I've been waiting three long months for Sam's haircut to grow out enough so I could take him to Ann and have her clean it up. Sam isn't the only one who needed a hair cut. Becca's been asking to have her hair cut for weeks now, Emily's hair is getting really, really long, as is Alex's, and well, mine is Rapunzel long.
Ann had a free hour this morning and we all lined up for haircuts, except of course for GR whose 1/4" long hair was short enough. Alex did a fantastic job sitting perfectly still in the chair while Ann's scissors worked their magic, she even used the clippers on him! I got a lot of hair cut off ... it's still long enough to pull back and out of my face - could I survive with any other style? - but I get to do a first. I had enough hair cut off to send to Locks of Love! Like I said, my hair was getting crazy, Rapunzel long!
After haircuts and a quiet afternoon at home, the kids and I (GR had 6+ hours of meetings to attend at the Stake Center) went to a KU Women's Basketball game with Diane. Some friends of hers from church purchased a huge block of tickets and invited anyone who wanted to attend to come. We thought this would be a great opportunity to let the kids see a Division 1 game IN the historic Allen Field House. The Lady Jayhawks won against Missouri in a very exciting well played game. The kids really enjoyed it, staying until the very end, and the girls have gotten a hold of the rest of the women's schedule and are planning a return visit!
I sadly learned an important lesson about my children and division 1 sporting events. It is physically impossible for them to attend without wanting, asking and whining for snacks, the entire game. Doesn't matter how much food you pack into their stomachs before you leave home, the minute their bottoms hit the bleachers, their stomachs and mouths instantly know of nothing else but the want for popcorn, hot dogs and bottled water. Next time, this VISA only carrying mama will be sure to have a good supply of green backs on her so she can enjoy the game too!
Digital photography both amazes and frustrates me. There is no reason why this picture should have turned out completely black ... I was close enough, using a flash, etc. But the camera didn't register the flash and consequently, the picture was totally and completely black. When I pulled it into Photoshop, played with the levels and contrast, I was able to pull this out of the pitch black ... pretty amazing that the camera did actually capture something ... and yet, sad cause its such a cute picture of my babes!
Last week Sam and I needed a little time out of the house and headed to the Library for story hour. Pine cone bird feeders were the craft this time and while Sam and I made a bird feeder, Alex kept himself occupied by playing the the large bowl of bird seed provided by the librarian. He loved the feel of the seeds in his hands, and taking a small Dixie cup and pouring the seeds either through his hand back into the bowl, or dumping the seeds into a lunch sack or near by box of extra pine cones.
Tonight I was getting no where distracting/redirecting him so I could finish making dinner and decided to give the bird seed idea a try, this time using rice and a few "containers" from the kitchen. The rice kept Alex totally engaged for 45 minutes! And probably would have kept him engaged longer if the older children hadn't decided to come along and help him play. So from now on I think I'll keep a 1/2 cup of rice in a small bowl in the cupboard so on rough dinner making nights, Alex and I can both survive!
It's been well over a year since I got together with girlfriends for an evening away ... I'm not talking getting together with girlfriends for something church related, I'm talking about the get togethers you have with girlfriends where you eat amazing food, and talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly that's been happening in life ... work, family, health ... you name it gets discussed. So when I got a call Friday night asking if I had time to get together with some other girlfriends starved for a night out, I instantly said I'd make time and then ran the idea past GR (bless him for not even thinking twice about it!).
Have you heard about the gourmet dinner clubs? Where friends get together, a specific menu is planned, ingredient assignments are made, then you meet at one persons house and make the menu together and then enjoy the meal.
That is basically what the five of us did, except we just had the head chef purchase everything and we all pitched in $5. So we spent a little over three hours together, making dinner together and chatting - it was glorious! Of the five, I am the least adapt in the kitchen - the other four are amazing in the kitchen, each with different strengths and talents. So the collaborative effort made for an amazing meal - and I don't have a single recipe (for shame I know ... be grateful I have pictures ... I'll work on the recipes).
The main course was a won ton soup - shrimp and sausage stuffed won tons, beautifully steamed shrimp, in chicken broth, seasoned with ginger & green onion. While it was tasty, I think we all agreed we wouldn't make it again ... labor intensive and not hardy enough for our "meaty" men. The two appetizers were by far our favorite, super yummy and easy to prepare ... prosciutto wrapped asparagus - yum! And then little mini pizzas ... basically bruschetta with seasoned tomato, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese.
At the end of the night, we all agreed we should do it again, before another year or more passes!
