scenes from the week

Did you know that I make fabulous chocolate chip cookies? Well, I do. I can't take any credit for the recipe (that credit goes to Neiman Marcus), but I do take full credit for my perfect execution of the recipe, and I think that counts for a lot.

Here are yesterday's bites of heaven:


Earlier this week we finally released our hostage praying mantis back to his native habitat. Mantids are just so cool that you can't resist holding onto them for a couple of days. He did gut a grasshopper while in our captivity, which was interesting but kind of gross. We felt like it was cruel to keep him without giving him any food, but I think the hopper was much larger than what would normally be his prey. We'll have to do some more research next time.


Noodle has been a real crafter lately. This morning she made a set of stick puppets out of cardboard cereal boxes, and yesterday she constructed a small cardboard car for Spud. I knew those cereal boxes I'd been saving would come in handy! She is quite ingenious with her creations, and additional benefits are that it keeps her busy for quite some time, and she's really improving with her scissor skills. She does so much art on her own, I'm grateful that homeschooling gives her the time to do what she wants, and that doing "forced art" won't kill the joy she finds in it.

We tend a little girl 2x/week, and the kids really enjoy the diversion and having a built-in playmate. Noodle likes it because she gets to come up with more activities for MORE kids. I think she is a born event coordinator! On a walk this week, I took my camera along for fun.

And here's one of Spud, just being his cute self. Poor little guy has a cold now, so I'm hoping he'll pass through it soon.