Happy Snow Day!

The snow looked like mountains of cotton candy, and felt like I was stepping on a path of fine powder.

It's already melting at 11:32am.

Small ones made snow angels, slide down a snow covered slide, and jumped on the trampoline with 4 inches of snow bouncing back up at them.

The first snow is always a beautiful sight.

The Let Down...

Well, I gave it a go. I did try. I messed up. I made a mistake. And it cost me.

Either this is some sick joke, or God is simply telling me..."Not now."

I have put my children first for nearly 6 long years. Put my career on the side, working a little here and there. Getting nowhere.

I can't say that I am completely let down, I guess I just placed the value of myself so much higher than I should have. I have a tendency to do that. Aim High, Shoot Low.

Whatever the case, what's meant to be will always find a way.

It's just so hard to finally open your mind to something new, a new idea & desire...only to have the opportunity slip through your fingers.

Maybe what this really means, is that I am where I need to be. I do something that I love, and I think that it shows through. I've often wondered who would take my place if I were to leave. Who would do what I do, care like I care, love like I love.

I'll figure it out.

Lulu is my Ferris Bueller

Man watches the news, and weather every day. Where as I tend to go on what it looks like outside. And, this week, the talk has been all about snow.
Ofcourse the smalls ones pick up on the snow talk.
For that matter, ALL the kids always pick up on snow talk!

So, this morning the Boy and Lulu were discussing that this was a snow day. Lulu asssumed that since there was supposedly going to be snow at some point today, well then, she should have a snow day THIS MORNING.

When I explained to her that this simply wasn't how it worked, not the case, she wasn't at all happy.

She was deeply involved with playing Barbie's, and requesting Wheat Thins at 8am.

So, as I was rounding up back packs, lunches, and telling them to get socks on, Lulu decided she had a tummy ache. Because her tummy needed wheat thins. But, I don't just give them snacks in the morning. So, she kept doubling over, like she was in extreme pain, whining, and I told her to eat a banana.
She kept on complaining, so I gave her some kids pepto.
You see, I knew she wasn't really sick. She was playing sick to get to stay home and have snacks, watch TV without her brother, and sisters interfering, and play dolls.
I let her know, that if she was sick, she would not be playing dolls, or eating snacks, she would be in bed resting like sicks kids should.

I took the Boy to school, go home, and Lulu is lying on the couch watching a cartoon. After about 10 minutes she asked for Wheat Thins. I said, "NO, you are sick remember?" She waited about 5 more minutes before she asked, "Are oranges healthy?" I said, "Yes, but remember, you are sick. You just had medicine. You don't get a snack right now."

She is not starved. She had a full bowl of cereal, snuck wheat thins when I took Grace to late start, then ate a whole banana.
She is simply pulling one over on me. Or atleast, thinks she is. I'm a weathered Momma. I know when my kids are sick vs. just faking it.

Lulu is faking it. She is my Ferris Bueller today.

Cake Pop Love & Valentine Suitors

We are finishing up Valentine's this afternoon, and I just love the ones that the Boy chose to make. Ofcourse, He needs Mommy's help, but they are just so stinkin' cute!
I bought cheap playing cards from the $ store, pipe cleaners (one full one cuts up to make 4 pieces perfect for one suitor), a bag of suckers, red construction paper cute into 29 tiny hearts using a tiny heart cookie cutter for the stencil, and tiny google eyes. A glue stick to stick the heart onto the card, and tacky glue (brand specific) to glue the google eyes on, and they stay on well with tacky glue. You'll also need a hole punch for the arm and leg holes.
It goes rather quickly once everything is prepared.



And, today was Lulu's Special K treat day. This entire week was her Special K week, when she is in the spotlight with pictures of her from baby-hood til now, and special events like our trip to Disney, pics of her with Tinkerbell, Mary Poppins, and Minnie Mouse, which were her favorite, were all posted on the cork board all week, and she got to talk about her favorite things to eat, do, favorite book, toy, etc. Then today she got to bring a treat for everyone that she chose.

So, here are is a picture of her with one of the cake pops we made yesterday. Her face was lit up with excitement, and all of the children loved them! A few of the girls came up to me and said, "You make the best treats ever!" One little girl said, "You and my Mom make the best treats!" It made all the mess worthwhile!

My Cake Pop Venture

Today I played around with making some cake pops and cake balls. I love to make things and when I saw Bakerella's CAKE POPS book, I had to have it! I love all the adorable things she makes.

As with anything, practice makes perfect, and I definitely need a lot more practice.

Today my goal was to make some heart shaped cake pops for Lulu's Special K treat day tomorrow. The book says..."Give yourself plenty of time...about 1 hour"...HA!

Try 8 hours. Atleast.
Here's what really happened...
I baked a cake at 10 am. It cooled while I picked up Lulu from school & made a grocery run.
When I got home about 1:30pm, I crumbled the cake and added the frosting, then made my 'balls'. I put them all in the refridgerator for a few hours. One thing I did not anticipate, was the lack of space in my freezer for the stated 15 minutes I need to place the balls to firm up.
So, after a few hours, I took some out, I had to make 18 hearts. I used my smallest heart cookie cutter to mold them, then I put them back in the fridge for another hour or more.
I had 6 candy melt colors. It took forever to get all of them melted, so I had to enlist the help of my Big Girl to melt them as I dipped each pop to keep things moving before the candy melt hardened again. It was a nightmare!
Candy dripped everywhere, and it's not so easy to clean up. And the 6 plastic bowls I used for the melts are still at this moment coated with hardened candy melt. I give up. That's gonna wait for tomorrow.

Each time I dipped a heart on a pop into the candy melt, it nearly fell off, or broke in half from the weight of the melt on it as I pulled it out, or it kept dripping and dripping, taking up so much time per pop.
So, I did my best, made 18 (sloppy in MY eyes) heart cake pops for Lulu's class, and used the remaining balls to dip as quickly as I could to just simply make cake balls instead of cake pops.
Lulu put the hearts on top as I sat them on the wax paper.

The Wilton Cake Pop stand I purchased for a few dollars, well, it was a nightmare too. The holes the sticks are supposed to stick in as they dry are so hard to push the stick thru, a few pops hit eachother causing ugly bumps, and/or one to tip over.

So, I would still recommend buying Bakerella's book. I love her, and I love making cute edible things for my Lulu!

Just be sure you have a full day to play!

I GOT THE CALL!

Okay, so in so many ways I had never planned on changing jobs. I have been completely content with the type of nursing I do, working with geriatric/alzheimers/post surgical patients. I love seeing a smile on an alzheimer's patients face when you tell them Hello and give them a hug. Just loving them the way they are.

However, I have been struggling lately with the idea of increasing my hours, and how that would effect my children, and family. I have been juggling ideas in my head of using some of my hobbies to create some cash flow, and fill some of my free time that I have now that my children are all in school 5 days a week.

So, last week, I received a message requesting my interest in a nursing job that is full time. After running the hours, how it would work with small ones, and my husband work schedule, etc...I decided it may work and I went for a tour, then applied on the spot.

I have been so anxious waiting for the call. THE CALL! Waiting for the call was making me nuts! I finally got it!
I have an appointment to go in for initial testing next Wednesday A.M. By no means does this mean I have the job, but it's a start.

My Sister is helping me get my resume ready, and I have wonderful references. I am so blessed to have the support that I do at this time in my life. I truly have some of the most amazing people working with me that are willing to help me even if it means they hate to see me go, they understand a change is necessary.