Happy Halloween 2008

One of my favorite traditions growing up was our elementary school Halloween parade.  Since the kids are not in school we went to the zoo and had our own parade.  The weather was perfect and we practically had the whole zoo to ourselves.  

James was Indiana Jones (with the pieces found garage saling) but there was no need for new costumes for the other kids, there were enough hand me down costumes to go around.  William was Superman and had a great idea to keep his jammies on underneath so he could save time like Superman and be quickly changed for bed later tonight, Peter was Spiderman but has already changed his costume 3 times today, Maryanna was a chicken because she says she doesn't like princesses and just wants to be funny, Clara was the elephant, and Henry was a skeleton (I painted the bones on for Peter when he was a baby - I used an anatomy book).  I had thought to wear James' spider shirt from last year but after Cathy's party I discovered having extra arms while needing to care for the all the kids actually gets in the way.

But I decided it is now time to start investing and working on adult costumes.  I was inspired by what Marie' created this year for her sister- in law.  There are just too many projects to do and too little time.  

 

 

Wordfull Wednesday: Elections

I am quite bothered by the contention that is up roared each election season. For some reason this year it seems worse than ever. There are signs drawing lines between neighbors, cars with bumper stickers that in themselves could induce road rage, and commercials that have caused my now 9 year old to ask "Mom, why do the Presidential candidates have to say such negative comments about each other"? The tension is so great it feels as if we are at war amongst ourselves.

I wish those up for election displayed more of the characteristics of a true leader instead of just representing their respective party. I wish I had better insight and knowledge about our government and constitution so that I could be more credible as an influence for good when my children, friends, family and neighbors inquire of my politic beliefs. I wish that as Americans we all had greater understanding of the vision our founding fathers had for this nation.

Without much room for discussion or explanation here is how I feel about the issues.  Few of our nation's biggest problems can be solved by politics or government.  Rather many can only be solved by strengthening the basic building block of society: our families.  Sadly, it seems like the idea of strengthening families hardly enters into the political discourse anymore, despite overwhelming evidence that many of today's most pressing issues (education, crime, etc) are a result of the disintegration of the family, and an abandonment of the principle of personal responsibility.  Our country should protect our right to freely choose our own path in life, but somewhere along the way, some have erroneously interpreted that to mean freedom from the consequences of our choices as well.

I also believe "America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great" (Alexis de Tocqueville). I may not be able to change our nation as I wish but I can certainly teach my children to be "good" and in turn hope that they, their children, and their children's children will become a portion of what makes this nation "great".

I also believe it is our duty to study and ponder the issues and vote. On a lighter note here is my recollection of voting in 2004.

It was cold and rainy that morning in Charlotte, NC. Paul was still working as an investment banker for Wachovia which means we barely saw him and he barely saw the light of day. If he voted it was most likely by absentee ballot. I on the other hand had all day to vote.

Having only three children at the time I thought it would be no problem to bring them along to the polls -it would be educational! The kids were just barely 5, almost 3 and 10 months at the time and can't say if they could today recall that "educational experience". I on the other hand remember it well.

Like I said it was cold and rainy. Our designated voting spot was in the basement of a Methodist church on Randolph Rd. The line to enter the building wrapped around the parking lot but I told my kids a little rain wouldn't hurt us as long as we had coats and hats on. I slowly pushed the stroller along the line as the boys jumped in puddles near by. Finally we reach the doors only to discover crowded stairs! The other voters were quite kind and passed my stroller down to the end where it would be waiting. It was just harder to contain the young children there on the stairs then in the rain.

But finally we reached the open room where we still stood in line. That is everyone except for our almost 3 yr old William who wandered to the light switch. Just as I dashed out to grab him he hit it. Remember this was in a basement. Everyone gasped and shouted out, even those under the curtains in the process of their votes. Then he hit it again and again as if to turn the room in to a disco. I grabbed him and apologized to the entire room then was allowed to cut right to the front where the voters, exhibiting their southern charm, only chuckled at this curious little boy.

But it wasn't easy to fit my three kids under the curtain. They were swinging and swishing it all around me. I had to be quick but could barely think through my selections. We got out of there quickly, with one kind voter who carried the stroller all the way up the stairs for me.

In the car I discovered James (age 5) was covered in stickers and I then asked him what he thought of the process. He said he was sure a certain candidate would win. When I asked him why he said because he put in 10 votes for that individual in the kids vote box. I suppose it was time for some more teaching. The poor little guy was so disappointed when I told him #1 your votes don't count until you are 18 and #2 you only get one vote. He has since been counting down the years until he could officially vote.

I remember watching the votes being tallied at 5:30 am the following morning at on the gym on the elliptical machine.

I suppose this year I will not attempt to bring six kids to the polls. I also hope that watching the results will get me back on the elliptical machine.

On another side note I would like to add a bit of history about the home we are living in. It was built in 1962 and for years was not only the center of many boy scout activities but also the neighborhood voting location. Old neighbors have told me how they use to line up on our very stairs before casting their votes. Perhaps my interest and excitement in this years elections is emanating from the history in the walls that surround me. We have remodeled quite a bit but above is an image from the original mailbox which we kept in its place- a patriotic one.

Toddlers in the Kitchen

Well I didn't really load these pictures in the right order but here's how the story goes:

I was on the phone chatting with my Mom and spoon feeding Henry a bit of baby mush. Maryanna joined us at the table and I was so surprised at what she was eating I quickly got off the phone and asked her about it. She said she made it. She also poured herself a glass of water. At first I was upset that she got into the food without permission and was actually preparing myself to clean up a huge mess all over the counters. Upon inspection however, all I found was another plate of food complete with a fork. She said she made it for Daddy. I was impressed and thought it actually looked kind of good. But we saved it for Daddy.

Unfortunately it did not last long enough for Daddy to enjoy. With my back turned again (this time for a diaper change) Clara had joined in on the salad action. She stuffed the prepared salad into her crocs, and began consuming it right out of those dirty little shoes. .

Cupcakes and birthdays

Last week we celebrated two birthdays in our home.  To make it especially fun we experimented with a few cupcake recipes that I got from a recent Enrichment Meeting.  

Here it is, a recipe that Paul calls "guilt inducing", William said was too sweet, James couldn't even finish one, but Peter, Maryanna, and Clara said was "yummy".  For me, I just don't really like sweets like I do fried salty food but I did enjoy a few small bites.  One warning though - have a glass of milk nearby because they are densely rich.  We also pushed down a marshmallow in a few of them as a sweet surprise for the kids but that only got mixed reviews.  

The Best Chocolate Cupcakes (originally from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes)- makes 1 dozen

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Combine dry ingredients.  Beat together sugar, oil, egg and vanilla.  Whisk in buttermilk and flour, beating until smooth.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Scoop into paper cups and bake at 350 for 22-27 min. or until tops of cupcakes spring back lightly when touched.  Let cool for 10 minutes and frost with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (The Buttercup Bake Shop Cookbook)

1 cup butter, softened

1 TBS plus 1 tsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Blend until spreading consistency

A few more tips:

- remember neighbors tend to be overly generous when lending out needed ingredients - always remeasure.  We ran out of flour (I still have 100+ lbs. of bread flour - I was just short on all purpose) on our first batch but ending up adding too much because we made this mistake.  But thanks again Joy for the flour and Liz for the powdered sugar!

-don't forget the vanilla - it really does soften the flavor.  It was omitted from our first batch because of distraction.  Our 2 yr old birthday girl was caught running in the street during that step of the process.

-if the kids are to lick the bowls  - have them wear a full body smock or just strip them down and give it to them in the tub because that buttery chocolate frosting is messy and hard to get out of clothing.  That may apply also for the official cupcake eating time.   

   

Garage Sale Addiction

I like garage sales and it is hard for me to pass a roadside poster advertising one.  In the past however, I had a tendency of bringing home more than I needed - as if I didn't have enough stuff to use, care for, and store.  But I have finally developed a great garage sale strategy.  At the beginning of the garage sale season (usually around April), I make a list of all my family's needs and wants.  I share this list with my sisters who I know also share the garage sale addiction and then each Saturday morning,  armed with our cell phones and a small stash of cash in our pockets, we head out on our hunts.

I had to add to my garage sale list after my recent closet clean out and assessment.  Here's what I added:  a hooded sweatshirt and a few skirts for church.  Yesterday was the lucky morning where I found just that.   Amongst my many stops included a yard sale run by a very pregnant woman who was in the mood to unload a bunch of her "skinny/regular" clothes.  Lucky for me, these clothes were not only my current size but she also had a toddler boy and was unloading piles of his clothes as well.  That is where I found 4 church skirts, this great hoodie and clothes and shoes for Henry to grow into (because you all know boys clothes barely make it through a 4th pass down).  I spent $28 at that one stop (which is a lot in the garage sale world) but it was worth it.

Other recent finds that I haven't blogged included 2 University library chairs, one for Brigham Young University where I graduated and one from University of Michigan where Paul graduated.  It was so strange to see them sitting right next to each other in an empty basement of a Salt Lake house.  It was as if they were just waiting for me - they were only $25 a piece so I had to get them (even though they weren't really on my list).  Now I will be on the hunt for a Wharton chair or University of Pennsylvania chair - I will put it on my list.

The one great regret I have though is not saving more of the treasures and finds for Christmas.  I realize the kids get just as much joy out of used toys as they would new ones.  Paul calls them "fully depreciated".  But the idea of a "recycled" Christmas didn't come to me in time - perhaps with the help of my sisters on the hunt I can still pull it off.  The season is winding down though and I may have to rely on Craig's list, ebay, and esty to fill in the gaps.     

   

So go garage saling if you can before this holiday season.   It is fun, economical, good for the environment, and just makes sense (or cents).  

A House Still for Sale

Interest in our home has slowed down quite a bit for the month of October.  I became very comfortable in leaving out and spreading sewing projects around the dinning room, allowing the the beds go unmade, letting the laundry pile up, experimenting with very messy baking, and adopting Suz's pet rat Cookie Dough. Suz is moving to Mexico City in a few weeks and convinced me to take the rat by saying:   "well if you don't want her I'll just list her on Craig's List and she may end up as snake food".  

As it turns out we are very happy to have Cookie Dough in our home and have found her to be quite smart and very personable.  William says she is like a live stuffed animal and carries her around the house on his shoulder.  The younger kids aren't gentle enough to hold her but squeal with delight every time we let her out (or escapes) from her cage.  James has decided Cookie Dough's life and thoughts should be blogged.  It is especially entertaining to watch her during family night and we have discovered if we sing loud enough she can't resist to stay in her cage and climbs out to join in our gathering.

So it has brought more joy than trouble to add this little pet to our family - well, that was my thought until yesterday.  The morning started out early, baking bagels at 5:30 am then getting the kids up and bagels delivered before 8:00 am.  To add to the activity it was Clara's birthday and I had also offered to watch a friend's child for the day.  As an early morning birthday celebration I made fruit smoothies and topped with paper umbrellas.  Next we began experimenting with cupcake recipes and dirtied at least half a dozen mixing bowls in the process.  It was fun!  I'm lucky my mom joined us for a birthday lunch because that was when I got the call.  After three weeks of no showings it was arranged for a couple to come through the house later that afternoon.  

My mom got right to the dishes.  I decided it would be best to put the girls right down for a nap and lock the door so they couldn't get into any trouble while we cleaned.  I huddled the boys around me as if to give them some sort of a game plan.  James said "you mean its like the beginning of the 4th quarter and we are down 3 touchdowns" - I answered "exactly"! and then gave them their clean up assignments.  At that point my sister showed up with a balloon bouquet for Clara and it was decided that I would be best helped by her taking the kids to her house.  As I got the girls out of their room I discovered Maryanna had once again detached her closet door.  But there was no time to worry about that - I still had beds to make, bathrooms to clean, and practically every surface in the house to dust.  

I also had another friend over doing some sewing with me.  She was quick to help and with a cloth and window spray was able to erase the many finger (and mouth) prints that so endearingly decorate every window in my house.  To be even more helpful she willingly took little Henry to her home so I could have full focus on cleaning.  I went at it and was sweating and satisfied with the work I had completed.  All that was left to do was load a few baskets of dirty laundry and the rat into my car.  I grabbed the rat's cage only to discover this clever little creature had escaped!  I was too distracted when I moved her that I forgot to put something heavy on top to prevent her from getting out.  

The Realtor would be arriving within 10 minutes - I was instantly in tears.  All my time and energy in cleaning the house would be wasted with a rat on the loose - a great way to scare away buyers.  She could have been anywhere.  The garage door was open to the outside, the door to the laundry room was open to the rest of the house and her cage was halfway between both of them.  I then began thinking of what I would tell Suz, how to explain it to William, and then having to delete "The Adventures of Cookie Dough" blog.  I called Paul but could barely speak through my tears.  He suggested calling Suz for suggestions.  I had a sincere prayer in my heart and just as I was dropping to my knees - right there in my garage, Cookie Dough had peered out between the pile of moving boxes and our 50 gallon water storage drum.  I reached out to grab her but she retreated under the gorilla shelf that stored our Christmas decorations and all my dying supplies.  I had to be quick but gentle.  I said another prayer.  I know this prayer was answered because Cookie Dough immediately walked right out to me and crawled into my hand.  

Perhaps my tears and panic were not so much about the rat on the loose but instead reflected my stress in trying to sell the house.  But this experience with the rat comforted me in knowing that my prayers are heard and answered.  With this knowledge I know if I do my part all things will work together for good and our house will eventually sell.  It may not be as quick as we had hoped but we will be cheerful and enjoy our time left here in UT while at the same time try to develop better house keeping habits.               

And another one

Here is another garage sale T-shirt transformed with a bit of soft scrub bleach.  This time I traced my design onto freezer paper, cut out the design (or characters), ironed it onto my t-shirt then carefully applied the bleach.  The results showed up within minutes.

The characters, copied out of the kids' Chinese workbook read Mom (I hope it is accurate).  I still have 3 more T-shirts to play with and will post them when my crafting mood brings me back again to soft scrub bleach. 

Because I just couldn't "resist"

My friend tftcarrie posted a fun and easy project last week. It inspired a recent garage sale purchase of a bunch of women's t-shirts - $.75 each. So with the kids asleep (otherwise the project would not be labeled as easy), piles of laundry on my ironing board and piles of dishes waiting in the sink, I went at it with a cheap paint brush and soft scrub bleach. It was one of those instant gratification projects that makes up for all the frustrating flops that even us crafters experience.  It gave me enough joy to breeze through those tasks that laid waiting.

So here I am (and if you don't recognize me, neither do I - I'm still not use to the 'dark side') with my new or re-fashioned garage sale T-shirt.

  

On a side note I went garage saling again this morning and for $35 I couldn't resist this mountain bike.  And to tftcarrie:  "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".  Unfortunately I'm quite out of shape and most my biking adventures will most likely be unbloggable, on paved roads along side my little boys. 

 

As for the $.25 helmet I purchased - I'm thinking of re-fashioning it.  Did anyone else get inspired by this post?  Good thing I also picked up some great fabric finds for $.50 this morning.

Integrated Fun

I bought this foam alphabet puzzle mat several years ago when I was living in Philadelphia.  It was picked it up at the ROSS up on Market street and although it was only $6.99 I began to second guess the purchase just steps into my journey home.  I had to somehow balance it up top the double stroller while dodging my way around traffic and pedestrians for 10 blocks.  I don't think us suburban moms would bring home half the junk we do if we did all our errands like most city moms -by stroller (but I could say a lot more about that and that is for another post).

It was worth the haul though.  We have gotten much use out of this mat.  Pictured here is William playing the "Jump to Spell" game.  It is kind of like a Spelling Bee except you have to jump with out falling as you recite each letter.  Your feet must land on the correct letter and then to the next without much pause.  Pizza is difficult because it requires a double jump on the Z before you try to make it all the way across to the A.  I can't remember what word William was spelling with that jump but I admit I didn't last long in the game.  The kids got me out on the words:  quagmire and upholstery (those both just came up on my spell check).

So that is how we, and I say we because I am still a bad speller, practice our spelling.  It is really fun.  We also play spelling twister on the mat so I suppose these activities may even count towards a bit of P.E.    

 

Wordfull Wednesday: My Worst Fear

I never know what to expect everyday during the quiet of naptime.  Pictured here are both little girls asleep with the entire contents of their closet on top of them.  I don't know what they were thinking.   Perhaps they were just trying to be like me in cleaning out their closet.  I'm just glad they didn't make it a real mess like they use to with their dirty diapers.

Is it all little girls?  I don't want to say they are naughty but perhaps instead I could label them as creative, independent, capable, determined, spirited, and full of life.  Unfortunately I am unable to capture and document all of their little episodes (because sometimes I need to take immediate action) but here are a few more:  coloring on baby Henry's face, getting into my 25 lb. bucket of flour, climbing into the tub fully dressed, denting the wall then peeling paint and plaster off (just before a house showing), cutting their clothes, cutting their hair, spraying mommy with the hose through the kitchen window, pouring and sharing a bowl of cereal in Clara's crib, painting the bathroom with toothpaste, locking themselves in a bathroom and consuming hand soap, and running out to the front yard naked to pee in the neighbor's bushes. 

There was no need for baby proofing with my boys but I have gone beyond baby proofing with the girls.  We have out of reach dead bolts on our doors, closets, and storage room.  So I guess my worst fear is what mess or trouble I will find them in next.  I keep reminding myself of late crops  and for as much trouble as they cause now, they just may become my right hand helpers in the years to come. 

So that brings me to an even greater fear.....from the words of our dear prophet Thomas S. Monson:

 
"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will-to your surprise-miss them profoundly" 

I fear that the days, and years are ticking by a little too quickly......that all my little ones will be on their own before I know it, before I learn to just relax and fully enjoy it.

Cleaning out my closet - The Big switch for Mommy

With the sudden change in temperature I found myself scrambling around trying to find appropriate clothes to wear.  What started as a simple task turned quickly into a big and messy project.  Henry was propped happily in his little bumbo and enjoyed grabbing at the variety of colors and textures that almost drowned him.  But that only lasted about a half hour and now after 3 days I'm finally starting to see the carpet in my closet again.

The big switch for mommy is complicated not just by season but also by a variety of sizes.  This family of six children came upon us quickly, all within 8 years which means to accomodate my body, my wardrobe has been in constant transition.  I wish I could keep it as simple as the kids with only 10 set outfits and one plastic bin as storage for the opposite season.  Instead I have a huge bin of transition/fat clothes, another bin of super pregnant/maternity clothes, and even more piles for what I would like to label "regular me/skinny clothes".  To complicate it even more there are certain items that are specifically designed for easy nursing and others that make nursing almost impossible.  The problem is within each of these categories there are various seasons so if I am looking for something specific (like I was this past weekend), I really have to dig.  I'm still trying to think of ways to simplify this process because in all honesty I certainly hope to be blessed with more children.   And as happy as I am to pretty much be back in my "regular clothes" I wistfully folded and put away my awkward pile of "transition/fat clothes".   I'm not ready to just pass it all on.

As for this current season I feel I have way more clothes than I even need.  In the past I had the habit of picking up one pair of good shoes and at least one outfit but my habit has caught up with me and now I simply can't justify it.  Besides, just being able to pull on the fall/winter "regular me/skinny clothes" is thrill enough- I enjoyed my spring/summer "regular me/skinny clothes" in the summer of '07 but last year's fall/winter clothes were those from the less desirable "transition/fat clothes" pile.     

Now some may be wondering what has happened to my interest in style, fashion, and trends.  Well I have come to believe it is all relative - check out the sartorialist for example.  What makes an individual look great are the simple principles such as fit, color, proportion, quality and condition of the garment, as well as being well groomed.  In fact, I believe current "trends" often confuse people and in return of wasting a lot of money they are led to looking quite staged and often times awkward.  I just want to be me when I dress.  I want to have fun but at the same time be practical.  So for me that means use up, wear out, store away, or re-fashion what I already have.  And don't forget the magic words "machine washable"! 

Well maybe I think too much about clothes.  But thinking about it ahead actually saves me time and money.  I can easily toss aside catalogs and pass up great sales when I know my closet is already full.  

It feels like Christmas!

Look what we woke up to this morning.  We haven't even put out our pumpkins yet and the kids are talking Christmas.  Everyone was so excited - Paul was hitting us with snowballs and Peter bent down and ate the snow fresh from the Church parking lot.  I'm not sure if I'm ready for this though and also wondering if the last remaining watermelon in our garden would taste good in an icy slush.   

Happy Homemade Messes

The Bagel business has been a great success so far.  That is except for a few piles of flour dumped around the kitchen and several flour footprints trailing through our home.  

Peter is not old enough for the mixing, measuring, and forming of bagels so he will start out as a sweeper then work his way up in the business.  He is in line to  begin training in the rolling and forming.  

William heads up advertising and marketing, and also helps with distribution and delivery.  He will soon start his training in weighing out the ingredients.  

James just got promoted as head mixer and ingredient weigher.  He also assists in the rolling and forming and is head of accounting, customer orders and relations.  

Paul graciously took the position as head pan washer and also over sees the distribution and delivery of our goods.  He still serves as our in house consultant.

That leaves me as the sole boiler and baker at 5:30 am.  I actually like the quiet of the morning and if it wasn't for lack of sleep I would offer our bagels more than once a week.  

We are working hard, making messes, cleaning up,  and having fun with the whole process.  But I am tired and told Paul "it is hard to make a buck isn't it"  - he laughed and said "Maybe we should have tried this years ago".

Going Dark

Thought you all should know that I dyed my hair today - just for fun and for some other practical reasons.  When we move I'll be leaving behind not just friends and family but the best hairdresser ever.  So in the spirit of this move to MI and simplifying my life I am officially eliminating any sort of color processing from my hair routine.  After years of highlighting my hair I had no idea how dark my 'natural' color really was.  I don't feel like myself - I look like one of my sisters!  But that is a good thing.  It will take some getting use to but it will be nice to be free from the commitment to highlights.

Den Leader Make-over

Becca was recently called as a Wolf Leader in her ward.  Knowing how much our family loves hands on projects this calling was a perfect fit for Becca.

I'm sorry I couldn't say the same for her required uniform.  BSA has not done much to make these shirts very flattering for women.  So in exchange for some excel accounting help for our Happy Homemade Bagel business I made a few alterations to her uniform.

It was simple.  We turned the two release pleats coming out of the back yoke into back darts, took it in a bit on the side seams and then added two front darts that start just under the pouch pockets.   If we had more time I may have taken a few inches off the bottom and perhaps  reset the sleeves to a more flattering length.  I don't know if that would have been pushing BSA requirements but what we did so far is a great improvement!  

Hope you enjoy all your fun meetings Becca - those boys are lucky to have you as their leader.  You're also getting great experience for your three little boys who will too soon become cub scouts themselves.

While the men are away........

The women and children will play.  Last night I hosted a sort of impromtu kids/sisters party at my house while all the men attended Priesthood meeting.  Suz, Mary, Emily, and Becca all joined this small gathering with their children.  There were 20 children in total to make it especially eventful.

The great thing about sister gatherings is there is a fine line between hostess/guest.  All chip in to make the fun happen.  We had Natalie and Emily prepare the twice baked potatoes, Caroline and I did the homemade ice cream, Mary and Becca served the children, and Suz was the official taste consultant to those preparing the food.  

After all the little ones were feed we sent them to basement where we originally planned to put a movie on for them.  But before we could start a show several of the children had gotten into my dress-up closet and it was too much fun- even more fun than watching a movie.  So it was suggested that they gather together and make their own movies.  The adults were then sent upstairs.

Us sisters just hung out talking and laughing as we nursed our babies.  It was quite surprising how long the kids were occupied, even more surprising is there was not one conflict.  They were happily absorbed in their play.  It didn't seem like there were 20 children downstairs (well actually 19 since Natalie should be counted with us now).

Three shows were performed and recorded and I'm sorry I could not hold the video very still as they were quite entertaining.  Just like the unplanned parties seem to be the most memorable these unplanned performances were remarkably fresh and amusing.

Us moms couldn't resist the fun and grabbed a few costume accessories for both ourselves and babes in arms, put on music and joined in on the kid costume party.  While we were dancing one of the kids picked up the video camera and filmed us this time it being shaken with even more laughter.  It sure doesn't take much to have fun with family.      

Wordfull Wednesday: My Favorite Season

To all those in the Wordfull Wednesday circle I am passing this assignment on to my 8 yr. old James. My favorite season is now - the one I am experiencing. Here's James while I go clean up our bagel mess before we have a visit from a prospective buyer.

In our home there are five seasons Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Football season. My favorite is Football.  Being a Michigan fan makes it especially fun. Pictured here is my little brother Henry on the day of the Michigan/Utah game.  He is wearing the old Halloween costume my mom sewed for me when I was six days old.  He doesn't look happy maybe because the score was 25-23 Utah.  

Besides Utah, Michigan has played Miami (Ohio) 16-6 Michigan, at Notre Dame 38-17 (that game was frustrating because the referee didn't call for a touchdown and Michigan should have had 24)Notre Dame won,  and Michigan vs. Wisconsin.  Michigan won 27-25.

Sometimes it is hard to be a fan when your team loses especially when it is a game they should have won.  What makes it all worth it is winning games like the #9 ranked Wisconsin game.  My Dad and I were jumping around and shouting so loud that Henry was crying.  Maybe when he gets older he will understand how fun it is.