I Heart Brownies

I have mentioned before my affection for brownies.

Aliki tempted me this morning with a post about chocolate. And this recipe.

I love that it allowed me to use up the rest of our hot cocoa mix left over from winter. I'm planning to put them in snack baggies for our upcoming road trip. Yummmmm.

Never mind that I didn't have any chocolate chips. I put in a little extra cocoa to make up for it. Never mind that the cocoa mix had mini marshmallows. I'm sure they'll melt in and sweeten them up even more. I added in some flax seed, to add a little crunch in the absence of any nuts or chips.

They are almost done and smell divine. I may have to taste test them, just to be sure they are good enough to pack up for the trip.

I may not have the opportunity for a morning coffee klatsch with friends, but isn't it fun that we can still share recipes and stories over our morning cup just the same. From thousands of miles away.

Thanks for the recipe, Aliki. I needed some chocolate today too.

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Update: I just sampled the brownies. Oh my heavens they are gooooood. The cocoa gives them a different flavor that I enjoy. I can even taste a hint of those fake marshmallows. This recipe is a keeper!
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JUNE

Could tomorrow really be the last day of June?!

For us, it marks a half-way point of sorts. The kids head back to daycare and I back to work at the beginning of August. One month of summer down, one to go.

June went so fast!

• The Hubs and I celebrated eight great years of marriage.
• Our B spent mornings for three weeks in a summer Spanish class held at an elementary school in our district.
• We spent last week going to Bible School each night.
• We made it downtown to the Omaha Children's Museum.
• We also made three Monday morning trips to her own school's open library. (We've been on a non-fiction kick this summer, reading up on South Dakota, reptiles, amphibians, knights, rockets, and anything with wheels.)
• We've logged many hours on various local playgrounds.
• We have enjoyed summer services at our church on Sunday mornings.
• We've been happy to watch B play baseball this summer for the first time, spending two hours a week going to one practice and one game each.
• We also had fun going to swim lessons at the Y each Sunday afternoon.
• We celebrated the parents-in-law' 40th wedding anniversary with the Hubs' family.
  

It's been a whirring, blurry ride. I can't wait for July!

The Black Hills

Soon we'll be heading out to South Dakota. We're planning a trip with another family. There will be four adults and five kids, ages 5 and under. It's sure to be interesting, keeping them all entertained and also of equal importance, well-rested.

We're planning to see the major sites of the area:

*Badlands

*Wall Drug

*Reptile Gardens

*Mt. Rushmore

*Crazy Horse

*1880 Train

*Custer State Park

*Hill City

*Keystone

I'd love to hear from anyone who's also been there. Anything that we've just got to do? Anything we might be forgetting?

Let me know. I'm so excited to go, I just don't want to miss anything!

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Deep Thoughts from the Back Seat

We were driving home after dropping off B at summer school. It's a quick drive, less than 10 minutes. My little guy was doing some deep thinking in the back seat, apparently.

"Mommy, I don't want to go back in your tummy."

I tell him, "No sweetie, you don't have to go back in once you are born."

"There's germs in that tummy. I don't want to go back in there."

A minute of quiet, he must be processing...

"It was dark in there and I wanted out. That was not the fun part. The fun part was the gettin' out."

???

He's been amazed lately, looking the picture of my belly when I was pregnant with him. He asks me often if there is another baby in there now. (No, there is not!)

The miracle of it all hits me just then, again, that he started with just one egg. That he was in the dark of my womb.

That he is here now, growing to be the man that he will some day be.

In his blue eyes, I see my eyes. In his expression, I see his dad. I never imagined feeling this way about someone. The words are hard to find, to express quite what it all means to me.

It's good to be three.

A Day for Dads

Happy Father's Day, J!

We love you so. The kids and I are so lucky to be a part of your family.

And to my own dad. I.Love.You.

Dad & me ~ September 1978

And to my dad's dad. My dear grandfather. What a joy to be part of a family that includes a long line of fantastic fathers. Dads and dads and dads who took care of their families, taught their children to succeed and came home every night to the families who have loved them.

Happy Father's Day!
And thank you for being who you are. Each a unique individual. Each a man worthy of our honor.

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Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evilbut rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."(1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, NIV)


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A Little of Both

I may need to order this tshirt.

I find the cycle of my efficiency frustrating. Last Monday, I was so on top of things. Staying busy, getting the house in order, keeping the kids engaged and happy. This week, meh.

Doesn't help that I seem to have ended up with what one may call a summer cold. Sniffles, energy zapped, head stuffed. Not feeling terribly horrible, but feeling like I need naps. Note the intentional plural form.

I wish I could wiggle my nose and the piles would right themselves. Mail would be filed. Dishes would be done. Laundry ditto. Doesn't help that my washing machine is currently stalled and I have a four-hour window (FOUR!) today to wait on the repairman.

The weather is very springy, which is great except for the times we want summer!


I have two evening meeting commitments this week, which feels very unsummery.

Oh, I can't even handle how pitiful this is sounding.


Let's start over.

I had a terrific weekend! The kids and I are enjoying our extra time together this summer and I can't wait for the upcoming family vacation to the Black Hills! Vacation Bible School is next week and it's going to be so much fun! We have so many things to be excited and grateful for, I just can't get a grip on all of the fantasticness!!! I want to go running down the street screaming with excitement about how awesome summer is and how much fun we are having!!!!!!!! (All mostly true, in sharp contrast to my crap-tastic mood. Fake it till you make it, I say.)

Better?



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Still Five for Now

She's suddenly so tall, My B.

A first grader now, she's taking a summer class to learn Spanish. Yesterday I dropped her off and she was so brave. I was worried, since it's a different school than her neighborhood school. Would she be upset? Would she cry when I left? Nope.

When I picked her up, she told me about the day and what she'd learned and then said she'd felt a little nervous when I dropped her off. You wouldn't have known it, she was so cool.

Today when I picked her up, we played on the playground for a bit. I was amazed, watching her long legs run around, doing things that school-agers do. Look mom, look how high I can climb. Look mom, I can reach this bar if I jump.

Sigh.

Suddenly my baby girl is this lanky, smart girl. Someone I can picture taking trips with. Someone that I plan to drag to musical theatre. Someone who has taken my heart and wrapped it right around her own.

My B.

I can't believe it's you.