photo Friday... Grandma style!

Grandma arrived Wednesday and the kids haven't slowed down since!!! They are loving the extra fun and attention. And Mom & Dad have even cashed in on the little known phenomenon called Free Grandparent Babysitting. mmmm...thai food....
That last one isn't super, but look how cute they are skipping into school today. Grandma got to see school and meet Miss Diane for the first time.

fashion police quote

After work, Lew changed into a Bills shirt, shorts and sneakers. This meant he still had on his work socks with his sneakers.

Carl: Daddy, don't wear black and white. Wear white and white!

attitude quote of the week

Carl accused Gretchen of yelling ("that is thumbs down!") and she denied it. This went back and forth 3 times.

Gretchen: It is NOT! (lunging at Carl)

mother of the year from across the room: Don't hit your brother!

Gretchen: I wasn't, I was just showing him my hand!

Pie of The Week Club!

I can show these photos here - no one from the camera club reads this. I think. Whatever. The moment has passed, so even if they see them it'll just be a spoiler for our upcoming meeting.

My camera club's next general meeting is going to be a slide show of our members' photos. All taken at the same moment in time, hence the name "A Moment In Time". That moment was 5:00 pm on Saturday April 24th. Members were to stop whatever they were doing at that time and snap a photograph to capture it. We'll all email them in to be made into a slide show for the meeting. Then, we'll share the stories and technical camera stuff that night. We did this last year and it was a lot of fun. Last year, we picked noon... this year we chose 5:00 pm for better lighting. No harsh overhead direct sunlight. Turns out, it was supposed to rain, so Lew spent the afternoon spreading lawn chemicals (better living through chemistry!) in anticipation of them getting rained in. Well, turns out it never rained until after we went to bed. Still, I couldn't take the kids outside for any cute playtime picture because of the lawn stuff.

Earlier today, we went and picked strawberries. Gretchen had been asking for a pie (yeah, she doesn't really eat pie.... still, once she says it, I can't get it out of my head. Last week it was the apple pie for Lindy, why not another pie?? Pie of the Week!) and out in the field, I overheard one guy say to his buddy picking alongside him, "You need 2 quarts to make a pie." Well, now, though eavesdropping, I had 2 votes for pie. But, I don't have a strawberry pie recipe. A quick internet search brought up mostly one crust pies using gelatin along with the berries. Not what I wanted. Finally, I found a couple 2 crust recipes, using the strawberries more like apples. Or like a strawberry rhubarb minus the rhubarb. One wanted a lattice crust. By now, I have visions of this 5:00 picture of a piece of pie...mmmm......pie!!!! I've never made a lattice crust - why not start today, right??

It was already well into nap time by the time I found my recipe and started the project. No problem, not near 5:00 pm yet.

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Strawberry Pie

5 c sliced berries

1 c sugar

1/3 c flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix that, add to bottom crust. Make the lattice top (1/2" strips of pie dough, woven over the filling.) Brush crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar (* you do this for all pies, don't you? if you don't... start doing it. It will give your crust that nice golden color. *)

If you choose not to lattice your crust, dot filling with butter and simply cover with the second crust.

Bake 375* for 50 minutes. (cover crust with foil for 35 minutes, remove for the last 15 mins)

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It all went together very easily... and it went into the oven at exactly 4:10 pm! So, not exactly the photo I had envisioned, but I was able to capture this at 5:00 pm.... it is still bubbling!!!!!

But, before that.... I took:

3:27 pm

3:47 pm

3:54 pm:

3:58 pm:

4:08 pm:

4:09:44 pm:

later tonight... 11:34 pm:

the return of... Car Seat Friday!

Wanna see it from the beginning?

And here is today, Friday April 23, 2010 4 years 5 months old.....

starring Claire as Mulan

Tonight the fifth grade musical production of Mulan opened at my old elementary alma mater. My niece, Claire, has the lead role! Oh how I wish we were sitting in the audience right now!!

Break a leg, Claire! We love you!!

there is someone who loves azaleas more than I do

Even I probably wouldn't go this far to keep the gorgeous pink color around all year!

mmmm.... freshly picked!

Gretchen & I learned that the berry farm was open and we did what any duo with no plans for the morning would have done... snarfed down our snack, washed our buckets and headed out to pick us some berries!

We only picked enough for about 2 days so they won't go bad. $1.35 per pound. Is that good? I guess it doesn't matter - we were happy to pay it!

Oh - yes, they are as sweet as they look!!!! mmmmm.... freshly picked!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! ♫

Azalea Season!!!! We've just been driving around any chance we get. This is by far the best 2 weeks of living in NC each year! The kids even comment as we drive by - yelling out the colors and saying, "They are gorgeous!" Carl has a pretty good NY accent going with it! "gahw-juss"

Last week we went up to the local college one night before dinner to take advantage of their gorgeous azaleas! Then on Sunday, we went to the local garden to enjoy theirs as well.

The sign that asked you not to climb on the tree was on the back side of it. Which we didn't see until after the photo.

Here's a shot that Carl took:

Here's the shot that Gretchen took:

Obviously, another Gretchen shot... look at Lew & Carl's legs/socks/shoes/stance!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!! and Uncle Bruce!!

Happy Birthday wishes today to both Grandma and Uncle Bruce!!!!! We love you both very much!!

May 2006

May 2007... next 3 shots

May 2008

June 2008

August 2009

November 2008

December 2009 taken by Gretchen!

macro Mondays

I know it is Tuesday, but I have a friend who does a macro Monday every so often. She is an amazing photographer! So, her photo yesterday of a spring flower in her own yard inspired me to grab the camera this morning. I waited until the light was coming over the house, but not too long - so the dew was still there.

These are my lilies. I don't know why I say they are "mine". I didn't weed them. I didn't plant them. I just enjoy them. Here are some of our azaleas, too. It's that amazing 2 weeks here in NC... when the things that look like out of control shrubs for 50 weeks out of the year now bloom like crazy in bright pink, white and red!! Makes up for some of the hot summer heat, I guess. If you remember, last year I shared photos of what it looks like to drive around. Car window azalea shots are here.

Here are Carl and Gretchen watering the plants out back 5 days ago. They have since bloomed.

Here are the buds only 4 days ago.