It's become a bit of a tradition that we usually have a big breakfast on Saturday mornings. Either SPH or I get up with the boys and we make something like eggs and bacon, homemade waffles or pancakes.

The other morning the boys requested French Toast and no bread was to be found in the house. I substituted Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins and called them English Muffin French Toast Dippers, which I guess made them sound even more fun and exciting, because the boys loved it. [more]

Every year for the past few years we've hosted a family Halloween gathering at our house. My kids love to decorate for Halloween, and I love the chance to host a holiday party--especially a party that involves cooking up ghoulish looking cookies and other Halloween-themed food. I was so prepared this year--in advance, for once. Weeks ago I bought the party plates and tablecloth, and I've been collecting recipes and party ideas, and browsing Halloween sites for what seems like forever.

It doesn't look like it's going to happen this year. Thanks, H1N1. [more]

A new week is upon us and with it comes new busyness and excitement. R and G both have Halloween/Harvest parties at school this week, Thursday brings Trick or Treating (still don't understand why we have it on the 29th this year) and SPH has a busy work week too.

Each weekend I try and come up with a menu plan for the week to help ease the stress of each night's meal. With an extra busy week, I tend to focus on easy-to-prepare favorites, some of which can be made ahead or in the slow cooker. [more]

Something has happened to my internal clock, and to the internal clocks of my students, and my husband, and my poor children, who usually hop out of bed pretty wide awake every morning (my kids can go from asleep to awake in .2 seconds). Every day this week I've surfaced painfully from a deep sleep and every day this week I've had to drag both L. and T. out of bed. Even the dog has a hard time getting up. She follows me downstairs in the dark, but races to her second dog bed--the one in the office--to catch a little extra snooze time while I blow dry my hair. [more]

When I had lunch with T. for the first time at school on Monday, one thing was made blatantly clear: this is a girl who likes her lunch. And while she had fun talking and being silly with her friends, she also worked her way dutifully through all the compartments in her bento box, until there was little, if anything at all, left behind.

This is a girl whose highlight of her week last week was getting 60 cents one day to buy milk. Chocolate milk.

And a girl who likes it when I make silly sandwiches with silly names for her like Ants on a Pillow
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