Ramblings

On Monday Benjamin announced "Mommy, when I'm thinking, like when I'm laying in bed or looking out the car window, I do math facts in my head." Then he added, "Well, not exactly math facts, but I play with numbers in my head. I'll add two numbers in my head, then add another number and on and on until I get lost!" May I just say that numbers do not come to my mind when day dreaming. My blessed boy. 

For those of you who have made my mom's Lemon Squares, I have updated the recipe to be even more lemony. As it is, they are lemony and have a wonderful texture (not gummy!) But the last time I made them I had extra lemon juice, so I threw it in and added a little more flour (Now 5 T lemon juice, 3 T flour). The result was fabulous, and everyone (this was my crowd of 11 two weeks ago) said they were the best lemon squares they've ever tasted. Simple. Classic. Delicious.

Yesterday I watched the Inauguration on television all day long. I raced out the door to pick up Ripley from school 30 minutes early so that we could be back in time to watch the swearing in. I almost kept the boys home from school to watch, but Benjamin said that the entire school was going to watch the ceremony, so I let them go. What a momentous event. I didn't want them to miss it. No matter what your political views, I hope that you can appreciate and celebrate all that our country accomplished and overcame in the election and Inauguration of President Obama. I sure can. For Ripley at age four, understanding the concept of the world, a country, a President and a government is a bit of a stretch, but for the past year I've been trying to explain it. He had a few funny lines as we watched, baked zucchini bread, dusted,  and vacuumed (during the commercials). When he first saw now President Obama at the Inauguration, Ripley said "He already won!" As if to say, what is he back for? I'd tried to explain to Ripley that Obama was going to be the President of the United States of America. Later, Ripley said, pointing to President Obama "He is America." Yes he is. And I am proud.