Magic ina Box

picture by coolcatcookie

What is it that is so magical about a new box of crayons? Is it the colors? The way they combine in a rainbow of points that resemble the colors of your world. Each one given a name that fits just right and reminds you of something. "Spring Green", "Chestnut", or "Macaroni and Cheese".

Or is it the creative possibilities that stretch out before you? The wonder of what this little box's contents will become when combined with your mind and a cool sheet of crisp, white paper. The endless things that the little crayons will do as you create something that could possibly change the world.

Maybe it' s the newness. The perfect waxy smell of the colorful pointed sticks wrapped in smooth paper. The promise of new beginnings and a fresh start, right there in your school box.

Whatever the magic is, it never wears off. I cannot possibly send my girls off to school with boxes of crayons they used for the last six weeks of third grade. That wouldn't do. They need the magic a new box of crayons can bring. It's worth every penny. And quite the bargain, really, at only 50 cents a box.

Corn Variety

Over the past few months, we have been working on getting some long term food storage. We are trying to add variety to the things our family will eat that will store for long periods of time. You can only eat so much wheat and macaroni.

One of the things we decided on is popcorn. We all love popped popcorn, and our handy wheat grinder turns it into corn meal that is great for all kinds of things. The problem is, we don't know too many good recipes for those "all kinds of things." It was time to do some research.

We have a recipe we love for sweet cornbread already. After a bit of internet research, we came up with this great recipe for cornmeal pancakes that we have added into our regular diet. We love them! (I wish I could remember on which recipe site I found it--sorry!)

Cornmeal pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup corn meal
6 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup corn oil
2 egg, beaten

(*We use 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup applesauce instead of all of the oil--works great!) Mix all ingredients in the order given. Do not grease the skillet. Drop batter into the hot skillet a Tbsp at a time to make very small pancakes--3 or 4 to a small skillet, about silver dollar size. They cook very fast since they are so thin, so by the time you pour the third or fourth spoonful of batter onto the skillet, the first one you poured should be ready to turn.

Served with fresh strawberry jam, they are to die for. As much as we love them, however, we could get as tired of them as we do of wheat and macaroni, if eaten day after day. So, do you have a great cornmeal recipe to share? We'd love to try it.

No Time Like the Present

When I enter the bathroom, messages must somehow be sent through the house to my family to let them know this is a good time to talk to mom about anything and everything. I'd like to say that the following account of my last night toilet conversation is abnormal, but sadly, (although the content differs) it is not.

knock knock
Me: What?
Cinderella: (opening the door, so I'm sure to hear her, I guess) Mom, is p-i-s-s-e-d a swear word?
Me: Well, it's not a nice word.
Cinderella: So, would you say it is in the family of swear words.
Me: Well...uh...It's not terrible, it's just not nice, and not something you should say.
Cinderella: So it's in the lesser family of swear words, like crap?
Me: Sure. Yeah.
Cinderella: Okay. (door closes)
seconds later...
Sleeping Beauty: Mom?
Me: sigh, What?
Sleeping Beauty: Listen how many 'of's are in this sentence in my book.
Me: Sleeping Beauty, I'm going to the bathroom.
Sleeping Beauty: (opening door--not sure if she was confirming my claim, or just being "helpful" so I could hear her--and reading from book) "The sister of the head of the committee of the Order of Rights was tired of"....Isn't that crazy? And that's only the first half of the sentence.
Me : Pretty crazy. Can you close the door please?
Sleeping Beauty: 'Kay
Snow White: Is mom in there?
Sleeping Beauty: Yeah.
Snow White: Mom, does Sister W have a sewing machine?
Me: I. am. going. to. the. bathroom!!! Can we talk about this later?
Snow White: But I have a hole in my jacket pocket and you said your sewing machine isn't working and I know when you go to her house to exercise in the morning you could take my jacket. I don't want you to forget. And the hole is getting bigger...(opens door)...see?
Me: Put it on my bed.
Snow White: But mom! Can't you just sew it now? I think you'll forget to take it to Sister W's. And I want to wear it tomorrow. Couldn't you use a needle and sew it now?
Me: In case you haven't noticed, I am sitting on the toilet. Can't you talk to dad about this?
Snow White: Well, he's busy. He's reading.
Me: (What?! You're kidding me.) Is he on the other toilet?
Snow White: No.
Me: Then he is definitely in a better position to help than I am. Can you close the door please?
Snow White: (clearly annoyed at my unwillingness to help) Fine! (door closes--not too gently)

And there you have it. My normal trip to the bathroom. My showers are the same way. I know you are thinking I should lock the door (and most of the time I do) but usually then it's a bunch of knocking, and then yelling loudly enough for me to hear through the door. The lock does nothing to tell them I may be busy. There has to be a "mommy's stuck in one place and would like some personal time but she loves you so go ahead and bug her" signal going out. This never happens to Daddy when he uses the bathroom or takes a shower. Ah, the joys(?) of being a mom....

Green

Today, as we pulled out of the driveway to head to the library, the girls commented on our neighbor's immaculate lawn grooming habits.

"Look, Mr. Neighbor is mowing his lawn again, and it was already shorter than ours!"

"Yes," I sighed, "he likes to keep his lawn short and tidy."

"And it's always so green," said Sleeping Beauty.

"That's because he gets it painted green sometimes, every week or something," Snow White tried to explain.

"What? No, he doesn't paint his lawn!" He is immaculate, but he's not crazy.

"Yes he does, Mom. Haven't you ever seen that white truck with "GreenLawn" or something on the side that has a long hose with it. The guy uses it to paint the lawn where there's yellow parts like all over our our lawn."

"Oh," I said, understanding dawning, "that is the company he pays to spray fertilizer and bug killer and things on his lawn. It keeps his lawn healthy so then it gets greener. It's not green paint."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure."

Come to think of it, though, I'm not really sure. His lawn is awfully nice and green. Next time they come spray his lawn, I am totally checking to see if the fertilizer is tinted with green paint. I bet it is.

Wow

It's been forever since I have written a real post. We have just returned from a nearly month-long vacation. As soon as I get adjusted to the time zone and real life, I should get back to posting with some regularity. Hope you are all having a great summer!

Right Here

Last night, as we were lighting some simple fireworks, I was a little concerned that my older girls were not being great safety examples for their younger cousins. They were running in wild circles around the strobe fireworks, "Look at me! Look at me!" This, I could see, was not going over too well with the cousins' mom. And, frankly, I didn't think it was the safest thing either.

So, I warned them, "Girls, be careful, remember there are some younger and more impressionable people here watching you."

Sleeping Beauty, looking up and down the street, says, "Where?"

Cousin Prince O, who's just four years old, says, "We're right here. Me and Cousin Prince T, and Cousin Princess J."

"Oh."

Nothing like being put in your place by someone five years your junior. Poor Sleeping Beauty.