2 Must Read Library books

You've got to check out Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor and Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel. They are both hilarious picture books perfect for toddlers (and parents).

Bout of Strep Changes Bad Rep

HotDog and Jedi both have strep. HotDog has it so much worse than Jedi that he hasn't been able to eat anything today because he says his throat stings. Beau Brummel and I were trying to spray some Clorets in HotDog's throat and he was crying and trying to run away. Jedi said, "HotDog, if you let them spray your mouth I will give you a prize. Do you want a toy prize or a candy prize?" HotDog wanted a toy prize and promptly opened his mouth. Then Jedi went to his toy box and got out three toys he thought HotDog would like and said, "Since you got three sprays, I will give you three toys." HotDog said, "Wow, FANKS (not a spelling error, he really pronounces thanks this way) Jedi!"

You know, sometimes I am so focused on the less positive aspects of having kids so close in age (constant bickering, tattle-tailing, physical violence) that I forget how sweet they can be to each other and occasionally helpful to their parents. This is our fourth or fifth bout of illness this winter, but I am going to try and be more positive and praise the kids this week and not let this slew of winter blues and bugs get us down.

I especially want to focus on Jedi. It is true that he is usually responsible for most of the mischief around our house. Yesterday he put on bright red lipstick, decided it looked dumb on him (what, all the 8-year-old boys around town aren't wearing Revlon's Ruby Sparkle?) and then smeared it on a white wall in the basement. But since he is the oldest we expect the most from him and discipline him the most. I think I should ease up on him because he is like the little girl with the little curl right in the middle of her forehead. When he is good, he is very very good . . . and I'll just overlook the rest. 

Far from home

I am currently in Siena Italy traveling with a friend. I landed in Venice and from there took a train to Florence. Venice was interesting because of the location on the water, there are no cars and you travel everywhere by water taxis. The only thing is that the Euro is so expensive now! Its about 1.70 to every 1 euro. The people in Venice never smile....excuse me anywhere in Italy they never smile! I was looked at like I was crazy because I smiled the first few days. It didn't take me very long to find out the reason. The water taxis take forever to come so its very frustrating and freezing. There streets are so small and full of so many people that your constantly feeling like a sardine. Water is not free and with the exchange your sometimes paying 4 to 5 dollars a bottle. Florence was worse. I stayed in the heart of Florence down town next to the Duomo. Unfortunately the window of our hotel room was facing a bar! Ah yes one other important detail of Italy, the bars don't close until 3 or 4 in the morning. We were told that the food in Italy was very good and portioned healthy. This is just not so. In restaurants they serve you huge pizzas that are nothing like American Pizzas. Salads are piratically no where to be found and usually are much more expensive. Walking around can be frustrating because the streets are very small and easy to miss. Using a map can be dangerous because its a give away that your lost. Gypsies are in everytown begging and steeling what they can. Its my opinion that I will need a vacation after this vacation.

Duck (duct) Tape Evening Wear

I might be the only one who wishes she were eligible for this contest, well maybe Chicken Little is too. I am amazed at these creations! Check out these prom outfits made from Duck tape.

Turning Wheat into a Treat

So I made blender wheat pancakes for the kids (perhaps they were too wholesome tasting) and had a flash of early American inspiration and made them into stacked pancakes from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy,

"Ten pancakes cooked on the smoking griddle, and as fast as they were done Mother added another cake to each stack and buttered it lavishly and covered it with maple sugar. Butter and sugar melted together and soaked the fluffy pancakes and dripped all the down their crisp edges. That was stacked pancakes. Almanzo liked them better than any other kind of pancakes."

Instead of cooking the pancakes in butter on a hot skillet, I just left the skillet dry. Instead of 10 pancakes, I used three per stack. With the leftover pancakes you can make stacked pancakes the next day in the microwave by layering pancake, butter, brown sugar three times and then zapping in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds. HotDog, Jedi and I love them. Beau Brummel hates butter or else he would love them too. (Hmaimai, these are similar to Scotch pancakes, not crepes.) I am happy to post the blender wheat pancake recipe if anyone wants it.

Teen Crafts

Does anyone have any good ideas for crafts to do with preteens and teenagers? I might get to go to girl's camp and help in the craft shack and want to start getting prepared early. Or even if you know of some websites that would be helpful, please comment. Thanks!

Home swap

I have looked today on trocmaison.com (homeexchange.com) dreaming of holidays, but definitely, I could never go to somebody else's house with my 4 kids so young without being overstressed that they will damage something. Hey, Opal, would you like to homeswap with us someday? I am sure it could work. If anybody (not too cautious about his stuff) wants to exchange house with me (in the suburb of Paris France), we have 4 girls age 18 months, almost 3, almost 5 and 6, we could arrange something one day.
Also, we laughed one day about the idea of creating a website called kidexchange.com. Don't think it would work.