Snow Day!!!

Yes you read right. Snow was brought onto campus today and Ana got to play in it. She was very hesitant at first because it was so slippery to walk on, and cold and wet to touch. But, pretty soon she was climbing and throwing it just like all the other kids. Sadly the snow is melting quick ...it's supposed to be 80 today.

Super Bowl of

Salsa!
This salsa goes with football games like, bare chests and body paint.
So fresh, so easy, and so tasty...

1 can diced tomatoes undrained
1 garilc clove
1 medium yellow onion
1 bunch of cilantro
3 jalapeno (carve out the seeds if you don't want it hot) without stems
a dash of salt

Put all ingredients in a chopper and chop. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve with your favorite chips.

(And did I mention all the antioxidants?)

I spent the better part of today cleaning out Cade and Camryn's room. It was long overdue and tedious. But as I closed the door to sweep behind it I found this sign.

I am so glad we are all on the same team...yes I am.

33 and still Fabulous!

I have been asked for this recipe by a few of you and finally remembered to do it. These Sugar Cookies are the BEST for cutouts. They are sturdy enough for a 2 year old to decorate (no broken cookies) and melt in your mouth delicious on the inside. And with Valentine's day approaching maybe some heart shaped ones with icing will melt the hearts of those you love!

Super Cutout Sugar Cookies (not just for the holidays)

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups self rising flour

Frosting
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup water
4 tsp meringue powder
1/2 light corn syrup

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of dough to 3/16 -in thickness. Cut with floured cookie cutters. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, beat the confectioners' sugar, water, and meringue powder on low speed just until combined. Beat on high for 4 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Add corn syrup beat 1 minute longer. Tint with food coloring of your choice. Frost cookies and let stand until set.

Ordinary Time
So this is the time in the liturgical year we Catholics call "ordinary time". A brief time between Advent and Lent and Easter. And so life in our domestic church mirrors it. Dad started his QB lessons and coaching Lacrosse. Cade is 3 months away from his Black belt so he is training and anxiously waiting for his lacrosse team to start practicing next week. Camryn is still in the middle of her soccer season. Ana and Monica pass their days on my whims and pleasures: parks, play dates and errands.
So here are a few pictures of first meals and Camryn's view of our family as she sees it these days. (I know the picture is poor quality but I am holding a tiny bundle that is Monica)

Strawberry Fields Forever

What do you get.....

when you take 4 kids....
Strawberry picking.....

Give the older kids a recipe while you put the exhausted little ones down for a nap?

You get Lemon Meringue Cake with Strawberries!

2 cups sliced strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 skim milk
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 egg whites

Meringue
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar

Mix strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a square pan, 9X9X2 with nonstick cooking spray. Beat flour, 1 cup sugar, the margarine, milk, baking powder, lemon peel, vanilla, salt and 2 egg whites in large bowl on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 2 minutes scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Beat 2 egg whites in medium bowl until foamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until stiff and glossy. Spread over cake. Bake 8-10 minutes or until meringue is light brown. Cool completely. Top each serving with strawberries.

Dear Monica,

Yesterday, you became a 6 month old. I took you to the Doctor and your weight and height were measured and documented. What you won't find in your medical records, and of far more importance if you must know is what I am recording about you in my heart. Like the way you love to nuzzle in my neck to fall asleep. Or, what it feels like to lie tummy to tummy with you when I nurse you at night. The way your sisters and brother can make you laugh simply by acting silly. The way your skin feels like a fine piece of silk, and you always smell so warm and sweet like a pie just out of the oven. Your hands are so small but already so precise in reaching and holding, slowly turning over toys as you study them and pass them from hand to hand. How your eyes search me out after hearing my voice and when finding me, your smile is filled with an honest joy. A joy so intense it reaches up to your eyes to light them and into your arms and legs to outstretch them. In my arms you find comfort and there is where you always want to be.
And it is where I would keep you just this size forever if it were possible.

Variety Pages

Thanks so much for all the exaggerations and hyperboles! Cade was so excited to read them and then we spent the better part of the afternoon making more up. I also didn't realize about myself that I speak mostly in exaggeration and hyperbole...is that a bad thing? Anyway many thanks to all who joined in the fun.

Uncle D's products are on Danielle Bean's website with a bonafide thumbs up review (but we didn't need her to tell us how good they are, we already know).

My sister in law Dani started a blog!!! Welcome to the neighborhood Dani. She will now be on my sidebar as well.

Funny story about Ana....We are trying to teach her to be polite when asking for things, so when she asks for milk or juice we will often prompt her with, "what do you say?" To which she will reply, "please". So the other night at dinner, she asked for juice and Doug said, "how do you ask?" And Ana pointed to her mouth and said, "with my mouth".

Hyperbole vs. Exaggeration

Cade is reading about Paul Bunyon in a novel (he wanted me to make sure I said that) and he is learning about hyperbole and exaggeration. So being the English lover that I am, I wanted to have some fun. So I am asking for your help...please send us a funny example of an exaggeration and a hyperbole for Cade. (Please people this is for educational purposes)

For those that need a reminder (as I did) about the difference between the two:
Exaggeration could happen. Hyperbole is just extreme exaggeration not meant to be taken literally. (Think Your Momma jokes..haha)

Here are mine:

I am so tired from lack of sleep I could sleep for a whole day!

I am so tired I might need to be kissed by a prince to be woken up tomorrow!

Can't wait to read yours!

Sideline Scores

Camryn's soccer team won yesterday 7-3
Camryn scored 4 of the goals...yes she needs to work on her passing skills...here are some pictures from the game.

Ok people, I can take a hint. You like the pictures I get it, I get it. Sorry I bore you with my writing...

So here is more of what you really want. I would take a poll, but I am afraid of the answer: that the smiley, cute kid pictures overrule my musings, so I won't even ask.



I got these organic cotton jammies on sale for $6.00 at garnet hill...so this photo encapsulates my favorite things..my girls and a bargain!
My godson Isaiah (photo credit Doug) Looks like they shared a pretty close moment here.
Hope! Sometimes I am so hungry I could eat a blue bowling pin too!
Ana at her friend Madi's house. We had a good visit there today! (Yes Michele, she would wear this outfit everyday if I let her)

Walking with Cade...

"Mom, should I touch this cactus?"
"Mom what's an electric fence mean?"
"What will happen if I touch it?"
"What if I touch it with this stick?"
"How about if my ball touches it?"
"Where does this underground tunnel lead?"
"Can I go inside it?"

Blinded by love

"...they saw the child with Mary his mother.They prostrated themselves and did him homage."

A precious life held on the lap of a homeless woman. That is what the 3 Magi saw when they arrived in Bethlehem.

Can you imagine these 3 very well to do, intelligent gentlemen humbling themselves in this way? They first expected to find this Messiah in the kingdom in Jerusalem. That is where they first went. I mean where else would you go if you were looking for a king? Certainly not a barn.
Yet there in a manger they found him. And they knew immediately that he was the One and they gave him precious gifts and honored him.

My kids are pretty well behaved in public (home is another story). And since Doug has been out of town I have had to bring them everywhere with me. Well, after church I had to grab some things from the store, so there we are all dressed up at the deli counter, when a lady looked at me and said, "what beautiful children you have. And they are so well behaved". Yes, they did look their best with their nice clothes on, combed hair and all. One might get misled to believe we always look that way and that this is how it always is. Well, I started to wonder why we don't get those compliments when we are looking as we really are. Shorts, t-shirts, flip flops. People really just don't see us and how beautiful we are when we are that way. Our beauty is invisible, like the guy on the corner begging for money or the elderly person sitting alone in a restaurant. But we are the same beautiful bunch despite our outward appearance.
Sometimes Doug will tell me I am beautiful when I have sweats on and my hair pulled back and I will look at him like, "yeah right".
But he persists, "No really honey, you look really pretty right now."
That is being blinded by love isn't it? I wonder if that is how the Magi knew they had found what they were looking for? They saw past the rustic surroundings, past the dirty animals, past the manger, and looked into the pure light that was in those baby eyes.

It's a Boy!

I am a few days late in reporting, but my dear friend Kathleen delivered her 5th baby. A boy they named Cole Joseph Carlin. My friend Kathleen's friendship is truly a blessing to me. She is a remarkable person. Truly her husband struck gold when he married her. She is my hero because she can do it all and with great love. I am so blessed to have her as a friend and her five children are so very blessed to call her Mom.

Pictures

.... because my mother told me to and I am an obedient child.

Brr it is cold I had to get a photo of them in warmer clothes...Yes Cade is still wearing shorts but his shirt is long sleeve.

The brown girl and her Tita

Gross or Gourmet you decide...if you are 7 this is awesome
I have 4 of this EXACT same picture...same Jaja/different grandchild
Ana..with her hair out of her eyes...rare these days because we are growing it out.
This is a typical photo these days...one won't smile, another won't look and usually two obedient ones who usually do what Mom asks

I have the Bowl Blahs if you know what I mean. Where did all these bowl games come from? I fondly remember when there was just cotton, orange, sugar and rose now there are just so many more ya know?! I can't keep it all straight.

Oh yeah, Happy New Year! 2008 Wow...I love that January 1st is a Holy day of obligation (I can say that now, since we actually made it to mass this morning even after I watched the ball drop last night). It is a good feeling to start a New Year with the sacrifice of the Mass and a blessing to hear these comforting words in the readings as we face a new year... “The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.... May God bless us in His mercy....

Today's homily did not disappoint. The priest reminded me that Jesus consecrated us to his sacred heart not his head. That the matters of the heart are what really matter. On Christmas the Gospel told how Mary reflected on everything that was happening in her heart. Duh, right?! Except that I just got it. Too much thinking with my head lately (although I can see Doug shaking his head like, "really when?"). Truly it is the matters of the heart that we remember and cherish throughout our lives. And those happen in the simplest gestures, the smallest moments. Rocking a baby to sleep, sharing a meal or a laugh with someone, an act of affection, tenderness, sharing love.

So now, I want to say goodbye to 2007. You were a good year. We moved into a new home. Our family grew with the births of Monica and cousin Hope. We welcomed and enjoyed the company of many friends and family into our home. Birthdays, holidays, and a state championship were celebrated. Family was held close even when far away. Cancer hit close to home and in its wake left us clinging to how precious life is. We had many tears and many smiles.


Hello 2008. I wonder what lies ahead...go easy on us hu?