Belated Post: My Kids & Santa

One final post before the month of December (and the year 2009!) are out. I forgot to post these pictures prior to blogging about Christmas...

The day that my sister and niece got into town, Hudson came home from school with a note that said that Santa Claus would be at the school at 2:45 and that morning Kindergartners were welcome to come (assembly-style for K through 2nd grade). Hudson was excited beyond all reason and when it came time to head down the hill, I had to wake Claire up from her nap to go. I hated to do it, but how could we miss the chance to meet the man himself?

Santa Claus was about as authentic as you could imagine...very fancy suit, real beard, spectacles, jingle bells, etc. No doubt that he was the real thing!! After a little speech/talk from Mr. C about life at the North Pole and answering a few questions, the kids were lined up - youngest class to oldest - to go up and meet Santa, get a candy cane, etc. Since he is in the morning class, Hudson was in the 1st group of kids up there. No question about whether he was comfortable or not:

Then there was Claire. The principal came to me and said that they had plenty of time and candy canes and that the younger siblings were welcome to go up and see Mr. C. She even went so far as to find the perfect spot for us to cut in line. Awesome! Claire wasn't too sure about the whole waiting thing but she really wanted a candy cane and I really wanted to get a picture of her with Santa Claus. So we waited our turn and initially, the prospect of getting her much desired stick of minty sugar was enough for Claire. But I'm afraid that the combination of her being tired and her semi- but sometimes ultra-shy personality (and possibly my forcing her to stand there?) resulted in this:

Maybe next year I can explain the naughty/nice list to her and she'll be a little more friendly.

Christmas 2009 - Part II

Christmas morning found Hudson up at 7:00 as usual and Max, Claire, and I all sleeping in to the best of our ability (Claire was up a good chunk of the night...what a treat!). In spite of the excitement, Hudson managed to control himself and aside from peeking through the French doors, he didn't bring up opening presents or getting into he living room even once. He simply ate his breakfast and then played quietly until the rest of us were ready to get up for the day. And this wasn't until Claire woke up at about 8:40! He seriously gets the award for "Most Patient Child on Christmas Morning".

We were all ready to get into the living room fairly quickly once Claire was up (with her cup of dry Froot Loops in hand). I headed in first with a camera in hand so that I could catch this shot:

And this one...

I love the look on Claire's face and Hudson's arms mid-run. They immediately headed for the deacon's bench at the back of the room where the "Santa gifts" sat. Hudson got his much-desired Star Wars clone trooper helmet (with foam dart gun) and Claire received a nice dolly stroller and new bendable plush doll. They both got rave reviews right off the bat with Hudson trying to open the box that his was in and Claire putting her cup o' Froot Loops in the stroller's storage basket and taking off to walk her new doll. Honestly, we probably could have stopped there. But we didn't...and who does?

We had a nice time opening gifts together, complete with a screech of joy from Claire with the opening of every gift she got (including the little ones in her stocking). In the end, we all got way more than we needed...especially considering that we really don't need anything at all. My favorite gift was the Food Saver that Max got for me. I can hardly wait to go to Costco, buy packages and packages of meat, and come home and seal them all for freezing with my new toy. As for the kids, I'm not sure what their faves were but from the pics below, you can see that they had a good time...


Hudson got the Lego headlamp from my dad. He would shine it on packages before he opened them (you can kind of see it in the one picture) and had a nice dent in the middle of his forehead when we finally took it off later. Definitely a hit!


Claire is officially a girly-girl. She loved her new dolls (two of them) and the little lavender purse and "pearl" necklace she got from Grandpa & Grandma C. (neighbors a couple of doors over but we happily claim them as family).

After the mayhem of opening presents - and cleaning up the mess - was done, we had a very relaxing holiday. There was, of course, some time spent putting toys together and opening boxes. Speaking of which, Max assembled Hudson's Star Wars helmet and gun and what's the 1st thing my boy did? Accidentally shot his sister in the face with one of the suction darts. Oops. Oh - the other thing we did was go and visit Max's parents (and his siblings and other family members that were there) for a little bit but other than that, we spent the day at home. We even had Christmas dinner here. And a very yummy Christmas dinner it was...grilled leg of lamb (with apple-mint jelly, of course!), baked potatoes, Jell-O, rolls, etc. Top it all off with a batch of homemade-from-scratch chocolate mousse and you're all set for extreme abdominal discomfort. And it's totally worth it.

Christmas was such a great, relaxing, and wonderful day for us this year. Hope it was for you, too!

P.S. If anyone is interested, I'm happy to share the lamb recipe...

Christmas 2009 - Part I

Let's start with Christmas Eve...

In keeping with tradition on my side of the family, we had homemade clam chowder and sourdough bread (store bought) for dinner that night. I tried a new recipe that I found online - very clammy but oh-so-delish! Our entire dinner table discussion that night was about the soup and the changes we're going to make next time I decide to whip up a batch.

After dinner, we spent some time playing with the kids and then Max conveniently herded them into the kitchen for dessert (the greatest sugar cookie cut-outs in the world from one of Max's sisters) while I brought out our Christmas Eve gifts. When we were done with dessert, we headed into the living room and subtly told the kids to check out what was on the chairs/sofa.

Hudson immediately knew which gifts was his and was at a loss for words when he saw the black lab stuffed animal sitting next to his present. He stuttered over and over as he told me how excited he was, that he couldn't believe I got it for him, etc. and then came and gave me a big hug. The cause for all the excitement has a little story behind it...while my sister was in town, we were at a favorite little store in town one day when he found this black lab. He asked me to buy it for him and upon my responding in the negative, he threw a lovely fit. While he was busy trying to convince the world that I am the worst mom ever, I quietly passed it off to my sister to purchase it once we were out of the store. I more or less dragged him out to the sidewalk and then took a good tongue-lashing out there as well. He's lucky I didn't have my wooden paddle in hand (just kidding!). I was, however, half tempted to go and tell my sister "nevermind". But I knew that it would be a huge deal to him to get it for Christmas. In the end, I'm so glad I went the route I did...his reaction on Christmas Eve made putting up with his massive tantrum in public worth it.

Claire, by the way, chose her dark red super-wide-wale corduroy teddy bear at another favorite shopping haunt in the city over that same weekend. For those of you who might be interested, the bear is made by Jellycat. All of their animals are super soft and cuddly...the best link I could find for buying them is here (for the fun corduroy style I got, type in keywords "cordy roy").

Below is a pic of my kiddies on Christmas Eve. All decked out in matching pajamas (Claire declared, "I a princess!" when I got her dressed) with their beloved new stuffed animals. Do note the fashionable non-oufit-matching Crocs that my daughter decided to wear instead of her slippers.

After reading the story of Jesus Christ's birth from the Bible and singing a few Christmas carols, we sent the kids off to bed so that Santa could come and do his thing. Surprisingly enough, Hudson fell asleep about 2 seconds before his head hit the pillow. Claire, on the other hand, decided to buck the system and took nearly an hour to call it quits. Little squirt. But I made the most of that time and...

Went to work on another tradition from my side as soon as we put her in bed...the 1st time. This tradition is our Christmas morning treat...the beloved and most delicious Danish Almond Puff. It takes a good while to put together and then bakes for an hour. But it's all so very worth it. Why? The key ingredient in this recipe is butter and the other main flavor comes from almond extract. Anyone going to say that there is ANYTHING wrong with that? I was going to take a picture of them (a single batch makes two beauteous pastries) but it was late when I finished making/frosting it. And strangely enough, when morning came, I was much more focused on eating it than getting its picture taken.

Anywhooo...once the kids were officially out, we wrapped a few last-minute items, Max hauled all the loot up from the hiding place in the basement, and we got everything arranged in the living room. Then we closed the French doors and called it good.

Next up, Christmas day in the morning!

PRE-CHRISTMAS FUN

Just over a week before Christmas, my sister came into town with one of her daughters. Simply stated, we had a super fabulous time. Want the longer, wordier version? Read on...

During our long weekend together, we managed to spend way to much money at such fine establishments as The Basket Loft, Tai Pan, Macy's (department store...not grocery store), and TJ Maxx. Nothing like some good retail therapy to make one feel better about all the money she spent on Christmas.

We also spent some quality time eating way too much at super tasty-licious places at Normandie Cafe & Bakery, Tepanyaki, and Cafe Rio. Then there were the two batches of homemade caramels we made. And the "funnel fries" we had during one of our evening outings. My thighs will bear the proof of these meals and goodies for months to come.

Now, believe it or not, we did not spend all of our time shopping and eating. We also slept, showered, and drove between locations. And we also squeezed in the following:

A trip to the zoo the first evening they were here. It was ever so slightly frigid outside but we survived with almost all of our digits still attached. Considering the temperature and the time of day, there weren't many animals out but we did get to see some monkeys, the mama tiger and her three "cubs" (that are now totally huge), the snow leopard and her "cub", and a bunch of animals in the stinky reptile building. We also enjoyed a ride on the carousel, downed some previously mentioned powdered sugar dusted "funnel fries" (think funnel cake but in french fry form), and drank some scalding/boiling hot hot cocoa. Hudson took a huge mouthful right off the bat, spit it out on the ground, and started bawling...poor thing. His tongue hurt for a good day afterwards.

Lewie and Hudson on their animals - an okapi and a hippo.

Claire and I waiting for the ride to start.

The other big outing we took was to see the lights at Temple Square. Lewie had never been here at Christmastime before and therefore, had never seen the amazing display there. The lights were incredible as always and we enjoyed walking around, watching/listening to the nativity story, and visiting the Christus statue in the Visitor's Center. Once again, it was a super cold evening but we enjoyed ourselves and were so glad to have gone.

Me sista, Lewie, Hudson, and Claire watching and listening during the nativity. Sure was nice of the random guy on the right to stare straight into my lens and smile.

The whole (frozen) gang.

I accidentally took this shot in either night or no-flash mode (can't recall which). I love that the lights and my kiddies are fairly clear but the people walking around are blurry...almost looks like it was on purpose!

Lastly, my two favorite shots of the temple:

A million thanks to my sister and Lewie for making the trip out to visit. Wish we could see each other more often!

CHRISTMAS CARD PICTURE

I know this is getting posted a wee touch on the late side. You're just going to have to deal with it...

Every year, I try to convince my hubby that we should do a family picture for our Christmas card. In return, he balks at the idea and tells me to take a picture of the kids instead. I will say that I actually won the debate a few times...just not this year. But it's all good. My kids are, after all, pretty darned cute (if I do say so myself) and make for a super cute card. Here's the picture we chose for this year:

I was so happy with how it turned out. Claire's sweater dress matches the green in Hudson's fair isle sweater and they're both smiling (take a wild guess as to who has a serious overbite that's going to need some quality orthodontic work someday). The fact that they both cooperated while I snapped away made the whole thing that much sweeter. I smell a winner!

MORE CHRISTMAS DECOR

Another thing I have a slight addiction to is Christmas home decor. We have boxes and boxes of it that get pulled out each year and I love every minute of breaking them open and finding seasonal homes throughout the house for all the items. I have number of things that get hung on the walls, over doorways, or from light fixtures - kissing balls to hang in the two entries into the living room (and one for the kitchen), a couple of Scandinavian mobiles, a handful of framed pictures, and some sayings or words (i.e. Merry Christmas and Believe). There are, of course, several "shelf" items in my collection. Everything from Santas to angels, to these wonderful little nesting snowmen (the belonged to my Grandma B.):

I also love Christmas pillows and the occasional plush. Below is a pic of one of my favorite pillows (notice the incredible hand-done detail in the close-up) sitting with an adorable Christmas moose (he has a music box inside and plays "Winter Wonderland"...Woof & Poof - fabulous company!):

And, of course, I have a few creches. I have an olive wood creche, the Demdaco nativity (just saw a picture of the new goat & cow/bull set that goes with it in a catalog the other day...informed Max that he'll be buying it for me), a small Jim Shore set, a wonderful wooden creche that my parents made that the kids can play with, a handmade Peruvian plush set (correct me if I'm wrong on the origin, Mom), a fabulous snow globe that plays Silent Night...the globe sits on top of a model of Bethlehem and has Joseph, Mary, and the Christ child inside. Then there is this little jewel:

My dad gave it to me a few years ago. I wish you could see it in person. It's a single piece of wood - only a few inches tall, the body of it is as smooth as you could imagine, and the minute details (face, hair, etc.) are positively incredible.

Lastly, the Christmas mantle from our living room - complete with the reproduction vintage map of San Francisco (which I am SOOOOO excited to finally have filling that enormous wall space)...

Here's a close-up of the Santa that sits on our mantle each year along with my favorite candlesticks that come out for fall and winter every year (recognize them, VK?). I love bringing out the little frosted greens candle wreaths and candy cane striped candles every Christmas.

I just can't get enough of the warmth and cozy feeling that all of these things bring into the house each year. Come January, I will hate taking everything down and having my house look so "normal" again. But that's when I go to my favorite plant shop in the city, Cactus and Tropicals, and pick up a bunch of amaryllis and narcissus bulbs to keep me going until spring.

Do NOT read if you have issues with: FEET, TOES, &/OR BRUISES

Yesterday morning I was taking Claire to her room...a fairly straight shot from our room with the exception of a corner wall that sticks out across from our door. I've walked that path a billion times before without incident. However, my left foot decided to mix things up a bit and slammed my pinkie toe into that corner wall as I walked past it. I heard a crack (presumably my knuckle cracking) and tried really hard to 1) not drop Claire, 2) not curse up a storm, and 3) not wake Hudson or Max as I tried to maintain my composure. Mission accomplished!

After getting breakfast for the kids, I went back to bed, hoping to get a little more rest before starting the day. My toe had other plans. No matter what position I put my foot in, it hurt like the dickens so I got up and got going on a few things. First thing on the agenda: take Motrin and Tylenol. It was really fun hobbling around the house making beds, getting the kids ready for the day, etc. After a while, the meds I took kicked in and helped with the pain a bit but right around lunchtime, they wore off. After a few more hours of wondering, I finally called down to the InstaCare clinic in town (my regular doctor's day off, of course). Upon hearing that it was a slow day and that there was no wait, I called a neighbor to come sit with the kids so I could have my toe checked out.

It was indeed a quiet day at the clinic and I was happy to get in right away. My nurse, on the other hand, was apparently unhappy to be there and it seemed like even making small talk was painful, totally out of her way, and beyond her customer relations capabilities. Thankfully everyone else was very nice and pleasant to work with. When my doctor came in, he took one look at my toe and said, "Whoa! What did you do?!" He immediately ordered an x-ray and a few minutes later I was down the hall having pictures taken. I just loved the weird positions that I had put my foot in. And, oh, what glorious joy I found in holding perfectly still in said positions. Anyway, when the doctor met me back in the exam room, he confirmed what I was guessing: that I broke my poor little pinkie toe. It's not a clean, straight break. Rather a "spiral" or diagonal break that kind of goes up and around the bone. Totally un-awesome. Want to know what's even more un-awesome? I have to wear a special boot/shoe for the next month, longer if it's still hurting at that point. Yippee!

Speaking of my precious boot, when another nurse came in to wrap my toe (which, by the way is nearly impossible to wrap to the toe next to it since it's so freakishly short) and fit me for a boot, she brought two of those lovelies with her. She automatically put the smaller one down and handed me the larger of the two. Without even trying it on, I told her I didn't think it would fit my Amazon-ishly (new word!) ginormous feet but I went along with the game and tried it on anyway. Yeah...my toes totally hung over the end. She was completely shocked and said, "But it's a women's large and the biggest I have!" Um, doesn't matter, honey. Go fetch a men's size. I told her that a men's 8 1/2 or 9 should fit and she brought back a men's large. I immediately considered taking offense (I'm not a clown, people!) but once again played along, trying on a shoe that was entirely too huge. Finally, the third try was the charm: a men's medium. And in all honestly, I'm glad that's what I ended up with because it's solid black and is way more inconspicuous than the horribly anti-fashion light blue women's thing she brought in before.

Now, for the piece de resistance...a picture of what my foot looked like earlier today. I wish I had taken a picture yesterday when just the beginnings of my bruising were there. Much darker and smaller in size. Today's is definitely more spread out but not nearly as impressive when it comes to color:

I'll tell you what...I wish I had gotten a pedicure a couple of days ago when I was thinking of it. Now it hurts to even touch my toe and I can't trim that lame toenail. Not that it matters any more since I have to wear my boot anytime I'm up and around for the next month or more and no one is going to see it anyway. At least I've escaped from snow-blowing and any heavy shoveling for a while.

MEETING THE PIONEER WOMAN...OR NOT

A couple of months ago, I found out that The Pioneer Woman was coming into town and would be doing a cookbook signing at a charming little bookstore in the city. In order to save my fingers from typing "The Pioneer Woman" over and over again, she'll be referred to as Ree from here on out (since we're on a 1st name basis and all). I was beyond excited about the prospect of meeting her. My sister was awesome enough to buy us both books and on that special night, I left home early and headed into the city to get those books signed.

When I arrived in the neighborhood, parking was obviously scarce. I circled the area a few times and finally found a space "only" 2 1/2 blocks away. Lucky me! As I walked up to the book store, I saw that the gallery a couple of doors down was positively PACKED. Totally lame of them to plan an even the same night that the book store had a signing. I scooted on to my destination where I learned that the billions of people pouring out of the gallery were there for the signing. Ree was actually in the gallery giving a speech prior to moving over to the store for the meet-and-sign. All of the people in the gallery had tickets which were given on a 1st-come-1st-serve basis. 26 people were given a ticket with a letter "A" on it, 26 with a letter "B" and so on. I arrived just after the last with the letter "Z" had been handed out. The only people that were guaranteed to meet her and get an autograph were those with the tickets in the first chunk of the alphabet. And from what I saw, none of those people with good tickets were giving them away. Totally selfish!

Moving on...I was in a line of people with books who didn't have tickets. I was only 5th or 6th in line so I decided to wait a little while and see how things panned out. While we were waiting, there was a sudden commotion and we turned to see Ree walking our way. I flipped my trusty camera on and held it up to get a picture of her. However, because of all the movement and peoples' heads being in the way, I couldn't get one. But I did get a blurry shot of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, Missy (with some random lady's baby) from a distance:

Then, as we sat there all excited about the actual signing getting under way, I heard the bookstore gal say that IF Ree were to get through all of the alphabet, it would take at least 3-5 hours and that was only IF she was up for being there that long. I stood there a bit longer and then decided to let the dream go. Before I did so, I took a couple of quick shots of the throngs of people in front of the store and gallery:

And here's a poster on the railing in front of the gallery. Closest I'll ever get to meeting the woman herself, I suppose.

It may not have been a bust for all those lucky people who got tickets from the beginning of the alphabet, but for people like me who missed getting a ticket by a few minutes or got a ticket with a horrendous letter like "U", it was a super big bummer of a bust for sure! The one good thing that came out of this: I got to go to Toys R' Us sans kids and get a bit of Christmas shopping done.

MY CHRISTMAS TREE

First and foremost, I would like to thank (and blame) my mom and my sister for getting me addicted to Christmas ornaments. I am a sucker and a half for them (to say the least). My mom is the one who officially started it all the Christmas that I was 17 or 18. She gave me an adorable box filled with all sorts of ornaments. And she has continued to give me more ornaments over the years. As has my sister. We have this tendency to find super marvy ornaments and then proceed to purchase them for ourselves, being sure to pick up an extra to send to the other. A couple of years ago, I was actually curious enough to count every single ornament I had (either putting them up or taking them down...I can't recall). You want to know what that number was? Me too. I can't remember. But I think it was somewhere around 200. And I've added quite a few to my collection since making that count. Maybe I'll have to tally them up again as I take them down this year.

Another obsession I have is with the lights on my Christmas tree. Lighting my tree has always taken me a good, solid day as I wind the strand around branches and make sure that it turns out perfectly. This not only takes a whole lot of time, but a whole lot of lights, too. My record was a couple of years ago when I put either 2100 or 2200 lights on a 9-foot Noble Fir. There was no need for any other light when the switch was flipped on that puppy.

As much as I love a perfectly lit tree, I decided to tone it down a little this year. Instead of shredding my skin with the pine needles, coating my hands with sap, and spending the better part of a day lighting our tree this year, I made a very concentrated effort to keep it simple. I did a very basic lighting job, taking the lights around the inside and outer edge of each "level", tucking the strands back a bit as I went and not worrying about it being perfect. In the end, I spent less than 2 hours (maybe 90 minutes?) on lighting the tree and put "only" 11 strands on. As much as I miss having the entire tree covered from trunk to tips and the blinding light that I'm used to, I have to give myself a pat on the back and say that it turned out surprisingly well. My ornaments still took a good amount of time to put up, but it's done:

Now, back to my obsession with ornaments. My collection is very eclectic and has no theme whatsoever. I've photographed a few for your viewing pleasure...

Here are some of the many animals on my tree. Some have no meaning behind them, others have a story or a reason for being on the tree:

The squirrel, for instance, is named Rocky. One year, when I was a teenager, there was a squirrel in our neighborhood that used to come and snack on the seed in the bird feeder out front. We took to feeding him graham crackers and soon enough, he was literally eating from our hands and would sometime come running from another yard when we'd call him.

Two more with meaning are the donkey and the sheep. These represent the donkey that carried Mary into Bethlehem and the sheep that were with the shepherds the night Christ was born.

Next we have some of my Santas:


I can't think of one with a special story behind it right off the bat...I just like finding different ones to add to my collection.

Here's a glimpse as some of the various other ornaments I have:

I especially love my all little Scandinavian ornaments and people - like the boy and girl that I picked up in Solvang this spring. They represent Hudson and Claire, of course. And the girl on the swing...we had one on our tree growing up and to this day, it's one of my absolute favorites. Then there's the little woodcutter that my mom picked up for me in Germany a few years back. I love him and the sentiment that goes along with him. And here's one for those of you who aren't in my family: who can tell me the title of the story that the little set on the top left is from?

Finally, the most important ornament on our tree:

This one holds a place of honor at or near the top of the tree every year. It was given to me by a dear friend and is the only nativity ornament I have. It is made of olive wood from Jerusalem and has been and always will be extra special to me.

Next up: A much delayed post about a rather chilly night back in November...

SPELLING WITH A 5-YEAR OLD

Every Monday through Thursday, Hudson and I spend some quality time doing his homework. His assignments consist of the basics that the class is covering (usually a letter of the alphabet, a simple "sight word" like "for", and then a number or shape) and then working on a "word chunk" or two to keep him going on his spelling and reading (he taught himself the latter before he started kindergarten so he "gets" to do extra homework). He finished all of the word chunks a couple of weeks back so we've started the list over again...

We were working on the word chunk "ap" the other day and I asked him to spell the word "scrap". He wrote it down and said, "Finished." I asked him how he spelled it and he replied, "C - R - A - P." I told him to look at the paper and read me the word he'd written. A huge grin spread across his face and after saying, "Crap", he laughed hysterically for a good 5 minutes. After much persuasion and insistence on my part, he finally wrote an "s" at the beginning and we continued on with the list. When we finished, he re-wrote the word "crap" at the bottom of the list. It is, after all, an "ap" word. Nice.

Later in the afternoon, he was drawing and writing in his notebook and asked me how to spell "try". I told him and didn't think anything of it. Well, a little bit later, I glanced at his notebook (which he'd left open on the kitchen island) and immediately started laughing when I saw this:

Apparently we need to work on his listening skills ("tri") and spelling bigger words (trouble was originally spelled "trabl"...pic taken after he corrected it). And I have absolutely NO idea why he decided to write that he was in trouble. But I found it so entertaining and was appreciative of his giving me material for a post. Thanks, Huds!

RECIPE: Chewy Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Time for me to grace you all with another recipe. Aside from my husband, everyone loves these tasty morsels (he's not a coconut fan...or an oatmeal fan, come to think of it). If it weren't for the fact that there are leftover Pumpkin Pie Squares calling my name from the fridge upstairs, I'd probably be in the kitchen making some for myself.

CHEWY COCONUT OATMEAL COOKIES

2 c. flour

1 tsp. each:

- baking powder

- baking soda

- salt

1 c. softened butter (or shortening)

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. water

2 tbsp. vanilla

3 c. dry quick oats

sweetened coconut - flaked or shredded

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the oats and coconut. Beat until smooth. Stir in oats. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll in coconut. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 325 for 12-15 minutes.

NOTES:

• I never actually sift the dry ingredients together...just dump them in a large glass measuring cup and stir together. Much faster and easier.
• I often make my cookies bigger than the recipe calls for. Maybe inch and a half instead of just an inch in size.
• If you can get it where you are, the Mounds brand of coconut is really super fab. I put a bunch in a cereal bowl for rolling the dough in it and make sure to eat some along the way. Makes the baking experience that much more meaningful (or calorie-full...not sure which).
• The dough is also very tasty...be prepared to put on roughly 2 pounds the day you make these.
• I use Pam to grease my cookie sheets. Less mess and hassle than shortening.
• While you don't want them to come out doughy, these cookies are especially good if they're still soft and "bendy" when you eat them. So avoid baking them too long and having them turn golden or light brown (they'll be crunchy).

By the way, these cookies can be counted as a decent breakfast in a pinch. Eggs and oats? Sounds healthy to me!

KEEP ON PRAYING!

I'm not going to try to cover everything that has been happening with Pete here but miracles are happening. He's awake, talking, able to move, etc. Please continue to pray for them...they have a long road ahead.

For the full story and all the details, click here.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM...

We got a phone call on Sunday evening telling us that our friend Pete Vanderlinden had a massive heart attack on Saturday night. I'm never too good about remembering how old people are but if I'm correct, he's just younger than I am...30 or 31. He's currently in a coma and the prognosis isn't looking good right now. Please pray for him, for his wife Jen, their two little boys, and the baby girl that Jen is carrying (due in the spring).

They need all the prayers and help they can get.

If you'd like more info or want to follow their family blog for updates, here's the link to what Jen wrote about it: http://vanderlindenclan.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-can-do-hard-things.html.

THANKSGIVING # 2: The Big Day

We had a very nice Thanksgiving here at our house this year. My parental units came in town for the holiday (and our niece's baby blessing on Sunday) and stayed here in our basement "hotel". They arrived Wednesday afternoon and after dinner that evening, we went to work preparing a few things for Thursday. The morning of Thanksgiving brought a bit more prep (just homemade stuffing and the bird) and a few other odds and ends were tied up just before dinner. Some time prior to the actual meal, we set out some "munchies" for everyone to graze on:

• smoked salmon spread
• cream cheese with raspberry preserves
• cream cheese with my homemade jalapeno red pepper jelly
• veggies & dip

As for the big bang, our Thanksgiving menu this year consisted of the old classics from my side of the family:

• turkey (huh?!)
• my Grandpa's homemade stuffing
• homemade gravy
• mashed potatoes
• sweet potatoes/yams
• peas
• homemade rolls
• homemade raspberry honey butter
• Jell-O (two kinds)
• mixture of grape juice & ginger ale to drink
• homemade pecan pies
• Pumpkin Pie Squares
• freshly-whipped heavy cream

It is a lot of food but that's what a real Thanksgiving meal is all about, right?! Plus, between getting a good portion of it done the night before and having my brother's family and aunt help with a couple of things, it really wasn't all that difficult. And, of course, it was a huge help to me to have my parents here...my mom made the pies and one of the Jell-O salads and watched the squares in the oven while I put my kids to bed and the morning of, my dad finished up the stuffing that I started and did the bulk of the working in cleaning out the turkey and stuffing it and then happily sewed it up. I couldn't have asked for better help!

I just have to mention that in between the prep in the morning and the final work before dinner in the afternoon, my dad, Max, and Hudson all headed out on a manly excursion. They drove up the hill from our place and went on a "little hike". It was a long 7.5 mile round-trip in the snow, complete with losing the trail at one point and having to climb up a steep hillside. When they returned, I was surprised (and happy) to hear that in spite of the cold temps and his wet clothes, Hudson was totally thrilled to go on the hike and had a grand time. Unfortunately, he was too tired to make the entire trek on his own and was carried a few of those miles (Max carried him for 2 stints and my dad for 1). Hooray for all three of my troupers!

It was so nice to spend the day with my husband, chidren, and parents, to have my aunt and one of my brothers and his family join us for dinner, and then have my little brother and his family join us for dessert that evening. I love spending time with loved ones during the holidays and I'm truly blessed and thankful beyond measure for my incredible family.

P.S. This almost never happens so I just have to say: I typed this entire post without one misspelling...woo-whooo!

THANKSGIVING #1: New Fireplace, Harvest Mantle, & Thankful Tree

Back in October - beginning, I think - Max tore out the 100% inefficient fireplace in our living room. It used to be a whopping 30% efficiency (or less) but officially died last year. Along with it went the tile surrounding it and the mantle that we both loved (and hoped to put up again once the new fireplace was in). To make a long story short, we decided on a company to install a fancy-schmancy new deal along with tile and a new mantle. Sniff, sniff...old mantle wasn't large enough. Sniff again. Everything was supposed to be done over a week before Thanksgiving but the mantle wasn't ready in time and so the job wasn't completed until Tuesday evening....just in the nick of time! Actually, it was perfect as we'd put off painting that wall (couldn't decide on a color) and didn't get it done until last weekend. All in all, we are totally thrilled with the end result and look forward to never having to re-do the fireplace again. I just wish that the picture we're getting framed was already hung up it's not ready until December 8th so you'll just have to imagine it's there (reproduction of a late 1800's map of San Fransisco). The tile does look a bit different now as the grout has dried...I'll have to post a picture of my Christmas mantle one of these days.

As mentioned in a previous post, I do a harvest/fall mantle in my living room every year. I had it up at the beginning of October but with the "construction", it was moved to my dining room where I had a fall/harvest table instead. I was happy to move everything back the night the fireplace was done. Wish I had taken a picture when I first did the mantle about 7 weeks before as the gourds lost a good amount of color during that time. Oh well...lesson learned. Here's the mantle I put together earlier this week (close up of the above shot):


Lastly, we have our "Thankful Tree". We started this tradition last year and absolutely love doing it. This year, rather than hand-cutting every last leaf, I wizened up and used the die-cutter at a local scrapbooking store to do the dirty work for me. Then, the day before Thanksgiving, my dad gave us several real leaves to include on our tree this year (at the bottom of the picture). They were absolutely HUGE and all just about perfect in shape. I wish they weren't so fragile...I'd have kept them for the future! Below is a shot of this year's tree. I just wish it was on a plain wall instead of that ginormous mirror (coming down someday!) so that you could focus on the tree and leaves instead of the reflection. Also - you may notice lovely little spots of blue around the branch edges. It's painter's tape...we're yet to find something else that isn't a hassle for putting up the tree and leaves and is easy to remove afterwards.


Next up, my Thanksgiving Day report...

RECIPE: Pumpkin Pie Squares

I shall now share with you one of my most prized possessions: the recipe for Pumpkin Pie Squares. It's not really mine, per say, but it's one of my favorite things to make (and eat)...the one that I mentioned in my 3rd Thankful List earlier this month. As stated in said list, I think this is even better than good old fashioned regular pumpkin pie and my pumpkin-pie-loving husband feels the same way. It'll be gracing our dessert table this Thursday...

LEILA RANDALL'S PUMPKIN PIE SQUARES

1 package yellow cake mix

1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened (1 cube)

4 eggs

1 large can plain pumpkin

3/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. each:

- allspice

- cloves

- ginger

- cinnamon

- nutmeg

- salt

1 cup brown sugar, divided into two 1/2 cup portions

Put dry cake mix in a bowl and cut in margarine or butter with 2 knives until pea-sized. Take out 1 cup of mix and set aside for topping. To remaining mix in bowl, add 1 egg. Stir until a pasty mixture. Press into a metal 9x13 pant. Bake at 350 until puffy (about 10 minutes).

In a separate bowl, beat pumpkin, 3 eggs, and spices until frothy. Add milk and 1/2 cup brown sugar and mix well. Pour over cooked cake layer.

Into reserved topping, cut or stir in remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar and sprinkle evenly over pumpkin layer. If desired, add chopped nuts (walnuts are great). Bake approximately 30 minutes at 350 or until knife stuck in the center comes out clean. Once cooled, refrigerate until chilled through. Serve with freshly whipped cream or Cool Whip (for you weirdies out there).

NOTES:

• I've made this both with butter and margarine. Even though they may not taste all that different, it is my very firm belief that butter is better.
• If you're having a hard time spreading the crust mixture into the pan, grease your hands with a bit of Crisco or spray a rubber spatula with Pam to make the job a little easier.
• I'm always surprised at how many people have never whipped their own cream. For great results, here's how you do it: pour heavy whipping cream into a mixing bowl and beat on high speed until desired consistency is reached (I like it SUPER thick but that's just me and my amazing palate). Add powdered/confectioner's sugar by the tablespoonful - mixing well after each addition - until desired level of sweetness is reached.
• This glorious goodness really is best when it's served cold and can be made a day ahead.
• And yes, the metal pan really does make a difference.

Hope you all enjoy this one. If you decide to whip it up one of these days, I'd love to hear what you think! Oh - and by the way, her name is pronounced Lee-eye-luh.

I'M THANKFUL FOR...(PART IV)

I've been way behind on posting the past week or so and I realized today that there isn't much time left for my Thankful Lists before the holiday hits this week. My list today is filled with some of the intangibles in my life.

I'M THANKFUL FOR...(PART IV)

• A husband who works and provides for us so that I can stay home with the kids.
• When Hudson says, "I love you, Claire." He says it on his own and so sincerely...melts my heart every time!
• Claire's thumb-sucking habit. I know it can cause problems or be difficult to break down the line but it's just so stinking cute!
• My "job" as a mom.
• That both of my kids love to hug and cuddle/snuggle.
• The days that my kids have a really hard time or I don't cope as well as I should. They make me realize how great I have it!
• The end of each evening when I really relax as I climb in bed and read before going to sleep.
• Seeing my husband interact with his daughter. Before Claire was born, Max said he'd never have a "Daddy's girl". He is gladly proven wrong on a daily basis.
• Nights when both of my kids sleep through and/or don't get up until after 7:00 in the morning.
• When either of my kids comes to me and completely unprompted tells me that they love me.
• The way Claire squeals, "Mommy!" and comes running to me with her arms out when she hasn't seen me for a little bit. It can be a quick trip to the market or a half-day away but t's the same every time.
• That my husband not only takes care of the yard but loves doing it. He's a perfectionist when it comes to that and I get to benefit from it!
• When Claire shouts out, "Great job, Huds!" when he's playing a game on the Wii.
• The knowledge that both my children and my husband love me in spite of my many faults and the times that I let them down.
• Hearing my kids call out, "Daddy! Daddy!" or "Daddy's home!" when Max's car pulls into the garage each day.
• Seeing my children becoming good friends...they've really started to enjoy playing together recently.
• The rare occasion that I get to take a little nap.
• The "mommy" phase that Hudson is going through. I think it may be due to his being sick lately but he has asked for "mommy time" almost every evening and wants to fall asleep with me next to him.
• Claire's fake or over-exaggerated laugh...the best way that I can describe it is to say it sounds like some sort of a parrot-monkey. I smile every time I hear it.
• The opportunity I have to take care of and spend time with my two amazing children each day.
• The realization of how much my parents love me and how much they have done and continue to do for me...something that no one fully understands unless or until they have children of their own.

I'll try to get one more "thankful" list posted before the big day on Thursday...

SICK & TIRED OF BEING SICK & TIRED

Early last week I came down with a cold. Sore throat on Tuesday, tired and under the weather on Wednesday. Then on Thursday afternoon - just in time for our conference with Hudson's Kindergarten teacher - I started to lose my voice. Feeling rotten, I went to InstaCare on Friday morning, fully expecting to hear that I had bronchitis or a sinus infection. Neither...just a good old fashioned cold. My voice went even further downhill that day and the next. As of Saturday, I could barely whisper. Even attempting to do anything louder was a) impossible and b) painful. I stayed home from church on Sunday, hoping that a day of kicking back would help me get better. That and I didn't want anyone to run away from me upon hearing my voice (or lack thereof). When my evening cough got going that night, I took a nice little dose of Codeine cough syrup. Great stuff. But Monday and Tuesday came and went and I certainly wasn't getting any better. Then, to add to the fun, on Tuesday evening Hudson came down with something and was up tossing his cookies off and on until 2:00 a.m. Not good. So yesterday morning, I took him into the doctor. They did a quick strep test (came back negative) and after discussing his symptoms, the pediatrician said it was probably just a 24-hour thing and that if he was feeling better later in the day, he'd be okay to go to school today.

When we woke up this morning and Hudson was feeling great. He ate a good breakfast (and did so much faster than usual), played for a while, then eagerly got ready for school and I dropped him off at the bus stop. I, on the other hand, woke up feeling the same as the last few days and after a few household things like laundry and cleaning a single bathroom, I felt like I needed to take a nap. I called my doctor (who couldn't fit me in today...all booked) and at her suggestion, described my symptoms to a gal over the phone so she could talk to the doc and call me back. A short time after that call, the phone rang. I was expecting it to be that girl calling me back but it was the pediatrician's office calling to let me know that they decided to do an overnight culture on Hudson and that his strep test came back positive. AWESOME! I immediately called the school and then ran down the hill to pick him up. As we walked through the parking lot, the poor kid started bawling when he suddenly realized we'd be missing the Kindergarten Thanksgiving Lunch (which I had paid for in advance and was going to attend with him). He finally calmed down after I bribed him with a Happy Meal and off we went to McDonald's. On the way there, I spoke with my doctor's office again and based on my symptoms, they confirmed what I was already thinking: sinus infection. And after I told them that Hudson has strep, they said that there's a possibility I have it too. Well, if that isn't just super fantastic!! After picking lunch up, it was off to the market to pick up groceries and our prescriptions.

We've been home for a while now. My sick son (who hasn't had any symptom since yesterday) ate his entire lunch in about 10 seconds flat then finished his sister's food when she was done, my daughter is asleep, Hudson has done 2 days or homework, and there's a man here cleaning all of our windows - inside and out. Now if someone would come and do the rest of my laundry and vacuuming (I've already done a good chunk of both in spite of my sick self), I'd be set. Really, we're fine...so no treats or meals allowed from either of you (and you know who you are!). In short, as my title states, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired...and I hate it when my kids are sick. But at least we're on the road to recovery now. And hallelujah for that!

By the way, all went well with our 1st ever parent/teacher/child conference. Hudson scored 3 out of 3 on everything EXCEPT handwriting. Between his being a boy and having Max for his dad (is handwriting inherited?), there isn't much of a surprise there. I'm just going to have to work with him a bit more and bring those fine motor skills up a notch.

I'M THANKFUL FOR... PART III

Over the past week, I found that it was impossible to sit here and think of things I'm grateful for without the names of various vittles going through my mind. I have to say that my "one word" list was especially hard in this regard. But this time around, I'm going to let my love for food show (as if my thighs aren't proof enough). And in the end, I'll probably be embarrassed. Because chances are, this list is going to be the longest.

I'M THANKFUL FOR...

(PART III)

• Chocolate...milk or dark. Don't care which it is. I'll even take white. Just give me some.
• Marzipan.
• My mom's applesauce whole wheat bread and whole wheat raisin bread. I would gladly eat a slice of either (or both) every day for the rest of my life.
• Artichokes.
• Steamed or cooked carrots. And it doesn't hurt if they're bathed in a mixture of butter, brown sugar, and fresh ground black pepper.
• Seafood. Too general? How's this:
• - calamari
• - salmon
• - shrimp
• - mussels
• - Ahi tuna
• - halibut
• - scallops
• - crab
• - mahi mahi/dorado
• - ono
• - swordfish
• - clams
• - prawns
• - onaga/red snapper
• Princess Cake from Gayle's Bakery in Capitola. Marzipan, raspberry filling, fresh whipped heavy ream, and white cake. I just might have mentioned this treat and its glorious goodness in a previous post or two. Just might.
• Gayle's garlic bread.
• Lamb with apple mint jelly. My favorites are lamb chops and grilled boneless leg of lamb.
• Cardamom bread.
• A home-grilled burger "my way": with Mom B's marinated red onions, fresh avocado, sharp cheddar, lettuce, Clausen kosher dill pickle slices, ketchup, and mayo. It's a bit too tall to eat in a dignified manner but so yummy!
• A good lasagna or spaghetti.
• Frosted pumpkin cookies (either my homemade ones or Harvest Moons from Icing on the Cake).
• My dad's made-from-scratch chocolate mousse.
• Bratwurst with sauerkraut.
• One word: BUTTER.
• Home canned fruit - especially peaches, cherries, and apricots.
• Chocolate Showers ice cream from Loard's.
• Lettuce for a salad...iceberg, Romaine, butter, red leaf, bibb, field greens, etc. You name it - I probably like it.
• Roasted turkey with cranberry sauce.
• Cheese. Lots of cheese. Sharp cheddar, blue cheese, fresh mozzarella, brie, Gorgonzola, fresh Parmesan (the powdered stuff is a culinary sin!), goat cheese, port salut... Cheese is one of those things that makes the world go 'round.
• Brophy Brothers clam chowder. If you're ever in Santa Barbara, it's an absolute MUST!
• Asparagus.
• Breakfast foods. I love thin pancakes, French toast, crepes, waffles, etc.
• Peiking duck complete with plum sauce, green onions, and those slightly sweet "pancakes".
• A good pastry. This statement envelopes approximately 12,294 individual items. Figured I spare you that list.
• Fresh fruit - melons, peaches, berries, apples, citrus, pineapple, and so on and so forth.
• Perfectly cooked or grilled steak (aka medium rare or medium).
• Potatoes...preferably baked or mashed.
• Anything from Normandie Cafe & Bakery in Holladay.
• My in-laws recipe for ham. There's no exact science to it but man, it is tays-tee!
• Chicken Supremes. Huh? It's a most fabulous french dish that we kids made my mom make on our birthdays almost every year. Why is it so great? Four words: lemon parsley butter sauce.
• Homemade lemon bars.
• Reduced fat peanut butter (Skippy or Jif).
• Celery or Fuji apples with said peanut butter.
• Leila Randall's Pumpkin Pie Squares. It's a recipe we had in my family when I was growing up (Leila was an older lady in our stake/church back home) and it's a favorite 'round here, too. Max is the world's #1 pumpkin pie fan and he likes this...better! Recipe will follow soon.
• Root beer. No better drink to match with pizza or a home-grilled burger.
• Real sourdough bread.
• Apricot filled shortbread. Such buttery awesomeness should be illegal!
• Homemade caramels.

Honestly, the list could very easily go on. But I'll let you get back to your life and spare myself from wanting to run upstairs and make everything on the list (or hop in the car or on a plane and go buy it).

P.S. Annie...am I forgetting anything? ;)