Fun and Games

FLOWER HOUR: Mothers Day is coming up quickly and so we spent some time today making a bouquet that will never wilt. We had to round up supplies (three colors of construction paper, green pipe cleaners (does anyone ever really use them to clean pipes?), a little peat pot, a couple of fantabulous 'rhinestones,' scissors, glue sticks, the hot glue gun and crepe paper. We also had to choose some suitable mug shots to use.

First, we printed out the faces and traced circles around them and then cut them out. Next, we traced and cut yellow circles to surround the faces. Then it was petal pushin' time, tracing a template and then cutting out inner and outer flowers. The most fun part, of course, was assembling the flowers. Once they were on their "stems," they were ready to be potted.

We glued the flowers in at varying levels and then used Play-Doh in the bottom of the pot to give them steadying weight. The kids were pretty pleased with the outcome - and so was I. :)

OPPOSITE EFFECT: This morning we were back to the Word Girl worksheets in preparation for the upcoming Word Girl Definition Competition. Today, it was all about antonyms. There were only a couple that stymied the students (specific and vague, arrogant and modest).

ANTS ON A LOG: We have peanut butter, raisins and celery in the house right now and I've been meaning for sometime to have C "Mr. Finicky" J try 'ants on a log' - celery filled with peanut butter topped with raisins. I knew he'd be OK with the filling and topping, but I also knew the method of delivery would draw his suspicion.

Sure enough, when I presented the snack he was wary, wondering aloud if he'd like celery. I told him that celery has almost no taste, that it's almost entirely water, and that he likes water. He seemed to believe me, and he likes peanut butter and raisins enough to try to overlook the celery.

After the first bite CJ said, "I don't like it, but I don't dislike it" of the celery. After he polished it off he became a believer. "I've got to tell people all around the world about this!" he declared.

Consider it done, CJ. :)

HOLE IN THE WALL: Recently, I've taken bags and bags of stuffed animals out of the kids' closet downstairs and moved it upstairs, to a storage area under the rafters. During the course of the move, the kids, of course, rediscovered toys they hadn't touched in weeks/months.

This morning, Annabelle set up a stuffed animal store and invited CJ and me to shop it. It was good coin value practice. Later, the storage area under the rafters became Polar Bear's Private Hotel and she welcomed CJ and Kirby as her guests.

TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY: Word on the street is that it's teacher appreciation day. I think I should have given myself the day off and called in a substitute. ;)

That being out of the question, we did "appreciate" yoga teacher Nicole today with some out-of- this-world rose and lavender flavored salted caramels from world renowned Theo Chocolate (conveniently located in Fremont, just across the bridge from us).

Speaking of yoga, I registered the kids for a yoga and music camp July 19-23 It's with their weekly yoga teacher Nicole of Lotus Yoga and a musician friend of hers. The kids are already looking forward to it.

FISTFUL OF QUARTERS: While Annabelle was doing the downward dog and the dolphin, CJ was sitting out yoga today. He's got a little bit of a cold and a runny nose, and I didn't want him sliming the yoga mats.

I had planned to walk to the nearby library with him. Knowing this, before we left home, I wanted to make double sure that I had our library cards in my wallet, so I pulled my wallet out of my purse and checked. Yup. They were there. Good, we were ready to go.

Fast forward to Columbia City/yoga. As I'm signing Annabelle in and getting ready to pay, I realize my wallet isn't in my purse. DAGNABIT! I knew immediately it was back home, on my desk, library cards safely tucked inside it. Sigh.

Fortunately, I did have a checkbook with me (which I almost never do), so I paid for Bee's session and yoga camp. But now CJ and I had no library cards and I didn't even have ID to use to have them look up my library number. What to do? What to do?

I do note that in my purse I have a fistful of quarters. And I know that once of CJ's Favorite Places on Earth is right down the street. ... Honestly, I don't know if this makes me a really bad mother or a really good mother. :/

We only had six quarters and I explained to CJ that when they were gone, we were gone. He was willing to accept those terms. So he played a little PacMan, a couple pinball games and a couple rounds of Donkey Kong. Imagine his surprise when after his second go at Donkey Kong, he sat atop the leader board. :) (I'm guessing they turn these machines off nightly and reset the scores, but I didn't tell him that.)

When he saw his number one spot he immediately said, "We have to tell Steve Wiebe" (of "King of Kong" fame).

As you might imagine, there was a bit more spring in CJ's step as we returned to the yoga studio to collect Annabelle. :)