Weekend Happenings, Pinterest Stuff (Food Station Tables AND Fall Family Fun Night) AND Roxie - The College Chapter

Good Friday morning!

MISCELLANEOUS #1 - I am hot!

And I don't mean the good kind of hot.

I mean "almost-54-Summer-in-Alabama" kind of hot.

I am not kidding you when I say I slowed down to a crawl in front of a neighborhood house this week, and seriously contemplated standing on top of an active sprinkler.

It was a very visible sprinkler from the road, but not so much from the house.

Age didn't factor into my decision.

Dignity didn't factor into my decision.

What I was wearing at the moment did not count either.

The only thing I feared...

And I mean the ONLY thing...

I didn't know when Roxie was due back at the house after running her errands, and the thought of her passing The Big Gold Van and realizing her MOTHER was standing in someone's yard on top of a sprinkler might push her over the edge, and make her leave for Auburn a whole day sooner than originally planned.

Yes.

I am that Mother.

My birthday is coming up, and the only item I truly, truly want is that blue piece of fabric you have probably seen for sale on television for $19.99. You wet it or snap it or hook it up to an air conditioning vent...

Put it around your neck, face, head...

And you stay cool.

Miraculously cool.

Wonderfully, marvelously cool.

If you see The Big Gold Van being driven around town in the next few weeks by what looks to be an old fashioned bank robber (blue mask from the nose down)...

FEAR NOT, MY GOOD NEIGHBORS.

It is just little ol' me "beating the heat."

And if I were to get more than one or two of the above-mentioned item...

Well, let's just say I might be cool around my elbows and behind my knees, too.

MISCELLANEOUS #2 - Mike, Austin, Melia, Roxie and I went to Saw's Juke Joint Monday night for our annual Back-to-School meal. It was very good except Mike, Roxie and I had a hankering for the Fried Okra Appetizer.

I mean, we had talked about it and decided it was going to happen.

Anticipation.

Excitement.

Only to learn Saw's, an Alabama restaurant KNOWN far and wide for it's Fried Okra Appetizer, was OUT OF OKRA.

I cannot even begin to wrap my head around the concept.

Massive disappointment.

Then we decided to order the Fried Dill Pickles because we were starving for a fried green vegetable to dip into Ranch Dressing.

Can I just say, fried dill pickles do not a substitute for fried okra appetizer at Saw's Juke Joint make.

That is all.

Pinterest Stuff

I loved the following ideas I found on Pinterest this past week.

Fall Family Fun Night

For this fun night you need a bag of candy pumpkin mix, a bowl or bucket, leaves (could be fake or right off the trees outside) and some fall-colored streamers.

Game #1 - Hide and Go Leaf

To play the game, simply give one family member a pile of leaves. We have some old silky fake leaves that worked great, but the ones off the tree in your yard would work fine, too. The selected family member hides all the leaves around your house. Then the other members have to go and find the leaves. You can make the player with the most leaves the winner.

Game #2 - Pumpkin Toss

Take the candy pumpkins out of the bag and give each person 10 chances to drop them in the bucket. Depending on the age of your children, you will need to adjust the placement of the bucket so it is challenging. The player who gets the most pumpkins in the bucket wins.

Game #3 - Shuck the Indian Corn

You need to divide into pairs for this game. One person will be the corn and the other person will be the farmer. The farmer must wrap his "corn" with the colored streamer until its “kernels” (body parts) are all covered. Then the farmer switches corn with the other team. The person to shuck the corn the fastest wins!

Game #4 - Fifty-Two Leaf Pick Up

This game is like 52 Card Pick Up, except with leaves. Mom or Dad should drop a pile of leaves onto the floor (or porch if you have real leaves). Then the children race to see who can pick up the most leaves.

And that’s it! Simple and frugal. You don’t have to “go big” to impress your kids. All they really want is quality time spent together in a fun way. So grab a bag of fall candy and set a date for your Fall Family Fun Night!

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - I've added a few pics to help you get in the mood for a Fall idea in the middle of August.

You are welcome.





Party Bars (Food Station Tables)

NOTE FROM ENCHANTING BELINDA - I am a huge supporter of the Food Station. I had not thought of some of these before...

Baked or Mashed Potato Bar

Caramelized Onions
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
Mushrooms
Sour Cream
Butter
Onion Gravy
Fresh Bacon Bits
Scallions

Oatmeal Breakfast Bar

Raisins
Cinnamon
Brown Sugar
Blueberries
Strawberries
Bananas
Honey
Maple Syrup
Chopped Pecans or Walnuts

Banana Pop Bar

Melted Chocolate
Salted Almonds
Sprinkles
Toffee Chips
Miniature Chocolate Chips
Toasted Coconut
Crushed Oreos

1. Use a colorful paper straw for the "stick."

2. Dip a 2" or 3" banana chunk into the chocolate.

3. Then pick your toppings.

NOTE - You can also refrigerate or freeze the banana pops for a few minutes before eating.

Waffle Bar

Maple Syrup
Whipped Cream
Clotted Cream
Nutella
Honey
Marmalade
Lemon Curd
Jet Puff Marshmallow Fluff
Peanut Butter
Fresh Fruit
Bacon

ROXIE - THE COLLEGE CHAPTER - I know many of you probably think I will not be able to handle Roxie moving away to college.

I know this because in the past (when Austin and Josh moved away to attend school), I didn't adapt well to the change in my household.

I won't go into great detail, but let's just say some shrines were involved.

When Roxie leaves in the morning, Mike and I will be entering a very new season of life.

I believe it is called The Empty Nest.

While that is a pretty accurate name, "The Day My Heart Broke into a Million Pieces, and I Sat in a Corner in the Bathroom and Cried for the Rest of My Life" has a nice ring to it, too.

I've had a kid or kids living at my house for 24 consecutive years.

I've thrown a total of 62 birthday parties for kids during that time.

I've sat in the Carpool Line at various and sundry schools from 1994 until 2012.

I've made approximately 4,238,066 school lunches from the age of 33 to 53.

I no longer remember why I walk into any given room at any given time... EVER.

I am not the same woman I was when I had my first babe in February of 1991.

I am now a seasoned professional.

A mother of grown, adult-like children.

An Empty Nester (for the most part).

Just like AARP, no one asked me if I wanted to join the club. I just received my Membership Card in the mail.

I would go back in a heartbeat and start all over...

I really would.

Stinky diapers, runny noses, school plays, stepping on dinosaurs and Legos in the middle of the night, loads and loads of laundry, some days and nights that lasted MUCH longer than 24 hours.

Turns out, that was the good stuff.

And believe it or not, I am looking for the "good stuff" in this next season of life.

Shocking, I know.

It's there. I may just have to look a little harder.



Weekend Happenings

1. Did I mention we're taking Roxie to Auburn tomorrow?

Did I?

Well, that will probably take up most of Friday.

2. However, Mike and I are going to eventually leave Roxie and head over to Columbus, Georgia for an Overnight/Day Trip.

I have a list of seven activities and three restaurants to try. Of course, we won't complete the entire list, but we have choices, and I'll let you know what those choices were next Friday.

3. Sunday we will attend church. Mike and I talked about going to the Dollar Movie Sunday night since our Bible Study isn't meeting, but I'm willing to bet we'll just see how it goes.

And so our life as Empty Nesters (during the week) officially begins.

I have a feeling it might be a bit of a bumpy ride!

I hope you and yours have a great weekend. I'll be back next Friday with pics and stories from "The Move," our little Day Trip to Columbus and more.

Take care.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda