Learning curve

I was reading the comments to one of the Deseret News blogs and someone was saying women would have an easier time if our society didn't put so much pressure on them to have a dozen kids and to be stay at home moms and not work outside the home and to be the submissive wives that we should be. Well, I can say, I live in this society and I don't feel any pressure to replenish the earth with children. Larry and I know what is good for us and we have two beautiful boys that we absolutely love. I don't feel pressure from society to be a stay at home mom. I have adapted my hours so that I am home with my boys after school and I think we get the best of both worlds (work and home time). I am far from the 1950's wife and am much more outspoken and challenging to my husband than what he probably would like but he doesn't expect dinner on the table waiting for him when he gets home or that I have the house spotless. I'd like it to be but he has no expectations of me.

The one thing that I feel I am inadequate and am not up to "societies" standards is cooking and baking. I should be able to cook and bake but I'm just not that good at it. I know it's a practice thing. So, with the holidays I wanted to make a yummy treat that I could share with the neighbors. I always get homemade goodies from neighbors but I am the one who goes out and buys something from the store. So, my challenge this year was to be a good neighbor and "bake" something. I told my sister my plans and she said she had a great recipe that she shared with me. Easy enough...

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup Karo syrup
1 stick of butter
1 can condensed sweetened milk

Off to the store I went to buy the items on the recipe. I know, it's pretty sad that I don't already have these items in my cupboards, but I don't. I bought what I needed and set the items aside until the following night. My evening was already booked with my husband, a tile float, and grout.

Last night was the big night. I started out putting the brown and white sugar in the saucepan, next was the Karo syrup and then the butter. I finished with pouring the evaporated milk in. I mixed and mixed and waited for the rolling boil. It came but the carmel just wasn't thickening up. I won't tell you how many times I had already talked to my sister on the phone but this time I asked her why it wasn't getting thick. So, we went through the ingredients again. Yep, I have the sugar, the butter, the Karo syrup, and the evaporated milk. Evaporated milk? Yeah, that's the same thing as condensed sweetened milk, isn't it??? That's where we found the problem. I know she was laughing on the inside but she didn't let me hear it. First batch of carmel saw the inside of the garbage can...off to the store I go in the snow storm to buy condensed sweetened milk...mix in the sugar, again...butter, again...Karo syrup, again...and condensed sweetened milk.

So, after the learning curve, I got it. And, I have to say, I think they look pretty darn good for my first time!!! (patting myself on the back) Not to mention, tasty too!

My inspiration

My reality

Birthday Boy

Larry had his birthday this past week and the boys were excited about it all week long. Dresden knew what he was getting and kept the secret like a pro. We went to dinner at Royal India which we all enjoyed. In fact, Dresden said it was his favorite dinner ever. Nothing like getting our kids to love curry early on. Mention shrimp and they will eat anything!

We came home to a surprise cake that I made, which the boys were waiting all day for. I read that Tiffany Arnold came across a R2D2 cake pan at a garage sale months ago so I asked if I could borrow the pan for Larry's birthday. She graciously loaned it to me and I thank her for that. It looks like I might need it a couple more times for the boys birthdays. The cake was just a box mix but Dresden said it was the best cake he has ever had. I suspect that's only because he was eating R2D2's leg.

Anyway, I am grateful for Larry and the things he does for our family. He is witty and smart and loves to live life to the fullest. Happy Birthday, Larry. I love you!

R2D2 (it's been nearly five years since I made a cake with stars so I was pretty out of practice on this one.)

Larry acting surprised for the sake of the boys.



Larry carefully cutting out the drawing Logan created.


It's hard to see but Logan drew a picture of the four of us holding hands and wrote "Family" above the picture. Pretty cute picture.

Just a picture

I snapped this picture the other day
and thought it was just too cute not to post.

Logan looked at this picture and was like,
"Me and Dresden have the same eyes!"

Another Reader in the family

Dresden and Logan had Parent Teacher Conferences last week and both boys are doing well in school. I have been worried about Dresden's reading and his lack of interest in reading. We did find some books, the Magic Treehouse series, that he was interested in but he still didn't love reading them by himself. Well, after conferences we went into the gym to the Book Fair and let the boys pick out some books. Dresden wanted the book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid. We bought it for him and he immediately took to the books. He barely put the book down all night. I am so happy he has found the magic of reading a book and the desire to want to read more.

Dresden was sent to timeout and had to sit on the bench. He took his book with him and rather than leaving after the 7 minutes he stayed right there for about 1/2 hour reading his book.

The boys were helping Larry cut up celery and buttering the casserole dishes for the homemade stuffing he was making. In between jobs Dresden was reading his book.

To be Five again...

Logan had a couple friends over yesterday after school and it was so fun to watch the way they interacted with each other. They were silly and crazy and just plain fun to watch and listen to.

Little daredevils doing flips on the trampoline.

Acting as "Grandpa's & Grandma's"...whatever that means.

A couple group shots.

Lunchtime! It drives me crazy seeing noodles hanging out of Logan's mouth but feeding the other boys showed me that this is just the way noodles are to be eaten by boys.

Watching a little Scooby Doo in the tent.