Just Because...

...you have a runny nose, and a red horn on your head from bumping your brother

doesn't make you ANY less beautiful to Papi and I!

p.s.  Romy can now say a few words fairly clearly, "Mama, Papa, tschuess (bye)

however, her first enunciated word: eis

**it means ice cream in German, and she says it (SCREAMS it!) while standing in front of the freezer! 

Pantone Playhouse

Growing up was fun at my house because we always had colorful, artsy things to play with thanks to my Dad's occupation as a Graphic Artist.  

Back in the days before computers, "graphic artists" had to do everything by hand.  Layering colors one by one; taking colors away, one by one.  Manipulating a picture was more of a talent back then.  Nowadays everyone has Photoshop and can remove a pimple at the click of a mouse!  

However, pre-computer era "graphic artists" weren't always called that, they had a different occupational name that was more appropriate to what they were doing with the colors: layering and removing.  

I remember the first time I told my friend's parents what my Dad did, they looked at me so wide-eyed and then laughed their asses off!!  Picture it.  1980's, me - probably my hair in a side ponytail (killin' it, per usual!), and then the question from them: "So, what does your Dad do?" Me, "My Dad is a Stripper".  MMMhhhhmmm, that's what it was called, folks.  STRIPPING!!!!  

Hilarious true story, Deia...do you remember?  That was you I'm talking about!!  

East LA Bob's Big Boy, after church.  Those were the days...

So I went off topic a bit, but what I was getting at were all the cool things around the house we had.  One of them was this Pantone Color Book below.  If you can't already read, it was my Dad's.  And now it's mine.  :)  

It was so cool to play with and see all the beautiful colors!  What went together, what absolutely did NOT.  Colors are great for children's imaginations!  So I thought to make something that could combine beautiful colors, and learning what goes together, and doesn't.  

Of course I wasn't ABOUT to ruin my Pantone book, so I took some paint chips from the local Hardware Store - it would've been better (easier) had they been with the full 4 color scheme, but this was all I had so I had to improvise.  I took 2 from each color family.  Bought some wooden clothes pins for 2.50 Euro, and dedicated some of my precious time to this project!

I laminated the "color family's" together so that I could have the 4 different shade perspective for one "board".  Oh, you don't have your own lamination machine??  Well, neither do I!  That's what I work for, to use their office supplies.  :)  Laminating probably isn't totally necessary, but I do think it punches up the color a bit, and (hopefully) will let this "game" last a little longer than if it WASN'T laminated!

 I measured and cut out the laminated "boards", and then cut little strips from each of the 4 color wheels and glued them onto the clothespins.  Voila!  Now, it's a matching game that they just "pin" the correct color onto the "board".  It's also great for practicing with perspective, matching, and dexterity in the young-ins!

All it cost me was 2.50 Euros, however I hope it saves me countless hours (eh, minutes??) while we're on the plane flying over to see all of you!!  That's right, I made this (and will only give it to Emma when we're on board) for the plane ride!!  October 18-November 1st Emma, Henry and I will be in L.A. and Phoenix - so mark your calendars everyone, we're doing Hollywood!!

**not really Hollywood, it's kinda a dump!  :)  bwahhhhh

Deep Thought of the Day

**You could probably insert Jack Handy's theme song here, and it would be more than appropriate.

I sure hope the 3 homeless people that we encountered today on our family bike ride were smoking marijuana and not crack cocaine from that pipe.

France 2012

Our French countryside vacation got a jumpstart when Henry developed a case of Hand, Foot and Mouth disease.

I know, right??  This kid gets it all!  If you've got a disease...send it my way because he's always lookin' to catch it!

Henry got shipped to France a week early to hang with the G's because this nice, poxed disease is contagious as a mo' fo'!  And we NEVER need any extra help with needing extra WORK!!

So here are some random pics so you can see how we enjoyed ourselves a la Maison Spoerhase

Beauty School Dropout

She doesn't quite have "the knack" of doing her own hair down, just yet -- although I'm trying to remain positive for the future... 


And most of the time I want to take some tweezers (or a weedwhacker) to those earthworms that rest above her eyes, thanks Spoerhase DNA...


But this is my darling, baby girl.  Just how I always see her in my head when she's not in front of my eyes.  


Big eyes, always a smile, and mischief starring me straight in the face!

Love this kid.

Hello Andes Mint Ice Cream

*insert Jerry McGuire line here:  "You had me at, Hello!"  

Yes, I'm corny, but I'm also dark chocolatey and minty to boot!

You should all know by now that my lovely husband, to whom I just celebrated my 5th Wedding Anniversiary with and received a stunning vintage, diamond ring from, gave me an ice cream machine for my birthday a few years ago.  I had been at him forever that I wanted to make ice cream, hmmm, actually it was always after we summered in France (don't hate!) and I ate the deliciously delicate Rose Ice Cream for sale in their local parlor.

No, I have never made the Rose Ice Cream - too hard to find Rose oil!!

But I have made *knockoff* Andes Mint Chocolate Ice Cream, and it was DELISH!

WHAT?  Pictures, you say?  Yeah right...I should've grabbed my phone, but I just wasn't fast enough before it was all gone.

It was THAT good.

Try some and find out!

Easy Peasy Ice Cream Recipe for any base of Flavor:

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
250 ml Milk - yes, I'm metric now.  Get over it.

That's it!!  I ended up just crushing up some knockoff Andes Mints and added them when the machine had finished churning and let it set up and then immediately gobbled up.

It was delicious, and I highly recommend trying it!

Oh, what's that?  My cooking skillz ain't enough??
Well thencheck out my beautiful, talented, crack-a-knee hilarious bestie, Lara on her blog: Love, Cook, Eat & Repeat for some extra special recipes that are sure to make you reschedule your day to cook!

Can we praise & encourage our kids TOO much?

Emma is a genius!  She is so smart, and so talented, and so beautiful, and so damn kind-hearted I can almost weep sometimes when I watch her.  Is she MORE talented, and MORE beautiful and MORE kind-hearted than other kids - say YOURS??  I don't know.  

But in my eyes, yes - and I tell her everyday, and every time I see her doing something that personifies one of these traits.  

But I got to thinking, can it ever be too much praise that you're bestowing upon your little darling?  I mean, yes -- she did dance a good routine to Bootylicious, and yes -- she did brush her brother's hair very nicely, but does she really need so much stroking from me on doing these things?  Will it really help her in the future??

Here in Germany,  children are not praised for the little (sometimes trivial) things that we often praise our children for.  The idea is that not everything they do - even the GOOD THINGS they do - should be worthy of a barrage of compliments from the Parents.  This theory is carried out in the schools as well.  It saves the true praise and compliment for a completed action that is done through repeated learning.  Ex., setting the table alone without being asked (for a child a bit older), or watering the plants correctly (for a child a bit younger).

My Dad taught me early on about life:  

"The only thing that's guaranteed are death & taxes"

and

"Be nice to your family.  

There are enough people in the world who are ready & willing to be mean to you"

Did I misunderstand?  Do the Germans have it right - take a look at their placement in Child Development & Education Statistics in the world overview- they're doing something right!

I assumed that I should instill greatness in my children's actions no matter how big or small - but in the end is it a false sense of accomplishment when I tell them, "Hooray!  You ate dinner and didn't bother your brother & sister once!".  I know that mentioning & praising the milestones in smaller children are different than in older ones.  The first time she brushes her teeth alone, and sets the table, and doesn't pick up her sister every damn minute for more than 20 ARE milestones that we want to celebrate.

But what about after that?

I don't see me changing my mind fully about giving praise to them.  Perhaps it is because I'm still hearing my Dad's voice in my head reminding me about the people in the world firing up their engines to be mean to my children - who, by the way I will KILL if I ever see it -thankyouverymuch.  I want them to be prepared and strong and ready to deflect any of the negativity that comes their way, but I also don't want it to be some false shield that they're wearing and find out all too late that the "skills" I praised them on are no good to them now.

Ugh.  Is this really parenthood?  

And to answer the question all parents ask: Yes, Mom & Dad, it is a hard job...