A Lucky Day

Superstar Secondborn is back for more.
Today we went to Swan Falls Reservoir to catch some fish. No luck. But some really nice guy gave us two fish for free because he didn't have enough for the meal he wanted to make that night. But third born and I weren't leaving until we caught something so we caught a blue-bellied swift [as seen above and below] We brought it home and now it is thirdborn and my pet. We went to the local pet store and bought food and all the necessary things it needs. When we were there a customer service guy named Tyler gave us four free crickets for it to eat. Then he showed us another swift that they called and emerald swift. When I have enough money I'm going to go back and buy it to put it with my other swift.

Superstar Secondborn out for now.

Nachos For A Superstar [ and friends ]

(this is a guest post from Secondborn)

Superstar Second Born in the house. Today I had to make a recipe that uses cheese for HOME ECONOMICS. I went on Blackle and looked up superstar nachos for fun and because nachos have cheese obviously. Well I found SuperStar Nachos on Lifestyle cooking and used it. My group used it and we decided it was really good and we also won the Best Recipe Contest. They are great for parties or quick family meals.

To make these nachos you must get a cookie sheet or ovenproof plate of some sort and put a layer of cornchips on. Then add any types of cheese you like. Put on some type of bite sized meat and drizzle on barbeque sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for ten or more minutes depending on the amount of the nachos. Superstar Secondborn is not in charge of any food poisioning or serious health problems you have after eating these nachos :) JK

But be warned this recipe must be made only the superstars of the family, like Cousin LB (initials) and cousin KB (also initials), can be the head chef or the nachos will be cursed. But as long as a superstar is the head chef the whole family can help. If you dont know who the superstar is in your family then take a vote. Parents just hope you know who the superstar of your family is otherwise youre up for a long vote. Kids can not vote for themselves in this matter.

Superstar Secondborn Out.

I Spy With My Little Eye......

...custom jewelry made for an SLP.

a tiny newspaper and A-B-C

a cherry red heart that states kids are my passion

a speech bubble, a message in a bottle, EVERYONE IS UNIQUE, and perfect cupid-bow lips

I asked the Divine Miz V at the Cosmic Fun Palace to create a charm bracelet for me to chronicle my journey to become a SLP. I love the results she came up with. I'm sure if you desire something fun and handmade to show off your love for your work, you can count on Miz V to make it so. Check out her work (and the work of Soozcat) on their Etsy site. Just click on their workplace at the top of the paragraph. I have my eyes on the Yoda Lego, R2D2 Lego, and Harry Potter Lego earrings for my next purchase.

Pinewood Derby

Thirdborn participated in the Pinewood Derby. Unfortunately, he placed last in every race but one. Someone threw or dropped his car (depending on who is telling the story) and made the front wheels wobbly. The only reason he place 3rd in his last race was because he raced his car backwards. Too bad we didn't think of that sooner.

To make up for the sadness of the day, we took the kids for milkshakes. Odd behavior in the drive thru ensued.
At one point The Love Magnet started to climb out onto the back of the truck. Mr. Wonderful nixed that idea pretty quickly.

Thirdborn got into the act. Doesn't look too sad now, does he?

Heart Check-up

Two years and 13 days after the heart surgery

we had a visit with The Love Magnet's cardiologist.

We love going to see Dr. Heart. The room is bright and cheerful with pictures of Dr Heart's family and patients.

The Love Magnet loves playing with the toys.

The hospital gown was in her favorite color.

The EKG was a piece of cake. The Love Magnet takes the direction "Now hold very still"

very seriously.

Then there was the ultra sound and the blood pressure check.


Finally we met with Dr. Heart. She pronounced The Love Magnet to have a very good heart. So good, that we don't have to have another appointment until The Love Magnet turns 10.

Did I mention that we absolutely love Dr. Heart?

We'll have to come back to visit just for fun. We would miss her if we had to wait for a couple of years just to see Dr. Heart.

The Love Magnet is officially cleared for Special Olympics. Stay tuned for further adventures.

Lemon Spaghetti with Cauliflower, Asparagus and Good Stuff

Found a version of lemon spaghetti on Food Network. I took the recipe and morphed it into what I had in the house. Big thumbs up.

Lemon Spaghetti with Cauliflower and Good Stuff
serves 6-8

1 pkg of your favorite spaghetti. We like Ronzoni Smart Taste.
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite size florettes
1 bunch of asparagus, cut 1" diagonal
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/4 to 1/2 red pepper flakes
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
2 lemons, juiced and zested
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded parmesan
1 bunch fresh basil, chiffonade (that means roll it and cut it into thin strips)

Good Stuff (pick one):

1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 cans chopped clams
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can oil packed tuna, drained

Cook the spaghetti in boiling water. When you have 5 mintues left of cooking time, add the cauliflower and asparagus (or steam them over the top of the pot. I prefer to do it this way so I can take them off if they get done before the spaghetti.)

Meanwhile, put oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sundried tomatoes in a pan on med low heat to cook gently while the spaghetti cooks. When you can really smell the garlic, (about 5 minutes)stir in a ladelful of the pasta cooking water, cream, and lemon juice. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring. Add lemon zest and Good Stuff of your choice. When spaghetti is done, stir parmesan and basil into the sauce. Drain spaghetti and veggies. Toss spaghetti and veggies in sauce. Let sit for a minute or two to soak in the sauce. Serve with extra cheese ifyou want.

Depending on how many veggies you have and your preference for sauciness, you might want to double the sauce and spice ingredients.

19 years ago today

19 years ago today - it was raining. I was so upset that it was raining.
Today - it is raining. I love it.

19 years ago today - I covenanted to love you for eternity.
Today - I love you even more. I didn't know that my heart could expand like that.

19 years ago today - we had a lot of hopes and dreams.
Today - some came true, some didn't, some we just decided weren't nearly important. We've learned that God's plan is more important that our plans.

19 years ago today - we said our first family prayer together.
Tonight - we'll kneel side by side and thank our Father in Heaven for blessing our family for the past 19 years.

Happy Anniversary, Mr. Wonderful. 19 years down. Eternity left to go.

I'm looking forward to it.

I need your prayers

It's finals week for me. I'm worried about 2 classes, and not so worried about the other three. It is just the stress of finals. Please keep me in your prayers. I'll post big after this week about all sorts of things.