Busy, busy, busy!(again!)

It has been super busy around here lately.

It seems like there is always something going on...

... and mostly my free time is being spent on my daughter's book, if I'm not re-rolling toilet paper, changing diapers, or building castles with blocks or sheets and chairs...
I haven't gotten many more replies.. but I have talked to most of the people and they say that they are coming. Right now, I am writing out my own cards. I have a lot of things I want to tell her, so my thoughts will be interspersed with everyone else's.

I am feeling a little overwhelmed because I so want for it to be nice... I just want to make it worth keeping around...

I am also struggling with having a bit of a selfish period going on right now.
I want to do things for me... and it feels strange, to me and my family.
I spend a lot of time doing things for other people... and I enjoy it... but lately I just want a little space. I have been feeling so very nostalgic lately... maybe it's facebook and hearing from all these old friends... or not really friends friends... whatever that means..
or maybe it is Emily's birthday and thinking about how much it changed my life forever.

I feel very blessed that she came into my life. I love her so much and I am so proud of her. I sometimes worry that I take too much pride in her, but I don't know if that is possible for a mother. She is on a path to great things, and I hope that when I am done with this project she will feel the love that I am pouring into it.

On a completely selfish note- again! I am going to talk with an artist about my newest tattoo tomorrow. Funny enough, it is the father of one of my daughter's friend. I like his work a lot! I actually saw a piece of his up in the studio that Emily and I went and screen printed in last week. She has been working on a project with her art teacher, (who I really like a lot! she is her teacher for her focus classes during her one day a week at gifted). There is a new children's hospital that is almost done being built here in the Burgh and some of the kids work is going to be up on the walls. The kids did Warhol-esque prints in vibrant colors, in a two by two square, and Emily and I helped to print the outlines of the toys that were on those prints, in different colors to make them really pop from the screen...

it was really fun! We laughed and co-operated and maybe we'll get to go to the presentation to see them up on the walls, because that would be cool.... fun stuff!

Anyway, sorry that my posts have been lacking.
I miss it when I am gone.
I think of twenty -two different posts daily! : )
I just can't make it here, unless I'm being an insomniac... like now!
We have also been fighting off a very persistent infection.. that hasn't gotten a good hold, but is stubbornly lingering! Oh and there was that thing with the ER again! Emily needed it this time... long story.. she had an unknown virus that caused her to break out in hives and then have this awful rash over her whole body... red raised, puffy eyes,crazy itchy... poor thing. She needed steroids and it took a few days before it helped completely... now she's doing MUCH better....

there is never a dull moment in this house, I swear!
so here's a few pics to show what's been going on around here!

mmm... a spur of the moment cauliflower/sweet potato/ garbanzo bean soup. it was super tasty and the kiddos dug it lots! It was sort of sweet because the stock I made that morning had so many carrots in it (I save all my scrubbed outside peels, butts, and veggie leftovers and make a stock every week out of it...for my weekly soup). I used it to my advantage though and made this curried soup. good stuff.

This was the scene from Valentines Day, after Al got home from work. We made the kids bags... a movie, a little candy, and handmade cards from us.

And everyone made a card for Al, with construction paper, and hearts I cut out that they glued on, and some stickers, markers and crayons, too!

so sweet!

the kiddos digging in...all decked out in red! : )

Emily requested some Aloo Gobi with the rest of the cauliflower I had, so I made some from this recipe on Allrecipes, of course with a few modifications, such as adding a half a pound of tofu cubed, and only 1/2 a head of cauliflower. I make this all the time and the kids go nutso for it. I love this recipe... and I love my kids! I love that eat so many different things.

Some rockin' beef stew I made with a pot roast cubed, browned, and simmered for hours, with carrots, onions, potatoes and celery... with the edition of some Trader Joe's Bread. YUM!!

Today I am thankful for good food, good times, good friends, and good memories.

I am thankful that my kids eat my wacky food.

I am thankful that we love and respect each other around here(most of the time!)