I try not to make this blog all about my kids or all about anything in particular really, just life. But I feel like lately there have been several not so positive things that have happened and I feel that if I'm gonna pour out those things to you and risk darkening your day, I should also be fair and share some funny moments that happen in my life, too. Maybe to brighten your day.

After having my faith in car dealerships restored by one truly sweet parts supply guy at Audi who snuck me out a master anti-theft bolt key to try with my car - it fits, praise God! That means we can now put our spare on and safely drive to the store to have new tires put on without risking a huge blowout en route! So, see...there's a positive! After that, my evening had a positive spin put on it already.

So it kept getting better when we had a great workout at the gym...Kyle informed me that Bono and U2 are doing the soundtrack for a new Broadway musical about Spiderman (the good news being U2's involvement, obviously)...then dinner!

I made, yet again, something incredible (not to arrogantly and incorrectly imply that my cooking is always incredible...but lately, everything from this magazine is...) from my Vegetarian Times: Moroccan Lentil Stew. Seriously easy, ready in under 30 minutes and seriously yummy. Worth sharing the recipe. So here it is:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 minced garlic cloves (1 tbsp)

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 18 oz cartons of prepared lentil stew (they recommended and I used Dr. McDougall's brand. Really good stuff!)

1 15 oz can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

1/2 cup raisins or dried currants

1.5 tsp cumin

2 tsp ground cinnamon

sprinkling of red pepper flakes

dollop of yogurt to top off the bowls

1) Heat oil in medium saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and saute 3 minutes or until softened and translucent. Add garlic and cook for about a minute, until softened, but not brown. Stir constantly.

2) Stir in tomatoes, soup, chickpeas, raisins, cinnamon, cumin and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Bring stew to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

3) Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Stir periodically to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Garnish each serving with a tbsp of yogurt.

per 1 cup serving: 263 calories, 11 g protein, 4 g fat (I am not sure there's any fat at all if you exclude the yogurt or use fat-free yogurt)

Ok, so there was dinner and it was really good! I have learned that my kids LOVE soup. Any soup. They will clean up! Tonight was no exception.

So, we're sitting there eating and Brooklyn is very seriously spooning soup into her mouth. I say to her, "Brooklyn, I'm so glad you like the soup!" She looks back up at me, pausing only a second before shoveling another spoonful in to say, quite seriously, "I love it." I had to laugh and also just be happy!

Then, we broke into a spontaneous round of "I Spy". A particularly funny game when a 4 and 2 year old are involved.

Here's B: "I spy something...green!" And before anyone can respond, she immediately yells out the 4 or 5 green things she's spotted.

Here's August: "I spy something....Daddy! And, YOUR TUWN Mommy!!" He loves to pass on the turns, like he's awarding us with something important. And let's face it, it is! Or "I spy something...BWUE!!!" What is it? "Your gween shirt Mommy!!!!"

And then, after I think everyone is finished and Kyle is washing dishes for me like the wonderful husband he is, B comes over and says, Mommy, I'm still hungry. I want some more soup.

So I dish her out a bowl and we plop down on the kitchen floor. A "kitchen picnic", I say. She beams at this and immediately crosses her legs, scooches closer and invites August to join our Kitchen Picnic. He sees the beauty of this, drops what he's doing and joins in, very carefully crossing his legs just like mine and B's. Kyle's wandering to and fro picking up things when August yells out, "Daddy, we're having a Kitchen Picnic! Come and sit down right by me!" And B echoes, "Daddy, join our Kitchen Picnic!" Just the phrasing they chose made us both just laugh in delight! How can a Daddy resist such an invitation! Clean-up can wait!

About 30 minutes later and 3 bowls of soup later, our Kitchen Picnic wraps up, but not before everyone has mastered saying 'Moroccan Lentil Stew' and August says "Moroccan makes me rockin!"

Moments like that, just kept unfolding tonight, making my cup of joy simply overflow. Literally, overflow. With love, laughter, the preciousness and truly delightfulness of my children, the sweetness of my husband and well, some really good Moroccan Lentil Stew! Definitely ending the day on a sweet note. Signing off....