walk with us

Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween.

We have plans! Today, Chesney has her big parade and party at school. I have never been to any of my children's Halloween parties because I've always been teaching my own class. This year, that's changing. This is really Chesney's last year to do the whole parade and party thing at her elementary school (she'll go to an Intermediate school next year), and I'd really like to be there. I"m taking the afternoon off from work so that I can go.

Pizza for dinner, because that's what you have on Halloween. Last year we had a pumpkin shaped pizza. This year, it will probably be Pizza Hut carry out.

Mykiah is quite looking forward to taking Chesney out trick or treating. Chesney has a new costume as a fairy witch, and Mykiah has a fun Halloween shirt we picked up at Target. They'll go out in the early evening.

Brady has volunteered to pass out candy. We're having a small argument about which candy to hand out first. I bought a bag with Laffy Taffy, which no one likes, Nerds, which are Brady's favorite, and Sweet Tarts, which are my favorite. I say we should get rid of the Laffy Taffy first. Brady thinks it's funny to say he's going to give away all my Sweet Tarts. He does that, and there will be no Nerds next year. Always give away the stuff no one in the house likes first, so that the leftovers will get eaten.

Ghost Hunters Live tonight! So glad it's Friday, so Dan and I can stay up and watch it. Photos and a full report on Monday! Hope you have a wonderful, spooky weekend!

Ain't it funny how a melody...

can bring back a memory?

I love that song. I was reminded of it last weekend. Dan and Brady sat watching "The Hulk" on DVD. At one point, while the Hulk is particularly tortured by his transformation, the soundtrack turns very melancholy.

Dan didn't even get to finish saying, "It's the same music from the TV series," before I was taken back to my childhood. My family watched "The Incredible Hulk" on TV every week. I loved it. Loved it until the part at the end when Bruce Banner had to once again leave "normal" life and go off on his own, when they played this incredibly sad music. I would run and hide in my room and cry, and cry.

I hadn't thought of that in years, until I heard that tune on Saturday.

It happens a lot for me with songs I originally heard during Branson shows, too. Sunday, we were driving home from our movie and a song came on the CD player. I immediately went back to a dark theater, my flip flops laying on the floor in front of me, feet tucked under me, Mykiah beside me, hearing the song for the first time.

"Little Rock" by Collin Raye and I remember a long car ride to Florida with an 11 month old. "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard and I'm dancing on the front lawn of my childhood home. "I Knew I Loved You" by Savage Garden, and I'm pregnant with my last baby."Our House" by Madness, and I'm 13 years old, extremely tan, and spending hours and hours each day at the swimming pool.

Love to think about the songs that have defined my life. When I hear one, it's as good as seeing a photo. What songs bring back moments for you?

Recipe: Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, but solid pack pumpkin)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In another bowl, combine flour, salt, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a separate, large mixing bowl.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the pumpkin to the wet mixture.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoon onto greased cookie sheet. Cookies do not spread, so you can space them fairly close together.

Bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes, or until lightly browned.

To download this recipe in printable form, click here: Download Pumpkinoatmealcookie

When did this happen?

Badly underexposed, but still makes a statement:

My son, the one I gave life a little over 14 years ago, is several inches taller than me. We were both barefooted here. I am trying not to be blown away by this development. I'm not ready to look up to my son.

And the photo Brady really wanted me to share. He's on his tip toes here, and I didn't realize it until after the photo had been taken:

Music, a movie and Mexican

Yesterday, the girls and I took a little drive and met my sister and her girls at a mall, where we all went to see High School Musical 3. The girls enjoyed every minute of it, even my littlest, 2 year old, niece, who sat at the edge of her booster and swung her feet to the music while watching. And, you know, ate her weight in candy and snacks. Not hard, since she's a petite little thing, but still amusing.

I didn't think the movie was awful. It was fun, but I'd need to see it again to decide if I like it better than the 2nd movie. Definitely not better than the first. It was worth the drive, though.

After the movie, we went in search of a Mexican restaurant a co-worker had recommended. I knew it was the right place, when I saw the quarter dropping game.

My plate was enormous. This picture doesn't do it justice. It was huge. As big as a hub cap, I swear. And yummy.

Emery loved it!

rekindling an addiction

Lately, Dan and I have really gotten into playing Guitar Hero in the evenings after dinner. It's the one game where I stand a fighting chance of beating Dan. Most of the time, he beats me in every game we play (unless it's trivia related, because he remembers nothing), and I hate losing so I just don't play. Guitar Hero, especially Version II, I can win though. Sometimes, I can even win spectacularly.

So I don't have any photos of myself playing, but I've got a couple of the kids. Chesney is just getting to the point where she can play decently on Easy. Brady plays against her on Hard, and it's a fair fight.

Have a wonderful weekend. We're hoping to catch High School Musical 3 on the big screen... fun, fun!

Recipe: Baked Ravioli

Baked Ravioli
(or Tortellini, whichever you prefer)

1 package frozen ravioli (I use Schwans cheese tortellini a lot but in this photo I used mini cheese ravioli. It works with meat filled, too.)
1/2 cup melted butter (or margarine, let's not pretend I ever have butter in the house unless I'm baking)
1 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper (really, you need a pepper grinder. I can't imagine going back to shaker pepper.)
3 tbsp parsley (Again, let's not pretend I keep fresh in the house. I buy bulk dried parsley at the Amish store in Branson.)
Spaghetti sauce (whatever you like)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 13x9" baking dish with nonstick spray.

Cook the ravioli as directed on the package and drain well. Toss the ravioli with melted butter in the prepared baking dish. Mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and pepper together. Toss this with the ravioli. Sprinkle with parsley, if using.

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the ravioli is hot and golden brown. Serve with warmed spaghetti sauce poured over it.

This is a recipe I've been using for many years, and is one of Dan's favorites. I hadn't made it in a long time (mainly because it is no longer one of my favorites), but I made it on Sunday, and thought I'd share. Enjoy!

for the gramps

Chesney wanted you to see this video:

Pumpkin decorating contest

Chesney's third grade class did a mock election last week. Who won the election doesn't really matter (well, because I don't agree with the results), but I was really impressed with the results of the mock class election. Chesney tied for class president. With her boyfriend. She was chosen by her classmates as being responsible, fair, organized, honest and on task. I am so proud of my baby girl!

Chesney's 3rd grade class is having a pumpkin decorating contest. Not being a particularly creative person (I know, you think I'm lying, but I'm not), I googled pumpkin decorating and found some really cool ideas.
Any and all of these would be really, cool, no? I am particularly excited about that button pumpkin. I love buttons.

Chesney and I put our heads together, and Dan grabbed some spray paint, and we came up with an idea that made everyone happy. And used a few buttons..

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Most of you probably already know this recipe. I've seen it as the "Neiman Marcus" recipe or the "Mrs. Fields" recipe. It is, of course, neither, but the recipe is still delicious.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever

2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal and blend in blender to a fine powder)
24 oz. chocolate chips
1 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. Hershey bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet..Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies.. Have Fun!!!

Now I didn't use the grated chocolate bar, mainly because I didn't have one on hand, and I'd already had to run to the store for some emergency baking soda. For the chips, I used a bag of regular semi-sweet, and a bag of Hershey's Special Dark chips (which is also one of my favorite candy bars). For the nuts, I used finely diced walnuts, which are Dan's favorites. It definitely made a bunch of cookies. Final count was 10+ dozen. Took forever to bake them all, but I didn't have anything else to do but use my new mixer...