And Yet Another

Another article here!

Associated Content Article

Tea Party Games

And Here It Is...

Okay, so it took me a little longer than I planned to post TBell's "after" picture. But, here it is!





She is still very excited about the style. I am getting used to her with shorter hair, although I do really miss her long locks! At least they went to a good cause. (Sorry for the darkness of the photos; I am not sure what is wrong!)

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the big event in Pirate's life: he got "spenders" from Grammy! He is more excited that a person should be about suspenders, but at least he's cute enough to pull it off right now. It's only a matter of time, though, before he turns into Urkel!



PS - Please excuse the very messy floor you can see in the picture of Pirate. I am simply not a very neat person!

A Wedding Story

My grandmother got married on New Years Eve. (Yes, I am aware of the many jokes this statement can generate!) I took the kids on a road trip (along with one sister and her two kids in my car) while Paco stayed at home. (He could not get the day off to go...don't get me started!) While I have proven many times that I am not a great photographer, I am very disappointed this time to not have many great pictures to post. I am putting two here, but I think my sister has some better ones on her blog.


This is the happy couple, along with most of the great grandchildren on our side of the family. The groom has a young great granddaughter and, at the time of the picture, one arriving any time.


This is TBell and my father. I just love this picture.

I have a great picture of my niece, but should probably get permission before I post it. Sadly, it is WAY too early for me to call and ask. (You may note the time this is posted...I have been up for a couple of hours and can't seem to get back to sleep. Ugh!)

Hair Today

TBell had her hair cut last Saturday for Locks of Love. Her hair was down to the small of her back and is now just past her chin! Princess also had this done when she was in Kindergarten, but it was much harder for me this time. (She does look cute now, although all of you have to wait because I just realized I don't have the "after" picture yet!) However, much more importantly, TBell is very excited to have donated her hair and she also loves the cut now. She listed a few people in her class who have all had their hair cut, so it was clearly time for her to have hers done! I like the idea of donating for obvious reasons. But, this time was even more important to me because we have a very close family friend who is in a battle with cancer and I think this was a way for a very young TBell to feel like she is helping.







I suppose it isn't really nice of me to post these pictures without a final one, but at least now you'll come back for more!

'Nothing that's Necessary is Impossible'

That is a quote from a book I recently finished. It kind of made me stop and realize that I had very often, as of late, been feeling sorry for myself and had been thinking that perhaps I didn't want to keep working my current schedule. Never mind that it works for our family and the kids are settled and happy. I was miserable and mean. However, after reading that sentence and thinking about it for a while, I realized that my schedule isn't impossible and shouldn't make me unhappy. It's necessary and therefore doable.

In dinner news, my sister gave me and my kids a mix to make our own hot pretzels. So tonight, we had a "ballpark meal" that consisted of hot dogs, pretzels dipped in cheese and caramel popcorn. Definitely not the healthiest meal, but it was a lot of fun and the kids had a great time. I will post ordering info for the hot pretzels as soon as I figure out what Paco did with the bag; they were GREAT! I was a little apprehensive about them, but they were really easy to make - even the kids were able to do it. And, the taste was wonderful. I highly recommend them.

Fantabulous

Christmas was simply wonderful here. I would love to post some pictures of the children, but I haven't uploaded them yet. Plus, in a wonderful show of intelligence, Paco and I didn't make sure the camera was charged. So, there really aren't that many pictures anyway. Rest assured though, Pirate was THRILLED with his Darth Maul double-bladed light saber. Princess and TBEll LOVED their High School musical things as well as their other gifts. Each one got a new Webkinz, which was also very exciting. Princess did have a momentary moment of sadness when she realized that even though she told Santa every time she saw him (news to me) that she wanted clothes for her Webkinz, she didn't get them. But, I did point out that she has a birthday coming and all was well.

Possibly even more important, the girls were in the pageant at church. They did a great job, of course, and had a lot of fun. (Princess was Gabriel and TBEll as the Inkeeper.) Both sets of grandparents came and had a nice time. Right now, all three kids love going to church...I really hope I can encourage that so it continues!

Come again soon...I am actually going to post a recipe! (I got a Rachel Ray cookbook for Christmas. I modified a recipe tonight and it was GREAT!)

Kindness

There have been many times that I have been lucky enough to benefit from the kindness of both friends and strangers. While I do try to contribute my share of good deeds with the world, I do not believe that I have come close to reciprocating enough. Today, I was told by a friend of mine that he has managed to get the one toy for me that Pirate has asked for this Christmas. This particular item is not made anymore and is going on eBay for around $150 to $200. (I would guess it's original price was somewhere around $25.) Paco and I have been brainstorming different ways to come up with a homemade version, all the while telling Pirate that Santa called and said that the elves were really struggling and that the stores just didn't have one. I have been sad because this is the first Christmas that Pirate really understands things (both religious and commercial) and he was just asking for a stupid toy and I couldn't do it. We say no to our kids a lot and it was killing me that I couldn't indulge him this holiday. But, it goes against every fiber in my being to spend $150 on a gift for a 4 year old. So, anyway, my friend has found one for me, through a friend of his, and they are giving it to us. I cannot tell you how thankful I am for friends like this and I really do hope that I can someday return this wonderful gesture.

Happy holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! I hope all of you can experience the magic of the season as I have!

Culinary Frustration

My kids are pretty good eaters. In fact, one of my proudest accomplishments as a parent is that my kids are accustomed to eating (mostly) whatever is put in front of them for dinner. I really like the fact that I don't have to serve chicken nuggets or fish sticks in order to get them to eat. They have each been known to ask to finish the vegetables from the serving bowl at the end of dinner. Princess counts sushi as one of her all-time favorite foods. So, it is with great dismay that I announce the following: My kids hate homemade macaroni and cheese. They prefer processed cheese and noodles. It doesn't have to be powdered cheese, they will also eat processed cheese log melted over noodles (i.e. Velveeta). I haven't tried to serve them the homemade kind in a while, but felt inspired today. See, Pirate just returned from a 1 1/2 week trip to Disney World with my parents and brought Mickey shaped noodles for TBell as a gift. I thought it would be so neat to make "Mickeyroni and Cheese" as a welcome home dinner. They hated it. Where did I go wrong? I mean, if I can serve BBQ ribs and deviled eggs to my kids, why won't they eat homemade mac and cheese. It is days like this I feel like total failure! (Okay, that's a bit dramatic, but you know what I mean.)

Here is the recipe for my mac-n-cheese. For the record, Paco loved it.

Melt 2T of butter in a saucepan. Add 2 cups of milk and 2T of flour. Whisk together. Let milk bubble then thicken, maybe 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 cups shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup shredded asiago, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella. Melt cheese in milk mixture. Add almost-cooked (1 pound package) noodles to cheese mixture and combine. Pour noodles and cheese into a baking pan or casserole and cover with handfuls of shredded cheese as well as about 1/2 cup bread crumbs mixed with 3T olive oil. Brown top under broiler and serve. This could also be made into a meatier version by adding bacon bits or pieces of ham.

Catching Up

I can't believe it is already November. Time really does fly...especially when everyone is so busy. I have posted some pictures from last month. I have been meaning to get on for quite a while but just haven't done so.

The girls each designed pumpkins after their favorite book characters and entered a contest at school. While they didn't win, I am very proud of them because they came up with their own ideas and had very little help from me. The pumpkins that did win were amazing, but certainly not done by an elementary school student.


This is TBell's pumpkin. She has always loved 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' so immediately chose that book when she found out about the contest.


Princess chose 'Swan Lake' and made a two-sided pumpkin.


Last but not least, a picture from Halloween.



Election Day is coming, which always keeps me busy. Then Pirate leaves for a 1 1/2 week trip with my parents. UGH! He just turned 4 this week and now he's heading off for a Disney vacation. My baby is leaving! Oh dear.

I went to a wedding the other night as a fill-in guest. (My sister-in-law was standing up as a bridesmaid and her husband was unable to make the trip.) The night was filled with fun music from Corey Hart, Heart, Asia, Madonna and more. Well, I at least thought it was fun. Anyway, I really, really, really loved the cake. Once again, I don't think my camera phone is did any justice, but I thought you should all see it anyway.



My head is hurting way too much to say anything else. I have been sick for a few days and can't seem to kick whatever it is that I have. I saw the MD this afternoon, and he is going with a kidney infection or a kidney stone. I have had a stone before and I don't think that's what it is. But, he seemed to be leaning more toward one. At any rate, I am not really in the mood to say anything else.

"She's a very sweet and helpful girl; she just talks too much."

Tbell came home from school yesterday with a note from her teacher that I needed to sign. The note said that she had gotten in trouble for talking too much and was given several warnings about it before having to take down a picture. (The kids have three small pictures of themselves up on a wall. Similar to 'three strikes and you're out,' they have chances before a more serious consequence happens.) Now, she only had to take one picture down but she also lost 5 minutes of play time. When I asked if she was sad that she had lost a picture for the day, she just shrugged and said no. Then she told me that there was better stuff in the papers underneath the teacher's note. Now, I wouldn't ordinarily call the teacher about something like this, but I happened to have another issue to bring up so I decided to try. We spoke about the other thing first and then I brought up TBell's indifference to being in trouble. Mrs. P laughed and said the quote above. I noted that TBell didn't speak for quite a while - no sounds at all. In fact, the pediatrician wanted me to have her evaluated for speech therapy but I never got around to it. Then, she turned three, and she hasn't shut up. Mrs. P said that she was the same way and that her teachers must have felt the same way. I told her that we would try to work on being quiet at home, but that TBell is either talking or asleep. Happily, she got a good worker award today and proudly told me that she did not talk too much. Too funny. (I had a very hard time keeping a straight face while discussing this with her. She really cracks me up.)

Crock Pot Happiness

I made a roast in the crock pot today, with a recipe courtesy of my friend Ellen. All you do is put the roast in (mine was 4.5 pounds) and add the contents of one or two jars of peppercinis (juice and all) along with some garlic. I used one jar of sliced of peppercinis and one jar of sliced banana peppers. We sliced the meat and served it on rolls. My friend served hers on pita's with a cucumber and dill salad. Paco wouldn't eat that, so I just served mine with a side of cheesy rice. Mmmmmm! So good and easy.



I don't think the picture really does it justice, but it was taken with my cell phone and my cell phone is really a piece of crap.

WARNING: It Hurts to be Hit in the Face With a Rubber Dinosaur

You may not think so, but it really does! It also hurts to be kicked in the shin by a four year old boy doing an unauthorized cartwheel. I suppose it would have hurt even if the cartwheel had been authorized, but you get the idea. Other than those two events, the class went very well. I really did enjoy myself and think I will survive the year.

My First Day

Today is my first day teaching preschool. I can't decide if I am nervous. I mean, the knowledge I will be handing out isn't that difficult. But, will I have the patience for a crying three year old who misses his mommy? Or, will I deal correctly with the little boy who bites and hits his friends? I have no idea. We will all know soon, though!

Last night I realized that I am not completely in school mode yet as far as parenting goes. As I was going to bed, I saw the piles of paper I had removed from the backpacks on Friday afternoon - untouched for the weekend on the back of the computer table. It turns out that TBell needed to wear yellow today and Princess needed a form filled out. At least I noticed it last night instead of on my way to the bakery this morning at 5am. But, things would have been much less stressful had I remembered before bedtime on Sunday!

I Have No More Babies

I am not one to cry. Well, at least not during crisis situations or things like that. But, all three of my kids went to school. Now I was fine when Princess and TBell got on the bus (TBell started kindergarten) and I was fine when I dropped Pirate off at school. It was when got home that it started - it was then that I realized that I have no more babies and it kind of hurt a little.

Here are pictures of the big day!


Princess is very proud of this outfit - she finds it to be very fashionable. I think she looks like she is going to school in the 80's! I remember my mother forbidding me to wear stretch pants under my skirts and shorts. I imagine she will kill me when she sees Princess get off the bus today!


This is my absolute favorite dress. I just LOVE polka dots. Isn't she too cute?


All grown up. He kept saying things today like, "Don't tickle the school boy!"

All three, smiling.

Fudge

I tired to make fudge today, using an easy microwave recipe I found online. It has not set. I just let TBell, TBell's friend, and Pirate eat a "piece" with a spoon. I have put it back in the freezer to try and force it to set. It's pretty though, with marshmallows and rainbow sprinkles. Tasty and disappointing all at the same time.

Also, I spoke to Paco's grandmother, and she has agreed to can with me. In addition to what I wanted to make, she is going to teach me how to do potatoes! I am SO excited!

In other random news, we got a new bathtub today from Bathfitters. It looks very much like a hotel shower/tub now - all clean and white. However, anything is better than the stained tub we had before!

"HUGH Sale"

I saw that on a sign over the weekend. Sadly, I was unable to stop and see how much a 'Hugh' would cost. Perhaps next time.

Canning and Me

My sister cans a lot. In fact, she called me yesterday to tell me that she was getting together with some friends to can quite a number of things. (One of which was vodka cherries! I am *really* hoping to get a jar or two of those!) I haven't canned anything in a long time. I helped my mother with tomatoes last year, but I was only helping and ended up with just four jars. I have decided this year that I want to do tomatoes, apple butter, and hot pepper relish. Of course, there is a financial investment with the food and jars, so I need to find a way to make that happen. But, I will be so happy when it is all completed! I have to admit that I am a little nervous since I have never done it by myself. Stay tuned for updates, although the actual day probably won't be until the beginning of September.

Taking a Break from Work

I didn't go to work at the bakery today. (That's a long story.) So, when I woke up today I decided that I should work on some proofreading and other projects that I have been putting off. However, after 40 minutes, I am already in need of a break! My ability to stay focused can be severely limited at times.

We went to a dinner party yesterday to which I had to bring a side dish. The other day I had watched The Food Network and decided to make this. I used apples instead of pears because that's what my local farmer's market had. It was pretty good. I should have taken a picture for you, especially since I assembled it in my never-before-used trifle dish from Pampered Chef and it looked SO pretty! The curry flavor isn't that strong, so I think most people will enjoy it. To be honest and fair, I don't know how often I will make it since the curry won't go with all foods. But, it was good enough to share!