Toasted Marshmallows and Unopened First Aid Kits

It's Monday once again, my friends. And as always that means it's time to reflect on the things that made us happy over the past week. And of course now is also the perfect time to set the tone for a great week to come! 

If you missed my take on LML, you can find it here. If you missed the explanation of LML Monday, you can catch up here.


Like I mentioned on Friday, my family and I headed out into the woods over the weekend for our first camping trip with the Cub Scouts. Not only did we survive, but we managed to have a fantastic time along the way. I have many wonderful pictures and stories to share, in what is looking now like a six-part "Camping Adventure" series to come. So I hope you'll stay tuned! :)

But for the sake of today's post, I'll just start with a couple of the highlights.

Toasted Marshmallows (and S'Mores, or course!)
One of the best parts of camping (for me, anyway) is the campfire. I love the smell of the burning wood, and the warmth that it offers on a cold night, and how relaxing it is to just sit and watch the dancing flames while enjoying a peaceful night out in nature.

Of course for the kids, the campfire is important for another reason. Yep, all day Saturday my daughter kept asking "Is it time for s'mores yet?" and "Can we toast the marshmallows now?" Fortunately the waiting didn't kill her like she seemed to think it would, and that night we finally got to toast the marshmallows and make some ooey-gooey s'mores.

The kids were adorable, holding the forks oh-so-carefully over the flames. (They're like me, and don't like to catch the marshmallows on fire. Just a slow, gentle toasting is good for us.) And their delighted faces once they bit into the s'mores were priceless. Definitely one of our favorite moments of the whole trip.


Unopened First Aid Kits
My daughter has a tendency to fall down and get hurt. A lot. (The poor thing inherited some of her mom's balance and grace, I'm afraid.) So one of my main concerns about our camping adventure weekend was having a well-stocked first aid kit. And I admit, I was a little nervous as I tried to anticipate how she might hurt herself, and whether I would be prepared for it.

But I'm thrilled to say that my fully stocked kit went completely untouched this weekend. We didn't need any bandages, or disinfectant, or any of the myriad of supplies that I had packed. We were able to explore, and discover, and have an adventure without a serious medical incident. And that made me very happy.

Ok. I shared mine - now it's your turn! Please feel free to leave me a comment and share some of your recent LML moments. Focus on the happy thoughts, and let's all have a great week!

And if you're a blogger and would like to get in on the LML fun, feel free to grab the code and join the blog hop! Your post doesn't specifically have to use the "LML" label (although you're welcome to use it if you'd like, and the graphic that goes along with it.) If you have any kind of happy, positive Monday message that you'd like to share you're welcome to join. The more happy vibes, the better the Monday!

No Phones, No Lights, No Motorcars (or something like that)

www.fs.usda.gov

I will be going off the grid, so to speak, for the next couple of days. The family and I are headed out to the woods for our first Cub Scout camp out. (The picture above is a Forrest Service photo of the area close to where we'll be.) Beautiful, yes? With the temperatures here in the valley already reaching the 90s, we're definitely looking forward to escaping the heat for a few days in the high country.

It should be an interesting experience, since our kids have never been camping before. (I know. I'm more than a little ashamed of that. Better late than never, though, right?) They're very excited, and have been doing a countdown for the past week or so. And telling everyone they see that "We're going camping this weekend!!!"

I'm hoping to come back with plenty of great stories to share with all of you. So... wish me luck. I haven't been camping since I was a kid, and neither has my husband. I'm pretty sure I still remember how to do it. And I'm almost certain that the kids are going to love it. Mostly, I just hope I don't look like too much of a newbie in front of all the experienced scouting families. :)

The Silliest Thing About People

My daughter spilled a little bit of milk when she was finishing her cereal this morning. As soon as she was done (and without being asked - I'm so proud!) she got a napkin and cleaned up the spill. As she did it, she explained, "Mommy, since I made a mess, I'm cleaning it up."

I thanked her, and told her I was proud of her for being so responsible. Then she looked at me with a very serious expression and said (in a somewhat baffled tone) "Mommy - did you know that some people make messes and don't even clean them up?!"

"I know!" I said, matching her tone. "Can you believe it?"

"That's ridiculous!" she declared, shaking her head. I agreed. As we walked up the stairs, she shook her head again and said (this time somewhat mournfully) "That's just the silliest thing about people."

So there you have it. More wise words from my five-year-old.

If you make a mess, please clean it up. If you break something, please try to fix it. If you hurt someone, please try to make up for it. Take responsibility for your actions, and do the best you can to set things right if you make a mistake. Otherwise, you're just being silly.

Bittersweet Moments

When you're a parent, you live your life for your kids. You care for them. You teach them. You help them develop into the people that they are going to be. Some of your proudest moments are when you see your kids accomplish something new on their own. 

But those are also some of your saddest moments. It means that your babies aren't babies any more. It means that they're one step closer to independence. It reminds you that they are growing up, and that one day they will fly away.

It happens much too quickly, too. One day they're babies...

You blink once, and see how much they've grown...

And then before you know it, your babies have been replaced by these wonderful little people. You're proud of who they have become, but at the same time you marvel at how quickly it flew by.

My little people have recently entered a new phase of their lives, and I'm handling it about like you'd expect. 

Our "morning routine" changed this week. In the past, they would always wake up before me in the morning and either play or watch cartoons until I told them it was time to get ready for school.

But this past Monday they surprised me. This time when they came into my room a few minutes before my alarm was set to go off, not only were they already completely dressed (shoes and all) but they had already brushed their teeth too. No more help needed with the toothpaste or shoelaces, it would seem. 

They still needed a little bit of help with their hair, and they needed me to get their vitamins (because the lids are child-proof, but also because "we know we're not supposed to touch those on our own.") 

So I still got to feel a little bit useful. But I still recognized the moment, and what it represented. And as proud as I was of their growing independence, my heart still ached just a little bit.

Blissful Ignorance, How I Miss You

Due to some incredibly poor planning on my part, I ran out of Coffee-mate this morning. This basically left me with three options:

1) make a trip to the grocery store
2) don't drink any more coffee today
3) drink it without the Coffee-mate

Grocery shopping is already on my to-do list for tomorrow, and there wasn't really any way to work it in today. With that in mind, and considering my particular disdain for shopping, I just couldn't bring myself to make an extra trip just for one thing (no matter how important it might be.) So that option was out.

As for not drinking any more coffee today... well, that just wan't going to happen. So I reminded myself that there was a time in my life before I discovered Coffee-mate. Plain milk worked just fine in those days, so there was no reason it couldn't work again.

But the thing is, there is a reason that sayings like "you can't go home again" and "you can't un-ring a bell" exist. Once you've moved on with your life, the things you left behind will never be the same, or as good as you remember them. Once you know that something exists, you can't pretend you don't. Because now you know what you're missing.

It's like your life before a DVR, when you didn't think there was anything wrong with how you watched TV. But once you know what it's like having the ability to pause and rewind what you're watching it drives you insane if you suddenly can't do it.

Or life before the satellite radio, when we thought it was silly to pay extra for it when we could already get radio stations for free. But now we know what it's like to have so many specialized stations that cater to our whims and don't play commercials. I don't know about you, but I hardly listen to "regular" radio at all any more.

So yes, I had my coffee. And yes, it was okay with milk. But it did make me a little sad that I couldn't go back to the blissful ignorance of days gone by.

Happy Earth Day

We didn't really do anything special to celebrate this time, but my daughter did color a special picture that she wanted me to share with all of you. 

I asked her what the stuff around the earth was, and she said "hair." (Much in the tone of "Duh!") I asked why she decided to give the earth hair, and she just shrugged and said "To be silly." So there you have it. :)


Want to learn more about Earth Day? You might find these links helpful:

Earth Day Network
The Nature Conservancy
Earth Week 1970
History.com

Look Deeper

It's Monday once again, my friends. And as always that means it's time to reflect on the things that made us happy over the past week. And of course now is also the perfect time to set the tone for a great week to come! 

If you missed my take on LML, you can find it here. If you missed the explanation of LML Monday, you can catch up here.


I have to admit that this past week was kind of rough. I wasn't really feeling well most of the time (having a lot of issues with pain and headaches.) I wasn't able to do a lot of the things that I had wanted to do. My typically awesome kids were having a hard time remembering how well behaved they usually are.

These are the times when it's easy to wallow. When it's easy to say that there's "nothing good" going on right now. And these are the times when I believe that it's most important to look deep inside and find something to be happy about. Something about life to appreciate.

Even when the pain is bad, or the kids are being monsters, or nothing seems to be going right, there are still little moments to cherish. Being able to have a family dinner together. Watching the kids use their amazing imaginations and invent incredibly creative games. Telling knock-knock jokes that don't make any sense, and laughing hysterically about them anyway. Being surrounded by the people you love, and being happy for each day that you get to spend with them.

I suppose that when it comes right down to it, this is what the LML theory is all about.

Ok. I shared mine - now it's your turn! Please feel free to leave me a comment and share some of your recent LML moments. Focus on the happy thoughts, and let's all have a great week!

And if you're a blogger and would like to get in on the LML fun, feel free to grab the code and join the blog hop! Your post doesn't specifically have to use the "LML" label (although you're welcome to use it if you'd like, and the graphic that goes along with it.) If you have any kind of happy, positive Monday message that you'd like to share you're welcome to join. The more happy vibes, the better the Monday!

It Never Hurts to Be Nice

My daughter and I stopped for breakfast while we were out running some early errands the other day. Her favorite part, as it usually is these days, was ordering her own food. She's been on this kick for a while, where she does not want me to order for her. She likes showing off what a big girl she is, and what nice manners she can use.

So she placed her order. "May I have some oatmeal please?" And to drink? "May I also have some milk please?" She was very proud of herself, and the woman behind the counter seemed very impressed. And of course I was proud of the wonderfully sweet girl that I'm helping raise.

As we sat enjoying our food, I couldn't help but overhear some of the other customers that came through. And I also couldn't help getting irritated. (I try not to let it bother me, but it still always does.) It seems like every time I'm in a fast food restaurant, or a convenience store, or any other place where people are being served from behind a counter, someone comes in and demands (usually rather rudely) "Yeah, gimme a ..." or "Let me have a ..." whatever it is that they want.

To their credit, the people behind the counter almost always handle it well, and usually at least act like they didn't even notice the unnecessary rudeness. But it always makes me bristle. I know - the attitude isn't directed at me. Maybe it's not my place to be concerned with it.

But it does concern me. I'm concerned by what it says about our society. I'm concerned that we as a culture think that it's okay to treat someone disrespectfully just because it's their job to help us. I'm concerned by the lack of value that we seem to place on other people.

Maybe you think I'm being over-dramatic. And maybe I am. But I can't help but think about the difference it makes to me when someone chooses to speak to me kindly, as opposed to being rude just because they can. (And I have a feeling I'm not alone here.)

So if someone is being paid to wait on you, and you're paying for the goods they are delivering... there's a pretty good chance that you're going to get what you ask for. It really isn't necessary to be rude or demanding. And it never hurts to be nice.

Epic Parenting Win

My kids are sci-fi geeks, which I think proves that I'm doing something right as a mother.

I'd say that a majority of our creative play here at our house revolves around one of their two favorite things - Star Wars and Doctor Who. They're hooked on both, and love to have lightsaber battles, freeze each other in carbonite, travel in the TARDIS, and battle the weeping angels. They keep me constantly entertained.

It was the combined love of Star Wars and Doctor Who that led to my kids' first mashup. It cracked me up, and made me so proud.

They were playing in the bathtub one night, when (for some reason) they decided to be Daleks. It made me think of this cartoon that I had seen floating around online.

So I told them about it (and explained what exfoliate means) and of course they thought it was hilarious. They both grabbed their sponges and started reaching for each other, shouting "ex-fol-i-ate!"

They did this for a little while, and then I heard my son say, in the Dalek voice:

"Ex-fol-i-ate! ... Ex-fol-i-ate! ... Ex ... Ex ...
X ... X-Wing Fight-er! ... X-Wing Fight-er!"

Then they went on to play Jedi vs. Dalek for the rest of bath time. It was epic.

Don't Be Afraid to Say It

Did you ever have one of those little random encounters with a stranger that completely changed your day? Yeah, that happened to me this morning.

I was out running errands and stopped to get something to drink. As I was filling my cup, a man came up next to me. I only noticed him from the corner of my eye, but I heard that he was humming a little tune, and saw that he had that general aura of happiness about him. I smiled to myself, because happiness is contagious.

He suddenly turned to me and said "You're very pretty." I kind of chuckled, and told him that he was very sweet. He cocked his head a little and said "No, I'm serious. You're beautiful."

Now, I don't know if the guy was just being goofy, or if he was on drugs, or if he really did think I was beautiful. Either way, it made me smile, and I appreciated the kind gesture.

Of course that got me to thinking about the impact that someone's kind words can have on us. Which in turn led me to think about how many times I've passed up the opportunity to show that kindness (particularly to a random stranger.)

I could recall several times when I had thought something nice about someone (you have really pretty eyes, those are really cute shoes, that color looks nice on you, etc.) but didn't work up the nerve to say anything. I complimented them in my head, but then just kept it to myself. Mostly because I didn't want to seem weird.

What would it have meant to those people if I had actually said it out loud? Maybe nothing. Maybe they would have thought I was weird. Or maybe it would have brightened their day just a little bit. I hope that next time I'll have the courage to take that chance.

Pop Tarts and Candy Corn

It's Monday once again, my friends. And as always that means it's time to reflect on the things that made us happy over the past week. And of course now is also the perfect time to set the tone for a great week to come! 

If you missed my take on LML, you can find it here. If you missed the explanation of LML Monday, you can catch up here.


On Friday my family started what I'm pretty sure is going to become a weekly tradition of "Family Movie Night." I introduced the kids to The Avengers, which they loved (and that made me very happy.) We ended up staying up way too late, but it was a great time, and totally worth it.

The best part, though, was when I made the "movie night" suggestion. We were talking about what we might do, and I mentioned getting some snacks and treats for us to enjoy while we watched. I mentioned popping some popcorn, and then immediately remembered that everyone in the family likes popcorn... except my son.

I was about to tell him that we could find something else that he'd like, since I knew he wouldn't want popcorn. But he beat me to it, with a fabulous solution that I'm pretty sure only a six-year-old could come up with. He said, "Well, since I don't like popcorn, could I have a pop tart, and some candy corn? Then I could have something with 'pop' and something with 'corn,' and it would be almost like what you're having!"

That may not have been my first choice of a snack combination, but of course I said yes. Partly because there was no harm in his request, and partly because problem-solving skills that clever and brilliant just have to be rewarded. :)


Ok. I shared mine - now it's your turn! Please feel free to leave me a comment and share some of your recent LML moments. Focus on the happy thoughts, and let's all have a great week!

And if you're a blogger and would like to get in on the LML fun, feel free to grab the code and join the blog hop! Your post doesn't specifically have to use the "LML" label (although you're welcome to use it if you'd like, and the graphic that goes along with it.) If you have any kind of happy, positive Monday message that you'd like to share you're welcome to join. The more happy vibes, the better the Monday!

The Best Medicine

I admit it. I'm a fan of the lesser-known holidays. (But you already figured that out, I'm sure.) We celebrate it all around here. From National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day and National Taco Day, to Banned Books Week and World Smile Day. And even our own made up excuses to celebrate.

So today's International Moment of Laughter Day might not have changed our routine that much (because around here, we find every chance we can to laugh already.) But I still had to acknowledge it, because having something called International Moment of Laughter Day is just cool.

And laughter is always good. And it will very nearly always make you feel better when you are down, as I witnessed just today. (I was having one of those "bad pain days" that sometimes happens when you live with chronic pain. But it turns out that a tickle fight - and my daughter's contagious laughter - was just what I needed to perk me up a bit.)

You already know that "laughter is the best medicine." But if you don't want to just take an old cliche's word for it, there's plenty of research to back it up.

Try this article from helpguide.org about the physical, mental, and social benefits of humor and laughter. Or this article from Psychology Today. Or this article from CNN.

Or you can skip the reading and just go find something to make you laugh. Watch your favorite funny movie. Visit your favorite humor web site. Get into a tickle fight. Whatever you do, take a moment and laugh. I just bet you'll find that it makes you feel better.

And because almost nothing is better than hearing babies laugh, I leave you with this:

It's National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!

By now you know how much my family loves any excuse to celebrate. So when we learned that today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, there was no way we were going to pass that up. (How could we? Grilled cheese is awesome!)

It just so happened that this awesome holiday fell on a Friday, and that my husband had one of his rare nights off. So with no school tomorrow and no other pressing issues for the moment, we decided to turn it in to a Family Fun Night, complete with not-your-typical-grilled-cheese, and plenty of other fun and games to go with it.

We started with the sandwiches, of course. And they may have started off like average grilled cheese...

...but then we played "choose your toppings" and things got much more interesting.

Between the turkey, pepperoni, tomatoes, jalapenos, and four kinds of cheeses to choose from, everyone got make their own fabulous combination. And they were delicious.

The best part about these super-duper special grilled cheese sandwiches (besides the Yum! factor) was that they were really thick, and thus took a while to cook. The extra cooking time gave us plenty of room for some pretty epic Wii battles, and that always makes for a good time. :)

This was definitely my new favorite way to make a grilled cheese. (And apparently the same is true for my kids. My daughter told me "I think you should make it like this every time.") And tonight is my new favorite grilled-cheese-related memory. (Yes. That's a thing now.)

How about you? I'd love to hear your favorite recipes, or sandwich-related stories. And if you haven't had your fill of grilled cheese yet, check out this article from TLC about the history of the grilled cheese sandwich. Or you could take it to the next level with the 11th annual Grilled Cheese Invitational being held in Los Angeles later this month.

The Treasure Box

My son's teacher keeps a box of toys and trinkets in the classroom, and when the kids do something worthy of a reward, they get to choose something to take home. They call it the treasure box.

This afternoon my son got rewarded with a trip to the treasure box. But instead of picking out something for himself, this is what he chose.

A little plastic ring, perfect for his sister. Such a little thing, but the selflessness of the gesture was huge. And the way it made her face light up was priceless.

He told her, simply, "There was mostly 'girl stuff' in the box, so I got something I thought you'd like." She loved it, of course, and he was rewarded with several hugs and "I love you" reminders all throughout the evening.

They may not always get along like the best of friends. (They bicker from time to time, like all siblings do.) But fortunately the love they show each other far outweighs everything else. And the little moments like this melt my heart every time. This is what being a mom is all about.

Thank Goodness for My Knees

Between the migraines and the plantar fasciitis, I literally have pain from head to foot. Throw in all of the other chronic conditions that I live with, and the pain is nearly body-wide. It's not fun, but it's life, and I've pretty much learned to live with it.

But some days are worse than others, as anyone with chronic pain knows. And the past few days have been pretty rough. We had a storm blow through on Monday, and it hit me pretty hard with some major pain issues. (That's another thing that you have to get used to when you have chronic pain. Any time the weather changes, you have to be prepared to feel it. Usually for several days.)

Seeing that I was having a hard time moving around much, my daughter decided that I needed a checkup. So she pulled out her doctor kit, set up her "office," and called me in for an exam. It was a pretty thorough one, too. She listened to my heart ("I can hear it!") looked at my eyes and ears ("Everything looks good!") and took my temperature. (I got a smiley face, so it must have been good.) Then she started her questions.

"Does your head hurt?" ...Yep.
"Do your shoulders hurt?" ...Yep.
"Does your back hurt?" ...Yep.
"Do your knees hurt?" ...No!

And that was my WOO-HOO moment for the day. There was something on my body that didn't hurt. It may sound silly, but that gave me somewhere new to put my focus, and it actually helped. When the pain in another body part caught my attention, I just consciously shifted the focus back to my knees, and smiled about how much they didn't hurt. And that got me through the rest of the day.

I know I've said it before - it's the little things in life that you treasure. Because sometimes those little things end up making a big difference.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

We took the kids to see the re-release of Jurassic Park over the weekend. (Sure we have it on DVD, and could have watched it at home for free. But why pass up the chance to pay $15 per person to see it?) There is something kind of cool about taking your kids to the theater to see a movie that you saw there as a kid. Plus, you know, it's in 3-D now.

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I had my doubts going into it, but I thought they did a pretty decent job with the special effects. It still didn't really need to be in 3-D, but it was kind of cool. And the kids enjoyed it, which was the point of it all, so I was glad we did it.

No matter how good the movie might have been, though, the best part - without a doubt - was my daughter's addition.

There is a scene toward the end of the movie when the two kids come back to the safety of the visitor center and find an unattended buffet spread out on the tables. They've worked up an appetite while on their dinosaur adventure, so they eagerly dig in to the food. It's a classic "kids being kids" moment, as they grab handfuls (and huge mouth fulls) of cakes and pies and other treats.

Watching the silliness, my daughter suddenly blurts out "REALLY?!"

Now, I can't say for sure that the entire audience heard her. But judging by the amount of laughter that followed it, I'd say at least most of them did. I might have been embarrassed, but it was just too perfect that all we could do was laugh.

LML Monday - Wings & Memories

It's Monday once again, my friends. And as always that means it's time to reflect on the things that made us happy over the past week. And of course now is also the perfect time to set the tone for a great week to come! 

If you missed my take on LML, you can find it here. If you missed the explanation of LML Monday, you can catch up here.


When my husband and I were out celebrating our anniversary this weekend, we ended up at Teakwoods for dinner. (Great wings + great Long Island iced tea = good times!) Usually we go there with the kids (because it's one of their favorite places too) but this time, thanks to Grandma, we had a night to ourselves.

It was nice to have a "date night" to celebrate the special occasion. But because we're parents, the conversation inevitably turned to the kids, and the good times we've had over the years, and all the cuteness we've witnessed. Eventually my husband brought out his phone and we pulled up some videos.

So we sat eating our hot wings, watching video clips of our adorable children. Like our son trying egg nog for the first time. And teaching his sister how to eat a sucker. And a special Father's Day message they recorded for my husband a few years ago. (I couldn't get the videos to upload, but you can follow the links if you want to see them.)

It was a great night with my husband, and a great time seeing all of this cuteness that we created together. With a family like this, how could I not love my life?


Ok. I shared mine - now it's your turn! Please feel free to leave me a comment and share some of your recent LML moments. Focus on the happy thoughts, and let's all have a great week!

And if you're a blogger and would like to get in on the LML fun, feel free to grab the code and join the blog hop! Your post doesn't specifically have to use the "LML" label (although you're welcome to use it if you'd like, and the graphic that goes along with it.) If you have any kind of happy, positive Monday message that you'd like to share you're welcome to join. The more happy vibes, the better the Monday!

And Then I Fell in Love

One of my favorite songs in the '90s was Michael Peterson's "Love's Great." It was all about how wonderful it was being single, and how committed he was to that life. Because love's great (when you're not in it.)

It was totally tongue-in-cheek, of course, and very funny. But for most of my teens and early twenties, it was also kind of my anthem. I swore that being single was the way to be, and couldn't imagine ever wanting to be married.

It wasn't that I had anything against the institution. I just liked being my own person, and didn't think I could ever be happy sharing my life so closely with another person.

And then he came along.

I wasn't looking for it, and I didn't expect it. But it was so obviously meant to be. So I said yes, and haven't regretted it for a minute.

And so today, as I celebrate 11 years of being married to my best friend and the love of my life, all I can say is... thank goodness I was wrong. Love's great, especially when you're in it.

Do you hear the people sing?

So the latest version of Les Miserables came out in stores a couple of weeks ago. And of course I was there that morning to get my copy. And of course I stayed up that night to watch it after the kids went to bed. Because, regardless of how anyone else might have felt about this version, I remain firmly entrenched in the "Loved it!" camp.

Sure, I didn't think it was perfect. Nothing ever is. And there were some things I would have done differently. I'm not a fan of Russell Crow, for example, and thought someone else (anyone else?) could have done a better job as Javert.

And it bugged me a little that Thenardier started off sounding French, but seemed to lose the accent about halfway through the movie. (By the end, he looked more French but sounded more British.) And that Gavroche sounded exaggeratedly British, right up until he said "Vive la France!" (But it's like that in every performance I've ever seen, so I really can't blame this actor or the director.)

But despite the few minor annoyances that I found, I thought that the movie as a whole completely delivered. And I don't think I've ever seen a more gut-wrenching performance than Anne Hathaway's "I Dreamed a Dream." It was absolutely brutal, and I'm pretty sure it was the best version of that song that I've ever seen.

Now, whenever you share your opinion about something, there are bound to be people that disagree. (Particularly if you share said opinion on the Internet!) So when I made a comment on Facebook about loving the movie I was totally prepared for differing opinions, and they didn't bother me at all. (We all have different tastes. You are in no way obligated to love something just because I did, any more than I'm obligated to hate it if you did.)

But there was one comment that got me to thinking, when one of my friends made a remark about this being a "remake." (With the implication that it's been done before, so why do we need another one?) I couldn't really see it that way, though.

The way I see it, the nature of a stage production is that it is meant to be done repeatedly, with different casts, and that every production will be similar but not exactly the same. Sure, this one was done for the big screen and not the stage, but I still think the same principle applies.

Nothing will ever be the same as the original London cast, and that version will always hold a special place in my heart. But I say that a musical this incredible, and this powerful, should never stop being performed. I say make it as many times as you can, and don't ever stop.

I'm curious, though. What do you think? Did you love the movie, or hate it? Was it just another unnecessary remake, or did you welcome another chance to see a new performance? I'd love to hear your opinion!

Accidental Eavesdropping

You know those times when you're sitting in a crowded restaurant, and you just can't help but overhear snippets of other people's conversations? Sometimes it's mundane, and you don't think much of it. But other times, don't you kind of wish that you could hear the rest of the conversation?

While we were out running some errands this morning, my daughter and I decided to stop and have some breakfast. She was pretty deeply engrossed in the puzzles on her placemat, so I sat enjoying my coffee and letting my mind wander a bit (which is when I started picking up bits of other conversations.)

The ladies next to me weren't that interesting. I didn't really care what they were going to buy at Walmart, or whether they had remembered to bring the shopping list this time.

The people at two different tables were having separate conversations about airline travel, which I thought was interesting. (That they were having similar conversations, I mean. Neither conversation was particularly life-changing, though.)

The woman behind me laughed at whoever she was with, and told him "That was SO two years ago!" I was curious about that one, but unfortunately didn't catch any more.

But my absolute favorite one was the guy two tables over, who told his friend, "I mean, I like Charlie Murphy, but only in small doses." That one actually made me giggle a bit.


How about you? Done any good eavesdropping lately?

Recovering From Kitchen Failures

The Internet lies. Oh, I know what you're thinking. "They can't put anything on the Internet that isn't true." But that's actually not the case. Especially when people post these awesome recipes and craft ideas, and make it look like they're so simple that any idiot can do it. Well, apparently they underestimated this idiot.

The kids and I were going to make deviled eggs over the weekend. Because I grew up in Texas, and we make deviled eggs for every holiday. And I had seen these really cool pictures online of people making "marbled eggs" (and talking about how easy it was) so I thought it would be cool to try.

So we boiled our eggs, and the kids helped crack the shells.

We decided to make rainbow colored eggs, which the kids thought would be awesome.

And it provided a great opportunity to reinforce some concepts and practice mixing colors. (Never pass up a learning opportunity, we always say.)

So we mixed all the colors, added some vinegar, and let the cracked eggs soak for about 30 minutes (just like all the online directions had told us to.)

And after all of that, this is what we had to show for it. The shells were pretty...

... but that's about as far as it went.

If you look closely you can see that one of the eggs almost had a little bit of the marbling on it.

I'm not exactly sure what we did wrong, but I'm guessing that perhaps we didn't crack the eggs quite enough. (We were trying to be careful and not break the membrane, as the instructions had all indicated. But maybe we should have been a little more forceful.) Or maybe it was something else. I don't know.

So as I was peeling the eggs, grumbling to myself that the project hadn't worked, I was trying to figure out how to salvage things. And the thought actually went through my head, "Well, now what do we do with the eggs?" That of course made me laugh at my own ridiculousness, because "Duh! We make deviled eggs with them like we were going to do in the first place!"

And so that's what we did.

Because you know how the old saying goes. When life hands you unmarbled boiled eggs, make deviled eggs with them anyway, because they're still delicious.

Fostering Altruism in Children

The thing about the robin's nest treats that I told you about this morning is that a single batch makes a lot of cookies. (Like, more than 7 dozen. Way more than we could ever eat ourselves.) For us, the fun is always in the making of the treats more than eating them, so we always have extras to get rid of (and this time even more than usual.)

So, like they've done in the past when we've made holiday treats, the kids asked if they could take the extras to school. (Yes! Absolutely!) My son's teacher doesn't allow us to bring treats to the class, so we usually just bring them in and share them with the ladies in the office, and any teachers we happen to pass along the way.

It makes for a nice surprise for them, and gives me a way to get rid of all extra treats that we don't need to eat. Win/win! Plus, I don't ever want to deny my kids the opportunity to do something nice for someone else - especially when it's their idea.

So I wrapped the cookies up for easier transport, made some gift tags so that people would know what they were, and we took them to school with us this morning.

As we were making our rounds with our little bag-o-treats, my daughter reached up and took my hand and said "Mommy, it's nice to share things with people. I like seeing their faces turn into smiles."

I don't know if anyone has eaten the cookies yet, or what they thought of them. Everyone seemed very appreciative, and my daughter got lots of hugs and thank-yous. And of course I hope they all loved the treats. But above all, seeing my daughter's love and generosity just completely made my day.

Robin's Nest Treats

It probably comes as a surprise to no one that the kids and I decided to make treats for the holiday over the weekend. (We kind of have a history of doing that.) I mean, who doesn't love some messy fun in the kitchen to celebrate a holiday?

This is another one where I can't take credit for the idea (saw it online, of course.) But I can still take partial credit for how adorable my kids are, so it seemed worthy of sharing. And I figured out some helpful tips of my own, so I'll share those too. (Anything to make your lives easier, should you decide to make these yourselves.)

This is a 3-ingredient recipe. (I love the simple ones.) Chow mein noodles, butterscotch chips (or some people use peanut butter) and Robin Eggs candy (or jelly beans, or any type of egg shaped candy.) It's fairly quick, only a little messy, and pretty easy to clean up.

Start by melting the butterscotch. Some people talk about using a double boiler to melt the chips, but microwaving them for about a minute and a half is much quicker and simpler, and works just as well.

Once the chips are melted, just dump in the bag of noodles and mix until they're coated. (This is the hardest part.) And it's the only part that the kids couldn't really help with. They tried, but the mixture is pretty thick and difficult to stir, so they left it to me.

While I was mixing, the kids helped with the next step. The ones that I had seen online just kind of molded their "nests" on waxed paper, but I thought it might be a little easier if we made them in mini muffin cups (which turned out to be a great idea.)

The kids always take this part of their job so seriously.

And take such pride in a job well done. You just have to love it.

With the mixture and the muffin cups ready to go, I had the kids use some Crisco on their hands to avoid having everything stick to them. (It mostly worked.) They weren't too overly thrilled with how it felt on their hands...

...but they decided that they could deal with it.

And then came the best part - filling up the nests. They actually did a really great job, and didn't make nearly the mess that I had expected.

Then came the eggs for the nests.

One thing I learned after the first tray is that the eggs don't necessarily stick to the nests like some people said they would. My solution: a little dab of peanut butter on the bottom of each egg. It worked like a charm, but it was slightly tedious (so the kids graciously allowed me to take care of that part.)

That added step made the project take a little longer than I had expected, but it still wasn't too bad. And, as you can see, it was totally worth it.

LML Monday - Dinosaur Eggs and Doctor Who Marathons

It's Monday once again, my friends. And as always that means it's time to reflect on the things that made us happy over the past week. And of course now is also the perfect time to set the tone for a great week to come! 

If you missed my take on LML, you can find it here. If you missed the explanation of LML Monday, you can catch up here.

Dinosaur Eggs
One of our favorite Easter traditions is the "Dinosaur Egg Hunt" at the Arizona Museum of Natural History (which is, incidentally, one of our favorite museums.) They put out special Easter and dinosaur themed crafts and activities, and hide eggs all over the museum for the kids to find. It's always crowded and chaotic, but also always a lot of fun.

Doctor Who Marathons
If you follow this blog, then I imagine you've already picked up on the fact that I'm raising a couple of little sci-fi geeks. (It's probably one of the more awesome things in my life, to be honest.) So of course we were all very excited about the return of Doctor Who over the weekend.

So I grabbed my favorite Dalek mug, the kids grabbed their plush TARDIS, and we spent a good portion of the weekend watching the replay of the first half of the current season leading up to the mid-season premier. We couldn't watch them all at once, of course, so we came back for an episode or two at a time. It was a great way to break up the weekend - and a fabulously geeky-fun way to spend time with the kids. :)

Ok. I shared mine - now it's your turn! Please feel free to leave me a comment and share some of your recent LML moments. Focus on the happy thoughts, and let's all have a great week!

And if you're a blogger and would like to get in on the LML fun, feel free to grab the code and join the blog hop! Your post doesn't specifically have to use the "LML" label (although you're welcome to use it if you'd like, and the graphic that goes along with it.) If you have any kind of happy, positive Monday message that you'd like to share you're welcome to join. The more happy vibes, the better the Monday!