Dance Festival!

Our school had a dance festival today and it was fabulous. I had a child in each grade, except for two. Oy. The kids did a great job and I was able to snap some great photos of them. I was able to catch Yoalli in action doing her dance. Kung Fu Fighting....loved it!

Keeleigh did the Chicken Dance!

Gabs did the Jungle Book!

Yoalli danced to Kung Fu Fighting! 

Cuauhtli Square Danced!

Tonathiu did the "I'm too cool for 6th grade dance festivals". 

It was fun to watch them and do you notice??? It was actually SUNNY! Huzzah!

Easy Yummyness.

I am part of the Bountiful Baskets Food CoOp. I love it. If you haven't heard of it, seriously go check it out. For $15 you get 6 different types of vegetables and 6 different types of fruits, and not just one or two of each. They also offer breads, tortillas, herbs, DIY decorative cookies, and cakes. Those are available for a bit more money. We've been doing it for about a month now, and I don't know that I'll buy fruits and veggies in the markets anymore. I also bought the bread and tortillas. Love Love Love them. My kids really love seeing what we'll get each week too.
You might be wondering at this point why I named this post Easy Yummyness.

Well, last week we got blueberries.

My kids or cary and I will  not eat just blueberries. I was excited though, because this meant that I was going to be able to make something with them. Today I finally had the time to do just that! I have been searching for a quick, easy, and Delicious recipe for a cake/muffin/bread for blueberries. This morning I struck Gold! Gold, I tell you! I found this little gem on Yummly. Cute name, aye?
Easy Blueberry Cream Cheese Cake- (kinda more like a bread though)

212    cup bisquick (baking mix)
	2	eggs
	12 cup	sugar
	1 tsp	vanilla
	12 cup	milk
	1 cup	blueberries (frozen, thawed and drained)
	2 tbsp	oil
	6 oz	cream cheese (softened)
	2 tbsp	milk
	14 cup	sugar

Method

1	Preheat oven to 350.
2	In a small bowl mix cream cheese 2 TBSP milk and 1/4 cup suagr until smooth. Set aside.
3	In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
4	Mix in Bisuick mix then stir in blueberries.
5	Pour half of cake batter into a 9 in loaf pan.
6	Pour half cream cheese mixute straight down middle of pan (do not mix in YET).
7	Pour rest of cake batter over top, then top with remaining cream cheese mixture.
8	Take a knife and gently stir make swirl effect.
9	Bake for 45 minute or until done.

I just realized that I forgot to do the swirling. Dang it! No matter though, it's still good and I dont think my crew will complain that there are no swirlies. Especially if they don't know! :)

I've tried it.
I got the end piece, which is crustier than the rest and that isn't my favorite part. But, I love the taste of the fresh blueberries and the cream cheese kicks it over the top. I'm sure it would even be better if you swirl. :)

How Close?

I miss my Dad. I still think about him every day.
I was having a conversation with a dear friend the other day, whom has also lost her father, about how close our loved ones really are. It was so helpful to talk about it with her so candidly and share our thoughts and feelings. I shared with her a story that I've been hesitant to share with anyone else. But, for fear of forgetting it, I shall write it down so that I can save it and read it later, when I need to feel closer to my Dad.

I was all by myself one afternoon and me being alone does not happen very often. I don't think I had even been thinking of my dad more than usual, but I was missing him heaps.
I walked out to our van and sat down in the driver's seat. Instantly, I smelled cigarette smoke. No one else was around and no one near us really smoke either. But, there it was, as strong as if it had just been snuffed out in the ashtray. It smelled just like my Dad had just put out a cigarette after I had yelled at him that he wasn't going to smoke in the van. I was always after him to not smoke and/or to just quit altogether. It made me smile, faintly, and think of my dad.
   Then, I turned on the van and the radio was on. Which, isn't all that out of the ordinary, however, it was turned up louder than I normally have it, and  the song.....La Grange by ZZ Top. My Dad's song. The song that played every time his phone rang. I could see his phone, see him holding it, and see him answering the phone, all in my mind's eye.

Coincidence? Perhaps.

I don't think so.

I think it was my Dad saying "Hello. I love you. I'm here"

Miss you Daddy.

I made this little bouquet for him from flowers from my flower bed and wrapped it with Easter Ribbon I had.

 

 

 

 

 

I think he loved it. :)

GOOOOOoaaaaaaaaallllllllll!

Cuauhtli started playing soccer this year. Holy cow, is it fun! For him too, I'm sure. No, seriously, he loves, I mean, LOVES the game. He's pretty stinking good at it too. His first game was a couple of weeks ago, and they rawked it. The team works pretty well together and it's so much fun cheering them on to victory!

I was only able to catch a couple of photos because I was a nervous wreck the first time watching him play! I didn't want him to get hurt, but man! I wanted him to get in there and GET that Ball! :)

Cuauhtli is fearless and not afraid to look silly. I love that about him. He gives everything 100%, be it soccer or driving me crazy.
The other day this was part of our conversation:
C: "Mom, am I grounded?"
Me: "What do you think, Cuauhtli?"
C: "Well, I think in your head you are saying yes, for three years, but in your heart you are saying No Son! i love you!"
Me: laughing too hard to speak.

Love that kid.

Easter!

It's been a while since I've posted, man I need to catch up! I hate it when I don't blog for a while. Writing is therapeutic for me, even if it is just the silly, fun stuff. I'll try to remember the past couple of weeks....

We invited our friends and siblings over for some egg coloring fun. I really enjoy seeing the creativity of each of the kids.

Sadly, Tonathiu had a scout camp out and didn't join us for the fun. Bummer.

I was sneaky and put this out for the kids to wake up to:

We don't do the "Easter Bunny", I guess it's more the "Easter Mumma"! :) I like it better that way and the kids don't miss a thing.  please excuse the bananas in the background :)

Saturday morning we woke up and got to watch Cuauhtli in his first ever soccer game. more on that in the next post.
Then, we came home and it was time to munch and hunt eggs and have some fun! Woo! :)
    We asked Itztli and Atlahi to come over and hunt eggs with us.

Clearly, you can tell how excited they were. Just look at those precious faces!

on a mission!

I have no idea what was so funny!

Where da eggs at?

Cheese!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kids really enjoyed the day. That night we did our Easter Story Cookies. I can proudly say that's a Nicholas Whanau Tradition now. :) I love those words. I love the feeling you get when you speak of the traditions that you do with your family. Family. I love it.

This is what our cookies looked like

Yum to the O.

I wish I could show you photos of us eating them, but they went too quickly.
Deeelishush.

How was your Easter?