7 Quick Takes about Defining Irrelevance, Repurposing Happy Meal Toys, and Spending Thanksgiving with the Whipped Cream Bandit

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday!

—1—

In school, my middle schooler was assigned a word and was supposed to design a billboard to illustrate it. Her word was "irrelevant."

She did this in English class, which they actually call 'ELA' (for English Language Arts, I think.) They call everything something super-complicated now: instead of 'art' and 'band' she goes to UA ('unified arts,' go figure) and instead of homeroom they have 'flex block.' I'm so glad I'm not in school now. Too complicated.

—2—

I got quite a scare at my OB's office when she couldn't find the baby's heartbeat this week. She moved the doppler around for literally 3 or 4 minutes before she was able to find it. She found it and everything looks fine, but watching her face get more and more serious was something I don't care to repeat!

—3—

Phillip, who's a scout leader for the 16- and 17-year old boy scouts, went on another one of their crazy campouts. This time they did an Iron Chef-type competition... using live chickens. I declined to watch video of the event, but I'm sure it was lovely.

They also practiced target shooting with rifles. As per scout rules, they had an NRA-certified instructor there and he was talking about his college-aged daughter's shooting team. Did you know that until the early 20s, women are actually better sharpshooters than men? Lots of colleges are creating all-women's teams instead of co-ed teams, not because they have to but because it gives them an advantage at competitions.

—4—

Inspired by the campout, Phillip came home and did some BB gun shooting with our kids.

Please note the construction of the table, which featured no nails (Phillip is an engineer.)

So if you need something to do with your old and unused Happy Meal toys... kids love this.

—5—

I don't know about you, but I'm getting really tired of fixing library books. Someone either leaves them on the couch or the floor where nothing good can happen to them, or the toddler gets into them and tears the pages.

Phillip: (seeing me taping the page of a book back together) Is that a library book?
Me: (sigh) Of course.
Phillip: Do other people have this problem?
Me: Yes! I've checked out books from the library before with scribbles and taped-together pages!
Phillip: But only because we've checked those ones out before, right?

Touché.

—6—

Congratulations to Rondah and Jenny for winning last week's Advent Giveaway!

If you missed it or didn't win, it's not too late. You can purchase one here through my affiliate link (it's a digital copy that you get by email, so if you roll last-minute that's still cool) and every day of December you and your kids will learn a new Biblical name of Jesus and color and beautiful ornament.

—7—

Thanksgiving dinner was, as it always is when Phillip is the head chef, unspeakably delicious. It was tasty to a degree that was almost obscene.

There are no words.

Preschooler kept asking, "Can I lick the bird?"
(The function of the bird is to make the crust crispier because the steam from inside during baking goes out the bird's beak.)

After dinner and dessert, we went to go hang out in the living room for a while before we cleared the table. Unbeknownst to us, the preschooler was quietly eating almost the entire big bowl of whipped cream that was left over...

You can see the legs of the guilty party running away in the background.

We're lucky that it worked out. My son didn't feel good for the last few days, and last night just before bed he actually threw up. All over the electronic dog his sister got for her birthday.

Everyone felt fine on Thanksgiving Day, though, although I can't say the same for the dog.

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