Yesterday's Baby Advent Calendar adventure was the big one: Safari West in Sonoma County! We had such a great time riding on the bumpy Jeep and trying to stay warm! It was great to see all the animals on the preserve and we both learned a lot about so many different animals! We hit the tour jackpot and saw so many amazing animals up close! A baby dama gazelle was born yesterday morning and we got to see the baby walking around and nursing. There were giraffes, Watusi Cattle, cheetahs, Cape Buffalo, rhinocerous, Red River Hog, wildebeast and a few kinds of antelope ("Daddy, I saw a baby cantaloupe!!") But none got closer than those curious ostriches. They followed us around all afternoon and loved pecking at the truck. Here are a few photos from our adventure.
Day 3 of our Baby Advent Calendar was to finish the dioramas that I started in January (check out the Instragram I posted from step 1)! I used old wooden wine & whiskey boxes, painted them grey, added fabric*, and screwed them into the wall. Toss in some animals and trees and we're good to go! I'm sure there will be add-ons as time goes... I'd love to make little ladders & hooks from the bottom, but this is a good start and our son loves them!
*I glued fabric to cardboard (Elmer's) and then screwed the boxes to the wall. When I placed the fabric in the boxes you couldn't see the screws :)
I'm mere weeks away from having another baby and can't believe how unprepared I'm feeling. Our master bedroom and bath are under construction and our bed is in the "baby's room." Our complete landscape demo has just begun and our lives are about to be turned upside down.
In hopes of preparing for baby #2, I made an "advent calendar" full of activities with my 4 year old. Some are fun adventures while others are practical things that he can help with to get ready for the new baby. I hope it'll be fun for him and productive for me! We had so much fun with our Christmas advent calendar & I'm sure he'll love this one, too. Our son describes the advent calendar in this video.
We started today, on the first of the month, as any good advent calendar does, and we'll see how far we get. A new surprise each day, leading up to the birth of our new baby! We don't know when he or she will make their debut, so I stopped a few days before my due date. Here are some of the things we have on the advent calendar:
Appointment with midwives & lunch with dad (today!!) Trip to the San Francisco Zoo Trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium Trip to Safari West (this is the big surprise and it's going to blow his animal-loving mind!) DID IT!! Pick up "big brother" type of books from the library Make a mobile for above the baby's crib Take the train to meet a friend for lunch & frozen yogurt Help make sheets for the crib & makeshift bed Choose a new book from the bookstore to give to the baby Pick up tiny plant and plant it on the day the baby's born Help make a care plan (instructions for grandparents with his routine, etc)
LEMON CREPES yields a lot because I doubled the recipe. This batch fed 2 grown men, 1 pregnant mama, and a hungry 4 year old boy (and we have two leftover!)
I love this recipe! It was so easy (and if I think it's easy...). I have always been intimidated by making crepes (I usually ask my pal Amanda to make them- she's a pro), but these turned out great and I didn't need any special crepe tools to do it (no fancy crepe pan or fancy spatula). Here's what I did:
2 cups almond milk (made my own based on the My New Roots recipe)
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour (we used organic all purpose)
4 tablespoons coconut palm sugar (low glycemic and not as sweet)
1/2 teaspon salt
liberal sprinkles of cinnamon
butter for pan
a few lemons for squeezing (got ours from our tree)
Preparation
Blend the milk, eggs, and vanilla together. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon on top of the liquid ingredients. Blend until all smooth.
I just used our 2 skillets (no fancy crepe pan or fancy spatula). Medium heat. Add a bit of butter once heated. Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter in the hot skillet. Cook for 2 or until bottom is lightly browned.
Fold the crepe in half, then fold in half again; transfer to a plate. Squeeze a bit of lemon and enjoy!!
Our son preferred his with plain yogurt (full fat, goat's milk yogurt) instead of lemon. He was a member of the Clean Plate Club (see photo below)
