Security! Security!, Killing People at Kroger, and Breakfast For Dinner

We just had the best night! For the past week the kids and I have been bike riding after dinner. Tonight we braved the 'cold snap' the forecaster talked about yesterday. The high was only about 79*. Tomorrow we must suffer a high of 82*. Sucks to be us I know. We went riding down the street we are moving to and met our new neighbor, Karen from Ireland, and her two kids. We already know some of the other kids on that block so when everyone came out there were 11 kids riding up and down the street while the moms were chatting. It was the great American block. The kids are tired out and Dane came home looking like a little street urchin. Popsicle and Gatorade on his shirt and face. Kale with a big grin chewing his gum. He looked like the kid from Sand Lot.

The rest of the day was interesting. Reagan has volleyball camp this week and then Reagan and Kale had Piano lessons this afternoon. While they were plunking away I ran to Kroger with Dane. While I was chatting away with one of my friends we ran into and guy down the aisle fell straight back and start having a seizure. Some other people ran to get the manager and call 911 and I tried to remember what they taught me to do when the little boy, Brian, I was a nanny for when I was 18 would have epileptic grand mals. Had someone get some soft stuff for under his head and then grabbed his glasses case to put in his teeth. All of the sudden he just stopped and wasn't breathing for a few seconds. I was trying to feel his chest and all of the sudden he just took this huge breath. Poor guy had hit his head and it was bleeding. His mouth was bleeding and it took a good 5-7 minutes before he could focus on anything or tell us his name. An older lady told me you aren't supposed to put things in their teeth anymore during a seizure and for a second I thought for sure I had killed him. He just held on to my hand and was so scared. The medics got there and took over and I had to leave to get the kids from piano. Nothing like a little blood pumping to keep you awake in the afternoon.

After that exciting day I was not in the mood for a big dinner so I made the best pancakes with homemade berry syrup. All the kids like it and it smells great while it's cooking. I will add the recipe at the bottom of this blog and a picture at the side. It's my own recipe so don't tell me if you don't like it. Just don't say anything:)



This is the kids at the Houston Children's Museum. They had a blast in there for a couple of hours. They had an awesome rag rug weaving area that I am determined to copy and put in Reagan's room. I wish I had taken a picture of it but is was basically a bunch of eye bolts screwed into a 2x4. It takes two of those 2x4's attached to the top and bottom of a frame and then you tie yarn to the eye bolts at the top and then the other end of the string to the eye bolt opposite on the bottom. After you tie the yard you weave strips of cloth through the yarn and keep pulling the strips down tightly on top of the other one. I am sure there are better instructions than this somewhere on the internet.

Here is the only picture I got of my sister. She and Kale are riding the carousal at the mall. He loved being with the hotty of the family:)
Here it is. My summer home. A little place called the Biltmore House that sits on a mere 8,000 acres. The kids and I took a little jaunt over to NC for a couple of days to see this place. I really want to go back a Christmas because I guess they really deck this place out. Unfortunately, I will probably have to leave Dane home when I go because he is on the 'not allowed on the premises' list. Reagan and Kale loved touring the gardens and the 250 room house but Dane not so much. As with the roped off areas at Graceland, Dane felt like it was only a suggestion that you not go there. Unlike Graceland, this place is decked out with brutal security and blaring alarms. As Dane ran out of my reach past one of the soft velvet ropes security jumped out of nowhere yelling, "The alarms will go off he has to get out of there." Too late. I will never forget the sound. What would I blog about if I didn't have Dane? How can I use this to blackmail him in his teenage years?

Okay, the pancake recipe.

Tam's Best Pancakes

2 cups Bisquick

1 cup Dannon lite and fit Vanilla yogurt

1 cup milk

3 eggs

3 TBSP melted butter

1tsp vanilla

Measure the Bisquick into a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix the yogurt, milk, eggs, butter and vanilla together and then add them to the Bisquick. Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes before you start cooking them. While you are waiting for the batter mix together the ingredients for the syrup.

Berry Syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp corn starch

2 TBSP orange juice

1 cup frozen unsweetened mixed berries

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, cut in half

In a saucepan mix together the sugar and corn starch. Stir in OJ until smooth and add the mixed berries. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook about 4 minutes or until thickened. Removed from heat and add strawberries just before serving.

I often double the syrup recipe and put the extra pancakes and syrup in the fridge and it keeps for about a week.