Happy Chinese New Year

My running streak of hitting the tracks, train tracks of course, is a long one.  I like to document them on FB as well.  But I do enjoy getting there when the engine crosses the road so I can count the cars.  If I hit it in the middle, I usually do not bother counting at all.  It was a long one but I never saw the engine to know how long. 

Today was food day a work and we had a mostly Asian theme as it is Chinese New Year.  I brought in cucumber salad and miso soup.  The hunt for the dashi powder and dried seaweed was a good one last Friday. Jarrett and I hit four different locations listed as Asian markets. One was now Indian, two were closed and we found a fourth one open but very tiny.  Luckily they had the two items I needed and we were only 15 minutes late back to work.  

My team lead is Vietnamese and his mom will make us spring rolls for special occasions.  I won't lie, I may have eaten 6 over the course of the day and I may have brought home 8 for Baylor for the new few nights dinner.  He does love them so much!!  He read to Grimm while eating his dinner.  We have been working on some extra reading to help in improve as he was a bit behind the first half of this school year.  He is improving and I am working on motivating him to keep reading. It is something that did not get passed down in the genes as I loved to read, once I got it down.  I remember struggling at first as well.

But Grimm is a very good listener. Until you hit the kill button, them all listening is off!  

Spring Roll deliciousness. 

And some lo mein, one of his favorite Asian carbs. 

While he was eating, I was working on some sugar cookie bars for the bake sale.  My pastry assistant spied the frosting and offer to help.  While I of course accepted.

All sprinkled up and ready to cut and taste.  This is one of his favorite cookie bars so of course he had a few set aside for lunch this week.  

Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

Sunday breakfast was colored waffles again, this week with a Halloween theme.  Thankfully I have the good food coloring that does not require the entire bottle to make strong colors.

Grandma and Buddy came over just because Buddy is enjoying his time with Baylor.  Baylor wanted to play video games, as he usually does Sunday mornings and asked Buddy to go down with him.  I convinced Dad to try to play as Baylor was playing an older Lego Wii game.  They are pretty easy and forgiving.  Other than having to learn the controls and talking Dad through what he needed to do, he did fine.

And it was fun for me to see them doing something together.  

Dad and I worked on some of the icy snow and after they left I worked on the ice out in front of the mail box and tried to find the trash can platform. We have not put out trash for two weeks because we have no place to put it!!!  I had my spotter there to help me again so it went smoothly.  And he is was in rare form posing for the camera.

We are having a bake sale at work this week to raise money for Save the Children, my company's favorite charity.  I volunteered to bake and bring other goodies.  I made Brigaderios first.  They are so good, chocolaty, caramely and delicious. 

Grumpy Old Man

This year for the 100th Day of School the theme was dress like a 100 year old.  Baylor came home with his idea and I just helped him out.  I found some Harry Potter glasses in the Halloween bin but the side piece broke off and I had to tape it.  I had the angle wrong, leaning out, which caused them to fall off his face quickly.  This just ruined his mood about the glasses, hence the grumpy face.  I re-taped them at a better angle and they stayed on his face better.  

Pap had made Baylor this cane when Meme was using one after her knee surgery and it has been in various states of time out and time in since (I think Baylor just turned four around the time of her surgery).  He was so excited to use it as part of his costume.  I had to warn him it was not a toy or a weapon, which is why it goes into time out a lot for months at a time, especially since it was going to school.  

He hobbled out to the van doing his best 100 year old man impression.  

And then I had him fall down and not get up.  I should have made him a life alert necklace!! 

The day went well he said but the glasses gave him a headache so he did not wear them all day.  They are plastic thick lens and I had told him he would not be able to wear them all day anyway.  The cane was taken away at COF in the afternoon because he let Landon play with it and he turned it into a weapon and shot people.  

When we got him this 100 year old started looking like a teenager and not my little 7 year old boy.  I felt like I was looking ahead in time a bit.  

The Grimm, Two Years and Counting

Sunshiny selfie!  

The Grimm, he has been with us for two years now and we sure to love him (other than when he decided to pee on my fabric pile in the craft room) Other than that, we love him and are so glad he is here with us.  

Time to Make the Donuts

I love being in the kitchen making foods of all kinds.  I am not big on frying foods because of the mess and honestly, places that fry foods for a living just do it better. But I wanted to try old fashioned sour cream donuts because I LOVE them.  The dough was made last night and just had to be rolled, cut and fried in the morning.  They were delicious!!! I tired a few holes, for quality control, and brought the rest into work.  Well, Baylor and Gloria had donuts for breakfast too.  I do try to take care of them first in the mornings. 

The weather on the drive home was foggy, soupy crap. 

That blocked my sun. I was not happy. 

Lower Allen Wee Mail

The first two weeks of February the elementary schools have a Wee Mail program where the kids, parents, teachers, anyone really can send mail to a student or teacher or anyone in their building.  The second graders learn how to sort and deliver mail with the first graders and kindergarten classes learn about writing letters and receiving mail.  And who does not love to receive mail?  I know I totally do. There is a mailbox in the lobby for parents to drop off letters and I know I will be making several stops in the next two weeks.  

The sunset this even was amazing. 

As was his aim tonight!  

Who's the Pretty Girl?

Eddy Mae Jean is of course.  She is hanging in there, tolerating the small patch of ground to pee on and climbing the snow to find a place to poop.  Thankfully she had not gotten stuck out there because it would take me a long time myself to rescue her, but I would do it, barefooted if necessary.  

That is what you do for your baby girl