Annie the Artist

Tonight was "A Celebration of the Arts" at Annie's elementary school- complete with a silent auction, raffle baskets, bake sale, musical performances and the children's art gallery. It was a huge fundraiser for the Art program which is amazing. Many thanks to all who help teach- and to the many, many volunteers who put tonight together!! I have a special place in my heart for people who can draw and create- because it is honestly something I can not do. (I struggle with stick figures.)

Annie's first watercolor on canvas.

She gets her talent from her grandma Murdock!

The Kindergartners drew the flowers and the bugs, cut them out of fabric and made a mural.
Annie's Self Portrait. (And although I think she was drawing a valentines shirt she has- this is very typical Annie- she is very sensitive and her heart is always showing!!) Way to go!

Jail Bird

One of my favorite little moments lately is when I get Meg after a nap and she is sitting in her crib with her leg sticking out between the railings. Often times her foot is swinging as she jabbers away.

It always makes me smile as she grins at me between the rungs!

Meatloaf ain't just a sexy singer

Annie: (looking at her plate) What's for dinner?
Mom: meatloaf
Annie: It looks like dog food. Do I have to eat it?
Mom: At least try a bite.
Annie: If I don't eat it can I still have a cookie?

(the kids have left their untouched meatloaf and gone to play)
A: did it taste like Dog food?
Dan: Well . . . I've never had dog food, but it has the same consistency.

Editors note: Crap- I made a double batch and the other 1/2 is in the freezer!

Damn Good Cake

Chocolate Cake
chocolate cake mix
2 sm. instant chocolate puddings
4 eggs
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
1 t. vanilla
1 c. sour cream
1 c. choc chips

Pour all ingredients into large bowl and mix well. Bake in a bundt (or other favorite cake) pan at 350 for 45-50 minutes. (hint: doesn't really work with cupcakes!)

And top it off with real frosting or sprinkled with powdered sugar

BUTTER FROSTING
1/3 c butter
4 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 c milk
1 t vanilla

Beat butter until fluffy, add vanilla, add half of the powdered sugar and milk, then beat it remaining powdered sugar. Add more milk if needed!

CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1/2 c butter
2/3 c Cocoa
3 c powdered sugar
1/3 c milk
1 t vanilla

melt butter and cocoa. Add half powdered sugar and milk and mix well. Add remaining powdered sugar and more milk if needed.

Parker Family

The Murdock Family, Meg, Dan Adrianne, Kate and Annie.


And much thanks to the dance studio fundraiser The Parker Family Picture has been updated. (From L to R) Naomi Rhoades, Nicole Parker; Scott and Courtney Jacobsen; Papa Jared holding Sophie Connors; Parker, Ashley and Johnny Connors; Grandma Mushie with Kate Murdock; Meg, Dan, Adrianne and Annie Murdock; and Lauren Parker.

I considered writing something I love about each member of my family- but already it makes me a little too emotional. That said, I'll give a collective shout out to the family. We enjoy many good times together which always revolve around food.

• My family is a great example of unconditional love - because they love me and ignore my grumpy mood when I haven't had enough sleep.


• My family is a great example of forgiveness because they let it slide when the dessert does turn out just right and they eat it anyways.


• My family is a great example of patience and tolerance because they don't mind listening to the same CD every time they ride in my car. (ie Kendal Payne or Norah Jones)

We laugh together and we cry together. My sisters are some of my very best friends I have and my parents have taught me so much to help me become the person that I am today!

Thanks!! I love all of you.

Obsessive Compulsive

Blogging has made me acutely aware of my OC tendicies. Which I have seen so clearly in those around me but never thought I had. (okay except my obsession with making "perfect" choc. chip cookies). Anyways, although I have occasionly read other people's blogs- and laughed and cried with them. I have never needed to check the sites daily (or hourly) as I have found myself doing this past week. Couple that with my new reading obsession of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich and I am pretty much useless. (Similar to the Twlight useless).


So, I have decided that it is time to set limits on my new found loves, or before I know it I am going to have a full scale addiction. This means never getting out of my shlumpadinkas, reading two Stephanie Plum (or more acurately Joe Morelli) novels a day and limiting my interruptions to getting up to get another chocolate chip cookie and check the blogs one more time. Thus limits- I need to either limit this day of complete self indulgence to once a week- or maybe I should rotate through: one day I can stalk blogs, the next enjoy a diet of chocolate chip cookies and diet coke and then read two books to make up for lost time!!

Blogging Fever

My kids are always interested in what I am doing on the computer. (Between my new found love of Blogs, Shelfari and owning a dance studio- it has been a lot lately!!) One of Kate's favorite things to do, is to log onto my e mail for me so I can read it quickly- and she can get right to playing on webkins. Well today they are home for the day and have caught "blog fever"- so they dressed up for me and begged to have their pictures taken for me to post!
Kate in thigh-high cowboy boots. Annie's a rockstar with her ukulele.

Meg!! the baby mop

I picked Meg up off the floor the other day just to find that she was totally dirty. (guess i haven't been keeping up with the snow and dirt that gets tracked in.) So I found this little thing on a friends blog and thought that this would be a great idea- why not put her to work while she is scooting around on the floor??

Disclaimer

This is my first post and already I am feeling like a bitter blogger. So I am starting out with a disclaimer: I am not running for wife or mother of the year. Thus I am officially withdrawing my name from all competitions created by "the blog world." I don't want the purpose of my blog to be to out-cook or out-hollyhomemaker the next blogger. Because there are lots of days that I don't quite get it all right- actually some days I get it all wrong and I really don't need the pressure.