Friday, May 21, 2010

Dinner? Again?

I like to cook, and have become a decent cook in the last few years. I enjoy planning meals for us to sit down as a family to share. I don't like planning dinners day after day after day after day. I especially don't like planning (or making) dinner on nights I have to go back out to do something. Tonight is our marriage ministry meeting, last night was Bible Study. I'm preparing for the meetings in the early evening and am rarely hungry before I leave the house. In fact, I usually pull something together for Hubby and girls and don't eat anything myself. It seems we've been having a lot of evening meetings and I just don't want to even think about dinner. I know I'm complaining about something which many people wouldn't...I'm a baby.
My house is a mess right now. With the Singer home from college our front room is full of boxes with her dorm stuff in them...blankets, sheets, dishes, cleaning supplies, printer... The family room is full of my world history class' end of the year project of a timeline (3000 BC thru 2000 AD...and yes I still say AD and not CE). Our counter, which is a paper magnet by design has birthday cards, college loan info and just plain junk mail strewn across it. If I'd taken these last 10 minutes to work on it instead of complain it'd look a lot better, but I'm having much more fun complaining.
Had to run to the store for last minute items for tonight's meeting and so the Imp wanted to drive. We're driving home and she's inching closer and closer to the right side of the road (which borders a ditch). I finally comment on how far to the right she is. Her response is "I knew exactly where I was." Now does that mean she thinks she was not as close to the edge as I thought OR does it mean that she meant to be that close to the edge? Either way is a little scary. She's actually not a bad driver, but is still in the learning stages since we've given her such little time to practice.
I feel like after this week (that is by next Friday) I'll be done for the school year. Of course, I always get my hopes up for a restful summer, but as Hubby keeps pointing out...I spend much more time with the kids during the summer than during the school year...but I'm holding onto my dream for a little while longer.
The Singer is working 40 hrs/wk this summer and they're 'regular' hours (8am-5pm). Last summer she worked odd hours and missed dinner each night, stayed up late and slept till 10 or so. It's so much nicer having her on a schedule similar to ours. It's still an adjustment to have her home. She's simply not used to living as a family and the considerations that entails.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

A Happy Birthday

Here's something a friend sent me. I think it's great. Might have to try to memorize and perform it myself.



Had a great birthday. Hubby took the day off of work and we went to You Do the Dishes a place where you paint pottery and then they fire it and you pick it up a few days later. I made a deviled egg plate to match the serving bowl I'd made another day.




I love going and painting things there. Some people are amazed at how much time I'm willing to put into painting these things. In order to make the deviled egg plate, I cut 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch squares from masking tape and place them on the plate to create the checkered pattern. I really didn't mind at all. I find the whole experience therapeutic.











One of the best parts of going to You Do the Dishes is getting a chocolate moose frappe. There are all kinds of goodies but my tradition is always a chocolate moose frappe. One time I got a strawberry smoothie...not the same thing.


I first went here 12 years ago. A friend took me there as my birthday present. What a great present as I've been going back once or twice a year since then. Here are a few of the things I've made.












In addition to that great experience, I'm waking up to my Christian radio station and hear that my daughter has sponsored the day in honor of my birthday. Now that is a neat present.

There was a slight cake calamity, but I won't go into it as I'm still mourning the ruination of my chocolate meringue truffle cake that I spent 45 minutes putting together.



My family tried to make it up to me with a Carvel ice cream cake. It was nice, but not close to the chocolate meringue truffle cake I'd been planning on having for the last 2 months since I found the recipe.

Another great birthday present was the return home of my nephew from Afghanistan. Glad to know he's no longer in a war zone and is safe on American soil.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Mother's Day


I got the best Mother's Day gift EVER! I love to hear my girls sing. I've been asking for over a year for a recording of them singing Via Delorosa one of my all-time favorite songs. Well...they made me a recording. I find it uplifting, invigorating and moving. I, of course, had tears in my eyes when I listened to it the first time. The sound quality is not professional, but I only hear their voices raised in song, not the sound quality. Just had to share.
via delorosa