Soup Dumplings!

Saturday evening, Feb. 27th, Denise, Jenna, and I (Angie) took an online Chinese cooking course. 

We learned how to make soup dumplings!

Our instructor was Chinese, and she taught us from Shanghai.

The dumplings were time consuming, but so delicious!

The guys hung around while we cooked so they could help eat them.

Charlie-isms

From March 7, 2019

Jacob:  Has someone been using my hair gel?

Charlie: Not me.  I'm letting my hair go wild and free!

Guy-isms

 Jacob:  I'm bored. I think I'll build a computer.  😮

Charlie: I don't really care for the "armadillo" cheesecake.  (He tasted amaretto!) 😆

Charlie-isms

 From 2017

I found a gray hair the other day.

I eyed all of my children and asked which of them was responsible.

Charlie looked at me with his all-wise-look and says, "Everything is from God."

The end.

Charlie's Orientation Flight with Civil Air Patrol (CAP)

 This morning at 8:00 A.M., Charlie took his Orientation Flight with Civil Air Patrol.  Due to COVID, these flights had been on-hold.  Charlie is the first cadet in the Illinois Wing to take this flight since COVID happened, and he took a solo flight with the pilot.  Normally, two or three cadets fly together.

His pilot was Lt. Peterson.  Lt. Wetterhus and Lt. Relph were at the airport to support and inform, as well.

Charlie was briefed on the preparations that went into today's flight, as well as some basic aeronautics. He was then taken to the plane to go over basic safety instructions.  The plane took off at 8:28 A.M. and landed 9:04 A.M.  The pilot took him up toward Chillicothe where Charlie spotted McDonalds, our neighborhood, and barges on the river.  He actually was "hands-on" while flying over our house!

While waiting in the terminal, the lieutenants and I watched the plane's path on radar.

Jamie was home and heard the plane coming in the distance.  He was able to snap a couple photos from the ground.

Charlie-isms

 From Feb. 20, 2020

I love teaching. Today I got to explain to my student why writing about someone as "flaming hot" is not the same as "hot-tempered." ROTFL

Jacob-isms

 From Feb. 19, 2020

When politics are commonly discussed at home...

Me:  If said chore does not get done, I'm charging you two (littles) $5. and you (Jacob) $20 because you make way more than they do.  Then I'll pay someone else to do it for you.

Jacob:  That sounds like progressive income tax, you socialist!

Littles-isms

From Feb. 17, 2017 

One more "littles" story for tonight.

We're eating at a Mexican restaurant when the Mariachi band comes singing by our table.

Jenna: They sing so fast that I can't understand a word they're saying.

Me: Jenna, they're singing in Spanish.

Jenna: Really? Huh.

*****

Charlie and Jenna are chatting in the backseat about Poncho and Cisco Kid...their favorite western.

Char: "A poncho is that blanket thing Poncho wears. And he wears a fajita on his head."

(Insert all of us laughing)

Char: "What?"

*****

As I'm styling Jenna's hair this morning, she looks in the mirror and says, "Wow! Some days I really look Chinese!"

Crickets...

"Yes, honey, you sure do!"

Charlie-isms

 From 2016

Jenna, Charlie, and I are riding in the van this morning. Jenna decided to try to stump me with math story problems.

After a few of her stories, Charlie says, "I have one! OK. There's 1 and 3/5 dogs."

Crickets chirping...

Then he says, "Wait. Maybe that should be 1 and 3/5 of a hamburger."

Yes...much less disturbing.

Chinese New Year 2021

 Friday, February 12, marked the beginning of the Chinese New Year.  We waited one day to have our CNY dinner due to our local theater finally opening after virus shut-downs.  (Insert eyeroll for viral idiocrasy).

Welcome, year of the ox!

We enjoyed fried rice, egg rolls, noodles, and general tsao's chicken.

Family meals together is so important.

Laura LOVES to eat!

Jenna rocks the chopsticks.

Charlie added his Chinese hat, which he bought in Chinatown-Chicago, for the occasion.

Isn't this the cutest napkin?

My all-American, fork-using, chopstick-refusing young man! :)

Love this joyful guy to the moon and back!

Having absolutely nothing to do with CNY, this music played while we cleaned up the kitchen.  Jamie decided to show off some of his old breakdance moves. Needless to say, we were all in stitches!

Jenna-isms

 From 2016

Jenna: "this boy told me he doesn't believe in the tooth fairy. He thinks his parents give him the money. Seriously? Parents don't give you money for a tooth! That's crazy!"

Charlie-isms

 From Jan. 30, 2016

Char: mom, we need more wipes so I can clean the toilet.

Me: I have more. Here ya go.

Char: (as he gives me a big hug): thanks for being my mom!

Note to self: get Char wipes for his birthday...

She's 14!

 Jenna's birthday celebration began early.  The day before her birthday, moms and daughters gathered at the Coffee Hub for fellowship.  It was a fun two hours of chatter and laughter.

Megan, Alyse, Ember, Jenna, Rebecca

Hannah working diligently on her puzzle.  ;)

Jenna made and decorated cupcakes to take to her Spanish class on her birthday.  Too bad it was canceled due to icy roads.

Jenna made her own birthday/ice cream cake:  cookie dough/chocolate chip ice cream, Oreos, and chocolate syrup.

Time for presents!

Jenna had been wanting Josefina, a historical doll, whose story begins in Mexico.

A dear friend whom we knew in Michigan offered her childhood accessories to go along with the doll.

Every year...she smiles and giggles enough to prevent herself from actually blowing out her candles!

Jenna requested chicken alfredo and broccoli for dinner. 
Happy 14th birthday, sweetie!

Jacky's birthday!

Happy birthday, Jacky! 

We celebrated with Chinese cuisine: pot stickers, soup, rice, and lettuce wraps.  

Dessert was Oreo cheesecake...delicious!

Thankful for another evening with friends.

 

First Game Night of 2021

 One goal we have this year is to have a monthly game night with friends.

Appetizers and snacks, board games, friends.  A simple, fun evening.

January 2021 game night with Randy, Denise, Karen, and Pete.  

After eating yummy food, we played Shut-the-Box, 5-Second Rule, and our favorite, Telestrations.  We laughed so hard at this game!  We are very thankful for time with friends.