 |
| chocolate chips in a bowl. |
Child: This is the BEST dessert in the history of the universe!!!
Sunday, April 21, 2013
It's all a matter of perspective.
Child: This is the BEST dessert in the history of the universe!!!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Baby's First Haircut!
Yes. We already gave Andy his first haircut. Mr. Pickles had been pestering me for a while about it and I had been resisting (Mr. P.: "Sooooo, when do you think you'll cut Andy's hair?" me: "Umm, never?") so for Easter I finally decided to swallow my maternal angst and do it.
Now, I don't know if you've ever cut a five-month-old's hair, but it's not as easy as it sounds.
...Which is saying something.
For one thing, they can't sit up yet. So the haircut has to be done lying down. Fortunately with help from The Magic Baby In The Mirror and a piece of ribbon, Andrew was entertained long enough for me to snip away.
I've trimmed the boys' hair enough to sort of know what I'm doing, but it still came out a little funny. For one thing, I didn't realize how much hair he'd rubbed off directly over his ears until I trimmed the longer sections above them...
Thankfully his smile is so dazzling that you don't notice. :)
The BEST part about his new haircut?
He gets AWESOME bed-head.
 |
| who's that shaggy baby? |
...Which is saying something.
 |
| baby mullet has got to go! |
 |
| Wow! I have ears! Now, Woman, about those bangs.... |
 |
| aaack! too short! too short! |
 |
| dapper dude! |
The BEST part about his new haircut?
This one's for Grampa Mike
The girls just came up with this at lunch today:
And then Joseph burst out spontaneously with "Cal-i-forn-yuh, here I come, cuz it's Mr. Smarty Pants!"
a) My children are nuts, and
b) I'm going to miss this kind of thing when they're all grown up and gone.
And then Joseph burst out spontaneously with "Cal-i-forn-yuh, here I come, cuz it's Mr. Smarty Pants!"
a) My children are nuts, and
b) I'm going to miss this kind of thing when they're all grown up and gone.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
March (and early April) baby roundup
It's been a while since I did a gratuitous cute baby post. That omission has been addressed.
Look what Andy can do now!
Finally, introducing Andy to The Great Outdoors:
Babies are so fun to photograph. My poor neglected older children!
 |
| Mr. Pickles pointed out that this is classic Andy. sooooo happy, and moving so spastically he's blurry! |
 |
| life is hard when you're a winter baby -- it takes so long to find your toes! |
 |
| doo de doo de doo, just hanging out... |
 |
| oh! oh! almost there! |
 |
| yayyyy! got them! |
 |
| ha ha haaaa! with such cuteness, I can TAKE OVER THE WORLD! |
 |
| what you lookin at? |
Finally, introducing Andy to The Great Outdoors:
 |
| grass! I love it I love it! so much to grab! |
 |
| okay, Mom, I'm ready for my closeup! |
Not-so-quick takes
Okay. So. You know why it takes me so stinkin' long to post? First, I have to upload pics from the camera to the computer. To do that, I have to open the picture file on the computer to see which ones haven't been uploaded yet. My computer is practically a dinosaur (almost 5 years old! gasp!), so it takes its sweet time getting all the thumbnails open. Then after transferring photos, I scroll through them and see what we've been up to and what would make blog-worthy shots. Then of course I have to check the blog to remind myself of what I've already posted. Then I open Picasa, so I can shrink the photos I want to use. THEN I can start a new blog post and upload the pictures and think of appropriately witty/entertaining/insightful things to say. Oh. and I usually type with one hand, since the only time I'm allowed to sit down is when I'm nursing the baby. And then I have to proofread everything a couple times to make sure it is my Best Work (and to correct all the really funny spelling mistakes from typing with one hand). Finally I will deem the post worthy of publishing, and it shows up on all your rss feeds, and you think, "Sheesh, The Pickles have finally updated!"
Now, for a normal person who isn't interrupted every 90 seconds, I'm assuming (since I don't actually know) this whole process could take about 20-30 minutes, maybe 45 for a really long post. But for a stay-at-home homeschooling mother with 5 children and a husband who needs attention sometimes too, the process takes about... 2 weeks.
The above two paragraphs took me 2 days to write. And I haven't even added pictures yet!
[said in Barbie voice]: Blogging is haaaaaaard!
----------
Alright, alright, enough with the first world problems! It's not even a problem, really. I just sat down to write a post the other day and realized all the steps I had to go through to get one published. But when you're being constantly interrupted and having your train of thought derailed, no wonder it takes so long! I feel slightly vindicated now. :)
----------
Okay, on to said pictures.
Good grief, there's a ton. Sheesh, whoever is in charge of this blog should update more often!
Okay, so remember back in February when Daniel had the nebulizer treatment and looked all cute and pathetic?
We got him to tolerate the thing by telling him it sounded like a motorboat. (and of course by watching Daddy play the Star Wars Angry Birds.) So now whenever he sees this picture of himself, he says, " 'tar wars motorboat?"
----------
So remember when I went "running?" And I loved it? Well, apparently my heels do not. Even though I ran for probably a sum total of 45 seconds in two days, there is something very wrong with them. They hurt when I point my toe. I have never experienced pain in that location before, even after all those years of ballet. It's bizarre. I can still walk and stuff, but going down stairs adds a new level of excitement to my days.
Any other runners out there who were once newbies experienced this?
----------
When it snows in March in Virginia, this is what you get:
----------
Training a new house elf!
----------
Okay so today (this is Tuesday now, day 4 on this post) I went to fill the prescriptions for Miriam and Joseph's allergy meds. Do you know how much the eye drops were? WITH insurance? SEVENTY STINKING DOLLARS. Seventy! For one eensy bottle! Dudes, living in Virginia is ex-pen-sive. So I only got one bottle of drops for Joseph, since his eyes bother him the most, and OTC allergy meds like Allegra (which I also picked up) aren't great about treating itchy eyes. (And since "federal law PROHIBITS the transfer of a prescription drug to any person other than the patient for whom it was prescribed," even though the doctor prescribed EXACTLY THE SAME MEDICINES to both my children, I'm not going to admit on this here blog that I would EVER violate FEDERAL LAW and take the cheapskate way out by using the one bottle on two different people in my family, nuh-uh.) I'm afraid to get the nasal spray -- last time it was $50 (it really worked on Miriam, though). So here's hoping the $8.00 jar of local wildflower honey is just as effective!
----------
Katie: "Mommy, can I borrow your camera?"
me: "Ummmm, sure..."
[20 minutes later...]
Katie: "Mama, doesn't it look just like an egg in a bird's nest?"
There are now 24 shots just like this on my camera:
----------
Speaking of kids getting their hands on a camera:
----------
----------
And of course, what first days of spring are complete without liberal application of band-aids?
----------
There! Only five days! I've got 3 more posts coming down the line... but please don't hold your breath! :)
Now, for a normal person who isn't interrupted every 90 seconds, I'm assuming (since I don't actually know) this whole process could take about 20-30 minutes, maybe 45 for a really long post. But for a stay-at-home homeschooling mother with 5 children and a husband who needs attention sometimes too, the process takes about... 2 weeks.
The above two paragraphs took me 2 days to write. And I haven't even added pictures yet!
[said in Barbie voice]: Blogging is haaaaaaard!
----------
Alright, alright, enough with the first world problems! It's not even a problem, really. I just sat down to write a post the other day and realized all the steps I had to go through to get one published. But when you're being constantly interrupted and having your train of thought derailed, no wonder it takes so long! I feel slightly vindicated now. :)
----------
Okay, on to said pictures.
Good grief, there's a ton. Sheesh, whoever is in charge of this blog should update more often!
Okay, so remember back in February when Daniel had the nebulizer treatment and looked all cute and pathetic?
 |
| "psht! Enemy fighters at 2 o'clock! psht!" |
----------
So remember when I went "running?" And I loved it? Well, apparently my heels do not. Even though I ran for probably a sum total of 45 seconds in two days, there is something very wrong with them. They hurt when I point my toe. I have never experienced pain in that location before, even after all those years of ballet. It's bizarre. I can still walk and stuff, but going down stairs adds a new level of excitement to my days.
Any other runners out there who were once newbies experienced this?
----------
When it snows in March in Virginia, this is what you get:
 |
| nasty. cold. wet. SLUSH. |
Training a new house elf!
 |
| dis one go here... dat one go dere... |
Okay so today (this is Tuesday now, day 4 on this post) I went to fill the prescriptions for Miriam and Joseph's allergy meds. Do you know how much the eye drops were? WITH insurance? SEVENTY STINKING DOLLARS. Seventy! For one eensy bottle! Dudes, living in Virginia is ex-pen-sive. So I only got one bottle of drops for Joseph, since his eyes bother him the most, and OTC allergy meds like Allegra (which I also picked up) aren't great about treating itchy eyes. (And since "federal law PROHIBITS the transfer of a prescription drug to any person other than the patient for whom it was prescribed," even though the doctor prescribed EXACTLY THE SAME MEDICINES to both my children, I'm not going to admit on this here blog that I would EVER violate FEDERAL LAW and take the cheapskate way out by using the one bottle on two different people in my family, nuh-uh.) I'm afraid to get the nasal spray -- last time it was $50 (it really worked on Miriam, though). So here's hoping the $8.00 jar of local wildflower honey is just as effective!
----------
Katie: "Mommy, can I borrow your camera?"
me: "Ummmm, sure..."
[20 minutes later...]
Katie: "Mama, doesn't it look just like an egg in a bird's nest?"
There are now 24 shots just like this on my camera:
 |
| this was the most in focus |
Speaking of kids getting their hands on a camera:
 |
| this is Joseph's preferred pose for impromptu shots |
 |
| truuuuuuuuuuuck... |
 |
| Katie makes stuff like this all day, every day. isn't it cute? |
 |
| om nom nom... nom? |
 |
| preschool in die Gurkehaus! |
And of course, what first days of spring are complete without liberal application of band-aids?
 |
| I don't know if you can see them all, but he has seven. |
There! Only five days! I've got 3 more posts coming down the line... but please don't hold your breath! :)
Friday, April 05, 2013
First Ever Quick Takes!
I can't believe I haven't done a Quick Takes post before! It's perfect, b/c I'm always thinking of funny little things that I want to share with you which aren't quite substantial enough for a blog post unto themselves. I think this is finally the answer to my dilemma. And anyway, if my baby brother does it, then I have to do it too, because I want to be cool like him!
----------
I went for my first run ever this week! Okay, it was 93% walk and 7 % run, but still! There were actual moments of moving forward in a rapid manner! It was fun. I love that feeling when you get that rush and you feel like you can conquer the world because you are so fit and amazing and one with yourself and the world. And then you take another 5 steps and suddenly you are wheezing and your legs are turning into jello. But the first euphoria is awesome!
I bought a pair of super-light running shoes from Easy Spirit (clearance rack at DSW! yay for me!), and I love them. I hardly feel like they're even there, which is perfect for someone who objects to wearing shoes in general. (You can take the girl out of L.A., but you can't take the L.A. out of the girl!) I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but earlier last year I read the book Born To Run (hilarious and fascinating), and was taken with the barefoot running movement. Naturally I couldn't do much while I was pregnant, but now that I'm allowed to exercise again AND the weather is something warmer than "freezing to death," I want to start trying to run (without killing myself in the process). I think running is a good thing for moms of many to take up -- for those days when you just want to run away from it all. :)
----------
Shopping with one child (well, plus the baby, who doesn't count) is such a delightful experience, have you noticed? Especially compared to the hellfest that is shopping with all 5 at once. Mr. Pickles nailed it when he said that when you're alone with one, they talk with you and want to please you, but when they're all together they're fighting. They have to compete for attention and they get bored quickly. But one on one they're delightful! I wish each of my children were an only child. I wish I could experience the Eternal Now so I didn't have to divide my time or attention to so many things at once.
----------
Don't ever, ever, ever brag in a public place (like your blog) about what a good sleeper your baby is. This absolutely guarantees that he will immediately go through a growth spurt/difficult phase and/or begin to teethe and forget how his thumb works, and you will enter a twilight zone of walking zombieness and much baby crying while you re-sleep-train. DON'T DO IT, I TELL YOU!
----------
Speaking of small furry creatures, Katie's gerbil recently underwent (and survived) a crisis. Those of you who know Katie well know her singlemindedness when it comes to acting out what's in her imagination. Much of the time this is a beautiful gift -- she is SO creative and always making something. However, it becomes an issue when it's time to, say, do schoolwork or chores, including but not limited to feeding one's pet, who is dependent upon one for its very survival. On Miriam's birthday I noticed that the gerbil did not look like it was doing well -- the look that is usually soon followed by not-moving-at-all. I found his food bowl, empty, sitting outside the cage. I asked Katie when was the last time she fed her gerbil. "Just yesterday!" she averred, with a slight note of outraged dignity at an unjust accusation. Of course, she had been about to feed him when she got distracted by fairies or something, and then forgot to finish. She couldn't remember the last time she had actually fed him. The poor guy was starving to death.
...on Miriam's birthday.
So we immediately filled that bowl and another one and scattered some easy-to-eat seeds right in front of him. He couldn't even pick up a sunflower seed, the pathetic little thing, so I shelled a couple for him. If I had known how to fix gruel for a gerbil I would have. He spent the rest of the day struggling up and down his rodent ramps, traveling between his two food dishes. He might even have slept in one. By the end of the day he had more energy, and was scooting around more perkily, thank heaven. He's now back to his usual crazy little self, spinning away in his wheel. It would have been a very memorable 11th birthday for Miriam otherwise, and not in a good way!
So is Katie a more conscientious gerbil mommy, you ask? Heck no! I STILL have to remind her to feed the dang thing every other day. And I'm too tenderhearted to let the thing starve to death to teach her a lesson.
----------
I got new conditioner. This one smells like marinara sauce. WHAT is going on in those testing labs??
----------
Does anyone else tidy up their living room for the grocery delivery guy? Cuz I totally just did. What is it about stay-at-home moms that makes us feel like we have to clean up our houses for total strangers?
----------
Speaking of living in squalor, a while back Mr. Pickles brought the van in for an oil change & tune up. When they returned the car, it had been thoroughly vacuumed inside. Apparently even grease monkeys have standards.*
----------
Don't shop for groceries online while eating Easter candy. Especially if you have a tendency to overdo the Easter candy. And especially shopping for meat. Blurgh.
Happy Easter, friends!
*actually, a vacuum and carwash are complimentary at the dealership when you bring 'er in for an oil change, but I like my explanation better. I'm sure the mechanics took pity on us upon seeing all the carseats to hold our mud-and-crumb-producing brood.
----------
I went for my first run ever this week! Okay, it was 93% walk and 7 % run, but still! There were actual moments of moving forward in a rapid manner! It was fun. I love that feeling when you get that rush and you feel like you can conquer the world because you are so fit and amazing and one with yourself and the world. And then you take another 5 steps and suddenly you are wheezing and your legs are turning into jello. But the first euphoria is awesome!
I bought a pair of super-light running shoes from Easy Spirit (clearance rack at DSW! yay for me!), and I love them. I hardly feel like they're even there, which is perfect for someone who objects to wearing shoes in general. (You can take the girl out of L.A., but you can't take the L.A. out of the girl!) I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but earlier last year I read the book Born To Run (hilarious and fascinating), and was taken with the barefoot running movement. Naturally I couldn't do much while I was pregnant, but now that I'm allowed to exercise again AND the weather is something warmer than "freezing to death," I want to start trying to run (without killing myself in the process). I think running is a good thing for moms of many to take up -- for those days when you just want to run away from it all. :)
----------
Shopping with one child (well, plus the baby, who doesn't count) is such a delightful experience, have you noticed? Especially compared to the hellfest that is shopping with all 5 at once. Mr. Pickles nailed it when he said that when you're alone with one, they talk with you and want to please you, but when they're all together they're fighting. They have to compete for attention and they get bored quickly. But one on one they're delightful! I wish each of my children were an only child. I wish I could experience the Eternal Now so I didn't have to divide my time or attention to so many things at once.
----------
Don't ever, ever, ever brag in a public place (like your blog) about what a good sleeper your baby is. This absolutely guarantees that he will immediately go through a growth spurt/difficult phase and/or begin to teethe and forget how his thumb works, and you will enter a twilight zone of walking zombieness and much baby crying while you re-sleep-train. DON'T DO IT, I TELL YOU!
----------
Speaking of small furry creatures, Katie's gerbil recently underwent (and survived) a crisis. Those of you who know Katie well know her singlemindedness when it comes to acting out what's in her imagination. Much of the time this is a beautiful gift -- she is SO creative and always making something. However, it becomes an issue when it's time to, say, do schoolwork or chores, including but not limited to feeding one's pet, who is dependent upon one for its very survival. On Miriam's birthday I noticed that the gerbil did not look like it was doing well -- the look that is usually soon followed by not-moving-at-all. I found his food bowl, empty, sitting outside the cage. I asked Katie when was the last time she fed her gerbil. "Just yesterday!" she averred, with a slight note of outraged dignity at an unjust accusation. Of course, she had been about to feed him when she got distracted by fairies or something, and then forgot to finish. She couldn't remember the last time she had actually fed him. The poor guy was starving to death.
...on Miriam's birthday.
So we immediately filled that bowl and another one and scattered some easy-to-eat seeds right in front of him. He couldn't even pick up a sunflower seed, the pathetic little thing, so I shelled a couple for him. If I had known how to fix gruel for a gerbil I would have. He spent the rest of the day struggling up and down his rodent ramps, traveling between his two food dishes. He might even have slept in one. By the end of the day he had more energy, and was scooting around more perkily, thank heaven. He's now back to his usual crazy little self, spinning away in his wheel. It would have been a very memorable 11th birthday for Miriam otherwise, and not in a good way!
So is Katie a more conscientious gerbil mommy, you ask? Heck no! I STILL have to remind her to feed the dang thing every other day. And I'm too tenderhearted to let the thing starve to death to teach her a lesson.
----------
I got new conditioner. This one smells like marinara sauce. WHAT is going on in those testing labs??
----------
Does anyone else tidy up their living room for the grocery delivery guy? Cuz I totally just did. What is it about stay-at-home moms that makes us feel like we have to clean up our houses for total strangers?
----------
Speaking of living in squalor, a while back Mr. Pickles brought the van in for an oil change & tune up. When they returned the car, it had been thoroughly vacuumed inside. Apparently even grease monkeys have standards.*
----------
Don't shop for groceries online while eating Easter candy. Especially if you have a tendency to overdo the Easter candy. And especially shopping for meat. Blurgh.
Happy Easter, friends!
*actually, a vacuum and carwash are complimentary at the dealership when you bring 'er in for an oil change, but I like my explanation better. I'm sure the mechanics took pity on us upon seeing all the carseats to hold our mud-and-crumb-producing brood.
Thursday, April 04, 2013
Birthday Week 2013!
Okay, so I started this post, like, over a week ago, and it's taken me forever to finish it. Sheesh, it's not like I have 6 other people interrupting me constantly or anything. (really? six others? how did we get to be that many people??)
N-E-way, we recently celebrated Birthday Week here in Die Gurkehaus (which is feeling more and more like a small jar each day...). This year it started with a shebang, as we were joined by our cousins who hold the current record on March birthdays! (their 4 to our 3!) One of theirs was missing, but we still sang to 6 people!
I have a video of the singing which I hope to post, as soon as I figure out how to change the file type.
This next picture has nothing to do with birthdays, except for the fact that the cousins were with us for St. Patrick's Day and Mr. Pickles made his Amazing Coffee Cake of Wonder(tm) for brunch. Oh, and it WAS Aunt Katie's birthday that day, so there you go!
On Monday we went to the Museum of Natural History with the cousins. We walked through the ocean exhibit, saw the Hope Diamond, visited the dinosaur bones, viewed the mummies (I didn't know there were mummies there!), and wandered through the insect exhibit. We had a great time, despite my taking 45 minutes to find a parking place, two emergency bathroom runs, and trying awkwardly to nurse the baby in the wrap carrier while walking -- but everyone got to see what he and/or she wanted so we were all happy.
And, NATURALLY, I didn't bring the camera! Sigh.
You know, we live SO close to DC, and we never go to all these awesome things except when people visit us!
Anyway, the next day, Tuesday, was Miriam's 11th birthday. It was a packed day! To celebrate, we went ice skating at Kettler Ice Plex (home of the Capitals!) with some of her close friends.
For dessert she chose chocolate lava cakes. Good woman.
One of our neighborhood friends was being confirmed that evening, so after Miriam's birthday dinner the girls and I (and Andy of course) went to the Mass. It was very special, and the bishop gave a great homily. Most memorable was the lesson that the sacred chrism -- the oil that smells so good, and which is used at Baptisms and Confirmations -- is meant to remind us that we are to be a sweet fragrance in the world. That lovely image really struck me, especially as our new pope seems to be one who will lead us in this by his example.
Miriam is really looking forward to her own Confirmation now.
Even though we didn't have any birthdays the next day, our neighbor two doors down had her baby that day, so the trend continues!
Thursday was Joseph's 5th birthday. Our homeschool coop was that morning, so we brought brownies to share. (Even though it's Lent, in our ecclesia domestica we celebrate family holidays with abandon.)
For his birthday, Joseph requested a strawberry hockey cake. Since box mix is out of the question now, all our cakes have to be made from scratch. I also wanted to make sure Mr. Pickles could share in the festivities, so I followed the Joy of Cooking's recipe for white cake, but used a gluten-free flour mix, and added mashed strawberries, reducing the liquid by a little bit. So simple, and amazingly delicious!
Joseph decorated it himself with a long, skinny candle made into a hockey stick and a chocolate mint for a puck. He also insisted that the 5 candle was THE fifth candle and so putting another stripey candle on was totally superfluous.
Finally came the big day for The Man Himself!
Mr. Pickles took the day off -- because who wants to be in an office on your birthday? -- and did pretty much whatever he felt like doing, a recipe for a good birthday! Since it was a Friday in Lent, we couldn't go too crazy on the meals, but it was still what we call "a good food day." We started off with french toast with mashed strawberries and whipped cream (I know, SO penitential), followed by quesadillas filled with tuna and hummus for lunch (which, I know, sounds weird, but with Trader Joe's 3 layer chipotle-red-pepper hummus, it is DA BOMB), and then for dinner, grilled salmon and asparagus with basmati rice. (yay for grilling in March!) Are you drooling yet?
To mix things up and add even more variety to the week, he chose to have custard for his birthday dessert. The first experiment early in the day came out... weird. I don't think arrowroot is a good thickener for custard -- it came out... slimey. The next batch was a success, although the kids thought it was too eggy. No problem -- all the more for us!
On Saturday we held Joseph's birthday party. When I reminded him of that in the morning, his eyes got really wide and he exclaimed, "Is it my birthday AGAIN? Am I SIX??" Even though we repeatedly explained, no, it's not your birthday, we're just having the party on a different day, he still refers to Saturday as his second birthday.
We invited some of his little buddies and basically turned them loose downstairs. I am not a firm believer in organizing party games for children. I figure as long as you minimize the amount of bloodshed, they are perfectly capable of entertaining themselves. As it turns out, Katie has a natural flair for coming up with imaginative ideas for entertaining guests. See the two princes above? They were playing "kings and princes" complete with crowns, robes and thrones.
And of course, I didn't get any pictures of it.
Joseph loved all of his gifts -- they were all perfect for him! He had a great time, and I had a lovely visit with the moms who stayed. I love hosting -- I really should do it more often. Yay! A reason to party!
Thus ended Birthday Week. We didn't get a lick of schoolwork done, and are now 4 weeks behind, sigh. But I've finally realized that Birthday Week needs to be our Spring Break -- who has time for school when there's so much partying to be done?
N-E-way, we recently celebrated Birthday Week here in Die Gurkehaus (which is feeling more and more like a small jar each day...). This year it started with a shebang, as we were joined by our cousins who hold the current record on March birthdays! (their 4 to our 3!) One of theirs was missing, but we still sang to 6 people!
 |
| "Happy Birthday dear everyone..." |
 |
| Sweet Sasha, who was celebrating her first birthday! yay! |
 |
| the present-opening frenzy |
 |
| Andrew loves his fancy schmancy cup! |
On Monday we went to the Museum of Natural History with the cousins. We walked through the ocean exhibit, saw the Hope Diamond, visited the dinosaur bones, viewed the mummies (I didn't know there were mummies there!), and wandered through the insect exhibit. We had a great time, despite my taking 45 minutes to find a parking place, two emergency bathroom runs, and trying awkwardly to nurse the baby in the wrap carrier while walking -- but everyone got to see what he and/or she wanted so we were all happy.
And, NATURALLY, I didn't bring the camera! Sigh.
You know, we live SO close to DC, and we never go to all these awesome things except when people visit us!
Anyway, the next day, Tuesday, was Miriam's 11th birthday. It was a packed day! To celebrate, we went ice skating at Kettler Ice Plex (home of the Capitals!) with some of her close friends.
 |
| not bad for a lousy camera phone -- because, of course, I forgot the camera |
 | |
| the candle had to be stuck off-center because the middle was all gooey and lava-y! |
Miriam is really looking forward to her own Confirmation now.
Even though we didn't have any birthdays the next day, our neighbor two doors down had her baby that day, so the trend continues!
Thursday was Joseph's 5th birthday. Our homeschool coop was that morning, so we brought brownies to share. (Even though it's Lent, in our ecclesia domestica we celebrate family holidays with abandon.)
For his birthday, Joseph requested a strawberry hockey cake. Since box mix is out of the question now, all our cakes have to be made from scratch. I also wanted to make sure Mr. Pickles could share in the festivities, so I followed the Joy of Cooking's recipe for white cake, but used a gluten-free flour mix, and added mashed strawberries, reducing the liquid by a little bit. So simple, and amazingly delicious!
 |
| not nearly as elaborate as this cake, since the tubes of colored icing are now verboten, and I'm fresh out of cake decorating bags at the moment |
 |
| I'm five! I'm five! I'm a big boy now, I'm five! |
To mix things up and add even more variety to the week, he chose to have custard for his birthday dessert. The first experiment early in the day came out... weird. I don't think arrowroot is a good thickener for custard -- it came out... slimey. The next batch was a success, although the kids thought it was too eggy. No problem -- all the more for us!
On Saturday we held Joseph's birthday party. When I reminded him of that in the morning, his eyes got really wide and he exclaimed, "Is it my birthday AGAIN? Am I SIX??" Even though we repeatedly explained, no, it's not your birthday, we're just having the party on a different day, he still refers to Saturday as his second birthday.
And of course, I didn't get any pictures of it.
 |
| the best part -- opening presents! |
 |
| At every party, I've noticed there is one toy that everyone flocks around -- this time it was a truck that breaks ON PURPOSE when you crash it into stuff! |
 |
| some party-goers were more interested in the resident rodent |
Thus ended Birthday Week. We didn't get a lick of schoolwork done, and are now 4 weeks behind, sigh. But I've finally realized that Birthday Week needs to be our Spring Break -- who has time for school when there's so much partying to be done?
Monday, April 01, 2013
Happy Easter 2013!
Christ is risen, Alleluia!
I had mixed feelings about the coming of Easter this year. I didn't really feel like I "did" Lent. I had a lot of great resolutions, but they all went out the window when EVERYONE got sick the first week of Lent. I kept up a couple -- particularly the spiritual reading, when I could -- which I want to continue during Easter. (I'm rereading The Reed of God. It is so, so good.) In this way I guess it was a good Lent: when you want to continue doing the things you resolved to do. It made me think about the whole purpose of penitence and fasting and why I do what I do and give up what I give up. It's all supposed to bring me closer to a Person. The fasting is meant to strip away things that are clogging the soul -- basically to pull out weeds so God has more fertile soil to work with. So in that sense I feel like it was a successful Lent -- I find myself more open to trusting Him and His Will.
And I don't think it's all going to go away just because I enjoyed coffee with lots (lots!) of cream and sugar two days in a row. Oh, and chocolate.
Speaking of chocolate,
Mr. Pickles made his fantabulous homemade peanut butter cups again.
You know you want some.
Since apparently we got all of our sicknesses out of the way at the beginning of Lent, everyone was healthy for Easter so we were able to make it to all the Triduum services this year. I have to say all the kids were really, really good, especially for those late services. The Vigil started AT bedtime, fer cryin' out loud! We had various children draped along the pews at several points, but we all survived. I'm glad we're able to share the richness of the liturgy with our children.
I knew no one would feel like dressing up the next day if they didn't
have to, so an evening on-the-couch shot is what we get this year.
Easter Sunday was a lovely day. Well, the day itself wasn't so lovely -- it was gray and drizzly all day long, as opposed to Holy Saturday which was an absolutely magnificent spring day. So no grilled rack of lamb or anything. But we still enjoyed our day. We had candy for breakfast, video games for lunch, and ham for dinner, with lots of goofing off and sugar highs in between times, with the occasional low-blood-sugar-induced shrieking fit for that extra holiday flavor.
The ONLY reason Daniel is actually dressed in these pictures is that he is still wearing his clothes from the previous night -- he fell asleep in the car on the way home from the Vigil and his lazy parents did not feel like changing him at 11:30 at night, slackers that they are.
Happy Easter everyone! Have a blessed and joy-filled week!
I had mixed feelings about the coming of Easter this year. I didn't really feel like I "did" Lent. I had a lot of great resolutions, but they all went out the window when EVERYONE got sick the first week of Lent. I kept up a couple -- particularly the spiritual reading, when I could -- which I want to continue during Easter. (I'm rereading The Reed of God. It is so, so good.) In this way I guess it was a good Lent: when you want to continue doing the things you resolved to do. It made me think about the whole purpose of penitence and fasting and why I do what I do and give up what I give up. It's all supposed to bring me closer to a Person. The fasting is meant to strip away things that are clogging the soul -- basically to pull out weeds so God has more fertile soil to work with. So in that sense I feel like it was a successful Lent -- I find myself more open to trusting Him and His Will.
And I don't think it's all going to go away just because I enjoyed coffee with lots (lots!) of cream and sugar two days in a row. Oh, and chocolate.
Speaking of chocolate,
 |
| ...with some help. |
 |
| and there was great rejoicing! |
Since apparently we got all of our sicknesses out of the way at the beginning of Lent, everyone was healthy for Easter so we were able to make it to all the Triduum services this year. I have to say all the kids were really, really good, especially for those late services. The Vigil started AT bedtime, fer cryin' out loud! We had various children draped along the pews at several points, but we all survived. I'm glad we're able to share the richness of the liturgy with our children.
 |
| all duded up for the Easter vigil! |
 |
| apparently Mr. Pickles is a better squatter than I am |
 |
| hunting for eggs... |
 |
| jaybeens! |
 |
| something to counterbalance the massive sugar intake before 8am |
 |
| mmmm, Easter is delicious! |
Thursday, March 07, 2013
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Backstory: we're decluttering. Currently that means slogging through the boxes of paper that breed in the basement. I pulled out one manilla envelope from one box, and have spent the last half hour reliving my junior year of high school.
In said envelope, in no particular order:
-several brochures for Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and Universal Studios
-cards from my Confirmation
-paraphernalia from World Youth Day '93
-evaluations from a Bach Festival I played in
-notes from a talk given by Alice von Hildebrand
-a bag of prehistoric shark teeth
-an itinerary for a trip to Disneyland printed out on a dot matrix printer (it has your handwriting on it, Rie)
-math flash cards from 3rd grade
-a program from the June 7, 1992 piano recital at the Studio of Mary Feyk (we played all the "I Haven't Practiced" songs by Paul Sheftel -- remember those, Dave and Joe?)
-a ticket for a 1992 Pirates vs. Cubs game at Three Rivers Stadium
People, there are many, many more envelopes like these, lurking in the basement. And in my closet, too. My only thought looking at them is, holy carp, I'm an obsessive packrat! Why, WHY, did I keep all these things? And secondly, why did I pay real live American dollars to ship them all out here??
In said envelope, in no particular order:
-several brochures for Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and Universal Studios
-cards from my Confirmation
-paraphernalia from World Youth Day '93
-evaluations from a Bach Festival I played in
-notes from a talk given by Alice von Hildebrand
-a bag of prehistoric shark teeth
-an itinerary for a trip to Disneyland printed out on a dot matrix printer (it has your handwriting on it, Rie)
-math flash cards from 3rd grade
-a program from the June 7, 1992 piano recital at the Studio of Mary Feyk (we played all the "I Haven't Practiced" songs by Paul Sheftel -- remember those, Dave and Joe?)
-a ticket for a 1992 Pirates vs. Cubs game at Three Rivers Stadium
People, there are many, many more envelopes like these, lurking in the basement. And in my closet, too. My only thought looking at them is, holy carp, I'm an obsessive packrat! Why, WHY, did I keep all these things? And secondly, why did I pay real live American dollars to ship them all out here??
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)