Michigan Fun

Adam's Snowman - we finally at least had enough snow for it
Working on the snowman

Finished with PaPa's help

Playing Chutes and Ladders with Mom, Dad and PaPa!

Snow

I was wanting snow so bad....we got some here in Michigan although it was raining again today...still hoping for some decent amount!

So true...

Comics

This is so true! So in "Here's Your Sign" Christmas version one of the jokes is when is midnight Mass....but the bad part is you have to ask! No one holds it at midnight anymore! Come on, people -it is supposed to be at midnight!
Ugh, so true...

Funny!

These amused me!

Michigan Christmas Videos

Some videos from Christmas in Michigan:

• Adam's Runway


• Andrew Opening a Present


• Sledding Fun


• Andrew in the tent


• Adam in the tent

Bathroom Fun

An old video that just hadn't got uploaded until now.

Christmas Videos

Some videos from Christmas (YouTube currently hates me and my computer so I've been behind in posting videos):

• Adam's Box


• Adam's Guitar


• Andrew Dancing


• Opening a Present


• Adam's New Gun


• Adam's Gun with sight on it


• Adam's Newton Cradle

More Michigan Pictures

Andrew at their new table
Adam checking out Mom and Dad's Kindle - it has downloadable kids books that it will read to you!

Andrew getting a sled ride!

Adam cooking in their new kitchen

Adam drawing a runway for his airplane on his table!

"Reading" on the Bed

They were just so cute playing with my books!

Michigan Christmas

We came up to Michigan yesterday to see Dave and family. Dave has the 27th to 30th off, hence we scheduled our trip around that.

Adam's new PJs from Aunt Maureen - we love Perry!
It takes three grown men to put together a kids' kitchen set....and two hours....

Andrew on his and Adam's new dry erase table

Andrew's new PJs from Aunt Maureen - that is their new tent from PaPa behind

Andrew opening a present with PaPa

Christmas carnage...

Adam's new Vtech computer from PaPa - he's in love and it is all learning stuff

Adam opening his stocking

Andrew with his stocking

Some Christmas videos:

• "We Wish You a Perry Christmas"


• Andrew on the recorder


• Adam on the recorder


• Andrew Dancing

Christmas Menu

I'm usually better at posting my holiday menus, but here is what we had today:

• Garlic Clove Chicken


• Potatoes


• Rolls


• salad


• Roasted Broccoli


• Whoopie Pies

I also made chocolate chip cookies, fudge and sugar cookies (from Adam's mixes) and had cannoli and petit fours from the neighbors.

Christmas fun!

We had a lovely Christmas - I hope you did all as well! Adam was pretty wild by the end of the day - over tired and over exicted, but otherwise a great day. He really even did fine during Mass (Andrew was another story....). They seemed to see all the toys as "theirs" and had a great time playing and sharing them all. While we had no snow, the weather actually wasn't bad (no rain), so Adam and Ray got to go for a walk to get outside for awhile. I was inside cooking and Andrew napping. As a note, we always go to Christmas Eve services and are used to "standing room only," but I was scheduled to read this morning, so we went on Christmas Day this year....we got there early, expecting standing room only...nope. A full Church, but no more than a normal Sunday. But NO kids...except ours.....while more room, I'm not sure we'll keep to the Christmas day thing...harder on the scheduling for food and whatnot.

Adam opening a present from Santa!

So Uncle Billy got Adam a nerf gun (which I recommended), but while I was thinking about a pistol sized gun....Uncle Billy bought a sniper rifle! As you can see, this is bigger than Adam is! He also can't really work it yet.

The boys got a new kitchen!

And the box is fun, too!

We got a Kindle Fire!

Okay, so Adam got a Newton's Cradle....he was doing fine...then Andrew got ahold of it for like 2 minutes...how he did this so quickly, I have no idea...and we can't seem to fix it....it will have to be sent in for "repairs" - meaning we'll get a new one and say it got fixed....

Christmas at Our House

So Santa's been here...can't wait for the boys to see in the morning!

Santa's elf at work!

And yes, we kept hte box for them!

My gifts from Ray...his usual wrapping job!

Adam's Inator

Ray helping Adam build a really big inator...Adam does loves his inators!

Whoopie Pies

I made these as a fun Christmas dessert - whoopie pies. I saw a Bobby Flay throwdown on these and thought they sounded really good, so decided to try a version. This is a basic one, but actually really good. The marshmallow creme stuff is GOOD. You'll notice I individually wrapped these - my cakes are pretty "tacky" and stick to everything - including each other, which was a problem for storage. Hence the wrapping. I think I might need to cook them a bit longer...I tend to underbake as I like soft and gooey...but I think for ease of eating a little drier might be better!

Pumpkin Spiced Whoopie Pies with Ginger Cream

Modified Kraft Foods

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) vanilla instant pudding

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 cup canned pumpkin (this will leave you with like 1/2 cup in a 15 oz can...annoying, I know....)

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup water

3 eggs

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened (remember to soften!)

1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme

1 tsp ground ginger (they used crystallized ginger, like 1/3 cup, but I couldn't find it for a reasonable price so I did this, which I thought tasted great and the ginger would have been "pops" while this was all through it, which I thought worked....and it was MUCH cheaper...I'm sure if I searched I could find it, but what I could find at the two local grocery chains was a bottle of it for $13 that probably wasn't even a 1/3 cup total...so definitely NOT buying it to use that much!)

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tub (8 oz.) whipped topping, thawed

Heat oven to 350ºF. Beat first seven ingredients with mixer until well blended. Scoop into 32 mounds, 3 inches apart, on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, using about 2 tbsp for each. Bake for 12 to 14 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool on baking sheet 2 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Beat cream cheese, marshmallow cream, ginger and cinnamon in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Whisk in whipping topping. Spread 3 tbsp. onto flat side of 1 cake; top with second cake, flat-side down. Repeat with remaining cakes. Keep refrigerated. Makes 16 servings. They also used orange sprinkles and rolled the edges....if you were doing this for Halloween (which I think they were), it would be more appropriate, but I don't think you need them.

Funny Post

This is funny!

Ray

Ray was interviewed for work!

Stop Discriminating against Kids

I saw this article and I have to say I mostly agree. I've been amazed at how many places are unfriendly to kids that SHOULD be kid-friendly. For example, I expect a bar to be un-kid friendly...its a bar! But if a place has a kids menu and caters to family with kids, then they should be kid friendly...and it is amazing how many aren't! I had to complain to SUBWAY about highchairs! (They did call and apologize actually, though) Most of these places, though, don't even have changing tables!

Videos

Some videos of the boys:

• Adam "reading" to Andrew


• Adam "fixing"


• Snowballs


• Missing puddles


• "Roasting" marshmallows


• Andrew with the light switch


• Andrew playing in the water


• Andrew saying "no"


• Andrew's stick


• Boys on Daddy


• Adam singing Jingle Bells


• Andrew's new car


• Adam with new car

History Articles

A cool history article: Cooking and human evolution

Camo and Christmas Lights

For our troops!

Santa Hat

Santa hats

Andrew

Andrew eating popcorn

Mommy

Adam's work!

Making Cookies with Mommy

My helpers!

Andrew helping with the dough