the ordinary ten

Sometimes we like to lure our free and happy childless friends over with promises of football and yummy snacks and then sucker punch them with hour/s long sewing projects and "fun" surprise back wrestling and steal-your-phone-and-then-pretend-to-fart-on-it games.  It's just the kids of generous hosts we are.  Your welcome Karl and Abby.  

Your welcome.

 My baby is now in official preparations for his practical life goal of "ninja guy".  We told him that he could stay in Tai Kwon Do as long as he kept his grades up, was home by curfew, and stopped leaving wet pull-ups all over the bathroom floor.  So far he's held up his end of the bargain.

 too soon!

 too creepy!

 Here's a rare photo of me in my nine to five element taken by my lovely assistant Rafat.  My kiddos were trying to come up with a way to make white play dough when our recipe calls for kool-aid and they don't make white.  I love that the idea to try another recipe that doesn't include kool-aid never came to mind, but "add magic salt" got a solid round of agreeable nods from the group. 

 In related news this project has led to a strongly worded letter to the makers of Kool-Aid to release a "coconut or white watermelon flavor".  I am not joking.

 Um...is there something in my ear?

 This is what Tuesday night sausage surprise looks like at the Hsieh house.  Baby spinach tossed in honey mustard dressing, topped with smoked/aidells chicken/apple or pineapple/bacon sausage, (further ingredients photo fail) topped with sautéed apples/pears, topped with croutons/hashbrowns, topped with parmesan cheese.  If you precook the potatoes in the microwave for 2-3 minutes this meal is ready in under 15.  Yay for Tai-Kwon-Do/soccer/mama got home late/let's just get them the he%$ to bed so we can watch the new Parks & Rec nights!

 Speaking of which, next to emergency rooms there is nowhere B shines more than during bedtime routine.  Here, Once Upon A Potty is set to a dramatic guitar solo.  You can only imagine the hilarity that ensued on the, "she sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat....." page.  It was one for the record books.

Here's to filling up the long January days with enough room for quirky in the margins.