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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

It's been hot

It's been hot here in southern California for the last week or so. We've had a very mild summer compared to the rest of the country, and even compared to the last few summers, but that doesn't seem to make it any more bearable. With the temperatures soaring I've had to give up one of my favorite pastimes, baking. But finally this week, as the temperatures dropped into the 80's and even the 70's I braved turning the oven on again! I was dying, not to cook, (I have enjoyed having an excuse to eat out way more than we should!) but to bake something. This is what I made. A classic from my childhood, Chocolate Crinkles. My mom used to make these all the time when I was a kid, and who could blame her? They're like a brownie, but in cookie form. Delish! I got the recipe from this cookbook. Just looking at the cover bring back flashbacks from my childhood. My mom made cookies out of it all the time. I love that you can still buy it and that it still has the same cover. Very retro now. My favorite recipes that my mom used to make out of it were the Snickerdoodles and the Chocolate Crinkles. They both happen to be on the same page and my cookbook now opens right to it! This book also contains the worlds best sugar cookie recipe, Ethel's Sugar cookies.
If you don't own this book, you should it's a classic. But just in case you don't here's the Chocolate Crinkle recipe:
Chocolate Crinkles
1/2 C. vegetable oil
4 sq. unsweetened chocolate (4 oz.), melted
2 C. granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. confectioners sugar
Mix oil, chocolate, and granulated sugar. Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed. Add vanilla. Measure flour by dipping method or by sifting. Stir flour, baking powder, and salt into oil mixture. Chill several hours or overnight.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into confectioners sugar. Roll in sugar;shape into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake! Makes about 6 dozen cookies.






Monday, August 30, 2010

Sunday Best

My two oldest girls have always enjoyed getting ready and going to church. Not my boy. Since he was old enough to notice he has hated getting ready for church. This translates into him saying he hates church. Once he is there he always enjoys it but he HATES Sunday clothes. It is a struggle every week to get him ready. I usually settle for him putting on pants, anything not jeans and not shorts, and a button down shirt with a collar. Forget a tie, a belt, or any form of tucking in. This Sunday I had him almost dressed when he decided he wanted to change the pants and that he wanted to wear a tie (I always keep a few on hand just in case!). He had to change his shirt if he wanted a tie and then he wanted it tucked in, with *gasp* a belt! I gave my entire family the look of "If you say anything to him about how he's dressed you will spend the entire rest of the day regretting it" look. Sam told him he looked like a little business man and that made his day. He wore this all day, until jammie time. I think he looks very handsome and I hope more Sundays are like this one!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Palm trees and Cheeburger

This Saturday day we had our annual palm tree trimming. We have this very cute couple Gaspar and his wife that have been trimming our palm trees and our olive tree for years. I love watching them do it and marvel how Gaspar seems so at ease clear up in a swaying palm tree with a chain saw!
These babies make quite a noise when they fall from so far up, and by the end our back yard was covered with them!

This is where Connor watched all that was going on. When the palm fronds started to fall he took cover. I know it's a toilet box, but give me a break, we're moving soon and we'll take any good box we can find!


After the palm trees were trimmed by Gaspar, the yard work done by Shaun and the house cleaned by me, we all went out to Cheeburger, Cheeburger. It's a fun little 50's style diner by us that we love, and yes, we got an order of Frings!



Connor and Mads and Betty Boop modeling their kids meals. The kids meals come in these cool little paper cars that the kids loved playing with as much as eating them.





Saturday, August 28, 2010

Preschool, here she comes!

My baby is off to school! As I walked her up to school I realized this is the last time I will walk one of my kids to their first day of school. There is nothing like the excitement and anticipation a child feels and shows for their first day of school ever. It was a little bitter sweet for a mom.
Mads and her two favorite boys headed to school!

When we got to school her favorite thing to do was play in the pretend kitchen. Like mother, like daughter!


Ring around the Rosie!



Circle time!

Mads loved preschool, but all of a sudden got shy when it was dancing time. At least she had the freeze part down!






Wednesday, August 25, 2010

1st, 6th, 8th, and a cryer

My first grade boy! He was so excited to wear his new shirt, (he picked it out not me!) but is a little concerned about getting it dirty when he slides into home playing kickball. I assured him I could wash it if that happens! He has the same teacher he had for kindergarten and a lot of the same friends from his class last year are in his class this year, so needless to say he is very excited for the first day of school!
6th grade, here she comes! I must say, as a mother, having your second child start middle school is not nearly as stressful as when your oldest does! Sam is sooooo excited, she's ready for middle school and will do great, I can just tell. I included a back view of her new hair cut because I think it is just so darn cute, and today at least she is smiling in the pics, so she must be starting to like it too!




My 8th grader, ready to rule the middle school! Can't believe she's the oldest in the school. It's seems like she just started middle school. She is a WEB leader at our middle school. It's a group of eighth graders chosen to help out the new sixth graders, and that is why she is wearing that t-shirt. No worries, a new school shirt is worn strategically under the WEB shirt because that would be E-M-B-A-R-A-S-S-I-N-G to wear a WEB shirt all day!



The whole gang ready to go. Everyone was excited to atart school today and just popped out of bed. I'm not getting my hopes up. I know that they got up so willingly today because they are excited. Tomorrow or the next day the dragging out of bed will begin. For Madison it started today. She doesn't quite get first day of school excitement. I did have to drag her out of bed kicking and screaming!





Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Last day of summer vacation

Today was our last day of summer break. We decided to hit Birch aquarium. They had a great time. There is just so much to see and do there.
Checking out the fish in the big aquarium!

The aquarium is located right on the coast and has amazing views. Also out on the deck are some cool tide pools with creatures you can touch if you're brave enough!






While the big kids played a game Mads played in the fake coral beds with the puppets and stuffed sea life!










Outside the aquarium at the cool fountain!

New Haircut

Today we went and got a new short haircut for Sam. She has spent a lot of time at the beach and the pool this summer and her long hair gotten pretty damaged.
As you can see from the look on Sam's face she LOVES her new haircut! It ended up being shorter than she wanted but I think it's adorable!


Sunday, August 22, 2010

This summer we...

...bought a new house. We haven't moved yet but we are very excited to in a couple of months. This is Sam's countdown to the close of escrow chain!
made yummy treats with friends.


Summer flip flop cookies



S'mores on a stick

...went to swimming lessons. Mads was the only one who took lessons this year and she LOVED it the first week, but cried the entire time the second week. Mr. Zac was very patient with her!











...ran a 5K. Well, Amanda and I did. Oh yeah, and we really didn't run that much of it. The photographer just happened to catch us sprinting up to the finish line. A friend of mine organized a 5K here in Poway to raise money and awareness for The Campaign to end fistula .