So I haven't blogged for a couple of weeks, not really sure why other than so many things going on.  We went through two weeks of Phoenix feeling very sick and Scarlett away at camp.  It is funny because I think maybe Scarlett being away caused Phoenix to feel sick and I lost some of my inspiration for blogging!!  Well we also had a western party celebration for our uncle's 50th birthday as well as my nephew and daughter both turning 13!!  I also had a birthday and was able to get away for a couple of days, leaving Phoenix for the first time since he was born.  It was a great rest and long overdue.   In addition, my father's aunt, the matriarch on that side of the family passed away.  I went to the wake and watched her brother, my great uncle, say goodbye to his last sibling.  Sadly, being the youngest, he has buried all five of his siblings.  It was sad but wonderful to reminisce about the love they shared for years.  I also was able to spend some time with cousins I don't see as often as I'd like.  So  I am feeling so  many emotions these days and was overwhelmed by all that was going on.  I am happy to celebrate the lives of all my family that I love greatly.   Watching my uncle turn 50, someone who to me, along with his wife, my aunt, are eternally in their 20's caused feelings of melancholy.  Watching my daughter and my nephew, who were born a week apart, turn 13 was wonderful and scary all at once.  Watching my great uncle lose his last sibling made me see how fast time goes by and how each moment counts. 

Love to all those celebrating a milestone or holding on to memories of past milestones. 

Happy Birthday Scarlett!!

Quote of the Week

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

 

Happy Birthday to our beloved Country

 

Here is wishing a year of peace

 

unity not separation

 

less natural disasters and

more natural wonders

 

less sorrow and more happiness

 

Happy Birthday America   

Her blanket

Scarlett has a blanket since she was a baby that she continues to sleep with everyday and bring with her whenever she is away from home.  In fact, when she was about five years old,  after spending a few days in a hotel in Florida, on the way  hone Scarlett realized she did not have her blanket.  She cried for a good hour repeating "I love my blanket, I will never see it again!"  Luckily, we called the hotel and they were kind enough to have saved it and they shipped it to our home. 

For some reason a few weeks ago, Phoenix decided he was going to take ownership of the beloved blanket.  What ensued was days of the two of them playing tug of war with the blanket and hiding the blanket from each other.   Scarlett promised to buy Phoenix a new blanket and Phoenix promised to buy Scarlett a new blanket.  Each night since, Phoenix looks for the blanket before he goes to sleep.  

The other day Scarlett was packing to go away to camp.  She came out of her room with the blanket and gave it to Phoenix, "Here Phoenix, you can use it."  I was amazed and proud of her.  I'm sure she went to pack the blanket in her bag and when she thought of her brother she chose to consider him and put him first.  Since Scarlett left for camp Phoenix has not been feeling well.   He came down with a fever and a cough. 

However, the blanket is there to comfort him.

 

The only thing that put a small smile on his face is when I reminded him how much his sister loves him by sharing her blanket.

 

 

Quote of the Week

Enjoying the small things

Finding quiet moments in our home with a 2 year old and a 12 year old is somewhat of a challenge.  It seems I never have a waking moment to myself.   I have even tried to escape to the bathroom with no success.  Our kids, like most mothers could confirm, have some kind of bathroom radar.  As soon I close the bathroom door behind me, one of them is knocking or calling out mom.   I want to stay up late after they have fallen asleep but most of the time I find myself falling asleep at the same time. 

Tonight, Scarlett has left for two weeks of camp and Phoenix, who has not been feeling well this weekend, is asleep.  I have a moment to myself. 

A hot cup of coffee with my new discovery of Bailey's Toffee Almond Cream creamer and some cinnamon along with a good book.  

 

 

 Time to enjoy the moment.  Good Night.

 

 

Easy cinnamon walnut cake

I have begun coordinating our coffee hour at church this year.  Although some have helped each week, I usually provide some of the goodies.   I have said before that I am far from a cook or a baker, but I have been trying.   Here is an easy make cake that I came up with combining a few different recipes I have collected.  It has a swirl of nuts, sugar and cinnamon in the middle and has the consistency of a pound cake.  Great for coffee or tea time. 

Ingredients for cake:

1 3/4 cups of flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup room temperature butter
1tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for swirl:

1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 81/2 inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray

2. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt

3. In a bowl combine the eggs, sour cream, sugar, butter and vanilla (the butter needs to be room temperature to mix well)

4. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture until blended

5. In a bowl mix the swirl ingredients

6. Pour half of the batter into the pan

7.  Spread the swirl mixture evenly over 1st layer of batter

8. Spread rest of batter on top

9. Bake 40 minutes(times may vary with each oven) toothpick inserted in center should come out dry

Weekend Recap

We had a fun and busy weekend...

 We started Friday celebrating the Summer Solstice with a visit to the children's museum in Poughkeepsie.

 

We enjoyed visiting with a few animals

 

 

 

 and building with the new Imagination Playground. 

 

 

Saturday we celebrated our cousin Kaitie's Sweet 16

 

  Looking good! 

 

 

 The Beautiful Kaitie

 

Sunday everyone slept in, a rare treat lately, and enjoyed a nice breakfast together.

 

 Then it was time to play in the water.

Sprinkler fun and yes, the baby pool still keeps us cool!

 

 

 Chinese food for dinner

 

Some balloon fun

 

  And cool treats to end the night!!!

 

A great start to the summer!  How did you begin

 your summer?

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome Summer!!!

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

Blogger 101

So I have become frustrated.  I have not posted in the past few days and I have spent the past week trying to learn some blogging skills.  I have tried to create a blog button with little success.  I was able to create a simple button but don't seem to be able to make it so others can grab my button. 

I have begun teaching myself how to make photo collages or to add text or images to pictures, but I must say it is not as easy as I would have thought.  I am trying to create my own heading, but again not going so smoothly.    I still haven't come to understand how to get my blog "out there" for others to view.

To add to the frustration, somewhere along the line while downloading a photo tool, I picked up a virus on my computer.    I have enjoyed the past two months of blogging, however after a few days of challenges I have come to question my computer abilities.  However, I am getting back in the saddle as they say.  My plan is to continue to try to learn new tools and tricks each day and to work toward the blog I envision. 

So to all my blogging friends, how did you come to create and share you blog?    Was it challenging at first?  Any suggestions for this struggling newbie? 

Two year old fun

It is so much fun watching Phoenix explore and learn new things everyday.   He loves to play with water, he has taught himself to turn on the hose which in turn has led to each of us getting sprayed by him.   He loves to play with sand and pick flowers.  He loves ducks and asks each day if we could buy one.  He loves playdoh (what kid doesn't), bubbles, balls and stickers.  He has begun playing with his cars,planes and little animals on his own,  making the sounds of the cars and animals, so cute!!  We have recently begun doing more artwork with him painting, drawing and just recently he used glue for the first time.  He loves to hang  his artwork on the refrigerator and sometimes he will just draw a quick squiggle and say"hang it up", anxious to see it on display. 

And of course he loves his big sister, mimmicking everything she does!!

Our sidewalk chalk road

 

Bubble fun 

 

Water Water Water

 

 Sand time

  

He loves the glue stick 

 

 

As you see from the last three pics from different days he loves his orange shirts too!!!

 

 

Our latest art display

 

 Monkey see monkey do

 

Happy Father's Day

Started a great weekend picking up my father at the airport for a father's day visit.  Beautiful weather, dinner ouside on our deck and a visit to the town fair for some rides, candy apples and cotton candy. 

Barbecue planned for tomorrow and the long awaited Superman!! 

Wishing a happy father's day to all dads.

Happy father's day daddy, so happy to share another father's day with you. I am so happy you are here. 

Happy father's day Roger, my love always, thank you for my greatest gift in life, my beautiful children. 

 

 

 

Quote of the Week

How was your day?

Having a conversation with a 12 year old girl can sometimes be a challenge.  When Scarlett comes home from school

 I ask: How was your day? 
Response: Fine.

I ask: What did you do in school today? What's new?
Response: Nothing.

Now don't get me wrong, sometimes Scarlett has lots to say and I have to say I am lucky that we have a great relationship and she still likes to tell me things.  However, spending lots of our daytime hours apart, I an interested in how her day went.  A few years back I saw a movie, actually it came out in 1999, called The Story of Us with Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer.  It wasn't a great movie but there was one scene with the family at dinner that I enjoyed.  Each night at dinner they would ask each other what the high of their day was and what the low of their day was.  We began asking each other the questions during our dinner.  It has helped start conversations at our dinner.  It has helped us share our days with each other.   It has also helped us deal with the day's frustrations or celebrate the joys of our day.  I have to say some days my high is the conversations we have at the  table while we play highs and lows.

How about you? Do you have any suggestions for getting our kids to share more?

Things to watch...

I had to post this video.  This young girl is great.  If you haven't seen it yet, listen to her sing the National Anthem at the NBA Finals.   Beautiful! 

You Tube National Anthem

It is finally here!  Superman- Man of Steel the movie comes out this weekend.  We are so excited to see this movie.  We have been waiting a long time for this.  Check out the trailers....

Superman Man of Steel

 Anyone else planning to see the movie this weekend?



So watching television is not something that happens too often is our home anymore. Since Phoenix was born and Scarlett seems to always be busy after dinner we spend little time in front of the television.  However, we try to watch America's Got Talent whose season started last week.  We enjoy the acts and the music played during the episodes really gets you involved and cheering for the contestants.  It is a fun time and a show that is family friendly, a rare find today. 

Check out Paul Thomas Mitchell from last night.  It is moving...

America's Got Talent

So what have you been watching lately?

 

 

 

On her way to 8th grade!

Scarlett is taking her finals this week.  Her year in seventh grade is quickly coming to an end.  How could she be on her way to eighth grade?  I am so proud of all she has accomplished and learned this year.  I am excited for her plans this summer, two weeks at Frost Valley camp enjoying the outdoors and two weeks in film camp (her first step in pursuing her dream).   The years have gone so quickly and although I am excited for next year with graduation and preparing for high school, I am hoping this summer lingers for awhile. 

Scarlett proudly showing her test in Kindergarten

Scarlett has decided on three books to read over the summer.  She usually needs to be pushed to read, she would rather be watching a movie or listening to music.   We continue to search for books that interest her.  She enjoys books with a twist or mystery involved.  Add a ghost, witch or fairy and there is a greater chance she will read it.  She has also become a fan of history, largely thanks to her last two history teachers; so historical fiction is becoming more appealing.  Scarlett also seems to be drawn to  reading stories where the characters are struggling or hurting in some way.  She said there is more feelings and emotions in these books.  So with all this in mind here are Scarlett's choices.

The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Doll Bones by Holly Black

Mindful Mothering Mondays

 

What books have your tweens or teens enjoyed?

Quote of the Week

Phoenix's Summer Reading begins

To go along with our summer bucket list we have been reading three books filled with summer sights and sounds.   Each book has great illustrations and simple words desribing all the great fun of summer. 

Today we filled Phoenix's kiddie pool and played in the water.   Later in the day when we read Summer Days and Nights, it had a picture of kids swimming in a littel pool, he was so excited.  He said, " I did that!" 

  


For more ideas on great summer reading for kids, check out this website. 

Start with a Book

It is filled with books, hands on activities, summer writing ideas and great fun for summer enjoyment.  

What summer books have you shared with each other?

Summer Reading

     Summer is quickly approaching, school is almost over and it is time to find those books we can enjoy reading during our relaxed summer days.

I am always adding books to my list to read.  There are so many to choose from but here are the four I have chosen for the summer.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L.Stedman
Amazon description: After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.


The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
 Amazon description: What are you reading?”
That’s the question Will Schwalbe asks his mother, Mary Anne, as they sit in the waiting room of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 2007, Mary Anne returned from a humanitarian trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan suffering from what her doctors believed was a rare type of hepatitis. Months later she was diagnosed with a form of advanced pancreatic cancer, which is almost always fatal, often in six months or less.
This is the inspiring true story of a son and his mother, who start a “book club” that brings them together as her life comes to a close. Over the next two years, Will and Mary Anne carry on conversations that are both wide-ranging and deeply personal, prompted by an eclectic array of books and a shared passion for reading. Their list jumps from classic to popular, from poetry to mysteries, from fantastic to spiritual. The issues they discuss include questions of faith and courage as well as everyday topics such as expressing gratitude and learning to listen. Throughout, they are constantly reminded of the power of books to comfort us, astonish us, teach us, and tell us what we need to do with our lives and in the world. Reading isn’t the opposite of doing; it’s the opposite of dying.
 
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Amazon description: In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all---beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate. Inseparable.
So begins Kristin Hannah’s magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.


Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler
Eighty-nine-year-old Isabelle McAllister has a favor to ask her hairdresser Dorrie Curtis. It's a big one. Isabelle wants Dorrie, a black single mom in her thirties, to drop everything to drive her from her home in Arlington, Texas, to a funeral in Cincinnati. With no clear explanation why. Tomorrow.
Dorrie, fleeing problems of her own and curious whether she can unlock the secrets of Isabelle's guarded past, scarcely hesitates before agreeing, not knowing it will be a journey that changes both their lives.
Over the years, Dorrie and Isabelle have developed more than just a business relationship. They are friends. But Dorrie, fretting over the new man in her life and her teenage son's irresponsible choices, still wonders why Isabelle chose her.
Isabelle confesses that, as a willful teen in 1930s Kentucky, she fell deeply in love with Robert Prewitt, a would-be doctor and the black son of her family's housekeeper--in a town where blacks weren't allowed after dark. The tale of their forbidden relationship and its tragic consequences makes it clear Dorrie and Isabelle are headed for a gathering of the utmost importance and that the history of Isabelle's first and greatest love just might help Dorrie find her own way.

...Look out for our summer reading lists for Phoenix and Scarlett. 

What books are you reading this summer?  Let me know I would love to add them to my list. 

Happy Birthday Sis!

This week my baby sister turned 40 years old!  It is funny cause I was always the one who stressed getting older never wanting to acknowledge my birthday but this year my sister began to freak out.  Since I passed 40 I seem to think less about my age, but I know how she feels.

It sometimes doesn't seem possible that 40 years have gone by. 

 

 It seems like yesterday we were sharing a bedroom and staying up late watching The Odd Couple on our little yellow black and white television.  

 It seems like yesterday we would play library and house and restaurant.

 It seems like yesterday we would spend the day swimming and then run into the air conditioner freezing. 

 It seems like yesterday we would ride our bikes to the next town and  spend hours in the library. 

 It seems like yesterday we would make a line down the middle of our room not letting the other step on our side of the room. 

It seems like yesterday you would say, " I cant sleep", and I would say "Think of Tom and Jerry and you will feel better".

It seems like yesterday we made a clubhouse in grandma's closet and charged our family money to come watch the plays we would perform.

It seems like yesterday we would dress up as Baby New Year and Father Time for New Year's Eve.

It seems like yesterday we would spend all day making up dances to Michael Jackson's Thriller album.

It seems like yesterday we would go to the wresting matches and cheer and boo for Hulk Hogan and the Iron Sheik. 

It seems like yesterday we  would drive to school together singing Elvis songs out loud.

It seems like yesterday we went to college, first fell in love and moved out on our own.

It seems like yesterday we went through our first pregnancies together having our children one week apart.

Thank you for all the memories we have shared together.  I am looking forward to another 40 years of memories. 

Happy Birthday Baby Sister!  I love you! 

What's in a Name?

So we have been in our new house for a year and a half and we have been talking about naming our home.   It feels right to give our space a name.   We plan to spend many years here and our home is where we spend most of our time and where many memories are made.  It is an important part of our lives and it deserves a special name. 
 
 Naming my children was a very important part of parenting for me.   It is the first "label" our children would have.  It is something they would use to represent themselves throughout their life.  We were far from "traditional" in our namings.  We wanted our childrens' names to have signifance. 

We named our first child, our daughter, Scarlett Infinity Hope.

 She is named after Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind.  Scarlett was a beautiful strong almost stubborn woman who has always been my favorite character.   Hope, sometimes referred to as the opposite of despair, is an important part of our outlook in life.  Infinity, chosen by my husband, allows her name to represent hope forever. 

Our second child, our beautiful son, who we lost at seven weeks old, we named Roger Jor-El.   So, I guess we did go the traditional route naming our son after his father.  Jor-El is the father of Superman, again a strong character we love.  Oh how we miss you Little Rog. 

Our third child, our wonderful gift of new life, we named
 Phoenix Kal-El.  

The Phoenix bird, a mythical creature, symbolizes rebirth.  It is said only one Phoenix bird lives at a time and after it dies it burns to ashes and a new bird rises from the ashes.  His middle name Kal-El, is Superman's original name given to him by his parents.  Our son Phoenix is our new life and truly our super hero. 

The Phoenix

How did you choose your children's names? 

Quote of the Week

"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up." 
-Mark Twain

 

 

 

The greatest comfort food

Today was a long day.  Nothing seemed to go right. 
 
My car was in the shop for a noise it was making, so I took my mother's car to work. 
 
I forgot my parking pass and had to park blocks away from work. 

It was close to 90 degrees today so not a pleasant walk. 

The computer system at work was not working right so it took me two hours to do 20 minutes of work.  

I went to pick up my car to discover after paying more than I had hoped, that the car was making the same noise, in fact I swear it sounds worse.

I came home hot, frustrated and stressed. 
 
My son greeted me in the driveway by soaking me with the hose.  I guess after the fact that wasn't so bad. 

Anyway, I went straight to the kitchen, my place of comfort.  There is only one thing that comes to mind to make when I am seeking comfort food, Pasta.  So here is my simple recipe for pasta with marinara sauce. 

Marinara Sauce Ingredients:

1 can of crushed tomatoes ( I use Tuttorosso, but any would be fine)

A splash of white wine(maybe 2 splashes tonight)
A handful of Pecorino Romano cheese
A tablespoon of sugar
Fresh basil
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Put all the ingredients in a pot except for the basil.  Simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.  Boil your choice of pasta according to the directions on the box.  Top the pasta with the sauce and fresh basil leaves.

Enjoy! Oh, I almost forgot. Don't forget your glass of wine.

93 Days of Summer

  With June quickly approaching, thoughts of summer are with us.  There is so much we want to do this summer and the days always seem to go by so quickly.  There are 93 days of summer this year.  So here is our list of 93 fun things we hope to enjoy!

1.Celebrate the summer solstice
2. Feed the ducks
3.Go to a county fair
4.Watch fireworks
5.Bury each other in the sand
6.Grill lobster tails
7.Watch a sunrise
8.Watch a sunset
9.Paint an outdoor scene at a park
10.Eat cotton candy
11.Go to a drive-in movie
12.Ride bikes
13.Make homemade ice pops
14.Swim at a beach
15. Swim at a lake
16.Swim at a pool
17.Sing Happy Birthday to America on July 4
18.Hand wash the car(water fight time!)
19.Celebrate Scarlett's 13th birthday on July 20
20.Grow a garden
21.Celebrate National Ice Cream Day on July 21
22.Have a lemonade sale
23.Buy lemonade from a lemonade sale
24.Make a fruit salad
25.Collect and paint rocks
26.Go on a hike
27.Sing camp songs around a bonfire
28.Take a nap outside
29.Eat watermelon
30.Go antiquing
31.Stay in pajamas all day
32.Make the kiddie pool a bubble bath outside
33.See an outdoor concert
34.Picnic outdoors
35.Picnic indoors on a rainy day
36.Go fishing
37.Make a sidewalk chalk masterpiece
38.Ride a roller coaster
39.Catch tadpoles
40.Make sun brewed iced tea
41.Visit the library
42.Go Geo caching
43.Host a family and friends barbecue
44.Read lots of books
45.Play flashlight tag
46.Visit a farmer's market(make dinner with only items we bought at the market)
47.Catch lightning bugs
48.Walk barefoot in the grass
49.Visit a museum
50.Have a family game night
51.Go berry picking
52.Get ice cream at an outdoor stand
53.Go to the zoo
54.Make Smores
55.Build something
56.Go rollerskating
57.Make popcorn for a movie night
58.Find a new playground to explore
59.Grill pizza
60.Take a boat ride
61.Make a pictures with beans
62.Send postcards about our summer to family and friends
63.Watch a baseball game
64.Make frozen pina coladas
65Visit a waterfall
66.Have a sleepover
67.Dance to our favorite summer song of 2013(yet to be determined)
68.Feed animals at a farm
69.Eat outside at a restaurant
70.Camp outside in a tent
71.Camp inside in a tent
72.Go on a road trip
73.Try a new fruit
74.Try a new vegetable
75.Stay in a hotel and order room service
76.Write a summer poem
77.Play in the sprinkler
78.Explore a nearby town
79.Make lemonade
80.Watch a classic movie
81.Sleep in
82.Stay up late
83.Celebrate National Waffle Day on August 24
85.Lay on a blanket outside and look for falling stars
86.Visit the library again
87.Host an ice cream sundae party
88.Pick flowers
89.Visit the new Legoland in New York
90.Take lots of photos and make summer journal
91.Have a back to school shopping day
92.Donate school supplies to those in need
93.Have kids choose and make dinner and talk about all the memories we made this summer

What's on your list?? 

Let it rain

The best thing one can do when it's raining is let it rain.
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It seems like it has been raining everyday lately. The never ending rain becomes much more noticeable when you have a two year old boy full of energy. Phoenix wakes up every morning asking to go outside and if it were up to him he would never come inside. So of course, even though the rain has been non-stop we eventually end up outside.

 

 

 

 

Of course finding a puddle is the first course of action!!

 

Adding a few rocks to the mix makes it that much better.

 

And finally the ultimate thrill, jumping and splashin endlessly in the puddle!

 

So in the end, I guess the rain is not so bad.   Here is hoping we all take the time to jump and splash in the puddles.