Autumn’s First Bath

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

Baby’s first bath is always a fun occasion, at least for the adults. Of course grandma had to be there, camera in hand, for the occasion.

We had a baby bathtub, but it looked more suitable for an older baby so we elected to just use the bathroom sink.

Water is pleasantly warm, and we are ready
Warm water on the head is fine
Shampoo seems OK too
How nice there is a sprayer in the sink for rinsing
Yeah, head washed, time to dry the hair.
Now, time to wash the rest of the baby
This seems to be fine too
Clean baby!
Now she decided she has something to say about the bath, or is she protesting the end of the bath?
All right, I think I’m fine after all
When is the next snack?

Bath time went great! After a couple more baths, mom and dad are going to be pros.

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More Seattle Area Scenery

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

As usual, I carry my camera with me all the time because you just never know when you will see something interesting. The Seattle area is very beautiful and different from what I have become used to in Panama, so I’ve enjoyed taking photos here.

Because of the time difference I still tend to wake up early some mornings.

A pretty sunrise
This seems to be very common in the morning.
One morning everything was covered with water droplets
More water droplets on trees
Another pretty early morning sky

Mornings are cold and frosty, and usually the frost persists all day in shady spots.

frost on the leaves
the street is also frosty
more frost covered leaves
But, there are also beautiful fall colors in the sunshine

We went shopping on Black Friday! We only needed a few things for the baby so we went to Target, and then walked in the attached mall for a while. Everything was surprisingly chill and peaceful. It was afternoon so we were probably too late for the crowds.

The mall was pleasant and relaxed with no crazy or frantic shoppers.
There was frost in the mall parking lot too

On the way home we did a few errands, including a stop at the car wash. I know this is an ordinary activity but I thought the drive through car wash was a lot of fun.

I had been thinking about going biking with my son in law, but the previous day was so breezy and chilly that I changed my mind. This day was better, still chilly but without wind so we set off. I was bundled up in a thermal undershirt, over shirt, heavy sweat shirt, hat, gloves, hiking boots, etc but it was still plenty cold. It was really fun to be back on a bike though (but I have definitely gotten out of shape in the last month, so I have my work ahead of me when I get home!)

My kind and patient son in law and I set off down the roads and bike paths until we arrived at a very pretty park.
The park is by a beautiful late
Timberlake Park on Lake Sammamish
More pretty lake views
As we were leaving the sun was starting to set. and the sky and water were taking on a beautiful pink hue

There is a rose bush in the yard that has a beautiful bud in spite of the chilly temperatures

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Yesterday I thought about going biking but it was really cold again. We ended up going to Aubrey Davis Park on Mercer Island for a nice walk. It was chilly but there was lots of sun which helped, and it’s a really pretty area to visit.

There were pretty fall colors here too
There were also lots of open green spaces for people to play
There are pretty views of Seattle in the distance
Another pretty view of Seattle

We have mainly been hanging out with baby. She is now 16 days old and doing really well. We have also been getting out and about a bit more for errands and exercise which has been going very well. The baby tends to sleep the whole time. At home too, she rarely fusses. Sometimes she wants to stay up late but once she goes to bed she tends to sleep well, only waking up for eating and changing and then going back to sleep. Now that her parents have gotten some rest and settled into more of a routine, I think they believe that they are going to survive parenthood after all!

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Thanksgiving Nut Loaf

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

This would be a good vegetarian main dish for any occasion. It’s a bit of work to make but I think worth the effort. I found this recipe on the Martha Stewart site.

1115nutloaf

Put a cup of brown rice on to cook.

Then, roast 1 1/2 cups of walnuts and 1/2 cup of cashews on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes. Then these get chopped either by hand or in a food processor.

(The directions call for dried porcini mushrooms but we couldn’t find any. If you have them they need to be soaked. We used fresh shiitake and regular mushrooms and it seemed to come out just fine. A cup of chopped regular mushrooms would probably be OK too )

Saute a finely chopped yellow onion and two garlic cloves in butter. When they are translucent, add the chopped mushrooms and saute until cooked.

Mix the sauteed veggies, the rice, the chopped nuts, 12 ounces of gruyere cheese, grated (I think swiss would work as well if this isn’t available), 8 oz cottage cheese, 4 eggs, and the seasonings which are the following herbs, chopped – 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, 1 tbsp marjoram, 2 tsp thyme, 1 tsp sage, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 fresh ground pepper. I think dried herbs would also work and keep costs down a lot, but we sprung for the fresh ones.

Put all this in a large, buttered loaf pan and bake for an hour at 350. Let stand 20 minutes before serving. The recipe calls for lining a buttered pan with parchment paper and buttering again which we didn’t do because we didn’t have parchment paper. The outside got dark and crusty which wasn’t bad but it might cook more evenly with the paper, and would be easier to get out of the pan if you want to serve an intact loaf.

This was a flavorful and satisfying loaf. The nuts gave it enough crunch to make it interesting, and the cheese and eggs helped hold it all together. I would definitely make this again.

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Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

We made a new recipe for sweet potatoes and I really liked. Who would have thought that roasted grapes and feta cheese would work so well!

1115sweetPotatoes

I found this recipe on How Sweet It Is and it’s not that difficult to make. Start by baking four sweet potatoes until done.

Roast two cups of grapes by putting them on a baking sheet, drizzling on a bit of oil, some salt and pepper. and toss to coat. Roast at 450 for 20-25 minutes until they start to burst. They come out as warm, soft, sweet cooked fruit that is very good. They could be eaten just like this or added to a number of other recipes.

But, back to this recipe. Scoop out the cooked potato (this recipe calls for putting it back in the skin later, but it could also just be put in a casserole dish). Mix in 3 oz of feta cheese, a couple tablespoons of honey, a pinch (or more) of cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Check seasonings and adjust as needed. Put the potato back in the skins (or in a casserole dish), top with another ounce of feta cheese, the grapes, and a drizzle of honey. Return to the oven for a little while if it needs to be rewarmed, and serve.

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Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, a day for family, food, and giving thanks. Goodness knows I have so much to be thankful for that I could write a book. I am here with family so it was a wonderful day. We made some really good food too, including a couple new recipes that are worth sharing. This is a vegetarian house so dinner may be a bit different, but no less yummy.

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From the top, fresh fruit salad (apples, pears, mandarin oranges, and grapes), rolls, then on the left, nut loaf, and sweet potatoes. Then, below that, green been casserole, mixed roasted vegetables, and stuffing.

The green bean casserole was the traditional mushroom soup recipe but made with fresh green beans which I thought was especially good. I must share the recipes for the sweet potatoes and nut loaf in other posts, because I thought they came out really well.

Mixed roasted vegetables was carrots, potatoes, green beans, zucchini, celery, mushrooms, garlic cloves, and onions with olive oil, salt, and fresh herbs. The stuffing was pork flavor Stove Top, the only flavor we saw in the supermarket that didn’t have a meat product listed on the ingredients. (pork with no pork broth or meat product?) The glasses have pink champagne for that extra festive touch.

Dinner prep – the kitchen looks remarkably organized thanks to my daughter who washed up all the prep dishes and cleaned up.
Dad was enlisted to take care of the baby, tough duty, as you can see.
The table is almost ready!

We had a good time putting this all together with some favorites, some remembered dishes, and some internet research. And, there are enough leftovers to enjoy for a few more meals.

Panamanians generally don’t celebrate Thanksgiving since it’s mainly a USA holiday (thought they are quite aware of it). I hadn’t even thought about Thanksgiving happening during my time in the USA but I’m glad it worked out. We had a really nice time.

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Seattle Area Scenery

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

This is a very pretty area and there are some spots of beautiful fall color. We have been out walking in the afternoon a few times which is a good opportunity for some pretty photographs.

Baby’s first walk around the neighborhood.
Baby doesn’t seem to excited about it all and slept through the whole walk.
These pine cones remind me of bee nests we see in Panama

A foggy morning made for some pretty scenery.

It was a chilly, gray morning and maybe the neighbors had a fire in the fireplace.
The sun tries to shine through the fog.
I saw a flock of migrating birds, something I haven’t seen for ages.

Then it cleared which made for more pretty scenery and lovely skies.

This plane pulling an advertising banner circled the neighborhood all day.

It’s chilly here at this time of year. Some days are rainy, but on a pretty, sunny day it can be quite pleasant in the afternoon. There has been frost the last few mornings though, so I don’t think I’ll be going out at sunup.

brrrrr
pretty, but chilly morning
frost on the plants
frost on the deck
frost on the ground
the neighbors trees covered with plants and moss, seen through the chilly morning fog
more frost on the ground
the sun comes up, the frost melts and the fog clears, and the leaves look pretty through the back window

 

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Lets Make New Recipes!

Posted on November 21, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

I’m in the US with my daughter and husband and their brand new baby. I could post dozens of baby photos every day but tempting as that is,  I’ll try and mix it up a bit. My other main activities here are enjoying the scenery and fall colors, and helping out with meals. We definitely eat well in Panama but here I have access to some different things, and this is a vegetarian household so I get to experiment with different ideas.

Today I made open face sandwiches for and was very happy with how they turned out.

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To make sandwiches for three or four people you will need –

  • Bread – sandwich rolls sliced lengthwise, or some nice hearty loaf sliced up, something that will toast up nicely with crunchy edges
  • mayonnaise to spread on the bread
  • 1/2 pound of feta cheese, crumbled
  • a thinly sliced tomato, or two if they are small
  • a few tablespoons of seasoned bread crumbs (optional)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 pound of mozzarella cheese, grated
  • lemon juice (from about 1/2 a lemon)
  • vegetables – I used a garlic clove, 1/4 red onion, 1/2 green pepper, a couple mushrooms, a zucchini, half a yellow squash, and a big handful of spinach

Turn the oven on to broil

Slice the vegetables thinly and saute in a bit of oil, starting with the garlic, onions, peppers, and mushrooms. When they are starting to look cooked, add the squash. When the squash is almost done add the spinach and saute until wilted. The idea is to get all the veggies to about the same level of lightly cooked at the same time.

While the veggies are cooking spread the mayo on the bread, and then sprinkle on the feta cheese. Toast in the broiler until the cheese is starting to melt and the edges of the bread are toasted. Remove from oven.

Slice the tomato(s) thinly and grate the mozzarella cheese.

Put the veggie mixture on the bread. Arrange the tomato slices on top, sprinkle with seasoned bread crumbs and lemon juice. Top with grated mozzarella. Return to the broiler until the cheese is melted and if you prefer, lightly browned.

Remove from broiler and enjoy!

I could easily make these in Panama too. We would have to hunt a bit for mushrooms and we don’t have spinach but everything else is readily available in the supermarket or vegetable stand. And, you can make it with any veggies you prefer and I’m sure it would be great with any number of combinations.

Bien provecho!

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The Newest Baby!

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

It’s been a very exciting time in our family with my older daughter’s baby girl, Marian Grace arriving on October 21st, and my younger daughter’s little girl Autumn Marie, born on November 13th, just a bit over three weeks later. I have been with the newest baby and family since shortly after they came home, and of course pointing my camera at them when opportunities present themselves.

New baby girl!
New parents, still a bit exhausted after a sleepless night in the hospital.
Mom and baby
Sweet baby girl

It’s hard coming home with a new baby. They don’t let you sleep much in the hospital, and then you are home with a little newborn and an overwhelming job. I was glad I could get on a plane and get here quickly but in truth, they are doing fine. They mainly needed some sleep and reassurance that they were doing a good job.

After another night’s sleep, more or less, mom and dad are starting to feel somewhat human. Here they are with a baby and a fur baby.
I hold the baby sometimes too.
The other grandma loves the little feet.
Here’s a little hand for the other grandma.
Precious sweet little hands.
This baby has strong lungs and make a lot of noise when she is unhappy about something.
But, peace always returns quickly and she is back in mom’s arms again.
So sweet
and now, looking sweet in dad’s arms

Yesterday was baby’s first outing. She had her doctor checkup which she passed with flying colors, and then we went to the supermarket. It was feeding time at the doctor so after eating, the baby slept through the rest of the outing. Later in the day she spent awhile awake, alert, and calm and I had fun catching her various expressions with the camera.

Mom and baby
Dad and baby
Getting ready to go out
Hanging out, exhibiting cuteness above and beyond

Today, the baby is six days old. I can already see her changing. Mom and dad, of course, are feeling much better after getting some sleep between feeding and changing. There have been a couple nights when the baby didn’t want to settle down until very late but thankfully, mom and dad can sleep all morning if they need to. They are getting calmer and more confident by the day, and doing a great job. The baby is also settling into something of a routine at times. I also see her spending more time awake but calm and alert, and its so fun to see her just looking around, and exercising her hands and feet.

I’ll be here for a while more. They could manage just fine on their own but seem comforted that I am around, and it is a very special time for me so I’m very glad I can be here.

Meanwhile, my other daughter is spending her first week caring for the two kids with just herself and her husband, and they are doing very well. She was uneasy at first but I knew she would be fine, and indeed she is. All of these children are very lucky to have such good parents.

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The Children’s Museum

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

When I was in California, we went to the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County a couple times and had a great time. The place was overrun with adorable little kids having fun with the multitude of activities available. It’s a great option if you need something to do indoors, or want to arrange a play date.

Off we go to the museum!
The biggest attraction for Camden is the helicopter. It was an actual medical helicopter that is now retired and available for the kids at the museum.
I’m not sure what this yarn art is about but it’s colorful and pretty.
There is a vegetable garden on the left and place where kids can sort vegetables.
There is this pretty pond and lots of plants and flowers.
You can pretend you are a caterpillar that hatched from the egg and made your way down into the cocoons.
There is a nice picnic area outdoors too. Notice the pretty pillars along the walkway.
The most popular area though was the water play with various streams, tubs with activities, and water toys.
It was chilly and I wouldn’t want to play in water but the kids didn’t seem to mind at all.

Indoors is very pretty with colorful decorations and activities anywhere you look.

Look at all the colorful decorations, and the train tracks overhead. The black thing on the blue stand blows air and if you aim it right, you can balance a ball on the air stream.
More train tracks and activities, and a bench popular with grandparents.

I started by walking around downstairs looking at the various activities.

One of my favorite activities was right inside the entrance. You take one of the soft yard balls and put it in a tube entrance. It gets shot up the tube by air and pops out above to land on the floor at your feet. There are various valves where you can change what tube it goes to.
The model trains were very popular.
Camden, being a lover of trains, was of course very interested in this section.
There is a dentist office. Here a dad was helping his kid brush all those alligator teeth.
There is also a hospital room, complete with a baby incubator and baby doll.
There is also a bee room. The wooden structure in the middle is an actual working hive. There is a tube leading to the outdoors and you can watch the bees come in and out. There is also a magnifying glass to help you hunt for the queen but no one was able to spot her.
The tools and hardware section was also popular. ‘
The kitchen seemed to be almost as popular with the little boys as it was with the girls.

In the back, downstairs, is the toddlers area. Shoes are not allowed and there is a height requirement. It’s a good place for the little ones to play without worrying about being overrun by any bigger kids.

Outside the toddler area is a bench, a good place for a mom to hang out with a baby.
The toddler area is a lot of fun.
Camden is playing with his friend.
Camden makes a new friend
Whenever we feel busy we can think about this mom trying to get shoes back on four little ones with the help of another little girl.
Just outside the toddler area is the puppet theater

There is just as much fun stuff to do upstairs, so don’t miss it!

You can use this cool light pen to write on the wall!
One day there was story time in front of the cool light board.
There is something that looks like the sole of a flip flop. You use it to slap the pipes which make different notes so you can play tunes.
Use this gun thing to shoot bursts of air at the shimmering curtain out there.
This little guy was having a great time playing with the hardware on the board.
If you push the red button, the train whistle blows.
The train was also popular.
Here comes the train!!
I think he would have stood there all day pushing that train whistle.

We had a good time at the museum, and it was really fun to see all the kids enjoying themselves. One of the days was Veterans Day and school was out, so the museum was very well attended. There was a line out the door waiting to come in as we left. I’m glad Sonoma County has made this available to the community. It’s clearly being enjoyed by many.

I think I’m caught up on California news and pictures. My daughter and her husband are taking care of the kids on their own this week which I’m sure is challenging at times, but they are doing great and I have no doubt that they will be just fine.

Next up, news and pictures from Seattle and the newest baby!

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A Man with a Baby

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

A woman can’t help but get a warm feeling from seeing a man tenderly holding a baby. My husband and I were recently in California visiting my daughter and family and meeting their newest member, the little baby girl. Joel wanted a few pictures with her, so I have sorted through them and have a few ready to share.

She’s a beautiful little baby and we are so fortunate to have this new addition to our family.

I’ve been sorting through more photos of California, and taking more pictures of the newest baby in Seattle so stay tuned. More baby sweetness will be coming!

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