The Thank You Cake and a “real life bakery”!

Sammie’s class wanted to thank their wonderful teacher a great year so they have arranged a surprise party for her during their reading time on their final full day of school. 

They all had assignments- snacks, cake, streamers, balloons, banner etc.

The distraction was in place- Ms. Walz got a page to come to the office (yes they talked the secretary into being apart of the plan)  and they decorated the classroom with the help of the teacher next door. 

I love that all of the kids were involved and excited about doing something fun for their teacher.

I love it even more that my daughter was one of the kids who thought of the idea and did the planning.

Here’s the really really cool part that I want to tell everyone I know:

Sammie was in charge of the cookie cake.  We went to Schnucks, but they only had ones that were patriotic in design because of memorial day and the bakery was closed for the day so no writing.  Bummer. 

We were getting ready to leave when we spotted a woman, Diane, baking doughnuts in the back and we asked her if she could write on a cookie cake for us.  I took a chance and asked her if there was one in the back that wasn’t red, white and blue.

I also told her that Sammie had just had a cake decorating birthday party.

She went to the back and got a plain big cookie and let Sammie design it and even decorate it! 

Diane and Sammie starting the border.

doing the border without help

sprinkles!

Can you tell she’s excited?

Sammie and Diane

Diane said she had a natural talent and if she practiced she could work in a bakery decorating cakes when she grew up.

Sammie left with her head held high and bubbling over with excitement over her accomplishment- all because Diane went above and beyond with her job.

As mother’s we spend so much time trying to build our kids up, compliment them, make them feel good about themselves in the hopes that we can raise them to be strong, productive, confident, kind adults. Experiences like last night make me realize how wonderful it is to have people in the community with the insight to know that parents can’t do it all themselves.

New Dough Recipe

 

Tyler and I fiddled with a new dough recipe this week.  I loved it!  As a pizza crust it needs a lot of seasoning and spread way thinner than I did.  It looked just like a loaf of bread with sauce and cheese on it rather than pizza.

Surprise Surprise it was from my new cookbook.

Here’s the link to the recipe from their website. 

And here’s a few pictures of Tyler helping me roll out the dough.  He loves helping me in the kitchen. 

Tylerism

Here’s the latest from my favorite 5 year old:

Me at lunch one day this week:

Tyler!  I’m so proud of you for being such a grown up eater!

Tyler: Thanks Mom

Me: When did you become such a big kid?

Tyler: Last Friday.

I’m telling you living with this kid is like living in the comic “Family Circle”.  He makes me laugh every day.

Trying New Recipes

 

To me there’s nothing more frustrating than spending a bunch of time in the kitchen preparing a meal for my family only to have it not turn out well. Or worse- spend time and money preparing a fun new meal only to have my kids turn their cute little noses up at it. Somehow that makes me loose my appetite every time.  I have a big list of recipes that are the “tried and true” that I rotate through our meal plans. 

I’m loving my new Our Best Bites cookbook and website because it has helped me try new things because every single recipe I have tried has been amazingly good and the directions are easy to read. 

I generally work on my menu’s for the week by Thursday or Friday of the week before.  Here’s what’s on my plan for this week:

Friday- Chili and rice- one last time before it gets too hot!  (This chili is funny because I just use the recipe on the back of the Aldi chili seasoning packet and it won a chili cook-off at church for best all around one year! Still makes me laugh when I think about it.  I just brought it so my kids would eat something!)

Saturday- Homemade pizza using this dough- I’ll probably make it up ahead of time for Thomas and the kids since I’ll be with my mom.  I made this for Tyler’s graduation dinner last week and will not prebake the crust this time.  It was too crunchy for our taste. 

Sunday- Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Pork from my new cookbook.  (I promise I get no royalties in promoting this book!) They have homemade tortillas in the book as well, but I’m not that brave yet.

Monday- Sweet and Sour Meatballs and rice.  This one looks super easy when you use egg free frozen meatballs.  I’m not sure how they do those egg free- I’ve never found a meatball recipe that worked out when I substituted the egg. 

Tuesday- Chicken Fettuccini using this recipe for egg free white sauce that’s actually not too bad for you.

Wednesday- Hamburger Steaks from allrecipes.com.  This is an old favorite, not egg free, but Sammie won’t touch it anyway so why bother.  She can eat mac and cheese.

Thursday- Cheesy Orzo with sautéed chicken from Rachel Ray.  I made this last week and it was really yummy.  I’ll play with it a bit this week and see if we like it as well.  It was my first time making Orzo and we all loved it.

And then we are to Friday next week when I will start all over again.  I’ll probably be burned out trying new things and will stick with the tried and true.  Then again maybe some of these newby recipes will make the cut and become the tried and true.

What do you want to do today?

This is the question I ask Tyler every morning.  Most days we have a list of things to do and have to make it to school etc., but we always try to fit in a few things that he thinks will be fun. 

He is a kid who likes to GO and we have a lot of fun together getting things done. 

Today when I asked the morning question of “What do you want to do today?” here was his reply:

“NOTHING!”  he yelled it.  He was so excited when I said we could stay home. 

I grabbed my camera and made him recreate the faces he made during the conversation. 

His I’m so happy I don’t have to go anywhere face:

 

You mean we don’t even have to pick up Spencer!?!?!  Yeah!

 

I LOVE TODAY!

 

After thinking a little more about the day over breakfast he decided to make a to do list of all of the fun things we could do at home. Be still my heart. I am raising to do list makers! Oh, happy day.

You might notice our list includes reading books, playing the wii, riding bikes, watching TV (Iron Man cartoon specifically) walking Gizmo, bathing Gizmo, take a nap and jumping on the trampoline.  All things that Tyler came up with. 

Hope your Wednesday is as great as ours looks like it will be! 

Gotta run up and watch some Iron Man with my boy.

Mother’s Day Gifts

 

I got some amazing gifts for Mother’s day from my family!

I requested this:

I saw a review of it on Taste and Tell and loved that there was a picture with every recipe.  My kind of cookbook.  I’ve already made a few things from it and have plans today to try the “Brazilian Lemonade” if I make it to the store.  There are a surprising number of Sammie friendly bread and dessert recipes in this too so once I’m over my baking coma from last week I’ll be trying some of those as well. 

 

Then Thomas surprised me with this!

It has the first scene of the next movie on it!  I took time this week when the kids were in school to watch all of the special features.  I’m hoping to watch the movie sometime today or tomorrow.  Potter Head that I am I saw this movie in the full price theater I think 2 times and at least once in the dollar theater.  I know… dorky, but I love HP!

Spencer’s newest play idea

 

Spencer has always played with things in a funny way.  Here’s the latest fun. 

Spencer’s bed is tucked into where his closet should be because his room is so tiny.  There’s a small lip where the closet door use to be and he has started hanging stuffed animals and Tyler’s Ironman.  His bed is right under those shelves so he can lay down and look up at his toys hanging around.  We thought it was so cute and fun.  It’s nice to see him a little more animated lately. 

Along with the eating more and the gaining weight comes the energy to have major behaviors that we’ve not seen in over a year.  He’s been upset about going to school.  Really Really upset.  Poor guy cries almost all of the time and is just a generally unhappy camper.  Every morning he says “No bus today?” He cries all of the time at home too after school, but so far this weekend has been quiet.  I keep waiting for something to set off the screaming again, but so far so good.  He’s just worn out.  Crying takes a lot of energy.

We are going to try different things over the summer to make things better, but for now we are just going day by day.  He’s had a complete physical recently and we are pretty confident it’s not physically related.  One thing that the teachers and his doctor seem to agree on is that his OCD and anxiety is keeping him from breaking out of a cycle of crying when he has to do something he doesn’t want to do.  (like go to school)  Thomas is so good with him.  He will cry all day long at school and home and then Thomas walks in sits next to him and he calms right down.  He can keep him quiet with a pat on the head or a look when all he does for me is scream. 

Thomas said it best when he reminded me that he needs us now more than ever.  He needs his family and he is lucky to have a family who loves him as much as we all do. 

Ms. Walz’s Poetry Café’

 

Sammie has an amazing teacher this year.  Her class put together a Poetry Café’ for the parents Friday morning.  They served juice and doughnuts and had a spotlight and everything.  Sammie’s poem was about her great grandpa Atkins and had me a little teary.  All of the kids did a great job.  I love events like this. 

 

Sammie with her published works of poetry.

Sammie and Ms. Walz. 

Sammie giving her poem. 

Ms. Walz talking about how great the kids are and how hard they worked.

Sammie at her desk eating a doughnut.  That’s her all important retainer case that has survived week one in tact. 

Mother’s day 2011

Sammie and I spent mother’s day this year in Jacksonville with my mom and dad to check in after mom’s surgery.  We stopped by to visit with the other mom’s in our lives as well. 

Sammie with her Great Grandma Hembrough and Grandma Atkins. 

Sammie with great aunt Linda, my mom’s sister.  Aunt Lin is taking care of mom while she recovers.

Sammie and Grandpa Burnett.

Sammie, my mom and me.  3 generations.

Me and my Mom.  Loved spending the day with her.

Sammie and grandma.

more cakes by Sammie

Sammie loves her new cake decorating supplies.  We are so proud of her progress already in her new hobby.

Cake for grandma Burnett for mother’s day. 

Tyler’s graduation cake.  Love the graduation cap! 

Tyler’s cake.  He hasn’t learned that less is more yet. 

Tyler’s Graduation

 

Tyler graduated from preschool this week!  He was so excited.  The ceremony was so adorable. 

 

Me and the happy grad.

Sammie, me, Tyler and his friend Rhys who came with us to the graduation since Thomas and Spencer had to stay home. 

Tyler’s primary teacher came too.  He was so proud to show off a little for her!

Tyler with Ms. Allie and Ms. Sharon his amazing preschool teachers. 

 

The graduating class of 2011 from Good Shepherd Preschool.  They sang all of the songs they learned this year.

 

They marched in to Pomp and Circumstance.  Adorable. 

 

The kids stood on the platform and their teacher asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up.  Tyler stood tall and proud and said “Doctor”. 

We are so proud of you Tyler.

More to come

If you can believe it there is much more to come...

Tyler's graduation from preschool- so cute!

Sammie's follow up practice cakes

Mother's day

Ms. Walz's Poetry Cafe poetry reading (Sammie)

Spencer's newest play idea

A Spencer follow up on the things he is dealing with

I think that's everything. I'll get to it all. Someday.

The Ultimate Cake Boss Party

Sammie had a wonderful time at her cake boss party.  The girls learned how to frost a double layer cake with butter cream icing, fill a decorating bag, and of course decorate a cake!  They did a great job.  They all looked wonderful! 

The girls decorated the aprons and chef hats as well before the decorating began. 

A big part of the party coming off so well was my friend Ashley being willing to be our local “cake boss” and show us what to do.  Thanks Ash!

 

The girls with the St. Louis Cake Boss Lady.  Love the hats.

This was a huge cake- but luckily only the middle “Sammie” part was actually cake!  The other sections are foam that Sammie can practice her decorating on without having to bake a cake!  So clever of Ashley to think of that.

 

Here are the close ups for the cakes. 

After baking all of those little 5 inch cakes I’m dong baking for a while.  Sammie was lucky to have a few extras that didn’t quite turn out as well to practice on.  She’s also had fun decorating rice krispie treats cakes. 

Family Birthday Breakfast and a few gifts

 

Not all of the gifts got photographed, but a few favorites and the outfit that Thomas and I got her made the cut. 

 

Spencer and I bought doughnuts for Sammie’s birthday breakfast with us on her birthday.  (before the party)  We built this little doughnut cake!

 

 

Spencer got Sammie flowers.  Very sweet.

To celebrate the end of braces- gummy lifesavers!

Sammie’s birthday outfit.  Except the pink skirt didn’t fit (about 2 sizes too big) and when we went back to exchange it that morning they only had the black one so her actual outfit (which I didn’t get a photo of) was pink shorts with a black skirt.  It was actually cuter than this one so it all worked out.