Look at ME!!!

Picture this....me driving, E in the back seat
(note:  much of E's dialogue is condensed into topics---he doesn't really speak only in nouns)

Mom, pokemon, bakugan, nintendo, star wars, legos----Look!  Mom look at this!

Ev, I can't look at you when I'm driving.  You'll have to show me when we stop.

OK.  Pizza, kittens, swimming-----Mom look at this!!


Baby, I can't look at you when I'm driving. 

Oh, yeah.  Phineas and Ferb, Mario Bros, swimming, ice cream------Mom look!

HONEY!  I CAN'T LOOK AT YOU WHEN I'M DRIVING!

SAW--REE!!! You DON'T have to get so mad!!

And this happens EVERY time we are in the car.  No wonder I'm tired

The ice cream cake

OK, my first ice cream cake didn't really come out the way I envisioned or hoped.  I had followed my friend's instructions but they just didn't work for me.  So, I came up with a new method. 
1st  Bake your cake.  Bake whatever cake you want---from a mix, from scratch, whatever,
2nd.  Let your cake cool throughly.  Place your bottom layer on the platter/plate that you are planning to serve it on.  Warning:  you have to be able to put this in your freezer---keep this in mind. 
3rd  cut a circle, about one inch in from the edge, in the bottom layer of your cake.  Don't cut all the way through.  Scoop out the cake.  Put the scooped out cake in a bowl and save it--you'll see why in a minute.
4th.  Fill the circle with your ice cream.  You can use whatever ice cream you want and it doesn't have to be super soft.  Just soft enough for you to scoop it.    Press the ice cream down and smooth it to be level with your cake.  This took more ice cream then I expected it to.  Probably a full pint.  Then stick it in the freezer.  Let your ice cream get firm. 

5.  Put frosting around the 1 inch edge of your circle.  Put your top layer on and frost as usual.  For E's cake I chopped up peanut butter cups for the center of the top layer bcause that is what he asked for.  Then I crumbled up the cake that I had scooped out of the bottom layer and pressed the crumbs into the frosting on the sides and top of the cake. 

6.  Put back in the freezer until ready to serve. 

It happened six years ago

September, 2004
I really didn't know why I was bothering.  I had been through this dozens of times before and the answer was always no.  It was really just a waste of time and effort. 
Holy cow!! The answer was "Yes!"

Fast forward to May, 2005
We finally met face to face on May 26th, 05.  It was just past 11:30 in the morning.  Neither of us looked our best but I think we fell in love with each other immediately. 




He was 8 pounds .08 ounces and 20 1/4 inches.
I NEVER expected to be blessed with him.  But I am so happy and grateful that I have been. 

Your questions answered

Are ya'll roasting or floating these days?  It seems like it is one or the other---you're either in a drought (like us) or in a flood.  I started praying last night that God would flip it around for us.
Several questions have popped up on the comments lately and this seemed to be the most efficient way to answer them.

1.  Yes, we have peach trees.  2 of them.  We also have an apple and a plum tree.  I don't think we are going to get anything from our apple tree this year because it has been such a hot and dry spring.  The peach trees are both full right now.  Although, since it has been so hot and dry we are battling the ants.  They are going after the peaches looking for moisture.  Which is really an unfortunate choice for the ants because my boys are VERY protective of their trees and peaches.  Last year they wanted their daddy to "get a gun and shoot the stinkin' birds" that were pecking holes in the peaches.  This year they are hunting ants.

2.  Hydrangeas:  they really are not hard to care for. They DO NOT like full sun.  (remember these are Texas directions) you have to plant them on the north and/or east sides of your home/yard and in areas that are not going to get afternoon sun.  Morning sun is great but they don't like the heat.  Mine are pink which means our soil is neutral or non-acidic.  If you want to turn your pink hydrangeas blue you have to add acid to your soil.  You can get this at a garden supply store.  They like to dry out a little between waterings.  They do not like to be soggy.  If you get one as a gift, when you water it take the pot out of the colored foil wrap and set the pot in the sink.  Give it a good drink but let it drain completely before putting back in the wrap.  And then let the soil dry before watering again.  Remember though not to let it get desert like.  Letting the soil dry out is not the same as letting the soil dry up and shrink. 

3.  Yes, we can and do buy ice from Sonic.  If you do not have, or have not experienced the perfect yumminess of your favorite drink over the perfection of Sonic crushed ice you must do so immediately.  Coke is soooooooo good over these little pellets of cool.  Oh my gosh!!! You must get one.  In fact, every beverage is made better by Sonic ice. And no, ice is NOT ice.  Sonic ice is in a class by itself

4.  Yes, my boys are nuts.  And through my informal study of my boys and those of my friends and family, the nut gene seems to be attached to the Y chromosome.  I say this because it seem they all do the same annoying, mind boggling things.  I take comfort in the fact that I am not the only mommy dealing with dirty clothes in odd places, pee continually on and around my toilets, and meals that sound like I am dining with a herd of cattle.

5.  Yes, I am LOVING the RH of NJ.  I was a little concerned that they may not be as interesting now that crazy Danielle is gone but it is actually so much better!!!! I am kinda in reality heaven right now with 3 versions of the RH's on right now.  And all 3 are pretty good.  It looks like the NYC trip to Morocco is going to be crazy.  The RH series is the only reality show(s) I watch, but I am a passionate fan. :)

6.  No, I haven't gotten my biopsy results back yet.  It has been officially a week now so I am planning to call the dr's office tomorrow since I haven't heard from them.  I am feeling really good and I have had no problems since surgery.  In fact, I have exercised every day this week (so far) and the plan for the summer is to exercise 5 days a week.  I have allowed myself to get to a weight that I had promised myself to never see again.  Now that I am out of school for the summer it is time to turn things around. 

7. Yes, I am now officially on summer vacation.  I finished work last Friday.  The boys are still in school this week.  Friday is their last day and they cannot wait!


Now, I am going to stir up controversy, I don't care that Oprah has aired her last show.  I don't care for Oprah.  Her show ending, or continuing, does not change my life one iota.  The world will keep turning, in fact, it has already happened.  Kinda like that rapture that was supposed to happen on the 21st

The best things about summer

My favorite things about summer

• being in charge of my own schedule and being able to go and do when I want, where I want
• not having to get the kids up and out (and me up and out) of the house every morning by 7:45
• no lunches to pack
• swimming with the boys
• fresh fruit--in salads, slushies, cool whip, ice cream, etc.
• tagging along with Mr. G on his business trips==like a free mini vacation!!
• going to pottery more than once a week, when I want to
• crafting on all the projects I don't get to doing the year
• crafting with the boys
• trying out new recipes
• roses around my house
• working on projects I never seem to get finsihed during the year
• the $1 summer movie series
• cooking outside
• snuggling with my boys in the morning
• getting my chores done first thing so that I have the rest of the day to do whatever
• reading----magazines and books
• fireworks
• fun toe nail polish
• flip flops
• summer movies--X Men, Harry Potter, Green Lantern
• Sonic crushed ice and Sonic Happy Hour (neither of which are strictly summer things but are better during the summer)

In the sum, sum, summer time

1st I want to thank everyone who has posted a comment or sent an e-mail expressing well wishes and prayers for my health.  I am feeling good.  I haven't gotten the biopsy results back yet, but I have a peace about it and I feel certain all will come back well

2nd I had posted a couple of weeks ago that Mr. G and I had been working on cleaning up the flower beds and getting the yard ready for summer.  Today we finally got the vast majority of the work done and I have some pictures to post.    So here ya' go...

Look! My first hydrangea of the summer

The impatiens on my front porch are doing well.  And see the angel down in front of the geraniums?  She is a garden angel that Chris madefor me in pottery class

Mr. G thinks it is funny that I put this pot of petunias in the bird bath, I like the way it looks

I made this "welcome" pot.  There is a solar yard light inside so at night it is lit

Same deal with this one.

peaches

this is C's peach tree

this is E's peach tree

I painted all my terracotta pots for the deck this bright blue, now I'm kinda in love with spray paint

and I drilled holes in the bottom of these sand buckets I got at the $1 store and filled them with geraniums

The deck from afar

And this was sort of a Mother's Day gift.  I saw a similar project and my father in law and Mr. G executed it for me.  The bottom is an old dresser.  My f.i.l. removed the drawers and braces and made a shelf.  He add the frame and the peg board to the back.  The Mr. G painted it for me.  Now it is a potting table!  The large pot to the right is an old plastic pot that is filled with my potting soil.  It is so much easier to get to now then when it is in the humogous Miracle Grow sack!

So there ya' go, the fruits of our labors!  I hope you've had a great weekend!

Blessings,

Mom---the word that cuts both ways

Mom, Mommy, Mama----is there a sweeter word when you hear it from your baby's mouth? 
Mama, I love you.
Mommy, you're so pretty
Mom, you're the best
These are the times that you cherish.  That you love your child more than words can ever describe. 

Then there is the other side of the coin...
Mom!  Where's my ____?
Mommy!  He's looking/touching/talking/breathing at me!!!!
Mom!!! Can you ___?  Will you ___?  Did you ____?  Do you _____?  Are you _____?
Maaaaawummmmm!!!!!!!
These are the times that give you a bride of Frakenstein hairdo.  That you want to run as far and as fast as you can.

I love my kids.  I love talking to my kids.  I would just like to talk to them when
1.  I'm not on the phone or talking to someone else
2.  I'm not in the bathroom
3.  I'm not in the middle of cooking dinner and trying to get them fed

I would love to talk to them when
1. we are driving hither yon, back forth, up down and all around going from school to lessons to practice and errands.  You know, they could tell me about their day rather than grunting, groaning, griping, whining and complaining.
2. when we are working on something together
3.  when we have one on one time with each other
4.  when we have a meal together.
These would be nice times to have a conversation with my kids, instead of , for example, when I am in the shower. 
Maybe I should start serving dinner in the bathroom while I hold a phone to my ear and then the boys and I can have great conversations! 
Blessings!

Recipes, recipes, I got some new recipes

Corn Casserole (from my friends Trisha and Sara)
1 can cream corn
1 can whole corn
1 stick of melted butter
1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix
1 C of sour cream
1 egg, beaten

Combine all ingredients.  Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake at 350 for one hour.  TASTY!


Makeover chicken  (also from Sara)
2 C of shredded chicken
1 C of plain yogurt
1 C of mayo
1 C of chopped broccoli
1/2 C of diced red pepper
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 1/2 TBS of minced dill
2 tubes of crescent rolls
1 beaten egg

combine all ingredients (except crescents and egg).  Unroll crescents but do not divide into triangles--divide into rectangles (i.e. 2 triangles together).  Spoon chicken mixture into each rectangle.  Fold over and seal edges with a fork.  Brush egg over top and bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes.  Serve hot out of the oven.  (once these cool they get a little soggy/soft on the bottom---I thought they were still tasty but not as good as hot from the oven)

Vanilla glaze for napoleons and/or eclairs
Ingredients
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

Dash salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 tablespoons boiling water
Directions
Combine sugar, salt, and vanilla.
Add boiling water, mixing well.



Chocolate coconut muffins from Home Cooking Adventure
Makes 12 muffin cups
Muffin ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup coconut flakes
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp vinegar
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

White coconut glaze
1 egg white
150 g powder sugar
2 tbsp lemon fresh juice
5 tbsp coconut flakes

Chocolate glaze
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp butter
1 tbsp water
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Grease muffin cups.
2.In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients. Add water, vinegar, vanilla extract and oil and mix well. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
3.Prepare white glaze. Whip egg white until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and lemon juice whiping the whole time. Continue whiping until forms a thick meringue foam. Fold in the coconut flakes and continue whiping over a bain-marie until the foam is hot. Form small round balls and garnish the top of muffins.
4.Prepare chocolate glaze. Mix butter with sugar, cocoa powder and water and bring to boil. The glaze gets dark and thick. Sprinkle muffins with it or around it.


Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake from Sweet Little Smoothie

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Topping
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped fine
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

Icing
2 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

1 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease 13x9 pan
2 - Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside
3 - In a large bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy
4 - Gradually beat in sour cream & sugar
5 - Beat in the eggs one at a time and stir in vanilla
6 - By hand, fold in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Spread batter into prepared pan.

For the topping
1 - In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon
2 - Stir in melted butter and mix into a sugary paste
3 - Sprinkle over cake batter in pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Icing
1 - Beat cream cheese until soft
2 - Add sugar and vanilla and beat until combined
3 - Add milk by teaspoon until desired consistency reached
4 - Drizzle over coffee cake



Creamsicle fruit dip from Madigan Made

1 8 oz container whipped topping
1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 6 oz container of frozen (concentrated) orange juice
Fruit for dipping (strawberries, mango, grapes, pineapple, etc)

Combine: Mix the first three ingredients together. Add a little water to thin out to desired consistency, if needed.
Cut: Wash, cut and prep the fruit.
Serve: Refrigerate until ready to serve. Then enjoy the orange dreamsicle goodness!
Variation: Instead of frozen OJ, just use about 6 oz of orange juice. (You may not need to thin the mixture down with water.)

Surgery update

So, I had my surgery yesterday.  I don't remember a thing---which I think is a good way to describe a surgery! :)  I did have some cramping yesterday and this afternoon.  My biggest complaint yesterday is that I was given an injection of pain meds just before the surgery and it made me feel awful.  I got a pounding headache, I couldn't keep my eyes open but I wasn't asleep---I just had no muscle control, and it made me vomit later in the evening.  So, I'm sticking with advil for pain management. I expect I will have the biopsy results within a week.  Now that it is all over, I feel that all will be well and I will get a good report.  The doctor didn't indicate that she saw anything concerning.  So, for right now, I am just moving a little slow and finding it difficult to find a comfortable sitting position---LOL--kinda like 3 to 4 days after giving birth! :)
Thanks for the prayers and concern.  I do really appreciate it.  Making bloggy friends is hands down the best part of blogging!
Blessings,

Me, Me, ME!!!!

I wanna talk about MEEEEE!!!
(I'm sorry, if you listen to Kidd Kraddick you got that reference, if not, there is no way to explain)

So, I'm having my surgery tomorrow.  I mentioned this about a month ago.  I am having a uterine ablation, cervical cauterization, cervical biopsy, and, I found out today, a uterine biopsy. Now, before today, I was totally fine with all of this.  Not concerned about these "proceedures" at all.  I mean, it's minor, outpatient, no big deal.  And that is how I felt right up to when my doctor kept saying "biopsy" and "pathology". Then when she threw in the list of possible risks related to the surgery and anesthesia it kinda put me 'round the bend. 

Half my brain is thinking that everything is fine and there is nothing to worry about.  Things will go smoothly and successfully.  The other half is saying  "umm, did you NOT hear the word biopsy?!"  So, I'm just going to tell that part to shut up and eat all I can right up 'til midnight when I start my 12+ hour fast. 

I'll try to post an update tomorrow--Wednesday at the latest.
Blessings!

Wizards, Legos and Thor---Oh MY!!!

Mr. Evan is not really 6 yet.  His "real" birthday is still a couple of weeks away but since he opted for a trip instead of a birthday party this year, he already had his big celebration.  It was a weekend whirlwind of fun. 
Friday, both boys had field trips at school.  Mr. E and I went to the zoo. 

here we are waiting in line to get in

enormous sand turtle in the background

I don't know how well you can see, but this is a huge male turkey who was fanning out all his feathers and gobbling LOUDLY--I guess he didn't like this noisy bunch of kids so close

giraffes

my boy with his best buds

how cute is it that they aren't too big yet to hold hands?

fooling around in line

smiles

lunchtime!

what cute guys!

with his teacher---Mrs. S---she is WONDERFUL!! and we LOVE her.  I may cry when he leaves her class for the last time next week.

Next up, zooming to Ft. Worth to see the Wizard of Oz.  The play was well done. The kids LOVED it.  We always ask them "what was your best part?" and both of them said they couldn't pick a best part because they liked the whole thing sooo much.

Then up and at 'em early the next morning for LEGO Land discovery center.  I think I may have mentioned this before but E and his Daddy are crazy for Legos!!!

my niece and my boy

he is crazy excited!!

can you see the blur that is my niece?

we are in the waiting area and he is already "legoing"

learning how legos are made

chosen to participate in the demonstration

these figures were about as tall as E and completely made of legos

the four kids loaded up for the first ride

demonstration on how to make buildings to withstand earth quakes

Mr. G and C get building

waiting for the next ride, that's my brother in law and nephew with C and E

how cute are these little bikes for the ride?

already to go.  they had to peddle to make their car go up and down

race car building

needing a little help from daddy

I think the big guys were having as much fun as the little ones

C still working on the earthquake

look at the little bitty cat in the building

help from dad

E is trying to build a earth quake proof building

testing their race cars

this one wasn't a stellar success

look at the dallas stadium made from legos

airport

the great wolf lodge

fair park and dallas skyline

rodeo

Southfork

gotta have some oil wells in Texas

Ranger stadium

THE ferris wheel

Lego land was really cool buut, once you've done it, you've done it.  It wasn't nearly as large as we thought it was going to be from checking it out online.  And it didn't take near as long as we expected it to.  We were done in a couple of hours.  So, since we were all starving, and we had extra time, we went next door to the dine in theatre and saw Thor and had a yummy lunch.  I think everyone liked the theatre as much or more than Legoland.  All four kids are already planning a return trip to the theatre!

Then we headed back to the house.  My parents came over to see the kids and we ate the Lego cake.

If I had more time I would have done somethign more complicated and detailed but E was happy with this.  Besides, I've got to make another bday cake on his actual birthday.

Happy birthday to you!!!

Make a wish baby!!!

He had a great weekend.  We all had lots of fun and the kids all played together so well (that's a gift to the grown ups!)  Thanks to Nana and Granpa for joining us for the party.  And thanks to MayMay and Reg for letting us stay with you.  We had lots of fun!!!