Artichokes, Ice Cream, & Movies

Aaron is still away, and this week feels like it's been going in slow motion....but it's Friday and I'm determined not to throw in the towel (just yet!).

 The kids came up with the best idea for dinner...artichokes!!!...which I grew up loving. So we headed off to the store picked out our prickly treasures, a couple quarts of ice cream, and the movie Kung Foo Panda.  Needless to say it was a blast! Artichokes are just the best food on earth...#1. They are beautiful #2. They taste incredible simply steamed and dipped in butter. #3. After all the tasty work of eating their leaves you are left with the most delicious treasure of all...the heart! 

I am known to be kind of extreme when it comes to what the kids can and cannot watch but I'd rather err on the side of them feeling deprived than defiled. As they get a bit older I have been challenged to find movies that I would consider "wholesome" or "age appropriate". I like to stick with the classics..."Swiss Family Robinsson, Pollyanna, " etc.  I get so annoyed with the newer movies underlining adult subjects, agenda and the like. I refuse to let the depraved culture we live in shape and form the ideals of my children, so consequently they see very little. (soapbox moment..ok I feel better now) I think that is part of the reason they were surprised to see that I had rented "Kung Foo Panda". Yes, we gave it a try and it was worth it. This movie is hilarious without being vulgar. I guess if you really pick it apart you could find faults as with most films, but honestly this movie is just downright funny! Okay, I must admit I'm a Jack Black fan. I can totally relate to his sense of humor; spastic, clumsy, and endearing. The kids are already watching the movie for the second time tonight, after waring themselves out practicing new kung foo moves for an hour at least! I might break down and get this one on dvd.

It's been a nice night except for the fact that Aaron isn't here to share it with us...hurry home my Beloved.

Mamo & Papo

My Grandma (Mamo) lives just a few houses down the road from us. She is wonderful. Today I stopped by for a visit. The house is filled with everything that feels like home to me. Her needlework covers the walls, old books and pictures fill the shelves. Papo sits comfortably in his easy chair just across from her cozy wingback.  Their memories are still sharp telling stories vivid with detail as I soak in the pleasantness of it all. My baby daughter loves her "Mamoo & Papoo". She toddles between the two of them babbling away as they smile down at her. My heart overflows, grateful that my own children can know and learn from these two dearest of souls.

When it was time for us to go Mamo gave Ben some stickers ,that she had been saving, to share with Abby Sue. The stickers were a hit and kept their little hands busy all afternoon. Ben made a picture of our family & Jesus for daddy and Abby Sue created a picture of her class for her teacher Mrs. Parson. They turned out so sweet. I want to find more of these "faces" stickers, the possibilities are endless!

Aaron's Birthday & Homemade Bread

We had a great weekend celebrating Aaron's birthday together as a family. The kids and I made him a puffed pan(birthday)cake for breakfast. They are super easy and taste more like a pastry/omelette than an actual pancake. I think we have new birthday tradition! After breakfast we met Aaron's parents for lunch. Going out to eat with kids is always an adventure and I've learned to take most things in stride. Zibby had the "poop face" during the course of lunch and kept wanting to hold my hand while she did her business. I have now mastered eating left handed!

After lunch we took the kids up to Portland for the day. We took them to a really cute cupcake shop called "St. Cupcake". They specialize in mini cupcakes. We bought a dozen and ate them in a about a dozen seconds! Then we took the kids to a very weird donut shop famous for their unique creations, like the bacon maple bar, which was Aaron's favorite. Honestly the place kinda grossed me out...it wasn't very clean and I had to do my best not to imagine how many germs my kids were consuming with their sugar. It was a fun day!

It was a rainy day yesterday so I decided to make bread with the kids. I got the recipe from a friends blog and it is actually very simple. It makes 2 loves which I'm sure will last through this week. I have to be honest though...the pictures look so sweet but I was losing patience with Abby Sue & Ben almost the entire time. The great thing about making bread is that we could all take out our aggression while kneading the dough! The bread turned out good for our first try. It's very yummy toasted with honey.

Oh..one more thing I have to write down before I forget....Ben just found a quarter and said, "Hey Mom, did you know this is George on this coin? And George had a brother named Lawrence, and Lawrence got married to some girl?"

I really didn't know that George had a brother or what his name was. I guess you can learn a lot form a kindergardener!

Can't wait for Abby Sue to get home and tell me everything I don't know about our forefathers.

Top 3 Reasons I became a "Blogger"

#1. This is much easier than scrapbooking!

#2. To keep family & friends close to home...(check up on us anytime!)

#3. You're lookin' at 'em!