Cake In A Pan

This past week I've been getting back into the swing of school and schedules.

I just finished filling in the calendar with the practice times for my girls' sports, various doctor appointments, dentist appointments, vet appointments, yadda yadda yadda.

To say my calendar looks overwhelming after only one week of school is an understatement.

In order to keep myself sane, I decided to put my calendar out of my head for the day.  I'll become an ostrich with my head in the sand, so to speak.

Today I decided to make a cake.  I love cake.  Actually, I love to bake.  It is the one thing I'm pretty okay at doing in the kitchen.

I decided to make Perfect Pound Cake from The Pioneer Woman.

It has 7-UP/Sprite/Sierra Mist in it and it is yummy.

This is what I'm left with after cooking my cake.

My cake is hopelessly stuck in the pan.  And I used cooking spray--to the Nth degree.
Iron Man tried to help un-stick the cake to no avail.  Look at him.  He collapsed.

Hope you all have a great and un-stuck weekend!

What IS that?

I live in a Desperate Housewives-type neighborhood.

No, we're not out stealing husbands or peeking in windows, but any new visitor to my house always makes the same comment...that I live on Wisteria Lane in real life.

We've been in our house for 8 years now and a huge selling point when we were house hunting was the square that is steps from our front door.

It is about the size of a football field.

If you should choose to run around the square, say, four times, you'd have run a mile.

That's pretty handy information to have if you like to run and sweat.  I like to walk and relax.

Recently the trees around the square have been trimmed up (in hopes the grass will start to grow again!) and you'll never guess what showed up soon after the tree trimmers left....

I KNOW!
What IS that thing?

What we DO know is that it is seriously scary looking and even scarier sounding.

They swarm around the freshly cut parts of the trees and if you get anywhere near them they fly around you.

Well, I went out there with my zoom lens  to snap the above pictures so my husband could try to google these crazy creatures.

They are called Eastern Cicada Killers.

Seriously.  I don't make this stuff up.

Luckily it seems they don't go out trying to sting anyone, but they are some wicked looking guys.

Now aren't you glad you popped by for a light read?  You come away with new information.  I'm helpful like that.

Meet The Teacher

When I was growing up,  there was no "Meet The Teacher" Day, per se.  I'd beg my mom and dad starting in the middle of July, to make a drive by school to see if the class rosters were taped to the front doors.

The preceding weeks would find my best friends and me discussing possible teacher/student combinations and what the ramifications would be if *gasp* we were not all in the same class.  They wouldn't actually separate us, would they?  


Now it is my turn to listen with my oh-so-impatient ears about the possibilities for the upcoming school year.  I honestly don't know which is true...if I was as big a pain about teacher assignments as my kids are OR if I kept more stuff quiet and discussed it with my friends.  Because if I was like my kids, I don't know how I didn't drive my mother to drink in the weeks leading up to a new school year.

First Day of School 2009

Today was my kids' day to meet their teachers for the 2011-2012 school year.  (Doesn't that look odd?  I mean, I remember writing 2000 and now we're all the way to 2011.  Where does the time go?)

Luckily our school has gone to almost everything online, so the majority of necessary forms were already filled out (in triplicate, of course, by yours truly) and the {send} button was pushed.  I grabbed my two youngest kiddos and headed over to school.

The church building our school meets in is undergoing renovations and because of the siding being put on the building, it looked like it was snowing when we arrived.  Seriously.  The little Styrofoam flakes (or whatever they were) were falling from the sky, collecting near the door in little drifts.  This has nothing to do with our day, just funny to note.

My little guy is in Kindergarten this year and has the same teacher as my 9 yo daughter and my nieces. She's the best--very gregarious and super organized.  My quiet, play-by-himself little guy will really thrive with her.

My 9 yo has a teacher new to our school this year.  She's precious, highly organized and has long blonde hair.  She looks like Cinderella.  Or more accurately, Cinderella's much more fashionable younger sister.
In the 3 seconds we had to talk to her, I was impressed.

But let me ask you something.  As a parent, do you ever feel like you're being interviewed at Meet the Teacher days?  I do.  I even changed clothes a few times to make sure my outfit was both "fun" and "no nonsense".   No, I don't have a picture of it, just trust me that the right vibe was reached.

As a former teacher, I used to HATE these days.  I was horrible at speaking in front of adults.  Give me a gym full of little kids and I was fine.  Put a parent in the mix and I felt like I was being assessed on all levels.

Was my hair ok?

Were my clothes professional looking? Or did I have the dreaded "teacher" look going on?  You know what I mean...theme sweaters,  pencil necklaces, long skirts...I had it all...and none of it looked good.  My wardrobe  screamed elementary teacher.  I realize that now.

They say the first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem...


Why yes, that is a sweatshirt with a ruler and various school-related items ironed on the front.  Snazzy, right

Fuzzy picrture of me in "sweatshirt" with my first class.

Happy New School Year, Ya'll.

Summer Reads

I love to read.   I can remember when I was younger that I wanted to read the thick books with no pictures. I think I thought that carrying around a thick book would make me look older or smarter or both.  Either way, reading the books didn't make me look older or smarter.  It did, however, cement in me a true love for a great story.  Those were the good 'ol days.
These days are also good days, but I don't get to do much reading for pleasure.   When those moments pop up when everyone in my family is settled and taken care of --- when no one is calling my name or asking for a snack or wondering why I haven't washed their favorite pair of shorts or  generally asking me to come up with world peace -- when those fleeting minutes find me, I'm the one diving head first into a book.  And if I get sucked into the story everyone had better be ready to eat PB&J for dinner because Mama isn't moving.  Last night I was especially enthralled in a story.  The kids were in bed, husband was busy with work and I decided to lay in the tub with my iPad and relax.  I ended up laying in the tub for 3 hours.   I was reading as fast as I could because my iPad was running low on battery power and I wanted to get to the end of the story!!  I stayed in the tub so long that the water was cold, it was almost midnight, my husband was sound asleep and I was honestly contemplating yelling for him to go put a towel in the dryer so I could have something warm to wrap up in.  Pitiful, I know.  (I ended up just sucking it up and getting out of the freezing bathtub myself..I'm not that big a prima-donna!)  But really, I love to read!

Here's the list of my summer reads.  Consider it a buffet of books.  Some are light, some are heavy.  All were enjoyed by me!

I guess I should have prefaced my post by telling you I really enjoy history.  Our trip to Mt. Vernon was one of my favorite things we've done.  I could have spent 2 or 3 days there.  But back to our book.  This book is about Noah Webster, the creator of Webster's Dictionary.  He hung out with Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.  And in addition to creating a spelling book for young children, he was the main guy behind our uniquely "American" culture.  Really interesting read.

Ok.  Everyone and their brother has read this.  I'm really late to the party on this one.  I read it because I wanted to see the movie after I'd read the book and I really want to see the movie.  For those who are even later to the party than me the book is set in Mississippi in the late '50's early '60s.  It is all about the relationships between white middle class women and their black maids.  It is a pretty good read, but for me the ending wasn't the greatest.  I'm wondering if the movie will end differently.

By far, my favorite book this summer.  It is the story of a WWII army solider/Olympic track hopeful/POW.  Amazing.  Read it--now.  I loved it so much that I'm having my 12 year old daughter read it.  It provides great insight into World War II and since it is told from the standpoint of one solider it makes the information much easier to understand.  Truly a great book.

Mary Kay Andrews--the Queen of the quick summer read.   This is the story of a group of girlfriends who rent a cottage on Nags Head.  During the month they are there each of them comes to terms with crazy stuff going on in their lives.  Typical chick-flick-summer read.  Cute guy, bad guy, great girlfriends.  Easy read.  The End.

Ever since St. Elmo's fire, I've had a huge HUGE crush on Rob Lowe.  Then he's in West Wing and I get a bigger crush on "Sam Seaborn".  I had to get this book to read on the airplane. (Sorry honey, but I can't talk to you right now since I'm completely entrhalled in Rob.)  I read this on the flight to Cannes.  One way.  Great stories of his start (did you know he hung out with Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen and Emilio Esteves?  He knew Tom Cruise waaaaay before he was the famous/crazy/weird guy he is today.)

I live in Georgia.  As a resident of this state, I think I'm supposed to hate all things related to the University of Florida.  Especially Tim Tebow.  But really- he's so cute!  And during his college seasons, he'd put Bible verses on the black under his eyes.  And he's cute. (I'm so shallow.)  I had heard a little about his upbringing (parents missionaries, his mom's pregnancy with him was difficult, etc).  This book is a lot of football talk.  LOTS OF FOOTBALL.  So college football fans, you'll love this.  I enjoyed the story of his family and his early years with his brothers.  And I now I'm a bigger fan because of his standards.  I'm hoping my girls find someone with his character.

The Real George Washington.  HUGE book.  Don't be intimidated by this book.  Our first President was quite the interesting man.  Surveyor by age 16.  Family deaths and living abroad with a brother who was ill.  Meeting and marrying Martha Custis.  He was the most reluctant public servant ever.  He served for the good of the country- not for accolades or power, but for the good of our new country.  He rocks and this book will make you want to shout it from the roof tops.

Okay, friends, what have you been reading?

Birthdays - Southern Belle Style

I'm not a cook.  And I don't play one on tv.

I can bake, but cooking...that requires a bit of finesse and creativity that I haven't mastered yet.

It comes to a head on birthdays and major holiday celebrations.  You'd think being raised in the South would mean I had mastered all things "kitchen".  Yeah...that is so not true.

Being from the South, I'd also like to think that one day my birthday celebrations would look like the parties in Southern Living.  I haven't reached that milestone yet, but I'm working on it!  But first and foremost is the cooking.  Oh, the cooking.

Mom, me, my sister- flanked by the better cooks...

My mom is a great cook.  Her mom was a great cook.  My dad's mom was a great cook.  My sister is a great cook.  That good cook gene skipped a relative.

I'm a so-so cook.

I have a battery of dishes that I can cook pretty well---but man can not live on chicken nuggets parmesan alone.

Today is my husband's birthday.  (Happy birthday, honey!)

He's requested Beef Stroganoff and cheesecake.  My so-so skills in the kitchen come shining through on days like this.

I won't even go into the story about the ribs I creamated on the grill.  Seriously--black smoke, ashes, pizza for dinner--cremated ribs.  It was a first in the bbq world, I'm sure.  Feel free to laugh.  We still laugh about that one.

The beef stroganoff recipe is from his mom. ( No pressure there, right?)  My guy's parents are coming to dinner tonight. My parents are coming to dinner tonight.  I'm hoping I can do it justice.  And I'm hoping I can actually get it cooked since I haven't even purchased any ingredients yet.

Good thing for me my guy wants a store-bought cheesecake.

Thank you, Lord, for Fresh Market.

Expectations and the First Stamp in the Passport

Have you ever had a preconceived notion of someone or something that was completely blown out of the water in a matter of seconds?

I'm sure you all have.  We ALL have.  It seems more prominent when the preconceived notion is about the limitations of a child.  

I love my children.  Period.  They are all practically perfect in every way.  But when planning a vacation, I have to keep in mind the things that a 12 year old will find exciting are not necessarily the things a 9 year old and 5 year old will enjoy.  And that, my friends was what I was thinking about when my husband and I decided Mexico would be our destination for Family Vacation 2011.

Here is where the worries about my kids come into play.  Our 9 year old is the wild woman.  She is fearless and that is my most favorite trait of hers (most of the time).  She would be good with whatever we threw at her.  

The others?  Well, let's just say their middle names should be "caution" and "wary"--  not that those are bad traits, but they could limit our activities south of the border.

We arrive to Banyan Tree Mayakoba in Playa Del Carmen.  Amazing.  Wonderful.  Calm.  Perfect.  

Waiting for us at reception is Laura, who takes us on a tour of the lobby area and presents us with a traditional Mayan bracelet of seeds and a flower, symbolizing harmony and peace.  The kids were in awe.

We were then given the "green juice"--- cucumber, spinach, kiwi.  Honestly, it looked like fancy algae water, but we all tried it.  All of us.  This was the first in many "firsts" for my kids and they were champs.

My husband and I didn't plan activities for every day of our trip.  Instead we chose to do something off-property every other day.  Our "off" days were spent at the resort, either in the pool at our room (we had a private pool)  or at the pool by the beach.  

Our "on" days were the days we fretted and talked about.  

Would the kids enjoy themselves?

Was it worth the money to do these things if one of the kids got scared or decided to pitch a fit?

Turns out we didn't need to worry about anything.  Our kids were up for anything!

Here is what we did as a family on our trip to Mexico.  My kids are 12, 9 and 5 and they did everything...EVERYTHING... and enjoyed it all.  In fact, they are ready to go back and repeat this vacation.  To my husband and I, that is the ultimate Stamp of Approval!

1.  Dolphin Experience:  Delphinus dolphin experience was top-notch.  Our family was a "group", meaning we had lots of time and interaction with the dolphins.  We did the typical "dolphin kiss" , "dolphin hug", etc.  In addition, we had the chance to do the "foot push" where the dolphins push you out of the water by pushing the soles of your feet.  I was worried my little guy wouldn't do this--dolphins are lots larger in person.  SURPRISE! He swam right out there, laid in the right position the instructors told him and gave it a try!  He didn't get it the first 2 times, but he was great when the instructor got out there to help him.  We were all so proud and our little guy got a huge round of applause from the instructors and other groups who saw him.

2.  Mayan Ruins:  If you are in Playa Del Carmen or Cancun, you will hear lots about the Mayan pyramids.  Actually, there are ruins everywhere, but there are 3 main pyramids in the general area to see...Chizna Itza (the largest area and most "touristy" site, but still cool), Tulum ( on the coast- beautiful area) and Coba (about 1 1/2 hours from Playa Del Carmen and the only pyramid visitors can actually climb).  We chose to visit Coba.  My husband and I are history buffs and to have the chance to step where people stepped a thousand years ago was too good to pass up.  We hired a private car and tour guide to take us.  I highly recommend this since it makes the trip much more enjoyable and you get a lot more information from your guide.  Plus, you can come and go as you please.   The day we went to Coba, it was hot, humid and about to rain.  This is typical July weather for the area.  Our guide was amazing, telling us great tidbits of information that kept the kids engaged.  The pyramid is about 1 1/2 miles from the entrance, so to get there most people rent bikes or take a trike-taxi.

Trike-Taxi.  Sweet.  And no extra exertion for me. 

 We took the taxi. Heck, we were going to climb a pyramid.  No need to over exert ourselves!  After stops at a game court and an observatory, we see the pyramid.  Awesome.  The kids practically sprinted up the 142 steps.  The reward at the top of the pyramid was an amazing view of the forest.

Sweaty, but at the top.

3.  Swimming in a cenote and zip-lining:  Aktun Chen.  This place was rustic, waaaaaay off the road and truly an experience.  Again, thinking my kids, at least one if not two of them, would not want to snorkel or zip line, I was prepared to sit out one or both of these activities.  We get there, head to the cenote and get fitted with our life jackets and snorkels.  For the uninitiated, cenotescenote, seeing the amazing sites, before I had inched my way in.  It would be another five minutes before I got the nerve to put my head under the water.  

Zip lining was the final activity on our itinerary.  For sure the 5 year old would be a little apprehensive.  Or so I thought.  He was suited up, ready to go and after I made the first run, he was right behind me not looking back.  And his 9 year old sister?  She was trying to mimic all the tricks our guides were doing--going upside down, trying to grab leaves to feed the deer on the ground, no hands.  By far, this was the most popular thing we did.  The kids were sad to have to leave and asked the guide if we could come back the next day.

I love that my kids are willing to try things.  I don't know if I was so willing when I was younger.  Seeing them get excited about things so outside their comfort level got my husband and I excited about the things we can do as a family--snorkeling in the Keys, rock climbing, surfing lessons.  Who knows?  What we do know is that their first passport stamp was from Mexico and they are ready to have more.  

Happy

We've had friends in from Germany this past week.  They came up to our town from Miami after my husband's surprise party and we've had such a great time together.

Tomorrow they go home.  (*sniff*)

I was trying to find things to make me happy, even though I'm a little sad to see "The Germans" go and I found this. 

Go ahead and click the link.  It isn't a virus, an ugly video or anything bad.  Seriously.  I'm some sort of  southern belle--I'm the sort that wouldn't lead you astray.

Go to Color Me Katie and roam around a while.  I'm sure you'll find yourself smiling at her blog.  

Happy weekend, y'all.