7QT: GF Waffles, Baby Sign, Transplanting Vines and Children, and Delegating Housework

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It was Father's Day this week. Bilbo loves his dad.

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I went to St. Vincent De Paul last weekend and got some awesome, super cheap, Notre Dame t shirts and sweatshirts! I did not mention St. Vinnie's in my secondhand clothes post, but I do like going there for ND items. This location is right near ND and they pull out all the ND clothes, from nice polos and buttondown shirts, to sweatshirts and t shirts, onto a few dedicated racks. 

Luke loves his Notre Dame shirt!

--- 3 ---
I made waffles for a reward for the kids. I adapted the 'sweet milk waffles' recipe from this cookbook and I used ricotta. And they were out of this world.

 Ricotta Waffles (GF, no eggs) makes lots
4c GF flour
2T baking powder
2c ricotta cheese
1 cup milk
1c melted butter
1t vanilla
3 jars babyfood applesauce (about 10 oz) mixed with 1T additional baking powder. This replaces the eggs.
Combine dry ingredients. Add dairy ingredients and vanilla. Combine well. Mix applesauce with extra baking powder; it will foam up like crazy. This takes the place of beaten egg whites. Fold this gently into batter. Bake as normal on waffle iron. I do them only 4 min. The texture is dense and tender, and the outside has the perfect crispiness!

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Fyodor and I have very verbal children. They tend to talk on the early side, and start using baby sign language sometimes as early as nine months. Or eight. Bilbo is saying MaMa and num-num (what I call nursing with him); and signing all done/up and raising his hand to greet people!

--- 5 ---
The yard and garden are looking better this summer than ever before!

 My Oakleaf Hydrangea is doing well, and I just transplanted a big clematis vine behind it.

These lovely things are blooming now, when I used to have a flowerless gap of time in June! I brought these in on a dark, cloudy day and they seem to produce sunlight!

Last summer I was growing this little guy inside and could hardly tolerate anything at all. Doesn't he look nice transplanted into the garden ;)

--- 6 ---
I have realized the key to thriving as a mother of six, and that means getting things done as well as getting a tiny bit of rest, is delegation. Look at all we got done yesterday morning before lunch. So many floors swept, mopped, vacuumed! Then we left our nice clean home and went to the pool! What a great feeling.

Kids put their initials next to chores they chose. Only a small amount of squabbling. I took the last couple jobs no one chose. Boom! Clean house.

--- 7 ---
I have been trying and trying to find a way to back carry little Bilbo since he got huge at about 4 mos! I love this African way, but he doesn't like the process of putting him back there and fights me.

 So, I just bought an Ergo off ebay. I hope it works like I hope!

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