Adventures in Cake

I started my cake decorating class on Monday night. The teacher is really great. She has been decorating cakes since she was a little girl. When I signed up for the class, I was told she was the best Wilton instructor the store had ever had. I think they were right.

Monday was a sit a listen and watch her demonstrate session. In the two hour period, I learned some really great tips-an easier way to level a cake. a way to bake a cake without a dome on it (then you don't need to level it!), and how to ice a cake and make it look like fondant. We also rolled our own parchment decorating bags-a really inexpensive way to decorate!

For next week's class, I need to come in with a torted (layered), frosted cake, and my supplies ready to learn the first decorative steps. I will be bringing home a fully decorated cake. I will be sure to post pictures of my results afterward. I am really excited to be doing this class!!!

Busy Day

I've been running all day! I am going to watch a movie with my niece...more tomorrow!

My Son the Chef

Michael decided to cook yesterday, by himself! He climbed the dryer to get to the shelf where my bowls are kept. He got an egg from the fridge, and some water...





I wasn't home, but Daddy was...Andy didn't find out until he was already at this point...




My proud chef!

Big Week Ahead

We have a big week ahead of us. Our oldest, Peter, is about to make his First Communion on Saturday. I am very excited for him. When we were at Mass today, I looked at him after Communion and said, "Well, that is the last time you'll sit in the pew. Next week, you'll be going up with Daddy and I." He told me he was nervous. Looking back, I guess I was too, but I know he'll be fine!

After the Mass, we'll be having a big party at my sister's house. Her youngest, Tim, is also making his First Communion that day. When Mary and I were pregnant with them, we had the same due date. In fact, when we were trying, we spent the time praying for the other to get pregnant. It was taking me a while to get pregnant, and Mary had lost a baby at 17 weeks the previous Spring. Mary had suggested we pray for each other. We got pregnant at the same time, but she was living in Omaha at the time. I feel truly blessed that her husband had gotten a job here right after the boys were born. Now they go to school together. It has been wonderful! Looking forward to their big step on Saturday!

Library Revisited

I got everything squared away with my card! I even have books on hold for me! I am going to run over later this morning and register for something else the library offers-NetLibrary! Apparently if I sign up at the library, then I can login from home and read books online! I am really excited to try this!

Update at 4 PM:

OK, I was excited to try NetLibrary, but I have yet to find a book I want to read on it! When I hear about new technology, I want to try it. I think this will eventually bea viable option, but not yet!

Stormy Weather!

One of the things I love most about Spring are the storms. Yesterday, we had a short burst of rain, and exactly one clap of thunder. My oldest, Peter, got very excited-he loves storms as much as I do!

We come by it honestly. My mom used to sit in front of our bay window and watch the storms. I know it may not be safe, but she loved good storms. My Dad used to get so mad at her during a storm-he's be ushering us down to the basement if there was a warning, and Mom would stay upstairs and watch.

We're pretty lucky as far as the kids go. Peter loves storms, and his excitement wears off on the younger two. If we have a storm at night, the kids sleep through it. I am grateful for that because I have a feeling that Michael, at 2 1/2, might freak out.

So, later today we are supposed to have some heavy rains, thunder and lightning. I love a good storm!

Turning Over a New Leaf

My list of "to-read" books if out of control. I know Sydney tried to not add to hers, but it is REALLY hard not to when there are so many books out there. I just couldn't do it. In the interest of our family's economy, I made a decision about how to read those books. In past times, I would just run out to the book store and buy what ever I would read next. Now, I am going to try something really radical-the LIBRARY.

I know what you are thinking, "What's the big deal?" Let me share with you a story about me and the library. Growing up, I was always overdue with returning my books. Not by a day or two, but by weeks, sometimes months. My sister was guilty of it to. I can't explain it, it just happened. As I grew older, the pattern continued. So, within the past few years, I turned to just buying the books. I love to own them, and I do have visions of having walls of bookcases one day. For now, though, I will try borrowing.

So, this morning, I went onto the library's website. There were a couple of reads I was interested in, and I wanted to see if I needed to put them on hold, and to see if the library even had them. My library is literally two blocks from my house, but it has literally needed an update since I was in high school. They are putting up a new one but it won't be ready until 2009. Because of this, it is important to check ahead. I also knew that my friend, Lisa, does this pretty often, so I am trying to follow her example.

I had two problems. First, I had obviously used the system years ago (probably to check a fine)because I can't get in. I am waiting for the library to reset my pin. Secondly, the one book that I REALLY wanted was due back from the previous person on January 25. OK, people, it is almost May! I know, I am being done in by a person exactly like me! I am really going to try to do this library thing, but so far, it's not looking good. Wish me luck!

They're Back!

OK, they've been back since Monday, but I wanted to share a picture of Catie and Clare taken at the Mass. They said the trip was incredible! Wish I could have been there!

I'm having a bad day!

It happens to all of us-bad days, but, boy, I didn't see this coming.

I woke up this morning with the realization that Drew had not done his homework, and Peter had not finished studying for a test. Yesterday, Peter got home an hour late because my sister had let he and Tim play on the playground up at school. He came in just in time for me to leave and take him to the doctor-ear infection. He was able to do most of his homework while we waited, but he wasn't through reviewing his science. When we got home, I had enough time to get dinner on the table and go teach. Science was forgotten.

So, this morning, I was looking for letter x pictures for Drew. Can anyone think of anything besides x-ray and xylophone? (By the way, Drew informed me that xylophone couldn't start with x because it made a z sound!). So, I helped Drew and Peter finish their work, get ready, eat breakfast, and off to school by 7:40.

When I got back, I started going through my email. Someone had sent me an invite for reunion.com. I went to check it out, and before I knew it, the site had sent out invites to my entire contact list-didn't even ask me if I wanted to-it just did. I didn't realize this until Andy had received an invite via his pager. For those of you who got the email, I am so sorry! That was followed up by his saying, "How embarrassing!" Then I said 'Well, at least the ones that got sent to people at Educate (where I work) would be filtered out by the spam filter." He informed me that it had gotten by his spam filter, actually two of them! Crap! I just spammed my boss!

Then, I was trying to talk to Andy about a friend that I am getting the cold shoulder from. Truly, I have no idea what I did, if anything, but I have tried to contact her to no avail. Let's just say that this situation is laying heavily on my mind.

Andy left for work, and five minutes later, I got a phone call from school. Drew threw up-AT MASS. Honestly, he was fine this morning. Now, he is home, and begging for goldfish and juice. It probably was just his allergies, but I am absolutely mortified. This is the second time he has done this in about 2 months at the all-school Mass.

So, now I am home, and waiting to see if this was just a blip with Drew. I had hoped to go out and get another planter so that I can plant my sugar snap peas. Guess it will have to wit for another day! Thanks for listening!

Days Go By

Last night, Andy and I watched some of the old family videos he made a few years ago. It is amazing to me how much the kids have grown and changed in the past 4 years since he did this last. Not just my own sons, but my nieces and nephews as well. It makes me wonder, "where has the time gone?"

By this fall 9 of our nieces and nephews will either be in college or have graduated from college. My nephew, Joe is getting married next year. He was the first nephew I babysat for. I changed his diapers (sorry, Joe!), and in the next few years, he may be doing that for his own child. My mom used to say that she still felt like she was 18 when she was in her 40's and 50's, and that she would look in the mirror and say, "Who is that woman?" I didn't get it then, but I do get it now. As a result, I am trying to take the time to stop and enjoy where I am NOW, not where I was or where I will be. In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Don't make...

angel food cupcakes.

I decided to make some angel food cake because I bought strawberries at the store today (of course, I forgot the whipped cream!). I thought I would make shortcake for dessert tonight-it is Andy's favorite. I decided to put the batter in cupcakes so that they would last longer-I usually end up throwing out a whole cake.

So, I mix the batter, and put them in the oven knowing that I would need to keep an eye on them. I set the timer for half of the time just in case I forgot. Guess what, I forgot (I was emailing Sydney). They didn't burn, but my house is now full of smoke, and the smoke detector is going off (at least I know it works!). I think I will make a regular cake next time.

What A Day!

Today is one of those great Spring days! It is sunny, warm, and absolutely beautiful! Spring is actually my favorite season. I love the warmer weather (but not hot). I love the green grass, the trees and flowers blooming. It is a time for new life and renewal.

It is also why I am happy to be in the Midwest. Sure, we had the second highest snowfall on record (around 100 inches), but I can now put that behind me. It is over for a few months, and we can enjoy the sunshine-which is what I am about to do!

Pope Benedict XVI

I am sitting here watching the coverage of the Pope in New York City. I was truly fortunate at age 19 to have been blessed by Pope John Paul II while I was studying in Rome in 1990. Now, my nieces are in New York to see the Pope, and I am praying for all of the blessings that I felt in Rome to be felt by them during this trip.

I am a practicing Roman Catholic, and proud of it! My parents gave my siblings and I that gift, and I cannot thank them enough for it. I am often saddened when I hear of people who have fallen away from the Church, and I pray for them to come back one day.

I am watching Pope Benedict XVI as he blesses children with disabilities. The mothers look so hopeful as they receive his blessing. It makes me realize how fortunate I am to have three healthy sons. It also gives me hope to watch this visit. Hope for my family, hope for the Church. During these days of his visit, I continue to pray for him as the leader of the Church, and for those who will see him. I pray for peace for the Church and for the world.

What to do?

I made the decision in the past couple of weeks that I need to make sure that I have some time for myself. This is not always easy because of my three boys and my teaching in the evening. I did make some adjustments to my schedule that will guarantee me 2 nights a week off. Now, the question is, what to do?

My friends and I got together for our first crochet night. This was a huge success and I am really enjoying having a new craft. I have two projects I am working on right now. I have started a potholder and a blanket. I like to switch between the two for some variation. The potholder gives me some quick results-I can see it taking shape, while the blanket takes longer to see some results. I was on-call last night at work, and I spent some time working on each of these projects.

My other hobby these days is reading. I have always loved to read and typically have 4-5 books that I am working on at any one time. I also joined the group on Goodreads to try and read 50 books this year. Before I had kids, this would have been no problem. Now, the time constraints I have with kids and work make it difficult to get in as much time as I would like.

So, the question remains-What do I do? I love having hobbies, and I love taking the time to do these things. Andy likes to tease me that I have about 50 projects started that I haven't finished. I don't want this to be the case. I want to get my things done. oh, why can't there be more hours in a day?

M is for Michael

A couple of weeks ago, I had Michael at the doctor for an ear infection. There was a woman sitting there, waiting to be called, with her 5 month old son. He sat quietly as my 2 1/2 year old terrorized the waiting room. "I just love that age!" The woman exclaimed to me. I asked her if she had other children-she didn't. I told her to just wait and see (she has no idea what she is talking about).

Personally, in my opinion, this is one of the hardest ages between 18 months and 3 because they are trying to spread their little wings, and they don't quite have enough language or enough common sense. Michael is very independent, and stubborn. I think he is much more stubborn than my older two boys. He knows what he wants, and he wants it at that second. If he doesn't get it, it is tantrum time or he pulls his chair over to what he wants and climbs to it! And it is making this Mama tired. I love you, Michael, and can't wait for you to get a little older so we can get past this stage.

Haircuts!

Last night was the time to give the Spring haircut to the boys-BUZZ! (except Peter, I will take him in for a nice haircut right before First Communion)...I did have to go in and trim Michael's while he was in bed, asleep, as he still throws a fit when his hair is cut!

A little teary eyed this morning...

After a late night last night, I was full of energy this morning. Not wanting to waste the day, I got a jump start on things, and then left Michael with Meghan to go run errands. One of the items on my list was to go and buy Peter's dress pants and shirt for his First Communion which is two weeks from Saturday.

As I was in the store, I got tears in my eyes. I can't believe that Peter is about to receive his First Communion, that he is almost eight. Where has the time gone? I remember when he was a baby, Andy and I almost wishing our lives away. It was always things like, "I can't wait until he crawls, I can't wait until he walks, etc." Now, I think to myself, "I can't believe he is eight." He is ready for this step and I am so proud of him.

We are lucky in that our school is connected physically to our Church and we have 24 hour perpetual adoration. Peter loves to stop in after school. It is the ending to his day. I was fortunate enough to be in church the other day with him. I was in line for Confession, and he was coming to join me. He stopped at the foot of the altar, knelt on both knees in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and prayed for a few minutes. I love seeing the peace and joy that fills him when he does this. He shared with me what he has been praying for, "Mom, I am asking Jesus for a baby sister." We'll see what happens...

Crochet Night

I just got back from Crochet night with my reading buddies. We had so much fun! After gabbing for about 1 1/2 hours, we set down to work. I really appreciate the help that both Michelle and Lisa gave me with getting started. Sydney and I were both the newbies to crocheting, and I am glad I wasn't the only one. I feel like I have the single crochet down now. I also got some new yarn as well-so I should be set for a while.

The question remains, what should I make? I bought some beautiful, soft yarn in a heathery purple today. I could make myself something with that. I also got some baby blue yarn tonight. With boys, I thought I could use it for something, perhaps an afghan, or I could save it for making baby blankets for friends. The possibilities are endless. Right now, though, I am off to bed. It is late, the boys are up early. So I go to sleep with the words echoing, "yarn over pull through...yarn over pull through...yarn over pull through...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

It's Almost Here!

Tomorrow night is our Crochet night!!! We have had about 10 emails go back and forth about it. I am really excited and happy to know that my friends are as excited as I am! More details to follow...

Crafty Weekend

It seems that reading The Friday Night Knitting Club has started the crafting bug in not only myself, but my friends as well. My friend, Lisa, just emailed that she has finished a new blankie for her daughter. Sydney has been working on a scarf. Michelle has got crafty juice running through her blood. And we are all getting together to crochet on Tuesday night-I can't wait!!!

When I was younger and had more free time, I had many crafty things I liked to do. I learned how to cross-stitch when I was eight, and quickly moved onto the counted variety. When I first became an aunt, I had visions of doing a piece for each new niece or nephew. The babies started coming way too fast (there are 25 grandchildren on my side of the family), so that idea quickly went out the window.

I also started scrap booking when Peter was born. I got about two pages done. We also moved a few years later, and I can't find any of my scrapping stuff. Andy's Aunt Peg has her own Creative Memories business, and she recently hooked me up with a computer program where I can organize my pictures (which are all digital anyway) into memory books and have them printed. I LOVE TECHNOLOGY!

Now, though, I am going to give crocheting a try. I bought a couple of hooks, and have been practicing my chain stitch this weekend. I found some great how-to videos on youtube, and Michelle is going to give me a lesson on Tuesday night. My sister, Mary, loves to crochet as well, so I know she can help me too. I have been told that crocheting is very relaxing, so it sounds like just what I need!

I learned a new word!

So, we just got back from our monthly couples' night at my sister's house. We were treated to Gumbo and a really yummy strawberry pie!

After dinner, we played a game called Fictionary which is like the game Balderdash. When it is your turn, you pick a word from the dictionary and write the definition. Everyone else writes a definition for the word, and then everyone votes on what they think the actual definition is. We had a lot of fun! I learned a new word tonight as well! Callipygian. The meaning: having a shapely bottom. Who knew there was such a word to describe me!!!

Happy Birthday, Monica!

Yesterday was my niece, Monica's birthday. She turned 21! She is the fourth oldest of my nieces and nephews, and in her junior year of college.

She goes to the University of Dallas-my alma mater. She is majoring in Education, and is going to be an excellent teacher!!!

I was lucky enough to have her parents living at UD while I was in college. Besides having my sister, Mary, there with me, I became really close to my sisters' children-Monica is the oldest. When I was in my own education classes, I would, on occassion, take Monica and her sister, Annie with me to class. My Children's Literature teacher loved it because she would spend the hour reading to the girls as an example of how to do things when we had our own classrooms.

Now, Moni is 21, and almost a teacher herself. I hope she knows how much I love her, and how proud I am of her. Happy B-day!

Another Education Rant...

I heard on the radio the other day that 8th grade MPS students ranked dead last in the nation in writing. This is absolutely incredible to me. They weren't in the lower half or third-they were last. What did the district have to say? Nothing. The mayor? Nothing. The schools in this district get $12,000 per student and they are not helping these students to succeed. This is absolutely unacceptable!

This topic actually dovetails my post the other day about my nieces' school, WIVA. The students in that program are succeeding, and, if some people had their way, it would close. Students score dead last in MPS, and they say nothing. Where is the justice in that?

I think it is time to rethink how we are doing things. I don't have all of the answers, but these students cannot continue to be passed from grade to grade if they are not meeting the minimum expectations.

As a former classroom teacher, I didn't really fit the mold. I was against teacher's unions-I still am. Teachers, in general, want things both ways. They want to be treated as professionals, and they want the protection of a union. My in-laws are both factory workers, and I do think that in those situations, they need a union to make sure that they are getting fair wages and treatment. Teachers want to be assured of wage increases, and I understand that, however, how about having some accountability? If you are a good teacher, you would have no problem with merit based increases. I would have been all for that because I was secure in what I was doing as a teacher.

In some way as well, parents need to be responsible for making sure that their students go to school. They need to attend conferences about their child. I am not usually on for the "It takes a village" philosophy, but we need to be working together for these students to succeed. Pumping more money into the system isn't the answer. If something isn't done, we will have a generation of students who can't read and write, and who are dependent on the system.

My Little Comedian

My son, Michael, is a little over 2 1/2, and he has become a little comedian. The problem is that it is the same "joke" over and over again. It goes like this:

"Mom?", he asks.

"Yes, Michael?" I reply.

"Nothing!" This as he starts to cackle like he has told the funniest thing in the world.

Yesterday, we had a variation:

"Mom?"

"Yes, Michael?"

"Nothing! Mom?"

"Yes, Michael?"

"NOTHING AGAIN!"

I couldn't help but laugh at that one! I hope he comes up with a new one soon!

All Girls High School

Last night, I had the pleasure of going to see my niece, Clare's senior production. Some high schools allow the senior class to put on a kind of variety show that pokes fun at their school, the teachers, and is kind of a fun look back over their four years. Clare has not done any theatrical work before, so I was excited to see her try something new. Also, as a former drama geek myself, I always love to see high school performances.

I really enjoyed the show last night. It was fun. It had really good music. For example, they took the song Toxic by Britney Spears and re-wrote the words to turn it into something about the cafeteria food. The one thing that struck me was how much all girls schools are essentially the same.

In the 20 years (gulp) since I graduated from high school, I would have thought that these institutions created to instill strength in young women would have changed. They haven't. They still poke fun at the nuns who work there. There is the male teacher that everyone loves. Even the chants are the same. After the show, the girls started with the "Seniors, seniors" chant that we did. We also would chant "eighty-eight, eighty-eight, eighty,eighty, eighty, eighty, eighty-eight". Guess what-they did the same chant, except it is now "zero-eight". I was talking to Clare afterwards about this, and her response was, "Wow, '88! That was a long time ago." It makes me feel old, but I am glad that although my school has closed, there are other all girls schools still in the area where you can find "Knowledge and Virtue: United"! (Our school motto.)

Spring has sprung!

I am cautiously optimistic when I say that I think Spring is here. We had an absolutely beautiful weekend (and after all the snow this winter, it comes not a moment too soon). The signs are all around us-our tulips are starting to pop, our crocuses are up. I love this time of year!

The picture on the left is actually of our tulips from last year. Andy loves to garden, and when we moved into our house, we purchased bulbs online from Holland. We literally have hundreds come up each year, and the number grows because tulips multiply! I really have to thank Andy for all of the outdoor work he does. It really is beautiful! I'll have to post pictures of our lillies this summer.

Sunday Night and Tired...

Beautiful weather, lots of running around...enough said.

P is for Proud

On Thursday, I had an interesting conversation with Drew's teacher. She asked me if I had been working with him on Math. Let me start out by saying that I never know how to answer these questions because I'm not sure if they are asking because he's doing really well or really poorly. Besides, at age 4, I don't work on specific academics because if he learns too much, then he'll be bored in school. Anyway, so I hesitated, and then I said that I had not really worked with him, but he does love to sit and count.

His teacher's response? She had been testing him that morning (third quarter report cards come out next week). She told Drew to start at 1 and count as high as he could. She said she had to stop him at 122! As a guide, I should say that when Peter was in K4 (at another school), students were expected to count to 30 by the end of the year. She also said that he could name any random number she pointed to. I know he's only 4, and I know we have a long way to go, but I am really proud of him!

D is for Dad and Mom

Today would have been my parents 49th Anniversary. My thoughts this week have really been centered on them, and on their marriage. Their marriage was, and continues to be, a wonderful example to Andy and I. With the way many marriages end in divorce today, I consider myself blessed to have grown up in a two-parent household.

I thought I would take the time to talk about how my parents met today. Mom and Dad met at a wedding. It was Dad's cousin, and Mom was there as someone's date. Dad always said he couldn't take his eyes off of Mom that night. By the end of the night, he asked her out. On their first date, Dad actually proposed to Mom! (Talk about love at first sight!) Mom always said that even thought she told Dad he was crazy, that she knew that she would end up marrying him. In fact, the August that Mom met Dad, Mom was set to go to New York with some of her friends. She canceled the trip, knowing that she had met the man she would marry.

So, Mom and Dad met in August, were engaged in November, and married on April 4, 1959. They had 45 wonderful years before Mom died. I am so glad we got the chance to celebrate as a family that year.

After Mom died, Dad found a letter she had written on their 25th Anniversary. In it, she said that her prayer was that she preceded my Dad is death because she didn't think she could go on without him. I think that this is why my Dad survived so long with his cancer, literally years longer than he should have. It was so that Mom wouldn't have to live without him. Dad died a mere 19 months after she did. I am so thankful to have had their example and their love. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

C is for Carolina-North Carolina

Yesterday, I started the essay reading for the North Carolina 4th grade writing test. I am still in the middle of training, but this is quite different from the SAT scoring that I am used to.

First of all, there are two scores given. One is for content, and one is for conventions (otherwise known as grammar and mechanics). I love that we have a score all its own for the gramar and mechanics. This is one of the pieces, in my opinion, that I think is lacking from the SAT scoring. In both of these tests, we do what is called holistic scoring. This means we have guidlines for the overall picture of the essay. For the SATs, I have always felt that there was not enough emphasis put on how to write an essay. Because of technology today, teens are missing an important part of the writing process. The computer now corrects both grammar and spelling, so there is little need to know how to do it yourself. It is my opinion that students' writing is suffering because of it.

The second difference is that these students are writing stories. Initially, I was amused with the thought of reading 4th grade stories. Then, I realized that the stories fall into two groups. The boys are writing about dragons or aliens, and the girls are writing about fairies and jewelry. Even in training, this is getting a bit mundane. Wish me luck, it is going to be a LONG month!

B is for BFFs-Corny but true!

I had the opportunity and pleasure of going out to dinner with my friends, Lisa, Michelle and Sydney last night. Yes, we did talk about what we had just read, The Friday Night Knitting Club. By the way, it was a fabulous read, and I highly recommend it!!!

What I really want to write about, though, are the women I was with. Lisa, Michelle and Sydney mean a lot to me, and I want to make sure they know this. I have said before that these three brought me through one of the hardest times in my life, but what amazes me is how we can talk for hours. They are so wonderful, not just in the bad times, but ALL the time. Ladies, I value your friendship, and am so blessed to have you in my life!

A is for April Fool's

So, today I am starting my first official month on Nablopomo, and I am going to try and write something every day for one month. They came up with a theme-letters. I am not sure if I will use that every day, but I decided to start with the letter A because today is the first day of April, also known as April Fool's Day.

I have never been a big fan of April Fool's maybe because I have never thought I was creative enough to come up with a gag on my own. I do remember when I was in about second grade, the twins in my grade switched classes. That actually was pretty funny because the whole class was in on it. The teachers never caught on, and the boys finally owned up to it because they were bursting with excitement.

I was reminded of this story this morning as I was trying to explain April Fool's to my oldest son, Peter. He and Drew are at a funny age in that they try to make up their own jokes, and they think they are hilarious, but they don't seem to make sense to anyone else. This afternoon, Peter tried to fool his cousin, Tim with the "made you look" trick. As you can guess, it didn't work. I guess I should be glad he hasn't quite figured it out yet. Seeing as I am the only female in my household, I have a sneaking suspicion that in a few years I am in for real trouble!