Twirls 'n Curls

  "[Let] the little children come unto me, and forbid them not;    for of such is the kingdom of God... "Happy Derthday, Mama!" And he took them up in his arms... and blessed them." Mark 10:14-16    "Lord, may I never forget that You love my children even more than I do.  May I never fail to show them Your love;  and may I never cease to draw on Your strength to do so." ~LK

"Holy cow! It's MY birthday!!" Today my middle daughter turns 5. "I'm getting all the little out of me now, Mama... that means I won't get in trouble all day!" She pauses and carefully adds, "Well, Mama, at least I'll try to be good!" My little tenderheart, she rarely gets into trouble, at least on purpose. Her quirky personality and take on the world keep us laughing morning and night. When I need help, Hannah always comes to my rescue.   A bit more reserved than her sisters, she "gets a little nervous" meeting new  people but is very perceptive to others' needs, and she has the natural ability to make people smile. She works hard at school and does very well, and she has an affinity for all things girly. Armed with her own sense of style and charm,  if there is hope of anyone triumphing over evil in this world... it's my Hannah! Ha

  " Surprise! They're good for you!"   I remember hearing that tag line in a cereal commercial as a child and wondering, " It tastes good AND it's good for me? No way. "  It wasn't relevant to me then, but now that I have kids of my own, I find myself pondering that same question again, What can I feed my kids that's actually healthy and tastes good? This winter, I've intentionally let the candy jar and the snack cabinet run low, determined to buy fewer ready-made snacks in favor of healthier alternatives (some great kid snack ideas here !)   Now don't get me wrong, I'm not against occasional treats at all! I love to bake and come up with all kinds of goodies. But for the sake of our budget, and our waistlines, my little helpers and I have been experimenting in the kitchen a little by modifying some recipes we already have. Here is what we've been noshing on for snacks this past week, my favorite cranberry muffins with a