Quick hits and apple crisp

• So, we had steak last night, and, from the way McKenna acted, you'd have thought it was Christmas. After every bite she exclaimed, "this is the best steak ever!" She loved having her favorite meal. Avery, on the other hand, hates steak and dined on corn and a breadstick. She didn't pout, though. Of course, she knew what was for dessert.
• This move has really brought our family closer together. We enjoy being with each other. Sure, I would absolutely love to have a date night. Kevin and I haven't be out sans kids since mid-December, when we went Christmas shopping FOR the kids. But, there are those rare nights when I'm awake even after the kids are in bed, and we're able to have in home dates. It's not the same, I won't lie, but it's better than nothing. Homeschooling Avery right now has been great for our home life, too. She and McKenna are closer than ever, and now that Presley is able to play and talk more, their relationship is growing, too. Because of the tight space we live in, we can't just go and do our own thing within our apartment, so there has been a lot of compromise over what movies to watch, what games to play, who's doing what in what room, etc...We're a close-knit family, and I like it that way.
• The little boy in my tummy kicks a lot. He's a very active baby, and I'm so looking forward to meeting him. I'm starting to have lots of feelings of guilt from when I first found out I was pregnant. To say I was shocked and even sad would be an understatement. I cried. All the time. I just couldn't see how another baby would fit into our plans. At the time, I thought it was one of the worst things that could happen. Now, I'm so ashamed of thinking that way, and I'm hoping the pain and guilt will go away so I can just enjoy the rest of this pregnancy without constantly beating myself up about past thoughts.
• So, that was a little deeper than I meant it to be. Oh well. On to the recipe. It never fails. 15 minutes after supper each and every night, McKenna asks if we can have dessert. Most nights, the answer is, "sure, you can have some fruit or yogurt." That doesn't get the greatest of reactions from her, though. Last night, I knew we had the stuff to make apple crisp, so that's what I made, with Avery's help.
• Let me say, for the record, that I love having my kids help me in the kitchen. I want to teach them how to bake and cook. However, the kitchen we are in right now is so not good for family cooking. This has been a struggle, because the girls still want to help, and I find myself saying, "wait until we get a home with a better kitchen." After 3 months of saying this, I can't hold them back much longer.

Apple Crisp-

This is adapted from the fruit crisp recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I make this several times in the winter months. It's easy and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand. I can make this after supper while Kevin is cleaning the kitchen and it's done by the time the girls are finished with baths. Leftovers are so good the next day, too.

5 cups of peeled and sliced apples-I use Granny Smith, 4 apples usually work great

4 TBSP sugar

1 cup oats

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 stick butter

Mix the apples and sugar together and place in a casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Combine the next 4 ingredients and pour over the apples. Melt butter and drizzle over oat mixture. Bake, uncovered at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.