Welcome a Secret Subject Swap. This month 11 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts. Read through mine and at the bottom you’ll find links to all of today’s other Secret Subject participants.
My subject is: What toy of your kids do you love to play with and what toy do you wish would disappear forever?
It was submitted by: Karen of Bookworm in the Kitchen.
I sort of have the same answer for both parts of this question. Only I'm not sure this item would really qualify as a toy. Well, sort of.
My kids are older now. When they were little there were all kinds of toys of theirs that I enjoyed. If not playing with myself, just to watch how much fun they had playing with them. Many made me jealous, I'd think "wow, why didn't we have this when I was young?" And then there were those toys that made me think "should I accidentally throw this in the trash or risk continuing my descent into insanity?"
As they hit their teenage years a lot changed. My older son was totally into skateboarding and I loved it. I loved the exercise, the friendships and the culture. But both of the boys were into computer games and game systems and I hated it. There were positive aspects but in general these were more solitary time-sucking pastimes. In fact, I had to make a rule that if they were playing online or on one of the game systems and someone came to the door or called, they had to go out and socialize. No, I don't care if you're about to beat the game, you're always about to beat the game.
Which brings me to the present, a current toy I love to play with and would love to get rid of. To explain, I need to take you back a few years. We were replacing one of our cars. At the time I was concerned that all of our cars, insurance and bills are all primarily in Hubs' name. It was decided that the new car would be bought and registered as mine. We hadn't found anything locally that interested us so one afternoon Hubs and the boys decided to go to a dealer about an hour from here to see what they had.
I stayed home to cook . . .
Spicy Sausage and Noodle Squares
. . . or maybe just to have an afternoon of peace and quiet.
Imagine my surprise when they came home and announced that they had bought me a car. Huh?
But they had. And I loved it. A little red BMW.
Hubs primarily drove it at first as it had been his car we were replacing, but it didn't take long for that car to be mine in more than name only. You could call it a toy. You could call it whatever you want. I called it mine.
Until . . .
The day that the boys got their learner's permits I drove right from the DMV to the high school parking lot, got out and into the passenger seat. Both boys drove for the very first time in that car.
When College Boy got his license, he took whatever car was around whenever he wanted to go out, sometimes mine, sometimes Hubs', most of the time friends picked him up or came and hung out here. But PurDude? He was another story altogether.
The day he got his license he came home, too that little red BMW and that was it. It was his. If I had errands to do, I'd end up walking up to the high school, "borrowing" the (clearly no longer "my") car, and putting it back before school let out. It didn't take long for us to realize that I was going to need to just get another "my own" car.
and there he goes in the car I used to call mine
When PurDude went off to Purdue, freshmen couldn't have cars. I was secretly pretty pleased. I had my little toy again.
Until . . .
Just a month later PurDude called to tell me that there had been a lottery for any unused parking spaces on campus not purchased by upper classmen. He'd entered and won one (well, he'd won the privilege of my paying for one). Which is how I came to spend my birthday driving "his" car. For ten hours. Up to him at Purdue where I, once again, said "good-bye" to it.
crossing the Mississippi driving up to Purdue
For school vacations I fly PurDude home but once a year, over the summer, he drives. I have the car checked out and do any maintenance and repairs needed while it's here. And I drive it. It's never stopped being fun.
About the part where I wish the toy would disappear forever?
At the end of last summer, PurDude was driving up to school. College Boy was with him. They called to tell me that a board had flown up on the highway, hit PurDude's front bumper and plastered itself onto his windshield. Blinded, he had to find a way to pull over and take it off. So dangerous I still shake just thinking about it.
And a few months ago PurDude turned 21. I know he knows not to drink and drive, but once your kid turns 21, being drunk and using bad judgement can't help but be in the back of your mind. Especially when, heart in your throat, you answer his call at 2 am just to find out he'd pocket dialed you.
Last month PurDude texted to tell me he'd had a flat tire. He had changed it but now has no spare. he would be driving an hour and a half to the airport and then back again that month and then would be driving 5 hours to Cleveland for a summer internship. Crap. Need to get him a spare and everything is just so much more difficult from 10 hours away.
The next day he texted again: "so, I have a flat tire." Yes, the spare he put on was flat too. What's worse than a flat tire? Two flat tires. There has to be a joke in there somewhere.
At this point that car is old. Seriously old. And causing me some nervous nights. Maybe it's time for it to disappear forever, time for a new car. A tank might be nice and safe.
{{closes eyes, knocks on wood, crosses fingers, clicks heels 3 times and repeats over and over "please don't let me have jinxed that car, please don't let me have jinxed that car, please don't . . . }}
Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts. Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:
Spicy Sausage and Noodle Squares
©www.BakingInATornado.com
1/2 lb hot sausage links
1 TBSP butter
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
16 oz wide noodles
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 (10 oz) package of frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
*Grease an 8 X 11 casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
*Boil the noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well.
*Cook the hot sausages on the grill, in a pan, or in the microwave. Cool, cut in half lengthwise, then slice.
*Saute the onion and red pepper in the butter until soft. Drain well.
*Place the spinach into a cloth, squeeze out as much moisture as you can.
*In a large bowl, mix together the noodles, melted butter, ricotta, parmesan, spinach, eggs, salt, onion, pepper and sausage. Pour into the prepared casserole dish. Make sure the ingredients are well distributed.
*Cook for about 50 minutes, until the top and sides are starting to crisp.
*Allow to cook slightly, cut into squares and serve.
Marinade 
