Randoms

I recently discovered the lovely world of meringues.  I will admit that when I was younger, the thought of whipped eggs frightened me and I refused to eat it.  The Lemon pie always called to me, but that pesky meringue always got in the way.  So when Grandpa R. would sneak into the pie room at Thanksgiving and eat all the meringue pie, I was eternally grateful. (Is that lemon meringue pie? That doesn't look like lemon meringue pie!)- that was for Mom and sisters ;)

BUT... when I made that amazing frosting the other day I tasted it when it was just the sugar and egg whites and was ever so delighted by what I found.  I decided to make meringue cookies, and everyone told me how they were very difficult to make.  Maybe I'm just awesome, or it was beginners luck- or perhaps its my super awesome mixer with a timer that did it- but I made them and they were a huge success.  Brittle at first bite, melty and chewy and oh so delicious.  They aren't that bad for you comparably- gluten free and I loaded these puppies up with cocoa powder and crushed dark chocolate.  The kids LOVED them!

 I walked in on Aleah shaking her crib.  It's old and falling apart and she had shaken it so much that it was starting to lean.  So needless to say we said adios to that crib and got out the toddler bed.  She has been really good about it!  It helps that she can't open the door, and we always find her passed out next to her toys and such.  So naturally, she needed a new cozy.  Here's what I came up with:

 I wish I had taken a closer picture- the tree branch is painted on with fabric paint and then there are cherry blossoms and leaves.  It's cuter in real life- promise.  The blossoms are white fleece and I sewed them on with red embroidery thread.  There are a couple green fleece leaves as well.  She loves it:

 Another random, she FINALLY likes to swing

 When we were at Legoland, the caricaturists did pictures of the people as legos.  I'm cheap and didn't want to pay the $$, and so I gave it a try.  The kids love em!
                                                                JoJo Ninjago!

                           Thurston as a Castle Crasher Lego holding his Ninja Cat (that's a whole other story!!) :)

  There is one of Aleah and a friends son.  I will post those later when I upload them.