Checkin' in

Hello, all!

I've been busy with midterms and first birthdays. That's right! Our side salad is now one years old. We celebrated in style at the local Mickey Ds. I think it's okay to have a McNugget or two on your birthday-you only live once...

School is...school. I am just exhausted. If I could figure out a way to pay off my student loans and have some sort of stable income, I'd say screw it and just be a SAHM.

Lettuce and I had a talk about breastfeeding. I know his family are pretty anti-breastfeeding so I wanted to gauge his feelings on me continuing to do so. He was totally fine with it. He can see the benefits in the health of the ducklings. Astronaut sleeps in his undies only, year round. Literally. The boy walks around in just underwear when it's snowing outside. He never gets sick. Lettuce and I have been together since he was 3 1/2 and he'll be 9 this year and he has never been sick. I breastfed him until he was 13 months old. The girls on the other hand, weren't so lucky. Princess was only breastfed 4 months. She immediatly stopped growing. She had tons of earaches and her tonsils removed at 4 years old. Squirrel was EBF until 6 months, though we started solids at 4 months. She had a combo until she was about 7 or 8 months. The ear infections were constant and she got tubes at 9 months. Whoa!! I've gotten a bit off topic. Anywho, Side Salad will be getting the good stuff indefinitely, that's the point. And here's a pic of us nursing in public to celebrate.


Ciao!

Today was my Princess's party :)

Today, Princess had her birthday party. It was a full month after her birthday. We had it at the marionette theatre, of course. "Beauty and the Beast" was playing and it was fantastic. She had a blast and got some nice gifts.
Here of the party guests. My Princess is in the middle holding Side Salad. The Astronaut is the one in the glasses and Squirrel is down at the bottom in the pink

Princess, holding one of her gifts: a Tinker Bell blanket.

And another that all of the kids got excited about: Operation.



Getting ready to blow out the candles on the awesome custom mermaid cake! Here's a shot of the cake just for Smoo, who unfortunately had to miss the party.

Help, please! I have a cookie conundrum....

We are having a cookie decorating party for the kid on Christmas Eve. It will be my ducklings and Smoo's monkey and turkey. The kids are 8, 6, 4, 3, 9 months, and 1 month. We'll probably have some extras, too. We initially planned to bake with the kids but since they are on the younger side, we are going to bake in advance and let them decorate. What kinds of cookies should we make? Smoo is making chocolate chip and I am going to get some Immaculate Baking Co Vanilla Sugar cookies and bake them. (IBC makes the BEST cookies ever!)

My conundrum is this, we want to make 4 types of cookies. I make 2 and Smoo makes 2. What other kind of cookie should I make? And what other type should Smoo make?

I want something that I can use my snazzy cookie cutters on. I was considering gingerbread, but my kids don't seem to like them that much. I like them so maybe I will still make them. Any suggestions (with recipe or recipe links)?

Reflections and Rantings on Hurtling Towards 30 at an Astonishing Rate

Next month, it will be my birthday again. I'll be 27 years old. I could have sworn I was 22 five minutes ago. I am not sure what is happening. Each birthday comes faster than the last. Every time I look in the mirror, there is a new gray in the skunk-like streak that is emerging from my hair line. I am beginning to look more and more like my gorgeous mother. I sound like her too. Hell, even I can tell her voice from mine anymore.

I think approaching my thirties is awesome. Thirties seem so mature, so debonair, so classy. I am actually kind of excited. I probably won't be saying that in a few years. This year, I'd like to have a really classy party, with jazz music. I want my friends to dress up. I want to play Charades and Scattergories. I want a mature chi-chi menu. I want a cocktail party.

We could have Cosmos for the ladies, dirty martinis for the gents. For food, deviled eggs, cheese fondue, fancy pigs in a blanket*, and cupcakes. And the music; I have a big band CD and I could get a jazz one. What to wear, what to wear? How about this sassy little number from Igigi:


Or this one, from Forever21?

I have some sassy black peeptoe slingback pumps that would look great with either. I have to admit, it almost seems like a dress up party for grown ups but I think it would be so much FUN!!!!

Fancy Pigs-In-A-Blanket Recipe (so's I won't forget)

Puff pastry

Dijon mustard

Sausage or frankfurters in different flavors (I used organic apple and Gouda chicken sausage, chicken chorizo, and sun-dried tomato and basil-flavored sausage)

Caraway seeds (optional)

Grated cheese (optional)

Egg

Roll out puff pastry. Cut dough into rectangles that are long and wide enough to wrap around an entire sausage/frank. Spread a think layer of Dijon mustard on each rectangle. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll dough around sausage and seal seam by pressing dough together. Cut franks crosswise into thirds and arrange on greased baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Bake in oven at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

*sigh* Procrastination and the party

Saturday is the Astronaut and the Squirrel's combined multiage birthday party. I have 2 October babies, with their birthdays being only 9 days apart. I've grown weary of throwing two parties so this year they are having a party. Yes I know they are 5 years apart (Squirrel is 3 and Astronaute is 8) and different genders. But the same kids come to the parties and I think I picked something that will accommodate all the kids: a puppet show! We're going to the Marionette Theatre to see the "Wizard of Oz!"

The party is Saturday at 2. I think I should order the food. So far, all I ordered is the cake....