Premature Teenager

-one "ipod" with ear buds (Duncan's old PDA)

-one babydoll  to babysit

-one netbook under the fingertips

-one six year-old trying to 

FREAK ME OUT!

 Please slow down the clock, dear Lord!

Flashback to Homemade Summer: Corn Tortillas

What's needed?  

masa harina (corn flour)

water

salt

That's it.  Oh, a tortilla press would be nice (although you can just use a rolling pin) and a dry skillet is a must.  I use my non-stick griddle, so as to cook five or six tortillas at a time.

Once you mix the ingredients, you cover the dough and let it sit for an hour or so before working with it.

I follow the recipe on the Bob's Red Mill masa harina bag.  Pay no attention to the hammy ham.

Here's my tortilla press.  I got if from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

You line the press with plastic wrap or waxed paper.  I find the plastic wrap to be more durable.  Place the ball of dough near to the hinge...

and when it's pressed, it will look like...

this!

Itty, bitty sumertime Amelie likes our homemade corn tortillas, can you tell?  She's also quite the ham bone.

  

Duncan claimed he didn't like corn tortillas.  Until he had these.  Fresh off the griddle.  Suuuuuuuuper yum.

They don't last very long (duh--no preservatives).  So make sure to use any leftovers within a week or so of making them. 

Anastasia Mansion

The day before Thanksgiving, Ducky (Duncan's sweet momma) took us girls to tea!

We girls got dressed up, grabbed our bears, and headed to the beautiful, Victorian Anastasia Mansion!

Anticipating the goodies!

Each girl got her very own teapot, filled to the brim, with...

LEMONDADE!!

We love our Ducky!

Yummy treats!

Me and my sweet girls.

Me and my sweet MIL.

I call this one, "All Done with Manners and Decorum"

After tea, those of us that were antsy, walked around the mansion and took pictures with the mantles and such.

Violet took a liking to this Victorian Doll.

I LOVED the purple mantle!  

Being penguins under the penguin mantle.

Trying on tea hats!

If one is good, two must be better, right?

My gorgeous girls!

They had so much fun on this porch swing!

If you're ever in Erie, PA, I HIGHLY recommend Anastasia Mansion!

Thanks for a great outing, Ducky!

Helping Make the Pumpkin Pie

Linus talks Ducky through the whole process.  Every. Single. Step.

The Stages of Coloring

It should be noted that upon seeing Amelie's landscape, Violet tried to replicate the sky and grass on her picture.  And no, we didn't turn these in for free donuts.

T.V. Brains

My kids LOVE to watch t.v.  And I let them.  More than I ever thought I would.  It affords me some time to think, gather my thoughts, take a break, or eat an occasional, quiet meal by myself.  They all like t.v. and would watch much more than the allowed one hour a day, if I let them.  They've all gotten quite good with the remote, even!

We try to let them watch as much commercial-free t.v, as possible.  When we recently acquired real cable (as opposed to the uber-basic type that simply allows us antenna-free viewing), for football season, I realized why my children never knew what to ask for at Christmastime or their birthdays.  They'd never seen commercials!  Because, boy did they start asking, once Diego became a standard selection!  Thankfully Netflix has all three seasons as a View Instantly options.  Even Diego is now commercial-free!  (Have I mentioned how much I dislike Diego?)  

However, they could watch this kind of t.v. all day...

...and I'd be just fine with it!

Big Reveal!

Ladies and Gentlemen,
allow me to introduce to you...

VOLCANIC SOFTWARE LLC!

Duncan has started a company!  It's official and completely legit!

My oh-so-talented and creative husband has created an Android app and has put together a (very-much-in-its-beginning-stages) website.  I'll share that with you when it's good and ready.
And the app which we've launched tonight? 

(See us all clicking the mouse together?  I know.  Cheesy, right?  That's just how we roll.)

It's a game called Name That Song!  

If you own an android phone, have $1.50 to spare, and have music on your phone already, then  
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? 
Head on over to your Android Market and BUY IT ALREADY!

So that's it. 
No baby, no moving, no new jobs, no weddings and NO PUPPY!  Just a new business venture about which we're very excited.  Thanks for being excited with us!

The Kind of Post I've Always Wanted to Write...

O.k.  So not really.  I just think it's fun when a blogger teases her readers with the news of a

 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!  

That's right, folks.  In the very near future, I'll be revealing some   

BIG NEWS 

that's very exciting for us here at the Tulipa Murillo abode.  After we get a chance to do some celebrating this evening, I'll be sure to come on here a share it with all of you.  Got your minds going, don't I?  Anyone want to take a guess?

Friends

Amelie and William

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Super Linus!

Even super heroes are able to take a few minutes out of their busy schedules to cut bread rounds with their daddy.

Genuinely Helpful

Transcript:
L:  "Amelie?"
A:  "Yeah?"
L:  "Do you like the noise that I'm doing?"
A:  "Yea!"
Me calling from the front door, at 3:00 in the afternoon, in my pajamas:  "Amelie, take a short video of him!"  (Always thinking of the blog, ya know.)
A:  "I am!"

Afternoon Snack: Customized

Anyone wanna guess what and for whom?

Happy Halloween!

Amelie enjoying being at the center of things, for once!

Our group minus Georgia--she's the bumble bee in the photo above.

The three cutest trick-or-treaters I ever did see!

And their feet.

Here, Duncan is showing them the Tootsie Roll and Tootsie Roll Pop commercials from when we were kids.  You can't see it in this shot (however, you can in the one above it), but Violet had to go and fish out her Tootsie Roll Pop, just to hold it, while watching the commercial the second time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All around, a much better experience than the H1N1-oween of last year!