did you want fries with that?

::My Wall-to-Wall with Kurt::

Meg > Kurt: So... Kurt. What kind of cake do you want for your birthday? Carrot? Zucchini? Beet? Get back to me on this ASAP. out.
Posted Monday May 25 at 9:45 am

Kurt > Meg: How about cheeseburger flavored?
Posted May 26 at 12:57 pm

[it must be said here that Kurt has a hate-love relationship with vegetables in general, though I am told he is trying to reform. But maybe that's just so I'll stop guilting him about it.]

Meg > Kurt: ... about that cheeseburger cake... um... I am so on it.
Posted May 29 at 10:18 am


A little flash of culinary brilliance and a Google search later, here is what we showed up with...

*cheeseburger cupcakes*

wrapped up for a to-go order
complete with a prize: a plastic egg filled with change
[most likely to fund his frequent {real} JBC cravings]
and a side of birthday candles...

I guess that's what you call a happy meal.



Of course,
Janie
[who may possibly love cheeseburgers as much as her uncle Kurt--though he insists it's not possible--]
got in on the not-so-beefy action.

And speaking of not-so-beefy...



...I love this guy.

Happy Birthday Kurt.

Find the funny tutorial for these here.
[just fyi, I made my own icing for the cheese and lettuce. making my own ketchup was a fail. just fyi.]

A tale of two hunts

It was the best of hunts. It was the worst of hunts.

BEST: we had two Easter egg hunts this year. A few weeks ago we hid eggs in celebration of my dad's birthday, and because our out-of-state family was in town that weekend only.

WORST: There were a total of 61 eggs and only two grandkids [and then Janie zonked out shortly before the hunt!]

BEST: My plan to lure the teenagers and young bachelors to the hunt with ca$h prizes worked! [it also worked on Jason.]

WORST: Kurt gave up after two eggs. "It's gonna be, like, a dollar," he scoffed. "And I'm cold."

BEST: Russell persevered and found both money eggs, chock full of change. The total? Somewhere in the neighborhood of $13.

WORST: Kurt then commenced a protest, going on and on about how he could have lived off of $13 for a month! [Okay, really, that was the best.]

BEST: watching Cecilia make out like a bandit after learning that the "balls" were full of treats!

WORST: we had way too much leftover candy.

Part the Second: Hunt of the Cases [the Easter day hunt]

BEST: Grandma Sue outdoes herself again: color coding eggs by child. Brilliant.

WORST: Bro 2 and and Bro 3 [who will remain unnamed to protect their identities] were assigned to hide the eggs around the house. Which meant eggs ended up in places like... the dogs' water dish.

BEST: That we opted not to hide the dyed eggs.

WORST: That Jason then proceeded to consume massive amounts of hard-boiled eggs.

BEST: Once we pointed them out to her, Janie was reaching for her own eggs and then putting them in her basket like a pro! Hooray!

WORST: The first egg Janie opens on her own is... empty. Somehow kicked under the couch by mistake? She was confused.

BEST: watching Janie discover what Grandma Sue had put in her eggs:

her favorite treats,



yogurt bites and Pirate's Booty!

WORST: watching Jason discover what Grandma Sue had put in Janie's eggs [the other dads, er, kids, got candy.]

WORST: One of Bailee's pink eggs was hidden in Grandma's scented oil burner. Before anyone knew what had happened her candy was covered with oil. And it was only discovered after she took her first bite.

BEST: Watching the dads and kids share the rest of their candy with Bailee.

Really,

that was the best.

A Lover's Toast [and Valentine's Day makes me happy/crazy/sick]

but more hot than smokin', though, right?

Not long ago, our toaster of six years -finally- started giving out.
We were secretly happy.
Now
-finally-
we could get one
with a cancel button
instead of wrestling the lever up when we wanted our bread back.
[the toaster is a fighter]

Jason had also commented that he wanted a
fancy four-slice toaster
so that he could preserve his own settings
and let me have mine
[that's what makes him so nice]
[and he is very particular about his toast]
[and that's what makes it so good]

So what better way to show my love
than to indulge
his love
of a hot buttered slice of whole wheat goodness?

Valentine's Day breakfast in bed included a surprise bedside toaster,
toast [yes, really]
toaster pastries [had to try out the defrost button]
soft scrambled eggs
fruit & yogurt smoothies [in goblets because it makes me feel fancy]
Jason set to work with his new appliance.

And then the chaos started.
No sooner had I brought Janie into bed to join us for some eggs
than the smoke alarms went off.
Apparently 5 is way too high of a setting for this toaster.
Luckily they stopped beeping after about 30 seconds.
But we had to get some new bread.
And then Janie didn't want to eat much.

Then I had to rush to a meeting.
Then rush home.
Get started on an ambitious dinner
and a fudgy crock pot chocolate cake.
[My family was coming to celebrate my parent's 30th anniversary.]
Then we three were off to church.
Rush home.
We were met at the door with the smelled of scorched chocolate.
The cake was burning.
I tasted it. It was bad [or was it just the smell overpowering my taste buds? I couldn't decide.]
Finally Jason put it outside.
We clean up.
Change clothes.
Work to finish making food.
-and try not to wish I had a cancel button for this dinner invitation-
Janie won't eat.
Finally I put her in her bed to sleep [though it is way past her nap time]
Ten minutes later I hear her crying.
I go upstairs and discover why she wouldn't eat.
Stomach flu.
On the diaper end.
Everywhere!
I call for backup.
As I pull her tights off I get splattered [that is the nicest way I can say it]
And there's a knock at the door.
Our dinner guests have just arrived.
Good thing it's family: we make them wait.
I clean myself up.
Then I take over baby duty [and doody]
while Jason gets the door.
Then he comes back up to dress her
because I just remembered I have water boiling on the stove for the pasta.
We eat 50 minutes later.
And apologize for the lack of dessert.

But then we had a family Valentine's party.
Everyone brought treats and valentines.
Each person had a bag with their name, and we distribute our goodies elementary-school style.
Grandma wrote poems for everyone.
Ethan made acronyms with everyone's names
[though he replaced matronly with motherly. I didn't say anything, obviously, because I am also Earnest and Good-hearted.]
Mom and Dad gave out ginormous Symphony bars and dark chocolate peanut M&M's.
Russell used his mad computer skills to print some really homemade-looking, comically ill-worded cards.
Adri made Muddy Buddies, heart-shaped cookies and the sweetest poem for Janie.

As we sat enjoying our treats and company,
Grandma commented sweetly that it was like Christmas morning.
It was the perfect pick-me-up to our Valentine's Day mayhem.
Even later that night when Jason informed me he also had the stomach flu.
-and I kind of wished for a cancel button-

And especially when my Tuesday morning breakfast didn't stay down
-and I really wished for a cancel button-

And then just when I thought I was toast,
Jason stayed home from work to take care of us
[that's what makes him so nice]
and I will raise my fancy smoothie-filled goblet to my lover
[just as soon as I can stand the smell of it, that is.]

there you are.

A warm cinnamon sugar scone with honey butter.

A chunk of chocolate-amaretto swirl fudge.

And aisles and aisles of love
all lit up.



Oh there you are, Christmas spirit!

I just haven't been feeling the Christmas spirit much yet this year. But today our caravan of tots'n'mommas made its way to the Festival of Trees.

It was just what I needed.

The Festival of Trees has been one of my favorite Christmas traditions from the time that I was a young woman. Our young women group would go every year for a mutual activity. There is a very sweet, special feeling there. One year we donated homemade suckers to be sold there. Another year I donated some sock dolls my mother had helped me make. When I was 16 or 17, I was blessed with the opportunity to help create a tree for our Young Women leader's son. That year at the festival I got to stand among the trees and watch others enjoy them. I felt warm inside
and it wasn't just because of the scones.

Along with the spirit of giving that is found among the aisles of lovingly adorned Christmas trees, there is also a power of healing.

A few years ago, five little girls returned Home after they had shut themselves in the trunk of a car while playing. This heartbreaking story affected me deeply, though I didn't know the families. I don't remember if it was that year or the next, but a tree was decorated in their memory for the Festival of Trees. As I remember, the tree was the tallest in the room. There were five large, exquisite porcelain dolls, poised playfully near the tree among toys and decorations. Everything was decorated in soft colors and heavenly white. But the most beautiful thing was the feeling that encompassed the entire setting and those who passed by. People would stop and linger there. There was an overwhelming feeling of peace, of love, of joy and healing. It felt like looking in on a scene from heaven and that we were standing on holy ground. There was an inaudible whisper in the stillness of the scene, they are all right, they are happy... they live. I couldn't keep tears from my eyes and found it hard to leave.

This year a wonderful family friend decorated a tree for her daughter, who was one of the closest things to a sister that Jason had growing up. The same heaven sent feelings could be felt there, standing before her tree.



Even those trees that are not decorated in someone's memory seem to bring a special kind of joy. I can't help but think it is because of the cause. Our little family has been to Primary Children's more than a few times and there is a special feeling in and around that building. We are so grateful for it and so grateful to live nearby. Some travel for hours or even days to receive care there.

And while we're on the subject of things we're grateful for...



This year I was grateful for the small loaf of bread that Janie picked out from the Sweet Shoppe. She was so excited about it [she preferred it over the scones! I don't know how that happened!]



She proceeded to throw the bag of leftover bread onto the floor and did so repeatedly for the rest of the day.

And so, now, in addition to my newfound Christmas joy, I also have a bag of homemade breadcrumbs, also made in the spirit of giving [as in, giving the bag back to her when she threw it on the floor. But every little grin made it well worth the effort. And it's Christmas.]

A bad *Case* of witch-crafts and other wickedly good adventures

Not too far from here there is a little place called Gardner Village. Long ago it was the site of a mill belonging to Archibald Gardner.

Now it is a darling little collection of eateries and decorative shops, where they celebrate
the season
with displays of comically wicked
[and quite buxom, I might add]
witches
conjuring all sorts of hilarious hexes.



Last year we took the kids to see the witches.
We are now under their spell.

This year we decided to make a day of it. First we met at my haunt.

Each little witch and wizard got to conjure their own hats...


to wear,


and to eat!
-witch hat calzones-
with a side order of brooms *to go*
[with us to the village, that is.]

Casting spells on cupcakes...




[this only looks like a spell gone wrong!]

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble:
donning our witchy attire was quite a hoax...




...especially for the crowd two and under.

By the time we got to the village
those witches found they had met their match.





A wickedly good time was had by all!




Sadly, we didn't meet Elphaba.
Apparently, she's in the next town.
And you have to catch a twister to get there.