I added butterscotch chips to part of the mix. It turned out too sweet for me, but I bet Skeeter will love it.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Rice Krispy Treats
The first of my Christmas treat making. Yes, the first, and I copped out with an easy one. I'm behind schedule!
I added butterscotch chips to part of the mix. It turned out too sweet for me, but I bet Skeeter will love it.
I added butterscotch chips to part of the mix. It turned out too sweet for me, but I bet Skeeter will love it.
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Mad Dash
I spent Saturday and Sunday shopping. And part of today as well.
Shopping.
Me. And two children.
I know that some people love to shop. It's not really my thing, especially when having to drag the urchins along. Saturday was actually quite nice though. We had had a pretty awful Friday afternoon, so I was glad Saturday ended up being a good day.
I took the children to "the nice mall" about 45 minutes away from our house. We got there relatively early, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't crowded at all. We went to a few stores, and the children each got to make a bear at Build-A-Bear. Build-A-Bear took a lot longer than expected, so the mall had started getting crowded by then. Sass had wanted to eat in the food court. (Why is it that the mall food court is so appealing to children?) Spyder and I decided that the food court wasn't such a great idea though, since we found exactly one unoccupied table, and I wasn't about to let him sit there by himself to save us the seat.
We decided to leave the mall, and we ended up at Backyard Burger near my bookstore. Since we were so close to the bookstore, of course we had to stop in. I bought a Christmas gift, rounding out the gifts I need to ship. It's nice to be done with one set of gifts.
After the bookstore, I remembered that we were supposed to be in the town-next-door's Christmas parade. We dashed home to change clothes, then off to the parade. By the time that was over, it was almost 10 pm, and we had been gone from home (with a minor pit stop for clothing changes) for nearly 12 hours.
I think we all almost fell into our beds that night.
Sunday morning, my mom called and said she was coming to my town to shop. I called The Michael to join in. So the shopping continued.
We started with an early lunch at Fazoli's, to avoid the after-church crowd. As The Michael says, "Those Christians are serious about their Sunday food." Skeeter even joined us, although he was interrupted with phone calls a couple of times and he had to dash back to work after lunch.
Mom, The Michael, the children, and I went to 9 different stores. We were so intent on the shopping thing that I completely forgot it was Sunday. Skeeter called about 15 minutes before Awana started and asked if we were at the church yet. YIKES! I ran to the checkout, and I got them to the church just as the opening prayer was starting. I had to go apologize to their teachers, since neither of them had a book, Bible, or uniform. Again, we were gone all day, and we all were exhausted by the time we got home.
Today was a relatively easy day, although we did have to go to a few places. I'm looking for a new perfume, so we went to sniff fragrances at Dillard's. The children love that though, so they were perfectly happy to do that. They also managed to talk me into lunch at Chick-Fil-A. I got them back though. I made them go to Kroger afterward. HA! :)
Spyder has begged for a complete at home day tomorrow, and I'm going to try to comply.
Shopping.
Me. And two children.
I know that some people love to shop. It's not really my thing, especially when having to drag the urchins along. Saturday was actually quite nice though. We had had a pretty awful Friday afternoon, so I was glad Saturday ended up being a good day.
I took the children to "the nice mall" about 45 minutes away from our house. We got there relatively early, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't crowded at all. We went to a few stores, and the children each got to make a bear at Build-A-Bear. Build-A-Bear took a lot longer than expected, so the mall had started getting crowded by then. Sass had wanted to eat in the food court. (Why is it that the mall food court is so appealing to children?) Spyder and I decided that the food court wasn't such a great idea though, since we found exactly one unoccupied table, and I wasn't about to let him sit there by himself to save us the seat.
We decided to leave the mall, and we ended up at Backyard Burger near my bookstore. Since we were so close to the bookstore, of course we had to stop in. I bought a Christmas gift, rounding out the gifts I need to ship. It's nice to be done with one set of gifts.
After the bookstore, I remembered that we were supposed to be in the town-next-door's Christmas parade. We dashed home to change clothes, then off to the parade. By the time that was over, it was almost 10 pm, and we had been gone from home (with a minor pit stop for clothing changes) for nearly 12 hours.
I think we all almost fell into our beds that night.
Sunday morning, my mom called and said she was coming to my town to shop. I called The Michael to join in. So the shopping continued.
We started with an early lunch at Fazoli's, to avoid the after-church crowd. As The Michael says, "Those Christians are serious about their Sunday food." Skeeter even joined us, although he was interrupted with phone calls a couple of times and he had to dash back to work after lunch.
Mom, The Michael, the children, and I went to 9 different stores. We were so intent on the shopping thing that I completely forgot it was Sunday. Skeeter called about 15 minutes before Awana started and asked if we were at the church yet. YIKES! I ran to the checkout, and I got them to the church just as the opening prayer was starting. I had to go apologize to their teachers, since neither of them had a book, Bible, or uniform. Again, we were gone all day, and we all were exhausted by the time we got home.
Today was a relatively easy day, although we did have to go to a few places. I'm looking for a new perfume, so we went to sniff fragrances at Dillard's. The children love that though, so they were perfectly happy to do that. They also managed to talk me into lunch at Chick-Fil-A. I got them back though. I made them go to Kroger afterward. HA! :)
Spyder has begged for a complete at home day tomorrow, and I'm going to try to comply.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
I am inordinately pleased that I am not alone in my Muppet love
Ah yes! There are other Muppet lovers! I am so pleased that Susan and Bunchastuffes are with me on the Muppet thing.
JP and Susan, I'm embarrassed to say that I completely forgot about The Year without a Santa Claus. It's especially embarrassing since I've been singing the "Mr. Snow Miser/Mr. Heat Miser" song for a week.
I am probably the lone person on the planet who doesn't love A Christmas Story. I don't particularly dislike it; I've just never been able to get into it. That's most interesting because I did get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas one year, when I was about 7. And it's the same BB gun that Spyder shot until recently. Not long ago, an oddly shaped or oversized BB got stuck in the gun. We've tried and tried to get it out with no success.
Fresh Girl, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is just as funny as the book. Not quite as good as the book, just because Barbara Park's phrasing is so spot-on wonderful, but the movie is still excellent.
Dallas Meow, you must watch The Bells of St. Mary's. It actually wasn't made as a Christmas movie, in the same way that It's a Wonderful Life wasn't. It's perfect for the season though. Plus, Bing and Ingrid!
JP and Susan, I'm embarrassed to say that I completely forgot about The Year without a Santa Claus. It's especially embarrassing since I've been singing the "Mr. Snow Miser/Mr. Heat Miser" song for a week.
I am probably the lone person on the planet who doesn't love A Christmas Story. I don't particularly dislike it; I've just never been able to get into it. That's most interesting because I did get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas one year, when I was about 7. And it's the same BB gun that Spyder shot until recently. Not long ago, an oddly shaped or oversized BB got stuck in the gun. We've tried and tried to get it out with no success.
Fresh Girl, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is just as funny as the book. Not quite as good as the book, just because Barbara Park's phrasing is so spot-on wonderful, but the movie is still excellent.
Dallas Meow, you must watch The Bells of St. Mary's. It actually wasn't made as a Christmas movie, in the same way that It's a Wonderful Life wasn't. It's perfect for the season though. Plus, Bing and Ingrid!
Saturday, December 08, 2007
To Santa or not to Santa
Do you play Santa in your household?
I don't think there are any two families who play Santa exactly the same way, and some families don't play at all. I don't think I realized how many different ways there are to play or not to play until recently.
As for us, we play Santa. However, Skeeter and I have never presented Santa as real.
I managed to weave through the Santa maze of childhood without terrible disappointment, but Skeeter was absolutely devastated when his older sister told him the truth. He was about 5 years old when he found out the real deal.
Skeeter was completely against Santa. I was for it. So, like in any good relationship, we compromised.
Santa does "visit" our house, bringing a stocking full of socks, chocolates, peppermints, a toothbrush, an orange, and a small toy or two. We don't give large gifts from Santa like my family did, only the stockings.
While Santa does "visit," we have never presented Santa as a real person. The children have been told from the beginning that Santa is a game:
In a nutshell, that's the explanation that we gave to the children.
Spyder took it at face value. He loves to pretend about Santa, but he knows that it's all pretend. This way of presenting it actually did what it was supposed to do for him -- allow him to have all of the fun of Santa without being able to have it ruined by a thoughtless word. And that thoughtless moment did come for Spyder, when an older cousin announced in a haughty tone, "You know Santa's not real, right?" Spyder was 6, and he was able to say (with conviction), "Yeah. Are you just now figuring that out?"
Sass, on the other hand, is completely enamored with the idea of Santa. She wants it to be real so badly that I'm not certain that she accepts that it's all a game. She would be hurt if Cousin did that to her. I keep dropping little reminders, but I'm not sure she's willing to pick up on them. This year, I will have her help me pick out the chocolates and socks for Spyder's stocking, so perhaps that will help.
So, what do you do with your children in the ages-old Santa question?
I don't think there are any two families who play Santa exactly the same way, and some families don't play at all. I don't think I realized how many different ways there are to play or not to play until recently.
As for us, we play Santa. However, Skeeter and I have never presented Santa as real.
I managed to weave through the Santa maze of childhood without terrible disappointment, but Skeeter was absolutely devastated when his older sister told him the truth. He was about 5 years old when he found out the real deal.
Skeeter was completely against Santa. I was for it. So, like in any good relationship, we compromised.
Santa does "visit" our house, bringing a stocking full of socks, chocolates, peppermints, a toothbrush, an orange, and a small toy or two. We don't give large gifts from Santa like my family did, only the stockings.
While Santa does "visit," we have never presented Santa as a real person. The children have been told from the beginning that Santa is a game:
"Santa" a huge game of pretend that everyone plays. That's why adults pretend that Santa is real when we know he's not. But it's only fun if everyone plays along. I'm letting you in on the secret that he's just pretend, but some children don't know. Since you don't know who knows about the game and who doesn't, it's very important that you always remember to play along.
In a nutshell, that's the explanation that we gave to the children.
Spyder took it at face value. He loves to pretend about Santa, but he knows that it's all pretend. This way of presenting it actually did what it was supposed to do for him -- allow him to have all of the fun of Santa without being able to have it ruined by a thoughtless word. And that thoughtless moment did come for Spyder, when an older cousin announced in a haughty tone, "You know Santa's not real, right?" Spyder was 6, and he was able to say (with conviction), "Yeah. Are you just now figuring that out?"
Sass, on the other hand, is completely enamored with the idea of Santa. She wants it to be real so badly that I'm not certain that she accepts that it's all a game. She would be hurt if Cousin did that to her. I keep dropping little reminders, but I'm not sure she's willing to pick up on them. This year, I will have her help me pick out the chocolates and socks for Spyder's stocking, so perhaps that will help.
So, what do you do with your children in the ages-old Santa question?
Friday, December 07, 2007
Souptacular Recipe: Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Here is one of the old standards for our annual Christmas Eve Mexican Fiesta!
Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp oil
4 cups chicken stock
15 oz can of Rotel (or diced tomatoes with onions and peppers if you can't get Rotel where you live)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Mexican or Southwestern spice mix (I use either Emeril's or Pampered Chef.)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tsp flour
1/2 cup water
1 lb cooked chicken, cubed or pulled
1 cup cream
1/2 cup shredded cheese
Saute oil, garlic, and oinions in a large pan or dutch oven until soft.
Add chicken stock, spices, tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce.
Thoroughly mix flour and water to make a pseudo-roux, then whisk into soup to thicken.
Bring to a low boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes.
Stir in chicken, cream and cheese until thoroughly blended and heated.
Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips. Garnish with fresh chopped
cilantro.
Scoot on over to Boomama's place for more good stuff!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Favorites
Lindsey at Enjoy the Journey asked about favorite Christmas movies, and in typical Noodle-fashion, I couldn't choose just one.
I have loads of Christmas movies that I love.
Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas. The Muppets, no more needs to be said. I love the Muppets. I always think of it as a "Gift of the Magi" type story. Each person wants to give the other an extra-special gift for Christmas . . . . It's just a great story!
The Muppet Christmas Carol. Such a fun retelling of the classic story! Loads of the usual Muppet jokes and gags. Awesome!
A Muppet Family Christmas. (I'm sensing a theme here . . . .) So much fun because we see Sesame Street characters as well as The Muppets. I can't remember how we discovered this one originally, but it was one of Spyder's favorites.
A Charlie Brown Christmas. No Christmas is complete without a Charlie Brown special. Just fantastic! We have this on DVD, but we all were excited when it came on television recently.
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Ah, good old Rudolph. My favorite though, is Hermey, the elf who wants to be a dentist. That's good comedy, folks!
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Based on the book by Barbara Robinson. Funny and touching and wonderful.
It's a Wonderful Life. I can't quote whole sections of this film like some of my friends, but I adore it. It stars Jimmy Stewart, so of course I adore it.
Miracle on 34th Street. This was one of those that I loved as a little girl because the main character was a little girl -- skeptical and suspicious, just like me. When my children tell me something that I don't think is the whole truth, I always say, "I believe; I believe. It's silly, but I believe."
Christmas in Connecticut. This is a new one to my Christmas collection, recommended by a friend last year. I can't believe I missed this before! Lots of fun!
The Bells of St. Mary's. Ah, Bing. How I love thee.
And even with all of these, I'm sure I've missed some. So, what are your Christmas favorites?
I have loads of Christmas movies that I love.
Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas. The Muppets, no more needs to be said. I love the Muppets. I always think of it as a "Gift of the Magi" type story. Each person wants to give the other an extra-special gift for Christmas . . . . It's just a great story!
The Muppet Christmas Carol. Such a fun retelling of the classic story! Loads of the usual Muppet jokes and gags. Awesome!
A Muppet Family Christmas. (I'm sensing a theme here . . . .) So much fun because we see Sesame Street characters as well as The Muppets. I can't remember how we discovered this one originally, but it was one of Spyder's favorites.
A Charlie Brown Christmas. No Christmas is complete without a Charlie Brown special. Just fantastic! We have this on DVD, but we all were excited when it came on television recently.
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Ah, good old Rudolph. My favorite though, is Hermey, the elf who wants to be a dentist. That's good comedy, folks!
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Based on the book by Barbara Robinson. Funny and touching and wonderful.
It's a Wonderful Life. I can't quote whole sections of this film like some of my friends, but I adore it. It stars Jimmy Stewart, so of course I adore it.
Miracle on 34th Street. This was one of those that I loved as a little girl because the main character was a little girl -- skeptical and suspicious, just like me. When my children tell me something that I don't think is the whole truth, I always say, "I believe; I believe. It's silly, but I believe."
Christmas in Connecticut. This is a new one to my Christmas collection, recommended by a friend last year. I can't believe I missed this before! Lots of fun!
The Bells of St. Mary's. Ah, Bing. How I love thee.
And even with all of these, I'm sure I've missed some. So, what are your Christmas favorites?
Gloucestershire Wassail
This was one of the songs that we sang in my high school choir. It was a standard; we did it every year, but I absolutely loved it. I sing it to my children now.
Stealing from Candy
Candy posted this as a Thanksgiving meme. I'm shamelessly stealing it, albeit far past Thanksgiving.
( ) Been to Canada.
( ) Been to Mexico.
(X ) Been to Florida.
(X ) Been on a plane.
( X) Been lost.
Please. As my dad always says, "I haven't been anywhere until I've been lost there."
(X) Been on the opposite side of the country.
I'm undecided on how to answer this, since I live in the middle of the US. I have been to the coast before, so I'm going with yes.
( X) Swam in the ocean.
( X ) Cried yourself to sleep.
(X )Played cops and robbers.
(X ) Played with a Tonka Truck.
(X ) Recently colored with crayons.
( X) Sang karaoke.
(Not well, I might add.)
(x ) Paid for a meal with only coins.
I have also paid my $120 electric bill with one dollar bills. More than once. That's what workin' for tips will do to you.
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t?
( ) Made prank phone calls.
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( X ) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus.
( X) Been kissed under the mistletoe.
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about.
(X) Blown bubbles.
I love blowing bubbles. I sit outside and blow bubbles for the dogs. They jump and catch them like treats. It's awesome!
(X ) Made a bonfire on the beach.
Only the "beach" called a sand bar. But it was a fire, and it was on a semblance of sand. So there.
(X) Crashed a party.
( ) Crashed a wedding.
( ) Crashed a funeral.
(X)Gone ice-skating.
Only once, and in Germany. I couldn't speak the language well. I kept bumping into people, muttering "Bitte; bitte."
1. Any nicknames?
Not particularly. Skeeter is the one who calls me Noodle though. Just in case y'all were wondering where I came up with that.
2. Mother’s name?
Judy. Judith, actually, but she's not fond of that.
3. Favorite drink?
Depending on the time of day -- water, hot tea, Diet Dr Pepper
4. Any tattoos?
None. Because I'm a big chicken.
5 Body piercing?
Ears. Do those even count any more?
6. How much do you love your job?
The stay-at-home-mom gig? Most of the time, I love it. There are moments though . . . .
7. Favorite vacation spot?
So far, Norwich, England.
8. Ever been to Africa?
No.
9. Ever eaten cookies for dinner?
Yes. I'm not particularly proud of that though.
10. Ever been on TV?
I think so, but I can't really remember. Never any significant screen time, that's for sure.
11. Ever steal any traffic signs?
No, I don't think so.
12. Ever been in a car accident?
Yes, once. Unlike Skeeter, who has made it a hobby.
13. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle?
Yes, both, simultaneously. (This was Candy's answer, and I had to leave it because it made me laugh aloud.)
14. Favorite pie?
Pecan.
15. Favorite Number?
2. What can I say? I'm unimaginative.
16. Favorite movie?
Urgh. This is more difficult than it should be. I'll go for The Philadelphia Story.
17. Favorite holiday?
Christmas. Really though, I love Halloween through New Year's.
18. Favorite dessert?
Mom's Four Layer Delight
19. Favorite food?
This time of year it's cornbread dressing, because I know that I only eat it at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
20. Favorite day of the week?
Monday.
21. Favorite brand of body wash?
Kiss My Face.
22. Favorite toothpaste?
Tom's of Maine Spearmint
23. Favorite smell?
Citrus.
24. What do you do to relax?
Read.
25. Do you have a message to your friends reading this?
Come on . . . play along . . . you know you want to . . . .
26. How do you see yourself in 10 years?
Still the same old me, just older. I'm guessing that I won't be watching Strawberry Shortcake with Sass though. I wonder if I'll miss it.
27. Furthest place you will send this message?
Who knows?
28. Who will respond the fastest?
No idea.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Dolly Parton: Hard Candy Christmas
Just for The Michael.
I was looking for one where only Dolly sang, but this was the best I could find. Still, good stuff.
I was looking for one where only Dolly sang, but this was the best I could find. Still, good stuff.
Crisis averted -- darn!
Remember that Blackberry I was convincing Skeeter I needed? Almost . . . almost!
Yesterday I dropped my cell phone in the dishwater. It landed in a saucepan, so it wasn't completely submerged, only the ear part. The person on the other end (Brenda, who is recovering from her nasty sinus infection) could hear me just fine, but I could only hear {crackle . . . . crackle}.
This is a serious issue, as we no longer have a home phone. The squirrels kept chewing through the line, and the phone company decided that they didn't like coming out to repair it. They repaired it four times, but the fifth (and last) time that I called, they told me I'd have to pay for the repair. As if I had an army of trained squirrels at my disposal, hell-bent on destroying my phone line. So I told them to forget it, and we've been using our cell phones only ever since.
At last! My chance to convince Skeeter that I needed a new phone! It's a necessity! Why not go ahead and get a Blackberry? (batting eyelashes)
Alas, not to be! The phone dried out nicely, and it's working as well as ever.
Drat!
Yesterday I dropped my cell phone in the dishwater. It landed in a saucepan, so it wasn't completely submerged, only the ear part. The person on the other end (Brenda, who is recovering from her nasty sinus infection) could hear me just fine, but I could only hear {crackle . . . . crackle}.
This is a serious issue, as we no longer have a home phone. The squirrels kept chewing through the line, and the phone company decided that they didn't like coming out to repair it. They repaired it four times, but the fifth (and last) time that I called, they told me I'd have to pay for the repair. As if I had an army of trained squirrels at my disposal, hell-bent on destroying my phone line. So I told them to forget it, and we've been using our cell phones only ever since.
At last! My chance to convince Skeeter that I needed a new phone! It's a necessity! Why not go ahead and get a Blackberry? (batting eyelashes)
Alas, not to be! The phone dried out nicely, and it's working as well as ever.
Drat!
Monday, December 03, 2007
A full house
I called my friend Brenda this morning, and she's sick, more than just your usual cough and sniffles. She was debating on going to the doctor, so I did what I always do -- invited her children over.
She brought them over around 10 am and headed to the doctor.
I'm hearing the sounds of some video game the Spyder and Ryan are playing. Sass and Olivia are playing some sort of pretend game with the dogs.
And me? I love it. I'm actually folding the laundry and putting it away, without being interrupted 17 times for some inconsequential nonsense.
I love when the children have friends over and the house is full of happy sounds. After several hours though, I'm just as happy when the friends go to their own homes. :)
She brought them over around 10 am and headed to the doctor.
I'm hearing the sounds of some video game the Spyder and Ryan are playing. Sass and Olivia are playing some sort of pretend game with the dogs.
And me? I love it. I'm actually folding the laundry and putting it away, without being interrupted 17 times for some inconsequential nonsense.
I love when the children have friends over and the house is full of happy sounds. After several hours though, I'm just as happy when the friends go to their own homes. :)
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Christmas shopping a la Mr Bean
This clip never fails to make me laugh! I can absolutely see Spyder doing this!
Traveling art
A treat for the eyes! Peter Grant's photos of decorated cars, trucks, and buses in Pakistan.
The Irish Rovers: Christmas in Killarney
Just for you, JP! This is my second-favorite non-traditional Christmas song, close on the heels "Christmas Wrapping."
Again, not a true video, but a nice clogging set using "Christmas in Killarney."
Again, not a true video, but a nice clogging set using "Christmas in Killarney."
Saturday, December 01, 2007
The Waitresses: Christmas Wrapping
My favorite non-traditional Christmas song! What's not to love about a Christmas song that begins with "Bah Humbug!" :)
Alas, it's not a true video, but you can hear the song.
Alas, it's not a true video, but you can hear the song.
The Advent Calendar
The children look forward to doing the advent calendar every year. This year's Advent calendars aren't as nice as the ones we usually have. I wasn't able to get the German ones this year, so we're managing with ones I picked up at Walgreens. I'm trying not to be disappointed. The tradition and the sentiment are still the same.
If you are a cantankerous old person, don't go to the Christmas parade
Our town had its Christmas parade tonight. It's always a nice little affair, seldom busy, but always fun.
This year's parade was a bit different. It was crowded. Not just a little bit more crowded, but significantly so. We always park at the end of the parade route, mostly because it's not far from our house. In years past, we've always had our choice of parking (and watching) spots.
We were a bit late this year, getting there at about the time the parade was starting on the other end. There were no parking places left, and certainly none at the street where we usually park. I ended up parking in an unused drive. We unpacked our chairs, grabbed the coffee and went to find a spot.
The spot that we decided upon wasn't optimum. I prefer to be in the grassy area, and the only space near the car was on the concrete. That wasn't a big problem though. Everyone gets up and wanders around during the parade.
Obviously the women who were already sitting in their chairs nearby didn't get the memo on the wandering though. I asked them, "Are our chairs in your way?" (Meaning: "Are you expecting someone else?" or perhaps "Are we too close for comfort?") The grouchy old woman said -- in a none-too-pleasant tone -- "Yes, you're in the way. I guess we can get up when the parade starts."
Oh pardon us. God forbid that you might have to get up during the parade.
I couldn't stay near that. I walked to the other end of the block and found a great space in a grassy area that already had a couple of families. Excellent! I walked back, gathered our stuff, and we moved to the new place. Sass and Spyder were excited that there were other children and an area to play. It was all good.
One of the things that always surprises me about our parade is that every float throws candy. Every float. And most of the people who drive the antique cars have someone throwing candy too. It's like a candy festival.
The proof is in the candy bowl:
This is the only place I've seen that particular trend, where the children come home with as much candy as they did at Halloween.
We'll be sharing that stash.
This year's parade was a bit different. It was crowded. Not just a little bit more crowded, but significantly so. We always park at the end of the parade route, mostly because it's not far from our house. In years past, we've always had our choice of parking (and watching) spots.
We were a bit late this year, getting there at about the time the parade was starting on the other end. There were no parking places left, and certainly none at the street where we usually park. I ended up parking in an unused drive. We unpacked our chairs, grabbed the coffee and went to find a spot.
The spot that we decided upon wasn't optimum. I prefer to be in the grassy area, and the only space near the car was on the concrete. That wasn't a big problem though. Everyone gets up and wanders around during the parade.
Obviously the women who were already sitting in their chairs nearby didn't get the memo on the wandering though. I asked them, "Are our chairs in your way?" (Meaning: "Are you expecting someone else?" or perhaps "Are we too close for comfort?") The grouchy old woman said -- in a none-too-pleasant tone -- "Yes, you're in the way. I guess we can get up when the parade starts."
Oh pardon us. God forbid that you might have to get up during the parade.
I couldn't stay near that. I walked to the other end of the block and found a great space in a grassy area that already had a couple of families. Excellent! I walked back, gathered our stuff, and we moved to the new place. Sass and Spyder were excited that there were other children and an area to play. It was all good.
One of the things that always surprises me about our parade is that every float throws candy. Every float. And most of the people who drive the antique cars have someone throwing candy too. It's like a candy festival.
The proof is in the candy bowl:
This is the only place I've seen that particular trend, where the children come home with as much candy as they did at Halloween.
We'll be sharing that stash.
Stories and essays
I love to read. I'll read just about anything, with few exceptions. I have little patience for erotica that disguises itself as romance. I'm not terribly fond of futuristic fiction. Technical works (computers, engineering . . . ) put me to sleep. Other than those, I'm game for almost anything.
Even though I love most types of books, two of my favorite types of writing are short stories and essays. I love the economy of words that those styles require. It's the type of writing that I attempted, despite my mostly insipid style. :)
My favorite short story is Maxine Hong Kingston's "On Discovery." It's one of the shortest I've ever read -- just 661 words -- but it speaks to me so powerfully. "Articulate silence" was a phrase that was used liberally when I was in graduate school, but it feel right when describing this work. I wish that it was in the public domain so that I could link to it, but alas, it is not. I have it in this book. There are several other excellent stories as well, but "On Discovery" is my favorite.
I can, however, link to the full text of one of my favorite essays, "Regrets for my Old Dressing Gown" by Denis Diderot. I can't say why I like it so much. It's not a particularly touching essay, but I find it so amusing that I find myself smiling and nodding and laughing each time I read it.
Even though I love most types of books, two of my favorite types of writing are short stories and essays. I love the economy of words that those styles require. It's the type of writing that I attempted, despite my mostly insipid style. :)
My favorite short story is Maxine Hong Kingston's "On Discovery." It's one of the shortest I've ever read -- just 661 words -- but it speaks to me so powerfully. "Articulate silence" was a phrase that was used liberally when I was in graduate school, but it feel right when describing this work. I wish that it was in the public domain so that I could link to it, but alas, it is not. I have it in this book. There are several other excellent stories as well, but "On Discovery" is my favorite.
I can, however, link to the full text of one of my favorite essays, "Regrets for my Old Dressing Gown" by Denis Diderot. I can't say why I like it so much. It's not a particularly touching essay, but I find it so amusing that I find myself smiling and nodding and laughing each time I read it.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Christmas shopping
I'm exhausted. Finished school work early, then out Christmas shopping nearly all day, with two urchins in tow. Lawzy. I deserve a medal.
Perhaps I'll design my own. Green circle, mom hand holding little hand in white.
We spent two hours at the bookstore. My store has "employee appreciation days" every year at this time, where we get 40% off merchandise. I shopped and shopped! The children decided that they weren't interested in the shopping thing, since, after all, we weren't buying much for us. They decided to help shelve books. I suppose it's both good and bad that I work there. They're comfortable at the bookstore. They love it! But because they feel "at home" they feel that it's okay to lend a hand. Luckily, the woman in charge of the children's section likes them and doesn't mind too much when they lend their version of a helping hand.
After the bookstore, we went to the game store, since I also get a discount there, and the children have several friends who are getting new game systems for Christmas. I found some excellent deals there, although I had to visit two different stores to get what I needed.
I have to stop and reassess, but I think I'm about 90% finished with my shopping now!
Perhaps I'll design my own. Green circle, mom hand holding little hand in white.
We spent two hours at the bookstore. My store has "employee appreciation days" every year at this time, where we get 40% off merchandise. I shopped and shopped! The children decided that they weren't interested in the shopping thing, since, after all, we weren't buying much for us. They decided to help shelve books. I suppose it's both good and bad that I work there. They're comfortable at the bookstore. They love it! But because they feel "at home" they feel that it's okay to lend a hand. Luckily, the woman in charge of the children's section likes them and doesn't mind too much when they lend their version of a helping hand.
After the bookstore, we went to the game store, since I also get a discount there, and the children have several friends who are getting new game systems for Christmas. I found some excellent deals there, although I had to visit two different stores to get what I needed.
I have to stop and reassess, but I think I'm about 90% finished with my shopping now!
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