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Art on a Football Field

My class painted on the fence at the Youngsville High football field today.  Lots of fun and very colorful! YHS art One girl grabbed a dandelion and used it as a paintbrush.YHS art1    We kept the masterpiece there, hoping for rain later in the day that never came.  We wanted to see what would happen.  It is storming outside as I write this, so tomorrow we’ll probably find a soaked, wind-torn mess.

Some amusing words I’ve heard recently from some of my preschoolers….

  1. 5 year old girl, A., said over and over again during a breakfast, “I have heartburn.”     3 year old girl, E. comes rushing over to me, panic-stricken, “A. thinks her heart is on fire!!”
  2. I was on a home visit at 4 year old E.’s house.  During the 45 minute visit, E., her 2 year old sister, and fluffy little puppy were all over the place…continual, nonstop activity.  As I made my way to the door to freedom, the puppy pushed his nose up to the crack of the door in an attempt to escape the craziness with me, when E. runs to my side and says very matter-of-factly, “Shelly, my dog likes to puke.”  (Where did that come from???)
  3. A 5 year old returned from a NC family beach trip, bringing shark teeth for his classmates.  I asked, “How do you think sharks lose their teeth?” Two children call out, “They are punched in the mouth!!” I followed up with, “Do you really think this is how sharks lose their teeth?” Another child yells, “They ate an apple!”
  4. I was at 4 year old girl, M.’s house yesterday.  She pulls this out of the blue: “My hamster died. He was as hard as a rock!  We have to make him a peace sign.”  Her mother explained further, saying they buried him in the yard and she told M. they needed to make a cross for him.  She keeps calling the cross a peace sign.  (Nice thought.)

Next Thursday is our trip to the Erie Zoo.  Most children will have a parent with them.  Simon is taking a day off work to meet up with us.  Sherri and I will be responsible for 4 children.  We decided to “assign” Simon to the “my dog likes to puke” girl.  Simon will be her best friend all day.

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I’ll Do Whatever I Have to Do to Get a Stanley Cup!

Game 6 the Pittsburgh Penguins and NY Islanders…Randy flicks on our salt lamp and says, “If they win the game, we’ll have to put this lamp on for the rest of the games.” They won. Tonight is the Pens’ first game of the series with Ottawa. Seconds before the drop of the puck, I notice the light is not on!! What is he thinking! I yell across the room, “TURN ON THE LIGHT!” Randy calls out, “WHAT?” I repeat louder and more panicked, pointing towards the corner of the room, “THE LIGHT!! TURN ON THE LIGHT!!” Slow motion dive, click, and just in time! The game begins! PHEW!

I baked chocolate chip cookies tonight before the game…haven’t baked cookies in several months. The temperatures have been low (Heck!…it snowed yesterday!!…and frosted overnight!), so perfect time to have the oven on. We’re having a “thank you” party for our high school volunteers in my class tomorrow, and I wanted to give them homebaked cookies, so voila’! food 004

So of course I made a double batch so Randy and I could have a couple…or more…or lots more of our own during the hockey game…and tomorrow, and the day after….  And Randy said if the Penguins win tonight, I’ll have to make cookies before all the rest of their games.  What pressure!…so now I have to make sure the salt lamp is on and I have to bake cookies….  (Whatever we gotta do to get that trophy!  I will do my part!)

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Fish Week

The “Fish Theme” this week in my class was not intentional.

Tuesday:  5 year old girl, J., pouted and fussed at least 5 times throughout the day to me, “My fish died.  I’m sad.”

Wednesday: We discussed “living vs non-living”.  I told all the children, “When I call your name, tell me a living thing that is in this room, outside, or at your house.  Then you may go play.”  I get “tree”, about 4 dogs, and a cat or two.  Then the floodwaters open…. I call on 5 year old girl, J.  She stands up and says, “My fish!” Me: “Your fish that died, or another fish?” J: “The dead one.” (So my lesson was unsuccessful?) And out of the remaining 10 or so children, 7 children answer, “a fish!”

Today:  It was pouring outside, and I asked the children to look out the window, and tell me what they saw…then asked, “If you went outside in the parking lot right now, what would happen?”  Five year old boy, D., belts out, “We would get hit by a car, and get wet!” (How can you not laugh at that?!”) So a discussion ensued about parking lot safety and the weather, soon to be interrupted by 5 year old girl, L., pouting and near tears, “I had a fish that died, and my daddy flushed it down the toilet, but it wouldn’t go down, and he kept flushing and flushing!” (And now we’re back to fish once again!”…and I’m picturing her rather large father attempting this fish disposal procedure, and I’m covering my mouth so she can’t see me laughing.)

Tomorrow:  Will there be another fish story or two?  goldfish

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Diners and Yard Sales

Sherri and I had a dandy of a breakfast at Gigi’s Rt. 6 Diner this morning in Corry before heading to the Wattsburg community yard sales.  Diners (or dinors) never disappoint me. My breakfast choice: cooking and diner 004   and I couldn’t pass up the grilled cinnamon roll.  I forewarned Sherri that I was going to order it, but only if she would share it with me.  She actually yelled at me!!…”Didn’t that diet teach you anything??!!” She relented….cooking and diner 005

The desserts are all homemade.  Our drool is probably still evident on the glass case where they were displayed…4-layer cakes, fluffy banana cream and coconut cream pies, fruit pies…. Randy and I are definitely making a stop there the next time we head to Erie. (I have only one complaint, and many of you will think I’m being ridiculous.  Diners and endless cups of coffee go hand-in-hand.  The service was excellent, but the waitresses don’t use coffee pots.  They fill and refill the mugs directly from the coffee urn.  Normally servers would make a special trip to your table or hit you up as they walk by, adding hot coffee to your cup that still has an inch or so left.  I like that procedure.  Here, the waitress didn’t visit my mug until I drank every drop, then picked it up, and stepping behind the counter, refilled it at the urn. I’m not fond of this coffee procedure, but I’ll live with it….as long as they keep making those pies and cinnamon rolls!)

Interesting community, Wattsburg is, with an eclectic group of yard sale sellers and buyers…I’m not expanding on that. Some bizarre items out there too.  I turned down the Popped Pimple Relief Gel Pen and the velvet painting of a toddler sitting on a chamber pot…not my style.  I did, however, make some purchases that set me back $3.75.

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  1. Melissa & Doug farm animal puzzle is probably too young for Zoey, but it’s fun (It makes the animal noises when the cubes are in proper orientation), and Melissa & Doug products are well-made and normally not cheap…so it’s still going to Zoey.
  2. plastic card tray set with card deck and Canasta directions is for Randy…but also for me…We like Canasta and don’t have a handy card tray.
  3. never-been-used “B” coasters are for Sherri’s son’s roommate, Bobby.  Max and Bobby are moving into a college apartment this fall, so this will be Bobby’s portion of the “apartment-warming” gift.  I have all summer to find Max’s perfect 25 cent gift at another yard sale.
  4. Zoo Animals board book is for my class…Our Head Start program’s 200 children, their families, and our staff are going to the Erie Zoo at the end of May…hence, a zoo animal book.
  5. miniature tea set is for Zoey…We need to have a tea party or two together with her dolls and stuffed animals.
  6. the green, fleece baby blanket will go to my classroom’s baby dolls, I guess. I didn’t really want it, but 25 cents is nothing. I asked the seller if she had any newspaper to wrap the tea set in.  She said “no” that they used that blanket to wrap them in…then asked if I wanted it. O.K.
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And So, Garden Season 2013 Begins

Gardens should never be stagnant.  They should be ever-changing with plantings of new vegetables or fruits each year,  with the possible omission of others.  There should be changes in the physical layout and/or structural changes each year.   (This is all just my opinion..not in the “Garden-Planting Rulebook”.) No carrots or spaghetti squash in our garden this year….but we’ve come back to radicchio and added a new kind of kale.  We have made several structural changes this year…one is temporary, giving us a jumpstart on lettuces and spinach….

april 004

….and then there is this potting/harvest bench Randy made that I’m crazy over. april 006

Come visit sometime before we store it away next winter, so I can show you all the features of this work-of-art.  The photo is a poor representation.

And we are preparing for our new garden shed.  It is being made right now by Amish Rudy and “the boys” (as Rudy refers to his sons), and will be delivered before the end of May.  So we gave our old shed to our neighbors next door for Paiden and Cole’s playhouse…or as 5 year old Cole calls it, a “clubhouse”.  Their dad (a younger version of Randy) is going to refurbish it slightly, like adding some more windows.  Here he is dragging it over to its new location, with Randy easing the transition.   We’re feeling a little sad over its departure…we are allowed visitation, but it just won’t be the same…..april 005

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Westline Inn Review

Westline Inn 001Nearly 35 years ago Randy embarked on a dirt-road adventure through the Allegheny National Forest in the hopes to find Westline Inn. He made several attempts, only to get lost each time within the depths of the forest. (True story!) April 25, 2013, picking me up along the way, he made it to his destination! (Good thing we have computers now that show us websites with directions, phone numbers, and maps!)

So we’re in 2013, and Randy is retired, and we wanted to enter into his next chapter with a memorable dining experience- really, really trying (on hard-paved roads most of the way) to make it to Westline.  We literally traveled over the river and through the woods, and an hour later found ourselves experiencing that memorable dining experience we had hoped for.  Westline Inn 003Westline Inn 007Westline Inn 002

I’m not going to attempt creative restaurant-review wording here- but I give this restaurant 5 stars for rustic ambience, 5 stars for cuisine, 5 stars for wine pricing (75 cents per glass, people!!),  5 stars for clean, cute restrooms, 5 stars for the pub (even though we only briefly checked it out) and 5 stars for any other category you want to throw out here.

peering over Randy's left shoulder

to Randy’s left…and overhead….

(If you find taxidermy offensive, you will probably want to avoid Westline Inn.)

If you find taxidermy offensive, you should probably not visit Westline Inn.

I enjoyed Crepes Julia (“2 crepes stuffed with shrimp, scallops, and haddock in a delightful wine sauce”), homemade beef-vegetable soup, salad, twice-baked potato, green beans, and warm French bread.  Randy’s choice was Broiled Seafood Platter with the same extras I had.

Westline Inn 008

When we were seated, Randy was handed an envelope with “Happy Retirement!” written on it.  What’s this?  Friends, Sherri and Steve, had called the restaurant and made arrangements to pay for our entire meal!  The best surprise!…we called to thank them as soon as we left the inn, but within seconds lost connection.  There’s that deep-into-the-forest factor that we had forgotten.

Next time, we’ll eat in the pub…but not in snowmobile season.  We’re told the place gets packed!  (Check out http://www.westlineinn.com.  This Sunday’s Leekfest sounds interesting.)