Spooka Palooza

We finally got all the kids and grandkids gathered up by about 10:15 this morning and we made the short drive to the expo center. We arrived about 10:30 and easily found a parking spot. It was still early and the party was just getting started. I could tell the Dog Walker was nervous, even though he’d been looking forward to this day for a long time. He was finally making his “Personal Appearance” at the Utah Kid’s Club Spooka Palooza. They kindly gave us all free passes and we had a fantastic time!

I promised Teach I would keep all of her pics in, so here goes an exceptionally long post...

Playing with blocks in the middle of the floor of the expo center.

A fine introduction on stage!

Drama Queen and her new boyfriend, Taylor.

Loving the slides!

NOT loving the slides!

What should we do now?

Princess: I no longer want to be a dancer when I grow up...I want to be a pilot!

Hoopin' it up!

Trick or treat!

Livin' the dream!

We love Tangled!

Go Web Go!

A Knight? Really? I was thinking more like a Super Ninja!

And finally...the good guy gets the girl!

 Thanks for the fun, Nate, the Super Scout!
And Utah Kids' Club.

Food for Thought - Chicken Cordon Bleu

I think we have probably established that I am not the world’s best gourmet cook. I like to make things that are economical, quick and easy but still tasty. Now you all know that I grew up in small-town Utah. Like almost all kids of the 70s, I loved watching TV, especially the commercials. That’s how we learned about the world outside of our little bubble. 

 

We didn’t have much money growing up, and certainly not any to spare for eating out, so my favorite commercials were usually the ones for fast food and restaurants. I loved the commercials for Wendy’s and MacDonalds, (although the first time I tasted a Big Mac I was disappointed). But the one thing that looked absolutely amazing to me was the Sizzler ones with the “Steak and Malibu Chicken.” I’d never had Malibu Chicken before and it looked exotic and oh so tasty! 

 

I was an adult before I ever got to try it for real and it was something I enjoyed and wanted to learn to make. I’m not sure how it differs from Chicken Cordon Bleu, except that people often pound out the chicken for Cordon Bleu and I’m much too lazy to do that. So take a few minutes and try this yummy entrée and don’t forget the mustard sauce (Miracle Whip or Mayo mixed with mustard). It’s perfect for dipping!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2 lbs chicken breasts
canned, seasoned bread crumbs
sliced ham
sliced Swiss cheese (you can use mozzarella or Monterey jack in a pinch)

Cover a cookie sheet with foil (makes cleanup easier, but is not necessary).  Place breasts (not touching) on the cookie sheet.  

 

 

Sprinkle generously with breadcrumbs.   Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Cut open to make sure they are completely cooked.  

 

 

Cover each breast with a slice of ham and then a slice of cheese.  Return to the oven for about 3 minutes to warm the ham and melt the cheese.  Serve with pasta or rice.

For the dipping sauce, add a couple of teaspoons of mustard to a quarter of a cup of Miracle Whip or mayo.

Snow Camping

By now everyone knows that Nate (the Dog Walker) earned all 132 Merit Badges that were available to him. And we are so proud of him! But it hasn’t always been easy. There are some things about autistics that will drive you crazy. I’ve mentioned before that he was scared of fireworks and he doesn’t understand sarcasm or French…(check out those links for some fun stories). But one thing he does understand is camping. He loves to camp! He will even camp in the craziest of circumstances. Every year the scouts go on a Klondike which means they camp out in the dead of winter. They build snow caves and snowmen and sometimes they even ice fish.

So the Dog Walker went on his very first Klondike when he was 12. He still wasn’t very vocal or social with the other boys or the leaders. I was worried for him! I carefully helped him pack his bag with warm clothes and snacks and hand warmers. I wanted him to be comfortable without having to bother anyone else. I slipped some extra fleece blankets in with his sleeping bag and we packed his big poofy warm coat. We fondly call it the “marshmallow coat” because it looks like something the Pillsbury Doughboy might wear.

When I finally dropped him off at the church, I was hopeful that he had everything he needed to have a successful campout. Because of the extra blankets in the garbage bag with his sleeping bag, there wasn’t room for the coat, so I simply tossed it in the back of the pickup with all of his other stuff. After a quick hug and a few whispered words to his leaders, I drove back home, praying that he would be warm and safe during the two-day trip. I waited out the trip at home, just dreading that phone call from one of the leaders telling me that he had frozen to death or that he was lost in the blinding snow…none of those calls came.

So at the appointed time, I headed to the church to pick him up. I got there just as they were throwing the last of the equipment from the back of the trucks. The Dog Walker’s bag and garbage bag were sitting in a heap on the snow-covered sidewalk. He was standing beside it, shivering in a thin hoodie I had packed to go under his warm coat. “Why aren’t you wearing your coat?” I asked. He simply looked at me and then headed to the back of the truck. After stirring through what was left, he triumphantly held up the coat and then slipped it around his shoulders.

His scout leader looked up from where he was checking equipment. “Nate,” he called, “Is that your coat?” Nate nodded as he gathered his bags and headed for the van. Bruce, their fearless leader just shook his head. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “We’ve been trying all weekend to keep him warm,” he answered. “I even gave him my jacket at one point because he couldn’t remember bringing one.” By this point I was getting pretty excited. “Did you seriously think I would send my autistic son up the mountain for two days with just a hoodie?” I asked. He shrugged. “We’ve got to get better communication going,” I suggested. By then I was more than a little irritated. Thankfully, that was the first and last time we had issues. And now the Klondike and snow caves are one of his favorite camping memories.

Curly's Gratitude List

Everybody should have a little curly tow-headed three-year-old boy! He adds an interesting perspective to life that is just lacking when he is not around. So today we were getting ready to have lunch. He and I were the only ones at the table, and he said, “Wait! Don’t eat yet! We haven’t said the prayer!” He folded his hands on his plate and looked at me expectantly. I folded my hands and closed my eyes, but before I could say anything, he began his own little prayer. “Dear Heavenly Father…” I strained to hear his muffled voice since he'd tucked his chin down and buried his face on his hands. “Thank you for the food, thank you for my family,” my boy’s prayers are always full of gratitude. In fact, he is just grateful in general. After he finished all the easy thank yous, he moved to some that were more unique. “Thank you for don’t letting things break, thank you for don’t getting run-overed” he mumbled, “Thank you for don’t letting monsters eat me, thank you for don’t letting windows break…thank you for don’t letting people break…the end.” I gently reminded him of the proper way to close his prayer as I smiled to myself. I think he should have had a chat with Heavenly Father about the broken thing a few days ago…remember his little finger is broken? And I’m pretty sure I broke mine tonight at volleyball. I’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, maybe I’ll start working on my own gratitude list. I’m glad monsters don’t eat me either.