February 2016-Bacon and Broadway | The Harris Family Blog

Yes!!!! More snow. I realize some of you may think that’s a terrible thing, but for me personally it’s awesome. It’s been years since we had a real winter, so this year I’ve been able to actually wear sweaters and boots. And, those sad little sleds in my garage have been put to good use. This is how we started February….with a snow day off from school. John gave a great “when I was a kid” lecture, and Jackson went right to work digging a tunnel….likely to escape any more of his dad’s lectures.

It’s rumored though that this was our last hurrah….Punxsutawney Phil did NOT see his shadow the very next day, so that means spring is on the way. Surely, he can forecast the weather better than the other meteorologists around here, right? I mean he lives in a place called Gobbler’s Knob.

Next up was a BIG event called the Super Bowl! The following pictures aren’t from the actual party, but rather from our trip to the mall to get Mr. Harris’s football-watching outfit squared away. Yes, you read that right….he needed an “ensemble” to properly cheer on his team, and I’ll have you know it was a 3-piece suit and orange tie. He obviously thought he was actually playing in the game, rather than just watching it in our friends’ basement. (Edit: He’s pretty sure his choice of clothing was the difference in the game).

I do love these pictures we took while waiting for him at Nordstrom…..

On that note, I have no pictures of the game because I wasn’t in San Francisco. I also have no pictures of the party because I was too busy filling up my glass of wine while trying not to spill the vodka soda that I had in the other hand. It’s rumored that the Broncos won.

Let’s get back on track here….

You know what I only have about 10 more years of? School Valentine’s Parties. Even though I may b*&ch and complain about it in the days leading up to it, I secretly love doing it. I love making crafty things with a glue gun and tissue paper. This is what my kitchen counter looked like on the day before the First Grade party…..and I’ll tell you, those little Tasmanian Devils tore through that sugar like norovirus through a cruise ship.

For Jackson this year, his teachers had the fun idea of decorating their desks on the night before their Valentine’s Party. We were given a few instructions, but otherwise the creativity was completely under our control. And, because my young man LOVES Minecraft, I decided to do that as a theme. It took some research on my part, because I know nothing about Minecraft. Apparently, this thing is called a creeper….in my day, that term was used for something totally different.

Jackson was also completely in charge of his own Valentine’s this year for the very first time, and I will say that he takes after his mother in his love of all things crafty. He’s pretty adept at the glue gun, and only glued his fingers together a few times!!! His finished product would make his Grandmother cringe….eeeek, a mouse!!

I also made them work a little harder for their Valentine treats this year….

Next up, I am going to brag a little….my young man was the lead in the 3rd grade school play. He auditioned for the part back in early January, and was both excited and nervous when he got the lead role. We spent a lot of time running lines together and he had many an early morning of rehearsal. I’m happy to say that all of his hard work paid off and he nailed it. He wasn’t nervous, remembered all of his lines, and delivered them with a clear, loud voice. I was so proud sitting there watching him…..except for the singing….Grandma Jane showed up in the genes again, I’m afraid.

So, maybe the big screen rather than Broadway….

Funny story about Jackson. He and I are cooking breakfast for dinner on Valentine’s Day, and a hilarious conversation goes like this:

Jackson: “Mom, did you used to harvest bacon when you were a kid?”

Me (with a perplexed look): “What do you mean harvest, buddy?”

Jackson: “Didn’t you have a pig as a kid?”

Me: “Well, yes but I am not sure we butchered her to eat?”

Jackson: (looking confused) “You have to kill the pigs to get the bacon?”

Me: “Yes….How did you think you got it?” (Trying desperately not to laugh)

Jackson: “I thought you used a machine to shave the skin off their belly. You know, pork belly”

The conversation continued from there with me becoming more amused and him despondent. I told him that I hoped it wouldn’t change his love for bacon. He said it wouldn’t but that it sure made him sad. I ran directly to my computer to document the awesomeness that is a kid’s mind.

Onward….the end of February brought another day off from school. The weather was beautiful, so naturally we headed to the school playground (?!).

We also managed to have our cousins over for a little Fort Fun and ice cream.

One last thing before I sign off for the month. I wanted to give you a glimpse into what life is like with the Twin Terrors. Walter is a HUGE help when it comes to doing the dishes; sometimes he gets all the way in there. Also, John has hopes of training Charlie to get the newspaper….this was his first attempt.

Life is never dull.