Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all!

We had a quiet Easter this year, because my Mom and Dad were in New England attending my grandfather's 100th birthday party. It was 25 degrees and snowing, so it was a bit cold for Easter bonnets, but they did manage to squeeze in dinner at Hart's Turkey Farm Restaurant which I'm sure was just wonderful (wish I could have been there for that - yum!).

We began our Easter celebration by coloring eggs on Saturday.



The weather was just beautiful and the kids did a great job on the eggs (you'll see more of them in a minute.)

Because we were all good this year, the Easter bunny paid us a visit:



Abby left him a note asking him to sign his name so she could verify his existence. He just wrote, "I (heart) you" and I can assure you that he does.



Brady received the DVD The Game Plan in his basket, plus some water footballs he will no doubt throw at his sisters.



KC got a new bathing suit and a new book, Jinx, by Meg Cabot. KC loves books so much we can hardly buy them fast enough. As I write this, she's already finished Jinx and started a new Meg Cabot book, When Lightning Strikes.



Abby got the Enchanted DVD in her Easter basket, along with a new bathing suit and all three kids got candy, although no chocolate bunnies because of KC's nut allergy.



Cookie decided he was going to check out all the baskets. I suppose there is a little Easter bunny in all of us.

We all dressed in our Easter finery and headed to church.



The girls were quite lovely in the Easter dresses my mom bought for them, and Brady (also modeling fashions from his Nana) looks so grown up to me some days that I can hardly believe it. He also indulged his mother by getting a haircut much shorter than he would prefer, and I think he looks quite handsome.

Bill's parents came up to join us for Easter dinner, and the girls fixed great-grandma's (Pop's mom's) recipe for coconut cream pie for their dad and Pop.



Grandma (Bill's mom) used to fix this when the boys were growing up. It was a bit of a challenge, but the girls did a great job. They also fixed cinnamon bread, blueberry bread, and helped me with a low-fat pineapple angel food cake (mainly for me).



We feasted on ham, corn, mashed potatoes, green beans, chicken pot pie, and other assorted goodies.

Next, it was time for the Easter egg hunt! We hide plastic eggs with quarters in them (a couple in each) around the yard. The eggs each have an initial on them, B, A or K, and the kids can only find their own eggs. This year Brady helped us by hiding some of the eggs for his sisters, which meant his eggs were even harder for him to find as his dad had more time to look for difficult hiding places.

Soon the hunt was on!






I can't remember which of them found all his/her eggs first (I'm sure it was one of the girls, but I can't recall which one - although I'm certain they can). I believe I was accused of giving hints at one point, but I can hardly recall where they are once they are hidden. Fortunately, they were all found eventually!



So how do you follow up an Easter egg hunt in March in Texas? Swimming!



It was in the high 80's, so Bill agreed to turn on the heater in the jacuzzi so they could swim. All three braved the rather chilly main pool first (it was 73 degrees, which sounds warm, but really isn't) before moving to the much warmer jacuzzi.



We had a really nice Easter, although I missed my Mom and Dad and Jill and Sierra. Next year we'll all be back together again (hopefully).

Best wishes to everyone for a lovely spring! Today we have our 5th spring ball game (the team is 2-2 so far) and it should be nice weather in the upper 70s. Hopefully no rain!

Take care and stay safe! Sending hugs and good wishes to Aunt Pat, Paula, and Chris^2! I wish I could have been there :-) And Happy Anniversary to the Kelleys this week!!

New life . . .

Nothing really to do with spring break, but remarkable nonetheless.

When we got home from our trip, the girls checked the butterfly plant for any remaining caterpillars (they've eaten every leaf on the poor milkweed plants). No caterpillars left.

But on the plant next to the butterfly plant, they found a monarch butterfly that had just come out of its chrysalis! We watched for a while before thinking to grab the camera:



This little miracle, right in our own backyard! What a fitting way to end Holy Week. :-)

Hiking on Enchanted Rock!

Thursday the Adamczaks and we decided to hike up Enchanted Rock. I still haven't found the reason why it's called Enchanted Rock, but Abby really wants to know so I need to investigate . . .



Enchanted rock is a limestone dome. Hiking to the top involves going up 425' in a bit less than a mile. It's not terribly high or terribly steep, but the limestone is a tricky walk, so we came prepared with walking shoes and caps.



Houston is really, really flat. When we drive over the reservoir near my parents' house, the kids put their hands in the air and shout "Whee!" as if it were a roller coaster. So, for us, it was really remarkable to be able to see so far into the distance.





We watched some hawks fly just below the dome where we stood and we all wished for a moment that we could soar through the sky and see what they see every day. It was really breathtaking.



We hiked back down and were completely exhausted (clearly I need to add some serious cardio into my workouts). Maybe next year we'll come back and pitch a tent and sleep under the stars.

As long as it doesn't rain. Or it's not too cold. Or too hot. :-)

Fiesta Texas!

Wednesday of our Spring Break we met our friends, the Adamczaks, and headed for Fiesta Texas in San Antonio. The weather was really nice - 70s and sunny.




The first ride we went on was Bugs' White Water Rapids, which is a log ride. This was unusual in that it was one of the few rides that the kids and I are all willing to ride on.



As I have aged, I really prefer to avoid rides with excessive spinning, height, or any upside-down parts at all. This (as you may imagine) significantly reduces the number of rides I will actually go on. Fortunately, Bill is far more adventureous and the kids can ride most rides without either of us if need be (Abby's not terribly fond of spinning or flipping either, thankfully).

Next up was the swinging through the air ride. Too much spinning and height here for me, but the kids loved it.



This next one is just crazy. They flip around this big wheel thing and go upside down for extended periods of time. Forget it. Even Abby passed on this one.



This is my style. Abby and I rode the train instead. No up or down or spinning . . .



On to the ferris wheel. Forget this one, too. I can't even watch my family on this one - way too high! I snapped a picture than ran for cover (well, shade is technically "cover" - right?)



Here's another ride we all like. Driving the cars! Although I can tell you that all of mine have a lot of learning to do before I'd let them get on the road. Abby bounced off the rails so often, I started to wonder if we could go upside-down on this one (thankfully, no).



We rode plenty more rides, ate a picnic lunch, and Brady won a Texas A&M basketball in a carnival game. We followed up with dinner at Applebee's.

All in all it was a wonderful (and tiring) day!

Mid-spring break update

Unfortunately, Sunday was not the day for our brave Warriors, and they lost in the first round of the playoffs. The other team pitched one of the toughest lefties I’ve seen, and the boys just couldn’t get the bats going. I haven’t seen the results of the tournament, but I would not be a bit surprised if the Banditios won the whole thing.




We spent a few hours cruising around Texas A&M University campus. I pointed out the few buildings I recognized (has it really been 19 years since I graduated?) which the kids kindly acknowledged between video games.

We arrived at the Bandit (Bill’s parents’ vacation house in New Braunfels, near San Antonio) on Sunday night. We spent St. Patrick’s Day shopping in San Marcus (one of my favorite ways to relax). Bill grilled a traditional Irish meal of hamburgers and hotdogs (hey, tradition is what you make it).

Tuesday has been extremely rainy, so we went to a mall on the outskirts of San Antonio then to a movie (the kids saw Horton Hears a Who and the grown-ups saw Vantage Point). We came out to find all the cars were covered in mud! Some sort of strange mud/rain. Details on the 10 o’clock news (I can’t wait).

Update (from the 10:00 news):

SAN ANTONIO -- As people made their way to their vehicles Tuesday afternoon, they noticed what might just be a car wash owner's dream.

A large dust storm in Mexico made it's way into the atmosphere and mixed with the showers focused over South Texas, causing rain mixed with dirt and creating a mud shower.

Many drivers were forced to stop at nearby gas stations to wipe the mud off their windshields just so they could see, but they also planned trips to the car wash on Wednesday.

With no rain in Wednesday's forecast, said KSAT 12's Steve Browne, the muddy waters should be a one-night event.


Well, how about that? Muddy rain.

Tomorrow we are going to Fiesta Texas (hopefully the rain will let up for the day). I also got to visit the Texas Tree currently on loan to Bill’s mother in New Braunfels.

My sister, Jill, is celebrating 39 glorious years of being my little sister today! Hope 39 is a great year for her – she deserves it! J

College Station Tournament - day1

Day 1 of the College Station (home of Texas A&M University - whoop!) tournament!

We won both games yesterday, 10-1 and 12-11. In the second game, Brady came up to bat with the score tied 11-11, two men on base, two outs. He got a hit into left field and knocked in the winning run!!




We play today at 11am, so we are going to run to Palm Sunday mass then it's off to the ballpark! Go Warriors!

Happy Early Saint Patrick's Day!

Happy early Saint Patrick's Day!

We had our St. Patrick's Day luncheon yesterday at school (just Bill, the librarians, a few ELA teachers and me) and I was so happy that everything turned out well! I always worry that something is going to burn or overcook, so I'm pleasantly surprised when the food is good.



I decorated the library workroom in green (I didn't even purchase special decorations, I just brought some from home - LOL).



In the morning, we nibbled on corned beef with dill dip on crackers and carrots:



At lunchtime, we had our beef stew, potato bread, and soda bread.

Bill ate his beef stew so quickly that I could hardly get a picture before he finished (he had to run to class during 6th)



Kitty (our wonderful Library Aide) was nice enough to eat with Bill 5th since he had to leave for class.



Kitty is the one who inspired me to have a Saint Patrick's Day feast. She is originally from Hong Kong, and for the past 2 years she has helped us celebrate Chinese New Year with Chinese cake and candy. It's been so much fun learning about the traditions of Chinese New Year that I was inspired to do something for St. Pat's day. Krystal (our librarian) gave me a mix for soda bread for Christmas, which was part of our celebration!

We invited the English teachers who were off 6th to come have mint chocolate cheesecake with us. They even wore green for the occasion! Kelly Falligant and Randy Colley Ramsey are exceptional AP English teachers and wonderful people. April Marek is a brand new teacher who is also wonderful and between her age and her red hair, she is occasionally asked if I'm her mom - LOL. She is a sweetheart, and we're lucky to have her here. Jodi Essigmann also joined us, although I had given up on my camera at that point and was just focusing on eating.



I know I sound like I'm writing a children's novel, but we really did have a wonderful time. I am so thankful for Krystal and Gail (our other sweet librarian), Kitty, and Bill for everything they do to help me out every day. This job would be overwhelming beyond description were it not for them!

On a completely different note, I had an annual conference with KC's teachers yesterday and they had wonderful things to say about her! Her ELA teacher said with KC's creativity she expects KC might be a writer someday! They both complimented her on how sweet and compassionate she is. I am so proud of her! :-)

Happy St. Patrick's day to all next Monday. We'll be on spring break starting at 3pm today. We have lots of plans, and I probably won't be anywhere near a computer until the end of the week, but I wish Irish blessings on all of you wherever you are!!

Have a safe and happy weekend and week!

Sláinte!

It's pronounced slawn-cha and it means "Health!," and it's a traditional Irish toast. This Thursday, March 13th, we are celebrating St. Patrick's Day at lunch (just the librarians, Bill, a few English teachers, and myself).

"Why March 13th?" you may ask . . .

1. We are on Spring Break next week, and
2. It's still Lent, so no fun celebrating on Friday, March 14th.

Update: I just read online that the Irish Bishops have officially moved St. Patrick's Day to March 15th this year so it will not conflict with Holy Week. So I'm not actually as far off as I thought!

I am cooking Beef Stew (I was going to cook Lamb Stew, but I'm told lamb is a bit of an acquired taste, and I don't want anyone not eating), soda bread, potato bread, and a mint cheesecake that isn't Irish, but it is green and tasty. As a token corned beef offering, I'm making a corned beef and dill dip as an appetizer.

The history of soda bread is rather interesting. Wikipedia explains it thusly (and if it's in Wikipedia, it must be right, right? LOL)

Soda bread is a type of quick bread in which baking soda has been substituted for yeast. The ingredients of traditional soda bread are flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. Other ingredients can be added such as raisins or various forms of nuts. The buttermilk in the dough contains lactic acid, which reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide. Soda bread can dry out quickly and is typically good for two to three days; it is best served warm or toasted. In Ireland, typically the flour is made from soft wheat; so soda bread is best made with a cake or pastry flour (made from soft wheat), which has lower levels of gluten than a bread flour.

Various forms of soda bread are popular throughout Ireland. The bread is either brown or white, with the former known colloquially as "brown bread" in the Republic of Ireland or wheaten bread in Northern Ireland. The two major types are the loaf and the "griddle cake", or farl in Northern Ireland. The loaf form takes a more rounded shape and has a cross cut in the top to allow the bread to expand. The griddle cake or farl, is a more flattened type of bread. It is cooked on a griddle allowing it to take a more flat shape and split into four sections.

Soda bread dates back to approximately 1840, when bicarbonate of soda was introduced to Ireland. Because the climate of Ireland hinders the growth of hard wheat (which creates a flour that rises easily with the assistance of yeast), bicarbonate of soda replaced yeast as the leavening agent.

There are several theories as to the significance of the cross in soda bread. Some believe that the cross was placed in the bread to ward off evil. It is more likely that the cross is used to help with the cooking of the bread or to serve as a guideline for even slices.

Soda bread eventually became a staple of the Irish diet. It was, and still is, used as an accompaniment to a meal.

Potato bread, on the other hand, is a way to use up leftover potatoes by adding them to flour and making bread. It's actually rather tasty, and I'm told it rises a bit better than traditional all-flour bread because of the interaction between the starch in the potato and the yeast. The best thing about making potato bread is being reminded just how strong our female ancestors were, because after 6 minutes of kneading bread, my wrists and hands are aching!

If anyone is interested in recipes, just let me know and I'll post them. Until tomorrow, Cead Mile Failte!! (pronounced kayd me-la fall-cha which technically means one hundred thousand welcomes, but we'll pretend it means many good wishes - LOL).

Dancing in Lafeyette!

We are home from the dance contest, which ended up being held in Lafayette, Louisiana instead of Dallas, which ended up being for the best since Dallas had 3 inches of SNOW on Friday, and we are ill-equipped to handle snow. Yes, we are totally winter wimps here in the Lone Star State, and 3 inches is reason for panic in these parts. LOL

So off to Lafayette we went.

The first night we arrived, we all went out to a new Mexican food restaurant called Agave.



This was our chef "Tiny" who came out to meet his patrons from Texas:



Getting ready on competition day takes such a long time. Even when you are beautiful, there is a lot of work involved in making sure your beauty shows even from a distance. Hair, makeup, tights, shoes . . . baseball games are so much easier!



Finally ready for the competition, we head over to the CajunDome (that's what it's actually called) and hang out for 3 hours waiting their turn to go on.



The competition was fine, and KC really enjoyed the whole process.



Here's the actual dance from the competition. KC has a long, strawberry-blonde ponytail. She's one of the first pair to stand up in the intro, then she's on the left (from our view of the video, from her perspective she thinks she's on the right) for a bit until they come together and jump in the middle. She stays in the middle for a bit until they dance around in a circle, then she stays on the back left through the slide.




The girls scored a gold star for their dance (like a band competition each group is scored on it's own merit: bronze, silver, high silver, gold, or high gold, then the top 3 are chosen from the entire group). They didn't place overall, but they were extremely excited to rate a gold for their very first competition!!



That was all Saturday!

Sunday, KC had a dance workshop all day:



So other than bringing her lunch at lunchtime:



And taking more pictures:



We had to find something to do with Abby for the day. Poor thing had spent all day Saturday waiting for a 2 minute dance and a 10 minute awards ceremony. We had to find something special for Abby on Sunday.

Once can only spend so much time running up and down stairs!



First, the princess got to have breakfast in bed.



Later, we drove to Abbeville. Prounounced "Abby-ville" (we asked).



We found the world's largest inflatable crawfish in Abbeville:



And we were reminded to keep Abby . . . er . . . Abbeville beautiful:



All in all, it was quite an adventure. Except for the shock of daylight savings time hitting, the girls had a blast:



I'd do it again in a heartbeat . . . next year. :-)