A is for animals

When I had an in-home daycare, we focused on one letter of the alphabet per week.

I made this memory game using our pets' photos. (A is for animals!). It took no time at all to put this game together.

Since we have lots of photos of Mr. Cool, Little Weirdo and Kitty Baby, I just found one picture of each of them. Then I printed two copies of each photo.

Depending on the ages of the kids playing, you may want to "laminate" the photos. I cheat-laminate by covering fronts and backs with packing tape; and I definitely needed to laminate these photos, because the players of the game were all three and younger!

To play: flip all the photos over so the pictures are hidden. Then, as in the classic game, Memory, just flip one photo at a time while trying to find its match.

You can add photos of other animals like lions, giraffes, fish, etc. Keep the game simple with only four or six photos or add a lot more to create a challenge for older kids.

Have a lovely day!



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Flour Me with Love

Penny for your thoughts

What is the Little Weirdo pondering?

1. Nature or nurture?
2. Chicken or egg?
3. Paper or plastic?

I think we all know what he's really wondering...

When will she ever clean this window?!

   

Funny joke, 2014

Even the Little Weirdo isn't amused. And he's always up for a good laugh.

Too much snow. Too much cold.

But this isn't fun anymore. Someone's going to get hurt. It's time to thaw out so we can all drive safely on the roads and get the mail without paramedics on stand-by.

Our area got about 10 inches of snow during the early hours yesterday. Temps are around -10.

Let's contrast the seasons, shall we?

Remember the yard sale last summer?

Here's a photo of that same yard today:

Oh young 2014. You're just full of peas and vinegar*, aren't you?

*A note about peas and vinegar: My grandmother used to say "pee and vinegar," which I think is vulgar. Funny thing is, she was always so proper. When I was about nine years old, I told her I didn't have enough guts to put contact lenses in my eyes. She told me straight away that ladies don't say "guts." 

But "pee and vinegar" on the other hand...

Stay warm (and try not to say "pee" or "guts.")
 

Banana bread and a weirdo

I was feeling guilty about the three overly-ripe bananas on my counter. 

But, as they say, when life gives you black bananas, make banana bread!

In the photo, you can see the Little Weirdo coming to the kitchen for a taste.

Here's my recipe:

Banana Bread (fit for a weirdo)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons oil
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)
2 or 3 bananas, peeled and mashed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour two loaf pans.
Beat ingredients together.
Pour batter into the pans.
Bake for about one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  (set timer for 45 minutes and check periodically)

Have a lovely day!

 

If you visited me

If you visited me, I would probably do something lame like serve chocolate kisses from a plastic ice cream dish. It's not fancy or showy, but really, would you complain?

If you popped in on me right now, you would notice that...

1. We have the air conditioning off, so it's a bit sticky.

2. School supplies are everywhere.

3. Little Weirdo is confined to the kitchen because of his pee-pee issues.

4. Mr. Cool is conked out on a pile of people blankets because he got so much fresh air this afternoon.

5. My pizza pans are still soaking from last night. 

6. One of my drummer boys is practicing. WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU.

7. We have a collection of miniature flash lights on our hutch. I don't know where they came from.

8. I have chicken "brining" aka thawing for supper tonight.

9. I baked yesterday and could offer you a blondie and/or a sugar cookie bar...with icing!

10.  My husband's project is on the coffee table. It involves poster board and sheet metal. I nod a lot but don't really understand what he's doing.

11. We have baby gates and no baby. We are nervous about Mr. Cool using stairs. Even though his back legs are better now, we block off risky areas.

12. Beagles love to bark. Sorry again about the noise.

I know a lot of bloggers lead you to believe they have it all together. I really doubt it. I have NEVER hit that magical day when motherhood, home decor, fashion, and cuisine meshed beautifully. Heck, most of the time I can't even master one of those. 

But that's OK.

We aren't perfect and don't care to be. It's more fun to be messy and noisy.

Whoever started these competitions about having the best (fill in the blank) or the most enviable (fill in the blank) or the cleanest...or prettiest...or most effective (fill in the blanks), well, that person is a great big meanie. 

The whole mindset of perfection has contributed to women distancing themselves from one another. It's a sad, sad shame. 

We need to get over it. Those big meanies can just go wash mini blinds all day.

What do you think?

First the Internet, then the universe

"You people are always messing with the Internet," says Little Weirdo.

"What could possibly be so interesting?"

 "It's NOT a conspiracy theory," he says. "Kitties ARE taking over the world!"

 "Earth is just a layover," says Kitty Baby.
 

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Mind blowing post

 

 "Are you writing about me?" asks Kitty Baby.

 "Oh brother," he says. "Not that Little Weirdo again!"

Something occurred to me. While I'm writing about NOT writing about Kitty Baby, I actually AM writing about him. 

Mind = Blown!

Also, the song, "Elvira," is on a loop playing inside my head.

(You know what would make this song better? At approximately 1.02 into the video, where they say "mow mow" ... let's change it to "meow meow." Done. All the little Oak Ridge Boys in my brain are think-singing it that way now.)
 
I think I've coughed out all my oxygen and my mind is riding on years of accumulated coffee fumes.

Sickness can be a real trip sometimes.

 

No trampoline!

Told ya he was happy.

Have a lovely day!

Happy Independence Day

"Happy Fourth of July!" says Mr. Cool.

The Little Weirdo wouldn't sit still for a posed photo.

I'm in the cuddle zone," he says. "It's a free country, you know."

Have a happy holiday!!

Cooking with beagles

 

Do you see the potatoes on the cutting board? 

Do you see where I need to stand to cut those potatoes?

This is how it is every night. Mr. Cool positions himself to where I need to be. 

Then he becomes a wall.

This guy is no help:

Awww look at his paw tucked under himself all docile. 

Don't be fooled. The Little Weirdo can be on his feet before one potato piece hits the floor.

Cooking with these guys is challenging and kinda dangerous.

Have you ever seen porcupines in a playpen? 

It's like that. 

Tippy tricks

Pranksters are at it again.

Beagle tipping.

 
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Little Weirdo is happy

I keep up with Mr. Cool and Kitty Baby on this blog all the time.

I figure you must be wondering about the Little Weirdo. You might be thinking he went off to Montana or North Dakota in search of work in the oil industry or perhaps he got accepted on one of those cooking contest shows where they yell at each other for an hour straight.

Nah. He's still here. He's just happy. Very happy.

I'll tell you something. It's almost impossible to get a photo of such a happy guy. The pictures turn out like the one above.

Mr. Cool and Kitty Baby barely move. They would make perfect models for getting their portraits painted. Maybe I should call the college and see if they need any nudes to pose for art class. Mr. Cool and Kitty Baby aren't modest.

Anyway, the Little Weirdo is fine. Just happy.

Oh so happy.
 
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Inside, outside, inside, outside

I had a feeling my days were overrun with dog duties, so I documented it.

Conclusion: Dogs rule my life.

Mr. Cool (pictured above, pre-wheelchair, at a local dog park) is so lazy he rarely makes trouble. He'd rather sleep than go outside. Or watch a movie. Or talk on the phone.

He goes outside three times a day but doesn't go by himself. We take strolls together.

Mr. Cool is leisurely. Go-with-the-flow. Slothful. 
 

The Little Weirdo standing still for once

The Little Weirdo, however, abounds with energy. The house is not able to absorb all his happiness. He must go outside or he'll explode.

Then he barks. 

He doesn't bark to come inside. He barks at squirrels. He barks at people. He barks at leaves. 

The Little Weirdo: "I love to bark."

The neighbors DON'T love him to bark.

So, I bring him inside.

According to my findings, I let him out six times in a day. When you figure he must come back inside as well, I go to the door 12 times a day in his honor.

Add Mr. Cool's trips, and you arrive at a tally of 15 times.

Is this correct? My dogs boss me around 15 times each day?

Kitty Baby: "That's why all dogs should be cats."

Totally drool-worthy

Dream homes don't always offer granite counters, home theaters and tennis courts.

Nope. 

How about this property for a way-cool daydream?

Just think of the possibilities:
Church? 
Bakery?
Wedding Chapel?
Community Center? (Wait a minute! That's my dream!)

If I had this place, I would spin and spin with arms outstretched. 

Cartwheels, too, maybe. 

Mr. Cool's vision of this place most assuredly includes sleep undisturbed by Little Weirdo's howls and Kitty Baby's nagging. 

Why there would be room for everyone!

What does your dream home look like?

A Snow Romp by the Little Weirdo

 

Thank you for attending Weirdo's interpretive frolic.