The SD Daniels

8 May 2012

One, Two, Three

By Annie | Kids!,On the Home Front | 1 Comments

About the time Gemma was born Ellie began the countdown to her own birthday. She was sorely disappointed on Philip’s big day and promptly started telling everyone she met when her birthday was the minute Max’s was over.

“MY birthday is May second!”

At 5 am on May 2nd, just 2 hours short of the third anniversary of her birth, Ellie woke up in tears. The reason she was crying remains unclear – something about the potty or her paci or Tess or something – and she was calmed very quickly. I tucked her in and she closed her eyes, appearing to return to sleep. I tip-toed out and as I softly closed the door I heard her excitedly exclaim, “Tess! TODAY is my birthday!”

I’m not sure she ever got back to sleep.

We visited the pottery painting place so she could finally have her own plate like her siblings. Then we took McDonald’s to the park -her request! – and soaked up the sun. While she napped, we got ready for the Lady and the Tramp extravaganza. Spaghetti and meatballs, a hat box cake, golden wrapped presents. I had asked over and over what she wanted for supper and she just kept saying she wanted her birthday. When she woke up, she wandered bleary eyed into the kitchen and found me icing the cake.

“Is that MY birthday?!”

Oooooohhh. Right. Silly girl after her own mother’s heart just wanted cake. However, there was so much excitement over the treasure hunt and gifts and having Bailey there that she ate maybe a single bite of cake.

We chose Lady and the Tramp because we thought the occurrence of tears might be small ( crying is her thing at the moment. . . ) and she would like the cats. Well. . . Five minutes in she was howling,

“I don’t like this ‘stravaganzaaaaa!!!”

Her sensitive little heart found a lonely puppy so sad. Then the Siamese cats were scary, the pound depressing, dogs mean, muzzles cruel . . . It went on and on. Poor babe.

Tears or no, though, she turned three in the end and went to bed satisfied that her day had finally arrived.

7 May 2012

Mmmmm Cake

By Annie | I wish I was Martha,Mm-mm-good,On the Home Front | 5 Comments

After this last month, I am just about birthday-ed out. We had celebrations of some sort at least once a week through all of April. It made the month fly by and lat forever all at once. I have let them eat cake so very many times that I now have the recipe memorized.

It’s a good one, that cake.

So good, in fact, Grandpa Raul changed his order from 2 pies to a cake and a pie for a dinner he is hosting. From the pie-lover and cake baker himself, that is high praise!

I can’t take credit for it. It was Raul who gave me the recipe book from which it hails. Gifted before we were married, The Cake Mix Doctor is one of my most favorite recipe books. Mine is falling apart and stained and creased and now even committed to memory.

Anyway, back to the cake. It will be made a few more times this month, too. And if you are looking for a little something for your Motherly, graduate-y, Memorially or birthday-ish celebrations, this is it.

My tips are these: If you can find someone to smuggle clear Mexican vanilla in a 1 liter bottle across the border for you, bribe who you must and DO IT. It’s worth it. If, like me, you don’t keep buttermilk on hand, you can make some by adding one Tbsp of vinegar to 1 c. of milk. For this recipe I do a Tbsp and a splash, give it a stir and let it sit for 15 minutes until it gets lumpy. You’ll forget all about the curdles when you smell the cake baking, trust me. This recipe calls for a Devil’s food cake, but I’ve made it twice now with a milk chocolate mix and, my sources tell me, it is just as tasty. ( I can’t actually partake of the cake because of the buttermilk. I just am tempted by the smell and taunted by the frosting and the kids crumb covered smiles. Begin feeling sorry for me now and send Oreos.)

BASIC BUTTERMILK DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE

1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
1 1/3 c. Buttermilk
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c. Vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour ( or spray with baking spray ) two 9″ round pans. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. With an electric mixer set on low, beat ingredients for 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl, increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more. Mixture will be thick and well combined. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges just start to pull away from the pans and the center bounces back when touched lightly. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then turn out and cool completely on wire racks.

Frost with the Best Buttercream

1 stick butter, room temperature
3 3/4 c. Powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat the butter with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat on low for another minute until combined. Increase speed to medium and beat one minute more until the frosting is fluffy and of good consistency. Add up to 1 Tbsp more milk if frosting is too thick. Try to keep greedy fingers out of the good stuff until it’s time to cut the cake.

30 April 2012

Star Struck

By Annie | Speaking of me. . . | 1 Comments

I feel like I’ve told this story before. . . I’m becoming one of those people who only share the same tales over and over again. This is compounded by staying at home ALL THE TIME and having a blog. I digress. . .

My one and only brush with greatness (aside from a Woody Harrelson sighting at Rapid Regional airport and dating the bass player of The Mighty Moose), happened in high school. It also happens to be among my most embarrassing moments so you know it’s a winner. In diluted form it goes like this: I was made to endure a mixer at the State FFA convention my sophomore year. It involved being herded onto the floor of an indoor arena with 5,000 other kids and then having to dance with and introduce ourselves to strangers. STRANGERS! If I could’ve died on the spot it would have been a welcomed relief. Instead, I perma-grinned my way through, all the while swearing at my mother in my head. She had refused to save me from this misery so it was, therefore, her fault. Ah, teenaged, introverted, self-conscious angst! Anyway, one of my partners ended up being a very bubbly, super friendly red-neck guy in scuffed boots, a black hunting t-shirt, and flannel. Can you picture it? I judged him immediately and tried to be nice but wanted to shake him as quickly as possible. Imagine my horror/chagrin/embarrassment when at the opening session the next morning that guy was introduced as our National President.

Doh.

Since then, I try to be fully aware of the sort of people I come in contact with. It helps that I don’t get out much. I don’t do famous. I avert my eyes if well knowns are about. I’ve seen the Mayor on the street and look away. I busied myself with the stroller when the Governor was shaking hands during the last fourth of July parade. I figure I can’t make a fool of myself if they don’t meet me, right? It seemed fool proof.

Then I wrote this. I wanted to remember my feelings at the time (and currently. Oh, dairy, how I miss thee!) and have recorded for all posterity the sacrifices I am making for Gemma. You know, in case one day she turns into an ungratefu, angstyl teenager.

That was it.

There may have been some yelling when I received this comment on that post:

Eric LeMay says:
March 21, 2012 at 9:00 am
Hi Annie,

Thanks for reading the book—here’s wishing your a scrumptious return to cheese!

All best,

Eric

WHAT?! The author of my favorite read from 2011 commented on my silly little blog?!

I was dazed. Confused. Star struck.

And very, very embarrassed. You see, I had meant to write in that first post that everyone should read it and then provide a link to buy the book. I wanted to convey how enjoyable it was to read. How it kept me up at night. How it still sits bedside, taunting me in my milklessness. How it inspired me to try and fall in love with a biting goat milk cheese from Humboldt, CA. How I’m pretty sure it changed my life.

So, to put things aright, here’s that link. Buy the book. Eat cheese. Thank me (and Eric) later.

29 April 2012

I Dub Thee…

By Annie | Kids!,On the Home Front | 4 Comments

Once upon a time, in the days of yore, Billy had a Knight Birthday party and it was awesome. As a child, I never really imagined what having children would be like but I did know that if I had sons I would throw a knight party. But my boys have been more interested in other things.

Until this year.

My heart seized up when Max announced he wanted the same party as last year. The same party! The one that I didn’t like the first time around! I nodded and and mm-hmmmed my way through his plans. Then I sprung it on him.

“What about a Knight Birthday?!?! Huh?? Huh??!! (There were big eyes and wide smiles for effect. I was SELLING it!)

Weeeelllllll. . .

“With SWORDS!!!”

SOLD!

We made trips to the library for all sorts of books on chivalry, armor, King Arthur and heraldry. He poured over crests and looked up Bishops coats of arms. Weeks ago he and Fr. Tyler finalized a design and then it was discussed and discussed and discussed. We delivered scrolls to our prospective guests and then prayed that the rain we had been praying for would stop for Saturday.

God is good. The weather held and come Saturday the house was filled with 9 boys and all their noise and excitement. What better time to bust out the acrylic paint than that? After an hour of sketching and chatting and painting and laughing, I finally kicked them outside to practice their archery. Then Jac came out to referee the sword fighting and ended up joining in. Turns out, swords are irresistible to males!

Also irresistible is chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream. It was the only thing that brought them back inside for singing and gifts. As I looked around the table I realized that this was our first all home school party. And then I wondered if this was how noisy the boys were, what would 9 girls be like? I was getting ahead of myself. . .

Jac not only made 9 wooden shields and fitted them on each boy, he also hand crafted wooden swords for each young man. Upon receiving their weapon, King Max had them kneel to be knighted and he gave them new names such as Sir Trevor the Just and John Paul the Brave. And then, under a brooding sky, the new Knights whooped and battled until their own kingdoms beckoned they return.

It could be said that for Max’s ninth birthday, we partied royally.

;

26 April 2012

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – Thursday Edition

By Annie | On the Home Front,Speaking of me. . . | 2 Comments

Good: Jacques caught a snake before it came into the basement.

Bad: There was a snake. Making it’s way into the house.

Ugly: Jac decided it was best to kill the persistent and cranky little bugger. There is now dried snake blood on the driveway. Yuck.

Good: When Jac surprises me by bringing home lunch. Even better when it is my favorite salad in the world, Wendy’s Apple Pecan. Seriously, sooo good. The greens, the crisp apples, sweet cranberries. . .! Heeeeeeaaaaaveeeeeen! And truly, truly sublime when I can eat it alone and at my leisure while kids are outside.

Bad: When the said best salad shows up with huge chunks of Bleu Cheese. Gorgeous, aromatic, taunting Bleu Cheese. I have to restrain myself from popping them in my mouth as I remove them from my lunch.

Ugly: There is a reason Bleu Cheese can be described as ‘crumbled.’ Despite my best efforts and very messy fingers, there is still a good deal of cheese in the salad. I figure I gave it my best shot and eat it anyway. I will pay for that later, I’m sure.

Good: The Pomegranate vinaigrette they serve with the World’s Best Salad (see above). Perfection is what it is. And so very nice of them to give you two packets!

Bad: When one of the two dressing packets for the World’s Best Salad turns out to be Original Ranch.

Ugly: Realizing that the dressing you are using is not the Perfect Vinagrette only after you put it on the World’s Greatest Salad. I almost wept.

(There will be no further mention of said salad. But I dare you to try it!)

Good: Gemma has decided she likes a nice quiet room where she can lie down for sleeping.

Bad: quiet is in short supply in this house.

Ugly: There isn’t enough baby sleeping going on around here. It makes Gemma and I both just a leeeettle cranky.

Good: To know that Max’s sudden clingyness is normal third grade behavior.

Bad: I feel, in the words of my father-in-law, like I have a pork chop on my butt.

Ugly: He follows me EVERYWHERE. !!!!!!!!!!!!

Good: Ellie’s birthday is in less than a week! (She is so very excited. Three!)

Bad: Ellie’s birthday is in less than a week. (Didn’t we just do a birthday?)

Ugly: Ellie’s birthday is in less than a week!!! (Give me a break!)

Happy Thursday!

24 April 2012

What’s in the Wash Episode 3

By Annie | On the Home Front | 0 Comments

We now return to yet another riveting installment of ‘Our Daily Suds’!

We find our young heroine on her knees before the washer once again. She is in a rush as the baby crying upstairs and the children who should be learning are threatening to burn down the house. She had run down the stairs hoping that the washing machine had run it’s cycle because the pile in the bedroom had threatened her just hours before. It was with relief that she saw she could change loads. Opening the door, she pulls out wet and clinging clothes. She thinks she is done when – what is this? Something peeks out from between the rubber seal and the drum! What could it be?? Tentative and curious, she gingerly pulls it free, discovering a long lost sock! She is confused and yet filled with hope! Could this indeed be the mythical depository of forgotten socks? Heart beating, all other cares forgotten, our heroine pulls back the rubber seal revealing no less than 4 socks, a hex bug and a good deal of Monday hair. Who cares that the socks are a muted gray, no longer wearable? Her joy is unbounded, comparable only to the discovery of El Dorado or an extra hour of sleep. Mystery solved, she starts the dryer and counts this as a victory for the ages.

Join us next time for the puzzling mystery, ‘Where are Tess’s chonies?’ on ‘Our Daily Suds’!

23 April 2012

Montage Monday – Kong Kong Phooey

By Annie | Kids!,On the Home Front | 1 Comments

So, Max turned 9. His request for dinner was stir fry though technically he meant all the good things that come as bonuses when I make stir fry, namely pot stickers and egg rolls. So we fired up every burner, brewed some tea and tried our hand at some homemade pork buns. Conways, we thought of you!

Grandma and Grandpa, Fr. Castor, Fr. Tyler, Susan and Bridget all came to join the extravaganza. Kung Foo Panda 2 – Kong Kong Phooey to Ellie – was the film of choice and we laughed all the way through.

It was, in the words of Po, legendary .

18 April 2012

Keeping On

By Annie | Kids!,Speaking of me. . . | 6 Comments

This is Ellie’s Kiss cover band audition look achieved with black frosting and tears applied at 9:24 am.

I should’ve cashed in my chips when I woke up to Ellie’s red stained legs and Jello between her toes.

Should’ve folded when there were no lunch makings to construct something to send with boys for co op.

I should’ve thrown in the towel when Tess had put on 4 different outfits and pulled out 3 hair-dos in an hour.

The flag should’ve been waved when Monday ate 3 different yellow diapers. Yellow, folks.

Should’ve called it quits when two of those diaper’s contents showed up on the front AND back of Gemma’s outfits.

Should’ve pulled the curtains when I found blue sparkly toothpaste on the mirror. And the toilet seat. And wall.

Should’ve given up when I discovered Nutella on my Chapstick after I had put it on.

It was one of those days. The kind where nothing goes right and it’s only 10 am. If I was allowed them, I surely would have phoned in a Personal Day. But alas, my benefits package doesn’t account for those and I have already used up my mental health and sick days – having a baby does that to a person.

So I kept on going. I cinched my belt, brewed some caffeinated tea, took a deep breath and restarted the day at 10:15. It was that or sit down and cry. Some days that helps but today wasn’t one of them so I just kept on keeping on.

Tomorrow we’ll try again.

Wish me luck.

17 April 2012

Peter Pan

By Annie | Kids! Tags: max — | 2 Comments

Dear Max,

Last week you announced out of the blue and in a choking voice that you don’t want to grow up.

“I like it here. I love you and dad. I like being with you. . . I don’t want to move away.” You said it quietly, afraid to open the curtains on that deep, dark thought. The moment the words formed and fell from your lips, my stomach dropped and my heart broke, just like that. The room spun and I sucked desperately for air wishing, willing I had an answer. But like a receding wave, a shadow, it alluded me.

Again.

You see, this new dread you felt for the first time, the tug of years passing and the line to the horizon, I carried that with me for as long as I can remember. I watched Peter Pan and Hook, made costumes and Fairy Dust and read the words of Barrie all in the hopes of finding the secret to prolong the golden days of youth. While my friends counted the ways they wanted to be older and were precocious in countless ways, I hung back, afraid of what it would mean. Here, now, was comfortable and comforting. Growing older meant change and unknown and uncertainty. You, my boy, my planner, my eldest, shudder at the future for the questions it holds. I know. Oh, how I know.

But I also know something you do not. yet. I know that the fun lies in the discovery and change. Sure, there will be hard times and awkward transitions (see: puberty), but beyond each stumbling step is a glorious new view. There are hundreds, thousands of Eureka moments just waiting for you to arrive. Things that seem strange -shaving- or exciting -driving- will sparkle for a moment and then make up your every day so that you will forget what it was like before that. There are people to meet and love and lose and God’s call to answer. The change is the adventure.

That’s where Peter Pan missed out. His experience was the same day in and day out with the same people ALWAYS. That’s why he had to visit the nursery and visit the Darling’s. He needed the new and so do you.

Buddy, the fear of the future is not necessary because the Lord is with you and so are we. He goes before you, preparing the way and he has given us to you to walk by your side and keep your steps sure. You will never be alone.

The day after you voiced your wish, you turned 9. Your last year in the single digits. . . It’s all happened so fast. So let’s savor each second that’s ahead. Let’s take it head on, with eyes wide open and expecting the joy that is in store, straight on ’till morning.

We love you Max Man. So. Very. Much.

10 April 2012

Egg Clement

By Annie | Domestic Church,On the Home Front,Seasons | 1 Comments

I wanted to title this post ‘Eggcelent’ but auto correct changed it to Egg Clement so I just went with it. It was how we did Easter this year, after all. The rolling with things, not the Egg Clement – I can’t even pretend to know what that is.

Anyway, Easter 2012 was a relaxed one. Holy week we cleaned instead of crafted. We rifled through hand-me-downs for Easter duds and did our level best to not stress out over baskets with themes or things like that. And you know? We were just as excited about Jesus conquering death without the cool resurrection cookies as we would have been with them.

In fact, by the time we were attempting to stuff wriggly girls into tights and teach bouncing boys how to tie ties before the Vigil on Saturday night, the anticipation was palpable.

“I just can’t wait for it to be Easter!”

“Can we say the ‘a-word’ as soon as we get to church? When then?”

“Oh, I remember the fire and the candles! I get to hold a candle, right?”

And my very favorite, from Philip who wondered, “Why does Easter Sunday take so much longer to get here than any other Sunday??”

Ditto. Buddy. DIT. TOE.

So when we all woke up to sunshine and chocolate and tissue paper packages from California, life was great. Even better that that life is Eternal.

Thanks, Jesus. That’s more awesome than chocolate.

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