After weeks and months of planning, purchasing, wrapping, sneaking, and stressing, it was all over in about 30 minutes. Glenn and I had been up in the middle of the night with the fourth and final child to get the stomach flu, so we put the kids off until 8:00. Yes, this is another Christmas miracle. They were patient enough to open their gifts one at a time in order from youngest to oldest as is tradition, but even with that structure, I walked into the kitchen to start the cinnamon rolls at 8:35. And that was that. I was asleep on the couch by about 9:45. We had a nice lazy morning and then headed to the Franklins to open presents with them. Emma only stayed about 20 minutes because she still wasn't feeling well. Glenn and I did a little switcheroo so we were each able to enjoy the yummy dinner. Later that night we headed to the Chattertons to exchange gifts with them. I think everyone was pretty satisfied and happy with what they got from Santa and other gift-givers. Emma has perked up and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the flu is gone for good. It was a fun Christmas, and the party will continue when my parents get here Friday!!

Puzzle Answers

Across-
3. bishopric
6. podcast
7. playoffs
8. leader
10. basketball
11. substitute
13. manager
14. play
15. four

Down-
1. Disneyland
2. kindergarten
4. Wicked
5. helper
9. elected
11. swimming
12. New York

Isn't she lovely?

Oh, and by the way, I got my new camera!! I took this picture of Emma and LOVE IT, so I thought I'd share it with you. What a beauty!

Merry Sickmas

Ah, yes, the most wonderful time of the year has finally arrived, and along with it, the flu bug! This thing is running rampant around here. I swear everyone I have talked to has either had it or someone in the house has. I thought we might be lucky, but Leah came home from school Thursday and told me she has thrown up at school and didn't tell anyone. She stayed home from school Friday, and some tears were shed when she realized she wouldn't even be going into school at noon. By Friday night she was better, and we went from this on Saturday:

to this less than 48 hours later:

Brooke started in around 9 last night and didn't get settled until almost midnight. By that time we had changes her sheets 3 times and had gone through almost every blanket in the house because she just couldn't seem to make it on the towel, let alone to the toilet. So we thought it was over, until we heard Andrew crying at 2:45. I knew his first time wouldn't be his last, so I lay in bed watching the Food Network Challenge from 3 to 4 am, with a few trips to the bathroom thrown in there. (They were making Disney Villans cakes in case you're interested.) We ended up bringing Andrew's mattress into our room--closer to a toilet and easier for us to hear if he needs us.

So, here we are, Christmas Eve, and stuck in the house all day. Luckily for Emma and Leah, Grandma Franklin invited them down to make cookies or something. I felt bad for them. And I might take them over to the Chattertons this afternoon. At this moment Andrew seems fine. His appetite is back (although we are taking it easy) and he was really upset that he didn't get to go to Grandma's. Brooke, however, is still on the couch. She threw up the little applesauce she had this morning and it feels like she has a fever. What a drag to be sick on Christmas!

Well, I should probably do another load of laundry. There are mountains and mountains in the laundry room. I guess we'll never forget this Christmas!

Broadway Bound, Emma (a.k.a. Mother) Style

Last night was the play, as all of you know. Mom made me a wonderful gray fleece skirt. It went well with a white turtleneck shirt Leah and I have. With those two items of clothing I also wore black tights and Sunday shoes. :-) We performed the play twice, one for the school at 12:30, and one for family and friends at 7:00. Both times were really fun. I got a lot of compliments. After school Mom, Leah, Andrew, and I went to Giant Eagle to pick out flowers for Miss Griffin. The bouquet we picked out was gorgous! Mom told Leah and me," You know one of you has to be willing to give these to her," so of course I said that I would. At the evening performance at the end all the 4th graders were mobbing Santa (a.k.a. Mr. Miller) begging for candy canes. I finally got one and sucked on it. Oh! I almost forgot! Santa told all the 4th graders to sit down, and Mom was telling me to go get the bouquet and I said no I can't and she said come and get it so I came and got it and gave it to Miss Griffin. She said," Another one? Thank you, Emma!" Also, Mrs. Szabo liked the skirt and Mrs. Tindall thought it was made out of wool. It was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo fun!! I don't know what my favorite part was; I liked the whooooooooole thing. :-)

Broadway Bound

Last night was the big night! Emma and Leah had two performances of the first ever Holly Lane winter program, one during the day for the students, and one at night. It was a very exciting day. I think I was more nervous/excited/anxious than the girls were! I recorded the afternoon performance, and I was glad that I was by myself in the back, because then no one had to see me wipe the tears from my eyes. You could just see how excited the students were to be putting on the play. I was so proud of all of them. Emma did a terrific job of delivering her lines--lots of expression!! She said she would audition for something else in the future--do we have the next Broadway star here? Watch out, Idina Menzel!! Leah's class performed the "Las Posadas" song, and Leah was up there shaking those maracas! She was not too thrilled about the itchy sombrero, but her costume was cute! We are glad she did not fall off of the risers, since she was on the end of the top row, and we are a little sad that the sombrero of the girl in front of her was huge and blocked Leah in some of the pictures. But we do have the whole 35 minutes on tape, and this proud mother will be showing it to anyone and everyone, so be prepared!!! It was just such a fun time for the kids, and a great day for the fourth grade at Holly Lane.

Here are some pictures from the performance:

Just a note on why this is such a big deal...The former music teacher at Holly Lane has been around a LOOOONG time, in fact, he taught Glenn at Parkside! (now that's OLD!) He was pretty much burnt out and put out because he felt that he and the music program were being squeezed out. So he took a one year "sabbatical" this year and we had the lovely Miss Griffin as the substitute. She has breathed life into the students at the school and is actually teaching them MUSIC. We love what she has done, and love her quirky style. We have learned that the old music teacher has submitted his resignation to the school board and it has been accepted, so we are really hoping that Miss Griffin will be hired on permanently. So you can see that it has been a long time since there has been such enthusiasm around the school. The principal said that it was the first time the stage has been used (as a stage) in the 8 years she has been at the school!

It's the most busiest time of the year!

Ok, not only has winter hit, but we are also getting slammed with a lot of stuff to DO!! Last week, I remember thinking that things weren't really that bad, what are people complaining about? The hustle and bustle of the holiday season isn't that big of a deal. This coming week has changed my outlook on things. We have something going on every night!

Monday- FHE, which will be taking the kids shopping for their "secret Santa" gifts for each other. Walmart or Target, pick your poison.

Tuesday- Activity Days for Emma and Leah, and for some strange reason I volunteered to help.

Wednesday- The big play!!! Two performances, both of which I will be attending, of course.

Thursday- Tithing settlement.

Friday- school Christmas parties (I have to go to Andrew's), pizza and movie night at our house.

Now I need to add to that: piano lessons, 3 class book exchanges and 1 class gift exchange, a school assembly, fashioning some sort of skirt for Emma to wear for the play, and visiting teaching. And the house is in its usual state of disarray, which makes for a very unproductive atmosphere. Also, there is an abundance of junk food laying around, most of which is my fault. Since I am the one responsible for the existence of these unhealthy tidbits, I should be responsible for their disposal as well, and I have been very attentive to this. All of this lends itself to a feeling of laziness and irritablilty, counterproductive when I need to get stuff done! Well, I gotta go pop another pfefferneuse before we head out to piano....

A Walloping Dose of Winter

It was bound to happen eventually. We have had an idyllic fall here in the Cleve. Warm days, sunshine, and dry, clear sidewalks. It has been a veritable paradise for us Northeastern Ohioans. Even recently, regions on both sides of us have been hit hard, but somehow Mother Nature overlooked us.

Until now. The bubble has burst. In the last 36 hours or so, we have had so many different types of weather. No wonder Clevelanders talk about the weather so much! There's so much to talk about! It started yesterday afternoon with that piddly little snow that I don't like. It seems like it's going to be nothing, but by the evening there was a good inch on the ground. This morning when we woke up, it was pouring rain. All the snow in the driveway had turned to slush. It's a lot of fun to walk in while wearing Sunday clothes and shoes. While we were in church the big storm hit. I couldn't even see our house across the street when it was time to go home. Add in the winds, and you've got quite a blizzard on your hands. It made for a great Browns game, though. (Not that I watched any--I was snoozing on the couch.) By 4:30 the game was over and Glenn and the kids headed outside to do some shoveling.

The kids came in with red noses and rosy cheeks, but the fresh air and exercise was good for them. Ok, I know it's Sunday, but the kids' exercise ox gets stuck in some really cold and snowy mire sometimes.

I think the kids are kind of hoping for a snow day tomorrow (Andrew, not so much--he'd miss gym). It is still pretty cold and the wind is blowing the snow all over the place, but the roads are clear and nothing is actually falling. I am sure they will be heading out the door in boots with their snow pants in tow bright and early tomorrow morning.

I actually kind of like the snow. It is very appropriate this time of year. It is very inappropriate in April and May, and that is when I start to hate it. But we had a cozy afternoon and the kids are tucked snugly into their beds. (Wait--I think I just heard the toilet flush.) Anyway, as Glenn always says, if it's going to be this cold, you might as well have some snow to go with it. Around here, it just comes with the territory.

No rest for the lazy

Boy, I really blew it today. I woke up late and went back to sleep on the couch after the girls got on the bus because Andrew was still sleeping. Andrew watched a lot of TV and I didn't get into the shower until 9:30. What the heck, I thought, I have no where to go, nothing pressing to do (only the things I have been avoiding and continue to avoid), no kids activities after school--it's going to be a laid back day and the kids will be in bed early!! So I did shower, and I did put on jeans even though I wasn't going anywhere (I wore sweats all day yesterday so I figured I'd dress up a bit) and I dried my hair. No makeup, though--there is time for that once Andrew leaves for school. I head downstairs to do a puzzle with Andrew, my attempt do do something productive, interactive, and educational with him. Right around 11 when I was thinking about getting Andrew some lunch, I get a phone call from a girl I co-chair a PTA committee with. "Are you coming to the bookstore today?" she asks. Oh crud. I TOTALLY forgot. It all came flooding back to me. I was supposed to be at the school at 10:30! I was supposed to make up a flyer to go home with the kids the day before! I was supposed to email the custodian the bookstore dates so he could have the tables set up for us! I was supposed to make a deposit of last month's funds with the treasurer! I told her I'd be to the school as soon as I could. I ran upstairs to slap on some courtesy makeup, brushed my teeth (another courtesy), yelled at Andrew to get his shoes and socks on and grab his backpack, and tried to find something quick for him to eat at the school. Good thing the school is only 5 minutes away. I felt like such a doofus, a slacker, lazy, irresponsible. And embarrassed. Oh well, the bookstore was fine, the custodian now has the dates for the rest of the year, and I am going to the treaurer's house tomorrow. So I didn't feel quite so bad about going home to watch Project Runway while I ate lunch. Hey--I had had a really busy day.

Her Shyness and Reader (by Leah)

Hiya,peeps! Well, I'm back again!! Aren't you excited to have me back? Well, I am posting this post because according to Emma's previous post,I did not audition nor get a part. Is that true? No, I got the part of Mary 'cause when I auditioned Miss Griffin said I was so good I should get the part that every girl was auditioning for. Cool, huh?
HAHAHAHA!!!!! I FOOLED YOU!! I didn't audition or get a part. Why? Because I chickened out at the last second. Totally UNcool, right? I am a little shy. Who cares, because my class is dancing the musical # LA FIESTA!!!! The "play" is actually kinda like a mini musical. In LA FIESTA, we get to shake marachas, do the conga, and do the limbo!!!! We have to wear bright colors; any Spanish clothing: if we have any sombreros or ponchos, we can wear them too.
I have one example of when I was shy: While our class was rehearsing( yep, peeps, in the classroom; YIKES) I wouldn't even dance in front of Mrs. Piazza, but I can for Miss Griffin. No difference, right? WRONG. Miss Griffin is the music teacher and I HAVE to dance in front of her ( besides I kinda like it). I guess I just am more comfortable doing things at the proper time ( like singing and dancing during music class, learning in the classroom). Weird, huh?
We finished "THE SECRET GARDEN" today in WINGS, and in my opinion, it was TERRIFIC! Maybe I should read the things that Mom tells me to read instead of waiting to be forced to read it in WINGS, and then finding out that it's a really good book. I need to start reading " LITTLE WOMEN" again ( yeah, started reading it and then put it into my pile of stuff on my bed shelves and completely ignored it untill now) and then start reading " A LITTLE PRINCESS". Well, there's a lot of reading coming up since Winter Break is right around the corner! Gotta go! I'll post again real soon. Bye 'till then, peeps!

About Me #2, All About The Play, By Emma

Hiya, folks. There are some things about me that you still don't know. Well, back in November, I auditioned for a part in the 4th grade play, December in our Town, for the part of Mary. Well, I did get a part, but NOT Mary. I got the part of....................Mother. Oh, well. At least it's a part. But Mother is only a minor character. She IS a principal character. I've had to go to pratices at 7:15 IN THE MORNING!!! The play is on Dec. 19th at 12:45 p.m. and at 7:00 p.m. at Holly Lane Elementry School, if you want to come. Well, that's all for right now, folks. I'll be posting again real soon!

Weird things that happened in the past, by Brooke

Things that happened in the past got a little weird. First, a few months ago, one of my best friends said that I was annoying. Her name is Emily Nebraska. Then when we got through with that we were back together. The next thing that got weird was when it was Andrew's birthday. There was a lot of noise at the party. And then something got really weird at the party. It was when all the cousins except Porter made a spy club. There was a lot of noise where we were meeting. People kept on screaming and made my ears bleed. The next thing that got really really really weird was when we went to swimming lessons yesterday. The thing that was weird was when we heard the Soulja Boy song in the car. That song is really weird. At swimming lessons we saw some firemen in the girl's locker room. The people who worked there smelled something burning. That is how things have been really weird in the past.

Days go passing into years....

The youngest of our clan has now turned six. I am not really sure what the implications of this are, except that I can say "You are six now. You can button your own shirt/put shoes and socks on/tuck shirt in, etc." (This can be heard Sunday mornings, since that is the ONLY day Andrew would be caught in anything other than a t-shirt and basketball shorts.) It has gotten better lately, but in recent months Andrew went through a period where he was asking me for help with everything. Things that he has been doing on his own for a while now. I am sure there is some deep-seated psychological reason for this, but I like to attribute it to the fact that Andrew and I are semi-co-dependent on each other. I have to admit there are times I encourage and relish his dependency on me. I delight to think that I have a bit of a momma's boy. He thinks I'm really funny, and he still lets me kiss his goodye before he gets on the bus. At what age does a mother have to stop smothering her son with kisses as she puts him to bed, or snuggle on the couch (please refer to previous post), or pick him up in her arms for no good reason? (This last one we had to try today, just to make sure I could still do it and that nothing had changed overnight. We're still good!) So really I can't complain about the few times he asks for help with buttons or shoes or picking out clothes. It's all my fault anyway.

I'm not saying I miss those baby/toddler days when a child is more dependent that independent. I practically threw a party when all four kids could get themselves buckled in the car, I breathed a sigh of relief when I no longer had to sit on the bathroom floor as children splashed me, I jumped for joy the Sunday when the only tights I had to put on were my own. Having autonomous children is nice. But with the youngest, and especially with a boy, I find myself unable to totally let go. The apron strings are well-knotted.

P.S. Glenn and Andrew went to the Cavs game last night, which marked the return of three key players--Larry Hughes, Anderson Varejao, and Lebron James. These 3 helped end the six game losing streak and made the game really exciting for the boys. Here is a clip of highlights--I know you'll love it.

A Short History of the Snuggle Club

It all started last year when Footprint the yellow lab joined our family. Andrew wanted a new stuffed animal, so he used some of his money to pick one out. Footprint (we suggested Rex and Fido, but Andrew had other ideas--and it stuck) has been Andrew's faithful companion ever since. Snippy the husky came along at Christmas courtesy of Uncle Stephen. Andrew sleeps with these guys every night, brings them downstairs to watch TV with him in the morning, brings them on trips (even down the street to Grandma's) and sleep overs. I think they have been to a couple of pizza and movie nights at the Chatty's too. And once, he brought them along in the car as we ran errands to "show them around." Hey, there's no reason why Footprint and Snippy shouldn't get to know their community, too.

Well, we are big snugglers in our family. Years ago a weatherman pointed out that there was a "snuggle alert" one frosty night, and it has become a catch phrase. We are constantly trying to convice children to snuggle us, some jump at the chance, some struggle to get away. So one night as he was going to bed, Andrew happened to mention that Footprint and Snippy were in his "snuggle club." Loved it. I picked up on that one immediately, and of course kept bringing it up, much to Andrew's chagrin. His protests of "MOM!" are followed by eye rolling and once, he even made the cutting-off gesture of dragging his hand across his throat in an effort to get me to stop.

Sunday a new member joined Andrew's entourage. We had his family birthday party, and out of one of the gift bags pops a big, fluffy Tigger, apparently something he had told the Franklins he wanted. The snuggle club has grown yet again. So last night as we are putting the kids to bed, Andrew begins an obligatory whine and protest of not wanting to go to sleep. Glenn and I, in an effort to keep bedtime a pleasant experience and to entertain ourselves, grab the three furry S.C. members and proceed to make them dance while singing the theme song to "Micky Mouse Clubhouse." Actually, it is me changing the lyrics to "It's the Snuggle Club Snughouse! Come inside we'll snuggle you!" and Glenn singing "La la la la la!" at the top of his lungs. We (Glenn and I) were busting up. Andrew hid under his bed. You know he was regretting ever letting the words "snuggle club" pass his lips. But by the time we had all settled down and I had asked my traditional question of "What was your favorite part of today?", I was surprised that Andrew's answer was "Just now." He really does like all of mine and Glenn's goofiness! And it made for a happy bedtime.

For now, though, the first rule of the snuggle club is that there is no snuggle club.

Sisters Are Forever...And I'm So Glad You're Mine!

Please allow a moment of indulgence on my behalf. I just want to gush about my two sisters. They are two of the most important people in my life. And to be honest with you, I don't know quite how it happened. You see, I am the oldest, and with that comes a lot of responsibility. To be bossy, bratty, selfish, irritating, and to use younger children as your slaves. And I lived up to that responsibility perfectly. To a T. Between the scratching fights that Missy and I had, to trying to convince Jill that she was an orphan...I mean, you can't get any better than that. That is why it is truly a miracle that the three of us have the relationship that we do today. I don't know how or when it happened, but it has. And I do know why. Nobody gets me like these girls. What would I do without them? I sit here in my own little world, in my own little head, thinking my own little thoughts, knowing that if anyone knew how truly weird/crazy/psycho I am no one would ever talk to me again, confident that I am the only one on earth who thinks or feels this way, and then I go running with Melissa or Jill happens to call. I hesitantly begin to tell them stuff, and sure enough, they GET IT! Either they have been thinking the same thing, or they do the same thing, and they know just what I'm talking about. Suddenly, I don't feel as much like a freak. Or else we're all just freaks together. And at that point, who cares? Three people is a GROUP!

And you know, it's like I'm the not older sister anymore. Although I do still try to boss them around. We just call it "giving advice" now. But Melissa and Jill are so wise and smart, they are so faithful in the gospel and such good wives and mothers, they are talented and beautiful. They are examples to me and I look up to them and try to be more like them. The roles quite often reverse when I have a bad day and leave a voice mail for Jill in a sad, sorry voice and she calls me back soon after to make sure I'm ok and cheers me up with words of encouragement or when I have dragged myself out of bed with a sugar-induced hangover at 6 am to meet Melissa and then perk up the second she starts telling her tale. Seriously, I could go on and on.

You know, it's funny because lately I have been thinking about Emma and Leah's relationship and with them going to Parkside next year maybe we should split them up more to make sure they make their own friends, etc. I worry that they are too attached to each other and I don't want them to be socially inept, blah blah blah. Then Melissa and I go to an Enrichment activity and do exactly what I am worried about my girls doing--attached at the hip, have to sit by each other, talking about inside stuff while at the dinner table with others (we try and keep it on the DL to be polite). Really, is the sister bond something to be afraid of? I think I am going to let Emma and Leah's relationship play out as it will and I hope and pray that they end up as good of friends as we have. And that they get to live next to Brooke. What I wouldn't give for Jill to be out here too. The three of us would be a force to be reckoned with, that's for sure. Props to my mom for hanging in there with us--she's gotta be pretty happy with the way things turned out!

And I am not going to apologize or try to excuse or justify our relationship. Not everyone understands it, some have been intimidated by it, and not many have been able to enter it. But it is. And I love it.

Pizza and Movie Night Mania!

We had a really fun pizza and movie night last night. Nate and Melissa went to a fancy schmancy restaurant (it sounded SOOOO good!) and we had all the kids. There were lots of laughter, running around, some screaming, a naked Macey and Andrew in the basement playing dress up (yes, underwear was on and Andrew was putting on the Tinkerbell costume), rousing renditions of "Heart and Soul" from the three older girls, great peals of belly laughs from Porter, drawings, GeoTrax in the basement (Porter sat on my lap and watched the trains go around and around), Foose Ball games, and of course, pizza and a movie.

Macey and Sydney slept over and I think everyone had a great time. The girls did, at least. Sydney slept in Emma and Leah's bedroom, and they were just like little 'tweens-- talking, giggling, planning, and falling off the bed (That was Sydney. Good thing the mattress was on the floor!) Macey slept in Brooke's bed--how fun that Brooke has a double bed and that those two can sleep together! They whispered for a little bit, but were very quiet and good. Macey fell out of the bed, too, at 5:17 am. I went to help her back in, and as I was leaving, Brooke cheerfully exclaimed, "See you in a couple hours, Mommy!" We were so proud of how well the girls behaved and how nicely they went to bed! It makes us want to have another sleep over!!

Andrew and Porter were another story. We knew that Nate and Missy would be back for Porter, but it was late and he was so tired. I knew he was ready for bed. We had set the pack-n-play up in Andrew's room, thinking how fun that Andrew could finally have a boy sleep over. But Andrew was whiny about going to bed, and Porter did not want to be laid down in the pack-n-play. After a half-hearted attempt on my part to get Porter to stay in there and Andrew to lay down nicely, I scooped Porter up and went downstairs. Glenn was watching TV on the couch and I laid Porter down beside him and walked away. Not one single sound from Porter or from Andrew upstairs. Both fell asleep without another sound.

The kids woke up early this morning, of course, at least for a Saturday. But we didn't hear anything from them until 8:45 when Brooke came to our room to inform us how hungry she was and that she wanted chocolate chip pancakes. When Glenn and I got downstairs, this is what we found:

The kids were all snuggled up on the couch, watching "Elf." It was awsome. I love seeing all the kids together. It makes me so happy. I love our tradition of pizza and movie night, and it looks like we might be able to add some more sleep overs in the future, too!

O, Christmas Tree...

Ever had one of those days? You know, when you feel like this:



You try to look your best, to bring happiness and joy to all who look upon you, to stand strong during hard times. But there are those times where things come crashing down around you. No matter how hard you try, things are just sagging. You feel unkempt, messy, sloppy. You know you don't look as put together as others around you. "What's the point?" you wonder. "Just take me to the curb."

But you know, deep down, that things just wouldn't be the same without you. Others would notice the gaping hole you would leave in their lives. You are an integral part of all that is important in others' lives, the symbol of love, grace,and joy. Others gather around you and have reason to celebrate.

So when you are having a rough day, like our poor little Christmas tree had yesterday as is came crashing down on top of Leah, just remember how important you are and how much you are loved. Remember how there are people right there to pick you up and help put you back together. You are never going to be perfect, but the people who love you need you and couldn't imagine life without you, at Christmastime--or ever.

Mom's Pfamous Pfefferneuse

Last night was our Enrichment Holiday Dinner. The theme was "Christmas Traditions Around The World," so I decided to make pfefferneuse. I wasn't sure how they'd be received, because it is quite a different flavor. But I really wasn't concerned if I ened up bringing home a full plate, because I can down a whole batch by myself! Lo and behold, they were a hit! I got so many comments on how good they were and everyone wanted the recipe. I don't know...should I reveal it, or keep it a family secret?

And guess what...the kids (ok, not Andrew) all liked them too! I will definitely be making another batch to carry on the tradition. Thanks, Mom, for providing this very yummy memory!

About Me, By Leah Franklin

Hiya, peeps! First, I am Leah Michelle Franklin. Yes, I am Emma's twin. Everythimg she put on her post is COMPLETELY true. You guys must be thinking; ' WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A TWIN???' Well, it is fun to have someone your exact age, someone you know you can tell your secrets to. But, if there is ANY confusion, we DO fight. Anyway, when twins are first starting school, they are so attatched to each other, since in kindergarten, they are in the same class. Emma and I made friends together. Now, since we are in different classes, if we make friends in our class, then at reccess, the other twin is automatically introduced to the new person. Anyway, back to me. I am in Mrs. Piazza's fourth grade at Holly Lane Elementary School. She is nice. No, she does not talk a lot. I can be goofy sometimes and serious sometimes. One time I was goofy: In our Native American plays in the classroom, I named myself SQUASH HEAD!!!! One time I was serious: This afternoon in WINGS, I got my new logic packet and already did 3 problems and am almost done with my 4th one!! I should go now, I am taking up a lot of room. Bye, peeps!!

About Me, By Brooke Franklin

I would like to tell a little about my self. To start, my name is Brooke Estelle Franklin. My teacher in school is Miss Boettcher. She is very nice. I'm in W.I.N.G.S. The teacher's name is Mrs. Roush. I'm 7 years old. I was born on Sept. 1, 2000. My favorite holiday is...Christmas! I love to get presents from Santa. I also like to decorate Christmas trees. Every year we do something called Secret Santa. We pick out a name from a hat and we have to try to buy a present that we think they want. For example, I pick out Emma's name. That night I get her a present that I think she wants. So say she wanted a "Littlest Pet Shop". I would get her that.
That's all for now! Bye!

About Me, By Emma Franklin

For those of you that don't know me, my full name is Emma Noelle Franklin. I am 9 and a half years old. I have a twin sister named Leah. She and I were born 2 months premature on April 21st, 1998. We share a guinea pig named Angel, who we got on our 8th birthday. Believe me, Angel's a pig! She was born on February 15, 2006. We have to give her veggies every night. All Angel does all day is sleep, eat, and get picked up by Leah and I. She squeaks loudly if she doesn't have food to eat. I'm in 4th grade at Holly Lane Elementry School My teacher is Mrs. Szabo, who talks a lot. Once we had to do describe our classroom in our Buckle Down Writing book, and George put," ... and has a teacher that talks a lot," so Mrs. Szabo didn't talk for a while so she signed to us what to do next, and we had to guess. It was funny! Our class is reading buddies with the afternoon kindergarten. Miss Zkiab is the kindergarten teacher. Afternoon kindergarten just happens to be what class Andrew's in! So I see his class every other Wednesday. My buddy's Sophia, and she's very, very, VERY shy. She doesn't say much. In my school notebook, I'm writing a story called " Pencil Tales" that has 10 chapters so far. Leah and I got into the gifted program called W.I.N.G.S., Westlake Incorpreation Newly Gifted Students. Leah and I already finished our logic book and got our new ones today. We're reading The Secret Garden, and sometimes we have to do fat questions. Leah, Rachel K., Kate, Rachel S., and I make ours into shows. They're very funny! That's all the time I have today, because it's someone else's turn. Bye for now, folks!

What's my motivation?

We have had a little trouble with motivation around here the last couple of days. With one child in particular. To protect the not-so-innocent, no names will be used, but it may not be too hard to figure out. I'll narrow it down for you with a pronoun.

Last night we all went down to clean the basement. One child took her time getting down there, then protested at the amount of stuff she had to clean. She obviously didn't take into consideration all that had been cleaned before she got there. There was some whining, some strange animal-like sounds, and then silence. Had she just bitten the bullet and got to work? No, she was lounging on some pillows under the stairs reading a book. Glenn and I were busy with cleaning of our own, so she must have thought she had gotten away with it, since we pretty much ignored her. But she was required to put some things away, and she did it, dragging (or stomping) her feet all the way.

Fast forward to this morning. There's always a rush to get 3 girls out the door, and this morning they added snow pants and snow boots to the mix. They wear the boots to school and change into regular shoes once they get there, and then put the boots and snow pants on for recess. From what I understand, this is standard procedure among the kids at school. Seems like a lot of work to me.

But I digress. As I am helping this child with her things, I look to the cubby where her backpack goes in the front closet. First of all, these backpacks are supposed to be PACKED and ready to go the night before. Not so. Her folder and worksheet were just laying there. And then to top it off, I see the sweatshirt that was in the basement last night in her backpack cubby, not in her room where she was supposed to put it! This is her M.O. When asked to put something away, don't put it where it really belongs, just move it to a different location. Needless to day, I wasn't happy, and she walked out the door with tears in her eyes.

Here's the kicker. About an hour ago, I get a call from the school. It is this child, telling me that she left her tennis shoes at home, and can I please bring them to the school for her? Really. After all this. Really. I told her that I couldn't come at that time, and I would when I could. Sometimes you just have to laugh, because otherwise, you'll explode.

Gotta run. Someone is waiting for their tennies.

Coffee Cake Update

OK, the last post was written in regards to the girls, and before Andrew was up and eating breakfast. His reaction to the coffee cake: "I LOVE IT!" Don't ask me why. He acknowledged the puree (carrot, this time) but said he could hardly taste it. Looks like Jessica may have earned back some points.

Curses, Jessica Seinfeld!

I have owned the "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld for a couple months now. In fact, very soon after I saw her appearance on the Oprah show I cashed in my My Points for a gift certificate to Amazon. The book is very cute, with great pictures, and I marked all the recipes I wanted to try. I spent days cooking, pureeing, bagging, and freezing veggies. And then I started cooking.


Now, a couple recipes are great. My kids loved them and the veggies were well hidden. Some recipes are nothing special--stuff we've been doing for years. Some are weird, like chocolate chip cookies with garbanzo beans. Sorry, but if I'm going to have chocolate chip cookies, I'm going to make my really good ones. And then there's the coffee cake.....

My kids love coffee cake, and since we have trouble with breakfast foods, I thought this would be perfect. So, minus the pecans, I lovingly made this recipe (the night before, mind you--how great a mom am I?). Here comes the weird part. It calls for butternut squash puree (which the kids thought was pumpkin. There's no need to ruin things for them.). But instead of mixing it in the batter, you pour half the batter in the pan, then make a layer of the puree (topped with marshmallows, as if that will soften the blow) and then the rest of the batter on top. Looking at the picture above from the book, I thought, well I don't know what I was thinking. That the puree was going to sink in and be absorbed? Yeah, that didn't happen. There was a bright orange layer right smack dab in the middle of the cake.

And how do you think the kids reacted to that? "I don't like the pumpkin part!" Me: "Well just eat the top part that has BROWN SUGAR AND CINNAMON." Kids: "But the orange is getting stuck to it!" Me: (standard response) "Then don't eat it!"

It really wasn't that bad. Glenn even ate some, but he thought it was going to taste like pumpkin bars (yeah, he doesn't know about the squash, either). Of course, I was fine with it. It involves quick bread, sour cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, and actually the puree part was nice and creamy. So most of what you see missing in the pan is due to me. As for the kids, they left plates of picked over pieces (which I should have taken pictures of, but I picked at the leftovers after they left for school). But now I am left with this pan of coffee cake and I don't know what to do with it. Oh sure, it would be eaten, but the recipe serves 10, not 1. I can't even give it away, because I know there would be raised eyebrows over the bright orange stripe. Unfortunately, it may end up in the trash. Better than in my own personal garbage disposal.

So next time, I am mixing that puree in the batter. I think it will make a nice breakfast, and we won't have a rousing chorus of "Ewwwww...." in the morning. I think I was sucked in by the celebrity of Ms. Seinfeld though. And the tendency to like everyone who appears on the Oprah stage. From now on, I'm going to trust myself and my own puree-adding abilities. Man, I should have used those points for an Old Navy gift certificate.

Weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth...

I think that when this phrase is written in the scriptures it is referring to girls between the ages of 7 and 9. Or maybe just to my girls. The stereotype is true: girls react with MUCH emotion (my mother is smiling smugly to herself right about now; sweet justice is hers!). I have tried on many occasions to explain the concept of "overreacting" but the truth is, they know how hypocritical that is coming from me! The women in this family are always trying to get a handle on these emotions of ours!

We must not forget the gnashing of teeth...when you have 3 kids of this age, there are teeth falling out right and left! There have been four teeth under three different pillows in less than ten days. I hope the tooth fairy is getting paid well, because she is putting in some overtime at our house! But you know, her salary must not be that great, since she is a tad bit lazy. She quite often does not show up at night and will come instead a weird times like when we are at Tyler's birthday party. That crazy tooth fairy! If we keep up this pace, the girls won't have anymore teeth to gnash! (Would that help with the weeping and wailing?)

Keeping up with the Joneses (and the Chattertons and the Barnes and the...)

So here it is. The first blog post. I am officially jumping on the bandwagon, and I have to get this thing set up so I can get my Christmas letter out with the address. I've never been much of a trendsetter, although I think Melissa and I had jelly shoes before anyone else. And we are somewhat behind with the "latest and greatest" - heck, we still have only one cell phone! But I think the blogging craze is one I can finally get behind.

This has been a long time coming. My sisters (always great examples to me) have been doing this for a while and one of them in particular has been bugging - I mean - encouraging me to get going on one of my own. I had been using the excuse of not having a decent digital camera (hopefully an upcoming Christmas present), but I guess not every post has to have visual aids.

Now I am not creative nor clever nor smooth with my words. Nothing exciting happens around this house. We are not videotaping much (grab the camera--the kids are doing homework again!) and since the kids have met most of their developmental milestones (they have been walking and talking for a while now) there isn't a daily event warranting a scrapbook page. Besides, how long has it been since I've scrapbooked? But I have always enjoyed making a big deal out of nothing, and it seem like a blog is a popular and socially acceptable way to do this. I will do my best to become the Seinfeld of the blogging world, and maybe you'll find yourself laughing along. Or quickly clicking on another link because you just don't understand why anyone cares about this mindless drivel.