Gone Fishin'

My friend Erika called earlier this week and wanted me to make some fishing themed cupcakes for her son Tate's class to celebrate his 9th Birthday. I came with this GREAT idea, but couldn't figure out how to make the string on the fishing pole. My first thought was to use fishing line, but I just KNEW some 3rd grader would eat it and sue. So, I decided on Twizzlers. Last night, I dutifully tied 30 strings onto pretzel fishing poles so I could deliver the cupcakes to Erika when I took the girls to school this morning. Of Course, we were running late to school today. As I was carrying the box of cupcakes to the car, I noticed that one of the strings was "untied". I opened the box of cupcakes and ALL of them had come untied. Not just untied, but the twizzlers BROKE on every one!! I ALMOST cried. If Jody hadn't readily volunteered to take the girls and Micajah to school so I could re-do the cupcakes, I think I would have cried. Remember, we were ALREADY running late at this point. A quick phone call to Erika to let her know what happened and that I would bring them soon, I got to work.

As I was re-tying the twizzlers, I called mom for our daily morning chat. We were discussing the de"lemon" I was in and were brainstorming for solutions. The best one mom came up was making the string from pre-chewed bubble gum. If the idea weren't SO gross, it probably would have worked!

Anyway, I got the cupcakes tied and delivered. Erika promised to deliver them immediately to the classroom so the kids could see them before the strings possibly break again!

Kid's Night

A few weeks ago, I had a brainstorm. I was cooking dinner and Micajah wanted to help. I thought to myself "Why not have 1 night a week that one of the children can plan and cook dinner?". It will teach them how to plan a healthy meal, teach them valuable cooking skills, grocery shopping AND relieve me of one night a week of having to plan and cook a meal. Micajah helped me that first night. He wanted to make eggs and toast. Every once in a while, he would yell to his sisters in the next room "Gurls, I'm making them weely WEELY cheesy". They were delicious!!

Last night was Lindsey Kate's turn. She decided she wanted to cook what basically amounts to glorified hamburger helper, corn on the cob, butter beans and brownies. We browned the hamburger meat, cooked regular boxed mac and cheese and mixed them with taco seasoning and sour cream. The beans and corn were leftovers from our Mother's day lunch, but I told her that good "cooker mama's" recycle leftover food.

The best part of the meal was the love that was flowin' during the meal. It was the MOST praised meal we've ever eaten. Don't get me wrong, our family is SUPER appreciative and make great comments over most of the meals I serve, but seeing their reaction to Linds' meal was PRECIOUS. Micajah and Heyward gushed over how DELICIOUS was. Linds bragged to Micajah on how much cheese she put into the meal and I said that she put more love into it than cheese. Jody even went back for seconds. They started planning among themselves what meal they would cook when it was their turn. Micajah was torn between home made pizza and spaghetti. He thinks he can throw the dough up in the air if he makes pizza, so that makes pizza quite appealing. They've also asked if grilling counts as cooking a meal. They want Jody to teach them how to grill. Good times, good times. Micajah even took leftovers to school for lunch today!