On the first day of Christmas...

Before getting to the meat of my post, I just have to share a rare find: Jillian is SMILING!

My poor girl isn't happy unless she's being held (help!) so I rarely get to take a photo of her while she's smiling. Isn't that a cute smile? And please let's not forget the legwarmers. melt...

I had a friend ask me today if I had any ideas for doing a 12 days of Christmas activity with my kids. Funny enough, I have a few ideas that I have bookmarked and have always wanted to try out, but haven't had the opportunity to do so. Until now...

I got the book out a couple of days ago and looked it over again. These follow along with the carol, "The 12 days of Christmas".

Traditionally the 12 days starts on Christmas and ends on the 12th night, January 6th. La Befana's night.

Anyway, I promised her I would get the list posted so here I am. All through the house not a creature is stirring not even the spouse! (I just made that up! Clever, no?)

1st day: Make an ornament for the tree out of salt dough and paint a bird.
2nd day: Read a story about turtles or make a game of slow/fast (like red light/green light).
3rd day: Learn a few French words and use them throughout the day or cook something French.
4th day: Practice phone etiquette. (Never hurts to start early, right?)
5th day: Go out for donuts. (Get it, golden rings???)
6th day: Dye eggs. (It's not just an Easter activity.)
7th day: Make origami swans.
8th day: Make chocolate milk. (Or hot chocolate)
9th day: Do some new dance moves.
10th day: Pretend to have a knighting ceremony.
11th day: Use a bubble pipe to make TONS of bubbles!
12th day: Make a drum out of an empty Kleenex box and a balloon.

There you have it! Looking back at my list I think I WILL do this. Only thing is, we are packing up to move the first week of January. I might as well give it a go, right?

Helllllloooooooo out there!!!!!

It's only been a couple of weeks since my last post, but MAN has it been busy!!! We had Jillian baptized this past Sunday and I was preparing everything for that, Dominic began swim lessons, and hubby was out of town for most of one week. No time to rest, yet, Dominic's 3rd birthday is right around the corner and we're have TWO parties: one for friends and one for family.

For Jillian's baptism I made a new cake. It's an orange creamsicle cake. It was pretty good, but VERY sweet! Here's the finished product:

And here's the recipe:

Batter:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/3 buttermilk or sour milk (sour milk: 1tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar + enough milk to = 1 cup. Let stand 5 minutes.

1/2 cup shortening or butter
1 tsp. vanilla
4 egg whites

And the secret ingredient:
1 pkg. (0.15 oz) unsweetened orange Kool-aid

Pre-heat oven to 350*
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Add buttermilk, shortening (or butter) and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on medium to high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Add egg whites and Kool-aid (dry) and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping bowl. Don't overbeat the batter. If the Kool-aid isn't thoroughly incorporated, use a spoon or spatula to gently mix in the Kool-aid. Do not overbeat!
Pour into greased and floured cake pans.
Bake for 18-23 minutes. (mine took exactly 18 minutes) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Vanilla Cream Filling:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 pinch salt
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make filling: In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening together until smooth. Blend in confectioners' sugar and pinch of salt. Gradually beat in 3 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.

Orange Buttercream Frosting:
1/3 cup butter
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Orange zest from one large orange

In a bowl beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the 1/4 cup orange juice and vanilla.
Slowly beat in remaining sugar. Beat in additional orange juice if needed. If you're going to spread it, you might need to add more liquid to get it to the right consistency. Gently mix in grated orange zest.

Assembly: After cupcakes are completely cool, fill with cream filling using your preferred method. Frost as desired.

I also had candle favors for guests to take home. I found a nice scripture containing the word "light" and incorporated it into the candle idea. What do you think?

Cute, huh?

For Dominic's swim teacher I made her a little gift of thanks and appreciation for teaching him how to swim. Those who know me know how paranoid I was of him going underwater and she was so calm and awesome that he did it on the very first day! He cried, but he did it! Now we have a bona fide swimmer!! YAY!! Check him out:



Anyway, for the gift. I noticed that she always had a cool drink of some sort with her on the side of the pool since it's been record breaking heat this summer. I found a neat cool-keeping cup at Starbucks and filled it with Hershey Nuggets. What gal doesn't like chocolate, right? As expected, she loves chocolate and raved about the cup. Sadly, I forgot to take a photo of the completed gift. I had it wrapped up all pretty.

Here's the card that I made for her:

I took photos of them secretly and made a little photo booth looking slideshow on photoshop. Cute!

Easter Resurrection Cookies (a great Easter lesson)

In looking for some wonderful way to celebrate Easter with my little growing family, I came across a wonderful Catholic blog. I bookmarked this idea last year and decided we would do this last night after we returned from our family vacation.

The instructions and passages below are taken straight from the following blog: www.catholiccuisine.blogspot.com

"Resurrection Cookies

1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp vinegar, plus some for your children to taste
3 egg whites
pinch salt, plus some for your children to taste
1 cup sugar, plus some for your children to taste

Tools: rolling pin or wooden spoon, plastic baggie with a zipper-lock, scotch tape

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. (this in important - don't wait until you are halfway done with the recipe!) Place pecans in the plastic baggie and let children beat them with a rolling pin or wooden spoon to break into small pieces.

Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3: "And they came to him, and said: Hail, king of the Jews; and they gave him blows."

Let each child smell and taste some vinegar.

Put vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30. "Afterwards, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said: I thirst. Now there was a vessel set there full of vinegar. And they, putting a sponge full of vinegar and hyssop, put it to his mouth. Jesus therefore, when he had taken the vinegar, said: It is consummated. And bowing his head, he gave up the ghost."

Add egg whites to vinegar.

Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep."

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand.

Let them taste it as you put the tsp. salt into the bowl and explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27 "And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of women, who bewailed and lamented him."

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed.

Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18, " And then come, and accuse me, saith the Lord: if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool."

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add the sugar to the egg whites, and give some for your children to taste. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 33:9 (34:8 in Bibles with Masoretic numbering) and John 3:16. "O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet: blessed is the man that hopeth in him... ...For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting."

Then read John 3:1-3, "And there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him: Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God; for no man can do these signs which thou dost, unless God be with him." Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet (do not use a baking stone!). Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

Read Mathew 27:57-60 "And when it was evening, there came a certain rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that the body should be delivered. And Joseph taking the body, wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth. And laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewed out in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument, and went his way."

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.

Read Matthew 27:65-66 "Pilate saith to them: You have a guard; go, guard it as you know. And they departing, made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting guards."

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read John 16:20-22 "Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labour, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. So also you now indeed have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice; and your joy no man shall take from you."

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read Matthew 28:1-9 "And in the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre. And behold there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. And his countenance was as lightning, and his raiment as snow. And for fear of him, the guards were struck with terror, and became as dead men. And the angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid. And going quickly, tell ye his disciples that he is risen: and behold he will go before you into Galilee; there you shall see him. Lo, I have foretold it to you. And they went out quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, running to tell his disciples. And behold Jesus met them, saying: All hail. But they came up and took hold of his feet, and adored him."

This was a family event and I'm so glad that my husband volunteered to participate with us. I didn't even have to ask!

Happy Easter, everyone!!

PS- I'll have a vacation storyboard in the next post. Also, I'm having a sprinkle shower this week!!! Can't wait!

blink*blink*blink*

Not really sure where this post will take me, but haven't posted in almost a week, so here we are....

This week we had another ultrasound and got to see little Miss again. She has been a good girl and is no longer sitting breech, but is now head down!! YAY!
I took, and passed, my glucose test. YAY!!
Ladybug's room is coming right along. The closet is finished, girly clothes are hanging up, pictures are up on the wall...only a few more touches and the room is ready for it's official reveal. YAY!!

I will share the link to one of the items I made specifically for the room. I saw this cute little butterfly mobile:



over at PBK and swooned. Then I saw the price and swooned again, I mean it's just paper and string. I resolved to make my own. And so I did. I must say, I did a pretty good job. AND I got to customize mine to match the room!

D has been sleeping like a champ and eating like a horse lately. I KNEW he was getting longer so we measured him yesterday and he's grown an inch and a half since his birthday 6 months ago! He's pretty proud of himself.

We made a chocolate cake for L's birthday and delivered it to her this afternoon. A was just waking from his nap so the boys got an impromptu playdate while L and I chatted. She is expecting in May so our little ones will only be 3 weeks apart (depending on the EDD). It's so nice to have some friends going through the same stage in life at the same time.

Sunday we were invited over to K and G's house after Mass for a pancake breakfast. G picked at her pancakes while D snarfed down 2+!!!
D wasn't too impressed with G's little brother, A. He liked to look at him sleeping but didn't really pay too much attention to him once he was awake. Ah, well....

We met them on Tuesday morning for some toddler fun at the local arboretum. I didn't get too many pictures as D was all over the place! The kindermusik people were there and D had fun dancing around with the big kids. I did manage to snap a picture of D and G sitting in the little mermaid's enchanted chair. Cute!

***Photos will follow shortly, my camera battery is dead and I'm too lazy to deal with it right now. I'm all cuddled up in bed with one eye on the monitor. There was a loud truck that just drove by and startled D so I was expecting him to call for me, but he didn't. What a brave boy!

BTW, my Lenten "project" has been going very nicely. I realize as I'm reading the book that I haven't really been too bad about taking my hubby for granted. We still seem to have the newlywed thing going for us.

Happy Birthday, Dr.Seuss!!

Today we hosted a playgroup to celebrate Dr.Seuss' birthday. D just loves the book, The Cat in the Hat, so I was more than happy to indulge him in some birthday cake. Anyway, the teacher in me really wanted to celebrate with the school children!!

There were 6 of us scheduled to attend, but only 3 of us were able to make it. Boo! Oh well, more cake for us!!! HA! Here's some of the fun we had:


Our colored hat creations.


An inside view of the Cat in the Hat birthday cake.


The cake table.


The cake all ready to cut in to!!


I asked the kids to wear something red in honor of the Cat. We read the The Cat in the Hat(well, most of it), colored our own hats and sang Happy Birthday!

All in all, a great playdate.

Anybody home???

I promise we are still alive and well. I'm going to try to keep up this month with our busy life. We've already had quite a bit going on!

I received a new Project Life kit for Christmas and have been plugging away, taking a photo each day to display in the album. My album from last year is only lacking 4 pictures! Not too bad for a busy mom, huh? If you want to see what the fuss is all about, check out the Project Life kit here: www.beckyhiggins.com

Today we don't have a scheduled playdate however O is coming over to play and enjoy a custom-made firetruck cookie. D asked for one earlier and I promised him we could make cookies after his nap.

We got a cool firetruck cookie cutter from Aunt Suge for Christmas so we put it to use today. I'll post pictures of the cookies later, they are in the oven, smelling the house up real nicely!!

Other big news?? We find out pink or blue in just 4 more days!!! I still can't believe that we are already almost halfway through this pregnancy! I am 19w, 2d today. Wow!!

I am planning on doing a cute photoshoot with D sometime tomorrow so I'll post pictures of what I'm able to capture.

Thanks for hanging in with me!!

Surprise, ya'll!

I have been busy this week getting things together for a surprise dual-70th birthday party for my folks on Saturday and haven't posted so I wouldn't leak out any details. Now that the party is over I can post a recipe that was SOOOOOO delectably good I can't even handle it, ya'll.

My dad's favorite dessert is banana pudding and I searched the net for a perfect recipe and I can safely say I have found it!! Leave it to Ms.Paula Deen to give us a scrumptious banana pudding.

Here's the recipe:
(It's not for the faint of heart or those on a diet)

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6-8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5 oz.) box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz.) container Cool Whip

Line the bottom of a 13x9 dish with one bag of cookies and layer the bananas on top.
In one bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.
Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir to blend.
Pour the mixture over the cookie/banana layer and cover with the remaining cookies.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is simply divine, ya'll!!! No kidding!

And since the post title for today is surprise, here's another one for you:



Please pray that this one is a stick-around-er!

6 days and counting...

First, I have gotten some inquiries about where we are with the miscarriage. I apologize for not updating. With the trip to Boston, baking for the shower and getting ready for D's SECOND birthday party, I've been overwhelmed lately.

The m/c is officially over and was painless and not nearly as bad as I was expecting, God be praised. This was our second m/c in a year so we knew this was a possibility, but it still sucks all the same. We are focusing on little D and what a blessing he is to our family and that has helped us heal. Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers. <3

Now, speaking of D, I can hardly believe that in just 6 days my little baby will be turning 2!!! He is already dipping his toes in the "terrible two" pool. Yuck! I still have my sweet little man about 85% of the time, but the other 15% is pretty difficult to muddle through. It's a fine line between frustration and madness, you know.

We are planning his big party for next weekend and I've been busy at work getting things ready. Here are some sneak peeks at what I've been working on:



This will be on the cake top along with a cookie shaped 2. Toodee is the inspiration for the party.



These will be in the favor buckets. It is a compilation of 7 of D's favorite Gabba songs.



This will be one of the signs to welcome guests. Remember the pot I made???

I plan on making some "Parking for Gabba fans only" signs for along the curb. I also have to finish my balloon wreath for the door and finish painting the Toodee land mural.

Now, here are the pics of the treats I created for the bridal shower that my neighbor hired me to do:



Strawberry jam filled shortbread cookies.



Red velvet cupcakes with fondant topper to match the shower colors.



Surprise inside cake. Four layers, each a different color to match the shower theme. My neighbor called me last night to let me know the cake was "F***ing awesome!!" I'd say she liked it!!!

Where's Waldo????

Here's a hint:



That's right, Boston!! We were so ready to get out of this heat and go somewhere a bit cooler. The weather was WONDERFUL! Temps in the 80's. Ahhh...Almost cool enough for long sleeves. Ha!

We did the Freedom Trail and had an excellent guide, Michael. He is a college history professor who forgoes the dramatics in lieu of the academic. He was very informative and we had a great time on the tour. D slept for the first 20 minutes but woke up once we arrived at Paul Revere's grave.

We had an obligatory visit to North End and had a delectable meal at a little place called, Trattoria Il Panino. The two lady waitresses just fell in love with D and made the experience that much more enjoyable.

My parents picked us up and drove us to Rhode Island for a short visit with my relatives there. We had a lovely lunch/dinner at a cousin's house and all the family came. This was their first time to meet D and they all (of course) loved him.

Once we got home I found an email in my inbox from my neighbor, M. She is hosting a bridal shower for a friend this coming weekend and asked me if I could bake the desserts for her. I am flattered. I know that she loves when I bake because she always gets to try whatever I have made. The fact that she would think of me to provide the dessert for a bridal shower is pretty cool!

I spent Monday brainstorming. Here is what I came up with:



After we discussed my ideas I was ready to go shopping. A quick trip to Mike's and we were good to go.

I spent Tuesday afternoon making these:



Tuesday evening I had a burst of energy and I decided to make these:



I must be honest though, I actually decorated them today. I had some of these big sugar balls sitting around from D's baptism party and decided to add them to the top. Cute, no?

I've also been working on D's birthday party that is next weekend. I'll post pictures of some of those crafts after the bridal shower baking is finished.

We've got a busy month this month. I'll try to keep up, I promise, but don't hold my feet to the fire, ok??

Playing catch up!

I did it again...got behind on our activities.

Thursday we had our own version of S.H.I.T. night. What is S.H.I.T. night, you may ask? Well, for MANY MANY years the men in my husband's family have gotten together every Thursday night and made dinner and enjoyed some good wine. That's right, they COOK!! They enjoy getting together and seeing what they can come up with. It stands for Sure Happy It's Thursday.

Anyway, we S.H.I.T. night widows have been meaning to get together ourselves, but have never followed through on our plans. So Thursday night we did! It was so much fun!!! We had it at hubby's Aunt Katherine's house and she was prepared for kids. She has a whole room strictly for the kids with all kinds of cool stuff! D was in toy heaven!

He got to play with some of his second cousins whom he only sees at Thanksgiving. They were all so gentle with him, I didn't mind enjoying the family talk while he was in the other room. I managed to sneak a shot of him playing with a baby doll. CUTE!

**pic coming**

Friday was my hubby's birthday as well as our 5th wedding anniversary. D helped me bake Daddy a cake. Isn't he cute???



Saturday we had one of DH's college buddies over for a cook-out. Their birthdays are one week apart so we celebrated them both. He has two boys and D loved getting to check out their i-Touch. Why are kid's so into electronics???

Monday we took it easy. Grocery shopping and a nap. We had an impromptu playdate with R and G at their house. G is learning how to share. I know I am biased and all, but I think D is a wonderful playmate to learn how to share with. He is pretty patient and doesn't mind having to play with a different toy in lieu of fighting over one.

Today we played over at Nana and Papa's. D was asking for them yesterday so we made a date for this morning.

So, there you have it! We are all caught up now.

Tomorrow we have a pool playdate. Thursday and Friday I have to set up for my summer camp that starts next Monday. My neice will be here Thursday to help me get organized. Everyone is excited to begin!!

Happy Independence Day!!

Well, we had the bbq despite the deluge of rain that swept through! After a good twenty minutes of vertical rain the skies cleared and the boys fired up the Que!

I forgot my camera (duh!) but used my mother in law's and got a few shots of the cake. They came out blurry as I don't know the specifics of her camera.





Today it's off to the KC pool (weather pending) and our social activities will continue on Tuesday!

Happy Fourth!!

Three miles and 10 months away

Thursday morning we hosted a meetup playgroup at our house. In the days leading up to the event, we had 8 folks signed up to come and 4 on the waiting list should someone cancel. Well, the morning of, after we ran to PetSmart to drop off the dog, we returned home to find that 5 of the ladies had cancelled last minute! And none of the waiting list ladies could make it, either. Kind of sad, right?

We decided not to let it keep us from having a great time. D helped me make oatmeal cookies. And when I say help, I really mean it! He dumped in all of the ingredients, except vanilla, and even helped me mix it all up. He watched me roll them into balls and helped make sure the cookies stayed in a ball once on the cookie sheet. What a wonderful helper!!!





Three ladies came and we had a wonderful chat about all kinds of mommy things: including breastfeeding, pediatricians and the huge amount of money we have all spent on various toys that were impossible to pass by only to be disappointed at how little time was actually spent playing with them.

One of the ladies, AM, informed me that she lives just 3 miles down the road! Her daughter, M, will be one on July 4th and she loved watching D play like a big kid. She is just starting to stand and seems fascinated with how easy D makes walking look.

AM and I have made plans for this Tuesday afternoon to get together.

Friday I sent out an email to "the regulars" about the kid friendly showing of Charlotte's Web at our local theater. Of the 6 girls who received my email, 3 have responded. Two can't attend due to prior appointments and the other, L, said they'd LOVE to meet us!! So looks like it's a movie date for us tomorrow!!

I found out that R was in the hospital with appendix issues and had to have surgery. I haven't talked to her yet but plan on calling this afternoon to check on her. I bought her a get well card and plan on making some cookies to help her recuperate. Cookies are a GREAT way to help someone feel better, right??

Kitchen genes

Yesterday we had a meet-up about 10 minutes away. This time the theme was muffins and magnets. Moms supply the muffins and the kiddos get to create with magnets on cookie sheets. A great idea, no?

We got up and got cooking! I made 2 dozen mini pumpkin muffins and my (now self-proclaimed signature) home made cinnamon butter. We plated it up and were off!

D was loving the fake kitchen set. I think he'll be a cook just like his daddy. Or maybe he'll take after me and prefer to bake. Either way, this kid's got the kitchen genes in him! As a matter of fact, he has a special wooden spoon that he totes around on errands and walks. We are Italian but I swear it has nothing to do with the old stereotype. He just loves this spoon! We got him one for Christmas this year in his stocking after he took a liking to one that he saw my husband's friend using in his kitchen. He gripped it tightly throughout the entire gift-opening process!

I don't know how I got so far off track there. Sorry. Anyway, D played with the fake kitchen and also liked the Little Tykes slide. This is the second one he's seen and he's loved both. Maybe a birthday gift???



I learned that two of the ladies are into scrapbooking and we are going to get together in a couple of weeks to scrap. I will be updating my project life instead of dragging all of my supplies out.

When I got home I had an email in my inbox announcing a last-minute mom's night out with the neighborhood group. It was from 6-8 and I enlisted the babysitting skills of my MIL to help me out until the hubby got home so that I could attend. It was at a local nursery (garden center). The owner had a wine bar set up for us and we perused the flowers and then had a sit-down "lecture" about perennials that work in our zone. We were all happy to get some names of plants that will work in this insane heat with little upkeep.

We have no plans for today but perhaps that will change as the day progresses.