Super Moon = a realization for Mommy Time...

So this was a Super Moon kind of day. I have been tired and cranky, and just working through trying to get the day done. I posted on my personal Facebook about how I just broke down and yelled at my kids "Please pick your crap up and quit playing 'Squirrel!'".

Here's my frustration. I love my children. I would so be super mom, or a female Al Capone if you mes with my kids. I am a momma bear. my son is the love of my life. But at the same time, I have spent all day focusing on an Excel spreadsheet hurrying to complete it accurately but speedily. I came home, and found out that I ruined the pork chops in the crock pot, and they just weren't right and he was not eating them. ... crying was gonna happen soon.

Then I go out to see the Super Moon, and it was clouding and beginning to rain.

Now then, Boy-o talks. He talks all the time. He narrates everything he does, what he is thinking about doing, and wants constant affirmations that I like what he is doing. Which I give him whole-heartedly. I answer all the random questions "How long to flies live? What's it like underwater? What would happen if I mixed soap and the scrubby stuff?" I answer things about his Dad and I. I answer things positively about his father, so that it's a good bond that I have not singed.

But, after working all that time, I would love to be able to come home after a hard day, sit on the couch, and zone out. But that is not the life of a single mom. It's me and these two 24/7. All the homework, the scrapes, the 'do the chores', the hugs, the kisses, the goofiness, the tears, the fears.

But I love them, and I realize that someday I will miss all of this. It isn't easy, I knew it wasn't gonna be easy. But it's worth every moment.

... Because between verbally asking him multiplication tables and even some quiz facts for sis that she shares on our drive in the morning when we start out together.... I get this wonderful contest where the kids try to up me on who loves who more. Often - I drag out a 90's saying of 'All that and a bag of chips' which produces giggles. We sing and for 5 minutes, we try to start our days out the best we can. As a loving family, who while odd... is working our best to be the best we can be.

Never said we were perfect - Never said that was a goal. But happy and productive.... those are goals I shoot for with my kiddos.

A cloudy Super Moon taken this evening. 

Flat Kiddlets - A week with Aunt Silla!

The Flat Kidlets started their week helping Aunt Silla out on Hall Duty at the school she works for.

Helping Aunt Silla with Hall Duty

The next day, they helped her students with their lunches and visited the School's Bird Museum!

Helping the students out with eating lunch!

Visiting the Bird Museum

The next day, they helped her on the farm checking fences and checking on the cows, they even got stuck in the dirt helping her plant some things!

We got stuck in the mud when we were planting!

Looking at fences, we got to see the cows!

From Aunt Silla: "Today my little flat people and I worked hard in the garden, we picked asparagus, and rhubarb. Then Canned it they also visited with my grandma while I mowed the yard."

Flat Tori & Ian with the Asparagus

Flat Tori & Ian in the Rhubarb Patch

Canned Goodness!

Keeping Grandma company!

 Until Next Time!

Starting my Christmas...

We generally try to mourn Thanksgiving for a bit. You know, indulge in it's leftovers, bask in the togetherness... mourn for the distended waistlines.

So this weekend, we have officially began decorating for the Christmas Season! I've also began baking, and have... mostly successfully attempted to make Rainbow Cookies. I also had much more success with Almond Paste.

Several Notes: On the Almond Paste, depending on the grade of your food processor. I've found it is EASIER to get those almonds to almost power prior to adding your hot sugar syrup. If you are like me, and can't afford high powered processors. This will help save your motor, and allow you to keep that hard paste feeling, without having to water it down too much. I still had to add simple syrup.

On another note - Making Rainbow cookies? DO IT! But do it better than I did! Thin Thin layers! less is more on the Jam. You really need just a thin layer, because you will be compressing this cookie, and it will help those layers set to each other. You are wanting to glue, not lubricate. (Yeah - by the way... I totally did THAT the other way around! I lubricated my thick layers of cookie with jam.)

The other note, is on your chocolate layer, use the cup of Dark Chocolate, and give it a threesome in a pan with some butter and heavy cream. Not enough to make a Ganache, but enough to make it spreadable and not to seize on you!

That being said... enjoy the pictures of my labor.