Thursday, January 31, 2013

Annual Fill the Stock Pot to the Top Day

Originally we were going to make our huge pot of taco soup on National Corn Chip Day (because we eat our taco soup with corn chips), Tuesday, but I didn't want to drive in the snow to the stores just to pick up a few missing ingredients.  So instead of celebrating National Corn Chip Day, we celebrated National Puzzle Day.

Yesterday and today we were able to pick up the last few ingredients, so today was the day.

Some people can peaches.  We make a huge batch of taco soup then divide it up and freeze it.  It lasts us about a year until the next January when we can celebrate National Corn Chip Day (or near it) again.

Today, January 31, is also Backwards Day.  Jr. wanted to show before and after pictures of his shirt.
The first picture represents how he looked when he went to school.  The second picture represents how he looked when he came home from school.  Yes, his shirt got turned around sometime during the school day.

The kids helped make brownies so they got to eat dessert first at dinnertime (I don't often make dessert with dinner, but it fit in with the holiday).
And for those of us who like taco soup, it was yummy.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Winter's Here

Guess what we've been getting lately.

These were taken yesterday.  We had more today.  The second picture was after I had shoveled the porch and this was what was left of what had stacked up against the bottom of the front door- yesterday.


But besides that, today, January 30, is National Inane Answering Machine Message Day.  Last year, I made a boring message on our answering machine.  This year it was Jr.'s turn.  I wonder how long it will last before we put a more exciting message on there.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

National Puzzle Day 2013


Every once in a while throughout the day.  Great way to celebrate National Puzzle Day, January 29.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Mommy, Look

It actually works.
I'm glad I'm creative.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

A Room of One's Own Day (Observed)

You know how you have plans for something, or to celebrate a certain way, and it doesn't turn out exactly the way you wanted?  I had that happen this week.
January 25 was A Room of One's Own Day.  Friday wasn't going to work for me, so I wanted to celebrate A Room of One's Own Day (Observed) on Thursday.  I had it planned.  I was going to be motivated and get so much done earlier in the week, then Thursday I could spend all day in my room doing whatever I wanted.  I would watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  I would clean off my bureau.  I'd relax.  Thursday was going to be my day in my room.
Monday was good.  Jeremy and got to go see The Hobbit.  Kids got to play with friends.  Then I got sick.  I spent Tuesday lying on the couch.  I did get some naps in.  My wonderful husband took care of so much.  He and Jr. cleaned the kids' room.  He actually motivated that little kid to help.  Wow.  Wednesday was a little better, but I still didn't feel up to going out.  Since I missed a meeting for church that evening, I spent that time on lds.org getting ready for another meeting coming up.  I got so much out of it that I got up Thursday morning (feeling much better) to continue.  I spent quite a bit of time researching what I needed, some in the living room, some in my room. 

But I didn't do as much on my day in my room as I thought I would.  Or I didn't do as much as I was planning.  I still did a lot.  I didn't watch any Lord of the Rings.  I didn't get around to cleaning off the bureau.  But I did get quite a bit done in there.  I got some things packed away in the closet.  I made my bed.  I fixed some things that needed fixing. 

I uncovered a lot of floor space.  I still have some boxes to go through.  When Jeremy was cleaning his office, a lot of stuff ended up in our room.  It's a step in the right direction, though.
 Before and After
And I didn't spend the whole day in my room.  I did some dishes and laundry because I wasn't able to when I was sick.  I joined the family for A Wrinkle in Time reading at bedtime.

So, a room of one's own.  Sort of.  Not exactly as I had planned, but still good.  Flexibility.  That's important.  And progress.  That's important, too.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Catch of the Day

With waffles you just have to get the syrup and butter in the little sections any way you can.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

National Pie Day 2013

January 23, National Pie Day.  Nichole requested blueberry pie to celebrate.  Canned blueberry pie filling and frozen blueberries were not in my price range when I went shopping.  Fresh blueberries are not in season.  Who knows if my picky eaters would even eat a blueberry pie I made?  So I bought a couple of less than a dollar frozen mini pies so everyone could have a taste.  One was cherry berry (cherry and blueberry) and one was apple (for the non-berry eaters).  We heated those up and had them along with our easy chicken pot pie.  I got the recipe for that on the back of a Bisquick box years ago and I love it.

Celebrating National Pie Day.  Easy as pie.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Joy Is...

seeing a big sister help her brother with his homework.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Hug a Squirrel Day

January 21st is National Hugging Day.  It is also Squirrel Appreciation Day.
How are you celebrating?

P.S.  Nichole said it made her think of Squirrels in My Pants from Phineas and Ferb.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Penguin Awareness Day 2013

It's Penguin Awareness Day again, January 20.  Wee hee.  Like last year, we had fish sticks for dinner.  And because we are Doctor Who fans (:no, really?), with our fish sticks we had vanilla pudding which is very similar to custard.  For you other Doctor Who fans, that would be close to fish fingers and custard. 
And there actually is a Fish Fingers and Custard Day.  That would be April 3.  Another celebration to put on the calendar.  Wee hee again. 


But I'm getting a little off the topic of Penguin Awareness Day.  To celebrate (besides eating fish sticks), I asked everyone to share a fact about penguins.  Here they are:
Facts-
Jr. Jr.:  Penguins are birds.
Jr.:  Penguins eat fish.
Nichole:  Emperor penguins are the biggest of all penguins and are as tall as me.
Mommy:  Instead of flying through the air, penguins fly through the water.
Jeremy:  Penguin chicks are neither black nor white.  They're gray.  Infer from that what you will.

Jr. Jr. was cute.  He had his fact ready to share whenever I asked him, "What's your penguin fact?"  So cute.  And awesome.

Enjoy the rest of your Penguin Awareness Day.  And enjoy Fish Fingers and Custard Day on April 3.


Saturday, January 19, 2013

Note to Self

Celebrating Brew a Potion Day, January 19, should be done with adult supervision.

I didn't get pictures of the green drops all over the kitchen table and floor, or the potential stains on the dish towels and socks, or the green fingers, or the 2-year old holding the thankfully closed container of blue food coloring.
I did get a picture of their not quite finished potions.  Not quite finished because Mom didn't let them finish when she found all of the above. 

Some notable quotes from this morning-

Mom:  You only need a few drops of food coloring, maybe two, maybe even one.

Mom:  If you'll be patient, I can help you when I'm done.


Nichole:  Mom, where's the food coloring?
Mom:  In the cupboard.
Nichole:  Which cupboard?
Mom:  The one above.
Nichole:  The one above what?
Mom:  The one above the counter.
Nichole:  Which counter?
Mom: (thinking to self- I'll help you when I'm done.)
Nichole:  Oh, I found it.

Mom:  Are you wearing painting shirts?

Nichole:  You need a container like this and a lid.  I'll get it for you.
Mom:  (thinking to self- One of the lids had a crack in it, we probably don't even have it anymore.)

Nichole:  Then you shake it up.

Mom:  Do you know what food coloring does?  It colors things.  We don't need a green table.

Mom:  Do you know what food coloring does?  It colors things.  You don't need green fingers.

Nichole:  We're not done with our potions.
Jr.:  I just need to put Italian Seasoning in it.

Nichole:  Why are you taking off our socks?
Mom points to spots of green on socks.
Nichole:  Oh.

Nichole:  Can I do some more to my potion?

Nichole:  Can I drink my potion?
Mom:  No.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Winnie-the-Pooh Day 2013

January 18 is Winnie-the-Pooh Day.  The kids started off our celebration this morning by play acting the characters as they got ready for school. 
Before Nichole got home, Jr., Jr. Jr., and I went on an expedition to find Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals.

After Nichole got home, we had toast with butter (well, Blue Bonnet) and honey.

We cleaned the living room and piled up the stuffed animals for a picture.

I was able to surprise the kids with the new Winnie-the-Pooh movie that Jeremy picked up from the library yesterday.  Well, I guess it's not that new anymore.  But we still enjoyed watching it.

Nichole also let Jr. Jr. eat on her Winnie-the-Pooh plate.  She's sweet.

A little bit simpler celebrating than last year.  We just used regular old clover honey on our toast (though Winco does have raspberry honey right now).  No complaints from the family, though.  It was still nice celebrating.



Thursday, January 17, 2013

Kid Inventors' Day 2013

Celebrating Benjamin Franklin's birthday, January 17 is Kid Inventors' Day (not only did Benjamin Franklin invent when he was an adult, but he did also when he was a kid).

When I told my kids this morning that it was Kid Inventors' Day, they literally jumped up and down for joy.  As you know, my kids love to create and loved that Mom was expecting them to use their creativity on this day.  Here are some of the inventions they came up with this evening.  I asked them about how they created their inventions and this is what they told me:

Nichole (she created something to shine light through to show up red on the other side)-
Well, at first I needed the ingredients and those were construction paper, tape, empty water bottle, red tissue paper, a flashlight, and then I taped the tissue paper to the open part and I taped the construction paper around the water bottle, turned on the flashlight, and the color changed.  And that's how I made my invention.

Jr. (similar to Nichole's but his has a tail)-
Well, at first I needed tissue paper and then construction paper and tape and then an empty old water bottle and then I needed a flashlight, popsicle sticks and then the color changed and also that is how I made my invention.

Jr. Jr. (I gave him a box of crayons and some paper so he could create, too)-
Uh, uh, a name of my invention of crayons
my paper of box of crayons
pajamas, monster pajamas
a box of crayons
crayons of Monkey Island
I say crayons of Monkey Island.
Uh, I take crayons of Monkey Island.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Appreciate a Dragon Day 2013

What's this?
 Why it's Jr.'s new dragon, of course. 
Welcome.  We appreciate you being a part of our home and all that you've done for us today:

Helping with dishes and refilling the soap dispenser,
Helping Jeremy get a picture of a balloon robot (Doctor Who cyberman) on his We Made It Wednesday feature on facebook.
Getting Jr. Jr. breakfast and getting the mail.
Reminding me that when the new FamilyFun Magazine came in the mail I needed to get back on task.
Being there for me to talk to and reminding me to keep hydrated.
Helping with menu planning and with wiping the table.
Helping Jeremy take boxes out.
Practicing the names of colors with Jr. Jr. and supervising his coloring.
Snuggling with Jr. at home and on his way to visit a friend.
Helping Jr. Jr. practice zipping and unzipping and helping us do laundry.
Hanging out with us during lunch while we watched Doctor Who.
Supervising as I made dinner and as Jr. set the table.
Helping Nichole with her homework.
Coming with us to take Nichole to dance class and playing in the snow with the kids (or above the snow; they were very careful not to drop you).
Snuggling and roughhousing with the boys.
Watching over the kids as they read books at bedtime.
Thank you for being a part of our day.  We appreciate you.
 Happy Appreciate a Dragon Day.