If there is one thing the staff at my school does right, it is feeding each other! Ok, we do a lot of other things right too, but we have a tradition that in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas break, we have staff luncheons on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Each team signs up for a day and then plans the menu for what they will bring. Along with our 4 grade level teams, we have the related arts team, the office staff, and the parapro team. That makes seven days of not having to think about what to pack for lunch...it's awesome!
I didn't realize that my easy crock pot Triple Chocolate Mess had become such an expected tradition. But last week, the gym teacher mentioned in passing that he was already looking forward to it. And when I posted on facebook this morning that it was cooking in two crock pots, I got several comments from anticipating staff members. I also got comments from other friends wondering what the heck I was making. So, here is the recipe for you, friends. Happy cooking, but most of all, I hope it makes happy memories for you!!
Triple Chocolate Mess
1 cake mix
1 instant pudding mix
Mix these dry mixes together in large bowl.
4 eggs
1c. water
3/4c. vegetable oil
1 pint sour cream
Mix these wet ingredients in smaller bowl until smooth. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well.
Stir in 6oz. chocolate chips. Put mixture in greased crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours. You can cook at a higher temp for less time, but it can tend to burn on the bottom if you do. I also layer paper towels under the lid and change them from time to time to soak up condensation that make it soggy if it drops back down.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Simple Memories
I loved the feel of her hands combing through my hair, even if she pulled a little when my face started turning back toward the tv. I hope Lili remembers it fondly one day as well.Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Tradition
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Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Keeping schedules straight in my head for four people is going to kill me--or at least destroy my teeth!
Normally, I don't remember my dreams. But after visiting the dentist today and being told I clench and grind my teeth, and the streak of dreams I have had lately, I am beginning to think that I am working out my stress at night.
When I do dream, I tend to remember the ones that happen because of a change in my schedule. I am always afraid that I am going to miss important events--the first day of school after a long break, important meetings that I have, that sort of thing. This week, being a holiday week, was a strange one to keep straight in terms of schedules. I had work on Monday and Tuesday. The girls were scheduled to have school Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday--with Wed being an early dismissal day. Months ago I had decided that I would not be getting up today to take them to school for only a partial day. As it turned out, G ended up with a dental appointment at 7:30 this morning and I had one at 10:30. I also had to deliver G to a friend's house in the afternoon.
On Monday night, I dreamed that I bustled through the day, realizing at the end that, although I had taken G to her appointment, I had missed my own. On Tuesday, as I ran through in my hand what I needed to do the next couple of days, I was glad that I had just dreamed my error. Then I had a moment of panic that I missed taking Lili to dance class. Realizing it was only Tuesday, I breathed a sigh of relief that dance class is Wednesday and I had not missed it.
Today, all the appointments were kept with no problems. I even got to enjoy taking G out to breakfast and visiting with my baby brother. After a busy morning and early afternoon, I was ready to snuggle in for the evening.
While I took a little nap, Lili cleaned up the kitchen with the ulterior motive of wanting to make mini-surprise-cupcakes in the new Xpress Read Set Go machine from Nana. We were enjoying our little cooking time together and were sitting in the living room waiting for a batch to finish cooking. Lili mentioned to me that she had a weird dream last night. I was about to ask her to tell me about it when my stream of consciousness started talking to me. It went something like this: "You had a strange dream the other night too. Isn't it great that you didn't forget any of your appointments? Yep, you are truly a great mom. Even that panic attack about forgetting dance last night was a false...Hey, did you forget that dance is tonight? The last time you looked at the clock it was 5:44. You know dance starts at 6:00, right?"
While I was fairly eloquent in my head, all that would come out of my mouth was, "Lili! Dance!" Her eyes got wide, she scrambled to get dressed, couldn't find her shoes, and we had to wait for a batch of cupcakes to finish cooking. But we were only 10 minutes late. Yep, I'm still a great mom! But now that I have to remember where 4 people are supposed to be and when they are supposed to be there, maybe I need a better system. Otherwise, I'm going to have some restless, dream-filled sleep and less than healthy teeth!
When I do dream, I tend to remember the ones that happen because of a change in my schedule. I am always afraid that I am going to miss important events--the first day of school after a long break, important meetings that I have, that sort of thing. This week, being a holiday week, was a strange one to keep straight in terms of schedules. I had work on Monday and Tuesday. The girls were scheduled to have school Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday--with Wed being an early dismissal day. Months ago I had decided that I would not be getting up today to take them to school for only a partial day. As it turned out, G ended up with a dental appointment at 7:30 this morning and I had one at 10:30. I also had to deliver G to a friend's house in the afternoon.
On Monday night, I dreamed that I bustled through the day, realizing at the end that, although I had taken G to her appointment, I had missed my own. On Tuesday, as I ran through in my hand what I needed to do the next couple of days, I was glad that I had just dreamed my error. Then I had a moment of panic that I missed taking Lili to dance class. Realizing it was only Tuesday, I breathed a sigh of relief that dance class is Wednesday and I had not missed it.
Today, all the appointments were kept with no problems. I even got to enjoy taking G out to breakfast and visiting with my baby brother. After a busy morning and early afternoon, I was ready to snuggle in for the evening.
While I took a little nap, Lili cleaned up the kitchen with the ulterior motive of wanting to make mini-surprise-cupcakes in the new Xpress Read Set Go machine from Nana. We were enjoying our little cooking time together and were sitting in the living room waiting for a batch to finish cooking. Lili mentioned to me that she had a weird dream last night. I was about to ask her to tell me about it when my stream of consciousness started talking to me. It went something like this: "You had a strange dream the other night too. Isn't it great that you didn't forget any of your appointments? Yep, you are truly a great mom. Even that panic attack about forgetting dance last night was a false...Hey, did you forget that dance is tonight? The last time you looked at the clock it was 5:44. You know dance starts at 6:00, right?"
While I was fairly eloquent in my head, all that would come out of my mouth was, "Lili! Dance!" Her eyes got wide, she scrambled to get dressed, couldn't find her shoes, and we had to wait for a batch of cupcakes to finish cooking. But we were only 10 minutes late. Yep, I'm still a great mom! But now that I have to remember where 4 people are supposed to be and when they are supposed to be there, maybe I need a better system. Otherwise, I'm going to have some restless, dream-filled sleep and less than healthy teeth!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Sorry, kid, I can't help it!
The despised and detested MEAP begins today. This is the state level test for Michigan,designed to torture children in grades 3 through 8, as well as their teachers.
So this morning, I was dropping Genevieve and Lilienne at Papa and Nama's house. They hang out there for about 25 minutes before walking to school. As they were getting out, I wished them good luck on the MEAP. Then I proceeded to give them a little motherly advice: Take your time. Reread the passages if you need to. Use your test taking strategies.
Genevieve's reply: OMG, mom, you're such a teacher!
So this morning, I was dropping Genevieve and Lilienne at Papa and Nama's house. They hang out there for about 25 minutes before walking to school. As they were getting out, I wished them good luck on the MEAP. Then I proceeded to give them a little motherly advice: Take your time. Reread the passages if you need to. Use your test taking strategies.
Genevieve's reply: OMG, mom, you're such a teacher!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Good Bye, Besa
Today we had to put down our Besa Cat. Our family has had many pets from cats and dogs to rabbits, sheep, goats, even a baby raccoon that was orphaned in a storm; and yes, that infamous flying squirrel. But Besa was by far the oldest pet we have had and putting her down was a difficult decision.
Besa was a gift, given to me in my first year of teaching by an 8th grader named Brent. I had another cat, Paco, die that year and was quite upset about the loss. Brent, wanting to make me feel better, gave me a sweet little striped kitten. I named her Besa, Spanish for kiss, because she loved to kiss me by licking under my nose. I was the only person she would do this to, and it was a habit that lasted her whole life. Seventeen years. I think that is pretty old for a cat.
Besa, like most cats, had some funny quirks. She was not a cuddly cat. She did not often curl up on a lap. But she showed her affection in other ways. While I was the only one she would "kiss," she rubbed up against anyone who would come into the house, marking all of us and any guests as part of her "family."
Besa kept the other two cats, Pumpkin and Josie, alive. When we sometimes forgot to check food and water levels, Besa was the one who would follow anyone around the house meowing until one of us replenished the supply. One time the basement flooded and Besa told us about that too! It was a running joke when Besa started following us quite vocally, getting under feet, to ask, "What's the matter, Besa? Did Timmy fall down the well again?" In the last couple of years, I guess she got a little tired of waiting for us to fill the water dish. She took to spending most of her time on the kitchen counter. Then when anyone went into the kitchen, they would just turn on the faucet for her. But having a cat living on the counter meant I had to keep it picked up a bit. She made a bed one time out of a package of dinner rolls and another time out of a box of clementines.
Besa was a sweet and unique cat. She was a good cat. In the end, she was not much more than skin over bones, even though she ate constantly. She injured a back leg in a trip off the kitchen counter. Her hair was falling out. I know that she was suffering and I am thankful that she is suffering no longer.
RIP, Besa. Find Paco and Whitey in cat heaven. Romp in a field of catnip. We will miss you.
Besa was a gift, given to me in my first year of teaching by an 8th grader named Brent. I had another cat, Paco, die that year and was quite upset about the loss. Brent, wanting to make me feel better, gave me a sweet little striped kitten. I named her Besa, Spanish for kiss, because she loved to kiss me by licking under my nose. I was the only person she would do this to, and it was a habit that lasted her whole life. Seventeen years. I think that is pretty old for a cat.
Besa, like most cats, had some funny quirks. She was not a cuddly cat. She did not often curl up on a lap. But she showed her affection in other ways. While I was the only one she would "kiss," she rubbed up against anyone who would come into the house, marking all of us and any guests as part of her "family."
Besa kept the other two cats, Pumpkin and Josie, alive. When we sometimes forgot to check food and water levels, Besa was the one who would follow anyone around the house meowing until one of us replenished the supply. One time the basement flooded and Besa told us about that too! It was a running joke when Besa started following us quite vocally, getting under feet, to ask, "What's the matter, Besa? Did Timmy fall down the well again?" In the last couple of years, I guess she got a little tired of waiting for us to fill the water dish. She took to spending most of her time on the kitchen counter. Then when anyone went into the kitchen, they would just turn on the faucet for her. But having a cat living on the counter meant I had to keep it picked up a bit. She made a bed one time out of a package of dinner rolls and another time out of a box of clementines.
Besa was a sweet and unique cat. She was a good cat. In the end, she was not much more than skin over bones, even though she ate constantly. She injured a back leg in a trip off the kitchen counter. Her hair was falling out. I know that she was suffering and I am thankful that she is suffering no longer.
RIP, Besa. Find Paco and Whitey in cat heaven. Romp in a field of catnip. We will miss you.
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