Saturday, August 18, 2012

Sing, Sing a Song Saturday

I started doing what I call Sing, Sing a Song Saturday.  I'm going to post one song on Saturdays that the boys or I like. 

The song may be part of a movie, a kid's video or just a song we like. It may or may not include words. I'll try and include why we like it and/or the history of the song/singer.

I really like the band Radiohead. I know most people have heard of that band. Sometimes I just like to work to them. Their music is slow and not distracting. It's something I can listen to and write a test to and not get too distracted. I call it calm music. Yet the lyrics are deep.

This week I'm putting up two bands. My favorite video from Radiohead and I googled bands similar to Radiohead and got a band from Iceland called Sigur Rós. Have you ever hear of that band? I haven't.

Sigur Rós is not new. In fact the video I'm showing won awards in Iceland. If you are ready to rock out, this isn't the type of band for that. It's a band that has calm music. They've been featured in a lot of movies here. My main problem is picking one video to show. Just about everyone I watch has something unusual in it.

This is video about being young at heart. They sing in another language, so you won't be able to understand their lyrics. You will however get the message. The song is called: Hoppípolla.


Why did I pick this video? This video has people with special needs. It features the beauty of them. The song is called: Svefn-g-englar.

Here is one of my favorite videos by Radiohead. Do you think they have a similar sound to Sigur Rós? The song is called House of Cards. No cameras or lights were used. Instead, 3D plotting technologies collected information about the shapes and relative distances of objects. The video reminds me of one of those toy pin things you put your face into and it holds the shape.

Source


My favorite song of Radiohead's is Fake Plastic Trees. I love the song, but the video is just ok. I always liked it because where I work the owner's wife, which I love puts fake plastic trees all over. Whenever they get put out I think in my head, It's too bad that they are plastic and not real! They remind me of fake plastic people standing around. They take on their own personalities. The students play some kind of practical joke with them every year.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Funnies of the Week

First off if you didn't check out Mica's kick butt birthday party, do so. I didn't spend a lot and they had a BLAST! Just look a few posts down. Things are getting repeated this weekend due to the fact that we have only had his friend birthday party and not the one with family yet. Another Panda Cake, another Water Balloon Piñata and more Slip N' Sliding on old movie posters. That will probably lead to more pictures.

Mica starts school this upcoming Monday. We have a Meet the Teacher night tonight. He got the teacher he wanted. His best friend got the other class. The friend's mom requested him getting the other class, Mica's class; after he said, "Oh I got the mean teacher." Now he's in Mica's class. I"m not sure how that happened, but YAY to the boys!

Isaak has a preschool meet up on Sunday. Things are picking up! That's not all bad.

Bedtime Funnies:

Isaak

He always mostly goes potty after we put him to bed. Oh trust me I try the whole, "Sit down and go potty!" bit before hand. He sits and says, "I don't have to go!"

By the way he's back in a diaper at night. I took my readers advice and put him back in one. Well he's been dry ever since I wrote that post awhile ago. I'm using diapers because I had some stashed away {Left Overs}. Now I hear, "Mommy my diaper fell off." Oh and, "Mommy my diaper is hurting me." No clue what that's about. I'm about to try the training pants once again. It wouldn't surprise me if I try them and woops he'll start wetting the bed once again. Right now I'm going though diapers that he doesn't wet in at all. I reuse them because I put underwear under them, so he feels the wet and so I don't have to throw the clean diaper away every time. Oh Mommy dilemmas!

Isaak: "Mommy I have to go pooooooop!" He sort of drags out that word, so that's why I put in extra o's. 
Me Annoyed: "You know where the bathroom is at, GO!" 
Isaak: "Mommy come wipe me!" 
Me: "Isaak we're going to have to teach you to wipe your own booty." 
Isaak: "I can't. I can't wipe my butt until I'm older than you and taller than you!" 
Me: Mommy Sigh!

So he'll need to be trained how to do that when he doesn't want to be trained. That's always fun, NOT!

Mica

Mica has all these new toys. He's been getting distracted to say the least.

Me: "Mica it's time to stop playing and get your homework done." His Kindergarten teacher gave them homework for over the summer.
Mica: "But I want to play!" 
Me: "Give me those. I'm keeping the Lego Batman, Spider-Man and Joker for ransom until your homework is done and your teeth are brushed."
Mica: "Ok my homework is done. Now I get my characters back."
Me: "Nope! It's brush your teeth time."
Mica Dramatically: "Oh but I want to play!" 
Me Watching: He starts to brush his teeth, then picks up a book to look at it. I grab the book away. He grabs his characters back. I grab them back. Then he starts to dance, while brushing his teeth. I shot him a Mommy glare.
Mica: "Alright my teeth are brushed. Now I get my characters back." 
Me: "Nope! You lost them for picking up the book, dancing and so on." 
Mica: "Oh man! I'm going to bed!"
Me: "Good!" :)

For the record my kids usually go to bed very easily. Every babysitter tells me they do. So far I've been happy about that. These are just two situations that have happened recently.

Nature's Floor

This is a Eugene T. Mahoney State Park.

A little bridge on a trail.


I just thought the way the light hit the trees on the ground was pretty interesting.



This shot is just odd. My son was running down the hill and practically jumped at me.


Tuesday, August 14, 2012

WW: Vintage Car {Linky}

My mom's cousin, which would make it my cousin once removed, which would make it my boy's cousin twice removed has an old car. Did you follow that? He drove it to the family reunion. He drove the boy's around a state park. It turns out that, that was the highlight of our family reunion to Mica.

Here the boys are pack in like sardines in the back of a vintage car:

 From left to right: Mica, Isaak, Cousin Elijah, and Cousin Evan

The car:


Off they went:





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Monday, August 13, 2012

Kung Fu Panda Party - Games and Fun

A great way to reuse a clothes line: Make a Water Balloon Piñata off of it. I love the idea of saving money by drying clothes on a line. Lets face it, I don't want to be sleeping in sheets that have pollen in them. Our line has sat empty for years. This weekend I put it to use:

Note: If you planning on doing this, don't do it too far in advance. I did this in the morning. The boys had swimming lessons the morning of Mica's party. I wanted the Water Balloon Piñata ready to go! Well when I got back from swimming lessons many of them were popping and my niece Kailey (the boy's oldest cousin) helped me hang new balloons.

 It was a hit! The boys and girls LOVED it! Here's Mica wacking the Water Balloon Piñata:


I can show this girl's face because it's hidden:


She beat the heck out of the balloons!

Here's Isaak beating them:


My boss let me have the Kung Fu Panda movie poster that were hanging in the school. They get posters, hang them, then take them down when new movies come out. Brave took it's place.

Daddy hung one on our front porch:


Then I thought the other 2 could be used for a Slip n' Slide:


Let me tell ya they slipped and slid!

Here's Mica and Isaak slipping and sliding after the party:



Then we had cake:


Unwrapped gifts:


Note to Mom's and Dad's with 7 year olds: Have a talk with your kid about gift etiquette. I told Mica ahead of time to thank everyone and give them a hug. Well he did that. But he also said when he pulled a small toy out of a big bag, "Oh that's all." Then he said when he got a toy he already had, "I already have this." Inside I was thinking, "Oh no! I have an ungrateful son." I think he's just blunt like any kid his age.

Then I took a group shot of them with their Fu Manchu mustaches on.


Kung Fu Panda Party - Favors and Food

Mica's Kung Fu Panda party was a success. My only problems in posting is A) I took a lot of pictures to go through. B) I have some photos with other kid's faces in them. I can't post them without disguising them.

I tried to have as much done early as possible.

We got the party favors at an Asian Market:

Each girl got a fan.


Each boy got a drum that is a Karate Kid style drum.


Everyone got a Hello Panda treat box to take home.


These are GOOD!

I had a bowl of cut up carrots, a bowl full of grapes, a Panda Cake and Rice Crispy Sushi prepared.

See how to make these here.

The easiest cake I've ever made!



Mica's 7 Year Birthday

Mica was lucky. He had a very good birthday.

We had him open presents at Grandma and Grandpa Spiehs' house before we left for work:


He got this backpack, a Batman Lego set and a game from us called Blurt. After I got him this backpack I came up with a wonderful idea. For Isaak and Mica next year I want to buy a nice plain backpack. Then every year I can buy a sew or iron on patch to switch out of that plain backpack. Then change their minds on what they like twice a year I swear.

He looks so big in this shot to me!


Grandma and Grandpa Spiehs took them to the new Ice Age movie. Then they went to have lunch at Ruby Tuesday. Mica's still talking about how good the food was there. They got him a Angry Birds board game.

We went to The Amazing Pizza Machine. Mostly because I've been wanting the boys to experience bumper cars. Previously they have never been on bumper cars.

Mica looked like he was on a mission.

 

Isaak was happy to drive something.

Blurry I know.



Afterwards Isaak said, "Mommy I didn't mind it when people I knew bumped into me. I just didn't like it when people I didn't know bumped into me." Somehow him saying that didn't surprise me.

Mica chose to play miniature gulf.

Then Daddy and Mica drove the go karts.


I got a lot of pictures that looked like this:


The slow down:


They played on a no ticket construction. Then we went home to put the boys; we cleaned for Mica's friend birthday party the next day.

Mica really had a blast this birthday. From getting all those gifts to spending time on karts. So we celebrated his birthday this way. Such a great way to hit his birthday goals! If you are also planning a birthday occasion for your kid's then you can visit birthday inspire, where you will find thousands of ideas for planning a birthday. Maybe you will also get some unique ideas to plan someone's special birthday.

Grandma and Grandpa Apel's Gift

Since Grandma and Grandpa Apel live far away they send money in a card.

Mica went to pick out his gift from them. This is what he picked out:


It's a Kre-O Battleship Combat Chopper.


Rice Crispy Sushi Rolls

I've seen Rice Crispy Sushi Rolls pinned a few times. I decided I wanted to make them for Mica's Kung Fu Panda birthday party. I put my own twist on the idea. I thought about Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi Rolls, but someone reminded me of nut allergies.

Here's what you need to make Rice Crispy Sushi Rolls:


Directions:
  • Spray a mini muffin pan with flour spray. Set aside.
  • Melt the butter, margarine or oil in a large pan. 
  • Then add the marshmallows. Melt those, stir with a wooden spoon.
  • Stir in the Rice Krispies.
  • I spray my clean hands with flour spray, so the mixture doesn't stick to me like crazy.
  • Start pressing the mixture into the mini muffin pan. Try and work fast. 
  • Add a Swedish Fish to each one as you go. {I know mixing cultures}.
Source

It should look something like this:


They come right out of the pan!

Have your Fruit Roll-Ups in the refrigerator. I tried with them not in there and they were hard to unroll!

Use your kitchen sheers, cut one roll-up in 1/2 and start unrolling them. Then place them around each rice crispy treat.



They turn out so cute:


If you make them just like I did, you'll have 40 rolls. We only went through 20. The rest went to my work. People at my work swore they were real. Some wondered why they weren't in the refrigerator.

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