Friday Lenten Fun

It's the Lenten Pretzel Bake Off of 2009! Just like last year I am taking suggestions for homemade pretzel recipes to try with my kids! Please let us know if you have discovered a yummy super easy recipe that your family loves! This truly is a sacrificial act for me because it is soooooo easy to run up to Target after Mass and pay the gangly kid behind the counter a nice, tidy sum to bake, butter and salt to taste perfect pretzels for each of my hungry kiddos. It's not that I am lazy, just afraid.

Of yeast.

Seriously.

An encounter between me and that temperamental stuff almost always ends badly (the one exception). Karen E., do you have a recipe for pretzels? Ruth's family liked this one and I am intrigued by it since it only calls for a warm water bath for the pretzels prior to baking and not a boiling one. I am not sure who Auntie Anne is but I hear she isn't afraid of yeast!

Then again, there are some recipes that don't call for a bath at all. Now, I know that bagels are also boiled before they are baked but not being a kitchen scientist, I don't really know why so if anyone cares to enlighten me, I would be most appreciative. Thanks and have a great weekend!

Small Successes (6)

Why is this so hard? I have been wanting to join in with this exercise for weeks now but every time I see it, I feel like I am back in school with the writing prompt on the board in front of me and absolutely nothin' in my noggin'! Here goes:

1.
I have persisted in my new schedule of exercise and was finally able to complete the 4 mile walking workout I wanted to all while maintaining a very realistic attitude about exercise and the results I hope to see from my effort.

2.
I made my very first King Cake and although it was nowhere near authentic, it was pretty and the kids devoured all of it leaving nothing leftover to tempt us on Ash Wednesday.

3.
I finally wrote a Small Successes post? Baby steps, OK!

Remember, O man, that you are dust...

and to dust you shall return.

Grant to your faithful, Lord, a spirit generous enough to begin these solemn fasts with proper fervor and to pursue them with steadfast devotion. This we ask of you through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son. ~ from Catholic Culture

My kids want to move to Louisiana

Now, if I could just get them to try some gumbo or some etouffee!
"Happy Fat Tuesday!" she says with a smile! : )

Shrove Tuesday

You can read past posts here if you like because there isn't much "new" going on around here, but then again, that's why we call them traditions. Our grapevine wreath with black dyed thorns is waiting to go on the table tomorrow, our Alleluia banner is hung in playroom, and our Poor Piggy is hoping to get nice and fat this Lent with money the children will earn for the poor. I am thinking a sacrifice jar might be something new to try this year, but I haven't figured out how yet.
The children asked for a mommy drawn calendar this year. I guess they really don't like change. The one with pictures just didn't make the impact on them that I thought it would. They didn't even remember it until I showed them the picture from last year but they remembered all of our past ones enough to tell me that I have never, ever drawn a cactus on any of the many Lenten Calendars I've made before. I'm not sure they're right because... I can't remember!

BigBoy, resident lover of all things soft, asked for another fuzzy little Ramona lamb. How can you say "no" to a request like that? If you have little ones, they can color the original online here.

A few weeks ago, the children saw some masks at the craft store and asked if they could make their own. So we did. (OK, so maybe that was new.)

Oh, and I was going to make a King Cake for the very first time using Melissa's recipe but then Colleen stamped her Cajun seal of approval on this one (which makes it like authentic once removed, right?) I am guessing that her kids aren't thrilled about cream cheese filling like mine aren't but cream cheese frosting, well...that's a different story! It's on the agenda for later.

We will have pancakes for lunch and we won't do any school work!!! (Well, not anything official.) I made that decision mostly to celebrate Shrove Tuesday and not at all because I have been in a grumpy, terrible, no good, very bad mood since yesterday. Did it show? Maybe a day of festivity can help me shake it off before we add fasting to that unpleasant emotional cocktail.

Hoping you have a very un-grumpy day!

Our dog (for a day)

Isn't he cute?

He really is a sweetheart. We considered adopting him. We even had the application approved and the home visit completed. He came to spend a few hours with us yesterday and the girls had fun chasing him around the back yard and petting him and being on the slobbery end of his sweet kisses. The boys...well...

My oldest obsessed worried about whether or not he was being eaten alive by fleas and my youngest spent the entire time locked in my room after we pried him off of Husband's head. He was terrified of this sweet dog and in the 3 hours that he was here, he never became even the tiniest bit more comfortable.

So, our adventures in finding a pet are put on hold for now. I know that given a few more days or weeks BigBoy might have grown comfortable enough to be in the same room with Wyatt but we couldn't take that chance. Eventually, Husband would have to go to work and I would have to take over as the human tree. We consoled the girls by reminding them that a new baby would be just as slobbery and smell much nicer. (That is NOT an announcement, just a desire!)

In the meantime, if anyone is looking for a cute, cuddly, fun, loving black and brown cocker spaniel, I can tell you where to find one!

Monday Minutes

Week 3

Sunday, Feb. 22:
Ran around with a sweet dog for an hour outside.

Monday, Feb. 23:
Curves
3 mile walking DVD

Tuesday, Feb. 24:
4 mile walking DVD

Wednesday, Feb. 25:
Ash Wednesday ~ no exercise while fasting

Thursday, Feb. 26:
Crazy busy day

Friday, Feb. 27:
Curves


Saturday, Feb. 28:
4 fast mile walk DVD

Unfortunately...

This is going around Facebook and some blogs I've seen and it seemed like the perfect frivolity for anyone who delights in accidental absurdity which is just what my Friday afternoon needs! You do a Google search for the phrase "Unfortunately, your name here". Don't forget the quotation marks around the phrase! Accidental Absurdity below:

Unfortunately, Charlotte's father was violently opposed to the match, and Charlotte refused to accept the proposal. (well!)

Unfortunately, Charlotte and her future stepmother had taken an instant dislike to each other from the moment they met.

Unfortunately, Charlotte is much more interested in creating vacant lots and building new and better on top of whatever was there before.

Unfortunately, Charlotte was still more at home in the world of theatrical fiction than in reality.(really?)

Unfortunately, Charlotte is lacking in variety. (hey now!)

Unfortunately, Charlotte’s arena is too small. (this is getting personal)

Unfortunately, Charlotte’s private sector has largely failed to follow the government’s lead. (the government best leave my private sector alone!)

Unfortunately, Charlotte's training for the 2008 USMS Short Course Nationals in May was suddenly interrupted when she broke her ankle walking her two dogs ... (ouch)

Unfortunately, Charlotte just lost $500 she had in her account for Cosmetology School.

Unfortunately, Charlotte is now experiencing cankerworms in high numbers. (hence the need for Cosmetology School)

My personal favorite:
Unfortunately, Charlotte lacks conveyor-belt sushi. (not anymore!)

What I hope my husband says every day after work:
Unfortunately, Charlotte was too far away from me.

Happy Friday!


P.S. You might have to skip over some ugly ones to get to the funny ones!

Right Said *Hung...

...is still sashaying down the catwalk. I had only one come through this morning but it was in the same form. According to my computer nerd Husband (he approved that title, BTW) and his favorite tech site, Ars Technica, the problem is with the thingy you type to prove that you're not a robot. Apparently, the robots have cracked it. (Don't you like my technical jargon? The dish soap bubbles are tickling my nose. Tee hee!) Maybe they're being controlled by the green backwards comet?

You can read the real story here, or just show it to your husband who just might plant a great big kiss on you when he realizes you read an article from a website that reviews lip-synching monkey simulation apps. I wonder if the Archbold brothers would consider that a sign of the Apocalypse?


*Hung: Chinese name meaning "deluge or flood".

Backfire

Some moms over at the 4Real Forum were discussing helping older children with studies that required more concentration and someone mentioned having her child do her Math in the master bathroom. It was quiet, there weren't many distractions and it was space that wasn't being used much anyway. I thought, "What a great idea!"

So when Shortcake was having trouble staying focused on her subtraction this morning, I had her follow me in to the bathroom where I had cleaned off the vanity and had a chair all ready for her to sit in. I left briefly to go check on BigBoy and when I came back, saw my beautiful girl in tears. Big, huge sobbing tears.

She thought she was in trouble. Even though I have never, ever used forced confinement as a disciplinary tool before (and don't plan on it).... suddenly she thought I was going to lock her in the bathroom until she could determine the perimeter of a 10' square garden. Our bathroom doesn't even HAVE a lock!

So rather than start saving up for a therapist, I took the bathtub crayons and drew part of a puppy for every question she answered correctly. She has been back to look at her Math puppy three times already and won't let me wipe it away. Thank goodness for ginormous 1980's bathroom mirrors! (See how well it reflects my sea foam green tile!)

Moderated

Comments are being moderated for right now until the Chinese Spammer decides he's too se*y for our blogs or until his hemorrhoids kick in!

Shameless Plug

If you are a subscriber to Faith and Family, be sure to check out the Party Planner page (coughcoughpage 18) in the most recent March/April edition. It might look familiar to some of you long time readers.

My girls are giddily giggling over having their pictures in a magazine! I'm off to hunt down the mailman who tore the front page of mine! Bye!

Monday Minutes

Week 2

Sunday, Feb. 15:
Down for the count with sinus junk~ no exercise

Monday, Feb. 16:
T-Tapp (1st time- not sure I know what I am doing)

Tuesday, Feb. 17:
2 mile walk DVD

Wednesday, Feb. 18:
2 mile walk DVD
T-Tapp

Thursday, Feb. 19:
Crazy busy day, no exercise.

Friday, Feb. 20:
3 mile walk DVD
T-Tapp

Saturday, Feb. 21:
Crazy busy day

From beginning to end...

...it was a LOVE-ly day!

The inspiration for this Valentine's Day was brought to you (mostly) by the Crafty Crow.

St. Valentine Coloring Page

I have a dilemma. I made a coloring page for St. Valentine's Feast Day even though I know that he has been removed from the General Calendar for universal liturgical veneration. And, the picture that I liked best came from a kind of New Agey site so I don't want to link to it. I ended up changing the picture a bit (they had wings on him like Cupid) but kept most of it in tact and I don't know if you all will like it.

In this picture, the figure dressed as St. Valentine looks like a young man or some might say even a boy. What I liked about the picture most was the idea of the birds paired up waiting for a blessing. In my head, I imagined a little story about a pageant play that paid homage to the famous line... For this was on Seynt Valentynes day, Whan every foul cometh theere to chese his mate... and the young man chosen to play the part of this Saint of Happy Marriages, stepping out to catch his breath under the weight of his burdensome costume, his mitre heavy and a little cocked on his brow, stumbling upon this scene in the garden. That is the story in my head. So, I am not sure if it will mean the same thing to anyone else or if people are going to scratch their heads wondering why St. Valentine looks 12 years old.

He is... but there is a reason. Just ask my head.

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

St. Valentine Coloring Page

Valentine Dots

FYI: If you can't find wagon wheel pretzels, the regular mini twists work great! They kind of look like little round bottomed hearts, dontcha think?

HT: Enamor

Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

Today was the bicentennial anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birthday! We did a little celebrating today by making Mock Penny Rugs and a Lincoln Log. What's a penny rug, you ask?
From this website:
Penny rugs are not actual rugs for the floor, but decorative coverings for beds, tables and mantles. They were even used as wall hangings. They seemed to have started around the time of the civil war in the United States. They are made out of felted wool scraps that are appliquéd with a blanket stitch to a wool background. Some designs feature circles (or pennies). Coins such as pennies were used as templates for the circle appliqués, thus the name penny rug.

So, while I would have loved to sit and teach my girls to stitch together tiny pieces of felt to make our own penny rugs, we opted for a modern version. I found a 1 1/4 inch circle paper punch and a 3/4 inch circle paper punch at the craft store and went to town punching circles from my stash of pretty paper. A black paper table cloth provided a nice neutral backing and a glue stick made the work go much quicker than needle and thread would have.
We read the story of Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers and ate Carrot Coins and Lanky Celery Sticks with our dinner. Dessert was our own snow covered Lincoln Log that was proclaimed a great success. I thought the filling was a bit soft. I usually like to use some sort of cream cheese filling for a cake roll but only had a box of white chocolate pudding and Cool Whip on hand. Nobody seemed to mind!
And for Mom's viewing pleasure only (language warning!) Victor Garber singing the part of John Wilkes Booth in Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. That man can SING!

Our Lady of Lourdes

I am reposting this since it is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes today and with an update with information about the artist thanks to Stephanie:

I love this picture of Our Lady by artist Hector Garrido. It is from his Visions of Our Lady series. I did not include the background in my coloring version. It would have been too tedious and taken too much of my time. As you all know this is a very busy time of year for everyone but especially us moms! Maybe your kids can come up with a creative way to place her in a grotto or add one in the background. I'd love to see what they come up with! Have a lovely feast day!

Our Lady of Lourdes Coloring Page

Welcome Spring!

Those of you still freezin' yer buns off are free to click through while you count down the days before you can rub summer in our faces!

Yes, spring has sprung in our part of the world. How do I know? Well, let me see...

Daffodils blooming in the flower beds? Check.

Birds a flutter in the back yard? Check

Potential for 70 mph winds, golf ball sized hail and rain wrapped tornadoes? Check!

Potential dissipated just hours after we canceled our plans for today? Check.

But just to be safe, we readied our storm closet...

Apparently someone was readying for Armageddon!

Monday Minutes

Please excuse any lack of editing. My internet service has been spotty today!

Some people are using their blogs to keep track of their weight loss/gains. Some people are using their blogs to track the steps they are taking to accomplish a goal. I need a place to track my exercise to help get me back in the habit of regular exercise; to make it a part of my daily routine.

I am one of those people that likes exercise once I start doing it. I don't mind sweating. I like keeping up an active pace and challenging myself to work harder. I enjoying walking outside, on a treadmill or along with a DVD. I like strength training and working muscle groups that I thought were extinct or at least on the endangered species list. I like working out at Curves too. Those ladies have some of the craziest conversations!

So what's my problem with making exercise a part of my regular routine? Life. You know... that crazy little thing called life. Someone gets sick. Something else in my schedule changes and throws me for a loop. I don't like change. (Oldest child syndrome. What can I say?) Holidays. Need I say more?

So, here it is. I am going to chart my progress here every Monday and keep track of it all week long. I looked for some kind of sidebar widget but couldn't find anything. Since I typically don't blog on Sunday, I am calling it Monday Minutes because it kind of feels like I am recording the minutes of my exercise meetings.

Sunday, February 8:
Treadmill ~ 1 hour

Monday, February 9:
Curves (30 minutes aerobic and resistance training)
walked for 2 hours at the zoo

Tuesday, February 10:
1 hour on the treadmill

Wednesday, February 11:
Curves

Thursday, February 12:
40 minutes treadmill
played games with kids

Friday, February 13:
Curves
played active games for an hour

Saturday, February 14:
Valentine's Day (we were out most of the day)

Even though this post was started before I read Danielle's thoughts on strength training over at Faith and Family, I was glad of the reminder not to neglect that important component to a healthy body before I hit publish. I have a very muscular build thanks to my Eastern European genes. I was always mistaken for a soccer player in high school but it was actually marching band that gave me calves of steel. According to what I have read so far, resistance training (like a Curves workout) does build muscle but I am going to explore some other ways of adding strength training into my exercise routine. And I also intend to count any extra curricular non-sedentary activity like walking around the zoo or raking all the leaves in the yard...anything that requires me to be considerably more active that I would normally be in the course of an ordinary day. Feel free to join in if you want to, or feel free to ignore these posts as the rantings of a crazy, sweaty lady. Your choice!

: )

Silent Saturday

His bill an auger is,

His head, a cap and frill.
He laboreth at every tree, --
A worm his utmost goal.
Emily Dickinson

I just want to see you smile...

You have to watch this movie. It will only take 16:23 out of your day but will give you so much more. I found it on Michelle's blog who found it over at June's and even though I am not extremely happy with her for making me cry so early in the morning, I know I will forgive her. In fact, I thank her for passing this along. She is such a generous person. She has taken the time to help me with sewing questions and fencing questions. Military wives have to be tough as nails and soft as silk all at the same time. Michelle is one of the classiest! She's amazing!

St. Josephine Bakhita Coloring Page

I must beg your forgiveness for one thing. This was actually one of the first pictures I made after St. Maximillian. You can see on the Scribd page that it was added 5 months ago. Sunshine was considering St. Josephine as a confirmation saint along with some obviously girlie choices like St. Margaret of Scotland and St. Jane. I always thought I would get a chance to go back and make a better rendition; but I never did. Sunshine was confirmed with the name of St. Josephine Bakhita which just goes to show you that sometimes the saint chooses you. My Sunshine has been a princess her whole life and a lover of all things princess-ish. The fact that she chose St. Josephine, a former slave, proved to me her spiritual maturity and ability to open her heart to God's whisperings.

So I am offering this coloring page even though I wish it were a little nicer but that is the perfectionist in me and I will go put the muzzle on her for now.

St. Josephine Bakhita Coloring Page

I think our Coffee, Tea and Thee celebrating St. Josephine Bakhita was one of the most memorable for the children; they have mentioned it more than any other. We talked about St. Josephine's story and the amazing story of Lopez Lomong back when the Olympics began. So,on Sunday, we will be doing the same and enjoying a new tradition.

Hey, Mom...

Look at me!

I'm goin' staple crazy!

FYI: He was being monitored.

Prayer Request

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Michael Dubruiel (Amy Welborn's husband) and for the grieving family he leaves behind.