Men and Mother's Day Frames

The best gifts are gifts of love, and the guys that James works with know all about that!

I was invited to be a guest teacher for a brown bag forum for Mother's Day at James' office. I thought long and hard about the project the men would be creating and presenting to their wives on that delicate holiday. The project would need to be simple yet sophisticated and most importantly, fool proof and of course, cheap.

The plan was almost perfect . . . until I asked the men to pick an accent color for the flowers. I was hoping they would pick a color their wives would love such as a color found in the accents in their homes, or even their favorite color.
James warned me to limit them to a few good choices. But I had faith in the men. After the men came up with 25 different color choices including; peach, tan, sea green, mauve, 4 shades of blue, etc, I knew I should have listened to James. I mean, who wants TAN flowers? They were told to choose a color found in their homes. I guess they were looking at the walls or something! Silly Men!

Some of the men were very ambitious and made more than one frame. I was very impressed with how well they did. So were their wives! Way to impress, men!

A Good Deed Unpunished?

Today I am shocked and amazed!

A good deed went unpunished (see previous posts).

I rescued a play cast member's costume and sacrificed making dinner for my family.

I took tickets to the show to a friend.

She asked me if I had eaten. I hadn't.

She asked me if my family had eaten. I said no, and like a baby, a lump formed in my throat. I swallowed it because I didn't want her to think I was pathetic. We do have peanut butter in our cupboards for just such an occasion (and many others), after all.

But I was off to a girl's camp meeting and knew I wouldn't even have time for peanut butter.

Her house smelled like heaven and my stomach grumbled. She wants to own a restaurant someday.

She said she made way too much and would I please take some of it home.
I beamed.

I let myself cry on the way home. Then it hit me. . . A good deed went unpunished. And I thanked the Guy Upstairs.

Tomorrow I will have a new attitude :)

My Son, the Star

I never imagined how wonderful it would be to have a high schooler.

(Beauty and the Beast RHS--The set and costumes were A-mazing!)

I never imagined that seeing my son in a school play would thrill me so.

(Alex was a giant spoon, the book seller, a wolf, and a towns person)

I never imagined that watching a bunch of teenagers act out a play could give me goose bumps, make my eyes sting and cause a lump to form in my throat.

(and he was a goof ball who perfected the dry ice effect)

Alex was a bright, shining star on stage tonight, and my heart is swelled to twice its normal size.

Not even Broadway could have done Beauty and The Beast better (Proud Mom's are allowed to be a little biased).

I sat on the front row and for a moment remembered what it was like to have been on stage myself when I was his age, singing and acting my lungs out.

Tonight, for a moment, I relived high school.

And it was awesome.

(I was also told by Chip's character that I looked way too young to be Alex's mom!)

Icing!

How Can I Despair?

I woke up to snow this morning . . . but how can I despair when I see such a miraculous shade of green peeping up through the white?

Nothing can stop spring from making her triumphant entry. Not even a little snow.

So, Yesterday at Dinner . . .

Hannah said "Mom's remedies for everything: If you're hungry--drink water; if you have a sore throat--gargle with salt water; if you don't feel well, take a shower."

I laughed a little, but then had a strange feeling that that's what they are going to say about me after I''m dead . . . dear old mom used to always say . . .

My Text to James Today . . .

My text to James today:

still have headache. took more drugs. sipping tea and nibbling crackers.




reading blogs in bed.

made 3 tier cardboard cake with Connor.



Connor left with Damien.

back to bed.

debating getting up to tidy.

deciding to stay in bed.



know where camera is?

March 25, Pinewood Derby

There is nothing cuter in this world than a little 8 year old cub scout and his pinewood derby car!

Hunter helped his daddy build this green car with the sparkly golden eagle embossed on the hood for speed!



Thankfully the race was not about speed because the "Green Machine" was a tad on the slow side.

Hunter's two biggest fans: James and Connor


Hunter getting "the Green Machine" award.

Alex's Antics PI Day March 14

It's 11 PM and Alex announces that tomorrow is PI day so he needs to bake a PIE.
Somewhat exasperated I tell him that it has to bake for an hour. Of course he doesn't mind. What's sleep when you get to eat pie the next day? I give him the directions and he heads to the kitchen to look for my tattered recipe for Betty Crocker's famous pie crust.

After about 20 minutes I want to smack myself in the head. I have a light bulb moment; I could be spending precious time with my son teaching him one of the few things I actually do well. I wonder why I am sometimes slow to get these important instant messages from above?

I jump up and head to the kitchen to find Alex handling a giant flour and shortening LUMP.
The lump immediately goes into the trash can and we start over making the thinnest, most tender crust possible. We fill the soft crust with home made pie filling from our very own trees, bottled in the past fall.


(I'm not a fan of my son being shirtless with his underwear showing, buy hey, it's nearly midnight!)

Then Alex goes to work carving pi into the pie.


The class pigged out on about 20 pies to celebrate "PI Day" 3-14 (March 14).

Onto other antics. . .

Alex Loves to eat gummies. Gummy worms, gummy bears, gummy pizza, you name it! He'd probably eat gummy ice cream if there were such a thing. So why not make your own?

You can find tutorials on anything on the internet. I know this because Alex lives for tutorials!


Improvised double broiler

Check out Alex posing in the background. What a goof ball!

They kept burning each other. I was laughing!


Gummy sheet layers?

The finished product. Very strange. Somewhat like jello jigglers, and somewhat like gummies.



Sadly, Alex didn't like them very much and so the rest of us had to eat them all!

End of story.

March 17, St. Patty's Day with Luke Liam and Phebe

Do a Good deed Every Day--It's my motto, after all.

My other Motto is: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished (maybe I should stop saying that).

So My mom is supposed to take care of my brother's kids while his wife goes on a little vacation to visit her sister. But Mom decides to move up her knee-replacement surgery.

Dilemma.

It's Super Me to the rescue! I volunteer to watch the kiddos and promise to drop them off in Logan, UT on my way to take care of my mom after her surgery. I suppose I didn't quite know what I was in for.

I drive 90 miles and pick up the kids and head home. It's getting late. Time to put the toys away. Little Sweet Phebe Chucks a toy at me and screams! I'm in shock and don't quite know how to respond. Uh, what did I do when my kids were 3? It wasn't that long ago, was it? Ah, yes, time-out. Chaos reigns, but we finally get everyone happily to sleep.

The next day is Alex's birthday, and as we sing the happy birthday song, Little Luke throws up. I check on Phebe and she has thrown up on the couch!

With buckets and kids strategically placed, we survive the day.

The next day goes much more smoothly! It St. Pat's Day, so we dress in green and eat green deviled eggs. The filling looks like yummy, creamy green frosting. The kids can't stomach it. They eat the egg whites all around the filling. I laugh when I see a tiny white bit of egg and a lump of green goo on top.




I paint Phebe's tiny fingernails and toenails bright green. She giggles.

We head to the park which is a field of ice and MUD. The kids have buckets and have a marvelous time digging in the mud and slopping it into their buckets. I chase them around the ancient and very not-to-code playground set for a tiny bit of exercise.






It's ice cream time, then time to drive 90 min to take them home. I give them all kisses and hugs and hope they only remember the good times at our house ;)

A couple of days later I get a text on my cell from Liam. "I love you, Aunt Sunny!" My heart melts and I text right back, "I love you too, Liam!"

It makes it all worth it! Come again soon, little ones!

3 Amazing March Birthdays

{Earliest digital Photo of Alex, age 8}

Happy Birthday, Alex!

March 16, 17 years old

You are my brainy, child who loves doing huge projects usually involving electricity and wire. You are not afraid to help rid the house of rodents by zapping them to death with a home made taser. You exude confidence and are funny. You are a good friend. You always stick up for Mom! You have a terrific bass voice and love to act. You drive me crazy by responding in one word answers. You have been a joy to watch grow up! I love you!

Alex: I don't want anyone to know when my birthday is.

Mom: I know why!

Alex: Why?

Mom: Because you get more attention that way.

Alex: You guessed it!

Mom (thinking): I'm going to throw him a royal surprise party! Mwahahahahah

Mom: Steals Alex's phone and texts his entire contact list--not knowing that many of the people had only met him once--a long time ago, or had moved away to college! Alex sees Mom's number on friend's cell phones. Mom has to make up excuses.

Mom conspires with girlfriend for distraction.

Alex practically lights tablecloth on fire while lighting match on fly zipper.

Mom: Note to self: Alex doesn't like cookie cakes anymore. Ask before you bake it and hide it in the freezer and then have to make a regular cake on his actual birthday.

Family Tradition: Breakfast and presents in bed.

{endure terrible photos with bedhead and poor lighting each year}

Mom: Alex, What do you want for birthday breakfast?

Alex: STEAK AND GUMMIES!!!!!

Most memorable birthday moment: Little Luke hurling during the birthday song.



{Earliest Digital Photo of Hannah, 5 years old}

Happy Birthday Little Miss Hannah!

March 18, 14 years old

Hannah, you are a loyal friend. You have an amazing relationship with your dad! You love to quote Brian Regan. You are a perfectionist down to stacking the cups in ROYGBIV order. You are sensitive and very smart! You are way too hard on yourself. You insist on doing things your way. And, you are Wonderful and I love that you are my daughter!

Hannah had a fun party the weekend before her birthday with Mikaela and Courtney watching Avatar and eating fries and shakes and ice cream pie at Red Robin.

A Chocolate ice cream cake to DIE for!

{earliest digital photo of Emily at 3 years Old}

Happy Birthday Little Miss Emily!

March 24, 12 years old

Emily, you are 12 and FINALLY in Young Women! What will this year of changes hold for you? Get ready to ride on the roller coaster of emotions! Your best buds are boys--that saves a lot on the emotional warfare department! Trading in the training bra for the real thing! Late night talks with Mom. You love fiercely and get bitterly angry. You charm everyone and you have the heart of a lion! I love you so much! Have a terrific year!

Emily's clever book cake. The cake I made and froze for Emily I accidentally decorated and served Alex on his birthday, so I had to quickly make another one for Em. I cut a sheet cake in half and stacked it, but when I put it on the cake plate, it sagged in the middle!!! What to do? Turn it into a BOOK! ;)

Breakfast, Presents, and siblings in bed! (Alex had already left for zero hour seminary)

Emily and her boy pals Connor, Tim, Chance and Hunter.

Emily had a fun movie party with Tim and Sarena. We saw How to Train Your Dragon in 3D then went to the Mongolian Grill for dinner.

Valentine's Day 2010

Now that March is finally over, I can update my blog! When March comes in like a Lion (like it does EVERY year), I hold my breath and dive in. It is always packed with one adventure after another.

Every year we hold a very special Valentine dinner. Some day when I have my dream home, I will be able to invite EVERYONE that I want to, but since my house is on the smallish size, we had to keep our numbers to 10, and that was a stretch!

We had to forgo the dining room "area" and opted instead for the living room. We threw two tables together, and I decorated it like it was a grand dining hall!

James had grand, romantic dreams himself of the men giving the women a special well-thought gift. It didn't turn out exactly as he had invisioned. Not sure exactly what happened there, but there was a $10 limit that made everyone's eyebrows raise. Some because it was too much and some because it was too little. So, James was the only one to present his gift. In front of everyone, he pulled out a giant pink fluffy heart pillow from behind his back and handed it to me. ROMANTIC! I love it!

The men put the menu together and serve the women. And they do the dishes. It was heaven!

Cody brought the appetizers; shrimp coctail and bacon wrapped pickles.

James made a Waldorf salad. K, I was impressed here. How do 5 men know what a waldorf salad even is?

Eric made a fabulous lasagna.

Ken made homemade cressent rolls and his amazing raspberry chocolate cake.

Tim brought an eclaire cake.

After dinner and dishes were through, we played my favorite game: Catch Phrase until our butts were sore from sitting in the hard chairs.

It was a great and fun night. Way to go Men!!!