Some Men Dream of Fortune, Others Dream of Cookies

This is definitely the first (and likely last) time the Super Buffet inspires my creativity...

"

"You married me...you couldn't be any luckier"

Smart-alecy in my fortune telling, I'll own that.  I had to come up with something that was relevant to my audience (hubster), and I had to do it quickly!  You have to fold those cookies seconds after they come out of the oven.  Makes for sore fingertips, but deliciously crisp fortune cookies.  

Fortune Cookies (small batch: makes 6 cookies)

1 egg white

1/8 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and generously butter cookie sheet(s)

2. Whisk egg white and vanilla together until foamy

3. Sift remaining ingredients together and add to egg mixture (if mixture seems too thick, add water by the tsp)

4. Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet and spread batter into circle, 3 inches in diameter.  Space 4 inches apart

5. Bake 5 minutes (edges will be brown, centers pale)

6. Remove from oven and quickly transfer cookie onto wooden surface (using wide spatula).  Flip cookie over, place fortune   near the middle, fold cookie in half over fortune.  Place folded edge along rim of a cup, pulling pointed sides down (one point on outside of cup, one on the inside). Place folded cookies in muffin tin to help retain shape.

March 12: Single Dollar Baby

Today was beautiful, at least by March standards.  Sunny, breezy, a bit chilly but still warm enough that you didn't need a heavy winter coat.  Perfect walk in the park weather, and that is exactly what we did.  Henry brought his golf club and ball along so that he might practice his putting.  The dogs ran like crazy and Kitten took it all in while lazing about in her cuddly, bundled up car seat/stroller.  After quality family time in the great outdoors, we headed over to our local Target-plex, where we found the rest of the population of Carlisle.  I had no idea that the most popular warm weather activity was shopping...indoors...with hundreds of other people.

Anywaysies.  We decided that this year, birthday gifts from Henry were going to be chosen/made by the boy himself.  Tomorrow, we'll gather with the Boegel crew to celebrate Aunt Laurie (March 10) & Grandma (March 13), which meant birthday gift buying/making needed to happen pronto!  Enter: The Dollar Store, a preschooler's heaven--tons of aisles jam-packed with cheaply-made plastic doodads and chatchke.

We park in front of the store, and Henry exclaims, "Oh!  I have been here!!  I know this!"  Not uncommon for him to be absolutely overjoyed by such a discovery.  We're going to a place that I have seen before and remember, only good can come of this!  Curious, I asked "When were you here, Hen?"  I had no idea what was about to come next...

Hen:   "I was here when I was a baby, before I was borned." 
Me:   "You were here when you were a baby?  Was I here with you?"
Hen:  "No, not you, mama, just me and doctors, they taked me out.  Here.  At this store."
Me:   "Ok, so you were at this store before you were a baby, and then you were born here and the     doctors took you out and you became a baby??"
Hen (exasperated): "YES, Mommy!  I was BORNED there.  I tell you that."

So I'm left wondering something...something big and "parenty"...something I have not wondered until this point: Oh cuss!  Does this mean that the "When a mommy and daddy love each other very much..." talk is fast approaching???  Can't I just allow my kid to think that babies come from the Dollar Store?  How long can I keep this story going?  A year?  5 years?  Indefinitely?  It's not a bad plan, right?

While I contemplate the issues involved with the sex talk (NOT happening in the near future), I'll leave you with a few photos of the miracle Dollar Store baby painting birthday presents for his Auntie and Grandma.  Hope your weekend was as delightful and, um, interesting, as ours.

March 11: "No TV, Pooey!"

 

Tough thing about being a baby--you have very little say over what your parents and siblings end up calling you.  Alice Catherine "Kitty" Boegel already has her fair share of unique monikers.  Little kitten, Pudgy bunny, Turkey and Carrot baby, Drooly Andrews, Droolia Roberts and...our favorite and most commonly used, "Pooey".  

I don't know why this nickname works so well, but we all (Henry especially) can't help but to call Alice, "Pooey baby".  It first surfaced when Henry and I realized that Alice LOVES the television.  You can turn her away from it as often as you like, but let me assure you, she will find a way to get it back in her sights.  She's TV obsessed.  I was teasing her about it, telling her that there was no way I was going to allow her to watch "Skins", I don't care what her friends' parents say, and Henry caught on, yelling the now famous (at least in our house) phrase, "No TV, Pooey!  You're too little!!"   We also love to dress her up in Hen's many hats..."Fireman Pooey", "Pooey the Builder", "Cowgirl Pooey", "Drum Major Pooey"...too many to count, and each one funnier than the next. 

March 10: Hot Dog Land's Busiest Man

Obviously!  I mean, he requires TWO steak roll cell phones to get his extremely imporktant work accomplished.  You're going to have to try your hardest to...ketchup.  And if ya can't cut the mustard, you're better off staying in bread.  A young prodigy...we look forward to his bright future with great relish.

"I have two cell phones and I need to TALK to people on them, mama!!"

Oh, delicious progress, you smell so meaty.

March 9: Bathtime

Ok, this is technically from yesterday, but I forgot to post it in my mad dash to just get something up on the blog.  Bath time struggles are, fortunately, not something that we are familiar with in our home.  Both Henry and Alice love their water time...and nakey time, for that matter.  Little kitten is still small enough to take her bath in the sink, and thanks to the wonder that is the "Puj Tub", kitchen sink bathing is a breeze.

  She looks totally indifferent here, but at least she's not unhappy, right?  Now bottle feeding?  That's a whole other story...one I'm not ready to tell.  We'll get there, eventually.  Right now, it's a bit too painful to discuss.

March 7 & 8: Catching up

I've been running behind here ever since Saturday!  Here are a few photos from the past few days to make amends for the delays.  I think I'm just trying my best to focus all of my energy on Alice and our time together.

First--after posting the photo of Alice's pony yesterday, I realized that what is far more amusing is Alice's face when she catches sight of her little friend.  

Do you honestly get this happy about anything??  Look at that face.  What a funny little kitten.

Also from the weekend: Fireman Henry

Check out that suit.  That is business, my friends.  A Christmas present from Grandma & Grandpa Pete, this thing is legit (except for that whole "flammable" part...yeah, not supposed to stand near open fire in these duds).  Hen is extremely proud to don the uniform and has insisted upon wearing this out to the store.   Who could argue with that?  A fully-uniformed firefighter?  I'll tell you what, those Target employees have never felt so safe.

Last night--Hope Station board development meeting and tonight, Youth Leadership Committee meeting.  I'm slowly working back into the grind, and I guess I feel alright about it.

March 6: Betting on the Philly

 

This is one of Alice's favorite things.  The old racetrack sign that hangs in the playroom.  She'll catch sight of it and get this huge grin on her face, laughing and cooing while staring at her pretty horse.   We have so much time to spend together, that I almost take these moments for granted.  In a week, I'll go back to work and will miss our days together.  I feel fine about it, until I start talking or writing about the inevitable end of maternity leave.  So, with that said, I'm not going to speak of it again, just await its arrival, and enjoy these last few days with my daughter.

March 5: Cousins!

I was going to post a photo that I took from the wedding yesterday (fun!!), but this one, taken by my sister Megan, is so much better (or as she would say, "so stinkin' cute").  It's Alice and Liam!  Baby cousins!  My parents watched the kids last night while we cut ate cake, drank wine and just had a really great time with friends.

Hen & Kitten had a party of their own, including, a jam session with Uncle Bri Bri and the gang and some floor time with cousin Liam.  I can't get over how cute this picture is.  I love that Alice has a cousin of the same age.  We didn't grow up near our extended family, but we all always had a cousin who was just months younger or older.  That was always one of my most favorite parts about visiting Pittsburgh or Hartford--getting to play with cousins.  For Megan and I, the cousins closest in age (by a few short months) are all boys, and we say that they were more like our brothers.  We'll be in Pittsburgh in a few weeks, and I'm getting really excited about the visit.  Not just because I want to see the whole family and have everyone to meet Alice, but also because I get to see my own cousins, something I appreciate even more now that I have kids.

Oh, and about that wedding last night.  Apparently White Zin has special powers?!  It was my first experience with the sweet "almost" wine, and I was mightily pleased.  I feel like a superhero.  The next time you're at my house don't be surprised by the box of Franzia in the fridge.  I've crossed over to the white zin side and there is no coming back.