Double Baby Shower (FLOUR BABY)

 We had a baby shower for our 12-almost-13 year old's baby boy.  And for another newborn baby boy of a 13 year old father.  Mahonri and Leo, each held by their single parents below.

When I invited her brother Max, out of context, his eyes widened...

(Roxie with GREAT GRANDPA John!)

And I had to quickly explain it is an English class assignment, to carry and care for a 5 lbs sack of flour, dressed up in baby clothes, swaddled.  Be a parent for a week and a half, 24 hours every day.  Unless you contract a babysitter, which you have to pay in chores.  Not a class on human development (carry an egg) but a writing assignment, similar to the experiment that takes place in the book, Flour Babies, by Anne Fine.

Roxie says Mahonri is getting heavier.  He goes everywhere in her arms.  No stroller or baby carrier allowed (although a health teacher is doing project as well, and he has baby carrier).  No babies in backpacks or grocery sacks.  Forbidden to keep in your locker or home alone.  Protect your baby from the weather (we had a crazy storm yesterday and it was tough to keep him dry!) She has been very faithful and sweet with him, and says, delightedly, that he takes lots of naps, so she can read.

Grandma & Grandpa brought presents:

One of my favorite games we played:  guess the correct popular baby names by decade according to Census information.  (I only used the top 20 names, for years 2000, 1990, 1960, 1940, 1910, 1880, put them out of order on sheet and let them circle correct decade).  Grandma Sandy and Laura both got them all correct. 

Smell/taste/guess 10 bottles of unlabeled baby food. GROSS!  The Texas Tacos and cupcakes made up for it!

Make as many words as you can from the baby's name.

NOT say "baby" "boy" or "son" or your corsage (tissue paper glued to clothes pin) gets taken away by whomever caught you saying the word.

Carry/waddle with a ping pong ball between your legs and drop it successfully into a cup.  Balloons under shirt makes it so you can't see your knees or the cup--we didn't do that detail with a mixed gender guest crowd.

Blindfolded undress (baby doll, not REAL flour babies!) and change baby's diaper!

Write down wishes/blessings for baby.

So far Roxie has been a great mom!

And this gives us a good chance to pass on what we learned as parents:

(Yes, that is a MAM pacifier, hot glued in place & GRANDPA John showing off his burping skills!)

I am a grandma of a flour baby, and we have had fun with outfits, trying not to give too much advice. I am surprisingly protective and fiercely loyal to this little guy, and it is comforting holding him, rocking him with that dance/rhythm that comes back with a baby in your arms.  There is power in role play.  I look forward to reading Roxie's project at the end of the week and a half.

She has already told me she would like to find Sunday clothes for him for Church, maybe a bow tie or something...

The Silliest Thing I Saw Today!

Field Day! Chopsticks & Chicken relay race!


High School students helped manage the stations.

Granola Guy

In my frenzy to make sure Stewart has good life survival skills before he leaves on his mission to Billings, Montana in 15 days, today was learn-to-make-granola day. Cheaper than buying it, filling, you can control the sweetness, and the ultimate comfort food. We used Alton Brown's base recipe, but made a bigger batch. Stewart chose cranberries and coconut to add in.
Oats, oat bran, pecans, sesame seeds, honey, maple syrup, oil, salt.

TIFFANY NEEDS TO READ THIS More Last Thursday Mother's Class results: I took Sam & Roxie shopping with me for a cereal container. Normally, I would have gone by myself, while they were in school. But the play/work class helped me realize I need to teach them how to shop--which is work!

I told them what I was looking for, the features the container needed (plastic, not glass, big to fit lots of granola, pourable spout, ergonomic handle or easy to pour, good use of space and fit in our cupboard, and not expensive.)

We started at Dollar Tree, nothing, and almost walked out, but they had swim noodles in two new colors for our pattern "teach sewing skills" game March 31st post! Then we went to the grocery store. Compared containers, calculated which one was bigger (one was listed as 1.5 gallons, other was 40 ounces. Which is bigger? Math in the grocery isle!). We then went to Ollies, and Dollar General, looking, walking out when we didn't find what we needed. The $8.99 Rubbermaid cereal container at ShopRite seems to fit the most of our requirements, except the cheap part. It took awhile, but I hope they learned how I shop, what I look for, what is important to me (price and function!). We came home and put the granola in ziplock gallon bags, until we find the perfect container!

Teaching Sewing Skills

My Two Tuesday Toddler friends aren't ready for a sharp needle yet...


But jump ropes and dollar store noodles, cut with a bread saw knife...


...made oodles of fun! Good pattern teaching potential. I got this idea from--someone else's blog not that one linked, but same idea. Not my original idea. Did find a great list of how to decorate with them here.

I am a "Casual" Gamer?

I am a casual gamer.


On Emma's recommendation I finally tried this. And I can't stop. Played too long last night. For hours. Stopped only when John asked me twice to come to bed, after midnight. ("What, Happy New Year's already?")

The premise of the game is simple: you use sunshine to earn points to buy plant weapons to fight the monsters. Simple. Straightforward.

I love the music. I love the visuals.

I woke up this morning determined to rake the yard--my attempt to tame my plant/zombie world? Worked on the yard until I gave myself blisters. Came inside for lunch and another round of this game. Hours later I finally got past the swimming pool and I am on the roof.

I was planning on painting today, but my family is probably glad I am in here gaming.

Must protect my brain!

Take Two (and Three...) Date Game

We moved down the block a little bit from yesterday's posted photos, so the triangle "Gothic" shape would be in the background straight on. We had an intense discussion where the pokey tool should go (we don't have a pitchfork anywhere in the garage?), and where our shoulders should touch and who should hold the pokey tool. Do you know how hard it is to look serious, when we are so used to smiling for photos?Sometimes you just have to have a sense of humor when things go awry.


Oops, John is supposed to be looking upward. I remembered "look like you are praying" but forgot the guy is looking heavenward.

And the dancing will go on.

Date Game

Try this at home: pick a famous pose, recreate it and take a photo and compare. Thank you, Grant Wood (this is NOT a married couple, it is a father & daughter).

We should have been facing more forward, with my shoulder overlapping behind him, and I should have been looking at John, not camera, and I forgot my cameo brooch pin and little collar!

Thank you, Guttenberg.
I should have been more humble with my face glancing downward. Funny what you remember, and forget. Except for the first couple photo (where we adjusting the lighting and camera settings for this cloudy day), we did these in one take. Point and shoot. Visual references were inside on computer. Photos would be more accurate if we had them in hand as we were trying to fix our poses.


Public domain dancing couple.
Ooohh, BOTH of my hands were supposed to be upraised, elbows bent...John in tails! And I really like her boots! We will try this game again. Visual memory testing with one shot photo shoot.

Cheap fun morning date!