Hair Cut Day!

 It had been a REALLY long time since I had the girls hair cut last.  Olivia's was looking pretty mangy.   There is a really sweet gal that lives down the street from me and she cuts hair, so I took the girls to her last week to get their hair done.

 Olivia went first, logically so Bianca could see how cool it was to get your hair done like a big girl and then be good for her turn.... which totally worked.  Bianca sat as still as she was able, being that she is two and does not sit still EVER.  
I got them matching bobs and they are so FREAKING cute!

 Bianca kept touching her hair all day and fluffing it up whilst posing.  It was so cute!

They both felt so fancy to get their hair cut together!
Also, on the potty training front.... Bianca is pretty much a rockstar and has been amazing since she decided to start using the potty. I thought we might have some setbacks after a week or two, but she just keeps getting better and better.   Mostly staying dry for the night and she even woke up last night and asked us to take her potty so she could keep her princess panties dry!   So proud of her!

Oakland Temple.

 On Saturday we went with our good friends, the Tonay's, to the Oakland Temple.  It is a two hour drive away and we take turns watching each others kids so each couple can do a session at the temple.   The Oakland Temple is SO BEAUTIFUL and is it such a treat to be able to be close enough to go to it!

 The grounds are gorgeous and I LOVE the carvings in the front and back of the Temple.  One side is Jesus and the 12 apostles and the other side is Jesus teaching the Nephites.  

 Me and my love when we were watching all the kids.  The Oakland Temple has a visitors center that is wonderful.  Displays for the kids to look at, Sister Missionaries who exclaim how cute the girls are.  This one even had short movies you could watch, Olivia loved the movie about the pioneer girl.

 The girls loved walking around the fountains.

The Temple is up on the hill in Oakland and it has the most BREATHTAKING views of the bay area.  Behind the girls is San Francisco and both bridges.  I could just stare at that view for hours.  This temple is unique in that it has an outside upper terrace that loops around the Temple.  So this picture of the girls was when we were up on the terrace.  It has this lovely path that you can follow around and look at all the beautiful flowers and the view.
After the Tonay's were done we went out for some Panera Bread, best food EVER!  Then we headed back to the Temple and Marcus and I had our turn to go.  It was such a wonderful day, even if it was really chilly.  The older two girls and the younger two girls are really close together in age and they play so well together.
If you want to read more information about LDS Temples you can read it there.  

Chocolate Adventures!

 Our really good friends from back home, the Anderson's, have a Chocolate business called Fresco Chocolate.  We found out that they are now selling bars really close to where we live!  It is in Pacific Grove, right around the corner from DLI at 'happy girl kitchen co'.

 Olivia had preschool this morning and I am off this week from teaching so Bianca and I headed out on a chocolate quest!  After a quick bathroom trip we hunted through the store to find the display, I seriously got a little chill when I saw it up front!

 So exciting to see all the hard work and dreams of a family, not to mention a great love for chocolate, out on display!  I asked the people working if I could take pictures.  I explained how I knew the makers of the chocolate

 The staff was so friendly and gladly walked around with me to explain all their products.  Yummy home canned style good with seasonal fruits and vegetables.  In addition to my chocolate, a must have purchase, I also got a jar of strawberry lemonade concentrate.  I am so excited to make some for dinner tonight!

 It is such a funky and cute store.  We sat and ate our delicious chocolate, and it seriously was DELICIOUS, at this cute table with a beautiful arrangement of flowers and vegetables.  I love dark chocolate and this was the BEST CHOCOLATE I have ever eaten. SO GOOD.  (I am not just saying this because I know the makers, this was for reals good stuff).

I wasn't sure if Bianca would like it, being dark chocolate and all, but apparently she has a refined palate! She kept moaning "MMmmmmmMMMMmmmm" after every bite!  The staff thought it was the cutest!

We also made a stop at Target to get her some new panties.  She has still been rocking this potty training and was awesome about holding it while we were shopping.  She held on to her pack of panties the whole time we were in the store, so proud of herself!  I have really been trying to make this time with Bianca special.  I get one on one time with Olivia quite bit during Bianca's nap and after Bianca goes to bed, but it is not very often that I get time JUST with Bianca.

So when I am not teaching preschool, I really try to do something special with Bianca. Sometimes we do a little craft, just us, or get a little treat, or she is my special helper shopping by putting everything in my cart.  I also make sure to keep saying how this is our special time, just Mommy and Bianca and she also repeats it back to me during our morning together.  We both feel how precious the times is.  It has been so good for both of us and I really cherish these moments that are just the two of us!

Mermaid Girl

 Olivia just started swim lessons with Miss Emily last week.  We go once a week and she learns how to swim with her two little friends Gabby and Taya.  Olivia also goes to preschool with these two little girls and they get along so great!  Olivia especially loves Gabby.  They play so well together, off in their own little world of make believe and have yet to ever get into a fight.

 Miss Emily goes to church with us and Gabby's Mom, Christina, got everything all lined up for the lessons.

 Marcus is a really strong swimmer and the water kinda freaks me out.  I am not as comfortable in the water as Marcus is.  I can see Olivia leans towards my disposition with water and I really wanted to get her started on swim lessons early to help her be more comfortable.

 While the big girls are swimming, us Mom's hang out with the little kids in the kiddie pool.  After lessons get over we just let the kids swim and play while us Mom's hang out and chit chat.  It is so much fun and a great end to our week (lessons are on Friday morning).

Here is Bianca with her little friend Gretchen (Gabby's little sister).  Christina's girls and my girls are almost exactly the same age.  Bianca and Gretchen's birthday's are only two days apart!

Get it done.

 This little girl never ceases to amaze me.  Once she sets her mind to something, than that is it.  This is a good thing and a bad thing because if she wants something that she can't have, could be hurtful, or whatever that can lead to lots of frustrations between the two of us.
I feel like I am figuring her out though, I have to parent completely differently between the two girls because they just respond differently to situations.

 Bianca is fearless and jumps into any situation and one area that this doesn't frustrate me in is in the potty training department.  She just decided on Sunday that she was going to wear big girl panties and at first I didn't want to let her wear them, we had a lot of things planned that week and I couldn't deal with potty training right then.  She raised such a stink about it that I finally just gave in and let her wear them and figured I would just deal with the fall out and the messes later.

 That first day she had an accident right off the bat but then was fine the rest of the day.   She insisted on wearing them when she woke up the next day, so panties it was.  I never have to remind her, she never wants or needs my help when she goes and will in FACT not go if I am in the same room as her.  She takes herself, hops right up on the big potty, does her business, pat pats and flushes, washes her hands and is on her way again.
She will come and tell me about it after the fact, just beaming with pride with a little embarrassed smile and then off she goes to play.
The only thing I have to work with her on is telling me when she goes number two so I can wipe her.

This girl is in panties all day, totally dry, no accidents and doing it all on her own.  It is so crazy!  I had been dreading doing this with her because of her strong will and wasn't sure how that would relate into potty training and low and behold, I haven't had to do a thing to help her.
I have to remind Olivia to go potty before we get in the car to go somewhere and Bianca just takes care of it all herself!  I am so proud of her!  She is so proud of herself!  We have two big girls in the Radder house now!!

Helping Mom

 We made a big batch of Taquitos the other night when he had our Awmy Guy friends over.  Olivia loves helping me make the Taquitos and she loves to eat them.

Check out her mad ninja skills!!  I got the recipe for the Taquitos HERE and THIS dipping sauce is TO DIE FOR.  I make these once a week with some beans or home made salsa and we gobble them up!  If you want to do a whole Tex Mex theme you can also make this pie for dessert

Key Lime Pie
4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes; if using key limes, use about 1/3 cup of juice, add more to taste) whipped cream (for garnish)
sliced limes (for garnish)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Using electric beaters, mix cream cheese, zest, and salt until creamy. Add sweetened condensed milk and mix until incorporated. Add egg yolk, mix until combined. Add lime juice and stir until well blended. Mixture will thicken slightly. Pour filling into your choice of prepared crust (pastry, crumb, sugar cookie) and bake until set, about 20 to 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and sliced limes.


Serves 8.


Sadie’s Favorite Crumb-Crust
11/2 cups animal cracker crumbs (not the frosted kind) 3 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix ingredients together and press into a 9-inch pie tin. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. 


The recipe is from Josi S. Kilpack's website and she is the author of the Lemon Tart culinary murder mystery books.  All the books have these to DIE for recipes in them and she has them for free download on her website.  The books are a really fun read too!  We love this pie and I actually made it for Murphy and Jacobson the same night we did the Taquitos.