Fall Fun Fest

Recently I got to go to school (without M and GQ) and help E at "Fall Fun Fest."  Pretty much they made every craft you ever thought of making for Halloween and Fall.  E's favorite was the glitter bats - which I didn't get a picture of, of course.  I felt a little "extra" because E is so crafty on her own and didn't need my help or opinion at all.  It was fun to watch her at school and spend some time with her and without the other crazies.

Decorating her pumpkin.  This is one of the two Halloween Decorations we currently have up at our house.  It is on the front porch.  (E also drew a picture that she hung on the front door.)  Without her we would be holiday vagrants.

Making applesauce.

Putting glitter on an acorn.

Making a bird-feeder.  We hung it up and when the birds did not immediately rush the scene all the kids were disappointed.  Hopefully we'll see a few birds before the squirrels steal the goods.

(I did suggest that E might want to wear her Halloween shirt from Grandma.  She chose - surprise, surprise - her favorite ghetto pink skirt, and a new pink sweater/shirt she's recently acquired that matches perfectly.  I am so thankful for our most recent bundle of sweaters we received - just in the nick of time - really I am.  They mean I don't have to go buy sweaters and long-sleeve shirts, and I am very happy.  Funnily enough, they are from a child that wore them a few seasons ago, and so they are slightly out of style.  This means E loves them EVEN more!!!!)

Happy Fall Fun Fest!!!

We were happy to have Grandma and Grandpa Wood visit recently.  Here is a picture of the kids attacking Grandma Wood's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake.

We love you!!!!

What to do when you are in the bathroom, you have already gone potty - or haven't started yet - and your mother is calling for you to "Hurry."

Option #1:  Tear the wallpaper (of your rental home) off by the toilet paper roll.  (This is an especially good option if you have already unrolled the entire toilet paper roll and put it down the toilet.)

Option #2:  When you have run out of good loose ends by the toilet paper roll, move over to the next seam in the wallpaper.  Do not be concerned if your mother has already repeatedly told you that this is a bad idea and that the wallpaper "does not belong to you."

Option #3:  Get in some last paper peeling as you turn out the light.  If you are worried about threats of: "If you keep doing that, you will not be allowed to use the bathroom again - and you will have to wear a diaper like GQ," have no fear.... after all - she doesn't really want to change your poopy diapers anymore.

Option #4: Don't forget the other side of the toilet.  And no, she will not really make you go potty with the door open so she can watch you.... then GQ would come in and everything else would, ahem, go down the drain.

Option #5:  If you are upstairs - where there is no wallpaper - and you are tired of: singing, running water for at least ten minutes in the sink, looking at yourself in the mirror, putting on eyeshadow, and other such activities - then you can always give Batman a bath.

GQ won't mind!!!!  After all, he maybe has one other "boy" toy, and is perfectly happy playing with princesses and such.

Just make sure to smile like this afterward:

I would write a post today except...

... I am trying to gain weight lately and so my goal is to eat one Klondike bar every day.  I have to do this when the kids are asleep so that they don't steal it bite by bite.

So, I am going to eat my Klondike bar.

the end

ps... it does not help me gain weight anyway, but at least I actually look pregnant now.  Perhaps one day I will post a picture and prove it.

Remember that alphabet thing?

Remember how I discussed teaching M the alphabet, and teaching M anything for that matter?  How she is so contrary she refuses to acknowledge whether she has learned something or not?

We have been practicing "Y".  She actually calls this "down, up, down" - and refuses to say it's "Y".  And if I have her look for it she says:  "I don't know!"

So, today she wanted me to go find a specific toy for her downstairs.  Since I didn't particularly want to hang out in the bins of madness I said:

"Okay, I will go find that toy if you go point to the letter "Y".

You know that saying: "Go to jail.  Go directly to jail.  Do not pass go.  Do not collect $200."

That's how long it took her to find the letter "Y".  She marched right over and pointed to it.

The stinker-head!

Five Little Speckled Frogs

Along our walk to school, the city has been trimming the trees and foliage. 

Today, on the way home, M said in awe:  "Look Mom, a log."
Mom:  "Yes, that's a log."
M:  "I want to go see the frogs!!!"

I tried to explain that even if the song says there are speckled frogs on a log, that doesn't mean that every log has frogs.  M was very upset - and did not quite believe me.

A Barre

When I was younger, one of my dancing friends had a bedroom with a raised hardwood floor, a mirror on the wall, and a barre.  What a dream!

This year I had some 6 year olds who still wanted to take class from me so I "had" to buy a barre "for them."

After I put it up E set to teaching M the fine art of the plie.  Then she asked if she could put her leg up on the barre like a big girl.

Tonight, if I don't fall asleep as soon as the kids go down - maybe I'll give myself a little class with my pregnant body.

Couldn't help taking these pictures from my spot on the couch.

Baking

A little late for my birthday, I made what I like to make... which is Laura's "Black Tie Mousse Cake."  Usually when I make it the ganache quite literally flows over the edges and I have to shove it in the fridge and hope when I've opened it again that everything will have firmed up before the cake hit rock bottom.  This time around it actually looked nice.  I was amazed and took a picture.  Still, because my ganache did not floweth over, there was way too much on top and it kind of overcame the rest of the cake.  So next time I'll either have to do a bad job again, or leave half the ganache in the bowl.  

Last Sunday, Justin and I attempted our first pie crust.  I took a lesson last time I was at Aunt Becky's and so I pulled out my notes and got to it.  The experience was slightly different than the tutelage the YW Pres. gave our Young Women.  Things like: "don't touch it with your hands, it will change the temperature" or "don't measure over the bowl" or "don't pat the flour down in the measuring cup" were dutifully thrown out the window in favor of statements like "put in about a cup of shortening, and then maybe another fourth" and "put in two cups of flour, and then some."

The pie crust turned out pretty good, though it was a little thick, and a little delicate.  (Picking it up off the counter was like a 911-rescue operation).  Funnily enough what I totally failed at was the rolly-ups with the leftover dough.  I could not get those tasting right.