Rainbow Cupcakes and a Birthday

In my blogging absence I missed sharing with you all Little Boy’s birthday.  He is now 4!

We kept it simple this year and just had family over for dinner and cake.

 

He asked for a rainbow cake, so off I go to Google and Pinterest stalk I went.  I came across this recipe and made a few changes, the main one being cupcakes instead of a cake.

The kids both LOVED these and now I am making rainbow cupcakes for Little Girls birthday too.

These are actually just a white cake, you can cheat and use a box mix but that is like swearing in my house – I am a firm believer of cake from scratch vs. cake from box.

 

Rainbow Cupcakes 

These are a bit painstaking to make, but it's worth it. Everyone loves them (young and old), but I am not saying anyone in particular is old.3 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/3 cups white sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Line 24 cupcake tins with papers, set aside.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, set aside.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and mix until well incorporated.   Add the flour and milk in alternating additions, beginning with the flour and ending with the milk.  Mix until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed.

Divide the cake batter evenly between 6 bowls.

Add food colouring and then spoon 1-2 tablespoons of each colour into the cupcake tins, spreading out each colour evenly as much as possible.

Rainbow food colouring chart: (I used the cheap food colouring you can buy in the grocery store for this and it worked great.)

• Purple: 9 red and 6 blue drops
• Blue: 12 drops
• Green: 12 drops
• Yellow: 12 drops
• Orange: 12 yellow and 4 red drops
• Red: 18 drops

Bake for 20-25 minutes until cake tester comes out clean.

Once cooled ice with your favourite icing.  My first batch (the one pictured) I used a cooked icing – it tastes great but is a bitch to work with in a piping bag, I strongly recommend a nice butter cream, much easier to work with and pipe.

Yield: 24 cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Spiderman & Barbie

Happy Halloween! 
Or should I say happy candy hangover day!

We had a great Halloween this year, there was snow on the ground and it was cold, but we live in Canada, we are tough and this is what memories are made of.

This kids are well layered under their costumes - 3 layers each!  And they did great.  Lasted way longer than I thought they would last - I was prepared to bring them home to warm up and then go back out, but after they warmed up they wanted to go and see Anna (out old day home lady).  So I threw them in the van and off we went for a little Halloween visit.

Over all a great night - lots of kids still in our neighborhood in spite of the weather.  How was your Halloween?  Lots of kids?

Conversation with a 3 Year Old

A few weeks ago Hubby was out of town, I was in the kitchen making the kids breakfast, they were watching TV (whatever, don’t judge me – we all do it).

Little boy goes to the washroom where I assume he pees, then comes out.

 

Little Boy: MOM, I HAVE THE BIGGEST PENIS EVER!!!

Me: (oh dear god, what do I say?)

-          Congratulations, you’ll be very happy 10-12 years from now.
-          Ignore him and maybe this will never get said in the grocery store?
But thankfully Little Girl came to my rescue.

Little Girl: No you don’t, Daddy does.

 

Changing Dayhomes

Last Friday was our last day at our dayhome.
It was a day of mixed feelings.

Anna and Little Girl at her Christmas party in 2009

Sad because we have been with Anna since Little Girl was one and I went back to work.

Sad because she has become part of our family and we love her, the kids love her and she loves our children as though they are her own grandchildren.
 
Happy because Little Girl has aged out of her care (she doesn't do before and after school care).
Happy because we are growing and starting school in a few days.
Happy because we have found another dayhome that I think will be just as good.
Happy because today they started at their new dayhome and went happily and no crying.




Little Boy getting his present from Santa at Anna's annual
Christmas party. (2009

Little Girl and Santa (2009)

 

Do you use a dayhome for your children?  Have you been a fortunate as we have to have found someone that has become an extension of your family?

Birthday Cake

According to the kids and my husband, a birthday is just not a birthday without cake.

I believe in making my own cakes fron scratch as much as possible, and let me tell you - I must really love my husband because this required me to turn on the oven on Sunday (+29C) in Calgary, with no air conditioning!

I also try and make his a different type / flavour of cake each year, this year I got my insperation from Pinterest - a Mint Chocolate Chip "Ice Cream" Cake. 

First a few pictures and the recipe to follow.

The birthday boy and his cake.

So after dinner, someone comes to snuggle with her Daddy:

While someone else finishes my piece of cake:

I turn my head for a minute and look at what happens.  Oh, he is so his father's son!

The cake was delish.  The cake itself is a fantastic classic chocolate cake, but the icing tasted so much like the ice cream it is made to resemble.

Hubby, myself and the kids all gave it 2 thumbs up!

Mint Chocolate Chip "Ice Cream" Cake

David Lebovitz Devil's Food Cake

9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ cups cake flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup butter, at room temperature

1 ½ cups white sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

½ cup strong coffee (cold)

½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 350F.

Butter two 9” round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, set aside.

Sift together, cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

Stir half the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, and then add the coffee and milk; continue stirring and then add the remaining half of the dry ingredients.

Divide the batter between the two pans, and bake for 25 minutes, or until done.

Cool completely before frosting.

Mint Chocolate Chip “Ice Cream” Icing

2 cups butter, at room temperature

6 cups icing sugar

2-3 teaspoons peppermint extract, adjust to taste

150g dark chocolate, very finely chopped

Green food colouring

Place the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer, beat on high with paddle attachment until fluffy and smooth.

Add the icing sugar one cup at a time (you might need slightly less or more), until you reach your desired icing consistency.

Add the peppermint extract to taste and the food colouring.  Gradually add the chocolate pieces.

Source: Raspberri Cupcakes Blog

Happy Father's Day

He is the most amazing father ever.

He is involved.

He engages.

He knows not just how to take the kids out of the house by himself to a park or play place, but he also knows when to do it so I get some space and time alone.

Really, truly, the best!

Little Girl and Daddy

Little Boy and Daddy

I interviewed the kids about their Daddy, it is pretty funny, enjoy.

How old is Daddy?
Little Girl: I don’t know?
Me: Do you want to guess?
Little Girl: No.
Me: How many numbers do you think Daddy is?
Little Girl: 4
Me: Do you think Daddy is older than you?
Little Girl: No, oh, I know he is 16.

Little Boy: I don’t know?
Me: How many numbers do you think Daddy is?
Little Boy: 3

How tall is Daddy?
Little Girl: Bigger than you.
Little Boy: I don’t know, taller than Mommy (whispered from little girl).

Where does Daddy work?
Little Girl: At his office.
Little Boy: At his work.
　
What does Daddy do all day at work?
Little Girl: He works.
Me: What kind of work?
Little Girl: Stuff on his computer.

Little Boy: He eats mint chocolate and pushes buttons on his computer.
　
What does Daddy do when he comes home from work?
Little Girl: He puts his stuff down, takes his jacket off, talks to you, eats lunch, gets dressed (changes is clothes); after he gets dressed then he comes downstairs and sometimes when you go to book club we all go in the basement and play.
Little Boy: He right away goes to bed.

What is Daddy’s favourite food?
Little Girl: Jelly beans, the black ones.
Little Boy: My favourite crackers (Bacon Dippers).
　
What is Daddy’s favourite colour?
Little Girl: Blue and white.
Little Boy: Blue.
　
Who is Daddy’s favourite person?
Little Girl: You.
Little Boy: I don’t know? His boss!
　
What does Daddy like better dgs or cats?
Little Girl: Dogs, no wait he likes cats.
Little Boy: Doggies.
　
What sports does Daddy play / do?
Little Girl: He plays, ummmm, golf ball.
Little Boy: He plays a game to put some balls in the hole.
　
What is Daddy’s favourite movie?
Little Girl: Hockey.
Little Boy: Dragon movie - that is my favourite too (How to Train Your Dragon).
　
Who does Daddy love?
Little Girl: Me and (Little boy) and you, everybody in the family.
Little Boy: Brutis.
　
Anything you want to tell me about Daddy?
Little Boy: For 3 days when he went to his hotel we had fun with you.
Little Boy: He plays games on his computer.

A Little Blogging Break

I hate to admit how bad I have been this past month at blogging, but I am sure I'm not the only one that takes a little break now and again from blogging.

Sometimes I guess I just needed to focus inward and not so much on blogging.

But here is an update and what has happened in our lives for the last 2 week (nothing earth shattering - no, I am NOT pregnant).

On Mother's Day I joined my friend Armig to support and cheer her on as she ran her first ever 10K in the Sporkcheck Mother's Day Run and Walk.
She met both her goals!
1. She did not stop at all and 2. she ran it in under 1 hour - 59:25 to be exact.


Armig before her race.

We went out to the trailer for May Long.
I have virtually no pictures, but we allowed the kids to stay up for the fire works they put on, it was a first for both of them and this picture came off my iPhone.

They both loved them - Little Boy especially, but I think that was only because he managed to have a late afternoon nap and was no where near as tired as Little Girl.



I planted my garden - here is what it looked like right after I planted it - excited right?

My strawberries are coming along quite well - as of right now they are bit bigger and we have flowers already.

My rhubarb is also doing well - I was really hoping to be able to to make jam with it this year, but I don't know if I will have enough - looking like I manage to make a crisp or two.
If you have rhubarb you want to off load, let me know - there might be a jar of strawberry rhubarb jam in it for you.



Little Girl has been loving her soccer - she even had Grandma and Grandpa come to cheer her on for a game (which she loved).

Little Girl got her hair cut the other day.
I know, not big news for everyone, but considering we have been growing it long forever, I was a little sad to see it get cut.

Before

After

But the biggest news in our lives right now is that Hubby started his new job today!
He is working for the same company, but has moved from inside sales to outside sales.

This has been something he has been working towards for a long time.  It means he will now be out of town 3 days a month.
So next week I get to solo parent for 3 days.  I have been very lucky so far - never have I had to solo parent both kids for longer than one night at a time.
But I am sure we will all do well - the kids  and I will get used to it.  But if you want to cook me dinner next week and drop it off at our house around 5pm - I am more than okay with that too.

Well - that is all that is new for us, I promise to try and be a better blogger now - I do promise some more book reviews and hopefully some recipes coming up soon.

Have a good weekend!

Dear Readers

Dear Blog,

I am sorry I have abandoned you all week.

There really is no excuse except I was busy and finally when some free time came about, I choose sleep over you.

Dear Readers,

I abandoned you all week too, and for that I am sorry, but as busy as I was, there was not a lot of bloggable stuff going on.

What did happen this week was I found a day home for Little Girl and Little Boy for next year.

Someone once told me that as a working Mom, the hardest years are the pre-school and Kindergarten years.
Wow, how true they are.

Last year I was stressed to the max trying to figure out how to get Little Girl to and from pre-school – so stressed in fact that I had neck and shoulder pain and went and saw a Chiropractor.

This year I have handled it a bit better, meaning no physical pain, but that doesn’t mean the stress is not there.

The day home we currently have the kids at is amazing. 

We started with Anna when Little Girl was just 12 months old and I was going back to work and  Little Boy at 11 months old.
Anna and her husband have become an extension of our family – and we love them. The kids love them.

But we have a problem.

Anna does not transport kids to and from school, she does not walk kids to bus stops, she does not have before and after school kids.

Anna likes the little kids – loves the babies.

So because of this Little Girl is bored.  She is the oldest and Little Boy is the next oldest, everyone else is younger.

We need a place for the her to go that would work with her Kindergarten schedule next year (2 ½ days a week).

My biggest problem was what am I going to do with her on the full days she is not in school? And what about Little Boy, can I leave him behind?  We are going to have to move him in a year or two anyway.

Last night we met with a day home provider and secured our spots with her.

She does before and after school and a full time day home.
All the children with her go to the same school Little Girl will be going to next year.
The bus stop is right outside her house.
She has another 3 year old that she takes care of full time – someone for Little Boy to play with.
She does lots of activities and keeps the kids active and entertained without constantly using the TV.
Best of all – Little Boy and Little Girl get to stay together!

My heart is breaking about having to leave Anna in September, but I know my heart will break when my kids graduate from high school too.  Changes are hard, but I am making a change that makes me feel good and I know is the perfect choice for us.

Have a great weekend,

Jenny

via

Via

A New Bike

We bought a new bike for Little Boy this weekend.
It is a Kijiji win!

Spiderman Bike and Spiderman Helmet!

He absolutely loves it, now he just needs to learn how to ride it.

I am sure by July he will have figured out not to push back on the peddles, but forward instead.
Can't wait for family bike rides.

Conversations with My Kids

I really wonder where these kids came from.  I wonder where they get the stuff they get and where the attitude that accompanies so many things comes from.You know, because I am completely innocent of attitude. 
Yes, that sound you head is Hubby rolling on the floor laughing at that statement.

Conversation with a 5 year old:

After dinner last night, Little Girl was bugging Hubby and I to make her a trailer - our couches get converted into camping trailers with the assistance of additional cushions and blankets.  We instead are finishing dinner and cleaning up the kitchen.

Little Girl: (filled with angst and attitude) Oh man!  If no one is going to help me make a trailer, then I am just going to get naked!
Me: choking I am laughing so hard and trying not to show it.
Hubby: (said to me) hmmm, I wish all women said that when they didn't get their own way, it would make things a lot more interesting.


Conversation with a 3 year old:

Me: Honey, what are you doing?  (see picture above)
Little Boy: I am celery!
Me: Pardon me?  You are celery?
Little Boy: yup, I am celery, can you chop me up?
Me: How about I take your picture instead?

After I took a few pictures of my celery, I told him to show me his muscles and I would take a picture of them.
So what does he do?  He turns around, pulls down his underwear and moons me!
So now I am laughing pretty hard - I guess that is a muscle, but not what I was looking for.

Finally got my picture of his super cute muscles.

Easter at Our House

Happy belated Easter to everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend.  We had a nice quiet Easter.
It was absolutely lovely.

It started with a family brunch on Friday morning, and then we had not other plans or commitments all weekend - well other than making sure we were home for the Easter Bunny on Sunday morning.

I failed to take any pictures other than the Easter Egg Hunt, so here you go: Easter Egg hunt in our house Sunday morning.

This year the Easter Bunny put a few eggs outside.  Oh you should have seen them - it was all we could do to get them to put jackets and shoes on - they both tried to get outside in bare feet and just pajamas.

Conversations with a 3 Year Old

Back story: Last week Little Girl had Pink Eye.  We were incredibly lucky, not only did we catch it early, but we were also handed a miracle and Little Boy did not get it.

On the weekend, I took Little Boy with me to the grocery store alone, this conversation happened while we were getting out of the van and walking into the store.

Little Boy: Mommy, my eyes are itchy (while rubbing eyes).
Me: Okay.
Little Boy: Mommy, I have Blue Eye!
Me:  Blue Eye? 
Little Boy: Little Girl has Pink Eye, I have Blue Eye!
Me: (Laughing), honey, that is brilliant, but you don't have Blue Eye or Pink Eye.

Dancing

Little Girl got this dress from my brother and his wife last year sometime, and every once and a while, she puts it on and becomes a princess.

The other day, she was a princess and said she needed to dance with her handsome prince.

I really hope some day in the the future, I can get a picture of them dancing together at one of their weddings.

It has truly been an amazing experience to see these two become such great friends. 

To see them play so well together (yes they still fight, but not as much as they play) and to see them love each other, it has been more than I could ever have imagined or wished for.

Han Solo and Cinderella

I am sorry to have abandoned you all for the last few days, but I have been up to my nose in birthday parties and icing!

I am in the process of writing and compiling pictures from the Little Girls birthday weekend, but in the meantime I thought I would share with you about what I am hearing in the other room as I type.

This weekend hubby pulled out from the depths of the basement a box of old toys.  Toys he got for birthdays and Christmases in his youth.

This box is full of old, falling apart and pieces missing Star Wars and Transformer toys.  Now don't worry, we already looked - nothing is worth anything, so we are not throwing our retirement nest egg out the window by allowing Little Boy to lose more pieces.
Anyway, Hubby pulled out these toys for Little Boy, and he LOVES them.

He is currently playing with Han Solo while Little Girl plays with Cinderella. 

Conversation I just overheard:
Cinderella (a.k.a. - Little Girl): Han Solo, I love you, will you marry me?
Han Solo (a.k.a. - Little Boy): No, I no want to.
Cinderella: But I love you!
Cinderella: You can come to my house.  It is nice and close, you can walk there.
Han Solo: No, I no want to marry you.

Yes, I am currently laughing.

Disclaimer: I claim no part in the knowledge of anything Star Wars - Hubby takes full credit for this - I actually Googled Han Solo for spelling because I thought it was spelt Hans Solo, hmmm, who knew!