Christmas Morning

I love Christmas morning. Everyone is so excited to see what presents we got. Our funniest story this year is Joey (2 years old) got a Wii. Kinamo Jr. and Haley found the Wii I bought the family. So I told them I was holding it for a friend. They were pretty disappointed. On Christmas morning we take turns watching everyone open one present at a time. When it was Joey's turn he ripped off the paper and all the kids got excited and asked "Why does Joey get a Wii"? It was really funny to see their reaction.

Here are a few pictures from our Christmas.

Christmas Traditions

We have a great time during The Christmas Season. Kinamo and I have spent every Christmas at home except 2 since we have been married. So we have established a few precious traditions.
1. Christmas eve we give everyone an ornament that represents something about them during the past year.
2. Paula and now her sweet husband and baby spend Christmas with us.
3. Christmas eve we make homemade Cinnamon Rolls and eggnog for Christmas morning breakfast.
4. Playing games every chance we get.
5. Kinamo passes out the gift to each of us on Christmas morning, just like his Grandfather did.
Christmas is the best time of year.

Melting Pot

For a few years Paula has be telling us we should go to the Melting Pot. So this year during the time her and Mat were here we took a night away from the kids and had a fabulous dinner there. It was so much fun just sitting, talking and eating. The food was wonderful. I really enjoyed our night out. When we got home we left them with the kids and took the babysitter home. Then Kinamo and I went to a 10:45 movie. It was so exciting to be out that late watching a movie. We saw Will Smith's movie "Seven Pounds". It was so good!!!! What a great way to spend an evening.

Family Picture Day.

Four years ago we took family pictures. It was a very painful experience. So we have been putting it off. So last weekend we finally went and had a dear friend who has a photography business take our pictures. It was busy and not the easiest job taking pictures of 7 people, but they turned out fantastic. There are so many amazing ones to choose from. These are just a few of my favorites.

First Class Scout

On Wednesday night Kinamo Jr. earned 7 merit badges and his First Class Scout rank. He is doing wonderful in Scouts and really enjoys it. He has a goal to get his Eagle by the age 14.

"Winter Festival"

I took the three girls to the Stone Oak Winter Festival yesterday where Haley's 4th and 5th grade choir sang. I want to take just a minute to vent about this experience. They sang about 20 minutes and about 8 songs. Not a single one was about "Christmas". We had reindeer songs and Santa songs. There was even a Hanukkah song, but not a single Christmas song. I know this is the way it is, but it is disappointing to me. After Her choir sang we walked around and found Santa to take pictures with him. While waiting in the 45 min line we got the privilege of listening to a group (on a small stage way out of the crowd) sing true "Christmas" Songs. When and where did it happen that we lost the Christ in this time of Celebration???

Ok now that is off my chest, we did enjoy watching Haley perform. She has really loved singing and is getting good at it. But she had absolutely no desire to sit on Santa's lap for a picture.

Twilight

I just got home from Twilight. I loved the books, but movies are never as good as the book. It was so fun having a girls night out. Everyone had different opinions of the movie. Mine was I thought James would have made a better Edward. He was way more "bad boy" then Edward.

Tag your it.

I've Been Tagged
Eight TV shows I like to watch
1.Eli Stone
2. Army Wives
3. Biggest Looser
4. Life
5. Flip this House
6. Fox News
7. Gilmore Girls
8. Dr. 90210

Eight things that happened yesterday
1.Got the kids to school
2.Went grocery shopping ( spent $235.00)
3. Went on Facebook and found 2 friends
4. Went to Ashley's Pow Wow at school
5. Took a 20 min power nap
6. Made cupcakes for Joey's birthday
7. Celebrated Joey's birthday with our family
8. Sent the boys on an overnight camping trip

Eight places I love to eat
1. Chuy's
2.Chuy's
3. Chuy's
4. Chuy's (get my point?)
5. Subway
6. Red Robin
7. Salt Grass Steak House
8. Anywhere with my friends

Eight things I look forward to
1. Girls night out to see Twilight tonight
2. Living with Kinamo again
3. Thanksgiving
4. Christmas
5. Paula coming for Christmas
6. Christmas morning cinnamon rolls
7. Finish decorating my house, room by room
8. Celine Dion concert in January

Eight People I Tag
1. Kristina Addams
2. Jaimie Haley
3. Misty Tannery
4. Wendy Tripple
5. Deirdre Davis
6. Chelsea Lundberg
7. Becca Castleton
8. Jodie Buxton

Happy Birthday Joey!

Today the baby of the family turns two. I can't believe he has grown so fast. He is so happy and very loved by the whole family. My favorite two words he says are "OK mom". He has pooped in the toilet 4 times this week. He thinks he is as big as the other kids. What a blessing he is to our family.

POW WOW

Ashley had a Pow wow at school today. They have been learning all about the first Thanksgiving. She was so cute. After their program I went to get her and take her home early, but she said she didn't want to miss free centers. Centers is her favorite part of the day. She will miss snack time to be the first to the center of her choice.

Karley is doing great.

Karley had her surgery to remove her Tumor in her ear Wednesday. The Dr. found two tumors but feels confident she took all the infected tissue out and that she shouldn't get anymore. I am continually amazed that Karley recovers so fast. By 5:00 that night she was up and wanting to play soccor outside with Kinamo and the other kids. We kept her out of school, but she is bouncing around the house like nothing has happened. This picture is of her the night of her surgery. The Bandaid on her ear came off the next day.

Not Child Pron!!

This morning Joey, who will be two next Friday, Pooped in the toilet this morning for the first time. I would love to believe this is a sign for the beginning to toilet training, but I know it was just great timing.

Kaley the Egyptian

Karley's 1st grade had Egyptian day. She loves to dress up. She came home with nails painted and lots of make-up. We never had days like that in school. She does make a beautiful Egyptian.

Facebook

I have now entered the new world of facebook. I have been thinking about it for awhile and made the big leap yesterday. I can see where it can take up alot of time. If you are on facebook and would like to "Be my friend" send me a request. It is fun to run into people from such a long time ago. My maiden name was Gibson. Use that to help find me.

Such a long walk home.

This is where Kinamo gets off the bus. He walks 4 houses down and is home. Pretty small walk home compared to his sisters 1/2 mile walk. So Thursday afternoon I began to get worried when he didn't come home. He was about ten minutes late when I began to look out the window for him. This is where I found him.

We bought a new mattress for our bed and put the old one on the curb for the Garbage collectors to pick up. I guess Kinamo was so tired he couldn't make it to the front door. Or maybe he was avoiding homework and wanted some quiet reading. I would have to take credit for those genes. I will find any quiet moment I can to read a good book.

Medieval Cook

Haley has been studying the Medieval time period in school. For her big project she choose to be the cook of the castle. We found 4 recipes online and spent 2 hours Saturday making them. Each one was very good, but I wouldn't recommend serving them all together like we did. The family favorite is the Cherry Pottage.

Here are the recipes:

BLANK-MANG
Forme of Cury, c.1390
Take capons and seeth hem. Thenne take hem up. Take almandes blanched. Grynd hem and alay hem up with the same broth. Cast the mylk in a pot. Waisshe rys and do thereto and lat it seeth. Thanne take brawn of caponns. Teere it small and do thereto. Take white greece, sugar, and salt, and cast thereinne. Lat it seeth. Then mess it forth and florish it with aneys in confyt rede other whyte and with almandes fryed in oyle and serve forth.
The Modern Version:
2 large, boneless capon or chicken breasts
2 1/2 cup water
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 Tbsp ice water
1 tsp salt
1 cup rice
1 Tbsp butter
4 tsp brown sugar
Bring the 2 1/2 cups water and 1 1/4 tsp salt to a boil, and boil the chicken, covered, for 15 minutes or until done. Remove the chicken and set aside, reserving the broth. Grind the almonds with the ice water in a blender or with mortar and pestle, until smooth. To make "almond milk", combine 2 cups of the broth with the ground almonds, and allow to stand for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put the almond milk into a pan, and cook the rice in it with the salt, butter, and brown sugar. Meanwhile, dice the chicken breasts. Just before the rice is done, add the chicken. Stir to distribute the chicken pieces, and finish cooking the rice. Just before serving, garnish with the toasted almonds (and candied anise, if you could find any).


TO MAKE A TART OF SPINNAGE
The English Huswife, Gervase Markham, 1615
Take some cast creame, and seeth some Spinnage in faire water till it be verie soft, then put it into a Collender, that the water may soake from it: then straine the Spinnage, and cast the creame together, let there be good plentie of Spinnage: set it upon a chafingdish of coales, and put to it Sugar and some Butter, and let it boyle a while. Then put it in the paste, and bake it, and caste blanche powder on it, and so serve it in.
The Modern Version:
2 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach
3/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
pastry for a 9-inch two-crust pie
1-2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Cook the spinach according to package directions. Placed cooked spinach in a colander and allow to drain and cool. When cool, take handfulls of spinach and gently squeeze to remove remaining water. Place in a large bowl, and blend in the next 5 ingredients. Roll out half the pastry and line a 9-inch pie pan. Spread the spinach mixture evenly in the unbaked pie shell. Roll out the remaining pastry to make the top crust. Place on the spinach mixture, seal the edges and cut six small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over the top. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. The pie may be served either hot or cold.


FUNGES
Forme of Cury, c. 1390
Take funges, and pare hem clene and dyce hem. Take leke, and shred hym small and do hym to seeth in gode broth. Color it with safron, and do there-inne powder-fort.
The Modern Version:
8 small leeks, sliced into rings and carefully washed (white part only)
3 Tbspbutter
1 1/2 lbs mushrooms, quartered
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 tsp brown sugar
pinch of saffron threads
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet and saute the leeks for a few minutes until they begin to wilt. Add the mushrooms and toss to coat. Combine the stock, sugar, saffron, and ginger, and pour over the vegetables. Simmer for about 2 minutes. While the dish is simmering, melt the remaining butter in a small skillet and add the flour; cook until thickened and a golden brown. Add this roux to the vegetables, and continue to cook until the liquid has thickened slightly and the vegetables are evenly glazed. Add salt and pepper to taste.


SYROSYE
Curye on Inglysch, 15th c.
Tak cheryes & do out the stones & grynde hem wel & draw hem thorw a streynour & do it in a pot. & do therto whit gres or swete botere & myed wastel bred, & cast therto good wyn & sugre, & salte it & stere it wel togedere, & dresse it in disches; and set theryn clowe gilofre, & strewe sugre aboue.
The Modern Version:
2 lbs ripe red cherries
1 1/2 cups white wine (we used 1 cup apple juice and 1T. Lemon Juice)
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbsp butter
1 cup breadcrumbs
pinch of salt
garnish:
flower heads of clove pinks (optional)
sugar, preferably raw sugar if available
Wash the cherries and remove the stems and stones. Puree the fruit in a blender with 1/2 cup of the wine and half the sugar. Add a little more wine as needed to get a smooth puree. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the fruit puree, breadcrumbs, remaining wine, remaining sugar, and salt. Simmer, stirring often, until the puree is very thick. Pour into a serving bowl, cover, and let cool. The cherry pottage should be the consistency of a thick apple sauce. Refridgerate until served. Before serving, decorate the edge of the bowl with the clove pinks, if desired. Sprinkle the sugar over the dish.

Night outdoors

With the weather cooling off, the kids love to play in the front yard. Ok maybe more in the street. Joey gets pretty mad if he can't join them. So before it gets dark they head out for fun. Kinamo and Ashley love to skateboard. Haley loves rollerblading and Karley runs around or gets a ride when she can.

Halloween 2008

I just love Halloween. The kids are so excited. We are so blessed to live in a great neighborhood so the kids can run around and Trick-or-Treat with no fear.

Haley and Karley Boycot

For Halloween 2004 I had a very creative moment (or so I think). I came up with the idea of Thing 1 and Thing 2 costumes from "The Cat and The Hat". Haley and Karley really enjoyed it. Everywhere they went people just loved their costumes. Then in 2006 I was 9 months pregnant and very tired so I went back to the reliable Thing 1 and 2 costumes again. It was again a big hit. Last year I somehow talked the girls into one more time. This year they informed me there would be NO more Thing 1 and Thing 2 this year. I must say I was disappointed that my one creative idea has now been boycotted. Now they think they are old enough to come up with their own costumes. I still have the blue wigs if any of you would like to use my idea!!!


Halloween 2004 Del Rio Texas

Halloween 2006 Rental neighborhood San Antonio Texas

Halloween 2007 New neighborhood

Crazy Hair day

Today in honor of Drug awareness week the kids had crazy hair day. Ashley wouldn't participate. But this is right up Haley's alley and Karley did it because everyone else will be doing it. I love to see how each child has their own personality. With three girls it is fun to have them all so different.