Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Treasure Hunt or How What Started with an Accent Ended with a Cupcake.

I have a thing for accents. I like people who have them and I like using them myself. I must say, however, that does not mean that I am any good at them.  Seeing as I use accents mostly around kids who laugh instead of cringe when I try, this usually doesn't prove to be a problem.  And though they may be thinking it, they never tell me that my accents all start sounding the same after awhile.


I find that accents come in handy when spicing something up. Take for instance the phrase, 'I love to dance'.  If you say it like an American it falls flat.  Say it with a Spanish accent and BAM. Spice.  (You know you just whispered that out loud to yourself.)  Or take the phrase, "If you don't clean your room, I will string you up by your toes and feed you to my pet cockroach."  When said like a Russian pirate, it has a better effect on children than just raising that eyebrow and shaking your index finger in their face.


It was this Russian pirate voice (which is never consistently Russian, or pirate, for that matter) that started the legend of Captain Katinka almost four years ago with my little charges, Bella and Gabbie.  First it was an accent, then it was a name for this alter ego, then it was a map I drew.  This map. (No, it's not Africa.  Africa doesn't have place names like Faerie March, Triton's Landing, or The Caves of Glimmerglen, now does it?)




Then this map did something extraordinary.  It became a story.   Every day I was there, the girls would grab pillows, seat themselves in front of me, place the map on the floor in between us, and ask me to tell the next part of the story which, of course, was about them -- the two princesses who were kidnapped by the evil pirate Katinka, Captain of the Rusty Mermaid.  Animals spoke, trees walked, faeries fluttered, trolls lurked, mermaids sang, paths were lost, treasure was found, pirates were fooled, and the girls returned home to the good King and Queen of Castle Paricelle.


But, as stories do, it ended.  The map was put away, Captain Katinka's accent only came out when the bed was left unmade, and other things occupied our time.  Until...


One day, very recently, the girls unearthed the map in the deep recesses of their toy room and Captain Katinka came back in all her glory with her Russian ... no, French ... no wait, Spanish ... well, whatever accent she has.


Bella and Gabbie vocalized their wish for a real treasure hunt and my imagination went wild!  I turned their house and yard into our made up world and set the girls on a search for a treasure that I promised them they would love.





We started with the map.



The girls made and colored destination signs that correlated with places on the map.  I set these up inside and outside the house while they were sequestered in a room I didn't need.



I wrote over a dozen clue cards, then gave the girls the first one at the start of their hunt. By figuring out the rhyming hint on the card and finding the right destination sign, they were led to each consecutive clue.  Inspired by the Choose Your Own Adventure books I read in my youth, I wrote clues that led to two different endings: one path led to disappointment and the other path led to the treasure.




At the point where they had to decide between following the faerie lights or going through Wildwood toward Rainbow Pass, the girls chose to follow the faerie lights.




They found their way to Zephyr Lake...



through the hidden pass of the Black Rock Mountains and down the dangerous path of Shadow Gorge.



When they came to the Bay of Mermaids, they had to sing a song to call the dolphins that took them across the treacherous waters to the Tanglewood Jungle...




where they had to undergo great and arduous physical feats to retrieve the final clue.



The last clue led them into the Caves of Glimmerglen where they had to locate the treasure marked by the pirate flag. And if you're wondering if they chose the right path ... they did.  If they had taken the path through Rainbow Pass, it would have led them to the Lake of Pearls where they would have almost been eaten by a Kraken, then on to Tadpole Marshes where they would have gotten lost in the mist for days, then to the Bay of Mermaids where they would have had to swim across without the help of dolphins, and finally limp their way into the Caves of Glimmerglen JUST to find out that the treasure was already gone.  It's a good thing these girls are smart.  I had no idea what to do for a Kraken anyway.




And now of course, the best part: the treasure!  Once they found the Treasure Card, I whisked them off to Icing on the Cupcake where they got to pick out a cupcake of their own.  Bella chose Death by Chocolate and Gabbie licked all the icing off her Rootbeer Float cupcake.




I'm pretty sure this is the face of delight.  Which means the treasure hunt was a big success.  And could ya really ask fer more, me hearties?  (You just said that out loud, didn't you?)

Friday, July 22, 2011

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Martinis!

Summer is in full swing.  The days are long, the days are hot.  Sometimes a beer sounds too heavy and a glass of red wine just sounds too...well...warm.  (I'm not sure if I even believe I just said those words myself.)  The other day I showed up at Boyfriend's place after a long day of work, and we both agreed that we wanted something cold and refreshing.  Like my knight in shining armor that he is, Boyfriend looked up a new recipe and made me a deeeelicious Raspberry Lemon Drop.  With our cold tasty adult beverages in hand, we headed out to the back patio to finish reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  There, I've let the cat out of the bag.  We ride green bikes, drink pink martinis, and read kid books to each other.  The things that man does to make me happy, I swear.  He's honestly the best ever.  (You may either swoon or gag now, depending on your romantic constitution.)


Since it's Friday, I thought I would share this delectable drink recipe with you so that you can start the weekend off with a treat!  Mommies, tell Daddy to watch the kids for a second while you go outside, martini glass in hand, put your feet up, open your favorite book, and enjoy a moment of calm.  Men, if you want your scotch on the rocks, by all means, go for it.  But I have an inkling that you're going to love sipping this summer sensation.  My recommendation is to find a sturdy (preferrably chipped) mug to put this in if you don't want others to see your new-found fondness for pink tinted drinks and tell the kids it's "Daddy Lemonade".  Everyone else, don't even pretend you're not already convinced.







1 1/2 oz Citrus Vodka
3/4 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Chambord Liqueur
1 oz Sweet & Sour
Lemon wedges

Ice
  1. Coat the rim of a chilled martini glass with sugar.
  2. Put ice, Vodka, Triple Sec, Sweet & Sour, and juice squeezed from two lemon wedges into drink shaker.
  3. Shake thoroughly and strain into martini glass.
  4. Pour in Chambord.
  5. Garnish with lemon (twist or slice). Yes, this is a requirement. It makes the drink look fabulous.  (Men who are using a mug, no need to add sugar or lemon.)

Cheers and have a happy weekend!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Snapshots of Vacation.

Boyfriend and I took a week to visit his family in Virginia and my roommates from college who now live in D.C.  It was wonderful in many ways.  We had relaxing days on the boat, busy afternoons of exploring the Capitol, rousing games of darts, pool, and Origins, family time, friend time, and us time.



Taking the boat out on the Potomac River.



Got to see the Washington Monuments from the water.



Got to see Boyfriend do his boat thing.



Enjoyed watching fireworks from the back deck.  Happy Birthday America!



Friends in D.C. hooked us up with a private tour of the Capitol Building.  My favorite part was getting to stand on the Speaker of the House's private balcony and gaze out across the Mall.



Inside the dome of the U.S. Capitol.



Our adventure at the Spy Museum was cut short by the fire alarm sounding and us being kicked out of the building.  Something rather fishy about that.



Took a jaunt into Georgetown with Boyfriend and my darling friends to fabulous Pizzeria Paradiso!



It's important to be with someone who has a sense of humor.  Or rather, your kind of humor.  One of the many reasons I adore Adam.



"I do not wish to treat friendships daintily, but with the roughest courage. When they are real, they are not glass threads or frost-work, but the solidest thing we know."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson



The sky looked painted that evening and across the street an old man was playing the sax.



I never stop laughing with these girls.  The days of college have long gone, but Bethany and Caitlin are kindred spirits forever.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

The Waltz Between the Lines.

Today as I was in the middle of leaving you a note
I got distracted by the pen and its shadow
writing the same word
the way two people move together in a dance.

The pen, upright and unbending
like a man in an overly starched shirt,
was writing the cursory meaning in black letters
across the surface of the yellow paper;

and like a woman in a filmy gown,
the shadow was following more subtly
writing all those things I didn't come straight out and say,
the things I wish you could simply read in my eyes when I look at you.