The Bouncy Castle in Space

Oh, he is awesome. I see a motivational speaking career in the making.

IF YOU KEEP PRACTICING, YOU WILL GET THE HANG OF IT!

SheilaJG said:

Judy - I don't know how you do it. I spent yesterday on a field trip with 44 third graders and it totally wiped me out. This used to happen to me when I was the parent-helper in my kids' nursery school. Half a day with a group of kids was so draining. And you do it every day. How?

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I am a bit on the hyper side myself. To me, the worst job in the world would involve sitting in a cubicle or behind a desk all day long. I would KILL SOMEBODY. Plus I am easily bored, and with kids, you never know what's going to happen.

Cuteness: Yesterday a group of boys were building a tall block tower together. They know the rule: no towers taller than they are. So then they have to measure--the tower gets as tall as the tallest kid in the group. They weren't quite there yet, though. So Spencer announces, "This is only as tall as--as--as a pit bull!"

You can keep your frickin' metric system. We got our own system in these parts.

Can see it now: Walk into Home Depot and ask for a piece of lumber four pit bulls long...

I made some cupcakes! Dark chocolate souffle cake with almond buttercream. There's enough for everyone! I made them to try out the recipe because my friend roped me into baking 300 cupcakes for her wedding.

How are the rest of the bouncers this fine weekend?

ohhhh, kitty, those sound heavenly!!!!!

300??? you are one true friend, that's for sure.

As for me: I'm on vacation!!!!! Can't get any bouncier than that.

Not that it feels like summer break in these parts. Torrential downpour all day yesterday. So I curled up in front of my computer and did youtube all day.

And here's a story you'll appreciate...

The school I teach at is in a fairly conservative rural community. Eagle Scout country...know what I mean? Every year one fifth grade teacher has her students put on a power point slide show complete with music. The teacher tries to control the songs very carefully--no bad language, etc.

Well, there were 3 songs all the kids sang along with...
YMCA by the Village People.
Baby, Baby by the Bieber, who is about as androgynous-looking as you can get.
Firework by Katy Perry, which has a gay couple kissing in the music video.

Subversity/diversity is infiltrating EVERYWHERE, and the grown-ups just aren't gonna be able to keep it out.

*giggle*

Cupcakes! Vacations! Woot!

As for me, I'm slightly pink today, after a thoroughly enjoyable pool day yesterday. And I've just eaten a lovely brunch prepared by my father... and it occurred to me just how odd my family probably is.

Or do all families bring books to the dinner table? For as long as I can remember, that's the way it's been. We're a family of readers. But to an outsider, it probably looks strange, a family sitting in comfortable silence, turning pages eagerly as they munch on bacon and biscuits.

wow, Kitty, I need you for a neighbor. You sound like my sister - does wedding cakes for people as their wedding gift. A few weeks ago she made mini cupcakes, cut the tops off, and made like cupcake sandwiches or something out of just the tops. Her kids ate all the bottoms!

Today she's making shell shaped spongecakes and filling them with whipped cream and fruit, and drizzling chocolate over the top shells.

but souffle' cupcakes? I never, ever tried a souffle' anything. I admire you for your talent and your generosity!

You know you have to share any leftovers with us, don't you? Castle rule number something or other.

Could Dorothy get to Oz in a bounce house? HANG ON, EVERYBODY!

http://ow.ly/5axb4

Smish said:

Or do all families bring books to the dinner table? For as long as I can remember, that's the way it's been. We're a family of readers. But to an outsider, it probably looks strange, a family sitting in comfortable silence, turning pages eagerly as they munch on bacon and biscuits.

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In my family, someone often shows up at the table with a finger stuck in a book and asks hopefully, "Is this a reading meal?" Then the rest of us say, "Yes, it is!" and run to get our books. We do try to balance this with "conversation meals" where we actually talk to each other. : )

timp67 said:

Could Dorothy get to Oz in a bounce house? HANG ON, EVERYBODY!

http://ow.ly/5axb4

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Hope that doesn't happen to this bouncy castle!

I have never heard of "reading meals" before and now I'm in love with the idea.

When i was little i always read at the table, even in restaurants. If we had guests i wasnt allowed to and i was always bored silly. Once at Chi-Chi's Mexican restaurant (anybody remember them?) i made the waitress laugh hysterically when i didnt notice she'd picked up the tortilla chip basket and i was reading whilst reaching around my book groping around futilely on the table for nonexistent chips.

Nowadays im only allowed to read at the table if my partner is watching Boring Sports during dinner.

Yay! My family isn't the crazy bunch of readers.

We talk, too, but generally after the meal. I mean, you shouldn't talk with your mouth full and all that, anyway.

Kitty Pryde said:

When i was little i always read at the table, even in restaurants. If we had guests i wasnt allowed to and i was always bored silly. Once at Chi-Chi's Mexican restaurant (anybody remember them?) i made the waitress laugh hysterically when i didnt notice she'd picked up the tortilla chip basket and i was reading whilst reaching around my book groping around futilely on the table for nonexistent chips.

Nowadays im only around to read at the table if my partner is watching Boring Sports during dinner.

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I remember Chi Chi's! It was my favorite place as a kid.

Yay! Then you must remember enjoying this song at least three times per Chi-Chi's meal:

Haaaaappy happy happy birthday
Haaaaappy happy happy birthday
Haaaaappy happy happy birthday
To you to you to you OLAY!!!!

Mmm, fried ice cream...

My birthday is May 5th... so guess where we always went? I wore the hat many times.

Kitty Pryde said:

My new plans include mooching around at home, testing out a new cupcake recipe, and a marathon of JEM And The Holograms. Whoopee!

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JEM and the Holograms?!!! I loved them. Watched them all the time and had most of the dolls between me and my sisters. I kind of forgot about them, but now you mentioned it I want to see it again!

swachski said:

Here's some flowers to keep your spirits up.

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Those flowers are awesome Swachski!

Smish said:

Cupcakes! Vacations! Woot!

As for me, I'm slightly pink today, after a thoroughly enjoyable pool day yesterday. And I've just eaten a lovely brunch prepared by my father... and it occurred to me just how odd my family probably is.

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Since my husband developed melanoma cancer I've become the sunblock nazi! Wear your sunscreen Smish!!!

Smish said:

Or do all families bring books to the dinner table? For as long as I can remember, that's the way it's been. We're a family of readers. But to an outsider, it probably looks strange, a family sitting in comfortable silence, turning pages eagerly as they munch on bacon and biscuits.

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Yeah, that's weird. My family growing up would never have allowed that, but I wish we could have. Would have been nicer than the dinners filled with tense silence caused by our severe disfunction. (Not to mention easier to dispose of unwanted food when no one is looking!)

There's no reading at our table either, but mostly because it's the one time we all sit together as we are so busy. A long time ago I imposed a "no singing" at the dinner tbale rule. Kind of regret it now. Every once in awhile we bust out a tune, then when it gets out of hand, some one brings up the rule.

David, hope you're well or getting better. In and out of the hospitale just sucks.

Chi-Chi's was one of my favorite restaurants. My kids still complain that they closed.

Reading at the table is way better than the modern version of texting and talking on the phone at the table. I always let my hyper younger son bring his iPod and a book when we go to a restaurant. It's the only way he can sit still and wait for the food...

Well, and it's something we all enjoyed doing as a family. We often talk about the books we read, share books, recommend books. My mother was the first to read the Harry Potter books, and she got all the rest of us hooked, for example.

I'll probably continue the tradition if/when I have a family of my own. I can't imagine that I'd fall in love with a non-reader, so I'm sure our kids will be exposed to lots of books, very early in their lives.

Smish - once you get there, read out loud to your babies before they're born. My kids araer all adopted, but I began reading to them as soon as possible.

I remember one little alphabet book my younger daughter had. It was a lovely book with less common animals for each letter. I for ibis is one I remember off hand.

She never could remember the nightingale - she always called it the nightgown birdie.

Dinner was always a trivia time, or a recap of the day time in our family - no books allowed, so it took me some time to adjust to my husband reading at the table. I thought he was rude!

But we both carry books with us in the car, and when we stop to eat we sit and read in restaurants. My kids have developed the habit, too, so I no longer complain about reading at the table.

Wow, I wish I lived at your reader households. My mom NEVER let me bring a book to the table. We all had to sit around and talk about our days and all that. I remember getting on a Hardy Boy's kick one summer (my mom tried to steer me toward Nancy Drew but I always was a tom boy). Anyway, I would knock out a Hardy Boy book a day and I would always get to the answer to the mystery/daring escape/Dad comes to the rescue with the posse/Chet has a random spark of brilliance that leads to apprehension of the villain/etc. around supper time. So I would take my book and lock myself in the bathroom so I could finish reading. It worked great at first. I had the doting motherly concern, the resolution to the mystery, and lots of privacy. After a week though, I ended up at the doctor's office so it wasn't a really good plan in the end. Then we had a rule that I had to leave my book on the counter when I came to dinner...Just like my mom always took my books with her to bed.

Purple Tulip said:

After a week though, I ended up at the doctor's office so it wasn't a really good plan in the end.

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oops...

Yeah. My mom was totally on to me. She worked at the hospital so I'm pretty sure the visit was part of the punishment but I was stubborn and wouldn't admit what I was really doing in there. And all that over the Hardy Boys too. I can't imagine what my childhood would have been like if Harry Potter had come out a decade earlier.

And yeah, Harry Potter was hard enough for me to deal with as an adult. Book 7 came out the Saturday before I took the bar exam. I had it shipped to my parents house so I wouldn't spend the weekend reading instead of studying.

And I'll confess that during the exam, when I should have been focusing on tax and property questions, I was thinking about horcruxes. I actually worked Harry Potter scenarios into my answers.

and you passed, so clearly a bit of magic helps, even in our complex legal system!

Smish - your post reminded me of something I saw recently, called Harry Potter Math. It cracked me up.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/burnred/id-give-this-kid-an-a-281t

Look at Judy - posting in the morning! Yay summer!