Burning the Midnight Toffee

The ugliest looking (and grossest tasting) toffee ever created.

Note to Future Self: do not begin at 1:05am to make Christmas treats.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Deck Me.

{Secret Note to Self: This post shall take no longer than 10 minutes to write. No more 90-min long posting! You will be finished by 11:30pm or you will run 15 extra punishment minutes tomorrow morning. In the cold.}

Below is the non-secret portion of today's post.

As of three days ago, I have begun decking the halls. It is a compulsion for me to begin the minute after Halloween is over.

I admit that as I answered doors to trick-or-treaters (a grand total of 3--story to follow in a coming post), the Christmas storage bins were waiting in the wings--brought up from the basement but hidden behind a closed door.

I have been secretly listening to Christmas music since the first chill in the air. I have been grinning-and-bearing my way through Halloween and will now reward myself with lights and glitter and garland and (cue the Sesame Street Grover Voice).....sprinkles!
Sweetie Jack was given a candy cane to keep him satisfied and subdued while Mimi & I dove into the frenzy. This was Mantle Decor, Day 1. I've been dreaming up a white & silver mantle, so I started with a huge silver frame and added a white feather boa. The frame has been in my basement Frame Stash for who-knows-how-long (that is an interchangeable term for "approximately how long I've been married"). The boa was from Mimi's chicken halloween costume 3 years ago.

While impatiently waiting for a socially acceptable time to Deck the Halls, I've been avariciously reading The Nester. She opened my eyes to shopping the house and using what you have to decorate, so I've been looking at all my stashes with new appreciation.

Below: I added lights and a few jars filled with white snowball-y looking ornaments. This is all stuff I had from my Endless Christmas Bins.

Mimi has been waiting all year to decorate this little white tree. Well, actually not. As my fingers were typing that sentence my subconscious self remembered the day in June I found Mimi & the cilantro-partner-in-crime decorating the tree with all my blown glass candy ornaments. *&$#@!%!! Seriously. With an fair amount of broken glass on the cement floor.

But she got a second chance and did a good job. {I am now 8 minutes past my deadline. Crap. Why can't I be a fast writer?}

I'm pretty sure she's got visions of sugarplums already.

Here is the mantle about halfway into the process.

The candy cane sugar rush did not deter Jack from going to bed. Here is the little mama about to take him upstairs. Isabelle loves to put him to bed, snuggle him in, arrange his blankies just so around his face, pet his feathers and say goodnight to him.


A day later, I added the mirror--also from the basement. Everything is just kind of thrown up there, but it sparkles so I like it. I'm going to do a fun candy theme on the upstairs mantle where the kids congregate, and I'm not sure about the mantle in my room. I'm just glad we are here in this house to see another Christmas, so I'm having fun making it cozy. We've got a tenuous grip on life with even more tenuous finances. I plan to drown my sorrows in sprinkles.

{20 minutes past the deadline...I'm going to be so sore tomorrow from punishment minutes.}

***Edited to add: Post finished at 11:55pm. Dangit.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Easter Weekend

Mimi at the egg hunt in the park.

Easter weekend (last week) was relaxed and fun. On Saturday morning, we went to the park for the city egg hunt, which was well-organized and fun for my kids. There were different "hunting grounds" partitioned off by age, so I didn't see too much of Max & Sis wildly scavenging for eggs. Mike went with Isabelle & I supervised Mimi. Max went off by himself, which I am still becoming accustomed to. It feels so strange--and liberating!--to have a kid old enough to self-supervise. I had the camera, so most photos are of Mimi. She was so cute!

She threw herself wholly into it, running and darting for eggs.


Here is Isabelle, at the end of her hunt.


I was curious to see if Max, being the ripe old age of 9, would get into it or if this year he would hang back and try to play it cool. It made me smile to see him run around full-throttle, gathering eggs. There is some little boy left in him yet, it seems. Phew!


I gathered them for a picture, during which time Sis tried to snatch a smooch from Max. Typical brother smooch-reflex here.


That evening we dyed eggs. I got a kick out of these pudgy little fingers.


Mimi, waiting for her pink egg to turn "pink enough." She kept checking it and then proclaiming, "It's not pink enough yet!" It was fuschia. But apparantly not pink enough.


Saturday night we watched a movie about the last days and resurrection of Christ, which was the perfect ending to our day. I love our cozy FHE movie nights; I really feel the Spirit strongly with us when the kids are all nested up on the couch and so willing to learn about the gospel. They are much more quiet and attentive during these times than they are when I'm giving a lesson. I am always a little surprised at how powerfully visual media delivers a message. My kids really soak up the church dvd's, paying close attention while we watch and asking questions for days afterwards, at random times.

Sunday morning they found their baskets from The Bunny and we had plenty of time to get ready for church--one of the perks of 1pm church! It was relaxing to have time to enjoy Easter morning together and not be in a rush. Mimi was irked at the Bunny for not bringing a basket for Lima Bean. Oops.

I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Tonight with the kids we watched the dvd "To This End Was I Born," and I was surprised by how closely they paid attention. The movie portrays the final hours of Jesus' mortal life. It also portrays His ministry in the spirit world and His Resurrection. Mike stopped the movie intermittently to explain the doctrine, what exactly Christ was undergoing and why--and I was surprised by my kids: Max knew the story precisely, Isabelle asked deep questions and Mimi was quiet and riveted.

As the movie depicted The Last Supper, Mimi said, "I just love Jesus. I love Jesus so much." My heart just warmed! What a sweet baby girl. And I am always in awe of the depth of Max's understanding. Isabelle's furrowed brow, deep in concentration, made me happy to see that she is soaking up the gospel and wanting to learn. She doesn't feel very well tonight, so she was a little subdued. But I could see that she was struck by the enormity of the Easter story.

I have such a strong testimony of this gospel and the plan of salvation. I know that the Savior came to Earth to live and die for us, so that we may find our way back to our Father in Heaven. I am thankful for His atoning sacrifice. I am overwhelmed this week with gratitude that He would suffer for me, so that I can someday be made whole--in spirit and in body. My heart has been full this week as I have been thinking of Easter and why we celebrate. What a reason for celebration! I often wonder about Celestial celebrations, and what it must be like on the other side of the veil during these holy occasions.

I have had a few experiences where I have felt very close to the veil, and I would like to challenge myself to more consistently pursue the Spirit so I can be worthy of that closeness to the Savior that I've felt at other times in my life.


Excerpt of talk given by Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (his final testimony), delivered Saturday April 6, 1985.
Film: "To This End Was I Born."
youtube clip found here.






Music from the cd "The Missionary Project"
youtube clip found here

Bah Humbug to St. Patrick's Day

It is without shame that I state for the record that today I sported no green garb. I didn't whip up a festive green dinner. I didn't speak in brogue. There was no sighting of miniature green leprechaun footprints winding through my house. I did not color the kids' breakfast milk green. I went to help in Isabelle's classroom and when a cute little 1st grader pinched me, I glared at him.

I don't even own any green sprinkles.

What can I say? I'm Scottish. Bring on the haggis.

This blatant disregard for festivity is very unlike me. I love holidays! I love to build anticipation and celebrate and bake festive desserts! It just never enters my mind to do so on St. Patrick's day. I'll redeem myself at Eastertime.

Then again, maybe not; I don't even have an Easter dinner planned. Nary a course. Me! The compulsive list-maker, party-planner, food-whipper-upper, grocery list queen! No Easter food!

I always seem to lose my personality sometime during my 3rd trimester. I walk around like some sort of hollow-eyed zombie. So I think my usual personality is gone for now...not to be recovered until sometime in July. Maybe.

Adventures at Grannie's House

I am sitting here with my Cafe Rio tortilla in one hand, trying to figure out how to type one-handed as I scarf (yes, scarf!) my tortilla-dipped-in-house-dressing.

Today was a pretty typical day for me: I gathered up my 60 library books (voracious readers at my house), drove to the library with Mimi & returned them, then drove far out of my way to accommodate Mimi's craving for Cafe Rio rice. At first I was grouchily doing this, and then I began to crave tortillas. We returned home just in time to greet my friend's two kids, whom I watch every Wednesday as part of a mom-switch; she watches Mimi every Monday. We do this to enable each other to volunteer in the 1st grade classroom. (Just typing that out loud increases my volunteerism-satisfaction level...) I called Max's teacher & got myself on the schedule for his classroom, also. So I'll be at school every Monday from 12:30-2:30 and then back again every Thursday from 9:30-11:30 to help with the Take Home Reading program. (volunteerism satisfaction thermometer rising as I type...) I am a big believer in being a part of my kids' classrooms; I like having my finger on the dynamic, both of the teacher with my child and of my child's social interaction.

At 3:30 I met Wendi to get our nails done together, which was a treat. I am usually ready to expire from boredom when I get out of there, but today I was having fun friend time! I was forced to practice my Stuart Smalley Daily Affirmations, though, because Wendi has perfect willowy hands and I have....Man Hands. *sigh* (see bottom clip: 1st 1:45)

I do like my non-dangly earlobes, though. See! Affirmation!

Then I came home and made a delicious dinner for my family, showing my love and devotion via culinary affection. Yep, Ramen. I was tired! It was 5:50pm! Enough said. Tomorrow is another day (Scarlett O'Hara-style).

Here are some more pictures from the Thanksgiving holiday at my parents' house. Below, Max is exhibiting his Rubiks Cube prowess! The kid can solve the cube (with a cheat sheet that gives him a few moves of guidance).

My mom set up her tree and had the kids put on the ornaments, which I considered to be an act of love and patience. Thanks, Mom! They are still talking about it.

Mimi, of course, got to put up all the Barbie ornaments. She kept trying to take them off again and play with them. Again, patience and love.....!


This is official documentation of Sky's inheriting the gene for "Chair Time," my Dad's favorite form of relaxation.
Max conquered the tree! And spent time spying on the neighbor's backyard activities and also fighting the resident squirrel for Tree Time.

The van is loaded and ready to pull out for the drive home. You keep smilin', buddy.

Sis has emotional trauma every time she has to say goodbye to Grannie. It's heart-wrenching to watch and causes ME emotional trauma! There I am, saying goodbye & trying to be a big girl, and then Sis' wails of distress cause me to unravel.

She actually said a well-adjusted farewell this time, but has been crying herself to sleep for three straight nights. Tonight seems to be a bit better; I snuggled in bed with her for a while and we made an agenda of Christmas activities for Grannie's December visit. That seemed to bring her emotions into check. (crossing my fingers)





***HEY!*** I forgot to add that I got up at 6:30am to haul my tired self to the gym! After a night of revelry at Chili's until 12:00am the night before! (exercise satisfaction increasing as I type...)

Thanksgiving Feast

"Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays,
‘Cause no matter how far away you roam,
When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze,
For the holidays, you can’t beat home, sweet home."
- "Home For the Holidays".....(imagine it sung in Perry Como's voice)

We travelled to my parents' house for Thanksgiving and oh, what a feast we had! Of course the kids could not settle down the night of arrival; I caught Max reading at 11pm with Gramps while Gramps had "chair time."

And Sis was allowed (by her pushover dad) to snuggle on the downstairs couch "until she got sleepy." Hah! Like, in 2 more hours.

Wednesday was filled with pre-feast prep, and here I present to you the legendary red jello. My brother makes all sorts of pretenses that he is not a jello salad fan, that he's above a good jello-y dish, but I have proof (later) that this is not so. I myself ADORE the red jello. We made two dishes of it so that we'd have enough to dive into for leftovers.

Here is table #2, set for the big day. Look at our turkey, covered with a beach towel (over foil) to keep it warm. Spoiled bird.

Surprisingly, most of the fruit got eaten. I myself was wise enough not to waste good stomach space on healthy food.

Here is Sky, my brother, making the traditional Thanksgiving Punch, which I could down by the keg. But all we had on hand was a huge stainless bowl. I told him he looked like he was stirring Witches Brew....

....so he obliged me with a Witches Brew pose and cackle.

Let the feast begin! We had fun with my aunt Kathy & her family (Dennis, Kaylee, Cody, Kim) as guests and afterward played a rousing game of Scattergories, at which I am abysmally bad.

Is that Red Jello you are taking a huge bite of, Sky?....

...why yes, it is! I snapped a clandestine photo of your plate to prove it!

Mike seated himSELF at Mimi's kid table. I promise! I did not relegate him to the mini-chair; I am stating this for the record because years from now I will look at this photo and wonder to myself, "Why would I make him sit there?..."

So Future Crystal, you tried to change him with Isabelle and don't let him guilt trip you!
My plate of Nirvana On a Platter.

Thanks, Mom, for such an outstanding feast and jolly week! It was my best Thanksgiving in a long while, including the one spent at Disneyland!