Here comes Peter Cotton Tail...

I am a baker. I love to make yummy bread, and cakes and other delicious goodies. But, I don’t like to make cookies. I’m not sure why, but I find it boring! Just the monotony of ball, after ball, after ball, of dough…pan, after pan, in, and out of the oven. Ugh! When will it ever end?!!! Give me a bar cookie any day. Mix the dough, squish it into a 9x13 pan, bake it, slice it, and your done. That’s my kind of treat. Then, there are sugar cookies. (insert ominous music here)

Making cookies in my house is a chore. I have two fantastic helpers that will be master chefs one day, I’m sure of it. But for now, they are 2 and 5. Nuff said. They help turn the mixer on, taste, add the ingredients, taste, roll out the dough, taste. It takes me 3 times as long to make cookies with my two helpers than it does by myself, but I don’t often make goodies for us (and when I am baking for other people I don’t let them get near enough to even smell them)… so I can’t very well tell them they can’t help when it’s for us to eat…. Anyway….

Like I said, I don’t like to make cookies. But, every once and a while I get a “wild hare” (he, he) to create some beautiful sugar cookies. It should be easy, right? A couple years back I bought this adorable cookie cutter and was determined to make cookies for all Xander’s friends. Right. That stinking cookie took up so much dough, it was insane. And then the whole “line and fill” method seems like it should be easy enough, but doing anything with a kid on your lap "helping"brings a whole new challenge.

I guess the few years since the flower cookie was long enough to help me forget the joys of the beautiful stacked monstrosities called sugar cookies, because the other day I bought a cookie cutter for 3D air plane at a killer sale. It was awesome. It was still kind of a pain in the butt, but for the most part not too bad. So my hubby and I looked around online to see what other 3D cutters we could find. Then, there it was… the bunny. It was so cute! I just had to have it… then I looked at the price. Yikes!! I am all for buying American made and supporting small business and what not but SERIOUSLY??? I decided I didn’t need to have it so badly after all.

That darn bunny… I just couldn’t get it out of my head, so I bought it. I know, I know… but it is SO cute (and we would be getting our tax refund soon, so hey)!! I got the cutter and looked at it for days and days. I knew it would be time consuming and I was nervous about the whole sugar cookie thing but I had to try it out. So, Tuesday rolls around and I break down and make cookie dough with the kids. The cookie cutter manufacturer recommends baking the similar sized pieces together so here we go with the pans and pans of cookies thing. Then, life happened. I put the cookie bits and pieces in a gallon sized zip bag and left them on the counter until Thursday, after much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth (from the kids) I decided I better get those darn cookies frosted.

The results? MARVELOUS! They are SO cute, cute, cute, cute. I don’t often (in seriousness) gush over my own baked goods, but gosh darn it they are SO CUTE!!! And, even though they were a week old when we finally ate them, they were tasty too! Completed, they are the equivalent of 5 sugar cookies, but if you notice, they are missing the back leg (which you can’t really see because of the view). I had to let my kiddos eat a cookie so they’d leave me alone till they were completed and photographed. (Cause anything that takes me a week to complete deserves a posted photo)

These were just the trial run, and my focus group (i.e. Mother-in-law, kiddos, hubby and friends) helped me come up with ideas to make them even cuter, (like cotton candy tails) which makes me even more excited. That said, I will be selling these adorable cookies this Easter to try to make up for what I spent on the cutter. $5 for the unfrosted cookie “kit” and $7.50 frosted. I would even ship them (un-assembled) to anyone out of Alaska who is interested in purchasing some. (chocolate flavor also available)

Toilet Paper tubes and "twying".

Did you ever use a bathroom at my house and wonder why there are piles and piles of empty toilet paper tubes? Well, it's amazing what you can make with them, and I couldn't even begin to think of all the things, but I save them knowing that they will get used. I bet Xander has 5 ideas in his head as we speak.

Someone once told me that children who grow up in cluttered homes are more creative than those who don't. If that is true, my children will be creative geniuses. Xander demonstrates this on a daily basis. Give that kid a roll of scotch tape, some paper, markers, and some string and the kid can create anything. Needless to say, we buy scotch tape in bulk at Costco. $12 is a small price to pay for a kiddos love and admiration, and hours and hours of entertainment.

Xander's Toilet Paper Tube Tank

On a different note, Ruby is cuter than ever. She is talking more, which is hilarious. She has her own little accent, and starts every word with a T sound. Clothes is toes, fell it tell and so on. I have especially been working on teaching her how to say feet. She might be twelve and stuttering with the F sound, but at least she wont be telling people to tickle her "tits" which is what it sounds like the way she says it now. It's funny as all get out.

The other night Ken had to work late, then go do his home teaching, so I was getting the kids ready for bed myself. I was drying Ruby off and telling her that we'd brush her teeth, get pj's on and then read books, say prayers and go to bed. She looks up at me all wet and cute in her flower petal towel, and says "I just go to my room and Trwy." Oh Ruby, why are you going to go to your room and cry? "I want daddy sing me Siwent Night." Ruby, I can sing you Silent Night.

Then, I got the look. "I want DADDY sing me Siwent Night." Okay. I put her to bed, but the little stinker stayed awake till daddy came home and sang to her.

Who's chopped liver? Um, that would be me.

Here's a video of Ruby and her cute words.

Happy Birthday

I have been wanting to bake a cake. This shouldn't be such a big deal except I don't like to bake things unless they will be leaving my house. That way, we don't eat them. It seems funny to me that I do all this baking but hardly any of it is for my family. So little in fact, that when I tell Xander I am making something, he always asks "for who?" and when I tell him it's for us, he'll ask me over, and over again to make sure it's really for us.

Yesterday was my friends birthday. She lives thousands of miles away in TX. I told her I'd make a cake in honor of her birthday. Sounded like a good enough excuse to me. Coincidentally, a friend of mine sent me a link to someones beautiful blog and I felt inspired by it. Then at lunch I ate an orange and it was beautiful, and fragrant, and delicious... and I was inspired by it as well. I also have a bunch of new pans that I've been wanting to try out, homemade caramel, and ganache to use up as well. So... this cake served a great many purposes today.

Happy Birthday Marie, I hope it was a good one! And thanks for giving me an excuse to make this orange cake, with caramel filling coated in dark chocolate orange ganache... made in one of my new oval shaped pans.

The Mystery Puddle

The other day after sending Xander to his room for a time out, we discovered a puddle.

I asked Xander what the puddle was from and said he did not know. We searched all over for a rogue sippy cup or some leak or something to no avail. Again, I asked Xander where the very large puddle came from and he said he wasn't sure, but maybe the water jumped out of the toilet or maybe Ruby put it there or something.

I didn't feel that he was lying to me about not knowing how the puddle got there, but I didn't feel like he didn't know either, if that makes sense. It was strange! I asked him if he peed on the floor in his room and he said no. The puddle didn't smell like pee, but it didn't NOT smell like pee, yet pee was the only thing I could think of that could have created this particular mystery puddle. If Xander had realized he'd peed on the floor he would have told me... I think.

I made him clean up the puddle and then sanitized the floor just in case. He then removed the towel to hang it up and dry. Today I was moving the towel to wash it and guess what?? It smelled like pee. Go figure.

Me: Xander, guess what?

Xander: What mom?

Me: Turns out that puddle in your room was pee after all!

Xander: How very interesting!

Man, this kid kills me. I told my mom in law this story and she told me that he's probably sleep walking. Hooray.

Laughter is the best medicine.

I realize it's been ages since I've blogged. I put tons of stuff on Facebook but I should be putting it here instead. I'll try to get better.

Above is a fun little clip that I didn't put on Facebook. Don't worry, I had a good hold of her(and she had a good hold of me)

We are just chugging along, day by day. Can't expect more than that, can you?

Xander has been taking swimming lessons on Saturday mornings and is trying to get over his fear of water in his ears. He wears ear plugs and a band around his ears but he still has some issues. The other day while at swimming lessons he decided that he needed to go potty and got out of the pool (thank goodness) and then pulled his swim trunks down and ran for the mens room. Everyone got quite a show. We are working with him and reminding him that he really needs to wait until he's in the bathroom to take his pants down. He did the same thing at church during primary class, announced that he needed to go to the bathroom, pulled his pants down and then ran down the hall to the bathroom. *sigh* Maybe they will change the class name to moon beams instead of sunbeams.

Xander turned 4 years and he had "lots of parties". On his actual birthday, we went to our friends the Gho's house and had McDonalds Happy Meals, then we did preschool and Sister Gho made Xander a race car cake. Xander helped to frost it then we all enjoyed it. After that I had to go home to make a special order cake for "LOST" season premiere. Xander also got to decorate a little birthday cake all by himself. I never knew you could fit so many sprinkles on a 4 inch cake. It was impressive. Then we went to Grandma and Papas for our regular Tuesday night dinner where we broke out in a crazy pancake fight. Yeah, I said it. Pancake Fight. Fun was had by all.

The following Saturday we had an official Birthday party for Xander, his friends and their families. Someone had given us 3 gallons of Vanilla Ice Cream and 3 gallons of Chocolate Ice Cream and we decided that it would be fun to have an Ice Cream Sundae party(mostly cause I wanted my freezer space back as we don't eat ice cream too often). Xander helped me make some cupcakes with Lightening McQueen cupcake wrappers and "really hard, gross candies" on top that were shaped like Lightening McQueen and Mater. We also got a couple pizza's from Papa Murphy so there was actual food to go along with the sugar involved in the sundaes. We had chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, pineapple sauce, strawberry sauce, warm marshmallow fluff, warmed peanut butter, coconut, chocolate chips, all kinds of candy sprinkles, nuts, cherries, bananas and whipped cream. The kids were in sugar heaven. "Just give them a little scoop of ice cream, all they really want is the toppings"

Xander as usual has been testing me every day. Just yesterday he took his fork lift toy and poked Ruby in the eyes. I then sent him back to his room where he was told he had to clean it before I would let him out. He was back there for quite a while, and at one point yelled at me "Mom, I need some compassion here!" It's hard to be mad at that smart little kid, but I think he's been watching Veggie Tales- Jonah a few too many times.

Ruby is cute as ever. I just love to kiss and squish her. She is such a different little spirit than her brother. She is refreshing and sweet and I just love her to pieces. I always think of the poem about what little girls and boys are made of when I think of Ruby. Her brother is definitely made of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails, where Ruby is made of sugar and spice and everything nice.

Ruby also talks up a storm and sings little songs. Sometimes she sings herself to sleep. We don't understand any of it, but it's cute just the same. She has her own little language and I can't wait until she learns English. I'm sure that she has all kinds of interesting things to say. Despite how mean Xander is too her, she still loves him and is always giving him hugs and kisses. She always has to be doing what we are doing, doesn't want to be left out of anything. If I'm sitting at the table reading cook books, she's got to be doing the same. She is also very good at coloring. It's fun to watch because when Xander was her age, all he was interested in doing was stacking the markers end to end. Ruby also LOVES food. She is always the first one ready to go at the dinner table, and her favorite place to play is in the pantry. She shakes all the cans and is often caught trying to get at the chocolate chips.

Well, It's time to go clean up the hurricane that has occurred while I've been typing away.

Quick Update

Well, The holidays have come and gone and now January 2010 is almost halfway through. Time sure does breeze on by when we are having fun.

I quit delivering newspapers back at the end of Sept. and have been putting off finding a job, stretching every last penny to keep me home as long as possible.

Xander and I have doing at home preschool with our friends the GHO's twice a week learning about the human body. They do pretty good for 15 minutes then play the rest of the time. Sometimes we do activities that keep their attention for longer periods. We stopped doing preschool over the holidays, hopefully we'll start up again soon and start working on letters and numbers.

Christmas was nice, we were all spoiled as usual. Ken got a Kindle and a new motorcycle helmet and I got Xtratuff boots and two different kind of cupcake displays from his folks. My mom got me a nice new jacket and some fleece jammies. Xander got a smart cycle video game (a stationary bike with video games that encourages him to get out some energy in other ways than picking on Ruby) and he also got a really neat doll house that is a fire/police station with furniture and the works. Ruby got a little people amusement park and Ragedy and and Andy dolls.

We weren't able to get off Christmas Drama free... Xander cried when he went through his stocking and didn't find a camera that he thought for sure Santa would leave for him. He continued to cry for a couple days about the lack of camera until one day he noticed his stocking hung up and full of underwear... and a camera with a note from Santa, saying that he found the camera stuck between the cushions in his sleigh and was sorry he missed it on Christmas day. He has taken literally hundreds of photos. One of these days we'll have to go through them and see if there are any worth posting.

And, being the masochist that I am, have been delivering papers again starting the last week of December. The guy that took my routes over was hospitalized and shipped to Seattle and I was the only person that knew the routes. It's been a good reminder to me why I quit, but also has been a blessing to have the money. I've also been offered a smallish route of 70 papers to do until Aug. As much as I hate papers, I think I hate papers less than I hate standing on my feet working retail so I think I'm going to do it.

Xander's 4th Birthday is coming up and he wants me to make helicopter cupcakes again. I don't want to! This would be the 3rd year in a row, so we are trying to make him want something different. I'm trying to set up a birthday party at our little planetarium here, but if that doesn't work out, I'm not sure what we'll do.

Ruby is growing so fast but still isn't talking. She says okay, and all done, and mommy and daddy but that's it. She talked a lot more before she turned one than she does any more. It's a little frustrating. I've been good about not saying "I can't wait until..." since they grow really fast anyway, but I can't wait until she talks because I'm sure she's got interesting things to say.

She's also discovered that she's good at climbing. She mastered the kitchen chairs and sat there grinning most of day, very pleased with herself and feeling like a big girl. Then yesterday I caught her on the kitchen table with the sponge scrubbing away. I would have taken a picture but our camera is on the fritz... I guess I should have grabbed Xander's - oh well!

Ken is officially in his new job at GHS and is quite happy. Now the Director needs to retire so he can move into that position and finally get paid for doing the work he's been doing all along.

I haven't been baking much :( but I do get to bake for a tea party this weekend so that should be fun. I'm making small chocolate cupcakes, sugary gingersnaps, lemon tea cookies and blueberry scones. Fun!