Happy b-day Becca

If any of you know anything about me, it's that my birthday no longer is important. See, it's just a place-holder for Becca's birthday, which is the day after mine. :)

Becca had a smaller party this year than she has in the past few -- thank goodness! (Mind you, it was by force, not by desire. :) Anyway, I am so impressed with her friends. They are such good kids. One of the guys gave her a MoTab CD, which she was excited to get. Then they put it on, and one of her friends even said, "Becca, you're lucky that you have friends who will listen to this with you." So true! I am so grateful that she has the friends she does, and she's the main reason I feel like we were led to this house/neighborhood. We are blessed to be surrounded by amazing youth (more than 100 in our youth program, even though our ward is 3 blocks wide x 1 block deep!).

In any case, she enjoyed her party, which was followed by a regional dance where she got to dance with her crush TWO times! Oh, can the life of a 15-year-old girl get any better? :) I'm not sure I'm ready for this ...

Easter morning (her actual birthday) she got to open gifts. She loves reading, so she got a couple of good books:


She also really wanted roller blades. She almost didn't get them, because the first few places we looked had then for $50 and up. Sorry, but no way! Fortunately Kmart came through at about half that price so she could get some. I took them out of the box so the weight wouldn't give it away right off, so she was very confused as she opened them:


Both Paul and my mom are convinced that she's going to break her arm trying out her new roller blades. Little do they know that that's just fine with me -- then she won't be able to drive!!! I know, evil ... but she thinks she's ready and I think she's not. As it is I won't even let her get contacts! Maybe we'll start with contacts and work up to driving ... sigh ...

Anyway, the cake Becca wanted was my favorite: orange poppy seed. This cake is DELICIOUS and relatively healthy as far as cakes are concerned since there's no oil. Here she is blowing out the candles -- although she didn't get one out on her first try:


So, since I love the cake so much I told Paul to count it as my birthday cake as well. Here is the recipe for anyone who'd like to try it. Believe me, it is magically delicious!

Orange Poppy Seed Cake

1 pkg yellow cake mix

2 T poppy seeds

1 c. fat-free sour cream

¾ c egg substitute (or 3 eggs)

1/2 can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1/3 c. water

¼ t. almond extract

2 T sugar

½ t. ground cinnamon

Glaze:

1 ¾ c. powdered sugar

2 T milk

1 T orange juice

1. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix and poppy seeds. In a small mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, egg, orange juice concentrate, water and almond extract and beat until smooth. Stir into cake mix just until combined.

2. Coat a 10-in. flouted tube pan (Bundt pan) with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly in pan. Pour batter into pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

4. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over cooled cake.

Easter fun!

We had fun this Easter weekend, as we usually do! It is such a beautiful time when the Earth is renewing itself, which reminds us of the Savior renewing hope and possibility through His glorious resurrection. I love holidays to remind me to teach my children more about the gospel and wish I didn't need holidays to remember more often!

This year we found a new way to color Easter eggs, and we're in love! We bought a kit to tie dye the eggs, and not only did the kids seem to enjoy it more than "traditional" dying, but it gave us much prettier, more colorful eggs.

The kit came with bags (sandwich bags) and paint (food coloring). You sucked up the paint in these tiny straws and dropped a few drops of paint into the bag. Then you spread around the paint, and add another color or two if and where you'd like. Then, viola, you have awesome-looking eggs. Much more fun than dropping an egg in a cup of colored water and waiting ...

Here are the kids enjoying the fun:







We also got to do an Easter egg hunt with cousins Saturday afternoon. My kids are SOOOO lucky -- not only do they have cousins around their ages to have fun with, but their grandma has a park right behind her house! What more could a kid ask for? In any case, here they are making a few finds:





The pics of Shayla were actually in our backyard when we did a repeat of the Easter egg hunt on Sunday. The kids really wanted to do it again, so we did. However, instead of putting more candy back in the eggs, I put papers in each one with a number. Then we came in and took turns opening the eggs. As each child opened their egg and said what number they had, I told them what that number meant they had to do -- eat a piece of candy, sing a primary song, give someone a kiss, say something that makes you special, etc.

As a part of this Zachary was supposed to make a "taco tongue." I had no idea my kids couldn't do it! I tried to think of how to explain exactly how to do it, but we definitely got a kick out of Zachary and Shayla trying:



I hope you all had great Easters as well!

Happy b-day to me!

My family was great to me for my birthday. Paul and the kids made me breakfast in bed, and then he banished the kids so I could eat alone. (It almost worked, too! :) Shayla snuck back up and ate part of my food before realizing Paul was going to give her some for herself.

Then Becca said she had a surprise for me. She had taken the following pictures:





What fun kids I have! Paul was going to disappear w/the kids for the day (which did sound heavenly), but we had to shop for Becca's birthday (which is the day after mine), and there was a sale I wanted to catch for Zachary's b-day (10 days after mine). So, since we were out and about I also made him join me for a Costco run. Although the alone time would have been great, the thought was wonderful as well. (Watch out, Paul -- I might take you up on it another day. :)

After our Easter egg hunt, Paul and I slipped away to get a blizzard as well. Nothing beats a DQ Blizzard with Reese's peanut butter cups!

I still can't believe I'm mid-30's ...

Kinder Derby

Zachary's kindergarten had a Kinder Derby this year. The form that came home about it informed parents that making the car was a way for the kids and parents to bond. Uh, thanks but no thanks! We would rather bond while playing games together ...

So, Paul brought home a big box from work and some Styrofoam for the egg drop we have in two weeks (maybe more on that later). Anyway, I thought the Styrofoam looked perfect for bumpers, so we decided to use 'em. Zachary wanted light blue, but I wasn't willing to pay triple the price to get light blue instead of dark blue. I know, THAT was bonding!

Anyway, here's his race car ready for the derby (a parade around the school):


As we were walking into the school I couldn't believe some of the vehicles coming in. Some parents REALLY "bonded" with their kids! In any case, I hope this is the last year I have to bond with my kindergartner in this way ...

Here was my favorite car, a little girl in our ward/neighborhood/carpool. Doesn't it remind you of Sully on Monsters Inc.?


And this was all of the boys' favorites. I mean, the Millennial Falcon (?) from Star Wars ... what boy wouldn't love that? It also looks like some SERIOUS bonding.


We got a kick out of watching Zachary sing a few songs for the program part of it -- he really got into them more than I've ever seen him. Paul was able to catch it as well since he had Friday off for Good Friday. Now on to the egg drop for more bonding ...

Adding on

Paul and I made a decision -- we're going to add on to our house. Of course, this all depends on financing coming through, but we're going to go for it! We're very happy that we will contribute to this lagging economy and give many construction workers work in these difficult times. We're even more happy that we will have more space for our family!!!

We'll be adding on 1,160 s/f, and I can't wait. The basement won't be finished as of yet ... but when it is the house will have one more bedroom, two new family rooms and a MUCH larger kitchen. I am excited about the kitchen part. When we were considering selling and buying a new place, I looked at one house with 3,500 s/f and a kitchen the size of mine. What's the point of that?!?

Anyway, I am not looking forward to the larger payment and have stressed about that. However, we feel it is right and will be a benefit to many more people than just ourselves. So, we're working out the mortgage, we have the blue prints being drawn up, and we're getting bids to get our sprinklers out of the addition's way. Who knew there were so many decisions to be made, and we're not even started yet!

Anyway, sorry to all my neighbors for the noise we'll create, but hopefully the extra space will help us be less cluttered and therefore a little more clean. That remains to be seen, I suppose ...

I'm not a clutz ...

About a month ago I had an accident. You see, I was hurrying to get my kids ready for school and Tyler's lunch ready for him. I don't remember what I needed up on a top shelf, but because I'm short I keep a stool in my pantry. This stool is not any stool -- it's one from Ikea that's REALLY tall. It has two steps, and it fits nicely in my pantry to reach the top shelves.

Well, I got what I needed, and I stepped down and started turning around to continue my agenda. However, right as I stepped and started turning, I remembered that I wasn't on the first step like I thought I was. (I generally only need the first step, unless I'm reaching REALLY high in the pantry.)

Needless to say, I fell down, hitting the back of my arm on the corner of the cupboard as I fell, and I ended up on my back and hitting my head on another cupboard. I don't remember feeling pain like that before. I knew I had hit my arm REALLY hard. (Notice that's the third time I've "shouted" really at you?) Tyler asked immediately if I was okay, and I had to tell him I just needed some time to not talk. I hurt so bad! I almost couldn't breathe I hurt so bad. I ended up having to go up and lay down on my bed for a while, which meant my hurried efforts were in vain as the boys (and those we carpool) were late for school anyway.

After getting over the initial shock of it all, I realized that I better have a REALLY big bruise to verify my pain to those I told about my fall. Not to disappoint, my body got into action. I had a bruise immediately -- at least it was there when I first checked, which was about 15 minutes after my fall.

The next day my mom took a picture of my developing bruise. (Mind you, she had to one-up me and go get surgery on her eyes so she could leave the looks of my bruise in the dust!)


Yes, it did get darker and more colorful as time went on. I had the bruise for more than two weeks. This whole thing happened more than four weeks ago, and I still have a painful lump where I hit my arm. I don't know how people handle the pain of breaking a bone, because I didn't even do that and I still have pain a month later! My lump is getting smaller, and I imagine it will be gone in another week or two.

Note to self: When you get on the stool, remember which step you're on!

On the bright side, look at how pretty my eyes are when I wear blue. :)

April Fool's food

So, as you may remember, I love to trick my kids with food on April Fool's day. (Last year's trick here.) Fortunately Leslie reminded me of a joke I had seen in a magazine years ago, because I was running low on ideas.

So, I got to work and made, um, cupcakes:


Yes, you'll notice they're not as pretty as cupcakes when I'm actually trying to make them pretty. But let me tell you something you may not have learned -- no matter how creamy you think your mashed potatoes are, they are still too chunky for cake-decorating tips! :) Yes, the frosting is mashed potatoes. And the cupcake is meatloaf.

This year we invited Hilary's kids for the fun. I told them that because it was April Fool's Day, we were going to have dessert first. Look at the joy:


Zachary was ready to dig right in, and was the first child to do so:


He wasn't sure he was tasting right, so he tried again three different times. Here are a couple of his reactions:

Then Tyler decided to give it a try. I mean, can something so yummy really not taste great?

I'll let his face answer that question. The funny thing was that Shayla sat there the whole time just enjoying anything pink and creamy:

Remember the picture right before they started eating? Remember those smiles? Well, you have to remember them, because they're nowhere to be found by now:

The good news for the kids (well, except for Brynne :) was that I had a really yummy REAL pie for dessert. That was enough to get all of these kiddos through their meatloaf. (I mentioned Brynne, because the poor girl finally got through her meatloaf only to discover that she didn't care for the coconut cream pie.)

I have only one idea left for next year (which also happens to relate to meatloaf), so if you have others, bring 'em on!