Cosette, the drill sergeant

After Cosette showed me her clean room tonight I said, "Wow, perhaps when you have some free time, you can teach your brothers how to clean their room too." Barely two minutes passed and I heard Cosette run up the steps, go into the boys' bedroom and say sternly,"Ok boys, listen up, this is how it's going to go down."

She's Back

I can't wait (but I'll have to wait until March 2012).

Top Ten Reasons to Substitute Teach for First Grade (Once in awhile)

10. First graders get excited to see you. Always. Every time. Mrs. Hein! Mrs. Hein!
9. We get to read, read, read.
8. Where else can you help a first grader with a Math problem and get sneezed on at the same time?
7. The joy of hearing, "Is it lunch yet?" 52 times in one hour.
6. Hearing "Mrs. Hein, you're so funny"all the time, even when you're not being funny-at all.
5. Watching a first grader get all giggly when you play Around the World in Math.
4. Helping with Christmas Program practice AND watching your 2nd grade daughter faint on the stage. (Yes, it did happen. Cosette is fine.)
3. Getting teary-eyed when you notice your 4th grade son getting teary-eyed that his little sister just fainted.
2. Having the best mother-in-law in the world happily do an Art project with your first graders. (They made Christmas Carolers and they are adorable-what was even more adorable was hearing one of the first graders call her Mrs.Mimi.)
1. Going home to your family after a long day of subbing and doing all the "mom" things you love so much more than substitute teaching.

It's a good thing

I made cookies for a fundraiser Grace is doing at church. I wanted to try something new. My Martha Stewart Living Magazine didn't disappoint. These were so easy and so delicious. (You do have to chill the dough for at least 3 hours so it's a good project to do ahead of time. :) )

Chocolate Mint Crackles

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
2. In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
3. On a clean counter top, roll each portion of dough into a log approximately 16 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, using confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking. Wrap logs in plastic wrap, and transfer to a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces, and toss in confectioners’ sugar, a few at a time. Using your hands, roll the pieces into a ball shape. If any of the cocoa-colored dough is visible, roll dough in confectioners’ sugar again to coat completely. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes.
4. Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

My Aunt Betty made these cookies at Christmas time. So yummy...

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 (4.5 ounce) packages chocolate covered thin mints

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, be careful not to over bake. When cookies come out of the oven, Press one mint wafer into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute. When the mint is softened, swirl with the back of a spoon or toothpick to make a pattern with the green filling of the mint wafer. For smaller cookies, break mints in half.

My 3 little elves

Every year we Elf Yourself. Just do it... :)

AJ

Last Friday, AJ attended his last preschool Christmas program. Next year is Kindergarten and my heart is sad. I keep looking at him and saying, "Please stop growing up so quickly." It just isn't working. (SIGH) I love you AJ, even if you are 5 going on 30.

An E-Christmas Party

 One of the blogs I enjoy reading is Life In Grace. You should really check it out. Edie is hosting a Christmas party extraordinaire through cyberspace. So many yummy recipes...so little time.

It's Old School-Crockpot Mexican Dip

BROWN 1 lb hamburger (drain fat)
ADD and STIR TOGETHER:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup canned milk
Tabasco sauce (2 to 3 drops to taste)
32 Ounces Ro-Tel Tomatoes, drained
2 pound block of Velveeta Cheese, cut up

Brown the burger in a big pot like a dutch oven, drain, then add everything in the same pot, heating it until bubbly on the stove. Transfer to a crockpot and keep hot to serve, or cool and refrigerate until you need it. Serve with tortilla chips. Good enough to eat with a spoon.

Lunch

Me: AJ, what would you like for lunch today?
AJ: Um, chocolate chip cookie dough AND a banana so I don't get leg cramps tonight.
Me: How about a tuna sandwich?
AJ: Ok, AND chocolate chip cookie dough.

Our Thanksgiving

was really nice and relaxing. We had a lovely afternoon of eating, visiting, eating, playing "hot turkey" (think hot potato but with a stuffed turkey) and more eating.

Cosette brought this little guy home from school.

The table is ready for ALL the food. Mom Hein did such a nice job with all the delicious food. We brought a few sides to share.

AJ is ready to eat!

My great nephew Ayden. So serious in this picture.

As you can see from my plate, we were well fed.

Advent

Let The Earth Now Praise The Lord-352-Lutheran Service Book

1 Let the earth now praise the Lord,
Who has truly kept His word
And at last to us did send
Christ, the sinner's help and friend.
2 What the fathers most desired,
What the prophets' heart inspired,
What they longed for many a year,
Stands fulfilled in glory here.
3 Abram's promised great reward,
Zion's helper, Jacob's Lord--
Him of twofold race behold--
Truly came, as long foretold.
4 As Your coming was in peace,
Quiet, full of gentleness,
Let the same mind dwell in me
Which is Yours eternally.
5 Bruise for me the serpent's head
That, set free from doubt and dread,
I may cling to You in faith,
Safely kept through life and death.
6 Then when You will come again
As the glorious king to reign,
I with joy will see Your face,
Freely ransomed by Your grace.

"He is your king, the king promised to you, whose own you are. He and no other shall rule over you, but in spirit and not after worldly rule. This is he for whom you longed from the beginning. This is he for whom your dear ancestors were yearning and crying with heartfelt desire. From all the things that until now have burdened, oppressed, and imprisoned you, he will redeem you and will set you free."
From Sermon for the First Sunday in Advent, 1522. Martin Luther

Cosette and Writing

Cosette loves to write stories. On many afternoons, I'll find her quietly working in her room on her books. For Gregg's birthday she wrote two books-one about baseball and one about airplanes.

This is a page from one of her books. My favorite line is : "They could rip your wallet poor."

Adriane, perhaps you could use an apprentice. :)

Garrison's employed

He starts today and will be sorting mail and shredding paper. We are all excited for him and very proud of him too.

Happy Birthday Gregg (a day late...)

 For Gregg's birthday, we decided to stay home, feed the kids pizza and then have a quiet nice dinner for two.

 Beef Tenderloin with Whiskey Cream Sauce and a salad with Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette

And of course, Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake for dessert.

Tangled & Tacos

 Cosette turned 8 yesterday. She laughed. I cried. She made this birthday poster for herself. (Notice the crinkly effect of the paper. That's because that piece of paper has been shoved in a hall closet for years. I knew it would come in handy one day. )

 Tangled was the birthday theme. (If you haven't seen Tangled, it really is a cute movie. Think musical meets animation. Ok, I guess I just described most Disney movies, but it really is a fun movie. I loved it. ) Pretend you see a delicious taco on that blue plate. Tacos and peaches were the dinner of choice. Since I couldn't find any peaches, we had grapes. That's how we roll.

 The Tangled Cake-every year cake decorating for my beautiful children causes me to go a bit nutty on everyone. Then Gregg comes in and saves the day. "Look, you frost it like this." And the cake starts to actually look presentable. Suddenly I look at him and think, "Who are you?" It's a lovely time. Or not. (Lauren, remember when Jason said a long time ago that Gregg and I should do a cooking show together because it would be entertaining-or something like that? Maybe it was during the Bananas with poison sauce disaster. You get the picture.)

 The cake was accompanied by cookie dough ice cream. And it was good.

 Time for presents. Don't you love looking at everyone in the background of pictures? Good times.

Happy Birthday Cosette. Please stay 8 for a little while. We love you.

Happy 8th Birthday Cosette

 Sweet newborn

1 year old

2 Year Old

3 Year Old

4 Year Old

 5 Year Old

 6 Year Old

7 Year Old

My Favorite Cleaning Product is

 White Vinegar (I bet you're sorry you asked me now, aren't you Adriane?)

I love white vinegar and water in a spray bottle for all kinds of uses around my house. I love how it cleans hard water off my windows. I love how it cleans my mirrors.

But mostly I love vinegar for two very important reasons.

1. Almost any cleaning product I use can trigger my migraines. Vinegar is natural and I can clean and clean and be headache free. Yay!

2. Every time I use vinegar to clean my house, I get the joy of hearing Dwight comment about it the WHOLE time. "Why mom, why the vinegar? The curse of death is in the air."

"Please, have pity on your son, don't use that stuff. It stinks. It stinks worse than stinky cheese."

I love vinegar.

What does this mean?

After AJ disobeyed several times tonight, I finally took some privileges away. AJ seemed amused by it all, so Dwight sternly warned him:

AJ, mom's hot on your trail and she's going to hit you down with her fist of righteousness.
(Really, I don't make this stuff up.)

What time is it now?

AJ spent the afternoon with Mimi. She wrote to me about it in an email tonight. You'll notice that he really loves his new Dollar Store watch.
This has been borrowed from my mother-in-law's email without express written consent: :)

His new watch kept him busy the rest of the afternoon's errands. "It's 12:15. " " " "(59 times) . It's 12:16! " " (59 times.)  It's 12:17!  He timed everything we did. Can we make it from the Gazette to the Alberta Bair Theater in 3 minutes? Yes we can! "Just as I predicted," he said. So if the watch quits tomorrow, we got a dollar's worth of good out of it today.

Chaos

It's been chaotic in our house this evening. I don't know if it's the paint fumes (Gregg has been painting our kitchen-YAY!) or the change in weather (we're supposed to have cooler temps and perhaps snow this week) but the kids are driving each other crazy. Running around, fighting, slamming doors, fighting some more, etc. So, it was no surprise to hear this about 5 minutes ago.

Cosette: Dad! Dad! AJ just slapped me for no reason.
AJ: No I didn't. I didn't slap you for no reason. I had a reason.

AJ & Mimi visit Moss Mansion

Built in 1903, the Moss Mansion is the grandest residence in Billings, MT.
AJ:"Wow! This looks like a castle."

The Grand Staircase

Music Salon

 Tea, anyone?

 Kitchen

AJ: (mannequins) "These folks need help."

While Mimi decorated this beautiful Christmas tree, AJ played with Tinker Toys. AJ told me he had "so much fun and was very quiet." :)

Luther On Tap, Jr-Abram and Lot

AJ: (Raising hand) So, who was Lot again?
Gregg: Abram's nephew
AJ: (Raising hand) How is he Abram's nephew?
Gregg: Lot was Haran's son and Haran was Abram's brother.
Gregg goes on discussing Genesis 13.Other questions are asked by Dwight and Cosette.
AJ: (Raising hand again)Why was Lot so jealous?
Gregg: You really are fixated on Lot? Why?
AJ: I don't know. There's just something about that guy, I just don't get.

School Pictures

ME: "AJ, today is school picture day. Remember to smile..."  AJ interrupts me, "Not cheesy. Right. I got it. No cheesy smiles at school, just at home."

Almost 8

 As I was on my way out to run an errand this yesterday, Cosette asked if she could get out her paints and paint a Thanksgiving banner.

 I told her to wait until I got home. (That way I could oversee her mess :) )

"But mom," Cosette said, "I'm almost 8. I'm perfectly capable of getting stuff out and putting stuff away."

I thought about it for a minute and forced out an "OK".

While on my errand I envisioned paint on the floor, ceiling, carpet-pretty much everywhere.

But when I returned home, I found this. A beautiful Thanksgiving banner hanging on the wall and Cosette's stuff all put away safe and sound.

Shut The Box

Have you heard of Shut The Box? AJ and his Mimi have been playing it regularly for awhile now. Dwight and Cosette enjoy it too. I love it because you can make the game as long or short as you want. It's great for Math skills-addition facts up to 12, figuring out which two addends make 10, etc. Try it some time. You'll be hooked!



Happy Halloween

Jack-O'- Lanterns carved.

Halloween supper with

Halloween Pasta because it's just so stinkin' cute.

 Dwight, Cosette and AJ wanted to be Nintendo characters. AJ was Toad.

 Dwight was Mario.

Cosette was Princess Peach.

I love this picture (although it's missing the older kids which makes me miss when Gabriel, Garrison and Grace were little and dressed up for Halloween).