Odds and Ends

Melanie went to her first WSU basketball game with Matt earlier in the month and seemed to enjoy herself, staying for the whole game even though Matt went in to the night expecting to leave early.  She fell asleep on the ride home and was pretty groggy when Matt was carrying her inside.  I asked her what she thought of the game and she started talking about dogs being there catching Frisbees, so I just assumed she was really out of it.  Nope.  Apparently the halftime entertainment was a guy with his performing dogs.  Even if she doesn't remember much about the game itself at least the halftime show made her first sporting event experience a positive one!

 This just made me laugh.  I appreciate the effort the UPS delivery man put into concealing the package he delivered, but I'm pretty sure going to the effort of carrying a bag of mulch from the other end of the porch to help hide the box along with the propped up door mat just drew more attention than if he had just left the box there on its own.
  It's the thought that counts, I guess.

 When I take my showers in the morning after feeding the girls breakfast I bring them upstairs with me and close the gate so I know what part of the house they're in and let them play while I get all nice and clean.  When I'm done I routinely come upon a scene similar to this.  Melanie and Claire have gone "shopping" with the laundry baskets as Melanie calls it and collected various things to have a "slumber party", usually in my room.  Everything is unloaded from the baskets and set up just so, then the baskets are turned over and become the upstairs to the house for their slumber party.  The girls have recently added playing school to their shower time activities, or at least that's what Melanie is playing and Claire is just following her big sister's lead.  As long as they put it all back when they're done (with some prompting from me, of course) then I'm fine with it if it means I don't have to become smelly mommy due to lack of bathing.

 I made this chicken artichoke cheese spread gift box for an open house my mother-in-law was hostessing and I was very pleased with how it turned out so I just wanted to share.  I've been told the cheese spread is very good, but I haven't actually tried it myself yet.  I just think the presentation is cute.  The first time I made this (which incidentally I wrote about in my first ever blog post)  I couldn't find the red pepper they use in the recipe for the "bow" on the present so I used a few radishes to come up with a suitable substitute, and I actually like how the radishes look better.

 Miss Melanie being all prim and proper while reading after mass last Sunday

Nap time is just better when dad's around.