sugar circus

Today was stop #2 on my sweet treat quest! I was really excited heading there, because if I like it they have a different flavor every week. (only one flavor a week is GF/DF) This place was really far east, in a ghetto neighborhood. The outside of the shop is super cute, but looked really out of place between run down buildings. Walking in the loud metal music threw me off. I guess I was expecting circus music, and kids skipping around in a circle holding hands. 

When I got the cupcake the lady helping me, one of the owners/bakers, and I started talking about how hard it is to find good food that's both gluten and dairy free. She was super nice and even asked if I had a request for next week because she hadn't decided what she was going to make. How awesome?! A baker, who bakes (hopefully good) stuff I can eat, willing to make whatever flavor I want! I paid the $2.98 and merrily went on my way.

It was refrigerated so I had to wait awhile for it to get to room temp like she said I should. When I took it out of it's travel case, I immediately was surprised of the color. I've had (and made) strawberry cupcakes and they're usually bright pink with some strawberry chunks. This one had a few chunks, but the color was as if the cake had barely any strawberry in it. The icing was sweet, with a slightly strange after taste. Not bad, just...I couldn't place what it was. The cake tasted a little overcooked, and I couldn't taste any strawberry. Boo.

I'm willing to try again when they have a different flavor, and will buy at the beginning of the week when it's at its freshest instead of the last day of their baking week. Oh well. On to the next!

Grade: B+

chicago: part 1

My sister has been in love with Veronica Mars for years now, and has been trying to get me to watch it. I finally took her advice and watched the entire series in about 2 weeks. I know, that is redonk. But when I get hooked, I find myself doing nothing but whatever it is I'm hooked on. It's probably a good thing I've never done drugs. Otherwise I would probably be on that show Intervention instead of watching it. 

ANYWAYS, I recently found out a friend/parent at my school is the wife of the creator of that show, and when I told her how much I/we loved it, she hooked my sister and I up with some coozies. Koozies? However you spell it, we got them. I was so excited to give it to Rebecca, and she started using it immediately.

Meghan and I flew into Chicago together and it was fun spending the first weekend there together! We went on lots of walks, played at all the parks in walking distance, and generally had a blast.

In between walks Meghan and I enjoyed the deck.

Miles decided he wanted to join us.

It's wild having months go by between seeing Miles. He was talking so much more than the last time I saw him. What was even more exciting? You could actually understand everything he was saying and wanting from you! We had a lot of fun drawing with chalk. He told me what to draw, and it was so cute having him get so excited when I would draw whatever it was he requested.

On Saturday we went to Rib Fest. I love that once the nice weather hits, there is a festival every weekend, usually in walking distance. We ate a ton of food, and then headed over to the kids area. Who even knew there were kids areas at these fests? Apparently there are. One of the many things you learn when a little nugget is part of the crew.

He wasn't very good at milking the cow. I think he needs to spend more time in Texas getting back to his roots.

We finished the day with some deep fried chocolate covered bacon. And by we, I mean everyone but me. I'm sure it was disgusting with all that gluten in it.

It was such a fun weekend with Meghan there! It was sad when she left, but I was glad I was going to be there for another 5 days!

"Check back later for part 2 ladies." (That was Miles saying that, in case you weren't sure)

summer quest

Angie decided this summer that she was going on a donut quest. She was going to find the best donut in Austin, and she has been recording her quest on Vine. (an app where you can make 6 second videos) I've been watching her videos everyday, and everyday am jealous I couldn't invite myself along. So I decided yesterday that I was going to go on my own summer quest. I started googling bakeries that have gluten free & dairy free cupcakes. Sadly, most places that do that make you order at least a half dozen cupcakes, instead of just 1. So, I changed the parameters to the best sweet treat I could find. I started a list of places to visit, and decided I would start with the Wheatsville Coop.

Although I have driven by it probably a hundred times (it's on the drag by campus), I had never actually gone inside. It's just like any small grocery store like Sprouts. I headed to their baked goods case to see what was available for me. There were brownies (boring), rice crispie treats (peanut butter inside? no thanks), and pumpkin chocolate chip whoopie pies (don't mind if I do). I mean come on, which would you choose?

Look at this delicious looking little morsel!

At $2 a pop, it's a pretty good deal for a gluten free, vegan treat, even if it is pretty small. I grabbed it and brought it home to eat. On my first initial bite, it was delicious and light! I ate a bite of just the cream and it was really good and not too sweet. The pie part was not overly sweet either in part, I'm guessing, to the pumpkin. Although I couldn't taste the pumpkin very much because of the chocolate chips and cream flavors taking over. It was really moist and not crumbly which was awesome! (Those of you that eat gluten free know that this can be a problem.) I don't eat sweets very much anymore because they're so hard to find for me with my crazy allergies, so it started to get a little too sweet for me at the end. 

Overall it was delicious! Next time I will just eat half and save the rest for later....if I can.

Grade: A

fancy furniture

As you know, I was in Chicago last week enjoying the cool weather and hanging out with Miles. Their house is incredible! Yes, I know, I've been there before. But I mean, for real, it's pretty awesome. Their kitchen is my favorite, and their fancy big couch and tv downstairs aren't too bad either. The fanciest of their furniture?

That would be their bed side tables! They are especially fancy in their guest bedroom in the basement with their matching tables.

Nothing says fancier than extra protection. Maybe they aren't empty and this was their little way to show they were wanting me to wear them so I wouldn't have an accident in the bed?

end of year

Man, I have been MIA for longer than I meant to be, sorry about that! Things got crazy with the end of the year, and then I was gone the last week celebrating the beginning of summer with a trip to Chicago! (Check back for my trip recap.) We always have our kids write something (usually a letter) to their next years teacher telling them a little about ourselves. Here are my favorites.

True story. We all hate them.

What about a mean teacher, teaching fractions? I probably just blew her mind with that one.

I am going to miss this kid! (He is responsible for most of the kid quotes this year.) And he is correct, he is not blind. But come on kid, even my nephew Miles is a wiz at 2D shapes.

So stinkin cute!

So the last 2 weeks of school I blow up balloons and inside I put a little piece of paper with something fun we will do. We had a water balloon and water fun fight one day, had a movie and game day, had a bubble gum bubble blowing contest (no one spit out their gum trying to make a bubble this year!), etc. Obviously every day was a blast! 

The best day? That would be our movie and popcorn day. We read the Origami Yoda books the last few weeks of the year, and my kids became obsessed! We were even the Origami Yoda Ewings for our book themed track and field day, complete with our own origami Yodas. Note to self, never do origami with 18 eight year olds at the same time. It will be torture. Anyways, back to our day. We had a pajama day, watched the original Star Wars, ate popcorn, and then at the end of the day came the best part. 

Light saber fight!!!

2 on one, and I totally beat them.

 Winning, as Darth Vader, in pajamas!

I had made pool noodle light sabers (Thank you Pinterest!) and we went outside and spent the last 10 minutes of the day having a blast! The kids were taking it really seriously, and were acting like their light saber person. It was hilarious! They even made noises every time they hit someone with their light saber. One of the kids would actually act like that part of their body was cut off until he was totally laying on the ground and someone had gone in for the kill. Then he would jump back up and start all over again. I know, it sounds a little bonkers, but it was awesome!

Sadly I don't have any more pictures of our last 2 weeks together. Let me just tell you they were awesome days, and I loved every minute of it! 

Now, it's SUMMER! You suckers with non-teaching jobs should check back during your lunch breaks to read about all the awesome things I'm doing this summer. You can live vicariously through me. You're welcome.

roller derby

Before I start, I need to explain something my dad and I did when I was growing up. In elementary school my dad and I went on what he called explorations. The two of us (Jordan would join sometimes) would go do something we had never done before, and then go to lunch somewhere we had never eaten before. We went to this weirdo place called the Orange Show one time, another time we went and toured some battleship. It was always a lot of fun, and I loved spending time with my dad one on one.

So my dad and I had been talking about going to a roller derby match for awhile now, but I hadn't thought about it in a long time. Two weeks ago my dad emailed me and said go to this address, no fair looking it up, ask for 2 $13 tickets, and take a friend on the exploration. When I got there I immediately knew I was doing something with roller derby. But what? I was worried because we had jokingly talked about me trying out for roller derby, so I was afraid I was about to do some training thing or something. Luckily it was just tickets to go watch, and not participate, in roller derby.

I asked my friend Angie if she wanted to go with me as an early birthday present, and she said yes. We were both excited since neither of us had gone before. She also loves to people watch like me, so I had a feeling she would love it even if she hated the actual match. I knew there was a big following for it, but I had no idea it was so big. There was an entire standing section for people who hadn't gotten there early enough to find seats. Anyways, we get there and go straight to the bar for some beers, find seats, and started commenting on all the weirdos that were there.

Before the match there was a fashion show, naturally, and all the clothes were super weird! They even had a mens fashion show and all the men were shirtless which the women in audience sure loved. 

After that the match got started. They had a demo so people who had never been before would understand what was going on, and then they were off! It was a lot of fun, but the best part was when they got a minor penalty. (Super confusing trying to understand what the difference was between a minor or major penalty and just a normal shoving against the rail was.) But when they got a minor penalty they had to spin this wheel to determine what they would have to do to settle the penalty. The first was a pillow fight. It started normal and turned into smacking each other in the face. Pretty awesome! They also had a tug of war, arm wrestling, and long jump. And yes, everything was done in skates. 

Demo, complete with signs telling you who was doing what.

During half time they called people up by name whos birthday it was and then both teams went down in a line and smacked everyone in the butt. I was really sad I hadn't known about that, otherwise Angie would have been up there! Oh well. There's always next time. 

All in all it was a lot of fun! I'll have to bring dad sometime, he would have totally loved it! Thanks dad, and happy birthday Angie!

friday was hilarious

Me: I need you to get back to work.
Kid: But I can't. My skin is getting old and rippey and I can't work. (He went back to picking at his fingers.)

Just a quick background. We switch out our books for the week on Friday morning, and part of the class library butts up to a wall and it can get a little cramped over there. You should also know the kids involved are the same size.

Kid 1: Stop pushing me against the wall!

Kid 2: I can't help it. I'm a big man!