Super Mom!

Where’s my cape?  Oh, never mind!  Today was great!  I got to sleep late, and Bela slept even later.  Once I got up and moving, I decided to make some (turkey) bacon and eggs to entice Bela out of the bed.  Fail!  End result: she ate breakfast in bed.  That usually doesn’t happen, but since she hurt her ankle, I let it slide.

Once her breakfast was taken care of and the dishes done, I was looking for something for myself.  I had gone to bed last night thinking about my mom’s recipe for cassoulet.  I thought it called for some ketchup, but I couldn’t remember for sure.  After a quick phone call, I put everything (one can of white Northern beans, one can of drained carrots, four cut-up wieners and some ketchup) into the pot, “cooked” a few minutes and had an easy lunch.  I have enough for two or three more meals.  Just in case you’re interested, Mom said some garlic powder and onions can be added to the recipe.

Easy, one-pot lunch!

Easy, one-pot lunch!

Since I had conquered today’s meals, I was looking for something else….that’s when I found a box of cake mix in the cabinet.  Hmmmm.  Why not?  I also noticed a small box of food coloring, so I added a few drops of color to the batter.  🙂

I used a knife to swirl the colors a bit.

I used a knife to swirl the colors a bit.

After the cake was done, Bela and I taste tested (for quality control purposes).  I even managed to get some icing on a few pieces.  Bela tried a piece before it was cooled!  (I might have, too.)  Lunch, check.  Crazy cake, check.  Popcorn and a movie?  Sure, let’s do it!

I made Bela some popcorn, and we settled down to watch The Book of Life (again).  What a wonderful day off.

The Book of Life

I saw the preview of this movie, and I knew I had to own it.  My high school students wanted to watch it as well, so as soon as I saw it out in stores, I grabbed a copy.  Ysabela and I ripped the package open, grabbed some snacks and got the party started.  So far she has seen it four times.  In one week.

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Guillermo del Toro directed the movie, and the voices were spot on.  I was surprised to hear Ice Cube’s voice!  It was quite unexpected (yet perfect).  The animation and graphics were phenomenal, and the songs were catchy.  Now I have one more awesome resource to use for Dia de los Muertos.

Day of the Dead is my favorite holiday, and I set up an altar in my classroom.  My grandparents’ pictures are always there.  Sometimes I put pictures of pets I’ve lost over the years as well.  After all, the altar is there for loved ones who are no longer with us except in spirit.  Students are also welcome to add pictures to my altar.  We do several activities for Day of the Dead like decorating sugar skulls, but I digress….

I took the movie to school the next day so my students could enjoy it, and they did!  If you haven’t seen The Book of Life, you had better grab a copy!  It’s a keeper.