We finally had a birthday party for my three summer birthdays as well as my little Gracen today. I know, her birthday is in Spring, but we didn’t have a chance to celebrate it with her cousins until now, so we just did one big party for all of them. And you know what, it turned our so well that I would do it this way again in a heartbeat, it was that much fun. Earlier in the week I made plans to make a lovely kid-friendly dinner of sloppy joes, fruit salad and veggies w/ dip for the party. But after I got caught up in being a mom, tending to Baby Finn, and trying to get the house organized, we were all of a sudden 30 minutes from party time with no dinner in sight, so I decided that Papa Murphy’s Pizza was a much better idea. And instead of planning any party games, I decided to basically have one big water activity since there was going to be so many kids. They had the time of their lives jumping on the trampoline with the sprinklers and playing with the water tables. Afterwards, we got them all rounded up, into dry clothes, and then we opened presents and had cake and ice cream. It was total chaos, lots of noise, laughing and running around, but it really turned out to be a lot of fun for everyone. We ended up having my mom and dad, both of my grandmothers, my two cousins Yuri and Kirill, Heidi and her kids, Scott & Korby and their kids, Mel and Mr.Welly, and of course Craig, myself, and all of our kids. I don’t even know how we all fit in the house, but we did, and I can’t thank everyone enough for coming and helping to make the party such a fun success. Thankyou everyone, it was the total fun way eh!

   They have been airing the previews for the new USA original series ‘Burn Notice’ for quite some time now, and tonight it was finally on. Dylan and I ended up not only watching the entire pilot episode (commercial free) but enjoying every minute of it, and looking forward to a new episode next Thursday. Jeffrey Donovan was great in this, and I also enjoyed Sharon Gless (for all you Cagney & Lacey fans) as his hypochondriac mom. I really enjoyed the humor too, the whole show was so much better than I expected. For more info on the series click on the link below-

http://www.usanetwork.com/series/burnnotice/ 

   And on the off chance you would like to see just what in the heck I’m blathering on about, the pilot episode airs again on Sat. Jun 30 @ 6:30pm and again Mon. July 2 @ 11pm (for our timezone anyways). The second, all new episode airs on Thur.@ 11pm in case you decide you like it and would like to keep on watching. I know I will…..so far so very very good.

   Is anyone else out there as excited as I am to see the new Harry Potter movie, as well as read the 7th and final book? The release date for the movie is July 11th, and for the book, July 21st, and I can guarantee that I will be one of the many on July 20th, at 11:59pm, eagerly waiting for midnight so that I can buy the book at our local Wal-Mart. Yes, really, I will. I did for books 5 and 6, so why wouldn’t I do it again? And maybe J.K Rowling will continue to write, not about Harry Potter, but I can only hope that maybe she will put pen to paper once again and take us on another fantastic journey with new stories and characters. I’m sure I’m not the only one that would love to read more of her wonderous tales, brought to life from the creative stores of her mind. So, am I the only crazed fan waiting for the last book and newest movie? Or do I share this mania with anyone else out there?

   Early this morning, at 3:31 am, after many, many late nights, it happened. Finley smiled at me, his first real smile. Not just a little smirk, but a huge, open mouth grin, and little noises that were on the verge of ending in giggles, it was as though he just couldn’t contain it anymore. I though my heart would just melt, for there is nothing sweeter or more precious than the first time they smile. I love the way their eyes and little face light up as they find their grin, it makes my soul just sing when I see it. I never tire of their milestones, no matter how many times I have seen my babies achieve their “firsts”, it’s always so amazing, and wonderful to me. This is just the beginning for Finn, I know, and I think that a sweet little baby smile is the best way to start, don’t you?

p.s. It’s a lot harder to get the smiles started, then try and take the picture, but I did my best. And these pics are from this afternoon.

   I have wanted to try this non-stick cooking spray with ‘flour for baking’ for a long time now, especially in a bundt pan, but I kept forgetting to buy the spray everytime I was at the store. Well, I finally remembered, so I immediately tried it out on a bundt cake the same day (I used it when I made the recipe below). I am thrilled to say that it worked like a charm, so well in fact that the cake literally fell right out of the pan and onto the cooling rack. I am really impressed with it, and I will be buying this for all of my future baking needs from now on. Just wanted to pass this along, it really worked, and there wasn’t any cake left stuck to the bundt pan, so I am a new fan of the spary with the flour for baking! Hooray for the spray!

1 (18 oz.) box chocolate cake mix

1 (3.4 oz.) box instant chocolate pudding mix

3 eggs

3/4 cup oil

1 tsp. almond extract

1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 TBSP. flour

1/2 can chocolate frosting for glaze or powdered sugar for dusting

   In a small bowl, combine the chocolate chips and the flour, tossing to coat and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix and the pudding mix, and mix well. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, oil, extract and pie filling. Mix well until all of the ingredients are combined. Add the floured chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout. Pour batter into greased and floured bundt pan and bake @ 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes, or until cake tests done. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar or frost with a glaze if desired. (I took a can of chocolate frosting, heated it in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds, stirred it really well, and it was the perfect consistency to pour on the cake, and I only needed to use 1/2 of the can.

   A few years ago, NYPD Blue re-runs were on for 2 hours every afternoon, starting from the first season. Somehow, it worked out that it came on at a time in the day when I had a break, so I got inevitably sucked in and addicted. Then last year it dispeared from the airwaves in the afternoon, and I was lost. The series wasn’t out on DVD yet, and even if it was, the TV channel edited out the naked bum scenes and the DVD’s don’t, and let’s be frank, do I really need to see Dennis Franz’s bear naked behind? (Let me answer this one for you…NO!). Anyways, a few months ago I discovered that NYPD Blue is on every Tuesday night from midnight to 4am, and it was midway through the last season I had seen before the tv schedule changes. So I taped them each week, and went through them until I saw episodes that were new to me. Now, since Finn is up a lot at night, and I have to be in a chair to nurse him right now (long story, maybe another time), I have been able to watch it as it airs each Tuesday night. Four hours of police drama heaven. I know, I’m a total dork, but I seriously got sucked in, and I enjoy watching the stories of the characters, they have got me totally hooked. (Just ask Heidi, she knows all about Bobby dying and how badly I dealt with that, and my opinions on Rick Schroeder as an actor.) So, once again….Loser Status-Confirmed!

alternate titles: “Can somebody get Mr.Franz a robe!” “No, no, no, it’s Rick, not Ricky.” “Honey, who is this Sipowicz guy you keep talking about?”

   Little Miss G really loves her baby brother Mr.F, but sometimes it’s a little too much. I have to watch her like a hawk, otherwise she is all over him. Just today she tried to feed him a mini pretzel, and had part of it in his mouth trying to get him to take a bite. She has also tried to give him a drink of her juice on several occasions, but she ends up dousing him with it instead. She really does love her baby brother, she just doesn’t realize that he’s too little for her to play with yet. That hasn’t stopped her from trying to pick him up, or from patting him on the head a little too “lovingly” and enthusiastically while she tells me “my baby”. I do appreciate the fact that she loves him, and I am happy to say we haven’t had any issues with jealousy, so I’m not complaining. I just have to make sure I keep an eye on her, or else she will try to carry him off to be a guest at her next tea party.

alternate titles: “So Baby F, do you want one lump or two…on your head?” “What do you mean the baby doesn’t like ice cream!?!” or “Not Mother?”

   For me, sometimes it feels like being a parent is a lot like tag team wrestling, and when you’re done and at your limit, you tap out and the other parent goes in feeling fresh and ready to tackle the job at hand. Some days are busier than others, but lately every day has felt like wrestlemania, and is over before I even felt like it had begun. Evenings can be the hardest where it feels like I am literally running, going from cooking dinner, getting it on the table, helping get everyone their dinner served up, making sure they clear their places, clearing the food from the table, unloading and loading the dishwasher, trying to get them off of the trampoline and into the house without losing any as they try and sneak away to jump on the trampoline when I’m distracted, getting the kids into the bathtub, getting their pajamas on, wrangling them back into the bathroom to brush their teeth, then tucking each of them in and making sure every prayer was heard, and all of the kisses and hugs were given out, then lights out. All of this is done in between feeding Finn, and answering the stupid phone (no, I don’t have time for your dumb survey on how we feel about your home loan services, and yes my windshield is cracked, but I don’t have time to chat about it). And my poor husband Craig, who is working like a demon to get the last of the home projects finished so we can list the house, is always there to help me when I’m in over my head, or to take over when I need to feed Finn. All I can say is that while I love my job as a mom (I really, really do), I am just so thankful I’m not in this alone. And this Summer is just getting started, it’s going to be one of our busiest yet. *whew* I need a nap just thinking about it.

       It just goes to show, you never really know what you might find at the D.I. This Mario quilt looks like it’s brand new, I doubt if it was ever even used, and I paid $3 whole dollars for it (yes I know, expensive wasn’t it). C wishes it were a twin quilt instead of a toddler size (you know what a huge Nintendo fan she is), but the awesome big sister that she is, C decided it would make a really fun birthday present for M, and I think she’s right, he’s just going to love it! So as my Granny always says…..Thankyou D.I.!