Edible Art

What do you do with the left over dough when you are making cut-out cookies?

At our house, the treekids create a cookie of their own! When I was a kid, we made "the ugly cookie."

We just made a batch of cut-out sugar cookies and my Branch was very tickled with herself over the cookie that she made!

She has told me that this Hello Kitty went through a blue rain storm and that is why she is all blue... OK, Whatever!

Either way - for extra sugar on a cookie or if she went through the blue rain, a happy kid who is proud of their "art" is a great thing!

So, recall last week when I said that I made a little ditty for Pops? Well, I found the one last piece that I needed and completed it - and got him to stand still for 5 minutes so that I could take his picture with his new "friend."

Maybe you don't know, Pops is a veterinarian. He is what is called an "industry veterinarian" these days. That is sort of a mouthful of words to basically say that he no longer waits at a vet clinic to take care of Fluffy and Brutus when they are sick or to do annual checkups with vaccinations. Please go see your local vet for those things! Pops works for a pharmaceutical company and visits lots of veterinary clinics in Oregon. One of his regular tasks is giving in clinic seminars over lunch to educate the doctors and staff about something that they either could use a "refresher" on OR about something they just plain didn't know.

A while back, Pops devised a seminar to discuss the life cycle of the flea. (ICK!) Then he got busy thinking up a way to talk about the life cycle of the tick... he wrote a poem. It is quite funny and when he gave his whole seminar on fleas and ticks to ME, I was simultaneously amused and grossed out. But, when he recited his poem about ticks, he had NO props (unlike the flea part). So, I told him that he needed a tick hat. He laughed and said, how was he going to get a tick hat... I did not let him down. I made the tick hat that evening - but, had to wait on the eyes a day or so. Here is what I came up with...

This is at the beginning of the poem when the tick has only six legs. Then as the tick grows and becomes an adult, it gets two more legs. So, I had to come up with a way to allow two more legs to appear.

Velcro Works!!!

Then all eight legs are out and the adult tick is there! It is a little goofy looking, but that is the point - humor in the face of some of this gross stuff!! He is always game to make a fool of himself... just check out his own googly eyes!!

My Daybook, Entry #3

FOR TODAY
Monday, Oct 5, 2009...

Outside my window... I can see the sun's rays trying to push their way through the low hanging clouds over the mountain. It is currently 41 degrees out, but should warm up to a "balmy" 63 later today. I think that later this week when it is in the mid 70's we'll all be happy about the sunshine and warmth returning!

I am thinking... I am glad that Pops put up some lattice boards under our deck so that whatever might have been making a home in our backyard under the deck might be unable to live there, now.

I am thankful for... A helpful and loving husband. I just wish that he would want to warm up my hands when I crawl into bed at night!!! He is so jumpy! I thought he liked the cold weather, hmmmmmm...

From the learning rooms... Week 8 of our lesson plans. For science we'll be talking about the five senses... in particular - taste and smell. Perfect! We'll taste something yummy that smells good baking in the oven!!! Blossom's books did NOT arrive last week and I am bummed. I am starting with her anyway, as they are scheduled to arrive tomorrow and I can do some things without them. I have decided to do a program called "Along the Alphabet Path" where we work on one letter each week and things that are associated with that letter. This week is "A" week... apples (yes! pie!!!), airplanes, angels, St. Anne, etc... Blossom is excited to have a plan and so am I!!

From the kitchen... This week we'll be making Apple Pie, Airplane Sugar Cookies, Applesauce, any other "A" ideas to share? I have some asparagus for our supper tonight... MEATLOAF! We are excited for this family favorite!

I am wearing... Jeans (one of two pairs of pants that are long enough... why do the maternity designers think that just because you're pregnant you have short legs??), a new shirt from the Motherhood Maternity Outlet - it is a teal/green color and a v-neck created by a criss-cross design in front, super soft, fuzzy, thick, gray socks, hair is twisted up in a clip, my beautiful dainty amber necklace that my folks brought back for me from Poland and my wedding ring with the new additions from our 10th anniversary celebration (see picture thought below) - original wedding set was the wide band, center narrow band and center emerald-cut diamond, the additions include the narrow band on the "top" and the channel set princess-cut diamonds running alongside the center stone.

I am creating... Lists. One for Christmas gift giving, one for getting ready for a new baby in our family, one for things to make and do... I have many lists to create and complete!

I am going... To have to go BACK to the "bigger town" this week. I went on Friday with the main intention of sending a box off via UPS. Because I didn't want to have that be the only thing that I did in town (30 minutes or so away), I created a list of several other errands that I could do while there. In all that mess... I left the box for UPS on the floor in my kitchen. Now, I have to go back to take my box! Grrr... pregnancy mush brain.

I am reading... Not much. Baby names, alphabet books, patterns, blogs.

I am hoping... To find order and calm in my home this week. Then, I am hoping to figure out a way to keep it and impress upon the treekids how and why I want it to STAY that way. I am tired of finding the remnants of a tornado in every room that I am not currently supervising. Any suggestions?

I am hearing... Dora the Explorer CD serenading my children. Why must it be so loud? They aren't even teenagers and I am forever saying turn that noise down! It is kind of cute when they dance and sing along, but when it is just blaring while they read a book? How can they think?? I can't!!

Around the house... Little fires smoldering in every room. I need to put them all out before they turn into the full fledged burn going on in our loft/school room... CHILDREN!!@@!??!!!

One of my favorite things... reading comments posted here on my blog. Sometimes I know the people and sometimes I don't... either way - I LOVE reading comments!!!

A few plans for the rest of the week... Stay home (except to drop that package off!) and get things accomplished!!! I am sure that there are things that I need to do and places that I need to go this week, but my calendar is downstairs in the laundry room and I am upstairs. I think I am gonna assume that I am not doing much this week!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Seeing my ring enlarged so much... a cleaning and polishing is in order!!

To read more daybooks, head over to Peggy's.

Shiver Me Timbers

That li'l Bud of ours has been enjoying pirate paraphernalia for some time now. My mom, Geemah, likes to indulge the treekids' current passions. So, last summer she used her creative arts skills and drew Bud a treasure map. The red X on the map lead him to a pirate treasure - a pirate themed gift card to Barnes and Noble Booksellers! It was hidden in the wall and boy oh boy was that a big thrill! He must have been thinking a lot about the excitement, because sometime earlier this year, while the two of them were conversing on the phone, Bud wanted to know how she was able to get the treasure hidden! On a separate conversation, Bud asked how she was able to get the UPS man to hide the treasure!! Aren't kids a treat!! I love it!!

Skip ahead a year... the map had been folded, unfolded, studied, carried, shared, loved, you get the point, right? It was tattered. So, one day he folded it up one last time with some serious wistfulness, stuck it into an envelope and wrote a letter with a request for a new treasure map and sent it off to Geemah. He has been waiting for some time.

Last week a card came in the mail that had a pirate map on the outside. Inside, Geemah had written him a letter in code. (He is still working on deciphering it!) He was very excited about the card and the code... but was sort of miffed that she hadn't made something similar to what she did last year!

Pops brought home the mail yesterday. While I was finishing up preparing supper, the hunt was on for the treasure!

Branch was thrilled and excited, too! She wanted to help and dig up the buried treasure! The X must be located near the pumpkin patch!!

Ah! The treasure is found (and strangely, preserved in plastic!)...

X marked the spot on the map... and on the treasure!

What's inside?! What's inside!?!!

Ooooooo... pirate legos!

Branch proceeded into the house and immediately penned a note to Geemah:

Dear Geemah,

I want a treasure map, too.

Love,

"branch"

Better git on it, Geemah!!!

For all of you wondering about the map she made... This is the "new" treasure map. (Yes, Geemah, you did put the name of the town by the little houses, but I had to smudge that out for internet publication!) She does an amazing job, don't you think??

I wish that I would have scanned the other one before Bud sent it back. If you didn't pitch it, Geemah, will you mail it back to me so I can preserve it via a digital scan!?! Oh, what the pirates wouldn't have given to preserve their maps via digital media, eh?!?!!

Oh... and now Bud is trying to figure out how the treasure got into his pumpkin patch!!!