Eventful Pack Meeting

Last night was J's first pack meeting as a Cub Scout. He loved being a part of the meeting. He's the one standing next to his den leader.

B 'officially' bridged to Boy Scouts last night. He received his Arrow of Light. His Webelos den leader made these AWESOME arrows for the boys who received this award. He also got his Athlete Pin.
These young men performed a very interesting and amazing Arrow of Light ceremony for the boys. We loved the costumes. They did a great job.

B & N are gone on a camp out tonight. It's B's first Boy Scout camp out, and it's the first time that N was really excited to go! It's a little quieter around the house this evening. We made crepes with Nutella for J & T -- their FAVORITE =)

Walk Thru the Revolution

Today, after much preparation and memorization, B's 5th grade class had their turn for the "Walk through the Revolution". It's a live re-enactment of events ... costumes and all. In this picture taken this morning, he's still waking up. B is NOT a morning person. He's wearing his Grandpa's suspenders. I didn't get a picture of him with his hat on @ school. I did stop by for a little while to see him, but he had already done his part. He was still glad to see me there. I think it's a great program and really helps the kids learn at a deeper level. He had fun, AND is glad it's over.

Some Random Stuff

My blog has been a little neglected lately. It's just been really busy around our house!! I know I'm not alone on this. Anyway, I wanted to share a couple of pictures I took right after church a few weeks ago. The boys got new Primary teachers. T just LOVES his teacher (wink, Holly!) and has now been excited to go to church. The last few months have been challenging for him because he hasn't had a consistent teacher. He would cry when he figured out it was Sunday and time for church. Not the case anymore and I couldn't be more grateful.

*Other highlights:

*The other day, as we were driving as a family down the Scout Store (where we spent $170!!! -- Uggh), B shared his thoughts with us ... a very common occurrence. He said he wondered how even more amazing much piano music would be if we had 8 fingers on each hand! We could easily play an octave.

* J has been so excited for Cub Scouts. He has almost finished his Bobcat Trail. His room has been a little messy, however, his uniform has been lovingly hung up in his closet.

*One thing I've been enjoying the past couple of months is Facebook. I've been pleasantly surprised at how great it is. I've been able to reconnect with many, many friends, past and present. Lots of cousins and family, too. If you aren't already signed up, you should really consider it.

*I've decided to share another family favorite recipe. I surprised the family last Sunday and made a couple of batches. I made both regular and mini-muffin sized ones, and they didn't last long at all.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp baking powder
½ cup butter

½ tsp baking soda
½ cup dark brown sugar pinch of salt
1 egg

¼ cup raisins
1 cup flour

*If buttermilk is not available, add 1 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let the mixture stand a few minutes to curdle before adding to it to the oats.

In a bowl, combine the oats & buttermilk and allow to soak for 1 hour. Grease 12 muffin pans, or use paper lines. Preheat oven to 400*. With mixer, cream the butter & sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Stir into butter mixture, alternating with the oat mixture. Fold in the raisins. Fill the muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Makes 12.

*It seems to be fine when we don’t soak the oats. Also, wheat flour is a great substitute in this recipe. Also, my family likes this recipe w/o the raisins.

*I'm looking forward to our Friday Family Movie Night. Don't know what we're watching yet, but it's great family time.

Have a great weekend =)

A Playdate ... Finally

I made the mistake of telling T that we were meeting some of his preschool friends for a play date too soon! That's all he talked about yesterday and this morning. I thought I was going to have to stuff cotton in my ears! We met at a friend's house and the kids had so much fun playing out in the backyard. It was another gorgeous day here in CA. I got to visit with my friends, too. We stayed for about an hour and a half. Just what we needed. T LOVES his preschool friends. Thanks, Lindi for hosting!!

Pizza Field Trip

Today, T's preschool went to Round Table pizza for a tour. They got to see HUGE mixers for the dough. T could have sat in the bowl!! Then, they lined up for a turn to make their own personal pizza.

I wasn't quick enough. T just finished making his cheese pizza at the prep station. I couldn't get a good shot of it because the gal helping him was blocking me. There wasn't that much room to move around in there. Oh well. He LOVED making his own pizza and couldn't wait to eat it.

Here, T and one of his 'bestest' pals, Garrett, enjoy their sweet reward. Ooohhhh .... Life is great!!!

Our Newest Cub

J got to go to his very first den meeting as a Wolf Cub Scout last night. He was SO excited to FINALLY start. To him, it feels like he had to wait FOREVER after watching his two older brothers enjoy cub scouts for the last 5 years! He has 2 great leaders and I think this will be a great thing for him. He's already learned the Scout Promise. Anyway, I just have to run down to the Scout store to get him his own book. Ditto for B, who started Boy Scouts last week.

Saturday Family Outing

Yesterday, we went to G's FAVORITE Italian pizza place. He's very sad because Saturday was the last day the deli was going to be open. He knew the owner on a first-name-basis. We took the YUMMY pizzas over to a nearby park and just enjoyed. It was SUCH a beautiful afternoon. T wanted Sam's Club pizza, but after he had some of this pizza, he wasn't complaining anymore!

T obviously did not want his picture taken!

We went over to a trail and enjoyed a family walk. J tumbled just as I took this picture. He wasn't hurt. Just got back up and continued.

T collected several big river rocks. Here, G is helping by putting one of the huge, heavy rocks in his T's pocket.

The boys found these bushes that were like HUGE dandelions. They'd give it a kick and it was like small pieces of cotton flew everywhere. There were several of these bushes and it gave them giggles galore.

N is getting pretty good at taking pictures, too. I try to remember to get myself in some of the photos since I'm the one mostly taking the pictures. After about 20+ minutes of walking around the trail, we headed back home. We really enjoyed our yummy pizza and walk together.

New Quote

I stumbled upon this quote this morning. T had a Dove chocolate and left the wrapper on the table. As I was eating my breakfast, I read the inside of the wrapper. It's a keeper.

Success is the sum of many small efforts

Sometimes things can seem overwhelming, however, if we break things up into realistic steps, many things can be accomplished. This can be applied to everything! Love it.

J's Date with Mom

On Saturday, J & I went and bought a couple of donuts (and J's favorite gum, Juicy Fruit) and then walked over to the Starbucks to have hot chocolate. I packed some marshmallows for J to add to his hot chocolate. We sat at a table in shop and played an Italian card game called Scopa while we ate our donuts. We visited and just enjoyed spending one-on-one time together.

Sprinkles make everything better!!!


J beat me at this game. He's quite good and a force to be reckoned with!


On our way home ... our drinks were still very hot. As I sipped a little more of mine, it tasted quite funny ... not like I remember. I really like the salted-caramel mix in, and that's all I seemed to taste : salt! It wasn't until I got home and had G taste it that we both realized it was COFFEE! Ugh! I went back and had them fix me my hot chocolate like I wanted! I was just glad that they didn't serve J the coffee. Once I got my drink fixed, I really, really enjoyed it.

Mom still looks a little sleepy here ... maybe I DID need the coffee after all!

Happy New Year

I can't believe it's 2009! Where did 2008 go?? Anyone know?? We had a good year in 2008. No complaints here =) We got to do several family outings. We loved our trip to Oregon this summer ... a lot. We're healthy and happy ... and that's a lot to be thankful for in my book.



We celebrated New Year's Eve at home with the boys. We were all still tired from our adventures from the previous night! And I know this is a first: I was too tired to care about taking pictures. I was just happy to be home with my family. Anyway, we watched an action movie on the wall with our projector, played the Wii, made sugar cookies, and just hung out. We watched the BALL drop in NYC and then called it a night. T fell asleep around 10:30, and J dozed a little, but was up at midnight. We all dropped into bed soon after that. Then, surprisingly, J & T were up @ 6:15 AM!! I DON'T THINK SO! I escorted them both back to bed, where we three fell back to sleep. I wasn't playing that!!! During the day, we put away the rest of the Christmas decorations, including the outside lights. Not terribly exciting, but at least it's done. The house doesn't feel as cluttered. I'm liking that.




Here's to a great 2009!!!