Yum!

This is one yummy recipe! I haven't sent my brother, Greg, any new recipes in a long time so I thought I would post a favorite one here for all to enjoy!

BTW if you ask my kids what their favorite channel is about 80% of the time they will say the cooking channel! Maybe one of them will grow up to be a chef! Though it would have to be one of the girls because I am still counting on Sugar and Spice growing up and playing golf! I love watching golf! But I digress... Truly try this recipe it is oh so yummy!

Uncle Mikey's New House!

A big congratulations to my little brother (okay, youngest...definitely not little, what are you Mike 6'3?) on the official closing of his first home! What are the chances you will have it kid proof by October so I can drop my little angels off on my way to Vegas?

Seriously, though. I am in dire need of a sitter for three days...are you up to the challenge?

A Great Day!

My three little kiddos had the best day ever yesterday! After waking at the late hour of 7 AM (believe it or not, this actually is late! For school the kids are up by 5:45 each day!) they waited with great anticipation for their Phoenix Moma and Opa to come and whisk them away for a day of fun!

First on the agenda was a trip to our favorite zoo. The giraffes and monkeys were enjoyed by all! Though I understand the highlight was some sort of altercation between a rabbit and a peacock.

Then they jetted back home to go with mommy to a party with our favorite friends, Dave and Bella. After My Little Princess beat the snot out of the Elmo pinata we were back in the car on our way to meet back up with Moma and Opa at a great place to play. Even better, Ben scored us some free admission tickets from work.

After saying "hi" to the dinosaurs, watching the trains, shopping in the pretend market, climbing on the motorcycle and firetruck, the kids were ready for the best part yet...ice cream for dinner! Okay, it wasn't meant to be dinner. It was meant to be an afternoon snack. But when they all fell asleep in the car only a truly crazy person would be foolish enough to wake them up...never mind that it was only 6 PM.

Thanks Moma and Opa for a truly great day! And an extra thanks from mommy who actually got to watch a whole tv show without having to get up once!

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,
I am wondering if August might be too soon to send you my wishlist. The trouble is, I have only one wish...however, it is a very big one.

I would like...
are you ready for this...
my very own house for Christmas.

And, well, last year I had the same wish and it wasn't delivered. Perhaps last year I waited too long to place the request, and so this year I am thinking ahead. Given that I did wait a while last year and probably put you in a bit of a bind, I thought it was appropriate to offer you a do-over this year. There are some things working in your favor this year. There are already elves hard at work on making this wish come true. The foundation of my wish is nearly in place which, to be honest, has me almost constantly humming "How Firm a Foundation". Also working to your advantage, the elves that are selling me my wish want desperately for the sale to go on this year's books so they, too, are eager to make this wish come true.

And, I am willing to up the ante on the night before Christmas plate. I know that last year's cookies were a little rough on the eyes. They were after all decorated in a hotel room by three small children. But this year I will promise to deliver a beautiful plate of Nadine's cookies (see the previous post!) and a tall glass of cold milk if you will in turn allow me to set this plate out next to my very own tree in my very own sitting room with a beautiful red couch that perfectly matches your suit. So, what do you think? Do we have a deal this year?

PS The Princess in Training would like some batteries for Christmas. Apparently her king and queen are incapable of remembering this request and so she is turning it over to you.

PPS Please, under no circumstances grant My Little Reader's wish. I know she thinks she wants a new little brother, but she is just confused. Please bring her some new books instead.

PPPS Sugar and Spice really does want chocolate milk for Christmas, perhaps you could leave some in the fridge. The new fridge that will be in my new house that your elves are so diligently working on!

Cookie Weather

Anyone that really knows me knows that I love cookies. Just about any cookie will do, but there is one that is far superior to all others. Actually, there are beautiful, gleaming cases filled with rows of cookies that, believe it or not, actually call to me. Cookies from this wonderful little gem! (Don't mind all those cake pictures, the cookies are what you really want!) They even tried calling to me today as I drove up Broadway. I passed my little cookie heaven, and sadly had to keep on going. Wow, that's will power, right? "She must be on a diet," I can hear you saying. Nope. Sadly, the reason for my self-restraint...it is not cookie weather. I bet you are wondering what cookie weather is. It would, however, be more appropriate to wonder what cookie weather is not. It is not the humid ickiness that has settled back in to my sweet hometown even though it hasn't rained in days. The truth of the matter is humidity takes the magic out of these cookies. It makes them soft when they should be crispy. Which means that when monsoon season kicks in I find myself faced with an extended fast from my favorite treat. And so, I wait with a close eye on weather.com for the icky humidity to make it's exit and for cookie weather to return at last.

Lessons from a chocolate milkshake

Lesson #1: My three children when properly reminded (read threatened) can share anything even a delicious chocolate milkshake. They can even do so without fighting.

Lesson #2 My Princess in Training cannot possibly be related to me, or my husband, or my mother-in-law as discovered when after three drinks from the shared cup she stated, "I am full. I don't need any more chocolate." No more chocolate? Pure craziness.


Lesson #3 Giving a two-year-old a chocolate milkshake while still in Green Valley is not a smart move when you have a 40 minute drive home. This gives him at least thirty minutes of full sugar rush while trapped in a carseat. Not a good plan.


Lesson #4 The same two-year-old is very knowledgeable about what does and does not constitute as a "surprise" and schooled his mom in the fact that a chocolate milkshake cannot be a surprise. In fact, only toys and trips to Disneyland can be a surprise. Who knew?


Lesson #5 Next time I think I will enjoy my chocolate milkshake in the quiet of my car before I pick the kids up from the sitter!

My sassy shoes

So, as part of the shopping for glasses experience I bought these adorable shoes. Cute, right? Cute does not equal comfortable. You wanna know how I know? Because today was Open House. I spent roughly 10 hours on my feet and now have 4 blisters and two very sore feet to show for it. Not even the extra hot bath [EDIT-hot bath drawn by my handsome, wonderful husband who also brought home Olive Garden to go for dinner-note edit made under duress] helped to relieve their suffering. Tomorrow I think I will stick with tennis shoes. Particularly since I plan to break these babies out for a party again on Saturday. What are the chances my feet will have forgiven me 36 hours from now?

I will tell you, though, that my kindergartners thought my shoes were oh-so-cool!

Forgiveness

Today at work something was said. A story was shared and it involved someone important to me. There is no doubt that it was not meant to be unkind, but feelings were hurt. I think normally I wouldn't have thought twice about what was said, but there were other stresses and worries and somehow this was the proverbial straw.

This person telling the story is a friend that I cherish. I am lucky to have her as both a colleague and friend. I know that my life is better because she is part of it. But I didn't know how to tell her that my feelings had been so badly hurt. So, rather than go to the source, I told another friend. Lucky for me, that friend did go straight to the source and rated me out! Long story short, the friend came seeking forgiveness...which was easy to give. Her friendship is priceless. I certainly didn't want to be mad or hurt, I wanted everything to be as it was before the story had been shared.


It got me thinking about how blessed we are to live forgiven. But beyond that how important it is to seek that forgiveness when necessary. And perhaps most importantly, how much our Heavenly Father wants to grant us that forgiveness. He doesn't want there to be a gulf between us and Him. He wants to wipe the slate clean. To start fresh and move forward. And the best part is that the relationship only continues to grow stronger.


So here's to moving forward!

Maybe I jinxed it...

I'm afraid I spoke too soon...

I loved the book... until I didn't. So much anticipation and building up, only to be let down by a quick everything-works-out-in-the-end kind of ending. I was left wanting oh so much more. So despite that life is no less crazy than it was last week, I accidentally bought another book while I was shopping for a birthday party present for My Princess in Training. Here is hoping that this one measures up!

In other news...

My Little Reader finally got glasses last weekend. I foolishly thought that the adventure would be quick and painless. It was not. The choosing part took much longer than one would think. Who knew that 6 year-olds had such extensive opinions on glasses? But three hours, four pairs of shoes (had to keep the other two entertained), lots of running around the indoor playground, and one cup of pretzel bites later we finally left with a truly cute pair of glasses. Unfortunately, these glasses (much like her daddy's) do not come with the power to locate things that are in plain view such as shoes or homework folders. Imagine how long it might take to buy those kind of glasses! Maybe I should send them on a daddy-daughter date in search of such glasses! Hopefully, as a future mommy My Little Reader will inherently develop this skill over time...I think it may be too late for her daddy. ;)

Shouldn't I know better by now?

School is hectic.

Home is hectic.
Teaching 2 online courses with 2 more beginning on Monday is hectic.
Ben working late is hectic.

You get picture right? So you would think that I would know better. That on Monday when I went to buy My Little Reader some chapter books for her homework that I would have known better than to even dare look. But I did. I looked. I got sucked in. Which meant that on more than one night this week I have been up reading...until nearly midnight despite the fact that the alarm rings at a very early 5 am each morning. I should have known better...and yet I am loving this book! http://www.nancywerlin.com

Here's to another late night and a yummy bag of popcorn!

Our Storybook Story

A little more than eight years ago we danced to the most perfect wedding song I can imagine. To this day when I hear that song it takes me back and I am reminded of how blessed and lucky we are to have found each other.

Come my love I'll tell you a tale,
Of a boy and girl
And their love story.
And how he loved her oh so much,
and all the charms she did posses.

Now this did happen once upon a time,
When things were not so complex.
And how he worshiped the ground she walked,
And when he looked in her eyes he became obsessed.

My love is like a storybook story,
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.
My love is like a storybook story,
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.

His love was stronger than the power so dark,
A prince could have within his keeping.
His spells to weave and steal her heart,
Within her breast, but only sleeping.

My love is like a storybook story,
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.
My love is like a storybook story,
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.

And he said:
"Don't you know I love you oh, so much,
and lay my heart at the foot of your dress."
And she said:
"Don't you know that storybook loves,
Always have a happy ending."

Then he swooped her up just like in the books
And on his stallion they rode away.

My love is like a storybook story,
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.
My love is like a storybook story,
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.