Rrrraarrrr!

I am so tough, I eat raw elephant for breakfast!

Visual Development

When I found out Ian can now see color, I became concerned that his world was too bland. (He doesn't have any brightly colored toys yet). So I made this poster for him out of construction paper. The first time I set him in front of it, he quietly gazed at it for more than 40 minutes. Whenever he gets bored with it, I only have to turn it clock-wise to gain a few more minutes attention.

Rise and Shout Little Cougar!

Lately, Ian seems to think that when I am changing his clothes, I am actually playing a game with him. When I pull his arms out of his sleeves, he hunches his shoulders and laughs histerically. He then makes a fist and sucks on the cuff.

I like to pretend the bears on his jammies are actually Cosmo, the BYU Cougar mascot.

Scott and I sing the Cougar Fight Song to Ian A LOT. Ian loves to do "Ra, Ra, RA RA RA! Gooooooo Cougars!" And we sing it to him so much that I end up with the song running through my head most days. In fact, last night I dreamed I was at a sporting event, the US flag was raised, and we all placed our hands over our hearts and sang the Cougar Fight Song. A little irreverent, huh?

Ian is such a happy little guy from the moment he wakes up. And thanks to baby sleep expert Dr. Weissbluth, I am usually happy when Ian wakes up too. He is sleeping much more these days, and true to the book is much more "charming, social, and attentive to the world around him."

Focaccia Recipe

This recipe came in a newsletter for new moms when Ian was only a few days old. I remember tucking it away in my recipe box, and wondering if I would ever again have time to take a shower, let alone prepare a meal. Thankfully I think I am starting to get the hang of this mom thing.

Bread Ingredients:
1 can refrigerated pizza dough *
2 cloves minced garlic
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp dried tarragon leaves *

* I made dough in the bread-maker, and I used a few teaspoons of dried rosemary instead of tarragon. (What on earth is tarragon? Since Wal-mart didn't carry it, I assume it doesn't really exist.)

Bread Preparation:
Roll dough into a circle and place on greased cookie sheet.
Mix garlic, olive oil and rosemary, and brush 1/2 the mixture onto the bread dough.
Cut the dough into quarters (making one horizontal cut and one vertical cut.)
Fold each quarter over, making a triangle out of each piece.
Brush remaining olive oil mixture over the tops.
Bake at 350 degrees fir 15-20 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Chicken Salad Ingredients:
1 Avocado, peeled and sliced
Shredded Chicken (I boiled 3 chicken breasts, and shredded with a fork. The recipes actually calls for a drained 12 oz. can of dark and white meat chicken.)
2 Celery stalks, chopped into small bits
Red wine vinegar
Mayonnaise
2 Green onion stalks

(I think sliced grapes or chopped almonds would be fun to add sometime.)

Chicken Salad Preparation:
Mix chicken, celery and green onions with desired amount of mayonnaise. (The recipe calls for 1/3 cup, but I bet I used more than that.) Add a few dashes of Red Wine vinegar to a create a subtle flavor. (Probably just about 2 teaspoons.) Let refrigerate while focaccia is baking. (Even more flavorful and delicious the second day.)

Sandwich:
Peel open baked focaccia and add sliced avocado and desired amount of chicken salad. (I think a minimal amount is best, so the focaccia's flavor can come through.)