Snow Day!

What can you make with a big bowl of snow, a can of sweetened condensed milk and some vanilla?  (Yes, there is a bag of sugar in that picture but, I don't know what I was thinking...I guess I forgot how sweet the sweetened condensed milk was until I opened it.)

Why, snow ice cream, of course!  When I opened the cabinet to get out some little dessert bowls to serve it in, there were these two little bowls with snowflakes on them that I got several years ago and forgot I had, but they are exactly perfect for something made out of snow, don't you think?

Anyway, as I was mixing it up in the kitchen I was afraid the snow was going to melt so I took it out to the back porch and stirred and stirred and stirred...and it actually turned into something that looked an awful lot like ice cream!  I was really amazed at how creamy it was.  I think I was 11 years old the last time I made this.  I used regular milk, and I remember it being a little runny.  But not this stuff!  I also thought about using powdered sugar, but I didn't need any sugar at all. 

Plopped it into some bowls and took it out to the kids who were running around in the backyard.  Yes, it looks like they are a little lightly clothed, but Claire had on a fleece blanket sleeper and a fleece pullover underneath her jeans and the orange hoodie.  Ethan had on several layers, as well.  (You have to remember that we are still new here, and not used to real winters!)  But you can see how pink their cheeks were getting! 

It was a huge hit and Ethan is coming up with recipes for making chocolate snow ice cream...he's just trying to decide if it would be better to use chocolate syrup or hot chocolate mix. 

Happy Valentine's Day and all that!

Oh, blah blah blah...it's been too busy around here lately, and Allison is fighting off pneumonia. She has asthma and we go through this EVERY. SINGLE. FEBRUARY. I'm not kidding. Problem is, she suddenly turned into a teenager about a week ago, and she doesn't think she needs to use her nebulizer like she is supposed to...because, you know...she is a teenager now and knows everything while I, of course, know nothing and/or am overreacting. I guess I really need to get over myself when she is running a 104 degree fever and can't breathe.

Our Valentine Weekend was one of the best ever! We went out yesterday (Saturday) and stopped at Michael's to pick up some art supplies (I'll explain that later), then went to 'Cupcake Coutour'. I had the best red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing EVAH! I love that cupcake place.

So...back to the much needed art supplies...each one of my kids has more creative talent in their little fingers than I do in my whole body, so they love art and are always-literally every single day-making or painting something so, I decided we would have our own little "Valentine's Day Art Challenge". This was so fun, I think I am going to make it a regular thing at least once a month! I am very low on paint so I had to get more of that and I picked up a canvas for each one of us. Today, we all sat down at the table together and I issued the challenge: everyone was to paint, draw, collage, whatever a piece of art that had to include a 'heart' into it. That was the only rule. So we drug out tons of stuff...paint (acrylic and watercolor) crayons, pencils, ribbon, stencils and stamps (none of which were used, by the way, because who needs those when you can draw your own stuff???), masking tape (because Ethan can't do anything without that!), specialty papers (which, again, none of which were used because who needs that when you are talented enough to make your own background and draw your own things...lol! BTW, I'm talking about them...not me!), Exacto knives (!yikes! But that was Steven's fault, not mine. Every mother knows you never trust a 12 year old boy with an Exacto knife!). Anyway...a lot of stuff!

It was one of the greatest things I have ever done with them! We all had so much fun and-get this...hope you are sitting down-there was no fighting. Sssshhhhhhhhh! Don't say it out loud! I can't believe I'm telling anyone but, I at least wanted it recorded for historical purposes that my 3 kids sat together at a table for a couple of hours and no one fought. And that's all I have to say about that.

I took a lot of pictures but, it was dark outside and raining and dark and the lighting was just awful no matter what I did. So, I will take more tommorow, I promise, during the light of day because I don't think it is supposed to rain and should be nice outside. That way I will have plenty of natural light and everything will look normal...not RED!

I truly hope everyone else's Valentine's Day was wonderful and enjoyed by all!

Gratuitous Kid Pictures and Knitting

Should we get the gratuitous kid pictures over with first? OK, if you say so....

I'll go with 'birth order', which is neutral, logical and doesn't show favorites. And in that case, here is Allison, in the grey pea coat that she wanted for Christmas. I've been waiting for years for the 'Preppy Look' to come back, and it seems as though it finally might be. The best part about it is that she seems to like it so, ssshhhhhh! We won't tell her how cute she looks!


This one is of Allison and Ethan. This is a great one because: 1) They are not fighting, and are actually peacefully playing together and getting along! A Christmas miracle in itself!; and 2) It really shows their red hair.


A picture of Ethan alone, with one of the best Christmas gifts in the history of Christmas Gifts for Ethan...a book about using dollar bills for origami! Can you see the concentration? He was like this for about 3 hours. Really.


And Claire...with the Hippity Hop that cemented her belief in Santa Claus for at least one more year!


And about the cutest thing I have ever seen...something I have been wanting, ahem, I mean CLAIRE has been wanting for months: This little, purple Pixie sewing machine by Singer! I, I mean CLAIRE, loves it!

Finally, a small and inexpensive sewing machine for kids that really does work! It is easy to thread (just follow the arrows and numbers), the bobbin is great all the way around and it sews like a charm! The only problem we have had is when Claire forgets to keep the top thread secured under the 'foot'. Just like any other sewing machine, if it's not in it's proper place, it does come unthreaded when you start sewing. However, it only took her a few times to have this happen before she remembered to check and make sure the thread was placed properly, and we haven't had a problem since. It sews really well, and goes slow enough that I'm not a nervous wreck about her fingers getting caught under the needle. So far she has made a pillow with it that came out better looking than my own pillows! And it is only my fault that she hasn't done more...I still want to be able to supervise completely and just haven't had the time. However, she could probably do just fine on her own. I'm really proud of her! Oh, and if you are wondering...they have them at Wal-Mart for about $50. (You know Wal-Mart prices...$48.97 or $49.38...something like that.) Two thumbs up from me, and I am VERY picky when it comes to bobbins!

Now for the knitting: this is the infamous long, skinny, pink scarf that I knitted. I know it's not much and you can see lots of mistakes, but for me it is an awesome accomplishment! lol! I finally finished something that resembles what it was supposed to be and is functional (sorta) as well. Well, maybe not as functional as it is cute.


I started working on a wider scarf, but I think I cast on too many stitches. I can barely keep them all squeezed on while I knit, and I'm working so hard to keep the yarn on the needles the stitches I am knitting are not very even. However, it will work for me because I have other plans for it. It is wool yarn so, I could felt it, which is something I've been wanting to do for a long time. Or, I may use it in a fiber art piece...I've got it all planned out already, but I need some little pieces of "fancy" fabrics that I don't have...like silks and velvets. I'm wondering if it would be a good time to hit Joann's for their little remnants. All of the tiny leftovers from the Holidays.

I have really great things I got in the mail that I want to share, but I will save that for my next post. Take care, everyone!

Another "Happy Birthday"!

This was my very first baby. Well, she still is and always will be, actually. BUT...




My baby Allison is 15 years old today! I have a knot in my stomach. When she turned 10, and got into "double digits" it didn't bother me. When she turned 13 and was an Official Teenager it didn't bother me. But 15! OMG-she might as well be 20! Even though I've always told her she couldn't get her driver's license until she graduated from college, she truly believes she can go sign right up for Driver's Ed.! I told her there really is no point because she won't be able to use any of that information for quite a few years, because, she will be going to UTSA after high school, and Steven works RIGHT NEXT DOOR to UTSA, so he can drop her off in the morning and pick her up in the evenings, so see...there really is no reason for her to drive at all!

But, maybe I should rethink that...I'll let her get her license but, she can only go as far as Target, Barnes & Noble and Starbucks. And that's it! lol! Oh, just thought of another benefit...she can take Ethan to his doctor's appointments...you have to take the good with the bad, you know!

One more brag on her, because she is the best daughter ever-just don't tell Claire that-but...get this...Allison was accepted into the National Honor Society!(?!?) MY daughter? MY daughter. OK, I'll give Steven some credit too, I guess. She is so much like him! So smart! I'm like, OK smart, but they are REALLY smart. Plus, I had better things to do in High School than learn stuff! Well, maybe I'm really smart too, but more in a common sense kind of way...I just keep it on the down low. I just cruised by making B's and C's, and not letting anyone know I could do better if I had actually cracked a book. That way, I did ok in school, didn't cause any trouble, and when I did bring home an A or two, everyone was so excited! Kinda the best of both worlds. Anyway...

CONGRATULATIONS ALLISON-one, for being you. Two, for hanging in with me this long. I know it hasn't always been easy, but we both learned a lot together, and I'm a better Mom because of you. I love you!

Well, I have a few other pictures for you but Blogger is being a butt. Pictures of Claire at her performance, pictures of curtains, and a pictures of a log cabin pattern I am sewing entirely by hand to make a pillow for the sofa. Blogger has different plans though, I guess, because it won't let me upload any more pictures. I totally need to blog more often so I can keep everyone up to date on things because I know all 3 of you are just waiting with baited breath, and not have to do it in one HUGE post.

One more point of interest though...check out Malka Dubrawsky's blog (I really hope I spelled that right!) A Stitch in Dye. She lives in Austin-my MOST FAVORITE CITY IN THE WORLD JUST IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW- and makes the most beautiful cloth you have ever seen and is a complete inspiration to me-she does everything I want to do but don't have the time for-- but, her post today is about the Sun. Apparently, every 28 years the Sun is in the exact position it was when it was first created, and today is that day. I find it amazing that somethng like that can be tracked, and it was definitely my 'something new' to learn about today. If you have time, browse around her blog and check out her stuff: It will be time well spent! One thing you have to see is her 'Wee Little Photo Shoot' and her 'Twinkle Quilt'. The Twinkle Quilt is so absolutley gorgeous and the quilts in the 'Wee Little Photo Shoot'...well, the colors take my breath away! Just click on that link and scroll down. They are both on that page, along with other beautiful things. I'm quite sure that Malka doesn't know me from Adam but, she is one of those ' On a Pedistal Artists' for me, just like Susie Monday...which is a whole other post but just real quick...I get to do a few more artist retreats with her starting this month and probably going every month through the Summer! I absolutely cannot WAIT until next weekend!!!