Meet Mario

Meet Mario.

Mario Mustachio.

Mario Mustachio is growing up-io.

I know you can't tell by the picture, but I can tell by the Family Home Evening that she (he) prepared. Speaking of prepared, the lesson was on being prepared. 72 hour kits and what-not.

Halfway through, I whispered to her (his) daddy, "Listen to how grown up she (he) sounds! I am impressed!"

My kids just won't stop growing up. (as the picture proves)

Nolan for Prez!

Last night it was Nolan's turn to do Family Home Evening. He always comes up with something out of the ordinary.

You know that game, where someone starts a story and every minute or so you pass the story to someone else to add to the story, and so on and so on?

That's what he did, except it was comic strips.

He started every comic strip and then we all added a square or two until our time was up, then passed it on.

(Nolan is not posing here)

(Just kidding, he totally is)

It was very entertaining, what we came up with.

We chose the winning comic....

It's the one pictured right above....

This one...

On the right....

The one Nolan is reading.....

(Okay, okay, I should have scanned it. I was busy talking while my friend had me over to blog at her house...)

Nolan started the comic as him running for Prez with Jessica Alba as his Vice (she's the Jessica he was referring to in his First Kiss Video) and they win. Then he blows up some country as Prez, but we won't go there. Then it's Rae's turn to add to it, and she has the Vice President... well.... let's just say she's dies; Because you know, she's trying to get at her brother. Then it was passed to me and I had the Prez VETO the death of the Vice Prez (cause it's a comic and you can do that, right?). Then it was passed to Zoe and she had the Prez and the Vice get married with a cute picture of a bride and groom and has the words "You may kiss the bride" written.

Awwww....

And then the paper went to Naomi and she had the words "YUCK! He is bad at kissing!" with a picture of him frowning.

And there you have it, another friendly family night of love and encouragement and wholesome kindness at LoW's house.

A Recipe from Aunt Lula Mae

Aunt Lula Mae has only shared two recipes with me. Her Mac and Cheese which uses Velveeta and a dessert that I had lots growing up but we called it 'that cookies stuff with the whipped cream' but I like what Aunt Lula Mae's calls it.

She calls it Goop.

Now I'm gonna share it with you so grab a piece of paper and a seat because you are going to have to write this one down.

You need all these ingredients.

Got that written down? So you don't forget?

cookies

milk

whipped cream

How much, you ask? Well, that depends, how big of a dish you usin'? How many people you feedin'?

I can say that for my pan I used one container of whipped cream and one package of cookies.

And by the way, experimenting with the cookies is a requirement, so says I.

I love the coconut but growing up we mostly used these-

So what you do is a quick dip of each cookie in the milk and layer them in the pan like so-

Then layer the whipped cream like this-

Then the cookies again. And repeat until you are done repeating and finish with whipped cream on top.

Did you write that down?

layer

repeat

top with cream

Stick in the fridge for a while. However long you can wait.

Then serve in a cute little dessert dish.

Did you write that down?

Serve in cute dish

I topped mine with toasted coconut and at first I felt like it was wrong, wrong, wrong to mess with a good thing. But actually, if it's wrong I don't want to be right because it truly kicked it up a notch and is how I must now eat my Coconut Goop, I decided last night.

Don't let the simplicity of the Goop fool you. It's creamy deliciousness at it's finest and such a fun treat that the kids can make.

And eat.

Did you write that down?

eat

~~~~~~

Movie making, I learned, takes time. In other words, the movie from last night isn't ready to share. But be prepared, Nolan has prepared something exciting. Think CSI Miami.

P.S. Does anyone need a printable version of the recipe?

The Citadel of the Fam'bly

Ever notice when you read a book that you start talking like they do in the book? Or at least you want to, or your thoughts to yourself have their accent?

Like last night I asked Gary, "Wanna head on into town and get some o' that fruit pie for Fam'bly Home Evenin'?

And I can't wait to have the oppurtunity to say someone was "squatin' on their hams". All throughtout The Grapes of Wrath, people squat, and what are they squatin' on? Their hams. I love that. And the men were constantly squatting on their hams in the book.

Then there are the times they added a T where it doesn't belong- acrost (for across) (people STILL say acrost), oncect (once), chancet (chance).

Yet they also leave out letters in so many other words, ol' (old), an' (and), 'f (if), ever' (every) (which Gary likes to pronounce it that way, being silly), and jus' (just). Jus' to name a few.

They's jus' a addin' and a takin' away where's they wanna.
I could get use' to it.

I would like to share this paragraph from The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. It's one of my very favorites from the book.

It's the decription of Ma-

Tom stood looking in. Ma was heavy, but not fat; thick with childbearing and work. She wore a loose Mother Hubbard of gray cloth in which there had one been colored flowers, but the color was washed out now, so that the small flowered pattern was only a little lighter gray than the background. The dress came down to her ankles, and her strong broad bare feet moved quickly and deftly over the floor. Her thin steel-gray hair was gathered in a sparse wispy knot at the back of her head. Strong, freckled arms were bare to the elbow, and her hands were chubby and delecate, like those of a plump little girl. She looked out into the sunshine. Her full face was not soft; it was controlled, kindly. Her hazel eyes seemed to have experienced all possible tragedy and to have mounted pain and suffering like steps into a high calm and a superhuman understanding. She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken. And since old Tom and the children could not know hurt or fear unless she acknowledged hurt or fear, she had practiced denying them in herself. And since , when a joyful thing happened, they looked to see whether joy was in her, it was her habit to build up laughter out of inadequate materials. But better than joy was calm. Imperturbability could be depended upon. And from her great and humble position in the family she had taken dignity and a clean calm beauty. From her position as a healer, her hands had grown sure and cool and quiet; from her position as arbiter she had become as remote and faultless in judgement as a goddess. She seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever really deeply wavered or despaired the family would fall, the family will to function would be gone.


I have many thoughts on that one paragragh as a mother, but I am going to keep it short- I want to be Ma.
My Ma is pretty much that Ma, freckled arms and all.
I want to be Ma.
What she is (even though a character) is what all Ma's ought to be-

The citadel of the fam'bly.