Yeah, Like These Will Last Long (No Pun Intended!)

I bought some Tagalongs from the Girl Scouts on the way out of Walmart today and I can pretty much guarantee they won't see the sun come up tomorrow! I usually polish them off the first day. These fared better than other boxes in the past though; at least they made it home! Last year I ate them all while driving around doing home care visits!

Have Potty, Will Travel

I could not stop laughing when I saw this on the truck ahead of me! And all I could think was 'Have potty, will travel!!" HeeHeeHeeHee

Thursday Thirteen

The Thursday Thirteen is a weekly meme. Every Thursday you pick a theme and post a list of 13 related items. To read more Thursday Thirteen lists or to participate, click here.

This is my first week participating....

13 Places I'd Like To Visit (in no particular order)*that I have never been

1. Grand Canyon National Park

2. Utah

3. Croatia

4, Ireland

5. The Sphinx and Pyramids, Egypt

6. Stonehenge

7. Yellowstone National Park

8. Rome, Italy
9. The Maya Ruins

10. Greece

11. Great Wall of China

12. Nova Scotia

13. Australia

I Have Probably told Him This Once or Twice...

Today was one of those really nice winter days that could best be described as "crisp". So after school I let Tucker play on the playground for a few minutes. He was climbing a dinosaur monkey-bar thing and I told him to be careful (the last time he played, his friend Colby slipped and hurt his..ahem,manly parts). Tucker's response: "Well he's not a monkey like me! I can grip and climb better than anyone!"

I have called him Monkey Boy for as long as I can remember because he has always climbed everything! (Apparently, it runs in the family...my mom told me when I was a toddler, I used to climb the shelves in the doctors office and grocery stores. Thankfully, I outgrew it!) Tucker, however, is still going strong!

This Made His Day

As I mentioned at the end of the Mardi Gras craft post, Tucker was home sick today. Nothing serious, just feeling yucky, sniffly, etc. Michael was sick this weekend (still is) and I think Tucker and I both got a little of it. By the afternoon, he was feeling well enough to finish the mask (which we had started yesterday).

During the afternoon, our power kept going off and on so I called the electric company to let them know and they sent a guy out. Tucker was THRILLED to watch this
By the way, he didn't find anything wrong, probably just the wind, which has been pretty bad but I told him he made Tucker's day!

Mardi Gras Craft

Tucker had a good time coloring this mask for Mardi Gras and then glueing on the beads! It's been awhile since we pulled out the beads and we had both forgotten how much fun they were! (As long as Mommy doesn't have to sweep them up for the next week! LOL Which may be why we haven't had them out in awhile!)

Here are some pictures


(Tucker is in his pjs because he was home sick today)

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras came to New Orleans through its French heritage in 1699. Early explorers celebrated this French Holiday on the banks of the Mississippi River. Throughout the years, Orleanians have added to the celebration by establishing krewes (organizations) which host parades and balls. Carnival quickly became an exciting holiday for both children and adults.

Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" and of course is celebrated on that day of the week. The date can fall between February 3 and March 9 depending on the Lunar calendar, used by the Catholic Church to determine the date of Easter. Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter Sunday.


Did You Know? On Bourbon street in New Orleans, store owners coat poles and columns with vaseline to keep wild and rowdy revelers from climbing them (and perhaps falling).

Source: holidaysinsights.net

What's On Your Nightstand?

This is my first time participating! I thought I'd share not only what's on my nightstand but also what my 6 yo son Tucker is up to with regards to books!
-The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser. Almost done with this! I started out reading The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory and got hooked on this time period. This is a nonfiction account of the lives of Henry VIII wives. I even learned a little rhyme to remember their outcomes, so to speak: "Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived".
-The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory. This is a fictional account of Catherine of Aragon's life with King Henry (she was the 1st queen).
- Mademoiselle Boleyn by Robin Maxwell. Before Anne Boleyn (the 2nd queen) came to the English court, her family had sent her and her sister Mary to the French court. This is the fictionalized account of their time there. Yes you are seeing somewhat of a "theme" here-I'm planning to read about the queens in order.
-Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates and After This by Alice McDermott. I picked these up with the Borders gift card I received for my birthday. Once I get through with the court of Henry VIII, I will move on to these or if I need to take a break.


My son's "nightstand" (actually a stack in the living room) consists of the following:
-Peter Rabbit and Eleven Other Favorite Tales by Beatrix Potter. Actually for the Beatrix Potter Children's Classics Carnival coming up on March 10th. I plan to read the stories with my son.
-Good Night, Good Knight by Shelby Moore Thomas
-The Three Little Fish and The Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist (a spin on the Three Little Pigs that looked fun)
-Jack and Jill and Big Dog Bill
by Martha Watson (an easy reader that I thought he'd enjoy reading to us)
-Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat by Cynthia Rylant (another easy reader)
-Three Little Cajun Pigs by Mike Artell (our book for Mardi Gras)
-20 Hungry Piggies by Trudy Harris and Hamlet and the Magnificent Sand Castle by Brian Lies; both are for National Pig Day on March 1st

You'll have to check out my Kid's Picks in March to see if any of these made Tucker's "picks"!

Simple Woman's Daybook

For today, Monday, February 23, 2009

Outside my window...it is sunny, cold, and windy.

I am thinking...why is that we always think of February as being so short when it's only missing two or three days. Also why do the days from February and March always match up (except in Leap Year) and why am I always surpirsed to realize it? Yep, real philosophical stuff going on!

I am thankful...that my uncle Ted appears to be responding to chemo and will continue with more treatments. Also that my uncle Joe, his brother, is responding to the medication for his lung infection. He has severe emphysema and his lung collapsed last summer and we were afraid it was happening again (now that we know what to look for). My mom went with him to the doctor last week and he is feeling better.

From the kitchen...finally made meatloaf and mashed potatoes last night (YUM!!)...on the menu this week, a new recipe for spaghetti, as well as a recipe for pork chops, both from Sandra. Also will be making the chicken recipe that I didn't make last week.

I am creating...hoping to do a Mardi Gras craft with Tucker today/tomorrow.

I am wearing...navy blue and white striped sweatshirt and jeans

I am reading...was stressing myself out trying to read Les Miserables and returned it to the library. I am almost done with The Wives of Henry VIII and will be moving on to The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory next. With Tucker, we read President Pennybaker for Presidents Day, George Washington's Teeth (really cute story told in rhyme) for Washington's birthday, Puss in Cowboy Boots, and Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs!
His favorites were President Pennybaker, and Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs!. Make sure you check out my blog tomorrow to see What's On My Nightstand

I am hoping...to work on my scrapbooking this week.

I am hearing...The People's Court and the fishtanks.

Around the house...Laundry needs to be done...dishes need to be put in the dishwasher...Valentine's Day stuff is still up; green is my least favorite color so I tend to wait to decorate for St Patrick's Day. I did change the flag and door decoration...it's actually pretty clean around here.

One of my favorite things...playing Uno Attack with Tucker.

A few plans for the rest of the week...haircut on Thursday...physical on Thursday (so I can start working for another agency per diem)...working on the PTO fundraiser...quiet week actually.

A picture thought...
I thought this was a cute picture of Felix and Tucker. Felix very rarely sticks around Tucker for very long so it was very unusual to find him laying next to him on the couch!

I've Accepted the Challenge!

....although a little late!

I've enjoyed following Mari's daily photo blog 365 Days and have decided to join in! (Though I will actually only participate in 311 days!)

Beginning TOMORROW, check out my daily picture here.

You may also notice I've made some changes-decided to "spruce" up a bit! I included a Blog Roll because I love to check out blogs listed on other people's blog rolls so thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite places!

Happy Birthday, George Washington

The "Father of His Country", George Washington was born on February 22, 1732. He became commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775 and fought a long and arduous war for freedom from British rule. The war was finally over in 1781 when the Continental Army with the help of the French, forced Cornwallis to surrender at Yorktown.

In 1787, Washington was unanimously elected president by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and took the oath of office in 1789. He served two terms of office from 1789 until 1797.

After the presidency, Washington retired to his home in Mount Vernon, Virgina where he died on December 14, 1799 of a throat infection.

source: holidayinsights.com

Cub Scouts

Thursday night we had a BUSY Cub Scout Pack meeting! To start, the Tigers got to carry the flag in (they were supposed to do this in January but the meeting was cancelled due to the weather). It took three of them to carry the flag (Tucker's not in this picture but his friend Chase is pulling up the rear, so to speak!)
Then we said the Pledge of Allegiance (again you can't see Tucker in this picture but I liked the group shot)

This was also the night we had to turn over all our soda can tabs to the Shriners (well, only one came so I guess Shriner would be more appropriate). The boys collected 3 1/2 boxes! Here the gentleman explains what the Shriners do (besides drive those cute little cars in parades!! LOL)

We also took a group shot of all the Scouts with the Shriner and two of the boxes of soda tabs


Next we raced the cars made by a unit in Afghanistan. The Tigers sent a care package to a unit in December (the husband of a co-worker of our den leader's wife ) and included two Pinewood Derby kits. He wrote back and asked for more kits. In all, 6 cars were returned. Each den chose one as their own and we had a race. It was all video-taped to send over to the unit and each den got to say a few words to the soldiers

(Tucker is the second from the right--his friend Chase is the 1st on the right)

We ended the evening with an ice cream party! The boys took off their dress shirts and had a great time enjoying their ice cream!

Happy Hoodie-Hoo Day

Celebrated on February 20th of every year, on this winter day, people go out at noon, wave their hands over their heads and chant "Hoodie-Hoo".

It is a day to chase away winter and bring in spring. After all, everyone in the northern hemisphere are sick and tired of winter at this point and a little crazy being cooped up inside all winter and not seeing the sun.

Did you know? Hoodie Hoo Day is a copyrighted holiday. It was created and is provided, courtesy of the great folks at Wellcat.com.

Souce: holidayinsights.com

What About Obama?

This is actually a question I was asked daily. We have a paper ruler of the presidents hanging on our sliding door:


Tucker enjoys looking at this and counts the presidents and once Obama was elected, has been very concerned about where/how Obama would be added.

Well, I made his day yesterday by finding this at Walmart!
He was THRILLED!!!

Interesting!

I found this on Family Education Blogs
and found it interesting: what people eat

Kids' Picks -February

This is my first time participating in this Carnival! These were the books my 6 yo son enjoyed over the past month...



I chose this book for the Arctic theme because we live in New England and it's COLD! My son loved the rhyming text as we were introduced to all the animals who live in the Arctic. He especially enjoyed the counting from 10 to 1 and as is typical for him, counted each one( I don't know why, maybe he thinks they made a mistake; I think he just likes to count!) The pictures were really nice, done in a cut-paper style. At the end, there is a Fact or Fiction section which "reviews" what was in the book and my son liked this part too.


This was our book for Chinese New Year. My son enjoyed hearing this story about a very mischievous kitten who lives with a magistrate and falls into an ink pot, getting his face, paws, tips of his ears, and tail covered in ink. He becomes a much beloved pet of the magistrate despite his naughtiness. My son really enjoyed the very colorful pictures in this book and the story describing the antics of this ancestor of the Siamese Cat.


Another snow picture book for us! My son enjoyed hearing how the family of mice spent their day at their grandparents house. The activities they enjoyed were many that he is familiar with: climbing, ice skating, making angels and a snowman and of course, the finale of sliding down the big hill! He loved the beautiful pictures and the story of how the tiniest mouse overcame her fear of sledding down the hill!


This was our first experience with Traction Man and it didn't disappoint! My son loved the pictures of the toys in their adventures (it's similar to the way he plays and he's also a big fan of Toy Story. It is basically the story of Traction Man, and his brave pet, Scrubbing Brush. They are inseparable—until the boy’s father throws the “unhygienic” Scrubbing Brush in the trash and replaces it with a “real” toy, the battery-operated TurboDog. Traction Man goes into the garbage can and rescues Scrubbing Brush. He enjoyed the pictures and they are fun, almost like an I-Spy book. My son and I laughed out loud as I read this book to him, definitely the sign of a good book!

Simple Woman's Daybook

For today, Monday February 16, 2009 (Presidents Day)

Outside my window...it is sunny but cold.

I am thinking...I would like to take a nap this afternoon like I did yesterday

I am thankful for...my family

From the kitchen...tacos tonight, chicken pot pie, a new chicken recipe from Sandra and a meatloaf later in the week (nope haven't made it yet...keep forgetting to buy potatoes!) Tucker and I are going to make Pillsbury Valentine cookies today because we forgot to on Saturday!

I am creating...Tucker and I made the Valentine crafts for his grandmothers, Aunt Doreen, and cousin Cassandra.

I am wearing...gray sweats and a long-sleeve black shirt

I am reading...finished The Boleyn Inheritance and started Les Miserables
for the Classics Carnival at 5 Minutes for Books. I am having a really hard time with it, it is very slow reading and I'm not sure I'm understanding it. I have put it aside for now as I don't want to view reading as torture! I have started The Wives of Henry VIII, which is a non-ficiton book by Antonia Fraser, to go along with my latest obsession with Henry VIII's court. With Tucker we read books about Abraham Lincoln (did you know that he used to keep all his important papers in his hat because he was always losing everything?), and easy reader books about Valentines. Check out my blog tomorrow as I join in the Kid's Picks Carnival for the first time.

I am hoping...to find a job soon.

I am hearing... Tucker laughing at Rachael Ray and a scientist do experiments on her show, Michael using the vacuum in the garage, and the fishtanks gurgling.

Around the house...laundry needs to be folded...dishes are being cleaned in the dishwasher...I'm pleading the 5th on the status of the rest of the house.

One of my favorite things...Tucker's "new" way of singing, opera-style! In fact, last week, as I left his school after the Valentine's party, his class had gone to music and I walked by and had to look in because I thought I heard him and sure enough, he was singing opera-style! Very funny!

A few plans for the week...a childrens museum tomorrow with one of Tucker's friends and his family...writing out the invitations for Tucker's birthday party next month...Cub Scout Pack meeting Thursday-the Shriners are coming to collect the soda tabs and we're having an ice cream party...working on the PTO fundraiser.

A picture thought
This is from the Providence Children's Museum, Tucker and I went a few weekends ago. I have more pictures to post from that day. He always enjoys the water table at any Children's Museum and we usually spend most of the day there!

Happy Presidents' Day

Or is it Washington's birthday we are celebrating today?

According to the federal government, the holiday observed on the third Monday in February is officially Washington's Birthday. But many Americans believe that this holiday is now called "Presidents' Day," in honor of both Presidents Washington and Lincoln, whose birthdays are Feb. 22 and Feb. 12, respectively. It turns out that whether you honor one or the other or both of these presidents may depend on where you live.


States Decide on Holidays

The states are not obliged to adopt federal holidays, which only affect federal offices and agencies. While most states have adopted Washington's Birthday, a dozen of them officially celebrate Presidents' Day. A number of the states that celebrate Washington's Birthday also recognize Lincoln's Birthday as a separate legal holiday.


When Was the First Public Celebration of Washington's Birthday?

Washington's Birthday has a history as old as our country. It was celebrated publicly for the first time in the late 18th century, while George Washington was still president.

Washington's Birthday became official in 1885, when President Chester Arthur signed a bill making it a federal holiday. Meanwhile, there was President Lincoln's birthday on Feb. 12, which never became a federal holiday but was celebrated as a legal holiday in many states outside the old Confederacy.
Origins of the Monday Holiday

In 1968, Congress passed the Monday Holidays Act, which moved the official observance of Washington's birthday from Feb. 22 to the third Monday in February. Some reformers had wanted to change the name of the holiday as well, to Presidents' Day, in honor of both Lincoln and Washington, but that proposal was rejected by Congress, and the holiday remained officially Washington's Birthday.

Nevertheless, there was a popular misconception that the day had been officially renamed, a misconception only reinforced by the fact that the third Monday in February can only occur between Feb. 15 and Feb. 21. This means that the holiday is always after Lincoln's birthday and before Washington's birthday, without ever coinciding with either. Furthermore, some states which had previously celebrated Lincoln's Birthday dropped the observance after the federal holiday reforms, supporting the notion that the two presidential birthdays had been combined.

While the name change has never been authorized by Congress, it has gained a strong hold on the public consciousness, and is generally used on calendars, in advertising, and even by many government agencies. There have been attempts to introduce legislation requiring federal agencies to call the day Washington's Birthday, but these have never gotten very far. No matter what's in the law books, the popular usage is now well established.
You Can't Please All of the People...

Many people feel that Lincoln, the president credited with preserving the nation during the Civil War, has been short-changed. To them, having Presidents' Day is a sensible way to recognize both Washington and Lincoln. Others feel just as strongly that having an inclusive Presidents' Day diminishes Washington's importance in American history.

source: factmonster.com

Valentine's Crafts

Now that I know everyone received their Valentines that Tucker made, I can post what we did. I found this at Art Projects for Kids.

You start with hearts on a piece of paper and color them in

Then you add some watercolor paint

Next some rubber cement (which Tucker thought was really cool) The idea is that it is supposed to make the colors stand out

Then another layer of watercolor paint (Michael did this step with him while I was at the PTO meeting so there isn't a picture)

Then outline the hearts with oil pastels (For some reason there are two picutres of this step; I liked both pictures)


The finished project!

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is a celebration of love and lovers. The roots of Valentine's Day goes back to ancient times, when people paid honor to the Roman God of Fertility. This was known as the Feast of Lupercalia, and was celebrated even then on February 14th.

The traditions of Valentine's Day are broad and many. It is a time to exchange cards or small gifts. Chocolates and jewelry are the big hits of this holiday as is romantic dinners.

It is a romantic event for lovers and a fun event for kids and family. Many a couple become engaged or wed on this day. For others it is a day to fall in love.

Did you know? While 75% of chocolate purchases are made by women all year long, during the days and minutes before Valentine's Day, 75% of the chocolate purchases are made by men. Over $1 billion of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day.

Saint Valentine's Day Massacre During the "Roaring twenties(1920's)", mobs, crime and gangsters were at a height in many parts of the U.S. Alcohol was banned, spawning the rise of Bootlegging and mob activity. Chicago , Illinois experienced more than it's share of mobs and gangsters. On Valentine's Day, February 14, 1929, four gangsters dressed up as policemen, massacred seven members of a rival gang.

Did you Know? February 14th was formerly thought to be the first day of bird's mating for the season. This sparked the custom of sending valentines to each other.