and the winner is....

let's get this done the old fashioned way.

Forget random.org or other fancy, cheatproof systems.  (i promise we didn't cheat)

You can trust your odds were safe in Jack's care.  He is meticulous when it comes to drawing names.  He takes this job seriously.

Just look at the vigor in his shake.

The speed, too.

There was definitely NO peeking!

And the lucky winner is....

Jen Giorgis

my people will be in touch with your people, jen.

Congratulations, Jen!

i sure hope you are jumping up and down screaming with excitement for those of us who NEVER win anything!

If you didn't win, don't cry too many tears.

Just get your hiney over to Heidi's banner shop and buy a special banner for yourself!

luzilla.....{giveaway below}

lucy is to jack's toys

as

godzilla is to city skyscrapers

if only you could hear jack's shrill scream coming through the computer screen.  

or maybe you can?

a giveaway.

did your ears perk up?

Well they should, because this is a giveaway you won't want to miss.  First off, your chances of winning are really good.  I usually try to win giveaways on blogs with 100+ readers.  You've got to figure on this blog you've got a 1 in 10ish chance of winning.  Those are good odds!  

Second, it's an amazing product.  My friend Heidi makes these festive birthday banners, and just started her own etsy shop.  I am giving away 1 of her banners.  Any one of your choosing.   They are also great for birthday or baby shower gifts.  

Third, not only are these banners made with quality materials, and the love and patience of a true seamstress, but one of my favorite banners of Heidi's is made with fabric that my college roommate's sister, Allison, designed!  Did you catch all that?  You can also look at her fabric here.

So, may lady luck smile down on each of you.  

Leave a comment with your e-mail address and which banner you want from Heidi's shop (cogsmo, traffic jam, etc.), and the winner will be announced Monday morning.

*note*  Heidi does take custom orders with specific fabric or saying requests.  Prices may vary.

*note #2*  If you don't win, you should still seriously consider buying one.  Your children will LOVE it for may years to come.  Mine can't wait to wake up on their birthday morning and see it hanging in the kitchen.

happy day dad.

some of you know my dad.
some of you might feel like you do.
and a few of you may feel like you know TOO much about him.

well....

he's a great guy. i'll tell you that much.

quirky, indeed.
creative, yes.
friendly
dependable, always.
funny (i could write a book of commonly heard "jay" jokes)
nostalgic
loves his kids and grandkids
has an honest heart
and is diligent with work, church and family.

Happy 64th Birthday, old man. we love you.

one step forward, ten steps back

...try 20 steps back! 

I just can't seem to get on top of my game!  Anyone else ever feel this way?

I am seriously considering buying one of those posters that reads:

KEEP

CALM

&

CARRY

ON

and having it made into wallpaper to line the largest wall in my home.

In the past few days, my patience has been tested to it's limits!  On Tuesday I was pretty sure you could see the flames of rage expoloing from my nostrils and ears.  I even went into my bathroom and threw a brush (not at anyone, just to clarify).  I was THAT mad.  It's kinda laughable now.  I'm sure even I would get a chuckle out of the whole scene replayed in slow motion.  But at the time it was all I could do.  Then I burst into tears because I hate when my emotions get the best of me.

But you've all had a day like that, right?

So, needless to say, blogging has not been at the top of my priority list.

Until I can find some humorous twist in some of these 2/3 year old moments, I may have to steer clear of writing.  I would hate to be a Debbie Downer.

So, on a lighter note, here are some pictures from Jack's swimming lessons.  The pool has definitely been our "happy place" lately! 

I love seeing my kids playing and having fun outside!

jack's fair-weather cheerleader

I'm off to power clean my house hoping to make up for a week of lost time.

Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend. 

i {heart} this family.

see their beauty here (or is it there?)

glutten for punishment

It's no wonder this michelin tire around my waist never seems to go away.  How could it when the only thing I know how to cook is DESSERT?!?!

Here are a few recent faves.  I thought I'd share because I love finding recipes on blogs.

Hope you enjoy!

Coconut Pecan Cake

* warning *  if you don't like coconut, don't attempt

1 box yellow cake mix

1 package instant vanilla pudding (small)

1 1/3 C water

4 eggs

¼ C cooking oil (I use canola)

2 C grated coconut

1 C chopped pecans

Blend cake mix, pudding mix, water, eggs and oil in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed approximately 4 minutes to ensure all ingredients are well blended. Stir in coconut and nuts and blend well. Pour cake batter into 3 greased and floured cake pans. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out “clean.”

Frosting:

One 8 oz pkg. cream cheese

4 T butter

2 C toasted coconut (see below)

2 T milk

3 ½ C confectioners sugar, sifted

½ t vanilla

Melt 2 T butter in a skillet, add coconut, stir over low to medium heat until toasted. Spread coconut over absorbent paper (I use a brown paper grocery bag). Cream 2 T butter with cream cheese. Add milk, then beat in sugar. Blend in vanilla, then stir in 1 ¾ C of the toasted coconut. Frost cake with icing, then sprinkle/press remaining coconut on top of cake. Placing the cake in the refrigerator helps set up the icing for easier cutting.

Bakerella's Cookie Dough Brownies (so easy!)

Recipe go to bakerella's blog.

Banana Cake with Burnt Butter Frosting

This goes into the recipe box for LIFE!

Banana Cake:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar (IMPORTANT - I used 1 cup white sugar and a 1/2 cup brown sugar)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup shortening

1/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk

2 medium ripe bananas, smashed

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix everything together. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Pour into 9x13 pan (I used the Demarle sunflower mold). Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Burnt Butter Frosting:

1 cube butter

1 tsp vanilla

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

milk to consistency

Melt butter in pan on stove until foam cooks off and the color is a deep caramel. Pour butter over powdered sugar. Add vanilla and milk to the consistency you want. Beat for about one minute. 

If I click my ruby slippers three times....

will I magically reunite with Toto?  

Toto, the toilet, that is.

Life on the cold, hard porcelain ring has not been the same.  Toto was always perfectly heated for my seated pleasure.   Toto did all the work for me.  Gentle spritzes of warm water followed by warm air dry.  Is that too much information?  My point is, I'm back to life.  Back to re-al-ity.

Our trip to Tahoe was a nice break from the day-to-day routine.

Not only were the accomodations OFF. THE. HOOK. (as the young kids are saying these days), 

but, we also got to be with family!

In my 6+ years of marriage with Troy, we have never had an official reunion on his side of the family.  We've had gatherings here and there, but never a planned reunion with all the kids present.  For the first try, we did pretty well, I think.  We were only short one family, but they have vowed to be there next time!  (right guys? You were missed!)

We only had 3 short days in Tahoe, but I think we made the most of it!  Here are some of the highlights.

Hike to Emerald Bay

Watermelon Eating Contest

and the winner is.....Grandpa Bruce!

winner in action

Honorable Mention goes to lucy bean.

Close runners-up!

Rock Jumping

Sand Harbor Beach Play

Lexi

Spencer

chloe

colton

lucy

grandpa bruce & sue

Cousin Fun

Hot stuff Grandma! 

(Coco....are you going swimming?)

Good bye Tahoe.  we love you...

blue skies

We're back!  

Details on the DeGraff reunion to come....

he needed to know.

I guess my kids are brilliant.

Or at least smarter than Jayne's.

Because somehow she gets away with telling her little ones that ice cream trucks are "music trucks" that drive around our neighborhoods and grace us with annoying children's songs.

Not mine.

They know what's inside that truck.

They've seen their neighborhood friends walk away with sweet, drippy popsicles before. And I'll admit, I did spoil them with a frozen treat sometime last year.  I thought they'd forget.

They haven't forgotten.

In fact, by the time I heard the tinkling, tinny sounds of the truck intensify, Jack was already in the street waiting.  (in his underwear, mind you)

So I grabbed a handful of coins (not enough, because wouldn't you know those sugar and water treats will now run you about 2 bones a piece?!?) and ran out into the street.

But this time I didn't care about buying a popsicle.

I had a bone to pick with old Jawahar.

You see, lately he's been driving through the streets around, oh, 7:30 or 8ish PM!  Right around the time my kids have just been read to, prayed with, sung to, and tucked in for the night.

Then they hear a playful rendition of Frosty the Snowman (yeah...don't ask.) and their senses are awakened!

So you can see why I marched right out there with my ONE dollar in coins (not enough to buy and ice cream, just so you know) just to gently tell Jawahar that 3 in the afternoon is a PERFECT time to sell ice cream.  NOT 8!

Our work is done now.

Jawahar knows how the mom with the underdressed kids feels.

So we marched away triumphantly with our treats....4 dollars poorer and 4000 calories richer!

 

Jack and his endless collection of expressions. 

It was a sad 1st experience for lu bean.

it's early

i rolled out of bed, wiped the sleepies from my eyes and headed straight down to the laundry room to start on the daily (or every other day) task of laundry.  In my partly conscious state of being, I spot treated an entire load of darks with WINDEX.  You can see how I'd make this mistake, right?  They are both blue....

Now off to a shower.  Perhaps I'll try shaving cream for shampoo?

against the grain

i wasn't raised on crustless sandwiches.



Quite the opposite, actually.

As a kid we never had such options. My dad was a culinary revolutionist, of sorts. He liked to dabble in unusual combinations of food. I once watched him BBQ Ritz crackers with peanut butter and jelly squishing out from the middle. I supposed he thought the hickory smoke of the BBQ would add to his elegant creation?

It was not uncommon for him to return home from work with all the fixins for homemade sushi rolls, or fried up frog's legs, or even rare breakfast cereals from the "grocery outlet" with Arabic writing on the box-front.

We were not given the option to deny these dishes.


Our typical school sack lunch would usually consist of:

* One PBJ on extra sourdough bread.  who eats pbj on sourdough?
* A plastic baggie filled with carrot salad. Oh...never heard of carrot salad, you say? It's shredded carrots mixed with mayonaise, sugar, raisins, coconut, sunflower seeds and pineapple. delish. Oh, and we did not get utensils to eat this salad. We were taught to rip the corner off the baggie and SQUEEZE it into our mouths, because "that's how the astronauts eat". Nice one, dad.
* A paper cup with two tablespoons of powdered TANG, covered with saran wrap on the top and sealed with a rubberband. We were supposed to go fill it up at the drinking fountain. Just imagine the mockery we endured from our other ruthless classmates as they sipped from their fancy capri suns and sugary juice boxes.

And again, unless we brought our own money to school, we were given no choice but to eat what was given to us. Or mooch off all our friends, which we did all too often.

My point is, I have not followed in these footsteps.

Instead, I want to give my kids all the things I've been dreaming of since my childhood.

soft, airy wonderbread
sugary cereals
creamy peanut butter
capri suns
fruit roll-ups
brand name snacks
pop tarts


and gosh darnit....CRUSTLESS sandwiches.

So sorry dad. You really built our character by force feeding us your creations and subjecting us to embarrassing situations, but maybe Jack could build character by learning to share his awesome lunch with some dorky kid sucking carrot salad from a baggie? 

just a thought...