Cinderella

Absolutely, bar none my favorite fairy tale of all time.  Disney's version, Grimm's, whatever.  And there are so many different versions of this one fairy tale that each time it's portrayed is like a new story being told.  I finished reading "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister" by Gregory MacGuire today.  It was as awesome as his other books (i.e. Wicked, Son of a Witch, etc.)  I love his take on things and the interweaving of tales that might not necessarily belong.  I really love that this book tells the Cinderella story from a completely different perspective without all of the "fairy" magic and "happily ever afters".  It's a story that, if I didn't already know was fictitious, I might take for a historical account of the life of a Dutch family.  It's written with such realism.  But don't let me fool you, there's still the air of magic and mythical creatures- they're just portrayed as they really are- ideas, imaginations run rampant.

Plus, and this is maybe my need to cheer for the underdog, I love that the step sisters aren't evil little witches treating their sweet step sister Cinerella with disdain.  They actually welcome their step sister who is the spoiled little "Daddy's princess" she really would have been (were the story true).  The step mother, I have renewed understanding for both having and being a step mother, is a woman trying to act in the best interest of herself and her two daughters.  What woman wouldn't do vile and evil things on behalf of her children if that is what is required of her?  (I particularly love that vile and evil are the same letters just rearranged.)

All in all, the book was not just another Cinderella story, but another all the same.  And I loved it.  I may never be able to watch Disney's Cinderella again without seeing every character quite differently.  Ok, maybe not Disney's version because it still is just simply too sweet to be anything close to the dark and revolting story the Grimm Brothers intended it to be.

Fabric YoYo's

About this time last year I took a sewing class and learned to make jumpers.  This was the first one... it's not a great picture.

I was so excited I rushed home and made two more for Sophia.  Unfortunately, I can't make button holes so after the jumpers were finished I ended up sticking them into my "crafts tub" where they have sat for the last year.  Last week I pulled them out to show a friend of mine and they happened to still fit Sophia (although a little short) so I decided it was time to finish them up.

I still can't make button holes so I took them to Elegant Stitches (http://www.elegantstitches.com/) where they charged me $2 a button hole (plus the extra cost of the cute buttons and thread I picked up).  Voila.  My button holes are done, the buttons are sewn on.  The jumpers are ready.

Except.  One of my jumpers was so plain.  It needed a little something.  I had appliqued small hearts on it, but they didn't look right (and frankly applique is another technique I haven't quite perfected).  So after digging through my favorite sewing book (http://www.amazon.com/Making-Childrens-Clothes-Step-step/dp/190652579X) I decided to make a flower yoyo.  For the most part this book is amazing with step-by-step instructions, but their description of yoyo's weren't great so I started searching.

This site was great for step-by-step and gave me other ideas of things to do with such a simple project.  http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/photos/how_to_make_a_yoyo/index.html  So, now I have an adorable froggy jumper and a blue jumper with a beautiful flower yoyo on the front.  My next blog... I'll try to post some pictures of the jumpers and maybe something step-by-step making the yoyos.

While I'm praising my last week- I also am getting my sewing machine serviced for the first time in 6 years so I'm fairly stoked that this time next week I may very well be sewing up a storm.  I'm hoping to make the sun cap and sleeveless top from my Emma Hardy book for Sophia to wear on our family vacation at the end of June.  Plus, at some point I should finish Zoe's baby quilt and get started on a quilt for the new baby (although I hope to know the sex of the new baby first).  I have a lot of sewing projects to work on.  I may have to take over the dining room as my new sewing room.

Surviving the Rapture

The last year or more I've lost a lot of my spirituality.  I'm not sure what's caused my question in faith or my disinterest in all things religious.  Maybe it's feeling like a face in the crowd at church rather than a part of it.  Maybe it's so many people talking about the inevitable apocalypse we are currently experiencing.  Maybe it's so many people in my life pressing the "God" issue.  I don't know.  What I do know is that I don't feel a connection to God.  When I pray I feel like it's more about talking to myself than some great spiritual being who is concerned about me.  And why would God be concerned about me?  Who am I in the grand scheme of things?  With billions of people on the planet and a large majority of them dealing with poverty, starvation, political and social injustice- what prayers do I really have that need answering?  "Please God help me be patient with my three year old" seems so insignificant compared to "Please God don't let my entire family be killed by genocide."  Isn't it my American self-centered-ness that would lead me to belive that I hold any significance to a God with so much to deal with and worry about.

But feeling insignificant also leads me to feeling disconnected.  I go to church, I don't, it really doesn't matter.  There's no accountability.  No one knows if I'm there or not.  I pray, I don't pray, it really doesn't matter- doesn't my voice get lost in the billions of voices with valid, real reasons to pray?  I read the Bible and all I can do is question the translation, the meaning, the interpretation...  How much is jaded by history and small minds?

So, I survived yesterday's rapture along with all of the other claims of the apocalypse thus far.  We'll see how December 2012 goes.  No matter what, something must change between now and whenever my personal end comes or I can be sure of an eternity not filled with marshmallow cream and golden harps.

Update on Rice Pudding

I'm sad to say, my rice pudding did not turn out as scrumptious as it smells.  But the good news is that I think a few adjustments could be made and it might work.  I found a recipe here:  http://atourtable.blogspot.com/2005/03/box-top-rice-pudding.html that was very similar to what I did, but a much shorter cook time.  Well, she ended up cooking her pudding longer, but the originial time was shorter.  I think mine was over cooked at an hour and a half so next time I'm going to try just 45 minutes and test it until it seems done.

Also, I had debated the amount of rice.  1 1/2 cups of rice looks very different uncooked vs. cooked.  I think maybe I need to add less rice and do 1 1/2 cups rice after it's been cooked.  The key for me is to get the gooey-ness which I was missing.  My rice turned out dry which I'm attributing to too much rice, too little liquid. 

I was also thinking that Rachel Ray always says that rice gets its flavor from the cooking process, so once it's cooked it its flavor.  I think maybe I need to add some spices to the original cooking of the rice so the rice actually holds in some flavor.  I don't know if this would make much difference as the dish is pretty flavorful as it is.

All in all, I have something edible, but not delectable, and my house finally smells good, but baked goods always make only a temporary good smell so by the end of today I'll be back to the drawing board on my smelly house.  Haha.

Mmmmm... Rice Pudding

So, I absolutely LOVE Uncle Ben's rice pudding.  But I really hate spending over $2 for a tiny little box that barely covers my bowl full, much less if I'm going to share.  I've tried recreating the pudding at home, but three recipes later (including Betty Crocker and Mark Bittman) I've been unsuccessful in creating the creamy gooey yumminess of Uncle Ben's.  So, of course, I called the expert on all things fattening and cooked- my Nana.  She came up with a recipe that at least *sounded* like what I wanted and so far smells absolutely heavenly.  So, whether it's exactly Uncle Ben's or not, I'm sharing this recipe because it's worth it if only for the sinful smell.

1 1/2 cups cooked rice
2 large eggs
1/2 cups shugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups scalded milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup raisins (+ or - based on your tastes)
nutmeg
(I added cinnamon)

1. Put rice in greased 8x8 baking dish
2. Beat eggs until light
3. Add sugar, salt blend
4. Add milk, vanilla blend
5. Pour mixture over rice
6. Add raisins- mix in
7. Sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon over top of mix
8. Bake @325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours

I promise to report if this turns out even remotely as good as it smells and if it's anything like Uncle Ben's I may have found my pregnancy craving for this time around.  Mmmmmm......

Getting Dressed

Getting dressed in early pregnancy (especially when this is not the first pregnancy) is a real pain.  I wake up and look in my closet, but suddenly none of my clothes fit.  Or at least they don't fit right.  Pre-pregnancy shirts tend to be too tight and make every bulge look like jelly rolls and pants that once were a little baggy are now too tight and uncomfortable.

I've gone on a maternity clothes hunt, but my regular size (6 or 8) are really too big because they are all prepared for the 7 or 8 months pregnant me, not the 9 weeks.  Buying smaller seems like a waste of money because I'll just have to buy new stuff in another couple of months.

Maternity clothes have come a long way in fashion and style for sure, but they have a long way to go.  Anything that is even remotely what I would wear is outrageously priced and the few things I find that are in my price range (keeping in mind I never buy unless it's on the clearance rack) are the left over things that no one else would wear which usually means it's either really hideous or XXL.  Why do maternity shirts have to have that criss-cross thing in the front?  And who deemed that most pregnant women are employed so the majority of maternity clothes are dressy or dressy-casual?  I'm a stay-at-home mommy.  I need maternity clothes that are... well... functional for playdates at the park and comfortable for the museum.  Stuff like that.  And since when do all pregnant women want to wear either black or magenta or some gawdy print that I'm fairly sure was left over material from a clown costume?  Give me a nice plain something and don't charge me $20 for a tank top.  Come on!

Speaking of playdates and getting dressed.... I'm off....

May

Apparently I'm a total loser at this blogging thing.  I forget it's here or don't have time or... the reality is, I just don't do it.  I found out I'm pregnant again.  I'm somewhere around 9 weeks at this point.  I'm happy... mostly.  I used to want a hundred kids and maybe if I could have continued after Zoe with some amount of stability I would have many children now, but I'm older and I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (Zoe is almost out of high school now- two more years) and I'm starting to wonder if I really want to raise kids my whole life.  I started way too young and with the span of Sophia and this new bundle of joy I'll be raising kids for nearly my whole life.  Perhaps these were considerations I should have made pre-Sophia, n'est pas?

Whether I like it or not, I'm in it for the long haul.  Another 18 years until, by any miracle I'll have done my job sufficiently enough that all of my kids will be out of the house and off to college where I can then make some life decisions based solely on me (albeit keeping that pesky college tuition in mind) and maybe live out some of that life I've watched slowly fade into the background.  It's fortunate that I adore my kids.  I think this one may actually be the last one for me though.  I'm sure anyone who knows me never thought I'd say I'm done if I had the chance to have more, but I think I'm done.

So now to speculate if this one will be more like me or more like the husband?  God, my silent prayer to You is that this one is less like Sophia (be that like me or my husband) because I'm not sure there should be two of her in this world or we will all suffer a coup d'etat at the hands of a genius child.  Any chance I could give birth to a child much like my Dad in temperment?  Laid back, easy going...  yeah, I didn't think so.  Not with Dave as the father.