Sunday, October 26, 2008

Ghouly Good Time

Claire shares her birthday with President Theodore Roosevelt. Claire's nickname is "Bear" and President Roosevelt's nickname was of course "Teddy."

Unfortunately Teddy Roosevelt themed food isn't a lot of fun. So we went with a Halloween Theme for the food.



We made the cake in the shape of a teddy bear (cupcakes - I really recommend this for kid parties - easy serve and no forks). We decided the teddy bear cake looked too serene, so we made him into a vampire.



We went for a walk after stuffing ourselves with baby doll guts, barbie swamp, worms (flank steak strips on skewers) and vampire teddy bear cupcakes. We thought Teddy would appreciate the Wilderness Park hiking trail. Originally we planned to bring paper and pencils and watercolors, but as happens with kids who have been cooped up inside (rainy weather) once we got them outside in nice weather, they just took off. No one was interested in sitting and drawing. They ran, looked at animal tracks, caught frogs and threw things off the bridge. Everyone had a really nice day.



The grown ups ended the day with martinis on the porch. Instead of the usual olive with pimento, we used olives stuffed with garlic to ward off the vampire bears. I think I should probably be more worried about the haunted spirit of the doll whose gut I tore open, but I am not sure how to ward that off.



Happy birthday girl.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Midnight Snacks

The "thank you" I received when I brought warm cider and a carton of yogurt to Anna, who was working on an overdue Social Studies assignment at 11pm, went a long, long way.

Sometimes parenting really, really sucks. And to wow me? To make it all worth it? It really doesn't take a lot.

"You're welcome, kid."

"I'm a teenager, not a kid!" she says.

As if I needed to be reminded.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

No Smoking

The theme of our quickly planned trip to Iowa was "Hotel Issues," which is a bad theme, particularly if you're trying to get some sleep and run a marathon.

We actually left the first hotel because our (no smoking) hotel room smelled so much of smoke that I knew that I could not sleep in there. We got there in the evening and went to the pasta feed, so it was kind of late. It was 8pm. They would not move us to another room, so we got a refund of our money, I found a hotel on Expedia, and we drove over there and checked in. (I think that they thought we would actually just stay in our smoky room, because who leaves a hotel at 8pm to go to another? That would be me.)

There was no smoky non smoking room at our next place, but there was a party going on in the next room. I tried to cut them a break for a short while. Bill and I unpacked, got our race stuff ready, and the banging and laughing and talking showed no signs of subsiding. It was 10pm and I decided enough was enough. I called the front desk, others on the floor had also called the front desk, and after two calls, the party ended (they were all asked to leave).

I slept really well, we got up and got to our respective shuttles (my race started after Bill's) and I had a nice run. It was beautiful and hilly. I was concerned about injury, since I hadn't trained, but I was spared. I think because I went so slow. Which was fine, I'll take a finish and no injury.

I finished shortly after 11 and I expected Bill around 11:30. I went back to the hotel, stopped at the desk for a late check out, and they said No! I was shocked. "No late check outs today," the clerk said grimly.

So instead of going back to watch Bill finish, I went up to the room to shower and pack. Bill walked into the room at 11:54.

"We have to check out!" I said.

"I know!" he said.

I gathered everything together and Bill jumped in the shower.

"Housekeeping!" said the woman knocking on the door.

"We have the room until noon!" I yelled back.

When I came out one minute later with bags, she said, "Are you all done?"

"No! My husband is getting dressed. We still have two minutes!"

Then I went down to check out and wait for Bill in the lobby.

We walked back to the race finish to eat free pizza and have a beer. It's a cute little downtown area.

Bill placed 18th overall, but still did not place in the top three in his age category. Middle aged men are fast.

I liked the race and I would do it again next year. I think I will train to run. And I think that I will do more research on hotels. And make sure that at the very least that we have a late check out.

We drove back to Lincoln and took Hannah out for her birthday - Greek food. Flaming cheese for an appetizer, lamb kebobs for Bill and me and veggie dolmades for Hannah. Coffee and pastries for dessert. Ooof. Good thing I ran 13.1 miles today.

Bill is on the porch enjoying a cigar. And then he'll come into the non-smoking house.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Vine Ripened

It was supposed to frost last night(it did), so I pulled my tomato plants up by the roots and hung them in the stairwell to the basement upside down. (This really does work. My green tomatoes will continue to ripen and I will have vine ripened tomatoes until November.)

So three giant, aromatic roma plants in all their glory, are hanging from the wall just inside the door to the basement. They nearly fill the stairwell.

Mary went to the basement last night to get her electric blanket (see the aforementioned frost) and when she opened the basement door and saw the roma plants, she screamed.

"Mom! You have to get those out of the house!" she said. "They're creepy!" she said when she came up from the basement with her electric blanket.

There is no light switch on the third floor where she sleeps. I go up every night with her and turn on her lamp. As we walked up the stairs to the attic in the dark I made *squish* *squish* *squish* noises.

"What is that?" she asked.

"The attack of the killer tomatoes!" I said.

"Mom! I'm serious! Stop it!"

I helped her put her blanket on her bed, I tucked her in, and kissed her nose.

"Call if you see a tomato vine come around the corner," I said.

"Mom! You're crazy!"

"Hey, I'm not the one afraid of tomatoes," I said.

"Just get them out of the house. Or at least move them all the way to the basement."

"Yes, I will do that," I said.

BLT, anyone?

Monday, October 13, 2008

Best Christopher Columbus Day Ever

We celebrated Christopher Columbus Day by making a Mappo Mundo of Lincoln, Nebraska. The idea is that you use old style map making skills - scale doesn't matter - directions don't matter - reality doesn't matter.

You can see the inclusion of a covered wagon. Historical references were often included in maps.

This was my addition. Beige Land. My son drew a maze in the middle and I added some looping roads. It says "Trail - Lane -Ridge -Circle - But No Streets." Bahaha. I crack myself up with my superiority. In reality? That part of town is as scary to me as a sea of sea monsters. For real.

Bill cut out running shoes and had them run from our house to the lake near our house. Our house is guarded by our cats - drawn larger than life - now a tiger and a panther.

The football stadium, and Natural History Museum. Also our favorite park with lots of Wii folks doing their fitness routines. The black circles are a chain. The high school mascot is "The Links."

And what Columbus Day is complete without spaghetti and meatballs? This is my traditional Columbus Day dinner. I may start shaking it up and serve paella next year in honor of Queen Isabella. Or Chicken Tikka. You know. Since Chris thought he made it to India. Ha!

I love this holiday. It can be whatever you want it to be. That's why I love it. Fun and no stress. Oh yeah.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

My Other Job





My dad advised me not to quit my day job.

I sold hoops at a fall street festival and got invited to several more festivals. A daycare director bought some hoops and told me that if her kids don't bend them (they won't) that she'll be back for more. I got grown ups who insisted that they "couldn't hoop" to hoop.

It's not really a job, it's more of an passion. I sell hoops so I can buy supplies to make more hoops. But who knows. Maybe I'll sell enough hoops to make enough money to buy a bigger vehicle to carry my hoops in.

Dad? I still need my logo...

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Mother Knows Best

On Friday I saw a vintage clothing sale on the sidewalk and saw a beautiful emerald green dress. It had a fitted, shirred bust and a wide, long skirt. I knew that it would look perfect on Anna, who has been begging me to take her shopping for a homecoming dress. It was $2. I knew that it was not what she had in mind, but I also knew that she didn't quite understand her figure or coloring yet. If I could get her to try it on she would be sold, I knew.

"Green?" she said when she saw it. (Say, "cat shit?" in your head to hear the proper tone.)

"Just try it on," I said.

She rolled her eyes and huffed off to change. She twirled out. She could not stop smoothing the skirt or bouncing or checking herself out in the mirror. She looked like a beauty queen. The bright green with her pale skin, blonde hair and big blue eyes was striking. The cut of the dress was perfect. The high waist and full skirt were very flattering.

"I wanted a shorter dress," she said looking down at the floor length skirt.

"I could shorten it. It would still look great."

"No!" she said. And she twirled around the room.

Heh. And besides, with a floor length dress you can wear your Converse tennis shoes (SO much better for dancing) and no one will even know.

Friday, October 03, 2008

Popcorn

Please consider buying popcorn from the Boy Scouts of America. If you use order key TEQARPN, Frank will get credit for the sale.

http://www.orderpopcorn.com/Store/Catalog/Default.aspx

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Black Cat Bentos are Good Luck



Anna entered the kitchen this morning, beelined for the refrigerator and poured her usual huge size glass of milk. She glanced at my plate of rice objects.

"Why are you making onigiri?"

"They're for your sister's lunch." (My efforts were encouraged by the fact that she recognized the rice objects as a Japanese lunch item called "onigiri.")

"Usually they have nori - that's seaweed - on them to hold them. And you put stuff inside them," Anna educated me.

"These are just plain," I said. "Do you want to try one?"

"It tastes like sushi rice," she said as she walked away with a mouthful of rice object.

It fascinates me that the kids know about these things. Manga. It's manga that is taking over and influencing our children.



The bottom container is blocks of muenster cheese, apple slices sandwiched with peanut butter, and bluberries to stop the gaps.



The bottom level has a tray that covers it and on it sits the triangle onigiri (traditionally shaped - the others were from a bear mold) and some steamed broccoli reheated in the microwave just to take off the chill).



Mary will eat small cute things. Bento is not only small and cute, it is distinctive and showy. All things that make it more likely that she will eat.



My own bento is not as flashy, but the purpose is the same. The two little containers (eggs and apples) sit on top of the bottom layer (lettuce). I use a fork. Mary's of course comes with chopsticks.

The chopsticks say "Happy Meal" on them. I am sure they will be used to pick up cheese cubes. Hopefully they will also be used to pick up broccoli.

I can get behind any trend that encourages kids to eat rice and broccoli.