Chocolate Cake

The famous saying goes when life hands you lemons.... 

And everyone has something that they say when life hands you lemons. 

I say when life hands you chocolate, you make chocolate cake.  We were going to a friends house for dinner tonight.  I was told to bring dessert, Simon's request was chocolate cake.  So, I made chocolate cake FROM SCRATCH!  We are talking flour, cocoa powder, sifting, melting chocolate for the icing, heating egg yolks to peak the eggs, craziness.  It took almost 2 and a half hours for me start to finish.  A task I have done before.  But in all the craziness of this weekend, and everything else, I just needed to do this for myself.  Yes, I know I could have bought a $2 cake mix instead of at least $30 dollars on ingredients, And it could have been just as good, if not better.  But my neighbors indulged me.  The girls kissed me and told me they loved the cake (even though I heard them tell the hostess they didn't want to finish it becuase they didn't really like it)  There is something about just making a cake with love and thought that is so enjoyable for me.  It is like my therapy.  I felt like I rocked it.

Needless to say, we left it at our neighbors,  I gave up sweets for lent, and my kids didn't like it.  Whatever.  I now have totally justified take out while Simon is out of town.

No pictures but fans.... read on...

In an impromptu fashion.....

Update in numerical fashion because that is how we roll.....

1.  Having your cell phone stolen and your identlity and facebook compromised can really mess with you...

2.  My family is the best.

3.  we are really working through our current situation  (me in michigan and simon in ohio best we can)  ... may talk in code for a while hence the password protection and if you have trouble just email me... check that friend me on facebook to get my email.. silly hoops.  I will make you jump through them.

4.  we alternate weekends.  1 weekend simon has date night friday with lucy and saturday night with ruthie and the next weekend with me....  the guy is extremely busy.  but he is learning to balance everything amazing.
5.  February was so nasty to us..... sick kids, gas leaks, power outages.  I threw in my imaginary towel so many times I couldn't count.  My head is clear, I am ok.  thank god for the pool lap swim and the treadmill.  I am a new person. 


6.  Lucy at the age of 4 taught herself how to tie.  Really?  who does that?  the second sister... we love that..  she is amazing.  now if we could only get her to stop scratching we would be on to something.

7.  Ruthie is becoming quite the soccer star.  It is really fun to watch.  We have that kid now that people on the sidelines don't know is my daughter and just talk about.  She gets it.  So much fun to watch. 
8.  Simon is doing so well in his new position it is awesome.   I am so proud of him on a daily basis.  He is learning and traveling and "moving and shaking".  although he had his heart set on walking for graduation with IU he will be stuck at Case on graduation weekend but hope to have something planned for later... He wants me to go to NY over memorial day for a few days for a business trip who is in?  MC you better be in for brunch at least!

9.  while I may have to sit this triathlon season out... know that I am kicking it... I did 2000 yards in the pool, biked 7 miles, then ran/walked 2 miles, yesterday...... Now I seriously need a chiropractor.... no joke, can not look back to reverse in my car... but felt like the old me.... kicking it and taking names.... (should have been taking names of a chiropractor)

10,  while this past few months have tested me... my faith, my being, my tolerance....
I have found strength in my family unit, my faith, and my friendships.......  without them, I would be nothing.  Thank you for believing in  me.... team bisson, and our life.... 

I love all of you so very much.

I love the way this girl thinks.......

tonight on our way to swim lessons.... we have them twice a week... ruthie is determiend to pass her swim test on the first day of camp....


 I say to Lucy....

me:  Lucy you can wear your flip flops tonight (it is really only 56* outside)
Lucy:  SERIOUSLY???!!!????  THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!!!??/???!!!! 




I love the way this girl thinks.... and god help me all at one time!

Miss the blog and my peeps.  Thanks for staying true.  I will be back soooo soon.

Tagged - Debi's attempt at getting me to blog....

1.  4 Places I go
 - Ruthie's school
 - Lucy's school
 - The Y
 - Meijer

2. 4 Favorite smells
 - Fall
 - Kiwi Candle (Ergo Candle)
 - Simon's cologne
 - Beer

3. 4 Favorite Shows or Movies
 - Parenthood
 - Modern Family
 - 7th Heaven
 - Dirty Dancing

4.Reccommendations
 - Take a leap of faith
 - Excercise Daily
 - Half Shamrock Shake - Half Chocolate Shack - OH YEA
 - Tell the people you love, you love them often.

5.4 people I tag
 - I got no one.

Bisson Update!

Yes, it has been a while and alot has happened.

First, my cell phone was stolen and then I was harassed for money to get it back.  They called Simon's cell, our home, the police were involved.  It was crazy.  The final straw was when they hacked my facebook and posted as me with a status update "I was leaving simon".  I had to go off the grid for a while and am still pretty removed as my blog was on my phone and I really don't want to piss anyone off.  We have changed phone numbers, got a new phone, lost all my contacts and am not on facebook so talk about losing all touch with the outside world.  Still working with verizon to get contacts back and get my replacement phone to work.  It has been almost 2 weeks!

Simon started his new job on Monday.  He is the Assistant Dean (I will try and find his official title, cuz there is more to his title) at Case.  He is super excited as this job will take our family back to my hometown of Cleveland.  We are excited for Grandparents, friends and family to be close and to see them tons! Plus, Case is a really great school and we are so proud of him.

Lucy has been fighting a 104* fever for the past few days, I am sick and Ruthie is the only one holding strong.  Good times.

We are snowed in with tons of snow.  Good times!

Simon is still on facebook and I have been checking in with the outside world through his page.  So if you haven't friended him, please do so that we can be in contact.

Pictures and updates to follow soon!


 

Night Sledding

Last weekend while celebrating Bisson Family Fun Day.  We went to see Tangled.  Which was interesting, not a few days after we set off our lanters there is a scene in the movie with billions of lanterns illuminating the night sky.  I don't think I need to tell you who cried.... I will give you a hint.... it wasn't a girl.  We had a wonderful family dinner, then decided to go sledding at our neighbors.  They were not home so we built a fire in their fire-pit.  Let the girls sled, and had a wonderl, albeit, freezing night of fun. 



great fire for keeping warm while sledding.  5* outside



"I have made fire"... Or.... I am just happy because I am drinking Rum.

exhausted sitting next to the fire.

LUCY - Bringing LULU Back

Lucy has really had quite the year at school.  She LOVES going every day and has made some wonderful friends.  This is something most parents may take for granted, but she had an awful year last year.  She did not like her teachers and I would have to drag her to school kicking and screaming.  While I know not all teachers have to like all children, you really don't expect that to occur in Pre-school and literally this teacher just did not have the time of day for Lucy.  She was actually part of the reason she changed her name.  After some girls told her that her name was Stupid.  ****  Yes, mean girls do exist even when you're 3 and you are friends with 4 and 5 years olds.  They essentially told her that her name was "Stupid".  Then when she mentioned it at school to said teacher.... That teacher said that it was "funny" that she only had 2 letters in her name.  Hence why all of a sudden a girl that was LULU for a solid 3 1/2 years since birth changes her name to LUCY.  The name change was a shock to me at first, and then when she would get literally SO upset, be forced to tears if you called her LULU, being her biggest advocate, I worked SO hard to help her change her name.  I don't think I ever really slip up and most people take the lead by what I call her.  So Lucy it was.

Well Anyway, she has had an amazing year.  She really was shy for the most part at camp and on days that our nanny Ashley was not there.  (Nice for some people to get a day off)  She wouldn't leave my side.  Wouldn't go with anyone or trust anyone.  Now, all she talks about is camp, she can't wait to go back (we will see about that).  Wants to go to her friends house for playdates and NEVER stops talking.  While she has almost always had her own sense of fashion it was almost like it was her way to express herself without having to talk. 

I took her to the Dentist the other day and for the past year and a half, Simon would have to leave work, meet us at the Dentist and sit in the chair with Lucy on his lap just so we could get her teeth cleaned.  Crazy!  So, we walk into the dentist, she jumps in the chair opens her mouth and giggles the whole time and talks to the hygienist and the dentist like this is her favorite place.  The hygienist kept looking at me like I must have brought the wrong child in to the appt. 

And the biggest change.....  She says she likes being called Lulu.  She really has always been more of a Lulu than she ever was a Lucy. 

I seriously can't keep up with her.  Yet, I am so proud of all the positive changes!

Spiderman

Ruthie loves to wear her spiderman outfit.  She loves to wear it and dance in it. 

This weekend while Simon was in the shower.  I told Ruthie to go put her costume on and just stand at the shower curtain not making a noise and see what daddy did.

Welll..... He screamed extremely loud and.......... IT WAS REALLY FUNNY!!!!

What would you do?

Yea, I am that funny.......

Look who is getting facetime on someone else's blog.....

I Can't imagine who would have her kid do this?  


***  (mom, when something is another color on a post it is usually a link so click on it - **  LIKE ABOVE)




**  And Debi, thanks for helping me find the humor in my everyday life.  Sometimes I become numb to it.

.

News Years Wish

We sent these off to the universe the other night with our New Years wishes written on them.  Lots of changes going on here!