aka Explorations in the Adhesive Properties of Peanut Butter by Will Bowles
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Smoothie Pro 600: The Final Betrayal
It had been a reliable kitchen appliance. A good friend, really. Always at the ready, whipping up smoothies at any time of day or night. Fearlessly crushing various mixtures of frozen fruit, ice, milk and my secret ingredient, dry instant pudding mix.
Lately though, we'd had our problems. The faint odor when the motor ran. And then the seal started to go. Leakage from the bottom gasket--never a good sign from a smoothie machine. A few times in fact, the bottom came completely off as I lifted the vessel off of the base--full of freshly blended smoothie. But I was always able to salvage it...
Which brings us to today. I did a couple of errands after work and came home at 2pm, famished. I needed a quick fix, I needed a smoothie. I had to wash all the parts because it was still in the sink from last night (gasp), but I pressed on. I loaded up the ingredients: 8oz of skim milk, 6 ice cubes, 1 sliced frozen banana and 2 shakes of sugar free/fat free chocolate fudge instant pudding mix. I hit mix. I rotated the ingredients around with the special Smoothie Pro mixing stick. I hit smooth. And it was. I readied my glass, I lifted the glass vessel. BUT THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER STAYED IN THE BASE! My healthful nectar flowed all over the base and the countertop as I scrambled to salvage what I could. No! No!, I pleaded. I've been dreaming of this all morning, even last night as I sliced the banana, freezing it in anticipation. And this is how you repay me? By spilling your guts all over the granite countertop?? How. Could. You.
That's when I made my decision. Memo to Smoothie Pro 600--it's over. You've been replaced. Look at the picture again. What do you see in the background? Breathing down your neck, itching to get out of its box. Yes, it's a 16 speed blender. With brushed nickel finish and a powerful 450 watt motor. Able "to create everything from milkshakes to smoothies to salsa". Everything. For only $29.99 at Costco.
Mr. Oster, welcome to the family. Tonight I will unpack you, wash you and place you proudly in between the stand mixer and the as yet unpacked box of Oneida flatware (yes, it's here!). And tomorrow at breakfast, we'll make a beautiful frozen concoction. Together.
It's Outta Here!
Will's 1st lost tooth, that is.
It finally fell out at his dentist appointment this afternoon. It's been loose for over a month, maybe even two. Unlike his brother, who likes to rip his teeth out of his gums, Will was a bit reluctant to wiggle his loose tooth. Over a week ago I told him we'd be going to the dentist and that if it hadn't fallen out by then, it would probably come out at the dentist's office. Sure enough, it's been getting wigglier and wigglier. Just before the hygentist called him in, he was sitting in the chair moving his tooth around so much with his finger that it started to bleed. I went in to the exam room with him and mentioned the loose tooth to Jodi and said I didn't think we'd make it thru the appointment without it coming out. She said, oh Dr. McChristian (not his real name but he is a Christian, and I don't mean McChristian in McDreamy sort of way. Just the opposite really, I don't like him very much. He's the one that tried to suffocate me with a latex dental dam. That, of course, is another story. Fine, his real name is Dr. McCourt) won't pull it out. He won't have to, I thought. Sure enough a few minutes later I heard 'oh look at that' and 'let me get you a box'. Jodi was drying his teeth with gauze in anticipation of cleaning them and it just fell out into the gauze. And just like that, Will is about to join the Tooth Fairy club.
Something else that occurred to me today, about my children. First of all, Will's threshold for pain isn't nearly as high as Cuyler's. Cuyler ripped that long rooted tooth out of his own mouth, working in the cover of night. Will barely wanted to wiggle his, saying it hurt too much. I think today he was mentally prepared to lose his tooth and so he finally did some serious wiggling. And he just lost the same long rooted tooth that Cuyler lost and it has a long root too. So, Cuyler is the pain tolerance champ. Ebby isn't even in the running. She freaked out when we were going to have a small skin tag removed from her thigh. Before the doctor even touched her (age 5). Cuyler, on the other hand, had a nasty looking super power wart on his knuckle frozen, frozen, frozen when he was just three. Barely flinched. Will does eat the best variety of foods and is the most open to trying new ones. Though Ebby ate roast pork this weekend. The other white meat. Yes, she dipped each piece in ketchup but we call it progress. And Ebby. She's got the best dance moves by far--and the pipes to go with it.
So my point, and I'm pretty sure I no longer have one, is that Will lost his first tooth. And it's already under his pillow.
Pool School
At around 4:30 this afternoon, a number of residents of our neighborhood finished watching the Panthers game, looked at their watches and realized that, hey, there's only 90 minutes left in the 2006 community pool season! I will not let it end without one last dip! And neither would we (well I did, but the other 4 Bowleses went swimming).
Daddy led the way.
Followed by Cuyler (& Ebby).
Will marched in after that.
We had some guests--without pool tags.
See you next May, Community Pool.
Saturday Night Live
I wasn't going to blog today. In fact I didn't even turn on the computer in my studio today. I wasn't going to go online at all but then I had to check on directions to the Whitewater Center so I mapquested. But that's it. Pretty much. Anyway, I was upstairs with the BC/NC State game on, getting lost in the pages of The Time Traveler's Wife when we realized that the lights were still on in the kitchen and family room. As I came down the stairs to turn them off, I heard the hum in here. Computer, turned on. Which meant I had to turn it off. How could I turn it off without blogging, especially when I've been taking copious notes of some bizarre conversations all day.
Bubbe gave a call this afternoon from her cell phone.
Bubbe: I got a woman!
Me: You did?!
B: Yes, just like your woman, only she's French.
Me: Cool, where did you get her?
B: At a yard sale on Hobart Street. $25 and she's perfect. She has a wooden neck.
Me: Now you just have to take her home and adorn her.
(Insert background noise from children eating/arguing over lunch)
Me: Hey, it's feeding time here at the zoo...
Daddy: And one of the monkeys is about to be put down!
Me: Gotta go, I'll talk to you later!
And later at dinner, this:
Daddy: Mommy stole something once. My heart (awww)
Will: And she stole my placemat!
After dinner, this:
Will: My brain is confused today. (Points to his head and says in a slightly scolding voice...) Hey brain, get your stuff in the right spot!
I guess it usually stays in the right spot because he told me yesterday that he is the smartest one in his class.
What the other children are into this week: Ebby is vying to be the youngest contestant on Project Runway (a show I've never actually watched). She is all about fashion. Which usually involves some sort of capri pants or embellished jeans and layers on the top. Like a tank top and a tshirt. Or a summer shirt with ties on the shoulders under some sort of blousy top. Oh, and layers on the hair too. A headband and a ponytail. I think she's just wearing one pair of socks. I'll have to get some pictures this week. And staying up late and writing stories which always include detailed descriptions of what every character is wearing.
Cuyler is into earning privleges. He wants me to make a chart and give him stickers for good behavior. His idea of a privlege is a trip to McDonalds. He is also into reading. After lights out by the blue light of the night light.
And I love the healing power of mulch in landscape design. And our borrowed mulch fork.
Ok, I think my blogging drawer is empty. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. And Aunt Sue, quit reading and unpack some boxes ; ).
{This post composed to the melodic sounds of The Foo Fighters, Nora Jones, Ryan Adams and Audioslave}
P.S. Here's my woman. She's not French and she's tattered but I love her anyway.
Avast Me Hearties!
Raise a cuppa grog and celebrate!
For fun, find out your pirate name here or another one here (as a bonus you can find out your gangsta name on that second one!).
And remember, stay out of Davy Jones' locker, lubber.
ARRRRRRRR!
Yeah, I need to increase my pirate vocabulary...
Signed,
Privateer Scoundrel Tongue
Of Chorus!
I mentioned last week that Ebby was "trying out" for the school chorus. And by trying out, I mean showing up. Great news--she's in! The Cougar Chorus is a "performing choral group for fourth/fifth graders only". Sure, it's easy getting into chorus, the trick is staying in chorus.
Ebby came home last week with a bright green sheet of paper that started with CONGRATULATIONS!!!! and ended with this letter is your child's ticket to attend chorus on 9/21 : ) In between were listed the various offenses that will get you booted out of chorus. And that certainly wouldn't look good on your permanent record. So, remember:
- attend all rehearsals
- get picked up from rehearsals each week ON TIME
- participate in all concerts
- wear appropriate outfit when the group performs
- classroom work and behavior must be maintained
Basically 2 of anything (unexcused absences from rehearsal, white/bad cougar paws, ride being 15 minutes late) will get you dropped. Mrs. Burns runs a tight ship, rest assured. How they'll sound? Like angels of course.
And here in one of her first promo pictures, it's Ebby, the singing "ambassador"!
{P.S. Don't tell Mrs. Burns}
