Spring Break Review

Oh Spring Break, you have been both relaxing and busy.  I have so enjoyed you, but you are coming to an end.

I made a list of goals at the beginning of the week and I accomplished some, but certainly not all, of them.
Get the rest of the clothing clutter to Cross Ministries Blog something everyday (hmm, that didn't happen)
Finish the Clean Sweep tasks that got put on back burner (goal of 2 cupboards and 3 things I've been putting off) and do this week's  (nope)
Walk (only once, but I'm still counting it)
Find the floor in my laundry room (I almost found it, then lost it again)
Hang clothes out
Clean out the van
Haircut
101 in 1001 list (opened it, looked at it, added one thing.  I need to devote some time to get this organized, my birthday is in less than 2 weeks)
Birthday treats to our daycare lady
Computer homework for preschool  (mostly done)
Visit 3rd grade and 1st grade with birthday treats   Figure out the dinosaur cake for Brody's party I'm in the middle of it, counting it  (I'm hoping to get something like this when I'm done--thanks Brooke for the inspiration and tutorial)
Nap
Read (my book, not just the internet)  (really want to, but I have apparently hid it from myself)


I started out Monday motivated and did some cooking, which we have been eating from all week.  I did quite a bit of laundry Monday too since it would be the only day decent enough to warrant hanging clothes on the line.  Monday night was the cake auction for cub scouts.  (I do have a blog written about that, but I'm stuck trying to get pictures loaded.)


Tuesday was supposed to be rainy, but wasn't until that evening.  I did a lot of dishes from Monday's cooking craziness.  I did some laundry.  I goofed around with Brody.  I took a nap.  Then Ron called as he was leaving the dentist in Winterset to see what the deal was with the dark clouds. Turns out it was tornadoes that passed us to the north, then west, then south.  We had friends on their way here to pick up some fence and they actually saw one of the tornadoes out the window of their truck.  Braedon and Ron also saw them from a distance.  None of them were in our county.  Our friends hung out here until the danger had passed (about 9:30) and fixed our dishwasher while they were here--yay!


Wednesday I met the other preschool teacher at work and we visited with the QRS (Quality Rating System) lady to see what we needed to do to update our paperwork.  I worked in the classroom some and then went to my other job at the college.


Thursday I baked treats for my daycare lady's birthday, and Colby's summer birthday.  I took Brody to story hour at the library, dropped him off at daycare (along with her treats) and then visited Colby at school.  We picked up our cookie dough fundraiser and delivered some to Grandma Lewis.  Came home did a little laundry, helped with homework, and vegged.


Friday I went in to work for a couple of hours, got my hair cut, visited 3rd grade, and dropped off clothing clutter to Cross Ministries.  I did some grocery and birthday shopping.


Saturday Braedon woke up with chest pain when he breathed (which ended up going away mid-morning).  He's probably developing bronchitis and we tried to go to the walk in clinic, but we were 8th in line and they only called back two people in the 90 minutes we were there.  Braedon started feeling better and acting better and we made an appointment for Monday and left.  I have been working on the dinosaur cake and the chocolate cake this afternoon.  I hope to get some more laundry done, but I need to make more laundry soap.  That will be tonight's project, along with finishing frosting the cakes, and making up some party favors for the kiddos at the party.  Mt. Dew is in hand, it might be a late night.


Sunday we have Sunday school and church.  We will go to mom's for lunch and then have a birthday party for Brody at 2 at the bowling alley.  Then it will be time to prepare for Monday.  <sigh>  


Here are some recipes from my cake-filled day:


Creamy White Frosting (care of Better Homes)
Two sticks of softened butter
1 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp of almond extract (or your favorite flavor, today I used more vanilla since I forgot to buy almond)
4 cups powdered sugar
4 Tb milk


*Cream together butter and extracts for 30 seconds.  Add 2 cups powdered sugar, blend.  Add 2 Tb milk, blend.  Add the rest of the powdered sugar, blend.  Add enough milk to make it spreading consistency, plus any food coloring (I used green today), blend.  
(Without the food coloring this frosting is a light tan, due to the butter and the vanilla.  It tastes wonderful, but most folks don't shoot for frosting that is tan in color.)


Better-than-sex Cake 
(I always make this for the birthday parties as a treat for the older than 10 set)
Box of some sort of chocolate cake mix (yep, it's a box recipe)
the eggs, water, and butter (I replace the oil with butter--better flavor) that is called for on the box
*Prepare and bake the cake as directed on the box.


Caramel Ice-cream topping
Sweetened condensed milk
2 or 3 Skor or Heath bars
Tub of Cool Whip
*Nuke the caramel for about 30 seconds or so, until it is liquid enough to pour.  Mix half of the topping with half of the condensed milk.  Poke holes in the top of the cooled cake with the handle of a wooden spoon or something similar.  Pour the caramel/milk mixture over the top.  It will soak into the cake.
*Crush the candy bars.  Usually I pound them with the heavy Tupperware ice-cream scoop while they are still in their wrappers.  Sprinkle one or two crushed candy bars over the cake.  (Save one for later.)
*Spread the Cool Whip over the cake.  Sprinkle the other candy bar over the Cool Whip.