This day needs to end…

Andy is in the UK, so I’m a single parent.  This morning Imogen had to be at her school by 7:15am so I could take Jojo in early for extra math tutoring at 7:30am and then I rushed back home to get Niamhy to school at 7:45am. Phew.

Then I discovered my girls are being bullied on the bus…back to school to talk to the assistant principal – zero tolerance from this mama…he’s a little shit, but I can be a big shit, bring it on. (the bully not the principal)

A ‘neighbor’ called the police because he didn’t like where I had parked – first offence by the way and finally Niamhy’s hamster died…

We loved you little Blanca – you will be missed.

Bye-bye little one

Thank goodness supper was awesome.

Healthy Chicken Nuggets

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2-inch sized pieces. In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, thyme and basil. Mix well. Put melted butter in a bowl or dish for dipping.
• Dip chicken pieces into the melted butter first, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the well-coated chicken pieces on a lightly greased cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

So good the kids didn’t even ask for ketchup.

Bread guaranteed to blow your mind!

…or at least your taste buds…

Imogen and I made this bread this afternoon and it was a big hit.  I can’t wait to make this when guests come round and we can sit in the screen porch in the evening sun, talking, laughing, drinking wine and ripping great chucks off our Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart bread!  Fantastic!

*Snort*!

Here is a picture of Imogen on our front doorstep this morning;

sweet, happy, ready...

 

Here is a photo of Jojo and Niamhy heading out for middles school.

Jojo, sweet, happy, ready. Niamhy, stroppy, moody, half asleep...

 

All is well with the world!

Tomorrow…

Tomorrow is the first day of the new school year, and Jojo’s first day at middle school.

She doesn't seem big enough...

 

...but I guess she must be.

Movie Review – The Help

I was invited to see ‘The Help’ last Thursday.  Me being me, and let’s face it, I live with my head in a bubble most of the time, I didn’t realise that it was an  invitation only preview and that the movie doesn’t actually open to the public until August.   I was pretty confused when I was frisked as I entered the theatre…

The movie is true to the book, which means it was wonderful!  I really recommend both the book and the movie.

The plot centers around the town of Jackson, Mississippi and the lives of black maids and their white employees in the 1960s.  One woman Hilly, has an extraordinary influence over her friends and is a bully.  Hilly is played by Bryce Howard whose father, incidentally, is Ron Howard.  I thought she did great in this role but she just wasn’t as menacing as the book character.  Skeeter is her white protagonist who persuades the maids to tell her their stories so she can write about their experiences and get herself a job as a journalist.  Skeeter is played by Emma Stone, again a great performance but too pretty and not awkward enough to match the character in the book.   My neighbor in the movie theatre, who is actually from Jackson, Mississippi, was kind enough to explain the nick name ‘Skeeter’.    It means someone who is always active and up to mischief, usually given to boys…   My neighbor also told me that a lot of her friends and relatives in Jackson refuse to believe that any of the incidents in the book could have happened, and I thought I had my head in the clouds….  Yes, it’s fiction, but it is based on reality.

The parts of the Maids Abileen and Minny were played by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer – perfect!! 

 The only disappointment for me was the lack of emotion and detail in the relationship between Minny and her white trash employer Celia Foote played by Jessica Chastain.

All in all, I give the movie a 9 out of 10, the book was a perfect 10.   I had the added bonus of sitting in a movie theatre half filled with members of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.  This is a nation-wide African-American female university sorority and the members stay connected and active all their lives.  They also wear red when they meet up and really interact with everyone and everything around them – definitely a bonus when watching this movie!!  I may have added a point to the movie just for them…

Poison Ivy 1 – Annie 0

Poison ivy got me! …and I mean got me.  I have outbreaks everywhere – it’s in my belly button for crying out loud!  The itching is unbearable – worse, much worse than the chicken pox I had at 24.  I finally went to the doctor (when it got my face and boobs) and they gave me a big ol’ steroid shot in the butt  – I have never been so excited to get a shot in my butt!!  I also have anti-itch pills (my new best friends), oral steroids and a cortisone cream…  The doctor told me I was extremely allergic – really?  What gave that away – that the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet are not covered in a rash?

my leg - trust me the rest of me matches...

….and the biggest bottle of poison ivy killer I could find – round 2 will go to me.

bring it on.

Best Royal Wedding Photo Ever!

Love this little girl!

High Risk For Tornados

“We are in the midst of a potential historic tornado outbreak.  Northeast Mississippi, central/northern Alabama, middle Tennessee and northwest Georgia all fall under the greatest threat zone. Significant tornadoes have already struck Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama. ” www.weather.com

Damn!  Andy is in New York and that leaves me to work out whether we spend the night in the basement…I know that you would think it was a no brainer, but what if we are not affected?  The girls have CRCT’s tomorrow (end of year exams)  a night in the basement is a night of no sleep…not what you want before an exam…

We score an 8, that means a high probability of a tornado; but even if one hits, it is not likely to strike our house – really…I have walked through the aftermath of a tornado and it is so bizarre how only one pine tree in a group can have its top ripped off – or one house loses its roof in a row…what are the chances huh? Huh?

But on the other hand these are my kids we are talking about, why am I taking any risk at all.

Honestly when I held my new borns in my arms, I never dreamed I’d be worrying about tornados…boys, broken hearts,acne – I’m ready, but tornados?

We banned Poptropica

Our front yard is 2/3rds lawn and 1/3rd wooded area.  Except our wooded area was nasty, so Andy and I broke our backs yesterday, chopping down trees and clearing undergrowth, so it is back to a pretty woodland area again…We have big plans to plant rhodedendrons, gardenias, and camellias…even add a seating area.  By evening we were stiff and sore and ready for a beer and bed. 

 

The deer and rabbits keep eating my hostas. I have read that Irish Spring soap will keep them away. Fingers crossed they grow big enough to cover the soap! Alternatively, Andy can come out after dark and pee...that works too, but maybe not for the neighbors.

It looks a lot bigger when you have a rake in your hand…

 

 However, the kids were playing  Poptropica.  No big deal we thought – it is aimed at the 6 to 15-year-old market.  It always seemed harmless, so when Jojo and Imogen said they were freaked out by the Jersey Devil, we didn’t really take much notice.

Boy, we were taking notice at 1am this morning when the girls had worked themselves up into hysterics …eventually Andy dragged his poor, broken-backed stiff body into Imogen’s bed, so the girls could sleep with me!  Not a great night for anyone!  In case you are wondering exactly how evil-looking the Jersey Devil is, here is a photo – brace yourself….

  terrifying….

They are not allowed to play Poptropica again for a long while!

Friday, wonderful Friday!

Imogen and friends

I swear I did not have homework at elementary school.   I know Andy didn’t… But our girls have been doing homework since they were in kindergarten, so Fridays like today are so wonderful…   All of the girls brought a friend or two home after school and by 4 pm the house was full of girls (and one boy) laughing and messing and gossiping, without a thought of tomorrow. 

It’s what childhood is all about…