My son's tantrum will not break me.  I just wish I could figure out WHY he's screaming uncontrollably....

I never did figure out why, but he stopped.  And no, I did not resort to making a cup of coffee.

 

40 days of water: day 1

(I hope the folks at blood:water mission don't mind that I lifted this image off their site.)  A few days ago I  posted that they had issued a challenge for anyone to give up all beverages except water for 40 days.  I thought about it.  Thought I couldn't do it. (I think that about a lot of challenges.)  Prayed about it a little.

Interestingly, I've been thinking of giving up something for Lent in preparation for Easter for a while now.  Had a been raised Catholic, Orthodox, or in a Reformed  Evangelical denomination,  this might not be a big step.  However, for much of my life I equated any tradition other than Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the celebrations of Christmas and Easter as somehow being tied into the law, the law from which Christ came to save us, and therefore completely unnecessary.  Honestly, I'm not sure where that came from.  I certainly don't have any scripture to support it.

Anyway, over the past several years, our family had the privilege of worshiping with a body of Believers who introduced us to more dates on the Christian calendar.  Not out of duty, but as an encouragement to help us focus our hearts on Christ in preparation for our annual celebrations. 

So, when it just so happened that the challenge issued by blood:water mission coincided with Lent, well, I had no excuse not to.  Other than, "I can't do that."  And that's the point.  I can't do it on my own.  After all, I've been sucked into my in-laws' coffee drinking habits.  Thanks to my parents' influence, I revel in my evening cup of tea, especially with my recent discovery of a great loose-leaf brand online.  And being the suburban housewife that I am, I frequent our local McD's, even after going to the grocery store located across the parking lot.  Their McCafe drinks have captured my taste buds (caramel frappe- yum!), and of course if I resist that temptation, there's always the Coke or  even a Hi-C Orange when I don't want all that fizz or buzz.

It's going to be an interesting 40 days, to say the least.  My cousin is getting married within this time period... can I have a day of grace at the wedding?  I'll cross that bridge when I get there.  

I woke up this morning and of course, the folks at b:wm had posted a reminder to their Facebook group.  I read it before even grinding my morning coffee.  Plus, I had been backing off the caffeine intake and upping the H2O the last 3-4 days.  Why back down now?

I am not a complete coffee addict.  I usually have 1-2 cups in the morning 1-4 days per week.  So this morning wasn't too hard.  I do love juices, which brings a whole different dimension to the challenge.  And milk.  Lately I've been craving chocolate milk, thanks to a picky 4 year old who needs her calcium somehow.

Well, I made it through the morning, lunch and afternoon.  The real test would be dinner.  Chik-fil-a has the best lemonade. Ever.  And guess where we were headed for dinner?  The breakfast buffet at the Chik-fil-a Dwarf House.  It's practically become a tradition since we moved here.

I did not even take a sip of my daughter's lemonade. 

Day One: $1.79 saved, plus tax

$1.79 that I did not spend on a Coke, Lemonade, or a coffee-ish beverage.  Even if I only save $50 to donate, I am confident that it will be enough to make a small difference for someone.  The fact that there are people around the world who would (and do) die due to lack of the clean water I "had" to have in place of my preferred beverage is very sobering.  

****

Ok, technically It's 46 days since I will be following the Lenten calendar.  But only 40 of those days are water-only, as Sundays are celebration days.... 1 day down, 45 to go.

ok, little birdies...

Any ideas on what to get hubby for V-day?  Is cooking him a good meal too generic?  Honestly, I'm just so glad he'll be home from training tomorrow night.  This gone-5-days-in-a-row-deal has been a pain.  I asked him, and he was not much help.   I already bought some chocolates, though they aren't as good as the ones he had sent to me.

Bear suggested we make a heart-shaped cake.  Sweet girl.  We still have a couple of pieces left from the cake we made last weekend....they are probably kind of stale, though.

an afternoon truffle break

Ok, so at this rate my dozen truffles will be gone before Sunday, the actual Valentine's Day.  I just stuck Buddy in his crib for his nap... he thinks I'm kidding.  I helped Bear build her comforter tent in the living room.  I finished folding AND put away my clean clothes, leaving one basket of the kids' clothes, one dryer load of sheets, and another miscellaneous load in the washer to go until Mt. Downy is scaled for the day.  And of course, I indulged in another truffle. 

This is the time of day where I want a nap.  I often take one.  But today I am determined to check things off my to-do list, no matter how mundane they may be.  So as Buddy jabbers in toddlerese from down the hall, Bear crunches on some leftover Nerds from Halloween right next to me, and the dryer finishes up this round, I take a bite.

Yum.  Must be Kelly's Coffee. It looks darker than the other one pictured in the brochure with a coffee bean on top.   It's amazing how the smallest little bit of chocolate can provide a rich "pick me up" on a bleak mid-winter day... along with the shortest phone conversation with a friend in between laundry piles and toddler tantrums.

a chocolate-covered Valentine's week

Hubby did good.  His wonderful sister told him that I had been craving truffles from The Cocoa Tree, and  he took the hint to heart.

Back when The Cocoa Tree was in downtown Franklin, Bear was still in a stroller, and one fall day one of my roommates from college and I strolled in to sample the truffles which I had heard so much about.  They did not disappoint, nor did the Mayan hot chocolate.  Well, that shop closed, but Bethany reopened in the Germantown district of Nashville a little while later.  I fully intended to pay the new location a visit before we moved.  You know what they say about intentions?  Well, I have lots of them.  Let's just say that hubby is the one who follows through consistently.

So last night I woke up from naptime (yes, when the kiddos nap, I nap, it's not often Bear goes down willingly) to the maintenance guy's knock, he handed me the box from UPS.  Alas, it was not from the maintenance guy (that would be freaky).  It was indeed from my beloved.

My present?  A dozen truffles.  I don't normally refer to candy as exquisite, but these truffles are not your ordinary buy-day-after-Valentine's-at-half-price.  And since the shop is no longer in driving distance due to our move, I can't just drive 20 minutes for my fix.

The adorable robin's egg and brown box is artistic in its own right.  It's solid construction hints that it contains better-than-ordinary treats.  Enclosed in the box was also a brochure, a "map" to help identify the flavors as well as a temptress for future orders.

So, my first truffle happened to be Liz's Milk Chocolate.  Simple, yet rich.  I probably should have payed more attention and saved that one to share with hubby.  He prefers the classics flavors, and this one fit that bill.  Milk chocolate shell with sprinkles on top surrounding the milk chocolatey ganache inside.  Heaven in its purest form.  Yes, it is "the one that everybody loves."

Last night, I tasted Karin's Irish Cream after I put Buddy to bed.  Bear was ecstatic to share a bite of Mommy's special treat.  Oh my goodness... delectable. Described in the borchure as 'The one that pours," it's a soothing blend of chocolate and Irish Creme at the end of a toddler-filled day.  I regretted sharing that bite with my daughter, oh how I wanted more.

This morning... why not have a truffle for breakfast? I opted to try Deborah's Chambord... "the one that stands out in a crowd."  Dark chocolate and raspberry flavored center, coated in white chocolate with a dusting of raspberry adornment.  This is the one that made me think "exquisite."  I have fond memories of the Jack and Ginger and Beck's Margarita from previous encounters... DC is a new favorite. Again, the giving mother that I am shared it with both kids.  My 18 month old kept pointing toward the box of truffles and chanting "dis" (this in toddlerese)... he wanted more.  I gave him a Hershey's kiss instead, and that seemed to subdue him.  Note to self: stop sharing my priceless treats with the children.

I'm blogging about these to remind myself which ones I like the best...  these truffles are really that good.  Thanks, Bethany:Chocolatier, for the cure to the common chocolate boredom.

40 DAYS OF WATER?

Blood:Water Mission is holding their "40 days of water"  fundraising/awareness campaign soon.  I'm seriously thinking about doing this and journaling about it on here.  Anyone care to join me?  If I read correctly, the fundraising aspect is that one would donate what they saved by not buying other drinks to Blood:Water Mission.

This is an awesome charity set up by the guys in Jars of Clay.  They are passionate about living out their faith and God's love for others in a tangible way.  Check it out!

Who knows how to make a link button?

I would love one for my sidebar that says "Praying for Kara Faith."

If you don't know her story, visit her blog here.

Am I losing it?

I could have sworn I posted about my stroller options way back when I was planning for Buddy's arrival.
Maybe I just posted all that to FB.

Anyway, I ended up getting the joovy caboose ultralight.  And just when I thought Bear would be too old and uninterested in riding, yesterday's trip to the post office proved me wrong.  I had a reusable grocery sack full of things to mail.  The line inside ended up being fairly short, only 10 minutes or so, but that short wait was helped by the stroller's presence.  You know that time of day where they are ALMOST but not quite ready for a nap?  (Well, if you are lucky and have kids that nap.)  Well, it was about 1:30 p.m., and in spite of her firm opposition, BEAR NEEDED to take a nap.  Lucky for her, I had things to do.  Anyway, handy little lime green stroller did the job.  Bear in back on the bench seat, Buddy up front with his sippy cup.  I have to say, the harness with shoulder straps is just what he needs.  He would be climbing out of just a lap belt.  Bear did not nap, but she rested in her seat and observed those around us.

Anyway, if you are interested, here's the summary of my take on the stroller:
Pros:
Lightweight...
Easy to set up/fold (but NOT one-handed)
Handles well (Remind me to post about the stroller-jacking if you don't know the story and want to read it)
Slim depth when folded- Groceries fit on top when in the back of my older highlander
Carseat adapter worked fine (although the little strap-on thingy was kind of annoying- but it would be hard to accomodate every brand single infant carrier's snap-in needs)
Both kids seem comfortable
Parent organizer works GREAT for 2 cups, a wallet, fruit snacks, etc... and the cups or bottles STAY PUT
Umbrella is HUGE, covers both kids
Pockets in back of front seat serve as holders for older child's "treasures."

Cons:
Not one-handed... gotta have kiddos buckled in before you fold it up.
Might be too big in smaller vehicles, but what double stroller will fit.
Storage space is very small if you carry a big bag, and older child must get off bench seat to access. My solution- she helps carry shopping bags.  Big purse stays on my shoulder.

There you have it.  Bottom line-  If you are looking for a "truck" that carries everything under the kitchen sink, this won't work.  But if you want something fairly maneuverable that carries your kids will, including a 4 year old and newborn +, the joovy caboose ultralight will do the job.  Extra bonus- a friend recognized me in the parking lot as I buckled the kids in because she remembered our stroller when she saw it.  (It's somewhat unique.)

Really?

So, I just got an e-mail which could result in an opportunity to review a pretty neat gadget.  It appears to be legit;  I'm going to call the sender tomorrow to try to verify.  I'm a bit wary... I mean, solicitations just make me a bit nervous in this era of rampant identity theft, etc.  So, I sent a e-mail response asking her to prove it's a legit request. Oh, I also sent an e-mail to the customer service of the company asking if they can verify her employment.  Although it is a large company, and odds are I might not get a CSR who will be able to dig to that extent. My lack of overwhelmingly huge blog stats could possibly kill this opportunity.  I don't know how to tell how many unique visits my blog gets daily, and could not find it anywhere in my profile/account settings.

The cool part (to me) is that they said they got my blog address because it was nominated for the Mommy Blogger Awards.  Really?  My blog?  Me?  I mean, I feel like I've been pretty stagnant and boring lately.  So whoever may have made that nomination... thanks!  Even if it was, oh, say a year or two ago before my FB addiction almost replaced the blogging one.

Which leads me to ask... who's still here?  I see 8 followers in my little gadget in the sidebar.  (Thanks for revealing yourselves, BTW.)  I am not really the most savvy blogger... I removed my pride (and depression)-inducing counter ages ago.

Anyway, just the idea that maybe I could have a reason to revive my blog is kind of exciting.

Once again, It's bedtime and I can't sleep.  I tucked Bear into bed around 9:30.  Into my bed, I might add.  It's become customary for her to sleep in my bed when Daddy is away.  When he's home, back to hers she goes.  Until she wakes up at some point in the mid-late morning and sneaks in.  So much for all that sleep training we did on her.  :)

I'm finding that letting her stay up after I put Buddy into bed is good for us.  We get some Bear and Mommy time, something she craves and we both need. 

Still waiting for inspiration for the ultimate blog post or theme idea....

There was a point where I could write about anything and/or everything on here.  Right now, I'm just not feelin' it.  Perhaps it's because it's 5:23 a.m. and I would rather be asleep.  Or maybe, I just don't feel like being brutally honest with the blogosphere and need to write a good old-fashioned-paper-journal entry to process my thoughts.

It's been good having hubby home from training for the weekend.  This stint is much shorter, thank God.  And much less stressful for him.  I love having home.  The kiddos love their Daddy, and he obviously loves them.  It's nice to have someone who will share the hours of being used as playground equipment, and I must confess, sometimes I turn my Mommy self off and let him "handle it."  "It" could be anything from putting a dvd in the player to a tantrum to a diaper change, but it's just nice to have him back to do this part of who he is.  I don't know how military Moms and single Moms do it. 

So, I've had people ask and have been asking myself... what career would I have if I wanted to work in a monetarily paid position?  I don't know.  That bothers me.  I wish I could say it bothers me because I am so overwhelmed with joy where I am at that I would not ever want to be doing anything else.  Nope, I'm actually a bit in the-burnt-out-lost-myself-and-feel-like-I-do-nothing-well mode.  (That might have something to do with the lack of recent posts.)  Don't get me wrong.  I love my family.  But I am not Martha Stewart, June Cleaver, Carol Brady (who had a housekeeper, btw), Rachael Ray or anyone else.  I'm me, whoever and whatever that is.  I wouldn't go back to teaching without getting my Master's Degree, but I can't see myself going back to school anytime soon.  Customer Service?  Umm... so I like to think I was good at that, but I can't say I loved it.  Tutoring?  I miss my kids.  Even though I only had most of them for a short time, I miss their unique personalities, and I enjoyed the networking aspect of managing the center. Retail?  No, thank you.  BTDT.  Unless I got some really cool product along with my wages. And I don't mean samples that I had to buy (even at a discount) for my inventory or show, I mean genuinely free goods. 

I need to go back to sleep.  I actually feel like I might be able to right now. That is a good thing, unless of course one of the littles decides to wake up uncharacteristically early.  :)

Wandering back around...

A very popular networking site has pretty much replaced my blog for a while.  However, status updates are not exactly the same as an entire blog entry.  The just provide a glimpse, and that's about it.  A blog, for me, has been a bit of a journal in the past.  No, I haven't posted my most intimate thoughts here, but I have expanded on some of those glimpses.  Plus, there are certain things I really don't want everyone I know to read.  And I KNOW that not everyone I know reads this.  So right now I am in the process of figuring out what to post where.  I don't want all my FB friends and family to see my exercise log (or lack thereof).  If you are reading this, it means you have stuck around long enough to care (or not) about what I write here.  You obviously aren't going to judge me on my grammar (or lack thereof), my "outline" (or lack thereof- hence the blog title), my frequency (or infrequency), or my maturity (or immaturity).

So, my wandering for tonight....
Hubby's new job is going well.  He's learning a lot, challenged by what he does, and feels like it's a good fit.  Words can't express how proud and happy that makes me.

But... we have to get used to his travel.  For now, at least.  I really don't know which is harder... having him work midnights on the beat in an unsafe area of the city, or just having him away from us for a few days at a time. 

Exercise Log

Tuesday- 15 min Wii Fit, 30 min My Fitnesss Trainer Wii game (MFT)
Wednesday- 22 min elliptical
Thurs- 10 min Wii Fit Hula, 20 Min MFT

The goal- Do something every day.

Bear tried to exercise with me tonight.  It was cute.  She has her Mommy's "coordination."
 ****
Saturday - 20 min elliptical, 3 sets arm weights

observation
Whether people admit it or not, apologetics, i.e. defense of ones beliefs, are everywhere.  Just as the devout Christian will defend his or her faith, an agnostic or atheist will explain their unbelief.
*******
a·pol·o·get·ics

(ə-pŏl'ə-jět'ĭks)    n.   (used with a sing. verb) The branch of theology that is concerned with defending or proving the truth of Christian doctrines. Formal argumentation in defense of something, such as a position or system.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
*******
Moving on...

new year's stuff

fitness- day one
Attempted to exercise using wii fit.  Bear took her turn and then got mad when I took over for myself.  Buddy tried to climb on me and the balance board.  I think I got about 6 minutes of hula hoop in along with my body test.. but at least it said my Wii age=my real age!  Set up "My Fitness Trainer" game profile (age, weight, measurements, etc...) while kids ate a snack.  Did 30 minutes tonight.... tried the yoga on it... like the Wii fit yoga better... way better for telling novices like myself how to do the poses....  did 15 minute cardio workout and 15 minute core strength workout on the Fitness Trainer.  I like it overall... takes personal data and tries to give you an appropriate workout, also asks you how you felt about segments (too easy, made me sweat, too hard).  After the kids were in bed, of course.  Now to get hubby to set up a profile.  :)  I will definitely keep using the Fit for some activities, but the new addition to my limited repetoire raises my heart rate better.

time management- day two
I am completely opposed to over-structuring.  I am also indecisive and often get stuck trying to decide what task to tackle first.  I used a planner through college, somewhere along the way it got buried.  Plus, the Franklin Covey was just too bulky.. even the smaller one that I had.  Not to mention costly.

My little mead planner is working out well so far.  :)  Enough room to jot down what I need to, not enough to be overwhelming.  And it's cheerfully cute.  It invites me to use it.  And the pic reminds me of relaxing, fun times with the family.

Intentional parenting-
Bear is gung ho about her Job Chart/Job Jar reward system that we are trying out.  While trying to set an example through my actions, I am also encouraging her to be more responsible. (That's part of what's behind my whole attempt at some organization and self-dicipline without legalism.  How can I expect her to be responsible if I am on Facebook all day when I should be spending quality time with her, her brother, getting SOMETHING, anything done, etc...)
She even asked to help me fold laundry today.  Sheets.  That was fun.  Oh, but she did fold a washcloth that had stuck to her clothes AND put it in the laundry pile in the living room.  During Buddy's nap time we played Chutes and Ladders, ending with going over the #'s 1-100, since they are on the game board.  Not sure if she really liked the game or not... maybe we should have gone with candyland.


Little by little....

new year, new me... sort of

As you see here, I bought a planner for the year.  I did not want an expensive Franklin Covey or anything like that, but I wanted something that was fun to look at... something that would inspire me to open it up.  I found this at Wal-Mart, for about $6.  And I love the little photo sleeve!  It has just what I need... month at a glance and lines for my to make small lists of what I want to accomplish during the week.

I made a list before I went to bed last night. then I actually did 4/6 of the things on that list today.  It feels good to see check marks next to the things I got done, and to realize there were things I did that were not on the list at all.

I've got a multitude of thoughts running through my head.  You might catch glimpses of them on here if I post more than once a week, or if they make it to my Facebook status.  My track record with New Year's resolutions is pretty spoor, so I think I'll cling to Micah 6:8 and hope for a little bit of Proverbs 31 in there somewhere.

We had a wonderful Christmas, and you?

It feels more like fall than winter here in the South.  I have to admit that while I would enjoy a good snowfall, I like being able to use medium coats at most... all that bundling up must be a pain with little ones!

The sky is clear, sun is shining, and kiddos are out of trouble.  :)  Mostly.

I've got some ponderings and wanderings in my brain, but not ready to post them all.

Still investigating home-buying options...  big payment for what we would like and all that responsibility are not appealing when you have maintenance on call and are able to spend/save with less stress.

The kids and I are hoping to visit some friends who I knew in college.  We weren't super close, but I am enjoying getting to know them online, and have been praying for them during their adoption journey.  They live in IN now, but were matched with a baby here and are staying a little over an hour away til they are cleared to go home.  Yay!!! They have had quite the roller-coaster ride and I am so excited for them as they have been longing to be parents for so long! 

still dreaming/drooling/praying :)

Ok, so I am SO obsessed with one neighborhood that I took the map of the lots  that was given to me and wrote an S on the ones that are sold as listed online, and made notes on the ones I am curious about.  I even labelled the lots that border the 100 year flood plain.  Ha!  I think I will e-mail the sales rep and ask for a link to the CC&R's.  I did see someone with a garden in their back yard.... not just containers, a real garden.

I REALLY want a place that is big enough for family to come visit and not have to stay in a motel/hotel/campsite/the driveway.  It doesn't have to be huge, just have enough rooms to work with, you know? 

Of course, technically hubby has not done a lot of actual work with his new job yet, and technically we don't like the commute, so we should technically probably wait to jump into home ownership again. (and the only way the commute would be better is to move to an entirely different metro area.)  Thanksgiving at Caslon's made me itch for breathing room, well, outside at least.  We were kind of crowded inside, but that's just cozy when you are with the people you love.   And honestly, they have ample space for daytime, it's just sleeping that gets tricky when all of us invade.

so now I am praying for wisdom... when, where, etc...  that tax rebate is sounding mighty attractive.  I am loving quaint things about the town we have currently chosen for now.  Perhaps we SHOULD drive around and consider other areas, but I am itching to feel settled.

However, the good news is that hubby will be home with us on Tuesday.  Tech Mom and Dad are coming tonight, and we'll drive down to where hubby is tomorrow.  Graduation is Monday.  Yahoo!  I am so proud of him and ready to have him home! 

"Dream Building"

So, a few years ago, when we were first married, we were conned, I mean lured, I mean naive enough to get into an MLM company that was big into "dream building."   The problem with the particular company was that it was all about recruitment, sales of their products were secondary to recruitment.  Um, sorry, but ya gotta have a customer base to be able to earn those commissions, etc...

ANYWAY, one of the things we liked to do was walk through various homes in neighborhoods that were way out of our price range.  We were living with my in-laws at the time, and the dream of more space (although our space really was adequate and the savings we made by living with them while hubby finished his degree was priceless), well, it was fun.

One of our pastimes is still looking at homes, moreso now that we are in an apartment and I am getting stir crazy.

The problem?  The ones that are built to our desires for quality and space are either way too pricey or in the wrong school zone.  But we found one yesterday that had a perfect big yard with plenty of room for the kiddos to roam... the high school it is zoned to is the best in the county, the elementary and middle schools are not.  :( The floor plan is not perfect, but would be workable, and it's in a small neighborhood on a beautiful cul-de-sac, FLAT lot.  CLICK HERE to drool.

Other good points?  5-10 minutes from the interstate AND our pediatricians and grocery shopping.
Immaculately built, lots of extras included, like extra shelving in the master closet, tile backsplash in kitchen and master bath.... family run company that according to the State website of business registration has been around since '63, and the realtor we met was also the VP of the company/builder. 

So then there was another neighborhood, not far from this one, a little bit further down a countrier road.  Another regional builder, similar style homes and lots, significantly lower price point... but when we looked up that company, even though the sales rep said he had been around for a while, according to the state this particular business entity must have restructured because the date listed was much "younger."  However, that being said, this company actually offers homes in our preferred price range. 

Hubby looked in the attics of both builders' homes..... looked well constructed compared to the ones we looked in in Woodstock last month.

We're not in a rush, per se, but after walking through spacious homes I feel a bit stir crazy and cramped in my cozy apartment.

improvisation

What do you do when you have an idea for a project but lack the exact things or measurements you need? When it comes to cooking, I improvise. (When it comes to other things, I just put it off until it becomes a distant memory of an idea.) Well, between my searches for Christmas activities and friends' status updates and links on FB, and considering the fact that many of our beloved Christmas ornaments are in storage and will probably stay there this year, I thought we could make some ornaments of our own this year. Specifically: cinnamon applesauce ornaments.

I had applesauce in the fridge and cinnamon in the cupboard, so I should be all set, right? The problem was I did not have the exact amounts that any of the recipes called for. The simplest one said one part cinnamon to one part applesauce. I tried that. It was sticky. That's where the improvisation came in. I added flour. I should say, Bear and I added flour. So while I can't give you the exact recipe if you are interested, I can tell you that our mission was accomplished. We mixed applesauce, cinnamon, and flour and kneaded it to make a "cookie dough." We rolled the dough out flat on our cutting board, and used the only two cookie cutters that I could find to make bells and stars. (They happened to be in the play-dough kit. The other ornaments are probably buried in storage somewhere.) Conveniently, our tree is tiny, so the size should work out perfectly. We had to keep sprinkling with flour to keep the dough from sticking, but in the end we came out with at least 20 shapes. After we placed them on a foil-covered cookie sheet, I took a skinny straw and punched a hole in the shapes. I baked them on 200 for about 20 minutes, turned them over, then baked them for 20 more minutes. they are cooling on the stove, and the best part is the house smells wonderful!

 Now Bear wants to make cookies we can actually eat.  She tasted this dough and said it's kind of yummy but mostly yucky.

The ornaments were still slightly doughy on the bottom, which turned out useful for making the holes a little bit bigger on about half of them. 
Another plus side to this recipe it's non-toxic, so if a 15 month old gets ahold of one and decides to munch on it, no harm done.