annie blog

Hmmmm….What?
Every schoolday morning, I take all the boys with me and we drop off the two middle boys at school and then the oldest and youngest boys and I either go on an errand or back home. Usually, my oldest is nearly silent during these trips. He always just requests music and/or zones out. But today, he was talking a lot. Maybe it was because I was insisting on listening to my music, instead of his? Probably. So, he kept talking and I turned down my music so that I could hear him and respond to what he was saying. Do you know what he said to me? “Your hair smells like cheese.” For the record, my hair does NOT smell like cheese. But why am I sharing his wacky statement with you? Because he said it in Chinese. CHINESE. Another thing he said in Chinese was, “You give away cows here? What a country!”. This takes not knowing what he is going to say to a whole new level.

Yummy Salmon
There are a lot of easy and good recipes for salmon out there. This is a yummy one that we had last night for dinner. 5 out of 6 Barlows approved. Especially the Mama Barlow because it was easy and I can get it all at Sam’s.

4-5 Salmon fillets (I used the frozen ones that are at Sam’s)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce

Thaw fish. Preheat oven to 500 degrees and move a rack to the upper middle position. In a small sauce pan, simmer the maple syrup and soy sauce for 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to 1/2 cup liquid. Meanwhile, oil a rimmed baking sheet with 1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Place salmon on the baking sheet with at least an inch between fillets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 500 for five minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the fish with the maple syrup/soy sauce glaze. Bake a few more minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Take out of oven and brush with the glaze one more time. Serve and enjoy. 🙂

Yummy Salmon
There are a lot of easy and good recipes for salmon out there. This is a yummy one that we had last night for dinner. 5 out of 6 Barlows approved. Especially the Mama Barlow because it was easy and I can get it all at Sam’s.

4-5 Salmon fillets (I used the frozen ones that are at Sam’s)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce

Thaw fish. Preheat oven to 500 degrees and move a rack to the upper middle position. In a small sauce pan, simmer the maple syrup and soy sauce for 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to 1/2 cup liquid. Meanwhile, oil a rimmed baking sheet with 1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Place salmon on the baking sheet with at least an inch between fillets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 500 for five minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the fish with the maple syrup/soy sauce glaze. Bake a few more minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Take out of oven and brush with the glaze one more time. Serve and enjoy. 🙂

Yummy Salmon
There are a lot of easy and good recipes for salmon out there. This is a yummy one that we had last night for dinner. 5 out of 6 Barlows approved. Especially the Mama Barlow because it was easy and I can get it all at Sam’s.

4-5 Salmon fillets (I used the frozen ones that are at Sam’s)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce

Thaw fish. Preheat oven to 500 degrees and move a rack to the upper middle position. In a small sauce pan, simmer the maple syrup and soy sauce for 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to 1/2 cup liquid. Meanwhile, oil a rimmed baking sheet with 1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Place salmon on the baking sheet with at least an inch between fillets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 500 for five minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the fish with the maple syrup/soy sauce glaze. Bake a few more minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Take out of oven and brush with the glaze one more time. Serve and enjoy. 🙂

E’s Quote of the Day
When he sees the moon he says, “My moon, MY MOON!!” I really think that he is under the impression that it is his alone.

E’s Quote of the Day
When he sees the moon he says, “My moon, MY MOON!!” I really think that he is under the impression that it is his alone.

E’s Quote of the Day
When he sees the moon he says, “My moon, MY MOON!!” I really think that he is under the impression that it is his alone.

Conversations
You know, when we are out in public and other folks can overhear our conversations, I wonder sometimes what they are thinking about us. “What a crazy family.” Yep, that is probably it.

Recently in an elevator full of people…
C (6 year old, artist and softspoken space cadet): I need some elbow room.
Jon: There isn’t any elbow room here today. You can have plenty of elbow room when you get to heaven someday.
Me: But when you get to heaven you won’t care that you have elbow room. (Thinking to myself, “One of the great ironies of life”.)
C looks at us with big eyes while his mind puts all this together. The people in the elevator exchange glances.

The other day while boarding the van….
N (7 year old, type-A litigator and logician): Mom, can have J’s seat in the van?
Me: Why don’t you ask J? He is capable of telling you himself.
N: But he is a monkey, always quoting and thinking about other stuff.
Me: He is not a monkey, he is a human being.
Jon: He is a little boy made in the image of God. And the only monkeys out there are people who don’t believe that.
N laughs.

Conversations
You know, when we are out in public and other folks can overhear our conversations, I wonder sometimes what they are thinking about us. “What a crazy family.” Yep, that is probably it.

Recently in an elevator full of people…
C (6 year old, artist and softspoken space cadet): I need some elbow room.
Jon: There isn’t any elbow room here today. You can have plenty of elbow room when you get to heaven someday.
Me: But when you get to heaven you won’t care that you have elbow room. (Thinking to myself, “One of the great ironies of life”.)
C looks at us with big eyes while his mind puts all this together. The people in the elevator exchange glances.

The other day while boarding the van….
N (7 year old, type-A litigator and logician): Mom, can have J’s seat in the van?
Me: Why don’t you ask J? He is capable of telling you himself.
N: But he is a monkey, always quoting and thinking about other stuff.
Me: He is not a monkey, he is a human being.
Jon: He is a little boy made in the image of God. And the only monkeys out there are people who don’t believe that.
N laughs.

Conversations
You know, when we are out in public and other folks can overhear our conversations, I wonder sometimes what they are thinking about us. “What a crazy family.” Yep, that is probably it.

Recently in an elevator full of people…
C (6 year old, artist and softspoken space cadet): I need some elbow room.
Jon: There isn’t any elbow room here today. You can have plenty of elbow room when you get to heaven someday.
Me: But when you get to heaven you won’t care that you have elbow room. (Thinking to myself, “One of the great ironies of life”.)
C looks at us with big eyes while his mind puts all this together. The people in the elevator exchange glances.

The other day while boarding the van….
N (7 year old, type-A litigator and logician): Mom, can have J’s seat in the van?
Me: Why don’t you ask J? He is capable of telling you himself.
N: But he is a monkey, always quoting and thinking about other stuff.
Me: He is not a monkey, he is a human being.
Jon: He is a little boy made in the image of God. And the only monkeys out there are people who don’t believe that.
N laughs.