Please pack your knives and go....

Name that TV show!  Anyone?  Bueller...bueller.....

Well, it feels a little like Top Chef around here tonight.  Today was my last day of culinary class this semester (well, I have to go back in tomorrow but its just for paperwork).  And I must say that I'm both happy and sad.  I knew that it was going to be a challenge but it has really put me through the ringer at times this semester.  College the first time was so much easier.  Well, the classes were still hard but trying to manage having kids, a husband getting ready to and then actually deploying, pets and a house make classes this time all the more challenging.

The last three days have been a heck of a challenge too.  Four tests in three days!!!  Including a written, knife skills, herb/spice test and a culinary practical exam.  For anyone that has seen Chopped it was just like that.  No idea what we were going to have to make until we got there, then had to grab a sheet of paper that detailed the recipe, convert the recipe to a new yield then we had 30 mins to make you dish and present.  Wow.  Talk about getting your heart beating.  So glad that its all over.

On the other hand, I'm really going to miss learning new kitchen tips and tricks.  Guess I'll have to stick to trying new recipes from the internet until we start classes again in Aug.

Today was April's (my wonderful, talented, loving, amazing, nanny) birthday.  The boys love her so much which makes it so much easier for me to go to class (though I might have to start brain washing Bryce since he reaches for her now as much as me).  So the boys and I took her to a fancy dinner, Wingers.  Hey, kids eat free this month, add that to the fact that there are a whole 5 places to eat in town and you get a winner.  :)  Plus its always nice to get to go somewhere else to feed your almost 1 year old so you don't have to worry about cleaning up the giant mess he makes.  Around 1/2 way through the meal I realized that it was Bryce who was getting more difficult not Ryan (who usually has a very short attention span).  And by the end of the meal I could not believe how awesome Ryan had been.  He automatically said please and thank you for everything, ate his meal without a fight, didn't try to get out of the booth a 100 times, told me when he needed to go to the bathroom, and made funny faces to keep his brother happy.

To top it all off, he said "Thank you, have a good night" to each of the servers when we left.  After we got back to the house, he promptly walked April to the door, told her happy birthday, showed her which car was her's (he is very through), and said "April go in that car, turn, over bump bump, go home, come back and see Ry Ry tomorrow.  Night night April."  Then shut the door behind her.  I can't believe my little man was so sweet.  Now, I just need to work on getting him to realize that most people do know the directions on how to get to their own house and what their own car looks like.  But, I'll give him an A for thoughtfulness.

Now I just need to finish the rest of my online classes then "schools out for summer".  Anybody?  Well, that's probably enough random references for tonight.

"Until next time when...."   Ok, I'll stop now.