Kitty beats

Malcolm had always dreamed of being a drummer one day..

drumming update

Colby had his 3rd drumming lesson yesterday.  It went well, he had fun, and his teacher ("Griffin") said that Colby is excellent at reading music and was able to read and play his whole lesson by reading the notes.  (proud mom moment, i helped him practice..)  He had been practicing a tricky new rhythm, which involved hitting the hi-hat, snare and bass drum all at once but on different counts. Of course we don't have any of those actual drums at home, so as usual, we improvised.

The biggest challenge: finding something to mimic a bass drum pedal.
The solution: Tinkertoys!!!  Here is my rendition of a bass drum pedal:



ok, maybe not so great.  I asked Griffin what we could use, and he suggested a drum pad kit, which isn't as loud as a real drum set (or as expensive), and was what he personally used for quite awhile before he got his own real set.

Here's one on Craigslist that could possibly become Colby's, we'll see...




A little nicer than my tinkertoys, i have to admit.

Till next time... keep that beat thumpin'....bah-dum-bum, CRASH!!

better than baseball

Colby's revised drum set, starting from the left:

2 tin cans = high hats

cream-colored, animal skin-covered ethnic drum = snare

black bucket = tom 1

large red bucket = bass drum (still trying to figure out how to make a bass drum pedal!)

orange plastic pumpkin with yellow ball on top = tom 2

metal pot lid hanging on stick stuck through plastic purple cone = crash cymbal (still rummaging through kitchen cupboards for an appropriate sounding ride cymbal)

So far Coly loves drumming!

Yesterday on the way home in the car, he says,
"Mommy, I love drumming better than baseball!  I actually get excited about going to lessons!"

Music to a mother's ears.

(Might have to start talking to Santa Claus about shoving some kind of REAL drum set down the chimney this year, we'll see.....)

new vine

pssst!!

fyi, no big deal, but i made another grocery store vine today; unfortunately, the new vine update now won't let me post to blogger.

so this link probably won't help you...

https://vine.co/feed

good luck. sorry.

Homemade mac n cheese!

Today when I asked my 12-year old daughter what she wanted for lunch, she said she loved the kind of mac n cheese you get in a restaurant, but not the kind that I made.  (meaning, of course, the blue and yellow box, aka kraft)

ok, so I'm always up for a challenge.. so I found a recipe and got to work on my first batch of real homemade macaroni n cheese.

First you boil the noodles according to package directions.

Then you melt the butter, stir in flour, salt, pepper, and slowly add the milk.

Stir until smooth and bubbly.  Almost done!

Ta da!  Now I may not be no Southern girl, but I think I can still make a mean pot of mac n cheese!!

Here's the recipe I followed:

• 8ounces elbow macaroni
• 1⁄4cup butter
• 1⁄4cup flour
• 1⁄2teaspoon salt
• 1dash black pepper
• 2cups milk
• 2cups shredded cheddar cheese or 8 ounces cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions.
2. In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in flour, salt and pepper; slowly add milk.
3. Cook and stir until bubbly.
4. Stir in cheese until melted.
5. Drain macaroni; add to cheese sauce; stir to coat.

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ok, now the kids are begging me to join in their game of battleball on the stairsteps...with a TON of balls...how can i say no?  gotta go!!!!!!!!!!

tuesday pics

nothing much. just another day in the life.

starting with my boy's play date with his friend.

they're on track-out from year-round school, so they get to play while a lot of other kids start school this week.

anyway, here they are, battling it out with some boxing gloves. (one pair my own, the other an inflatable play type)

next random photo: a beetle i passed on my walk tonight.

y'know what i just LOVE?  finding a little guy like this on his back, his chubby little back, with all 6 legs kicking and squirming and he be like "help! i've fallen down and i can't get up!"

and so i come along and can't help teasing him a bit, but then i feel sorry for him and roll him over so he can waddle on his merry little way.

these next shots are of this guy's insane garden of exotic plants and flowers that completely take over his front yard.  he must be some kind of science geek, as he even has them labeled, with little tin plate markers giving their exact scientific name and genre name or whatever the word is, species, whatever. 

                           an orange tree?!!!

                                                                   that's all folks.

purple sunshine