WE MADE BREAD! IT WORKED! (and other interesting things.)

It took me 5 tries but when I finally asked my 6 year old to help me (and got a better recipe from my sister) IT WORKED!  It did everything it was suppose to and it was amazing...it tasted great and I feel truly cool for knowing that Laura Ingalls Wilder had nothing on me! 

 We have been so busy...who knew that in the middle of a cold and long winter we could be so busy.  I am so tired lately from being cold all the time.  I've even started exercising everyday to try and "wake me up" a bit.  I am also hoping the daily sweat will help me shed my lovely new winter back fat!!!  Not really looking forward to getting into a swimsuit in a month with all my extra rolls.  We'll see.

One of the things that is keeping us busy is Emily's ice skating classes on Saturdays.  She LOVES to skate and is so happy to get ready and go.  Being the best big brother (and being reminded that she has been dragged along twice a week for 4 years to Oswego for Tae Kwon Do) Ben happily tags along, DS in hand to hang out in the ice rink while sissy plays Ice Princess.  It is surprisingly packed at the rink on Saturdays, lots of budding Olympians!  

Today I am off to put my lovely Cricut to good use.  I bought some vinyl and I am making words for Ben's bathroom wall.  I am hoping to cut out "May the force be with you" to put over his toilet...the humor is not lost on him!   When and if I am successful, I will post a photo...until then cross your fingers that it's not the "Bread Disaster" all over again...vinyl is much more expensive than flour and yeast!!!

ps the photo of the bread was taken by my helper...she's obviously got a better angle!

Be Mine

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

I know I am a bit early but maybe I am the very first to say it to you so that's special right?  I have been trying all day to be in the Valentine mood...because I was the happy room mom today for the kindergarten room and the 4th grade.  I do like being a room mom and secretly it's the best way to see my kids enjoy some of the best moments of being a kid (and getting the photo evidence!)

So their Valentines turned out GREAT and dumb me...I didn't get a photo of either kid's masterpieces!  Ugh!  But, I'll tell you about it...Ben's valentines were mini ipods made out of small conversation boxes covered in red construction paper and string for the headset complete with mini Reece peanut butter cup earphones.  Emily handed out homemade animal print bracelets with a note that says "I'm wild about you".  They all turned out pretty cute.  Ben's Valentine box we made into a giant ipod.  

Do you remember the fun of delivering each Valentine card to your classmates and then the sheer joy of reading all the notes to you?  It's like blog reading every day as an adult.  Ben has saved every valentine card since kindergarten and I still catch him pulling them out to read every now and again.  It's pretty cute!

I have to run and take Ben to Tae Kwon Do but let me be the first to say "Happy Valentine's Day to you...Be Mine...Say Yes...Kiss Me"...ok maybe that went a bit too far...but have a LOVEly weekend.  I will post some more 365 photos soon!

A Little Bit of 365....

I feel orange today.  Kinda better than I have all week...so that's good.  I got my toes painted all cute this morning.  Red.  For Valentine's Day.  It felt good to soak my feet in warm water and have them rubbed while being massaged by a chair.  Especially after being sick all week.  So, I have cute toes, I am coming close to the end of my 2008 year book and I got all my 2007 photos organized for the LOM (Library of Memories-Big Picture Scrapbooking-Stacy Julian) class I start next week.  I also made homemade chocolate chip cookies, started Emily's Valentines (I will post those when we finish), and folded my last load of clothes from yesterday's marathon laundry mission.  I have been a busy girl today. 

 Anyway, I had the chance to download my latest 365 photos and I wanted to share some of them with you.  Em is standing on the Joliet Park District ice rink...we've discovered "Open Skate" during the weekday afternoons and we've had quite a blast going skating in the afternoons (good exercise for the thighs).   I also took one of Ben at Tae Kwon Do.  The first 5 minutes of class is "meditation time" and I really think Ben enjoys this down time.  For those of you who "Facebook" you may remember the day I spent organizing 1038 Lego pieces (made a rookie parenting error on Christmas Eve when we didn't limit him opening ALL his Lego boxes, thus mixing all the pieces.)  It ended up being quite an undertaking but one that Ben and I took on with thought and determination and although it took over 3 hours...we were able to locate and organize all the pieces...(side note: I am not the crazy nut my darling husband thought I was for saving every applesauce and mandrine orange cup...they proved quite handy in the Lego organizing department...YEAH MOM!)   Some days I have more than one photo to share so I use the smaller pockets below and eliminate or double up the journaling.

I am finding that I either have too many options for each day or not enough.  One day this week I took a photo of all the Lia Sophia jewelry boxes that were delivered from our "Mother/Daughter Jewelry Party".  Other days I find myself wanting to capture the moment forever...like one photo I took of Ben and our neighbor (his bud) Dylan playing Playstation one morning before school.  I want to remember how important "Play Time" is to Ben.   His world revolves around playing ... still.  Some day it will revolve around girls and friends.  ***sigh*** 

 Anyway, some weeks I keep up quite well and other weeks, like this week, I put the week together in a day or so.  Today is that day ... so have a great weekend...I'll post our Valentines when we finish...Ben's are pretty cute too...and keep taking those photos ladies!

ps.  I have to give kuddos to Comcast's "ONDEMAND" feature...it's amazing!  I can pull up a kid friendly, vintage cartoon at whim and keep the girlfriend busy while I spend time clicking away at the computer...thanks Comcast!

Too Busy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love weekends but when they are really busy I feel like I've accomplished nothing and that they go by way too fast.  This past weekend (which is technically still in progress but winding down) we had a Fun Fair, playdate, Sunday School, church, swimming birthday party and needless to say we are all fighting colds this bitterly cold winter season!  So, I haven't had a chance to really spend time in my happy place, or get my 365 together for the week or get all the laundry done like I like to or clean the house or grocery shop.  (phew, I guess I try to accomplish too much!)  Anyway, I am always amazed how challenging things get when you don't feel your best.  I'm not sick enough to stay home in bed but just sick enough not too feel too good and not want to do anything.  So, my house is a mess, my fridge is empty and my scrapbook a week behind, but I have had time to snuggle with my sweet daughter, watch my kids have a riot at a Fun Fair that I used to enjoy when I was a child,  and see them swim in the dead of winter.  So, although I have hampers full of dirty clothes, when I put my kiddos to bed tonight, I will have happy, smiling faces!