The Perfect Watermelon Snack

I love how effortless meals are in the summer.  I don't mind the drive by snacks and meals on their way in and out of the pool, or the fact that we live on fruit and cheese as a real meal when it's hot out.  We have a very short window of warm weather and I try to keep myself out of the kitchen as much as possible.  Somewhere along the way I decided summer was a guilt free mom season and we were meant only to enjoy it.

In my guilt free haze I sometimes end up in a snack slump.  We have the same basic on-the-go crap on hand every day... cheese, goldfish, gummies, pirates booty, you know healthy stuff (insert eye roll).  Leavitt and I recently had a little time on our hands while Preston took a nap and decided to get our creative on in the kitchen.  We cut up some watermelon, half to eat, half to create something with.  I decided to scour the pantry, we happened to have some white chocolate melts in there and fruit dipped in chocolate is basically a love language in our house.  I let Leavitt help me pick our toppings.  I wanted shredded coconut, and he opted for raisins.  

I melted the chocolate according to the directions on the package and let it cool enough to thicken.  Dipped small/medium sized watermelon wedges in the chocolate and tossed some coconut and raisins on there.  We slid them into the freezer for a couple hours and enjoyed them outside when the baby got up from his nap!

I have honestly missed being in the kitchen with my not so little man.  He has become such a great fisherman this year, and while I am so happy for him I miss these moments in the kitchen just us.  He asked me the other day if we could try again and put some cheese on there, when I said no (frozen cheese?!) he said he wanted to try Cheetos.  So stay tuned we may conjure up some more epic concoctions!

Catching Up

I just love all the messages you guys sent on my post The Fitting Room Diaries, seriously some of the sweetest messages.  I did end up hiring a trainer and going back to the gym I went to after having Leavitt, and while it is much less glam feeling, I suppose that is what I need for now.  A humbling experience, in a good way.  I'm older than I was, busier, and actually much happier now than I was back then making the work a little harder.  I just hope my trainer has thick skin and can handle my eye-rolling and sass.

Other than my new torture routine, I have been neck deep in the summer.  I took a weekend away to surprise a lovely gal pal at a bachelorette weekend her bridesmaids had planned.  Being a friend to ladies without kids, I think its super important to give the relationship that attention because they hang in there with me when I say "what were we talking about" 100 times during lunch when my brain is just scattered and trying to keep up with kids and conversation.  It was lovely, and I missed my babies dearly.  They were in capable and loving hands with our parents making it that much easier to relax.

We have been fishing like crazy so that my oldest can get his fix.  He loves fishing and is so good at it.  I feel kind of bad he's stuck with me all day while his dad works and he would much rather be tossing lines than hanging out with the mommy and me crowd.  Where are the redneck kids camps at?!  That being said we have had so many fun play dates this summer and I am really loving all this unstructured down time with the kids.

We spent Independence Day with my husband's family.  Eating lobster, fishing, and catching up.  We really needed some down time after the holiday, and have spent some much needed time hanging out at home, and at the pool.  Preston is so rambunctious and eager to keep up with his big brother.  When we got home from camp after the holiday, I had to lower his crib mattress down again, when I heard him fussing (totally not his character), I found him with his diaper off.  This was the first time he showed me his spunky spiteful side - I loved it.

I'm working on some new posts for you all.  Including a super cheap patio update.  We have lived here for almost four years and still have no deck furniture.  That will change in the up coming weeks and I did it on the cheap.  With kids, dogs, food, and Maine's weather I didn't want to spend a fortune for usable outdoor stuff.  So stay tuned for that!  I hope you all are enjoying your summer and really soaking in these warm summer days.  I am going to miss the smell of warm baby hair lathered in sunscreen when these kids head back off to school!