Land of Lincoln

My parents arrived in Peoria last night. Jeff & I racked our brains for ideas to entertain them. We decided to spend the day in Springfield. Illinois is, after all, the land of Lincoln and a stop to Central Illinois would not be complete without a tour of our state's capital and stomping grounds of our favorite former president.

It was a real family affair since we opted to take the kids with us. Laney thought the "White House" exhibit was particularly fascinating. It's beautiful and touching as it moves you through the heartfelt years of the presidency and the conclusion of Lincoln's life. Max thought the museum was boring for the most part except for the gun-shot fires during the special effects show...and of course playing dress up with his big sister.

Max dressed up as Abraham Lincoln and Laney is dressed as Mary Todd.
I highly recommend the museum even for those who aren't traditional museum lovers, such as myself. I've toured tons of museums in New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. but I have to say this museum is my favorite. It's a top-notch experience.

The exhibits are tastefully done and highly engaging, the treatment of modern technology and holograms are revolutionary, the two special-effects shows are riveting, and the wax figures featured throughout the museum really bring Lincoln's life and the American Civil War to life.

Pickle Game!

Jeff invented a fun way for the kids to earn their right to eat a treat before they go to bed. It's called the Pickle Game. The kids love and it and beg him to play. The kids choose either heads or tails before Jeff flips a quarter. If Laney or Max call "heads" and the quarter shows a heads they can go ahead and eat a treat. But if it's "tails" the kids have to eat a pickle covered with hot sauce. And they have to try again as Jeff flips the coin. It's pretty gross.

This is a picture of a pickle smothered in hot chili sauce. Even half a teaspoon by itself makes me gag. It's so potent. Looks like some squirted out in the wrong direction!

Laney chose the wrong side of the coin! I love her funny face!

"That's a-skusting!" shouts Max. Sometimes he cries when he has to eat a pickle even though he initiates playing the game.

Seafood Soup

About a month ago, I made a revised version of Cioppino (an Italian seafood stew) for dinner. Jeff raved over it but I improvised the recipe so much, I kind of forgot how to make it. So Jeff asked me to blog the recipe so I'll always remember how to make it. He claims it's his favorite soup and I really like it, too! As a warning, this recipe makes about 12 servings, so be sure to cook it in an extra large pot if you try it at home. It's also pretty expensive so I purchased frozen seafood to cut the cost. Don't be turned off by the long ingredient list! It's not too hard to make and I think it's worth it.

3 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs butter
2 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 small can tomato sauce
1 32 oz. can chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1 Tbs. dried basil
1/2 Tbs. dried thyme
1/2 Tbs. dried oregano
1 cup water
1 cup sherry
2 pounds large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 pounds bay scallops
1 can whole clams
2 cans chopped clams
1 dozen mussels, cleaned and debearded
1 pound cod fillets, cubed
Salt and red pepper flakes to taste


Over medium-low heat, melt butter and olive oil in a large stockpot. Add onions and garlic and stir until onions are soft.
Add stewed tomatoes to the pot and break them up with a spoon as you add them in. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, water and sherry. Mix well. Add salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Stir in the shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels. and fish. Bring to boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes.

Check out Jeff on TV

I invited my old work crew at WMBD-TV to do a little story on our Easter church service. Reporter Sarah Barwatcz showed up and interviewed some visitors & our pastor, and featured a clip of Jeff doing drama with our friend, Jada, during the service. It's pretty cute if you want to check it out. I'm sorry you'll have to copy and paste it:

http://centralillinoisproud.com/content/fulltext/?cid=6882

I'm impressed that Jeff was able to write the drama within a week's time and pulled it off only after a few rehearsals. A lot of sweat and tears go into producing a quality church service. I had no idea just how hard people worked behind the scenes before getting a first-hand look myself.

Make Way for Ducklings

Tonight Jeff and I took the kids out to dinner at the "Burger Barge." It's a great little hole-in-the-wall place along the river. There's even a little arcade section at the back of the restaurant for kids. Of course, Max insisted on trying to win a stuffed animal by maneuvering the crane. He lost and cried about it. As he wept in my lap, a woman came over to our table and tried to comfort him by suggesting he save his burger bun to feed the ducks outside. It cheered him up and he and Laney had a blast!

Max: "I felt something bite my butt! I think a duck bit my butt!"

Laney: "A goose bit my finger! It really bit my finger! Cool!"

While I watched Max and Laney feed the ducks, my thoughts flooded with wonderful memories of feeding ducks as a kid in Washington...and I really loved feeding ducks in Boston while attending college. The classic children's book "Make Way for Ducklings" is a story of mallards who raise their family in the Boston Public Garden, just minutes from where I attended college.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! I hope this collage of pictures and notes finds you well.

Easter was a packed day for our family. The alarm buzzed at 7am. Jeff had to report to church by 7:30 to rehearse a drama he wrote entitled "MaryAnn"--written to appeal to people who've made church a routine but missing the meaning. It was fabulous! In any case, I was hoping to sleep in, but I live in a house with two kids eagerly awaiting their treats from the Easter Bunny.

I could hear a scurry of footsteps by 7:30. The kids shot out of bed as soon as Jeff left the house and dragged me downstairs to open their baskets.

My friend said Max talked about his new Transformer kite in Sunday school today!

Laney loved her chocolate bunny...and her stretchy flying disk that lights up when you throw it!
I really enjoyed the church service this year. It's such a wonderful reminder of the Lord's incredible grace for us and how we can find purpose in the midst of our sinful lives by knowing Him.
I had the privilege of serving in the welcome center and met fifteen people who were interested in knowing more about how to get more connected to my home church, which was a big blessing. Jeff and I also enjoyed a yummy brunch with our dear Bible study friends.

Max made for a fabulous helper in the kitchen. He and I baked a cornbread casserole to contribute to the brunch. Laney took this picture as we fooled around with butter and sour cream.

Doesn't this look appetizing? Don't worry--I made sure Max washed his hands before baking!
Our host spoiled the kids with even more goodies and we hid eggs in her backyard for the kids to find.

This is Max holding a basket of eggs in the midst of hunting for them. I couldn't get a good shot of Laney because she kept racing around. It was hard to keep up with them--they were very competitive in the hunt. We hid 30 plastic eggs and about 18 hard-boiled eggs!
It was a beautiful day although the weather was confused between spring and winter. It was alternately sunny and snowy...But such is life in the Midwest in March. It doesn't matter anyway. Jeff & I are so beat, we just want to bundle up and call it a night...grateful for family and friends who are just like family...and especially grateful for the grace of our Heavenly Father.

Amazing Grace

Max wrote a thank you card today in response to receiving a wonderful Easter gift from his aunt. It took a while for him to understand the concept and even longer for him to write it out since he can barely read! Here's our dialogue:
Max: Why do I have to make a card if it's not her birthday?
Me: It's not a birthday card. It's a thank you card to say you're grateful for your presents.
Max: But I already said thank you.
Me: That's good but you also need to write a letter saying thank you, too.
Max: But why?
Me: Just because.
Max: Because why?
Me: Because it shows you have manners!
I was raised by a mother who would not let me play with my Christmas presents until I wrote all my thank-you notes to friends and relatives who gave me gifts. As an adult, it's still my knee-jerk reaction to do the same thing and I'd like to encourage that etiquette in the members of my household.
I couldn't fully explain to Max why it's important to write and send thank you's in addition to saying it out loud. I just know that nothing fully communicates the depth of your gratitude than someone taking the time to write out a card detailing how much their gift meant to them and why.
The decline of basic manners among children in our current culture is alarming to me. It makes me sad when I hear kids talk back to their parents, use foul language, and refuse to share. On the flip side, I'm a lot more hopeful when I see respectful kids who are loving to their friends and family, diligent at school and say please and thank you.
Studies have shown that kids who learn to exercise good manners have a greater chance at becoming respectful and respectable adults. And kids are most receptive to learning how to be polite between the ages of 2-5 years-old.
As a new step-mom I try to be careful about how much to correct the kids or encourage them in the way of being respectful. But there are some basic things I want to enforce increasingly over time, like:
1. Saying please and thank you often.
2. Cleaning up after themselves whether at home or at a friend's house.
3. Not interrupting others when they speak.
4. No name calling!
5. Greet guests who come over for dinner by at least saying hello at the door.
6. Learning to be pleasant whether they win or lose a game. (Which is hard in a Hopkins' home where things can get explosive when it comes to games!)
7. Saying "you're welcome" when someone says thank you.
8. Respecting the thoughts and differences of other people.
9. Opening doors for other people--I think it's especially important for boys to learn.
10. Learning to share and making the needs of others a priority.