Popcorn

Today I was informed by a very lazy woman that if I wanted a snack I'd have to make it myself. I filled a pot with water to make noodles, but have not yet learned the magic of making it bubble. Instead we made popcorn.
You start with a paper lunch bag. Momma said that it pops better with a drawing on your bag, but I have yet to see a study published in a reputable journal.
What does she know anyway? Her degree is in psychology.Pour in two or three tablespoons of corn. Measuring is serious business. Carefully spill some so you can vacuum later!
Fold the top of the bag over twice, getting help when you realize you don't know what "folding" is.
Place your bag in the microwave,

and press the conveniently labeled "popcorn" button.

Spend the next 2 1/2 minutes checking out how handsome you are in the shiny door!

Carefully open to let the clouds out.

I like mine with really fancy Parmesan cheese. Grate it on until Momma takes it away, then eat the cheese off the top of the popcorn.

Mom likes hers with a squirt of olive oil spray and so much pepper it makes her sneeze. Repeatedly.

Thanks for joining me today! Tune in next time when hopefully I can talk someone into some cookies!

Beads

Man, it is like a sweatshop here. Enough with the child labor!

Pretty!

I selfishly used Case's occupational therapy time today

to have him create

beautiful jewelryfor me.

My Hero

I am so lucky! Monday we were enjoying a little day-off shopping when the car made a disconcerning "Pop!" as we pulled into a parking lot. Lifting the hood clearly showed the problem: a large tear where a pipe exploded. Never fear, Marc cut off the offending piece and stuck the now shortened hose back on the cooling system. We drove home without AC to keep from taxing the system too much, but all was well the whole way home. In less time than it took for the engine to cool Marc had a replacement hose, and was able to fix the car shortly.
Thanks for being so awesome, especially in the heat and humidity!

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day! Celebrate your love of our country by blowing up a small piece of it!
We took advantage of being in Alabama this year and fired off our own fireworks.

These are what the guy recommended to Marc after being told we have a small child, and didn't want anything dangerous. Marc got a bunch of what he thought were fountains. The one pictured above started out fountaining, then it shot good size fireballs 30 to 60 feet high. Like this.

So did the rest of the "fountains." The first couple shot through the limbs of one of our trees, so high overhead we hadn't thought it would be a problem. A few of the flaming spheres bounced off branches; one looked for a second like it was going to get stuck. We shot the rest off from a different spot.

After growing up in California and Utah, these are the coolest things ever.

The boys bonded over firepower.

I love the smell of gunpowder (and sparklers) in the evening.

Get your nerd on

Marc was busy Sunday teaching a bunch of new cadets combat training all day, so Case and I earned some geek cred by checking out a Society for Creative Anachronism event at the park.

They let kids start to play at 7! Case looks ready to me.

Art

Case and I have been working hard since school got out, keeping busy every day with our fun tasks. He writes every day, despite not being that excited about it. I can't blame him though; he is not at a place where writing rewards him very much. He does love smile faces though, so we are building off that (we've branched out to pumpkins now!)

Despite his complaints, he is getting better at the alphabet. He can do almost all the letters on command! Only the J, K, N and Y need help now (letters with dots next to them were assisted). I lovelovelove the "E"- I remember doing them the exact same way. We do try lots of different mediums to keep it interesting. Today we pulled out the watercolors. Actually painting wasn't half as interesting though,as changing the color of the water.