Happy Birthday, Mommy!!

My daughter’s August birthday will be next week.  My eldest granddaughter Bright Eyes has planned this birthday party for Mommy for the past two years, starting when she was six years old.  Dada was always involved and little sister Sunshine made out of the loop.  She cannot keep a secret, ever. Only as party neared was Sunshine allowed to help with food supplies.

This year is different.  Bright Eyes will be in Fourth Grade in September,  and this party is more sophisticated: it will be an on-line party hosted by Bright Eyes and Sunshine, and arranged through the World of WarCraft, juvenile version.. 

Simple graphics and simple choices

The girls have reservations to hold the party in the city of Storm Wind, with the blessing of the Alliance.  Actually, there will be two parties: one in the Realms of Echo Isle and the other in Silver Hand.

Source: characters which may be uploaded

Invitations have been sent in inter-game mail, and requests for gifts have been made.  The gift registry can be found at the registered site. 

Source: mmosite.com/

There will be non-alcoholic beer (apparently some of the goblins interacted negatively with the gnomes last party).  There will be fireworks and fortune cards from Sage.

Source: Children's Week

Some of the attendees will be Pendix, Gnome Mage. WhereamI (a Dranai Warrior) and a Dancing Mechanical Monkey.

Last year Bright Eyes arranged for tortilla chips, guacamole, and salsa.  She and Sunshine made a red velvet cake.  Friends showed up for a pool party.

coolest birthday cakes site

That is so “old school”, I have been told, by Bright Eyes. After all, she is almost 9 now.

I have not been invited.

This is a re-post from 2012.  You have no idea how many times I have been an observer of either Bright Eyes or Sunshine when they play their own games.  I didn't develop my own character (mainly because they didn't let me, which is just as well) since I wouldn't be online playing against anyone.  

Bright Eyes was born November 22, making younger than other students.  But Bright Eyes always holds her own, in fact, she rules and dominates. Brilliant child.  

Wisdom of the Dinosaur

Yesterday I held a sick child for almost the whole day.  ‘Sunshine’ had been sick with fever and vomiting the night before, and was staying home from kindergarten.  She lay across my lap while we rocked, and I caressed her face and hair.  In my grandma kingdom, this was a great day.

released in 2009

We watched a selection of Disney movies, starting with “Dinosaurs”.  We have watched this movie many times, but I have never been plastered in the chair by a five-year old with a fever of 101 degrees.

 Usually, Sunshine and I watch a movie, and she gives me a running commentary on the movie along with her own unique insights.  You would be amazed by the perspectives a kindergartner has about life and theology.

The plot is straight-forward:  a dinosaur egg miraculously escapes many brushes with crushing, ends up hatching in the tree occupied by a family of primates.  They adopt the adorable newly hatched dino and name him “Aladar”.  All goes well, happy times ensue, and Aladar (who is fortunately an herbivore) develops friendships and family. 

(Carnosaur) This is a very bad dinosaur, Grandma!

There are some universal truths conveyed in that movie.  Go with me on this:

Everyone needs to love and be loved.

Everyone needs to know they are not alone.

Everyone needs to make conscious decisions for good or evil.

Aladar and his love interest
Iguanodons and lemur friends
Normally mammals and dinosaurs are not close friends.

Everyone needs to be believed in and encouraged.

Everyone can change and grow.

Everyone has the potential to learn and the capacity to give to others.

Everyone must take chances, to make ‘a leap of faith’.

Everyone needs to trust and believe in something bigger than themselves, something they cannot see.

Okay, these are not a profound revelations.  I have never evaluated a movie for universal elements before, and I was struck by the way the movie displayed these characteristics. 

Then we watched “Night at the Museum (has a dinosaur)”, and “Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure (no dinosaur)”.  We both nodded off before Tinkerbell was able to repair the moonstone.  Dang.

This is a re-post of 2011 post.  We are preparing to go or may even be gone to Switzerland by this post.  I will be holding two grandsons by then, hopefully healthy boys.

Fry everything, oh yes you can

It starts here.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, beats a State or County Fair!  Just say those words aloud in a conversation, and see what happens.  Everyone has a memory of a trip to the FAIR.

I believe our memories are firmly anchored by the odors and scents that come with the State/County Fair visit.  Whether it is the walk-throughs of the cow, pig, goat, or sheep stalls or the multiple stops at the food vendor courts, our sense of smell locks in the memories of going-to-the-State-Fair.

So it is with great pleasure, I bring you Fried Foods at the Fair!

Chocolate-Covered Bacon Walking Taco from Coco Flow Chocolate Shoppe

These foods go beyond unhealthy or indecently pleasurable. These deep-fat fried foods venture into a realm of absolutely unique.  Here is a minimum list of currently-on-the-menu at different fairs:

 Fried Cola             Fried Margarita    Fried watermelon 

                                          

                        Fried Energy Drink

deep fried kraut balls

Fried mac and cheese; cheese on a burger with cheese, on a Krispy Crème Donut topped with chocolate covered bacon---it is all there.

thick-cut slices of pork belly bacon, top it with red cabbage slaw and smother it in adobo barbecue beer sauce.

Fried Scorpions   Fried Captain crunch burgers  

          

      

gum with marshmallow

fried butter

             

           

Need I go on?  These adventurous food vendors spend years on experimenting with new ideas.  Who knows what we will see at the next fair, and absolutely have to try?

I have my nose, eyes, and tastebuds ready for Fried Red Velvet Funnel Cake with Cream Cheese topping.

Now, what would you seek in this world of heart attack foods?


This is a blog from 2012.  Since I will be absent from the blog world I decided to dredge some old posts.  I'll see y'all when we return from hugging and kissing my grandsons.