Soup Kitchen Date

Good Thursday morning!

The Gallery Pics are of Alabama weather, the topic of many a conversation here in the South the last few months... and THE BOY!

CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST! - Today's the last day to enter "What Not to Blog... A Blog Makeover" Contest. You have until midnight tonight. Here are the rules one last time.

1. Pick one or two of the following things you DO like about the blog: Parties, Recipes, Seasonal Traditions, Dates, Books, TV Reviews, Wednesday Wisdom, Weekend Happenings, Weekend Family Fun, Contests.

2. Okay. Now that you've picked one or two, leave me a comment, an e-mail or a note on Facebook (it doesn't matter which one) telling me what you DO like. Be sure and leave your name.

3. When you've given me your input, I'll put your name in a bowl and a name will be drawn out of the bowl on Friday, October 16... the one-year anniversary of "A Simple Life."

4. If you win, you will have a choice between three different $20 prizes. The prizes you will pick from will be "tailor-made" for you and your personality. (If I pick your name, but I don't know you personally, I will send you a $20 gift card to your favorite store or restaurant.) Oh, and just so you know... that $20 gift card is an option for ANYONE who might win.

5. You have until midnight, Thursday, October 15 to leave a comment, e-mail or Facebook message, so there is still plenty of time.

NOTE - If you are reading A Simple Life and you work at the high school Joshua attends, please skip down to 5 Things To Do When Kids Say, "I'm Bored!" now. Are they gone yet? Okay.

Josh came home not feeling well Tuesday, and Wednesday morning when he woke up, he still had the same symptoms... sore throat, achy, headache, etc., but no fever. I didn't even give him medicine before he went to bed Tuesday night to see if he would run a fever before morning. Nothing. Nada.

But, having heard all the warnings, I took him to the doctor 10:30 Wednesday morning to check for the flu. The doctor said he had some kind of viral "thing," and to keep him out of school the rest of the day. If he continued to feel better and NOT run fever, he was free to return to school Thursday.

NOTE - If you are still reading A Simple Life and you work at the high school Joshua attends EVEN AFTER I ASKED YOU NOT TO, I have a doctor's excuse saying he should not go back to school until today.

Before Josh's illness, I had made plans to meet Austin for lunch Wednesday since I didn't get to see him this past weekend because of band exhibitions in Georgia. With the doctor's okay, Josh and I met The Boy in Gadsden and enjoyed a Jack's hamburger and visited for over an hour. We'll see him Sunday (he'll be at another JSU Band Exhibition in Georgia this Saturday), but it was wonderful to see him today! He and Josh bear hugged in the parking lot coming and going, and talked nonstop about things that absolutely did not interest me in the least. It was a great way to spend a Wednesday afternoon! (I'm not kidding.)

NOTE - If you are reading A Simple Life and you work at the middle school Roxie attends, please skip down to 5 Things To Do When Kids Say, "I'm Bored!" now. Are they gone yet? Okay.

I'm planning on checking Roxie out some time before Christmas break and doing the same thing. I'm going to make sure it isn't a test day or a game day or anything like that, and we're going to surprise The Boy. I think it is a good thing, and while I am a huge advocate of sticking to a commitment (Code for REGULARLY ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOL), every now and again there should be special times between a big brother and a little brother and a little sister where they can be together and reconnect in the middle of the week... in person... not on a cell phone... not texting... and not writing a letter on Facebook. Face to face interaction.

It was a great day for Josh and Austin, and I want to give Roxie and Austin the same opportunity.

Because we miss him, you see.

Uh-oh. There's a knock at the door. Probably the school police. I better go.

5 Things To Do When Kids Say, "I'm Bored!"

I love this section. It is entitled 25 Things To Do With a Big Box.

16. Tape large boxes together to make a tunnel. Paint the boxes for added fun. (We actually did this for Josh's Super Hero Party, and when the kids started going through the tunnel, Mikie "The Villain" was hiding in the middle. It was so much fun.)

17. Make a target. Cut a 24" hole in a big box. Hang a foil pan with a string from the top of the hole so it swings freely in the center of it. Use tennis balls to hit the target. Balls will collect in the box.

18. Cut a face hole in a refrigerator box for a pie throw. Load sponges with whipping cream and fire away.

19. Make pup tents out of large appliance boxes. Cut off the bottom and top. Cut down the center of one side and fold into a triangle; tape the two cut pieces together to make the floor. Spray paint the tent to add color.

20. Cut a large appliance box so it can be laid flat. Paint a giant mural on it with tempera paint.

We are BIG appliance box lovers. Or we were until the kids outgrew playing in appliance boxes. (Mikie and I still love the BIG appliance box. Some things never change.)

Weekend Family Fun

Children's Theatre - On October 24 you can catch a free showing of The Electric Company performance at 10:00 a.m. This is a one-day only event. Tickets are available at 9:00 a.m.

Here is what their flier says about the performance... Ticketing begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Theatre Door at the BJCC. First come first serve tickets only.

Sesame Workshop's classic series, The Electric Company, steps out of the '70s and explores reading with a new generation of kids. With healthy doses of comedy, hip-hop music and out of this world entertainment, The Electric Company is designed to combat the literacy crisis facing America's elementary-age children and is re-energized to recognize the media-driven generation of today.

This special event is brought to you by Alabama Public Television, Sesame Workshop, and Birmingham Children's Theatre.

Michael's - Michael's craft club for kids, The Knack, is sponsoring Decorate a T-Shirt for Halloween on October 25 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Purchase the T-shirt then decorate it for free.

Also, on October 31 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., The Knack will host a free family Halloween event. Get a free trick or treat pail, candy, balloons and three free crafts.

These first two activities came from the Bargain Mom website.

Gardendale Dinner Theater - The Civic Center will host a Dinner Theater (Nunsense) Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23 beginning at 6:30. For more information for a fun evening not too far away from home call 631-5679.

Gardendale Library - While these aren't weekend activities, they are fun after-school activities for the kids. Today, October 15, at 3:30 p.m., enjoy Culture Kids and spend some time learning about Thailand. (Roxie has gone to Culture Kids many, many times. They learn about the culture, try different food from the country, and much, much more.)

Also, if your little girl loves American Girl Dolls, the Library is having an American Girl Club meeting featuring Felicity next Tuesday, October 20, at 3:30 p.m.

For more information about Culture Kids OR American Girl Club, call 631-6639.

Soup Kitchen Date

This date involves visiting several family members. On a nice fall Saturday, you and your date will make a large pot of soup. (Depending on how many houses you visit, you may need to double the recipe.) You'll also be making cornbread muffins.

After the soup is made and you've decided which family members you are going to visit, pour the soup into disposable containers. (You can purchase these at the Dollar Tree.)

Depending on the size of the families you will be visiting (I suggest great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.), make sure you give them plenty for their evening meal, along with the cornbread muffins.

Call each family before you deliver their surprise dinner, and depending on how busy they are, visit for a few minutes or up to an hour before delivering the next meal.

This "date" lasts most of the day, but the time spent one-on-one will be well worth the time. There will be a cooking lesson involved, as well as time spent doing something nice for the people you love the most.

Before you head home for your own dinner of soup and cornbread, enjoy a milkshake together and talk about your day.

This would also make a great Seasonal Tradition for you and one of your children each year.

If you need some easy, but hearty soup recipes, let me know and I'll send some your way.

Have a great Thursday. Today's the last day to enter the Contest, so the rules have been posted ONE last time. You have until midnight tonight to enter. Tomorrow we'll have TV Reviews, a good read and Weekend Happenings. Oh, and we'll be announcing the winner of "What Not To Blog... A Blog Makeover" Contest at 10:00 a.m. Friday morning.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda