Catching up

Finally have a keyboard and mouse that are not broken. An unnamed child of mine for some unknown reason thought it would be a great idea to spit into them. And I just thought I was draining water out of my keyboard.

Sugar cookies

I really wanted to do this around Valentine's Day with my visiting teaching circle of ladies but just couldn't find the gumption with the flu and all. Not only was I feeling physically blah but I was emotionally listless.

Lion House Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 C sugar
2/3 C butter
2 eggs, beaten
2Tbl milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/4 C flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
1. Cream butter and sugar
2. add eggs, milk and vanilla
3. Sift four, baking powder, and salt together. add to cream mixture. Combine thoroughly.
4. With hands shape dough into a ball.
5 . Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight.
6. Grease cookie sheets lightly
7. On floured surface, roll 1/2 to 1/3 of dough at a time, keeping the rest in fridge.
8. for soft cookies, roll 1/8 to 1/4 in. thick.
9. Cut with cookie cutter. Place 1/2 in. apart of cookie sheet.
10. Bake at 400F for 8 minutes or until a very light brown.

I finally did manage to organize something towards the end of the month with some of the ladies and after the boys came home from school, we made some more.

It was fun

and messy too.

the Glaze recipe:
2 1/2 C powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. water plus 2 tsp. of water
1 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp almond extract
mix together. divide into smaller bowls before adding food coloring. a drop or two go a long ways. I bought new paint brushes of different thicknesses to decorate the cookies. The glaze dries quickly and then you can layer and embellish.


Just some guesses as to what this kid might be when he grows up....a chef (because he loves food and eating and is constantly fixing himself something and is very creative at it)....a doctor of some sort (he loves working with tools and doesn't fear blood and gross things, this is my wish for him of course :0).....maybe a construction worker or contractor (he's strong and again, likes working with tools).....but who knows...just will have to wait and see.

Still have no inclination as to what this little fellow will be.

With Toki....some kind of scientist.....maybe not an astronaut although that would be cool....he's so afraid of heights and freaks out when walking down those open staircases of apartment buildings or when we hike up to Mt. Timpanogas he has to be touching the mountain and freaks out when his siblings or I get too close to the edge....maybe perhaps working for NASA in the controls or designing parts for the space-station (of course my dream)

Discovery Museum

Lolo

on the laptop. Some web-sights we go to are pbskids.com, moshimonsters.com, clubpenguins, and dance mat typing (bbc.co.uk) where Toki is learning how to type.

Chris and I got to conversing about how we didn't know how to use a computer or type until we were much older than our kids. Me....I learned to type in high school and I never used a computer until college.

I found myself wondering if placing a laptop on a lap for long periods of time causes infertility or maybe cancer.

Anyway, I do want to give my kids all the opportunities in life, so just in case....no more laptops placed on laps for extended periods of time. *I read that young children shouldn't stand near a microwave when in use, in a parenting magazine. On the microwave topic....often microwaves are on counter level and if you are short like me that would be at breast level. Thus I no longer stand in front of the microwave when it's running, for fear of getting breast cancer. O.K. a little too much insight into my cancer phobia.

Date Night

We met up with the Mitchells for some dinner and then Chris and I saw Avatar in 3-D. I really loved the movie. I've been having some inner conflict as to why anyone would want to become a God to a world like ours with so much inequality, starvation, abuse, war, hatred, etc....finding a few reasons such as to experience love, personal growth, and to have the plethora of experiences that come from having children.....but at such a cost.... I think if I were to be a Goddess, it would be to a planet like Pandora and untouched by our hunger for power and money. Sometimes I wish for a world without disease and other types of suffering, a safe place, free from evil and terrible things, a place where the kids do as they're told and are perfectly obedient........sounds a lot like Lucifer's plan before he fell away. I'm not saying I'm falling away....just that I hate seeing so much suffering and here I am in my little bubble, warm and well fed. I do however know I would like to increase my faith and react more because of it than because of fear.

Projects

With only one full day in between business trips Chris tries to make the best of it. Last week, just an hour before we had to leave to take him to the airport, he made a birdhouse for our female parakeet and just a couple hours before having to drive to the airport today, he finished the bunk bed ladder and rail. What a guy.

Some things I'd like to work on:

Asking my boys to do things using "please" and "will you." Because I am their mother I feel entitled to tell them what to do because I am wiser and they need guidance. I either don't feel like I need to use polite words, lose my patience, or think it quicker to just give out demands. However, I've made a mistake and thus have created a couple bossy kids in the process. I'm in the very beginning stages of undoing the damage and I don't know if it can be done. crossing my fingers

Being a funner mom. I can be unenthusiastic with my motherly and wifely duties. Sometimes it just gets old. Maybe you can relate? I think if the lull drags on, everyone just starts getting down. So, even if it's just an outing to the dollar store or dollar theater, or reading the Wizard of Oz before watching the movie together.......I need to make the initiative. Since Chris is out of town, I can no longer rely on him to get us moving.

Making due with what I have. I'm envious of large, extended, Mormon families who have a strong social support system in place, helping each other and with kids the same age. I think it's a blessing for them. Their kids have so many good examples to follow. I feel like I'm doing this alone. And it's really, really hard sometimes. sniff, sniff. One of the speakers today at church spoke a lot about serving your neighbors. Not to be judgmental of him, but I was, when I thought...that guy has never bothered to speak to us...and when I thought...when are you going to come over and help me? How horrible of me.

and building up my kids. Just being more positive with them, praising them, really listening to what they have to say. They deserve it. They are precious to me. My test and gifts from God.