House of Estrogen

Lessons Learned from an Elementary School Science Fair

1. Eight year olds are very busy people. Scheduling time for three of them to work together on a science fair project is next to impossible. You'd think we were scheduling a meeting for three hot-shot executives rather than third graders. Gymnastics, illness, piano, homework, dance, scouts, Y princesses, birthday parties, play dates, track-out camp, board meetings, taxes, alligator wrestling, ice fishing, hang gliding... the list goes on and on. 

2. You can cook hot dogs in a Pringles can! Who knew?

3. Elementary school science fairs should have two categories... student projects and parent projects. Currently, all of them are displayed together under the guise of being student projects. Somehow that just doesn't seem fair to the students who actually completed their projects themselves.

 
4. One science fair tri-fold board can eat up three glue sticks whole.

 

5. J.C. gets to be in charge of the science fair project next year!

Simple Woman's Daybook, March 29, 2010

For Today...

Outside my window... my new little plum tree has finally sprouted a few blooms! It must have heard my pleas last week.

I am thinking... I really don't like working on Mondays. Normally Mondays are my day-off, but since I need to take Friday off for Good Friday, I'm working today.

I am thankful for... Elise having a really great teacher this year.

From the kitchen... Korean BBQ beef, edamame, rice 

I am wearing... jeans, a Santa Fe tee, and socks my mom knit.

I am creating... the girls want to dye Easter eggs, so I guess we'll do that on Friday when they are out of school.

I am going... to the beach later this spring... yea! We finally booked a beach house. The countdown is on.

I am reading... just a few blogs and People magazine. 

 I am hoping... that my cousin's son who was recently arrested for some really bone-headed moves gets through his trial OK and is able to go on to college. I also hope he has better judgement in the future.

I am hearing... the TV Show "Pretty Wild". It is junk food for the mind. I can feel my brain rotting as I watch it.

Around the house... plastic Easter egg parts.

One of my favorite things... Modern Family... anybody else watch it? That is a seriously funny show!

A few plans for the rest of the week.... this is a pretty easy week. I have book club on Wednesday, and we need to figure out what we're doing for Easter. That's about it!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... Elise and Nina in the life jacket relay at a Girl Scout event last weekend where they learned about sun and water safety. Don't ask me about Nina's hair styling... I've given up trying to understand that child's fashion sense!

 

 
 
   
  To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

I Don't Live on a Farm

This morning, I was awakened by Nina at the foot of my bed yelling into a plastic megaphone, "COME ON PEEPS! WHY ARE YOU PEEPS STILL IN BED? GET UP! COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO! COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!"

This was on SUNDAY morning no less... the one day of the week I can sleep in a little bit. There is a reason I don't live on a farm.... so I don't have to get woken up by ROOSTER CALLS!

Note to self... make sure the toy megaphone goes into the next box for Goodwill.

Hunting Eggs

Today was our big neighborhood Easter egg hunt. I don't remember having big organized egg hunts like this when I was growing up.

 

I remember my older cousins hiding eggs for me in my grandmother's backyard. I'm guessing the eggs weren't even filled with anything though... just the hunting was enough entertainment.

  

Vague memories of egg hunts during Sunday School at church are stuck in the cobwebs in my brain, so I think I must have done them there as well.

I certainly do not remember any big hunts like today's though with relay races, photos with the Easter Bunny, and somebody with a megaphone announcing egg hunt start times for each age group.

Life was simpler back then... less candy, fewer junky made-in-China fits-in-an-egg toys, no Easter bunny photo ops.

Simple was nice.

 

Some likely think simple was better.

There is nothing wrong with simple. That said, today was a wonderful day. The weather was perfect. The Bradford pears and daffodils are blooming. We spent time outside with friends and neighbors, and the girls had a great time hunting eggs. There were even Lofthouse Cookies... mmmm.

Things may be different now. There are certainly more Sweet Tarts, Laffy Taffy, and Starbursts involved in this holiday than there ever was when I was growing up, but I'm OK with that. Today was a great day.

 
 
 
 
  
  

A Belated Birthday

Nina's sixth birthday party was belated in more ways than one. After being postponed twice, when we were finally able to have it, my computer was dead, so I couldn't download or post pictures. Now that we have purchased a new computer, the pictures are even more belated than the party itself. I did learn this week why the two girls who had rsvp'd yes did not attend. Their mother had entered the party on the wrong date in her calendar, and they arrived at the party venue a week late. It was a strong birthday curse this year!  You can hardly blame the woman for getting the date mixed up though... when a party is scheduled that many times, it is easy to get confused!

Anyway, without further ado, here are the pictures... just a little proof that we did indeed eventually have the party.

There were lots of serious faces concentrating on art projects...

   

 
  
After painting came the cake... MY EYES! MY EYES! Somebody shield MY EYES!! Even looking at the picture is painful... those big green slugs next to the rosebuds, the "Happy Bir^#$%*y Ninu" lettering, and the creepy green food coloring that seeped out on to the white. Beggars can't be choosers though... when the birthday curse ruins the homebaked rainbow cake, and the Sam's Club bakery case is your savior. This is what you get when you put the six year old in charge of choosing the cake. It had the most yellow. Sigh.

Nina had picked out a "6" candle for the cake for her original party that was scheduled months ago. After all this time, I wasn't sure I could find it, so I threw a box of regular cake candles in the bag. J.C. located the "6" candle just before we left the house though, so we were able to use that. Nina spotted the other candles in the bag, so she decided we needed all of them. Voila... fugly cake on fire.

 Next, on to the presents. You gotta know the friend who gifted these knows Nina well... her mom said that N was absolutely determined to give Nina flip flops as her gift!

Finally, time to say good-bye and send the girls on their merry way with their creations.

 This should be the last of Nina birthday posts until next year. Thank goodness! 
 
  

Sweetheart Dance

I love that the Girl Scouts host the Father/Daughter Sweetheart Dance every year. It is such a wonderful father/daughter activity. All year, whenever Elise sees pretty dresses as we're out shopping, she begins planning her outfit for the event. Somehow, I never pictured J.C. as one who would enjoy the Father/Daughter Dance, but I think he looks forward to it almost as much as she does.

Nina isn't old enough for the dance yet and was crushed as she saw Elise getting ready. J.C. was planning on taking Elise out for a special dinner before the dance, so we quickly threw Nina into Elise's dress from last year. That way, she could tag along for dinner!

The dance happened to fall on J.C.'s birthday this year, so I called the restaurant and arranged for a surprise birthday dessert at the end of their meal. After dinner, they brought Nina home, and J.C. presented Elise with her corsage. The corsage is definitely a highlight of the evening for her!

After they left, Nina took advantage of her snazzy dress and my camera in hand to do a little modeling - always the ham!

The necklace she is wearing belonged to my grandmother. Her father gave it to her for her first fancy party or dance. I wore it occassionally for special occassions when I was growing up, so it is really special to see it now on Nina.

 

With three girls in the family, I guess J.C. has many more of these events in his future!
 
  

Simple Woman's Daybook, March 22, 2010

For Today...

Outside my window... every tree on the block is blooming except for our sad little new plum tree. Truly, I think our yard is the only one on the block without a tree exploding in gorgeous shades of pink or white. Please, little tree, bloom for me!

I am thinking... that I really like the Gayle King Show on Oprah's XM radio station. She irritated me the first few times I heard her, but now somehow I'm hooked. I listen to her every morning. When my XM free trial ends, I think I may have to subscribe to the more expensive package that includes Oprah radio just for Gayle's show!

I am thankful for... my parents thinking about moving to be near us!

From the kitchen... this is a BIG departure for me. You have to understand that if I plan a meal more than about 6 hours in advance, I give myself a pat on the back for great planning. Every week though, I covet Kristy's "From the kitchen" entry on her blog The Man Crew because she lays out her meals for the entire week. That concept is so completely foreign to how my brain functions, but I've decided to give it a shot this week. I'm only doing Monday through Friday though... gotta ease into this whole "planning thing".

Monday: chicken roll-ups, broccoli, corn

Tuesday: crockpot tangy London broil, rice, rolls, salad

Wednesday: chicken and asparagus on the grill, potatos, rolls

Thursday: out to eat with one of Elise's old teachers before the science fair

Friday: spaghetti, garlic bread, salad 

I am wearing... denim capris, a purple tee, and Birks.

I am creating... a little something for my mom's birthday if I can find the time. Shh! (Mom, just pretend you didn't read this one!)

I am going... to pick-up my online grocery order a bit later today. I big puffy heart online grocery shopping!

I am reading... Magic and the Modern Girl by Mindy Klasky, but I'm almost done with it. I'm hoping to get to the library today to pick up my next book club book, The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain. 

 I am hoping... to finish even half of my to-do list today. It is a mile long, and if I can get at least half done, it will be a productive day.

I am hearing... a little bird chirping... I love spring time!

Around the house... Elise's homework folder and glasses that she forgot this morning. Normally, I let her suffer the natural consequences of forgetting things, but she started off the week in a bad way feeling rotten with her allergies. As soon as she realizes she forgot her folder, it may just push her over the edge. I'm going to take pity on her today and run these over to the school.

One of my favorite things... the new dark cherry mocha at Starbuck's!  It is like they melted a cherry cordial in a cup of coffee... mmmm.  Of course, if you don't like cherry cordials, I'm sure that sounds awful, but for cherry cordial lovers, it is divine!

A few plans for the rest of the week.... a Pampered Chef party to attend, Addie and Nina's appointments with the ENT, the elementary school science fair, and our neighborhood Easter egg hunt.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... yea for spring!

   
  
  
  To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook. 

*ROCKSTAR*

 

2010 Girl Scout Cookie Sales in Numbers

0 - number of moms in the troop who have volunteered to take over as Cookie Mom next year. Sigh.

1 - number of nights Elise's troop will stay at the Great Wolf Lodge on the trip they are paying for with their cookie money.

2 - a.m. - how late I stayed up the night before all the final cookie money and paperwork was due, working with the troop leader at her house, trying to finalize everything.

3 - minimum number of pounds I likely gained through cookies alone.

4 - number of cookie pick-ups from the cookie warehouse.

5 - number of times we went by one neighbor's house trying to deliver the cookies they ordered. There were at least 1-2 cars in the driveway each time. On the fifth visit, we could hear footsteps in the house. We knew they were home. I called them a minute later and said, "Hi, you ordered Girl Scout cookies from my daughters. We've tried to come by several times to deliver but haven't caught you at home. Is it OK if we come by in about 5 minutes?" The person who answered the phone said yes. When we went by a few minutes later, they again chose not to answer the door. Gotta love that neighborly kindness and respect. We gave up. We took one of their boxes to our new next door neighbor who just moved in a few days prior, and we ate the other.

18 - number of cookie transfers I did with other troops

19 - number of booths Elise's troop held, most of which I had to schedule, staff, provide cookies for, and count money after.

27 - minimum number of hours of sleep I need to catch up on sleep.

96 - combined number of Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Hydrocodone, Valium, and Ketorlac pills I took over the past few weeks for the muscle spasms in my neck and shoulder that seem to have miraculously gone away at the same time cookie sales ended. Coincidence? I think not.

180 - boxes of cookies Nina sold.

272 - boxes of cookies Elise sold.

278 - number of checks deposited from payments to Elise's troop.

320 - average number of boxes of cookies sold by each girl in Elise's troop.

374 - boxes of cookies that will be delivered to the U.S. armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan through donations collected by Elise's troop.

1625 - boxes of Thin Mints sold by Elise's troop - more than all the Daisy Go Rounds, Lemonades, Thanks-a-lots, and Peanut Butter Sandwiches combined.

 

5772 - boxes of cookies sold by Elise's troop

$3,174.60 - amount of money Elise's troop earned through cookie sales this year.

$20,202.00 - amount of money collected by Elise's troop for cookies sales this year.... staggering, isn't it?

$287,000 - what the Cookie Mom's salary should be... too bad it is a volunteer gig.

Now... I'm off to eat a few more cookies and then catch up on sleep!

Just Like Stew

Me: "So, Nina, where did Dad take you to lunch after your dentist appointment?"

Nina: "I don't remember the name. It is related to something else. I know it is related, but I don't remember the name."

Me: "Well, what did you eat?"

Nina: "Chicken fingers"

Me: "What did Elise get to eat?"

Nina: "It was just like brunswick stew, but it was a sandwich with chicken on it."

edited 3/20/2010

I had a request for the answer to what type of sandwich might possibly be "just like brunswick stew". Apparently, the restaurant was Danny's BBQ which Nina is convinved is "related" to Dickey's BBQ. Elise had a "brisket" sandwich which sounds like "brunswick."  It all made more sense once J.C. explained it to me, but until then, I was completely lost at how a sandwich with chicken could be "just like brunswick stew."