Susiej

on you tube, but I kind of like it. And in honor of Shelly’s wonderful link-love thing she does to let us know about what’s going on in the blogsphere, I bring you news from around the blog. I found this, only because someone inadvertently came to my site, via a google search for the you tube Mini Mall commercial. And, I later learned that Ellen liked it so much, she put him on her show, and he helped her write a commercial. This mini-mall video really has nothing to do with the 5th grade Mini Mall — but, I think the boys missed out on a marketing opportunity. You can watch the MiniMall video that the fifth graders did not make here — Boing Boing says it’s the worst commercial ever — but I think it’s kind of “catchy.” (You can watch what you tube calls the best commercial ever here.) Already, my 5th-grader is thinking back to the 30-second commercial he had to write with his buddies, which they read over the school’s PA system from the principal’s office — they could have danced down the halls, kids out of their seats, dancing…

Check it out now … We talking flea market. It’s just like, it’s just like, it’s just like A mini-mall … you need it, we find it. It’s just like A mini mall…

In other news, the birthday boy got an early birthday surprise. You’ve got to love Grandmas for pulling through with stuff grandkids love.

• I’ll tell you about Scribbit’s wonderful hand-made doll houses that she posted a few days ago, that I just LOVE, and I just can’t get them out of my head. They’re just so touching, and beautiful, and that she actually took the time to make it with her children, and me wanting to do it oh so much, but realizing that I will never be able to stop cleaning up spilled milk long enough to get it started. But I am thinking about it. Like some kind of bachelor pad for Batman and Robin… Hmmm.

• And here is Liam, doing things the the ultrasound on his brain scan says he cannot do. And what a Mommy…

• And I’m trying to be the best Mom in the world, like Jenny, and surprise my kids by taking them out of school to see Shrek III, but the schedules are jammed.

And some more behind-the-blog-scenes stuff. I’m still coughing. I talk to a friend who is a Dr., and she explains that it’s probably post nasal drip from all the allergies that are so bad this year. And, my google hits go up quite a bit across the world for “chest cold”. So, everyone in the world is suffering. The vinegar keeps me from getting infected, but it’s not helping the sinuses. So, more neti pot. And then, MamaMilton and her kiddies got sick, and then Shelly got sick. (Something’s definitely going around the blog.) So, I pass my vinegar tip to MamaMilton, and she tells me this:

Here’s one sock trick for you too (my naturopath suggested it) for head congestion: after a warm bath or foot soak, you put cold, wet cotton socks on your feet, followed by wool socks and tuck into bed. The body works to warm the feet, pulling blood (and stuffiness) away from the head. It also helps you sleep. It isn’t all the pleasant at first, but the feet dry fast. We call it the ‘magic socks’.

So I try it. And, instant relief. Not gross, not messy, not feeling jittery. Just relief. And, then MamaMilton directs me to this other post about flu relief, that you might want to bookmark for future reference.

So back to this allergy thing. I’m not giving up. I do some research on essential oils, and I learn that Essential Oil of Roman Chamomile is very effective in treating allergies. (It can also alleviate asthma attacks in children.) So, I add one drop (yes, I have that on -hand. I use a lot of essential oils.) to the Neti Pot, and after 3 days, things are definitely easing up. So, to answer your question, no I don’t like the drugs. I don’t want my symptoms to be treated — I want to be cured and free.

• And call the kids to watch this entertaining video, here. Probably what I should say to the kids regarding their school schedule, and go see Shrek.

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Filed under: Laugh, You Tube, blog by SusieJ - 5 Comments →

Well, this is interesting. On the last day of school, the fifth graders, as if Mini Mall was not enough, are now participating in an Egg Drop. Donice? Can one of the 5 Dave’s spread some light?

“We will celebrate our last day together by completing one of our best hopes for the year. You may work with partners or work alone to create a safe way to drop an egg off the top step of the Middle School Stadium. (This is the new home school the soon-to-be-6th graders.) The goal is for the egg to endure the trip without breaking!”

THE RULES

Your egg:

• must be raw
• visible from the outside of the “egg airplane”
• must not be wrapped directly in any material, like tape
• can be securely seated in some kind of device, like a towel roll
• must be in a case of some kind

Your egg case:

• must be made out of materials found at home
• may not be bigger than an adult’s shoe box

Just for fun:

• Give your egg airplane a name
• Be ready to cheer for everyone’s entry
• Stand back during launching!

Earlier this year, they had to make a skyscraper out of newspaper and tape — and it had to stand for at least ten seconds. That should prepare them for this egg drop. Do you know anything about an egg drop? Have you ever heard of an egg drop? I will post pictures — June 7th is launch date.

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Filed under: Laugh, Life, Make Something, boy by SusieJ - 15 Comments →

If you have roses in your garden, they’re probably blooming right now. If not, it could be because your rose plant is plagued with:

• Powdery Mildew
• Black Spot
• Brown Canker

I’ve had them all. About 8 years ago, I found a tip, and I’ve used it every year, and it always works. I have disease free roses with this one, simple act:

I plant chives around the rose.

No chemicals. No “timed” applications. Just chives. Chives are companion plants to roses. I think it’s the oniony-scent of the chives that deters the roses from becoming attacked. Companion planting is a very easy way to garden — it can makes gardening more fun — and a higher rate of success. There’s a great book that explains it all, Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting And, speaking of “green things,” there’s a blog, called “Gift of Green,” about all the ways we can minimize our global footprint.

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Filed under: Life, Make Something, Science by SusieJ - 8 Comments →

My second born son, the one that I labored with for 72 hours, while walking through the woods, smelling flowers, will soon be 9. He would love it if he got this:

I think there’s a pretty good chance, he won’t get it. However, he did offer me some other suggestions. Here they are:

• The Dangerous Book for Boys
• Monday with a Mad Genius (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))
• Blizzard of the Blue Moon (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))
• Haunted Castle on Hallow’s Eve (Magic Tree House, 30)
• Magic Tree House Boxed Set 2, Books 5-8: Night of the Ninjas, Afternoon on the Amazon, Sunset of the Sabertooth, and Midnight on the Moon

Things look pretty good. He just might get these wishes.

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Filed under: Life by SusieJ - 7 Comments →

Want to watch fifth graders count money? See it here. I guess if Mini-Mall has taught the 5th graders anything, it is this: No matter how broke you are, if you can get access to an 88 cent box of Blue Jell-O and some boiling water, you can make some money. Actually just some rocks, empty baby food jars or some sponges could do the trick. The act of accounting for every penny of production has been eye-opening for them — I even sat in on a discussion over whether they should use funds for a new tablecloth for their store front. But, the real beauty of it all, was when I watched them, after the 3-day-sales, counting the money. Dollars piled everywhere, Moms stood back and bit their nails as dollars were carelessly strewn in piles. Amazingly, most of the adult-recounts came up with the same figures as the kids.

You can’t imagine the relief that came over me on the last day to watch the shark bites fly off the table faster than we could load them up. My freezer is shark-free once again. Only 6 were left after starting with 126. Rock Turtles: Sold Out. Sea Globes: Sold Out SlingShots: Sold Out. They did a great job.

More:

• What is Mini Mall?
• Making Shark Bites: The Ants Came Marching In
• First Day Sales

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Filed under: Life, boy by SusieJ - 12 Comments →

Military holidays are always tough for me. I never get it quite right when I want to take a stand. When I was young, maybe 5 or 6, my family watched theVietnam draft on TV. Numbers scrolled a blue screen. My parents watched with worry, fear, and a look of “say it isn’t so.” My father, the oldest of 4 boys (and 3 girls), was past the age of this draft. He had already served his time. But his brothers were ripe for drafting. One by one, like a clock ticking, each one of my Father’s brothers (my uncles) was drafted. I could feel an anxiety in my parents that said things like: “We have no choice.” “We have to be strong.” “We don’t know yet if we do have anything to worry about.” “This is just the way it has to be for now.” The picture is my brother and me at the airport, sending an Uncle off to Vietnam.

I wondered how this could be the land of the free. But it was certainly the land of the brave.

My nightmares, during that period of my life involved army men in combat — but they weren’t in Vietnam — they were in my neighborhood. The “nightmare” part was that no one could tell who the enemy was. One minute you thought you were with someone to carry you to safety, and then, in the next scene, they were going to kill you. After 911, I wondered if my nightmare was coming true.

• The first Uncle that was sent to Vietnam, came back unwounded, but changed. A much quieter man. Hurt deeply by whatever it was that he saw.
• The second Uncle got caught in a land mine. His camp didn’t think he would make it. But he did. No

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Summer’s sunshine in a glass.

This is the recipe from an old boyfriend, Kevin’s, Mother. Thank goodness Kevin and I didn’t make it. I’d have to spend the rest of my life pinning away for my true love. But Kevin’s Mom could make some really good lemonade. She always put fresh sliced oranges in the lemonade pitcher to cut the tartness. If I had never met the guy, I wouldn’t have this recipe. Yet, I can’t get that first date out of my head: Mount Adams, eating outside at a restaurant that overlooked the city, knowing his Mom’s lemonade was waiting for us when we got back . . . Anyway, if you love lemons, this book to the right will keep you busy all summer. Roasted artichokes with lemons, lemon tarts, and creamy lemon fetticuini…

• 6 cups water, divided
• Zest of one lemon — no bitter white parts
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 8 - 10 lemons) (microwave them for about 10 seconds to make juicing easier)
• Orange slices

1. Bring two cups water, lemon zest, and sugar to boil.
2. Boil five minutes, stirring in-between juicing lemons
3. Let your “lemony-simple syrup” cool
4. Pour into large pitcher, and add the remaining four cups cold water and lemon juice. Stir.
5. Chill, and add orange slices.
   

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He was two, and his mantra was “Go back — go back” Meaning, you’re too close to me — I want to jump farther. Our city pool opens today, so we’re heading back to the scene where this video was shot. He’s 3 now, but when he was swimming like this he was two. It will be interesting to see how different the masked crusader may or may not act in the water, after a winter of hibernation from the pool. Happy Memorial Day!

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In May 2007, Schmutzie put an image of a rooster on her blog, Milkmoney Or Not, Here I Come. That same month, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. The rooster is now her symbol of strength. Schmutzie’s readers started sending her more pictures of roosters, and the “mighty, mighty Cockroll was born.”

My Mom collected roosters. I loved visiting her kitchen to see the new rooster she had invariably added to her collection. I like roosters too — but there was this one ceramic cow, in particular that I liked. So my Mom started buying me cows. After [Read more →]

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On the advice of my 5-year-old, I should not report this on my blog. But, I think you’re all honest readers – he thinks if I tell his brother made $227 today from mini-mall, someone reading this might steal the money. I am proud of them. Sales the first day were around $70, and they have one day left to sell. Start-up costs for the business, including loans and interests are around $90.

A mass of students poured into the tables, where different student businesses were set up. Many of the younger ones didn’t know a quarter from a dime — and I marveled at the patience of all the student business owners who carefully made change, explained [Read more →]

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He’s in the middle of this whirlwind travel schedule — and I’m in the middle of Shark Bites, and a toddler that will not eat, and they found the Elf again. (I hid him in the oven this time.) Oh, yes. The tooth fairy is making a visit tonight, and I have no dollars on hand. It is tough to find common ground in our separate worlds. His crazy travel schedule is unusual for us. We’re not used to it. Things will settle down again on Thursday. (He has Mini-Mall duty.)

He made a surprise stop home last week — something unexpected came up. Actually, I think he was inspired by this post to come and see us. We are both tired, and exhausted, and the kids ate up what little energy we had left in the evening. I did notice something in the brief period he was home, though. I noticed how relaxed and comfortable I felt around him. It’s not that I don’t feel that way all the time — but this time, I noticed it. This is something common to all life partners — a familiarity that leaves you free to just be you, without having to explain your current mood, your quirks, your hot spots and your weaknesses. It’s all sweetly understood, accepted, and most likely, cherished. It feels like “relief” at the end of the day.

Saturday night, we celebrated our anniversary. My favorite babysitter spent the night and watched the boys, and I was free to meet my husband at the hotel where his conference was being held. It was so nice to have a few hours with him, free from the constant care of the boys — and their laundry — for a few hours.

So, the year was 1993. Gorgeous Spring day, with “not a cloud in the sky,” as my husband always recalls the day. The sun was shining on us that day. My father’s toast was precious — I’ll always remember it.

“My wish for you, is that your love will last as long as it takes to use an eye-dropper to empty the ocean.”

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It all started when they found out they could buy 100 gummy fish for $1.99 at Marc’s. (I would have loved to have seen the lady’s face at the store when they called, during class time and said, “How much is a gummy fish?” The boys later explained, they were transferred several times — and heard lots of music.) And then, a box of jello for $.88 cents. The total cost, with spoons, plastic bags, is around $.33 cents for one Shark Bite — blue Jello, in a plastic bag, with a gummy fish. So imagine their excitement when I found bulk packages of jello, 28 ounces, taking the cost down to $.19 cents per Shark Bite.

So, today, was the day to make the Shark Bites for the Mini Mall. The huge 28 ounce package of blue jello allowed us to crank out 129 shark bites in two hours. (The box came in a bundle of 12 28 ounce packages — enough for 288 Shark Bites.) Even Batman and Robin helped — the two little brothers — by opening the empty bag, and putting the gummy fish in. They didn’t even eat one — not one!!! (We know — we had to keep track of every single item in the inventory.) They will be paid — according to contract obligations.

So, the large, 28 ounce package meant