Run, Run as Fast as You Can . . .

For Family Home Evening treat we decorated gingerbread people. The funnest part was eating all the decor, of course. Grandma was on icing duty, daddy and grandpa were decorating assistants. I was the photographer. YUM!











The best gingerbread cookie recipe ever, from Southern Living:

Gingerbread Men
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup red hot candies
White frosting

- Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add brown sugar, beating well. Add eggs, molasses, and lemon juice; beat well.
- Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, and next 6 ingredients; stir well. Add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make stiff dough, mixing well. Shape dough into 2 balls. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
- Roll 1 portion of dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a large greased cookie sheet. (place damp towel under cookie sheet, if necessary, to prevent cookie sheet from moving.) Cut gingerbread men with a 5 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Remove excess dough, using the tip of a knife. Add excess dough to remaining half of dough; wrap in wax paper, and chill until needed.
- Press raisins and cinnamon candies in each gingerbread man for eyes, nose, mouth, and buttons.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 14 minutes or until golden. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet. Remove to wire racks and cool completely. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Decorate gingerbread men with White Frosting.

White Frosting
1 (16-oz) package of powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- Mix all ingredients together

Spoteria!

Or, maybe Pictureka!

Pictureka is the BEST game ever! It's so perfect for our family with children of different ages. All of us enjoy playing it. Grandpa even had such a good time that he played with Huntie, Michael and neighbors Maddy and Quinn for hours. He "spotted" a picture on the board and accidentally shouted "spoteria" instead of "pictureka." Thus this blog title and a fresh new ongoing inside joke. Thanks daddy.

Michael pretty much kicks all of our trash at this game. How does he find those pictures SO dang fast!?

The Dora Trike

Grandpa helped Ellie assemble her Dora tricycle. They did such a great job together. In fact, we all helped a little. Grandma stuck the stickers, mommy collected all the tools and grandpa and Ellie put it all together.






Success!

Just Stuff It

Stuffing envelopes! Kevin had his motley crew of envelope stuffers working their fingers to the bone today. Not really. Mike, Sandy, Grandpa Ernie, Greg, Amie and Layne all graciously set up shop with Kevin stuffing mailers for Kevin's campaign. Thanks again for all the help!

My Dream House

Huntie and Michael made me a house out of blocks tonight - one that flies, complete with bowling alley, swimming pool and TWO "custodians." It's totally my dream house. Check out the grand tour, conducted by the master architects themselves:


Michael quickly discovered grandpa was quite a pro at stacking blocks. Quite a pro indeed.

I think this night, with grandpa reading to Huntie (just like I remember him reading to me and my brothers and sisters) ignited Huntie's hunger for reading. Huntie is like Kevin and can devour a book in just hours. But before this trip to Austin she didn't have much interest in reading to herself. This visit, her grandpa took the time to read chapter books to her and whet her appetite and imagination. She reads like there's no tomorrow now. It's a gift she got from her father, and thanks to her grandpa she's learned to enjoy it. I love it!

Sweet dreams grandpa

Resistance to grandpa finally proved futile for little Ellie Bellie tonight as she succumbed to his charms at last. While waiting for her mommy to take her to bed, she cuddled up to her grandpa and fell fast asleep (while wearing her "pink kitty jammies" - she will tell you).

In Texas, Gustav and Ike were just Names

Not only did we get to see Kevin kick his time goal's butt during his triathlon in Austin, we also did a little cousin and grandparent bonding.

In fact, the day Ike was passing over Austin, Uncle John and grandpa took the cousins to the park for sweet kite-flyin. Take THAT hurricane Ike.





This picture PROVES that Enoch is the coolest kids EVER! I saw him do this each time we went to the park. He plants his head firmly in the gravel and bulldozes paths through the rocks. What a fantastic idea!! He must love the feel of gravel through his scalp or just the sheer joy of knowing he's dirtying his hair all the way to his brain in a matter of moments. Whatever it is - complete genius.



Notice my little, sweet, princess Elle catching the vision. Ahhh, I sense greatness.



Little Sister was so patient with Elle, who insisted on decking her out in Mardi Gras beads and leading her around the house - more than once.



Grandpa secretly wrote grandma this profound sentiment with left behind sidewalk chalk. I think Elle appropriately celebrates its great worth with her rejoicing twirls ON TOP of the symbol.

To quote RobertA, and Gnarles Barkley, "I love Mary" too.




Grandma was a sewing MACHINE! OK, not literally. She sweetly sewed Ellie an "Ellie Doll" as a gift for her birthday complete with wink and wearing a PINK Dora dress (all Very Elle characteristics as her 2nd birthday approaches).



Grandma also graciously sewed all the crazy matching pajama pants I so wisely thought we needed to make. Arien and I cut them out and mom sewed them ALL up. In one afternoon. SEVEN sets. Amazing.

Kevin at the Triathlon

Kevin ran the Austin Triathlon WHILE hurricane Gustav made a direct hit on Houma, LA. He must have directed all his frustration and angst towards the race because he blew his time goal out of the water by about 30 minutes. That race, at that time, was quite an amazing place to be. I'm so inspired when I watch Kevin's races.



The night before the race, my mom, my dad, Arien, John and I stayed up late making KMV shirts to surprise Kevin at his race. My mom and John designed a logo using Kevin's initials and styling the M like the Ironman logo. My mom bought enough shirts for 6 adults and 7 kids to wear during Kev's race. We worked into the late hours stenciling away. Kevin was so touched - first that so many of his family were there to cheer him on, and secondly that we were wearing the coolest shirts ever that praised his name. We got tons of compliments on the shirts and lots of people asked us which race we ran to earn them. Too bad for them they are limited edition for our exclusive fan club.