Friday, February 22, 2013

MY LADY HATH HAD A GOOD TIME!


I fulfilled a decade long dream last night.  I went to Medieval Times with my family. 


I love history.  I love hokey stuff.  I love watching my boys' faces when they see swords and weaponry.  I love having someone else do the cooking.

On all fronts, the night was a major success.  I mean, the Knight was a major success. 

For one thing, I was continually addressed by everyone there as "My Lady."  I'm telling you right now -- that's addictive.



For another thing, my younger son actually ate - and enjoyed - soup.  I realize this picture is lousy, but such a momentous occasion needed to be documented.  It was tomato soup, and you drink out of the bowl, because they don't give you any utensils with your meal. 

It's so Medieval!!

We got seated in the Yellow Knight's section.  Here he is.


Hath he not valor?   He also hath a red carnation, which he threw into the audience at a fair maiden.


Which this fair maiden caught.

OK, well, he threw at least 15 carnations, and many of the other maidens were grandmothers or 8 year old girls.  Still, we all are fair!

It was so Medieval!! Except for that packaged moist towelette they handed out at the end of the meal.

Which I really needed after eating 1/4 roast chicken, spare rib and half a baked potato with my bare hands.  The food was delicious!

There were terrific sword fights, with sparks flying off the blades.    The horses were beautiful to watch.  The bad knight was bested by the good Blue Knight, and all was well in the Kingdom.

I had wanted to take the kids when they were younger, but we never got around to it.  I was worried that maybe they were too old, but we all had fun.  We walked through the torture museum, during which I purposely left my glasses in my purse so I wouldn't have to see the scary painful stuff clearly.  My younger son got a sword in the gift shop, and my older one (15) admired, but did not procure, an axe. 

The whole thing was great. My 15 year old admitted, "I didn't have that bad a time."

A Knight to remember!


Monday, February 11, 2013

How I Spent My Blizzard

All of us in New Jersey were in full panic mode last week with the onset of Nemo The Blizzard.  This is what it looked like on Friday morning when I drove the kids to school at 7:30 a.m.


Just a few flakes on the windshield.  The kids got out of school early.  This is how it looked when my oldest walked Baxter at 3 p.m.


Still not too bad. 

This is how it looked at bedtime.



Yes, super cozy.  Inside, we were doing this:



And playing "Fact or Crap" -- a super fun family board game.  My children did not fight at all during that game, nor did they tease, roughhouse, spit chips by accident when they talked or knock anything over.

Then overnight, we got more snow.  Usually, my favorite part of snow is sledding with my kids, but now they're old enough to sled on their own, with their friends.  I need some mom friends that want to go sledding.  Anyone?

I made my youngest go sledding with me, even though he had already been sledding with his friends for 2 hours.  We had a lot of fun.  And then he made me this.


It's a snowball in the shape of a heart.

I love snow.




Monday, February 4, 2013

GOT MILK?

We drink a lot of milk in this house.  I hate running out of milk and having to make a special trip to the store.  So when I shop on the weekend, I always load up.



I used to buy three gallons every Saturday.  By Thursday, I would be opening the third one.  I started calling it "Third Gallon Thursday."  Naming my days with little slogans makes me feel fun and special.

But this Thursday, we had a problem.


The third gallon was almost gone.  I had to run to the store to get a fourth.  Milk is $3.99 a gallon at our store.  Ouch.

The thing is, the more milk your kids drink, the more they grow, and then before you know it, you're at the store buying them new shoes and jeans.

Today is Monday.  I opened the second gallon of milk this morning.  I'm looking forward to Fourth Gallon Friday.

Got cookies?