Hot Weather Inside Activity

Han asked today if I'd make "edible sand," something she saw in a magazine.  I didn't have the ingredients for it, so I made edible play dough instead.  They are having a blast, and I have time to take a break get my work done!

Edible Play Dough

1 box cake mix that you bought for a recipe then decided not to make
1/2 stick of butter @ room temp/soft
1/3 of cream cheese block left out since breakfast, so its at room temp

Mix all together for about 3-4 minutes in (preferably) a stand mixer.  It should start to really clump together. 

Use trays to keep clean, washed hands and kitchen tools to play!

VBS Season

Its VBS week again, and this year, instead of the usual 9-12 time slot, we're meeting from 6-8:30 in the evening.  I'm also teaching the 3-5-year-olds instead of just doing crafts.  Its a big difference! 
Now, you know I love VBS.  I do it every year and actually look forward to it.  But I also like to gripe.  So lets get right to it!
Whose idea is it to jack up a hundred kids on junk food at 8PM, play loud music with lots of action and moves and send them home with a message that "Jesus loves everyone"?  Yes.  He does.  But we as parents are imperfect reflections of God, and at 11:30 PM when the 4 year old is still spinning, I'm having a hard time reflecting the Love Of Christ when I am whacking on her for the THIRD TIME and she is still wound tight as as a top. 
These are the nights when I am tempted to put some Benadryl in the baby bottle.... no, not really, but come ON!  And then she was up at 8AM?  Really?  Doesn't this kid need sleep?  More importantly, do I get any time to myself??  Sigh....
The Big One went right to bed after a bit of an emotional upheaval ~ Daddy pulled out her remaining front tooth after several unsuccessful tries on her part to do the same.  She went to bed after tears of joy, sadness, and with heady expectation that her tooth fairy would reward her with a shiny coin and a smooth paper dollar.
Alas, her joy upon awakening was dashed as she reached under her pillow and felt neither. 
When she opened one round eye at me at 8AM as I tiptoed in to replace the tiny fang with money, she whispered,
"Butterfly didn't come last night."
(Butterfly is the name of her tooth fairy.)
Ding, dang, dong.
"Well," I told her, "I have a feeling she tried to get here but your sister scared her away being up so late and wailing until the wee hours of the morning" inadvertently fueling sibling rivalry in a piteous attempt to shift the blame from my forgetfulness.
So tonight is the second night of what I fear will be a long, long week of VBS.  Not at all because of the children in my class, who are precious lambs of Jesus.  Really!  Those little loves are the easy part. 
And I have GOT to remember to play Butterfly.

I shouldn't have even looked!

Has it really been since May since I posted last?  I'm sorry!  But here is something blog-worthy to break the long dry spell.  Its typical for me.

I drink day old coffee.  Yes, yes, some will say its so gauche, or gross or what have you, but I don't mind ~ I usually mix it with new coffee to heat it back up so I can drink it right away. 

Ever have that niggling feeling that, "I should...." but then ignore it? 
Don't ignore it.

Last night I poured the last of yesterday's coffee into a coffee cup and left it on the stove, refilled the stove top percolator and set it on the burner and went to bed.

This morning I turned on the burner, perked the coffee and, when it was finished, topped it off with the fresh coffee.

I just finished drinking it and, reaching the bottom, felt something against my lip.

It wasn't coffee grounds.

It was an EARWIG!!

GROSS, GROSS, GROSS!! 

Someone I know who reads this will be ESPECIALLY GROSSED out. 

Don't remember what an earwig looks like?