Azulism #19
Feeling Something Heavy
I can’t believe it’s is already the end of the school year! I feel like it was just yesterday I was crying about my baby going into kindergarten and now he is heading to first grade. He has learned so much, I have really seen him blossom into a lover of learning and he is more than prepared to take it to the next level.
While reflecting on my pride of my six year-old’s accomplishments this year, he came home from school with something new he had learned, and it goes a little something like this:
“When you’re riding in your Chevy …”
Cinco de Mayo kids snacks: Tacos and maracas, Ole!
I have a love hate relationship with snack day. Let’s start with the hate part. I have been jealous of the moms who are able to whip up twenty or so all-natural healthy individual kid-sized fruit pies on their snack day. Ugh! Really! I usually get whatever the very capable and professional bakers at Costco are able to whip up for me. But, I love it when it’s a holiday! I’m not sure why I need a theme to get my domestic creativity going, but I do, and I feel a holiday/snack day combo coming on.
What you’ll need for your Cinco de Mayo Tacos and Maracas:
A pack of lemon cream filled cookies (each cookie makes two tacos)
Chocolate hazelnut spread
Green icing (the tube is the easiest)
Round red cinnamon candy
Seedless Grapes
Pretzel sticks
Step 1 – Start with the taco shells.
Cut each cookie in half, so they are semi-circles and are now the shape of taco shells. Then separate the cookies with a knife, leaving the filling on one side and the other side bare.
Step 2 – Next is the filling for the tacos.
Soften the chocolate spread by whipping it. This will make it easier to handle and squeeze into the shells. With a frosting bag and tip* fill the bag with the spread and then squeeze the chocolate filling in the shells. The tacos now have “meat” and “cheese” in them.
*If you don’t have a frosting bag and tip, you can always fill a sandwich bag with the spread and then cut a small corner of the bag to create an opening and squeeze the filling out through the hole.
Step 3 – Last garnish the tacos.
Use the green icing to mimic the lettuce by drawing a wavy line across the filling in the taco shells. Then place a few cinnamon candies (these are the tomatoes) on top. The “tomatoes” will stay in place better if the “lettuce” is a little soft. My six year-old was very good at garnishing.
Store the tacos in the refrigerator while you make the maracas.
Step 4 – Time for the maracas.
Remove the grapes from the stems. Then gently push a pretzel stick into the grape where the stem was. The grape is the rattle and the pretzel is the handle (even if you try to shake them, they won’t make any noise, we tried). Then repeat. And repeat. And repeat until you have the number of maracas you want.
Now you are ready for the Cinco de Mayo fiesta para los ninos! With Azul moving to first grade next year, I bet I’m going to miss snack day, but I won’t miss the all-natural healthy individual kid-sized fruit pie envy.
HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!
Ain’t That A Kick!?!
Conversations at our house recently have become pretty racy and finally it’s not because of me! It may be because my son Azul is now six and understanding more or because he is in Kindergarten now and picking up things said at school or because he is my little clone and talking more and more like me every day. Oh, I guess it could still be because of me.
Well, whatever it is, it’s funny!
Last night, we were going through Azul’s standard bed time routine, getting PJs on, brushing teeth and washing his face. Unfortunately, it’s never as smooth as just getting those things done, there is always an addition of talking or playing or wrestling, and sometimes all three. This night was a combo of playing and wrestling. After the last of the toothpaste was spat out of his mouth he assumed an offensive stance and then attacked. With a jump and a foot in the air, he yelled, “I’m going to kick you in the penis!”
I was a little taken back by that, physically and mentally, but trying to stand my ground I looked right at him and replied, “I don’t have a penis.” With my eyebrows raised, I waited for his response. Don’t underestimate your Mommy, I’m ready for you.
“Then, I’ll kick you in the vagina!” Now my eyes were wide open, I wasn’t ready for that.
His expression changed from aggressiveness to concern and he asked, “Do you have a vagina?”
I cracked up laughing and answered the questioned posed with a simple, “yes.”
Then shrugging his shoulders, he looked right at me and said, “I wasn’t sure.”
Then we both cracked up. Oh, my little clone, it is because of me!
Carmelina Hart 