Dance classes.

Zachary and Chayce just finished their first year of dance lessons. Zac was in a hip-hop class, and Chayce took ballet. There were no snazzy outfits, just the lessons and a night to show off their moves. It was perfect. They really enjoyed themselves.

Each child received an award for something they had done during the year. Chayce received the award for best side-sashays in the class. Zac's award was for most creative. This was a play on a class that was held a few weeks ago, when Miss Kristy asked the class to each perform a trick on the dance floor, that was of their own creation. Zac went out and used his fingers to move his nose side to side and announced that he'd begun his own nose-dance fad. Laughter ensued, and it's been part of the class since. Silly boy.

Food Fail!

It's been a loooong time since one of my experiments in cooking has flopped, but it has happened. This time, it was big...so big that even I didn't eat it. Sadly. Lots of good veggies went to the compost pile. But that's OK, it will add nutrients to my compost, thus feeding my future veggies. Or someone else's future veggies, if the folks who buy our home like to eat decent food--er, umm, garden.

The fail here was that no one in my family likes the taste of seaweed. I do...a little, like in sushi, but this recipe was overpowering. Sigh. On my list of NOT HAPPENING AGAIN. I thought I could convince them that they were just black noodles (which isn't a bad thing, since I do have a yummy recipe for homemade chocolate spaghetti with vanilla sauce). On with life!

A is for Amazing!

My most amazing friend, who goes by "A" online, has opened her own etsy shop! All are her own designs, using vintage sheets, and are adorable! (So, A is also for adorable.) Anyhow, head on over and see her fun designs.

She trains them well

In the morning over the last several weeks, the youngest wakes up screaming for daddy. The moment I have changed her diaper, she starts asking for mom.

POPCORN!

Oh, I've been on one lately. We've been having popcorn, popcorn, and more popcorn. I've been in the mood. I know many variations on the theme, and have had a different one each day. This probably (OK, it does) means I've been serving up a LOT of corn syrup, but...but...but...

Today's was strawberry. I might do apricot tomorrow. We had caramel corn the other day. And also just plain buttered. I've heard cinnamon on buttered popcorn is good, but haven't tried it yet...that's next.

Here's today's popcorn coating recipe:

1 C corn syrup
1 3 oz pkg Jello...your choice of flavor.

Heat in saucepan until the gelatin is completely melted. Stir, stir, stir!

Pour over large bowl (about 10 cups) of popped popcorn. Oh, have this already popped, or the jello will harden. Munch, munch, munch.

Help! Help!

OK, so it's not a crisis, but if you have a minute, would you help me make a decision?

Should I chop off my hair, or keep it long? Here are three photos to help in the voting:




I know, it's a totally vain post, and I'll more than likely delete it once I decide, because--really, it's not going in the scrapbook...but since the blogosphere is here... well, I might as well use it.

Easter Morn

Tomorrow is Easter. I've been thinking about it for weeks. I've got a scripture hunt planned for the kids (instead of the Easter egg hunt, although we did hide the plastic eggs today with some candy in them). I wanted to get them an Easter basket with traditional goodies in it, but I really wanted it to have meaning. Easter means so much, really. It's the reason Christmas is so amazing. If not for the resurrection, we wouldn't bother celebrating the birth of Christ either. It's the whole package that really makes the difference. So, we're having a scripture hunt in the morning, and at the end, as we all pretend to watch the skies for Christ, the surprise will be on a high shelf. I'm excited. It's a small bit of symbolism, and I'm sure it'll be over their heads a bit (no pun intended, but it was a good one!), but I think in time they will understand what I mean.

I've been thinking about how I'm very impatient about them understanding the gospel, and today I realized that I am barely starting to understand it fully. There is so much to grasp to really understand the love God has for us, that he would give his son--his first born son, to die for us. I can teach, and teach, and teach--yet it won't be until my children have children that they will understand the love of a parent. That the love of God much be so much stronger than even that. I look at my first born, my son, and I think of how wonderful he is. I think of how when he was little, I thought I couldn't love another child as much, that there was no way I'd have more children because I loved him so much that I would never be able to love another. But then, as each child came, my love didn't diminish for him, my capacity GREW. Wow. I just sit and think of how full I feel (I really can't explain it), full of an intense love that will never go away, with only three children, and then I think of how the Lord loves every single human being on earth--that has ever lived and will live, and I think of how full his joy must be. True, his heartache must be wrenching as well, but...all I can think to say is WOW.