Found It!

The world is a little more balanced today - I found my missing memory card for my camera! I should de-clutter more often. (If only there were enough hours in a day...)

What's In the Bag?

Panda was playing in one of my laundry baskets and tipped and bit her lip. It looked like to bit through her lip (which we later figured out that she did not), so I quickly called my friend Lucy to see if her hubby was available to see if she needed stitches. He looked her over and decided that we did not - but, he put her on antibiotics to make sure the outside cut does not get infected. We picked up the antibiotics at the drive through window of the pharmacy. As I was closing the window and set down the sack of medicine on the passenger seat, Panda said, "Oh good, you got the chicken nuggets!"

Will Hug For Food

My parents stopped in today on their way back from delivering my Grandparents' Christmas present. The girls were all outside playing. Mom and Dad went out back to give them hugs since they were only stopping briefly. As they were leaving, I went outside to ask Panda and Monkey if they would like to come and give hugs and wave at Gma and Gpa as they were leaving. Panda immediately came to the door. Monkey asked, "Do they have fruit snacks?"

Merry Christmas

I took a blogging vacation for a while! I hope you all are having a Merry Christmas. Yes, I do realize that it is December 29th - but, this is still Christmas time! Now, I'm back to blogging a few things anyway - I've got several stories to share!

Updated Post

Scroll down or click here - I posted the picture of the cinnamon rolls. YUM. (They're gone...)

Recipe

As requested - here is the sugar cookie recipe. Thanks Laura, now I don't have to think of what to blog tonight!

1 C butter

1 C sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3 C flour (I use 4 when using cookie cutters)

2 tsp. cream of tartar

3/4 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add vanilla, cream of tartar, soda, and salt. Mix well. Add flour a little at a time. Refrigerate overnight. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet or roll and cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes, until lightly brown on the edges.

Glaze frosting:

2 C powered sugar

2 TBSP milk

1 TBSP light corn syrup

Sugar Cookies

We were supposed to go to a friend's house today to bake cookies. The weather was looking problematic, so we canceled those plans. I had made up 4 batches of sugar cookie dough for us to bake. So, guess what I did today...

I baked up three of those four batches and got 154 big cookies and 73 little cookies for a total of 227 cookies! That's a lot of cookies! Anyone want to come over for a snack?

Lady Bug and Monkey helped decorate the cookies and they turned out really cute. I had more pictures, but once again I was having picture transferring issues...

Here's a picture of the end result - (one cookie of each kind - no we didn't eat the rest!..... yet). Tomorrow hopefully it will be nice enough for us to get out and deliver some of the cookies. I can't keep them here - I would eat them ALL!

THEY like it!

The girls begged and begged to go out in the snow. The last snow was so little that it was gone really fast. This was a little more significant, but it has been soooo cold outside! I finally let them go out for about 45 minutes. Here they are:

Snow

Let me preface: I HATE cold. I hate being cold. I hate cold weather. I don't much care for snow, especially since I have to shovel it.

It snowed last night - they reported on the news about 5 inches and it is only about 1 degree (which is a heat wave compared to yesterday). So, I had to shovel.

Cue light bulb over head.

I heated up a grain bag that can go across your shoulders. Layered up in a turtle neck and sweatshirt, TWO pairs of gloves, TWO hats, the grain bag across my shoulders and my coat. 

I got the driveway done and I was nice and toasty!

Now, if I could invent a body suit grain bag (and a microwave big enough to heat it....)...

Through the Eyes of the 3rd of Four

My friend, Lucy, shared the following with me: (I'm still giggling as I type this one)

She was complimenting her 3rd born son, (Survivorboy) on his care for their dog. She told him how pleased she was that he was taking such great care of the dog - making sure that the food and water were always fresh - without being asked. She was hoping that he would take pride at being noticed for his good work.

Instead, a look of horror crossed his face as he asked, "You aren't going to promote me, are you?!"

Introducing:

My friend who comments here as "Tbone". We've been friends since college. She was so sweet - she stopped by my house this weekend to visit. It was just a short visit, but I loved it!

She was on her way to pick up her mother and made some extra time to come by and see us! I love it when friends stop by!!! Thanks for making my day!

(Side note: I finally got a picture to load! Maybe I'll go back and try the cinnamon roll pic)

Baking

I spent the afternoon baking hotpockets as Christmas presents for the girls' violin and dance teachers. This was the reward:

Cinnamon Rolls.

Watch Please

That is a game I play with my 5 year old group piano students. It is a game where I ask them to "watch please" and they do what I do -  to a beat. We tap the floor or our legs, etc. This game gets them focused at the beginning of the class. I have used this game to start each class since we started in the fall. Today I started class the same way:

"Watch Please."

"But, I don't have a watch." was the reply of one the 5 year olds.

"*giggling* Would you like mine?"

"YEAH!"

So, I handed him my watch and we went on with the game with a smile! 

Yes, I did get my watch back.... after the game!

Wish I Had Been There

While I was out grocery shopping, there was an exchange between Monkey and Panda.

Apparently, Panda was bossing Monkey around, so Monkey was setting her straight. She asked Panda who was taller. Panda said that she(Monkey) was. Monkey informed her  - that meant that she could NOT boss her around.

Brian heard this whole exchange and used it in his favor later when Monkey was not listening to him. He asked her who was taller...

I'd better start growing.

Yesterday and Today

This was yesterday. It was 63 degrees out and sunny. So, I threw the girls outside in the afternoon and I cleaned my kitchen. Part of the time they sat out on a beach towel and read to each other. I happened to catch this picture before they moved!

This is today. It is 25 degrees, snowing, with a wind chill of 8 degrees. YUCK!

Kreativ Blogger Award

Karen honored me with this award that I just don't have time to actually post on my blog. But, I'm going to at least try to get to the content of the meme.

Seven things I did before children:

*I was a band director.

*I ate my food when it was still warm.

*I went to Europe twice.

*I bowled when I was in junior high and high school. (Karen we'll have to go bowling sometime)

*I drove a smaller car.

*I baby sat my niece and nephews.

*I watched more tv.

Seven things I do now:

*I teach my own children.

*I get hugs and kisses many times a day.

*I blog.

*I scrapbook (well, I WISH I was scrapbooking - one of these days I'll get to do some again!)

*I multi task more than I ever thought was possible.

*I assist with childbirth classes.

*I enjoy seeing things through the eyes of my children.

Seven things I would like to do:

*Sleep.

*Get in shape.

*Finish the Spanish program I'm doing.

*Travel with my family.

*Meet more Loopers.

*Have a clean house.

*Stop stressing out.

Seven things that attract me to my husband:

*His passion for music.

*His sense of humor.

*His love of theology.

*His love for our children.

*His desire to always do better.

*His humility.

*The fact that he puts up with ME!

Seven things I say most often:

*Get back in bed.

*I love you.

*Please shut the refrigerator (or pantry) (this would be for Panda - who always wants a snack)

*Did you flush and wash your hands?

*Thank you.

*Are your hearing aids on/working? 

*Did you feed the pets?

I'm not tagging anyone! If you want to play, please join in and let me know so I can check out your meme. I need sleep!

She takes a "lickin"...

I sent the girls out to play today since it was a very nice 63 degrees out and tomorrow is supposed to be snowy and about 30 degrees.

Panda came back in after a little while and had a pouty look on her face. I asked her what was wrong. After a moment she smiled and said, "Mommy, the dog was tasting me!"

Speaking of Boys

Our Looper Email has included a discussion on characteristics of boys. This kind of fits right in.

Our sermon today covered John the Baptist. He talked about how all of our needs are met just as John the Baptist's were met in the wilderness. Our pastor during a portion of the sermon asked the rhetorical question: "Who of you would want to go into the wilderness with John the Baptist, wearing camel skins and eating locusts?"

To which I heard the whispered reply from the Snake Hunter sitting behind me: "Pick me!"

Then we found out later the Survivor Boy was *thinking* "Pick me!" But, he was the acolyte, so he kept himself under control.

After church the three boys were outside building a lean-to out of branches that had fallen from trees. Survivor Boy even had his hatchet and was chopping the branches to the right size. By the time we were all ready to leave the Little Professor could fit inside the lean-to!

Don't Try This At Home - Part 2

I found the answer for your question to this post, E.C., last night at lessons. YES, amazingly enough the CD DID survive! It still plays just perfectly. I still don't think I would recommend washing your cd's, but I guess they can survive.

Now, for the next "don't try this at home". The shower in our bathroom had a door on it at one time which the prior owners of our house removed for some reason. We just use a shower curtain. But, sometimes, my husband forgets to make sure the shower curtain is tucked on the INSIDE of the lip at the edge of the shower. Consequently, the rest of the bathroom gets wet, including all items of the floor.

That happened this morning. My husband, thinking that he was being helpful, threw both bathmats and all the towels he used for drying the mess into the washer and washed them. One of the bathmats is older and is the longer, shaggy carpet style. That particular rug pretty much disintegrated in the washer. The seams came unraveled and all the carpet pieces "exploded" in the washer. I have spent considerable time cleaning out the washer of all the loose pieces and then pulling all the pieces off the other bathmat that "velcroed" themselves completely to that mat. I have yet to tackle the dryer. And I wonder what I do with my days....

Thank You

Today is a day that I have more things to do that I have hours to get them done (well, honestly that is MOST days - but this one more than usual....). Stress level is high. And then out of the blue a friend calls and tells me that she is bringing me the bananas that are on sale on Thursdays. She picked them up FOR me. Sounds so simple. But, it means the world to me.

The Bride and Groom

I can't leave out the Bride and Groom - my cousin Aaron and his wife Laura. I'm missing a picture of my cousin Andrew - Aaron's brother and also my Aunt Marlene. She was kind of busy to join in the family photo session! And I didn't keep track of who I was missing.

Four Generations

My Aunt Jerri, my cousin's daughter - Nicole, My cousin - Sue and Grandma.

Dad's Family

My grandma is in the middle. Left to right: Aunt Jerri (1st born), Dad (3rd born), Uncle Mark (4th born), Uncle Ray (2nd born). Grandma did really well that day. She did not know who we were exactly, but did know that we were all connected to her. My uncle reported that the next morning she did remember the wedding. Yeah!

Family Introductions

Since we were all together for the wedding we took the opportunity to take some family pictures - so I thought I would share. This is my side of the family. Starting in back L to R is Travis and Angela - my youngest sister and her husband, then Jennifer and Rob - my middle sister and husband, Brian and I. Front row is my nephew (middle sister's son), Monkey, my Mom, Panda, my Dad, my niece (middle sister's daughter) and I just noticed that Lady Bug got cut off!!! Ok family members who also had cameras - I need a different picture!! Darn. Well, for this post - you get the idea.

Tuned Out

We were in my parents hotel room before my cousin's wedding when Monkey with a mischievous glint in her eye and a smile says to Grandma:

"I don't have to listen to you if I don't want to. I can turn off my hearing aids!"

"That's called selective hearing" (says Gma)

"Do you have your hearing aids on now?" (asks Gma)

"Do you?!!" (says Mom)... testing hearing aids finds that she DID turn them off!

Monkey sits there still smiling with the same little glint in her eye...

Later in the car. Monkey asks a question. I answer. She says, "What?!" I ask if her hearing aids are working. "No, they are off, " says Monkey. "Why?" I ask. Because I didn't want to listen to the Narnia cd!

Thanksgiving, Christmas, a Wedding and a Looper Visit

All in 5 days! More details to come. I have to get things loaded from my camera and then I will share. For now, you will have to remain in suspense. :)