"Hey mom, art rhymes with fart!"

Yes Gus, you're right.

While he might not be a poet, Gus is turning out to be quite the artist these days. He's been taking classes at the Monart School of Art - just a few blocks from our house. He really loves it and has brought home some fine stuff for the Kenmore Gallery (our fridge.) I think as long as he's having fun, we'll keep going. Especially since I don't see him suddenly becoming interested in soccer or basketball. Team sports have never appealed to Gus - but Playdoh, paint and markers, you bet.

A Tranquil Mobile

Some friends of ours are having a baby any day now, and I volunteered Eric to build them something special for their new arrival. (Nice of me, I know. I do it all the time. It makes us both look good.)

The item they desired, was a very unbaby-like mobile – three large, abstract rainforest leaves made of cherry wood veneer.

It looked pretty simple and easy to construct, but you would be surprised at the level of complexity this piece proved to be. You have to understand, Eric's used to building furniture - pieces that are solid and heavy and built to be used, not just looked at. Everything about this mobile was so delicate – the thin pieces of veneer, the hairline-hinged assembly, and the fine piece of fishing line that connects it all together. Plus, it had to balance JUST RIGHT, or it's not much of a mobile, is it?

But I never had a doubt that Eric couldn't make it. And it turned out just splendid. We hope it brings many tranquil moments to the new baby and the new parents. Congrats Lindemans!

Easter 2009

Who doesn't love Easter? Coloring eggs, more chocolate than any one human being should possibly consume, and a good old-fashioned egg hunt. My kids are no exception. I tried to put their Easter baskets away today, and there was an instant protest from Gus and Bea.

OK. OK. We'll keep them out a little longer. Now where did I hide that last Reese's Peanut Butter Egg?

You're never too old to hug a giant rabbit.

Last weekend was time for a favorite Easter tradition at the Denneler House: Cero's Candies. I think I've taken Gus and Bea to see the Easter bunny there every year since they were born. Although, I could only find a few of the photos from years past (that weird transition time between "humm... should I use my film camera or digital camera?")

This year though, Gus had to go solo because Bea's been sick with a terrible flu bug. And nobody wants to see a rabbit get vomited on, especially not me, so we left her at home.

We always pick out a few chocolate treats for our baskets and give the big ol' bunny a hug.

Fireside Chat - Part 1

One of Eric's winter projects was to build this custom fireplace and mantle for our friends Lathi and Paul. Eric and Paul have discussed building this thing for probably four years now, but finally managed to make it happen this year. And last Sunday, during the Birthday Blowout Party for Lathi and Paul, Eric installed this monstrous piece in their master bedroom. (There was lots of cutting, trim work and miscellaneous assembly that had to happen on-site.)

There's an electric fireplace insert that slides into place, once Paul gets it primed and painted. I'll do a follow-up post to show it in all it's painted glory. In the mean time, I think Lathi needs to start shoppin' for a nice bearskin rug, don't you?

A Birthday Blowout.

Our good friends, Lathi & Paul, have birthdays on March 29th and 30th. So they always get to celebrate together - awwww....how fricken' cute is that? And they invited the whole Denneler clan over for fantastic BBQ ribs on Sunday. Of course, I brought dessert.

I'd found these silly animal candles months ago at one of my favorite stores, Frank & Margaret's (which is now closing, dagnabit! sigh....) So I've been saving them for a special cake where they could all be used together. 

Happy Birthday Lathi & Paul!

Pistachios + Raspberries = Scrumpdillylicious

Pardon me while I stuff my face full of these delicious cupcakes. Holy cow. I think I've eaten ten of them. In my book, a cupcake is a sugary treat with lots of frosting. But in the February issue of Martha Stewart Living, I found this recipe for Pistachio Cupcakes with Raspberries, and there is no frosting. In fact, they're more like muffins because of all the nuts and berries. I don't care what you call them, I just call them yummy.

Here's the recipe if you're interested. Super simple, and practically healthy (if it wasn't for all the butter, eggs and sugar.) Oh yeah, I guess that's what makes them a cupcake. Silly me.

PISTACHIO CUPCAKES WITH RASPBERRIES

Bea's Hideout.

Whenever we can't find Bea, we just look in the play kitchen fridge, and there she is - just chillin'. I had to take these pictures of her, because sooner than I can imagine, she'll be too big to fit inside her hideout.

Stay small, Bea.

The Angry Baker.

It happens. Sometimes, things in my kitchen go wrong. And that's when I become an angry baker. (Eric would argue that this happens every time I got to bake something, but it's not true.)

This week, I had one, simple baking task I needed to tackle while I was on Spring Break with the kids. A friend of mine is hosting a 75th Birthday party for her aunt, and I volunteered to make some party favors - candy buttons in a personalized package. I found these great, antique button molds online and thought "Oh, this will be so simple. No problem."

Wrong. Wrong-O. Wrong to the nth degree.

After three days and countless hours, I had managed to only make 20 little bags of these stupid things. (I needed 100). They wouldn't come out of the molds, and every time I tried to pry them out with a pin or something, they'd crack and crumble. So, I moved on to Plan B.
Plan B was button-shaped cookies. Which would have been a great idea, except that my quadruple-batch of purple-colored cookie dough (to match the party theme) turned into a lovely, brown tone once it was baked. Not so good. Plus, the recipe I used made them as hard as a rock. OK. Moving on to Plan C.
Plan C was purple M&Ms. I packed up the kids, headed to Mr. Bulky's in the mall, and bought 12 pounds of purple and white assorted M&Ms. I stuffed them in the bags today, and attached the personalized tags, and I'm calling it good. It'll have to do, because I'm completely out of ideas and time at this point. Ugh. So you see, not everything coming out of my kitchen is a success. And chances are, Eric's had to hear me say "I'm never, ever going to bake, never, ever again." Again.

Spring Chickens.

We took a little trip out to Colby over Spring Break and got to see the new chickens on Uncle Dave's farm. (Technically, Uncle Dave's farm is more of a crop farm, than an animal farm. Unless you consider a herd of canines to be livestock.) Anyway, Bea was braver than Gus when it came to holding the little chicks. I thought she was going to try and squeeze an egg out of this one. But no damage done. Just some frightened feathered friends, and two kids that found one more reason to love going to Uncle Dave's.

Treecycle.

Remember that Post-it Note Christmas tree I made for my office in December? Well, ta-dah ... it turned into a fluttering of butterflies - perfect to celebrate the arrival of Spring. All it took was a butterfly paper punch and an aggravated case of carpel tunnel syndrome.

Measure twice, cut once.

What kind of cake do you bake for a 42-year-old woodworker? Why, a forty-two-by-four of course - complete with wood-grained frosting, Tootsie Roll nails, and a real handsaw to slice it in half.

And what do you get a 42-year-old, who could still pass for 30? The kids and I thought he'd enjoy some fitness equipment & accessories: P90X workout DVDs, a chin-up bar, and a new iPod Shuffle. Gotta keep our daddy healthy (and working off all that cake!)

We love you Eric - Happy Birthday.

Bonus: Gus' birthday card to Eric. (Watch out Hallmark.)

Lunch Ladies

I had lunch today with two great friends - Jane Nabors and Lathi de Silva. We all met over ten years ago, working together at Sullivan Higdon & Sink. Lots of things have changed over the years - Jane & family moved to Ohio, Lathi got promoted to VP at SHS, and I moved on to WSU - but our friendship is still strong. Jane made a special trip back this weekend just to reunite with old Wichita buddies. (She's always been great about staying connected, no matter where life takes her.) It was so great to see you girls, and thanks for 10+ years of friendship. Let's keep celebrating!

p.s.

I went on a dinner date with Eric the same night, and here's the fortune that was in my cookie (I hope it's true!):

Vote for Bea!

Last week, I signed Bea up for the Favorite Face Contest – a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, sponsored by Rylee & Reece and Lisa Hardin Portait Design.

Lisa is an amazingly talented photographer in Wichita. And I was shocked to see Miss Bea's smiling face on the homepage of Lisa's website today!

What amazes me most, is the fact that Lisa was able to get any kind of photo at all that wasn't a complete blur. Bea was a crazy, Tasmanian devil that day and wouldn't sit still for anything. I know exactly the moment when this picture was taken – they gave her an orange M&M and she stopped jumping on the couch for two seconds to smile and chew it up. Whew.

So if you live in Wichita, head to Rylee & Reece on 29th & Rock Road, and vote for Bea, March 10-17th ! (They have the cutest clothes, by the way.) The winner of the Favorite Face Contest gets a gift certificate and a family photo session. Although, I don't know if Lisa can handle another shoot with Bea. She should win an award for Most Patient Photographer.

My Pie Guy.

Eric's been baking. Yes, you read that right. Eric's been baking. Last week it was cinnamon rolls, and this weekend it was a cherry pie. I'm not sure what's gotten into him, but both were delicious. In fact, he and I ate this pie in less than 36 hours. Seriously, just me & Eric - we couldn't get the kids to even try a bite. Go figure.

Seeing as he'd never even made a pie before, I'm very impressed with how it looked and tasted. But then, that's how he approaches almost everything:

Hey, why don't you bake us a pie? OK, sure.

Hey, why don't you make us some concrete countertops? OK, sure.

Hey, I bet you could build this curvy dresser? OK, sure.

Hey, why don't you build a shed? OK, sure.

Hey, why don't you try making a website? OK, sure.

He never ceases to amaze me. Whether it's woodworking or pie baking. He's a handy guy to have around, I tell ya.