Seriously??

This is the view from my office window. In September. Now excuse me while I go kill myself.

Oh My God It's Jack Black!!

The munchkin and I are in line at the airport, slowly inching forward to board the plane. I'm carrying him and we are moving along like a herd of animals, when the munchkin suddenly begins to freak out. I mean, hysterically freak out.

"Jack! Jack! Jack! Mommy, Jack! Jack!"

I glance up to see what he's so concerned about, and his little pointer finger is wagging and pointing just a few inches away from the face of a big, burly looking man in a blue T-shirt, with lots of dark fuzzy facial hair and a shaggy 'do.

"Jack! Jack! Jack!" Moooooommmmmy!!!!!!! He is absolutely squealing.

It took me a second, but then I slowly begin to realize what's going on. The kid is starstruck. He thinks he is in the presence of the Jack Black. As in the Jack Black who starred in The School Of Rock, Nacho Libre, and several other movies that make me pee my pants laughing. But the munchkin knows him from his cameo in  Yo Gabba Gabba! and he is absolutely smitten with him. Actually, he asks for "Jack" daily. We have it saved on TiVo, and occasionally I catch myself watching it without him. Mr. Black is obviously so high in his Gabba Gabba scenes, its just as good if not better than watching his feature films. Really. 

I digress. "Mommmmm-eeeee. Jack! Jack!" Little Red is so excited and wiggly in my arms that I'm sure he now needs a new diaper, and is acting like a teenage girl in the presence of Zac Effron.

People are staring, and the dude in question is looking at me with raised eyebrows.

Unsure if this guy would take the percieved reseblence as an insult or not, especially since he was well over six feet tall, I smiled and sweetly said, "Oh, you look just like our friend Jack."

Then sprinted down the jetway while my face flushed hot, the kid leaning over my shoulder almost in tears to leave Jack behind.  "Jaaaaaaack!!!!!"

The Little Drummer Boy

I arrived at Grandma Penny's to pick up the kid, but was held up and had to wait a while before we could leave. You see, there was a concert about to begin and it would have been rude to interrupt. And I'm not rude, so I had to stay until the end. It's a good thing the musician was so talented, it was a pleasure to watch and listen to, even if it was a bit on the loud side.



The stage, complete with potty chair.


And the cymbal, also doubles as a wok lid.



Costumes were inspired by the very talented Aquabats.


Coincidentally, their drummer was there via satellite to accompany our little aspiring musician.

It started off a little slow. . .

But once he got to the drum solo he really went wild.

He was up and out of his seat he was so overcome with adrenaline.

Later that night, he found 2 shower faucet attachments in a drawer and proceeded to use them as microphones. Sang a whole set in the bath. I believe we have a musician on our hands, but let's hope he doesn't take after his parents, neither of whom can carry a tune.

Stuff I've Learned From Watching My Kid's Cartoons

Raise your hand if this was news to you too, it will make me feel better.

Six Inches Long. . .

No, not that. Get your mind out of the gutter, 'cause this isn't Lilu's site on a Thursday. I'll be over there shortly though.

Anyhoo. . .

It was such a beautiful morning this past Sunday that I managed to get off the couch and out of my usual lazy Sunday morning stupor, down a cup of coffee and grab the munchkin for a run along the biking path right next to our house. It was gorgeous, exactly what I needed. 

This is a big deal, as Sunday mornings for me usually involve crosswords and mimosas. Runs first thing in the a.m. are not me. Mimosas? Run? Mimosas? Run? You can probably guess which one usually wins out. And can you blame me?

A few miles in, I almost ran over this enormous thingy with the jogging stroller. It's a huge slug, over six inches long. I thought it was a snake as I almost stepped on it, but barely missed squishing it with my sneaker by doing a very cliche and girly squeal-and-roll off the path. I know you know the move.

Gross.

We had to get out and investigate of course. Bugs, insects and little boys are made for each other. (OK, I know a slug is neither a bug or an insect, but since I have no idea what it is exactly, we're just calling it a bug. Bobby, I'm sure you can help me out here.) 

But don't fear, the munchkin helped me gently get it off the path and safety into the brush with some leaves and sticks. 

We finished our morning with some breakfast on Main Street in our cute little mountain town, because saving bugs is hard work! A perfect morning, because I finally got that mimosa too.

It's Not That I Didn't Believe Her Exactly. . .

When the Sink Girl posted the incredibly strange sighting of a random zebra and a buffalo near her home, I was skeptical. You see, her home town is also my home town, and I have been here for a while. And this? This I would have noticed. Even after she did some digging into it, I was dumbfounded.

But then, just the other day as I was merging onto a main road near my house, there on the side of the road was A BUFFALO. Now even though we live in Utah, this place is by no means that rural. Hell, Michael Jordan and the recent ex-President are regulars here, and Johnny Carson had a home here for years and years. A Buffalo?? We have 3 Starbucks locations, for heavens sake, this is not a place one would expect buffalos to be hanging out.

And then, just as I screeched to a halt and threw the car into reverse, a zebra pops it's head up over the burm and starts munching the grass alongside a goat. I almost hit the mile marker I was so entranced.

A ZEBRA. AND A BUFFALO. WALKING DISTANCE FROM MY HOUSE.

So I am officially apologizing to the Sink Girl for ever doubting her word. 

Can we get this guys number so I can go here instead of paying money to go to the zoo??

My Little Picasso

The wee man's first finger painting with actual paint! So far we have only attempted this with chocolate pudding, which is fun, but mostly ends up in his mouth.
Taping down the sides was all Grandma Penny, I never would have thought to do that. That's what you learn after having seven kids. Rule 922: Tape down the sides of messy artwork so the paper doesn't slide everywhere. She really needs to write a book, I for one would find it very helpful.






Pushing the envelope here. He knows he's off the paper, but is testing me. That's his job, to see how far he can go before I say stop. Even though he knows where the paper ends. He slows down once he hits the tape, and looks at me to see if I'm watching. Rascal.


This piece is now proudly hanging on Grandma Penny's refrigerator. The artist has arrived.

Housewives and Sugar Lumps

I was talking to a coworker, and somehow we got around to discussing the shows we like best on television these days. And though Entourage and Hung are at the top of my list, they are embarrasingly followed by anything "Real Housewives". And we did get caught up in last year's Survivor. I know, it's awful.

At least it's not 90210 or The Hills. Anymore.

A note for all of you rolling their eyes at my Housewives, I can explain! It's like watching a train wreck, I can't peel my eyes away, it's that bad and I know it. They succeed in making me feel like the most normal, sane, well adjusted and well spoken gal out there. Believe me, if you're for any reason feeling blue, just watch 10 minutes of these girls and you will feel like a million bucks. And how can one not just love Jill Zaran or hate Kim and her crazy wig? I'm not gonna lie, I can't wait to see what happens on the next Orange County season with Gretchen and all her lies, and I think those New Jersey broads are the next best thing since the demise of The Sopranos. Housewives and a glass of wine is good for what ails me, and it's a vice I'm not giving up anytime soon. Amen.

I digress. . .Because then we got to talking about the best shows ever ever, and I was floored to learn that she had never heard of, let alone ever seen an episode of Flight of The Conchords. How is this possible? And even more important- are you at this moment wondering what the hell I'm talking about?? Let me help-- It's a New Zealand comedy duo consisting of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The story line for the series is basically the two of them trying to make a go of it as a rock group, but the show really revolves around their musical scenes, of which there are 2 in every episode. It's sadly now over, but you can catch all of their best moments on YouTube, or watch the full episodes on HBO.com. For those of you too lazy to do so, here is one of my very favorites.

Mom, don't click play.

Meeting Swiss Royalty (Sort Of)

A nearby town was settled by Swiss immigrants in the mid 18oo's. The majority of the architecture both old and new pays tribute to this and looks very Swiss, with rural looking Swiss chateau's complete with ornate carved wood balconies and painted murals on the buildings. Each year the town puts on what it calls "Swiss Days", to celebrate it's heritage and to entice people from all over to come and see their beautiful town, which is quaint and gorgeous, with the huge Timpanogos mountain range as an impressive backdrop. And cows. Lots of cows.

I think it's also held so that all the townsfolk can by make a killing by charging a fortune to park on their lawns and fields, as there is nowhere to park close to the hub of events. And as many people as I saw come and go, they are really, really raking it in.

In my opinion the whole thing is little more than tent after tent after tent filled with random Mormon handicraft items I neither need nor want. Not to mention the crowds. Oh My Heck. (a very Utah/Mormon saying I must have heard at least 100 times that day, there's no swearing here, folks!) There were so many people we could barely even look at the items in order to then roll our eyes and shrug (as in, "who buys this stuff??). Everyone, apparently. There were wrapping paper booths and grandma's hawking their homemade magnets, baby blankets and bags for your Temple clothes. Need a walking stick or a leather journal or a cat wall clock? Find them all here at Swiss Days.

It was strange. Hordes of people brought their camp chairs and set them up nearby under trees and in between the tent booths. A little tent hopping, grab a "Swiss Scone"- really? and rest in the chairs for a bit. Repeat. Other culinary options included "Ham and Swiss" and "Swiss Hamburgers" and "Swiss Sno-Cones". Basically it was all carnival food with the word "swiss" in front of it. How original.



Ok, maybe I did buy something. I couldn't pass up this handmade wooden airplane for the munchkin. Oh yeah, and Grandma Penny bought a very beautiful old wrought iron thingy for her garden to hold back all her hollyhocks. Other thank that, ugh, I couldn't take the crowds enough to see much more. And though we had a fun afternoon among all that was Swiss (sort of), we were hot and tired and ready to head home. One can only take so much yodeling.

But then we came to this booth filled with little girls all done up in ringlets and floral headresses. The banner above proclaimed they were the 2009 Swiss Days Royalty Court. Since we miss our real Princess Rachael so much, we thought this might be the next best thing, so we paused for a photo op.



It wasn't. We miss the real thing.

Six Years

Six Years. 

I can't believe it's been that long. 

Or that's it has been that long and I still really, really think this guy is so groovy. 

Six years ago my dad walked me down the aisle to get married.

And my mom helped me plan a huge event. 300 people!

And the adorable sisters who were there to celebrate. Bobby, I love your hair! Princess Rachael, you look like you are 5 years old!

And my brothers who were there to keep things interesting.

They always do.


And the cute flower girls and flag wavers.

And all the lovely ushers. I can't believe most of these girls are in college now. . .

And my girls. Thank you.

And the boys. Doing their best impersonation of "Blue Steel."

We still talk about this day often and how beautiful the day was, much fun we had, how perfect it all came off. (If you were there and remember it differently, please keep it to yourself. Ignorance is bliss.)

So today we are celebrating the sixth anniversary of this amazing party.

To fete ourselves, we played golf at a great course nearby and shared a bottle of champagne. Ok, I might have not shared all that much.

And we only had a few minor mishaps on the course. Other than that, I don't have much to complain about. Not much at all.

Except for maybe this. Apparently the symbolism for the 6th wedding anniversary is "wood." After many hilarious jokes and innuendos about my "wood" gift, all of which cannot be published here, I was given these. Typical Redhead.

It's been a great six years.

Life is good. 

Really good. 

Super Martian Robot Girl Saves The Day and Other Important Life Lessons

One of the munchkin's favorite shows on TV is the very strange, weird, and often creepy Yo Gabba Gabba!

Basically it looks like a homemade video where this dude dressed up in a bright orange jump suit with matching fuzzy hat named DJ Lance Rock strolls out with a huge 80's- style boom box. He struts over to a bunch of tables covered with what suspiciously look like the diorama's I used to make in elementary school for my book reports. He then opens up the front of his boom box to revel a secret case with 5 little dolls. He takes the dolls out one by one and places them into the diorama. . .and they come alive! Oooooh!!!

As if this wasn't strange enough, there are also cartoon segments such as  Super Martian Robot Girl , which in this episode the cute green Martian girl saves the day by turning a very boring party into a dance party by playing some cool music. Phew! 

And let's not forget the very disturbing Biz's Beat of the Day where your child can learn to rap.

And they even get some celebrity appraerances for the "Dancey Dance" segments, my favorite being the one with Jack Black and his take on disco. There is always much singing and dancing, with important lessons learned, as in the song "Don't Bite Your Friends. " I can't get that one out of my head. "Don't. Don't. Don't Bite Your Friends!"

Important lessons here, people. Really, whatever would we do without a show like this? 

Breakfast at Chez Redhead

Not exactly a sit down, civilized, "pass the tea" kind of breakfast. Not even close. 

It's 7:30am, and we are hustling about getting ready for work. 

The munchkin wanted some cereal, so he grabbed the box, pulled out the liner full of cereal, opened the silverware drawer and rooted around until he found his weapon of choice (in this case it's a melon baller), sat down on the couch, asked for some cartoons and got down to business.

Oh yeah, and he's completely nudie. I started to get him dressed, but then he ran off. 

Some days, this is just as good as it gets.

Channeling My Inner Julia

For my dad's birthday dinner, I decided to try out a new dessert. I've recently been quite obsessed with Julia Child, and have been happily reading through all her various cookbooks, memoirs and biographies. I even purchased a few old editions of Larousse Gastronomique and books about the famous chef Escoffier so I could get a feel for how she must have seen things in early 1950's Paris. 

So because of Julia, I made a Charlotte Malakoff aux Framboises. Doesn't that just sound divine? I even bought a special charlotte mold for the occasion, which she says also makes the best souffle pans, and I have been trying out a slew of her souffle recipes on the redheads. Cheese souffle, great success. Vanilla souffle, soupy pudding. Chocolate souffle. . .maybe I should attempt the vanilla again before trying this one. Or just jump to Grand Marnier. 

But the Charlotte Malakoff aux Framboises!  It was so fun to make.

I got to start by dipping tons of ladyfinger cookies in this orange liqueur. I think I was a tad heavy handed. Oops.

And then lining them around the mold to make a beautiful shell.

The almond cream was amazing. And there was enough extra filling to taste it until my heart's content and my stomach's demise. C'est la vie.

I did run out of ladyfingers (I bought 40! The recipe called for 24!), and was supposed to line them in a  center layer and another layer on top. But I improvised and left out the center layer altogether and used gingersnaps for the top.

In typical fashion, there are no pictures of the finished product, which was very pretty, though not as delicious as I had hoped for. 

But as Julia says, "Whatever happens in the kitchen, never apologize." So I didn't.