Q&A with Claire (age 5)

Saw this on Face.book and I shamelessly stole the idea. I thought it was very cute!!

These questions were answered by Claire, September 26, 2010.

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1. What is something mom always says to you?

Don't make bad choices

2. What makes mom happy?

If you get green

3. What makes mom sad?

If I get yellow

**Editor's note... "green" is good behavior in kindergarten, "yellow" is not so good. Then red, then blue...

4. How does your mom make you laugh?

Tickling

5. What was your mom like as a child?

She played soccer

6. How old is your mom?

22

7. How tall is your mom?

16 feet

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

Love on each other

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?

She sometimes leaves the house to go shopping

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

watching football games

11. What is your mom really good at?

Driving a car

12. What is your mom not very good at?

Working

13. What does your mom do for a job?

Makes things in a company.

14 .What is your mom's favorite food?

Chicken and rice casserole

15. What makes you proud of your mom?

When she gives me a lollipop

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Z, Mr. Moose's friend

17. What do you and your mom do together?

Love on each other

18. How are you and your mom the same?

Because our hair looks the same

19. How are you and your mom different?

We have different shirts

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

By tickling me

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?

When he's sleeping

22. Where would your mom like to go?

She most likes to go shopping

Super Star

Last year was a long year as I anxiously awaited the start to the Fall soccer season. As cruel twist of fate, Claire missed the cut off for CESA's U6 program by two weeks. Rules are rules, and you have to be 4 by July 31st to play the entire year. Just ask me, because I know. I sent a check, a filled in application and a copy of a birth certificate for her to play in the Spring season and we were rejected. So finally, we are IN as the oldest rookie in the U6 league.





For the 2nd time this year, we ran out and bought all the goodies - cleats, shin guards and little pink umbro shorts (yeah... she was supposed to get all that for Christmas. Until the reject call came, and it all went back to the store.) It all showed back up for her birthday this year.

Claire's coach is a high school senior gal who is headed to Clemson next year (yay!) and talked the kids into being "The Tigers" for this year's team name (yay again!!) She has 2 other high school sidekicks to help her coach, and all three of them are doing a great job. The practices are very organized and effective (note: see Game 1 results below) and the kids just love it.


After a week of practice, tonight was the first game - a 30 minute game that followed a 30 minute practice. Rules were pretty loose, and they divided the two teams up into 2 mini-teams so there were actually 2 games going on at the same time, and everyone got to play nearly 100% of the time. That makes for an early bedtime for all after running around in 94* heat!




The Tigers did great, and racked up goal after goal. Clearly the dominating 4 and 5 year olds in the league, they owned the pitch with exceptional ball handling skills, give and go's and speedy breakaways. OK... not really, it was really more like a cluster of bee's chasing around the ball, but The Tigers DID score a LOT more goals. Not that we counted. I'm just sayin'.




After the game, the kids charged over to the parents looking for the chosen ones who had a cooler that might contain the after game loot .... It was us! We were stocked with juice boxes and Ritz Bits crackers and the evening was wrapped up. Claire was just tickled that her parents were the snack parents of Game #1.




Red faced and juice box in hand, we headed home to start on dinner, homework, showers and... and... and....

Recipe: Shepherd's Pie (Easy!!)

Mashed potatoes, cheese and ground beef. Mmmm, sign me up! Here's another one guaranteed to produce leftovers, or obviously could be halved to serve a smaller or less inclined for leftovers type family.


2 lbs ground beef
2 jars beef gravy (we like Heinz Homestyle Savory Beef Gravy)
1 15 oz can peas and carrots
1 box Instant Mashed potatoes (2 pouches) - we like Betty Crocker Butter and Herb flavor
Onion - 1 medium chopped, or 1 cup frozen chopped
2 eggs
2c shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper and dried parsley, to taste



Preheat oven to 375*
Brown beef and onion in large oven proof skillet, drain
Cook Potatoes according to package directions (both pouches)
Mix 2 eggs into potatoes until blended
Mix gravy into beef, season with salt, pepper and parsley
Drain peas & carrots, mix into beef
Spread potatoes over beef mixture
Sprinkle cheese over potatoes
Bake for 30 minutes



This is great. Very loved in our house!

Recipe: Cheesy Beefy Bake

There isn't a man or child alive who doesn't like cheese with their beef. Here's a good one that sticks to the ribs and is an Italian themed goodie.



1.5 lbs ground beef
chopped onion (1 med, or about 1 cup frozen)
1 26 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/3 c sour cream
~ 2c Parmesan cheese
1c Bisquick
1 1/2c milk
Italian seasoning



Pre-heat oven to 375*
Spray 9x13 dish with cooking spray
Cook beef and onion in skillet until brown, drain
Stir in spaghetti sauce
Pour beef mixture into baking dish

In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream and 1/2 c Parmesan cheese and 1/4 tsp Italian Seasoning
Spoon over beef mixture

In medium bowl, mix 1c Parmesan cheese, Bisquick and milk
Pour over beef mixture

Bake 30 min

During the last 5 minutes, sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning



The kids and Jason love this. Unfortunately, my kids are sensitive to tomatoes, so we don't have it that often. But it's a great staple in the rotation!

'Tis the Season

for fried chicken, pop up tents, TV's and folding chairs, and a whole lot of ORANGE! Football season is back, and while I've learned to temper my expectations on the "big one" season, we still have a great time with friends enjoying the tailgate and football Saturdays.

This year is different. No longer can I rise at the crack of dawn to stir a simmering pot of chili or bake a batch of brownies before loading up the car and heading out the driveway in an orange blur without the kids noticing something fun is going on. Back in June, Claire casually dropped into random sentences that she was planning on attending the football games with us. All of them. And NO, she didn't care if they were hot, loud and long. She was going, and there was no other discussion needed. And with Claire in full tailgate planning mode, you can bet her little sidekick was also fluffing her orange pom poms.

The first game of the season (a.k.a. cupcake game #1) was Labor Day weekend, which ended up being a blissfully cool 87*. In one of my most intelligent moments of my life, I remembered during a Wal Mart trip to pick up battery powered spray fans which were the hit of our entire section and all those who benefited from their overspray.

The girls have had a ball at our first two games this year. They loved the chicken fingers and cookies, juice boxes and frozen lemonades. And the boys running down the hill and visiting the tiger down at the field wall. Next up is the Miami game on October 2nd. We're hoping the weather will cool off and bring us some real Fall football!

One note on a not so good part about football season..... and that is potty training your 2 year old. Porta potties and loud stadium bathrooms make for little success. And no brownie will talk her out of just going in her trusty pull up.