Bamboo Sprouts

Well, probably not what you are thinking!!

But we went all out as if it did mean what you are thinking.    Gotta have new shoes for…school…right?

Sophie, second grade

Levi, first grade

Isabella, kindergarten

So here is what it means.    They are enrolled in an enrichment program for homeschooled kiddos this year.  They attend one day a week and take classes like art, science (experiments) and gym with some history and language arts tossed in.  It is all just extra stuff and we will continue to do our regular curriculum the rest of the week.  Last week was the first day, this week was the second.  I had reservations about it, still do I suppose, but am trying to give it a good whirl because I think it is good for both them…and me! 

(Bella is technically kindergarten age since she misses the cutoff by three weeks, so in this program she is in that class.  At home, we have her in first grade with Levi.)

Look at these innocent faces!

Or are they so innocent??

Well at least one of them is NOT. 

Earlier today I discovered that one of these little angel peeps ran their fingers through the frosting on the cake I made yesterday.  No biggie.  And frankly, I pretty much knew who it was.  But when they asked about dessert for tonight, I had them all come line up on the couch (maybe a form of torture in itself?) and asked who it was.  The big punishment I had in mind for this crime?  Whoever ran their fingers through the frosting was going to get the piece they touched!  That is IT. 

But no one fessed up. Oh dear, this was not a problem I had anticipated. Lying just can’t be ignored, so now I had a new problem on my hands.

I said “Well OK then, no cake for anyone tonight.”  Well, Sophie was not pleased about this and refused to leave the couch.  Bella was the first one to get down and run off and Levi was next.  Sophie sat awhile and then went to work!

First, she tried talking to each of them separately, trying to get someone to fess up.  She started with Levi because she remembered him doing something “funny” in the kitchen earlier but she wasn’t sure what he was up to.  LOL.  He convinced her she was talking to the wrong suspect, so she moved on to Bella who flat out refused to fess up. She was sure she had the crime solved, and at that point she just needed the confession. 

She started collecting evidence.  First she and Levi checked out the finger tracks in the cake and their own fingers to see if it could be one of them.  They decided it wasn’t.  Yes, Rick and I just listened and watched all this from the family room.  So then she made the diagram (see top left there in the square) of the cake piece and the finger tracks through it.  Then she traced Levi’s finger and Bella’s finger, labeled them, and compared them to the actual track marks.  Are you rolling on the floor yet?  Rick and I were so amused at all her detective work. 

Anyhow, the ending isn’t as cute as all the detective work going on.  During most of this Bella was downstairs in the playroom basically hiding.  Finally, I needed all three for something else (I had given up and figured no dessert was not going to torture anyone for one night). I went looking for Bella.  She didn’t respond.  Sophie looked downstairs, she couldn’t find her and no response.  I then heard Levi say “last I saw her she was hiding under the beanbags downstairs.”  Well, my heart sank and I made a mad dash thinking the worst of her under the very large beanbags we have down there because she wasn’t responding to any of us calling her!!  I tear the bean bags up and throw them and there she is…alive and well and now sobbing.  UGH. 

I try to explain that this should have been no big deal.  She should have just fessed up right away.  That lying is never OK.  I tell her that had she fessed up, she could have had the piece she touched but now she needs to sit at the table and watch the other two eat their cake and she gets none. 

Sheesh parenting is rotten eggs sometimes.  She loves cake the best and I wanted her to have some too.  But, its just cake after all.  And sometimes lessons have to be learned.  Wonder if this one will be. 

By the way, the beanbags are going to the thrift store tomorrow morning.

While folding laundry I noticed that all the kiddos ended up in the hallway reading their library books.  Sophie is suddenly becoming a pretty good reader which is a huge relief to me.  She is starting second grade soon so it is certainly time!  She is reading in character voices and everything.  Very cute.  The little ones are just beginning to read.  I love that they all love books.

They also love light sabers…see the homemade one there?  They used the roll that my fabric came on to make some sabers.  Of course they HAVE sabers…but homemade ones always top store bought!

We have lived in this house for five years now and suddenly I can see the things that need some work.    The house had been totally remodeled by an investor when we bought it and it all seemed fine and besides some color on the walls, I pretty much left things alone.   Most of the things that need doing are small, manageable projects so we are working on them a bit at a time. 

In the last week, we did some little things in the kitchen.

(before):

(Another before):

After:

Can you tell what is new? 

Five years without handles on the cupboards and I finally chose some. 

Then yesterday I made new drapes for the breakfast nook and a new valance for over the sink.  The fabric looked so bold on the roll at the store but hanging up, they don’t quite pop as much as I thought they would!  Ugh.  Well, the fabric was a small fortune and I am hoping they will grow on me.  They do have the right colors, brown, gold, red and green. 

The valance is blocking too much of the view so we are going to raise it up.

But all in all, these small changes make me:

  More sprucing coming soon!

I made this cold pasta salad last week when Rick was out of town because he doesn’t consider stuff like this real food!

Cook a pound of pasta.  I like it slightly more done than aldente for this, but not overcooked.  Rinse with cold water.

Cook 16 oz of frozen peas for just a few minutes and then stop the cooking by rinsing with very cold water.

Chop up some carrots and cucumber and whatever else sounds good to you.

Dump peas and chopped veggies in with noodles and toss around.

In a small bowl, mix up some mayo (about 3/4c) and some mustard (start with 2-3T and add to your liking) or some honey mustard.  I didn’t have honey mustard so I mixed a little sugar (about 1T or so) in with my mayo and mustard.  Also add a bit of onion powder and garlic powder.  Once mixed, pour this mixture over the pasta mixture and toss it around.  Yum.

This week:

Monday- burgers, corn on the cob, PW onion rings

Tuesday- Spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, salad

Wednesday-chicken sandwiches, sweet fries

Thursday- Meatball sandwiches with leftover meatballs, salad

Friday- navajo tacos

Saturday- The MaMa is going out with friends from high school so my peeps are on their own (with their Daddy!)

Sunday- meatloaf, mashers, green beans, salad, applesauce

Fall is in the air a bit right now and I can’t wait to start making soups and stews and homemade breads!