Melt Down

I had a few things to bake last night. I needed to bake brownies for Bea's school Christmas party. I wanted to make cake pops for Camille's school birthday party. And I wanted to throw together some gingerbread cookie dough - because it needs to chill over night.

I got home and promptly mixed up the cake mix and put it in the oven. Next I tackled the brownies, then the gingerbread cookie dough. Done and done.

The gingerbread dough was chilling in the fridge. The cake and brownies were cooling... so I sit down to eat a quick dinner and do some other things and head back to the cake.

It's cooled so I cut it up and smash it around in the pan, pour some chocolate frosting in there and start forming balls.  I read somewhere that you should dip the sticks in the melted chocolate first and then stick them into the balls and pop them in the fridge for a few. I did this. Shortly after things went down hill from there. I tried to cover the first cake pop in chocolate. The chocolate was hardening way too fast and yet the cake was coming off in chunks in the chocolate! I destroyed four cake pops trying to get it to work. I was panicking. I only had one bag of chocolate. (Hey, I thought I was a pro since I've done it ONE other time before.) I wanted to cry. It was now 8 p.m. I thought Hobby Lobby was open till 9 p.m. Izak went to get more chocolate and it wasn't! Thankfully Michael's was still open. While he was out doing that I took all the stupid sticks out of the pops and was trying to make cake balls work somehow.  I tried dipping the bottom in chocolate then sprinkles then putting it on wax paper... UGH. The end result is cake ball type things. I'm so disappointed. They look horrible. It only cheered me up slightly this morning when Camille was showing Beatrice: "Look sister! It's pink and purple!" BUT my night didn't end there with misshaped cake balls.. I still had to put them in their little individual bags and tie them. WELL!!! I couldn't get the stupid candy bags open. Finally Izak heard me cursing and grumbling to myself and came out to help me open the stupid bags. When I went to put a stupid ball in the baggie the thing didn't fit!! I was on the verge of throwing all those damn cake ball things on the floor and stomping away!! I managed to shove them all in the bags though - mainly because I didn't want Millie to go to school empty handed and I didn't want to have to buy some stupid store bought cupcakes. :( I'm SO SAD about them!! They look like the girls decorated them. They look like monster balls. Or weird marshmallow shaped things. I am not posting pictures because I don't want to remember that horrible horrible night.

And this morning.... after carrying the girls coats around with me and loading everything up in the car... I FORGOT THE GIRLS COATS!! I wanted to scream: ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!  Luckily I put them in little hoodies and they have long sleeves on but it's SUPER COLD OUTSIDE. So I'll have to leave work and go get their damn coats and bring them to school.  GAH!!

Sick girls!

Towards the end of last week Beatrice had developed a cold. A bad cold. But not one that requires antibiotics. Sigh. She's better. But now it's Millie's turn. Millie stayed home Monday from school and we decided both girls weren't well enough to go to the gym that night either. Bea had a slight fever again. Beatrice was very upset that she had to miss gymnastics. She LOVES gymnastics! (I'm really glad she likes it so much.) Tuesday I kept both girls home just to be on the safe side. They have Christmas parties this week that I don't want them to miss! Not to mention Camille's birthday tomorrow! They're going to do something special in her class tomorrow and I get to go and observe and take pictures! I just want her to know it's her special day! I have BIG plans for tomorrow too, I can't wait! Back to Tuesday night... both girls didn't have a fever when I got home from work, and we started to get them ready for for their Christmas dance parties, dressing them in Christmas shirts and skirts etc. Millie was throwing a fit that her Christmas socks were too big and she didn't want to wear tights. I was like: Fine! Stay home then! Miss your party and all the goodies! (Not to mention waste all the goodies I put together for her class!) I took Bea to dance and she did her little Christmas dance. It was so cute! I was really bummed Millie didn't go to her class. I wanted to see HER Christmas dance too. :( Anyways... here's to the girls being healthy for their school Christmas parties and Christmas!)

Happy Holidays!!

  I WON a FREE children's mini Holiday session from my favorite photographer! (I never win anything!) Here are the fabulous photos:

I got to throw "snow" on them in this picture!

The girls were in such a good mood for this photo session. They were such hams! And posers!

Christmas is coming!

Christmas is coming! Time to decorate! Time for old family traditions and time for making NEW family traditions. This year I'm trying my hand at the advent calendar. I found this (better than what I've seen in stores) advent calendar at Target. I wasn't too thrilled with the price but it was nicer and a bit prettier than the ONE other one they had there for the SAME price. I bought some See's candy chocolate balls and little Santa's (for the 25th - though I think it's silly to have a 25th door because it's Christmas day! What more do you want?) And I also purchased some Lindt chocolate too. I stuffed the chocolates inside and wrote on little slips of paper what activities to do for that day. It was pretty tough coming up with age appropriate things and finding things to do on gym and dance nights (where we wont have a lot of time between dinner and bedtime.) We'll see how it all works out. I got some ideas from my cousin Lisa and some ideas off of pinterest. I tried to come up with back up stuff too. Sooo we'll see how things go tomorrow! The girls are anxious to open those doors and get that chocolate out!

I'm all EARS....

About three weeks ago we noticed Millie had been coughing for a few days so we took her to the doctor.  She was acting normal but we found out that she not only had a sinus infection but she also had ANOTHER ear infection. We had tubes put in her ears, like two years ago? The tubes had made their way out and the ear doctor said she was good to go... so what's happening now!? What is the point of having ear tubes put in if your ear is just gonna push them out and grow back the way it was originally!? Why does the body do that? Anyways... the pediatrician gave her some meds and a follow up appointment for three weeks. Yesterday was the follow up appointment and guess what!? Yup. Her ears STILL look bad! The doctor gave her different meds and also said I should book another follow up appointment in three weeks with her ear doctor. She said: "I just don't know if she's hearing very well." Great. Thanks. I do not want to do the ear tubes again. I hated that. Seeing her in her little hospital gown. The nurses taking her away from me so they can put her to sleep alone. And then Millie waking up from her drug induced sleep crying and inconsolable. AND to top it off we can't leave the facility until she pees. It doesn't sound hard, but when she hasn't eaten all day and they give her a juice box which she has no interest in drinking AFTER the operation... it's not fun. In fact we fibbed a little the last time because we just wanted to get her out of there. I really hope these new meds work.

Thanksgiving!

Wow! What a week! We had the Arizona cousins over for Tday and it was SO MUCH FUN!!! (Stacey and Ben came too.) ;)

Millie and Lauren eating goldfish after their photo session on Saturday.

It was a full crazy house and I loved it! I only wish it could have been my house! (In my dreams I have this crazy big house and my cousins can come visit me whenever and STAY there!) We had so much food too! I got to help out a bit more this year and I made mashed potatoes for 21 people! We ate non-stop, caught up with each other, watched the kids - well sort of. My kids were outside the whole time with their cousins so I hardly saw them at all. I got to go 'black Friday' shopping with my cousin Lisa - she really made out! I got a few things... I can't wait for our next BIG get together... whenever that is... sigh. It's always sad to go back to reality..

This was Thursday afternoon right after the cousins came!

Sneak Peek!

This weekend I had the girl's "Alice" pictures taken. They wanted an Alice in Wonderland birthday party so I thought it would be cute to have them dress up as Alice and have pictures taken so I can not only use the images to commemorate the event but I could also use the images for the invitations! These are the two shots I got from my phone. (I have to admit it looked just as cool in real life as it did in my head.) I know the professional photos will be AMAZING!! I can't wait to see them!