Easy Potato Soup

This comes from an awesome cookbook, Betty Crocker's "4 Ingredient-Dinners" which my sister purchased for me one Christmas (I think I asked for "some kind of 'cooking for dummies' or 'super-easy cooking' book")  I have altered it slightly, but it is basically the same recipe.

It goes like this:

1 32-oz carton of chicken broth (Anne calls it 'chicken brock')
3 medium potatoes, washed and diced (no need to peel)
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Put chicken broth and potatoes in a large pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  (You can boil potatoes, right?  Not hard.) (As Rachael Ray says--the smaller you dice, the faster it cooks).

Over low heat, mash the potatoes slightly to create a rough texture.  Stir in the milk, then slowly add the cheese, stirring until it is all melted.  Add salt and pepper to taste; garnish with green onions if you are fancy.

Sam and I both thought this was very good and very easy to prepare.  The kids had more fun crushing saltines into their bowl than actually eating, but Sambo did get a few good bites in.  Anne, as always, had to be coerced into taking the mandatory 3 bites.  Girl loves to cook, hates to eat.  Go figure.

Forgotten Summer

Here are a couple shots from the summer. As I sit here writing this I'm thinking, "Did I post this already?" I am clearly losing my mind. In any case, enjoy my adorable children.

I will give $10 to the person who can definitively prove which parent this child looks like.Anne was actually successful in hiding from me one day. She climbed into the cabinet (where the CrockPot usually lives) and closed the door. It was hilarious! I could hear her but didn't see her and then she popped her head out at me. We both had a good laugh.

The First Day of School

Anne started her sure-to-be-stellar academic career today. She had her first day of preschool! I have been trying to be appropriately excited: happy for her, but aware that preschool is not that big of a deal :) She got up bright and early today and let me take some pictures before I headed off to school myself.

Here's her "Class of 2026" shirt. The idea is that she'll wear it for a photo each year on the first day of school so that you can see her growth over time.Sambo got into the school spirit a few days ago by wearing his own backpack
This morning he posed in his jammies. We say, "Show us your muscles" and he says, "My pipes!"
Anne was silly with her backpack
She was very excited to go to school
"Now one with funny faces" she said
I had to add this one...you can see how Sambo just does whatever she does!
I didn't get too many details from Anne about the day. By the time I got to her she had been grilled by Daddy, Oma, and Opa (though she didn't say much to any of them). I'm sure more information will emerge as the days progress.

The Family Expansion Continues

Here's the whole big bunch!

Erin and Todd; Mom and Dad; Will and Adrienne; Travis; the Westphalls

Yay!
(I obviously did not take this picture. Photo credit to the professional, of course. Kudos, also, to Adrienne's sister Christa, who was making my kids smile behind the camera)

Preschool Screening

Anne had her official school district preschool screening today. Daddy got to take her and observe the whole thing. Here are the highlights:

She is 41 inches tall and weighed 34.5 lbs.

Sam described her as a "steamroller" when she went into the classroom to play. She waltzed right up to a group of kids playing with the kitchen and said, "Oh, you can sit here and you can eat this. I will heat up your pancakes!" She's not shy....

She performed well on her physical tests; she struggled just a bit with balancing on one foot.

She surprised Sam by being able to complete analogies. One was "A bird flies, a fish _____" (the answer is "swims", obviously)

Anne told me her favorite things were: playing kitchen, playing with the babies, and building blocks. She also liked that Daddy put her in charge of the papers and that she got a name tag.

I have NO IDEA how these things are scored, but a minimum score of 15 is required to be "ready" for preschool. A score of 15-21 is considered normal for children ages 4-6. Our little monster scored a 22. Bam! Seriously, if she could write more than one letter she would be ready for kindergarten.

Sunday school starts this week and the first day of preschool is Monday. Time for our girl to get out in the world.

Shopping!

That is totally my likeness on this t-shirt....For Anne? Or perhaps a reason to have #3?
To buy, go here: http://www.buyolympia.com/q/Item=futurelibrarian

Wedding Fun

The long-awaited wedding was last Saturday. Uncle Will (my brother) married the beautiful Adrienne. The day was completely perfect--everything ran smoothly and everyone was happy. Here are a few snapshots of the day, courtesy of Oma.

The Westphalls, looking sharp. Sam had the honor of being a groomsman. We realized over the weekend that Sam has known Will since he was 11 years old--that's half his life!
Anne was not the flower girl, but she did hold Erin's bouquet during pictures.
Baby Sam and Opa, taking a stroll. This is Riverside Park in Menomonie, WI. It was a gorgeous day--plenty of sun, slight breeze, and not too hot.
The bride and groom :)
With Auntie Erin, who was a bridesmaid.
Like I said, the day was very nice. The only bad/sad part was Sammy's behavior during the ceremony. He had not napped and was punch-drunk. As we sat (in the front row, of course!) he was kicking Anne and throwing his blanket and giggling. I got to watch about 2 minutes before I took him back to the nursery. Good thing there was as viewing window so we could keep watching everything!

Congratulations, Will and Adrienne!