Our Fun Family

Today was our second class at Young Chefs Academy in Round Rock. Grace was very excited to be going back this morning. We have talked a lot about our class over the last couple of weeks. Grace already has plenty of enthusiasm for spending time in a kitchen, which is something we have been instilling in her at home for some time now. This week, even though this was just our second time in our class, it was a joy to see her confidence grow. When we walked in the door, Grace was still a bit timid, clinging to my leg. She was happy to be there, but she just still needed a few minutes to warm up. By the time Miss Lesley Ann got us into the kitchen, and I got Grace's jacket off, she was already starting to warm up. This was familiar now. Miss Lesley Ann helped her get her apron on, and then it was off to wash our hands. Unlike last week though, I didn't have to take her. She had confidence in where she was, and what the routine was. Miss Lesley Ann was no longer a stranger and the on...

Grace is Granddad's girl when he is not at work. Given a choice, she would rather be with Granddad than just about anyone, especially if he is going to be outside! With the warm temperatures in Texas this week (it is supposed to be about 75 degrees today), it is a good time to be working in the yard. Granddad built a raised bed this winter and now it is time to get the bed ready for planting. There is something truly special about watching a toddler as they explore their new world. Today, she may just be playing in the dirt, but as the year progresses, she is going to get to see the planting of seeds and bulbs, followed by the sprouting of new plants and hopefully, the harvest of fresh veggies and herbs! Best of all, she will be able to share all of this with her Granddad. That is something absolutely priceless. I can think back to my childhood, spending weekends and summers with Pa, there were a lot of weekends that we worked really, really hard. Whether it was planting seedling...

For months Brenda has been on the email distribution list for the Young Chef's Academy here in Round Rock. The YCA is a fun learning center for kiddos, helping kids get comfortable in the kitchen, and finding the joy of cooking. They have group classes for 3 years old and older. What a great way for kids to learn and develop skills and creativity that they can use in a practical way for their entire life. We have been anxiously waiting for Grace to turn 3 so that we could see if Grace was truly interested in cooking. Grace has been "helping" me in the kitchen since long before she walk or talk, but we weren't entirely convinced that she was interested in cooking or just interested in playing with Daddy. It is probably a good mix of both. In a recent email from the Young Chef's Academy, they announced that they were going to offer a Big Chef/Little Chef class designed for kids from 2-5 years old and a parent. I hope that this class is successful, because Gr...

Ask Brenda, I am on a terror in this house. Its been slowly driving me insane, general clutter and unfinished projects sitting EVERYWHERE!! Our poor office, well... it was supposed to be an office when we moved into the house. What it really has functioned as is a catch-all. We never even wanted the door open to that room. We just closed the door, trying to forget that it was even there. That room was the final resting place for many, many projects. That's where anything that was broken, incomplete or out of season went to die. With the news of Hailey Michelle Cornish's impending arrival, our guest room needs to become a nursery. Our office needs to become an office/guest room. There is no way we could hope to have that room perform 2 functions when it was unsuitable in its current single function. Two days, several storage bins and a couple trash bags later, it is a nice, clean and functional space! There is even room for a bed and perhaps a writing desk that cur...