots. I think photographing a toddler must be one of the most difficult jobs out there!

Here are a few sample pics. As you can see, Henry was excited to hold Teddy for the first time (under a lot of supervision!). When he wants to hold Teddy, he says, "Take it". As in, I'll take the baby. Pretty cute, but we mostly keep the brotherly love to kisses on the head. :) Both boys are such cuties, although I guess I'm a bit biased! We'll be sending out birth announcements soon and I'm so excited to use these pictures!

Greatest Single Day in Sports?

Question for you: Is the first day of the NCAA basketball tourney the greatest single sports day of the year?

You're darn right it is.

No other sporting event whips people into a frenzy more than the Big Dance. Some might argue the Super Bowl is greater. To that I would say you're wrong. First, you're not guaranteed a good game. Second, you don't always like the teams, sometimes there's even a touch of hatred. In the big dance only one team gets the gas face, say it with me, Duke! Lastly, too many people get hyped up for the commercials during the Super Bowl. Remember commercials? The things you fast-forward through with your DVR.

What about the final day at the Masters? Here's another question, what if Tiger Woods isn't in the hunt. The debate ends there.

World Cup final? If you're nodding your head yes in agreement, get out of my country.

NASCAR at Daytona? The kick-off to the NASCAR season is always a big deal. I do enjoy NASCAR, but the causal sports fan does not. Rubbing might be racing, but interest in racing ain't rubbing off on the woman in the cubicle next to your (unless you work in the South).

Baseball's Opening Day? Another great sports day. Perhaps #2 on this list. But what comes after opening day? 161 more games! Wake me up in October.

Hockey? Tennis? Ahhh, no!

Moving on.

The Olympics (Summer and Winter games)? This one got me thinking. The opening ceremony always makes me feel proud to be an American. The problem, no events take place on opening day. I would argue the Olympics are the greatest two+ weeks in sports.

The first day of the Big Dance usually brings with it unpredictability, camaraderie and a seemingly endless amount of hoops. It's not uncommon to hear bracket chit-chat at the office, at the local tavern and yes, even from your wife. The Big Dance brings the causal fan into the action, mostly because of the brackets, but regardless, they're there. And at what other time do you hear, now where's Siena? How about American? And Davidson is where? (if you notice, the answer will inevitably come back..."I think out East somewhere, or maybe in Indiana.")

And I'll leave you will this thought, the best part of the opening day of the NCAA Tourney, the next day is the exactly the same. And the basketball doesn't stop until Sunday night. Then guess what, it starts up again the next Thursday.

I gots myself a basketball jones.