We had a fanastic weekend with a "faux camping" trip to the cottage. We cooked on the fire, played in the river, and slept in real beds. The weather was perfect and the kids had a grand old time. I took tons of great pictures, but of course I left my camera at the cottage. You could have seen Christopher asleep on Andrew's head on a raft in the middle of the river, but now you can't. YOu also could have seen the kids unplanned summer hair cuts. The ones they gave themselves. I guess we'll have to go back to the river this weekend to retrieve the camera (and Andrew's watch and wedding ring!)

Today we went to he Brown Bag Concert. Always a great time! Wes and Rita showed up, which was wonderful. It's always nice to have friends to visit with while the kids run around playing.

Tomorrow is strawberry picking and possible jam making (or maybe Friday for the jam?). Picking strawberries is always fun, but I think it is the hottest, sweatiest job in the world. But anything is fun when you get to eat the product as you work!

Who'd a thunk this ol' chicken would have ended his days with a beer up his arse? I'm sure glad he did, though, because it was delish!

My parents came over last night and helped Andrew get started on our new "play yard." I am SO excited to get rid of the nasty weeding backyard! A few years ago, we tore up one side and paved it, but the other side has just been dirt and weeds since we moved in. Andrew put down that anti-weed black fabric stuff and a bit of pea gravel this evening and tomorrow I will order a load of gravel, so by tomorrow night, we should have a happy nice place for the kids to play. And I am hoping for a sand box as well!!

I made tortillas for dinner this evening. They were so easy and super yummy. Gotta love the King Arthur Flour cook book! I just noticed on their web site that they have a cooking with kids video. I'll have to check into that. The kids love to cook with me.

That's all for now!

Dear Uncle Ben,

When you come visit, please bring your spiderman suit home this summer so that we can be big and little Spidey.

Love,

Christopher

PeterXavier's birthday party turned out really well. The whole fam gathered at the park area at Prophetstown for a cookout. It was fantastic because I didn't have to clean the house to have everyone over AND the only cleanup involved was dumping everything into a big trash bag! Great party planning on my part!

I have inadvertantly started a tradition of making ugly cakes for the kids birthdays. This years attempt was a pirate ship. It isn't nearly as bad as some of my efforts and the best part was that the kids helped me make it. They got a kick out of coloring the sails and putting them on. When it was time to light candles, we put them in the sides like canons. It's hard to see, but our ship was complete with gold bountey and beer kegs.

Look who's turning ONE!! I can't believe that a whole year has flown by! Today we celebrate the birth of the smiliest happiest little monkey in the world! I can't believe the laughs the this little guy has brought to our family. Happy Birthday PeterXavier!!

We have been running around like chickens with our heads cut of as of late. Sunday we hosted the Zuzolo First Communion party at the shop. It was great! It was the perfect big Italian family celebration (with the wrong food though!). We pushed all the tables together and put my huge table cloth on it so that we had one huge table for everyone to sit around. And the entire Zuzolo family is just so nice. It was really a fun time.

On Monday we found out that Molly, the girl that works at the shop for us, and who has really become our friend, was in an accident on her moped. The moped that she got Thursday. She got out of ICU yesterday, so I went up to see her. She looks pretty bad and could use any prayers you want to toss her way. I have been working at the shop now that she can't -- so if anyone needs a little job . . . .

Also, TAKE NOTE!!! We are having a cookout on Thursday before Blue Jacket. Bring a side dish if you'd like, bring your kids if you have them, everyone is invited so call anyone who isn't cool enough to read my blog! I guess Thursday is only tomorrow. Sorry for the late notice.

Christopher and Grace fell in love with this little baby raccoon that Uncle Johnny found. They really wanted to take her home with us. And really, if they were just a little older, I would have let them keep her. She was really cute, but I was afraid that they would be really sad when we had to let her go -- I mean, you can't keep a raccoon forever! And since she is SO young, I was afraid that we night accidentally kill her. Besides, she already thought Uncle Johnny was her mother. He should keep her.

He found a raccoon den out on his property, so he is going to put her their and hope that that Mama adopts her.

While the little raccoon baby was the highlight of the day, we did some other fun stuff too. We had our first Market of the season and that was great. I got a few cute flowers to plant and some fresh asparagus from the Cooleys.

After Market, house and year work, we took the kids for a picnic at the park. They love to run around and play outside -- unfortunately picnics don't really inspire them to eat. Well, PX ate a great deal of sand, but that isn't very nutritious.

If, after reading this and this, you are looking at me as if to say "you're next", then all I have to say to you is "NO I'm not."

This time, I am sitting back, nausea free, and planning my position as the doting auntie.

Thank you very much.

I found a morrel mushroom growing out of the edge of the neighbors driveway this morning! I don't think Andrew has ever had a morrel before (poor deprived California boy!) so I will fry up this lonely little mushroom for him tonight. I sure wish I had more!

Farmer's Market sarts tomorrow!! That must mean that it is officially summer! We will be out with the cart serving up all kinds of yumminess. I can't wait to see all of our "market friends" that we never see in the winter time. 99% percent of the maket people are just so wonderful (we all know the other one percent. He is evil.).

Last night we all (us, Annie and Martin, Mr. A. and Margaret) went to my parents for dinner. It was really nice. Their patio just got finished so we sat out their and the kids could just play and have fun while we ate. Andrew got out the kids little pool and handed Christopher the hose to fill it up. Bad idea. Christopher, in all his four year old innocence, would kink the hose and sweetly ask someone to come and help him figure out what was wrong with it. Just as you bent down to help him he would unkink it and spray freezing hose water in your face.

That's all for now. I have a mountain of laundry to attend to. My dryer vent was broken and the laundry piles up. Now that it is fixed, I have some major catch up to do. The worst part is that I had been SO on top of it, and now that is all lost.

Christopher has caught the bug . . . the chapter book read-aloud bug, that is. And I am so glad. I have always enjoyed reading aloud to the kids, but it is so much nicer when it is a book that I can get into as well. A nice long chapter book is so much cosier that 75 picture books in one sitting.

Right now we are reading "Mr. Popper's Penguins." Christopher now wants a pet penguin and says that he will name it "Narnia." Grace will name her's "Fifia." Where does she come up with these things? What a goober.

We welcomed the new summer this past Sunday by taking the first kayak rides of the season! Christopher enjoyed it much more that Grace did! We all had a great time at the river -- Annie and Martin, Ooma and Oompa, Margaret, and even Mrs. Schap and John Mooney (or as Christopher says John "Smooney") were all there. Most importantly, we ate lots of yummy food. Food always tastes yummier after you realize that you actually LEFT IT ALL AT HOME and have to run in and buy all new food at the cute little IGA in Delphi.

If you are using a lamp to symbolize the sun as you teach your children about the phases of the moon, don't touch the bare socket. Not only will it hurt like mad, but your kids will laugh at you as you jump around in pain.

Not that I know from experience. I'm just saying if . . .

PeterXavier officially said his first word (besided "Mama"and "Dada") today. He finished nursing, looked up and said :

"Yum!"

This weekend we took the kids to the "Bug Bowl" at Purdue. This was the second year we had taken them and I am so impressed with what a neat event this is. We got there early in the day, before the crowds hit. The college students run all of the boothes and they were all so eager to talk to the kids and teach them different things. One guy showed Christopher how to lasso a "bull", Christopher, Grace, and Andrew all got to spit crickets -- but no one won a prize. One of the best things was the "make your own Chia Pet" booth! By the time we got to that booth, the crowds had landed, so we grabbed supplies to finish at home. The next day my mom and Fr Alex helped the kids finish them. Christopher's has four eyes. I don't know why, but he wanted it that way. This is a realy cute project, but I hope that the "hair" really grows, otherwise I'll have some disappointed little kids!

I love this blog by a Mama of four boys, but apparently, Ben would be Off Limits to them!

Incidentally, this is not the first time that one of her posts as reminded my of my brother!

Today was a busy but productive Saturday. It was a fun day, but it sure would have been better, had it not SNOWED. It's April, in case you didn't notice. Anyway, we spent the AM cleaning up around the house. Andrew even got the lawn mowed, just as it started to rain. His dad stopped by with donuts -- I had just been thinking that he hadn't been around in a while, when I heard him rapping on the door. Christopher asked him "So, Lolo, what did you speak on that island?"

This evening my parents, Annie, and Martin stopped by after Mass and invited us out to dinner. It was really fun to all go out together. PeterXavier probably ate more than everyone else combined. we are going to end up living under the bridge just trying to feed this kid.

Hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow, because the kids really want to go to the bug bowl. Christopher fondly remembers spitting crickets last year and he wants to try to beat his record this year. Gross.

I am trying this again. We will see if it works this time or not.

Aprons – Y/N? When I remember, I wear one of the ones that my mom made for me.

Baking – Favorite thing to bake:I am really into baking right now. I LOVE the King Arthur Whole Wheat Baking book. As for favorites, I am not sure. I love to bake bread, I love to eat cookies, but making crackers is really fun too. . . this question is too hard.

Clothesline – Y/N? I have never tried a clothesline, but it might be fun.

Donuts – Have you ever made them? Yes. In brownies with Mrs. Rausch.

Every day – One homemaking thing you do every day: My whole life is homemaking, so this could be a pretty long list. To save from boring you, I'll shorten it. Laundry, make the beds, make a meal, clean the kitchen, laundry, make a meal, clean the kitchen, laundry, make a meal.

Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze?Yes. I love it.

Garbage Disposal – Y/N?Yes! Again, I love it!

Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource?King Arthur Whole Wheat Baking!!! And "Home Comforts" by Cheryl Mendelson.

Ironing – Love it or hate it? This is embarassing. I have an ironing basket. When it gets disgracfully over filled, my mother takes it home and everything comes back freshly pressed! She LIKES to iron (or at least that's what I tell myself) Besides, I tried to iron a shirt today and it took three hours, a bit of yelling, and multiple breaks to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and snuggle the crying (is that a work of mercy? it should be.) before I finished.

Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it? Oh, I have to many to count.

Kitchen: Design & Decorating? I like to call it "Tuscan". It is very grapey.

Love – What is your favorite part of homemaking?My family sitting down to a fresh and yummy homemade meal.

Mop – Y/N? I used to mop a lot but than I got new flooring in the kitchen, it is kind of the color of dirt. I am not sure I have ever mopped it.

Nylons – Wash by hand or in the washing machine?wash. I don't hand wash anything. Except the kids.

Oven – Do you use the window or open the oven to check?OPen
Pizza – What do you put on yours? I really like to make pizza at home. I like cheese with different sauces and crust variations.

Quiet – What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? Freak out. Something must be seriously wrong if it is quiet in my house.

Recipe card box – Y/N?I do!! Mary Hack gave it to me for a shower gift!!

Style of house –An "Alhambra" Sear's kit home circa 1920. I love it!
Tablecloths and napkins – Y/N?I like cloth napkins. As for tableclothes, they just get pulled off by little hands. We stick to runners.
Under the kitchen sink – Organized or toxic wasteland? Toxic wasteland. Unfortunitly, PeterXavier likes to hang out in there.

Vacuum – How many times per week? Ever since I was prego with Christopher, my husband has been the vacuumer in the house. I would say he does in once or twice a week.

Wash – How many loads of laundry do you do per week?Oh boy. Maybe eight or ten. Certainly once a day, mostly more. It depends on the number of vomits, spilled juice, and wet pants we have in a day. Ok, maybe fifteen.

X’s – Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?No

Yard – Y/N? Who does what?Andrew does that. Or doesn't might be a better way to say it.

Zzz’s – What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?I would love to say I tidy the house before I go to bed, but that would be a lie. I think clean the kitchen is the true answer.

So that is it. Now you know what a rotten house keeper I am. Feel free to copy and paste to your blog -- just leave us a link in the comments! Or if you are a non-blogger, try to answer it in the comment section!

I had filled out that entire "meme" from Annie's page and then I lost the whole thing!! I will try again later, but I haven't got the time now.

The best way to learn something is to have to teach it to someone else. The great thing about being a parent is that you are constantly teaching your children new things. This lent and Easter season, I feel like I have been doing this even more so than in the past. Therefore, I have spent these times paying more attention to just what exactly is the reason for Lent and the magnitude of the gift that Christ gave us.

We spent Holy Saturday really preparing for Easter. Granted, we were preparing for the party -- which translates into a whole lot of baking. So I made a concerted effort to make all of the food items directly relate to the reason for Easter. This way the kids got a double lesson -- cooking and preparation, coupled with a big dose of theology.

We baked a batch of "Hot Cross Buns". These are traditionally a Good Friday fare, but since I didn't learn that until Holy Saturday, we will eat them on Easter! The story goes that the monks would give them to poor beggars on Good Friday -- they were the only luxury allowed on this solemn day.

We also made "Resurrection Cookies" which were an awesome way to teach the kids the entire passion story. From the scourging at the pillar all the way to the empty tomb on Easter morning. The kids really got a kick out the whole project. And my dad really liked the cookies!

All in all, our afternoon in the kitchen brought us many blessings -- the meaning of Easter really hit home with the kids, I thought more deeply about exactly what Christ did for us, and all my Easter treats got made!