who was that masked man?

Wait, what's going on here?

Crafts galore, that's what!

Cutting, glue sticks, coloring...

Crafts made with popsicle sticks and construction paper.

How does it feel to wear your very own creation?
Marvelous!
An afternoon full of masquerade and mystery.
How very eighteenth century!

doing boy stuff.

Some of our weekend was spent at the laser shooting range.

Such a boy activity-- but I joined in too.

Mostly I liked to watch, and cheer from the sidelines.

The boys impressed me with their skillz.

But my favorite part were the "I'm-aiming-my-gun-at-the-target-and-trying-to-hit-it-with-all-of-my-might" faces... priceless!

Bang! Bang!

what's for breakfast.

Being a mother, I know that the mornings come super early around here. It's always the chanting for breakfast that finally pry my sleepy body out of the warm covers. I cannot tell you how nice it was to tell the kids to go eat a cookie this morning and get an extra few minutes catching some Z's.

Breakfast Cookies
1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour (white or whole wheat)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
2 c. "Special K" or other flaky breakfast cereal. (I used raisin bran)
1 c. oatmeal
Raisins, dates, nuts, etc. optional (I used golden raisins)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In larger mixer bowl, beat shortening, sugars, and eggs and vanilla until light and creamy. Gradually blend in flour mixture. Stir in oatmeal and breakfast cereal, and raisins or dates etc. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets. A great breakfast or snack.

the ding dong factor.

A fathers day cake... that was the plan. I had an idea in my mind that I wanted, but it quickly went out the window when I realized that the premade frosting I had purchased did not come out of the tube as nicely as I would have liked!

On to plan B.

Plan B included chocolate chips to cover up the damage, and a nice smoothing out with my spatula.

But, I was still plagued with the wrath of plan A. The tube of white frosting was not working with me! I tried warming it in my hands, I tried squishing it around a bit, but nothing could save the consistency of the white frosting--

On to plan C.

I then realized that if I made a swirly swoop design on the top of my chocolate cake, it looked like a giant hostess ding dong.

So, that's what I did.

I give you, the ding dong cake...

.

Happy Fathers Day honey, here is a giant ding dong.

sticky hands and full bellies.

Yesterday evening brought sticky hands and full bellies.

It's our tradition!

I have to have my sweet summer berries to use in the winter.

This year, it was hot, and it was sweaty, and it was sticky, but it was so fun!

Every year, it's the same thing-- we go down the thorn less rows, but we always end up at the thorny bushes. They have the biggest berries, sometimes the size of a 50 cent piece! And, they are the sweetest ones too--- no wonder they give a fight!

And every year, it's the same thing-- I turn my back and the boys are gobbling up my hard work! This year my youngest just picked straight from the bush and into his mouth! Delish!
And every year, we have to give ourselves black (berry) eyes.

Spooky!

I love the colors of the berries, sometimes a whole hue of reds, greens, pinks, and purples all on one berry. Don't try eating those pink ones though or your eyes will want to pop out! Sour!

The juiciest and biggest berries are always hiding under the leaves, of course you take your chances of also finding one of those big juicy green beetle bugs that like to call the berry patch home. As my oldest reminded me today "You pay for the berries Mom, but the bugs are free!" Free bugs! What a deal!

Well, the longer you linger-- the hotter your sweaty little brow gets, and the dryer your scratchy little throat gets, and the more those juicy-sweet berries just call your name! "Eat me!" They say! "Eeeeeeeeeat me!" Before you give in to the temptation and sacrifice all of your spoils, leave while you are ahead!

And then, go home-- and make a pie!

the adventures of red velvet. {and a frying pan}

An interesting conversation with a lady at church gave me the idea for cooking cake batter into pancake form. Over the next few days my mind churned the idea around a bit, and I came up with something I would like to call--

Dessert Flapjacks with Chocolate Syrup.

With my new found Southern roots (transplanted of course) I decided to stick with a trusty favorite, red velvet.

For some reason when ever I eat red velvet cake it makes me want to put on my petticoat and quote Scarlett O' Hara... but maybe that's a whole other story.

.

So, on this sultry, summer day-- we jazzed up the after lunch doldrums with our creation:

I thought that this cake batter would behave itself just like it's long lost cousin, regular pancake batter--(it's just plain old cake batter!) but I was wrong. It threw a fit in the pan and I had to show her who was boss. Just a quick spread with the back of a spoon (to thin it out a little) made for a more cooperative flapcake.
So, what to do with a finished 4 tier tower of hot dessert flapcakes?
Toppings, toppings!
None of that stale maple syrup and boring butter for these hot fancies!
Bring out the chocolate syrup and whipped cream, and don't forget the sprinkles. (red of course, to match her layers!)

She was missing something too, so I made a festive flag, totally optional--I say! But, totally cute too, and worth a minute and a pennies worth of glue and paper.
Now, that's what I call dessert!

Now, let me just get my frying pan and wooden spoon and whoop a holler out the back door... Flapjacks are on! Cooooooome and get it!

welcome summer.

One of our favorite seasons, always full of delight and daily celebration!

Chances are, if you have a boy--- you know about finding sticks at the park and the joy that brings. Do not run with that stick, little boy! You will poke your eye out!

Uninhibited joy is the essence of childhood.
I wish I could feel the courage to dance in the puddles at a public park without thinking that someone would think I was crazy!
Welcome back Summer, we missed you madly!

up, up and away.

We find ourselves again, at one of our favorite spots on earth:
The boys are naturals here, it's like being
We love to:
And as always:

My youngest refuses co-pilot position, he is more comfortable as a:
My oldest will always tease him and tell him we are going to do loop-de-loops... poor guy!

The back seat is a comfy place to be:
Just make sure you always remember your:

(and then things will be just fine!)
.
Handsome pilot lets us know that it's time to:
Here we go!

The sight of our tire so far from the earth always reminds me that we are so very:

But, I always love the wonderful:
But alas, we've got to get our heads out of the clouds again.
I love my own personal: