Easter Breakfast

This morning I made these....
Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
a la Top Secret Recipes.

And they tasted spot on!

Rolls

2 T yeast
1 c warm milk
½ c sugar
1/3 c butter, melted
1 t salt
2 eggs
4 c flour

Filling

1 c brown sugar
2 ½ T cinnamon
1/3 c butter, melted
nuts, raisins

Icing

1 stick butter, soft
2 oz cream cheese
1 ½ c powdered sugar
½ t vanilla

1. For rolls, dissolve yeast in warm milk in large bowl.
2. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour and mix well.
3. Knead dough into a large ball. Cover and let rise about 1 hour.
4. Roll out on floured surface to about 21×16 and about ¼ inch thick.
5. Preheat oven to 400.
6. For filling, combine cinnamon and brown sugar, spread butter over surface and sprinkle with cinnamon mixture.
7. Roll dough from 21 inch side.
8. Cut into 1 ¾ inch slices and place in a lightly greased pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly brown.
9. While rolls bake, combine icing ingredients and beat until fluffy.
10. When rolls slightly cool, coat generously with icing.

Makes 12

25!

Happy Birthday Molls balls & Barfa!

Isn't this picture great? When would you say this was taken? 1995? That would put you at 12 years. That's more than half your current age. Crazy how time flies. I think that's my head in the background, behind Mr. Pig. I wish I was in N. Cal to celebrate - have a great day! Love you guys.

p.s. we really need to have martha's shirt re-made.

Let's ask Ethan

Scene: Sitting at the kitchen table eating dinner, NCAA basketball on TV, Ethan's pump starts beeping.

Eric: Ugh, Ethan needs a new site. Ethan, who do you want to give you a new site, Mommy or Daddy?
Ethan: Mommy.
Eric: Booyah, ha ha haha... too bad Jos, I guess you have to do it.
Josie: Ethan, who do you want to do the dinner dishes, Mommy or Daddy?
Ethan: Daddy.
Josie: LOL. Nice, Ethan! I will take a 2 minute site change over dishes any day.

Dinner, bloody nose and some easter eggs

Eric is on spring break right now so we had some friends over last night for dinner and a movie. We actually barbecued in the 35 degree weather. We felt like we couldn't wait any longer for Wisconsin's spring to come - I think Mother Nature realized our defiance and decided to stick it to us because we woke up to 5" of new snow on the ground. Ugh. So, midway through dinner last night Ethan gets a great idea ("Mom, I have a good idea, why doesn't Carter sleep at my house tonight?") that Carter should stay over. Ok, I don't see why not... so we put the boys to bed and head downstairs to watch I Am Legend. A little freaky for my taste, but ok.
Well, midway through the movie I hear footsteps upstairs. So I run upstairs to lay down the hammer and find Ethan and Carter in the dining room, Ethan with a crazy bloody nose, and Carter balling because he has no idea what is happening to his friend's face. Supposedly, there was some wrestling or something going on in the dark in Ethan's room and this was the result. Ethan had to keep saying over and over, "I'm fine, I'm fine", because he thought Carter would have to go home. See, that's always the threat... eat your dinner or Carter will have to go home, go to bed or Carter will have to go home, brush your teeth or Carter will have to go home... apparently he was listening. Eventually, they fell asleep, and when they woke up they had fresh snow to play in and a dozen easter eggs to dye. Oh, the insanity.

No, I had no part in organizing the eggs like this.
Poor Ethan, he has inherited my OCD.

Ethan was wanting that sticker to stay on the egg a little too much.

It's official

Eric is in line to graduate on time thanks to his above average board scores! Phew, so glad that's over. We are all so happy for you Eric!

BLURB

I just went through the mail pile from the last few days and my Blurb book was there waiting for me! I think it turned out great - very worth the time, energy, and money spent. The quality of the pictures are great. I am for sure going to make one of these every year.

I'm baaack

Well, my life as a full time mom has resumed. I got back from Em's last night and it was as I never left. Eric slept in as I made breakfast and got the kids ready for school. I guess he is entitled, after all, he did let me go. It was a fun, quick trip. It was great to meet little Addison. She started to pull herself up onto her feet while I was there and her first tooth broke through! Em looked great and I was very impressed with her store, The Dressing Room. She is in the process of renovating a new space which she will be moving into in a few months. So, we shopped a lot for new draperies, fabric, accessories, etc for the new store. I did fail to get Em to start a blog. I think she's being truthful when she says she has no time for one. Maybe after the new store opens?!? Jonas is Jonas - easy going, a great dad, patient, and hardworking. He did such a great job renovating their house. Thanks guys for letting me come, but next time you will be coming my way!

Em's store

Addie - SO CUTE!

Atlantic - quite a difference compared to the beaches in California.

Big heads!

Newburyport, Mass - cute stores, restaurants
cobblestones roads everywhere

These surfers are nuts. It was freezing - air temp was only in the high 30's,
I can't imagine the water temp.

This one's for Eric

That countdown has never looked so good!

School Pictures

Ethan got his school pictures back today. He is looking so grown up. Here were the two that looked the best. This year, he actually had a nice smile. Now why can't I get him to do this in pictures I take?






















This one cracked me up so I had to get it. Soooo serious, yet kind of shady at the same time. I wonder what the lady told him to think about when he was making this face.

Amazing

I saw this on the Today show this morning and was in shock. Ethan is 4 and is NOT reading. Cohen is her same age and is saying like 5-8 words is all. Can you image?

Success!

Yes, I got it! Go ME!

I took this picture the other day at the Y. I turned my back for two seconds and when I looked back Cohen was in the foosball game retrieving the ball. He is such a climber lately, I can't keep him on the floor.

Dreamweaver

I am leaving town this Friday. Yes, my husband granted me this trip after one of my quarterly "I don't want to be a SAHM anymore" breakdowns. I think he just wanted me to get out of the funk I had been in so he promised me the only thing that would do that - a break! So, I'm headed to Em's house in NH. I can't wait to meet her little Addie and see her store. If you can't tell this picture was taken a looong time ago. I recently had all of my old negatives put onto CD's (all 1600 of them) and this was one of them. I think if I keep posting pictures of her she might get a blog for herself so that she can post pictures of me in her defense. Maybe I can talk her into one when I am out there?

Hugs and kisses to Eric for letting me go during his spring break from school. He's had a crazy year as well and it isn't over. Unfortunately, I can't grant him a break from school - it's mandatory. I think a break for him is just being home. He is a great dad and will do just fine without me! Last night he was asking me about the details of my flight - it went something like this:

E: So, when do you leave again?
J: Friday.
E: And when do you get back?
J: Thursday.
E: No, really.
J: Thursday.
E: Jos, seriously.
J: Ok, Wednesday.
E: No, really Jos.
J: Seriously Eric - I get back Wednesday.
E: (enter mean look here)
J: OKAY, Tuesday.
E: Tuesday? That is so long.
J: Eric, I don't get in until late Friday night, so I only have Sat, Sun, Mon and then I leave Tuesday. It's not that long.
E: Brutaaaaallll!

I bet he is wishing he wasn't my dreamweaver after all.

First year

I decided to treat myself to an anniversary blog present. So, I visited blurb and created my very own hard copy of the first year of this blog. Fitting, considering today is my anniversary. Using blurb was really easy, a little time consuming because I had to customize everything, but very worth it. They import all of your pictures and text automatically so you can just drag and drop what you want in your book. It is really reasonable too. For my 100 page book it only cost $26 for a soft cover, or $32 for a hardcover (+shipping). I am expecting to receive it soon and will post pictures when I get it. I recommend it to all you bloggers out there that consider this your journal and want a copy of it. Blurb isn't just for blogs either. If you want to make a scrapbook, or you are a photographer and want a coffee table book of your favorite pictures - it has tons of options. Check it out...

Phew...

Our inspection passed, 100%, with no complaints from the buyers!! I can breathe easy now. I am so relieved. I was on edge all day. I was really planning for the worst. I thought for sure they would come back asking for some kind of discount. Thank goodness they didn't. Let the packing begin!

Bowlerama

Last night we ventured out to the local bowling alley for a good ol' family night out. Ethan really got into it this time. He picked out his ball - a 6 pounder, picked the color - green, put on his velcro shoes and was ready to go. Cohen was just loving the glowing light and the arcade games. Oh, and running from lane to lane, in front of other bowlers. Eric beat me for the first time in a very long time. I don't know what happened to me but in the 5th and 6th frames I choked. So unlike me. If only WI could pass the law banning smoking indoors. I don't think there is anything worse than a baby that smells like cigarettes.