Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all who are celebrating (and for those who aren't, just enjoy the pictures).

I have a babysitting co-op in my neighborhood that rocks. We help each other out on a regular basis - for example both this coming and this past Wednesday when I need someone to get Little Miss off her bus. With over twenty women together, we can always find someone who is available to watch our children in exchange for hours.

It's more than just the babysitting though. Our monthly meetings are a great social outlet and a wonderful source of information about upcoming events, the schools, and more. We have periodic ladies nights to just get away. And we do holiday events, including an Easter Egg hunt that has become quite the tradition.

It starts off with an Easter Egg hunt, which they kindly hold off on starting until the four of us who attend the Catholic school that gets out later can make it to the designated house. Each of us provides stuffed eggs, and the kids are separated by age to go in search of their requisite number of eggs.

Note that I have no pictures of this. Although I recharged my camera before the event and put the battery back in, I apparently neglected to put the camera actually into my purse. Nice babysitting people lent me their camera, however.

We also have a visit from the Easter Bunny, who comes to visit all the children and is available for pictures. Usually the Easter Bunny is fairly stationary and put in a picturesque area, but this year he was mobile.

This may also be the last year we have the Easter Bunny. As disappointing as it was, I witnessed several of the older (and I'm talking early middle school age) children harrassing the bunny - pulling on his gloves, yanking his watch chain, pulling on his pockets trying to rip them off his jacket, lifting up his waist, and the like. I chastised them, and they looked suitably ashamed for being disrespectful to the bunny, but I caught them (and others) at it later, and I know other moms did, too. It's a shame.

This isn't all, however. After the Easter Egg hunt is over, there are cookies to decorate. Dozens and dozens of cookies are made, frosting and sugars and decorations are provided, and the kids get to go to town making and eating their creations. You'll notice no pictures of Little Miss here, as she was being Miss Crabby McCrabbypants and not listening and was taken home by my husband after the Easter Egg hunt portion.

The host for the past two years has added yet another bit of entertainment. She prints out all sorts of Easter coloring pages, and the children are then invited to color them for a contest. This isn't your typical contest, however, where the one artistic child wins every single year. Instead, all the pictures are hung up for their due admiration while the kids go run and play for awhile. Eventually, they are taken down, shuffled, and three random winners are drawn.

Mister Man didn't win, and he was disappointed, but he was thrilled that he was able to help other kids find eggs after he'd found his dozen. In fact, as he was helping one boy find thirteen of his eighteen eggs, one of the eggs he found for that boy had a special "E" label inside that meant the boy received a special prize. Mister Man couldn't have been prouder that he helped than if he'd won himself.

And really? Isn't that what Easter is all about? Helping others, sharing and celebrating as a community, and recognizing that we're all in this together trying to make the world a better place?

Happy Easter!

The Personal Humiliation Just Keeps Coming

Not only did I sit in for the lovely Melisa at Suburban Wow this morning (replays on a loop right now if you missed it), but tonight I will be in a passion play.

Yep. Me, with my lovely and well-polished acting resume, will be in a play. The last time I was in a play, I was a freshman in high school. And I wrote the play in a summer school class. It was awful. The time before that? Lifestyles of the Lovely But Conceited, another original production that is known among family friends as "The Infamous Florida Video." Infamous isn't necessarily the adjective you want applied to your talents.

However, I will be in a passion play tonight. This isn't just any passion play, however. This is an original production written by our choir director and his wife. Jesus is not the star of it, ironically - as has been the case with every other passion play I've ever seen. Rather it's an interpretation of Christ's last seven phrases in a retelling of the agony of Christ via music and drama.

While it's not quite the Broadway musical that WeaselMomma alleged, it is definitely a unique performance. Part of what will make it even more unique is that we've practiced this a total of - wait for it - once. Yep, one single time, with a quarter of the cast missing, and we are performing it in public in a mere couple hours. It will be interesting to see how it goes over.

The good news is that I have my line memorized. And since I have only a single (albeit somewhat long) line, I have to know only that I start my line after one guy finishes his song. I have yet to hear this song, but he's "promised" (his words, not mine) that it's really long, so I won't miss it. Once he stops singing, I spout my dramatic line, and I'm done.

Oh - and I almost forgot to mention my character. My character is one of the few named characters in the play. I am the infamous Mary Magdalene. (For those of you not familiar with her history, she was a reformed prostitute and a follower of Jesus - including being the person who discovers his empty tomb on Easter.)

The roles were carefully cast. Mine, I was told, was simply typecast. I'll let that set in for a bit.

When doing our auditions - did I mention I didn't volunteer for this but was rather volunteered? - we simply were handed an early script after choir practice one day (ok, THAT part I did volunteer for) and we read the play through, each person reading one line and the next person taking the next line. After we finished the read through, the choir director scribbled his mad notes, and we were told at the next choir practice which part we would play.

Which is how I came to be Mary Magdalene, since I fit her character best. Why, you might ask? I'm told - and here's hoping this is the real reason - that I am the only person whose hair is somewhat red, and my hair is the longest in the choir. Apparently Mary Magdalene was a redhead. With her line referencing drying Jesus's feet with her hair, I suppose long hair is a mandate.

On the plus side, costuming is easy. We're simply all wearing our choir robes. Dressed all in a simple black, it will be easy to tell the characters apart. On the plus side, putting on this performance (which is being advertised as an EVENT in the local papers to get more attendance) doesn't dip into the nonexistent choir budget.

If there is video taken, I promise to share it if possible. I have a feeling this will be worth watching - Jesus being offstage with a microphone and crosses hanging from the ceiling to represent the crucifixions and all.

Wish me luck. I certainly don't want this acting endeavor to also become co-mingled with the word "infamous."

Oh, and don't forget that I have giveaways (umm single digit entries people? Really?) here and here.

Do You Want To See Me Make A Fool of Myself?

It's really at least a 50/50 shot that I'll say or do something I regret, but I'm ok with that. WeaselMomma from World of Weasels has graciously asked me fill in for her co-host on Suburban Wow tomorrow (Friday) at 11am CST.

And I graciously accepted. After waffling for a couple days. And realizing that not one, but BOTH wee ones are off school tomorrow. And will be hanging out with me. And after WeaselMomma offered up one of her daughters to assist in corralling any wee one that attempts to escape.

So not only do you have a chance to view me, but it's a good chance that at least one of the wee ones will insist on making it on camera, too. (How do I know this? "Mom! Mom! Take a video of me eating a cookie!" Yeah, I'm pretty sure they'll find a way to make it on screen.

And we'll be on location, which offers up even more potential entertainment. So tune us in at 12pm EST / 11am CST and see what happens. If you can't make that broadcast, it will be streaming on repeat after the show.

Let me know what you think - and yes, it's interactive, so if you can make it, you get to participate in the chat, too!

Go ahead - click here and join in the fun of Suburban Wow!

Why Miss Crabby McCrabbypants Needed A Nap Today

Two giveaways going on right now:
Hot Locks dolls here

and

Probiotics here.

***

All I can say right now is "Thank GOODNESS Little Miss is long since in bed and asleep." I'm actually about ready to head there myself after today. It's definitely not been the most fun day.

So while Little Miss thinks she doesn't need to nap, I beg to differ. I'll have to read her my...

Top Ten Reasons Why Little Miss Needs To Nap:

10) My husband put her to bed over an hour past her bedtime last night. I know this because I was at a meeting and came home an hour after she should have been in bed and heard her playing in the bathtub. On the plus side, she eventually had nice, clean hair.

9) Little Miss refused to get dressed this morning. She walked around with her pjs half on and half off and refused every potential outfit in her closet. Whee.

8) She then refused to drink her milk with her calcium vitamin in it at breakfast (and for my non-dairy little girl, that is not an option). She didn't have a good reason other than just not feeling like it. And with me driving carpool today, we couldn't dawdle.

7) As we were trying to get out the door to pick up the carpool on time, Little Miss threw a hissy fit when I told her it was going to be too warm to wear her winter coat on top of her fleece sweatshirt. And by hissy fit, I mean full-on, laying on the floor, burying her head in her hands, screaming fit. I removed her coat while she was still lying there and carried her to the car.

6) Before naptime, Little Miss insisted she didn't have to go potty. We always have to go potty before naptime or there are problems with falling asleep. I picked her up and placed her on the potty (which isn't uncommon; she likes to play a game where she hides in her bed and I go find her). She threw herself indignantly on the floor, just missing the edge of the bathtub. After sitting dry as a desert on the potty for five minutes, I let her go to bed. She was up six times to go potty during naptime.

5) By the end of naptime, she looked like she was wearing eyeliner. Little Miss has always been easy to read when she gets tired. She gets circles under her eyes as soon as she starts to get the slightest bit tired. The more tired she is, the deeper and darker those circles go. They were epic.

4) After Mister Man got home from school, we needed to head to the grocery store. I gave him the option of biking (we're a mile or so away) or driving since he's still a little freaky about riding his bike. He chose to drive, and Little Miss started screaming and hid behind the armchair in the family room, kicking at the curtains with her foot.

3) When I asked Little Miss to put on her shoes, she refused. Repeatedly. When I explained that meant no bike riding for her after we got back from the store, she ignored me. I picked her up and carried her to the car. You would have thought I was ripping out her fingernails with rusty tweezers the way she was carrying on. The girl has a future on the stage.

2) When we got to the store - sans shoes for her - I carried her inside and placed her in the cart, she refused to sit properly in the cart. She made faces at me and turned sideways. There was some more screaming (not going to the grocery store was unfortunately not an option). After being asked if she wanted a timeout in the grocery store, she decided that it was ok to sit as instructed.

And the number one reason Little Miss needed to nap today?

She couldn't finish her dinner, she was so tired. She went up to bed before her normal bedtime and was sound asleep before Mister Man made it upstairs to start getting ready for bed - and they have the same bedtime.

And me? I think I need a nap about now. Or maybe just an early bedtime myself!

Tasty Tuesday

Do you have or know a little girl? There's a brand new line of dolls out there, and I'm giving one away with my Hot Locks giveaway!

If you've ever wanted to try them, here's your chance with the probiotics giveaway here.

Odds are really good... quick, go enter and I promise to wait for you.

***

I had to think really hard about what to post this week. We were on spring break last week, which meant the wee ones and I were running around most of last week. I did a lot of fresh, quick cooking, and many things we made, I've already posted.

Then I had my brilliant idea (ok, so brilliant might be stretching it just a bit). This is one of the super easy dishes that sounds much harder than it is. And it looks fancy, so people think you put a lot of work into it - the perfect kind of recipe!

Oh, wait. Is there a holiday weekend coming up that typically involves a lot of cooking of foods where you want people to think you've been slaving over a hot stove? Why yes, I do believe there is. Perfect again.

Spinach Souffle

Ingredients:
1/2 c fresh grated Parmeasan cheese
2 10oz boxes chopped spinach, thawed
3 T butter
3 T flour
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1 c cream
1/2 c spinach juice (reserved from when draining the frozen spinach)
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t nutmeg, fresh grated
1 1/2 c mix of cheddar and mozzarella cheeses
4 eggs

Directions:
Grease a medium to large baking bowl (a la my ceramic souffle dish). Use the fresh grated cheese to line the greased bowl like you'd flour a cake pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook and drain the spinach, saving the juice. Melt the butter into a saucepan, and saute the onions in the butter. Add the flour, and stir while cooking for 2-3 minutes.

Add the spinach and onion mixture to a large bowl and gently stir.

In a separate bowl, beat the four eggs.

Add the cream, spinach juice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cheeses, and eggs to the large bowl and fold to combine.

Place the mixture into a baking dish. Place the baking dish into a pan of water. Cook for 40 minutes, checking carefully after 30 minutes.

Enjoy this and more with Blessed with Grace and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

More Holiday Creep

Do you have or know a little girl? There's a brand new line of dolls out there, and I'm giving one away with my Hot Locks giveaway!

There is also an almost brand new giveaway for probiotics here.

Odds are really good... quick, go enter and I promise to wait for you.

***

It's GingerBunnybread time, again! Yes, after the fun we had making gingerbread houses this winter, we decided to decorate houses again.

With Easter coming up, we found a neat one at Aldi (our Aldi still had some this weekend left if you want to go for this fun treat, too). Mister Man spotted it when we went grocery shopping last week, and we both agreed that it had to come home with us.

So what do you think? This was our house.

Wellll... at least this was how the house was supposed to look. On the box.

It went together fairly quickly, with no major issues. Once the construction was complete, the wee ones were ready to decorate. And notice the balls on top of the roof. Go back and look at the picture above again. Yep, my special little boy made sure we had them in the exact correct color order. It was a big deal.

They did a lot of decorating, and they were completely in charge of deciding what would go where and how to divide the candy amongst themselves. Well, once I kicked my husband out of the kitchen after he kept pointing to the picture and insisting they try to follow that exactly. They actually did a pretty good job of sharing.

Mister Man kept asking me to make it look exactly like the house on the box with the piping. However, without moving the premade icing to professional bags with professional tips, there was no way that the icing was going to come out looking that way. He was awfully impressed that I made the heart on the door just like in the picture, even though I explained that there was no way I could then outline said heart.

Their house looked somewhat like the box when they decided they were finished. They were very proud of themselves.

However, as time started to pass, I was reminded of the lesson we learned when making our gingerbread houses at Christmastime. Do the decorating first, then build because the premade icing slides. Ehhhh, now the window in the front of hte house just looks like a door - or so Mister Man says.

Do you like how the bunnies are playing soccer with their multiple multi-colored balls? Yep, these bunnies play soccer.

When they woke up from their naps, they decided they wanted to do some more decorating, so back to work they went.

At this point, Mister Man decided he could do the icing on his own, so I let him have at it. He actually did a pretty good job, too.

This time, they wanted to be sure they were in the picture, as proof of the good job they did making their house.

And really, I think they did a pretty decent job with it, don't you? At the very least, we had a very pleasant afternoon that we spent together figuring things out and working together.

And what's a house without landscape lighting anymore? This is an upscale bunny house!

The Little Stinker!

Do you have or know a little girl? There's a brand new line of dolls out there, and I'm giving one away with my Hot Locks giveaway!

There is also a brand new giveaway for probiotics here.

***

This afternoon, Little Miss called out to me from the other room, with a huge smile on her face.

Mommy! I love you.

That was it. Just that simple statement that she periodically throws out there to me. It makes me smile every time, and I responded as I frequently do.

Do you know what, Peanut?

You love me, too, Mommy! comes the delighted shout from the other room. She loves playing this game, and who can blame her?

You know it! I'll always love you no matter what, forever and ever.

She went happily back to her play, and my husband at this point poked his head up, indignant that he hadn't been included in the declarations of love.

Well, what about me, Little Miss? he inquired.

Yeah.

That was her only - and somewhat enthusiastic - response, as she'd already gone back to playing. I giggled. Or possibly belly laughed.