Keep your tongue in your mouth.

On our way to my mom and dad's house this afternoon, we stopped at the gas station to fill up.  While Spence was outside pumping gas, the kids and I waited in the car... radio off... enjoying a few moments of silence.  And then I heard Sweet Pea from the back seat (sitting next to Babydoll) quietly say, "Keep your tongue in your mouth.  I said keep your tongue in your mouth.  [Babydoll] if you don't keep your tongue in your mouth then when we get home I'm going to take away one of your toys."

I then rectified the situation with a classic, "[Sweet Pea], who do you think you are??"

Little Man seriously loves popcorn!

Mom, this popcorn is really great!

Really really really great!

Mmmmmmm

Uh oh, was that the last piece?

That couldn't have been the last piece!!!

More please!!

MOOOOOOMMMMM!

NOOOOOOO!!

MORE PLEASE!!????

How do you not give that face more popcorn??

You don't, you just let him finish off the bag.

Wishful Wednesday

I wish I had the discipline to get my stuff done earlier in the evening so I could go to bed at 10 every night

I wish they didn't grow up so fast, my first baby is almost 8!

I hope my friend's baby stays in there for at least a few more weeks!

I hope we can fix our broken shower wall!  We're pretty bad DIYers.

Look Who's Walking!

Look who's finally walking!

My Little Man took his first steps with Daddy on July 21st!

I would have blogged about it earlier, but it took a while to get photos!

He took his first two steps while I was painting the set for the play.  Spence called to tell me, and I was majorly bummed!  I was reminded by a castmate that I had been the one to witness the girls' first steps, and at least one of his parents was the one to see it happen.

Regardless of who saw it first, I am very proud of my little walker!

The Theme is Baking!

Last week and this week the theme is "Baking"!  Note to self: Do not schedule baking week in August, it is very hot in August and the oven should not be turned on for that length of time when it is this hot!

Anyway, last week we made peanutbutter cookies from my Betty Crocker's Cooky Book.  They are very good, not perfect, but very good.  The important part was that they were easy enough for the kids to be involved in every step.

Step 1: make cookie dough.  If you have several young children helping with this then you will be unable to take pictures.  But it's peanutbutter cookies, not rocket science, you don't need pictures.

Step 2: Use a spoon to scoop out the dough,

Step 3:  Roll into a ball

Step 4:  Dipp fork in sugar

Step 5:  Make crisscross pattern on the cookie, don't press too far though or the cookie will burn!

Step 6:  Bake for a couple minutes less than recipe says, and let cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

Step 7:  Feed to cute little blue-eyed boys.

This week we will be making sugar cookies and decorating them with Royal Icing!  I predict much mess so we'll see how I do with taking pictures!

By the way, I am still on the lookout for the perfect sugar cookie recipe, let me know if you have one!  I want to make sugar cookies that taste great even without icing!

After the Storm

A few weeks ago, or several weeks ago, I've lost track, we had a storm.  That evening I was on a conference call with the Sound of Music producer, set designer, and my fellow paint manager when the storms started rolling in, the clouds got dark and creepy, and then the sirens started going off.  After finishing up our business (while simultaneously moving our family members to a safe location and watching the weather warnings) the kids and I cozied up for a little storm-time fun. 

We prayed that we would stay safe and that all our friends and family would stay safe, and that the storm wouldn't break our house.  Sweet Pea amended the prayer because she figured if the house broke we'd build a bigger house... I hope there isn't insurance fraud in her future! 

Spencer was in WI that night for Rockfest, so it was just me and the kids in the basement.  Since Sweet Pea and I had been obsessing working on The Sound of Music the first thing that popped into my head to do during a scary storm was to sing!  Now in the movie version Maria sings "My Favorite Things" with the kids when the storm comes, but in the stage version they sing "The Lonely Goatherd"... we sang both. :o)

When the storm passed I put the kids back to bed and went outside to take pictures.  The sky had turned from funnel clouds to this...

I just stood there and kept taking pictures, the colors were changing so fast and it was so beautiful.  I wish the pictures looked as good as it did in person!  It was a beautiful end to a pretty severe storm!

The Curtain Has Closed

Well it's over.

The Sound of Music is over.

I've turned in my habit, Sweet Pea has turned in her horrible pink and white dress.

I've thrown my nun-shoes in the closet to donate to Goodwill.

The dressing room has been emptied.

The set has been taken apart.

And the curtain has closed.

Oh and I'm back to wearing normal amounts of makeup.

So while this has been difficult for Babydoll, crying when it was time for me to leave every night.  And it ment that Spencer had to be home by a certain time every weeknight and give up any chance of going out on weekdays.  This play was exactly what I needed.

I have spent the last 8 years taking care of not only myself, but my family.  I did it willingly and without any regret, but who takes care of the caregiver?  It was time to take care of myself.

Ever since I transfered out of the University of Minnesota 8 years ago, I haven't done a single organized vocal or theatrical activity.  For many years I didn't even have a piano in this house.  For someone who needs to express emotion musicaly, that was years of pent up tension. 

So for several years I've been waiting for my opportunity to do a musical with ERCT, but every summer I was either pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or had a baby, and couldn't do the play.  Until this summer!

Here's Sweet Pea, second from the right in the front row.  I can't tell you how unsettling it is to see my daughter singing in front of nazi banners.

The Sound of Music was a LOT of work, but I have LOVED every minute of it!!  This cast was absolutely amazing and I have made several new friends.  People who have come to mean a lot to me in the last two months! 

Not only was the cast a blast to work with (and party with!) but the talent was incredible!  Our director Eileen Bowersox told us at our first gathering that if we were looking for "community theater" then we came to the wrong place.  This production was amazing!  So a BIG thank you to my family who helped me out with my other responsibilities, and everyone who came out to show their support and see the play!  I wouldn't have been able to take this opportunity without your support!

I had so much fun!

And I'm already planning ahead for next summer's show...

The Phantom of the Opera