Week-End Wrap-Up

These are things we did, or thought about, or talked about this weekend:

Vocabulary Lessons--Ethan asked me what "dojo" meant. I wasn't really sure myself, so I asked him to use it in a sentence. He gave me this non-sentence example: "Super Mario Smash Brother's Dojo." I guessed it was some kind of martial arts thing. Then he asked what "melee" means. I had a better idea of the definition of this word, but asked him to use it in a sentence anyway. His super creative non-sentence was, "Super Mario Smash Brother's Melee." Hmm, I'm starting to see a pattern here.

Destructive vs. Productive--Destructive is when you take a stick and whack the lovely yet helpless weeping spruce in the front yard which just this year started to "weep" over the rocks in a stunning display of landscape perfection. Continue whacking until all the new growth has been violently severed.

Productive is when you clean out the garage the next day.

Rock Tumbler--In a triumph of birthday gift selection, I got Jonah a rock tumbler for his birthday. And not one of those light-weights they sell at the craft store....no. I got him a real rock tumbler from a hardware store. Jonah loved it.

As it turns out, the rock tumbler is the sort of "perfect" gift rivaled only by the frog habitat of December 2007. According to the instructions, the first of 4 tumbling steps will take 7-10 days, in the which the tumbler will be running continuously and we will be checking the "slurry" every 24 hours. At least I will not have to "feed" it live bugs.

Chevy's--Oh how I enjoy a delicioso Fresh Mex meal. We have a tradition of going to Chevy's for each of the kids' birthdays. They love it, but I think I might love it more. However, we are starting to notice the cruel hand of inflation has had it's way with the Chevy's menu. Chip baskets are half what they used to be, although the muy feliz staff will bring out more chips if you are able to flag them down to make the request.

The entree portions, however, are what seem to have taken the biggest hit. In the past, the portions were so grande we were able to bring home enough left-overs for a second Fresh Mex meal. Now, we only have enough left-overs for a pequeño snack the next day. Estoy triste.

Extreme Home Makeover--I enjoy watching Extreme Home Makeover from time to time. Sometimes I skip all the build-up and tune in just to see the amazing homes they build. Last night, however, I was able to catch the beginning of the show where the cast tours the existing home, usually being held together by duct tape, staples and sheer luck. One gal went into the teen brother's room which he shared with his younger pre-teen brother. This was the dialogue that ensued:

EHMO Lady: So, this is your room?
Teen: Yep.
EHMO Lady: Well, why are there two beds, do you have to...share your room? (disgust and disbelief in her voice.)
Teen: Yes, with my younger brother. That's his side of the room. (gesturing)
EHMO Lady: So, you don't even have your own room? (a tear trickles down her cheek)
Teen: Nope.

Gosh, I never realized how horrible some people have it. To have to share a room! What is the world coming to?

Webkinz--Oh dear, the Webkinz have invaded. Jonah and Isaac went to a birthday party on Saturday and came home with a bag full of Webkinz paraphernalia and a Webkinz toy. Don't know what Webkinz are? Count yourself lucky.