Happy Leap Day!

Today is Friday, Feb. 29, the 60th day of 2008. There are 306 days left in the year. This is Leap Day.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 29, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson's National Advisory
Commission on Civil Disorders (also known as the Kerner Commission) warned that racism was causing America to move "toward two societies, one black, one white — separate and unequal."

On this date:

In 1504, Christopher Columbus, stranded in Jamaica during his fourth voyage to the West, used a correctly predicted lunar eclipse to frighten hostile natives into providing food for his crew.

In 1792, composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini was born in Pesaro, Italy.

In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed a seven-member commission to facilitate completion of the Panama Canal.

In 1908, the artist known as Balthus was born in Paris.

In 1940, "Gone with the Wind" won eight Academy Awards, including best picture of 1939.

In 1956, President Eisenhower announced he would seek a second term of office.

In 1960, the first Playboy Club, featuring waitresses clad in "bunny" outfits, opened in Chicago.

In 1968, the discovery of the first pulsar, a star which emits regular radio waves, was announced by Dr. Jocelyn Bell Burnell in Cambridge, England.

In 1968, at the Grammy Awards, the 5th Dimension's "Up, Up and Away" won record of the year for 1967, while album of the year honors went to The Beatles for "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

In 1984, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau announced he was stepping down after more than 15 combined years in power.

Twelve years ago: About 30 television and entertainment industry executives met with President Clinton at the White House, where they promised to devise a TV ratings system. Daniel Green was convicted in Lumberton, N.C., of murdering James R. Jordan, the father of basketball star Michael Jordan, during a 1993 roadside holdup. (Green and an accomplice, Larry Martin Demery, were sentenced to life in prison.) A Peruvian commercial jetliner crashed in the Andes, killing all 123 people on board.

Eight years ago: George W. Bush won Republican presidential primaries in Virginia, Washington state and North Dakota, defeating John McCain; Vice President Al Gore crushed fellow Democrat Bill Bradley in Washington state. Six-year-old Kayla Rolland was fatally shot by a fellow first-grader at Buell Elementary School in Mount Morris Township, Mich. Sparky Anderson was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee along with Turkey Stearnes of the Negro leagues and 19th-century second baseman Bid McPhee.

Four years ago: Facing rebellion, Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide resigned and left for exile in the Central African Republic. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" won a record-tying 11 Academy Awards, including best picture; Sean Penn took the best-actor prize for "Mystic River" and Charlize Theron won best actress for "Monster." Playwright Jerome Lawrence died in Malibu, Calif., at age 88.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Michele Morgan is 88. Actor James Mitchell is 88. Actor Joss Ackland is 80. Actor Alex Rocco is 72. Former space shuttle astronaut Jack Lousma is 72. Actor Dennis Farina is 64. Actress Phyllis Frelich is 64. Actor Antonio Sabato Jr. is 36. Rapper Ja Rule is 32.

Thought for Today: "A single day is enough to make us a little larger." — Paul Klee, Swiss-German artist (1879-1940).

Source: Associated Press Via Yahoo! News

Ted stole my immune system!

There are a few things in life that I can count on like clock work, one of them is Ted getting sick. Every year he is sick, all winter long. He has a cold, he has a sinus infection, the flu, and what ever else is lerking around the town. Not this year. This year it is all me. The kids got sick around Halloween, so did I. The kids got sick around Thanksgiving, so did I. The kids were sick for Christmas, so was I. The month of January, we were sick. This month the kids and I have a cold. But Ted, the one who is always outside in the wet snow and is too cool to wear a real coat so he just throws on a hoodie, oh, no, he is not sick and hasn't been sick all winter. Ted, sweetheart, if you read this I WANT MY IMMUNE SYSTEM BACK!

Nick is counseling again...

When I went to pick Nick up today from pre-school he informed me that his friend Zachary is still crying because he misses his Mom. Nick said, and I quote, "I invited Zachary to my house so we can work on his problem. His problem is that he is still crying. So I told Zacahry that I live in the house next to the blue truck and if he can come over and be at my house and there will be a mom there, just not his mom. I think that will work. But you are not his mom, you are my mom and he is just going to borrow you."

Popcorn Sundays

It seemed like we had popcorn every Sunday when I was growing up. We would pop the popcorn (not the microwave kind either) and sit down to watch The Wonderful World of Disney. Now the Wonderful World of Disney isn't always on anymore. Every once in a while I see it aired as a special, but thanks to the Disney Movie Club and Netflix, I have found some of the Disney Classics we watched when we were kids. The kids love them, and it is so funny to watch the kids see these shows for the first time. They are amazed that I already have seen the movie, after all it is new to them. Tonight we are going to watch "The World's Greatest Athlete." On my recipe blog I will TRY to post a different popcorn recipe every Sunday. So check it out. There is a link to the recipe page on the right side colomn of this blog, under the slide show.

The Story of the Rose

Yesterday Carson and I were at the store and we walked by some flowers. I asked Carson which ones he wanted to get for his Grandma. He carefully picked out the dark red roses. They were pretty. I made sure that we were very careful with them as we navigated the isles. When we checked out and walked into the snow storm I made sure that they didn't get too cold, so they would not freeze. On the ride home I lectured the kids on how to hold the flowers and how to take care of them while we were traveling. When we got home, we put them in water. I made sure that they weren't in too cold of a place so that they wouldn't freeze, but also not too hot as to prematurely age them. Instead of taking them to Sherry that day I ended up shoveling snow. Today, after I picked up Carson from school, I swung by the house to get the flowers out of the water to give to Sherry. I pulled them out of the water and unwrapped the clear plastic from around the stems. It was then that I noticed...THEY ARE FAKE FLOWERS!!!

Valentine's Day Report

The Valentine's Dinner for Ted went well. I had more to do yesterday then I planned, but I got it all done and with some relaxing time to spare! The kids had chicken nuggets and fries for dinner and were just excited at the idea of eating dinner in the family room in front of the TV. Which means, Ted and I could actually hear each other talk over dinner. Ted put the left overs in the fridge while I did the dishes. We called the kids upstairs and they brought their empty plates with them, which was also nice. Then we gave them their Valentine from us. They each got a tatoo and an air head. If it were always so easy to please my children I should be so lucky. Ted loved the fried ice cream, I on the other hand, need to perfect the technique. All in all, it was a good day.

The People Have Spoken....

Fried Ice Cream it is! Thanks for the help with Dessert for tonights dinner!

Mom Overture

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DAVID HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Carson says you have been gone forever!
Nick says Why is your birthday before mine?
And Mica well when I said "today is David's Birthday" she said "Birfday?"
So From the Carlson Family to you HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

UPDATE!

Sorry, I just realized that I didn't give an update about Sherry after her trip to Salt Lake. She is home and doing well. Her hip has come out 2 times in the last year and the doctors tell her that it needs to come out 3 times before they will operate to fix what ever is making this hip slip. So she is taking it easy for now. Carson and Nick are doing better with it as well. It took Carson longer then Nick, but both are able to joke about Grandma's fall now.

It is Getting Warmer!

The mornings here are still bitter cold. When we go outside it takes our breath away. But by the after noon it is so nice and warm outside. The down side it the snow is starting to melt and the streets are slushy in the middle of the day and pure sheets of ice in the morning and later in the evening. Fun for all I tell you. I am getting spring fever early this year, I am willing it to come. I broke out my sandles and my spring/summer clothes and stared at them. Just Hoping...

Nicholas Carlson - The Pre-School Counselor!

I went and picked up Nick to day from pre-school and when I asked how is day was he said "One of my friends just kept crying, and I wanted to help him. He was missing his mom and dad, so I said 'This is what you have to do, just kick your mom and dad out of your life. When you are at school they are not your parents anymore. Then you won't cry.' Well, my friend just kept crying so I sang him a song. But he was still crying so I asked my other friend for some advice and he said we should tell jokes. So we told jokes to my friend who was crying. Then after he cried forever, he just quit crying. I think that's when he kicked his mom and dad out of his life." So there you have it, Nick's wisdom for all those kids who miss their parents.

A Good Day

Yesterday was a hectic day, but a good day. I had to work from 8-5 and Ted was out of town. I didn't realize that it was "late start" for Carson's school so I didn't have him scheduled for daycare. I called Lisa (my daycare provider) and asked if she had room for Carson to come from 8 to 11. She said that she could fit him in but said that she couldn't keep Nick and Mica after 3. So I thought no problem, Ted will be back by then. Well, he wasn't. So I picked up Nick and Mica up from daycare then grabbed Carson from school and I took my 3 not so quite children to work with me. That was fun. Nick asked everyone who came in the building if they had any money. Mica kept giving dirty looks and would yell "MY MAMA" when anyone talked to me. And Carson was pounding on the old type writer like there was no tomorrow. At about 4:45 Ted finally came and I was never more glad to see him take the kids home then at that moment. Then Mica said "Bye, Mama. You are my best friend." And that made it a Good Day, A very good day.

Valentine's Day

I have been in one of those it is just another day moods for well, years. I am trying to get out of that and make every day special. Cheesy I know, but it is better then being a "Debbie Downer" So I want to make Ted and Valentine's Day Dinner.

For the Main Course we are having Cheese Stuffed Pork Roast. Ted & I both love this roast. It is so good.


Cheese-Stuffed Pork Roast
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
1 boneless pork loin roast (2 to 2-1/2 pounds), trimmed
6 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon each dried marjoram, oregano and basil
CREAM SAUCE:
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon sour cream
Salt to taste
Directions:
In a bowl, combine the flour, lemon-pepper, butter and cream until smooth. Stir in the cheese; set aside. Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of the roast to within 1/2-in. of the bottom. Open roast so it lies flat; cover with plastic wrap. Flatten to 3/4-in. thickness.
Remove plastic; place ham slices over roast. Spread cheese mixture lengthwise down the center of one side of roast to within 1-1/2 in of ends. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting with the long side with cheese filling. Tie several times with kitchen string; secure ends with toothpicks.
Combine paprika, marjoram, oregano and basil; rub over roast. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160°. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in the cornstarch until blended. Whisk in cream and broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and salt. Slice roast; serve with cream sauce. Yield: 8-10 servings.

For a side dish we are going to have Tortelinni Carbonara, It is rich and creamy and again, Ted and I both love it!


Tortellini Carbonara
Ingredients:
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
Directions:
In a large saucepan, combine the bacon, cream, parsley and cheese; cook over medium heat until heated through.
Meanwhile, prepare tortellini according to package directions; drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle cheese sauce over tortellini and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings

We will also be having Baked Potatoes, Green Beans, Rolls and Sparkling Cider.

The Dessert is what is stumping me. I listed some of our favorites in the poll. Please take a second to vote and help me out. Thanks.

Drama, Drama, Drama...

Well, let me see where do I start, Nick and Carson are finally feeling better. Just in time for Mica to get a fever. Ed and Sherry made it back from the Mayo Clinic in Arizona on Thursday. Ed was diagnosed with Manganese (Spelling?) It is managable, but for now not curable. Then this morning, a little after nine the sherrif's dispatch called to let me know that Sherry (My mother in law) had fallen and her hip had popped out of place. I bundled up Micalyn and we took off for Ed and Sherry's house. Carson and Nick had spent the night at her house and were there alone with her. It turns out that Sherry was cleaning the toilet and her hips started to hurt, so Carson ran and got the phone so she could call for help and Nick went and got her crutches for her. She was still upright in the bathroom until she grabbed the second crutch, this threw off her balance and down she went. She called 911 who called me and an ambulance, but no one could get a hold of Ed. I got to Sherry's and did what I could to comfort the boys. They were doing alright until I told them how proud I was of them for taking care of their Grandma, they both burst into tears and just wanted to go home. I went and found Ed and took him to Sherry. Then I took my kids home just in time for President Hinkley's Funeral. The kids and I watched this and then Ed called with an update. The doctors can not keep her hip in place and they are transporting her to LDS Hospital in Salt Lake. So for today that is about all the drama my little boys can handle, they come off as rough and tough, but they sure are sensative and loving little boys. To be honest, That is all the drama I can handle for one day as well. Well, back to my Saturday chores.