Cultured

Tuesday was a day of culture! We went to Whitney's play she performed in as part of the drama club at school. She was Ladonna - love the name!! She even got to hand out chips to kids in the play, perfect for our chip lover.

Action!

She was very concerned for this kid.

He had so many lines and she was helping him out!

Once the chips were handed out they started eating them...

made it a smidge harder to act.



Then off to the middle school after a quick dinner. Reagan had an orchestra concert. Once again she was placed right in the wrong places for us to get a good shot in action.

Waiting with her best friends, Rylie and Mykaila.

After the first song they got up and moved spots, this got her more hidden.

But then super dad got the shot that worked.

We sure got our shot of culture, theater and orchestra. When we got home we all tasted Irish Soda Bread. I've read about it in magazines and have wanted to try it. Instead of baking it I bought a loaf.

Funky shape - lots of peeks with sugar crystals on top.

We toasted to our Irish Soda Bread with toasted pieces.

We all loved it! A yummy night time snack.

We went to bed full of yummy food and great performances on our minds!

Flight Deck

It was our first time as a family to go to an Eagles hockey game. They are part of the Central Hockey League (thanks Google) and play at the Budweiser Event Center here in Northern Colorado. It was so fun with amazing tickets on the Flight Deck. It is on one end of the rink with floor and deck seating right on the glass. We went with a group of friends and had a great time. 

The Gang

Yummy Little Makyla

The Baby Whisperers!

We invited Baby Makyla and her parents, Ryan and Kim. Fun getting to know them! Our good friends the Dix's were there as well.

How fun for the boys!! They were in heaven - especially

when the players slammed up against the glass.

Slapshot, the Eagles mascot, goofing with Ten and Braden.

We also had Reagan's good friend Mykaila and family there!!

This evening only encouraged Tennison's desire to play hockey. We keep ignoring his requests, hoping it will go away... How long will that last?



3 Down, 3 To Go

This is my busy time of year, every year, with our Oscar party, Tennison's birthday and Reagan's birthday. Throw in a Spring Break trip and you have the makings of a busy life. I love it! This is the stuff I enjoy beyond belief. I have always said I can find just about any reason to throw a party. This year I added a friend's 40th birthday celebration, a baby shower and my mom's birthday in the mix.

Last night I threw a shower for my friend Karrie. I was thrilled to celebrate her and the upcoming arrival of her new little guy. All I had to do to decorate was switch out some things from the Oscars.
 

Check out the mini bottles, too cute!

These are the greatest blocks. We had these with Tennison and have

used them to decorate for his birthday and showers.



Karrie will be naming her little man Nathan. I had the women write some middle name ideas to help them out. I let them refer to this book...

Examples are Spanky, Laverne, Belladonna, Kermit, Polly Esther and Lefty.

Another game we did was Old Wives Tales. Knowing she is having a boy, we still tried all of these tricks out:

1. Have you had cravings for sweet or sour foods? Sweet = girl, sour = boy.
2. If you are carrying high = girl, low = boy.
3. If your age at conception and the year of conception are both even or both odd = girl. If one is odd and one even = boy.
4. Usually crabby during your pregnancy? Girl. My friend Kendra said, "Who isn't crabby during pregnancy?" Good point.
5. Ring on a necklace. Hold it closely over the belly, if it moves in a circular motion = girl, side-to-side = boy.
6. Show me your hands. If she showed them palms up = girl, palms down = boy.
7. What do you think it is? Moms-to-be correctly guesses 70% of the time. 

Well, it looks like she is going to have to consider girl names. She was girl for every one of these!! The wildest one was the ring on the necklace. We had 2 other pregnant women

Here is to Tennison's birthday party coming up this week, Spring Break in Arizona, Reagan's birthday and Mom's. It is going to be great. Then I'll take a short nap before I plan Whitney's birthday party and Scott & my 40th.

Flipping Out!

I love March. I love the signs of spring. I love that Tennison's birthday is on the first day of spring. I love that when March hit on Tuesday it felt like maybe, just maybe, we wouldn't see snow again until next winter. I love that the kids think they can officially wear flip flops now.

One new sign of spring for us has been the birds. The sound of their chirping makes me giddy. It makes me long for my summer mornings on the patio reading a good book and drinking coffee before the kids get up. Some birds I call those darn birds. They wake us up early, they build nests in our Evergreen tree and torment us. The ones I really loathe are those I see in the reflection of my computer screen as I type. They fly in and out from my front porch. It isn't a big space, so they move quick. What they are trying to do is build a cozy little nest for their potential babies. I in turn have put large rocks on the brick ledge to deter them from their efforts. What I envision is them dive bombing any guest who tries to get to the door. I see mass poop on the steps. I see problems. So I better get out there and up my efforts, because I'm bound and determined to keep those darn birds from my porch. It really does flip me out.

You other cute little, fat bellied, Red Robins can come join me in the backyard where I know you won't try to kill me.

P.S. Now I get why my college roommate Debi had a major fear of birds. She would death grip my hand if one came near us. I get it now, I really get it.

* Debi read this and told me, Phobias are not fads... she is still deathly afraid of birds!! She held true, opposed to our roommate who was a vegetarian and caved after she was lured by the smell of cooking chicken as a nanny. Wimp.

And The Oscar Goes To ...

Moi! It is back in the Kissel house since 2007 and it feels so good! I will relish in it for the entire year, so everyone brace yourself!

Our Oscar on our red carpet!

I started decorating for our California Beach Chic party last week. I used purple and silver as my color theme, it was awesome.

This was the final look on Oscar night.

We all provided a California infused appetizer along with fruit, cheeses and veggies.

I tried a new idea, 7-layer dip in a Margarita glass. I added a giant olive on top in honor of Oscar. The foods were so wonderful, everyone goes all out. 

A big part of the fun is the theme and foods we eat.

Greg & Vicky - Vicky has won our newest trophy twice since '04, Greg won it 3 times. I broke his streak this year though... it had to happen.

Eric & Trena, the two who fight strong every year. Unfortunately Trena has

never won - I tried so hard this year to get a victory for her.

Your Oscar hosts.

The whole gang!

Greg graciously handed the Oscar to the newest winner.

They have to go Moka, they'll be back next year... or sooner!!

Our 17th Annual Oscar Party was a lot of fun. There were prizes given out - dark chocolate for the Black Swan, gumballs for The King's Speech (like the marbles he had to put in his mouth), blue Peeps in honor of The Social Network (Mark Zuckerberg's fave color) and Boston Baked Beans for The Fighter.

The 18th Oscar's may like, go totally rad and like, totally '80's. Until then, is it tacky to bring Oscar with me around town?

Gourmet Dinner

Happy Oscar Sunday everyone!

My good friend Vicky just turned 40. I threw her a party last week and prior to that, Vicky had invited Scott and I to join her and her husband and another couple to a gourmet dinner. She won it at a silent auction knowing she wanted it for her birthday celebration. When she forwarded me the menu I was giddy!!

The menu:
Appetizer:  Tomato-Cheese Torte and Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto
Soup:  Roasted Garlic and Basil Tomato Soup
Salad:  Caprese
Intermezzo:  Cabernet Ice with mint
Pasta:  Sausage & Clam Puttanesca with Linguine
Entree:  Beef Tenderloin on Balsamic glazed Arugula
Dessert:  Tiramisu

We began with the appetizers around the fireplace. I'll be honest, that could have been it for me. The basil... the garlic... the sun dried tomatoes. My kind of heaven. Let me interject something. I have learned my birth father is Italian. How much? Not sure. I'm going with full so I can legitimately blame my love of Italian flavor and my spirited personality on that. So, I'm half Italian and happy to claim it. Now, back to the food.

We ate our soup and then the salad, a twist on a caprese with grape tomatoes, basil and petite mozzarella balls on small skewers. After all of this garlicky flavor we had our pallete cleanser, the intermezzo as she called it. It felt like dessert and I could have stopped there (again). But my favorite course was the sausage and clam puttanesca with linguine, amazing!

Here comes the funny part. When Laurie, our hostess, sent her husband John back with my knife and then didn't take Scott's he says, "You need this for your steak." Scott leans over and says, "Did he really say steak?" Honestly I thought he said snake, which was more frightful than the idea that was true, which was we had more to eat. In all of my maturity I said, "No way, I'm gonna barf." Seriously, this is way more food than humanly possible to eat... but I did it. Scott got more food from me on the tenderloin course, I was literally at my limit.

This brings me to dessert, the item on the menu that got me the most giddy. Tiramisu. Want to know a secret? I saw her Pioneer Woman cookbook, mentioned I love it. I told Laurie that making  Tiramisu intimidates me and she said, "I got this from the Pioneer Woman." Really? I must give it a shot then.

We all went home fat and happy, literally. Sometimes nights like this are just so worth the weight... I mean wait.

I better run to put my final touches on event number three of this crazy busy weekend! And the Oscar goes to...

A Boy and His Dog

There is just something about a dog. I know, I know. The last time I mentioned Moka she was our Shameful Bag of Bones. But beyond that, the naughty side, the dogs of the world keep us happy and sane. They are so unconditional in their love... that is my favorite part.

Here is Tennison's day with Moka after school yesterday.

Tennison started to tell us a story about his day and Moka sat up to listen!

"See, I'm not a shameful bag of bones."

Tennison started to read "my first non-fiction book" about snakes.

His attempt to sound like a rattler.

Maybe this will help.

He then proceeded to get on the floor to slither like one and instantly hit his chin on the hardwood. WHO got up to check on him? Yep, the one with the unconditional love.

Thanks Mokie.

Oh look, you have eye boogers, let me help you.

We decided to take Moka with us to get Whitney from drama club.

Yep, that would driving and photographing...

Oh the joy! This was a first since we usually have the van

and it doesn't work as well.

For the record, it was a warm day here in Colorado.

Quick Mokes lets hide from Whitney!!

Seriously Moka, she'll see you, get down!

Here I'll hide you!

"No way!!" See, I can be cool... I can bring the dog in the car when I said I wouldn't/shouldn't.

Now we just need to see what today holds!! Will that space with the tooth hanging out be a true empty space after school?

It might be a night for the Tooth Fairy!!

I LOVE THAT DOG!! AND I LOVE THAT BOY!!