Oven Oatmeal and Arizona...

Kai was up and {very} awake EARLY this morning!

I am finally competent enough in deciphering his level of "alertness" to make an educated decision about whether he should go back to bed or stay awake.

It was 5:45 this morning, but he was full of coos and smiles in his port-a-crib, which, to me, is better than any sugar-laden espresso drink at stirring me awake.

Once we got changed and situated with toys in the living room I realized that I was STARVING and a previous "breakfast" FB Status from a friend about "Oven Oatmeal" came to mind....it was a foreign concept to me but I knew I had to try it. And this early, snowy Sunday morning was the perfect opportunity.

I situated Kai in his highchair with some toys and mashed some banana up to feed him while I baked.

I then turned to my trusty recipe book (GOOGLE!) and decided on this recipe. I didn't have any dried cranberries so I baked it without, but threw some fresh blueberries into my bowl once it was done.

 Yummy!

It was like having a bowl of divinely flavored oatmeal in the consistency of a coffee cake, and blueberries automatically make everything better...

So I cleaned off my mashed-banana covered baby and took him and my bowl to the couch where I proceeded enjoy my bowl of "oven oatmeal" and watch Good Morning America and their coverage of yesterday's tragic incident in Arizona.

I despise extreme politics and everything that snowballs from it.

I pray that 2011 will, indeed be a "year of optimism" for our nation.

But I know as I sit here, cozy on my couch with my bright eyed baby boy, my hot mug of coffee and bowl of oven-oatmeal, that God is in control...and commands us not to worry.

And thats all the {optimism} I need.