We are childless this weekend, for the first time in... oh I don't even know how long. Though we have ventured out a couple of times for one reason or another without the short people, it's a little different to go out when you know you don't have to be responsible for anyone the next morning.
But what would we do with ourselves? First instinct was a late movie at McMenamin's (where you can drink beer while enjoying a flick... mmmm, beeeeer). Unfortunately instead they were showing the OSU game in the movie theater. Who cares about football? Not me... so what's next? We didn't want to sit in a bar. We didn't really want to go to hear live music. I was already at Regal (to see "National Treasure 2") earlier this week, so I wasn't mentally or financially ready to repeat that experience.
The rest of the planning went something like this:
Jen: What do you want to do?
Scott: I dunno. What do you want to do?
Jen: I dunno either, that's why I asked you. What do you want to do?
Scott: I don't want to sit in a bar. What do you want to do?
Jen: I decided the last time we went out. What do you want to do?
Scott: Let me know when you decide what we are gonna do.
You get the idea.
We finally settled on going out to eat. Scott didn't want to spend a lot of money, so the many "yuppie restaurants" were out. I kinda wanted to try something new. And when I really thought about it, I wanted fried chicken.
That's the worst feeling in the world folks. Where oh where does one get crisp, hot fried chicken with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy on a Friday night in Bend? KFC. Nope, can't do it. I am going to have to figure out how to make my own Fried Chicken, apparently. And then once I have the recipe *just* right I will open my own restaurant and corner the market in town. Big, gaping hole in Bend's culinary landscape, IMHO. I'm just sayin'...
So we narrowed it down to Baldy's or Pepe's. And, in case you didn't read the title of this post, we finally decided on Pepe's. I think it was the right choice.
If there had been a few things different, I would have thought that we were sitting in a little beachside family restaurant in Mexico. In case you were wondering YES, we have actually been to MANY little beachside family restaurants in Mexico. They are fantastic. They are friendly. And the food ROCKS.
As soon as we entered we were warmly greeted by Pepe himself. We were seated by a friendly server, and started to look over the menu. Here is where I noted that Pepe's menu does not look like every other Mexican restaurant in Central Oregon. I am sure that you could ask for "#5 One enchilada & one taco" but it's not on the menu. Instead there is a nice variety of traditional and specialty items, all at reasonable prices. Breakfast? Yup, that is served all day too.
Soon Pepe was at our table, to see if we were thirsty. Of course we were! Scott ordered his usual - Negra Modelo (an excellent Mexican dark ale). I was in the mood for a margarita, but wasn't sure what to choose. Pepe recommended the Baja Margarita, which I ordered. He laughed and asked who was driving... that would be Scott. "OK!" he chuckled, and went to get our drinks.
Our drinks were served as the waitress took our order. Chicken Mole for Scott and Chile Verde for me. I sipped the margarita... hell-lo! It was delicious, with good quality tequila and FRESH LIME. I like a margarita on the rocks with lots of salt, and it was good on both of those counts too. I was a happy, happy girl.
Shortly the food (and another beer for Scott) arrived. The mole was good - not as sweet as the sauce at El Rancho Grande but I thought it had better chile flavor. Scott seemed to like it too. My chile verde was good - just a little kick to the verde sauce and the pork was very tender and tasty.
Meanwhile Pepe stopped by again to make sure we were happy. Yes! We were definitely happy. He reappeared yet again to bus nearby tables(!!!), always friendly and chatty.
Too soon, we were full. We asked for to-go boxes, a churro for the road, and the bill. The boxes and the bill came almost immediately. Scott had some more beer to drink so I went up to pay. After I returned to the table Pepe stopped by AGAIN and was dismayed and concerned that we did not have our bill. "This is not the type of service you deserve!" But then laughed when I explained the bill was already paid. As Scott finished his beer and I tipped back the last few drops of my margarita, the waitress delivered my fresh, hot churro.
In short? The service and food were some of the best I have experience anywhere. The restaurant was quite busy, but Pepe and the two waitresses kept things moving nicely. Pepe's is easily the best Mexican restaurant in Bend. They are also high on my list of favorite restaurants, anywhere.
Why are you still reading this? Go to Pepe's... now! :)
Saturday, December 29
Friday, December 28
Genes
Genetics are a real bitch some times.
When we found out that my cholesterol still sucks, my LNP urged me to take Stinky to his doc to get his checked. Boo can apparently wait for a couple years. Last week he had his blood drawn, and the doc called me today with the results.
The magic number is... 340.
Ouch!
He referred Stinky to a pediatric cardiologist. So begins Round 2... I am so glad we have good insurance!
When we found out that my cholesterol still sucks, my LNP urged me to take Stinky to his doc to get his checked. Boo can apparently wait for a couple years. Last week he had his blood drawn, and the doc called me today with the results.
The magic number is... 340.
Ouch!
He referred Stinky to a pediatric cardiologist. So begins Round 2... I am so glad we have good insurance!
Sunday, December 23
Wednesday, December 19
Cookies
Mmm... cookies!Boo helped me make several batches of cookies and candy over the last few days. We tried some new recipes (Peanut Butter Blossoms and Divinity) as well as some traditional family favorites (Snickerdoodles, Christmas Tress "Spritz", and Mom's Blue Ribbon Fudge). Some didn't go so well. (Divinity shouldn't be rock hard, right?) Some baked slightly longer than they should have. (But Stinky likes crunchy Snickerdoodles, anyways.) The rest came out great! Santa's belly should be very full and happy.
Amazingly, these little Christmas Tree "Spritz" cookies are disappearing the fastest. They are really simple to make, but you have to have a cookie press to get that extra-special shape. This year Boo has been calling them "Shrek Trees". That probably has something to do with the fact that we were watching "Shrek the Halls" while we made them. Anyhoo... they are really light, sweet, and buttery. They are really good with coffee. And we will probably have to make another batch by the end of the week so that we can share with family!
Monday, December 17
Boots
Tragedy struck when Boo recently discovered that she outgrew her favorite boots from last year. Luckily we recently got a decent coupon for a local shoe store, so we were able to go boot shopping. Poor kid takes after me and has feet that vaguely resemble skis, so it was a challenge. After some trial and error Boo found those perfect boots, just in time for her school's Winter Music concert!Aren't they nice? They looked great with her dress, and also look super cute with jeans. I think she'll be living in these for a few months.
Elise, do you approve? ;)
Sunday, December 16
Bruised
Happy birthday, QP!!!
Yeup, we are now living with a "real, live" teenager. Can you imagine how dumb Scott and I are getting? Since he is slightly older apparently I have a bit of an advantage... but not much.
Anyhoo, after she tore her way through a mountain of birthday loot we took the kids out for some ice skating fun. 7th Mountain is a great place to take the kids because there is a nice, warm bar where adults can stay warm while the kids skate. It has windows facing right out to the ice rink so you can watch them and laugh hysterically every time they fall on their butts. :) Actually, they didn't fall that much. Boo was a little nervous but she got a lot of help at first. Soon they were all racing around and around the rink. They skated for almost 2 hours, and I got tired just from watching them!
QP's friend Miss M came along, and also spent the night. For future all you parents out there, I highly recommend skating in conjunction with a sleepover. Because the kids involved actually SLEEP after slipping, sliding, and landing on the ice rink. They woke up a little sore with some bumps and bruises, but happy.
Happy #13 kiddo!
Yeup, we are now living with a "real, live" teenager. Can you imagine how dumb Scott and I are getting? Since he is slightly older apparently I have a bit of an advantage... but not much.
Anyhoo, after she tore her way through a mountain of birthday loot we took the kids out for some ice skating fun. 7th Mountain is a great place to take the kids because there is a nice, warm bar where adults can stay warm while the kids skate. It has windows facing right out to the ice rink so you can watch them and laugh hysterically every time they fall on their butts. :) Actually, they didn't fall that much. Boo was a little nervous but she got a lot of help at first. Soon they were all racing around and around the rink. They skated for almost 2 hours, and I got tired just from watching them!
QP's friend Miss M came along, and also spent the night. For future all you parents out there, I highly recommend skating in conjunction with a sleepover. Because the kids involved actually SLEEP after slipping, sliding, and landing on the ice rink. They woke up a little sore with some bumps and bruises, but happy.
Happy #13 kiddo!
Caffeinating
Several people have asked lately, "where do you go for coffee with free wifi?" My favorites are...
Sparrow Bakery - Really tiny place gets crowded fast. Sometimes you have to share a table. Really really yummy snacks (ocean roll... ohhhhhh).
Between the Covers - Cozy couch* in the back near the kitchen. Self-serve brewed coffee w/ donation. QUIET. Really nice staff.
Thump - Cozy chairs* in the back. Get code from the barista. BEST cappuccino in Bend.
Bellatazza - Nice folks. Cozy chairs* in the back.
diLusso - Best place for chocolatey drinks and, of course, biscotti. Good wraps, too.
Strictly Organic - Strong stuff. Nice goodies. Patio if it's warm outside.
Backporch - All french press & espresso, none of that ghetto drip stuff. Good granola. Often crowded.
*If you are sitting in one of "my" cozy chairs and I come in... give it up. That's my chair, bub.
Any other suggestions?
Sparrow Bakery - Really tiny place gets crowded fast. Sometimes you have to share a table. Really really yummy snacks (ocean roll... ohhhhhh).
Between the Covers - Cozy couch* in the back near the kitchen. Self-serve brewed coffee w/ donation. QUIET. Really nice staff.
Thump - Cozy chairs* in the back. Get code from the barista. BEST cappuccino in Bend.
Bellatazza - Nice folks. Cozy chairs* in the back.
diLusso - Best place for chocolatey drinks and, of course, biscotti. Good wraps, too.
Strictly Organic - Strong stuff. Nice goodies. Patio if it's warm outside.
Backporch - All french press & espresso, none of that ghetto drip stuff. Good granola. Often crowded.
*If you are sitting in one of "my" cozy chairs and I come in... give it up. That's my chair, bub.
Any other suggestions?
Thursday, December 13
Done
Via eMusings and Keeneye...
Things I’ve done are in bold, my comments are in italics. What have you done?
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink (But there were only a few of us left. Lucky me, small crowd!)
02. Swam with wild dolphins (But have been surrounded by them in boats)
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula (For extra credit in biology class.)
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone (Not a highly recommended activity. It sounds like more fun than it actually is)
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
as of 9/16/08 ~ 10. Bungee jumped (see this post)
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (Does the Rose Bowl count?)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa (I stood at the base and looked up, but the Tower was still closed for renovations.)
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars (As often as possible.)
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon (But I really want to!)
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity (I suck at math.)
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
as of 9/16/08 ~ 31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can (see #10)
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster (As often as possible.)
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer (Nerd alert!)
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk (And in return, they have taken care of me.)
42. Had amazing friends (See #41.)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign (But there's one I really really WANT to steal...)
46. Backpacked in Europe (Many of the items in bold happened during that trip.)
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs (Ummm... is there any other way to organize them?)
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert” (I was 6. Does that count?)
83. Gotten flowers for no reason (I am sure they had a reason, but they never shared it...)
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents (Love ya, Dad. And miss you every day.)
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror (Sad, but true.)
96. Raised children (Still in progress.)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (It's a long freakin' walk, too.)
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (Hopefully I will never have to again!)
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days (It's fun, but harder than it looks.)
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi (As often as possible.)
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
as of 9/16/08 ~ 129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about (Scott finally registered to vote! But I think Missy had almost as much to do with it as I did...)
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (Do fish count?)
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language.
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts.
as of 9/16/08 ~ 144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you (does a photo count?)
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
Things I’ve done are in bold, my comments are in italics. What have you done?
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink (But there were only a few of us left. Lucky me, small crowd!)
02. Swam with wild dolphins (But have been surrounded by them in boats)
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula (For extra credit in biology class.)
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone (Not a highly recommended activity. It sounds like more fun than it actually is)
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
as of 9/16/08 ~ 10. Bungee jumped (see this post)
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (Does the Rose Bowl count?)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa (I stood at the base and looked up, but the Tower was still closed for renovations.)
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars (As often as possible.)
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon (But I really want to!)
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity (I suck at math.)
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
as of 9/16/08 ~ 31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can (see #10)
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster (As often as possible.)
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer (Nerd alert!)
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk (And in return, they have taken care of me.)
42. Had amazing friends (See #41.)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign (But there's one I really really WANT to steal...)
46. Backpacked in Europe (Many of the items in bold happened during that trip.)
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs (Ummm... is there any other way to organize them?)
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert” (I was 6. Does that count?)
83. Gotten flowers for no reason (I am sure they had a reason, but they never shared it...)
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents (Love ya, Dad. And miss you every day.)
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror (Sad, but true.)
96. Raised children (Still in progress.)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (It's a long freakin' walk, too.)
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (Hopefully I will never have to again!)
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days (It's fun, but harder than it looks.)
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi (As often as possible.)
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
as of 9/16/08 ~ 129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about (Scott finally registered to vote! But I think Missy had almost as much to do with it as I did...)
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (Do fish count?)
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language.
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts.
as of 9/16/08 ~ 144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you (does a photo count?)
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
Tuesday, December 11
Sunday, December 9
Chuck
We spent the weekend in Eugene. Which really means, we spent the weekend driving over the pass and back, stopping to let Divot play in the snow and stopping in Salem to drop off and pick up Stinky at his Grandma's house. Oh, and we spent a little bit of time in Eugene.
While we were there we shopped, visited, and made many trips to one of Divot's new favorite places: Skinner's Butte Park. It was very gray outside and always looked like it was about to start raining, but it didn't. I think nearly every day in the valley is like that. Except for the days when it actually rains. Despite the gloom, we had a good time.
One of my highlights was a trip to Trader Joe's. We don't have TJ's here in Bend yet. They are building one at the north end of town, and haven't committed to an opening date. I think they must pump extra oxygen into TJ's or something, because I always feel happy when I am there. The worker bee's and everyone else seem happy too. Or maybe it's just that we are surrounded by so much yummy and cheap food. And there are always people giving out samples in case you are hungry. Yeah, that might be it. But it might be the extra oxygen, too.
Anyways, we picked up some items on request from friends. And I stocked up on gnocchi (yummmmm!), a $3 bottle of Two-Buck-Chuck, and a jar of some tasty looking cranberry-cherry relish for holiday snacking. That was all I could jam into my already-full car, after all the Christmas shopping we did. And we had to leave enough room to wedge Stinky and his stuff into the back after we rescued his Grandma from him! (We offered to leave him for a longer visit so we could buy more stuff. She said no thanks.)
It was a fast, fun trip. But it's nice to be home!
How was your weekend?
While we were there we shopped, visited, and made many trips to one of Divot's new favorite places: Skinner's Butte Park. It was very gray outside and always looked like it was about to start raining, but it didn't. I think nearly every day in the valley is like that. Except for the days when it actually rains. Despite the gloom, we had a good time.
One of my highlights was a trip to Trader Joe's. We don't have TJ's here in Bend yet. They are building one at the north end of town, and haven't committed to an opening date. I think they must pump extra oxygen into TJ's or something, because I always feel happy when I am there. The worker bee's and everyone else seem happy too. Or maybe it's just that we are surrounded by so much yummy and cheap food. And there are always people giving out samples in case you are hungry. Yeah, that might be it. But it might be the extra oxygen, too.
Anyways, we picked up some items on request from friends. And I stocked up on gnocchi (yummmmm!), a $3 bottle of Two-Buck-Chuck, and a jar of some tasty looking cranberry-cherry relish for holiday snacking. That was all I could jam into my already-full car, after all the Christmas shopping we did. And we had to leave enough room to wedge Stinky and his stuff into the back after we rescued his Grandma from him! (We offered to leave him for a longer visit so we could buy more stuff. She said no thanks.)
It was a fast, fun trip. But it's nice to be home!
How was your weekend?
Friday, December 7
Inservice
Today was an Inservice day, grading day, or some obscure holiday (Pearl Harbor Day?) so the kids didn't have school. But Scott and I had to work. Boo is off at her dad's, but I planned to work from home anyways because we have many stashes and caches of Christmas loot around the house. I didn't want to give Q.P. and Stinky the opportunity to dig around. Then last night Q.P.'s friend (we'll call her Miss M) spent the night, and she ended up spending the day here as well.
Which made "working from home" more like "referee between emails". I didn't accomplish as much as I would have liked, but I probably still got more done than if I had been in the office.
It was actually pretty quiet until about 11 this morning. By then everyone was up and milling around, and wanting to watch cartoons or whatever. Stinky was hanging out in the living room, and made some paper snow flakes. Q.P. needed to clean her room and get her birthday party invitations ready. After the room was sufficiently un-messed, the girls ran over to Miss M's to pick up some supplies. When they came back we had a quick lunch and they got to work. They made some really cute invite's that look like flip-flop sandals. They also made a big, crafty mess.
Next they all gathered around the table and I took a break to teach them how to make these really nifty 3-D snowflakes. This kept them busy (and quiet) for about an hour. If you have older kids (probably 9 and up) this is a really fun way to keep the kids busy for a while. And who doesn't have paper, tape, and a stapler (I recommend the red Swingline model) around the house? Okay... so I couldn't find our stapler, so we borrowed Miss M's. But I know that I will find it some day.
Miss M hung hers around Divot's neck. Doesn't she make a nice model?
Finally it was time to clean up. And then a wrestling match (girls vs. boy of course). Miss M and Q.P. had Stinky pinned to the floor in no time. Then time to finish cleaning. :) Just as they were done Scott got home, and admired their handiwork. For once he thought one of our cheezy day-off-school craft projects was cool. He wants us to make some ginormous snowflakes to hang around the house.
Stinky, Miss M, and Q.P. are snow flaky.
Which made "working from home" more like "referee between emails". I didn't accomplish as much as I would have liked, but I probably still got more done than if I had been in the office.
It was actually pretty quiet until about 11 this morning. By then everyone was up and milling around, and wanting to watch cartoons or whatever. Stinky was hanging out in the living room, and made some paper snow flakes. Q.P. needed to clean her room and get her birthday party invitations ready. After the room was sufficiently un-messed, the girls ran over to Miss M's to pick up some supplies. When they came back we had a quick lunch and they got to work. They made some really cute invite's that look like flip-flop sandals. They also made a big, crafty mess.
Next they all gathered around the table and I took a break to teach them how to make these really nifty 3-D snowflakes. This kept them busy (and quiet) for about an hour. If you have older kids (probably 9 and up) this is a really fun way to keep the kids busy for a while. And who doesn't have paper, tape, and a stapler (I recommend the red Swingline model) around the house? Okay... so I couldn't find our stapler, so we borrowed Miss M's. But I know that I will find it some day. Miss M hung hers around Divot's neck. Doesn't she make a nice model?
Finally it was time to clean up. And then a wrestling match (girls vs. boy of course). Miss M and Q.P. had Stinky pinned to the floor in no time. Then time to finish cleaning. :) Just as they were done Scott got home, and admired their handiwork. For once he thought one of our cheezy day-off-school craft projects was cool. He wants us to make some ginormous snowflakes to hang around the house.
Thursday, December 6
Scrooged
Apparently you can Elf Yourself.
But why would you want to waste time doing that when you can Scrooge Yourself? Just like me!
I know, it doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely as the Elf version. But it does seem to maintain the creepy/fun factor!
Hey OfficeMax, next time can I be a snowman? Golly, thanks!
But why would you want to waste time doing that when you can Scrooge Yourself? Just like me!
I know, it doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely as the Elf version. But it does seem to maintain the creepy/fun factor!
Hey OfficeMax, next time can I be a snowman? Golly, thanks!
Wednesday, December 5
Handy
Boo was excited on Monday when I picked her up after school. I could tell through the car window that she had something to tell me. And from her expression, I figured it was good.
"What's up?" I said as she hopped in, stashed her backpack, and leaned over the center console to give me a quick hug. (Yeah, one kid isn't too cool to hug me in public. At least, for the moment...)
"Mama, I got a helping hand!" She giggled, and bounced a little. "Want to see it?"
"Sure!" I thought, could it be a certificate or Tornado Ticket for helping around class? Whatever it was, she was sure happy about it.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out...
A little rubber hand
It is about an inch tall, and made of some rubbery stretchy material. When Boo saw my expression she giggled harder - and then the peals of laughter started bubbling out. I couldn't help but start to giggle too, as she waved "Helping Hand" at me. It was absurd... and silly... and just plain weird. She reached out to shake my hand, but with her own hand tucked into her sleeve and "Helping Hand" peeking out. Later that night she figured out a tough homework problem and answered my call for a high five with (you guessed it) a high five from "Helping Hand".
"Helping Hand" has gone everywhere with Boo for the last few days. She's a pretty smart kid... figuring everyone needs a little helping hand every once in a while!
"What's up?" I said as she hopped in, stashed her backpack, and leaned over the center console to give me a quick hug. (Yeah, one kid isn't too cool to hug me in public. At least, for the moment...)
"Mama, I got a helping hand!" She giggled, and bounced a little. "Want to see it?"
"Sure!" I thought, could it be a certificate or Tornado Ticket for helping around class? Whatever it was, she was sure happy about it.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out...
A little rubber hand
It is about an inch tall, and made of some rubbery stretchy material. When Boo saw my expression she giggled harder - and then the peals of laughter started bubbling out. I couldn't help but start to giggle too, as she waved "Helping Hand" at me. It was absurd... and silly... and just plain weird. She reached out to shake my hand, but with her own hand tucked into her sleeve and "Helping Hand" peeking out. Later that night she figured out a tough homework problem and answered my call for a high five with (you guessed it) a high five from "Helping Hand"."Helping Hand" has gone everywhere with Boo for the last few days. She's a pretty smart kid... figuring everyone needs a little helping hand every once in a while!
Sunday, December 2
Windy
What a good day to stay inside where it's warm and cozy! Outside, the wind is blowing hard - gusts are bending trees and making a booming sound, like thunder. Meanwhile the little bit of snow in the air is whirling and drifting. Brrrr!
So... we are parked inside, getting caught up on our TV watching.
Happy Winter!
So... we are parked inside, getting caught up on our TV watching.
Happy Winter!
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