International Night and other things to catch up on ...

Yes, I suck (at blogging on a more regular basis). And I don't really have any good excuses.

I mean, for a week or so, my house WAS cleaner and all ... but that's no longer the case. Ha ha ha....

So, I last blogged on the tenth, my Aunt J's birthday.
She enjoyed our little serenade.

Bucket's had her activity days for the month. On the first one, they wrote letters to missionaries. This last week, they learned to knit and crochet a little. She mostly, though, has used her yarn to ... string across the hallway or around the kitchen.
Mommy does not approve of that.

Bruise has had most of his Cub Scout meetings (until the Blue and Gold at the end of the month). He's having fun, which is good.

Mom and J came up last week for J's birthday celebration. We went out to lunch and then J and I got mani/pedis while Mom watched V (her idea, my mom's that is!) ... and I had to skedaddle from the mall to the house, where Bruise and Bucket were waiting outside (Bruise had to pee in the bushes) and then they scrambled into the car and we drove back to meet Mom and J at the mall. Good times, good times when I forget my phone at home and can't see a clock!

I made J's favorite dish of mine (pasta carbonara) for dinner. And we watched "The Holiday" after the kids went to bed (since I couldn't find a copy of "Austenland" at Target, since she would have enjoyed that).

Friday, I drove the kids to school, along with one of my friend's kids to another school across town. And, since Michael was home, I was able to manage to pick up her kids ... since Michael was able to meet our kids at home. So that worked well.

Saturday was going to be really busy (Children's Performance - acrobat/juggler guy, then the Mall's Kids' club in the morning. Then a movie date with friends. And Michael and I had a date night), but we had to cancel the morning plans so that Bruise and Bucket would actually get their room clean. It was a disaster in there.
I ended up leaving at one point to go to Target (partly to run an errand for my mom, partly to get OUT OF THE HOUSE) ... I returned with discounted V-day chocolates for Michael and me, a hand lotion, and a medicinal Cherry Coke. Good times.

We made it to the movie -- we LOVE The LEGO Movie. Totally recommend it. I've already pre-ordered it.

Michael and I went to the Valentine's Dinner and Dance that was at church. We got to sit and talk with some friends from other wards (congregations), which was awesome. Then, after the dinner, we danced one dance, had some punch ... and went to Wal-Mart. I found Michael a DVD (4-in-1: Dune, Battlestar Gallactica, The Last Starfighter, and Flash Gordon. ... Yes, I know, I'm the BESTEST wife ever.) and we picked up Subway. Then I ran our babysitter home and we ate our sandwiches and watched Ender's Game.

Yup, we are SO romantical.

Sunday, we called my Nana for her 83rd birthday. Had to make a few calls, turns out she was staying with my Dad and L for her birthday. So, we serenaded THEIR answering machine (to Nana's delight). The rest of the day was church and choir and getting garbage out to the curb. Fun times!

Nothing much happened on Monday ... in fact, I've been really lazy this week. As you'd be able to tell if you looked at the state of the house. #notgonnalie

Tuesday, there was the RS (women's group) activity during Activity Days. An officer in our Stake (group of congregations) taught us about personal safety and self-defense. It was pretty good.
Of course, I was sitting next to a friend and, at one point, he was talking about how --if needed-- you COULD cut off the carotid arteries -- after six seconds, your attacker would lose consciousness, giving you the chance to get away (though, by doing it, you take the chance of loosening any plaque in the arteries, which could lead to a heart blockage ... so he does NOT recommend practicing it on people), and I leaned over to AG and whispered, "IT'S THE VULCAN DEATH GRIP!!" and she snickered back, "I KNOW!!"

Michael took Bruise to his last Den Meeting of the month ... and picked up Austenland for me at Target. It's really cute. Doesn't always follow the book ... but very cute. I'm looking forward to showing it to Mom and J.

Yesterday was International night at the kids' school. Their grade was assigned Europe, so the classes did the United Kingdom (Bucket helped on making a little Union Jack flag with another classmate. She said that cutting out all the red stripes was HARD.), Spain (Bruise cut out some pictures of food), and the other class did Belgium.

Since we were requested (not required) to bring a potluck dish, I looked up Spanish foods and made Magdalenes. I'd never heard of them before ... but the recipe is really simple (Bruise and Bucket helped). They're lemon cupcakes (sugar, eggs, butter, lemon peel [I used lemon extract, since I didn't have any lemons], milk, flour, baking powder ... sprinkle with sugar before baking). They're really just a sweet lemon muffin. A lemon glaze would be nice on them, too.

And the kids all performed some songs and dances from their assigned continent.
They sang a song from Spain ... don't ask me what it is called or is about.
They sang "Mein Hut hat drei Ecken"/"My Hat Has Three Corners" (with hand motions!) ... because, um, a song from England/Scotland/Wales/N. Ireland wouldn't be fun? I don't know. But Bruise and Bucket were impressed that I knew what the song meant. Three+ years of German will do that! Even if it WAS over a decade ago...
They also did a dance from Belgium. If I could have heard what the kids were reading, I might be able to tell you what it was called. But it involved couples holding hands and promenading forward, backwards, then joining arms and spinning to and fro, then stopping and doing some epic jazz-hands/arms like a diva.
Very cute.

And we stopped and got milkshakes on the way home, since most of us were still hungry.
I think Bucket's undergoing a growth spurt ... or she just REALLY wanted a burrito. We discussed where to eat and she suggested burritos. Bruise wanted milkshakes. We agreed on milkshakes. And, after getting home Bucket broke down in tears that we didn't also get burritos.
(Meanwhile, little Bubbles has STOLEN Michael's milkshake. ... She also announced, when I got to the bottom of mine, "Ahh gohh[n]!!" She CAN talk!!)

Michael was pretty impressed by how many people said hi to Bubbles (Obligatory MG quote: "She doesn't even go here!") ... but, as I reasoned, when I wore her to school when I volunteered for a few months, people get to know her. If nothing else, she'll feel right at home when she starts Kindergarten in another three years, right?

Today, I got (mostly) caught up on dishes. I need to get a shower. I need to read about a bazillion books. I need Bubbles to take her nap. The kids, after school, will be going to Grandma and Grandpa's. We get to go to the temple. That'll be nice.

I think that's really about everything to report ...