Why do people bother buying toys for kids, part 4

Seriously, THROW YOUR TELEVISION SETS AWAY, PEOPLE!

See previous post

My husband now really thinks I must have Mormon heritage, somehow. The marshmallow confection (pictured in the previous post) has earned the title, "Mormon Crack."

Recipe:
Make a struesel crust and add some unsweetened cocoa. Mash it into the bottom of a baking dish and bake until it is baked. Then sprinkle Ghiradelli chocolate chips over it, and cover with marshmallows. Bake until marshmallow have swelled and are golden. Take out of oven, let cool a little before digging in with whatever kitchen tool comes most handy. Careful! The chocolate will be molten! Not recommended by any dentist.

Rainy Day Blahs Lifter

Or, how I spent my Saturday afternoon...

Daffodils in the rain

Why do people bother buying toys for kids, part 3

Oregon Sky

Feet in the car

Silly silly

"Mommy, you are just the silliest mommy I've ever had in my entire life!"

"I have this song in my head. I think it's by Simple Minds, but I can't remember all the words."

"How does it go?"

"Better watch out, better watch out for the skivvies..."

"Better watch out for the skin deep. The Stranglers."

"I like my version better. Better watch out for the skivvies..."

Good news

I passed the PRAXIS Subject Matter Content Exam (Mathematics), one of the hurdles to getting my OR teaching credential. 158 out of 200, and thanks to them for including the average score range, which is 128 to 157. It takes 138 to pass. I'm getting to feel like a big ol' brain, for a change.

Next stop, the proofs exam. This one has five proofs to give, and graded by how well "they" think you've done the proof. A colleague of mine took that exam the same day I took the subject matter one. I was waiting for my test results to come before registering in the second one.

*BIG SIGH OF RELIEF* That's one thing to cross off the list, for now.

I really needed the good news. There's something icky going on at work, that I had to leave behind for the weekend without resolving. And I woke up this morning with a bad stomach/intestinal bug that had me wanting to die until about 2pm, and then only somewhat miserable since then. The Housebean has been more than patient and very loving and I feel so lucky to have him.

Spring is sproinging

All over the yard, there are bulbs coming up. Many, many hyacinths and daffodils, but today I discovered these crocuses:





The fence-and-garden box in the front of the house proceeds at a snail's pace, thanks to the kids needing attention as soon as we start really getting any work done. However, today I ordered these from Heirloom Roses:

"Heart o'Gold"


"VARIEGATA DI BOLOGNA"

Why do people bother buying toys for kids, part 2

When your sister's clothes are there?

Desert Island Discs?

I'm just feeling particularly proud about my "25 most played" list on iTunes:

The Right Profile - The Clash /Clash On Broadway (Disc 2)
Jimmy Lyon's / The Teelin / The Red Crow / The Broken Bridge - Altan /The Red Crow
Stand By Me - John Lennon /Lennon (Disc 3)
Love Me Or Leave Me, Take 1 - Benny Goodman /The Birth Of Swing (1935-1936) (Disc 3)
Blues For Stephanie - George Gee And His Make Believe Ballroom Orchestra /Swingin' Live!
Y No Me Da La Cuenta - Adalberto Alvarez Y Su Son /Jugando Con Candela
(Today's The Day) I'm Glad I'm Not Dead - Indigo Swing /All Aboard!
Sea of Holes - The George Martin Orchestra /Yellow Submarine
If You Close The Door... /Average Teabag
Posi Collantes / Hoy Mi Voz - Various Artists /Cuba
Mirza Rajinder - Raina /Bhangra - Original Punjabi Pop
Galaxy - War /The Best Of War
Te Equivocaste - Adalberto Alvarez Y Su Son /Jugando Con Candela
Circle Round - Anne Hill /Circle Round And Sing
Black Wind Blowing - Billy Bragg /Mermaid Avenue, Vol. 2
Masti Hi Masti - Ashok Masti /Bhangra - Original Punjabi Pop
Johnny Ain't No Goat - Boozoo Chavis /J'ai Été Au Bal (I Went To The Dance) (2)
Logozo - Angélique Kidjo /Logozo
Derroll Adams - Arlo Guthrie /Live In Sydney (Disc 1)
Malaïka - Angélique Kidjo /Logozo
Spanish Bombs - The Clash /Clash On Broadway (Disc 2)
Feel Like A Natural Woman - Carole King /Tapestry
Kaléta - Angélique Kidjo /Logozo
If It Don't Fit (Don't Force It) - Barrel House Annie /Raunchy Business: Hot Nuts & Lollypops
Strange Boat - The Waterboys /Fisherman's Blues


Most of the time I just have it on shuffle, so it plays whatever comes up...But I really have quite a mix of stuff, there, don't I?

Toddler Zen

Last night while we were snuggling and reading some books in bed, Number-One Daughter looked out the window and recited the "Star light, star bright" mantra, which she knows by heart. "Do you want to know what my wish was, mommy?" she asked. Of course! "I wished to have hot chocolate and tea and eggs for breakfast tomorrow." As I was musing on how down-to-earth that was, and how achievable, she asked me what my wish was. "Ummmmmm....," and I panicked, trying to think of something that....that...REAL, but all I could think of was the old standbys like World Peace or Financial Security. Thinking smaller, all I could get to was a Snow Day, which I know is totally not going to happen for a while, maybe until next January. And I'm very, very cautious about what to wish for, because I Might Get It, like wishing to be able to spend more time with my family and having that manifest as losing my job...Well, as I was frantically trying to think of something good, she says to me, "I know what your wish is, mommy. Your wish is to have granola and tea for breakfast tomorrow."

Phew! And I got my wish, too!

Sky

My first entry in the Photo Friday Challenge. I took this picture on a visit to Salt Lake City a couple of years ago, standing in the parking lot of some Fred Meyer-type store:

And other things you never thought you'd actually say...

"No, your cheese is NOT a crayon!"

Even yet still more on my talented, intelligent, beautiful children.

My daughter is quite the budding dancer...

My Guy has discovered a new talent:

He can get up on the footstool. He hasn't quite figured out getting down, yet.

He also has an expanding vocabulary of signs. He signs "more," "food," "milk," "please," and "finished." Two teeth are coming in, so he's cranky as all get out, and at night his head revolves all the way around and he vomits pea soup. Then he falls asleep for an hour or two and wakes up smiling and fresh, while mom and dad stagger around stunned and exhausted, thumbing through the yellow pages for "Excorcist."