Raingutter Regatta

Shawn got his Cub Scout uniform on this evening and he just looked so grown up with his recent hair cut that I had to take some photos. Don't you hate how they look so different every time they get their hair cut...what is up with that??I even got him to wear some button shorts so he could wear his official belt! He normally only likes elastic pants. I think he channels "old dude" sometimes.And...of course...no Shawn photo session would be complete without one of these. The child is a poser...I have no idea what he is channeling here and I am not sure I care to find out.The Regatta was fun. The kids each built a boat from styrofoam and then they raced them in gutters. They blow on the "sails" through a straw to make the boats go.
Here is Shawn racing...What a fun night!

Pretty Pants...

Yesterday I was getting the Cricket dressed and she mentioned that she would like to have some pants out of the cool new fabric I had been making into jackets and skirts. A quick snip later and she was so thrilled with her new cutie pants. These were a loose fit with the cool batik fabric on the front and back and side insets of another tie dyed fabric. She wore them to ballet today with her jacket and they looked so cool and comfy. Unfortunately, she was not in the posing mood today so these were the best pics I could get. More to come...

(Please ignore the weeds growing from between my bricks...thank you!)

Cupcakes Part 2...

Let me begin by saying that I was prepared to go the distance in my quest to find the perfect chocolate cupcake. I printed dozens of recipes, scoured the internet and picked the brains of numerous friends in order to assemble a group of recipes that might, just might lead to perfection. And then...on only recipe #2...I found it!! OH MY GOODNESS did I find it.

Here, for your viewing pleasure, is the perfect Chocolate cupcake recipe. Moist, chocolatey, and oh so yummy!! I even waited a day to see if it retained it's moisture and...IT DID! Of course the true test of this recipe was that only 12 hours later...the cupcakes are gone. I had to wrestle this one from my son's grip just to photograph it and now...they are no more.

Now, the frosting is a different story...I have decided that the traditional Wilton recipe was icky and this one, which was another confectioner sugar recipe was equally yucky. I have a few more recipes to try and hopefully I will find a frosting that is equal in delectibleness (seriously...is that a word??) to the cake itself. In the meantime...back to the kitchen...

(If you would like this recipe, which is actually a compilation of tips and several recipes, drop me a line and I will get it out to you)

Check it out...

After a week of nursing a sick Cricket...I am finally finding the time to post one of my newest creations. I love this...and it looks so great hanging in her room. It is a rather large heart...about 12" across and is paper mache. The letters are all different for that eclectic look. I will be listing these on Etsy later this week but if you are interested in one, drop me a note. I can do any color and any name.

It's cold and rainy here today but I am holding out hope for the weekend when it is supposed to be sunny and 80 degrees. We will see...I have some new clothing to photograph so I can't wait for the sunny days. Hope everyone is having a great one!!

Cupcake Quest...

CUPCAKE #1

...or "Why can't I find the perfect chocolate cupcake?"

As most of you know, within the last year we, as a family, decided to begin on the road to healthier eating. We began buying mostly organic and/or all natural foods. While the transition to this new lifestyle was fairly easy in most respects, there was one area of hold out...cake mix. For some reason, I have never been able to find the perfect recipe to duplicate the light, fluffy cake that you get from a mix. Recently, when I needed to make up some cupcakes for school, I read the label on the box and got sick over the amount of chemicals we were consuming just in that one little cupcake. So began my quest...

Of course, chocolate being my favorite flavor...I decided to begin there. This weekend I assembled a list of what appear to be the top 5 chocolate cupcake recipes from various places on the internet and from friends. Today I made #1 on the list.

While today's cupcakes smelled yummy baking the recipe was kind of a pain to make and the finished product is just not as good as I had hoped. I also tried out a new frosting recipe and was equally unthrilled with that. Not bad...just not GREAT!

So...my quest continues...I hope to entice my friends to try some of these this week and give me some feedback. In the meantime...cupcakes anyone?

Easter

Happy Easter to Everyone!!

We started out our Easter festivities with the traditional egg decorating. Daddy was at the Bulls game so it was just me and the gang. Of course, we texted him pictures of our beautiful eggs!!
Austin uses the shake, shake, shake method...

Ella prefers glitter to the max...

Shawn thinks that scary faces make for better looking eggs.

Everyone did such a great job sharing and cooperating that I went outside to check the address...

nope...it was my house after all. What fun!!

Here is a shot mid decorating...

and here they were all completed.

I took this shot after the "bunny" left his goods for the kids. I totally blew off taking any actual Easter Day photos...cooking for 18 people will do that to you. Suffice it to say we had a fantastic time shared with good friends eating yummy food!

Shawn's big day...

Let me start this post by saying...when you go to the Jewel and you show your son the cupcakes that you could purchase for him to hand out at school and he says..."No, Mom...I like the ones you make better and I have a great idea." RUN...RUN very fast...

These are the cupcakes that my son wanted to hand out. They were a blast to make for about the first 5 minutes and then pretty tedious for about the next 2 hours. All I can say is...that's love right there folks. Of course I woke my boy up with his own Oreo cake on the morning of his birthday in our family tradition. Even Dad wanted to be there so we got the whole gang up early. He was just waking up...

We came out and the kids got cake for breakfast. (where was this tradition when I was a kid I ask ya??)
The boys like to look at their first scrapbook with their baby pictures in it every year.

Shawn thought oreo cake was the bomb!

I wanted to take a bunch of photos of him to remember the day he turned 8. Sniff!

My boy is so grown up!

Coming up...Shawn' birthday dinner at Domo and the big birthday unslumber party with friends...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEANUT!!

The weekend after...

A few quick shots from our weekend...

OK...this child might be wearing a shirt that says "Mommy's Girl" but I can assure you that Mommy did not dress her in this getup. My daughter seems to have developed her own sense of style . I love the leopard pants and purple rain boots. And here she is driving the dog insane. Her new favorite sport is to run through the house carrying food and laughing as Sadie chases her frantically. Hmmm...

Had some company this weekend and after Ella brought her entire bedroom to the couch to snuggle with the Uncles...

...I had a great time cleaning house at poker. Who knew? While we played, my boys went in our room to watch a show and when we checked on them...they were out...I guess the week just exhausted them.

Spring Break...Day 5

Hmmm...does this page seem a little BLANK to you...yeah...me too.

Well...this is what happens when you wake up with a sore throat to a day that was supposed to be beautiful and is, instead, ugly. We had planned to visit the Arboretum on Friday but instead decided to stay in our jammies and veg out. It was the last day after all. We were all tired and...I really didn't think you wanted to see us in jammies...

See how nice I am...always looking out for you...

Spring Break...Day 4

Wow...Day 4...does that even seem possible. I guess time really does fly when you keep busy.

We heard that today was going to be cold and rainy so we decided to stay in, have friends over and hang out. Austin had a friend come and they had a blast playing Wii together.

Shawn's friend came over and they played outside for a while (during the nice period) and then took turns doing the bunny ear thing. Must be popular in the 2nd grade.

I was in my office taking care of some things when I looked up and saw...
I am not sure if this is a bad sign of things to come...(yes...that is a lampshade)

She thought it was about the funniest thing to wear as a hat.

And...for all of you who say you never see my house messy...here you go...

This is what happens to the basement after a week of nonstop playing. (yes...I am showing off my messy house...just keepin it real folks!)

Aunt Brenda came over and we spent some time painting. The kids have discovered watercolors and they love to paint with them...

Of course my Cricket must buck tradition and use her fingers as well.

My Austin is becoming quite the artist lately. I have been impressed with this drawings and now...his painting as well.

Aunt Brenda also brought in the McDonalds which is probably why she is their favorite Aunt!

Brenda and I were having this discussion about my daughter and how she does not like to wear panties. Brenda usually finds her in that state when she arrives and promptly gets some pants on her. (which is more than I can do lately) Just after I told her that I was afraid that this penchant for nakedness could only lead to a career in stripping...I strolled into the Cricket room and found this...

Yes...those are a bunch of naked barbies suspended from various parts of the dresser hardware...Brenda and I laughed our butts off and then decided that the Cricket will definitely be headed to the convent in a few years! Oh my goodness...if anyone has any insight into this phenomenon...feel free to share it with me...

And...as if McDonald's wasn't enough...we had to polish off that yummy chocolate cake from yesterday. I think the Cricket had more on her face than in her tummy.

We have only had one casualty so far this week...remember that cute little Momiji doll I showed you yesterday...well...here is what she looks like today...

Sniff...this is what hanging out with the Cricket will get ya. Fortunately for me...the new Momiji dolls I ordered arrived today...aren't they just the cutest things...

I know...I know...but they are soooo cute!!

One more day folks...I think I can make it...