1. I'd really like someone to come clean out and clean up my basement right now.
2. Suh-weet shhuuuuugar! is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.
3. Possession is a word with a lot of esses.
4. I've never seen a movie with the character Captain Jack Sparrow.
5. Marshmallows and fire go together like creme brulee and a blow torch.
6. This winter weather and the freezing temperatures go on and on.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to just coming home after getting the kids from school and putting on my PJs. Oh, and watching "Friday Night Lights"! Tomorrow my plans include hanging out at home, then church. Sunday, I want to stay in my PJs all day.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Problem Solved!
My wonderful, kind, creative friend Kesa asked me if she could make Aiden's birthday invitations for me.
Like she even had to ask!
The cool ticket above is what I'm printing and sending out. I think she did an AWESOME job. I LOVE it.
(Kesa does this as a side job on top of a bunch of other jobs she does... so if you like it, let me know and I'll pass along Kesa's info to you so you can give her some business!)
Wings (not the Paul McCartney band)
As previously mentioned, we all went to Quaker Steak last night because Aiden is crazy about hot wings. Wonder where he gets that from?
Um, hunny? Little sauce there on your... yeah. There. You got it.
For those of you who know nothing about Quaker Steak, they have about ten trillion choices for sauces. You order wings or ribs and then tell the nice server taking your order how you want your meat.......
um......
er......
"lubed".
Heh. (The official name of the restaurant is Quaker Steak AND LUBE, but that just conjurs up so many things that don't need to be pondered when thinking about food, right? So at our house it's just Quaker Steak.)
Tuesdays are All You Can Shove in Your Gullet Wing Nights. Natch, that's Aiden's favorite night to go to Quaker Steak (did I tell you that this place is purposefully located right beside our local Harley Davidson store? You can get a better feel for the crowd now, right?)
So Aiden orders his usual: basket of kids' wings with fries. They offer Jell-O, applesauce and carrot sticks in lieu of fries, but somehow Jell-O and hot wings just doesn't scream "I'm a MAN!" does it?
Aiden's choice last night? Buckeye BBQ. It's Scoville rating? 5,000. Not too hot, but it's up there. In fact, it's the 3rd hottest sauce offered.
The hottest sauce? The aptly named ATOMIC.
Every.stinkin.time we've gone to eat at Quaker Steak, Aiden has literally BEGGED Stan to order the Atomic wings. Every.stinkin.time we've told him no. For real, y'all, you have to sign a WAIVER to eat those wings. Their Scoville rating? 100,000. Shyeah, right.
Last night we lost all sense of right and wrong (must be the effect of the new administration) and we actually let Aiden try an Atomic wing.
Stan tried it first.
Stan not likey.
Aiden tried it. Barely got his mouth around it. Decided Aiden no likey, either.
And there it sat, poor, abandoned Atomic wing.
And the dream, for Aiden, has died.
But he and his flaming tongue were consoled by ice cream.
Lots and LOTS of ice cream (good thing the birthday kid gets it free!)
 |
| From Aiden birthday |
Um, hunny? Little sauce there on your... yeah. There. You got it.
For those of you who know nothing about Quaker Steak, they have about ten trillion choices for sauces. You order wings or ribs and then tell the nice server taking your order how you want your meat.......
um......
er......
"lubed".
Heh. (The official name of the restaurant is Quaker Steak AND LUBE, but that just conjurs up so many things that don't need to be pondered when thinking about food, right? So at our house it's just Quaker Steak.)
Tuesdays are All You Can Shove in Your Gullet Wing Nights. Natch, that's Aiden's favorite night to go to Quaker Steak (did I tell you that this place is purposefully located right beside our local Harley Davidson store? You can get a better feel for the crowd now, right?)
So Aiden orders his usual: basket of kids' wings with fries. They offer Jell-O, applesauce and carrot sticks in lieu of fries, but somehow Jell-O and hot wings just doesn't scream "I'm a MAN!" does it?
 |
| From Aiden birthday |
Aiden's choice last night? Buckeye BBQ. It's Scoville rating? 5,000. Not too hot, but it's up there. In fact, it's the 3rd hottest sauce offered.
The hottest sauce? The aptly named ATOMIC.
Every.stinkin.time we've gone to eat at Quaker Steak, Aiden has literally BEGGED Stan to order the Atomic wings. Every.stinkin.time we've told him no. For real, y'all, you have to sign a WAIVER to eat those wings. Their Scoville rating? 100,000. Shyeah, right.
Last night we lost all sense of right and wrong (must be the effect of the new administration) and we actually let Aiden try an Atomic wing.
Stan tried it first.
 |
| From Aiden birthday |
Stan not likey.
Aiden tried it. Barely got his mouth around it. Decided Aiden no likey, either.
 |
| From Aiden birthday |
And there it sat, poor, abandoned Atomic wing.
 |
| From Aiden birthday |
And the dream, for Aiden, has died.
But he and his flaming tongue were consoled by ice cream.
Lots and LOTS of ice cream (good thing the birthday kid gets it free!)
I had a dream....
I hate when I am asleep and dreaming about having to go to the potty.
Right before I woke up this morning I was having such a dream. It's so bizarre I just had to share.
I was in a parking garage with Ashton Kutcher and actress/comedienne Mo'Nique (I know, right? Like those two would ever hang out. Maybe they're planning a remake of The Graduate together or something. Who knows.)
So we're all about to hop in a super tiny car. Me, Mo'Nique and Ashton. I called shotgun (wouldn't you?)
Right before I opened the car door I realized I needed to use the facilities, so after announcing that to Ash and Mo, I promptly sat down on the floor of the parking garage.
Fast forward to the next scene in my dream and I'm crossing the street from the garage to a row of buildings. Ashton and Mo'Nique are sitting at an outdoor cafe' table (probably discussing the Graduate script...) when I approach. I see a caption (YES, a CAPTION!) underneath where they're sitting that says, "2 Hours Later" like I'm in an episode of Spongebob or something.
"Hey!" I say. "Are y'all still waiting on me to go to the bathroom?"
"DUH." Ashton replies.
"Sorry. I didn't know what the plan was!" I retort.
So then I open the door to a bank and go inside. I walk all the way to the back and ask if they have a bathroom I can use.
The manager says, "We don't do that sort of thing here."
So I squat down on the floor in front of the horrified customers inside the bank and say, "Well, I guess I'll just go right here, then!"
Voila. Keys appear and I'm allowed inside a room straight out of a spy movie. It's all hush-hush and whatnot. Buttons are pushed and a hole opens up on a countertop.
Evidently, it's a top secret potty project. I'm instructed to hop up onto the countertop and try out the new high-tech, appear out of nowhere toilet. As I start to relieve myself in my dream, I awaken.
I hate when that happens.
As I was sharing the dream with my husband, he relayed a story about Lillian from last night (we took Aiden out to Quaker Steak for a 2nd birthday dinner, because he loves All-You-Can-Eat wings on Tuesday nights...)
Stan took the kids (minus Aiden) to the car while I finished paying the bill. There was an overcharge on the bill, so they waited longer than they expected to. Naturally, Lillian announced that she had to go potty. Thinking I would be right out, Stan told Lillian to get out and wait for me in front of the van so I could turn around and take her back to the potty when I came outside. She got out and started pacing back and forth in front of the car, moaning and groaning about how badly she had to goooooooooo.... I'm sure you can picture the scene.
Stan said she finally stopped and said, "Daddy! Can't I just squat right here in front of the van on the sidewalk?"
Bless her heart. She is so envious of her brothers that can go pee (practically) anywhere, anytime.
And that concludes today's session of "Potty Talk with Beth". Tune in tomorrow when we broach the topic, "Toilet Paper: Over or Under?!?"
Right before I woke up this morning I was having such a dream. It's so bizarre I just had to share.
I was in a parking garage with Ashton Kutcher and actress/comedienne Mo'Nique (I know, right? Like those two would ever hang out. Maybe they're planning a remake of The Graduate together or something. Who knows.)
So we're all about to hop in a super tiny car. Me, Mo'Nique and Ashton. I called shotgun (wouldn't you?)
Right before I opened the car door I realized I needed to use the facilities, so after announcing that to Ash and Mo, I promptly sat down on the floor of the parking garage.
Fast forward to the next scene in my dream and I'm crossing the street from the garage to a row of buildings. Ashton and Mo'Nique are sitting at an outdoor cafe' table (probably discussing the Graduate script...) when I approach. I see a caption (YES, a CAPTION!) underneath where they're sitting that says, "2 Hours Later" like I'm in an episode of Spongebob or something.
"Hey!" I say. "Are y'all still waiting on me to go to the bathroom?"
"DUH." Ashton replies.
"Sorry. I didn't know what the plan was!" I retort.
So then I open the door to a bank and go inside. I walk all the way to the back and ask if they have a bathroom I can use.
The manager says, "We don't do that sort of thing here."
So I squat down on the floor in front of the horrified customers inside the bank and say, "Well, I guess I'll just go right here, then!"
Voila. Keys appear and I'm allowed inside a room straight out of a spy movie. It's all hush-hush and whatnot. Buttons are pushed and a hole opens up on a countertop.
Evidently, it's a top secret potty project. I'm instructed to hop up onto the countertop and try out the new high-tech, appear out of nowhere toilet. As I start to relieve myself in my dream, I awaken.
I hate when that happens.
As I was sharing the dream with my husband, he relayed a story about Lillian from last night (we took Aiden out to Quaker Steak for a 2nd birthday dinner, because he loves All-You-Can-Eat wings on Tuesday nights...)
Stan took the kids (minus Aiden) to the car while I finished paying the bill. There was an overcharge on the bill, so they waited longer than they expected to. Naturally, Lillian announced that she had to go potty. Thinking I would be right out, Stan told Lillian to get out and wait for me in front of the van so I could turn around and take her back to the potty when I came outside. She got out and started pacing back and forth in front of the car, moaning and groaning about how badly she had to goooooooooo.... I'm sure you can picture the scene.
Stan said she finally stopped and said, "Daddy! Can't I just squat right here in front of the van on the sidewalk?"
Bless her heart. She is so envious of her brothers that can go pee (practically) anywhere, anytime.
And that concludes today's session of "Potty Talk with Beth". Tune in tomorrow when we broach the topic, "Toilet Paper: Over or Under?!?"
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
As if changing the roll wasn't enough trouble...
I give you the iPod Stereo Dock Speaker and Bath Tissue Holder.
Remember that song "Mambo #5" that was popular a few years ago? Maybe Lou Bega could be the spokesman for this product if he renamed his song, "Mambo #2": A little bit of Eagles while I poo... a squirt of air freshener for me and you..."
Do you really have that much time to spend on the toilet? Really? And if you do, could you fold a load of my laundry while you're in there?
Monday, January 26, 2009
Ahead... and Behind
I AM AHEAD OF THE GAME:
On Saturday I asked each of the kids to write out a Valentine message, then I took these pictures and uploaded them to Snapfish. I ordered one copy of each photo for each person in each of the kids' classes. I'm going to attach the pictures to paper and these will be the kids' Valentine cards. Easy Peasy. (Not my original idea... one I stole from one of the many scrapbooking magazines I read...)
So I'm way ahead of the game there. V-Day isn't for another 19 days! Woo hoo! Go Mommy! Go Mommy!
AND YET I'VE FALLEN WOEFULLY BEHIND:
Aiden celebrated his 8th birthday yesterday.
What? Huh? What's that you ask? What kind of party did he have?
(Hiding my eyes behind my hand as I mumble incoherently...)
None.
Bless his 2,921 day-old heart. All he wants is to have all the 2nd grade boys over for a movie party. All I have to do is pop some popcorn, buy some movie candy (in the boxes like they have at the cineplex) and rent a movie for the boys to watch.
For some reason I can't get past making the guest list. I got nothin' else. What's holding me up, you ask?
Creativity.
Sure, I could slap together a Word document and mail it out to the boys. They don't care. But for some reason, I do. If I make it, it has to have all the bells and whistles.
I ain't got nothin' clever in the way of boys movie party invitation ideas.
And thus the reason my son will celebrate his January birthday in, say, March? Sound good?
On Saturday I asked each of the kids to write out a Valentine message, then I took these pictures and uploaded them to Snapfish. I ordered one copy of each photo for each person in each of the kids' classes. I'm going to attach the pictures to paper and these will be the kids' Valentine cards. Easy Peasy. (Not my original idea... one I stole from one of the many scrapbooking magazines I read...)
So I'm way ahead of the game there. V-Day isn't for another 19 days! Woo hoo! Go Mommy! Go Mommy!
AND YET I'VE FALLEN WOEFULLY BEHIND:
Aiden celebrated his 8th birthday yesterday.
What? Huh? What's that you ask? What kind of party did he have?
(Hiding my eyes behind my hand as I mumble incoherently...)
None.
Bless his 2,921 day-old heart. All he wants is to have all the 2nd grade boys over for a movie party. All I have to do is pop some popcorn, buy some movie candy (in the boxes like they have at the cineplex) and rent a movie for the boys to watch.
For some reason I can't get past making the guest list. I got nothin' else. What's holding me up, you ask?
Creativity.
Sure, I could slap together a Word document and mail it out to the boys. They don't care. But for some reason, I do. If I make it, it has to have all the bells and whistles.
I ain't got nothin' clever in the way of boys movie party invitation ideas.
And thus the reason my son will celebrate his January birthday in, say, March? Sound good?
Making Memories
For those of you that scrapbook, you know that this week is the winter CHA meeting where all the new craft goodies are released. Ah, to be in Anaheim right now...
Anyhoo, the gals at the Making Memories blog are at CHA and are giving away prizes on their blog all week.
Check it out!
Anyhoo, the gals at the Making Memories blog are at CHA and are giving away prizes on their blog all week.
Check it out!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Friday Fill Ins 1/23
1. Oh, I am so upset for Camryn right now. She was supposed to perform something with her friend Brianna at the school's talent show today, and Brianna bailed on her. Camryn was devastated.
2. I don't like any changes, to my routine, big (or) little.
3. During the Golden Globes , I laughed out loud at Ricky Gervais. He's one HI-larious man.
4. Shutting down Gitmo.... are you kidding me??? B-I-G mistake. BIG. HUGE.
5. Right now I'd like to be in my PJs in my bed. More day to live, though. Things to do, children to taxi, laundry to wash, dishes to unload and reload.
6. DVR is my favorite gadget.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing with the family. Tomorrow my plans include taking Lillian to a birthday party, church, and watching the Miss America pageant. Sunday is Aiden's birthday, so we'll do something to celebrate. He'll probably want to go eat wings at Quaker Steak, so we'll do that and then go to community group that afternoon.
2. I don't like any changes, to my routine, big (or) little.
3. During the Golden Globes , I laughed out loud at Ricky Gervais. He's one HI-larious man.
4. Shutting down Gitmo.... are you kidding me??? B-I-G mistake. BIG. HUGE.
5. Right now I'd like to be in my PJs in my bed. More day to live, though. Things to do, children to taxi, laundry to wash, dishes to unload and reload.
6. DVR is my favorite gadget.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing with the family. Tomorrow my plans include taking Lillian to a birthday party, church, and watching the Miss America pageant. Sunday is Aiden's birthday, so we'll do something to celebrate. He'll probably want to go eat wings at Quaker Steak, so we'll do that and then go to community group that afternoon.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
S'Wonderful
I got this from my friend Brynn's blog. She did hers last week and assigned me the letter S. I'm just now getting around to filling in my blanks. Busy, busy!
(1) Stan - my sweet, sweet husband! We celebrated 13 years of wedded bliss yesterday. Doesn't seem like that long, because we laugh everyday. I have so much fun with that man, and he takes such good care of me and the children. He's the bestest.
(2) Silence. I don't mind it AT ALL. Some days I crave it.
(3) Scrapbooking. Some say it's a fad, but I hope not. I really get a lot of fulfillment from it. It's a great creative outlet for me, so I hope the industry never goes away.
(4) Soaking in the tub. We have a gigantic tub that will actually hold two people (with very little water... ha!) Most of the time it's just me soaking, though. My precious husband bought me a Flat Screen TV with a DVD player in it a couple of Mother's Days ago and hung it on the wall in the bathroom. I often take my latest Netflix rental in the bathroom and soak while I watch movies. HEAVEN. Yeah, I'm Spoiled!
(5) Sister. I love mine. We have a great time together, and I wish we didn't live so far apart.
(6) Splenda. Last week I overheard someone say that it started out as a pest control agent. I'll have to research that one. For someone that loves Sweet tea but doesn't want all the sugar calories, Splenda is perfect. I get some for Christmas every year. This year I got the little pellets in my stocking. I carry them in my purse for those times when we dine in a restaurant that **shockingly** doesn't serve Splenda... like my favorite new BBQ joint, Dickey's.
(7) Sauce. I'm a dipping addict. I can't live without ketchup (Refrigerated, please. Hot ketchup is nasty.) I love any kind of sauce. When I was a kid I used to make sandwiches out of white bread and Arby's sauce from packets left in the fridge. That's how much I love sauce. Japanese White Sauce, Avocado Ranch Dressing, homemade cheese roux sauce, Quaker Steak's beer cheese dip, Bearnaise... you make it, I dip with it. Just last night I made a Tastefully Simple Spinach & Herb dip to send with veggies to my younger kids' school for the monthly teachers luncheon, and I had to have a spoonful on a cracker. It was too irresistable!
(8) Sales. I don't pay full price for anything (much). I have had to teach myself that I don't need something just because it's on SALE, though. I only buy stuff we really, really need. Sometimes it's hard to say no, but I feel so awful later if I buy something CHEAP on a whim and then realize I really DIDN'T need it. Not such a bargain then. Well, for someone else, maybe, because it usually ends up at the Goodwill store when I do my yearly purge of all things not necessary & taking up space.
(9) Sundays. Now that we've found a Saturday night church service, Sundays are usually our lazy family days. We just hang out at home in our PJs until it's time to go to kids' night at Dickey's (one child per adult eats free so we can all eat for around $25! SCORE!)
(10) Spending time with my kids. They're just amazing little creatures. I learn something from each one of them every single day. They really, really make my life so..... FULL. There's not a better word for it. A quick snuggle, a spark when something new is learned, a funny joke, tears on my shirt, "You're the best mom EVER!"... everything I experience with them is special. LOVE those kiddos. SO. VERY. MUCH.
"Yesterday I was reading blogs and found that MamaHen played a cute little letter game and decided I would enjoy playing along, so I asked her to assign me a letter and she did. The rules are: You have to list 10 of your favorite things, but they have to start with a certain letter (assigned to you by the blog owner)."
(1) Stan - my sweet, sweet husband! We celebrated 13 years of wedded bliss yesterday. Doesn't seem like that long, because we laugh everyday. I have so much fun with that man, and he takes such good care of me and the children. He's the bestest.
(2) Silence. I don't mind it AT ALL. Some days I crave it.
(3) Scrapbooking. Some say it's a fad, but I hope not. I really get a lot of fulfillment from it. It's a great creative outlet for me, so I hope the industry never goes away.
(4) Soaking in the tub. We have a gigantic tub that will actually hold two people (with very little water... ha!) Most of the time it's just me soaking, though. My precious husband bought me a Flat Screen TV with a DVD player in it a couple of Mother's Days ago and hung it on the wall in the bathroom. I often take my latest Netflix rental in the bathroom and soak while I watch movies. HEAVEN. Yeah, I'm Spoiled!
(5) Sister. I love mine. We have a great time together, and I wish we didn't live so far apart.
(6) Splenda. Last week I overheard someone say that it started out as a pest control agent. I'll have to research that one. For someone that loves Sweet tea but doesn't want all the sugar calories, Splenda is perfect. I get some for Christmas every year. This year I got the little pellets in my stocking. I carry them in my purse for those times when we dine in a restaurant that **shockingly** doesn't serve Splenda... like my favorite new BBQ joint, Dickey's.
(7) Sauce. I'm a dipping addict. I can't live without ketchup (Refrigerated, please. Hot ketchup is nasty.) I love any kind of sauce. When I was a kid I used to make sandwiches out of white bread and Arby's sauce from packets left in the fridge. That's how much I love sauce. Japanese White Sauce, Avocado Ranch Dressing, homemade cheese roux sauce, Quaker Steak's beer cheese dip, Bearnaise... you make it, I dip with it. Just last night I made a Tastefully Simple Spinach & Herb dip to send with veggies to my younger kids' school for the monthly teachers luncheon, and I had to have a spoonful on a cracker. It was too irresistable!
(8) Sales. I don't pay full price for anything (much). I have had to teach myself that I don't need something just because it's on SALE, though. I only buy stuff we really, really need. Sometimes it's hard to say no, but I feel so awful later if I buy something CHEAP on a whim and then realize I really DIDN'T need it. Not such a bargain then. Well, for someone else, maybe, because it usually ends up at the Goodwill store when I do my yearly purge of all things not necessary & taking up space.
(9) Sundays. Now that we've found a Saturday night church service, Sundays are usually our lazy family days. We just hang out at home in our PJs until it's time to go to kids' night at Dickey's (one child per adult eats free so we can all eat for around $25! SCORE!)
(10) Spending time with my kids. They're just amazing little creatures. I learn something from each one of them every single day. They really, really make my life so..... FULL. There's not a better word for it. A quick snuggle, a spark when something new is learned, a funny joke, tears on my shirt, "You're the best mom EVER!"... everything I experience with them is special. LOVE those kiddos. SO. VERY. MUCH.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Friday Fill Ins 1/16
1. Enough with the bitter cold. I'm ready for spring!
2. There is not much that causes me to be conflicted. I don't like to dwell on the negative.
3. I've been craving cold cuts and crackers. My husband has gotten me hooked on Wasa, which are delicious crackers that he eats with extra sharp cheddar. Yum-oh.
4. "The Office" and "30 Rock" make me laugh. I love Thursday night television.
5. I wish I could go to a warmer climate. Seriously. It was 19 degrees when I got up this morning.
6. My friend Joanie has been on my mind lately.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to staying home and staying warm and watching "Friday Night Lights" on NBC. LOVE that show! Tomorrow my plans include lots of laundry (the kids' hampers are overflowing) and church. Sunday, I want to just hang out with the family and maybe get some scrapbooking done. Nothing major. Oh, and our weekly trip to Dickey's for "lupper" (lunch/supper) because kids eat free on Sundays and that means we can all dine for under $25!
2. There is not much that causes me to be conflicted. I don't like to dwell on the negative.
3. I've been craving cold cuts and crackers. My husband has gotten me hooked on Wasa, which are delicious crackers that he eats with extra sharp cheddar. Yum-oh.
4. "The Office" and "30 Rock" make me laugh. I love Thursday night television.
5. I wish I could go to a warmer climate. Seriously. It was 19 degrees when I got up this morning.
6. My friend Joanie has been on my mind lately.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to staying home and staying warm and watching "Friday Night Lights" on NBC. LOVE that show! Tomorrow my plans include lots of laundry (the kids' hampers are overflowing) and church. Sunday, I want to just hang out with the family and maybe get some scrapbooking done. Nothing major. Oh, and our weekly trip to Dickey's for "lupper" (lunch/supper) because kids eat free on Sundays and that means we can all dine for under $25!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Liquid Heaven
I recently tried Starbucks' signature hot chocolate and got hooked.
H-O-O-K-E-D.
Bad.
And it's expensive, so I have cut back on it since the new year began. (I do like their new teas, but not enough to go there frequently to get them.)
Today I had to run by Staples to get a refund for something, and I noticed that my $3 Staples check (Woo! Big money!) expired tomorrow, so after I got the refund Quinn and I wandered the store looking for a good deal. I found a Starbucks gift basket amongst the Christmas clearance. It was marked $7.50 and had a sticker that said there was a coupon for a free Tall Starbucks beverage inside. I figured $4.50 (after the $3 check) was a good deal for a small bag of coffee, some Tazo teabags and a packet of peppermint hot chocolate plus a free Tall beverage. We paid (it ended up costing just $2.50, because the kit was actually priced at $5.50!) and left.
When we got home Quinn wanted me to make the cocoa for him. I opened it up and discovered it was a bunch of tiny chunks of peppermint flavored chocolate that I had to melt with milk to make the beverage, just like they make it at Starbucks. Interesting.
I made the cocoa and Quinn declared it to be delicious. He took it with him when we went to pick up Aiden and Camryn from school. Of course, Aiden got curious when Quinn bragged that the cocoa was so yummy and that he had gotten the only serving (yep, the packet only made one full mug...)
As soon as we got back home, Aiden asked if I could make him some cocoa. I dug out some chocolate and created my own drink. What I came up with is nothing short of heaven. Liquid Heaven.
(I took pictures just like Christy at A Southern Plate does, 'cause I think it's cool to have a visual guide. Christy has the best food blog! She cooks just like my grandmother and mother and I do, so I love to try her recipes. I made her Crockpot Stuffing for Thanksgiving and the hubby and I both thought it was the best dressing we'd ever tasted. If you like food, check her out!)
So anyway... the hot chocolate.
I used 6 squares of Hershey's Bliss milk chocolate, about 8 ounces (1 cup) of milk and 1/4 t. peppermint extract. If you don't have Bliss chocolate you can use about 3T of any other sweetened chocolate you have on hand. Hershey's kisses would work very well.
I broke the chocolates in half and put them in the bottom of a microwaveable mug.
I added just a little bit of 1% milk (enough to barely cover the chocolate) and microwaved it for 30 seconds.
Then I stirred it until the chocolate was fully incorporated with the milk.
I added enough milk to bring the level of liquid almost to the top of the mug and microwaved that for a full minute.
I took the mug out of the microwave and added the 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint flavoring. I like it mildly minty like a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie, but Aiden likes his mintier, so I gave him 1/2 teaspoon. Use what you like. Stir well and enjoy.
Mine didn't last long at all. It was gone in about 3 minutes! It tastes just like Starbucks, so don't blame me if you get addicted!
H-O-O-K-E-D.
Bad.
And it's expensive, so I have cut back on it since the new year began. (I do like their new teas, but not enough to go there frequently to get them.)
Today I had to run by Staples to get a refund for something, and I noticed that my $3 Staples check (Woo! Big money!) expired tomorrow, so after I got the refund Quinn and I wandered the store looking for a good deal. I found a Starbucks gift basket amongst the Christmas clearance. It was marked $7.50 and had a sticker that said there was a coupon for a free Tall Starbucks beverage inside. I figured $4.50 (after the $3 check) was a good deal for a small bag of coffee, some Tazo teabags and a packet of peppermint hot chocolate plus a free Tall beverage. We paid (it ended up costing just $2.50, because the kit was actually priced at $5.50!) and left.
When we got home Quinn wanted me to make the cocoa for him. I opened it up and discovered it was a bunch of tiny chunks of peppermint flavored chocolate that I had to melt with milk to make the beverage, just like they make it at Starbucks. Interesting.
I made the cocoa and Quinn declared it to be delicious. He took it with him when we went to pick up Aiden and Camryn from school. Of course, Aiden got curious when Quinn bragged that the cocoa was so yummy and that he had gotten the only serving (yep, the packet only made one full mug...)
As soon as we got back home, Aiden asked if I could make him some cocoa. I dug out some chocolate and created my own drink. What I came up with is nothing short of heaven. Liquid Heaven.
(I took pictures just like Christy at A Southern Plate does, 'cause I think it's cool to have a visual guide. Christy has the best food blog! She cooks just like my grandmother and mother and I do, so I love to try her recipes. I made her Crockpot Stuffing for Thanksgiving and the hubby and I both thought it was the best dressing we'd ever tasted. If you like food, check her out!)
So anyway... the hot chocolate.
I used 6 squares of Hershey's Bliss milk chocolate, about 8 ounces (1 cup) of milk and 1/4 t. peppermint extract. If you don't have Bliss chocolate you can use about 3T of any other sweetened chocolate you have on hand. Hershey's kisses would work very well.
I broke the chocolates in half and put them in the bottom of a microwaveable mug.
I added just a little bit of 1% milk (enough to barely cover the chocolate) and microwaved it for 30 seconds.
Then I stirred it until the chocolate was fully incorporated with the milk.
I added enough milk to bring the level of liquid almost to the top of the mug and microwaved that for a full minute.
I took the mug out of the microwave and added the 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint flavoring. I like it mildly minty like a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie, but Aiden likes his mintier, so I gave him 1/2 teaspoon. Use what you like. Stir well and enjoy.
Mine didn't last long at all. It was gone in about 3 minutes! It tastes just like Starbucks, so don't blame me if you get addicted!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Just Like That
It happened.
I dropped a little girl off at school this morning, and this afternoon a woman sat in the seat my baby girl had occupied just 7 hours before.
Today my 10 (almost 11) year-old daughter entered womanhood. Yep, she started her period.
I'm not shocked. We've suspected this was coming for awhile now with all the other changes she's been experiencing, but it just feels weird. My husband and I were just marveling at our beautiful daughter two nights ago, both of us commenting that she seems to have matured in a hurry. She really is a gorgeous young lady, smart and wise to boot. I'm so proud of her, but I still wanted her to be a little girl for a little longer. I don't think I was ready for this. Not at all.
Camryn's taking it all in stride, as usual. She was a tad weepy when she got into the car. When I asked why she was sad she said, "I'm just not ready for this yet." That makes two of us, dear.
There wasn't much talk on the drive home. With a nosy 7 year-old brother in the back seat there wasn't a lot Camryn could say that didn't get met with a "What? What's that?" from Aiden. She popped in her iPod ear buds, leaned the chair back and said to me, "We'll talk when we get home, 'k?"
Whew.
When we got home, I showed her how to use a maxi-pad and talked about some things to be careful about. She asked some questions and that was that. She recently read a book I bought her called The Care and Keeping of You that is a published by the American Girls series. It was very informative and she learned a lot and asked questions about the things she didn't understand. If you have a girl, I highly recommend the book.
My sweet baby is taking a long, hot bath right now. She has some cramps and such, so told her to go relax. That's what I always did when I had my monthly visitor. Daddy is bringing home flowers for his princess tonight, and we'll most likely go out to eat (though Camryn, hubby and I will be the only ones who know why). We just want her to know how special this is. A pain in the rear most months, but special nonetheless.
And suddenly I feel every one of my 35 years. My baby is a woman.
Wow.
I dropped a little girl off at school this morning, and this afternoon a woman sat in the seat my baby girl had occupied just 7 hours before.
Today my 10 (almost 11) year-old daughter entered womanhood. Yep, she started her period.
I'm not shocked. We've suspected this was coming for awhile now with all the other changes she's been experiencing, but it just feels weird. My husband and I were just marveling at our beautiful daughter two nights ago, both of us commenting that she seems to have matured in a hurry. She really is a gorgeous young lady, smart and wise to boot. I'm so proud of her, but I still wanted her to be a little girl for a little longer. I don't think I was ready for this. Not at all.
Camryn's taking it all in stride, as usual. She was a tad weepy when she got into the car. When I asked why she was sad she said, "I'm just not ready for this yet." That makes two of us, dear.
There wasn't much talk on the drive home. With a nosy 7 year-old brother in the back seat there wasn't a lot Camryn could say that didn't get met with a "What? What's that?" from Aiden. She popped in her iPod ear buds, leaned the chair back and said to me, "We'll talk when we get home, 'k?"
Whew.
When we got home, I showed her how to use a maxi-pad and talked about some things to be careful about. She asked some questions and that was that. She recently read a book I bought her called The Care and Keeping of You that is a published by the American Girls series. It was very informative and she learned a lot and asked questions about the things she didn't understand. If you have a girl, I highly recommend the book.
My sweet baby is taking a long, hot bath right now. She has some cramps and such, so told her to go relax. That's what I always did when I had my monthly visitor. Daddy is bringing home flowers for his princess tonight, and we'll most likely go out to eat (though Camryn, hubby and I will be the only ones who know why). We just want her to know how special this is. A pain in the rear most months, but special nonetheless.
And suddenly I feel every one of my 35 years. My baby is a woman.
Wow.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Resolutions
So I was going to tell you yesterday about something that happened on Monday, but rabbits were chased and another blog came out of that and I didn't get to share Monday's event with you.
It's really not earth-shattering. It's just a thing that made me cock my head to the side and say, "Hmmmm.... neat!" I thought I'd share it.
Bear with me while I share a little about our neighborhood, because it is pertinent to my story.....
The neighborhood was built with two separate sides at first, even though the developers had plans to make the two sides part of the same development. There just happened to be a deep, deep mega ditch (for lack of better words) between the two sides, so one builder started on one side and several builders started building our side. Late last year the bridge connecting the two sides was finally finished. That created a great link between two major roads and a super stretch of road for people to take walks. We get a lot of walkers that park on one side or the other and jog or stroll for exercise.
I had dropped the children off at school and had entered our neighborhood from the side that's further from my house. As I topped the hill approaching the entrace to our side of the development, I spotted a mom and her son walking. Not unusual and normally they wouldn't even register on my radar. But.... Monday it was just starting to rain. If it was me, I'd hate to be walking in the rain.
I actually drove past the pair at first, but then remembered my New Year's pledge to be more relationally involved. It was barely drizzling, so I felt foolish offering protection when it was barely raining, but I thought, "What the heck. I'll offer her an umbrella, because it might start pouring at any second."
I turned the car around and rolled down the window. I asked the lady if she was finishing her walk. She said that they were halfway through; they had parked on the far side of the neighborhood and were a long way from their car. I held the umbrella out to her and told her she could keep it. She thanked me and said, "New Year's Resolutions, you know?" Now, she meant that HER resolution was to start exercising and wouldn't you know it would start raining on the first morning of her new plan to exercise. BUT... the way she said it meant something different to me. She didn't know that MY resolution had to be more attentive to the needs of others and that by helping her keep her promise to exercise, I was keeping my promise to give more of myself and my possessions. Cool, huh?
The lady wouldn't keep my umbrella, so she ended up leaving it at the clubhouse door near her car. I picked it up that afternoon on my way home with the kids. It was still soaked from the morning, so I guess she did end up needing it after all. And I'm glad I could help.
It's really not earth-shattering. It's just a thing that made me cock my head to the side and say, "Hmmmm.... neat!" I thought I'd share it.
Bear with me while I share a little about our neighborhood, because it is pertinent to my story.....
The neighborhood was built with two separate sides at first, even though the developers had plans to make the two sides part of the same development. There just happened to be a deep, deep mega ditch (for lack of better words) between the two sides, so one builder started on one side and several builders started building our side. Late last year the bridge connecting the two sides was finally finished. That created a great link between two major roads and a super stretch of road for people to take walks. We get a lot of walkers that park on one side or the other and jog or stroll for exercise.
I had dropped the children off at school and had entered our neighborhood from the side that's further from my house. As I topped the hill approaching the entrace to our side of the development, I spotted a mom and her son walking. Not unusual and normally they wouldn't even register on my radar. But.... Monday it was just starting to rain. If it was me, I'd hate to be walking in the rain.
I actually drove past the pair at first, but then remembered my New Year's pledge to be more relationally involved. It was barely drizzling, so I felt foolish offering protection when it was barely raining, but I thought, "What the heck. I'll offer her an umbrella, because it might start pouring at any second."
I turned the car around and rolled down the window. I asked the lady if she was finishing her walk. She said that they were halfway through; they had parked on the far side of the neighborhood and were a long way from their car. I held the umbrella out to her and told her she could keep it. She thanked me and said, "New Year's Resolutions, you know?" Now, she meant that HER resolution was to start exercising and wouldn't you know it would start raining on the first morning of her new plan to exercise. BUT... the way she said it meant something different to me. She didn't know that MY resolution had to be more attentive to the needs of others and that by helping her keep her promise to exercise, I was keeping my promise to give more of myself and my possessions. Cool, huh?
The lady wouldn't keep my umbrella, so she ended up leaving it at the clubhouse door near her car. I picked it up that afternoon on my way home with the kids. It was still soaked from the morning, so I guess she did end up needing it after all. And I'm glad I could help.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Tangent
The original title of today's entry was "Yesterday" (because I was going to tell you about something cool that happened... YESTERDAY... ) but that sent me chasing a rabbit down a path, so I changed the name.
Wanna know why?
Of course you do. ; )
My favorite song by The Beatles is.... "Yesterday" (duh). "Paperback Writer" comes in a close second, but "Yesterday" is #1 for me.
When I was in high school one of the fads was Lorus watches that had Mickey Mouse on the face and played some sort of Disney song. They were nice, but what caught my eye were the Lorus Beatles watches. I had to have one. Know why?
One of the watches played "Yesterday". HOW COOL WAS THAT?
So I must've mentioned that watch to my mom like, a million times. I know I must've irritated her to death, but I wanted that stinkin' watch so badly!
I got the watch as one of my Christmas gifts, which thrilled my teenage heart. A couple of my friends got the Mickey watches, but mine was WAY cooler. NO ONE had a Beatles watch. Heck, I don't know if any of my friends loved the Beatles like I did (Thanks, Dad!) Most of my friends were into the 80s Hair Bands (Poison, Whitesnake, Def Leppard and the like... our class song was "I'll Remember You" by Skid Row. Remember that musical gem?)
So, when I typed the word "Yesterday" in the title box all of those memories came back to me, and I had to go find the watch in my jewelry box. The battery no longer works (I have replaced it since high school, and I was hoping to take some video of it for you... but alas, it's dead.) Here is a picture, best one I could take.
In the drawer with the watch were other cherished timepieces:
A leather banded watch I bought in Barcelona in March '92 (the games were held there the following July). The face has a picture of Cobi on it; he was the mascot for that year's games.
I found a Swatch that my sister brought back for me from Switzerland. It's way funky and I should definitely start wearing it again. Maybe I could bring back a trend!
Last but not least is the Snoopy watch I got as a gift from my maternal grandmother when I turned 9. I can still picture sitting on the side of the skating rink (where I had my party) opening the plastic box that the watch came in. It was my first watch and I loved it. Still do, but the band no longer fits. I should remedy that and wear that watch as well.
I'm bad about purging things and throwing away stuff, so I'm surprised I still have these items. I'm glad I didn't get rid of them, because they're so very precious to me.
Wanna know why?
Of course you do. ; )
My favorite song by The Beatles is.... "Yesterday" (duh). "Paperback Writer" comes in a close second, but "Yesterday" is #1 for me.
When I was in high school one of the fads was Lorus watches that had Mickey Mouse on the face and played some sort of Disney song. They were nice, but what caught my eye were the Lorus Beatles watches. I had to have one. Know why?
One of the watches played "Yesterday". HOW COOL WAS THAT?
So I must've mentioned that watch to my mom like, a million times. I know I must've irritated her to death, but I wanted that stinkin' watch so badly!
I got the watch as one of my Christmas gifts, which thrilled my teenage heart. A couple of my friends got the Mickey watches, but mine was WAY cooler. NO ONE had a Beatles watch. Heck, I don't know if any of my friends loved the Beatles like I did (Thanks, Dad!) Most of my friends were into the 80s Hair Bands (Poison, Whitesnake, Def Leppard and the like... our class song was "I'll Remember You" by Skid Row. Remember that musical gem?)
So, when I typed the word "Yesterday" in the title box all of those memories came back to me, and I had to go find the watch in my jewelry box. The battery no longer works (I have replaced it since high school, and I was hoping to take some video of it for you... but alas, it's dead.) Here is a picture, best one I could take.
In the drawer with the watch were other cherished timepieces:
A leather banded watch I bought in Barcelona in March '92 (the games were held there the following July). The face has a picture of Cobi on it; he was the mascot for that year's games.
I found a Swatch that my sister brought back for me from Switzerland. It's way funky and I should definitely start wearing it again. Maybe I could bring back a trend!
Last but not least is the Snoopy watch I got as a gift from my maternal grandmother when I turned 9. I can still picture sitting on the side of the skating rink (where I had my party) opening the plastic box that the watch came in. It was my first watch and I loved it. Still do, but the band no longer fits. I should remedy that and wear that watch as well.
I'm bad about purging things and throwing away stuff, so I'm surprised I still have these items. I'm glad I didn't get rid of them, because they're so very precious to me.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Friday Fill Ins 1/2
1. The world is a big place. I'd love to explore more of it, but I'm scared to death of long flights. I'd love to go back to Paris, to see London, to visit the Holy Land, stay in one of those huts on sticks in the water in Fiji.... one day.
2. "Can I comb it?" was the last thing I said to Lillian after she got out of the tub with a wet, tangled mess of hair.
3. I wonder if it will snow this year. The kids hope it will, but secretly, I hope it never goes below 30 degrees outside!
4. A period comes at the end of all things. (I guess I'm not thinking deeply enough tonight!)
5. There's something to be said for wood burning fireplaces. I wish we still had one, as the gas logs just don't do it for me sometimes. I want to roast marshmallows over a fire, and ya can't do that over gas logs.
6. Disney World (or ANYWHERE warm!) is where I want to be. (And was I the only one that pictured Eva Gabor in her nightie saying, "New York is where I'd rah-thah be!" when reading that fill-in?)
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking a bubble bath and watching "Out of Sight" (headed there as soon as I hit submit!) Tomorrow my plans include making banana bread to use those two squishy bananas in the kitchen, and then I would like to organize some scrapbooking stuff and get Lillian's pictures sorted and "power-layouted" so her book will go quickly. Oh, and church! We missed it last week because there was no Saturday service on the 27th. I need some worship time! Sunday, I want to get the kids back into a routine so Monday morning will go smoothly. And I need to go to bed on time Sunday night. We'll see how that goes.
2. "Can I comb it?" was the last thing I said to Lillian after she got out of the tub with a wet, tangled mess of hair.
3. I wonder if it will snow this year. The kids hope it will, but secretly, I hope it never goes below 30 degrees outside!
4. A period comes at the end of all things. (I guess I'm not thinking deeply enough tonight!)
5. There's something to be said for wood burning fireplaces. I wish we still had one, as the gas logs just don't do it for me sometimes. I want to roast marshmallows over a fire, and ya can't do that over gas logs.
6. Disney World (or ANYWHERE warm!) is where I want to be. (And was I the only one that pictured Eva Gabor in her nightie saying, "New York is where I'd rah-thah be!" when reading that fill-in?)
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking a bubble bath and watching "Out of Sight" (headed there as soon as I hit submit!) Tomorrow my plans include making banana bread to use those two squishy bananas in the kitchen, and then I would like to organize some scrapbooking stuff and get Lillian's pictures sorted and "power-layouted" so her book will go quickly. Oh, and church! We missed it last week because there was no Saturday service on the 27th. I need some worship time! Sunday, I want to get the kids back into a routine so Monday morning will go smoothly. And I need to go to bed on time Sunday night. We'll see how that goes.
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