The birthday party

It used to be when my kids were younger, I would just call the popular birthday party venue in town and set up a time. For the past two years my daughter has been wanting sleepovers for her birthday. While it costs much less than the venue parties, it requires a lot more time and planning. It didn't help that this year I didn't realize that I hadn't planned anything two weeks before her big day. It's not that I completely forgot -- I've been buying my daughter this and that to put in her birthday bag for weeks – but planning for the party just completely slipped my mind. Initially I stressed a little—how was I going to do this on such short notice?  What was I going to do with the girls all afternoon and evening?  The answers came pretty quickly once I remembered that I was going to have to have a family party as well. 

I looked up what movies were playing that weekend and found one that was just opening that none of the girls would have seen yet. I told my daughter to name five friends she wanted over for the evening(last year she had 10 and my mother and I barely survived). Once we had the list, we decided on a Halloween party theme. To be honest, this was a little lazy on my part. We had a Halloween themed party last year, but the clock was ticking, my daughter would always be an October baby and the kids were still at an age where they still liked to dress up.  She also wanted a piñata, which was fine. So the plan was in place – the big family party would be at the house with the relatives and sleepover friends,  then after the family left, my husband and I would take the girls and my son to see Hotel Transylvania 2. 

Now what to do at the party?  Pumpkin decorating made sense and my local Stop and Shop had the mini pumpkins on sale for $1 each. I bought some black pipe cleaners, foam stickers and markers to decorate them. I decided that the kids could also decorate wood picture frames with most of the same materials.  I had a 20% off coupon at Michael’s, and at $1 before the discount I had another decently priced craft. I decided  I would take their pictures with a  spooky background, then  I would run upstairs during the party and print them out. The kids would put their pictures in their frames and that would not only make a fun memory of the evening, it would be a time killing craft AND part of their goodie bag. I went to my local BJ’s warehouse and bought one of the big bag of candies that I had a coupon for and used that candy to not only stuff the piñata, but also to stuff the goodie bags. I went to the local Dollar Store and picked up all the haunted house decorations and all the paper and plastic goods I would need for the party. I also got lip gloss for the girls’ goodie bags and glowing swords for the boys. Never underestimate the worth of your local Dollar Store!

I ordered the cake at my local Stop and Shop as well as a cold cut platter. They have done our cakes before and I knew if I told them that I wanted a Halloween-themed cake they would do a great job. If I had more time, I would have just ordered some meat and put it all together myself, because it was so expensive, but I knew I wouldn't be able to with all the other stuff that was going on. More on that later. 

The invitations went out, everyone RSPVP’d without me having to chase them down (a birthday miracle!) and we were good to go. 

Just when I thought I had everything under control, my husband informed me that he and my son had a Bot Scout commitment the morning of the party. I thought, “okay, no problem. We have our normal stuff in the morning. It will be tight, but we can make it work.”  And then the other birthday invitation came from my son’s best friend. His party was on the same day as my daughter’s but earlier in the day. This is where things began to get crazy – my son had to go to his best friend’s party. His best friend didn't have many friends invited  and If my son didn't go his day would be ruined. My husband and I came up with a plan that included the other party thanks to the flexibility of the mom. 

The big day came and we were off early to do all the normal Saturday things. My son had an early soccer game and then my daughter and I left his game for dance her dance lessons. After dance, we picked up the cake and cold cut platter. When we got home, the kids did a quick change out of their uniforms. My son went to his friend’s party for a while and my daughter went to her skating lesson. After that, it was a mad dash to get the rest of the food ready. I had decorated the day before as much as I could and finished the rest that afternoon. I put out crackers and (pre sliced) cheese, salsa and chips, cauliflower and carrots, salad (Dole’s Very Veggie salad bag with some cut up peppers), Strawberries and grapes and bowls of chips, corn curls and popcorn. My husband picked my son up from his friend’s party to rush to the Boy Scout event. By the time the first guest arrived for my daughters party, the house was ready, my husband and kids were in place and I was ready for a nap. 

The party went off well. The biggest hit was the piñata. Give a child a stick and tell them to destroy something and they will get candy for it and they’ll be all over it.  After killing the piñata, they decorated their pumpkins without throwing them at each other. After the sugar started kicking in, they were more than happy to decorate their frames and pose for pictures. The girls and my family screamed Happy Birthday to the delight of my daughter and the family left after cake and presents. 

It was off to the movies with two carloads of kids. We got them the big bucket of popcorn and took our seats.  I originally had planned for the girls to sit a row ahead of us so that they could enjoy the movie sans parents, but they wanted to sit with us so we took a row for ourselves.

 A quick word about “Hotel Transylvania 2” -- Go see it. I don't usually laugh at movies and I belly-laughed during parts of it. After the movie the girls were still hungry and raided the cabinets and fridge for whatever would satisfy the appetites of four tween girls. We also rolled out every blanket we had to go with the sleeping bags to ensure a comfortable night in the living room. After locking every door and window and setting the alarm to stay, my husband, son and I left the girls to entertain themselves. 

I counted heads in the morning before making breakfast. Some were up while a couple of others to include my daughter were still in dreamland. The smell of bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes and cinnamon buns got them up and running to the breakfast table. The parents came on time to pick up their daughters and I was back in the in bed by 9:30 am. Another successful party in very little time and on a decent budget!

When the school “Lost” my child (one of the scariest times in my life)

I took the day off to prepare for my daughter's birthday party on Oct. 2  Her regular bus driver did not pick her up that day.  He told the kids in advance that someone else was going to come to get them. So when the other driver arrived 30 minutes late, I didn't think much of it. My husband called me at 9:30 am saying that the school called him with an automatic message saying that My daughter  was not in school -- more than an hour and a half since I put her on the bus myself.  Naturally I was concerned so I called the school to find out where my daughter was and left a message because God forbid anyone pick up a phone. Ten minutes later I received an auto email telling me that my daughter was not in school. No one called me to tell me she was safe. That's when I began to panic. As I started driving to the school, I called the Superintendent's office and left a message over there letting them know that I thought my daughter was missing and that no one from Her school was getting back to me.  So by the time I get to The school  I'm in a full fledge freak out. If I got to the school and my daughter wasn't there, I was going to call the police and then my family and organize a manhunt for the bus driver and my daughter. 

When I got to the office, there was the secretary just sitting there. I explained to her what was going on and she said, "oh yes. She's here."  When I demanded to know why no one called me back, she responded "well, there were sixty kids involved. I don't have time to contact 60 families."  

I was too angry for words. It took me a moment to be able to even speak in a civil tone. I told her to have the principal call me. I thought my head was going to explode I was so pissed. So bottom line:  the school mistakenly told me my daughter was missing and no one had the professional courtesy to call me to tell me it was a mistake. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. With all the bus accidents and all the kidnappings  that are going on it is inexcusable and irresponsible of them to do what they did. The system, in my opinion is broken and they need to fix it.

Hours later, the principal called me to apologize to me and explained that it wasn't a perfect system. No kidding – now stop using that as an excuse and fix it the problem. In addition, the Superintendent’s office never called me back. 

Crazy Busy Mom's Ham and Bow Tie Pasta

This is a one pot, oh so simple dish my family loves.   This is all you need:

Two ham steaks diced

One box of bow tie pasta

Half a small bag of frozen peas

One jar of Alfredo sauce

In a large pot, boil water. Add salt and a little bit of olive oil to the water. 

Add bow tie pasta and cook until nearly tender. Add peas and ham to the water before the pasta is done. 

Drain mixture and return to pot. 

Add Alfredo sauce. Mix well and heat through. 

Serves 4

Crazy Busy Mom's Beef Stew

You can either make this in an hour with a pressure cooker or let it go all day in a slow cooker. Preparation is quick and easy. Here's what you need:

At least one pound of stew beef

4 large potatoes cut up into small pieces

Half a bag of baby carrots

2 stalks of celery

3 cloves of garlic (to save even more time, get a jar of chopped garlic and add 2-3 teaspoons)

1 onion chopped

Two large cartons of beef broth

Cut the stew beef into small pieces and put them into the pot. Add all the other ingredients. Seasonings are not necessary as the broth will be salty enough. 

If you are using a pressure cooker, seal it up and let the stew run for about an hour. 

If you are using a slow cooker, cover it up and set on high for at least 6 hours. Serve with crusty bread or in a bread bowl. 

Serves 6

Crazy Busy Mom's Simple Calzones

My calzones consist of cold cuts and cheese, but really you can put in any filling you want. Here's what you need to make mine:

Pizza dough from the grocery store 

Turkey

Salami

Ham

Corned beef

Cheddar or American cheese

Provolone cheese

Swiss cheese

Either melted butter or a beaten egg

Heat the oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spray the foil with Pam so the calzones don't stick. 

Generously sprinkle flour on a cutting board and a rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking. 

Cut the pizza dough into fours. Take one and set the other three aside. 

Roll out the dough so you get a reasonably large surface to put you meat on. 

Take one slice of you meat, then place a piece of cheese on top. Keep alternating your meat and cheesed until you've used one of each. 

Roll up the dough, tucking in the sides as you go.  Place the end in the bottom of the calzone and put on the baking sheet. Do this for the other three pieces. 

Take a little bit of melted butter and brush the calzones so they have a light coating. You can also spray them with a little Psm or neat an egg and brush that on top. Use whatever you have. 

Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serves four. 

If you are going to substitute the cold cuts for say meatballs or something that has a sauce, you're going to need to work fast as the dough will get soggy and unmanageable quickly and may not get crispy on the outside. 

Back to School – a blessing for some, not so much for me

Many a parent pop the corks of champaign bottles when the kids go back to school. I’d be right there with them if it didn't signal the beginning of my super crazy season. My daughter just started Middle School and for the first time she’s taking the bus with all the neighborhood kids. She’s thrilled as she gets to connect with some of the kids that she’s been in classes with in the past, but not this year. They don't have before care in middle school, so the bus picks her up only a half hour later than we would have left for before care. Boy does that half hour count!  And we still run out the door with my son who is now in school across town from my daughter. So picking them both up on time from extended day after an hour and a half/two hour commute is a race against time. Still trying to get comfortable with that routine. 

Fall also brings on the full battery of activities that the kids are in.  I was THAT parent that swore the kids would only have one activity each. That proclamation died when they were old enough to have activities. My son is a Cub Scout (my husband is the Den leader), does karate and plays soccer twice a week . My daughter is a Girl Scout (I’m the leader), she skates twice a week, dances and does karate. AND she just sign up for running club and interactive writing right after school. Sunday is the only day I get to lay my head on my pillow for any significant amount of time. The lack of sleep and any personal time are a small sacrifice compared to the incredible people they are becoming. Programming everything into my smartphone is a complete must. I'm pretty confident that if Siri asked me for a raise I would give it to her. 

It seems that Fall also represents the barrage of fundraisers that have to be done at my house – my son has to sell trinkets for school and popcorn for Scouts.  My daughter needs to sell nuts and magazines for Girl Scouts. All come at the same time and many end at the same time. This is a little disconcerting for me as I need t go through everything and figure out what I want, then remember to fill out the slips and put them in the correct place. 

With the resumption of our crazy, busy schedule, I need to figure out and make dinners for the week. To save myself time and mental energy I may not have when it comes time to make supper, I plan my meals for the week and get all the ingredients at once so that everything is in the house when I need it. The dishes are typically not fancy, but they are quick. I will share them in separate posts so you can try them if you want to. 

Until next time, stay sane!

Review - Mythos Restaurant in the Islands of Adventure at Universal

 

This is a beautifully themed restaurant in Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. It looks as though you are eating in a brightly lit cavern. The tables and chairs were extremely elegant and piano music added to the atmosphere. You are definitely transported out of the park and into a fine restaurant.

Our server Gilley was friendly and prompt. When he bought our drinks, he also brought warm, crusty bread. We ordered the Asian Chicken off the salad menu to start things off. The salad, which is usually ordered as a meal served four of us as an appetizer. I loved the taste of the sesame dressing and the cashews gave the meal a nice crunch. It was a nice, light start to our lunch.

I ordered the salmon and asked for it well done and it came to the table perfectly cooked. The portion was smaller than I expected, but it was delicious. My daughter got the beef medallions. She said that her meal was tasty and cleaned her plate. My husband got Pad Thai. He said that although the flavored were different than he was used to, it was very good. My son had the standard chicken nugget fare. The prices of chicken were a good size and he finished them without complaint.

We don't usually get dessert, but we did today. I got the chocolate banana gooey cake, my daughter got the kids' banana split and my husband got the Creme brûlée. All the desserts were delicious and made a great ending to a great meal.

This establishment is a little pricy, but if you're able to splurge while you are on vacation I would recommend giving this a try.