Lukisms

"I like birthday parties, Christmas and Easter more than anything" - Lucas

St. Patty's Day Eve

I decided to host a St. Patty's Day dinner. I didn't seem to have all my marbles together when planning and thought it was today, Wednesday, a day early. So for the record is was a St. Patty's Day Eve dinner.

Menu

Kirstie Alley's Green Soup

Green Salad

Shepherd's Pie (very Irish)

Green Jello with Green Sprinkles

 :)

Grammy is serving the restless children their green Jello

The Estrada ladies

My lovely girl 

My darling son 

(who nose got mangled in a skateboarding accident)

The Willsie bear. Who just had sweet potatoes for the first time

Jess and her new man Bill. We like Bill. I also just like saying "Bill".

 It's so soothly and easy to say. Why? I am not sure.

Bill Bill Bill

My Vi girl showing off the jello pre serving.

Might I just add that it had been way too long since having jello. While kinda low class it was so surprisingly yummy. This does not say good things about me, I am sure.

It's never a party without the silly

Tres loco sisters

This would be the ideal blackmail shot if only I wasn't in it. Hmmm

Regardless, we're just keeping it real.

I love my sister mucho. She made the yummiest shepherd's pie

greetings from the floor

 Every time I leave the room upon entering again this is what greets me.

This was not the case with your brother & sisters, they would cry when I left & frantically wave their hands when I returned

And if you're facing the other way when I come back, you still smile

I love this shot, I think you're saying

"awww shucks mom"

I want to smooch that face off!!!!

Catching up with his buds

From left to right we have Wills and I, 

Johanna (Guerin) Petersen and Jack, Lauren (Kutner) Dohring and Owen.

Whenever Johanna is in town from Salt Lake we try to all get together with the babies. I have known Johanna since we were 4 years old. I know that say that every time I post about her but, it's worth posting....over and over.

Lauren and I have been friends since high school. I LOVE that we all have baby boys.

 Wills, Jack, Owen.

Jack is wondering why on earth these babies can't sit up and why on earth they keep playing with his shoes. 

This was Jack's first birthday. We love you Jack. 

Awwww, Wills and Owen. Buds for life (or so Lauren and I hope)

irresistibly cute

We love to visit Descanso Gardens - a beautiful, huge botanical garden in a nice neighborhood nearby. When the kids were younger we were there at least twice a month. It's the perfect place to explore, tromp around in the woods, get wet in the ponds, feed the fish, but still have bathrooms close by :) A mothers dream. 

It's been a while since we visited and as Charlotte pointed out this trip was William's first (she's good like that). As we were walking around William fell asleep and Charlotte decorated him with some fallen camellias she found. 

Irresistible

Descanso

Here's a few pics from Will's first trip to Descanso

I love my men

 Luke, you are an AMAZING brother. You love to hold William, help him walk, and play with him. He is lucky to have you.

 Will, you are discovering grass here, and you don't seem so sure about it.

 Typical....Char making a silly face, Luke moving to put bunny ears on John and John kissing his baby girl.

 See Luke's fingers? And that smile? 

The dude has plans for mischief. Bunny ear mischief.

Thanks for taking this picture Luke. Your dad and I stood in this garden 81/2 years ago taking pictures for our first Christmas card together as a couple. Awwwww :)

Are you telling the truth?

For a bit now most of my questions proceed with the follow up question: "Are you telling the truth?"

It might go something like this:

Allie: "Charlotte, did you put away your clothes?"

Charlotte: (pause) "Yeeesss"

Allie: "Hmm, are you telling the truth?"

Charlotte: (pause) "Noooo" (sheepish grin)

Or...

Allie: "Lucas did you make your bed?"

Lucas: "Ummm, ya?"

Allie: "Dude, are you telling the truth?"

Lucas: (scampers off to actually make it)

I sincerely wish I didn't have to utter those words.

I sincerely wish you won't have to utter those words to your children...

although chances are you will.

I am sincerely thankful I never have to utter those words to your daddy. 

He's one good man.

Photo taken by Lucas

My love

Hello handsomest boy in town.

You put the fever in baby fever little one. I have had it said to me more than once that being around you in dangerous you are that cute. Always full of smiles and yumminess. You are about 5 months old in this pictures.

If you could talk in this picture you would say "Hug me! I learned to roll over"
This was February 25th.

So handsome boy I want to say I love you. Every inch of your cute baby fat. I want to kiss you all day long and burying my face in that spot in the side of your neck, the super cute one. I can't get enough of you. So please, please get over this fussy teething stage you just entered quickly. It's making this super rough. Oh and while we're at it, please PLEASE start sleeping through the night. That would be lovely.

snow

Yes, we were FREAKING OUT because it was snowing at our house a few weekends ago. Four minutes of snow that is :)

You my lovey bear, were totally loving it. Screaming at me to take pictures and videos.

Luke, I had to send you back inside for shoes. We just were not prepared for this!

It melted about 7 minutes later but that's just not the point. Snow in southern California is a miracle any way you look at it. :)

Bumps, noggins & vampires

Skateboarding is all the rage these days. And because I am mui paranoid about breakage of your beautiful bones I demand padding. Lots of padding. Actually I only care about the noggin and the wrists but the package came with everything. And as with anything new you guys want to wear it all...

including at dinner...

and Char you tried to wear it to bed too.

And Willsie - oh Willsie, your vampire pacifier is soooo cute. Thanks to Francesca for that hilarious thing.

Marrying Green Soup

Dear Green Soup,


I want to marry you. I have never wanted to marry a food quite like you. The taste is the same hot or cold, fresh or old, you are lovely every single way. As a soup, as a sauce over rice, mixed with scrambled eggs. How you taste so creamy without any dairy is beyond me. I am deeply indebted to Kirstie Alley for creating you. It's no wonder her weight loss company Organic Liaison is so successful.

Kirstie Alley's Green Soup:

8 Shallots
2 bunches asparagus
2 bunches spinach
3 heads broccoli
4 cartons chicken broth
8 leeks (white part only)
salt & pepper
olive oil


Chop all veges except asparagus and set aside.
In a big pot put 1/3 cup olive oil (I use about 1/2 butter 1/2 olive oil). Add shallots and sweat them until they are clear (at this point I also add 3-5 cloves minced garlic). 
Add leeks & sweat until clear. 
Add asparagus and broccoli. 
Add tbsp salt (to taste). 
Add 1 carton chicken broth (32 oz). Simmer for 5 minutes. 
Add 3 more cartons chicken broth. 
Add 3/4 tbsp pepper (to taste). 
Cover and bring to a boil. 
Take off flame and add spinach. 
Let sit for a bit (this is when I clean up the kitchen :) 
Puree with an immersion blender if you have it or in batches in your blender. 
Return to pot and bring to boil again.


A bit labor intensive? Yes. Cost using organic products? about $42. However this makes two LARGE pots so is worth about 4-5 dinners for our family. Plus the amount of veges you get in one serving is astronomical and it tastes like candy. Not even joking. If a vege soup could taste like candy - this would be it.

Teeth & Love

My dear baby. You got your first set of teeth today!!! While other babies get one at a time, you get two. ;) Always doing something special little Mr.

There is just a whole lotta love coming from me to you. 

 Aunty's thinking the same thing. She says you are her baby.

 It just couldn't get cuter. You are just the happiest little man. And you thought the weird sounds I was making were hysterical.

You were talking and caressing cousin Isa. She is a lovely girl.

This is just pictorial proof, just in case you ever doubt it, like in those teenage years when you feel like no one understands or gets you......we do. And we love every inch of ya.