The Spring Chook

Eat a Gingerbread Politician!

springchook — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 04:57:22 +0000

I’ve been baking today … cake stalls everywhere for election day. It’s a great opportunity to make some cash for my favourite causes, so today’s been the day to invent … Gingerbread Politicians!

The red one is Kevin, there’s blue John with his bushy eyebrows (made of coconut), a Green, a Democrat, and of course, an independent.

Yummy! Want one? Well, you’d have to vote at Weeden Heights Primary. Or the First Vermont Scout hall on Canterbury Rd (near Mitcham Rd). Actually, I still have to dash out and deliver them to their destinations, so we’ll just see where they end up.

Doin’ the happy dance!!

springchook — Tue, 29 May 2007 00:40:59 +0000

All the Springchook family are doing the happy dance this week! We just found out that oldest daughter, currently in grade 6, got accepted into the special accelerated program at the school she wanted - Box Hill High School.

She had to sit a test for that, and it was pretty demanding - about four hours of testing in all areas, done exam-style in a big hall. There were tons of kids there, and not one of them looked anything other than smart and capable, so it was a real honour for her to be one of the 75 picked. Luckily, some questions were the sort of thing you give creative answers to, so, having been raised in an atmosphere of silliness, she was ready for it.

We celebrated with a movie outing (Pirates - very silly, tremendous fun, best seem through an eyepatch and a rum haze) and a dinner out. By Sunday afternoon I was yelling at her to clean her room again, so I don’t think she’s in any danger of getting spoiled.

What’s better than an iPod dock?

springchook — Fri, 18 May 2007 07:09:29 +0000

A Lego iPod dock!

There is a great tradition of Lego iPod docks - going way back to 2005, people have been forgoing buying the dock from Apple, to make their own. It’s just a handy stand for your iPod, that encloses a cable, and keeps the precious machine out of harm’s way while it charges.

So … what’s better than a Lego iPod dock?

A Pirate Lego iPod dock!

Lately, everything is cooler with the word “Pirate” in front of it.

I made this one, when I should have been cooking, cleaning, or something more productive. It seems I can’t blame the kids for this.

Ah well, thanks for looking. I have to go and cook the pirate pasta now.

Ah, we love lists!

springchook — Tue, 01 May 2007 22:54:05 +0000

Here’s a list I grabbed from Jess The Librarian

Supposedly if you have seen too many movies, you have no life… I’m happy to say I manage 117 on this list! Way more than Jess…

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
(x) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
(x) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane
(x) The Princess Bride
( ) AnchorMan
( ) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(x) Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Total so far: 15 out of 22.

( ) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(x ) American Pie
( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
(x) The Village
(x) Lilo & Stitch

Total so far: 23 out of 43.

(x) Finding Nemo
(x) Finding Neverland
( ) Signs
(x) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
(x) 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
(x) Robots
(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
(x) Universal Soldier
(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x) Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
(x) Joe Dirt
(x) King Kong

Total so far: 39 out of 66.

( ) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
( ) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving Christmas
( ) Flubber*
( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
(x) From Hell
(x) Hellboy
(x) Secret Window
(x) I Am Sam
(x) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards

Total so far: 47 out of 90.

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child’s Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
(x) Gothika
(x) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Sleven
(x) Ocean’s Eleven
(x) Ocean’s Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
(x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
(x) Curious George

Total so far: 61 out of 121.

(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(x) E.T.
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
( ) Maid in Manhattan
(x) War of the Worlds
( ) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She’s All That
(x) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
( ) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
(x) The Terminator 3

Total so far: 72 out of 147.

(x) X-Men
(x) X-2
( ) X3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
(x) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday*
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2

Total so far: 83 out of 165.

( ) Swimfan
(x) Miracle on 34th street*
( ) Old School
( ) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf’s Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old Virgin
(x) Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Total so far: 91 out of 181.

( ) Base-ketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
(x) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three
( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
(x) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(x) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard

Total so far: 98 out of 200.

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(x) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
(x) Waterworld
(x) Kill Bill Vol. 1
(x) Kill Bill Vol. 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
(x) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) The Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness

Total so far: 105 out of 220.

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks: Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks: The Battle For Endor
(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix: Reloaded
(x) The Matrix: Revolutions
(x) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
(x) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal

So a grand total of 117 out of 239.

Balloon Dogs and The Hollywood Sign

springchook — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 09:15:08 +0000

We did it - we went to the National Gallery Lego exhibit, and it was COOOOOOL! Thousands of white bricks, and you get to take a turn to do some building. Time limits when they are busy, but they gave us a generous 15 minutes. You make any kind of building to add to the “city”, and work with what is already there. There was a King Kong on a building, a “Skipping Girl”, and all sorts of cool stuff already made. Number 1 son and I collaborated on a “HOLLYWOOD” sign, while daughter made a “Meet the Robinsons” style building (her description), adding someone else’s decoration to the top. Number 2 son tried to make a satellite, he says, but ended up with a useful building base.

After that, we had the pleasure of seeing the giant inflatable bunny in the foyer.

Then the exhibit of sneakers (just so cool!).

Then we thoroughly enjoyed the design exhibit featuring chairs - so much easier to get kids interested in “useful” things than in pictures. Well, mine, anyway.

The porcelain “balloon dog” was a highlight too!

So for a terrific visit, go to the National Gallery - it’s people like us it’s there for!

Where do the catalogues come from?

springchook — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 01:02:06 +0000

We have a problem with our catalogue delivery (you know, the weekly bundle of Coles’n'Kmart’n'all the rest)- the friendly people that deliver to our street are so friendly that we get two of everything! I think two people must each have us on their map, and neither knows about the other. I need to talk to their “boss”. So who do I call????