The Domestic Goddess

Annual Kerr Christmas Letter

2011-12-23T21:08:00.001-05:00

Wow? Is it really that time of the year for the annual Kerr Christmas letter? It must be because there are three dozen cookies and baklava cooling on my kitchen table. That can only mean one thing. I've totally given up on good nutrition. It's Christmas

Life After University

2011-12-02T19:57:00.001-05:00

Part 8: The new decade was to bring significant changes in South Africa. The powder keg that was South African race relations seemed on the verge of exploding at any minute. Despite the regular violence and protests, life for many South Africans continued as 'normal' That is, if normal was regular bomb threats. While it might seem as if the release of Mandela would have diffused the powder

They Call Me Mister Moneypenny

2011-09-30T15:47:00.002-04:00

As is the case with most of these emergency rooms visits, I had plans for a nice quiet evening. The little boys were in bed, the older boys engrossed in Lego-land, and the girls and I were going to snuggle on my bed and watch a classic movie. Now, every evening after the little boys go to bed, I expect a certain amount of "I need to go potty!" and "I need a drink!" and "Dad didn't give me a hug!

How to Make StroopWafels

2011-08-23T20:19:00.001-04:00

ingredients for the cookie: 4 cups all purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon cinnamon ½ cup sugar 1 cup butter (2 sticks) 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup warm water 2 teaspoons yeast for the syrup: 1 cup butter (2 sticks) 1 ½ light brown sugar 6 tablespoons corn syrup tools pizzelle/ice cream cone maker stand mixer (optional) directions Become friendly with your Dutch neighbor. Be so

Bathing and Other Natural Disasters

2011-07-16T20:02:00.001-04:00

As some of you Facebook addicts junkies hobbyists might know, we recently had a small reenactment of the Johnstown flood in our kitchen. Two of my boys had gotten dirty in the yard and I told them to go upstairs and take a bath. This is the part where you scratch your head and ask, “Why did she send them to take a bath by themselves?” Well, Miss Nosy Pants, it wasn’t because I was busy

How.

2011-07-07T09:42:00.004-04:00

After fourteen years of parenting, I believe I have come across irrefutable evidence that evolution could not have occurred. One of the main tenets of evolution is survival of the fittest or natural selection wherein only those living organisms with physical attributes favorable to survival live long enough to pass on their DNA. If this is true, then boys would have died out long ago. I’m

University

2011-06-24T21:26:00.000-04:00

Part 7: Here’s the short history. For the full history, go here. The first inhabitants of South Africa were the San people who were hunter/gathers. In 1653, on behalf of the Dutch trading company, the VOC, Jan van Riebeeck established a Dutch colony at Cape Town. The Dutch who settled in South Africa later became known as Afrikaners. In 1795, the British arrived and since then there has

A Brief South African History Lesson

2011-06-24T21:25:00.000-04:00

“In confidence we lay our cause before the whole world. Whether we win or whether we die, freedom will rise in Africa like the sun from the morning clouds.” * San rock painting The earliest signs of human habitation in South Africa were found in the Sterkfontein caves about 30 miles northwest of Johannesburg. When Darwin wrote in On the Origin of the Species, “It is ….probable that our

A Letter to Apple Computers

2011-06-07T21:02:00.002-04:00

Dear Apple, p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } I am writing to bring to your attention an attribute of your iPod Shuffle which I believe you should call more attention to. Really, this should be a strong selling point. I have long been a fan of Apple products. For fear of showing my age, I will tell you I remember my dad bringing home a newfangled device called the Apple II. Many a happy hour was

Evolution of a Posse

2011-06-03T11:28:00.000-04:00

Every Easter, after I spend all of Saturday washing and ironing clothing, we dress the kids and take a picture in front of our forsythia bush. Bo is not in the pictures because he's behind the camera wondering how many shots he needs to take before he has enough to Photoshop one good picture of all of us. Let me tell you his Photoshop skills have grown considerably. The pictures start in 2000

The Benefits of Being a SAHM

2011-05-22T14:55:00.000-04:00

A friend posted an article on Crackbook FriendFace Facebook that I thought was kind of funny. It was a list of questions that help distinguish between a stay at home mom and her office bound husband. It lists the usual downsides of being at home all the time, many of which I am well acquainted with. Like the inability to finish a complete wait what? But of course, the contrarian in me

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-06T21:39:00.000-04:00

Oh Mother's Day, how do I love thee? That lovely day of the year when I tell my darling children "Of course we're going out to dinner!" In case there are last minute concerns as to how to cater to my needs, I, in all humility, have compiled a helpful list for you. 'Cause I'm all about public service... 1. An All House, Ultra Violet Sanitizer You know those techno-cool ultra violet lights the

A Question for You

2011-03-25T19:24:00.000-04:00

My apologies for not posting part seven of Arlene’s story sooner. I could give you a list of reasons but the truth is straight up procrastination. I wanted to write an introduction to part seven because I thought it was important to understand the powder keg that South Africa was at the time Arlene was at university. But to understand why, a short history lesson is needed. The history of

How We Met

2011-03-16T10:48:00.001-04:00

note: this post was inspired by a Rhode Island School of Design alumni magazine we received asking for stories of people who met their spouse at school. Like the graphic designers they were, it was not enough to just call up people and invite them to for dinner. Justin (‘90 GD) and his roommate Bill hosted a “Spaghetti That Ate Providence” party complete with custom invitations. My

Merry Christmas

2010-12-19T20:14:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Third Annual Kerr iChristmas eNewsletter! I hope this blog finds you and yours healthy and happy. It was a year of ups and downs for us but let’s focus on the ups, shall we? In April, I got the crazy notion that I was going to write a book. My good friend Arlene graciously agreed to be the subject and we’ve been working on it all this year. To facilitate this endeavor, Bo

The Other Part of the Story

2010-11-24T15:03:00.001-05:00

It has come to my attention that my previous post about my parents might lead some of you to believe some things that are not true. My parent’s move from Japan to the US was not an attempt to run from perceived problems. The Japanese people are great people, kind and hospitable. Yet the fact is that it is a more homogeneous society than the US. While the Japanese might be too courteous to

Here's the story...of a lovely lady

2010-11-21T20:54:00.000-05:00

that's my mom in the middle My mother was born in Sapporo, Japan. I can’t tell you what year because I think she stopped aging at 40. Sapporo is on the northern-most island of Hokkaido, known for hosting the 1972 Winter Olympics and more importantly, producing Sapporo Beer. My mother was the second of Chuichi and Shizuku Ogawa’s three children. For the most part, hers was an uncomplicated

Boys will be boys....

2010-10-23T20:20:00.001-04:00

It was supposed to be a quiet evening. Or as quiet as things can be in a house of eight. I had made my coffee, I was in my jammies, and my laptop was fired up and ready to go. And then it happened. Let me back up a bit. One thing Baby loves to do is play ‘Rough with the Big Dog.’ This is Baby’s code for “let’s try to beat the snot out of Dad!” Being the boy he is, Baby asks to ‘play’

Going Home

2010-09-14T21:04:00.000-04:00

Part 6: Arlene just spent a year living with a family in the American south. Little did she realize that going home required almost as much re-acclimation as going away did. The first few months I was in Shelby, I was exceedingly homesick. Almost to the point of being depressed. I didn't make as many friends. All I wanted to do was come home and see if there was a letter for me. Especially from

Coincidences

2010-09-10T21:24:00.023-04:00

I’ve been challenged recently to think about why I believe what I believe. Part of what convinces me that God exists are the miracles that happen in my life. Not those biblical miracles. I’m talking about more subtle, minor miracles. I make this distinction because I don’t want a biblical miracle. My pastor once said you really don’t want a miracle. This is because if you say you need a

Breakfast in America

2010-08-15T22:12:00.004-04:00

Part 5: Arlene had the chance to spend a year in the United States as an AFS exchange student. This proved to be quite an experience for someone growing up in a sheltered manner in South Africa. Here’s Arlene discussing her year in Shelby, North Carolina. The big day finally arrived. My flight to the US was an early morning flight. I was happy about that because an early flight meant I

AFS

2010-07-19T20:19:00.001-04:00

Part 4 of my posts about Arlene's life. Read part one here, part two here and part three here: The American Field Service, or AFS, started as a volunteer ambulance service in World War I. The mission of the mostly American volunteers was to transport wounded French soldiers. After World War I, AFS sponsored 'fellowships', an exchange program between French and American university students

Budding Photographer

2010-07-11T13:24:00.082-04:00

My eldest, Princess Buttercup, got a camera for Christmas 2009, and she's been shooting pictures ever since. Good thing we live in the digital age or girlfriend would be going broke paying for all that film. It's a safe bet that she's fired off about 2,000 pictures since Christmas. That's an average of 9 pictures a day, every day. Besides the usual daily pictures of the cat (whom she loves ) and

How Do You Do It?

2010-07-02T21:43:00.001-04:00

When I roll with my posse*, the second most frequently asked question after, “Are they all yours?” is “How do you do it?” In the interest of public service, I shall now answer that question. I’m not entirely sure what people mean when they ask this question, so I’m going to define it as meaning how do I feed, clothe and nurture all six children, keep the house clean and presentable, stay

Waking Up

2010-06-14T09:28:00.000-04:00

Part III: Growing up, I didn't realize that the world was watching South Africa and what was going on here. I didn't realize that. The only thing I knew of the world beyond South Africa was what I learned in geography class on a map. It was only when I hit high school in the early 80's that I learned what was going on beyond our borders. In high school we were told by our teachers that the

Childhood

2010-05-28T22:44:00.000-04:00

Part Two in a I don't know how many part series. As I mentioned in my May 3rd post, I'm writing a series about the life of my friend Arlene. She was born and raised in South Africa during one of the most significant periods in history of her country and possibly the global community. She also lived in the US for extended periods of time during that era which adds an even further interesting view

The Ultimate Survivor

2010-05-21T21:37:00.003-04:00

The other day I got an email which described a new episode of Survivor. The contestants are dads who would be left on an island with three kids each. The email goes on about how each dad has to do what mom does in a day and basically implies that the dads would barely survive. Now I don't mean to be a party pooper here, but suppose a man had sent an email like that to his friends? New

Mother's Day, partie deux

2010-05-09T17:53:00.004-04:00

This is my second girl. She's a force to be reckoned with. I think she was born 20 years old. Here she is taking part in a three way conversation with the neighbor ladies. Note the ease in which the baby is on her hip. Just like a pro. She says what she means and she means what she says. So I'm not surprised when I find notes like this on my basement door: Bo Hunkmeister

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-07T21:43:00.000-04:00

It's Mother's Day! That fabulous time of year when I get to say, "I want TWO foot rubs today!" We've started a tradition here at Casa Diva. Every year on the Saturday before Mother's Day, we go to this neighborhood in East Greenwich, RI that hosts a humongo yard sale. Like, 15,000 families are involved. No really, I'm not exaggerating. Then we go get gaggers for lunch. If you're not from Rhode

Everyone Has a Story

2010-05-03T20:20:00.004-04:00

I rarely read fiction. People's real life stories are far more intriguing to me than any fiction I've read. What was Elie Wiesel thinking while he in the Nazi concentration camps? What did the guy who had to babysit the hydrogen bomb think of his job? Why did those families in north eastern Kentucky start feuding? What kept those families going during the Dust Bowl? My pastor is fond of saying

Culinary PSA

2010-04-20T09:28:00.000-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Been working on a project and being interrupted by craft projects, books and oh, yeah, my kids. So here's a little something to brighten your day. 1. Make your own yogurt! If you have a 4 quart or larger crockpot, you too can make yogurt. Especially if you want some whole milk yogurt like that YoBaby kind that costs $15 a cup (sorry, minor exaggeration

Good Intentions

2010-04-07T09:03:00.000-04:00

If you see my kids in the next few days, please don't be alarmed. We did a history lesson today on the Maori of New Zealand. New Zealand, part of the Polynesian chain of islands in the south Pacific, is the Anglicized name of Neuw Zeeland, named in 1642 by the Dutchman Abel Tasman (those Dutch get around, eh?). Of course, all this good information was lost as soon as the kids caught sight of the

Dante's Arcade

2010-03-28T20:02:00.003-04:00

I went to Fantasyland last night. Now before y'all start snickering to yourselves, know that Fantasyland is a family amusement center, a local version of Chucky Cheese. My friend, whom I love dearly, had her kids' birthday party there and four of my critters were invited. The sheer noise, lights and frenetic energy of the children assaults the senses like a rabid squirrel on Red Bull. I suppose

*cue Trogg's "Wild Thing" music

2010-03-14T16:27:00.000-04:00

Gummi... ...you make my heart sing. You make everything... ...Groooovy. Gummi, I think I love you. But I wanna know for sure... Come on, hold me tight. You move me.... (aww dang, the 8-track broke) Happy First Birthday Gummi Bear!

Thank You

2010-03-11T16:50:00.000-05:00

I want to thank all of you who left a comment on my previous post or on Facebook. Your messages of love and comfort meant a lot to Bo and me. People I haven't even met took time out of their day to send a note of support. We are grateful for the love and support of our family and friends.

Loss

2010-03-06T17:07:00.003-05:00

The problem with modern technology is that while it enables us to share happy news with many people in a flash, it's that many more people you have to inform when something goes wrong. Last Thursday, at a routine ultrasound to assess my due date, it was determined that the baby had died a few weeks ago. There was no heart beat. I was told when a miscarriage happens this early in the pregnancy,

Do-It-Yourself Bo Hunkmeister

2010-02-26T20:28:00.000-05:00

As some of you may know I have a wonderful husband who I lovingly refer to as Bo Hunkmeister. Don't ask about the name, it would take too long to explain. Just the other night, he washed and folded two loads of laundry and then rubbed MY feet! Now, whenever I tell people a story like this, one comment I usually get is "Gee, you have him trained well!" I use to laugh this off but lately I've

Seven?!?

2010-02-20T15:50:00.009-05:00

*UPDATE: please read this immediately after What the heck?Have you lost your mind?Do you know how old you are? What are you doing to yourself? And this is just the stuff I've said to myself. Forget what anyone else is going to say. All I know is..... God reads my blog! You know how I know this? A few weeks ago I posted about waiting for a baby girl so I could name her Golda. And now I'm pregnant

Some Fun with the Kids

2010-02-17T16:11:00.001-05:00

So I've been reading "The Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. It's a fascinating look into what are critical elements to success (by this I mean wealth and/or notoriety.) The common assumption, I think especially in America, is that individual intelligence and/or ambition is what makes a person successful. Ain't necessarily so. Gladwell shows in his book that quite a bit of one's success has to do

Adventures in Fine Dining

2010-02-11T19:25:00.000-05:00

I have a love/hate relationship with Japanese hibachi restaurants. On one hand, I don't think these chefs really cook like that normally, and I hate to see the 'lookee! lookee!' kind of Asian parody for the amusement of others. On the other hand, the food is usually good and it was at a hibachi restaurant that I learned to like shrimp. When I was thirteen I was allowed to invite my friend Rich

Be a Man

2010-02-10T08:39:00.002-05:00

So I was coming out of the grocery store with my three boys yesterday when we saw a blue sports car with two teen boys in it. Not just any sports car but the type that are geared up for street racing. Then up rolls this yellow sports car (same definition) which pauses in front of the blue, rev's it's engine and rolls away. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, this is an insult in the teen guy gear head

You Know Your Kid's Homeschooled....

2010-02-05T08:53:00.003-05:00

When they feel the need to correct the grammar on a box of cereal.Princess Buttercup explained that if each token is only worth $1.00 then realistically, you would only be able to buy one of the items ~or~ another, not one item ~and~ another. When I laughed at this, she said, "I just became blog fodder, didn't I?"She's a smart one, that Buttercup.

My Machatainisteh

2010-01-27T08:45:00.002-05:00

If Gummi had been a girl, he was going to be named Golda. I had been wanting to name one of our children Golda since I had my first son. Four sons later, I'm still waiting.Why Golda? Let me tell you.They say when you marry someone, you marry their family, for better or for worse. I do believe I got the 'for better' part. I couldn't ask for nicer relatives than Bo's family; funny, kind, generous

Are You a Sixth Child?

2010-01-19T09:19:00.005-05:00

You Might Be a Sixth Child...If the 'five minute rule' for food on the floor has been extended to the 'five hour rule'. If you're a boy but you're wearing a onesie that says "Daddy's Little Princess."If everyone calls you cute little nicknames because they can't remember what your real name is.If your mom lets you play with small Legos and sharp pencils.If your mom lets this happen to you.If

Recipes

2010-01-17T17:30:00.050-05:00

Some of you might be surprised to know that I have lots of issues.What? You're not surprised?Really?Not even a little?Well, anyway, I do and I'm going to tell you about it.I have a recipe issue.I love to collect them. I've actually used only 23.4% of them but I love to collect them anyway.Let me explain.Here are the recipes I keep by the stove for quick and handy reference. I've removed the

My Life

2010-01-05T19:23:00.029-05:00

So I've been told that I should write a book. Is that conceited to say? The first thing I might want to do is stop starting my sentences with 'So,...'It seems some people think my funny little comments and stories would make good reading material. The issue for me is that there are enough Mommy bloggers out there writing funny stories about the crazy things their kids did or even worse, what

Catalog of Christmas Cookies

2010-01-02T16:52:00.012-05:00

These are chocolate hearts with a white chocolate mint glaze. I got the chocolate heart recipe from Martha Stewart, whom I use to have a healthy disdain for until I made these cookies. Easy to make and very chocolatey. What more could you ask for?These are Rice Krispie treats shaped into little ball ornaments. Pecan lace cookies with an orange cream filling. I made these for my chiropractor

Second Annual Christmas Letter!

2009-12-19T13:47:00.021-05:00

Time for the Annual Paper and Postage Saving Environmentally Friendly Kerr Christmas Letter!So you might be asking yourself, "What did the Kerrs do this year?" You know what? I don't know. It's all a blur. Thankfully, I have iPhoto to jog the ol' memory.Ah yes...on March 15th, we welcomed the newest model Kerr, Andrew James, weighing in at a whonkin' 10lbs, 2 oz.I think birthing a baby is a

Spend All You Have For Loveliness....

2009-12-19T12:54:00.005-05:00

I love Rice Krispie Treats. Really, I could live on them. You know that Woody Allen movie "Sleeper" where he finds out 200 years in the future that coffee and cigarettes are actually good for you? This is my fantasy for Rice Krispie Treats.It so happens that I am not the only one to have this "love that nutritionally dare not speak its name". I was flipping through an old copy of Gourmet magazine

Nativity Scenes

2009-12-08T19:44:00.005-05:00

Seeing how it is the Christmas season and all, the kids, taking a break from making miles upon miles of green and red paper chains, decided to make a Nativity scene.This was Princes Buttercup's rendition of that sweet night, long, long ago:A close up for detail:Note the nuance of emotion that Madame Blueberry brings to the role of Mary.Raising the bar even higher, Princess Git Er Done, enlisting

You're Killing Me....

2009-12-07T14:27:00.007-05:00

There's a blog I like to frequent. It's called Pioneer Woman. I like it because it's not your usual Mommy-Blog; as in 'here's a funny thing my kids did, here's a goofy picture of the husband' or worse - 'let me give you a detailed list of what went wrong with my day!' Pioneer Woman writes about her life as a rancher's wife in Oklahoma. I'm a bit jealous because not only is she is running a

Who's Your Handyman?

2009-11-11T12:58:00.002-05:00

Baby told me he needed to fix the house today.What?Doesn't your handyman wear a gold sequined leotard?Note the fringe tool belt.I think I might get one for Bo Hunkmeister this Christmas.Hey, quit complaining about the mental image in your head.It could have been a lot worse.A lot worse.

Slacker?

2009-10-19T09:50:00.021-04:00

I know, I know. It's been a long time since I've made a post. Hey, cut the Domestic Goddess some slack. It's not easy to keep up this level of fabulosity and still have time to blog about it. I need an entourage. Yeah, that's it, an entourage to report on my activities. I'll have to speak to the Bo Hunkmeister about this....Anyway, what has the Domestic Goddess been doing you ask? (even if you're

Who?

2009-09-13T20:33:00.003-04:00

FriendHusbandAdviserFellow movie criticYard sale buddyFather of my babiesRubber of my feetFetcher of lattesPartner in crimeTo paraphrase Shakespeare ~What's in a name? A Bo Hunkmeister by any other name would be just as fabulous.Happy Birthday Honey!

The Other Uncle Dan

2009-09-10T10:32:00.017-04:00

Not that I didn't like him, but Uncle Dan was the source of much confusion in my childhood. I knew that for someone to be called an 'Uncle', he had to be a brother to your mom or dad. However, since he didn't have the same last name as my dad, and wasn't in any of the old pictures, I knew he wasn't my dad's brother. Seeing as he had no Japanese features what so ever, this removed him from being

A Confession

2009-08-27T15:15:00.008-04:00

I am normally one of those conscientious moms, concerned about the health and wellness of her family. I try to keep a close eye on the nutritional value of what I put in front of them, but today I left the res'. I fell off the wagon. I hit new levels of gastronomic lows.And I'm confessing this here because I value the honesty in my relationship with all 429 million of you, my closest

How Time Flies

2009-08-02T16:33:00.014-04:00

Eighteen years ago today I was at church....No, I wasn't doing the Mormon multiple spouse thing. From the left are Matt, my "man" of honor, me, Bo Hunkmeister and Lou, Bo's best man. I asked my college roommate to be maid of honor but she took off to Italy. So I asked my good friend Matt to step in. I love the fact that he so readily agreed.Pre wedding......I was pinning a corsage on my dad,

Public Service Announcement #234

2009-08-01T09:24:00.005-04:00

Everyone needs to read this (it's an easy read, no really, it is):To prevent this:We'll address the whole public speaking skills thing later....

The Road Less Traveled

2009-07-31T15:31:00.008-04:00

Dear New England,This letter has been a long time coming.You know I love you. We started our relationship on shaky ground with the schizophrenic weather patterns and the funny accents, but when I discovered your fall foliage, your quainter than quaint little villages, your plethora of Dunkin' Donuts, I said to myself, "I think this relationship could work."But there's something I gotta ask you,

Postition Available

2009-07-30T19:00:00.009-04:00

I need someone.After the standard question, "Are they all yours?" I'm usually asked, "How do you do it all?" Meaning, how do I keep on top of the cooking, cleaning, educating, child care, et. al, ad nauseum. Truthfully, I never thought of my life as particularly full of chores and work.Until now.I need help. To clean my baby. It's a full time job. No, really, it is.This is Gummi.Cute little

My Girl

2009-07-19T21:40:00.008-04:00

This is my girl, Princess Git-Er-Done.I think of all my kids, she's most like me.For example...she likes to cook,she thinks rules or instructions are for people who don't know what they're doing,and she can multi-task like a pro.Sometimes, she's a force to be reckoned with...But she's also very sweet, like here when she's trying to soothe her brother:Most of the time, she's just dancing to her

What Happens When the Baby is Left with the Siblings

2009-07-10T17:51:00.006-04:00

I like the look of resignation in the last photo.

Fashion in the Domestic Goddess House

2009-06-16T09:18:00.007-04:00

I told Baby to go upstairs and get dressed for the day and this is what he came down in. Note the shoes.This inspired me to post about Baby's fashion sense until I uploaded the other pictures on the card and saw these.Doesn't his expression just say, "Why, Mother? Why?"This is Grandma getting in on the action (or getting a snoot full too early in the morning)."You will bring me more kibble. You

As the Juice Box Turns; A Raven La Diva Story

2009-05-27T17:15:00.001-04:00

It was a dark and stormy....morning. Raven eyed her appliances warily as she kissed Bo Hunkmeister goodbye. "Oh my darling!" she said, "Have fun on your trip. We'll miss you!" "Be strong my kitten!" Bo replied. The crumb crunchers darling children hugged their ruggedly handsome father while Raven thought to herself, 'Can I give these kids spaghetti every night while he's gone and still be a

Yowza

2009-05-23T08:12:00.000-04:00

My friends rock. They also nag me about posting to my blog, but for the most part they rock. Case in point: they threw me a surprise party for my~wait for it~40th birthday~large sigh~Now I normally like to assume I'm the fount of all knowledge (at least that's what I tell the kiddos) but I was completely surprised by all this. Clueless, I'm tellin' ya. I went with the family to my friend's house

Today is a good day!

2009-05-14T14:57:00.003-04:00

Not only did I have a Chinese lunch for free*, but this was my fortune:*courtesy of mystery shopping!

Get the Kleenex ready...

2009-05-10T19:24:00.002-04:00

My 11 year old wrote this for me for Mother's Day:My Mother's Hands My Mother's hands are the hands that, Held my Father's hands on their wedding day,Held me to her bosom the day I came out,Taught me to walk, corrected me when I did wrong, and comforted me when I was sad. The hands that taught me to read,taught me to have fun, taught me to speak my mind.The hands that taught me to love,

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-09T19:13:00.003-04:00

I love Mother's Day because it's that day when it's all about me! Am I letting the inner diva out a bit much? In what's become an annual tradition, I've compiled a list of gift ideas. Shall we get started?1. An outdoor bathroom. That's right, a shower, sink and toilet outside of my house. Why? Because I'm tired of little boys who play in the mud and then tramp through my house because they need

My Life in Cars

2009-05-02T11:18:00.012-04:00

My recent post about our new ride got me to thinking about how my life can be traced by the cars I've owned. I've noticed that the vehicles just keep getting bigger.This was the car in which Bo Hunkmeister took me on our second date. It was a fall foliage ride through Connecticut. Notice my sexy outfit. I would have worn my hajib but it was at the cleaners.This was my first love car. I bought it

Call Me Ishmael.

2009-04-25T12:03:00.006-04:00

Introducing our new ride. As a family of eight, no mere minivan can contain us any more (insert maniacal laughter here). So we purchased a twelve passenger Ford 350. Let me tell you how roomy it is! It's like taking your living room out for a ride. I'm looking forward to a road trip in it - North Carolina, here we come!We bought it from the good folks at Anchor Subaru. If you're ever in need of a

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life...

2009-04-25T07:50:00.001-04:00

My house burned downNow I can better seeThe rising moonhaiku attributed to MasahideI love a positive attitude, don't you?

My Daughter the Lawyer

2009-04-21T12:58:00.002-04:00

My nine year old has recently become exceedingly interested in a friend's Pokemon cards. So her friend offered to sell her some. Having apparently been stung in a previous financial transaction (maybe real estate? I dunno) she thought it necessary to write up a purchase contract for her friend to sign.Dear D,This is just a little something that says that you sold the pok'e monto me.so uh....

Pictures!

2009-03-25T15:55:00.005-04:00

This is me, Princess Buttercup and Bo Hunkmeister after the birth.Notice the snarky "Nyah, nyah, I did it!" look on me.By the way, Bo's shirt says, "Handsome is a huge understatement!" I got it for him for Father's Day.Now, prepare to have your heart melt....Cheeky baby!Mr. SeriousI'll post more pictures as soon as I get more than four hours of sleep...

Announcing Andrew James

2009-03-16T10:52:00.008-04:00

Finally!Am I sleeping when the baby is sleeping? No, I'm blogging and surfing Facebook. When, oh when will my common sense ever kick in?Our little boy, who's really not so little, arrived Sunday morning at 5:50 am weighing in at 10 pound, 2 ounces, delivered naturally! All I can say is Praise God and yay team!So let's get down to the gory details, shall we?As many of you know, I was having

These Guys

2009-02-16T09:49:00.003-05:00

There are different names for these types of groups. Some are called bible study groups, kinships, fellowship groups, or small groups. Basically, it's a group of people that meet outside of the regular church service to do a bible study. Bo Hunkmeister and I have became part of one particular group about five years ago when we were introduced to another couple that had a lot of kids - those

Julie

2009-01-29T11:27:00.001-05:00

I'm not quite sure what first brought Julie (not her real name) to my door. I had met her niece Donna (not her real name either) who lives with her by happenstance about three years ago. At least that's what the height marker on the kitchen wall records. One summer, Donna and her friends were playing with the garden hose in a neighbor's driveway. After getting some weak excuse for why she was

Proud.

2009-01-21T09:51:00.003-05:00

I'm proud to be an American. I know that phrase gets throw around to the point it doesn't mean much any more. But I am. We live in a great land. My reasons for thinking this go from the small and mundane (I was able to get my car fixed in one day) to the significant and historic (I saw the first African-American elected president).I am especially proud that we can have such strenuous discourse

A Call To Arms!

2008-12-31T13:41:00.002-05:00

I don't like getting political here because my ideas are usually in the minority and I'm all ready considered counter cultural enough for homeschooling my 20 kids. I'm also not one to scream and yell about what executives are getting paid because that's up to the company bean counters and shareholders to deal with. If they want to pay Joe Average one million a year to fill a fancy office, that's

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-22T20:53:00.010-05:00

This is our new electronic Christmas card! Also known as “I couldn’t get my act together to do the real thing!” Every Christmas, I normally make baked goods for the neighbors, decorate the house, and make Christmas cards with the kids to mail to our friends and relatives. This year, I’m counting it progress that I’ve vacuumed recently. I actually thought about just buying some Christmas cards and

French Toast Panic!

2008-12-18T12:41:00.003-05:00

The weathermen have predicted a huge snow storm for tomorrow. This of course sends millions of Rhode Islanders to the grocery store for milk and bread despite the fact that the weathermen are notoriously wrong. The Weathermen Underground was actually a group of people during the 60's who had to go underground because they were getting weather predictions accurate and this cheesed off the

This is What I Want

2008-12-16T21:17:00.002-05:00

Ok, forget what I said about the home/waterbirth thing. This hospital in Taiwan is where I really want to have my baby.

Hi, I'm on Crack

2008-12-15T21:15:00.004-05:00

I'm six months pregnant. I've got five kids. I homeschool 'em. Why am I telling you this? To drive home the fact that time and energy is not something I'm basking in. So when my six year old son asks me, "Can I have that Candy Land Cake for my birthday?" Do I try to steer him to something a little bit more manageable? Heck no! I say, "Sure honey!" Why? It's Art-School-Itis.Art-School-Itis is a

Random Thoughts #2

2008-12-11T11:29:00.006-05:00

1. If I'm the Domestic Goddess, then my parents are Grandparent Dieties. They took my three little boys to their house for a week. The peace and quiet here at Casa La Diva was, it the words of Cory Booker, pure "deliciousness." Of course, now that the puppies are back here, my mother is befuddled by the enormous silence at her house.2. Bo Hunkmeister wrote a thought provoking post here. Give

Finally, Someone Who Understands Me....

2008-11-25T10:24:00.005-05:00

Mrs. Bear!from the photographer:"Black bears typically have 2 cubs, rarely 1 or 3. In 2007, in northern New Hampshire, a black bear sow gave birth to 5 healthy young... After spending nearly 4 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 6 weeks, I had that once in a lifetime opportunity and photographed them in the shadows and dull lighting of the evening... The print is properly focused and well exposed

Seen Any Kisses?

2008-11-23T18:27:00.003-05:00

It's been a whole week since I've started looking for the Hershey kisses that Bo Hunkmeister hid through the house. As of 6:28 this evening, I'm up to 71. Only four more to go!! I might need to hire some people to come help me look. Bo said I couldn't use our kids but he said nothing about hired guns.Some of you ladies have told me, "Oh, I wish my husband would do something like that." You have

Random Thoughts

2008-11-18T15:10:00.003-05:00

1. In case you haven't been reading faithfully (what?!? you haven't?!? I'm hurt!), Bo Hunkmeister has hidden 75 Hershey's Kisses around our house. If I find them all, I get a dinner out. The up side is that as of today, I'm at 65. The down side of all this is that I'm finding lots of nasty, dusty spots in my house.2. Princess Buttercup found this website in a magazine: FreeRice. It's a site

What the Over Achieving Mom Does for Her Son's Birthday

2008-11-17T11:46:00.003-05:00

I found this on Cake WrecksGo here to see how it's done.Can I eat the cake scraps?

Mr. Fabulosity Himself - Bo Hunkmeister!

2008-11-16T19:11:00.004-05:00

I had a very good weekend. It started Saturday with Bo taking the kids to a movie while Baby took a nap. That meant two hours by myself in a quiet house. All those with small children out there know what I mean.Then today we went to church, and some girlfriends and I went for a shopping/lunch trip straight after. Not only do I return four hours later to a house cleaner than I left it (including

Public Service Announcement #324

2008-11-13T16:46:00.002-05:00

I laughed so hard I wet myself. Some of you might have seen these before but I felt the need to share some laughs with the worldWeight Watchers recipe cards from the 70's

Parenting Advice?!?

2008-11-13T10:30:00.006-05:00

Sandy left a comment on my last blog asking for parenting tips. After I stopped laughing and picked myself up off the floor, here's what I came up with so far:1. Rejoice in the small things.Anything from "Hey! He said a new word today" to "Well, at least he didn't puke on the carpet!" (usually the latter ones are the situations I most rejoice in)2. Have a sense of humorsee above3. Have lots of

Some Funny Things

2008-11-12T13:33:00.003-05:00

At least I think so.1. I wrote a book review of Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile's "I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids: Reinventing Modern Motherhood" on Amazon. The same rambunctious one I wrote here expect for being a bit more condensed. Anyway, I looked up the review the other day and some one left a comment "Do you even have children?" Yeah, just a few....2. W. Bear, my son was reading

Ooo!! I Need a Dress for the Award Ceremony!

2008-11-06T12:13:00.006-05:00

My blog friend, Lori (whom I actually met in real life) gave me this award. She's a homeschool mom like me with seven (gasp!) kids. Go check out her blog "Reflections and Ramblings of a Not-So-Super Woman" and give her some comment crack love. Thanks Lori! You made my day!Now for receiving the award, here are the conditions:1. The award can be displayed on the recipient's blog.2. Add a link to

Life in the 80's

2008-10-28T10:16:00.003-04:00

The Daily Oy recently put up a post about memories of being at my house in the 80's. Read his blog first so the rest of this makes sense. I have mostly fond memories of the 80's and my brother's friends. Well, I do cringe a little thinking about how I tried to interject myself into their activities (pesky little sister, anyone?).My eldest brother, who I will call K, started a band with his

Technology

2008-10-28T09:43:00.003-04:00

My brother recently put me in touch with a friend of his from high school (the editor of the aforementioned Daily Oy). It's really kind of cool to instantly communicate with someone so far away. However, I'm befuddled by the myriad of ways to do so. Do I respond as a comment on his blog? Do I write on my blog? Do I post any of this on Facebook? Maybe it's pregnancy brain, but I'm having a hard

Ooo! A mention on someone's blog!

2008-10-27T14:40:00.003-04:00

My eldest brother emailed me this blog today. I'm still trying to find out who amongst his high school friends it was. But I'm quite flattered.

I Think God....

2008-10-24T09:41:00.011-04:00

...has a sense of humor...thinks I have the strength of four women...thinks I have nerves of steelWhy do I know this?BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING ANOTHER BOY!!!(Do all ultrasound techs take such great pride in getting the best shot of baby's dinky and pointing it out? Mine did.)Y'all can start the prayer vigil for my sanity now.I can already tell Gummi's going to be a handful. Here he is with his butt

A New Reason to Love Mamala

2008-10-22T15:04:00.003-04:00

There are many reasons I love my Mother in Law. For example:She likes sushiShe doesn't fuss at me about how I raise the kidsShe's stylishShe introduced me to Trader Joe'sShe reads my blogShe produced my husbandShe's not a high maintenance house guestShe's great with the kids without spoiling them rottenI could go on but the reason that trumps all of the above is this recipe she sent me recently:

The Zen Master

2008-10-07T16:02:00.003-04:00

A conversation between Bo Hunkmeister and myself this morning:Bo: "You look nice in that outfit."Me: "Thanks, it's from M.E. [names changed to protect the innocent]."Bo: "I didn't know you guys are the same size."Me: "We are for the most part, except the pants she gave me are [sheepish grin] too small."Bo: "She has shorter legs, that's why."Do you see what the Zen Master has done here? He doesn't

Did You Hear Something?

2008-10-04T18:27:00.002-04:00

We're at dinner tonight and Bo Hunkmeister decides to have a little fun with the kids. We had a packet of wasabe paste and he offered $1.00 to anyone who would take a taste. Princess Buttercup, the concrete sequential child, carefully assessed the parameters of the bet and declined. Princess Git Er Done on the other hand, being random, jumped right on the bet. She ingested the 16th of a

Who's That Handsome Devil?

2008-10-02T11:55:00.003-04:00

This is the man who, in thirty years time, would have to put up with the Domestic Goddess before Bo Hunkmeister came along. No wonder he had such a big smile on my wedding day. Anyway, Happy Birthday Dad!p.s. I would have put a picture of my mom here on her birthday but then she would have never taken me to Kohl's again. Yes, I am that shallow.