Happy Memorial Day

I hope you enjoyed the day, perhaps taking time to offer appreciation for the sacrifices (too) many others have made for our country and freedom.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by SouleMama.

From Brownie to Junior

Yesterday my Brownie Scout morphed into a Junior Scout.

Each girl was called up individually, and Jenni, a troop leader, chose one word or phrase that best described that girl’s unique contribution to the troop, then she read out what two of that girl’s troopmates wrote about her before sending the scout across the bridge to becoming a Junior Scout.  On the other side waited two current Junior Scouts to welcome her and help her shed her Brownie vest and put on her Junior sash to much applause.

I had to chuckle at the word chosen for Bunny: pie.  It is such an odd word, no?  But it really was just the right one, since Bunny has this obsession with pie, to the extent that she has started this whole ‘thing’ among her friends and classmates, where they all say, “I like pie!” all the time, for no apparent reason.  That and “Bob.”  Bunny has started a game that a couple of dozen kids play called Bob Land.  Everyone there is named “Bob,” and… I dunno, it’s apparently the big thing right now.

Jenni chose “pie” not only because Bunny says that word approximately 75,000 times an hour, but because, to her, it exemplified Bunny’s unique ability to lead by not even beginning to conform.  She’s marching steadily to her own inner drum beat, that is for certain.

Bunny was pretty excited to hear her special word.  C’mon… it’s probably her favorite word!  PIE!

Then she crossed that bridge, which was brown on one side and green on the other.

Off came the vest—onto which I had just attached her final 8 try it badges that very day—and on went the green sash.

These girls have grown so much in the past couple of years, and we all got to bring home a slide show with evidence to that very effect.  They all look like babies in photos from fall 2009.  :)

After the ceremony, which was b-o-r-i-n-g for siblings (Bun’s friend Hunter’s sister said she was more bored than a hippopatomus that can’t get into water because it has been jumped on by a grumpy elephant – that’s pretty bored!), came the entertainment.

A magician!

Everyone, from my up-to-that-point wiggly 3 year-old to us parents really enjoyed this show.  He was funny, quick on his feet with some rather rowdy 9 year-olds, and just plain fun.

His routine with Rocky the Raccoon was, by far, the show stopper and made us all laugh and laugh.  I have to give him credit for being super nice to the kids afterwards, too.

Add in a few rootbeer floats and some cookies, and I think it’s safe to say the great occasion of Bridging was a memorable success.  I can’t believe we’re in the home stretch to end of school!

Duck, Duck…

Bunny’s in a production of Alice in Wonderland this weekend, and has a couple-few small parts, including a duck.

You know what there are not a lot of?  Duck costumes for people above age 2, that’s what.

Hopefully she’ll enjoy this one I whipped up after googling around for DIY duck costumes.  I found a cute idea on Family Fun, but decided to make her a darker color duck.  Also, I had everything to do this on hand.  If I’d gone the white duck route, that would have meant dragging Cole to a crafts store, and for some reason that is the absolute worst place on earth to take him.  He either wants to break bazillion dollar decor items they put EVERYwhere, or is melting down over a toy or craft he just realized is the missing link to a perfect life.

So, yeah.  I used what I had.  :)

But I think, for a quickie DIY costume, it’s not half bad, and Bunny seems pleased.  She and Carter are looking forward to the day after the play, when they can play ducks.  Hmmm.  Maybe I need to make a couple more of these, ya think?  So my three ducklings won’t fight over the wings and beak.  Yeah.

That definitely means a trip to the crafts store, though.  Yikes.

Still not thinking I’m up for that just right now, but maybe after the weekend and science project is ready to turn in…  I do love ducks.  :)

Kit’s Bed… or is the *cat’s* bed??

I had to laugh when I went into Bunny’s room today to put away some laundry.

Otis seems to like it a lot.  I’m not a “here is a photo of my kitteh” kind of person, but this was too funny, and I knew Bun would like to see what Otis is up to when she’s at school.

On the Run

Bunny participated in her school’s Girls on the Run program this winter/spring, training for a 5K Fun Run, which was this past weekend.  Twice a week they practiced… the boys and I often hung out for the last 15 minutes or so, loitering on the playground and spying on big sister.

Last week Bunny was sick, and I feared she wouldn’t be able to complete the race she’d worked for, but left the decision to her.  She was determined, even if it meant waking at 5:30 on a Saturday morning (check-in was 6:45!!!).  Her grandpa R ran the race with her, and was awesome to rearrange his Saturday like that, too.

Goooooo Bunny!

P.S.  Her team won an award for their sprit with their adorable costumes.  :)

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by SouleMama.

Cookin’ the Book: Pioneer Woman Oatmeal Crispies

I’m slowly working to my goal of completing all the recipes in The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I’m attempting to cook every one of her recipes (in the book, not her site!), as you may or may not recall, since it’s been months since I last made anything from that book, mainly due to pleas from my husband to stop making him so fat.  PW is not into low carb eating.  :)
However, I did make these cookies for the kids a while back, and they’re pretty yummy.  I liked the pecans through them a lot, but if I were to make this cookie again, I would want to skip the crisco and try butter.  Honestly, the only reason I made them was I had the crisco on hand, because I’d bought it to make the red velvet cake and was tired of looking at it in the cupboard.
They’re yummy, simple cookies, but I don’t know if anything with that much trans fat should be called wholesome, ya know?  Still, yes, yummy.  Carter doesn’t like oatmeal cookies and liked these a lot!
Recipe can be found HERE – enjoy!

Say Cheese!

Tell me this one here is not totally posing for us.  :)

Quickie::fisher girl

More later… :)