The "Hamburger Store"

Preston told us about 2 weeks ago that he really wanted to go to the "hamburger store" so we used it as motivation (bribery?!) to help him "take the next step" in potty training. He has done SO great and we rarely have had wet pants accidents . . . but for whatever reason messy pants accidents were recurrent and a seemingly impossible barrier to break. So Saturday morning he finally figured it out and wore ONE pair of underware the whole day!!! Needless to say I was ecstatic! So I can chant my enthusiasm (for having Preston that much closer to being fully potty trained) with those annoying commercials, " ba ba ba ba ba I'm lovin' it!!!"

Preston and Dad enjoying their hamburgers!

Rebekah got to try french fries! You can't tell in this pic, but she LOVED them!

Mom must have lost all of her willpower because she even let Preston go play in the "play place" (I've never let him in one before-- does that make me a bad Mom?!) However, Preston wouldn't wander too far into the maze without Mom and Dad. So much for his newfound freedom!

Then we topped of the visit with ice cream cones!

Rebekah proving once again that she can get just about anything she wants from her Daddy!


Way to go Preston! It is so fun for all of us to see you continue to improve! We love you and think you are an awesome kid!!

Ahhh February!!

Preston thought watching the ducks walk on the ice was hilarious-- especially when they slipped!

Rebekah finally likes the swing. She cried and cried when I took her out!

Preston teaching Rebekah about rocks-- he told he they were yucky, but she had to make sure . . .

We have had the most beautiful week! We have been going to parks almost every day. The kids and I are loving getting outside for longer than 5 minutes at a time. 50 degrees and loving it! (lest those of you who live in colder climates are feeling too jealous you can console yourself with the fact that we have snow forecast for the next three days!)

Mmmmmm . . . Chocolate Cake

Preston licking the frosting bowl-- hopefully someday when he gets married, he will just know how to make all of the yummy treats that he loves so his poor wife won't have to take years to figure it out!!!

Alright true confessions of the Hill household! My husband loves a good chocolate cake-- and before I married him, I could pass on chocolate cake. But he has taught me that there is a difference between a Betty Crocker Cake Mix and a "real" chocolate cake-- so now I am addicted right there with him. I found this recipe online after we had been married a few years-- it has become one of my favorite chocolate cake recipes--(yes--sadly-- I have more than one!)

Decadent Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
1 Cup boiling Water
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 stick sweet butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Cups sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 Cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups less 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Knock out excess flour. Pour boiling water over chocolate and butter. Let stand until melted. Stir in vanilla and sugar. Whisk in egg yolks, blending well. Mix together sour cream and baking soda, then whisk into batter. Add flour and baking powder and mix well. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Stir 1/4 into batter thoroughly, then scoop remaining egg whites on top of batter and fold in gently. Pour batter into prepared pan. Set in middle rack in the oven and bake 40-45 minutes, or until edges pull away from sides of pan and cake tester (toothpick?!) inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Unmold and cool completely before frosting.

I should add that I usually cook mine in a 9x13 pan for 30 minutes or so.

Frosting
butter ( I usually use 1/4 cup)
cocoa powder
powdered sugar
LOTS of vanilla 2-3 capfuls

I hate recipes like this one because it is not an exact science-- but as my frosting mentors (Mel, Becky) have told me it is a little different every time. You just keep tasting it and adding more stuff until it is "right"!! Really I grew up in a house that bought frosting when it was needed so this was a challenge for me to learn-- my husband said no way could we buy that 'gross' prefab frosting-- so I don't want to brag, but after 5 years of marriage, I made this cake and frosting last week, and said, " I am officially a Hill-- this frosting is as good as your Mom's and Mel's." Boy was he proud of me!