Our ritual

We have a Saturday ritual, which was officially created and instituted about two years ago by the one and only… Ethan. Every Saturday morning Ethan makes pancakes and smoothies with his Dad for the rest of us to enjoy. It has become a bonding time for the two of them, a needed rest for mom and a feast for Heidi, Gavin and the rest of us. Gavin equally enjoys syrup-less pancakes and the smoothie. Ethan usually comes to our room to get Dave ready to make pancakes and they both set out to work. As I lay in bed and my brain is coming and going from sleep to consciousness, I can hear the sounds of a very busy kitchen such as a loud blender making delicious smoothies, Ethan saying: “the batter is ready or make them bigger or I am turning it” and of course the microwave warming the sweet, thick, maple syrup that will make our feast complete. The unique and sweet aroma that emanates from these pancakes can fill the whole house. As I go down the stairs the scent becomes more and more appetizing. By the time I join the rest of the family. Heidi has picked up the newspaper from the driveway and is excitedly calling me to come down because pancakes are ready and the table is set and waiting. The tall pile of warm pancakes quickly disappears; Ethan can chow down four pancakes and literally licks the syrup (especially the buttermilk kind I occasionally make) off his plate! Indeed, Saturday is a special day is the day we get ready for our weekly ritual, YUUUUM!



Heidi is cooling her fingers after touching the gridle, ouch!

The runaway chicken

I imagine no chicken wants to be the main ingredient in a casserole dish and so, if alive, it must runaway from your grasp. However, the runaway chicken you will see below was not going to grace my dining table to feed the ferocious appetite of the members in this family. Nope, the runaway chicken was going to grace my living room to be admired by all who come, but alas this was not to be. Today Gavin is 11 months old and also today he displayed his strong will and his absolute determination to runaway and escape from the lens of my camera,while wearing a chicken costume. He would have nothing to do with a chicken’s head as a hat and would definitely not sit still to pose, instead he would take off the hat (I put it back on at least a dozen times) and would then runaway! So if you see the runaway chicken, take a picture for me!