Warming Up With Grampa October 30, 2007
Both of the kids have mastered the pool this trip.
Mad is doing lengths while Baz spins circles around her with his water wings while his lips turn blue.
Good thing for Grampa and his pledge to “go swimming whenever they wanted”.
Poor guy.
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.
Bon Bonbon September 1, 2007
“It was a major award. I won it.”
I blog, I bake, people from Europe send me chocolate.
This time it was from Paris, and it was a big box.
Baz loved it.
N’est pas?
Believe It! August 14, 2007
Yes folks, for those who know my boy, that IS cauliflower he is shoveling inward.
Hard to comprehend, I know.
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.
Excuse Me, Has Anyone Seen My Baby? July 3, 2007
I thought he was around here somewhere.
All I’ve got is this gigantic kid in my living room.
Sticky June 25, 2007
Coming back from the local fair, Baz had his first taste of cotton candy. Probably being hereditary, as I LOVE the stuff, Baz began to look like a baby bird as his tongue began to match the colour of his blue eyes.
Once he was done, he kept his hands up for the remainder of the walk home. I knew they were sticky but I’m guessing he was pretty clear about it too since the first thing out of his mouth when we opened the door was:
“No touch the CAT.”
