The Party Never Ends...

I know this is Thursday already, but the weekend and this week have gone by in a whirlwind of parties, cupcakes, lunches, and more cake. Thankfully, I am not just talking about my birthday anymore, though my parents planned a lovely lunch for the whole family on Sunday.

The Bigger Boys

We all met after Mass on Sunday at our favorite Mexican restaurant. It was a little crazy, 21 kids and 10 adults crammed into one section of the restaurant. I didn't even our servers. We kept them hopping! I am pretty sure we munched through a dozen baskets of chips and a gallon of salsa before our food arrived. The kids had sat all the way through Mass, and many of them religious ed. before that, so they were a bit rowdy - but not too bad.

We ate and talked and yelled at Littles to sit down and be quiet. Then they - they being my sisters and brother - as had been prearranaged,  decided to give a little summary of each of my decades, with my mom doing the last decade. This of course was funny, and sweet, and since my brother had the teen years, somewhat horrifying. He has a very long memory, at least when it comes to stuff I did wrong in my teen years. I was reminded of the mailbox massacre of the summer after I got my license. And the time I was stupid enough to put my sister in the trunk of the car because there was no room left in the actual car, I had packed it so full of passengers. I am pretty sure they said some nice stuff, too, but I was so consumed with guilt and horror over the bad things I had done as a teen, I can't remember what they were!
But, we laughed, I cried, we ate some cake.  I looked around at the faces in the room with me, marveling at how our little family of six has blossomed into a big extended family with almost 33 members.

                                                        I love every single one of them! Thanks to all of them for making my birthday so special, and so easy!

Japan

Japan -

A warning about scammers, and a couple of legit places to donate money to the people of Japan.

Count Down to 40 - It's Here!

Today is the day. I turned 40 years old today. My darling husband went to great lengths to create a happy memory for my 40th birthday, and he succeeded - big time. All the sweet little details, all the lifelong loves and little stories he must have remembered to put together such a lovely birthday - I kinda like that guy. It doesn't hurt that he seems to like me back, and we have been enjoying that wonderful second honeymoon feeling for a long time now. Love ebbs and flows, and it is flowing right now, baby. And I am soaking up every second of it. He has somehow made my turning 40 feel like a new courtship. Like falling in love again - and not just for the last few days, it's been weeks. I mean, we are generally pretty happy souls to begin with - like minded and content. But lately - it's been hearts and flowers and rose colored glasses.

If you were here yesterday, you heard all about the lovely day he created for the day before I turned 40 - my last day in my 30s - and it was...just.. I don't even know how to put it, exactly. It was one surprise after another. And while I love all the sweets and treats - it was the effort and planning that it took to put it all together that just killed me. It was magical, and it made me feel like I was 26, and head over heels in love with the best guy in the world. I hope he knows how much I love and appreciate all he did.

Today was my actual birthday  - the man didn't stop - I woke up to whole wheat french toast and strawberries. A healthy version of a lovely breakfast - thank goodness! After breakfast all my girls and I went to see a performance of Cinderella at the Canton Ballet. Meeting us there were; my sweet sister in law: Amy, my goddaughter, and all the nieces who were old enough to sit through it (We missed our Rhi-Rhi and Bananie- next year!), including Squishy, a.k.a. Lauren - my birthday buddy! She was born on my 35 birthday - best present I ever got! During the second half of the performance, my little nieces, 4 year old Jelly and 5 year old Squishy decided to come cuddle up in my lap. They were both getting tired, and wanted to be held. Amy wanted to take one of them, but I was reveling in the joy of those two little girls. Both happy to climb up into their auntie's lap to watch the rest of the show. They put their little heads together, and put their arms around each other. Not sisters, but cousins,  these two. As I looked across the row in front of us, where the middle girls sat, I saw that the three of them had their heads together, watching intently. I say this all the time, but I am glad, grateful, and gratified that my children are growing up with their cousins. Its a wonder and a blessing.

As I watched the rest of the ballet, I just sat and absorbed the joy of sitting in a dark theatre with all my girls, and these sweet littles. I closed my eyes for a second, and smelled their little heads. Shampoo and lip gloss and other girly scents. I miss that so much, as my youngest girl is 10 (though she did let me do her hair today). I am so blessed to have these beautiful little girls I can grab for a cuddle and a sniff of the curious combination of baby shampoo and fruity lip gloss.

I came home to the arms of my beloved, and the sweet craziness of my boys. Tomorrow - after Mass - more partying - my parents have invited the whole clan out to lunch for my birthday - it'll be crazy - 21 kids, 10 adults, and a little celebrating to do. It's a grand way to start the 41st year of my life...with family.

A Nostalgic Tour of Treats

This was my last day in my thirties. It was a great day, mostly because my sweet husband knows me so well, he made this day easy and fun. It started late last night with cannoli from a bakery in Little Italy. They were so good, we just had to wake up the girls to come have one with us!
My husband has been dragged all over several states in search of a good cannoli. I had my first taste of cannoli when I was 15. We were in Baltimore and  I had gone somewhere with Uncle Mike, I can't even remember exactly where, some shopping area, and he bought me a cannoli. It was so delicious, and I have been trying to find one as good ever since. I think we may just have found it! So, so sweet of Douglas to think of it.

When we got up this morning it was school, lunch, and the usual. I was trying not to think too much about it being my last day in my 30s, which is absurd, really. Why on earth have I worried about this so much? I started making plans for the day, hollering at people to go where ever they needed to go, get on with the day, when I noticed that Doug was having all the children file into the dining room. I was on the phone making plans for the evening. I hung up, and Doug brought in a cake from Johnnie's Bakery, a famous, beloved bakery in Canton. He knows I love Johnnie's, for the simple fact that it is a Canton institution, and our family used to always get donuts there on Sunday mornings, and I love that memory. He and the parade of munchkins presented me with new earrings, two new books I have wanted, and last but not least (really not least at all!) a box of 40 chocolates from another Canton staple, Anastasiades. My sister and I, when we first got our liscenses,  would run all over Canton and North Canton, often in search of some food or other, or just something to do. At the time, Anastasiades had an ice cream counter. We would go in for ice cream, but leave with chocolates. They are, hands down, the best chocolates in the area.Thank goodness there are lots of little people here to help me eat all these treats - I would be in big trouble without them!

We topped of this food extravaganza with a trip to the Spread Eagle Tavern in Hanoverton, Ohio. This place is full of historical charm and significance. It was part of the underground railroad, and has been a favorite stop for Republican campaign tours. Abraham Lincoln slept there! George W. Bush has eaten there, and so did his dad. For a political junkie and history lover, this was beyond fun. Not to mention the impeccable service and outstanding food. It was a great surprise and a lot of fun - I can't wait to go back!
As if all that weren't enough, my beloved topped off my last day in my 30s with a Kindle! Ah - to have all the world's greatest literary works at my fingertips! The man knows me so well! I am a sap. So, throw in some nostaligia, some yummy food, a little history and politics, and the ability to read anything I could ever want, any time I want. It doesn't get much better, as birthdays go!
Tomorrow, my actual birthday, will be a fun day, too. I am taking all my girls, my goddaughter and niece, and meeting my sister in law and her girls to go see a performance of Cinderella by the Canton Ballet. That and a visit to my grandmother should make for a lovely afternoon. Not a bad way to spend your first day in your 40s, right? I think it's going to be grand. I think 40 is going to be grand, too.

Noodle Kugel for...Lent?

Years and years ago, I worked at our Jewish Community Center. I loved that job! I was a receptionist, preschool aid, day care giver, camp counselor and latch key care giver. It was a lot of fun, and I loved, loved, loved learning many of the traditions of the Jewish faith. They were so beautiful, and I often thought to myself if I weren't Catholic, I could whole heartedly become Jewish. Now, while I am not one to convert to another religion for the food, the food of the Jewish people might convince one to do so. Matzo ball soup, Kosher deli sammys, Hamantashen, Noodle Kugel - ah, the kugel. I still dream of it, so, I'm gonna make it!

Here's what you need:

• 1 large package of  egg noodles
• 1/2 stick of  melted butter
• 16 oz tub of cottage cheese
• 16 oz tub of sour cream
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. good vanilla 
• A little bit of milk or cream poured over the top - not in the original, but I like to do this with most noodle dishes - mac 'n cheese - keeps it nice and moist while it bakes. Not too much, you don't want to loose the custard consistency! 

For the crunchy topping:

• 1 cup crushed cornflakes
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4-1/2 cup sugar

Instructions:

• Cook your noodles - I tend to leave them just a little undone - less gummy later
• In a large bowl, mix the noodles with all the other ingredients
• Dump in all into a 9x13 pan (Pam it first!)
• Mix your topping ingredients - I like to crush the cornflakes just a bit - and sprinkle them over the noodles
• Bake the whole shebang for about an hour @350. Top should be brown and bubbly!    

Wish I had a beautiful photo - but until the other day when I posted a recipe on Facebook, it had never occurred to be to take a photo of food! I guess I better get with it - but make this - super yummy! A lady named Freda taught me how to make this one time for a teacher's meeting at the JCC, and I really loved it. She even showed me how to work in a Kosher kitchen, which was really interesting, and hard! Kugel is comfort food, for sure. Meatless, but I know there are chicken versions that sound good, too. But for Lent, this is a nice one. Serve it with a more substantial green salad, and your good to go for lunch or dinner on Friday!

10 Things My Mother Taught Me...

As I think back over some of my earlier posts, I am reminded of just how much my mother has taught me. As I approach 40, these things drift through my mind. I want to make sure I am living them, and teaching them to my children. So, here are 10 things my mother taught me, in no particular order.

1.  Do for others. Whether it is as a Girl Scout leader, a room mother, a volunteer for Right To Life, band mom, grandmother, mother, daughter, or babysitter. 
2. Always welcome people into your home, and to your table. I've written so many times about how my parents invited all of our friends in, everyone was welcome. My mom was a great cook, and she always made room at her table. "There's always room for one more!" was something she said all the time.
3. Look for the good in others. My mom used to tell me, when I was having a problem with someone in the neighborhood or at school, to always look for the good in others. "There is something good about everyone, you just have to find it!" she reminded me often.
4. Say your prayers. I can remember my mom teaching me to say my prayers, and then reminding me my whole life. I know she sometimes stops to pray before the Blessed Sacrament, and that brings her peace. I hope that I am teaching my children to have faith, the way she taught me to be faithful. 
5. Love your husband. My mom always cautioned us girls to be on the look out for a man like our dad. She'd tell us that we would be hard pressed to find anyone nearly as good, but that we should try. I think everyone who knows them, knows of their devotion to each other. It's a beautiful thing. I hope that my children see the same when they look at their father and me. I hope my girls learn to look for a man like their dad, and Papa Tom. 
6. Love your children. My parents loved us - there was no question. We never had to wonder. Both my mom and dad would do anything they could, and have, for their kids. They have been there through everything, rooting for us the whole time, and holding us up when we needed it.
7. Hold your babies. My mom told me when my first daughter was born, "Hold her, stare at her. The dishes will wait, but she will grow so fast, and you don't want to miss it." Because of my mom, I have held my babies. I have let the dishes sit, and stared. I will never, ever have to be sorry that I missed anything with them, because of all the things she has taught me, this one really impressed upon me how fleeting life in general is. So, I hold. I stare, and I try so hard to implant the image on my brain. I try to memorize the feel of that particular child in my arms, because I know it will only last but a second.  
8. Be nice. My mom used to tell me all the time, "You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar." This has served me well through the years. When tensions get high, and people start slinging unkind words around, it helps to have something nice to say. It stops people in their tracks, reminds them that they are dealing with human beings, and helps defray the tension. It helped me so many times when I felt like being unkind, and remembered what she taught me. 
9. Treasure your sisters and brother. My mom never had any sisters, but she was always so glad for us that we had each other. When I was younger, (and sometimes still), my youngest sister and I did not always get along. My mom would always tell me how lucky I was to have sisters, and that someday, she would be my best friend, and understand me when no one else could. How my mom knew this so well, I cannot say, but she is so, so right. Both of my sisters, and my sister-in-law are my very best friends. My mom had brothers, and has lost both of them. So, I treasure mine. He is one of the best people I know, and though he is a "little" brother, he looks out for me like a big brother would. My sisters and brother understand me so well. I ask their opinion before I make big decisions (and little ones, too). When I have a parenting, or more often, step parenting issue, I ask them for advice, knowing that they will never lead me astray. They are so much a part of me, I am actually glad I am the oldest, making it less likely I will ever have to live without them.
10. Believe you can do anything. My mom has always told me, "You can  do anything you put your mind to.", even the hard things. Even things I didn't want to have to do. She has pushed us, believed in us, and helped us make things happen in our lives. From degrees, to building a business, to finding true love, she has always been our biggest cheerleader. 

There are so many more, but these are the things I think of when I think of my mom. As I attempt to parent  young adults, I hope that I have taught them all of these things.  I hope they know I love them. I hope I have taught them to pray, and have faith in God. I hope they know I think they can do great things. I hope they have grown to love and appreciate their siblings. I hope I am teaching them all the things my mother taught me.

Lenten Season

Ash Wednesday has always been among my favorite of the Christian/Catholic rituals. I can remember going to Mass as a child, and seeing all the kids in school with the black cross smudged on their foreheads for the rest of the day. I think I even went a time or two with my grandma, I don't remember when, I just remember the Mass, and seeing the church full of cousins and aunts and uncles, and everyone coming away with the ashes.

I took my eight to Mass this evening. I love cramming my family into an already full church. Seeing the people who have made a point to attend Mass, in nurses uniforms, suits, work boots and dusty shirts. I love thinking about their lives, and how we all made this effort to get to Mass on a busy Wednesday, how we all gathered with the Communion of Saints, for the Eucharist, and the distribution of ashes. Knowing that this is happening across the globe - that lifts me up, makes me feel like a part of this body of Christ.



My two oldest daughters had planned to go to Mass with us, then out to a movie. This didn't sit well with me, but I didn't stop them from going. It didn't sit well, because I felt that they were not getting the contemplative nature of the Mass. They were going because I wanted them to, because it was Ash Wednesday, and they just did. We talked about the ashes on the way to church, a little refresher for some, and an introduction to the littles who likely did not recall it from last year. My oldest said she was going to wash her face before they left, and I was again bothered by her attitude. She didn't want people looking at her with her ash smudged cross on her forehead. I tried to figure out how to explain to her that while we certainly don't wear the ashes as some sort of badge of honor, they are not to be disregarded, either. They are a reminder from whence we came, and where we shall return.

As I watched the people file out of Mass, I thought they were beautiful. Many of them tired from a long day at work or school, they all filed out of Mass, smiling, talking quietly. The ashes on their foreheads would be a reminder to all who see it that Lent begins today. That a period of reflection and prayer has begun. That the sacrifices we make will be to honor the sacrifice of Christ, not fodder for Facebook statuses.

As I looked down the row at my own children's faces, now smudged with the ashes, I thought about tradition, about faith, and about teaching them to quietly pray, contemplate, and prepare. They of course, spent a good bit of the last week talking about what they were giving up for Lent. Giving something up is nice, but when you have so much, is it really meaningful? I told them that giving something up was wonderful, but that they also needed to do something - say extra prayers, do a good deed. Give of themselves, rather than simply giving up pudding or chocolate.

As my family moves into the Lenten season, we are going to focus on why we do these things, as much as doing them, it's important for them to know why. As I feel my oldest slipping out and away from the faith, forgetting who and why, I feel the need to instill to a greater degree in the ones I still have here, under my watchful eye. I hope that as she matures, she will return to her former love and understanding of Christianity, and more specifically, the Catholic faith. I know these are growing pains, and many college students go through it. I did. I was waiting for it. I just wish it weren't happening at a time when she thinks I have no idea what I am talking about. That, too is not unexpected, but it still hurts. She is spending some time with her beautiful 14 year old sister, who maybe can help recenter her a bit, as her faith is strong and growing.

I am going to post some Lenten friendly recipes, because I know it's hard sometimes to find things that are simple, yet appealing to littles. Check back tomorrow - a recipe for Friday - Noodle Kugel! I learned to make it when I worked at a Jewish Community Center. I loved it, and would like to share a recipe one of the ladies there gave me - you'll love it!