Apparently Metamorpher had a party, but didn’t invite me

La piñata también representa  las tentaciones escondidas detrás de una bonita decoración. Las piñatas actuales de 7 picos que se usan tradicionalmente en las piñatas de posadas en las cuales los 7 picos representan los 7 pecados capitales avaricia, gula, soberbia, envidia, lujuria e ira. El relleno de dulces y frutas representa la tentaciones de los bines materiales. El vendaje de los ojos representa la fe ciega que lucha contra el mal, y mientras la piñata se sostiene las personas miran a las alturas esperando la salvación. Una vez roto el mal la abundancia viene del cielo y es la justa recompensa de los que tuvieron fe. Hoy en día la piñata ha perdido su simbolismo religioso y está más ligada a la celebración de las fiestas. En la época de las posadas en las más tradicionales las piñatas recobran parte del simbolismo que el cristianismo les confirió en un principio.

Secularists have always taken delight in suppressing as many visible traces of religious expression as possible. Proof is the recent order by the European Court of Human Rights to ban crucifixes from the walls of Italy’s classrooms. According to the court, the practice of hanging crucifixes on classrooms walls violates the right of parents to educate their children as they see fit. In addition, the practice contravenes children’s right to freedom of religion.

But traces of the Catholic Church’s presence in our culture are so deeply embedded that if every Catholic aspect were to be removed from Western civilization (1) doing so would take 500 years or more, and (2) there would be nothing left! There are myriad ways in which the Catholic faith has made its way into the daily lives of everyone, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. I will leave out the obvious, like art and architecture, holidays and festivities, food and drink, manners and dining etiquette, etc., and just mention a few of the countless lesser ways in which  Catholicism – unbeknownst to just about everyone today – has influenced so many familiar things.

For example, why do we refer to levels of a building as ‘stories’? In Romanesque and Gothic archi-tecture (both of which developed in a Catholic milieu) it was not uncommon for allegorical reliefs and sculptures to adorn the facades of churches or municipal buildings. Each of them told a story. Since by extension several strata of allegorical represen-tations told several stories, it became custom to indicate the height of a building by how many stories it had.

Also, it’s just amazing how deeply the Catholic influence has penetrated into the various nooks and crannies of Western legal practice. Law students, for example, often ‘clerk’ for a judge in the years following their graduation from law school. Law clerks and court clerks populate the legal system. It turns out, to many a secularists’ dismay, that the use of ‘clerk’ to designate such functions can be traced back centuries, to a time when practically everyone associated with the law had taken at least minor orders. Such clerics, being educated and literate, were especially suited to such work. The minor clergy eventually grew so closely associated with administrative and other bureaucratic duties that it became common to call these ‘clerical’ tasks and the people who carried them out ‘clerks’.

How about the origins of sign language? It was the French priest and abbot Charles-Michel d’Epeè who made a most profound contribution in developing the natural sign language of the deaf into a systematic and conven-tional language to be used as a medium of instruction.

Various forms of games and recreation are also directly related to Catholicism. The Schutzenfeste – the shooting festivals that constitute one of Switzerland’s most popular sports – what were they originally? They were training exercises for marksmen whose job it was to protect the Blessed Sacrament in Corpus Christi processions against attack by violent Protestants. Chess, too, has its Catholic origin. It was embraced and enjoyed by a great many clergy and laity, including even St. Teresa of Avila, who possessed extensive knowledge of the game. The piñata is likewise of Catholic origin. What we currently associate as meaningless birthday-party fun from Mexico began as good old-fashioned Italian sin-bashing during the holy season of Lent. The seven-coned piñata was said to represent the Seven Deadly Sins, all of which appear attractive and beguiling. Since sin is difficult to overcome, the piñata danced on a rope in order to elude being hit, and since sin is difficult to recognize for what it is, the piñata hitter would be blind-folded. Evil, however, can be defeated by good, and so the hitter had several aids at his disposal. The first was Virtue, symbolized by his stick or bat. The hitter also had the three theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Faith helped him trust the directions shouted out by the crowd, Hope kept him persevering and directed his actions heavenward, while Charity materialized once he broke the piñata and the treats, representing divine gifts and blessings, cascaded out.

The word ‘dumbbell’ comes from a special contraption used to train people to ring the large and difficult bells that adorned churches. Using the real bells for training purposes was impractical since they would have disturbed everyone in the area. Silent ‘dumbbells’ were therefore employed instead. The healthy physique that came from practicing on these dumbbells proved so popular that even men who were not bell-ringers began to use them. Eventually the term was applied to exercise weights.

On and on: from ‘knock on wood’ to ‘something blue’ for the bride-to-be, from ‘tying the knot’ to our musical notation, traces of the Catholic faith, and of God himself, are evident everywhere in our world – even in places where Catholics themselves may never have thought to look. We should expect nothing less, of course, from a religion founded upon the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ, for that extraordinary event was the ultimate meeting of the divine and the earthly.

As I was intending to go Mexican for the upcoming Cooking with my Greg Mexicalli Special, I decided to make a Piñata. My idea of a Piñata was a Donkey made of some type of material that you hit and sweets fall out of it, which is pretty much correct, except that these Pinata’s are not the traditional style which is essentially a star shaped object with kids party hats stuck to each point. While I love the idea of tradition I couldn’t help but love the idea of sculpting something using papier mache more. I checked the web for inspiration and saw some crazy designs but we decided after much deliberation to make a great big f*ckoff SKULL like in the Mexican festival El Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. This proved harder than originally anticipated.

See the rest of the steps here

See Marco and Alberto making pinatas on This is Jack TV

Feliz cumple Homo bella!!
Enorme privilegio el conocerte y escuchar tu risa (jajajaja) el día de hoy el sol salio solo para ti, disfrutalo!!

The price you pay for one of the smaller for sell Alebrijes is not so much for the material but for the artists creativity. This colorful companion is said to have its origins back in the zapotec culture, but the history you will find in most places is much more recent. A story in which Pedro Linares was a piñata maker in the Merced market in the 1970’s he fell very ill and in his delusional dreams he saw these fantastic creatures chasing after him and calling him alebrije, after he got well he tried to explain his dream but as a representation of the creatures that followed him he made a few of them out of paper and card board, he saw his creation and started making them for a profit, up until now his family owns the registered name alebrije, which everyone uses to name these fantastic mixture of animal and fantasy creatures.

http://jlong.cancunarts.com/alebrije.html

http://www.latinaviva.com/50226711/alebrijes.php

Little pumpkin all set to trick or treat

Ghouls and ghosties are the order of the night for Hallowe’en. Trick or treating, visiting neighbours – to leave a dare or receive a treasure – has become not just an American ritual, but one which has caught on in the Western World.

How many of our children know the origins of the celebration which fills their imaginations with scary images until they shake with glee or cry for consolation?

2000 years ago the Celtic year began at Samhain. And as the Celts calculated in moons, their ‘new year’ night was celebrated during the moon of 31 October – 1 November: what is now known worldwide as Hallowe’en. For all Celtic peoples – contemporary with the height of Roman civilization – Samhain was a time of deliberate misrule and contrariness, rather like the Roman Saturnalia which was celebrated at winter solstice, or if calculated in the Julian calendar, beginning December 17 and lasting for a period of six days.

Pumpkins ready for carving into Hallowe'en lanterns

Saturnalia did not otherwise survive 2000 years of change.

Hallowe’en, on the other hand, seems not only to have survived, but blossomed: its increasing popularity attributed perhaps to its ability to touch on the element of fire – candles flickering in lanterns – the dark, calculation by the moon, the unknown.

Celtic names                   Modern months                  Meaning

Samonios                                       October/November        Seed-fall
Dumannios                            November/December    Darkest depths
Riuros                                          December/January           Cold-time
Anagantios                              January/February        Stay-home time
Ogronios                                    February/March                  Ice time
Cutios                                          March/April                         Windy time
Giamonios                                 April/May                           Shoots-show
Simivisonios                                May/June                            Bright time

Equos                                             June/July                           Horse-time

Elembiuos                                      July/August                      Claim-time
Edrinios                           August/September      Arbitration-time
Cantlos                                         September/October             Song-time

In the earliest known Celtic calendar, the Coligny Calendar of 13 moons (months), now in the Palais des Arts in Lyon, Samhain was the fire-Festival of the Dead. It was a time when the veil between this world and the Otherworld was thought to be so thin that the dead could return to warm themselves at the hearths of the living, and some of the living – especially poets, artists, clairvoyants and shaman-healers – were able to enter the Otherworld through the doorways of the sidhe, or fairyfolk, such as the stone-lined entrance to the Celtic Hill of Tara in Ireland.

2000-year old Coligny calendrical calculations are quite complex and sophisticated, using a combination of moon and sun calculations which are obviously significant to the belief that the cycle of the moon ruled (and rules) people’s lives. The calendar dates from circa 1st century BC, and is made up of bronze fragments, once a single huge plate, inscribed with Latin characters, but written in the Gaulish language. It begins each month with the full moon, and covers a 30-year period of five cycles of 62 lunar months, with one of 61. It divides each month into fortnights (two-week periods) rather than single weeks, with individual days designated – from observation – as MAT (good) or ANM (not good). Each year is divided into thirteen (lunar) months.

The Christian Gregorian calendar never fully succeeded in spreading a veneer over its Celtic predecessor. It managed, however, to change the ancient festival of New Year – Samhain- from night to day, making the day of November 1st a celebration for All Saints, instead of the eerie ‘pagan’ concept of a nighttime fire-festival by moonlight the previous night. That was considered too ‘devilish’, rural or ‘ignorant’ to continue in an enlightened Christian world. But celebrate the country people continued to do.

Hallowe’en simply means the evening (night or moon-time) before All Hallows. So the older pre-Christian fire festival succeeded in perpetuating its Samhain roots, with parades and mocking the Dead – or even the Undead – allowing the Underworld to merge with the ‘real’ world, cavorting with spirits through the thinnest of veils. By perpetuating Samhain as Hallowe’en, the populace voted with its feet: adopting the Christian calendar name and applying it to a pre-Christian fire festival which would not go away.

This time of year we loosen Saturn’s bonds.
The ancient God awakens from His sleep,
and rules the Earth as in the Golden Age.

Trick or treat

Saturn’s influence, while associated with midwinter solstice, is also felt in the giving of gifts, or, what has become the fun of Hallowe’en: trick-or-treating. The Saturnalia was not just another fire festival to celebrate a time of misrule or night lording it over day, but for giving thanks for the bounty of harvest; and knowledge, said to have been brought to Earth by Saturn the God who showed Man how to store and preserve seed from a bountiful crop until sown again in spring furrows. While the giving of gifts perpetuates in most festivals of the Christian calendar (feasting after Lenten fast, Christmas Day giving and gift-unwrapping) the Celts were also masters of the soil, adept at tilling the Earth to encourage her to provide for next year. So the ‘treats’ of Hallowe’en are also rooted in that pre-Christian tradition of gift-giving and appreciation.

Star-shaped piñata for Lent from original Chinese paper-decorated designs

Piñata now decorate supermarket shelves at any time, not just at Lent

Hallowe’en may have survived its 2000-year transition, but it is doubtful whether any Celtic wraith floating in through the veil would recognize the 21st century version.

Los alebrijes son seres fantásticos, imaginarios mezclas de animales extrañas y atrayentes de colores vivos, texturas y figuras extrañas. Pueden estar hechos de papel maché o de cartón y también de madera, son una artesanía que algunos dicen tiene sus antecedentes en las culturas prehispánicas y otros dicen que son más actuales, de 1970 cuando un cartonero del mercado de la Merced  Pedro Linares estuvo muy enfermo y en su delirio imaginó todo tipo de animales que después hizo realidad en su taller de piñatas u cartón. La palabra alebrije también es de su invención e incluso esta patentada por su familia.  Lo cierto es que estos hermosos y coloridos animales iluminan y le dan color a cualquier habitación. Los que desfilaron por Paseo de la Reforma son de los más extravagantes y creativos que he visto y la verdad es que iluminan y alegran el lugar.

http://musicayvino.com/index.php?q=node/481

http://www.tupatrocinio.com/patrocinio.cfm/proyecto/80526080092452694950576556704567.html

it’s someone’s very special (60th) birthday today… and mr. grwhryrpltd went out of his way for this one.  a trip to mexico for the gifts, a large hand made shipping container to get it to the final destination, and two flights later we had one heck of a surprised birthday girl:

the bewitching pinata is strung while the lucha libre mask is donned

she strikes...

and strikes again... (arm down)

a change of implements was eventually needed, but the pinata is finally down!

a sweet gathering...

with tasty treats for you...

you deserve it, happy birthday jan!  the weekend went too fast, but the memories will last and last…

When I last updated about my first pinata, it was still a balloon wrapped in gunky newspaper. I’m happy to report that it finished drying rather nicely, even though it was still sort of wrinkly and bumpy. That’s okay, it looked something like an ugly gourd.

And here it is, painted, stuffed with candy, confetti and streamers, ready to be knocked senseless.

As for the other games, since it was so cold, we didn’t bother with ducks in a tub or bobbing for apples. The kids can catch cold just fine on the hayride. They don’t need our help!

I set up the beanbag toss and Pin The Tail On The Cat and waited quite a while before anyone even noticed them. It’s kind of disheartening, seeing all that work do nothing but sit there.

After a while, this little boy toddles up to me and asks, “What are these?”

“Games.”

“When can we play ‘em?”

“Anytime you’re ready!”

“Really? HEY EVERYBODY IT’S GAME TIME!”

The beanbag toss, which I made candy corn-shaped beanbags for, ended up being used so much, the board actually broke. I may have to invest in something stronger than foam core next time.

The one that really surprised me?

Pin The Tail On The Cat.

I had no idea that the kids would go so nuts for that game. They enjoyed spinning each other, then laughing at where the tails usually ended up. They also swapped blindfolds/masks a LOT. The most popular ones out of those six I made? The Frankenstein monster and the pirate! They just liked running around with them on their heads. It was too funny to watch!

Pinning tails…

The kids wearing my blindfold/masks…

I love that “I haven’t slept in a week!” look that the fake eyes give them. XD

Then there was the pinata. EVERYONE got excited about the pinata. I explained the rules and gave a warning about the pinata-whacking stick: “Everyone stand far back because you don’t want to get hit, okay? Also, make SURE you hold onto that stick TIGHT. If you don’t, it’s gonna fly out of your hands and right into my windshield and then I’ll be pretty mad.”

They understood perfectly.

My sister’s friend was given the task of raising and lowering the pinata, while I blindfolded them and spun them around before giving them the stick.

I had a line of about eight kids. The second one (who happens to be one of my bitty baby cousins) took three swings and on that third swing, he made contact!

Pinata guts everywhere!

I forgot that kid plays ball. He was swinging like a major leaguer!

At first, every one of those kids gasped and gaped in horror at the sight before them. That lasted all of two seconds before they all shrieked “CANDY!” and started diving for the goodies. It was hilarious to watch. They loved it! Another one of my little bitty cousins was even picking up the pretty streamer paper inside and giving handfuls of it to her dad to keep.

I passed out “Monster Eggs” (thanks, Target) and “boo sticks” (Tootsie Pops done up like ghosts) and watched as my batch of haunted cupcakes disappeared like a phantasm near a Ghostbuster. Even the candy eyeballs were toast.

Sis and Devin

We closed the evening with not one, but two hayrides because we had so many people there. Lots of hot dog charring and marshmallow roasting, plus chili and cookies and other goodies made everyone happy. I was very tired by night’s end, but overall pleased with how it went.

Here’s my friend Glenda…

Sis and Devin again…

And me, being Mad as a Hatter… *koff*

I think I need to make another hat in a different color. I’m supposed to be a Mad Hatter, but I look like I also qualify as a leprechaun, a clown or a resident of Emerald City. “Ease on down, ease on down the road…” Well, I still like how it turned out. Technically, it’s still incomplete since I had no time to sew on buttons or get the crinoline made. That should happen this week so I can wear it again Halloween.

Anyway, nice party, everyone was happy and now I can rest easy. *phew*

Today I’ve been blessed with a party at Bruce and Kims. we had cookies & junk, Then we broke a Pennyotta, (I hit hard! first couple time I just hit it und in the underarm.  Then, I whacked its arm and & it hung there by a hair! Then, my 4th time, I hit the st stomach & it was again hanging by a hair.  Then Beth F. whacked it off & we got candy.  Then we had a gift exchange and me & Tyana got Baby Pound Puppies. (not the same!) Wow!

It was fun! what a great time I had!  Addriennes becoming my buddy & wants to sit on my lap or play with me, or talk, If she can.

Tasha L. Thomas

Hello Penguins!

Today is Club Penguins 4th Anniversary! They released the new party hat that is located in the Coffee Shop. Heres how to get it:

• Go into the Coffee Shop.
• Move your mouse across the pinata 2 times.
• Now Walk On The Party Hat!

 Now for the newest pin on club penguin is in the boiler room.

Waddle On!

UPDATE: The Party has been extended one more day!

 Hey the party is here!

To get the party hat you move your mouse over the piñata twice

It falls out and you just go and pick it up!

Also the year book here!

-Bocaj

Club Penguin’s annual anniversary party has arrived again, this time bringing blue and purple party hats! They are wicked cool!

To get the party hat, make your way into the coffee shop (if you are having trouble doing this scroll down) and find the pinata at the top right of the screen.

Click on the pinata twice for it to break, and the party hat will fall onto the floor below where the pinata once hung!

There’s also a new yearbook inside the book room so go check it out!

Please read the following instructions if you are having trouble getting inside the coffee shop:

• Go to your igloo or a room that isn’t crowded so things will load faster.
• If you’re a secret agent, click on your spy phone and set it to the coffee shop.
• Click transport and if it says full exit the map and keep trying again.
• Soon you will be inside the coffee shop without fighting through angry mobs to get inside!

Hope this helped!

Hey everyone! Club Penguin’s 4th Annual Anniversary Party is finally here! In case you didn’t already know, it is taking place in the Coffee Shop FOR ONLY TODAY!

Many penguins don’t know where to find the party hat, but do not fear, I have the answer!

There is a piñata up above the staircase to the Book Room, scroll your mouse over this twice (2 times), like you are hitting it. After the second hit, the 4th Anniversary Party Hat should fall out!

Sorry, it's a little blurry

I think this year’s hat is the best one yet! (Other than the 2nd Anniversary’s hat.) For this hat, I think they used the template of the Beta Hat and changed the yellow to the color blue, and kept the purple/pink.

Also, there is a new 2008-2009 CP Yearbook in the Book Room…

What do you guys think of the party?

~Nike~

Hey Guys!

Today Club Penguin turned 4! The party is a blast! It’s very lively and very Crowded! But, only the town & the Coffee SHop is decorated . Take a look at them.

And this is how the Coffee Shop looks like :

OK, let’s go on. There is one only and new Item, The 4th Anniversary hat, of course. As always, it is located at the coffee shop. Its a little tricky to get. First, there is a Pinata at the top corner of the room. Click on it two times to crack it :

- The Pinata will crack and the hat will fall down!

Walk on it to get it :

It has some beautiful colors, I personally really like it :

Cool huh guys? I really enjoyed this party. I can’t wait for the next party, which is only 3 days away!

But BE CAREFUL! The 4th anniversary party will be on cp only for a day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLUB PENGUIN!

This was all guys, I really hope I helped!

Have a Nice Time,

~Henry515

Con motivo de la Navidad, cada año organiza el grupo mexicano una posada navideña familiar con el fin de preservar esta linda tradicion.

This will end up being a series of posts, documenting the creation of my very first pinata. It’s for our party (this weekend, yikes!), so it qualifies as Halloween.

On Sunday, I began with a balloon and Celluclay’s Papier Mache Mix. Just add warm water, mix and you’re ready to go!

Uh.

Straight out of the package, this stuff has all the charm of dryer lint. When wet, it’s like soppy dryer lint and poop. Yuck. It’s really difficult to work with, especially while you’re trying to hold a wayward balloon and coat it in the stuff. When taking handfuls of the stuff out to mix up, I ended up inadvertently inhaling some of it since it’s rather powdery. (It ended up making me very ill, too. I’d advise anyone to use a facemask if they work with this stuff.) I’m sure the cellulose mix is useful as an actual clay, so I’ll try to use the rest of the package at some point. I have another package that I think I’ll return, though. I’m not terribly plussed with it.

The first balloon I coated ended up exploding as I tried to move it to another area to dry.

Try try again, right?

Wrong. The second balloon I tried did the same thing and I didn’t even get it covered halfway!

I finally got a third one to work. Sort of.

That picture was taken just last night (Monday) and sadly, the mixture was STILL wet underneath!

I awoke this morning (Tuesday) to find that the balloon didn’t make it.

Well, so much for that.

Luckily, last night is when I also began work on another pinata in a more traditional style–Normal, old fashioned papier mache! Here is the recipe I used for the paste:

PAPIER MACHE PASTE RECIPE

2 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water
1/2 cup plain flour
3 tbsp. sugar

Mix cold water with plain flour. Toss that mixture into the boiling water and mix thoroughly. Bring it all back up to a boil. Remove it from heat and put into a nice big plastic bowl. Add the sugar and stir. The mixture thickens as it cools.

I cut newspaper into 1″ strips, slid them through the paste, then began laying them onto the balloon, which I had strung from the ceiling. Nice part about the paste recipe is that it’s non-toxic, so no worries if the cats decided to stick a paw in it.

Results as of last night:

The balloon will be moved to a warmer, sunnier spot today and hopefully by tonight, I can add another layer of paper so the pinata doesn’t collapse on itself before I even get to paint it. I’m hoping to get a cute pumpkin out of this. Keep your fingers crossed!

UPDATE [10/21/09] The pinata-in-progress seems to be drying, but was not dry enough for me to put another layer onto it last night. Maybe tonight…? I’ve noticed that as the paper has dried so far, the balloon seems a little…sad. It’s either losing air or was stretched out so from the weight of all that stuff on it that now it’s looking a little squished and flabby. The shape of the pinata is holding up, but again, I’d like another layer on there so the thing doesn’t collapse on itself when I try to paint it or fill it with candy.

my daughter turns three today, but according to her, she turned three last week.  any attempt to tell her she was almost three brought on tears and the protestation that she already was.  so i let her be three.  in my opinion, one should add one to their age six months between birthdays.  it makes more sense to say you are older than you are six months early than it does to say you are younger the day before.

it was the parties that got to me.  yes, parties plural.  it was have two parties, one with each side of the family, or double the number of small children hyped up on sugar and excitement in one small room at one time. with my side of the family, we had traditional party games, pin the tail on the donkey (with stickers), ring toss (with the little donut stacker toy), bingo (where every card has every picture), drop the close-pin into the bucket from the height of your nose, and a pinata (with strings to pull instead of a bat to hit it with).  well, the ring toss was actually the kids’ idea, so that was fun.  bingo was amusing, because it took them a round to understand that you had to wait until a picture was held up by my mom to cover it on their card.  the close-pin game was soooooooo adorable because they just didn’t get the competition of it.  when the oldest just couldn’t get a pin in the bucket from on top of the stool (we had to add the stool because they are so short they’re right there at the bucket anyway, and they don’t get the concept of from the level of your nose, so they just reach down and put it in), well, my daughter picked the bucket up and held it up to him so he could get it in.  for pin the tale on the donkey, they wouldn’t keep the blind-fold on so they all won, until my daughter decided it was funny to put the tale somewhere else.

it was all a lot of fun to watch them play the games their way.  i mean, they’re only three.  but the disaster was the pinata.  don’t by pinatas from party city.  i mean it, don’t.  they are made out of moving box grade cardboard, held together with packaging tape, impossible to destroy with a bat, even for an adult, and the tab the strings are connected to, well, it’s three sides of a square cut out with ribbons taped to it and you’re supposed to pull the ribbons hard enough to tear the cardboard.  it doesn’t work.  the kids are strong enough to tear cardboard like that, but they were strong enough to pull the ribbons from underneath the tape.  we ended up taking the thing down and letting them beat it to death while i tore it apart.  looking at it while they looked at the candy i discovered that even if they had been able to tear the cardboard, there was only a few inches before they would have hit the packaging tape holding the bottom together, which means they would have gotten it as open as they could and all the candy would have been pooled up in the pinata out of reach except for a few pieces that spilled out to taunt them.

so much for paper mache and fun when you need to mass market.  seriously, go find a hispanic store in your neighborhood and ask them if thier is somewhere you can get a real pinata if you really want one and don’t want to make it yourself.

with my husband’s side of the family, we just had the kids all together for cake and presents and let them play like they usually do.  it was less amusing and more nerve-wracking because it was more chaos and it was toward the end of the day and i was already tired from the morning and from the long week i had (new meds for adhd, thyroid biopsy, mid-term exams…) but my daughter had a blast.

three-year-olds.  the world already revolves around them, in their minds.  do we really need a day where we keep telling them “this is your day, the world revolves around you”?  her party.  talk about the party, and she had to interject that it was hers, in case you forgot.  same with birthday.  she’s my little prima donna. such a drama queen on a normal day.

but, she’s also a nurturer.  she didn’t want her cousin to be sad that he couldn’t get the close pins in, so she held the bucket up for him.

and fortunately, when i gave her a present from her sunday-school teacher, whom she didn’t see because she went to church with her grandmother yesterday, she said “more birthday for me?!”  which indicated that she knows it’s a one-day deal.  and today, i heard nothing about her birthday.  on the day itself, i hear not a word about the parties and the birthday.  she just wanted to play with her new toys.

i’m blessed with a wonderful, intelligent, sweet little girl who already says “oh, okay.  i see.  i understand now.” when you explain something to her.

Now you can play with both Michelle and Barack Obama with the new release of the Michele Obama Action Figures. I have to say my Squidoo Lens – Barack Obama Toys and Collectibles is one of my favorites and it full of some of the best Presidential Toys on the market.

Michelle Obama Action Figures are the perfect addition to the Barack Obama Action Figures – now you can play with them both. Think of the fun you can have now. Not only with just them, but the many great toys that are on the market.  I have also added a bunch more new items like a Barack Obama Action Figure Craft where you can color your action figure – so now he can be whatever color you want him to be.

How about a Barack Obama Rubber Ducky – think how much fun your next bath time could be with this Duck. You can sing “Rubber Baracky you the one – you make bath time lots of fun…..” What a great gift idea for the holidays – Strange – Yes – Fun – Definitely!!!

You will also find a Barack Obama Pinata – I could just imagine the possibilities for that. Talk about some added fun to your party.

I can go on and on but if you want to see all the fun – Stop by and see what else I have found and the many ways you can Play with the President. Visit – Barack Obama Toys and Collectibles.  One thing I know is that if anything you will have a good laugh!!!

05-09-09

Saturday

Saturday.  Saturday, Saturday, Saturday Saturday.  Saturday.

Bo came over and we hung out for awhile before heading to Luke and Laurie’s going away party.  Bo likes Luke and Laurie, so it wasn’t a tough sell for us going over there.  Plus Laurie made a huge assortment of Mexican food, complete with 3 different kinds of meat.  Yummy.  She really outdid herself on this one.

At the party we met a really nice couple who were taking over for Luke and Laurie.  Bo and I talked to them for a long time.  What was really cool is that the woman’s name is Bessie; the same name as my childhood dog.  And I mean no disrespect to her or that name.  I love that dog.  I’d just never met a woman with that name, and I told her it was the name of my dog.  I told her to take it as a compliment, which I think she did.  She certainly didn’t seem to be offended by the comment.

And in keeping with the Mexican spirit, one of their co workers had made a Pinatta of one of their other coworkers.  I think it was of the financial officer, or at least the guy who was in charge of the money because he was only going to give Luke and Laurie 700 bucks for two tickets home.  This would only be enough to cover one ticket.  This is a violation of the contract, but this is the kind of stuff that happens when you’re not Korean.  What can we do?  Hire a lawyer?  Right.  Anyway, this particular guy had screwed over other coworkers, so everyone was excited to take a whack at him.  There were some kids around while we (well not me) destroyed the piñata, so they ended up with some candy.  There was also socks and other stuff in there.  Thanks Pman!