I’ve lost count of how many days now it’s been cold and dreary and rainy. We had enjoyed those “unseasonably warm” days a few weeks ago, with kids playing outside all day, getting filthy dirty from playing in their dirt pit out back. We had windows open day and night, kids were sleeping in shorts, and the tulips were getting ready to bloom.

Then the “unseasonably cold” weather came. And it hasn’t left yet. Every day I check the forecast, wondering if there is any relief in sight. But rather than getting better, it seems to be getting worse. Yesterday we heard news of heavy snow falling just north of us in Chicago. We didn’t get snow… just more rain and more gray clouds. But then this morning, about the time I was feeling very smug that we had avoided snow, I see there is a dusting of snow on the top of the van. Will it never end? Read the rest of this entry »

Easter Sunday was so much fun! Roy & Mary had our family over for brunch, and everyone seemed to really enjoy a little different menu than usual. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve been invited to an Easter Brunch tomorrow, and when I asked what I could bring, the answer was “muffins and fruit salad”.  What a delightful excuse to do some muffin research and find just the right recipes for our meal.  After much “googling”, I finally settled on “Apple Pumpkin” muffins and “Raspberry Streusel” muffins.  Added to my challenge was to substitute sucanat for sugar, since two of the folks at the brunch are avoiding refined sugar.  Fortunately, sucanat can be substituted 1:1 for sugar, so it was easy to make the change, after making a quick stop at the health-food store for the sucanat.

Since muffins and other quick breads usually taste better the next day, I’m very eager to taste these muffins tomorrow.  Preliminary testing shows quite satisfactory results already this evening.  The children keep begging to help me taste more muffins, but I need to save at least a few to take to the brunch.

Happy Easter!

Last night Isaac was sitting next to me visiting while at the same time holding his little bag of golden coins. Recently Michael has taken to getting his cash in these dollar coins instead of paper money, and Isaac is fascinated with them. Last night Isaac traded in all of his paper money for a stack of golden coins.

As we were visiting, I told Isaac that he reminded me of Silas Marner. Of course, Isaac had no idea what I was talking about, so I told him the story briefly, while trying not to give away the end. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Faithful Reader,

While it often astounds me that folks are interested in my daily life, I must admit that it does give me great pleasure to have this outlet for all of the little bits of news that rattle around in my head. So here I am, once again, to share with you an update on the most mundane of subjects: the weather. Read the rest of this entry »

Tonight I’m quite tired after a day full of lots of little things that all add up to one long day. Read the rest of this entry »

Today was a big day for Judah, one that marks a significant transition for him, and he won’t even remember it. Today was the day he officially started potty training. Thanks to a recommendation from my dear sister-in-law, Mary, I’ve used the same method with all of my children thus far, and it works really well. I must admit that with the first three kids I trained, I was so tired and frustrated and I was in tears by the end of the day, simply because of how intensive the day is. But now I’m mentally prepared for what is involved with the training, and I just settle in for a very long day. I also take comfort in realizing that the child I’m training is just as exhausted at the end of the day as I am, since it’s been pretty intensive for them, too. Read the rest of this entry »