The Balloon Gal's Blog

The Sunday after Valentine's Day this year, Jeremy and kids did Sunday Sketches of a Bewick's Wren. It was based on a wren we saw in Oregon on our trip in 2024 (see post from July 21, 2024).

 

Jeremy

Nichole

Jr. Jr.

Lucky

Jet- So Jet didn't draw a Bewick's Wren. In Primary his teacher helped him draw a Valentine axolotl. Why not?

 

March 23 was Chip and Dip Day. We didn't go as elaborate as last year (That was fun!). We just had bean dip/5 layer dip with chips. 

O.K. That's all I have to say about that. 

March 22 was World Chipmunk Day. While we were watching Seeking Persephone the night before, Nichole was working on this drawing of a chipmunk based off a photo she took of a chipmunk in Washington a few years ago. 

I posted about it on Instagram/Facebook the day after because I didn't get around to it on National Goof Off Day, also March 22.

I also encouraged everyone to drink plenty of water on March 22, World Water Day.

Nichole is talented.

Nichole and I introduced our friend, Stephanie, to the movie, Seeking Persephone, in February. We watched the movie and drank herbal tea.

In March for our Girls Gather (Girls' Night) activity, we had a green foods potluck (because St. Patrick's Day was earlier that week) and introduced Seeking Persephone to even more friends.

I brought alfredo pizza with artichoke hearts and bell peppers and spinach and Nichole made cucumber sandwiches (from the cookbook, Whisk Me Away). There were some other green foods and we laughed because nobody brought a salad which is the obvious choice for green. At our February Galentines potluck, so many people brought salads. They were good, of course. I like a variety of salads. 

Since it was a mild Winter, Spring just sort of showed up. So many blossoms with it. So many sneezes.

I've gotten out for a few walks, including walking home from choir practice after church. Lovely lovely Achoo. 

I've also taken walks at the lake again. It's been a while. 

I want to go for more walks. 

On the first day of Spring, March 20, I spent some time debating what to make from the Fablehaven Cookbook (it's tradition). We ended up having sandwiches- some fluffernutter types- and ate some more of the caramel biscuit bars. 

 

March 18 was Forgive Mom and Dad Day. The first thing Lucky did that morning was give us both hugs and tell us he forgave us. 

We had to get forgiveness for some other things that day.

But we did not have to be forgiven for dinner. We had sloppy joes for Sloppy Joe Day and everybody in the family likes sloppy joes. The recipe we use is from The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner.

The next day, March 19, was Let's Laugh Day. There was lots of laughing. That's not surprising in our family.

It was also Chocolate Caramel Day so I made Olloch the Glutton's Caramel Biscuit Bars from The Fablehaven Cookbook. Nobody complained about that, either. 

You know we like to get creative with our celebrating.

When planning St. Patrick's Day dinner, I asked my husband for suggestions. Thinking about cabbages, potatoes, he said what sounded good was stuffed cabbage. Mmmm.

At the time, I was listening to an audiobook set in Ireland, and they kept mentioning brown bread. So I figured brown bread would be good and a side of onion roasted potatoes.

As I was looking for a recipe for brown bread, I found one for German Brown Bread, and the creativity light bulb came on. 

So for St. Patrick's Day, we had Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage, German Brown Bread (recipe from The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner Again), Irish roasted potatoes (onion roasted potatoes but with seasonings you would use in Ireland), and Utah lime green jello with whipped topping (because it's green. We did skip the carrot shaving this time).

For dessert we had Shamrock Shakes (adapted from Jordan Page's A Season of Family Meal Plans, volume 1).

Yeah. Creativity is fun when it comes to celebrating.