Variety Hour!

Do you remember The Donny and Marie Show?  I loved that show!  I watched it every week when I was about Maddie’s age, and my parents even bought me an 8 track tape of  The Best of Donny and Marie, which I listened to over and over again. [My bratty brother Dave surprised me at Christmas last year with the same album in CD form!  I play it in the car occasionally, and Maddie likes it (or pretends to ) but Dave and the boys groan.  They have no sense of cheesy music appreciation, I tell you.]

Today’s post will be like The Donny and Marie Show.  A little bit of this, a little bit of that, a little bit country, a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll.  There will be no ice skating extravaganza, however, I’m sorry if you’re disappointed.

I may not have ice skating, but I do have an interesting cactus growing on my windowsill…

                                                           It’s a very manly cactus, if I must say so myself.

One of you told me that your Google Reader is no longer letting you know when I have published a new blogpost, which I guess means you will all need to just check in occasionally to see if there’s anything new.  Sorry about that.  I’m sure this is something of a pain. I usually post on Monday-Wednesday-Friday or on Monday-Thursday if it’s a slow week, if that helps. 

This has been a crazy busy week.  We have three sports going on right now (practices/games every night of the week), plus two band concerts this week, an ortho appointment, a haircut (Ben’s!  Hallelujah!), envirothon meetings, and since it’s May, I’m subbing more than usual (funny how teachers get sick in May instead of October…)  Throw in a jazz band rehearsal, piano lessons, and the school art show, and there you have it.  Probably no busier than most of you this time of year.    On Monday, Maddie and I forgot she had an extra Jazz Band practice before school and we woke up to the sound of a honking horn from her ride.    Yesterday, Ben called me after he got to school to say he forgot his lunch (which really means I forgot his lunch, since I always stick it in his backpack after I pack it.)  The weird thing was I remembered putting  it  in his backpack and I couldn’t find it anywhere!  I called school and had them check Jack’s backpack, and sure enough, there it was.  May is just nutty.  And (yes, Dave) I need to get more organized.

Last week Ben had a baseball game, but unfortunately his shirt was still in the dryer when it was time for him to head to the game.  Dave took him since they needed to be there a half hour early, and Maddie, Jack and I came at game time with the shirt pulled right from the dryer.  Unfortunately, it still wasn’t quite dry so we put the heaters on full blast to finish the shirt off.

                                                                                    It didn’t work, if you’re wondering.

Ben is so excited he got to be #8!  Eight is his lucky number since he was born on August 8 (8/8) and weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces. 

Jack won a frisbee at our church’s Easter egg hunt, and a few weeks ago we decided to test it out.  As we were playing, I got the brilliant idea of having one of the kids throw it to me while I snapped a picture.  I was thinking it would be so cool if I got a shot of the frisbee right before it got to me.  Unfortunately, I didn’t time the first few tries very well and then this one…

…hit me square in the forehead.  Oh yes.  They got a good laugh at my expense, which seems to be happening a lot lately.  Just when did I turn into my mother?

The bunnies are back.  They ate all of the sugar snap peas I planted back in March, though no one likes sugar snap peas except me, so the disappointment level is MILD to say the least.  Lately we’ve been catching them in the flower pots! 

Both photos taken through windows.

Last year I found a nest of dead baby bunnies in one of the pots, so it’s possible a mother bunny might be building a nest, but the bunny above doesn’t look pregnant.  I think he’s showing off for the ladies.

I tried Corners of My Life’s recipe for Pepper Ring Beef!  It was easy and delicious!  I put a roast in the crockpot in the morning and dumped a whole jar of mild pepper rings on it (Mary at CoML also puts garlic in hers but I skipped that step because of the picky children).  I cooked it on low all day and then shredded the beef and the peppers that night and served it on buns.  I really thought the peppers might bring some opposition from the kids but they LOVED  it! 

Speaking of suppers, I bought a spiral sliced ham at Easter because they are so darn cheap at Easter and delicious, so the week after Easter we had ham in a different form every single night.  Ham sandwiches, Ham/Green Beans/Potatoes, Ham and Cheese Quiche, etc.  The next week, Dave decided to take over the menu board…

But can you believe I snuck ham loaf in on Tuesday? That’s why Maddie crossed out the NOT and wrote “ya liar” next to it.  No one likes ham loaf except me, so they were about as thrilled with this as they are about sugar snap peas in the garden and Donny and Marie in the CD player. 

Jack brought home a note from school telling me that someone in his class was found to have head lice.  I asked Jack if the nurse checked his head, and his response was, “Yes!  And guess what!  Someone does have bugs in her hair and she sits next to me!”  He was actually quite honored to have the seat next to her.  Please keep your fingers crossed or pray for us or throw a penny in the fountain and make a wish that Jack does not contract head lice.  Ugh.

Have a great weekend, everyone!  May tomorrow be a perfect day!  May you find love and laughter along the way…