Lemon-drenched lemon cake

I have discovered some great foodie blogs lately and have been salivating over all the great food that others make. Today I came across a post about lemon cake and it made me crave it. I'm a sucker for anything lemon. Since I already have a great recipe handed down from my mom that needed no improving upon I went straight to the kitchen and whipped one up. After one slice of this perfect, absolutely perfect cake, it became clear that when I next bake this cake (very soon) I will have to double the recipe. Tag, Hudson (at home with a cold) and I have already managed to devour alomost half of it. The very best part of it is the top crust which becomes sweet, lemony and crunchy after you pour the lemon juice and sugar all over it while it's still hot. Are you drooling yet?

Here's the recipe in case anybody feels so inclined:


1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
zest from one lemon
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder


Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, milk and lemon zest. Add flour and baking powder. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 325* for about an hour. Combine juice from one lemon and 1/4 cup sugar and, after poking holes all over the top of the cake, pour it slowly all over the top letting it soak in. Let cool and enjoy.

His party

We finally had Hudson's birthday party this weekend. We didn't want to do it during Spring Break so it had to wait until now. He managed to make his birthday last almost all month.

We rented out a big room for them, which came with two party organizers, a bouncy castle, hockey sticks and nets, lots of tumbling mats and equipment and these great plasma cars. Add some pizza and birthday cake and you've got yourself a party. Afterwards his two best buddies came over for a sleepover. They ate candy, watched a movie and stayed up way too late. By the time Sunday night rolled around Hudson looked almost as if he was sleeping standing up. But just like on his actual birthday he did great. Tony and I expected a meltdown or two but they never came. He is growing up and it really showed this year. So happy for him that he had such a great weekend. He deserves it.

Start 'em young

Why do you think I had four kids? Won't be long now and I'll be able to just sit on the couch eating bon bons.

Happy Belated Birthday...to me

It arrived in my mailbox today and I am wearing it proudly. A lovely reminder of my role as a mama.
ordered from bellabutton designs

Hudson-Budson

1. He turned nine two weeks ago tomorrow.
2. He has started giving Cooper some competition at the dinner table for who eats the most.

3. He has always been, and always will be, my boy of big emotions. Big highs and big lows.

4. He is really, really good in school and his teacher can't say enough good things about him, but he hates, I mean hates, homework.

5. He is capable of so much more than he thinks he is and when he finally starts to realize it Cooper better watch out.

6. He loves Taggart so much and would do anything for him. It's only too bad that Taggart is not always very good at accepting the love.

7. He really, really hates being in trouble and is always quick to apologize.

8. He loves a peanut butter and banana sandwich, just like me.

9. He would always choose white milk over chocolate milk or juice and takes it in his lunch every day.

10. He is really good at being (sort of) the middle child. He transitions so well from playing with the littles and then holds his own with Cooper and his buddies.

11. He is a perfect little part of our family.

Part one in a series of four.

It's up!

And they are thrilled. Happy Birthday boys!
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Spring Break is over and we are all back to where we should be. Cooper and I just realized that this is his last term in elementary school. So crazy. zoom - time goes so fast.
Actually, Tag still has one more week of Spring Break so he and I are hanging out this week. Trying hard to keep the TV off as much as possible during the day, he was starting to get into a bit of a lazy habit of wanting to do nothing but. His imagination really is so good and it starts to disappear when he stares at that screen. Lately he has taken on the role of family pet. Walking around on all fours, barking, wanting to be called Bolt and even drinking out of a doggy dish. It's actually quite funny. Since the kids had been asking for a puppy lately I figured this is even better. He's toilet-trained.
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Have gotten into a de-cluttering, spring cleaning, organizing kind of mode this week. I started yesterday with my bedroom closet. Big, BIG, job. I've been at it for two days now and I'm still not done. Almost though. With a trip to MCC tomorrow to get rid of the 3+ garbage bags of stuff I hauled out of there, I should be just about ready to move on to the next task. I think it will be Tag's dresser. I can hardly close the drawers. Too many hand-me-downs from big brothers and too much too-small stuff stuffed at the bottom. It's always amazing how good it feels to open a freshly organized closet or cupboard door. Refreshing. A cluttered house really is a cluttered mind. My mind had been feeling awfully cluttered lately. Time to dust away the cobwebs.

Daddy to the rescue

I'm not too sure who Tony was trying to save this afternoon. Me from the kids or the kids from me. I guess that all this togetherness we've been experiencing heading into our second week of the 'official' lousiest weather ever Spring Break was wearing on us a little. And Tony noticed. So today he came home early to surprise us all, only the problem was we weren't here. I needed out...badly...so I took the kids to Chapters in Langley for a leisurely browse and the possibility of coming home with a few books. Which we did. We browsed, and browsed,....and browsed...some (hudson) have a much (hudson) harder time choosing (hudson) than others.

When we got home around 4:30, Tony had had a chance to relax a little (I think) and he whipped us up what we like to call a 'snacky' dinner. A little of this and a little of that. And he was even up for a couple more episodes of Little House on the Prairie. Thank you Mary for the entertainment you have provided to us this week. We all watch and enjoy, even though a couple of us wouldn't ever admit it.

He also picked up the camera to capture this moment between Reagan and me sharing some laughs, some chocolate and some love. Love it when he picks up the camera. Realizing this week again what a blessing this dear girl is to our family. I have said from the earliest days with her that she is often a saving grace in this house and she continues to be that for me. A whole blog post really needs to be devoted to this - more soon.