What a mess

I've decided to try to make a pinata with the kids. For four years, when I was in high school, we did a pinata each year in Spanish class. Of course that was over twenty years ago. I think we used a wallpaper paste mix for the papier-mache, but I don't have that, only flour.

N was busy playing games on the computer so J and I worked on it while K napped. I cooked up this nasty, pasty glop on the stove after looking over recipes in a book and on the Internet. Then I cut strips of newspaper.

J and I went out in the 90-degree heat with the paste, newspaper strips, and a couple balloons to put the first layer on the balloons. It was sweaty-hot, and my hair got in my eyes when I had glop all over my hands. I tried to get it out of my eyes with out getting paste in my hair, but I failed.

At first I dumped a wad of strips in the paste, but they pretty much disintegrated. I squeezed out as much paste as I could, and heaved the ball into a hole in the yard figuring it's quite biodegradable, and it shouldn't sicken the chickens if they eat it (disintegrating newspaper, flour, water, and a tiny bit of peppermint extract). We determined it worked best just to run one strip of paper through the paste at a time and when the balloon got really gummy, no paste was necessary--the paper would stick and soften on its own.

We got our first layer of papier-mache on our two balloons, and I hung them up in the yard to start to dry. It's so humid, I don't know how it will work. I'll bring them into the house later to finish drying, but hopefully they won't be so sticky at that point.

Now I'm sitting here with stiff hair from the paste. Parts of my jeans and t-shirt are crunchy with paste, and I have a couple itchy-scratchy patches on my arm where the paste has dried but I missed it when washing up.

J had the good sense to take a bath afterwards. I couldn't because K woke up. It was sort of fun, but I'm sort of dreading having to put two more layers of paper strips on the balloons. Next time I'll be sure to pin my hair out of my face. I think I'll wear an older t-shirt, too. The apron didn't cover everything.

Clubhouse--my nutty theory

Brilly has noticed more nastiness at the Clubhouse. Moon-Spinner has noticed a new clique. I have my own suspicions, and I've had them for a while.

They concern a certain member of the Clubhouse. I think she's a government plant looking for pedophiles. If I'm wrong and she sees this post, I hope she has a good sense of humor. If I'm right and he/she sees this post, I hope he/she learns from it what tipped me off, and how to do a better job next time of setting up a fake kid.

It's the name she chose, really, that made me suspicious. it's Xx_Sweet_Plumb_xX. Okay, it's the letter X that makes me suspicious. There are only two on each end of the name, but we all know what an XXX movie theater is. I can't figure out why a real fourteen-year-old girl would set her name off with X's.

Also, I think she's about the age that the police pretend to be when they pretend to be a kid, and she's got a pretty picture of herself with her profile.

Well, you can see from this, there is still some of the little girl who wanted to be a spy, mercenary, or detective left in me. I still haven't given up forming conspiracy-like theories when something just doesn't seem right. I admit, I'm almost always wrong, but it doesn't keep my from thinking things like this.

Computer, food

It's been moderately hot and humid today, but overcast. It keeps looking like rain, and we sure could use some, but I don't think it will actually make it here. The storms are to the northwest, in the mountains.

I made it to the gym today. Last week I only made it twice. Because of N's fever, I couldn't go the third time. He's still got a sore throat, but the fever passed days ago.

I got the new Nancy Drew video game, The White Wolf of Icicle Creek, and it won't run on my computer. My video card isn't good enough. This is the first one that won't run on it, but N, J, and I are very disappointed. I felt so bad that I ordered the four games that are already out that we don't have yet. (I think I have ten of them, but not in order, already.)

My computer turns five this year, I think. It's so much trouble to set up a new computer the way I want it that I dread getting another, plus they are so expensive. I'm offering to send my dad the game since he got a new computer last year that will probably run it. I want him to send it back, though, when I have a new computer in a year or whatever. He hasn't answered my e-mail. I think he's either hoping it will go away or trying to come up with a polite way to tell me he's not interested in video games or Nancy Drew.

We had an excellent main course Saturday. I made a recipe called Boston Baked Cod, only I didn't have cod so I used tilapia. It was very, very good. I also served green beans from the garden. They will soon be going out our ears so I'll have to blanch and freeze them.

Sickness

J was sick for the past couple days. She's had a fever and a sore throat, and she was dehydrated. Tuesday night it got up to 104.7 °F. I first called the insurance company's 24-hour nurse line, which is free, because the kids' doctor's office now charges $7 to $15 for after hour call-backs, and the insurance doesn't cover that. I didn't know that until I tried the doctor's number first. I just wanted to know if I needed to take her to the ER.

J even threw up while I was on the phone with the nurse. The conclusion was that I needed to call the doctor's office. I got a call back from the person on call in less than two minutes. She had me give J a high dose of ibuprofen, but we didn't need to go to the ER. I'll find out what I owe for the call when I get the statement from the doctors' office.

Today J still has a sore throat, but the fever is gone. Unfortunately, N has a sore throat, fever, and nausea today. He was at 102.4 °F when I checked him a few minutes ago. He may be the oldest, but he's the fussiest baby of them all.

Also unfortunately, I have a slight sore throat today. I'm not sure what will happen if I come down ill. No one will take care of us. Even worse, if Mr. K gets ill, we won't have much income. Fortunately this seemed to pass in a couple days for J.

A hot day

Today is very hot. I think we are in the mid-90s right now. I put some laundry out to dry, but I think it is so humid that it will come in damp no matter long I leave it out this afternoon. At least I'm not running the dryer right now, though.

Lunch was an American summer favorite--grilled cheese sandwich. I had it with reduced fat cheddar and white bread. Usually I buy whole wheat, but I didn't this week. I had read that Pepperidge Farm Hearty White Farmhouse bread makes the best breadcrumbs for casserole topping so I thought I'd try it. I had unsweetened iced tea with it. I think I'll have a salad with zucchini on it (I have so much I need to find ways to use it up) later.

Unfortunately N and J won't eat grilled cheese sandwiches. I don't understand why; I grew up on them. I haven't tried giving any to K. She was asleep when I made my sandwich. I think she'd like them, though. She's a pretty good eater.

Dinner tonight will be something called Polynesian Flank Steak. It is marinating in my refrigerator. I started that last night. I'll either cook it in my George Foreman grill or broil it. I will probably serve cooked zucchini with it (gotta use it up), and I'd like to make homemade whole wheat dinner rolls, even though that will involve running the oven. They only bake for 15 or so minutes.

N, J, K, and I all went to the elementary school to register J for kindergarten. We have to come back next week for her to take an assessment test. J's doctor forgot to sign part of the health form, so we have to get his signature on that and bring it back before school starts.

My garden

I've put up pictures of stuff in my garden. The teepee thing is what I hope my cucumbers will climb. I've got a shot of a little cucumber next to my keys. The little things growing next to the wire thing are a type of Asian pole bean called "red noodle." The greenery in the fenced in area with the "gate" opened is my soybean patch. I think my tomatoes are pretty obvious, as is the picture of a zucchini plant. I've also got a picture of my string bean plants, which are starting to bloom. To their right in the picture are my hot pepper plants. The thing covered with netting on a rounded frame with a barn-shaped shed in the background is one of our blueberry bushes. I think they will be ready to pick next month.

The guys

N came home from school within the last hour. He's home for the summer, now. He almost got sent to his room in the first five minutes home. I took pictures of the guys last night. Here they are.

Garden stuff mostly

Last night we ate our first zucchini of the season for dinner. I picked another one today, and I think one or two more will be ready in the morning. J wants me to make lemon zucchini muffins so I hope I'll have enough.

I have a few little green tomatoes forming, and I went to Southern States this evening and got some gypsum that I'll try to put on the plants tomorrow to assure they have enough calcium to avoid blossom end rot this year. Usually I wait until I get it before putting on the calcium.

My cucumbers have both male and female blossoms now, but I haven't seen any that were successfully pollinated yet.

The soybeans are the tallest and most vigorous that I've ever grow. It didn't hurt that I worked the soil quite well before they were planted and then worked in rabbit poop. They are starting to bloom. I'll have to see if plant vigor translates into a better harvest.

My green string beans and yellow wax beans are in bloom so I should be having beans for dinner in a week or so.

I have Swiss chard growing, but I think it will be a while before it is ready for harvest.
Only one eggplant of the two I purchased survived and is blooming, but it will probably need a friend to set fruit. The ones I started from seed are still way to small to start blooming.

I used some tarragon from the pot on my deck in the chicken dish I made tonight, along with a little Egyptian walking onion (I didn't have any shallot like the recipe required).

I talked to a friend of mine on the phone this evening (the one I meet for lunch sometimes), and she's willing to go to see the Nancy Drew movie with me and the kids some time when Mr. K will watch K. She has no plans to see the movie with her husband. I didn't think he'd want to see it.

None again

It's Saturday morning. N and J are watching cartoons. K is on the loose, disturbing everyone. N has shut her out of the family room, where they are watching TV because he said she was too annoying. Now she's snuggling with my leg as I type. I'll probably go play with her soon.

Mr. K is at our rental. I think it is almost ready to rent. We had appliances delivered last weekend.

J went on her first sleepover Thursday night. A friend from preschool invited her over. They spent the afternoon at a pool at the health club her family goes to. She had a great time. She said they ate dinner there, too. My gym doesn't have features like those, but it costs a lot less.

K is now pulling items out of the trash. It's one of her hobbies that I hate.

I think the Nancy Drew movie comes out on June 15. At some point this summer, I plan to take N and J to see it. I'll have to find a time that Mr. K is willing to watch K, which won't be easy. I haven't been to the movies since we took N and J to see their first and only theater movie, Shrek 2.

None

I can't seem to get any of the kids to go to bed. J keeps roaming around, N is up playing in his room, and K is yelling in her bed. When I gave her the pacifier, she tossed it back out of the bed.

N's headache kept him out of school again today. I've had it with these stupid problems, but there is nothing I can do. I didn't get to go to the gym today because he didn't go to school (at least I don't have a "real" job or they'd fire me for calling in all the time). Tomorrow is Club Mom at the mall, and I was going to take J and K. N had better go to school.

I finally finished Harry Potter 6 today. I had forgotten most of it except Dumbledore's fate. I have high hopes for #7. What I can't stand about #5 and #6 is the junk about the teenage relationships. It appears that the relationship stuff is worked out in #6, so if it can just be skipped in #7 (except for a couple weddings), and all the loose ends get tied together, #6 could be a very good book. In any event, it should arrive at my house the day it is released, and since I've just re-read the series, I'm ready to start on #7 (before I forget what happened in #6 again).

None

Here is a picture of K I took last night. Her hair is filling in, she's getting taller, and I think she's slimming down a bit now that she walks everywhere.

J, K, and I went to the gym today. Then we went to the library, and K picked out some videos she wants to watch. Unfortunately, I think my RF modulator is broken a little, and the videos come in very poorly. My TV is old and only has a coaxial cable connection, and the DVD player is newer and has lots of colored plug connections instead of coaxial cable. I need to use the RF modulator to convert the signal from the colored plugs to a signal in a coaxial cable, which can hook up to the TV. I run the VCR through the RF modulator, too, even though it has coaxial cable. I do this so I only have one cable to use for both the DVD player and the VCR, which I switch out with the rabbit ear antenna when I want to see a video or DVD. Boring, I know.

I ordered a new cookbook from Amazon.com. I also ordered a new RF modulator, and together they cost enough to get the free shipping. I just have no idea how long it will take for them to arrive. I probably need another cookbook like I'd need another leg. I saw this one at a friend of mine's house, and it looked great. When I first got married, I had even more cookbooks than I do now, but I couldn't cook; I just collected them. Mr. K forbid me to get any more cookbooks since it appeared that I didn't use them. I pretty much ignored him, but I got rid of those I'd never use, and I had to learn how to cook so we'd have food to eat.

Now I get cookbooks occasionally. I get rid of ones that don't turn out so useful. Mr. K hasn't said a word, but then I cook dinner almost every night, and I often bake cakes or cookies so it's obvious I'm using my cookbooks.

Here I am getting another cookbook, and I've got lots of stuff sitting around that I want to read but just can't find the time. Another book I've had a hold on just arrived at the library this afternoon so I need to run up there to get it. I do this to myself.