Today's conversations with my crew

Your planet would be made of vegetables.

On our way home today, after picking up my precious cargo from their weekend visit with their dad, cc asked his cousin Kyle --'if he could pick anything - what would his world be made of?' I think Kyle said candy. CC said - yep, candy or ice cream! Raspberry, who doesn't like to be left out of any conversation, said, I want mine to be made of berries and lots of fruit and mom wants hers to be made out of vegetables! She always wants me to eat vegetables. A dumb vegetable planet. There was a note of distaste in her voice as she muttered that last line...

Where are you going?

I was inside making lunch when I looked out the front window and couldn't see raspberry any longer. I went outside to check on her and saw her about 1/2 way up the block headed to some unknown destination with an older girl that lives next door. I yelled out her name and she immediately turned around and started walking back home, head hung down. When she finally got to the yard I asked her where she was going. She just looked at me and sat on the grass and said, I was going with my friend. I asked her where her friend was going and she just shrugged her shoulders and said --I don't know. There is a message in there somewhere...

Mom-I guess I could handle a stepfather...

what???... he continues... --if I really had to, but you're not thinking about getting me one soon right? --um, wasn't planning on it... unless I can get one at Albertson's, the gas station, or my office. I seem to be in those three places a lot these days.

You just have to be polite.

Here is a direct quote from cc --Mom I was polite and I wasn't even faking.

Adults try too hard.

Another direct quote from my 12 year old.

I just need to take a little rest.

As we were taking Kyle back home tonight, raspberry said -- mom, if it's all right, I need to take a little rest. -- she was sound asleep about 10 seconds later.

You are the best mommy ever!

What raspberry said to me as I gave her a bowl full of huge organic raspberries this afternoon. I bought them from Wild Oats yesterday at $6.99 lb. ouch. Oh, while I was there I also bought this decadent lotion that smells like vanilla and sweet oranges. It smells divine and was cheaper than the two lbs. of raspberries.

Fruit from Wild Oats - whether you eat it or slather it all over your body -- is expensive.

Mom, will you read to me?

What cc said as he handed me his Book of Mormon, laid back on his bed and closed his eyes -- a moment for a mom to cherish.

Fish says, "You should feel special!"

SPECIAL:

Pronunciation: \ˈspe-shəl\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French especial, from Latin specialis individual, particular, from species species

Date: 13th century

1: distinguished by some unusual quality; especially : being in some way superior special blend>2: held in particular esteem special friend>3 a: readily distinguishable from others of the same category : unique

Here is part of an IM I had with my friend Fish today about feeling special:

FISH says:
every time raspberry says something hilarious you should feel special...
FISH says:
or when your son passes the sacrament you should feel special....
FISH says:
or when you come down to my office and know you're the ONLY ONE who has a special note book on my shelf...you should feel special!

It's true. I am the only one with a special notebook on her shelf.

This should be a Friday ritual!

On Friday I took all of our students and CC (9) to see the new Indiana Jones movie. It is a yearly tradition - as soon as we clean up from our conference and get all the service supplies inventoried for the year, then I take them to the newest release to 'celebrate'. Last year it was Pirates, the two years before -- Harry Potter. As we were leaving Nichole said "This should be a Friday ritual". I couldn't agree more. How much fun would that be? - an office movie every Friday. Office morale would be at an all time high. I think we all may have to go dutch though.

The movie was pretty good, but I'm an Indiana Jones fan from way back.

The best part of making brownies - THE BOWL!

Do you think she is mad at me?

Came home from work/school with raspberry. She was hungry when we came home so I gave her some crackers while I fixed dinner. She downed those in about 30 seconds and said she wanted ice cream. I told her after dinner. She was so mad, she stormed up the stairs and slammed her door. I, being the nice, calm mother that I am, gave her some space and after getting dinner on the stove I went up to check on her.



I knocked and opened the door, well, I tried to open the door. She had moved all of her toy bins, books, carts, etc. in front of the door so I couldn't open it.

I should be mad, but instead I laughed. I think she is still mad at me (three days later).

I read the greatest blog quote today.

I blog because it is cheaper than therapy.

Love that.

Life is not life if you can't have dark chocolate.

Chocolate Truffle Mud Cake
Adapted from Cooking Class Cakes by Australian Women's Weekly Cookbooks
borrowed from "Grab Your Fork".


6 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons honey
400g dark chocolate, melted
1 cup (250ml) thickened cream (48% fat content)

Line the bottom and sides of a deep 22cm round cake pan with baking paper.

Beat eggs, sugar and honey in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Beat for about 5 minutes or until creamy. Whilst motor is still running, slowly add small amounts of warm chocolate, beating well between addition (I did the chocolate in about 4 stages). The mixture should be light and bubbly.

Use a metal to gently fold in the cream. You may also choose to flavour the cake at this by mixing 1/3 cup of the liquer of your choice into the cream (Cointreau, Baileys, Kahlua or Frangelico etc) before folding it into the mixture. I left mine plain.

Pour mixture into the cake pan. Place pan in a baking dish. Prepare a water bath by pouring enough boiling water into the baking dish so it reaches halfway up the cake pan.

Bake cake at 180C for 30 minutes, then cover loosely with a sheet of aluminium foil and bake for about another 30 minutes.

Remove foil from cake and allow to cool in the tin. When completely cool, gently tip upside down onto a plate, remove baking paper, and flip again onto your final serving plate.

Cool overnight in the fridge. Serve with a generous dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. A tumble of mixed berries would work brilliantly too.

Serves 12.

Our amazing students

Maybe I work them too hard?

Self Portrait

My Andy Warhol impression. I don't think he would be impressed.

I'm finally hip!

For my birthday, my cute 12 year old, decided to give me his IPOD. Oh, before you say, how sweet, don't worry, he got a better one. He put some songs on it for me (OK, 132 songs). I think I finally figured out how to turn it on. He's working with me... but I feel strangely hip. He is shaking his head at me as I type this... maybe not hip, but extremely cool.