The Joke Tellers

I took pictures of the boys today while they made up jokes to tell me. It was hilarious. Not because the jokes were funny, but because the jokes made absolutely no sense and yet the boys were certain that they were being hysterical. It's easy to laugh with a kid who thinks they're being funny. 


It actually started with me trying to tell them some jokes. This is how it went. 

Bud finally begged me to stop.

Tough audience. Ouch.


Then Bud and Big decided to show me how it was done.


Thinking of a joke can be pretty tough...

... but sometimes the perfect one comes to you as if from the heavens...

... and when you deliver the punchline and get the laughs there's almost nothing better.

  

We're sorry you're not funny, Mom.

But we are.

Twelve Delayed

Pen turned 12 on Saturday. I find it a little hard to believe, but it's true. Rophone had to work all day on her birthday (he had to leave the house at about 5:30 am and didn't get home until 11:30 pm), so we decided to wait until we could all be together to celebrate. Pen was bummed not to see her dad on her big day, but was cool about waiting. She really wanted everyone to be there. Since Rophone had to work Sunday, too, and Pen had school followed by ballet on Monday, that meant that Tuesday was when it would have to be. 


She did manage to do something fun on her birthday, though. She loves going to the library with friends, so I suggested she invite a few friends to go to the library with her for a few hours. I sent them with cupcakes to eat before they went in, and the friends brought gifts, so I guess that I managed to throw her a birthday party with no real work on my part. Not the way such things usually go, so bonus for me. 


Tuesday finally arrived (I'm sure Pen felt like it took forever), and it just so happened that the kids had an odd day off school. Rophone took the day off work, too, so we managed to spend the whole day celebrating Pen's birthday as a family. It was a lot of fun.


For breakfast I made a sausage and egg strata/casserole that Pen had been wanting to try. She really loved it, although I don't think my attempt at trying to make it healthier by using chicken sausage will be repeated. Not with that chicken sausage anyway. 


After lunch, we headed to the bookstore as a family where Pen was able to spend a gift card one of her friends had given her. We all had a grand time. I am so glad that all of my kids have such a great appreciation for books.


Dinner was Pen-requested burritos. We were all glad that she requested them, since it's been too long since I have made them. They really are too good to go so long without. Rophone just might request them again for his birthday next month.


When dinner was finished, we let Pen start in on her presents. The 'Hunger Games' boxed set was a big hit.

Of course, the underwear was, too. I have well rounded children.

You probably can't guess who picked out the paper for the next one...

Pen loved all of her gifts and, not surprisingly, was anxious to move on to the cake and ice cream.

We were impressed that she managed to get them out with one blow. I mean, considering that it was just a few years ago that she made it look like I was using trick candles when I wasn't. Way to be full of hot air, Pen!


It really ended up being an enjoyable and fun birthday. Well I think it did, anyway. I don't know what Pen's favorite part was, but I know that mine was this lovely card Ginger made for Pen:

I found the back of it to be especially touching. 

Ahhhh. The love of sisters. Happy Birthday, Pen!

Cravings

Usually when I am pregnant I am besieged by cravings. 


With Pen, it was Taco Bell and Boston Market mashed potatoes. But then Boston Market closed and I had to do with KFC mashed potatoes-- not quite the same, but they did the trick. 


When I was pregnant with Ginger, I craved chimichangas from a local restaurant near where we lived at the time. I also ate a lot of fresh fruits and veggies from the nearby farmer's market. 


With both boys, I really craved sweets. This is odd, since I normally don't like sweets and very rarely indulge. I drank a ton of homemade smoothies when I was pregnant with Bud, too. Big made me want mexican salads. A lot of them.


This time around, I have eaten a veggie sandwich made with havarti cheese, tomatoes and banana peppers from the garden (and armenian cucumber before Big dug it up) almost every day since the garden started producing. Hands down, this still sounds better to me than anything. I have also been craving chips something fierce. Luckily they go well with sandwiches. 


I have discovered greek yogurt, too. I try to have some of that every day for the protein. I also eat a lot of cottage cheese with tomato or fruit and green beans or zucchini on the side. I will be a sad pregnant lady when the garden dies off. 


I had a hankering for a chimichanga yesterday, so tonight I ate one. It just didn't do. I realized as I was eating that it was one of the chimichangas from the local restaurant where we used to live that I needed to satisfy the craving. Guess that's not going to happen. Bummer. 


Sweets have sounded pretty disgusting to me for the most part this time around. Does it signal a girl, perhaps? Only 2 more weeks to wait, and then we'll know. Or maybe we'll just keep it a secret....

Gymnastics Times Two

For the past 5 weeks, both Bud and Ginger have been taking a gymnastics class through the city. Ginger has been begging me for ages to let her take gymnastics, and Bud really wanted to take again since he loved it so much the first time. Their classes were one after the other on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, so Rophone and I tag-teamed it so that no one had to be there for 2 hours straight. 


They got to work on 4 events-- vault, beam, bars and floor. On the last night of classes, the kids got to showcase what they have learned. I, of course, was there with my camera to capture it all. 


Bud and Ginger were pretty much a blur doing the vault, but I did my best to catch what I could. 

Both of the kids really loved the beam. 

The bars are a real challenge. 

And, yes, Bud has a bony butt.

Oh, to be so afflicted.

Their work on the floor was also a bit difficult to capture-- all of those quick movements.

After it was all said and done, it was time for the awards ceremony. Bud and Ginger both looked proud, and I know they had a blast. Ta-da!

Bud definitely wants to do gymnastics again, but Ginger seems to have gotten it out of her system-- back to soccer next fall for her. Way to go, kids!