1. If you're looking for a good brunch recipe, here is the ultimate: Bacon, Potato and Egg Breakfast Casserole. It made our Christmas morning delicious, along with the gluten-free Cherry Oat Scones.
2. Lands End came through and sent me a gift card for $65 for my five-year-old snow boots that I sent back because the zipper had broken. Unfortunately they don't currently have any waterproof snow boots, so I am on the hunt for something I like, because although it was 50 degrees here yesterday, it is December, and we do live in Minnesota; therefore it will snow. I think.
3. It's 9 o'clock and Alla just came downstairs, Fisher in tow, with her book, A Masterpiece for Bess, to tell me she'd finished it. Off to find a new one tomorrow I suppose!
4. We're also reading the newest Ivy+Bean at bedtime.
5. I'm wondering if my Whole Living subscription has run out. I sure could use a month of detox-type recipes after all the rich foods of the past week.
6. I just realized tonight that Alla doesn't go back to school until next Tuesday, not Monday! A whole extra unexpected day with her.
7. Have I mentioned that we have no snow? The ice rinks are just ponds.
8. I am in the middle of Sarah's Key but goodness is it hard to read. Hoping to finish before the weekend - you know, fresh start in the New Year and all.
9. The tree is out, the decorations are back in the attic. Something about the impending New Year makes me want to put away and organize and see my floors again.
10. That is that, the last Ten on Tuesday of 2011. Here's to another year!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Merry Christmas from Minnesota!
We had such a blessed, sunny Christmas Day.A couple memories...
Alla: carrying around her winged fairy from Ireland, but not being able to find her the perfect name, playing all day with her new wedding polly princesses in her new purple boots that I don't think she'll ever wear out of the house.
Fisher: all in green going from firetruck to remote control to remote control to smokejumper.
Food: cherry oat "scrolls," breakfast casserole, delicious meatloaf, fudge!
Nana and Pappi here to share the joys with us.
The best slippers an elf could ever give me.
Sunshine and forty degrees.
Ron trying to capture the chaos on video.
Me instituting a mandatory time-out from wrapping to get everyone to eat something.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Ten on Tuesday.
1. It is a dreary-weary Tuesday here in the Twin Cities, with hardly any snow to speak of, as it's all been washed away by rain and warm temperatures. Rain, in December, in Minnesota? They're talking BROWN Christmas, people. Kiddos are NOT excited about that prospect. (Me neither!)
2. Before it got all balmy here, we did have a very cold spell, which we decided meant footie weather.
3. Fisher and I had lunch with Alla today at school. I just love the surprise on her face when we show up!
4. I had my hands full with photo shoots during the fall, and haven't taken many pictures of my own family lately. Sunday I picked up my camera just to see what everyone was up to.
5. Alla: folding her laundry.
6. Fisher and Daddy: reading a chapter of Fire-Fighting Aircraft and Smokejumpers in a fort.
7. Me: making a Hot-Milk Sponge Cake, just because, just for a lazy Sunday.
8. Today Alla reached one of her reading goals for first grade. Her teacher has the students write down not just minutes read, but also each book, and individual chapters for longer books, and with each 25, they get a small prize. There are bigger prizes to be earned the further along the chart they get, and Alla realized early on that "Read to Kindergarten" was the prize she had her eye on, but her old kindergarten teacher was on sabbatical for a few months. Last week she reached her goal of 350 books/chapters and then chatted with her current teacher about waiting to read until her preferred kindergarten teacher was back. When we pulled up to school yesterday and peered in the building, we spied her old teacher, so the appointment was made for this morning! Her book of choice was one of our favorites, When Dinosaurs Came With Everything, and she was complimented on using such an expressive voice that the kindergarteners were fully attentive. We're proud of you, Alla. Now on to her next goal: Teacher For A Day!
9. We have been checking out the pond at our park nearly everyday on the way home, just to see if it might be ready for skating on Saturday. How many days below freezing does it take to freeze a couple inches of water?
10. Nearly every single day we arrive home at 4:15 from picking up Alla. Nearly every day Fisher goes into firefighter mode, calling the fire chief and then Daddy to tell him to get home immediately because there are three fires to put out! And then he gets his entire firefighter outfit on and just goes around setting things up, and when Ron walks in the door about an hour later it's on.
2. Before it got all balmy here, we did have a very cold spell, which we decided meant footie weather.
3. Fisher and I had lunch with Alla today at school. I just love the surprise on her face when we show up!4. I had my hands full with photo shoots during the fall, and haven't taken many pictures of my own family lately. Sunday I picked up my camera just to see what everyone was up to.
5. Alla: folding her laundry.
6. Fisher and Daddy: reading a chapter of Fire-Fighting Aircraft and Smokejumpers in a fort.
7. Me: making a Hot-Milk Sponge Cake, just because, just for a lazy Sunday.
8. Today Alla reached one of her reading goals for first grade. Her teacher has the students write down not just minutes read, but also each book, and individual chapters for longer books, and with each 25, they get a small prize. There are bigger prizes to be earned the further along the chart they get, and Alla realized early on that "Read to Kindergarten" was the prize she had her eye on, but her old kindergarten teacher was on sabbatical for a few months. Last week she reached her goal of 350 books/chapters and then chatted with her current teacher about waiting to read until her preferred kindergarten teacher was back. When we pulled up to school yesterday and peered in the building, we spied her old teacher, so the appointment was made for this morning! Her book of choice was one of our favorites, When Dinosaurs Came With Everything, and she was complimented on using such an expressive voice that the kindergarteners were fully attentive. We're proud of you, Alla. Now on to her next goal: Teacher For A Day!9. We have been checking out the pond at our park nearly everyday on the way home, just to see if it might be ready for skating on Saturday. How many days below freezing does it take to freeze a couple inches of water?
10. Nearly every single day we arrive home at 4:15 from picking up Alla. Nearly every day Fisher goes into firefighter mode, calling the fire chief and then Daddy to tell him to get home immediately because there are three fires to put out! And then he gets his entire firefighter outfit on and just goes around setting things up, and when Ron walks in the door about an hour later it's on.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Right now.
(I'd call this a Ten on Tuesday post, but it's Thursday, and this way I figure I'm not tied to the number ten.)
1. The snow came this weekend with a few inches, and of course it's still here. And freezing.
2. So far we've watched Charlie Brown and Shrek the Halls, and only have about a bazillion more Christmas specials DVR'd for the remaining days 'til Christmas.
3. My mom has been out of town for a few weeks on and off, and I miss her. I can't wait to see you Saturday, Mom!
4. Fisher said to me the other day, To be in first grade, do you have to say, It's twice the awesomeness people? Where does he come up with that kind of stuff? Oh, Kung Fu Panda commercials.
5. I am three books away from my 2011 goal. Right now I'm in the middle of a short one, I have an even shorter one on my shelf, and if all goes well, maybe I can read just one more over the holidays.
6. I think this is the weekend for a tree!
7. Cards are done! As in, made. Now, just to write them.
8. I'm putting Lands End customer service to the test tomorrow when I send back my 5-year-old snow boots because the zipper on the right one is genuinely stuck in the up position. They say they guarantee. Period. We shall see.
9. Fisher is obsessed with firefighting aircraft, fireboats, and smokejumpers.
10. Speaking of that little one, time to get him up from his nap.
1. The snow came this weekend with a few inches, and of course it's still here. And freezing.
2. So far we've watched Charlie Brown and Shrek the Halls, and only have about a bazillion more Christmas specials DVR'd for the remaining days 'til Christmas.
3. My mom has been out of town for a few weeks on and off, and I miss her. I can't wait to see you Saturday, Mom!
4. Fisher said to me the other day, To be in first grade, do you have to say, It's twice the awesomeness people? Where does he come up with that kind of stuff? Oh, Kung Fu Panda commercials.
5. I am three books away from my 2011 goal. Right now I'm in the middle of a short one, I have an even shorter one on my shelf, and if all goes well, maybe I can read just one more over the holidays.
6. I think this is the weekend for a tree!
7. Cards are done! As in, made. Now, just to write them.
8. I'm putting Lands End customer service to the test tomorrow when I send back my 5-year-old snow boots because the zipper on the right one is genuinely stuck in the up position. They say they guarantee. Period. We shall see.
9. Fisher is obsessed with firefighting aircraft, fireboats, and smokejumpers.
10. Speaking of that little one, time to get him up from his nap.
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