Day 31 of 31 #SOL16

Here it is. The final day and it is after 11 p.m. I have had slicing on my mind so much today, afraid I would forget to do it. I think I almost did! Today I am sitting here surrounded by piles of clothes as we prepare for a trip to a conference this weekend. My kids are making a trip to the grandparents and my husband and I are going to a be kid free for four days! It's going to be amazing and it will make those hugs at the end of those four days that much sweeter.
I love my kids but I also think little breaks once in a while are good. It's great for my kids to have the undivided attention of their grandparents and it is wonderful for my husband and me to have a meal whenever we want! I am really looking forward to the trip, the break from school, and some different surroundings. It is welcomed and much needed.

Day 30 of 31 #SOL16

Dreaming of
a stream
in between my toes

Thinking of
a sun
shining down in rows

Wishing for
a day
slower I suppose

Hoping it
will stay
warming breezes blow


I am growing more and more impatient for sunny weather that is consistent. I try not to complain about the weather too much. However, lately, I notice a distinct difference in how I feel when I walk outside and the sun is shining as opposed to dark gray clouds with a side of sprinkles. Here's to dreaming, thinking, wishing, and hoping for warmer days ahead.

Day 29 of 31 #SOL16

IEP's

Goal focused

But sometimes

Reality focused

When everything

Is stacked against you

Yet, you are worth it

I hope you know

We want it all

Knowing we can only give

Knowing it may go away

June-August

Knowing we are your support

Knowing you are doing your best

We see you

We will do our best too.

Day 28 of 31 #SOL16

I just finished up practicing the EdCollab presentation with three other co-authors from TWT. We present on Saturday together along with a variety of presenters. It should be a great day of learning. We practiced via Google Hangout, which essentially is a video call. It's always fun to "get together" with these ladies and we always find lots of opportunities for laughter. I just hope I can keep my cool on Saturday without cracking up (TWT authors, if you are reading this, I promise to be on my best behavior). I have a few tweaks I want to make to my slides and I am crossing my fingers that technology is on my side Saturday. Hope you join in at the gathering!

Day 27 of 31 #SOL16

Where do I begin? Today was one of those days that had so many slices I feel like I have a whole pie ready to serve and another one going in the oven! Let's see...

The best slice of my day was likely when my daughter and I made her birthday treat for tomorrow. Birthday number nine is on its way and she is pumped! She wanted mini dirt cakes to share with her classmates and all her former teachers. That amounts to about thirty cups of cake. I may have, at one point, looked at her and said, "Are you sure you don't want ice-cream sandwiches?" Nah, she wasn't having it and really I knew it would be fun.

We started by mixing up the pudding and milk to set up. The butter and cream cheese were busy softening on the counter while we crushed up two packs of Oreos. She then proceeded to lay out fifteen of the cups on the counter.

Next came the creaming of the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar with a splash of vanilla. It came together pretty quick but I soon realized I did not have room in my bowl to fold in all that pudding (6 1/2 cups) plus 24 oz. of whipped topping. We'd need to divide and conquer the ingredients. So about three bowls later we had everything mixed up and ready to layer.

I placed some crushed cookies in the bottom of each cup (we used little clear punch cups) she put on two ice cream scoop fulls of pudding mixture and I topped them with more cookie. When we finished all thirty of them I worked on pulling apart thirty little pieces of press and seal wrap to close up the tops of the cups.

After they sit through the night the bottom layer of cookie will kind of become one with the pudding and the top layer will stay a little bit crunchy. It really is a little cup of rich yummy goodness. Those kids better love them and I better get one since this year I happen to be her writing teacher one hour of the day. :)


Recipe from Just a Pinch Recipes:
I doubled everything to make thirty little servings plus had about a pie plate worth for my husband to take to work tomorrow.

Ingredients

1 bag(s)

oreos, crushed

8 oz

cream cheese, softened

1/4 c

butter, softened

1 c

powdered sugar

3 c

milk

2 sm box

instant vanilla pudding

1/2 tsp

vanilla

12 oz

cool whip, thawed

Gummy worms (optional)

1

Cream together cream cheese, butter & powered sugar & vanilla.

2

In separate bowl mix milk & pudding chill until set. Fold in cool whip after pudding has set. Blend in cream cheese mixture.

3

Layer pudding mixture with crushed Oreos. Chill until ready to serve.

You can also add some gummy worms for garnish!

Day 26 OF 31 #SOL16

I wrote about small victories yesterday. We went out for a late breakfast to celebrate. Nothing like a good old diner to bring you back to reality! People of all walks of life seem to enjoy the diner scene. We don't go often but when we do there is always bound to be a story or two just waiting. I watched as waitresses bumped into each other hustling around the counter. They worked their hardest to force a smile while it appeared chaos was all around them. Plates clinking, silverware falling, "behind you," and "hot coffee" rang through the crowded conversations. My kids proceeded to play rock, paper, scissors, some other finger counting game that doesn't have a name, and "karate chop the straw wrapper" while we waited for our food.

As I looked down at my practically plate size omelet and side of hash browns I asked myself, "What was I thinking?" It's the kind of meal that tastes so good you just can't stop eating even though everything inside you is telling you to quit whilte you're ahead. I think I ate about half of it and then watched my kids eat their pancakes and pick from my plate, "Are you going to eat those hashbrowns?" and "Can I have your biscuit?" I gladly gave it up as I sat ridiculously full.

We had planned on running a few errands after breakfast but when I looked over at my husband I could tell we were all heading home. I'm thinking a nap may be in my future.

"Order up!"

Day 25 of 31 #SOL16

Life is full of small victories. I was having a conversation with my sister today and we were sharing with each other some that have occurred recently. Though I won't share those victories here I felt like it was appropriate to write and record that they are happening. Sometimes big problems don't feel as though they will ever be solved. Sometimes big things take over our life. Tucked within those big problems that seem to overwhelm every fiber of our being there are small victories taking place. They are chipping away at the big problems. Once in a while it almost feels like real progress.

Today we colored eggs for Easter. One of the eggs cracked a bit while cooking. I left it out of the pile to be dyed. My daughter had other ideas. She took the little egg and dipped in many colors. Then she put it with the rest of them. A little later she asked if she could open it to see what happened on the underside of the shell. Both my kids marveled at their discovery of a web-like design on the egg.

Sometimes things that seem like a problem or unfixable are actually just waiting for their big moment to be amazing.