We took the kids to Huntington Beach State Park to fly their kites last weekend. Seemed like a great idea, since it was a nicy windy day. Turns out it was TOO WINDY to fly a kite! Also the sand was blowing like crazy, and it STUNG when it hit our bare legs! Spike wasn't crazy about the blowing sand, either! We had fun, anyway.
Here's my recipe for Banana Bread. This is an old family recipe, and it's super good. Even better if you use REAL butter and REAL buttermilk. It's definitely not health food, though! You can make it a little healthier by substituting applesauce for part of the butter, and whole wheat flour for part of the all-purpose flour, but it's not as good that way. Still good, but not GREAT. Better yet, splurge once in a while and make it the old fashioned way... mmmmm....
Banana Bread
1 Cup Butter
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Buttermilk
2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Bananas, mashed
1/2 Cup Chopped Nuts, optional
Mix all ingredients just until incorporated and turn out into a well greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done. (Or use a muffin tin and bake 18-20 minutes.)
A Gi-freakin'-normous live oak tree at Hampton Plantation. A plaque near the trunk says that George Washington saved the tree in 1791.
Benjamin's tank
showing off his license
Oh, so close!
The boys performing the skit I wrote. They did such a good job!
Um... It's looking at me. Scary monster cat face in my ice cream!
Kenzie got some new shoes-her first pair of heels. You should see her shuffle along in them. 
Pretty.
Muffin Tin Meals. Got this idea from several websites. You serve a meal in a muffin tin. The kids thought it was great fun, and I managed to get them to eat more veggies than normal this way.
A few pics from Benjamin's 7th Birthday...
My daughter, the walrus.
We all thought the cake turned out great!
Ben with his favorite present. They had both been begging for this remote controlled T-Rex since before Christmas but it was too expensive. Until I found it on clearance last week for 60% off!!! This thing is hilarious, too. They'll be playing with it for a long time.
Benjamin and Mackenzie with some Valentine's stuff they made at school. The first thing Benjamin said when he got in the car to come home from school was "Mom, I had soda today, but I promise not to act crazy!"
Bill took me to Hard Rock Cafe last night for my birthday dinner, which, as everybody knows, is one of my favorite places. Especially in the off season, when it's not so crowded. OK, yes, they are over-priced and tourist-y, BUT they are very family friendly, and give priority seating to pregnant women NOT THAT THAT APPLIES TO ME, good heavens NO. Uh-uh, no way, no how, nope. Also I love their motto, "Love All, Serve All". Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all did that?
The kids loved it. Benjamin didn't know whether to eat or sing. I think he decided to compromise, and sing with his mouth full. ;) He bobbed up and down pretty much the whole time we were there, jamming to the music.
Bill didn't get around to shopping for a birthday present for me, so I got to pick out a super-cool long sleeved t-shirt that I had been ogling on the internet for a few weeks.
The motor cycle the kids and I are posing on is a prop out in front of the restaurant.
I ran in Barnes & Noble on the way home and picked up a couple of calendars, now that they are 75% off. I checked at Books-a-Million on Saturday and they were still only 50%, what's up with that???
World's Saddest Reindeer
Fa La La La La, La La La LAAAAAHHH!!!
Holidays can be exhausting!
Bah humbug.
