Gumdrop Bridge (341/365)

Gingerbread Man: NO! Not the buttons! Not my gumdrop buttons!

Shrek (Conrad Vernon-actor, William Steig-book, Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson-directors, 2001)

TIME:   4:13 PM
PLACE:  School stage
SUBJECT:  Gumdrop Truss Bridge

MonkeyBoy is working on his Webelos Engineer Activity Badge.  Today at the den meeting, we discussed different kinds of bridges and their differences.  Then we constructed a model of a truss bridge using toothpicks and gumdrops.  We started with a single truss and then added a second level.  The den mother (me) had a blonde moment and forgot to bring a cupful of pennies to test the strength of the bridge, but the boys enjoyed the activity anyway.  I’ve been MB’s den mother since the beginning when he was a Tiger scout.  I’ve enjoyed doing it, but I must admit, I am looking forward to him moving onto Boy Scouts and my volunteering being finished at the end of this school year.  Does that make me a bad mom?

Jolly Old St. Nicholas (340/365)

 
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads;

Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863), U.S. poet. A Visit from St. Nicholas (l. 3-6). . . Anthology of American Poetry. George Gesner, ed. (1983) Avenel Books.

TIME:  10:24 PM
PLACE:  On top of the piano
SUBJECT:  Santa figurines

Do you celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas?   St. Nick was Nicholas of Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra (Myra was located in Turkey.)  His MO was to give secret gifts – such as leaving coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him.  He is said to be the model for Santa Claus.  On December 5, the Eve of St. Nicholas Day, when I was a small child, we would put stockings at the edge of our beds or on our bedroom door before we went to sleep. The following morning, we would wake-up to find that St. Nick had filled our stockings with candy and small presents – for us, there was always a pair of socks included in the mix.  Supposedly, if we were bad, he would leave coal – but we never saw that (although, a few times, we probably would have deserved it!).  I have continued this tradition with my children.  St. Nick always leaves a fancy toothbrush (Spinbrushes this year), a family DVD (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), along with candy and other small items. 

A Motley Crew (339/365)

 
Motley's the only wear.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616), British dramatist, poet. Jaques, in As You Like It, act 2, sc. 7, l. 34. Motley was the costume of a professional fool.

TIME:  10:53 AM
PLACE:  Murphy Company
SUBJECT:  Clockwise: MonkeyBoy, DramaQueen, StellaDella, The Bean and RegularMilk

My Dad works for a construction company. For the past several years, one of the mechanical contractors they work with has had a Saturday Christmas party that is totally geared toward the kids.  The 3 kids and I met Dad and my sister and nephew and niece there this year. This year they had a pancake breakfast, pictures with Santa, crafts, cookie decorating, stories, a BBQ lunch and face painting.  The face painting is always a big hit as you can see.  Yes, that is “Team Jacob” on DQ’s forehead and not to be outdone, SD had “Team Edward” paint on her arm.

Where was HandsomeHusband?  He was home, fixing the furnace.  Apparently the sensor board decided to quit during the coldest morning we have had so far this winter (in the low 20’s last night!).  Our house got down to 57 degrees – a tad chilly.  I am eternally grateful that the part was in stock at the local heating and cooling business; that the warranty covered the cost of said $390 part; and finally that my HH has the knowledge and skills to install the part himself, saving us even more.  I knew there was a reason why I married him!

Mmm, Forbidden Donuts (338/365)

Homer:  Donuts. Is there anything they can't do?

The Simpsons, Marge vs. the Monorail, 14 January 1993 (Season 4, Episode 12)

TIME:  8:29 PM
PLACE:  6525 Chippewa Street, St. Louis, MO
SUBJECT:  Donut Drive In

The kid’s school sponsored a Parent’s Night Out this evening.  I forked over $15 and the three rugrats darlings were fed pizza and kept out of our hair properly supervised for three hours.  HH and I took this opportunity to go out to eat.  We went to our favorite sushi restaurant in St. Louis – Nobu’s.  We’ve been going since HH took me there on our 1st date 20 years ago.  Tonight, we sat at the sushi bar and toward the end of our dinner, I mentioned this fact to Noboru Kidera, the owner and sushi chef.  He congratulated us and asked about the kids (they’ve been going there since they were tiny babies – MB inhales the cucumber and California rolls and they all enjoy the miso soup with extra tofu).  He had some fresh pineapple brought out for us to commemorate our “anniversary”.  HH said it was the sweetest pineapple he ever tasted.  Afterwards, we drove to Chippewa Ave (Route 66) and Ted Drewes for some custard.  It was 8 o’clock at night and a chilly 29 degrees out but there we were, standing in the cold to get our custard.

This “Donut Drive-In” is just down the street from Ted Drewes on the old Route 66.  HH stopped so I could take a couple of shots, then it was time to hit the road and pick up the kids.  The three hours went way too fast.

Crocheted Snowman (337/365)

 
Traffic Cop: What's the matter? Didn't you see that traffic light?
Frosty: What's a traffic light?
Traffic Cop: Up there on that lamppost.
Frosty: What's a lamppost?
Traffic Cop: Are you trying to get a ticket, wise guy?
Frosty: I'd love one. To the North Pole, please.

Frosty The Snowman (Paul Frees, Jackie Vernon, written by Romeo Muller, Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. - directors, 1969)

TIME:  10:00 PM
PLACE:  The Dining Room
SUBJECT:  Crocheted Snowman

I crocheted this snowman 2 (or was it 3?) years ago from a RoxyCraft pattern.  My snowman does not look as nice as the original.  Being that I was a self-taught crocheter, I’m lucky that he didn’t turn looking like a mutant.  I like crocheting, but haven’t picked up a hook all year.  I find it to be like cross-stitching, logical, orderly and soothing.  Plus I find it fascinating…you start with a long piece of yarn, basically, tie knots with it on a metal hook and you end up with (in this case) a snowman!  It’s magic. 

On a related note, one of my New Year’s resolutions for 2009 was to learn to knit.  I’m thinking that I am going to fail in fulfilling that resolution.  Something to aspire to next year, I guess.

Shocking (336/365)

Mysterious affair, electricity.

Samuel Beckett (1906-1989), Irish dramatist, novelist. A, in "Theatre II," one of the dramatic pieces in Ends and Odds, p. 92, Grove Press (1976).

TIME:  10:18 PM
PLACE:  My bedroom
SUBJECT:  Electrical outlet

I never noticed before how the electrical outlet looks like two shocked faces.  Quite appropriate I think.  I hope that it’s not because of what has been going on in my bedroom! *wink*

(Can you tell I am running out of ideas lately?  The time of the photo is getting later and later each day and I think that my subject matter is getting pulled out of my a*# at the last minute!)

A Shot In The Arm (335/365)

Without health, there is no point.  To anything. 

Everett Mámor

TIME:  3:58 PM
PLACE:  The study
SUBJECT:  My bandage (picture taken by HH)

I was a good mom, finally.  The county had seasonal influenza vaccinations available and so I took the kids to get their flu shots.  I picked them up from school at 2:30pm.  They were excited to leave school a half hour early.  That excitement lasted about 5 minutes until I told them where they were going.    MonkeyBoy volunteered to go first and he took his shot like it was nothing.  DramaQueen followed suit, I got mine, then it was StellaDella’s turn.  She was a little more vocal about the initial stick, but she recovered quickly.

On another note, a couple of weeks ago, HandsomeHusband purchased SD 4 additional goldfish to keep Dorothy company.  This evening, we had a tragedy…we found a “floater” in the goldfish aquarium.   The deceased was one of the new guys.  SD did NOT take it well.  RIP my gold friend, RIP.