BIRTHDAY

I have not the time to do everything I need too? DH is leaving in just 3 short hours for an extended weekend trip that he's been planning since I gave him tickets to the Food City 500 Bristol, TN Nascar race. It's our son's birthday tomorrow so I am overcompensating by taking him to a certian pizza place with a cheesey (har har) Rat and to many obnoxious carnival style games. A couple of cousins are adding to the mayhem but it should be a good time. I also invited the said cousins to sleepover tomorrow night, wow I am so not ready. I have to clean the house, frost the pokemon cake, grocery shop, buy presents, wrap said presents get balloons find time to sleep, ha ha, did I say clean the house? Ya, biggest problem. I work twelve hour days this week, who has time to clean? Now, I must go pack for my DH so he, his dad, and youngest brother can let the good times roll. I'll bet he insn't sorry I insisted he reserve a campsite. Three guys, one tent have fun boys!

Erin Go Braugh

I missed a week, last weekend's plans were foiled by the unwelcome visit of a stomach bug that took down all of us one by one. We are all doing much better now, and the kids are outside enjoying the beautiful nearly 60*F weather here in Mid March. Its a bit early for temps this warm but I am not complaining. This weekend we are celebrating my only through marriage Irish heratige. My Step-Grandmother (former stepmother's mom) is 100% Irish and with a heart more generous that any pot of gold. My son and I however, do have fair enough skin to pass for Irish, his is translucent, pale and smooth as cream. The corned beef is in the slow cooker as I type along with apples, onions, and parsinps. I will be adding boiled potatoes to the menu and must shortly sign off to make soda bread. I making an only symbolic St. Patricks day dessert, chocolate and mint brownies. We will also make some cut out shamrocks and I bought a few decorations for the table. We haven't tried real corned beef before, the machine pressed lunch meat doesn't count. Now off to bake and cake with my kids, I also need to bake my son's birthday cake today.

Game Night

I think spring is coming!!! I am so ready for the snow to be gone! I like winter and snow but have been buried since october and we are ready to see some green and I don't just mean St. Patricks day stuff. We are doing game night tomorrow, I page through my Taste of Home mags from like the last century, 1999 and some more current. We are keeping it pretty simple, homemade pizza checkerboard, eye spy salad, and homemade preztels and a dice cake. Next weekend we are doing St. Patricks day dinner, I bought a corned beef brisket for the first time ever. I will also be making creme de menth cake, green potatoes and green beans. And to show my complete insanity I booked my son's birthday party for 10 at a certain pizza place whose mascot is a rodent with the initial CC. New I need sleep very busy day tomorrow. I will be sure to take pictures tomorrow night of our game night. We are also going to play some board games and cards. Sounds like fun to us!

Oh say can you say?

I still cannot pronounce the greek word for thyme honey dumplings but I can make them. The supper turned out very well. the herb and tomato soup was well recived by all and my DH very kindly grilled the meat and potatoes for me that I had so painstakinly prepared. The pork chops were marinaded to perfection and the dessert was very, very sticky thanks to the honey. Right now I am watching our Lexie kitty slurping up the small bowl of my daughter's soup I haven't cleared away yet. I still need to go run the dishwasher we only cleaned up halfway after supper to watch the Olympics. The ice dancing exhibition was beautiful, the silver medal winners from the US were fun to watch, he skated in jeans and a white blouse very Cowboy Casual. Although if you live where i do clean jeans and a shirt with buttons is nearly formal wear. The skater who won gold for male single skater did his in a skateware styled like a tux and was breathtaking to watch. Tomorrow I am staying home with my kids without Daddy, he is going with his Dad to a toy auction to look for collectable green toy tractors. I am proud to say that I found and gave my FIL the jewel of his collection, a gold NIB tractor that was a special show edition limited production. My husband recently introduced him to the joys of ebay where I find all the tractors we have given him and they have been on a John Deere toy spree. Thats ok, I still have an entertainment center in the master bedroom full of Harry Potter stuff including toys I will not let out of the boxes. I also have gathered a modest collection of Precious Moments, all of which I am proud to say I have never spent more than $8 for. I buy nearly all my PM stuff at second hand stores. I also have this other thing, I collect vintage wedding cake toppers. Perhaps its because me, now an experienced caker had a very, very modest wedding cake that cost under $100 because it was a sheet cake with a small heart on top. It suited our homespun wedding very well (MIL and I made my veil and I did all the flowers, most of the food and our venue cost a whoppping $50) but I know have an interesting assortment of cake toppers including some traditional, some sweet and some quirky. I have one that are a kwepie set from the 20's the groom isn't wearing any pants but full tails and a top hat. Wow, sorry tmi? Anyway I don't begrude the hobby auction and the kids and I are going to make cupcakes and enjoy a quiet day at home. in the words of the immortal tigger TTFN ta ta for now!

its almost the weekend!

To bad we don't have laurel trees in leaf this time of year, at least not in WI. I would have to make silk ones but since we are making this kid friendly we will be using construction paper. I will do my best to rig togas out of the ever popular bed sheets. I wish I looked like Aphrodite, not since I was 25 and started having kids. To get in the spirit I have been listing to My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Very funny, very very funny. I still haven't found greek thyme honey but wisconsin clover and apple blossom honey is pretty good too. To bad my Gran isn't still with us, she raised honey bees. The kids don't know what we are doing yet I am going to suprise them. Well, the clock says its time to unpause my timing tool and go back to work!

Olympics

Ok its Thursday, the week is nearly over. I decided in honor of the Winter Olympics that we are having a greek night this weekend. Pork chops are what we shall roast over hot coals instead of lamb but I did find pork chops in a Greek Cusine cookbook. I will also toss up a greek salad and make Greek honey dumplings although not with the authentic thyme honey as a I don't have time to special order it. Still it should tase good, now if I could just pronounce Loukoumades

Geese are intimidating even plucked and trussed

It's Sunday, Narnia is magically near to our family room. If only the goose cooked by magic. DH is watching the Calli race while actually sleeping, I didn't sleep much last night I ended up not feeling great last night but Andyboy and I went to see The Lightning Thief yesterday afternoon. It was a fun movie especially with a bit of foreknowledge about mythology. I spent the ride home explaining the mythical connections to the HP stories, like the hellhounds, cerbreus the 3 headed dog, Fluffy in HP&SC. Hermes and Hermionie, its fun to watch your childs face light up in the ahha moment when the connection of understaning is made. Now, I have to start draping the room in 'tapestries' throw blankets and go bake a pound cake and prepare hazelnut stuffing, I coudn't find chestnuts. By the by, I saw a picture of a roast goose from japan that was roasted whole head, bill and all. it did Not look appetizing and I am somehow now afriad of a dead ready to roast goose, but maybe not quite as afraid as I was confronted by my grandparents live geese who were mean biting buggers!!