Nothing But the "Tooth"

Ryker and a friend were having a discussion about how many teeth they had each lost. Ryker has lost 6 or 7 and his friend had lost almost as many.

Cainan couldn't join in on the conversation since he has yet to lose any teeth at all. Feeling left out he decided to chime in with his own tooth anecdote.

"We have a grandpa that is so old that all of his teeth were lost. He had to get fake ones. Then he got so old that he died and went to heaven....and lived happily ever after."

Summer School

I can't believe I'm saying this but....

Summer School works for me.

Not the kind where the kids go to the school for remedial courses but the kind where I sit down with them at the table every day and we "do school".

I am not a homeschooling mom. I do not have the patience to instruct my children in anything or be with them 24 hours a day.

But, this summer I really wanted to make sure that my oldest didn't forget all of those addition, subtraction and multiplication facts that we've studied all year and I needed to get my 5 year old ready for kindergarten. Plus, they both need to work on their penmanship...big time.

Not to mention the fact that left to their own devices for 8 hours a day they will simply bicker with each other until I can't take it anymore and lock them both outside. We need some structure.

So far it has really worked well. Ryker quizzes Cainan on letter recognition with flashcards and Cainan quizzes Ryker on math facts (as an added bonus Cainan gets to practice number recognition when he reads the answers on the back of the flashcard too.). Cainan practices writing his name while Ryker writes letters to his teacher or friends. We make homemade cards and work in some age appropriate workbooks. Ryker also practices the piano and Cainan sorts items by shape, color and size. I plan on doing some baking with them (which they both love) to practice measuring, fractions, and just plain old cooking skills.

Granted it has only been one week, but so far we are all enjoying it. Kinley even gets in on the fun by sitting in her high chair and coloring or reading books. They don't know it but we are going to take them on a "field trip" to the City Museum later this summer.

As crazy as it sounds, summer school at home is working. Hallelujah!

Amish Friendship Bread

A few weeks ago I got a starter of Amish Friendship Bread from an aquaintance. You know, the stuff that you feed little by little then make bread every 10 days and pass on starters to your friends.

Well, it was as delicious as I remembered from the last time the starters were flying around our little community a few years ago and the boys have had fun helping me make it. The only problem is nobody wants the 3 starters that I have to give away every 10 days.

When I offer it to someone they jump back like I've just tried to hand them the bubonic plague in a Ziploc bag. The reactions I get are all the same:

"No way, I've had that stuff before and it just goes on forever."

"No thanks. The bread is really good but I hate having to take care of it."

"It is such a waste because you can never get anyone to take the starters."

and even...

"If I had that stuff around my house I'd gain a hundred pounds."

I don't blame them. After making two batches over the last 20 days and only being able to give away 1 of the 6 starters I've been left with I totally understand. I'm not sick of the bread but I'm sick of dealing with the extra starters.

So....surely there is a way I can just make enough for my own bread and a starter for myself, right? I mean if I am currently making 2 loaves of bread and 4 starters and I just want to make 2 loaves of bread and 1 starter I could simply cut down the recipe, right?

Does anyone know if this works?

Do I need to cut down the recipe all along or just when I get to day 10 and start to divide it and make the bread?

Does anyone want a starter of Amish Friendsip Bread shipped to them?

For kitchen tips or advice head over to Tammy's Recipes.

Just Another Manic Monday

Busy, Busy, Busy

No time to blog.

Too busy rehearsing two shows and attending three ballgames a week.

Be back on Monday.....maybe.

Pottery Hollow

A few weeks ago I tried a new activity in our area. I wanted to take the college student that I mentor out for a night of fun before we had to part for the summer. We joined up with another mentor/student pair and headed to Pottery Hollow.

Pottery Hollow is a really cool place where you buy plain, cream colored bisque (pottery) and then use their paints, brushes, etc. to paint and decorate your piece. They have hundreds of cool pieces to choose from and actually that is the hardest part of the whole experience. They've got travel mugs, platters, plates, bowls, coffee cups, pitchers, vases, picture frames, piggy banks, all manner of figurines and statues, and lots of funky shaped decorative pieces too.

I chose something called a Triple Swoop Platter which cost $15 and looked like this.

The staff at Pottery Hollow kindly showed us how to pick patterns and designs from their idea books. They also showed us how to layer the paints for a better color. Then they turned us loose to use all of their supplies. (We paid a $1 supply fee per person for this priveledge because we went on a Monday. Normally the supply fee is $8.)

After 2 hours of painting we left our pieces behind so that they could be glazed and fired by the professionals at Pottery Hollow. When I went back yesterday to get my finished platter I was amazed. It was so shiny and bright and beautiful.

Can you believe it?

It was so fun and it turned out so well that I want to go again soon. I think I'm going to take Cainan there for a final fling before he heads off to school in the fall.

Now I have to figure out how to use the Triple Swoop Platter. I almost want to hang it on the wall it is so PRETTY! I definitely don't want to put food on it.

Manic Monday

Final Thoughts on LOST

I haven't posted about the LOST Finale yet because I just watched it last night. We were swamped around here and didn't have time to watch it on Thursday. We got together with friends on Sat. evening to watch it and it did not dissapoint me one bit.

Well...maybe one bit. Jin did die...while Sun watched, screaming from the helicopter. That was awful, although not totally unexpected.

But the Desmond and Penny reunion more than made up for it. I couldn't believe it. I thought they'd dangle that relationship along for another season or two. I was so thrilled that they were reunited on the boat. I shouted for joy as we watched it.

Here is the one thing that TOTALLY shocked me. Sawyer lives. I know that probably didn't shock anyone else but I happened to read this post on Friday that said, "Now I'm going to go do some housework and try not to worry that they've killed-off Sawyer in LOST tonight!"

I watched the whole first half just knowing that he would die. Then he jumped off the helicopter (to sacrifice himself for Kate and the others...how sweet...and because he really has no life to go back to anyway) and I thought it was over for him. Then like 10 minutes later he swims up and starts talking to Juliette! What episode was she watching? Did she stop watching part way through? Does she think that everyone who was on the island when it "moved" died? Was she just messing with us? I don't know. I plan to ask her though.

I thought the most intriguing part of the whole show was when Miles mentions that Charlotte (who one of my fellow bloggers calls C.S. Lewis...anyone know why?) has been trying to get back to the island for a long time. Hummmm! So she was there before. She is looking for her birthplace? Odd. I've read some theories that she is Sawyer's daughter. Who knows?

Of course the best lines of the night were,

Locke: Is he talking about what I think he's talking about?

Ben: If you mean time travelling bunnies, then yes.

And Sawyer came up with another great nickname. He called Frank the pilot "Kenny Rogers". Doesn't he look like Kenny Rogers? That is so funny. Do you think the writers come up with that or Josh What's-His-Name that plays Sawyer just said that because the guy really does remind him of Kenny Rogers?

I was glad that they seemed to answer several questions for us.

Who is in the coffin? John Locke

How do the 6 get off the island? Helicopter crash

How does Jin die? C-4

Who rescues them? Penny

How do you move an island? Turn a frozen underground wheel until you see fire and disappear.

Of course we are left with lots of questions too.

Why did John change his name to Jeremy Bentham?

Why are Jack and Sayid desperate to get back to the island?

Is Sun working for or against Whidmore?

Is Sun working for or against the Oceanic 6?

Why was Charlotte on the island?

How did Charlotte get off the island?

Is Hurley really insane?

Is Claire really dead?

Is the new season really not going to start until January? Ugh!

My newest wild theory: Charlotte is dead. That is how Miles knows about her. He talks to dead people, you know. Just a theory. We'll see.

Head over to Rocks in My Dryer to read some other insightful comments.

CVS Deals

To see my CVS deals for this week go here.

20 Things I'll (probably) Never Say

1. Don't you just love that Angelina Jolie?

2. This 4 doesn't fit. Maybe I should try the 2.

3. I'd love to play Star Wars with you.

4. Would you like fries with that?

5. I'd rather be fishing.

6. I wish you could sit with me in big church every Sunday.

7. Sports Center. Yes!

8. Hillary '08!!

9. Hillary '12!!

10. Can we watch Barney just one more time, pleeeeease?

11. Let's skip the hugs and kisses and just go straight to the part where I give you the candy/car keys/tuition.

12. Wanna fingerpaint?

13. Can't we go out just once without having to stop at Cold Stone Creamery?

14. I wish those LOST writers would just kill Jack off.

15. No naps today!!!

16. I'll weed the green beans just as soon as I finish pruning the rose bushes.

17. How do you like my new tatoo?

18. Nurse, scalpel please.

19. What key would you like me to sing that in?

20. Go Cubs!