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!

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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...