Bridal Shower Cake

This past weekend I was in Ohio, picking my kids up from Grandma and Papa camp. But, before I left on Friday, I made a cake for my husband's cousin, Martha, to be enjoyed at her bridal shower. My mother-in-law and Brendan's aunts were throwing a shower for her here in the Chicago area, and although I could not attend, I happily made a cake to be shared on the special day.

Her colors are going to be ivory and brown, so after many ideas and changes in plans, I came up with this cake:


This is my second cake using fondant. I make my own using the marshmallow fondant recipe. I was very happy with the results and thought it turned out very cute. Unfortunately since I was not able to attend the shower I don't know how it went over. Hopefully it was a hit.

Inside was a snickerdoodle cake with cinnamon buttercream frosting. I'm sure that part of it was enjoyed!

Here's one more close-up.

Generation Gap

Ian had his best friend, Parker, over today. On our way home from a visit to the pool the two were in the far back seat listening to the radio. Tom Petty's song I Won't Back Down was playing. All of a sudden I hear Ian say, "Hey, I think this song was in Barnyard"

Parker dutifully replied, "Yeah it was!"

They then went into a reverie of replaying certain scenes in the movie and laughing heartily.

Yeah, Barnyard, that's exactly where that song came from.

Discussion In Church

While kneeling in the pew after communion, Zoe tapped me on the shoulder and had the following conversation with me:

Zoe: "Can I take my shoes off?"

Me: "No, we don't take our shoes off in church."

Zoe (pointing to a girl two rows behind us): "But she has her shoes off."

Me: "She's littler than you."

Zoe: "Yeah, she's really, really little. I'm just a little bit little."

A Great Dinner Idea

On the way to school this morning, Emma says out of the blue, "We can have chili dogs for dinner."

I said, "Do you even know what chili dogs are?"

And her reply, "Yes, they are hot dogs that are cold."

After the laughing died down, I asked her how someone makes a chili dog.

She answered, "You take a pot of boiling water and put the hot dog in."

I told her, "That's how you make hot dogs, not chili dogs."

Emma thought about this for a moment and said, "That's right. That's how you make a hot dog. To make a chilly dog, you put in in the refrigerator and cool it down."

Exactly.

Brendan - I Found the Perfect Vacation!

This is what I want to do - Anybody with me!?!

First Communion Banner

As thousands of second graders are doing this Spring, Ian will be making his first communion in May. In preparation for this sacrament, Ian and his classmates have been studying the Bible, praying the rosary, making his first reconciliation (and second reconciliation already!). Ian is very excited to receive this sacrament and part of the process of getting ready for communion is the making of a communion banner.

When the banner materials came home a few weeks ago, I sat down with Ian to discuss what he wanted on the banner. I suggested the chalice and host, as that would be representative of his first communion. Ian thought a cross would be nice, so I sketched out a cup, host, and cross. I thought there would be space for one more item and asked Ian what he would like included. Ian suggested the Bible, and I thought it was an excellent idea as he truly loves reading the Bible. We decided his name and date shouyld be included, and I added that maybe some ribbon around the edge would look nice. When asked what color the words and ribbon should be, Ian paused, then responded with the color red. "Because it reminds me of Jesus' blood," he explained.

So, after some planning and a trip to JoAnn Fabrics, I spent a few nights tracing, cutting and gluing together Ian's communion banner.

Here it is:


I'm proud of how it turned out, especially the Bible which I stitched the words "Holy Bible" on with gold thread.

But more importantly, Ian is happy with it. I overheard him telling Zoe, "Isn't it pretty?" I think so, and I'm glad Ian does, too.

This Is Going To Be So Much Fun

I bought Ian a shirt at Kohl's today. With the shirt came a little personal FM radio that looked somewhat like an iPod. The shirt is for next year (I bought it on clearance at 80% off) but the radio looked like fun, and given Ian's interest in iPod's I thought he would enjoy it now. So, cutting it off the hanger, I opened it, plugged in the included headphones and handed it to Ian. He immediately sat down at the kitchen table, opened our newest issue of Family Fun, and listened to the radio for the next half hour.

The rest of the evening was pretty much the same, Ian listening to his new radio every moment he could. When it was time to go to Boy Scouts, he brought his new radio to listen in the van. He asked me what I was listening to ( 93.1 WXRT) and then I asked him what he was listening to. He said, "The River," and went back to listening to his music.

About two minutes later he announces in the too loud voice of someone who hasn't listened to a lot of music through headphones that there was a really good song on the River. "At least in my opinion it's good," Ian said. "It's called 'Rock Sled.'"

Upon hearing the title my interest was really piqued, so I turned the van radio to the River to hear this good song. It was "Roxanne" by The Police. I suppressed a chuckle, enjoyed listening to Rock Sled and then got to hear Legs by ZZ Top, which Ian also thought was a good song.

I'm glad Ian's developing his own taste in music, and can't wait to hear the names of some of his newest discoveries now that he has his own radio.

Is It Magic?

Emma, my middle child, the one who asks me everyday, "Is it two o'clock yet?" because she is not allowed to have a snack after lunch until then, asked me if she could have some popcorn. I said, "Sure," because it was after two o'clock and it seemed like a decent snack compared to all the pastel M&M's and SweetTart chicks and bunnies she'd been consuming throughout the day.

I pulled out the butter light bag of microwave popcorn from the pantry and proceeded to remove the plastic overwrap around the bag. Emma asked where the popcorn was. I said I had to make it still. She asked me, "How do you make it? Is it magic?"

That really threw me for a moment. It made me realize that Emma didn't know what popcorn kernels looked like because they are always inside the microwave bag. She has never had the joy of watching kernels sit in hot oil in the bottom of a popcorn popper and then suddenly explode into their white puffy glory. It is a fond memory I have from my childhood and makes me wish I would have kept that Stir Crazy popper I received as a wedding gift.

I then got to thinking about my kids suburban upbringing. We go apple picking every fall, we go to local farmer's markets during the summer, but otherwise they have very little experience with knowing where food really comes from. Granted, I didn't excatly live on a farm growing up, but my parent's house backed up to a field that was planted with wheat or soybeans or other crops each year. My grandpa was a farmer and died at home in his farmhouse just a few hundred feet from a once busy and full barn. I grew up sitting on the tractors in his barn imagining driving through the fields and climbing into the lofts with my cousins or siblings and hiding among the itchy bales of hay. The first time I liked any corn other than corn on the cob was when I ate the corn my Uncle Dave and Aunt Louise froze from their modest garden. I worked for two summers at a farm stand selling produce the farmer's grew and picked. I even hoed and weeded the melon field when the migrant workers hadn't come yet and the work needed to be done and picked green tomatoes for customers who wanted to fry some for dinner.

Now my kids don't even know what popcorn looks like. I'm not even sure they know that it is from the same plant that grows the corn that we eat for dinner at least once a week, whether from the freezer or from the farmer's market. I even have a cousin whose husband grows corn for one of the major popcorn manufacturers, but my kids don't know that.

It really saddens me that they won't have those same experiences of truly working with the land, or at least being a part of the process in some way of seeing how food is truly produced. Maybe I'll finally get around to planning and planting a garden with them. It's the closest thing I can think of to really teaching them that food comes from the earth, not Dominick's.

Too Much Praise?

While at my Mom and Dad's house for Easter, my oldest brother pulled me aside and told me about an article he had read called "How Not To Talk To Your Kids." He said that basically kids who were praised for their intelligence too often ended up being more interested in maintaining that recognition of being smart, instead of wanting to be challenged in their activities. He mentioned a study by Carol Dweck in which fifth grade students were separated into two groups and each given a puzzle to solve. When the puzzle was completed, one group was praised for how smart they were that they were able to solve it. The other group was praised for how hard they worked in order to solve it. When each group was then offered a choice between doing a puzzle of similar challenge to the first, or one that was more difficult, overwhelmingly the children praised for their intelligence chose the one that was the same as the first puzzle. On the other hand, the group praised for their effort overhwelmingly chose the more difficult puzzle.

I have to admit, I was intrigued. I consider my kids to be pretty smart, and know that my oldest has a bad habit of giving up on tasks he thinks are too difficult. I just put it up to his personality, that because things have come easily for him he doesn't like it when they don't. And while that may be part of it, I needed to know more.

So, I searched the internet and found the article my brother was referring to. It is from New York Magazine and can be read in full here.

Dweck had suspected that praise could backfire, but even she was surprised by the magnitude of the effect. “Emphasizing effort gives a child a variable that they can control,” she explains. “They come to see themselves as in control of their success. Emphasizing natural intelligence takes it out of the child’s control, and it provides no good recipe for responding to a failure.”

I found it extremely compelling and think it should be required reading for all parents and teachers. I know I will be trying to modify my praise for my kids, telling them specifically what they did that was so important, not generalized empty praise.

Wilbur Cookies

My son's second grade class just finished reading Charlotte's Web and were going to watch the movie in class today. And while they all hoped it was going to be the new live-action new version, it turns out their teacher could not get it and is showing the old animated one.

Last night after the kids went to bed I thought that it would be really cute if the students in my son's class had a snack to eat during the movie today. So, I took some store bought sugar cookie dough and shaped these adorable little piggy cookies. When Ian saw them this morning he asked me what (or who) they were for. I told him I made them for his class to eat during the viewing of Charlotte's Web. That's when he named them "Wilbur cookies."

For the Love of Shakespeare

This is for my Shakespeare lovin' (and performin') brother-in-law. Enjoy!

Pretty Flowers

Moving into our house at the end of July, we didn't have the benefit of seeing some of the Spring shows that our new trees and bushes will provide for us annually. We have a beautiful Gardenia bush out front that has opened up many of it's creamy white buds, giving all of us a delightful taste of Spring. Even in the dreary gray of this morning, the flowers still looked lovely as shown here by these pictures I snapped this morning. Enjoy your day!

Barenaked Love

I have been a huge Barenaked Ladies fan for many years, well before they became a huge hit in the US with their album Stunt and single One Week. To be honest, while I pretty much love anything they've done, I was (and still am a bit) sick of hearing One Week played over and over and over again. That is until today. I stumbled across this version on You Tube and thoroughly enjoyed it. I also listened to several other enjoyable bethroom sessions and encourage anyone who loves the Ladies to take a look, you won't be disappointed.

Sunny March Day

Wow! The weather has been absolutely unbelievable for the past two days. And today, the kids and I are spending as much time outside as we possibly can. So ar we've taken two walks and bike rides today, and I anticipate much more outside time later this afternoon.


Here are a few shots of the girls. It was so sunny Zoe needed sunglasses, and since I can't locate her Winnie the Pooh sunglasses anywhere, she borrowed mine.

Growing Older

As I have gotten older, overall I am happier with my life. Staying home to raise my kids has been a challenge, but after 7 1/2 years of not working professionally, I am content with my place. I am more comfortable standing up for myself or my children, and I feel as though I have a network of friends whom I can truly trust, count on, and turn to for support.

But, with growing older comes the more uncomfortable aspects of life. A professor and mentor from college was diagnosed five years ago with Alzheimer's. His wife, who happened to be my cooperating teacher when I was student teaching and I are good friends, so I've heard first hand many of the struggles they are both going through in dealing with this disease.

When I was teaching, a colleague who was my same age, 25, found out that her father had a brain tumor. Within six months he died.

Today I mailed a card and a letter to two old friends, one another colleague from my teaching days, another an old acquaintance from college. When I began teaching in 1995, I worked with a wonderful teacher and woman named Mary. She was the model of patience with students, and I quickly came to admire her gentle and kind words she had for all people. We became good friends, and we often sat together at lunch or chatted before school with one another. She was the first person I told I was pregnant (after Brendan of course). She had a daughter named Heather who was just starting college and two younger sons. During the four years we worked together, her youngest son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. He was only in junior high at the time. When I received her Christmas card this year, she informed me that he died about a year ago this month. He was only 21.

My other friend was someone I was never close with in college, but because of mutual friends we knew each other fairly well. We have spent college reunions eating dinner together and hearing about one another's families. She, like me, had three children, though she had three little boys. Her youngest, a little guy name Mikey, just died at the tender age of 13 months. He had many complications at birth, and finally lost his battle just this past Tuesday.

As much as I like the self-confidence of becoming more comfortable in my own (somewhat wrinkling) skin, I can't escape the fact that bad things happen to people we love and care about. It really tore me up to send that card and letter, but I'm sure it was absolutely nothing compared to what Mary and Danielle are going through in the loss of their children, or what Joan is going through in the slow deterioration of her husband to Alzheimer's.

I am going to take this day and do what those two mothers can't do, and that is hug my kids and tell them I love them. I don't want to take them, or anyone else that is important to me, for granted.

Zoe Makes Me Laugh

Today I brought out a surprise for my two girls, ages 4 1/2 and almost 3, to play with. It was my entire collection of Strawberry Shortcake dolls from when I was a kid that my mom in her infinite wisdom kept for me so that someday my kids could enjoy them.

I love(d) my Strawberry Shortcake dolls. I have an entire original set (I think) that consists of Strawberry Shortcake, Blueberry Muffin, Huckleberry Pie and Apple Dumpling and her pet turtle. I also have numerous others, along with their pets and even the two villains, the Purple Pie Man and Sour Grapes. I played with these dolls for many years, from at least fourth grade well into junior high. What can I say? I love dolls with scented heads.

Anyways, my girls have had a surging interest in Strawberry Shortcake recently with the multiple viewings of SS DVDs (we own three different ones), listening to SS CDs from the library and reading SS books. So, today I decided to quit being overprotective of my little dolls and share them with Emma and Zoe.

They were an instant hit. Emma quickly claimed Sour Grapes, a girl that wore a green and pink dress and had green hair, and Cherry Blossom, a little girl with pink curly hair. She had the Purple Pie Man and Sour Grapes getting married, go home, pop out the pink haired girl as their new baby and was well on her way to having lots of fun.

Zoe looked at all of them and grabbed Orange Blossom to play with. She had a grand old time running her around the room, making her cry or fly or ride in wagons. She played with a few other dolls, but kept coming back to Orange Blossom. As I was getting lunch ready in the kitchen I heard Zoe exclaim, "She's all brownie!" and then let out a great big giggle of delight. I couldn't figure out what she was talking about until I peaked in and found that she had undressed Orange Blossom completely, including those green and white tights that all (old) SS dolls have.

After lunch I re-dressed Orange Blossom while Zoe was busy playing with her brother's trains. When she saw me putting on the doll's shoes, Zoe looked at me with a frown and said, "I like people being naked. Naked people are my favorite!"

What more can you say to that?

Things You Never Expected To Hear Your Four Year Old Daughter Say

"In the underworld there's two zombies."

Happy Valentine's Day!

These are Emma's homemade Valentines for her classmates in pre-school. She was very proud of her heart flowers and very excited to share them with her friends today.

Have a great Valentine's day!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

I was drinking a really yummy coffee that I made right here at home today when I thought about all the things I love and enjoy right now in my life. Yeah, yeah, the kids and husband are great, but there are things I see or hear or taste or smell regularly that I just really enjoy right now. Here is a short list of some of those things.

1. Land O Lakes Peppermint Mocha Half and Half - A fantastic product I just found today. Unlike the non-dairy versions, this one tastes delicious!!!! Warm it up, add it to your coffee, and you have a delicious holiday drink.

2. Listening to (and singing with) my daughter Emma as she belts out Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. She sings it with such energy that you can't help but be filled with the Christmas spirit. Also, I love when she gets to the end of the song and sings that Rudolph goes down in a mystery, and tells me it's okay if I sing that he goes down in a story. Makes me smile every time.

3. Starbucks gingerbread lattes. I used to always order the peppermint mocha at this time of year, but sampled the gingerbread latte, and now I'm hooked. (Plus, see #1, I don't have to get them at Starbuck's anymore.)

4. Old Christmas movies and TV specials. Anyone who knows me well knows my all-time favorite is The Year Without A Santa Claus. Who doesn't love Heat Miser and Cold Miser singing their songs? My brothers, sister, and I can sing each song in it's entirety, and have done so at family gatherings to the dismay of our spouses. (They got used to it!) I also have to put a nod out to the old movies that I have grown to love since meeting my husband. It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas are now required watching each Christmastime. Add The Bells of St. Mary's and A Christmas Carol with Patrick Stewart playing Scrooge, and I have my December viewing planned.

5. Seeing my brother-in-law, Kevin, play young scrooge and nephew Fred in The Drury Lane's children's production of A Christmas Carol this year. The show was fantastic, Kevin's performance was great, and getting to see it through Ian's eyes was just plain fun.

6. Hearing my 2 1/2 year old daughter shout, "Christmas clock!" every hour. We have a Christmas clock that my mother-in-law gave us several years ago. We get it out each year and on each hour it plays a different Christmas carol. This year is no different; when we began decorating, we got out the clock, put in the batteries, and set it on the mantle. However, Zoe found the clock fascinating, and every time she hears a carol play on it, she makes sure no one in the house misses it. Brendan and I like hearing Zoe do it so much that we have taken to shouting out "Christmas clock!" as well.

Strawberry Scents

When I was a little girl in the 1980's, I loved Strawberry Shortcake. I had (and still have, thanks to a diligent mom) all the original characters from the very first year, plus many of the characters that appeared after Strawberry Shortcake became so popular. I loved sniffing their heads and smelling that sweet strawberry (lemon, orange, cupcake) smell that became so familiar to me. I played with the dolls well into seventh grade and have wonderfully fond memories of them.

So, last year when I saw there was a Strawberry Shortcake Christmas special, I bought it for my two daughters, hoping to set some of the Strawberry Shortcake magic alive in them. Yes, she now wears trendy clothes instead of her cute little strawberry dress and enormous hat, and yes her friends wear cool clothes, too. However, the story was very sweet and Emma really enjoyed it.

After Christmas, the DVD went away with our numerous other Christmas DVDs to be stored until this Christmas. Out it came this year and now Zoe has also grown very fond of the sweet little girl who claims that "giving is berry, berry nice, indeed!" Both the girls have watched the DVD several times this year since it's reappearance from the basement.

But, this morning, before putting the DVD into the player, I noticed something that I'd never noticed before. As I waited for the DVD carousel to spin to an empty slot, I held the Strawberry Shortcake Christmas DVD close to my face. I noticed a familiar scent. I pulled the DVD closer and sniffed. It smelled like strawberries!!! I sniffed again to make sure I wasn't daydreaming, then I sniffed the DVD case. All of them smelled of Strawberry Shortcake! How did I miss this before?

It's an interesting concept. Not sure it is necessary, but interesting nonetheless. Zoe is getting a Strawberry Shortcake DVD for Christmas, I know I'll be checking it for good strawberry smells!