The Bouncy Castle in Space

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles, MsJudy. I hope communication can be worked out between you guys. Hang in there!

In bouncier news, I get to see my family for Christmas!!! My parents are opting to pay for the plane ticket expense to fly me, my husband, and my son from Indiana all the way to Seattle. This will be the first Christmas I've gotten to spend with them in three years. I'm so happy!!!

Yay!

I'm happy for you, Starbeam. It's so very difficult to be away from family during the holidays. Have a great time.

Starbeam, that's great! We didn't go home for the holidays one year and it was awful. I swore to never do it again.

That's good news, Starbeam! Seattle for the holidays sounds lovely.

I'm feeling very bouncy. I got an email from the mom of the most surly bad attitude kid in my after-school writing class telling me how much he loved the class. I was shocked! Then I met her tonight and she told me he wouldn't stop going on about his book and how he had a book and this was his book and he wrote a book. And THEN she told me that he loved it so much that he took it to bed with him. He's in 4th grade so he looked a little embarrassed about that. But awwww

And then I met a mom of a different student, and she said that only just now, being in my writing class and reading Frindle in his regular class, he's decided for the first time he likes reading and wants to pick out books, rather than just being tortured by them. Awwww book love

Kitty, you rock!

My son's professor just showed their class an amazing new documentary about kid lit. It features interviews with some of the most well-known authors, illustrators, and editors. I blogged about it here, with links.

Kitty has the power!!!

(which is WAY better than having the Boogertouch...)

Of course Kitty has the power -- PINK MARSHMALLOW POWER!

We've always known this.

Kitty, that's amazing!

What's up, people? It's kind of quiet in the bounce house.

Over the weekend, I thought I had a great writing idea. By the end of the weekend I realized it was too complicated. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.



Bounce on!

Woooo-hoo! I'm here to bounce. My daughter just got the acceptance letter from her first choice college (Loyola - Chicago), along with a nice scholarship offer!

Yay! Congrats to her!

Yay Ruth! Yay Ruth's daughter!

So, your daughter is now stress-free, she's going to stay close to home (I think?), and she got a scholarship - you must be flying high right now!

Congrats!

That's great, Ruth! She must be so excited.

Thanks! Yes, the angst level around here has definitely gone down. Chicago is far enough for her to feel she's really going away, but close enough for parental peace of mind (and hers, too, I think). Plus, Amtrak is cheap. This is much better than some of her other, earlier ideas, like ... Maine.

That's great news, Ruth. Great that she got the scholarships and great that she's fairly close.

So, in other news, how are things going with MsJudy?

Yay college! Yay scholarship! Woo woo! I would add a bouncing smilie but i'm writing on my not-smart phone.

Tonight, as i am in charge of tg dessert, i am starting baking! Ginger cookies, sticky toffee pudding (it is a british cake), and poached pears with triple creme cheese. Also working on my new cookie i am inventing, chocolate chip caramel chai cookies. That is if I can keep myself from eating all the caramels from the candy store nom nom.

I'll make enough to share! Who else is bringing goodies?

Kitty, those poached pears sound delish. And the newly invented cookie! Yum
All the baking I do has to be gluten free and egg free, so the only thing I've perfected so far is chocolate chip cookies. I really have to broaden my horizens soon.

Ruth, my congrats to your daughter as well!

Yummo, Kitty. Sounds like way too much work to me.

I'm making Scotch Shortbread cookies. I have the neatest cookie pan. It's a heavy cast-iron thing, and the cookies are the letters of the alphabet, with some token added to represent that letter. So, the M has a monkey on it, all toys or animals that kids would love. I found it at a garage sale several years ago - never used - amazing quality, and I paid the guy $2.00 for it. We were both happy.

When I don't use it for shortbread cookies, it works great for just melting chocolate in. The letters are approximately an inch square, so it's not too much. Especially if you're like me and love chocolate.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE. At least, for the Americans and any others who celebrate with us.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates! Congratulations to Ruth for her daughter getting into a close college! Kitty and Sissybaby, those deserts sound wonderful! Have fun baking them!

Kitty Pryde said:

Tonight, as i am in charge of tg dessert, i am starting baking! Ginger cookies, sticky toffee pudding (it is a british cake), and poached pears with triple creme cheese. Also working on my new cookie i am inventing, chocolate chip caramel chai cookies.

Click to expand...

OMG. If I was at your Thanksgiving dinner I would skip dinner and go straight to dessert! Makes my pumpkin and apple pies sound a bit ... bland.

Ruth, that's wonderful news. Especially the scholarship part! My son is a junior in high school. I keep watching the state Uni system raise its tuition... Beginning to think I'll just keep him at home for another decade.

My first full request came back rejected today, but I'm feeling surprisingly bouncy anyway. Maybe because I still have 2 out, so hope is alive. Or maybe because I get 5 days to sleep in!

Today we made butter by shaking whipping cream in a jar until it turns solid. The kids Loved it. One boy said it was way better than anything else we've ever done. I did have to say that learning how to read is pretty important, too....

Kitty, that sounds like an amazing cookie, please let us know how it turns out (and post the recipe!)

Sissy, I have never seen a pan like that, what fun!

Judy - So sorry about the R - any constructive words? I got one reply to a full that said, "This is not for me, but thanks for sending." That wasn't really very helpful. I like it when they something to take the sting out of the R.