Spanish Inversion

Sammy: "Mama! I can count in Spanish! Uno... dos... thrays... what-ro... think-o..."

Me: :)

Home Sweet Home

The town we live in is small and quiet. Most people would call it quaint, artsy, or friendly. Some might call it redneck, but only because they haven't spent much time here to know any better. We love living here and raising our children here and I wonder what it might look like when my boys become grandfathers someday. Here is a view of Palmer in it's golden olden days... Both the brick building and the log church are still standing today. Now it's a thriving metropolis. Well... not. But it's still a great place.

Serenity Now! Serenity Now!

I don't know if it would be considered a "quote" or just a simple prayer, but the Serenity Prayer always seems to apply in life, doesn't it? Right now in the midst of depressing news on the state of the world and on those days when everything seems to go wrong- from little things to big things- this calms my brain. If you find yourself stressed out, take a minute to read it and let it really sink in...

Lord, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

It's not only Christmas... It's Groundhog Day.

So I haven't written anything for a while because life's been busy... But here's a run down of Christmas eve/morning for your amusement (or sympathy, depending on which end of the child-rearing spectrum you fall):

• 4:30pm kids begin begging to go to bed so Santa can visit.
• 5:00pm kids get whiny that they are bored and it makes them think about Santa too much.
• 7:30pm kids hurry and get ready for bed with NO FUSS!!! I tell them not to get out of bed to wake us until their alarm clock says "7" something. I tell Isaiah, "It has to be a 7 or greater to get out of bed."
• 8:00pm They're out like a light. Paulo and I busy ourselves with last minute wrapping, baking, etc.
• 12:30am We're still up and the kids come bounding up the stairs, wild eyed and squealing with excitement, "Did Santa come yet?!?" We intercept on the stairs and send them back to bed. There is much crying and gnashing of teeth. I realize where the confusion lies- the number was greater than 7. I remind Isaiah of how the clock works and that it goes to 1 and then counts up again.
• 1:30am The kids get up again. I don't get myself to bed until 2:15 with all the junk I'm trying to pull off last minute.
• 3:15am The kids get up again.
• 3:45am The kids get up again.
• 4:30am The kids get up again.
• 5:30am The kids get up again. This time I stomp downstairs and say (in my quiet scary voice) through gritted teeth, "Do NOT get out of this bed AGAIN until the light on your alarm clock comes on... DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!?!?" They nod yes and I cheat and set the alarm for 7:30, desperately hoping to squeeze in another 30 minutes of much needed sleep.
• 7:00am The kids get up again. "Mom- it says 7. I see presents under the tree! Santa came!" *sigh*

Lately, Especially...

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"A child is a curly, dimpled lunatic."

Christmas Red Cake (ala my mom)

Cake:

1/2 c. shortening

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1/4 c. red food coloring (2 oz.)

2 Tb. cocoa

1 c. buttermilk

2 1/4 c. sifted cake flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vinegar

1 tsp. baking soda

Frosting:

5 Tb. flour

1 c. milk

1 c. sugar

1 c. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour (or use cut parchment paper) two 8" round cake pans. Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs in a mixing bowl. Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring, and blend into shortening mixture. Add buttermilk to mixture alternately with flour and salt. Add vanilla. Combine together the baking soda with vinegar and carefully blend into the cake batter (do not beat). Pour into cake pans and bake 24-30 minutes. When completely cooled, split each layer in half. Prepare frosting by combining flour, milk, and sugar in a saucepan over med. heat. Heat, stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat and cool completely. Cream butter and vanilla together. Add to cooled mixture and mix completely. Frost top of each layer and sides of cake with frosting. Enjoy and repeat every year!

What a Wonderful World...

A flock of birds swooping and soaring in unison over a harvested field,
a cheery purple door on a simple old 1930s house,
my littlest son's wrinkly soggy thumb,
a deli counter lady with an infectious smile and twinkly eyes,
a big brother beaming with pride at the fact he made his little brother giggle.
Life is good.