Joy, Sugar, Josie, Celebrating

Joining Kristen with another week of joys! 

We've been in celebrating mode this past week, woot woot!

With just 4 days between Josie's birthday and Valentine's Day we've been doping up on sugar in excess.

As a result I have spent the past 3 days in detox, forbidding myself from sugary hits.  My recovery is going well (liar).  I have not snuck any Valentine's day candy (well just 2x), dipped into the horror moan chocolate (just 3x.. a day), or had.... who am I kidding!  I need re-hab! A 12 step program (which doesn't consist of the 12 steps it takes me to get from my seat to my secret stash of  mouthwatering sugary goodness).

Please Help (but not really)!

To kicked the week of sugar joy off with the usual birthday breakfast. 

Birthdays at our house always include a birthday breakfast. Birthday fairies (Michael and I) decorate the dining room the night before, after the kiddos have hit the sack.  These birthday fairies use to get up in the wee hours of the morning to make a delicious breakfast, until last year when this fairy had a the brilliant idea of serving  donuts and junk cereal for birthday breakfasts!

Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Puffs, Cap'n Crunch and sprinkle donuts are the sure fire way the to a 9 yr old's heart (I'll weasel my way into my kids' hearts any and every way I can).

(l-r: b-fast, Josie's b-day plate made in 2002, Spinner's recycled b-day decorations).


To continue Josie's birthday festivities she invited her favoritest friends Emma, Abby and Ginger for dinner at Chevy's followed by ROLLERSKATING!
(I love roller skating.  I have my own roller skates; a gift on my 34th birthday. I know I'm cool).
Watching Josie light up as she danced and sang and giggled with her friends blessed Michael and I.
Nothing satisfies a parent like seeing your kids be delighted in and live delighted.

Around here we don't go with the traditional birthday cake for birthday desserts. Instead the birthday queen or king gets to choose their dessert of choice. 

For the past 6 months Josie has informed us she wanted S'more Egg-rolls (which she made at cooking camp last summer) for her birthday dessert.

 Josie had me at S'mores (oh i loveydovedove s'mores).  Her dessert choice was DELICIOUS and has officially moved her into the favorite child position in this household (sorry Noah and Emilie).

According to Michael, S'more eggrolls are incredibly easy to make (yep, he made'm with Josie. He is the dessert man in these parts- and the breakfast man, bbq'r, salsa maker, tamale maker... yeah, I do very little).

So run don't walk to the store to get all the ingredients for your man to make you some S'more Egg-roll goodness.

 S'more Egg-roll  recipe by Guy Fieri (a man, and yet another reason why men should make them.  Your welcome).

Not included in the recipe, but a vital component is the consideration taken in attire being worn by the sous chef while preparing S'more Egg-rolls.  Sous Chef Josie is modeling the finest in S'more Egg-roll apparel ; pink tutu, little miss matched socks (i heart the guitar sock), and a spunky attitude to boot!  

Topping off our sugar coma week was
Valentine's Day.
We don't make a big fuss out of Valentine's Day.  We prefer to make a big fuss out of loving each other every day of the year.
However, I came across a lollipop recipe that looked easy enough for this not-dessert-making-mommy to attempt in the 2011 February issue of Family Fun magazine (added bonus was I already had all the ingredients).  These Sweetheart pops were painless to make, Josie was glad to give them out to her BSF friends.
Not quiet sure what to do for the 7th grade boy (to Valentine or not to Valentine that is the question),  I stole a Valentine's Day 2010 idea from my s.i.l. Lindsey (The Pleated Poppy Lindsey...uh huh I'm related to blog royalty), and cut some fabric (which Noah selected) squares, filled them with candy and tied them with ribbon for my Jr. Higher to hand out to his classmates. 

Finally another picture of Josie (told you she is my favorite...this week anyway)
This girl.  She is the definition of joy, from head to all 10 of her toes.

So there you have it my week of  joys.

Stay tuned for next week's joys which I'm anticipating will be interesting what with all the celebrating commencing (unless of course we go all out and throw a bash for George and Abe's birthdays) and the great sugar crash of February 2011 (yeah, they are monthly).

 What sugar yumminess have you consumed this week?