Surprise! It's a baby! (Not long now!)

[Chicago Mo]

We did volcano cakes because it has been so long since I watched the movie and I think I was getting it a bit mixed up with Fantasia. My husband said that flaming marshmallows from when we went camping this summer in Algonquin would have been more true to the meteor in the movie. (Eveie tried to put the flames on her marshmallow for her s'more out by waving it in the air and instead it burned even brighter and was sent flying towards her brother, almost causing HIS extinction!) We were too busy trying to avoid conflagration to take photos and I am NOT staging that! And it is still appropriate as learning experience because it is a possible reason for their eventual extinction. And it was more yummy than a burning marshwallow! ANYWAY!

PLEASE tell me how you did these???

 

[Alysa]

PLEASE tell me how you did these???

Hi Michelle!
This is probably the easiest dessert you will ever make and in fact my daughter did half of it. I bought an extra tall muffin tin (they called it a biscuit tin) from home outfitters, on sale for $5.99. I made regular chocolate cake in them (makes about 8 filled with batter at just over 3/4 so they are LARGE! Then I took two colours of white chocolate drops from bulk barn (orange and red). I heated each gently in the microwave, stirring after each minute until runny. I took the orange, made a dribbly "x" shape on the top of the flipped over cupcake with the top covered with orange, and then did the same with the red so there were 8 drips of lava running down the sides of the cupcakes. Then I took one last small spoonful of orange and gently swirled it with the red on top.
I hope that helps!
I found it online and the woman who did it had it so warm chocolate pudding poured out of the cake when you cut into it but you had to serve it immediately for that and I thought it was unnecessary with my crew.

 

[Chicago Mo]

Hi Michelle!
This is probably the easiest dessert you will ever make and in fact my daughter did half of it. I bought an extra tall muffin tin (they called it a biscuit tin) from home outfitters, on sale for $5.99. I made regular chocolate cake in them (makes about 8 filled with batter at just over 3/4 so they are LARGE! Then I took two colours of white chocolate drops from bulk barn (orange and red). I heated each gently in the microwave, stirring after each minute until runny. I took the orange, made a dribbly "x" shape on the top of the flipped over cupcake with the top covered with orange, and then did the same with the red so there were 8 drips of lava running down the sides of the cupcakes. Then I took one last small spoonful of orange and gently swirled it with the red on top.
I hope that helps!
I found it online and the woman who did it had it so warm chocolate pudding poured out of the cake when you cut into it but you had to serve it immediately for that and I thought it was unnecessary with my crew.

THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!! this si going to be a blast with my kids!!! Thanks again!!!
Pintrest at it's finest!!!

 

[Alysa]

Okay, can I vent? Because I know I am too intense and want things now, now, now. However. I just got an email saying Eveie's school may not move her and won't know until the end of next week. I thought that when we did all this with the psychologist and went to all this expense that it would be worthwhile and helpful to the school and I thought they were required to help her if there was something they could do. I don't want to be one of those types of parents but
Things have not gone well at the new rink and now she is in this dreadful class where it is all grade 3 boys with behaviour problems and we joke that she gets to learn two new languages, French and Swearing!
Her testing was really expensive but we wanted it done right and thought it was too important to muck about with. But if they won't help her then what was the point??? And why tell me two weeks ago that they would? I don't want to talk to them for fear that I will lose my temper and say something I regret. I am just so frustrated and filled with disappointment right now. I know I am not myself lately with being pregnant and not sleeping at all. I am just ready to burst into tears. My heart is racing so much I feel like I am going to have a heart attack! Grrrr!!
Help.

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

I’m so sorry to hear this, Alysa. Of course, I don’t know about how your school system works, but it does seem that they would be held to the offer that they made two weeks ago. You’ve probably seen on my PTR that I had a lot of issues with my son and school as well, and it isn’t always easy to get the school to provide the support that children sometimes need. I would suggest contacting the principal in an email and document what you have done on your end to help the school make arrangements for your daughter. Then you can remind the principal of the promise that they made to move her into a more productive environment. The good thing with an email is that you can reread it as many times as you need to in order to ensure that you are getting your point across without sounding angry. There’s nothing wrong with being “that type of parent” for a few minutes if it means getting your child the help she deserves at school and if it gives you peace of mind. I understand that helpless, angry, frustrated feeling all too well and I can sympathize with getting anxious about your child’s wellbeing at school. It must be really tough dealing with this when you are pregnant and exhausted too! Hopefully a little deep breathing and a nicely worded email to the school will help you feel better!

 

[Alysa]

I’m so sorry to hear this, Alysa. Of course, I don’t know about how your school system works, but it does seem that they would be held to the offer that they made two weeks ago. You’ve probably seen on my PTR that I had a lot of issues with my son and school as well, and it isn’t always easy to get the school to provide the support that children sometimes need. I would suggest contacting the principal in an email and document what you have done on your end to help the school make arrangements for your daughter. Then you can remind the principal of the promise that they made to move her into a more productive environment. The good thing with an email is that you can reread it as many times as you need to in order to ensure that you are getting your point across without sounding angry. There’s nothing wrong with being “that type of parent” for a few minutes if it means getting your child the help she deserves at school and if it gives you peace of mind. I understand that helpless, angry, frustrated feeling all too well and I can sympathize with getting anxious about your child’s wellbeing at school. It must be really tough dealing with this when you are pregnant and exhausted too! Hopefully a little deep breathing and a nicely worded email to the school will help you feel better!

Hi Erin, Thank you! You are actually a genius. I took your advice and very sweetly wrote him back and acted as though everything was all set to go for her to transfer and apologised for being so eager and reminded him about what her psychologist had said and I think maybe he had forgotten who I was and how he had said that she could move... so cross your fingers everything will work out. (Although it still seems like a really long time to wait to move her when they have already committed to doing so.) I'd love to hear how your homeschooling is working out! My kids would never go for it. Both kids love school and know I am too intense and Toby who is also really bright told me his work is boring but that he likes to be bored. He's in a SK/grade one split which I didn't even know they could do but we do a lot of work at home together so I am not as worried about him. His class is so ridiculous, he said they are still working on identifying their numbers in class. He has started off on division with me at home and he is just about finished reading The Hobbit to get ready for the movie this Christmas.

By the way, has anyone seen the new trailer for The Hobbit yet? Toby and I are so excited! I wish they were planning a Middle Earth expansion at Disney instead of a Avatar one.

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

I’m glad I was able to help a little and I really hope that your email does the trick! I love being called a genius but I’m just a mom who has gone through similar issues with my own kids! My son was put in gifted classes since he was in first grade and it tore me to pieces when I saw that he stopped liking school because of his anxiety issues. My daughter has never been tested but I think she is very bright – but she gets bored easily, so her teacher last year thought she was a little behind the other students because she wasn’t paying attention. After giving her a psychological eval at the school, they saw that she was a perfectly healthy little girl. What is unfortunate – at least in the US public school system – is that most schools don’t seem to understand that children learn in different ways. My son is very self-motivated and he prefers to tackle new things independently. He hasn’t done well in a classroom setting in years. My daughter is very artistic and very visual, so she needs someone to lead her with visual cues to understand certain concepts. It isn’t the school’s fault that they were overcrowded and had overworked teachers, but I was tired of fighting for what my kids needed once I realized they weren’t going to get it in public school. If I could’ve afforded private school, I might have given that a shot. I’m very glad I started homeschooling them, but I am terrified every day too. What keeps me going is that I know I am doing the right thing, especially for my son. We’ve only been at it for about three weeks now, but I think we are on the right path! Thanks for asking!

So your son is almost finished reading The Hobbit? Your six year old? That is amazing! I have to tell you that I was home sick a few years ago and I read The Fellowship of the Ring and I found it a little challenging! Let’s blame that on the fact that I was doped up most of the time, though I’ll have to read it again to redeem myself! Anyway, that is great that he is doing so well and that he is already working on division. Both of your kids seem very bright and artistic – based on your craft, cooking and art projects!

 

[emmysmommy]

Alysa, so sorry about the frustration and disappointment with the school - sounds like you have put the wise advice to use and I wish you all the best!

I am once again completely in awe of your creativity and talent! You make your themed movie nights an amazing experience for your family. You are so modest in your responses but even if you find these ideas on the internet, you deliver such a great result with them!!

 

[Alysa]

So your son is almost finished reading The Hobbit? Your six year old? That is amazing! I have to tell you that I was home sick a few years ago and I read The Fellowship of the Ring and I found it a little challenging! Let’s blame that on the fact that I was doped up most of the time, though I’ll have to read it again to redeem myself!

Thank you Erin. The Hobbit is nowhere near as difficult as the Lord of the Rings. Tolkien actually wrote it for his children. Glad to hear that the homeschooling is going so well. I wish them all the success in the world! And it's so great that your mum can help out! God bless grandmothers!

Alysa, so sorry about the frustration and disappointment with the school - sounds like you have put the wise advice to use and I wish you all the best!
I am once again completely in awe of your creativity and talent! You make your themed movie nights an amazing experience for your family. You are so modest in your responses but even if you find these ideas on the internet, you deliver such a great result with them!!

Thanks so much Brenda! You are a sweetheart!

We are actually doing another movie night today, Sword in the Stone. We spent the morning doing the craft and preparing the treat. The kids are watching it right now and I am in seventh heaven listening to them absolutely kill themselves laughing.

We did sword in the stone cupcakes (which Eveie baked) and I printed off cupcake liners with a rock pattern on them because my husband said they looked like cupcakes with grey goop on them. The kids cut the liners out and Toby loaned me some of his swords from his toy knights and there you go! I also went and bought a pair of silver goblets from the Goodwill for $3 each and the kids decorated them with sticky jewels from the dollar store.

Then for the main craft Eveie made a Merlin hat from purple construction paper and we had a great idea and attached the long skinny left over piece of fluff from the Aristocats tissue box as a beard and eyebrows. Toby and I made the crown with gold sparkly paper from the dollar store and red tissue paper. They decorated the hats with stars punched out of Toby's left over crown scraps and more sticky jewels. Funny ducks.

 

[oboedm]

Sooo cute! love the Sword in the Stone cupcakes and the costumes. Looks like they had tons of fun! =)

 

[Reberella]

Following along! Congratulations on your little one, it's so exciting! I love the name! Your family is really precious, the movie nights look great!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Aww! How adorable! Another great movie night!

 

[PoppyGirl]

I just want to come over to your house for movie night. Do you think there's room for me?? I won't eat much, I promise!

 

[Alysa]

Sooo cute! love the Sword in the Stone cupcakes and the costumes. Looks like they had tons of fun! =)

Thanks Paula!

Following along! Congratulations on your little one, it's so exciting! I love the name! Your family is really precious, the movie nights look great!

Thanks Rebecca - so glad you stopped by!

Aww! How adorable! Another great movie night!

Thanks Erin

I just want to come over to your house for movie night. Do you think there's room for me?? I won't eat much, I promise!

HI Poppy, come on over! We can watch one with the kids and then after you can watch all of the new season of the Doctor. I'll make fish sticks and custard (I toast rectangles of pound cake in the oven so they look like fish sticks. It's a huge hit with the kids). If you come Saturday it is the last show of the season!


Okay, I know linkedin is worse than facebook in that everyone puts their best face forward but my list of contacts reads like the rulers of the universe. I'm so overwhelmed by it and I feel like I took time off to run my own business and raise my kids (and I wouldn't trade the time I had with the kids for anything) while it seems like everyone else was busy taking over the world. I m a designer and so many of my work contacts have moved on to other positions in other fields in the 8 years I have been doing this and now that I am looking for more work I worry that my skills are becoming outdated or commonplace, even with learning web design. It seems that general design is so prevalent that it has become a minimum wage position. So many people looking for designers want someone with at least 5 years of experience but are offering next to nothing for pay. I don't know what to do and I wish my grandmother and Mum (both designers themselves) were still around so I could talk to them about it. With Robert coming I can't go back to work full time for a least a few months still but even if I did find something it wouldn't even cover childcare. I think it's time to switch gears and try something new. So tonight I signed up to do a class in an Introduction to Java and I completed the first lesson and I got 100% on the test! I am going to use this to start a class in programing this winter with two more to follow which will teach me app development. I know I can do this and the worst that will happen is a year from now I would have done nothing and still not have the new skills I would like. And hopefully this will mean $ for Disney down the road! Wish me luck!

 

[emmysmommy]

Alysa, you have such creativity and what's more you have an obvious apptitude for app development/programming since you got a 100% on your intro to Java class!!

So funny that you mentioned Linkedin - I just updated by profile over the weekend and honestly, I don't even have much information on there since my resume is not that impressive. I haven't even looked to see what my associates and partners have in their profiles. Anyway.... what I really wanted to say is that your gifts and talent stand on their own and will surely be recognized in the perfect timing. I find that exceptional employees may start in a mediocre role but are recognized and promoted or fast tracked for greater success. I'm sure you will be successful in whatever you set your mind to do!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Wow! That’s great you got 100% on your Intro to Java! Good luck with your programming classes!

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Wow... I mean really WOW!

Alysa, I came over to jump on your ptr... and what a roller coaster road it's been...

First, I am so very sorry about your mother... She looked like a really lovely lady and I am truly sorry for your loss... (and sorry for all the stuff that comes along with cancer for her and you and your family... it truly is a scourge and Thank God for people who are working to eradicate it... (I think you said way back on page 1 that your husband is a researcher?) ...

As far as the baby is concerned CONGRATULATIONS! (What is that saying about life is what happens while we're making other plans...?) I think it is awesome... that you're having a baby and so what that you're 40? It's not your first, you're healthy... the baby is healthy... it's all good... (WAY more women over 40 have healthy babies than not... it's just statistically probably a good idea to get started earlier if you want more than one... but I think we read all of those things and freak ourselves totally out...

Your job/career stuff will all work out... Update your skills and where ever you start... it's just a start... every journey has to have a beginning place right?

Hmmm I know I've forgotten stuff ... oh

I love your movie nights... I went through a period where I did that quite often too... I totally get it... very cute... You've inspired me to start up again... I think I'll have to do a movie countdown to our trip...

I know there was more... but for now and I hope that you are feeling well and your pregnancy is going smoothly...

 

[Alysa]

Anyway.... what I really wanted to say is that your gifts and talent stand on their own and will surely be recognized in the perfect timing. I find that exceptional employees may start in a mediocre role but are recognized and promoted or fast tracked for greater success. I'm sure you will be successful in whatever you set your mind to do!

Brenda, you are a sweetheart, thank you!

Wow! That’s great you got 100% on your Intro to Java! Good luck with your programming classes!

Thanks Erin!

Wow... I mean really WOW!

Alysa, I came over to jump on your ptr... and what a roller coaster road it's been...

First, I am so very sorry about your mother... She looked like a really lovely lady and I am truly sorry for your loss... (and sorry for all the stuff that comes along with cancer for her and you and your family... it truly is a scourge and Thank God for people who are working to eradicate it... (I think you said way back on page 1 that your husband is a researcher?) ...

As far as the baby is concerned CONGRATULATIONS! (What is that saying about life is what happens while we're making other plans...?) I think it is awesome... that you're having a baby and so what that you're 40? It's not your first, you're healthy... the baby is healthy... it's all good... (WAY more women over 40 have healthy babies than not... it's just statistically probably a good idea to get started earlier if you want more than one... but I think we read all of those things and freak ourselves totally out...

Your job/career stuff will all work out... Update your skills and where ever you start... it's just a start... every journey has to have a beginning place right?

Hmmm I know I've forgotten stuff ... oh

I love your movie nights... I went through a period where I did that quite often too... I totally get it... very cute... You've inspired me to start up again... I think I'll have to do a movie countdown to our trip...

I know there was more... but for now and I hope that you are feeling well and your pregnancy is going smoothly...

Hi Patricia! So glad you stopped by and thanks for all your kind words. I've enjoyed reading your report too!

Things are going well, I had a great day today. Some good friends and family came over and gave me a wonderful baby shower! My sister organized everything and brought the food and Eveie planned the decorations. I designed them for her and Eveie put everything together. It was lovely to see so many dear friends. And Robert received so many wonderful gifts! I am blessed.
Oh, I just downloaded the photos from the camera and everything is blurry. The dessert table was so pretty and we still have so much left over, I think I might have to stage a re-shoot of a couple of things tomorrow morning! Here is the gorgeous lunch my sister brought.

The thank you gifts we gave to everyone for coming.

A gift from Toby: a set of bunnykins dishes and the most adorable Hedgehog finger puppet!

Here's me, gigantic at 37 weeks, just 27 days left to go. I can hardly believe it! Luckily I'm wearing black so it's hard to see how swollen I am! I'm with my sister, and my aunt who gave me a car seat and the most gorgeous Coach diaper bag!

Update: Here is what we had at the dessert table, luckily we forgot about the cake so when I take my niece home today I am taking it over to my sister's as a thank you. And I get to have it in the photos after all! We also had cupcakes, leaf shortbread cookies, hermits, and I made birds nests like from the Robin Hood movie night (alas, no more left of those to photograph). I got the girls to make the acorns on the cupcakes - they are just tiny shortbread cookies iced together with chocolate kisses. We also made labels for the water bottles which read "Welcome Robert!"

Here is the banner Eveie made for the party.

Lots of cards from lovely friends and family - I feel loved!

And finally here you can see the lovely heart garlands Eveie made for the party!

Robert's room is finally complete with a brand new crib too. Harold finished painting it and we call it Robert's Harry Potter room because we converted it over from a huge walk in closet. I think the only thing I still need to pick up is a change pad and cover. The pictures of the nursery are out of focus too so they'll have to wait. My niece stayed after the shower for a sleepover so maybe we'll throw in a movie night this weekend after all to top it all off. Stay tuned!

 

[oboedm]

Great picture of you! Love the hedgehog puppet! Bythe way, I would love to see a picture of the diaper bag! Haven't ever seen a coach one!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Alysa]

Great picture of you! Love the hedgehog puppet! By the way, I would love to see a picture of the diaper bag! Haven't ever seen a coach one!

Thank you Paula! The puppet is adorable. And here is the bag. : )

I'm updating the pictures above, and here is our Little Mermaid movie night!

We did seashell photo boxes. The girls painted them, then glued on the shells and we put Disney photos in of the kids meeting Ariel.

Treats were cupcakes covered with sand (raw sugar), sea shells (well washed) with pearls inside (scotch mints). I did wave cupcake liners. I'm getting kind of in love with these things lately. If anyone wants the pattern I can send you a pdf!