In the past 4 days, 95% of the time, my camera has been attached to a tripod. I would set up for each shoot while Mama Pea was busy in the kitchen. In between some of the shoots, I tried to quickly capture some of the other things that were happening in the house.

I’m already catching onto the morning routine…

Like eating Breakfast 1…

Joe’s O’s with berries..heck yes!

and then 2nd Breakfast….Two breakfasts? Yes please!

This bowl below, is one of the most creative twists on oats I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, you have to wait until the book comes out to find out exactly what’s inside. Fortunately, it’s worth the wait!

When I leave Portland, my luggage will be at least 3lbs lighter. I just had to bring Mama Pea my latest obsession!

We’ve had ground farro for breakfast twice. Delicioso!!! [sorry, too much Dora the Explorer] This morning we mixed in flax meal, ground farro, almond milk + water. I’m not sure of the ratios because master MP made this batch!

Creamy, thick, brown sugary yum.

I forgot how amazing melted brown sugar on hot cereal is…mmmmm

We somehow managed to squeeze in morning workouts during the craziness. One morning we went for a chilly but refreshing walk. The other days, I hopped on the treadmill for some hill work [walking]. It was nice to keep the muscles moving and work up a sweat, with all of the food we were consuming.

Gigi + Lulu were the official taste testers. They also liked the photo props…

Even the lemons.

Lulu makes the best pout face. It will make you melt.

Gigi has the most contagious laugh you’ve ever heard.

…and is the best helper you’ve ever seen!

In between shoots there were tea parties with the girls…

The dishes piled up in both rooms!

Ashley the Attorney [turned ice skater] made an appearance everyday too. Numerous rounds of Dora Candy Land were played along with animal matching games and rhyming.

Lulu was rhyming words to “bucket.” If you use your mind creatively enough, you can imagine a few words that came out of her mouth. We laughed so hard we cried.

Breakfast, lunch + dinner were eaten at the table with lots of gossip about favorite colors, chocolate chips, and pickles.

This was the official photo prop station. I had fun playing with new bowls, plates, and placemats…I see a trip to Crate + Barrel in my future…. :)

click click click

And of course the infamous Pea Kitty. The truth about Pea Kitty is no lie…trust me!

The girls use the scratching post more than Pea Kitty…

How could you ever be mad at this???

It’s fun being around little kids because they make you feel like you’re the funniest person ever.

Who stole the pickles from the pickle jar??

Guilty! This is definitely a pickle family!

Clearly she is scheming something..

Chillaxin’

Pea Daddy was just as nice as you’d imagine. He kept the girls occupied all weekend long, which was very helpful while MP and I got down to business.

Queen Pea!

Must make these when I get home!!! Chris is a huge fan of soft pretzels and these were spot on. They had a doughy center with a nice crust and the flavor just right. You can find this recipe on MP’s blog right here!

(17 of 24)

Seriously cannot wait to have this cookbook on my bookshelf. Speaking first hand, the recipes are outstanding!

These kids love their mom and look up to her so much!!! Can you tell?

Silly Lulu

Gigi was pretending she was on a cooking show….”and next you’ll stir everything up…and then you empty the bowl…”

“Gigi, you’re an artist!!” Super clever comment by Lulu.

[source]

I’m going to miss these little faces + personalities so very much!!

I’m also going to miss having breakfast, lunch + dinner cooked for me and not having a dirty kitchen to clean!

I have one more day with the Peas and I’ll be soaking up every last minute of it. We actually finished up all of our work tonight [Sunday] and have a whole morning + afternoon to play! I can’t believe all that we accomplished in 4 days. Such an amazing experience, that is still somewhat surreal!

I have a long night of travel tomorrow and won’t get back to my house until 2am. Tuesday’s post might be a bit delayed!

Time for a snack + wine + bed!

Night :)

Ashley