Bird Flu, Swine Flu, Flu Flu, Black Plague...

I have no idea what kind of virus that we were recently been afflicted with, but it was pretty brutal. Ian was sick for 8 days, I was sick for 9, Connor and Tony were sick for about a week. The kids missed an entire week of school. I did my best to take care of the kids and myself but the entire time period was a blur. I can't even tell you much about what we ate during that time.... Gatorade, water, diet soda, baked potatoes, soup...

I found this picture on my phone, so at some point I know that Ian had pancakes. By process of elimination, I can tell you that I made these pancakes. Tony, Connor, and Ian don't know how to make pancakes and these clearly aren't the frozen variety. That means that I made them. Go mom!


Here is Ian on day 5 of the illness. We had all had a temperature of 100 degrees or higher for several days. Some of us (okay, most of us) were not bathing daily.


The plague started to lift just in time for a most joyous occasion - my sister's baby shower! Yep, she's having a baby and I could not be happier for her and David. In preparation for the shower, I made 3 dozen homemade sugar cookies with a confectioner's sugar glaze. FYI - these cookies are supposed to resemble baby boys wearing diapers not fat, bald, European men wearing speedos.

The Christmas Eve Big Show!

Christmas Even dinner - Ham, rolls...

Peas, asparagus, corn casserole, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts and carrots, mac & cheese...

My sister's trademark cathedral cake! This is a pumpkin strudel cake and it was fabulous.

My sister also made 7 layer bars.

Here are the cookies that I made the day before. No one believed that I actually baked them. My family assumed that they were store bought and that I was trying to pass them off as homemade... Not that I have ever done that in the past.... Okay, I have done that in the past but these really are home baked - by me.

Pre-Christmas Festivities!

I made about 10 dozen cookies for the holidays. I rarely ever bake, so this was a big undertaking for me. The plan was for the kids to help out, but they could not have been less interested. When given the choice of playing video games, playing in the snow, or helping mom bake cookies, the first two win out every time.

We always host our families on Christmas Eve and that requires me to cook my ass off. I like to save my energy for "the big show" in the days preceding Christmas Eve, and that means that we order pizza so that I don't have to cook or clean. This pie is from Flyer's.

Here's Ian at his first grade class Winter party. As is typical at public schools, the Winter party is non-specific to any holiday or religious event (as it should be). I had a great time helping out and hanging out with the kids.

I also joined Connor's third grade class for their party. Oddly enough, theirs was Christmas specific. The teacher even read a book about Christmas and the Christ child's birthday. I've been to half a dozen Winter parties at the kids' school and this is the first one that was specific to Christmas. Looks like someone's teacher decided to pull a Sara Palin and go rogue... The kids didn't seem to notice the non-secular nature of the party and had a great time.