I've been baking cookies, lots and lots of cookies all day.  There are a lot of things happening next week that I need to bring cookies to.  I'm covered in flour, sprinkles, frosting, chocolate, and sticky stuff.  My kitchen is such a disaster that I don't even want to go…

We're not big sports fans around here, but a few weeks ago Dr. Peds bought some hockey tickets at a silent auction to see UMD play UND.  He though Mr. Sneaky Pants would enjoy going along.  The morning of the hockey game, I told Mr. SP about where he could…

Ya Ya won second place in the PTA contest for a story that she wrote.  You might recall a few weeks ago that she was working on a story entitled "Beauty is a Princess Who Doesn't Have to Eat her Peas."  It ended up to be quite a story.  I'd…

Every time I make soup (good homemade, amazing, onionless soup) the youngest kidlets complain.  They mope.  They protest loudly. They like the chunks and hate the "soup juice."  So we compromised, and tried the Grandpa Ron trick.  My dad loves soup, and he always crushes up saltine crackers to fill…

Saturday was Christmas tree cutting day a nearby patch of forest.  Dr. Peds and I had so much fun last year, we decided to make it a tradition.  Mr. Sneaky Pants and The Banana had been looking forward to the day for several weeks.  They were so excited to put…

Ever since the Christmas Parade a few weeks ago, there has been much fascination with the Grinch, (or the Grunch, as he's known in our house).  The kidlets noticed a few grinches at the parade, and I realized that I hadn't ever read them the story.  I really used to…

Tuesdays and Thursdays are long, but fun teaching days.  All afternoon and evening one student after another zips in, sits down and plays for me.  I love it so much.  I love how each person is so unique, with a brain that learns in its very own way.  This afternoon…

I didn't write about it at the time, but about 10 days ago or so, the kidlets and I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and decided to be spectators at the annual Christmas Parade.  It was a great night for the parade, and we got there early to…

I was getting ready to cut into the plastic wrap that seals up the turkey.   YaYa:  (extremely excited, jumping up and down) Does that turkey have a head in there? Me:  Uhm.  No.  They took the head off before they wrapped it up. YaYa:  Oh rats.   Me: Why?…

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  On Thanksgiving Eve, our church has a casual worship service that has been one of my favorite times throughout each year we have lived here. Most of the worship service is different people of all different ages from preschool through extremely elderly grandparents…