Experiments

I baked this bread this weekend and had moderate success. However, I didn't notice until late that the first temp is in Celcius (my stupid stove is only in Farenheit), and I didn't use enough yeast.

So next time: More yeast (and maybe more proofing the yeast) and higher heat.

What I was hoping for was a crusty loaf. What I got was a slightly moist ciabatta. Not bad, just not what I was looking for. I hope that my corrections will turn this into the crusty loaf I'm looking for. But if not, ciabatta is still a good bread.

Lego kit 7662 was discontinued

It was $103.00 in stores three years ago and MM has saved his money until he had enough to buy it. Now that it's discontinued, it sells for over $400 in the collectibles market.

MM is sobbing.

I feel so guilty for not having gotten it for him three years ago. I didn't know they discontinued them.

Dammit.

He got a sunburn

On his shoulders. So did all the rest of the campers. Apparently 2 extra slatherings of sunscreen yesterday weren't enough.

I think that the daycamp should have them keep their shirts on in the pool.

What he's reading on his own

He went back and read the first Encyclopedia Brown book on his own again. He's been reading the Jokelopedia. And he's working his way through the Bananagrams for Kids book (good word games there.)

On the "next up" list is a pack of books my mom sent him which includes: A Wrinkle in Time (I don't know why I don't still have my copy); Black Beauty and Black Beauty Returns; and the first two Hardy Boys books.

And now a question for you all: What age do you think it's appropriate for your kid to watch Monty Python's Holy Grail and Blazing Saddles?

We went camping.

Perfect weather. 75 and sunny. Not humid. It rained in the middle of the night. Poured, actually. We stayed snug and dry in the tent. The sun was out and the tent dried completely before we packed it up.

Hotdogs, hamburgers, s'mores for dinner.

Bacon, eggs, and toast for breakfast. And french-pressed coffee. We're not savages.

Farm stands, and diners, and ice cream, and inexpensive gasoline.

Badminton, and batting practice, and Rummy 500, and Labyrinth.

And the views. HOLY GUACAMOLE, the views. Turns out, the Shenandoahs have good reason to be such a big deal, who knew?

Pictures coming later. Both MS and MM took some.

I took along an appropriate book, but I didn't get much chance to read it at the campsite.

I did read some more of The Magician's Nephew to MM.

Neither book I've linked to is the edition I own.

What did you do over the weekend?

That tells me

The image is from Pandora. It says,

Why this song?
Based on what you've told us so far, we're playing this track because it features acoustic rock instrumentation, a twelve-eight time signature, repetitive melodic phrasing, extensive vamping and use of a string ensemble. [emphasis mine]

.
Well...I don't like that Pandora doesn't use a serial comma...so there!

But really, I've been listening all day while I've been working on stuff and there's only been a couple of clunkers. Pandora is way cool.

What we're reading

Bedtime reading for MM: just finished The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Just started The Magician's Nephew.

He's got a bunch of books he's reading on his own, too (thanks Mom!!!).

He loves books.

I love that he loves books.

It's Mario Time!

via Tiffany Leigh

He Makes Decisions and Braves the Consequences: Random Bullets of Muffin Man

• These are the sandals he picked out for the summer. "Purple is a power color!" and he faced down the one rotten kid who teased him about the color.


• He loves his shorn head. Will probably not grow it back to the former unruly curliness. Lo, I am sad. But also happy. It's his hair, his choice.


• He is standing up for himself to a longtime friend who is acting badly toward him. I'm sad that the friendship may end (the friend is going through rough times at home), but am so happy that MM won't stand for abuse. "I am DONE with that."
  


• Only two more weeks of school for him, then he's a 3rd Grader.

What I learned from Twitter this morning

• An ump made a bad call and the Tigers wuz robbed.


• A 19-year-old American was killed by Israeli soldiers on the flotilla


• BP: shears? Are you serious


• Toys are a reason to live

Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Mysteriously Knowledgeable 8-year-old

I would accuse him of reading ahead, but MY SON would NEVER do THAT.

Question for you all

When did you learn cursive writing? I remember learning it in 3rd grade. MM is learning in NOW. In 2nd grade. AND HIS WRITING IS BETTER THAN MINE.

Whoa.

SCIENCE!!!

As seen at WWDN: in Exile

Changes...

When he was six, he couldn't get through the Mos Eisley Pod Race level on the PS2. Yesterday? He did it all by himself. And collected 8 cannisters.

I'm so proud.

I've got nothin'

So we'll play a game my friend KnewEverythingAboutFilmNoKidding made up called "Perfect Triple Feature", where you take a theme and carry it forward through three movies.

Here's one example:

Spellbound, Memento, A Beautiful Mind.

Add yours in comments!

You must be dressed to play DS

Every weekday morning, if MM wakes up early, he asks if he can play his DS. And I always give him the same answer: "Get dressed first".

Seriously, why does he even ask? HE KNOWS WHAT THE ANSWER IS.

Bwahahahahaha!

So true!

ht Joe.My.God

Read it for point #5

Even if you're not a knitter, you really need to go read The Yarn Harlot today. Read it for point #5.

Because she is so right.

The Shuttle is available as a free download!!!

Girlie books has it! YAY!!

You may remember that I reviewed The Shuttle two years ago in this space.

It is one of my favorite books of all time, read and re-read and re-re-read. Download it!

The Amazon.com meme

My first order with Amazon.com was placed May 10, 1999. I ordered $102.39 worth of books and cds. Just enough to qualify for free shipping.

In the order was:

• Field of Thirteen by Dick Francis (Hardcover)
• Pete Seeger's Children's Concert at Town Hall
• Steeleye Span's All Around My Hat
• 4 non-Narnia C.S. Lewis books
• The Kinks Lola vs. Powerman and the Money-go-Round
• and Flower Fairies by Louisa May Alcott.

Links will be added later.

It's funny, I didn't remember that these things were in that first order. I still have them all, of course, but I didn't remember that that's when and how I got them. What I DID remember about that order was the bookmark that came with it.

It was a plain cardstock bookmark with a quote from Mark Twain. You know the one:

"Outside a dog, a book is Man's best friend. Inside a dog, it's too dark to read."