When Jimmy and I started dating, he was only 18! A few months later he turned 19, and we were spending more time together, enough to have the occasional disagreement. When we did, I would call my mom and tell her all about it. Her response was frequently


"What do you expect, HE'S ONLY 19!"

We continued to date, and disagree occasionally, and my mom always said the same thing, even when Jimmy was 21, 27 or 34. Sometimes that woman is hilarious.

Well, today Jimmy turns 35!!!

He and Emmalena left early this morning to go skiing. The other girls and I are going to make a big Mexican dinner, at Jimmy's request.

Yo-Yos Spanish Rice
Cheese and green chile tamales (say it like this - tamalesss)
Green Chile Casserole
Quesadillas (for the kids)

We are also going to make Jimmy a carrot cake. He wanted an ice cream cake, but I wanted to surprise him. And, what I want is more important, right? Jimmy LOVES carrot cake. It is something I do not understand. Cake with a vegetable in it, and NO chocolate does not sound like dessert to me. I have never made a carrot cake before, so we will see how it goes.

In the midst of our cooking and decorating, we will be cleaning up today. Jimmy's sister and her family are arriving tonight for a visit. The girls are soooo excited to see their cousin, our little Daphne-doodle!

Sounds like a great birthday to me!

Happy

Birthday,

Jimmy!!!!

That's what I'm talkin' about!

A woman who fixes toilets? Now that's what I call sexy!!

More merrymaking...

Checking out her magic kit.

Approved destruction!

Making Merry

Notes and treats for Santa and the reindeer.

Happy day to you

Here is our picture for our Christmas card - too bad I never got them made!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Mrs. Brown

Happy

Birthday

Mrs.

Brown!

You are loved!!!!

A Little Light

In the middle of my funk, my See's candy arrived!!!! I feel a little better now!

Musings

Where have you been, you ask. In a whirlwind. I have tried to keep Christmas simple this year, but it seems that is impossible with children. The lights, the tree, the decorations, the shopping, stashing and wrapping (which still isn't done!) the school pageants and Christmas parties - it's a lot to do in a short amount of time. I have also tried to keep Christmas peaceful this year - isn't that the true reason for the holiday anyway? All this other stuff - such as a blow up Spongebob for the lawn - just doesn't make me feel peaceful. It makes me feel like I am just keeping up with everyone else, just going through the motions. I want the girls to have good memories of Christmas, not ones where we are running around like maniacs or filling our time with materialistic activities.

In the middle of the whirlwind, Ali and I went to Boston for four days. You see, we all know that there are people out there struggling, suffering and having their hearts broken. It is easy to put our blinders on, appreciate our good lives, and forget how painful life can be. But when all that hurt finds someone you know, you can't hide from it, and you can't make it go away. Last week my friend lost her son. He was only six, and had been sick since he was four months old. And, he was something else, something amazing. You would have to have known him to understand. He was probably the funniest kid I have ever met. He deemed a woman's cleavage "boob crack." Who comes up with that kind of stuff? Connor did, all the time. Ali and I flew to Boston for his memorial service and to see my friend. I needed to see her in person, to hug her and watch her as she moved through the motions of saying goodbye to her son. I can't be with her as she walks this horrible road, but it was nice to meet all the people around her who can. It comforted me. It was easy to be strong while I was with her. I didn't want her to see me upset. But now that I am home, I don't know where I am. Not in the whirlwind and not in Boston, just in a funk. So forgive me if I haven't called you or returned your calls. I am just in a quiet place right now.

Christmas comes tomorrow. Today I will make homemade sticky buns for our Christmas breakfast. It is a tradition! We will make some cookies for Santa (or not, I know he likes Oreos) and Jimmy will take the girls out so I can get the presents wrapped. All the other stuff doesn't matter. The best gift I can give my girls is the feeling of being loved, and a sense of peace. And it is what I would give to you, too.

Out of the mouths of babes

The girls have been saying some pretty funny things lately, and I thought I should record them for posterity.

On Saturday, I took Emmalena to have her bangs trimmed. She is performing with the school choir Thursday night, and I thought it would be more enjoyable watching her if I could actually see her eyes. She prefers her bangs longer than I like. Yes, we are already having THOSE kind of issues! Emmalena was not thrilled about having her hair cut, but she maintained herself while we were in the salon. Once we got into the car, it was a different story. She LOST it! She continued to "lose it" for another hour once we got home. I sent her to her room, and ignored her. But, I could hear her repeating over and over

"I look like a retarded clown!"

Where did she come up with that????

After my wonderful morning with Emmalena, I took Skinny Little Isabella to have some pants taken in. Life is very hard when your waist belongs to a four year old, and your legs belong to a seven year old! Anyway, after we had finished up at the shop I said to her "Come on chickie-poo, we have one more stop to make." She looked at me and said

"Why did you call me Chicken Poop?"

Last night Jimmy and I were talking in bed before we fell asleep, and Ali, who likes to party until about 11pm, was between us. I noticed she was getting sleepy and suggested to Jimmy that he turn of his light. As he leaned over and reached for the light Ali said, in her sweet, sleepy voice

"Mommy, my daddy have a big, fat head."

I laughed hysterically, but Jimmy didn't think it was that funny!

Strange

Wednesday night I had a dream that the Obamas moved in across the street from us. They were over at my house, the girls were all playing with each other and Barrack was talking to me in the kitchen as I was doing dishes.

I have no idea why I dreamed about this. Its not as if we sit around talking about the Obamas. I haven't read the paper in days or watched a lot of news this week. When I woke up I laughed to myself at having dreamed such a strange dream.


Well, out of the blue on Thursday afternoon, Jimmy got a phone call from someone at the Academy asking him if he would like to participate in Obama's inauguration ceremony. We don't have all the details yet, Jimmy may just be marching in the parade, but it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. (Which he reminded me of when I pointed out that he would be gone over my birthday.) He had to go into work early this morning to fill out a bunch of paperwork, turn in his passport and have his fingerprints scanned.


I'll keep you posted on the details!

YUM!!

Most mornings, I can only get out of bed because I know that my Keurig coffee machine is downstairs waiting for me, and I can have hot coffee in 15 seconds. One cup is enough, and then around noon, I make another to fend off an afternoon slump. Coffee gets me through my day, much like everyone else. This morning I had to run errands for Jimmy. His squadron Christmas party is tonight, and he waited until the LAST POSSIBLE moment to ask me to pick up some things. Given that it was 10 degrees out, snowing and Ali is not feeling well, I was less than thrilled to be heading out. But, being the supportive spouse, I headed to Target after I took the girls to school. The saints rewarded me because Starbucks has a new drink!




Espresso Truffle
We’ve combined Starbucks espresso with our premium European-style cocoa blend used in our Signature Hot Chocolate and steamed milk, and topped it with whipped cream and a touch of chocolate powder. This sophisticated beverage delivers rich chocolate flavor with a velvety mouthfeel balanced with a smooth coffee flavor.

The next time you pass a Starbucks, get one!!!

Frosty Frolicking

My mom is here visiting from Phoenix. On Friday, we were discussing the weather, and she was asking if we got as much snow here as we did in Boston.

"Ohhhhhhhh, nooooo. We never got snow like that last winter. Just a dusting, maybe 2 or 3 inches" I said.

Be careful what you say because look at what we woke up to today!

Little Ali wanted to get in on the action, so we dressed her up and sent her out with Jimmy.

Jimmy pulled Ali around the neighborhood in the sled. We wrapped her in a stadium blanket, and this was all you could see of her. After about 10 minutes, I went outside to check on her and she had fallen asleep!

The big girls have been having a blast. They have been outside for hours with the neighbor kids. We have been sending hot food outside and Jimmy used his backpacker's stove to make them all hot chocolate. I think they have each gone through three pairs of gloves, and come inside at least 100 times to have us fix the gloves that fall off. Jimmy is threatening to duct tape their gloves to their arms if they come in again!

p

What a great way to end their Thanksgiving break. Though, after having them home for nine days, I fear tomorrow will be a snow day!

Happy Turkey Day!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!!!!

What it's all about...

It is so easy to forget all the good we have in our lives, to compare ourselves to others and think we, or our circumstances are somehow lacking. But, I feel truly blessed. When I look around, I am thankful for it all. I hope I am passing on to my girls to be grateful for all the good in their lives, not just today, but everyday.

That's My Girl!!

Emmalena ran her first 5K today! We are so proud of her!!!! She and Jimmy woke up bright and early, braved the 27 degree weather, and joined 2,000 other brave souls for a turkey trot. The course was very hilly, but they finished in 42 minutes. She definitely gets extra pie tonight!!




I'll be your good luck charm!

Proud Daddy! He already has plans for their next race.

Isabella and Grandma made Emmalena a trophy to commemorate her accomplishment, and she got her very own t-shirt at the race.

That's my other Girl!

While Emmalena and Jimmy were out running around, and I was cooking in the kitchen, Isabella entertained herself with the pieces from the magnetic snowman on our fridge.

Who Needs Martha?

The girls and I had fun preparing the table this year. We had it set on Monday, so that when my mom flew in on Tuesday, the table was dressed for dinner. I am sure Martha's table is perfect, but mine is better because each piece on it means something to me. The dishes are from my MIL, the blue and white combo being my favorite. The silverware was a wedding gift from my Aunt Jenny. The candles and candlesticks are new, but I bought them with my dear friend Kim. Aunt Gayle bought us the wine glasses a few years ago and gave me the footed glass bowl. As I sat at the table tonight, it was perfect to me - filled with pieces that meant something, that told a story, and reminded me of those I love.

My niece is selling See's Candy as a fundraiser for her school, and my SIL sent me an email asking if I wanted to buy any, and if I would like a box from her as a Christmas gift. Well, that is like asking a crackhead if they want some crack. I think it is well known that I LOVE chocolate, but See's Candy is just taking it to another level. I emailed my SIL back with my LARGE order (Christmas gifts for others - I swear) and my response to her question regarding whether or not I would like a box. Here it is:


Ummmm, would I like a box? Do men like sex? Do fish like water? Do drunks like booze? I can conjure up the smell of the box in my mind. I can look at each candy in the milk chocolate box, and know exactly what is on the inside. So, yes, I would like a box, maybe the soft centers, so I can learn something new. I will probably hide in my closet while I eat the chocolate. I don't want to be disturbed while I enjoy such a treat. And, let's be honest. I don't want to share. Not with people who don't consider the consumption of such confections to be a spiritual experience. I consider See's Candy to be a physical manifestation of God's love, modern manna.

Thanks,
Alison

PS - This is the best fund raiser ever!

Sage Advice

Tonight, as we were sitting around the dinner table, eating Tater-Tot Casserole, I reminded the girls that our cousin Greg is getting married next weekend. Isabella very excitedly said

"Oh, we need to make them some cards! We can draw some pictures and write~

"Good Luck. Don't Fight."

Hmmm, I wonder why she thinks married couples fight?

Fiscal Education

• Dining room dusted - $10
• Family room dusted - $10
• Kitchen floor cleaned - $10
• Dishwasher unloaded - $5
• Dishwasher reloaded - $5
• Learning how to start the dishwasher $5
• Learning how to clean a toilet $5
• Floor rugs cleaned - $5
• Stairs cleaned - $10
• Girls bathroom cleaned, top to bottom - $25
• 5 loads of laundry, washed, dryed, folded and put away - $25
• Babysitting Ali while the other sister worked - $5

Learning not to mess with Mama - Priceless!!!

Happy Day!!!

I want to wish my favorite father-in-law a happy birthday!!

We hope you enjoy your day. We sure love you!!

You're turning 29, right?

Speaking of Wicked

It is Saturday morning. The sun is shining and it looks like a beautiful day outside.
But inside, it is a completely different story. Jimmy is at work (lucky, lucky man), the house is showing the signs of a mother who has been sick, and taking care of sick kids, for the last four days, and the girls are fighting. This is a HUGE mistake on their part. I warned them once earlier this morning.

"Look, I am NOT in the mood for this today. I don't feel good (loosely coded for I have no patience) and I have a ton of catch up work to do. If you behave, I will ignore you. If you keep fighting, I am going to find you and channel all that energy into something constructive."



I guess they didn't believe me, because I just broke up a fight over the old fashioned type writer. Again.

Emmalena is now vacuuming, and Bella is on laundry patrol. The toilets are dirty, the floor needs to be cleaned, the dining room dusted. Basically, my house if trashed. I could keep them busy

ALL DAy!

Do you remember the song "It's a beautiful morning...?" Well, sing it now!!!

So much for sleep

Thursday night, Isabella came into our room sometime around O'dark thirty. Ali has been sick this week, and her asthma is acting up. When she gets like that, she has a hard time sleeping at night, and I had already been up every 30 minutes or so with her. I was finally in a deep, deep sleep when I heard Isabella come into our room.

"Mommy, Mommy, MOMMY - today is library day, and my books aren't in my backpack."

WHAT??????

I had no idea what she was talking about, and then she went back to her bedroom. And I was awake. For hours.

No rest for the wicked.

I Believe, I Believe!!!

At 8:45pm all three of my children were in their own beds, asleep.

Miracles DO happen!

Yum!

Last night, we went to our neighbor's house for a pre-Trick or Treating dinner. This soup was served, and it was AWESOME! Isabella even liked it! I thought I would share the recipe.


Cheddar Chicken Chowder

Tip: Buy skinned, boned chicken breasts and preshredded cheese.

2 bacon slices
Cooking spray
1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 1/2 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 3/4 cups diced peeled red potatoes
2 1/4 cups frozen whole-kernel corn
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% low-fat milk
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Crumble; set aside. Add chicken, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to bacon fat in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add broth and potatoes; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add corn; stir well.
Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended; add to soup. Cook over medium heat 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper. Top with crumbled bacon.

Yield: 7 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)CALORIES 306 (22% from fat); FAT 7.5g (sat 4g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.6g); IRON 1.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 58mg; CALCIUM 193mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.7g; SODIUM 376mg; PROTEIN 25g; FIBER 2.9g Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1996

The Day After

Talk about a Halloween Hangover, and I didn't even drink last night! It's 1o AM, I am still in my jammies, staring into the bottom of my coffee cup, with no motivation in sight. Last week was full of preparations for the "High Holiday" as I call it, appointments, class parties, and the usual, everyday work that needs to be done. Today, there are decorations to be put away, and candy to be traded. Every year I let the girls choose several of their favorite candies from their Halloween bags. Then they "trade" in the rest of their candy for a trip to the bookstore, or toy store. All the left over candy will get sent to work with Jimmy for the cadets to consume. You've all seen me, I am clearly not a sugar Nazi, but, I am trying to teach the girls, and myself, that sweets should be eaten in moderation. You know, one or two a day, not ten. Moderation IS easier to achieve when you don't have 10 pounds of candy calling your name from the top of the fridge each time you pass the kitchen...

Recipe Review

Isabella did not like the crock pot cake. This, of course, means that it is really, really good. I have heard of people who don't like chocolate, and actually find some things too rich and chocolaty to eat. I didn't believe they existed until I gave birth to one, but apparently they do!

The rest of us liked the cake. It is very rich. I didn't have an whip cream on hand, but it would taste good with it. I think it would be a great desert to serve to a group of people on a cold winter's night.

Magicians

Last night Isabella managed to scrape the skin just above her bony little ankle. How she did this, I do not know, as Jimmy was at a football game and I was doing the bedtime routine solo. From the volume of her cries, I thought Isabella had severed her leg, but it was just a tiny scrape. Given the extent of her injuries, she couldn't walk and so Emmalena carried her to the bed. She told Isabella to lay down and levitate her leg. I had to walk out of the room so that they didn't hear me laughing!

Snow!!!!

We woke up this morning to snow on the ground, and a tempurature of 23 degrees. The man that helps Jimmy with the lawn, Farmer John, says this is going to be a coooooold winter. He bases this on when the lawn grass starts to slow its growth, which this year occurred three weeks earlier than normal. I don't know if he is right or not, but Aunt Gayle read that our winter is supposed to be a cold one. Farmer John may have 5o years of experience with Colorado winters, but if Aunt Gayle says it, it must be true.

In honor of the first day of snow I am going to make Crock Pot Cake that I found on the blog I am addicted to.

http://blog.cjanerun.com/

I'll let you know how it turns out!

And now I present the Crockpot Cake Recipe. Only, promise me you'll douse it with real cream. Not that fake stuff all whipped up ready for consumption, I mean straight from-the-udder cream.
1 package chocolate cake mix
1 container of sour cream (8 oz)
1 cup chocolate morsels
1 cup water
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 package instant chocolate pudding mix
Spray crock pot with nonstick cooking spray. Mix cake mix, sour cream, chocolate morsels, water, egss, oil and pudding mix in a bowl by hand. Pour into crock pot. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Makes about 12 servings.

Monday, Monday

We had the most wonderful time in Rapid City with my dear friend Kim and her family over the weekend. We left Thursday, and got in late last night. I will put up pictures and fill you in on all the details later. Because........

TODAY

I am trying to unpack from the trip and get ready for a visit from Aunt Gayle, who arrives tomorrow. So, do I work on the 8 loads of laundry, dust, make the lasagna for dinner, put away all the junk that one must take on a road trip to keep three kids occupied, take a shower, file my broken nails, pay bills or mop the kitchen floor first?????

OY!!!!!!!!

You're Not Getting Older....

Happy

Birthday,

Aunt Gayle!!!!!

We love you and can't wait for you to get here!

Three Reasons

I really love Colorado, but there are some things about New England that I will always miss. Here are three of them.

Mankind must remember that peace is not God's gift to his creatures, it is our gift to each other.— Elie Wiesel

A Cautionary Tale...

Say What??

Isabella asked me this today

"Mom, why do they call it Starbooks when there aren't any books in there?"

Never Ignore the Warning Signs

Most disasters are preceded by some kind of sound, some kind of warning. When Ali strikes the warning sound is silence. I know this, and yet I ignored the warning signals. I made it into the bath at 2:30PM today. Ali wouldn't nap, thought I begged her to, I was exhausted and longed for sleep. She wouldn't cooperate, so I decided to get cleaned up before picking the girls up for school. Ali was playing in my room, where I could hear her, and then silence. I would call to her occasionally, and she would answer "I right heeeere!" I figured she was in Isabella's room, where she likes to play. I was so tired and lazy that I didn't check on her. Finally, I called her to come to me, and this is what I saw!

It was better than what I found in Isabella's room. Ali had climbed on her bed and dismantled Isabella's bulletin board, pulling off and then tearing all of Bella's special papers. Isabella isn't in a good place right now, and I'll just say that she didn't deal very well with it when she got home! That was the real disaster!

I was too tired tonight to make a big dinner, so Ali and I walked to the store to get some eggs for scrambled eggs. My little bandit, of course, fell asleep in the middle of Albertson's. Once again, I will be up late tonight, because she'll never go to bed now. But look how cute she is with her sunglasses and my high heels!

Would you like an outside table tonight?

Jimmy works late Tuesday nights, which means dinners are pretty casual, usually pancakes or quesadillas, maybe pasta if I am really motivated. After school today, Emmalena made reading hammocks out of the sarongs I bought in Hawaii while on my honeymoon and swung outside as she read. Quesadillas won tonight and when they were ready, she and Isabella asked if they could eat outside. As we are savoring the last warm days of Fall, and they so rarely agree on anything lately, I said yes.

It's an easy clean up tonight!

It's Time

Well, Jimmy has been off in Las Vegas, visiting his mom after her knee surgery, for the last several days. I certainly have logged enough hours as a "single-married mom" for this to be no big deal, but there are signs that it is time for him to come home. Soon.

1. I no longer care when the girls yell "Moooooom, she's hitting me!"
2. I haven't made my bed since Wednesday.
3. Thursday night, I let Ali run around the back yard for 30 minutes, dressed only in her diaper, as she pushed her stroller. Then, I fed her Halloween Oreos as we sat on the steps. Hmmm, this could explain today's runny nose.
4. The girls have had Costco pizza and muffins for dinner ALL WEEK.
5. The sound of their sweet little voices is starting to make me twitch.

Woo Hoo, Witchy Woman

I am not a big fan of Christmas, but I am ALL OVER Fall and Halloween. Can you tell?


That is not Mr. Potato Head. It is Trick or Tater, and I LOVE him! He even comes with a ghost costume!

The leaves in the candle are from the most beautiful tree I have ever seen. It was in Boston, and I picked these as a remembrance. The pumpkins were made by Aunt Gayle, the postcard sent by Heidi and the Little Witch came from my mom.

This candle sits on my mantle all year, plain and boring. Now, thanks to my cleverness, it is "Oh so cute!"

The gorgeous Jack O Lantern is from my MIL, she found it in Turkey.

My SIL Heidi sent this sweet postcard years ago. Isn't it cute in the cauldron?

Ali Cat

This is just a teaser of things to come,
Halloween is upon us
There is fun to be done.

On the Road to Rockin

Today, my SIL gave me a blog tutorial. I am going to try to blog again and as Heidi said

"Get your blog on the road to rockin!"

Wise Girl

Isabella and I were at Bird Dog Barbecue waiting for our order to be ready. As we waited, we walked over to the ovens and watched as the man was loading big slabs of raw meat into this vast, cavernous oven with multiple, rotating shelves. We stood there watching for a few minutes when suddenly Isabella, who has no volume control, says loudly

"Man, I wouldn't like to be cut up into pieces and put in there!"

I laughed so hard, I had tears running down my face, and out of the corner of my eye I could see the man with the raw meat smirking.

Still Cute!

I have received numerous comments about the fact that I haven't updated the blog since November. (Thank you, Mr. Clean - say hi to George for me). What can I say? How about "Throw me a line!" Between the craziness of Christmas, travelling, three weeks of the flu, and another case of pneumonia for Ali, things have been kind of crazy around here.

Keep little Ali in your thoughts and prayers. She is having a rough winter. But, I must say, even with her nasal cannula, she is still cute!