Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Fab Five


Claudia here.  Take five on five five.  That's what I'm going to try to do.  Posting a five minute blog on the fifth day of the fifth month seems about as good a way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo as any (especially in light of the fact that I won't be traveling to Mexico any time soon).

4:32 a.m.  On your mark, get set, go.

I'm a working mom now and yesterday was the perfect storm.  Walk into day care and find out through casual conversation that this week is Teacher Appreciation Week.  I had NO IDEA and so, of course, show up empty handed on the first day.  Not good.

No time to dwell.  I have a full day of work ahead of me.

Driving home from work and remember that tomorrow (today) I get to craft the post for our blog.  What to do?  What to do?  Last week Heather suggested I do something for Cinco de Mayo.  Sounded great then.  But today I'm a working mom and I don't have time to do fun research about homemade maracas, fun Mexican dinner recipes, and interesting facts to share with kids, family, and friends. 

Tacos; red, white, and green place mats, and a pinata for dessert.  That's all I got.

4:34 a.m.  Three minutes left.

5:30 p.m. yesterday and I still have nothing for my son's pre-school teachers.  Stopped at party store for a sombrero so Richard could take a festive picture of me to post on the blog.  

Blog, teacher gifts, Family Fun for Cinco de Mayo.  My cup runneth over.

Zip through store and pick up sombrero.  See festive chili pepper necklaces hanging in my periphery.  IDEA!

A Red Hot Idea

You're a Red Hot Teacher 
and (Happy Cinco de Mayo)!

Who doesn't love a new accessory now and again?

4:36 a.m.

Teacher Appreciation.  Done.  Today's post.  Done.  Family Celebration? Hmmmm...  Help me out.  Five festive things we can do/eat at dinner...

P.S.  Winning cookie cutter...  Cristine's Big Mouth Bass.  If not in stock then Stacie's stork.  Still don't have?  Cheryl's soaring heart.

Signing off until tomorrow...  4:37 and 16 seconds.  Done.

22 comments:

cassie p said...

it is entirely too early for me to be up, especially after last night's senior week festivities, where i was out until 130am. but i have to babysit! oh the joy of the 1 0'clock nap-time...

those chili pepper necklaces look familiar...i think we might have had one or two of those around Family Weekend 2007, which was western themed...

Chaotic Kristi said...

Five festive things to do/eat at dinner? Hmmm... 1st, dress the part... then, speak only in Spanish(make it up if you have to)... then (when you run out of things to say in Spanish) start miming to each others things about dinner or your day... Desert = sopapillas, then serenade each other as you sip on your after-dinner drinks. WHEW.... PS: Still not gotten the Ray-Shirt... am giving up my fight to get mail at the P O Box... if you do not have my street address, you will soon (postcards are so great!!)

Cheryl Houston said...

Poor Chaotic... Your shirt is sitting in my bedroom... probably be packed up on Thursday and mailed on Friday... so, next week? Monday? :)

Don't forget to vote over at Taste of USA. Today is Alabama vs. New Jersey, Arkansas vs. New Mexico, and Colorado vs. North Carolina.

I haven't had my coffee yet so I'll have to think about Cinco De Mayo and report back.

Heather said...

Oh the 5th of May and it brings yet another twist to the crazy few weeks that Claudia and I have had. The guys were crazy at work now things have (somewhat) settled down and they have an employee in town for training from Louisville which means Bal is out early and home late this week too... and me being the community builder said we definitely can't leave this poor woman to fend for herself at a hotel for a week straight we have to meet her for dinner...what was I thinking?!? Make time for the small things right...that's what I keep trying to tell myself.
Luckily this morning isn't a race out the door as I have a 9:30 doctor's appt. to try to figure out why I still can't hear after two rounds of antibiotics...oh the joys of an adult ear infection.

I totally have missed the boat on Teacher Appreciation Week...but if I remember correctly National Childcare Providers Day is May 8th which gives me until Friday to pull together a great idea! Also a heads up for all you folks whose kids are still in daycare and need to buy yourself a few extra days.

Cinco de Mayo ideas...chips and Richard's famous salsa (if he has time and is home)if not just have him pick up some Cozymel's on the way home, dress in red, green and white, add some red food coloring to the boys' milk, play some mariachi music in the background...I'm running low and my five minutes are up...I'll be back later.

Peggy said...

Very cute ideas for the teacher Claudia!

Wow! So sorry everybody seems in a rush to write and post and blog and life!!! There is no way I can post ideas for food, treats, activities that take only 5 minutes.

Don't rush too much through these days ... take time to smell the flowers.

Wishing everyone a happy May 5 day!!

Anonymous said...

Both my daycare and the elementary school where my kids go celebrate next week. I need to get cracking because my husband will be in The Hague all week. My newly minted driver will actually have to drive herself to school all week... yikes! Oh I've strayed off topic again...

I have little boxes for the teachers themselves. I'm going to put a gift card in there and figure out how to do something else.

For daycare, I'm taking a snack a day (since it's for the whole school NOT just my room).

Last year I made a set of homemade cards for each of the teachers: couple of birthday cards, thank you notes, baby card... It was fun. Doubt I'll do that this year. LOL

Cheryl Houston said...

I still don't have anything great for celebrating Cinco de Mayo... have a beer, call it a day.

As for teacher appreciation, our homeroom mom has coordinated little things the boys are supposed to take in. Yesterday was sweet day and we wrapped up little chocolates with a note. Today was supply day and they are taking in some pencils. Both teachers are having babies this summer so one day is Board Book Day and they boys wrote a note to the baby...

The boys are headed to Sea World after school on Thursday with their dad so for our after school care... I think I'll bake up a basket of Cupbrowookies on Sunday, bundle it all for them and call that done as well.

Kat said...

Happy Cinco de Mayo! We are doing easy things for our festivities today. For dinner we are having Mexican casserole and chips. I was going to make margaritas but I forgot the stuff for it, so it probably won't happen. Max and I will make maracas and will learn some new Spanish words. None of it will take much time out of our day, but it is always fun to celebrate!

Laura K said...

I am admittedly not much of a cook, but my hubby and I love doing Mexican night because it is so easy! Here is my 2 cents worth: get some Morning Star veggie crumbles (it is supposed to be like ground beef, but vegetarian and I know there are others of you out there!) and mix it in a saucepan with a packet of taco seasoning...my hubby is not a vegetarian but even he likes it, and I never realized how yummy Mexican is with "meat"! Then we prefer hard taco shells, but sometimes we have a soft option, too...a carton of sour cream, some Mexican cheese, refried beans for me or black beans for my hubby, some diced tomatoes, and voila! Taco night is ready! Plus, something easy my family always did growing up is putting Tostito chips on a plate and sprinkling with cheese, then stick them in the microwave for about 30 seconds to get the cheese melty and you have chips-n-cheese...dip them in salsa or not - very yummy!
No kids, so no other creative ideas, but that is my contribution for Cinco de Mayo cooking, and now I know what I'm doing for dinner tonight - woo hoo!

Tera said...

Cinco de Mayo = margaritas in my book :)

I found this SUPER cute...and easy...dessert idea.
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/mexican-flag-cake-112899.aspx

I won't be making anything facny tonight as I've got to babysit until dinner time. But I'll cheer all of you on who are getting fancy!

Claudia said...

Loving the recipes and other ideas, everyone.

Peggy.. you're right. Slow down and smell the roses. That will be my mantra for today. Actually, Heather and I ran into one another at Preschool this morning and then decided to meet for a quick cup of coffee at the Starbucks next door. How's that for slowing down and smelling the roses (or coffee beans).

I'll check out some of the recipes and let you know which one we go with.

By the way... I have been surprised to see how many people are getting in the spirit and celebrating this day. Maybe it's because we're in Texas or maybe it's because the spirit of 218 is spreading! I prefer to think it's the latter.

Stacie said...

Gotta' think on some of this stuff, but for Cinco de Mayo, maybe a BYOB night? That would be Build Your Own Burritos! Would work for nachos, too...

Anonymous said...

Katie: Add a can of sweet corn and some rice! That's our dinner. We call it Mexican Rice. That's what we're doing for dinner.

We have a teacher baby shower coming up too. My son wants me to send in an autographed copy of my newest book out (150 Tips for New Mothers) because I'm the best mother and know what I'm doing (according to him), I thought that was sweet of him.

He also wanted to send her a cloth diaper. A single cloth diaper. He didn't understand that that if she wasn't doing cloth diapers that ONE diaper wouldn't be helpful. LOL

Cheryl Houston said...

such great suggestions....

Tera- that cake is hilarious!

Stacie- Love the BYOB! Burrito! HA!

Robin- Don't you love it when your kids think you're the greatest? At dinner time last night the boys and I were joking around and I said something like "Well you can trade me in. You might get someone better." I can't remember which one said, "Nah, we might get an ugly one." (I know Claudia- write it down in my Scrap Journal! Where the hell is it?)

If you just give her one cloth diaper and she isn't using them she can always use it as a burp cloth... and later a dust rag. :)

Can you say Taco Bell?

heather said...

Hey gang a quick message from the doctor's office. Turns out my eustachian (sp) tube is closed up...I have to go on steroids for the next week to see if it helps...if not it is off to the ENT to see about a tube...seriously?!? What adult has to get ear tubes put in? I never even had ear infections as a child...crazy.

As far as tonight...yet to be determined...but I love Mexican food so I will definitely be eating that just not sure where and when and who with.

cassie p said...

cinco de mayo, the anniversary of when i got my nose pierced one year ago...haha. had to share that. its the only reason i remember what day i got it pierced- my friends went with me to pierce my nose, then ate mexican and drank beer (cheryl, i know we would get along well) to celebrate today. :-)

Tera said...

in honor of cinco de mayo, i'm having chinese food for lunch :) hahaha

Cheryl Houston said...

Mexican food and beer... yum! Or, really cold beer and a swimming pool. YUM! Or, Chinese Food! HA Tera!

I'm having soup for lunch after I work out. Our office is having our Cinco de Mayo lunch on Siete de Mayo. Taco salad... you know the kind in the shells?

Katie said...

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone!

Tera, I just had Chinese food for lunch, too! Great minds think a like.

Some ideas for celebrating tonight: only eat foods that are green, red and white; pick out red and green m&ms and put it on vanilla ice cream for dessert; green, red, and white balloons around the house; mail letters to friends/family in green, red, and white envelopes...that's all I've got for now.

Cristine said...

I'll have a Pacifico beer in honor of Cinco de Mayo. We have t-ball so no big dinner here.
And... the boys' preschool was just closed as a precaution for swine flu. We're hoping it will reopen on Thursday.
But.... here's a big deal for everyone - FREE dinner at KFC from Oprah. Go get it quick at www.oprah.com/kfc. You can print 4 coupons for a 2 piece grilled chicken dinner with sides and a biscuit. Act quickly before it's gone. For more details check out - more4momsbuck.com

Cheryl Houston said...

Are ya'll tired of me yet?

Just thought I would give you a mid-day score for Taste of USA:

Alabama is up 4-0 over New Jersey.
Arkansas is up 4-2 over New Mexico.
North Carolina is up 4-2 over Colorado.

Claudia said...

You gotta be in it to win it. Get out and place your vote on Taste of USA!