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The journey of a thousand miles begins with...the perfect pair of shoes.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

RTT: Olympics and Apple "Cracks"

Stacy 


Seriously Shawn



Can you believe it's been like 3 weeks since I RTT'd? I was going to do it last week, but I totally spaced on Tuesday and didn't realize it until Wednesday. Curses!

*I love cereal.  LOVE it.  Never for breakfast though.  The thought of cereal for breakfast is icky.  As a general rule we don't buy junky cereal (because I would eat it all), but every now and then I crave it.  Apple Jacks is one of my favorites and for about 3 weeks I went crazy for it.  You might say I was cuckoo of CoCo Puffs, but, you know, with Apple Jacks.  I literally ate nothing but Apple Jacks (except for breakfast) for 3 solid weeks last month.  It was weird.  I was seriously craving it and ate about 4-5 bowls a day-lunch, dinner, snacks.  If I wasn't eating it, I was thinking about eating it!  I could not get enough.  It was embarrassing how many boxes were in the recycle bin.  How insane is that?  I was worried Kellogs was putting crack in the box.  One day though I just didn't want it any more and went back to eating normally.  Maybe I should be on Freaky Eaters or whatever that show is called.

*Last week I was watching a movie that had me totally freaked out (I was alone and I'm a wimp) so I randomly punched in some numbers on the remote and landed on a German channel that was showing a very, very, VERY graphic documentary about the making of porn movies.   Well of course I had to stick around and watch that!  It was eye opening to say the least.  The best part was when they were filming a scene and the "actors" were doing totally raunchy things and then someone would call cut and they'd just start talking or joking or whatever, like they weren't completely naked and had been doing all manner of things to each other just a moment before.

*After hearing all the people in the States gripe and moan over NBC's coverage of the Olympics I'm glad I can watch it on European TV.  They don't talk a lot.

*I get crazy excited when a little country wins a medal.  It's great when a big country medals, but I think it means more for the little countries.

*While the Olympics are great, I love the fact that scientists are being cheered.  I can't wait to see what Curiosity sends back to Earth.  I hope Marvin the Martian is ready.



*You HAVE to watch this (if it's truncated here, go watch it on youtube):


*I can't believe I have to wait until Feb 2013 for the next season of Game of Thrones!  Gah!

*We started 5th grade yesterday!  Can you believe it?  Me neither.  We;re both actually happy to get back to schooling.  Weird as it sounds, taking more than a week or two off (unless we're away on holiday) is too much.  We get bored and I flounder without something to do every day.  Is that crazy?

*I think it might be time for Han Solo's first haircut:






*Have you checked out our Star Wars birthday Extravaganza?  If not, you really should, if for no other reason than to tell me how awesome I am.  :)  Seriously.


*Can someone please explain this to my dogs?


Click the links above to link up your own RTT/TTUT!  Have a great Tuesday and don't forget to check out the Star Wars party!








 

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Star Wars Birthday Extravaganza!

I have been so caught up in planning Indy's 10th birthday party I have barely had time to breathe. If you've been around a long time you know I love birthday parties. Love, love, love them. When we party, we party! I only have so many years where my boys are going to let me plan parties, so I better go big. Also, because I'm kick ass.  I would link to 2 previous party blow outs I've shared, but Google+ ate the photos and I haven't put them back up yet.  I'm still mad at Google+ over this!

Anyway this year Indy wanted Star Wars (obviously). He is Star Wars mad and I have been up to my ears in it for months. I personally have always loved Star Wars, but after this, I am just about at my limit. No, not really!  Who am I kidding? I will always love Star Wars!

Without James Bond, I decided instead of making most of the food, I'd order it and I have to say it was worth every penny!  I did make some things, but the time consuming things (cake, cupcakes, cookies, sandwiches, cut fruit) I just bought.  Why haven't I been doing this all along???  I also got a sitter for Han Solo so I wouldn't have to try to keep up with him while doing all this other stuff.  Plus, the party fell during his nap time.  Planning, my friends, planning.

For our party theme decided on a Jedi Training Academy. The invitations read:

Your Assistance Is Needed! 

The Empire May Have Discovered A Secret Rebel Outpost On The Remote Planet Earth. To Protect This Outpost The Alliance Has Chosen You To Receive Top Secret Jedi Training, Disguised as the 10th Birthday Party For The Youngling [Indy]. Class Will Be Held on August 4, 2012, 1400-1600 Hours 

All Younglings Should Travel Unarmed (As Traveling With Weapons May Alert The Empire To Our Secret Training Efforts) To The South Sector of [Street Name] In The East Doack Quadrant Of Wiesbaden, Germany. 

May The Force Be With You! 

They were printed over the Rebel Alliance Emblem.  I'm all about the details!

Each Youngling was given robes when they arrived, that were made of  canvas painter's cloth.  This stuff is crazy cheap compared to buying fabric by the yard!  I just cut it up, made a slit up the front and a neck hole, then cut some long strips to use as belts.  Easy, peasy.  Time consuming, but easy.

They were also given Jedi names.  I wrote a bunch of names I pulled from a Jedi name generator (you can find anything online!) and had each child pick a tag at random.  I told them the Force would make sure they got the correct name.  This kept them from arguing over a name or taking too long to decide which name to pick.  See, always thinking!

After the robing and naming, they gathered in a circle around me, the (kick ass) Jedi Master.  Oh, and you may notice, unlike previous parties, I am not in heeled boots.  I actually wore flat.  You didn't faint did you?  I do own flat shoes and boots.  The pair I wore are gorgeous Ann Klein and look fabulous on me.  :)

Since James Bond is in Afghanistan (sadness), I got the super awesome older brother of one of Indy's friends to help me out.  I adore this kid.  He is so awesome and kept the Younglings in line.  Yay!

Each Youngling was given a light saber ($7 each at Blockbuster costumes online)  and taught the proper handling and use of them.  By this I mean they were instructed not to hit each other.  Very important.  We have seen the Jedi Training Academy at Disney several times, so I just looked that up on youtube to get my schtick down.  Seriously, anything can be found online.  BTW, what do you get when you cross a bounty hunter with fruit?  Mango Fett!  Bwahahaha!



 Demonstrating the training moves on my Jedi Apprentice:



Indy and his sparing partner (and the younger brother of my Jedi Apprentice):


 After they got the training down, they had to work on keeping a balloon in the air with their light sabers.  It was pretty windy though, so they ended up chasing them down.
Why did Yoda cross the road?  He was FORCEd to! 



All my Padawans:


The final activity was an obstacle course to test their agility while carrying Yoda (backpack).  They had to run through one of those rope things where you have to step in each square (I don't know what those are called!)


Then jump over a low cable:


Walk across 2 sets of planks:


Shoot a Stormtrooper with a Nerf pistol (some kids got it in one shot!):


Stormtroopers!!!!  They didn't have to knock them over, just hit one of them.


Circle 3 trees (dizzy!) around then run back and cross the planks, cable and step thing again.  


 The Padawan with the fastest time got to keep the back pack.  Most kids ran it in 50 seconds to a minute and a half, depending on how many shots it took them to hit a Stormtrooper.  The kid who won hit the Stormtrooper on the first try and came in with a time of 34 seconds!  He was a really wired kid, so I'm not all that surprised.

After the course, it was time to eat.  Check out my Death Star watermelon.  It's not as good as the one James Bond did for G-Money's party a few years ago, but still, I think it's awesome.


 I like to theme my food (details!) so the Mos Eisley Cantina had the following menu:

Padawan Pizzas (mini pizzas)
Luke Skywalker's Tatooine Sandwiches
C3P-O's (potato rings)
Boba Fett's Fruit
Darth Vader's Death Star Dip and Empire Chips (spinach artichoke dip)
R2D2's Comlink Pepperonis
Chewbacca's Wookie Cookies
Admiral Ack-bars (Rice Krispie treats)
Gungan Gummies
Princess Leia's Alderaan Fluff (cherry/cool whip/marshmallow/pineapple goodness!)
Coruscant Cupcakes
Han Solo's Corellian Cake
Degobah Swamp Water (lime sherbert punch)
Jedi Training Academy Refresher (bottled water)

The kids went crazy over the Degobah Swamp Water.  I have to say it was really good.  To make it more "swampy" I cut up some long, skinny gummies and dropped them in.

Make a wish!


Presents!  This was a couple of Star Wars comics he's been bugging me for since April.  I wrapped them in a bigger box so he wouldn't know what it was.  He was excited!



Star Wars Legos (he got 4 different sets):



Holy smokes!  It's Star Wars Lego III for Wii!




And then there was the one thing he's been dying for since.....well, forever; a REAL Indiana Jones whip.  Shut the front door!


I have to say that whip is awesome (if you say that in a sing song voice it conveys the true meaning of the word).  He was desperate to try it out, but with so many kids around, I nixed that idea.  We didn't need another eye injury.  See the kid in the green next to Indy with the squinty eye?  Yeah, that would be the result of a light saber.  Someone did not listen to the Jedi Master!

The whip is 6' (not including the handle) of hand twisted leather.  It is really pretty.  We decided to try it out in the living room after the party and, um, I had to get out the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to get the marks of the ceiling.  Oops.  We then moved out on to the balcony where we both got it to crack.  That was terribly exciting.  And hard!  We also found out that the little tail at the end of the whip stings like fire if it comes back and hits your arm.  Ouch.  Oh, and Indy got a belt with a whip holder so he can wear it just like Indiana Jones.

In addition to a mountain of presents, Indy racked up $115, and a $20 gift card!   Lucky!

I don't think I could have done this if it weren't for my Jedi Apprentice, my sitter and my awesome downstairs neighbor, who helped me getting out the food and punch and cleaning up.  I owe her big time.

Now that this is all over, I want to drink about 5 bottles of wine and sleep for a week.  I don't think that's going to happen.

Oh, and instead of crappy goodie bags, the kids got to keep their light sabers and robes. The robes were a big hit.  Who'd have guessed?

I hope you enjoyed seeing our party!  Maybe now I can be around a little more!  You know, until it's time to start planning next year's party.  May the Force be with you.  And especially with me.



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