Mommy Points

I think I deserve big mommy-points.  Thursday night I took Annalise and friends to the midnight showing of Hunger Games.  Those who know me I am NOT a night person (or a cold weather person)!   We waited outside in line until 10:15 pm.  Thank goodness it was only chilly not freezing.  I came prepared with a chair and blanket so I curled up and waited for the time to go inside.  Unfortunately what I wasn't prepared for was the coming on of a head cold.  By the time the movie started I couldn't breathe out my nose (but at least I was not cold anymore!) 



Everyone enjoyed the movie.  There were some things changed and added but overall they did a good job.  I especially liked how they didn't make the violent scenes overly graphic.  

 Annalise wants to see it again.  I'm sure she will see it again and again and again. I have a feeling we will be owning the movie.

(See the second picture -- Annalise has braces.  She got them last week.  This is the first time she let me take a picture.)

I'm Trying to Cook

Besides finding neat crafts on Pinterest, I've also used it to find recipes.  I can cook and I do okay, but the act of doing it every day just exhausts me.  Especially, since my girls are the pickiest eaters ever!   (My mom laughs because it is payback for when I was the pickiest eater in the world.  I lived on peanut butter and honey sandwiches for most of my elementary school years.)

One website I've found is http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/.  She has the best recipes!  The first recipe I tried were the Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares.  The girls wouldn't touch it, but believe you me....if you like lemon, this is good!

The other recipe I've tried so far was the Sour Cream Noodle Bake.   It was another hit, at least with Jeff and I.  Annalise would at least eat it but Robyn just turned her nose up at it.  The picky-ness is frustrating especially since she would eat anything when she was a toddler. 

Despite the girls I'm definitely going to keep hunting this website for more delicious recipes.  Who knows maybe I'll find something they will like. 

Keeping Occupied

It's been pretty quiet around here, not a lot of running around.  The girls are busy with school, Jeff's busy at school (as always), and in between working two days a week I've been trying to exercise more and trying out new crafts.  In December I was introduced to Pinterest.  Such a cool website.  In the past when I've seen something I liked I would just bookmark it on the computer.  Now there's a place where I can see all my interested sites in one place. 

My recent "big" craft was this USA Scrap Map.  I found this on Sew Kate Sew blog and once seeing it I had to try it.  It wasn't hard, just time consuming -- I don't work really fast.  I had to cut out each state and iron it in place.  I had some issues with the iron but overall I'm pleased with the result.

Found these printables on Pinterest so instead of buying valentines Robyn and I made these for her class:

Also found on Pinterest.  These are for my nursery kids.  At church sn Sunday I teach the 18 month to 3 year old class.  I'm giving these at the end of class.  I do not want the kids to have more energy than normal!

It's been fun trying new projects.  Now I just need to decide what to do next...

7 Years

January is Robyn's birthday month.  By Halloween she is ready for her birthday to come but we tell her it doesn't come until after Christmas.  Once Christmas is over she focuses all her attention on her birthday.  It kills her that she has to wait a couple weeks until her birthday actually arrives.

This year she wanted cheesecake for her birthday.

On her birthday we invited family & neighbors to celebrate -- and help eat the cake.  I didn't want the whole thing in the house for very long because I LOVE cheesecake.

This year she got her own American Girl doll -  Kanani.  She's wanted one ever since Annalise got one several years ago.  We told her she had to be older (and I used the change we save to help buy the doll!)

On Saturday I let her invite just three friends over.  I took them to get their nails polished and then off for frozen yogurt.  I wanted something really simple as party planning is something I dread.

No they aren't growling at the camera, they are showing off their beautiful nails. LOL

Happy Birthday Robyn!

Rambling through the hills

Winter has been slow getting here.  Not that we are complaining because it makes it nice to spend time outside.  Last January we also went hiking up in the hills, so does this mean it has become a January tradition?  I guess we will have to wait until next year to find out. 

Christmas break

Usually we stay home during Christmas vacation but this year was a break from tradition.  The Tuesday after Christmas we flew out to Virginia/Maryland to visit with grandparents and cousins. 

We were lucky that while we were there the weather was really nice.  On New Year's Eve we shooed the kids outside so they could play (and give us a break).

That was the day we learned how to drive a lawnmower.

Robyn wasn't quite big enough to do it herself so Jeff had to help. 

Annalise didn't want to do it at first but with a lot of coaxing we got her to at least get on the mower. 

After seeing how easy it was she decided she would do it herself.

Morning from my sister's back porch: 

It was a low-key vacation.  Part of the reason was we got sick with colds.  One thing we did do was to take the girls out duckpin bowling.  I think this is the only type of bowling I ever did growing up.  You can find duckpin bowling in the DC area but I don't think anywhere else.  At least I think so because when I mention it to people I get a look that they think I'm crazy. 

We had a lot of fun hanging out with my family.  Hope to see them soon.



Favorite Books of 2011

Last year I made a goal to read 100 books.  I'm happy to say I made it with 9 to spare.  Listed below are the books I enjoyed the most at least according to what I recorded on Goodreads -- that's how I keep track of the books I've read over the years.  Love that website! 

Fiction

Skylark Farm by Antonia Arslan

Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Learning to Swim by Sara J. Henry

Fire and Ice by J.A. Jance

Somthing Missing by Dick Matthew

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Though Not Dead by Dana Stabenow

Non-Fiction

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

Young Adult

In Search of Mockingbird by Loretta Ellsworth

Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle

Summer of May by Cecilia Galante

Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor

Dealing with Dragons  &  Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Childrens

Magical Adventures of Prunella Bogthistle by Deva Fagan

Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Re-read

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford