This is late and I'm ashamed

So.

It's been a freaking long time since I bothered everyone with how annoying I am. Har. I don't even have the excuse of no WiFi anymore.

I'm just lazy.

So how do you feel about a catch up post, yeah? And from now on I shall post more than once a week!

 HAPPY EASTER!!!!! He is Risen! *dances because Lent is over* (Actually, I really like Lent, it's good for me. But I like food and Lent cuts out a lot of food.)

We wanted to make it a really fun Easter, so we older girls went out and got a bunch of candy and plastic eggs and extra Easter baskets, and then we decided to make Ravioli from scratch. We normally buy it and make our own sauce. But this year, we thought we ought to be really Italian and make everything.

So we started preparations on Thursday evening because we all work. We got so much chocolate, and so many fun things to stuff Easter baskets with. (We got a lot because A.) We never get enough chocolate in our baskets to satisfy us, and B.) we had fifteen baskets to fill, okay?)

Kat and me

And we split up. Two of us piled baskets full of yummies and pressies, while the other two started working on ravioli filling. (As an aside, please don't ever say raviolis, in Italian, "i" at the end already makes stuff plural. So ravioli is already plural, and adding an "s" to the end is redundant and annoying. Please don't do that.)

Meats, and onions, and spices and stuff, and then you put it all in a blender and turn it into paste. 

After that, we stopped for the evening, because it takes a long time to stuff that many baskets and make filling. (Also because we didn't particularly feel like working anymore so... yeah.)

The next day we made the dough for the ravioli, and started putting it all together. Let me just say, it takes for freaking ever to make ravioli by hand, guys. We didn't finish until late.

You need to roll it really flat, and then fold it over and roll it out and fold it over and roll it out.... I forget how many times. In the voice of Treebeard: A huuuuge number.

And ravioli dough is very tough so that it doesn't fall apart when you boil it, which makes it difficult to roll out. (By difficult, I mean, IT WAS A GIANT WORKOUT.)

It took so long though, lots of hysteria ensued before the night ended. I think we filled up three or four cookie trays with delicious food.

We went down to Easter Vigil for the first time in ages. (It's kind of like Midnight Mass, but for Easter. It's a bit longer, but so worth it) Because of how far away the church is from where we live, we didn't get home until almost four in the morning.

We girls who've moved out had a small breakfast at Amy and Mahri's house, with coffee and French toast and fruit salad.

A little after noon, everyone met at the parent's house (home base, I like to call it.) for basket finding and dinner.

I think Mother Nature is a bit confused though, because we did not get snow for Christmas but we had some for Easter. (yay)

We had drinks and appetizers and visited.

Amy made this beautiful arrangement for the dinner table...

And we basically had a really relaxed, laid back Easter Sunday.

Bella was right next to the window, which is why she looks like a ghost.

The ravioli was delicious, in case you were wondering. We were a bit nervous because it was the first time we'd ever made it, but I think it was a success.

I GOT THIS REALLY AWESOME DOCTOR WHO MUG WITH A TARDIS THAT DISAPPEARS WHEN YOU FILL IT WITH HOT LIQUIDS.

It was a really beautiful Easter.

So what did you do for Easter? Anything special? Did you try something new? (Do you make the mistake of calling them raviolis?) 

Let me know in the comments, because I'm nosy...

Cheers!

FEASTS!

So....

It has come to this.

I didn't post on St. Patrick's Day.

*facepalm*

I had a whole, awesome post planned, from breakfast to evening. I was going to take pictures of my adorable outfit (hee!) and show off how everyone in my family wears green. (we take the Saint Patrick's Day tradition very seriously. If you don't wear green you will get pinched....... by everyone.)

But we spent most of the day outside and then we had semi-unexpected guests for dinner. (Corned beef and cabbage.... whaaaaaat!) The picture taking went down from there. :) It was, overall, a really lovely day, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Have you ever heard of a game called "Crack the Case"? It's a really awesome detective game where one person reads out a case and everyone else needs to figure out the mystery. It's really, really fun. Great for big groups with Sherlockian Minds. *nods knowingly.* I can only play a few rounds at a time, because after a while, I start to get really creeped out. Some cases get super, super scary. Wheeeeeeeee!

My sister Amy did a post a week or so ago about femine tomboys. And yeah. That's what I am, I think. I don't know how many of you know this, but I love boxing. I don't like it so much as a sport, (two people beating the crud out of each other is weird.) but I love the technique. It's great for exercise and self-defense. And yep, I box a little. And that's what Amy and I did for a long time on St. Patrick's Day.

See my outfit!? lol

*blush.* Yes, that is a video of me. Boxing it out on St. Patrick's Day. Jab, Jab, DEATH! (jabs are very important, FYI.)


And now.... today is Saint Joseph's Day.

source

And it's a big enough feast day for Catholics that we slack a little bit in our Lenten penances and have a good time. So, today we went on a picnic. With ham, and cheese, and trail mix, and chips, and cookies, and coffee, and lemonade, and cocoa. It's a PICNIC! We don't eat healthily on picnics, okay!? But there were apples.

We found out that in Italy, apparently on St. Joseph's Day, everyone wears red, like green for St. Patrick's. Hence everyone was wearing various shades of red. We're weird.

We ate, and flew kites and played soccer, and playground tag. For some reason, with us, fun includes food. Lots and lots of food. We're Italian. *wink*

Start singing the Winnie the Pooh theme song:

Deep in the hunnnndred aaacre wood........

Bella thinks crawling through  the tube is for wimps.

For the record, because it was fairly chilly and overcast, this particular park was empty and we ran around it with reckless abandon without the fear of killing other people's kids. Heh. Heh. Heh.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Then we came home, watched a Psych (Heeeere's Lassie!) and ate a scrumptious meal. Yes. We eat a lot. But who wouldn't want to eat Chicken Parmesan and Spaghetti?

And now we're watching another Psych and drinking coffee and eating more cookies.

Wow. We really do eat a lot!

Ahem.

ALSO!!!! As an aside, if you like the Hunger Games, go check out Jonnah's blog.

She's having a really, really awesome giveaway, and it's.... well I want it. :)

And now I will go.

Byyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeee.

St. Nicholas Day and otherness.....

Hippy Happy Saint Nicholas Day!

A couple random things you may not have known about Saint Nicholas: 

1.) He was... real. 

2.) He delivered a blow to the face of the heretic Arius during the First Council of Nicaea. 

3.) He had barely grazed five feet in height. 

4.) He was a Catholic bishop. 

5.) His nose was broken. 

6.) He is also known as Father Christmas.

Be honest.... that makes Santa Claus way cooler now, doesn't it?!! *Smirk*

There is a tradition that we celebrate, in which the dear wee Saint visits good children's homes and leaves surprises in their shoes. (I'm fairly sure this is where the whole presents-in-stockings thing came around during Christmas time.... *nods knowingly*) 

I am now in possession of a mood ring. 

And chocolates. 

Father Christmas is lovely person. :)

Something about this picture is just so lovely, isn't it? 

We decorated the Christmas tree today. It looks flipping fantastical, if I do say so myself. (We did have some epic problems with the lights. Grrrrr. They were blinking.... and we didn't want them to blink. And then half the lights we'd already strung on the tree went out. *facepalm*) But gaaaaaah! I so much love Christmas that it's worth having to fix bad lights!!! SO. MUCH. LOVE. 

I reached the Eleventh Doctor. 

I quite love him, he's brilliant. And, um, he's quickly rising to second favorite. =)

My sister Kat finally started watching Doctor Who as well. 

She likes it. 

I may have addicted her. 

Unfortunately, we already gave the first four seasons back to the people who loaned them to us, so she jumped right in to Eleven. I sang the theme song for her and um... I may have ruined it for her. DoooooWEEEooooooooh! WEEEEoooooWAAAH!

She's making a clay TARDIS. It's so cool!

So, I know I have been absolutely awful when it comes to commenting on everyone's blogs. And I am so very, so very, very, so very, very, very, so very, very, very, very sorry. :) But we have company up visiting, and I always feel a little awkward saying, "Ciao, people! I'm off to spend an hour or so viewing the blogger world... Tralalalally! Fend for yourselves!" Therefore, until they go, my commenting will still be rare. I am reading all the posts though! :)

For your enjoyment........

My absolute favorite version of O Holy Night. None other can compare in my eyes. It's by Josh Groban. 

And the cutest Little Drummer Boy by Tennessee Ernie Ford.... (that last part, 'then he smiled at me'... adorable.)

And now that I have rambled most distressingly I will bid you all a very fond goodnight. x