Wordless Wednesday: See? I told you that you were the father of my baby!

Wordless Wednesday: Separation Anxiety

Wordful Wednesday: Heart Dinner

Hey, I'm not exactly known for my ability to keep things short or to the point.

For the annual Love Day celebration, I concocted yet another red heart meal. I think this one might just be my best so far!

The main course was stromboli (which I explained to my kids was just like a rolled up pizza). For the pickier eaters, I had a smaller cheese-only stromboli. And the very pickiest eater got a peanut butter and honey sandwich - heart-shaped also, thanks to a sandwich cutter.

For drinks, we had the usual: goblets of Sprite with frozen juice heart cubes. This year, I used two different ice cube trays that were slightly different. In one, I poured pink grapefruit juice (making a nice soft pink heart) and the other was filled with pomegranate juice. The pomegranate cubes didn't look red but instead a lightish brown color, which actually looked pretty cool with the pinker one. And it was tasty, too.

Instead of the usual molded jello hearts, I made mosaic jello. I love this stuff and may or may not have had some for breakfast this morning. The different flavors/colors of jello were watermelon (soft pink), strawberry (dark pink), and black cherry (dark red). This is sweet enough to be a dessert but since jello is a traditional Valentine side dish, I couldn't save it for last. Besides…I had big plans for dessert…

But before I reveal the dessert, I need to clean my plate. Green salad with heart-shaped strawberries, more strawberries for those who preferred them untainted by green stuff, hearted pears soaked in pear juice and grenadine, and a bowl of conversation hearts just to keep our blood sugar levels peaked.

Then came dessert.

Whilst ignoring the heaping pile of dishes diligently cleaning my house, my laptop magically opened and started searching the web for new and spectacular desserts. Completely by itself, the browser landed on a show-stopper of a dessert featured on Hungry Happenings.

These are actually mini cheesecakes although they totally look like chunks of luscious frosting. And since it goes against my nature to bake anything without adding almond flavoring, these are vanilla almond cheesecakes. Beth from Hungry Happenings gives excellent tips on getting these perfect without losing your mind in the process. Mine look funny different because I decided to use what I thought was an easier method to add the wording. It wasn't.

Hope you had a loving Valentine's Day!


And if you haven't already, go enter my giveaway for the MyMemories digital scrapbooking software!

Wordful Wednesday: Because I Refuse To Make My Own Birthday Cake

I love making fantastic cakes for other people. The look on their face when they see the cake…well, it's my drug. Love that feeling. But make my own birthday cake? No way.

So when we have the family dinner on the Sunday during my birthday week, Aunt Denise brings a chocolate cake, frosting, plenty of sprinkles, candies, etc., then turns the kids loose on it. I love this tradition! (But for the past couple of years? I've insisted on making the frosting. I'm kinda a snob that way.)

This year, the cake was divided into three portions (so there wouldn't be any tears over who's art got covered up by who's craziness with the sprinkles). Baby had the far side, Boo in the middle, and the Boy's portion is buried under sprinkles and candy.

And just because I know you're dying to ask…I'm 29.95 plus shipping and handling.

Wordful Wednesday: Comparison

I like my kids. I like to watch what they do, listen to what they say (or how they say it), and take pictures of them. I've got to remember these days. How else will I be able to emotionally blackmail them years from now?

They're growing too fast as it is. Seems like just the other day, I took this picture:

Boo is not quite three in this picture. The little pie on the table in front of her was the project for the day in her toddler cooking class (as cute as it turned out, the pie was not very good). Awww…so cute.

Now, look at this:

This is Baby. She took the same cooking class during the summer and this was one of her projects. Seeing her sitting at the table, looking so proud of her efforts, I remembered the image above. Then, I re-fixed Baby's hair and found the exact same shirt for the photo.

Do you think they're sisters?

Wordful Wednesday: When Zombies Attack Young Couples

It's no secret that I anticipate a zombie apocalypse…possibly starting around late December 2012. Or not. And I'm not the only one.

A young couple, hopelessly in love, takes a trip to a more rural and rustic part of the country to capture those stylish engagement photos with forgotten backdrops. You know the scene: overgrown fields of wheat, abandoned buildings, rusted farm equipment. What they should have asked was why those places were abandoned in the first place…

I can't do it justice and I'd rather not "borrow" someone else's work, so go on over to Amanda Rynda's photography site and take a look through her most recent photo shoot! Makes me want to do mine all over again.

Wordful Wednesday: Sunday Hairstyles

* It's "WordFUL Wednesday" because I don't think it's possible for me to not talk. 

At times, I really feel like a failure as a mother. Pretty much on a weekly basis, actually. Already, my kids are doomed when it comes to wearing cool clothes. Or shoes. And their mom is a big dork that reads mostly dork books. I also tend to forget my shortcomings and attempt something ridiculously out of my range...like giving the girls cute hairstyles for church on Sunday.

After watching a tutorial on how to get heat-free curls, I decided this would be perfect for Boo and Baby (and Boo's American Girl doll, too, apparently).

The process itself is fairly simple and the girls actually sat still long enough for me to finish that twisting. I sent them off to bed with giggles and careful pats at their "crowns."

Doll hair just doesn't curl well so I wasn't too surprised when that venture wasn't successful. Baby's hair was gorgeous. Those lovely curls were effortless. Unfortunately, half of her hair had slipped from bondage during the night. As long as you looked at her from the right...

Boo's curls were soft and sweet. We rushed to church (because we always do) and I didn't get a picture. As she walked down the hall to her Sunday School class, I noticed the curls were somewhat less...curvy. By the time church was over, she hair was barely wavy.

*Sigh*

Well, at least I tried.

Wordful Wednesday: The many uses of the Boppy

Since I'm not exactly "wordless" I decided to change it up a bit.

Did you have a Boppy when you had your baby? You know, those C-shaped pillows that you tucked around you to aid in nursing the baby? They came in pretty handy with all three of my kids. With Baby at the halfway mark between 2 and 3, I haven't needed it for it's intended purpose in quite some time. I've found other uses. When my newborns were required to lay on their tummies, I'd fit the Boppy underneath them so their little faces weren't squashed to the floor. Swaddling them in blankets and tucking them into the curve of the pillow soothed them, also. Then, during the sitting phase, propping the pillow behind them helped them keep their balance...and then provided for a softer spot for them to topple onto.

Surely, the Boppy's usefulness was at an end. That's when I saw a picture of a friend working on her laptop. She had her Boppy on her lap, with her computer perched on top. The pillow protected her legs from the heat (or maybe that's just my computer) and gave her wrists a better angle for typing. So now the Boppy is back in the living room. This means it's also fair game for when the kids get a touch of the sillies.

Boo calls this her Queen Amidala costume. All she needs is white face makeup with red dots on her cheeks.


** The True Colors Swap is accepting participants until Friday! I'd love to have you join in! Email me if you have any concerns or questions. Duckduckcow@gmail.com

Wordless Wednesday: How was your Mother's Day?

Wordless Wednesday: Our Leprechaun Trap

Wordless Wednesday: Happiness

(And yes, that is real five-pound bar of chocolate.)