What's Blooming

Here's a little game for you. Try and count how many weeds you can see in this post. Then, if you are so inclined, stop by and help me pull them and I'll give you a cupcake.


Our little apple tree that one cannot see unless you march around the enormous pine tree (which still has a hula hoop stuck in it).

This is my favorite color tulip in the yard.

The rhubarb plant I just plopped in the ground on the side of the house several years ago. It has grown and grown and now I have enough rhubarb for an army. Good thing I'm making rhubarb bundt cake today. If you want some rhubarb, come and get it - and maybe pull some of those pesky weeds.


And the stinking voles are still at it.

A Haiku for You

Vegetable Garden
Potato plant is sprouting
under noontime sun

by Sophie: Bug Scientist

1st Grade Music Program

So cute! Sophie LOVED her music program and was just about crazy with excitement for the family to see her perform. They did a great job - the theme was the Teddy Bear Picnic and they all got to bring a teddy bear to sing with them. Bryan was able to come in running clothes and stay through Sophie's special number, then he dashed out the door, drove to Minneapolis, ran many blocks to the starting line of his corporate race and then ran his best one mile ever. He was the fastest runner on his corporate team again this year.

Prayers for a Little One

This is my girlfriend Leta's beautiful daughter, Katelynn. She is in surgery again today as her heart surgery was not successful yesterday. Both Katelynn and Leta could use your prayers tonight.

Bug Scientist

On Mother's Day, Sophie collected bugs. She was helping Bryan move a pile a bricks when they discovered a whole colony of bugs hiding among them. Sophie gets giddy at the sight of bugs. She even took her bug house to school yesterday to show her teacher the "undiscovered species" she found. She wanted Bryan to call the bug museum to let them know.

Sadly, her bug house is a virtual death trap as all of her bugs seem to "go to sleep" within days of being confined.

Stop the Presses!

I may have found the biggest flower hair thing on etsy - that is an adult head. Pretty girl. FYI, if you put that on your little girl, you would actually not be able to see her face.

Pretty Little Things

This made me laugh. My friend Tiffany just returned from a jaunt over to Scotland. She brought me back a Keep Calm and Carry On mug - I LOVE it!!!


I love these clever re purposed t-shirt dresses. This shop also makes re-purposed clothing - I love the long sleeved shirts.


I have no idea what one would do with these, but I think they are beautiful.


Isn't this bike just the cutest thing? I love the color and the idea of plopping the kids in the bucket (with helmets, of course).


Charming.

The Voles Left Me Some Tulips

Actually, the voles do not seem to like the tulips - they prefer to munch on my now non-existent lilies. The rabbits have a thing for the tulips. So thank-you, little pesky rabbits, for leaving me some tulips to enjoy.

Views from my Rear View Window

. . . or mirror.


Calvin and I wasting time in the car while Sophie has dance class on Monday. We are no longer allowed to observe class until the recital in June!

Mixing it Up

I actually finished a bunch of cards last week from card class - usually, I end up not finishing mine. I wanted to show how easy it is to take a design and change it's purpose. The card on the far right was our original card class card for a baby boy. I had some dinosaur stamps and paper, so after making the baby boy cards, I used the same design for birthday cards. Now I need to send about a half dozen of these out to all of the birthdays I've missed lately!

Hallelujah!

The boys finally got real haircuts - by someone other than me!

Amish Friendship Bread

My friend Susan gave us a bag of Amish Friendship Bread starter last week. I have been given these before and have always dropped them into the trash, but this time Sophie wanted to make it, so I left her in charge. You know the drill right? Mush the bag, release the air - for 10 days. Sophie diligently took care of the mushing while I tried not to be grossed out by the bag of dingy brown gloop on my kitchen counter for over a week.

Here are my observations: This is not bread. This is cake. It's very easy for kids to make and pretty tasty (it should be with all of that sugar), but I can make a bundt cake in a hour, tops. We are now pawning off four bags of the starter on Sophie's unsuspecting friends!

Views from my window - Young Padiwans

Yard Sale = Happy Max!

I stopped by a yard sale on our way back from dance photos and guess what I found?

Hardcover copy (just came out in September, retails for $27.50) for $0.50!!! Max was ecstatic! He has book one and two and has read this one, but I told him I would not buy it when it came out and he had to wait for yard sale season. Hurray!

Art Show

I forgot to post this shot of the all important art show. I happened to be passed out on the couch at 7:30pm this night when all of the sudden Max remembered it was the art show at school. I dragged myself and the three kids over to the school where we went on a scavenger hunt to find their drawings (over 900 kids at the school = lot of art!). It turns out they were right next to each other! They were both very proud of their work.

Pinewood Letdown

Doesn't your heart just ache when something really upsets your child?

Max had a tough week. The Pinewood Derby was on Tuesday evening. Max and Bryan worked on his car Tuesday morning and then frantically tried to get it to the right weight before the race began. Alas, though the car looked really cool, it drove like crap and did not even pass over the finish line. Max was crushed. They gave his car another chance later on and it managed to crash the other two cars while still not going over the finish line. Devastation.

Poor Max. He left the gym embarrassed and in tears and my heart hurt for him. A special trip out for Mexican rice and quesadillas put a smile back on his face. Next year, we will put a lot more thought into that darn car.


Here are the cute cupcakes I made for the event. We left before it was over and had ours at home.

Views from my back window

Current favorite outdoor activity? Dog piling it on the slide. Perhaps I should check the weight restrictions.

A Poem for You, From Sophie

Milk, warm chocolate chip cookies,
a good book = 1,000,000% awesome!

Yard Sale Blissdom

I forgot to show you my favorite find from last weeks yard sales - a sparkley new ruffled cake stand!

Best Birth Story Ever

Remember cute little Tristan who has been coming here the last several months? Well, on Tuesday morning, his brave Mommy gave birth to his sister IN THEIR DRIVEWAY! That's right, after a very accelerated labor, little sister decided to come out in their minivan with only Daddy there to catch her just as our BISHOP arrived to help!!

Here they are, coming to pick up Tristan after bring the sweet new baby home from the hospital. And yes, that is the minivan she was born in. Thank heavens for Relief Society Presidents, home teachers and steam cleaners!