growing up

My Saturdays of late have been my grocery shopping day. I get it all done in the morning and then relax the rest of the day. Well this past Saturday I was at Walmart earlyish in the morning. As I got all my groceries I also went looking for undershirts for Emilia. In the Girls' department there was a mom who was buying what look liked a first bra for one of her daughters. The daughter was so embarrassed and kept hiding behind the clothes rack as the mom was picking up bra after bra and checking the size etc! It reminded me of getting my first bra- way before I needed it, but so wanting it. My mom took me and of course my sisters and a friend who's mom wasn't around, to Mervyn's. I think my first size was a AAA and it still didn't quite fit! And I can still feel the embarrassment when I forgot to wear it a few times in the 7th grade even though I didn't need it. Thank you girl's PE!

O.k, on to more important matters: I found the very best chocolate chip cookie recipe. It comes out great every time- even when I half the recipe. When halving, I use the pound plus dark chocolate bar from Trader Joe's- one of the few benefits of a traveling husband. It freezes well too. I put many scoops on a cookie sheet and freeze them for later.

Need a Laugh? Read on...

Here are two at my expense!
1. O.K. so it snowed all day yesterday. It was a wet snow and as we were walking to church, one of the kids thought it was funny that some people were carrying umbrellas. I told him the snow felt nice. Well, on the home, Atlas suggested we walk through the parking garage to not get so wet. I said that it was such a short walk to enjoy the snow. Once home I went to the bathroom and saw my self in the mirror... My mascara had run. It was above my eyes, below my eyes- I looked like a scary lady and not one of my kids told me! No one that I chatted with did either! What must they think?
2. This morning I put on waterproof mascara and headed off to work. I dropped off my kids at school and drove to my school. My car sort of slid into the parking space and I gathered my purse and lunch bag and thermos full of hot tea and opened my door. I stepped out and slid completely on my back landing between my car and the next. My purse and lunch bag with my thermos both landed right side up! I shut my car door while on my back and debated how to get up! I pondered crawling to the sidewalk, but found that slowly I could stand! Amazingly I was not hurt. Wet, but no pain and no one saw! I wish they had. I am laughing now just thinking about it. A video would have been so funny! I was so surprised though. It has been a long time since I have slipped.

And where is SPRING????

One a penny, two a penny

Hot Cross Buns

Hope all had a nice Easter. The weather was great for mid March.. It could have been snowing! We started the day a bit late as the kids turned on the TV and didn't watch "Funny Little Bunnies" but "Jurassic Park"! After baskets, brunch, a hunt and church, the kids played outside- skateboarding etc and in the dirt and got all dirty! During Church the boys got a little squirmy and so I told them to "tattoo" my arms. It was a hit!

I have been Tagged...

I was tagged by Suzie...

O.K. Seven Facts about me:

1. I was a teenage bride! I was married 1 month before I turned 20. I see girls at 19 and 20 and think that they are so very young, but I was ready and Rich and I have lasted 12 plus years.

2. I love to travel. I love to see new places and visit old ones. The first time I went to Europe I thought that I had died and gone to heaven. I was 18, on my own and stayed for over 3 months. It was most liberating and confidence boosting (if that makes any sense). I stayed with friends of friends in an arab village in Paris, hostels all over and with a friend who had been a foreign exchange student at my high school. I went where ever I wanted and called home occasionally! France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic.

3. My one major regret is that I didn't go to grad school. I got accepted to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and was offered a scholarship. I really should have accepted it. At the time though I didn't have support. My whole family (and husband) was against it. Looking back Rich and I talk about how it would have been so very cool- oh well....

4. I went for 6 weeks to the Middle East with a sister-in-law and an 18 month old baby- a consolation trip in lieu of grad school. We had one backpack and a really cool baby backpack. One night in Cyprus we slept on the beach in sheets- there was no vacancy at all anywhere. We awoke to some old fisherman laughing- I think about us. Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and a few nights in Germany.

5. I really like working!

6. I am not naturally blonde anymore- surprise surprise. I don't know what my hair color is except that is is darker.

7. I have had all drug free/natural births and my last 3 have been at home!

2 years ago Francie and I went to Sequoia National Park. We encountered a few bears and had a fantastic time. We are planning on returning this summer...

I have tagged:
Cammie
Charla

while I'll never be cool to my kids...

I just found my Bob Marley CD and we played it this morning as everyone was getting ready for the day. It reminded me of 2 summers ago- Living in California I was feeling like taking a trip down memory lane and was listening to Bob and UB40. The kids hated it. It was torture for them, but I am the driver, it is my car and I am in charge : ) Fast forward to last summer- Atlas started going to the neighborhood skate shop. One afternoon he came home and he was asking for the Bob Marley CD AND singing one of the songs.

here is a little treat... a slide show to the redemption song... Don't you love it?

My new best friends!

It was time... I got a job and I am working almost full time- the entire time the kids are at school. In fact I work at a school and am the new technology teacher for the mobile lab! Paris was bumped up to full time preschool and is so happy. They day before I even applied for the job she said that she would not go to school unless she could stay the entire day! Her wish was granted! Well, my new best friends are fantastic! They are making life so much easier in my very long and hectic day. My first best friend has been around forever, but we didn't do much. But now she is working for me while I am away...today she made me chicken tacos! Ok, she just cooked the chicken, but that was enough!
And my other best friend just speeds stuff up for me! I grew up with her and I just got a new and updated version as she wasn't working for me properly!
They have been so great I had time to make a celebration cake for myself in the meantime! It is the carrot cake from joyofbaking.com- the best baking website! And since I am working with integrating computer and learning I found the greatest website for kids. I showed it to my kids and each one thought that it was the greatest site ever!
http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm (sorry you'll just have to cut and paste- links weren't working!)
your kids will love it... and so will you. Our favorites are the Dutch house and still life, but there is so much more we haven't explored!

express

The other day as I was getting in the door from taking my kids home and to dance etc, I was thinking that I didn't have time to cook dinner. That really disappointed me. I have laundry lists of menus and dinner ideas, even quick ones. But that afternoon I was plum tired- making me extra disappointed. I cook dinner almost every night. Like 99.9% of the time. Going out to eat is sort of a let down- especially with 4 kids. Not to mention the cost... I can make them eat my food at home, it is so much harder making any kid eat in a restaurant... Threats work so much better at home! Anyways, I love to cook. It is part of my identity. Sunday brunch, Friday night home-made pizza... French food, whatever. I don't think that I am so great a cook, but I like it and I hate going to a restaurant and coming home thinking that I could have made it. Granted I live in a little city and the food here is fine, but cooking is a passion of mine. So, I was so happy to find a late Birthday present on my door step from Charla, even more happy when it was a cookbook and an express one! I flipped through it right away and decided to make a spanish tortilla. I hadn't made one before and had been wanting to and had all the ingredients on hand. Everybody loved it and I wished that I had made 2! Thank you so much Charla!