Cookie Decorating

So I signed up for a Cookie Decorating class thinking, this will be fun, right? And it didn't look like I needed to provide any supplies. That was a bonus for me, or so I thought. I should have thought harder about that one! Ha, just because supplies aren't listed on the class schedule doesn't mean I won't need them. So earlier in the week the instructor called me to confirm my email address, but apparently something went wrong in the communication. I wasn't getting the email! I finally got in touch with her and got the email the night before class.

Here's what I was supposed to bring to class:

Please bring 6 cookies of your choice to decorate

Please be sure to not over bake your cookies and have them be at least ¼ inch to ½ inch thick.

After the cookies have cooled, cover with Cookie Glaze with a pastry brush:
Cookies must have glaze on them before class

COOKIE GLAZE:
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Tblsp Water
1 Tblsp Light corn Syrup

Let cookies dry for at least 1 Hour


List of supplies to bring:
Apron
Bath towel
Scissors
6 cookies – covered with above glaze
Coloring for icing – Wilton paste or Americolor gels (Orson Gygi’s)
2 - 3 Small Bowls
toothpicks
Something to put your cookies on to take home (cookie sheet etc..)
Spoons
12 Decorator bags (disposable or Parchment paper)
Tips # 2, 3,16,18
6 couplers

1 batch of Color Flow icing

*** Make icing the NIGHT BEFORE CLASS ***

Do not refrigerate

So, that's what I found out I needed at 6:30 p.m. the night before class. I couldn't really leave right then, my kids were just starting to get ready for bed, John was still in class. So I was pretty much stuck for the time being. So I thought, I still have time to cancel, right? I'm just going to call and say I wanted a full refund of the tuition! But no, I couldn't just take the easy way like that! I had to go to the class! But then it gets worse. I had to have this icing made the night before class, and here it was the night before class? So here's the recipe I was supposed to use.

Wilton Color Flow Icing Recipe
Color Flow Icing Recipe: (full-strength for outlining)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon water
1 lb. (4 cups) sifted confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons Color Flow Mix
With electric mixer, using grease-free utensils, blend all ingredients on low speed for 5 minutes. If using hand mixer, use high speed. Color flow icing crusts quickly, so keep bowl covered with a damp cloth while using.

Makes approx. 2 cups color flow icing.
Make icing and place in glass container with a lid
If you do not have a glass container with a lid please purchase a new set of Glad plastic containers (find at the dollar store)
** DO NOT USE old Rubbermaid or Tupperware **
Icing will be stiff

So, who really stocks Color Flow mix unless you're into cake/cookie decorating? I certainly don't! I didn't even know what the stuff was! So 10:00 p.m. and I'm at the store with Cori trying to figure out what we're doing for this class! We decided to just get a couple of containers of decorating icing! That's the same thing, right? Ha, little did we know that we were really just buying buttercream icing! Duh.

So off we go Thursday night to this class, armed with what we thought was the correct icing! So I admit, sometimes I'm just a little dumb. I don't know anything about cake/cookie decorating. That's why we signed up for the class to begin with! Oh, and the tips I was supposed to have, um yeah, didn't have the correct tips either, but wasn't willing to spend money on a new set especially if I didn't like the class!

The class starts and we look at each other. The other people were armed with notebooks, taking notes! Oh my, this is serious. These people aren't doing this just for fun. Maybe they're trying to venture into a new business. And they have to have me in their class! I'm not serious about it, I just wanted to have fun! Finally we start trying to actually decorate. Ummmmm . . . yeah, the tips I have just aren't working. Oh well, we'll make do, right? We were making do.

Then it came time to thin the icing. All we had to do was add water, a little at a time. Okay, so admit, I was impatient and knew how much the instructor had to add. So I added a lot at one time. Oops. But our icing was not smooth! It was all grainy. (I've never had my own buttercream icing turn out grainy with too much liquid though!) We still didn't realize it was buttercream. But by this time we were positive it wasn't the correct icing. So much for following directions! Uh yeah, we tried. Then the instructor took my bag to help me with my stars. Her comment, "Why is this so greasy?" I looked at Cori and said, I don't know, my hands are pretty greasy. (By this time I could barely hold onto the bag!) So the instructor said, "This feels like buttercream!" I looked at Cori and we just laughed. We had known something was wrong here! All we could do at this point was laugh. We had messed up big time. Needless to say, our cookies weren't as pretty as the others. If the class would have been graded, we would have failed! Oh well. We took the class just for fun. And guess what? Despite the frustration and our failure at cookie decorating, we had a blast! I think it bothered the others in the class that we were actually having fun, but hey, they could have tried a little harder to smile, right?

I really needed that girls time. It was so good to be out and away from all the responsibilities of home! And I had a babysitter, who wants to know all of our cookie decorating knowledge. Do I really feel like I can show her? I'm going to try this at home with the correct icing this time! I will succeed. I can't let this be a failure just for my complete lack of ability to follow directions!

Let this be a lesson to me from here on out. Follow directions explicitly, especially when trying something new! Somebody else has been doing this longer and knows what they're talking about when they give specific directions!

The big, bad "S" word!

I can say that, he doesn't know, right? So I thought. I forgot how much a two year old will repeat. He probably doesn't understand what he says, but he hears me say things, and then he repeats it! Sometimes this is so adorable, like the time I told him he was being a pill. He turned to me and said no, you pill. I couldn't resist the laughter at that point. So when he repeated the big, bad "S" word I thought, oh no, I'm in trouble. Just don't tell the girls, they will certainly chastise me! They hear me say the word and remind me, "Mom, that's a bad word!" Okay, I know I've told them it is a bad word, but when I'm frustrated with something, it becomes something like this. Argh, this is so Stupid! Okay, I told you now. My big, bad "S" word! I realize I say it all the time. But I don't call anybody stupid. I just use it in reference to a situation. (Ummmm . . . starting to sound like rationalization? It is!)
Now that my two year old is repeating everything I say, I need a greater resolve to not say this word. I need to be an example to my children. My girls hear me and know I'm breaking my own rules! How is this helping them any? Ha, it isn't. But, it is a bad habit of mine. I tried once and couldn't break the habit. So I gave up. Yes, I gave up. I thought, if I couldn't break it once, why try again? Now that I have a third reason to break this habit, maybe I should give it another shot. It is a good thing this wasn't my resolution for the new year. I would have already failed!

Oh, and by the way, the lack of pictures is very apparent on my blog. Sorry about that. My pictures are all on my other computer. But somehow my other computer decided it didn't want to work anymore. I was in the process of backing everything up, unfortunately it didn't happen fast enough. I now have the lovely task of trying to extract my data from the hard drive. Also, I have decided that I won't be putting up many pictures of my kids. There are too many weirdos out there who will use random pictures without my knowledge or permission. But really, for now, I don't even have a way to get pictures onto a computer to share. Yikes. Soon it will all be taken care of.

School performance and more!

Thursday Amber had her school sing along for the parents. It was quite cute. She is always so excited to perform, especially when she knows I am in the audience. I think she worries at times that I won't be there. But the little waves, silly faces, smiles, and all around cuteness of my daughter are so worth every hassle of getting there and the hassle of fighting with the younger children while I am there. Some kids are so embarrassed to be up there, or too shy to look up. Not Amber. As soon as she walks in she is perusing the audience, trying to find me. Then it is a smile and a little wave. Then it is more smiles and waves as the rest of the children file in! I'm such a proud mom. I love when my children perform.
Amber had two parts in the program. She sang in the after school choir and then sang with the 1st grade. I'm glad she likes to sing right now because earlier in the year she had an experience which turned her away from singing. So when she said she wanted to do after school choir, I was shocked, but encouraged it! She loves it.

Because she performed on Thursday, she thought they didn't have the after school program after school on Thursday. So nobody was there to pick her up from school. She went to the office in a panic. The secretary tried to call me, but I didn't hear the phone, and when I saw the number, I thought it was for John (he's a substitute teacher and the school system calls him all the time!). It wasn't until I really looked at the number that I realized it was Amber's school. So I thought, oh no, there is no after school program and Amber needs to be picked up. Luckily I had John call before he left to get her. It turns out because they couldn't get a hold of me, they called the next person on the list, my dad! John told the secretary that she was supposed to be in the after school program and then he called my dad who was already on his way to get her. Ummmm . . . dad, you don't need to pick Amber up. She's supposed to still be there. She was just confused! I feel bad, but at the same time, I have to laugh.

Yesterday afternoon Amber went to the after school program rewards party. They got to see the Princess and the Frog. She was so excited to see a movie at the theater. That hasn't happened for quite some time. So she talked John's ear off the whole way home. John says that after hearing Amber talk about the movie, he feels as if he's already seen it himself! :)

Nap time adventures

We have been struggling with nap time at our house lately. Timothy still gets so tired and has a total meltdown if he doesn't get a nap. But we've had so many things going on lately that he doesn't want to stop and rest. Kind-of like me, well, except I would love to stop and rest, but don't have much time for that! So yesterday Timothy screamed and screamed when I put him down. I think he maybe slept about 10 minutes for a nap yesterday. Then he was up late last night, just wanted to be with mommy I suppose. Yikes, he is too much of a momma's boy, I think.
So today he kept telling me he was poopy and kept trying to take his pants off. Ummm . . . yeah, checked his diaper and nothing. So I ignored him. Pretty soon all was quiet. I looked at him and his head was on the seat of the chair, feet on the floor. he wasn't moving so I checked. Lo and behold, he was asleep. I picked him up, put him in bed, and 30 seconds later-- fast asleep! Does this work all the time? No. But it is sure nice when it does. I get time to finish things I need to do, and sometimes I even get time to slow down!

It's a Boy!

It's a Boy! Woo hoo! Now, the task of finding names. You see, we have a tradition to hold up here. All of our kids have initials that spell something. We have an ARM, and ELM, and a TIM. But I am having a difficult time with names right now. Most of the ones my husband has come up with are awful. I can't stand the names he likes. Ugh. By April I have hope that this will be narrowed down and that we can finally agree on something to name our child!

Recharged

Every mom magazine/book I have ever read tells a mom to take time for herself. Okay, so I get five minutes here and five minutes there. Maybe once in a while I get ten minutes where I don't have kids demanding attention, the dishes needing to be done, or the laundry calling my name! And I admit, I get frustrated easily when I am tired, worn out, and just plain down in the dumps. This is what led up to the day I told Aunt Deb I was giving up because it was just too plain hard! And I was also feeling extremely guilty that I couldn't keep up with it all. After all, other women seem to have it all together, clean houses, well dressed children, well behaved children, etc. And the list never ends. I try not to compare myself, but I find the times I compare are the lowest!
I didn't intend to tell Aunt Deb how much I was struggling. After all, she had her own worries and did not need to worry about me too! I couldn't add to her burden. But somehow, she has this sixth sense. She always knows when I need help and she jumps in.
So, here comes Aunt Deb to the rescue! We planned a mom's night out, not just a couple of hours, but the entire night and most of the next day! She made reservations at a hotel for just me and her. We sent the kids, my husband, and her husband to her house about an hour away from Salt Lake! We went our own way and stopped for the night at the hotel! Aunt Deb treated me to dinner, a mani/pedi, and just some plain old adult conversation that was not interrupted by kids! What a treat for the soul. I needed that break to get recharged. I feel so much better. Nothing has changed except how I feel. I am so grateful for an Aunt who takes care of me when I need it most!
I would post pictures of our night out, but well, we didn't take time to take pictures. We were so busy having fun that pictures were the last thought on our minds! We got back to her house Saturday evening about dinner time. Then we enjoyed being back with the family, bunked down for the night, and I brought my family home Sunday morning in time to get ready for church.
So, I am recharged and ready to roll with the punches! I'm really back now!

I'm back, but still wacked!

So seriously, my hormones are so wacked right now. Earlier today I got mad at the neighbor kid because he told me I had the wrong garbage can from the middle of the circle! Are you kidding me? It was just a garbage can! And then I went inside and just wanted to cry. But my kids were all watching me. Oh my goodness, what an example I'm showing to them! Getting mad over a garbage can? The garbage can was the last straw in a series of events that led me over the edge. Not that I want to hash that out, but I seem to be trying to find some justification for losing it over a garbage can. Ugh.
On a brighter note, we had our family pictures taken almost two months ago. My sister in law took the pictures and she did an amazing job. But I also have the cutest and best looking family in the whole world! So enjoy the pictures.



We had a lot of fun having pictures taken. And I absolutely love the fall colors. The one time I felt that everything turned out the way we wanted it to! Did I mention that I think I have the most amazing family in the world? Somebody will likely need to remind me at a later date, possibly even tomorrow morning, that I just said that! :)