...to try another new recipe

...I knew this one would be a hit.

Once again I came across the recipe via a blog on Zite.  The original recipe originates with Hershey.  I found a heart shaped bundt pan in my stash that I have never used and thought the kids would love the mini-servings.  And as you might imagine they did.  And these cakes received rave reviews.

Note:  Because I try to be a nice momma, I served a pretty benign meal of pasta with a lemon sauce and broccoli for dinner.  Consequently there were no cries of torture from the peanut gallery this evening in anticipation of this treat!

The frosting called for marshmallows...and as a fun treat I let the girls dip marshmallows in the frosting that had dipped below the rack.

Yum.

Or "Yuck"?

Yes, that is really what Audrey is saying.  After Abbey convinced her to try them again it turns out she did like them...marshmallows dipped in chocolate (who wouldn't?). 

Only Audrey.

...to have the day run smoothly

...and it did?

I should have played the lottery!  I may have won.

Mondays are my work day.  The kids had swimming.  I had a brigade engagement that started at 6:00.

This of course is the precise time the children are hungry and the time the big kids need to be picked up from swimming.

Well...remember how I wrote that our weekend was rather uneventful?

That is code for: No grocery shopping completed.  No meal planned.  No food to prepare for said, hungry family.

This morning while I was reading my favorite app on my phone (Zite) I came across this black bean soup recipe.  I decided I could throw this together quickly (ten minutes) since I always have these particular ingredients on hand.

As dinner time approached and the little girls began to complain about their hunger pains, I assured our nanny that none of the children would like this meal and they would all go to bed hungry.

Frankly, it is only a requirement that I provide meals for them.  Who said they had to enjoy it?

Remember the spaghetti and meatballs fiasco?

I knew I would like this soup...but who knew our kids would eat it?

And like it?

All four of them.

It was even reported that #3 asked for seconds!

If only I could have witnessed this miracle....

-----------------

Enjoy this soup with some fresh, warm, crusty french bread to take away all the health benefits of this low fat, no salt, high protein, low carb dish.

...to enjoy

...an ordinary weekend.

We didn't do anything remarkable.

No fancy meals, no fun trips, and no big projects.

It was just ordinary.

But often it is the ordinary that makes the warmest memories.

Audrey LOVES cake pops.

So...in order to make the quickest cake pop ever, we buy Munchkins from Dunkin Donuts and I put them on a stick for her (I keep these in the van).  Unfortunately, much to her disappointment, DD was out of Munchkins on Friday.

We improvised...

And now have a 'Donut Pop'.  Even better right?

Our morning continued with a stop at the thrift shop:

She loves treasures.

The girls love to play chase:

with weird things on their heads.

Will spent some time practicing his guitar:

Isabella and I worked on a puzzle:

The girls played outside:

Isabella worked on a fort:

William caught up on some reading:

Audrey did some building:

Audrey dressed up for the game this evening:

She thinks her shirt says Go Michigan!  No.  She doesn't know who is playing.

Weekends like this makes the crazy during the week so much more bearable!

...a snow day

...in the Great White North?

What can I say except the kids enjoyed their 'free' day off!

Woo hoo!

...to help #4

...enroll in an art class

#assoonaspossible.

Apparently, she needs some guidance with respect to: how-to-draw-portraits?

You be the judge....

Here is a portrait she drew of me this evening (while I was minding my own business, reading to the big kids):

Our conversation:

Audrey:  Hey mommy look at the picture I drew for you!  It is yooouu!  (spoken most             joyfully!) 

Me:  Oh? (long pause)  It is? 

Audrey:  Well here are your eyes.  To help you see better.  Four of them.
               And a rainbow head 'cause it's pretty. 

Me:  Oh?  That is my head? 

Audrey:  No.  Ooops.  Soorrrry.  (all in the tone of a slightly bemused sorority girl)   I mean its your big, giant belly.

------

My whiny thoughts:

Did she have to use so many adjectives?

Does she really think I have green fuzz in my belly button?

Perhaps I should have accepted her description as my head; and hoped she made it so large in order to accommodate all of my brains...

...to continue interviewing

...for our soon-to-be-new-nanny/babysitter

I wrote about the search last week and how I had just begun the process.

I wrote about how complicated the semantics are.

AND...

I gave my opinion about how Audrey might react to the new sitter.

------

Well, I was correct about dreading it, the semantics of the job description, and how Audrey is handling the news.

Audrey was sitting next to me on the couch last week while I was compiling a list of potential applicants from the websites www.care.com and www.sittercity.com.  Many of the applicants post their photos alongside their job descriptions.

Audrey was commenting while I was clicking on the possibilities....

"Nope."
"Not that one."
"I don't like her".
"I don't like ANY".
"I think Heather can just stay with us".

Did I mention Audrey is 3?  Not 13....

----

I am not a fan of interviews.

My palms get sweaty.  My stomach does flip-flops.  My breathing rate increases.

Yup...even when I am the interviewER.

I feel like I am trying to convince them to work for me.

I want you to play quietly with my preschool daughters for nine hours.  Do fun things: pretend play, practice their writing, color in one of their million coloring books.  I want you to feed them a healthy lunch.  Did I mention you have to convince them to eat it...without threatening them?  I am the only one allowed to threaten them.  No TV.  It distracts my patients.  You can't let them cry because it distracts my patients.  And you definitely can't let The Queen have one of her notorious temper tantrums (it would distract my patients).  Can you also make sure the dishwasher is emptied, the house is tidy (you know...the patients), and snacks are ready for the big kids when they get home from school?

Geez...I need convincing to work for me.

I completed four interviews Friday and Saturday.
I did one phone interview over the weekend.
I completed two more interviews today and I still have two more to do later in the week.

The good news is I had so much interest in the job that I pulled it off of the nanny sites by Saturday afternoon.

The bad news is, of the seven interviews I have completed I have only ruled-out two girls.

The great news is any of the other candidates would be great choices.

I wish I could give each of them a job.

I want to make each of them happy.

They were each so sweet.

I think I will I narrow the field down to three candidates....

and then I will let Mark decide.

...to share more interesting articles

...that I read this week.  We'll call this take 2.

These are the articles I read this week that I was so impressed by I emailed them to myself so I could read them again.

1.  If it wasn't obvious to you before, it will be now...I am a grammar nerd.  I think in a previous life I must have been a linguist.

I find the discussion on the use of commas fascinating.  Over the years Mark and I have had conversations about the use of commas with conjunctions and lists.  I was taught and believe that the IPA system is correct.  In other words...use the comma.

You can judge for yourself.  The arguments pro and con are provided in this intriguing article.

The Comma...Use or Not Use??

2.  I found the next article endearing and sweet.  It makes me want to donate my girls' dolls to small town local libraries when they grow out of them (although, secretly I hope they'll always love dolls).

A beautiful life for a doll.

3.  Finally, while it might be impressive I am citing an article from the Harvard Business Review (HBR), please don't be fooled.  If only I had the luxury of serenely perusing intellectual periodicals such at the New York Times or the HBR...

In fact, I get most of my article and blog links from a handy little app on my phone that delivers topics of interest to me.  And each night I read until my eyes can no longer remain open.  Yes, I fall asleep each night to the soft glow of my phone.

I wonder if sleeping with my phone is detrimental to my health?

Sitting is terrible for your health!

This article certainly validates our intent to teach our kids to be active, but even more importantly presents the idea that activity can be built into everyday routines.

Perhaps we should start studying spelling words and math facts while jumping on the trampoline?