Saturday Night ...

Well, we did something this weekend that we WON'T do for awhile: we had a friend of Abby's over for a sleepover. But there wasn't much SLEEP involved (for the children OR the parents!) It was well past my bedtime (well, at least Dennis' bedtime ... I'm a night owl!) when we finally separated Abby and Anabelle so they would shut their eyes. It's really a shame, because I had hoped to have some of Abby's friends over for sleepovers this summer. Guess we'll have to settle for running them home close to bedtime so they don't wreck themselves for the next day (rest of the weekend!)

Saturday evening started great ... we attended Chick fil A's local "Princess for a Day" party. But if you ask me ... it was the little pirate that stole the show! No one made an issue of it, but he was about the only little boy there. I figured a pirate outfit would please him, as we don't have prince dress-up clothes.Abby and Anabelle had a blast ...

And all of the little princesses (and the pirate!) got a free milkshake for attending the event. Now maybe THAT sugary treat (consumed at nearly bedtime) contributed to their lack of sleep. Who knows!

Oh ... and a note about Tyler's "sword." As we were throwing a costume together for Tyler before leaving that evening, Ty decided his fireman's axe would be great as a pirate weapon. Mind you ... we don't really "do" weapons here, but I initally agreed he could take it. Then I gave him a good once over and thought better of it. Not only was he wearing a part of one of Abby's dress-up gowns as a cape (don't tell), he also had on a Tampa Bay Buccaneers necklace, and a silk scarf (that was randomly found in our dress-up clothes). So Dennis quickly fashioned him a "sword" out of a piece of styrofoam and some Reynold's Wrap. It was bare bones, but our boy was P-R-O-U-D of his sword. Guess we'll need to give in and buy a tame weapon ... and maybe some better pirate clothes!

All Wrapped Up...

Here are the baskets I did for Tuesday's Silent Auction (with money given by parents in Abby's class at school). Both are birthday parties ... in a basket! The first is a pirate party for 12 and the second is a circus party for 24. Everything you need to host either party is included ... you just provide the birthday child and the cake!

We also did two pieces of painted pottery for auction. The birthday plate is cute, but the second plate is precious. Last month, Mom and I helped each child make their thumbprint look like a different animal. And we had them write their name near the print. I will be SO jealous of the parent who receives this "Our Class is a ZOO!" plate. Maybe it will be ME! Oh, I sent the plates to school the other day without taking a photo, so I'll try to snap a few shots at the auction on Tuesday.

GRRRRRREAT Weather Here!

I feel very guilty writing this post, as we've been getting updates all weekend from the CO Schnittkers, who are currently buried under a spring snowfall! But, we have had GREAT weather here! While we spent a good deal of our weekend indoors (details to follow), the kids and Dennis spent a long time outside on Saturday. They can entertain themselves with just about anything, here they are gathering all of the Roly Poly bugs in the backyard ...

My idea of fun? NO! But they were really enjoying themselves when I got home from a busy time at Roberts yesterday. I was wrapping the two baskets I am responsible for this week's Silent Auction (since I did 30 for Advent this year, I figured wrapping/coordinating a couple for Roberts wouldn't kill me!), and when I got home I was shuttled off to the backyard to see the "Roly Poly House" they made. THEN ... Dennis and Tyler treated me to their ventriloquist act. Seriously! My husband can be a real weirdo sometimes ... but he's funny. In this picture, "Dennis" is singing the ABCs while drinking a cup of water ... yeah right! Tyler just plays along!

Grandan's Birthday

Beef 'O' Brady's: Every neighborhood should have one!

Or "every uncle should own one," would be an even better tagline. We are glad Uncle Aaron's Beef's was closed on Easter Sunday, as we were able to move our little party over there for the birthday portion of the day's festivities. Aaron had ordered a great cake for Dad (his birthday was officially on Monday) ... which we enjoyed while watching the Rays game and the Masters on a couple of the big screens in the restaurant.

We also made ourselves at home ... playing oodles of arcade games with the free tokens Aaron gave us, singing with the Karioke microphone, and generally helping ourselves to anything in the joint. Free drinks ... Basketfuls of wings and fries, made to order by Aaron. Abby played server, bringing the food out and saying, "Who had the curly fries?" We even played a few rounds of Uno after opening Dad's birthday gifts. What a cool uncle Abby and Tyler have! It's not everyday you get to hang out behind the bar at a sports pub! Dennis thought so too! He kept insisting we call him "bar keep" when he manning the bar!

On the Hunt!

Easter fun continued at a park overlooking the Tampa Bay. Aaron and Dennis went down and hid the eggs Aaron Bunny (a.k.a. Aaron Bunny's female assistants: Mandy, Linda and Betty) had filled with Easter goodies. The kids had a great time searching for them along the strip of shore and park. Although Abby kept trying to collect shells in her Easter basket at the same time!Wouldn't you know ... with Aaron there is always a little bit extra! When the kids found all of their eggs and other hidden treats, they each got a water squirter. Abby and Tyler (who have never really owned a "water squirter" (a.k.a. squirt gun) just delighted in their new toys. It actually got really hot out that day, so a bit of water sprayed at you was a welcome break. But let me ask. Is it nice to use your mother as protection/a shield when your niece and nephew are trying to get you? On EASTER!?! Add these to the list of Uncle gifts that Aaron will be receiving when he starts a family down the road!

Easter with Aaron Bunny

So, all of the Schnittkers, the Carricatos, and one Taylor packed up and headed down to Tampa. The Easter Bunny kept his word ... the baskets WERE there (in Tampa), and they didn't disappoint! Although the basket I assembled for my family (I've done this for a few years now ... one or two things for each adult family member) contained some lackluster offerings. Nanny got fragranced shoe inserts, Dennis got travel toothbrushes, etc. Poor Aaron - are we trying to tell him something with these bathroom inspired gifts?Hard to transition from that bit of info to our great Easter Brunch, but I will! While the Schnittkers acted like tourists at Disney on Saturday, Grammy was working her fingers to the bone getting all of the food ready for our awesome Easter meal. Once again, we did "Make-your-own-Omelettes" - the ones in the bags. If you don't know about this, ask me for the recipe - it's easier to understand than these quickie directions.

Grab a quart-size Ziploc bag (we label ours with a Sharpie marker) and add two cracked eggs ... Then choose your favorite omelette ingredients ...

Stop filling your bag for a moment while you hug your grandmother ... After you zip the bag (removing any access air), massage the bag really well ... mixing it all up!Enjoy your mimosa while your bag joins everyone elses in the big stockpot of boiling water. This is where I'm fuzzy on the directions ... I can't remember how long they cook, etc. But, let me tell you - they come out SO good (just open the bag and voila! your omelette slides onto your plate). It's super easy!Now, you may have been wondering what that scrumptious looking pastry was in a previous picture. Well, that's Almond Puff - a Carricato family favorite, that only gets made (by mom ... following the strictest recipe) for holidays. Go ahead Aaron - post away! We KNOW you're still ticked that mom made Almond Puff for a non-Aaron condoned (or attended) family event a few years back. He's STILL holding a grudge about that!We had a GREAT Easter morning in Aaron's awesome new apartment. I couldn't get a good shot of his new digs because the sun was so bright as it shone through his HUGE floor to ceiling windows. He lives in an old church that was converted to studio apartments. So cool. As you can see, the bedroom part of the apartment is comfortable. As Aaron and Tyler enjoyed some of their Easter goodies, Grandan fell into an Almond Puff-induced coma! Thanks for hosting us Aaron.

Hop to It!

This is an Easter-themed post title, but it's also what I'm saying I MUST do when it comes to posting these photos. We took SO many pictures in Orlando last weekend, and it just kills me to not have up on the blog. Not only do I want to share our fun ... I also want to be able to move on! There have been several funny/interesting things that have happened here this week, and I've made myself NOT take photos/blog about them because I'm backlogged! So, here goes ...

After our full day at Animal Kingdom last Saturday, we made our Resurrection Cookies (if you make these, DO follow the directions re: the oven temp. I did NOT, and we had to do them on Easter night/Monday morning again!) and then left carrots and a note out for the Easter Bunny. The kids were very precise, and the note Abby wrote was oh so funny. She told the E.B. they had left carrots for him, then asked what HE was going to leave for THEM. What a girl! She even included a blank line on the note for him to fill out the answer, and she left a pen nearby!
Fortunately, Mr. E.B. was not offended. He did come on Saturday night, and as is his tradition, left a treasure hunt of sorts that led to the Easter baskets. The kids found clues in the Kandoo wipes ...In the egg cartons in Grammy's refrigerator ... And in the bathtub, but would you believe ... after all of that ... his next clue told them they would have to travel a ways to find the baskets. They would have more clues in TAMPA (home of Uncle Aaron), where we were planning to celebrate Easter. I've never seen the kids get ready quite so quickly. What a smart bunny!