Monday, June 30, 2008

What's A Sprinkler?

OK, so it's pretty well-known that we aren't lawn people. At all.
A byproduct of this is that our kids don't know what a sprinkler is
or how it works:

Charlie is holding a mini watering can over the water going up.
Not so effective at filling the can!
Max's turn:

Is there any in there yet?

The whole 'gleefully running through' the sprinkler that most
kids do doesn't even occur to them.
One of these days I'll have to show them how it's done!

Safety First!


Sunday, June 22, 2008

Good Kitty!

This morning I was awakened by the scuffling sounds of a cat
running around and playing. That doesn't happen too often
anymore with Cliff. He is 12 years old and just doesn't run
around like he once did. I started telling him to stop, then
realized he was actually chasing something.
A mouse.
He literally had it pinned behind a couple of presentation boards I had leaning against the wall in the corner of the bedroom. So I pushed a heavy pair of shoes up against one side to make sure it stayed there while I went to look for some way to get it out of there. I guess I pinned it too hard because by the time I got back in there with my silicone oven mitts and a container, it was dead (I think it must have suffocated). Well, that's one way to deal with it. As disgusted as I am by it, I do feel kind of bad for it. Oh well.
But now something my mother has always said about mice comes to mind, 'If there's one, there's 9 more waiting back at the nest!' So I am left wondering how to deal with them. I want something that is
a) humane (or at least kills them quickly)
b) environmentally sound and
c) not a trap from which I will have to clean the bodies (traditional mouse traps give me the heeby jeebies). Any suggestions? How do you deal with mice?

Oh, and by the way, J, I told you he was a good cat!!!


Friday, June 20, 2008

Trying Something New For Dinner

I thought we would try something new for our first 'girls dinner' this weekend, so we got a couple of salad wraps from our local friendly deli (those who haven't already must try the New Seasons deli!) and I sauteed up some zucchini in a little butter and garlic. Char also had a slice of cheese and a glass of milk to round out her dinner. She has been quite good about trying things in the past, so it wasn't that much of a gamble that she would get enough to eat without me resorting to getting other foods out for her. She absolutely loved the zucchini - I think she ate more of it than I did!

Next, she tried some lettuce from the salad wrap:
Not so sure about it...
Nope. She REALLY didn't like the lettuce!

So we'll go back to the cheese for a few bites:

In the end, we both had enjoyable dinners. Good to know that I can send zucchini her way once we start getting it from the garden!


Just Us Girls

Its is just Charlie-girl and I at home this weekend after dropping the boys off at the airport to fly to Chicago for Justin's sisters wedding. Happy wedding Aine! I am thinking of you!
So far this morning Charlie has asked for and eaten 3 larges pieces of cheese, after which enjoying a great playdough session all by herself. She had a lot of fun and discovered that playdough, even the homemade kind, doesn't taste so good. Maybe later we'll live on the wild side and take some cans and bottles back to the store.
We're crazy like that.

Here's to a girls weekend!


Thursday, June 19, 2008

Here We Go Again...

I walked into the kitchen at one point this morning to find Max sitting on the time out stool.

Me: What's up, Max?
Max: Chahwee said time out.
Me: Oh, did you do something not nice to her?
Max: Yeah.
Me: Hmmm. Maybe next time you won't do that to her.
Max: Yeah.

Then he gets up and calmly walks out of the room. I wonder how many more time outs Charlie will dole out before Max figures out he doesn't actually have to go?

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

I Should Open My Own Food Cart

OK, so maybe the hours would suck, I would have to make the same things over and over again, and who would want to be stuck in a little bathroomless trailer all day? But I think I have had a great idea with my pick-your-own-filling burritos.

Today's burrito:
Cheesy scrambled eggs, salsa, and black beans

The real key to the yumminess is the searing in a non-stick skillet to get the tortilla nice and toasty crunchy.

Char got her own cheesy scrambled eggs and some grapes for lunch.

I had to force myself to put it down so I could get another picture!
Yum, yum, yum.
I have put lots of different fillings in - leftover quiche, pasta with tomato sauce, any type of bean, and of course lots of cheese. They are all terrific inside this wonderfully crunchy tortilla! It is also fast to assemble while getting the kids lunches ready and most important, fast to eat!

My, That's Quite A Trailer You Have There

Dada has what I consider to be an
unhealthy obsession with his utility trailer.
He recently decided that the plywood sides needed to be replaced with new plywood, which of course must be painted on all 6 sides to prevent rot (the reason the previous boards didn't last as long as they could have). Instead of going with the same green they were before (note the old boards lying on the ground) Dada decides to liven things up and paint the entire trailer red. (Where is the trailer? I don't know, I can't see it. I'm blinded by the glowing RED thing in the corner of the yard.) Then he decides that he needs special tie downs and hooks which of course require extra 2x4 sections installed for support and stability, which then must also be painted red.
Dada was so proud he had to be photographed next to the trailer with his handy-dandy drill.

An update to the earlier post about the lack of ladder on the fort:
Monday after work, Dada, with my help, made and installed the ladder. The kids (especially Charlie) were SO happy to be able to scramble up the ladder and go down the slide over and over! They slept well that night. ;)
Next up, the bottom level floor will be installed, the entire structure must be primed and painted (green, to match my raised garden and the kids sandbox, thankyouverymuch) and finally the color block tarp roof can be installed. Whew!

Max's Big Day

Yesterday afternoon Dada came home and took Max to get his first paid haircut (the man in the hawaiian shirt got paid, not Max)

It was a father-son bonding time, which Max loved.

The result, after returning to Dada's office for some apple juice and popcorn!
Not too bad, eh?

Of course Dada thought it was hilarious for the newly potty trained Max to use the big-boy urinal in the office bathroom. It is pretty funny - he is barely tall enough for it!

What a big adventure for him. Then he fell asleep during dinner. (too bad we didn't get a picture of that!)

Monday, June 16, 2008

At Last We Have A Play Structure!

Dada spent his father's day this year building the play structure for the kids. Dada's parents bought the kit and lumber for the structure last summer and the makings have been in a corner of the yard ever since, waiting for both nice weather and the completion of some other projects to start. Hooray for Dada!

The ladder isn't attached to the back side yet, but Max figured out in about 1/2 a second that he could climb up the slide to get up there. Needless to say, he was thrilled!
Char got to swing in her own little swing chair for quite a while this morning which made her completely happy. Wheeeeee!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

What Kind of Holes?!

Even if you don't sew, this is funny:

(Hint: They forgot the 'on' after 'butt')
OK, so perhaps this shows quite a bit about my level of humor, but you don't often see this sort of mistake in patterns.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Time Out Now!

So this evening we were all sitting on the floor in the blue room just playing and spending some time together before the bedtime routine starts. Suddenly, Charlie gets mad at Max and says, "You no do that! Time out! Time Out!" With finger pointing at the door for emphasis. Justin and I don't say anything, figuring that it is a good thing for Charlie to stand up for herself. Max gets up and walks out of the room. Is he actually? Did he really? We walk out toward the kitchen and sure enough, Max is sitting on the time out stool in the kitchen.

I guess the policing each other is working - ?
Girl power! ;)