Fit for an Elf

BUDDY BREAKFAST:  Today started out a little crazy. While I was in the shower, CJ came upstairs and called at me, "Can we have the Buddy breakfast this morning?"

Ugh. Yes. That. What was I thinking promising him we could do that today?

"Yes," I called. "Tell your dad to put some boiling water on."

After I got out of the shower CJ called upstairs saying, "Dad said 'No.' "

I yelled downstairs that I'd promised CJ that was his breakfast today (he'd been asking for a couple of weeks now), and on the pot of water went. 

The breakfast is inspired by Buddy the elf, from CJ's favorite Christmas movie, "Elf." Buddy really, Really, REALLY likes sugar (it's an elf thing, apparently). He's forever pouring maple syrup into and onto things, and in once scene in the movie he makes breakfast. The ingredients? Spaghetti, and the items pictured below.

Once the noodles were done, the kids poured maple syrup on. LOTS of maple syrup, 'cause that's how ya do it.

Next up? Sprinkles. Because sprinkles make EVERYTHING better!

Then it was time for some mini marshmallows and a liberal serving of Hershey's chocolate syrup.

Atop that: A handful of M&Ms, of course. 

And to top it all off, a Chocolate Fudge Pop Tart crumbled on top. 

Isn't it glorious? (insert gagging noises here)

Bee got two bites into it and called it good. I had to steal the plate away from CJ after about four or five bites. He would have eaten it all (shudder, shudder). 

So there, we've done it, and now we don't have to ever do it again. Until maybe next year. ;)

MARKER MAKER:  We took a field trip to Capitol Hill today, and while there, visited the very interesting Value Village in the neighborhood. (It's on three stories, in a decrepit old building full of interesting shoppers and employees.)

Annabelle spied a Crayola Marker Maker kit on a shelf in the toy section. Per Amazon, it's $40 for a brand new one. We paid $2.99 for a darn near new one! (Annabelle went through it carefully in the store, and saw the kit was intact, so score!)

Once we got home, she got right to production, carefully reading the directions and lining out the equipment. 

There was a color chart in the kit, and using their formulas, she was able to produce some pretty colored pens. It required careful measuring.

When the 'formula' was ready, she dipped an absorbent swab into it. It wicked up the color, and then the swab was transferred to the marker tube, in which she'd already inserted a nib. 

The marker was then capped, and voila! Custom colored marker!

A pretty eggplant was her first creation. 

We even experimented with my commercial grade food colorings, and made an edible ink marker!

DEAL O' THE DAY: Look at the book we scored for 99 cents at Value Village today! Super cool - and by the publishers at Scientific American, no less. 

And once CJ and Annabelle read it, we'll donate it to Rick's third grade classroom, so other kids can enjoy it.

SPACEX POSTPONED:  No fresh fruit or Christmas presents for the astronauts on board the ISS. Today, SpaceX announced their cargo resupply mission is postponed until January. Bummer!  They cited So we'll have to wait until 2015 Well, the big ol'