Charlotte's Punch and Judy Show

Our Charlotte is a unique one. She lives with three brothers and is our only girl. She doesn't really like to play with dolls (especially if they look human-like). In fact, a number of years ago, I was with our triplets in a "Celebration Army" store and found three Gerber baby dolls for sale. I picked them up thinking that our kids might like to have them. As I walked toward the shopping cart, they were all sitting in, they developed this look of horror. I could see them withdraw inward as their little heads drew toward their necks and they all became very quiet the closer I got with the dolls in my arms.

I said, "Look! Aren't these wonderful baby dolls to play with?"

They all said, in unison, "No Mommy. No!"

So, that was that. No baby dolls.

Stuffed animals on the other hand...we have a zoo full. 

Their beds are filled with Hello Kitty, bunnies, puppies, dragons, dinosaurs, kitty-cats, teddy bears, birdies, frogs,. The list of  stuffed "friends" is a long one.

My dear friend, Rhonda, found American Dolls in a box (free stuff by the side of the road) and she thought of our Charlotte. I gratefully accepted the box of dolls with the hope that sometime in the near future Charlotte may change her mind. I've heard that these American Dolls are expensive and dearly loved by many little girls.

Instead, Charlotte informed me last week that she would like to learn Karate when we move to Minnesota. Can you say, "Hi-yah"?

Here is her version of the Mr. Punch and Judy show.

Punch: "Here, take that!"

Judy: "Ahhhh..."

Punch: "Ouch, that hurts."

Judy: "You're a big baby."

Punch: "Ahhhh, hrumph, pow!"

Judy: collapses and then regains consciousness.

Judy: "Ahhh, hi-yah, pow!"

Punch: collapses and then regains consciousness.

They both hug and all is okay.

The show begins again with,

Punch: "Hello"!

Judy: "Good-bye".

                                            She is pleased as punch with herself.

Celebrating Nine

We celebrated a birthday this past weekend. Our Grant is now nine years old. It's hard to believe nine years have passed since I first held him in my trembling arms and kissed the top of his fuzzy, baby head and stared into those rich, blue eyes of his and thought of a thousand possible futures for this baby boy of mine and rejoiced that I would be his Mommy always. After nine years of trying, our son Grant was born. He did not come from my womb. He came from our hearts and prayers and longings and from a most remarkable lady who chose a different future for her baby. After nine months with our adoption agency, Grant was nestled into my arms and we welcomed another family into ours. 

 So, this past Saturday, we celebrated his nine years on our blue planet in style. Well, not really. Here's what happened.

Friday night we went to BJ's to pick out a birthday cake for him. He wanted a Lego cake made by Mommy. But, as you all know, Mommy is busy caring for our four kids, getting a home ready to sell and doing pretty much everything on her own. Their Daddy, my Beloved, is in Minnesota with a new job (insert cheering and hooting here)! Instead, Grant chose a Carvel ice cream cake. I had a cooler ready to go in the van and put the cake in that along with another frozen item. Off we went from New Hampshire (tax free shopping) down to Boston to pick up Daddy from the airport. The flight was delayed by almost an hour and the ice cream cake sat quietly melting in it's cooler. We picked up Daddy curbside and headed home. It was past midnight when we got home. My Beloved and I carry sleeping children up to bed; I dump the cooler in the garage thinking it would be fine (we had snow the day before), and we sleep peacefully through the rest of the night. The next morning, we let Daddy sleep in. By 10 he's awake and it's time to celebrate.

I head out to the cold garage and get the cooler. I knew the moment I opened the cooler that the cake was not well. The waxy box, the cake was in, was warped along the edges and this wonderful, light colored  chocolate soup was dripping from the bottom. I carried it to the sink and had to laugh. 

 We made the best of it. I poured the cake (vanilla and chocolate ice cream, Oreo cookie crust, frosting and jimmies) into a bowl, stuck nine tall candles in and the number six candle (from last October) upside down in the cake soup. The younger three were thrilled with this soup cake. They grabbed their straws and after the Happy Birthday song was sung loudly with the "ooo-gaa-laa's" and "funky chicken" at the end, they dove in. My Beloved set out cups and a ladle for the cake soup but, they all preferred straws straight in the bowl.

The birthday soup cake did not last. It was still cold and surprisingly tasted quite good. 

Can one ever get it quite right with an ice cream cake? They are either too hard because of impatience or soup because of stupidity or laziness.

Grant got Legos and lots of birthday money (thank you Grammie Bee, Grandpa Tom, Grandma Sonnie, Uncle Don and Auntie Molly)! He read his birthday cards last and spent the rest of the day sitting happily in the middle of a big pile of Legos.

A Happy, Blessed Birthday dear son of mine. 

May you have many, many more.

Dear Readers, I plan on making him a Lego cake during Spring Break. 

He will also get to celebrate his birthday with his wonderful friends then.

He wasn't too keen about the "cake soup".

I don't blame him.

Snow in April

 Yes, on the first of April it snowed. I kept hoping the prognosticators were just joking; that it wouldn't snow; that it would be in the balmy 70's.

 They were not joking. It snowed. And snowed, and snowed.

These are the views from our kitchen.

 What do children do when it snows that much? They build snowmen and then knock them over!

Do you notice they build them without gloves?

The best remedy for cold hands is hot cocoa with two marshmallows and whipped cream. 

Don't forget the straw!

Invite your friend to join you. Hot cocoa is best shared with others.

Spring, where are you? You were trying to emerge a week ago. 

Please return soon.