Discovering The Space Shuttle October 23, 2007
How great it was to find out, albeit at the last minute, that there was going to be a shuttle lift off during our vacation?
When we found out, we spontaneously jumped in the car to make the coastal quest to experience this rare sight with our own eyes.
Standing along the side of the Challenger Memorial Coastal Highway, it nearly brought tears to my eyes to experience this fantastic show of human technology. Baz, on the other hand was a bit bummed, he thought we were going to be ON the “rocket”.
Halloween CD Take Aways and Loot. October 13, 2007
This is a Mad original. What could make a better party take-away?
Nothing says lovin’ like a homemade tape.
I LOVE her illustrations. She was so great. She made originals for each of her friends that attended the party. Each cover was varied, ghosts, mummies, witches, pumpkins, you name it. They got to choose when they left, the quite successful party I might add, along with their pumpkin-y loot bags.
Great time. Just now I’m ready for a vacation:)
Halloween Party Planning. October 12, 2007
I have to admit I was incredibly intimidated when I agreed to host a Halloween party this year for Mad. How could I resist though, really? She just started a new school and were going to be on vacation for the BIG day. Between old friends and new and a lack of familiar trick or treating, I just had to make it up to the poor deprived girl one way or another.
…Old friends and new, yes, double the head count. The highest number we’ve attempted to date was 7 kids for her birthday. But she was four and they could still be corralled. At this shindig there will be 10, not including our darling little goblins.
Task at hand: How not to lose control of 10 kids and your mind in the process.
#1 Save the sugar until the end.
#2 Start with a craft to get them into it and to get a chance for the grown-ups to size up the crowd.
#3 Convince extra grown-ups to serve as back up. (i.e.2) – Thanks G&G.
#4 Games, games, games. Tire those kids out.
GAMES
Stick the hat on the witch. Our twist on the donkey. It should be fun for the 5 year old crowd, plus it’s always good for a laugh and will work out 20 minutes. Yay.
Guess the monster parts. The SK version of a haunted house. Tell them we just picked it up from the store, but we haven’t put it together yet.
Grape eyeballs, pasta brains, dried apricot ears…
Mummy Race. Grab your partner and wrap them in TP.
Who’s the fastest? Who’s the neatest?
After that, we’ll do the Monster Mash… & freeze. We’ll see which mummies can stay perfectly still for a thousand years. Then they can do the Time Warp, again.
We’ll finish with a balloon popping race. Who doesn’t like popping black balloons with their bums? Especially ones (all) that have prizes in them.
Then it’s off to the snack table. There will be green ooze (limeaid and gingerale) to drink, fingers (carrots) and slime (guacamole), ghostly cookies and ghoulish cupcakes.
For loot bags, I have orange craft bags packed with mini Play Doh, eyeball gum, pumpkin pencils and gummy fangs. All tied up with green painter’s tape to look (almost) like a little pumpkin.
But the best? The prizes, stay tuned, since they all get the same thing. It’s the super CD complilation that will drive their parents BATTY.
Muwhahahahaha.
Pumpkins Galore and More September 27, 2007
We took the kids to get a pumpkin (we couldn’t find a pick your own apples that day) and boy did we have fun! So much fun, we went twice. We started off with just Mad, but the ninny I am forgot my camera.
By the time we made it back to get it Baz was up from his nap and never to turn down a trip to any farm, he was in for the ride back.
As you can see, there were quite a few pumpkins to choose from – and it’s still ONLY September.
Do you think that stopped Mad? No way josé.
The first one we carved has already turned into a massive pulp of mold in the composter, but I guess that’s why she was planning ahead, and chose this one to hold on to.
Mad was all around collecting pumpkins, asking questions and catching crickets – who can do that???
Everything was going just super…
Until she got busted by the owners for climbing the haystack.
But she got over it, as she usually does and she listened so much better for the rest of the day too.
Great day – and not just for the kids either. I found a new love of all things made of gourd.
As it turned out, the keepers of this fun farm were heirloom aficionados. There were about twenty varieties, some dating back to the 18th century France and beyond.
One of the many reasons I love autumn. Next is apples, I will find an orchard yet…
Bug Watching August 30, 2007
You’ve got summer. You’ve got kids. You’ll find bugs.
They’re everywhere so you might as well find the ones you can enjoy. That’s what we did and as luck would have it we found a cecada too!
A little lesson for both me and the kids but these fascinating bugs that we usually refer to as “electricity bugs” buzz in the heat of the hottest summer days reaching up to 100db just in order to find a girlfriend.
Yes, that’s my thumb. I was the brave one to pick up the giant, gentle and amazing insect. How amazing to think that this thing on my thumb is older than my toddler. With a little investigation, we realised that some cicadas live underground for years, only emerging in 13 or 17 YEAR cycles.
I kept the bug as long as it took to find a tree and for it to get comfortable to start moving. By then we were right beside our neighbours beautiful garden.
Spot the Monarch Butterfly, Baz did.
There have been a ton of monarchs this summer. The kids have loved watching them, occasionally up to six at a time fluttering over the same plant.
Onward and up, the sunflower’s at Ben’s house. I don’t think this bee moved from this perfect one the whole time we were there.
Did I mention I was very happy they discovered the flying variety of insects? Perhaps they inherited my dislike for the creepy crawly variety. All in all it was so fun and they really enjoy being outside.
Summer’s Almost Gone August 6, 2007
It’s half over and what a whirlwind this summer has been. A lot of time’s been spent keeping busy and keeping cool. All of that has made me realise how it’s zipped by it almost a blink of an eye.
Madeleine will be off to school again in a few weeks. It’ll be her last year of half days, Boy she’s grown up so fast! Contrary to past summers, I’m starting to get clingy. I don’t want her to go back, I really do miss her already! There are so many things to do this summer and I want to be sure to cram them all in – without hogging her all to myself.
We went camping last weekend. Crazy as it seems, it was our first trip in a tent as a family. The kids absolutely loved it and we’ve already planned on another adventure before the season turns too chilly. Sure we had help. Loaners of good gear and friends who really know how to rough it, was almost as good of an aid as their kids. I’ve never seen the five and under crowd so vibrant. These kids were on the go, running laps around the tents until the sun went down only to sit by lantern light to draw up a craft on firewood.
Just as they sucked every minute of the day that weekend, I’m planning on doing the same this summer. My kids are FUN! They want to do great things and they see it with such excitement I can’t help but enjoy and thank them for transporting me a bit of my long lost childhood again.
August here we come!
It’s In the Bag. July 12, 2007
A couple of summers back, I noticed the coolest contraption. Geographically challenged enough not to justify the shipping costs, I thought I had a great idea to make up for it.
After about two clicks worth of investigation, my ego may have been popped but I was still able to learn a thing or two about making some back yard ice cream in a bag.
Two sealable bags or a coffee tin with a lid along with some rock salt sprinkled ice is all that is needed. Add to that the essential cream and you’ve got a fun back yard treat!
Opting for the double bag option, 1 medium and 1 large Ziploc, I went low fat and combined 1 Cup of 2% milk, 3 Tablespoons of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla. I poured everything into the medium bag and zipped it up tight. Packing it into the large bag, I surrounded it with ice and about 4 Tablespoons of salt. Easy.
I though I’d show off my crafty skills as Mad hosted an outdoor play date. The girls helped to measure and pour but, as expected it was me shaking the bag maniacally as the girls grazed by the Mr. Turtle pool forgetting about the treat ahead of them.
Being my first time, I didn’t dare build up the expectation but I did end up with the great pay off with the response to my “who wants ice cream?” call.
I wasn’t like store bought, but it was still a cold, creamy and sweet success.
