PJs and Pancakes

I love doing things with my family. Whether it's a drive, a mini vacation, playing board games, vegging out and watching re-runs of Modern Family....I love doing them all. Some are more special than others and some more memorable. It's not the big events but casual, non-rushed long weekends where nothing's planned but something happens that's most special. It's our PJ's and pancakes moments.

I am very much into eating non-gmo food now. I read every label, check it against my "dump-it" list and as a result, regular grocery shopping is now an event all on its own. So instead of the Aunt Jemima (I think I spelled that correctly) pancake mix, it's the wheat free, non-gmo, organic kamut pancake mix that gets added to the cart. My daughter welcomes it with open arms. My son and husband on the other hand are a much harder sell. I mix the batter with bananas or strawberries hoping its fresh, raw taste is cleverly disguised. It works most of the time.

A lazy Saturday morning starts off with some delegation to get all the ingredients and equipment ready for a late pancake breakfast. The rest of the sleepy-heads (usually my son) wakes up to the aroma of pancakes and bananas. He asks me what batter I used to which I instantly I respond...."the normal one"!! I suspect he thinks normal is the regular wheat and corn starch filled batter, found at regular grocery stores, but I'm not going to tell him otherwise. We each find our Saturday morning spots in the family room and dig in! Saturday morning quickly turns into Saturday afternoon and then the flurry of activity starts off and everyone's off doing their thing. Hmm....

I've learned that;

• Pancakes come in several shapes, sizes and expertise. You don't have to be an expert at it to wow your family. They love what you make anyway if it's disguised the way they like it.
• The aroma of pancakes on a Saturday is special. It reminds you of coziness, warmth, good maple syrup and family.
• Pretty much anyone can make pancakes without ruining them.
• Pancakes are best eaten with family.
• I've learned that I love the big events, the fan fare, the travels but I love the PJ's and pancake moments even more!

Go have your PJ's and pancakes moment!

I love snow days...yes, even in April!

April 11th was declared a snow day....so much for Spring! Funny enough there wasn't a speck of snow, just a tad bit of rain that the weather stations called freezing rain.... hmm questionable.

I for one LOVED it!! What better way to hang out with family who otherwise gets caught up in the hustle and bustle of work and school. We all hung out in pjs ordered pizza and enjoyed what felt like a very long day!

Make the most of such freebies! It's easy to think about what we should be doing or worrying about how things will get done as the city is at a hiatus due to a few drops of rain. Here's how we made the most of it;

• We completed all 10 phases of phase 10! For those who have not played phase 10, it's a card game and you should give it a try. Usually we end up half way through as something comes up or someone just got tired of playing or has no hope of winning. I didn't win, regardless it was fun. Even more fun was listening to the kids laugh and giggle as they "skip" me countless times.
• Who needs to cook when you can call for pizza? We stayed in our pj's and continued card playing instead of worrying about lunch and made sure we ordered enough for leftovers for dinner.
• Convos with the kids - they were the best due to the lack of interruption.
• My daughter had her friend over and the two of them had a blast shooting a music video. I might add, that it was better than the original itself and yes, I am biased.
• My son eventually ventured out to drop off a resume at the golden arches. He also nailed a great interview.... bonus! It is truly rewarding seeing what you have tirelessly instilled come to life! He may or may not get the job but if it were up to me, I would have hired him on the spot....no biases here!

Enjoy your snow days. Let's hope we have more coming this Winter! Right now, I'm looking forward to Spring staying and of course the arrival of Summer!