D is for Donut

I read about this idea for quick and easy donuts somewhere and thought I'd give it a try. I have fond memories of making donuts at a friends house, so I knew the boys would think it was fun as well. These donuts are just the refrigerated pop-open-the-can biscuits, with a hole cut out, fried in oil. Of course, we saved the "holes" to fry too, although Justus called them "buttons".

Checking out the "holes" and you can see the donuts frying.

First taste of the warm donuts!

We decided to take this little show on the road so we didn't stink up the house. I was going to just heat the oil on the side burner of the grill but after the grill wouldn't start and I spilled several cups of oil on the driveway I decided to just get out the Fry Daddy. By the way, don't ever move a grill while there is a pan of oil on the burner. (Don't worry, this was before my ill-fated attempts to turn the grill burner on!)

These two hams put on the sprinkles.

So after a short interlude that included several buckets of hot soapy water, some scrubbing with the broom, and a rinse from the hose we were done with the phase one clean up efforts and moved on to the real fun.

It took just a minute or two in the fryer for the donuts to brown nicely. Then we dipped them in glaze and added sprinkles for fun. (We shook a couple in powdered sugar too.) But the best part was eating them. Nothing like a warm donut! These were okay as far as taste goes but I think they would be awesome if you took the time to make the dough yourself. They tasted kind of chemically to me but I haven't had biscuits out of a "can" in I don't know how long! We managed to save a few donuts for dessert, but none of the "holes" survived.

Thumbs up for the donuts!

Want one?

Playmobil Poses

The other day the boys were "bored" so I told them to set up their Playmobil guys and I'd let them take some pictures of them. I was thinking we could move the figures around and tell a little story but that isn't what the boys had in mind. They basically just wanted to take pictures.

So, here are the pictures they took, in no particular order, and I have no idea who shot what:

OH NO! He crashed!

Why is this family camping next to a skateboard park?!

That Was Fast

Roz hasn't even left for college yet but due to the marvel that is CP and AP classes she has already completed a semesters worth of credits! In addition to the credits for math and English from the AP/CP classes, UWEC offers what they call "retro-credits" for foreign language...if you can test out of the first year. Roz took the test for French (which she took all four years of high school) and scored well enough to earn eight retro-credits if she passes the first semester of second year French (which she will). That will give her 20 credits! Way to go Roz!!

Table for 9

We had some friends over for a playdate this week. The Lawyer family has six kids as well, but the similarities don't end there! We both have a set of boy/boy fraternal twins and homeschool and drive a big white van! They even had trouble getting in their driveway this winter too! Just like us!

Out of the twelve kid between us "only" nine were included in the fun. The kids played (loudly) for a couple hours while the moms visited. Except for a few minutes, everyone stayed inside (I know those of you in Arizona will laugh) because it was HOT outside! It really was! We had highs in the 90's this past week with humidity to match. Definitely stay inside type weather!

As lunch approached we made mini pizzas. I made the dough but each kid got to put their own toppings on.

Everyone seemed to enjoy being a mini-pizza chef. The hardest part was trying to fit nine pizzas in the oven at once! But we managed...they were mini pizzas afterall.

Friends make any meal taste better!

Just-In-Case

With Roz graduating this year I knew we'd have several graduation parties to attend this summer. I decided to get a little creative and put together a little something myself to give as a gift. Our family is big on having extra supplies on hand. That goes for everything from ketchup to kleenex, spices to soap. It saves time and money have a little emergency backup and what better gift than to share that with someone! :)


So I bought a couple of plastic shoeboxes and filled them with all sorts of stuff a freshman, living away from home for the first time, might need in a pinch. Now these are not regular supplies, these items are for emergency backup, to help explain I wrote this little poem to stick in the box:

I'm sure your parents will supply you well,
But emergencies come, you never can tell,
This little kit will help you be prepared,
For you alone or it can be shared.

Just open this box and you'll find,
Helpful items of various kind.
Check here first for what you need or
Share the enclosed as a good deed.

You'll have most of this already, no doubt,
This box is "just in case" you run out,
Or some needed object should drop,
Or you've none left with no time to shop.

For it's good to have a backup in place,
It can keep a smile on your face,
To know you're ready for what comes your way,
Keep a little inconvenience from ruining your day.

So as you pack late this summer,
Don't forget (that'd be a bummer),
To take this here little box,
And put it in with your socks.

And when you use the items within,
Keep on your face a happy grin,
Not a frown, and
Remember Mrs. Shown.

If you would like to see what was included in each box, click the photo below to enlarge. You'll be amazed at what I fit in there! It was a tight squeeze but I managed to squeeze it all in.
Roz gave her approval and said she hope the gifts are used appropriately. :) Me too!

My New Toy

Instead of putting my birthday money into savings this year I decided to actually buy myself a little something! The only thing I regret is waiting so long! Being Mac people we have several iPods in this house but none were mine. I'm not into music like Jer and Roz though so I didn't feel left out. Until the iPod Touch.

I knew these existed but I had never seen one in action until Roz got one (FREE!) with her new MacBook. I seriously considered taking hers since she already has an iPod but I figured I'd hear about "that time Mom stole my iPod" well into my elderly years. I don't need that kind of guilt. So I ordered one for myself. And after playing with it for a week I am so happy I did!

This iPod isn't just for music and photos...it is like a mini Mac in your hand! You can check your email or surf the web or check the weather or update your calendar (and address book) from this tiny wonder. When Apple says it's the "funnest iPod ever" they aren't kidding! To watch the "guided tour" click here.
It's like an iPhone without the phone part (you just need a WiFi connection to do the online stuff). All those cool applications you've seen on the TV commercials can also be put on the iPod touch. Jerry has a regular iPod and at first didn't seem to impressed with the bells and whistles of the iPod touch. That is until he saw the cribbage app I downloaded. Now I can hardly get the thing away from him. He got mad at me for taking it to my dentist appointment with me last night!

We aren't big TV people, but we do LOVE the internet. Most of my time on the internet is spent reading, so this means I can read my emails and favorite blogs from a lawn chair in the front yard or in bed (instead of a book!). Gives whole new meaning to the saying "the world at your fingertips"!

The Hill

Thursday afternoon we left my mom in charge of the boys and headed to Eau Claire. It was about a three hour drive. I know we drove past several of you on the way...next time we'll drop in for dinner!

We spent the night at a local hotel and headed to UWEC at 7:30am for orientation and registration. It was a very informative (and slightly overwhelming) day. Both parents and students walked away with a BINDER full of information! Since Jerry and I never experienced on-campus living, it was interesting for both of us.

UW Eau Claire is one of the several University of Wisconsin branches. About 10,000 students attend UWEC. They are the "Blugolds" which is an invented word combining the school colors. They are in the process of coming up with a mascot. Good luck with that!

Here are a few things I took away from our orientation day:

• Holy cow! It costs a small fortune to feed a kid away at school!
• Bikes are stolen more often than laptops.
• Over 30% of students start out undeclared (like Roz!)
• 60% change their major at some point.
  
• The staff we met there was great! Very friendly.
  
• Apparently there aren't enough English and Math classes to go around?!
• The way to a parents wallet is through their stomach. They just kept feeding us!
  

But after going to Eau Claire with Roz for orientation this past Friday, I only have two words for you:

THE HILL

Oh my! The hill! Those of you who have ever seen or walked up "The Hill" know exactly what I am talking about. It is the one thing that people seem to remember about the fine UWEC campus. And I can see why!
If the steep incline doesn't do you in...then the stairs will!

The campus is basically divided into three pieces. Upper campus (at the top of the hill), lower campus (at the bottom--obviously!), and a few buildings across the Chippewa River which runs right through the campus (very beautiful!). A small bridge (for pedestrians and bikers) crosses the river. I guess it can get pretty cold on the bridge in the winter when the wind is blowing down the river. Rumor has it David Letterman once did a top ten list of the coldest places on earth and this little bridge was on the list!Most of the dorms are on the top of the hill and the classes are at the bottom. That's one way to prevent the freshman fifteen. I am including a few pictures of the infamous hill in this post, but I guarantee you one thing...the pictures don't do it justice! As I walked (barely breathing, pouring sweat) I could only think back to how much trouble we had getting in our driveway last winter...and, folks, our driveway is nothing compared to this hill! The last time I checked Eau Claire was still in Wisconsin...which means there will be plenty of snow and ice.Roz will be in the Sutherland Residence Hall. Sutherland houses 400 students (144 guys). Each floor has 16 rooms with two students in each and one bathroom. So that's 32 kids sharing one bathroom (4 toilets, 4 sinks, and 4 showers). I'm thinking a certain someone who has always had her own room and currently has her own bathroom is going to have a little adjusting to do!?!

If you would like to take a little virtual tour of a room in Sutherland click here. (The rooms are tiny but I'm sure Roz will make herself at home in no time!) There are other dorm areas to tour as well just look off to the right hand side. When you see the kitchen, take note...only one fridge for all 400 kids..and it's all the way in the basement. No wonder those little dorm fridges are popular! Click here to read additional facts about Sutherland.

If you need one more piece of evidence regarding the hill...here is a You Tube video someone made about going up.
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*None of these pictures were taken by me. I did bring my camera but never even took it out of the bag.

How the Garden Grows: Mid-June

Here is an updated shot of the garden. I didn't taken a picture of the strawberries. They are bigger but the change is not as dramatic as here in the main garden section:

(click to enlarge)

We planted the following...

From seeds:
snap peas, bush beans, lettuce, radishes (white and red)

From sets:
onions--planted some deep for green onions and some shallow for regular

From plants:
cabbage, kohlrabi, tomatoes (several varieties), peppers (several varieties), broccoli, and celery

We didn't plan on so much from larger plants but we got a coupon for a free flat of flowers/vegetables from a local nursery as a belated "housewarming" gift. So we got a nice headstart because of that. We still have some room off to the right where I want to get a few more tomato plants. The free flat didn't have any roma or cherry tomatoes which is what I really wanted.

Also not pictured is the little herb garden area where we have: chives, cilantro, oregano, rosemary, sage, and lavender. There are a few more herbs I'd like to get but I might just wait until next year at this point.

We haven't harvested anything yet but the lettuce will be ready soon. I really like having both little garden sections right outside the back door. Once things are ready, it will be very convenient.

Look Who's Riding!

I was sitting in the kitchen this afternoon when Eli ran in to tell me Justus was out riding his bike. I was thinking that wasn't nearly as exciting as Eli was making it sound until I realized he meant with NO TRAINING WHEELS! So I ran out and sure enough Jer had taken the training wheels off the bike and Justus was riding off down the street!Eli was up next and off he went as well. Jerry didn't even have to run behind the bike at all. They both just took off. Pretty exciting stuff! We have two bikes for the twins but one is slightly larger than the other. We had training wheels on one and took the pedals off of the other. I read somewhere that if they practice balancing (without worrying about pedaling) they get the hang of riding faster. Jerry's not convinced that made a difference.
Both sets of pedals are back on now and all training wheels off! Eli spent most of the evening riding around and around the cul-de-sac. Justus wasn't nearly as interested. Wesley not wanting to be outdone decided he wanted to get his rollerblades out and try those. We had a few good laughs at his antics but he has a long way to go!

Speaking of bikes, our little push along "bike" was broken last summer just before J.D. was ready for it. I had a new one on my list of things to try and find since he isn't quite ready for the trike yet. Yesterday we headed to our favorite thrift store and we found this little "bike" for only $1!! Can't beat that. J.D. was pretty happy with it and now we have enough wheeled vehicles to go around!

Here's two short videos of the new riders for you! Eli first, then Justus.

The Garden

Hey guess what I found? A post I meant to publish several weeks ago! Like the middle of May!! Here it is anyway...the garden is already growing nicely, so use your imagination and take a short trip back in time!

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We decided make use of a few empty spots in our yard and plant some edibles. Each corner, for some unknown reason, was empty except for a bit of wood chips. So we decided to fill them in with grass, with one exception. The biggest corner was tilled and turned into the new strawberry patch. We won't get much this year but I am hoping for plentiful crops in the years ahead. I missed my patch last year. I hope the new residents of our old house enjoyed their strawberry crop.

This area was a wood chip/weed patch last year. Jerry has big plans for this spot, including: tomatoes, beans, lettuce, radishes, and a few other veggies. I thought I'd take a picture now before anything is growing and then update every once in awhile so you can see how we're doing. We aren't known for our green thumbs so it should be interesting!

Graduation Wrap Up

Okay, last graduation post here...just a few fun photos from the night. Here is a shot of the graduating seniors. It's pretty much guaranteed these 307 kids will never all be in a room together again.
Jerry got a great shot of the caps going up on Roz's camera. I was taking the little video (see post below) so I'm glad he got a still shot.Here's an interesting fact:
These two girls, both from the DPHS 2009 graduating class, were born at Desert Samaritan Hospital (now Banner Desert) in Mesa, Arizona...yet they ended up here...together! This is Roz's friend Kasey. Kasey's parents graduated from Westwood and Mesa High in Mesa! Small world, huh!?! Carry On!
Roz and her best buddies Emily, Maddy, and Allison. Maddy is related to us in some distant through marriage kind of way. But I like to think of her as a cousin and she likes to call me Shelly McCormack. Just for fun. These friends will be scattered all over the state come fall. Thank goodness for Facebook! :)
Another interesting fact:
Three out of these four girls work at Piggly Wiggly! So does Kasey (from above) and Roz's friend Jeff. The local paper has a big section each year with the photos of all the seniors from both high schools (East and West DP). Here's Roz in the main section:Piggly Wiggly always has a big spread congratulating their employees. That place is staffed mostly by kids under 20. I don't know who is going to be checking out my groceries this fall! Anyway, this years ad had a few errors that we chuckled at (mostly spelling errors). Jerry said the pig himself must have filled out the form for the ad! The Pig must like Roz because her info was correct. And this concludes your graduation 2009 coverage. Please join us again in 2020 when our next child graduates! Don't worry the spread between graduations won't be that long next time as we'll have graduates in 2022 (x2), 2024, and 2026 as well!!

The Ceremony

De Pere High School
Class of 2009
Commencement

Class Motto:
"Together we have experienced life,
separately we will pursue our dreams,
and forever our memories will remain.

Class Song:
"I Go Back"
by Kenny Chesney

Class Flower:
White Rose

After the processional (307 graduating seniors) and a couple speakers the choir sang "I Am Your Child". Roz is in the front just a bit left of center.


Here it is...the moment you've all been waiting for...the young ladies are in red gowns, young men are in black. So you'll hear Roz's name and then a few seconds later see her cross the stage. And yes, they said Shown wrong. Did you think they wouldn't!?!



The celebration begins. Smuggled confetti poppers first, followed by the classic cap toss!

The Graduate

Here are some graduation photos for you!! I'll post more tomorrow (including a short video or two) but just wanted to get these out for you to see tonight.The Graduate

Roz and the boys

Roz with proud Dad and Mom

All eight of us!

And just because I thought this one was so cute...

The youngest looks up to the oldest

The End.

Today is the last day of school for Roz. What better way than to start the day off with a hearty breakfast of pancakes....in the appropriate shape of course!They were very well received!
I told Roz that I wanted to get a picture of her on her last day. Since I got a picture of her on the first day of school, I figured it would be good to get a picture of her on her last. Here she is wearing her senior shirt. It has a faux "Survivor" theme. Among the things listed that her class has survived this year: boredom, Ms. Brace (the principal), drug testing, and swine flu. For fun, I thought I'd dig up that first "first day of school" picture for you all to see. Her first day of kindergarten also happened to be her 5th birthday...exactly...August 19, 1996. But guess what? It was the land of pre-digital cameras. And when you took a picture you never knew if it would come out until you got the film developed many days (or weeks!) later. There were no second chances if you didn't get a nice shot. (Man, I love digital cameras!)

So let's just say the first day of kindergarten picture, while clear in my memory, is terribly dark and fuzzy on film. So you will have to accept my apologies and take this as a substitution:This is Roz (although back then she was Ros or Rosalynn) in kindergarten...just not on the very first day. Was she really ever that small? Or was that pencil just really big?

And just in case you didn't get an announcement in the mail...here is one just for you:We decided to skip the gaudy Jostens emblems and do a photo announcement instead. The graduation ceremony is next Wednesday June 10th. So look for a post full of cap and gown photos on the 11th!!

June Menu

I thought I would share the menu differently this month. I used iCal this time. I didn't want re-type it all in a Google document which is how I was doing it. To see the menu...just click on the image.

Each weekday shows breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Weekday breakfast and lunches are on a two week rotation. Saturday shows a planned breakfast and dinner. Sunday shows a planned lunch (for after church) and dinner. We don't plan anything for lunch Saturday or breakfast Sunday. As usual this is subject to change without notice!!

You'll have to let me know which menu sharing method you like better.