In Utero Nicknames

Ok, for two days now I have been trying to get out a post on the topic of names and naming practices in various cultures. Why? Because I thought it would be a smart way to tell everyone what we have nicknamed this baby. Why isn't it posted? Because of this baby. My brain cells seem shot at the moment and so this is all you're getting today.

I love giving my babies names while they are still in the womb. Not their actual name, because I have serious issues regarding the naming of children and therefore cannot name them until I can see them. But I can't go a whole nine months calling this bump in my belly an it, him, her, or just baby. So today I am happy to announce that baby #5 has finally recieved his/her official in-utero nickname: That Kid

Now when DSSH asks where the leftover lemon cream cake went I can say, "That Kid!"
When my brain is too frazzled to write a coherent blog post I can blame That Kid.
When Cookie asks why I was late getting her from school I can tell her that That Kid was making me take too long to get my shoes on.
When I walk all the way downstairs, back up and then down again and can't remember which way I was going, or why, I can shout, "THAT KID!"

And trust me, with the way things are going around here, I really need to blame it all on someone. Thanks, That Kid, for always taking the bullet for your old mom. =)

Past kid in-utero nicknames?
Cookie= Cookie Her's stuck big time and will probably be there for life.
Pablo= I can't remember his (isn't that awful) but it probably wasn't a good one considering the fact that I thought he was a girl up to the point that everyone in the room was screaming that he was a boy.
Monster Man= Mr. Man He was the first one that we found out the sex before birth.
Sweet Terror= Twinky I ate two boxes of twinkies while pregnant with her and my husband was convinced that was what was making the bump in my belly. Never mind the 573 family size bags of cheetos I ate too. DSSH just didn't want to call a girl baby Chester.

For more nickname fun, go find the old TV episodes of The Lawrenceville Stories .

Do you name your baby bump? What are some of your favorite nicknames?

I Am All For Cloning

Are you in favor of cloning?

Last Friday my husband and I actually got out of the house for a date night. It had been so long since our last date that I think we were a bit out of practice. It took us so long to decide on where to eat that most every restaurant was closed, and we were forced, instead, to settle for whatever was still open (We said a little prayer that we would find something besides just a Denny's or Shari's). The lights were still on at the Olive Garden. I don't think we have eaten at an Olive Garden in the last 5 years, simply because we live in Seattle and there are so many fantastic places to eat that we consider it a culinary sin to eat at chain restaurants. The appetizer was good (calamari and stuffed mushrooms), and I've always loved their salad, but the bread sticks weren't as heavenly as I remembered them. They tasted like Rhodes frozen rolls and not Italian in any way. The main course was very sad for both my husband and I, reminding me of the scene in European Vacation where the french waiters just dumpo out T.V. dinners and stick little flags in them, so we had no problem with saving room for dessert. Now, as a rule, I don't usually order a dessert, just because they are so expensive and I'm rarely impressed... and I think I make pretty good dessert at home anyway. But then there was the picture:

(Photo snitched from the Olive Garden website)

It looked good, it looked new, it looked unlike the regular restaurant sweets, and I had to try it. It was good! It was good enough that I was already contemplating going back to the O.G. again just for a slice. UNLESS, that is, I could find a way to make it at home. This is the part where I express my undying gratitude to clone recipe web sites. I found a clone copy at the Recipe Zaar (click here for recipe) and we made it for dessert/Family Home Evening treat. I highly suggest you try this one. It is especially good if a bit frozen so I like to stick it in the freezer about 10 minutes before serving.

One slice of cake at Olive garden = $6.25

Twelve slices of cake at home = $6.25 (most expensive item was the whipping cream)

Yup, I am a full supporter of cloning... just keep the sheep out of it.

Good Bye

Last night our phone was ringing much more than usual. Family and friends were calling to make sure that we had heard the news of President Gordon B. Hinckley's death. Many people are very sad to loose such an amazing, well known, and well loved man. I can't help but feel happy for him. He is now with his wife and free from his, though amazingly healthy, aged body. Thank you, President Hinckley, for all your service, your hard work, your wonderful sense of humor, and for being so darn cute!

Here is one of my favorite articles about Hinckley. It is an interview held with his children and grandchildren that shows the lovely human side of this wonderful man.

Friend to Friend

From personal interviews by Joleen Meredith with the children and grandchildren of this General Authority.

“Grandpa gives me a big hug and kiss when I go to his house. Then he picks me up and swings me around. He tells me he loves me and sometimes he tells me stories like Little Red Riding Hood. One night when I was staying at his house, I crawled into bed with him and Grandma in the middle of the night, and they didn’t even know I was there until the next morning.”

“Dad loves to work in the yard and to build things. He also has a great sense of humor,” recalled one of his sons. “Once while I was courting my wife, I told her jokes early one evening. She laughed but only to be polite. Then I took her to supper at my home, and my father told all the same jokes to her during dinner. He sometimes laughs so hard at his or others’ jokes that he has to leave the room until he can quit laughing.

“And speaking of courting, I remember a night when my sister Jane had a date with a boy who had grown a fine beard (fine enough to win a recent beard contest). However, the boy was very nervous about coming to our home, and he didn’t know if Dad would approve of his beard. He finally became so concerned that he shaved it off and appeared at our front door that evening clean-shaven. You know, my father was very touched by that.”

“Dad counsels with people a great deal. He seems to be especially sensitive to the needs of others.”

“Dad built our home. He did everything—the concrete work, the plumbing, all of the carpentry work. I always worked with him.”

“Can you think of a pet peeve your father might have?” I inquired.
“Yes, a person who wastes time,” came the quick answer.

“He smiles when I come to his house,” a grandchild piped up.

“My father gets up early! As long as I can remember he’s always risen early. He’d come by our rooms singing loudly, ‘Half a day gone by and nothing yet done.’ This was at 5:30 a.m. He’s a real worker!”

“Dad loves to make do, and never overspends. He puts three old parts together instead of buying a new one.”

“My mother? She’s the soft, warm support of the family. Her even temperament makes her truly an angel on earth.”

“Dad was raised on a farm. His father had a great sense of humor and could really spin a good tale. Grandpa used to tell about the time he was voted the homeliest man at school one year. My father likes to reminisce about his father and his own childhood.”

“Dad worked as the European Mission secretary while he was on his mission. During that time he made a presentation to President Grant regarding the missionary system, and President Grant commissioned him to carry out those suggestions. This later led to his calling as executive secretary of the Missionary Committee. Dad has always been very missionary minded.”

“Grandpa? He loves to play games, read scriptures, and he giggles a lot.”

“Dad loves the soil. He plants trees, trees, trees. I’m sure he’s planted at least 2,000 of them.”

“Your father travels a great deal. How does he manage such a schedule?”
“Dad has a mantle of great physical strength. It is not a bit unusual for him to tour twenty-three days and hold twenty-two conferences during that time.”

Eight-year-old Rosemary told this about her grandfather: “He’s building a dollhouse for our family—it’s pretty. He even builds big houses, the kind you live in.
“And did you know my grandpa eats shredded wheat for dinner?”
“Don’t you mean for breakfast?”
“Nope, for dinner, right out of the box.”

“The place that is most fun is Grandpa’s rocking chair. We sit together and talk and talk. Sometimes he tells us Bible stories.”

“When my grandpa prays it’s like he’s really talking to somebody,” added Heather.
“He’s always saying, ‘Be grateful,’ ” Celia said.

“Grandpa asks me if I’m being a good girl. Then he picks me up off the floor and gives me a big kiss. Oh, I almost forgot, he brings us money from other countries,” added Laura, age six.

“My dad? He’s very wise, weighs both sides before making a decision. He’s also very discreet. He never talks about others or about situations. He only talks when he has something to say.”

“Dad ties green yarn on his suitcases so he can quickly recognize his own luggage at the airports; that way he doesn’t waste time. He’s always the first one on and off an airplane. He walks so fast that sometimes we all wonder where he’s going in such a hurry.
“But he always knows where he’s going—and why.”

Be Careful What You Pray For.

Have you ever prayed for something bad to happen? Like for your computer to break?

The power of prayer in my life never ceases to amaze me. I have spent 4 hours looking for a lost wallet, and after praying for help was inspired to look in our big chest of dress ups (it was at the bottom). I have prayed that my husband would get out of bed and pray of his own accord and before I could say, "Amen" he was on his knees. I have been in the hospital in agonizing delivery pain and asked my husband and my step father for a blessing that I would not be sent home again and my water broke before the prayer was over. I have prayed desperately in order to move to a bigger home, been told "No" and cried for months only to find that the Lord had an even bigger, nicer place for me to find. I have been so alone that I wondered if my existence even mattered and found a constant friend through prayer. So many times in my life has prayer been the only solution, and always the best solution.

Today I have witnessed the power of prayer yet again. First of all, two days ago my sister emailed me and asked for a prayer as she was facing a day, in the service of her family and the Lord, that would break any normal woman. I, and probably others, prayed for her that day. Today I was dying to hear how she survived and she happily responded, "Oh yeah, it was fine. WAY better than I ever could have hoped for."

I have been struggling with my own problem here, though mine was all my own doing. ***Here comes another dirty Lizzy confession*** I am a TV addict, as I'm sure I've admitted before. We don't have TV but you can watch TV episodes online... and I have been doing so to a point of self disgust. I have pretty much watched internet TV from the time I drop Cookie at school till about 5pm every night for the past several months. My house has been filthy, my children are unschooled, and the effect on my husband has been heartbreaking. He doesn't know what I've been doing, all he knows is that I haven't been able to do anything around here and he feels that it is because he isn't a good enough provider (NOT TRUE!!!!). I would stop for a day or two, just to dig us out of the filth, but Monday morning I was always back to staring at the screen and ignoring my children. I have prayed many times for help with this addiction and totally ignored all the promptings, signs, and shameful moments that I was given. Well, last night I decided to pull out all the stops. When praying for help this last time I didn't ask for promptings, signs, or for people to interrupt me. THIS time I bravely asked Heavenly Father, "And if I get online to watch any videos, or to do anything that keeps me from my duty, would you please just break my computer?" And I have seen enough of the power of prayer to absolutely believe that He would do this for me. Now, can you imagine me having to explain to my husband why the computer is dead and smoking? "Oh, yeah, well... I kind of... sort of... uh, I prayed for that to happen." Needless to say my house is clean, my children are bathed and dressed, and I haven't dared be on the computer for anything but to check my email and to write this post. So, Be careful what you pray for...

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go. -- Abraham Lincoln

Wishing will never be a substitute for prayer. --Ed Cole

When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don't pray, they don't. --William Temple

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?-- Corrie Ten Boom

The Third Petition of the Lord's Prayer is repeated daily by millions who have not the slightest intention of letting anyone's will be done but their own.--Aldous Huxley

Notice, we never pray for folks we gossip about, and we never gossip about the folk for whom we pray! For prayer is a great deterrent. --Leonard Ravenhill

Pray, and let God worry. -- Martin Luther

I'm So Crafty

Scribbit was sweet enough to add this to her winter bazaar so I thought I ought to finish it and add directions. My pictures aren't the best for a tutorial but I will try to write clear instructions.

Step one: Use two same size panels of fabric (you can make a large blanket or a small burp cloth) and a bunch of ribbon cut to 4 inches, and I always seem to need more ribbon than I think I will.

Step two: Fold ribbons in half. Pin around the edge of the right side of one of the fabric panels (right side meaning the side of the fabric with the pattern on it or the side of the fabric that will be on the outside of the blanket). Pin ribbon with the fold facing the center of the fabric and the cut side of the ribbon overlapping the edge of the fabric by 1/2 inch.

Step 3: Place the two fabric panels together with the right sides facing each other and the ribbons sandwiched in between them. Sew around the edge leaving an opening (3" for a burp cloth and 5" for a blanket).

Step 4: Pull blanket right side out and smooth or iron flat. Now you can choose how much further to take this. You could just sew up the opening with a basic blanket stitch. Or, you can now sew along the outside edge with your machine, tucking in the cut edge of the opening. You could also stitch some designs in the middle of the blanket if you wish.

I like to use ribbons with different textures but I always use lots of silky ribbons because they are the ones that babies love to suck on the most. I also like to add a note when I give this blanket that it is a play blanket and not a crib blanket because I worry about little fingers getting tangled in the ribbons and baby getting wrapped and smothered in the blanket. But I'm just paranoid like that.

As for all the sweet questions.... no, this blanket was not made for the bump in my belly =) I made this way before I had even decided to try again. And, do I have any clue as to what I'm having? Well I will get a second ultrasound at the beginning of February that will tell me. I'm leaning towards a boy... but I've never been right before so I'm not making any bets.

It's Time To Check The Fire...Again

Shiver me timbers it is cold in here. This year we are keeping the furnace off and the wood stove hot. Let me just say that I really feel for the women and men of old. We were lucky to have a big ol' pile of free wood dropped at our door this summer. All we had to do was spend an eternity piling it and cleaning it up. Back in the old days men had to go on day long trips all year long to fall trees, hitch them to cattle, drag them home, chop, stack, chop, stack, and chop some more. Women weren't able to turn up the heater anytime their little pinky toes got cold. Nope, they were up getting the fire going so as to be able to heat up the stove for breakfast. I just can't believe how much time fire tending takes. Not only must you bring in wood throughout the day, but the fire must be lit, it must be continually fed so it won't die, you have to clean up the ashes, you have to plan when best to light it for your schedule that day, and you must constantly make sure that there is a clean perimeter around the stove at all times, etc. I am used to checking things throughout the day, like the time, my email, the kids, the phone messages, but it is hard for me to remember the fire and I often forget it until my toes start freezing and the fire is already out. I'm just so glad that I live in the rather temperate Pacific Northwest. I can't imagine trying to survive the windy coldness of Idaho right now (though maybe it is easier to keep a house warm in dry cold rather than the wet cold we have here). So, even though I know of no one that would need this and it will probably sound more like whining, here is a list of what I've learned from using my wood stove:

1. Construction not only uses a lot of wood, but wastes a lot of wood. The neighbor that gave us the huge pile of construction scraps said that if people don't take it to burn it goes in the landfill (Why don't they chip it and give it to landscape companies?)

2. Don't forget to bring in a pile of wood before you go to bed because the last thing you want to do in the very early morning is run out in your bathrobe and coat to get a load of wood while praying that the neighbors don't see you.

3. The first 1 1/2 stove fulls of wood don't heat your home, they heat the stove so that the stove can eventually start heating your home.

4. Kids love to sit by the fire and then roll on the floor pretending they are actually on fire.

5. If you are OCD about checking your doors, windows, lights, and kids before going to bed you shouldn't use a wood stove to heat the house. My bedtime checking routine is ridiculous. I have even turned back home, halfway to the library, because, even though I new I had checked it, I couldn't remember what I saw or did when I had checked the fire before leaving. (I'm not clinically OCD but I annoy myself many times with my "tendencies")

6. Kids may logically know not to play near the fire but it won't stop them from melting plastic toys against the stove just to see what will happen (Surprisingly it was NOT Monster Man who did this... and did it repeatedly. But I will protect the identity of the heavily-lectured-to child)

7. Don't carry superwoman sized loads of wood into the house when you are pregnant. Having sciatic nerve spasms are not fun for anyone when mom is shrieking in pain every now and then. Don't worry, I've learned my lesson.

8. Using a wood stove to heat your house can suddenly change your whole outlook on the usual post Christmas pile of cardboard boxes. Cardboard is great for starting fires.

9. PRIME YOUR FLU. If the fire has been out long enough for the chimney to get cold it causes air to come from the outside in. So, when you light a fire the initial smoke will just pour into your house, giving everything that lovely just-came-home-from-camping smell. To prevent this you have to light a bunch of newspaper right up close to the chimney opening. This also means that I end up with soot on my arms and hands and must wash before I touch anything.

10. Don't get competitive with your husband over who lights the better fire because one day you will be in a rush and will light the kind of fire you are always preaching against and you will have to eat your own crow.

11. The trick to good wood stove usage is to maintain a constant, steady heat. If you pile the wood stove super full to try and reduce the amount of feedings you have to give it all you will do is waste wood, over heat the house for a small amount of time, and it will also burn up fast without leaving coals so you will most likely have to start the fire again.

12. If you smell smoke, don't wait till your hubby smells it too, run and check it out. We had a smoldering coal in a cold stove and it was filling our entire basement with nasty smelling smoke.

13. Keep baby blankets piled in the same room as the wood stove. These will be needed for performing the smoke detector dance whenever someone doesn't properly heat up the flu (or for situations like the one above). My kids know their stations and their jobs. It makes me glad I have so many of them (kids) because we have a lot of smoke detectors.

14. I've seen a lot of money saving tips on tv before. You know the ones that counsel you to drink coffee every other day, to go without a pedicure, get sensible haircut that will last, change your own oil, and to grocery shop with a list, all to save you a whopping $235 a year! I always laughed at these because I've never been able to afford a pedicure anyway. Well, putting up with a little extra work and few extra burns has saved us a whopping $2,000 this year (yes, it costs that much to heat this place, thus our reason to do this crazy thing in the first place) so take that, all you pedicured coffee drinkers! =)

The Scoop On The Poop

(Click on picture for a bit of gross silliness)

You can just stop reading right now if you don't feel like hearing about it.

The Poopsmith is a simple guy who never talks, just spends his days shoveling poop from one pile to another. Gross, right? Well, I AM THE POOPSMITH. Or should I say, "The potty training is going well"? My dear sweet girl, the one who only used 2 diapers a day, the one who is terrified of sitting on the big toilet, the one who looks so cute running around with her bare bottom on prominent display for the whole world to see... is now the girl who poops up to 8 times a day on her little potty chair. When you include the peepee, I am dumping and cleaning that horrid little potty chair bucket upwards of 12 times a day. So, when you call me and say, "So, what are you up to these days?" And I respond with a despondent, "Ohhhh... you know, just the usual mom stuff." Please don't ask anymore questions. And unless you want to sit through my 3 hour tirade on POOP, do NOT ask how the potty training is going.

(Sorry, Sis, Wendy, and Sarah. I should have given you this warning before you all called yesterday.)

Now, if you don't mind, I am off to check the potty chair again, to say, "Good job, sweetie, you did it," again, and to clean out more poop and pee... AGAIN!!! And yes, the potty training is going great, juuuuust great.

The Place Where Friends Are Made

When the Build-a-Bear workshop was first spotlighted on Oprah several years ago I remember thinking, "What a cute idea. I bet a lot of suckers are going to fall for it." As good, smart, friends of mine started buying their children Build-a-Bears I would smuggly think, "SUCKER!" When my daughter first asked for a Build-a-Bear I said, "Oh, honey, they are so expensive. I think you should ask Santa for something else." But what I was really thinking was, "Not on your life, you silly little girl."

Around our house there is a plethora of unused stuffed animals. Everytime we take a load of stuff to the Deseret Industries or Goodwill there is usually a stuffed animal or two in the bag. I don't buy them, ever, but other people keep giving them to us. And, not only do we have plenty of stuffed animals, we also have garbage bags full of cute little baby clothes that we save after every baby. Basically, we have all the makings of our own Build-a-Bear workshop right here. I suggested this to my dissapointed daughter and with the look she gave me I had one of those defining, "Oh no, I've become my mother," kind of moments.

***Flashback Moment***

When I was a kid I wrote a Christmas list that plainly showed my obsession with Strawberry Shortcake. On it I had everything from a Strawberry Shortcake blanket to a tube of Strawberry Shortcake lipgloss. I figured if everything I asked for was Strawberry Shortcake, and if I gave Santa a good price range to work with, I was sure to get something that I asked for (We never had much moeny growing up so I knew that Santa needed price ranges). The next morning as I unwrapped my mother's lovingly homemade strawberry shortcake doll and homemade strawberry shortcake blanket my heart was crushed. I acted pleased and happy but my heart ached. (I still have the doll and blanket and cherish them now that I'm old enough to realize what my mother had done for me out of love). There was also the Cabbage Patch doll dreams of my sister that just couldn't be fulfilled by the lovingly handmade Cabbage Patch style doll my mom made her. Who would have thought that the simple commercial ideas of strawberry scented hair and signatured bums would mean so much to a child?

Who would have thought that a simple fabric heart, that you rub all over yourself and then never see again once they sew your bear up, would mean so much to my child? Well, after 2 1/2 years of consistently being asked for a Build-a-Bear at every birthday and Christmas I finally decided to call her bluff of, "All I want is a Build-a-Bear. I don't want any other toy but that." She didn't receive a single toy from anyone this year; instead I gave her a coupon for lunch at the mall and $40 of Grandma Christmas money to spend on a Build-a-Bear. I bit my tongue through the whole agonizing, lovely, memory making event. Keeping my mouth shut as I forked out $23 for her, her friend, and I to eat in the food court (How on earth do all those teenagers have the money to eat here everyday???) I told myself I was paying for memories. Standing in line for over and hour (NEVER go to the Biuld-a-Bear workshop on the Saturday after Christmas) I was so proud of myself for not trying to talk my daughter into getting the cheapest bear (I listened to other mothers doing what I usually do and I could hear the original joy being sucked away as each little girl had to choose between her dream bear and making her mother happy). 2 1/2 hours later we ended up with just enough money to buy the most expensive bear-cheetah available (my girl has taste) and a cute shirt and jean skirt.

Was it worth it? Did having a full body rubbed heart (seriously, you need to hear the whole cheesey heart rubbing routine they give these kids in the store. It is ridiculous), a hand picked outfit, and a cute little lint removing shower really make this stuffed cheetah any more special in the eyes of a 9 yr old girl? YOU BETCHA IT DID!!! This cheetah is like the coolest toy ever. Everyone wants to hold it. The girls take turns taking it to bed with them. DSSH gets no end of pleasure out of threatening to cut it up or throw it away while his girls chase him screaming. And, though I held my tongue so well at the cash sucking mall, I get the daily pleasure of trying to keep that $40 stuffed animal out of the toilet, off the floor, away from hot chocolate spills, and giving my daughter the constant reminder that I won't replace it if it gets lost, stolen, or ruined. *Sigh* I am my mother's daughter after all.

Timing Love

What do you use your timed minutes for? People all over America are setting their timers. What are we timing?

*Time-outs for naughty boys who painted the dog purple.

*Hair dyes that promise instant modelific beauty.

*A batch of guilty cookies to eat before the kids come home from school (We'll bake a batch for them too... later).

*The workout that promises harder abs in just 30 minutes.

*A daughter's shower, to insure that she leaves a little hot water for you.

*Organizing your home, writing that novel, or learning a new language, because we all know that with just 15 minutes a day anything is possible.

I wonder though, how many people use their timer the way that I do? I'm using my timer to save my marriage. I'm not sure when it started, or who first coined the term, "two minutes." All I know is that every time my husband or I calls, "Two minutes!" I feel grateful that we have it. The one answer I have is why we do it. As a young bride I was so in love, I wanted to spend every waking minute with my new possession, my husband. However, as poor married students I soon learned that time together would be rare and precious. I soon learned what many women learn in life: to be alone is one thing, but to have the love of your life sitting in the same room and not be allowed to talk to him because he is busy and has to work... well it is the loneliest feeling in the world. My husband would be right there yet I would feel miles away from him. If I tried to get his attention I would either feel guilty for taking him away from his work or I would feel rejected if he asked me to leave him alone. After the student years were over it was my husband's turn to feel the loneliness as I was often too busy, with a baby, cooking dinner, or completing some special project, to give him my full attention. Luckily I was smart enough to realize early on that wanting my husband to notice me didn't make me needy, unempowered, immature, or any of the other things I worried about being if I asked for his time. I recognized that we each had work to do and I couldn't expect my husband to graduate on time, with good grades, if I was monopolizing his time. And I certainly couldn't neglect my babies when they needed me. So we started doing "two minutes." When one of us calls this out we both drop what we are doing (move the pan off the burner, lay the baby in the crib, hit save on a file, etc), find a place to be alone, and hold each other. In that two minutes we aren't allowed to think of anything but the person we are holding and who we've promised to love for eternity. Then, who ever needs to get back to what they were doing can pull away after 2 minutes and the other person can't feel hurt or needy. We have both honored this as a sacred duty and blessing in our marriage. All the kids have learned to run off and leave us alone when we tell them we are having two minutes. I've even heard my oldest daughter tell her father, "I think mom needs her two minutes, dad," when I've had a really bad day. There have also been times when those two minutes have turned into a wonderful 15 or 30, as we find it hard to tear away from each other. It is hard to imagine a couple of minutes doing so much, but I know that my eternal companionship is being built, two minutes at a time.

Love vanquishes time. To lovers, a moment can be eternity, eternity can be the tick of a clock.

-Mary Parrish

Rainy Day Cookies

I know it looks like I'm posting another recipe but really this is more of an activity to keep kids busy (read the part after the recipe). I'm giving you the recipe because it makes a LOT so it will see me through a whole week of rainy days. Plus I really like the flavor of this cookie.

Best Big Fat Sugar Cookies

*I’ve tried a ton of different recipes for the perfect, soft, big, fat sugar cookie and this is it. Hope it meets your expectations. It makes a lot (it helps to have a nice big mixer to make these) but you can freeze it in small portions or just bake them all and give them to your neighbors. They will love you.

Ingredients
2 C. butter
3 C. sugar
6 eggs
1/2 C. cream
2 tsp. vanilla
7 C. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions
Cream butter and sugar together in mixing bowl. Add eggs and blend well. Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with cream and vanilla. Mix just until all ingredients are incorporated (the less you have to mix the more tender your cookies will be). Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. May be frozen up to 3 months. Roll and cut cookies. Bake in 325 degree oven until set but not browned (the time varies as to how thick you roll the cookies. I like them really thick). Cool and decorate (It is my personal belief that sugar cookies taste best with pink frosting and sprinkles).

Now, it is important for you to leave your perfectionistic tendencies in the laundry room while the kids are having fun. These are not cookies that you will be giving to the neighbors. And the kids really don't need you at all except to pull out the cookie sheet and pre-heat the oven. Have kids wash their hands, give each a big blob of dough, give them a theme, and back off. My kids have made the entire alphabet, made numbers to use in their math studies, made shapes, animals, self portraits, crazy shapes, big vs. small (the small ones always overcook and that leads to scientific discussions), sometimes I give them bowls of nuts, raisins, cranberries, cereals, etc. to decorate with. Oh, another fun thing to do is to give them small bowls of milk colored with food coloring and some paint brushes so they can paint the cookies before we bake them.



Bon appetite, and happy creating!

The Beauties Of Boredom

Last night the kids were running all around the house screaming and yelling. I know this is a direct result of having the TV off, and I love it. Ok, maybe I don't love the screaming and yelling but I love why they were so loud. They weren't fighting, they were playing...together...all of them together...all day long. Other things that they have done:

Pretended that our Spongbob Squarepants screensaver is a TV show.

Smashed Rice Crispie Treats on one eye and pretended it was a pirate patch, swaggering around my kitchen saying, "Arrrrr" (yeah, this one had me laughing pretty hard)

Sweet Terror now begs for a story every night (before she would throw the book and ask me to leave her room)

Sweet Terror has been using her potty chair =) =) =)

And my favorite one is that Pablo has been writing his own little lego instruction manuals. He builds a ship and then breaks it down. He tried doing it with a really complicated one that he built and it was too hard, so I told him to start simple. Here is his 1st fully completed one:

Look what we had for dinner last night...

Taco Soup
*This is an all time favorite of mine; it’s easy, quick, good enough to serve to guests, and most of the ingredients can be kept in your food storage. It’s also great to make a double batch because it freezes well.

Ingredients
I lb Ground Beef, browned and drained
(for vegetarian style I substitute a can of black
beans, drained and rinsed)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped and sautéed
1 pkg. Mild taco seasoning mix
(you’ll just have to try ‘em all and decide which
one you like best. The Taco Bell brand is a
good one to start with because its very mild
and the best for small children).
1 16 oz. Can whole kernel corn undrained
1 16oz. Can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. Can stewed tomatoes (I break the tomatoes up a bit)
1 8 oz. Can tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer all together in large pot for 30 min, stirring occasionally.

Now you have a healthy, fairly low calorie, rib stickin' soup that will please the whole family*. BUT, if you are like me and decided not to make any "eat healthier" or "loose 15 pounds" kind of resolutions then feel free to take this soup from rib-stickin' to RIB-ROCKIN'. To do this you now cover all that warm goodness with a big dollop of cool sour cream, shredded cheese, and Fritos brand corn chips. Mmmmmmmm

When a recipe says "will please the whole family" I always laugh and think, "They don't know my family." Here are the reviews from my family:

DSSH: Mmmm, I love your taco soup. We get seconds, right?

Cookie: I'll take 2 scoops. I love your taco soup, mom.

Pablo: Pass the chips. What do I have to eat out of the soup? Do I have to eat ALL the corn?

Monster Man: I want two scoops too!!! later... I can't eat the corn, it has red stuff on it.

Sweet Terror: I can't eat this STUFF. *dropping spoonfuls back into her bowl* Ewwww, dat's disgusting!

If they would just put a spoonful in their mouth before working themselves into a full gag reflex I know they would love it too.... ah well, that is why Heavenly Father invented PB&Js.

Good Morning

Guess what I did this morning. No, I didn't wake up early, and no I'm not starting a new fad diet... I made all the kids wake up early. Usually we all wake up for prayers with daddy before he leaves for work. Then Cookie gets ready for school as the other kids crawl back in bed, and I usually spend a groggy half hour in front of the computer. Oh, and I wouldn't even wake up Sweet Terror for prayers (I just couldn't handle her that early in the morning). This morning, though, I woke up the Sweet Terror, and kept all the kids awake after prayers. They all had breakfast at the same time, they were all dressed before 7:45, they all had shoes, socks, hats, gloves, coats, and were sitting in the living room ready for one more prayer by 8:00. We ALL walked Cookie to school. And then guess what we did. We just kept on walking. Yup, I figured we might as well get the most out of all that winterizing and we walked all the way to the end of our street and back again (which is nine tenths of a mile). The kids were a bit puzzled but seemed to fully enjoy the outing. It made me feel good to have us all on track, doing the same things, and having everything done before 8:30 (I'm usually still doling out last minute cereals by 9:00 and cleaning up breakfast at 10:00). I'm not sure if I can keep this going every day, but at least now I know it is possible. I hope you are all having a lovely morning.

Day 2

Day 2 without the "Nanny" (see previous post)

It is day two without the nanny. I've had moments of weakness when I wanted to give in to the pleas of my children, but I've held strong. For the record we weren't really watching T.V. and haven't for the past 3 years. It was only movies, and even then they were never a problem for us until this last year when Sweet Terror learned that movies are easy entertainment on demand. She also figured out that mommy wasn't the only one who could put one on for her which led to much screaming on her part to get Pablo to put movies in for her. Thinking my children were all downstairs playing quietly together, I would be blissfully ignorant of the fact that my children were actually watching hours on end of movies. Still it wasn't too big a deal because I have all the fun movies locked away and the kids only have access to educational or religious videos. Christmas came though, and out came the fun movies. Then, came the biggest back stabbing I've ever received, and from the man I most love and trust! DSSH knows my dislike for TV and has, for the most part, fully supported me in it. We own one Dora VHS and one Dora DVD for the sake of peace and quiet, but that is as much pre-recorded TV as I could accept. So, what does my awesome night in shining armor get for Sweet Terror??? THIS:
"Product Description: Get ready for over seven hours of non-stop educational adventures with Nick Jr. Favorites Box Set (Volumes 4-6)! This release features eighteen episodes of the best Nick Jr. episodes across all Nick Jr. properties over the past few years including episodes from Dora, Wonder Pets, Backyardigans and more!"

Is that not the most blatant form of treason you've ever seen? And who would I be if I were to deny my youngest child the use of her favorite Christmas gift in all her short 3 years of life?

That's right. And I'm already mean enough for making them eat their vegetables. So, we had those lovely 7 hours of Nick Jr playing round the clock. And if they weren't playing you can guess what was, the demonic screaming of the real devil around here. Therefore, the TV had to be shut down, completely. As a result Sweet Terror, after her morning cry over the dead TV, has been playing with her Christmas toys and actually taking naps again. Monster Man has been painting and drawing, which he normally dislikes doing. Pablo is pretty much unaffected because he never watched the TV, but he has been pestered a lot more by Sweet Terror. Cookie has been terribly bored but I think that in time her boredom will turn into productivity. And me, what has it done to me? I thought I would go crazy that first day, in fact I knew I would go crazy, so I renewed our zoo membership and took the kids out into the rain for some good ol' educational exercise. I have also been working on the boys' painting and am half done (I will share pics when I am done). I finally mailed in my return of a recalled PollyPocket playset (bought for $8 at a garage sale and will get $32 back, woohoo). And now I'm half done with totally cleaning/organizing/dejunking the holiday-stuff-and-shove-room, formerly known as my husband's office.

Oh yes and I... I will survive. Even without the TV on all day, I know I'll stay alive.

I Fired My Nanny

What would you do if you had a live-in-nanny who allowed you all the free time in the world? Would you fire her if she were too good at her job? Well I did. That's right, I had the world's best nanny and I pulled the plug on her yesterday. Why? Because my son loved her so much that he never wanted to sit and read with me. My daughter loved her so much that she refused to leave her long enough to let me potty train her. She preferred to just pee her pants, while being held in the loving, non-potty-training arms of her cooler-than-mom-will-ever-be nanny. And, frankly, I loved her so much that I was letting her do all the parenting and was beginning to forget my childrens' names. I know I did the right thing... after all I am their mother and I need to be in control around here. Even though I am proud of my decision, I can't help but miss her. Already I'm feeling the loss of all that free time. The kids have begged me to let her come back all morning. My youngest has been in tears, screaming her name. My 5 year old started crying when I told him she was gone. My oldest asked if we could have her back for just a short visit. I hugged them all and said, "I know this will be hard for you for a few days, but soon it will be easy and you will get over her. We have lots of other things to do around here and if we play together, as a family, we can have lots of fun."

I really hope I can get through this without her......

Good bye Dora Labrynth Spongebob Magic School Bus Veggie Tales, we will miss you.

Feelin' Good

I want to know why it is that New Year has such a huge effect on me. Every January 2nd (I'm usually still partying on the 1st) I feel like a totally new me. This morning, when DSSH's alarm went off, I didn't roll over and cover my head with the blanket. Nope, I jumped out of bed, made my bed, took my laundry downstairs, unloaded the dishwasher, and started cleaning up the post-party kitchen right away. I even started on my painting for Pablo and Monster Man. These are things I've been trying to get myself to do for 2 months now. My first feeling was that New Year's is almost like a baptism. Every year we get to ignore past mistakes and simply move forward. But that can't be it, I can pick any day of the year and call it a "New day." Then it dawned on me, what I'm feeling is total freedom from the holidays. Think about it, starting in October we begin, against our better judgement, buying, eating, and creating all sorts of sugary things. We start making, or buying costumes. We start decorating our homes. It is all fun and good but then the ball just keeps rolling on into November. The Halloween candy is barely out of the cupboards when the pies start a-baking. No sooner are the turkey leftovers finally gone and we start baking cookies and licking candy canes. All the while we are constantly running to the store to buy forgotten "must-have" items. And our house is never really clean, or if it is we can't really tell, because of all the decorations covering every shelf and table top. No wonder I was having trouble shaking my booty, by booty was tired and full and wanted a break. I can't tell you the excitement I feel at not having to rush to the store for anything. I finally put the scissors and tape away. All the decorations are put away and I can finally say that my ENTIRE living room has been vacuumed. And when one of my children asks if we can do something, or go somewhere today, I'm going to say, "sure!" and I won't even look at my calendar or list everything that has to be done before I can leave the house. I really do love the holidays, and I will be just as excited for them next year as I was this year; but, for now, I am so glad they are over. I guess I've just had WAY too much of a good thing.

Happy New Year!