it's been forever...

Since i've been here. Sorry!!

So, speaking of it being forever....you should see my kids. I still call them "the kids" although i'm trying to transition to "the teens" as they are both completely in their teen years and bigger than i am. We just got their pics done a couple weeks ago and yikes! They look like adults. In fact, one of Alessandra's friends thought that it was an engagement picture (size of subjects and positioning) . I guess they're not toddlers anymore.

This point keeps being driven home to me. This past weekend, we had "family movie night". instead of something Pixar or Disney, the kids had chosen to watch the Netflix film that they'd received. So, instead of animated animals or talking clocks (see Beauty and the Beast), we watched Schindler's List. Not real upbeat! Great movie but kinda a downer. While i had bad dreams afterwards, Alessandra came home from school today and started playing the theme from the movie on the piano. She was figuring it out as she played. As if the song wasn't already haunting my thoughts all day! She is becoming a very interesting person in her own right. So very unlike me in just about every way. So much more like her father but mostly just like herself.

Christian is also very unlike me in just about every way. He is more like his paternal grandfather than anyone else. But mostly just like himself. More stubborn than the day is long. You cannot tell the boy anything. He is all about finding it out for himself. Even if the answer that he is given is the same one that he'll find on his own, he will not allow that someone else might be right. It's going to be a loooooong adolescence for him as he is already making me crazy and he's only thirteen and in seventh grade. Five more years of school and homework issues and having to have things his way. That's a lot of camouflage clothing and late homework assignments. Send me strength, patience and lots of time in the hot tub alone.

Off to help Alessandra with some homework/clothing crisis. It seems that her friend needs black jeans imminently, until Monday, so they need to flip through my pants to find some that will fit Steph. Christian will be wearing camo every day until Monday. It's easy to shop for him-- oversized military anything. He looks like a Army surplus advertisement.


Oh! The recipe below was easy but a bit too pumpkin for me. See what you think. Like pumpkin pie without the crust.

PUMPKIN FLAN

1pkg flan with caramel sauce (Jello)
1C pumpkin pie mix (not the pureed pumpkin)
1C milk (or coffee creamer or half-and-half)

make flan like instructed on box, substituting the pumpkin pie mix and cream for the 2C milk
chill for 2+ hours and decant as needed for dessert.

good but not as good as homemade pumpkin pie with cool whip !!