I almost had a Coke today

I also almost killed the kids. Fortunately, I resisted with super-human strength on both counts. I hung out at Liz's and watched tv. It's not that the kids are so awful, it's just that today the incessant fighting with each other and whining at me was TOO MUCH. I had a lecture ready for everything - including not drinking all of your milk. I'm sure they think I'm nuts.

I will be out of town until Saturday night. That's just enough time for me to miss them, I think. Maybe they'll even like me again when I get back.

Strawberry Lemon Cake

I tried a new recipe for Easter dessert.  It was a lemon cake with fresh strawberries between the layers.  I am in love with the frosting - it has frozen lemonade concentrate in it!!  Let me just say that I bake so much more now that I have that Kitchenaid mixer.  We also made meringue cookies.  Can you even imagine how sugared out I am?  (We have soda, too).

Claire has a cough, so I just laid her down for a nap.  Gabe, too.  We babysat all morning, so they had lots of fun playing with kids, so I am really hoping they actually sleep.

After such an eventful week, I'm at a loss as to what to plan for family home evening tonight.  Maybe just a family game.  I don't think I can think of anything else exciting, and they've had tons of scripture lessons all week.  It is possible that Easter is becoming my favorite holiday.

Liz, skip this part, I'm about to tell y'all what I dreamed about:

I dreamed I was stuffing my face with a huge piece of sheetcake and making out with a really fat man.  I was sitting on his lap.

That's it, Liz, it's over.

I constantly have that feeling that lots of things are beginning, and I'm afraid I'm going to miss something important.  If I recall correctly, I have this feeling every year around now.  It will be nice when school ends and I don't have to plan anything at all if I don't want to.

Here's what's left of the cake:

Passover Dinner was a success!

Charlotte repeatedly hugged me and thanked me for making it.  How awesome did that make me feel?  Well, COMPLETELY awesome.  Especially because I had been a bit frustrated trying to get it together.  I ran by the grocery store before I picked up the kids from school to get everything for the dinner.  I didn't want to buy the racks of lamb or the legs of lamb, so I settled on ground lamb to make koobideh style (Persian kebab), but when I got ready to start it, I saw that it was expired.  So, I had to drive back up to the store to exchange it.  Except all the ground lamb was expired.  And I still didn't want the racks or the legs.  I had the butcher cut me some loin chops.  Fine, except they take WAY longer to cook than ground.  An hour and 40 minutes of braising to be exact.  So the fact that the kids liked it made me so happy and relieved.

I also made unleavened bread.  The kids ate it spread with goat cheese and honey.  They are so strange - they eat this, but throw fits about lasagna or soup.  Argh.

Eating in the living room by candlelight was fun, too.  Everyone was very careful not to spill even though it was just an old blanket spread over the concrete floor.  Where's the risk in that?  Charlotte was concerned about the candles, but they are the kind in the jars, so I told her there was no concern about knocking them over.

With her anxiety settled, we discussed Jesus' last supper, read the scriptures about it, showed some pictures, and talked about instituting the sacrament in place of animal sacrifice.

I need to get together what I'm going to say about the Atonement and crucifixion tonight.  I need to run to the store.  I need to clean the kitchen.  Mostly, I just want to take a nap with Gabe, though.

IN OTHER NEWS:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZZIE!  It is Liz's 33rd birthday (how seasonally appropriate), and I just want to say I LOVE YOU!  I wish I could hang out with you all day.  Sorry, this is the only childhood picture I have of you on hand.  You got your hands on your crotch and your bowtie is whack, but you are still adorable.

Holy Week

I am always trying to find ways to help my kids feel the true meaning of Christmas and Easter.  I found some really great ideas online this year, and so last night for family home evening, I started one.  It is a little countdown from Palm Sunday to The Last Supper.  I don't know why it didn't go all the way to Easter, so I am having to fill in Friday Saturday and Sunday with other ideas I found.  Anyway, it is cute for kids, and they went bonkers for it.  Since I started on Monday, we did two days last night.

Here's the gist of it:  I printed out a countdown calendar.  Then I printed out little images, cut them out, and stuck them in plastic easter eggs.  It was a palm tree for Palm Sunday.  Then the kids crack it open, tape the icon to the calendar, we tell the story (I have pictures from the Gospel Art Picture kit to illustrate the story while we tell it), read a scripture, and sometimes there is a snack.  Palm Sunday's snack, stuck in another Easter egg, was Whoppers - since they look like palm nuts.  Well, who knows if they look like palm nuts - not my kids and that's the point.  They are brown so I told them they look like pine nuts.  We talked about what we do with our own palms to worship Christ.

Monday's egg had a picture of a temple.  The story was Jesus cleansing the temple.  The treat egg was chocolate coins.  We talked about how God is more important than money.  Then we talked about how to keep our own temples, our bodies, clean (spiritually and physically).  Plus, since it was family home evening, we sang Primary songs that went along with the theme.  Incidentally, when I explained that before Christ's sacrifice, the Jews sacrificed animals in the temple, Charlotte covered her face with her hands and started crying.  I don't think she would have made it with the children of Israel.

Tonight's egg picture is of an alabaster jar to go along with the story of the woman anointing Christ.  No treat involved.  I'll still give them a Hershey's miniature.  That's my sophisticated, psychological maneuver to keep them loving this activity :)

Skipping ahead to Thursday, let's talk about a Passover dinner.  I've done it before, and they really liked it.  We'll have grape juice, grapes, olives, flatbread, salad with vinaigrette dressing, and possibly lamb.  I like lamb, and I think I can handle it.  We'll sit on the floor and eat by candlelight.  Really, by sunlight since it is still light outside at dinnertime, but I'll still light candles.

I'm pretty excited about this week.  I love Easter.  I like the baskets and dying eggs, but I really love the spiritual feeling of this holiday.  I love reading the scriptures about it.  I feel connected to the people in Christ's time for some reason when I read, as if centuries haven't passed, and we are celebrating the same things together.  I love that my kids are enthusiastic about this, too.

Samuel Rolph!

Welcome to the world Samuel Rolph Grover!  My babiest brother Andrew and his wife Rachel had their 2nd child, and he is SO SO CUTE!  His big sister Miriam says they can keep him, so he's off to a great start.

And Samuel is the name I would have chosen for another boy, so that is even better!

And I never get tired of having a new baby in the family.  It never gets old.  I have 17 nieces and nephews, and one on the way, and it is thrilling every time!  PS - I totally knew Sam would be a boy.  Andrew and Rachel don't find out (are they nuts, or what?!), but I knew it.  The one on the way, though, I have no idea.  And I'm usually right, so I'll have to wait for the voodoo to hit me before I try to call it.

I'm just babbling, trying to stay awake.  I was startled awake this morning, which makes you wake up totally and completely all at once instead of the usual drowsing in and out.  But the adrenaline kick is gone, and I want to sleep.  But I got stuff to do, and I'm afraid I'll oversleep.  Plus, my eye makeup from last night is still pretty intact, and if I nap I might ruin it.

Welp, that's it.  I am going to read "Life of Pi" -

WAIT!  That's NOT it!  I must report a Gabe saying:

Liz was making a pie with Faith while we were over there.  So, naturally, my kids wanted to help. And, naturally, she let them.  She's always nice like that.  Anyway, the pie was in the oven, and Liz turned on the oven light so the kids could watch the scientific miracle of baking.  Claire exclaimed to Gabe, "Look!  It's puffing up!"  Gabe threw her a condescending look and said, all ghetto, "I know, Plaire.  That's what pie DO."  Okay, I can't type it funny enough.  But Liz and I lost it, and we try to fit it into conversation whenever we can.  It has surprisingly many applications.

There's nothing like a long chat with a good friend.

Unless it is a long chat with TWO good friends!

I got to talk on the phone today with two different ladies that mean the world to me, that know me well, and it has made me feel smiley and, dare I say it, optimistic!  Who knew?

So, I take this opportunity to thank the universe for all of my AWESOME LADY FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love you all so much.

Heat Wave

I don't know if it is hormones or moving faster than a snail or what, but I went to the mall today and sweat like a pig the entire time. Shiny face, wet upper lip sweating. I went with my sisters, and they looked just fine. I wiped off all my makeup with napkins trying to blot it all up. Wuzzupwidat?

I'm making cookies in order to look like a cool mom while Charlotte's friend is over. My shirt is now damp with sweat. Damp. I wish our house wasn't such a dump, but what can I do? Concrete floors are dumpy, the end. Char doesn't seem to mind at least. Kids are more forgiving than adults. Also, more honest, so I expect to hear some comments about the permanent leaking sink in the bathroom at least.

Man, I sound dour. Mostly I feel tired, like I'm walking in water, you know that feeling? I feel like everything is flying by and I can't get my feet underneath me. Argh. Well, cookies at least, right?

Boooooooooooooooored

How can I be doing three things at once and be bored?? Sounds like a personal problem. Grrrr.

How did April sneak in??

Did that seem fast to you guys? It happened when I was sleeping. Which I've been doing tons of lately.

Where to start? I know I say this bi-annually, but I love that my kids love General Conference. I mean, I do, of course, but I didn't as a kid. I think that driving a jillion years (it seemed) to the Maplewood building to watch it in very uncomfortable chairs with a million other people kinda hurt the cause. My kids gather up all the blankets and pillows and make a comfy pallet in front of the computer, gather dolls and treats and paper and colors and have a ball. Claire especially this weekend was all over it. They didn't get to see all of the Sunday afternoon session, and they would only be appeased when I told them we would continue watching for Family Home Evening on Monday night. Love. It.

I love that Sarah's girls are over playing with Gabe this morning. #1 - he isn't jabbering at me nonstop all day long. #2 - I get to play with Lina who is ADORABLE. She is wandering around the downstairs with a purse on her shoulder and a cellphone to her ear babbling away. #3 - Sarah brought kolaches and doughnut holes. Yummmmmmmm. #4 - I got up and dressed way earlier than I have been, and that helps keep a girl motivated.

I can't believe I haven't already plugged "The Killing" on AMC yet. It stars my friend Mireille Enos, and it is SUPER good. It comes on Sunday nights 10pm/9c. It premiered this past Sunday, and I watched it on the internet yesterday. She is a detective investigating the murder of a 17 year old girl. Warning: I cried a lot. Every time the victim's parents were on screen, in fact. But if you like a good murder mystery, it is so awesome. Every episode is one day in the investigation.

That is all. Good day. I SAID GOOD DAY.