AM~Erica is Gonna Put the Seussical Into Use-ical

So anyway...

I am getting ready to celebrate one of my favorite weird holidays.

It is getting close to time

for me to use some Seussical rhyme.

That's right, people...this weekend is Dr. Seuss' birthday!

Much like I have done with St. Patrick's Day (HERE) & Talk Like a Pirate Day (HERE), I am trying to get as many of you as possible to prepare to celebrate! And to get the focus on WHY there is the celebration.

The birthday of Theodore Geisel is no different! There has been a rise of celebration for Dr. Seuss' birthday in the last several years, and it has kicked off the Read Across America week in schools.

I want to continue to urge kids of all ages...ALL AGES...to read, but Theodore Geisel was a brilliant mind! He would have to be to create & illustrate the fantastic nonsense that made sense. Amm-i-rite?

His madness was, and still is, fantastic & so worth celebrating! And I mean celebrating to the hilt!

Wearing crazy stripes, stove pipe hats, sporting crazy hair, and out-there fashions just lead to thoughts of being a Who, or other character/creature, from Seussville.

Watching a movie from a Dr. Seuss book is highly encouraged! Even if it's a Christmas one. The only one I didn't like was "The Cat in the Hat", starring Mike Meyers & a very young Dakota Fanning. Which is sad since it was so perfectly cast. But that's my own opinion...however, you don't see it popping up on movie channels, or even on ABC Family. That says a lot!

Now then...the food...

We have done several things in the past few years. Plus there all kind of other ideas, too...but here's a few things I've forced my family to eat...which didn't turn out so bad & is totally & Seussically festive:

Who Hash

I've done this a couple of times within this past year. It started out on Dr. Seuss' Birthday...and we did fix it a few other times! It's a winner of dinner!

Roast Beast Who Hash recipe HERE

Pantry Who Hash (aka - Poor Man's Who Hash) recipe HERE

We have had green [scrambled] eggs & ham before. However, since then we have non-pork eater. However...I have a thought to include & put a twist on the beloved book, "Green Eggs & Ham", that would allow our non-pork eater to join in the fun...
Have you ever been to Red Robin & partaken in the Royal Red Robin? It's the burger that has a fried egg on it! If you've had it, you know it's REALLY good! If you haven't...it probably sounds weird, but you gotta give it a try (if you want to spend $10 on that burger). OK, I know it comes with bacon...but we would leave it off, fry up the egg & color it green...then pop it on top of the patty...because "green egg & ham[burger]"!

Doctored image from Williams-Sonoma
This would be SO awesome if it looked like this...

I'm not gonna lie...I do wish Heinz would bring back the crazy ketchup colors (remember those?) for Dr. Seuss' birthday. How awesome would it be to have that purple ketchup dripping from your green eggs & hamburger? Very Seussy, amm-i-rite??

Any-who...(see what I did there?)...you can do easier things like serving rainbow Goldfish crackers ("One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish")...

...and blue jello in clear small bowls with a Swedish fish in the jello ("Cat in the Hat").

We have also done bread & butter - half was butter-side-up, the other half was butter-side-down ("The Bitter Butter Battle"). I might do this again, and paint the bread with colored milk before toasting it! Seussical bread would be an amazing thought!

So fun! Amm-i-rite?
Painted Toast image via Spearmint Baby

We certainly could not have a meal with without a drink!

So we make Pink Ink to drink!

We drink Pink Ink, just like the Yink!

We drink the Pink Ink Yink drink!

OK...so it's so super easy! We make a gallon of Koolaide. Seriously. It's half pink lemonade & half strawberry. And it's delicious! You could do pink lemonade, too.

Our Dr. Seuss Feast 2011:
Green eggs & green ham, rainbow Goldfish, buttered bread,
"Who Hash" (which was really spoonable cornbread...I didn't know better then),
and Pink Ink

We also call it Hope Juice because Teen Girl says, "it tastes like hope feels." (quoting one of her favorite John Green books...which I'm pretty sure it's "The Fault in our Stars") But it's Pink Ink on Dr. Seuss' birthday.

I'm not one that does a lot of crafts. See...I'm what you would call "craft-challenged". I'm creative, but certainly NOT crafty! However, even though I'm not a game player, I will have some fun with some Seussy festivities! Actually, I did it a couple of years ago when I made a surprise trip back to St. Louis!

So...I obviously think you should look the part, too!

Here I am with Tim Ezell after the Seuss Olympics in 2012

Yep! Stripes, spots & blue scarf. I made the shirt to look like it was straight out of a Dr. Seuss book & I had the scarf in the perfect blue. I have that spotted scarf & I added a feather headband last year, along with some touches of blue hair.

You can also use "Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?" to make the craziest sounds. You might surprise yourself!

Using "The Foot Book" is perfect to discuss all of our differences & how it makes each of us unique & special!

Start planning ahead for Earth Day while you delve into "The Lorax".

With the Oscars being on Dr. Seuss' birthday this year, I have been imagining what it would look like if the whole thing was Seussical-themed! I have a crazy Pinterest board imagining what the fashion could look like! I'm entertained by the thought of these, for sure! (check it out HERE)

You can check out my other Dr. Seuss celebrations HERE, too.

There are so many other books of his you can use to celebrate with!

You can even start on a smaller scale. Wear a striped shirt &/or socks. Color some pasta or mashed potatoes green, blue, or purple. Read a few of the books & get inspired! It's really hard NOT to get inspired from these books!

Oh what, oh what

do you want to do

to celebrate

from hat to shoe?

Keep using your mind

and Dr. Seuss

to put your mind

and creativity to use!

Put Dr. Seuss

to good use!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica is Getting a Hang of this Super Bowl Thing

So anyway...

It all built up to last night. All of it. And many (OK...not all...I know) tuned in to watch how the whole thing would finish...

I even learned a couple things about the big event:

A. I learned it is now considered a[n unofficial] national holiday

2. It is the 2nd largest food consumption day only to Thanksgiving

You know what I'm talking about...amm-i-rite?

Yep...it would be the Super Bowl I'd be talkin' 'bout, y'all.

Last year, we were finally having a bit of a get together for it, after several years of either going elsewhere or just doing something small at home with hubby & kiddos. However, even though we had just a few extra people, I couldn't do a whole lot. (read about it HERE)

This year, we understood it would be different. We were heading to the house of some family, but after some crazy things that happened in between, we ended up back home with just hubby & me with the kiddos. It's how it goes. But we wanted to finally kick it up a bit!

Don't forget, we have teenagers. Have you seen the semi-hightened reality-based commercial for KFC where the parents hardly see the kids?

Any of you with teenagers now know this feeling? It's OK to raise your hands...you're in good company here.

It's because of this that my hubby still wanted to do something more for our Super Bowl...even if it was just us with the kids. That...and I've rubbed off on him. (read HERE how I love celebrating everything)

We made plans! But to do what we thought about, we would have to DVR the game & festivities, then just be about 30 minutes to an hour behind. See...Teen Girl had a commitment with the Coterie Theater (reminder on what that's about HERE), and they actually scheduled a playwrights' meeting overlapping the start of the Super Bowl! *sigh* But that wasn't as big of a deal since we were just having our own family living under the same roof...so we didn't have to worry about timing with others.

We planned the food out: barbecue wings, barbecue meatballs, chips, cinnamon soft pretzels, meat & cheese tray, grapes, cookies, candy fruit slices, and M&M's to fill our bellies while the game was going. Yum-my! Amm-i-rite? (trust me...I'm right)

OK...pretzels aren't pictured...but this is the spread on a card table we brought into the living room

Then, hubby & I searched for games & found some to keep the kiddos engaged in the whole experience!

Hubby found a commercial bingo online to be able to print out to play. That was so fun to keep up with as we tried to enjoy the commercials. (our feelings on leaked commercials HERE)

We did the end-of-quarter score grid. That was so fun watching the kids trying to root for the score change in their favor (because we weren't really rooting for a team...there was just one team wanted to win way more than the other).

We also did an ongoing "raffle": the chances were for the drawing depended on what happened throughout the game, commercials & halftime. At the end of the game, one of the "tickets" (slips of paper with the scavenger game item) was drawn & the one who had that item happen got the big prize! I saw it called the Super Bowl Fish Bowl game...but we don't have a fish bowl, so we used a bag. A large bowl would work just as well...

"Fish Bowl (in a bag)" game, End of Quarter Score Grid game & Commercial Bingo

End of Quarter Score Grid game...the final results

We did prizes for these things, too!

Movie candy - EOQ grid prizes; cup & water bottle - bingo prizes; sherpa throw - end of the game raffle draw

No matter what was happening on the screen...the whole family was into it! Yelling at the screen & eating like crazy!

We figured out that...
...we don't need no stinking party!

We just needed to get the stuff together to get everyone in the room involved! Not just involved...but totally interacting...with each other!! Even the teenagers!

It happened, people. And it was awesome!

Even when Lil Guy got up, he was talking about how much fun we had last night! SCORE!

Here was a total blow out of a game...and we had so much to look for, that we had the greatest time!

Next year...whether we have additional peeps over or not, we know how to have to party! And...we need to stock up on more prizes...we needed more last night!

If I can figure out how to get the templates we used for the score grid & fish bowl ticket items, then I'll put it up & update you.

See? I'm FINALLY getting this Super Bowl celebrating thing down! I should dump Gatorade on my hubby for most of these ideas...

Until then, keep celebrating you all!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Whirlwind

So anyway...

I'm full swing in my job now. My schedule varies everyday, and I am floating room-to-room most of the time. Christian LOVES his school! He gets so excited when we pull into the parking lot!

Lizzie is having fun with her play, " Once Upon A Mattress". As it turns out, their choreographer was pregnant & due mid to late December, but she delivered 10 weeks early. YIKES!! So, that left the middle school play without a choreographer, right?? Well, guess who was asked to step up & take on the role! Yep! Yours truly! This will be so much fun! I've already done a high school version of "Pippin" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe". I met with the director, and will start my rehearsals in November, when the rehearsal times get longer. So exciting!

Oh! I was also asked to take over the traditional "candle dance" for our church's Hanging of the Greens service. No pressure there! So I will be doing that throughout November, too.

In the meantime, I am cleaning my house for my mom & dad to come visit for Ethan's 10th (boo-hoo, sniffle-sniffle) b-day on Sunday. She is designing the coolest cake for him. He is going to have a Medieval party with knights & princesses on Saturday afternoon. I will get pics of the invites and put them up. That's about as crafty as I get (mom & Heidi)!! Ethan & I tea/coffee stained the invites to look old. They turned out so awesome!

Before the party happens on Saturday, it turns out my workplace holds their Halloween party on the Saturday AM prior to the holiday. This is so that any families who do not want their kids to participate in the party are not really left out. This way, they don't have to come to the 2-hour event. However, this is their 1 big social gathering every year (the whole 2½ years they've been open). So, all employees are supposed to participate, but I've been given the option since I JUST came on. So I think I will since I will get paid for it. Then my mom (and maybe dad) can come up with Chris to see where I work. Plus, there is a costume contest for the teachers...YEA!! It's what I live for!

Whew! Got lots going on, and very little time to do it in. I will do my best to keep up my posts during the craziness.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Insanity

So anyway...

Things have been a little crazy around here. Could you tell since I haven't posted anything in over a week?

Oh, where to start.....hmmm...

Just over a week ago, my hubby had a conference in KC, so we all went to see family & such while he was doing his thing. We never thought about the fact that HE would have the mode of transportation. We got to spend time with family, so it was nice; we also had my mom-in-law fighting having to go to the ER from severe back pain. She didn't want to go to the ER because we were in town. We all made her go.

Then, we got a call this past week (I believe it was Wednesday) that my mom-in-law was unresponsive, so they had to take her back to the ER. This time they admitted her. So, we surprised her by going back to KC for moral support (although she thought she was dying when she saw us walk into the room). She has a growth on her pancreas, and they want to know what it is - it's been rumored to be her spleen regenerating or a tumor. They have to do a biopsy to find out, but they haven't done it yet, but they are supposed to do it today...and yes, she's been in the hospital this whole time...getting test, after test, after test...etc. You have to understand that there is a lot of health issues going on with her, so EVERYTHING has to be monitored. She needs prayers....a lot of them. We had to come back on Sunday so the kids could get back to school, and my hubby had a dr. appt. of his own. So we await news from afar...

When we got back home, there was a message on our answering machine from someone who got my resume on CareerBuiler, and wanted to talk to me. No, they didn't want me to sell insurance; it's a preschool in the area. Well, I called them & they wanted me to come in to fill out an application. I did that yesterday, along with a tour of the facilities & an impromtu interview. What's to come of it? The job is pretty much mine & she told me she could schedule me next week if I'M interested. Whoa! Did you hear that? Oh, yeah...because of my previous expierence, they want to start me at a higher wage than their typical start, plus benefits kick in after 90 days, plus Christian will have daycare. Why haven't I picked up the phone to say "Sign me up"? I have a job interview set up for next week at a nearby church.

A few weeks ago, a staff member at our church called me to see if I was still job hunting. When I told her I was, she said there was a job posting in her local paper for a nearby United Methodist Church needing an office manager. When I asked my hubby about the church (he's in the know), it turns out I know the senior pastor there. For the last 5-6 years, she has always told me to never change & always be myself...especially being a pastor's wife. That has stayed in my head, so I was so excited to hear it is her church (she came over to the StL side from KC the same time we did). Plus, our church's lay leader, who is also attending seminary, is doing her residency at this church as the associate pastor.

So, I am torn. I am trying to figure out whether I should wait for the other interview, or jump on the present opportunity. I am in deep prayer and consideration right now.

I do have to share with you my "God-Moment" from yesterday. It's a brisk & crisp fall Monday morning, and I have just seen by daughter onto the bus at 6:48 AM, and as I walk back home, by way of the church parking lot, to get my son ready for his bus, I looked over to my left, and there is a doe watching me & she's about 15 feet away from me. She was beautiful and serene, but she is still wild, and I have to walk past her to get home...I was hoping she didn't have to attack me. I walked slowly by & tried not make too much eye contact so she would know I wasn't a threat. She took a step back, and I knew she was either scared, or she was getting ready to attack me. As I put together a plan in my head incase of the attack, she just watched me & I began to watch her...I then realized there were two smaller deer, just past fawn stage, about 30 feet behind her. It was beautiful. Then I got home to get the trash to the curb, and realized we have a rose growing in our yard - a big deep magenta rose in full bloom...I got to stop and smell it.

It's amazing what God puts in front of us, and we never realize it. But isn't it beautiful when we do see it?

Oh yeah, in the midst of this, I am trying to plan a birthday party for my son (who is going to be 10 - boo hoo), prepare for Halloween, and guests from out-of-town (my side of the fam). Whew!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica