Back to Amanda’s.. and there’s a war going on! Jamie and Phillip are fighting again? LOL! Only this time they are playing!! 
They’re playing at war!
Sheets and blankets are everywhere!!!
Amanda yells to Dotty that the war is still on: Looks like it’s going to be a long siege!
Whooooo Nice Turban Phillip – think maybe Amanda could borrow it?? for ohhhh about 7 episodes?!
Jamie and Phillip are play sword fighting with a broom stick and toy sword.. ahhhh boys if only you knew- your mother has been rescued by a man sword fighting to save her.. –swoony!
Jamie: can we sleep in our tents tonight?
Amanda: sure!
Jamie: Great!!!!!
Phillip or Jamie: Sneak Attack!!!!
Phillip or Jamie: yeah!!!!!!!
Amanda: Hey! there will be no loud sneak attack while people are sleeping.
Phillip: Sneak attacks are quiet Mother.
[Is it just me or does that sound weird? does Phillip usually call Amanda ‘mother’? or is he being a bit cheeky??]
And with that.. Amanda is saved by the bell 
the doorbell!
Taking this opportunity, Phillip stabs Jamie to death!
Nahhhh just pretend! but they make the most of their little dramatic moment here
As you can see…Phillip goes for a subtle performance here as he cheers at his brother’s ‘death’!
Suddenly Dotty appears from nowhere and gets them to come out and help her with the weeding.. weeding?? and no protests? they were in the middle of having fun??
Ahh I see.. we conveniently need all the family outside the house so coming up – Lee can come in the house! LOL!!!
Amanda opens the door to a random middle aged woman saying Hello! and letting her into her house before she even knows who she is? LOL!!! Amanda you are in the spy biz now you’ve got to 
stop that! Margaret was middle aged and harmless looking in Spiderweb and she almost put you in prison!
Uh oh!!!! It’s Mrs Woodrow, and spot check time for the MOTYA! Wow.. this MOTYA thing is weird..It’s sweet but at the same time – so stereotypical a take on what makes a good mother – that it makes my skin crawl!!! [sorry if you like it!] Tell her to go away Amanda..
Mrs Woodrow: We’re running a spot check on your house today.
Amanda: Spot Check?
[ love how her voice cracks here! Knowing what a disaster area her family room looks like!]
Mrs Woodrow: You are Amanda King?!
Amanda: Oh yes.
eh? She’s seen a picture of her and should know what she looks like already!
Mrs Woodrow: ohhh gooooood! We want to see how you run your house, you know, sort of a surprise visit!
Without asking, Mrs Woodrow just heads into the family room – I find this really rude!!! I don’t care 
about the award! Amanda isn’t impressed and mumbles to herself: More like a sneak attack.
[mothers are as cunning as any agent Amanda! ]
Amanda rushes behind a stunned Mrs Woodrow, who has arrived in Sudan!
Mrs Woodrow: are you doing your laundry?
Amanda: No this is the Sudan 1885
Mrs Woodrow: of course it is.
Amanda: well you see Phillip and Jamie are studying the battle of Kartoom at school and so we.. we sort of recreated the Sudan in 1885.
Mrs Woodrow: Oh.. Oh!
well.. They say an orderly house begins with a clean kitchen!
[ go jump Mrs Woodcow!]
Mrs Woodrow heads into the kitchen and Amanda squeezes her eyes shut and says: the kitchen… is the supply line to… Kartoom.
Mrs Woodcow: this is your kitchen?
Amanda: Yes
Whooo seems they ate marshmallows, peanut butter and oreo cookies in the 1885 battle of Sudan.. Okay I think bonus points to Amanda for the interactive learning: but penalty points for the food- that stuff’ll kill ya! funny.. Mrs Woodcow doesn’t mind the junk.. she just wants order!
Again! Amanda is saved by the bell! the doorbell!!! It’s Lee!! Lee: are you the lady who called about the ants?
Love how Lee arrives and Amanda tries to close the front door on him!
Oh Lee of all the moments to burst in announcing there were ants! Right when Mrs Woodrow is checking the supply line to Khartoum in the kitchen!
Amanda: Ants?
Lee quietly: yeah.
Mrs Woodrow from the kitchen: Ants??!!!!!
[disapproving! ]
We immediately see Lee, Mr Shoot Out Bug control (LOL!!) realise someone else is in the house..
Amanda quietly: Lee I’m being judged.
Lee: for what?
Mrs Woodrow: Did you say Ants????!!!!!!
[rofl! I love this pic!!]
Lee: Yes Ma’am! You got ‘em, We get ‘em!…
… They’re usually in the kitchen…
… it’s those crumbs. [Marshmallows!!]
Vacuuming helps. Do you have a vacuum?
[ Ohhhhh Leeeeee!!! of all the things to say!!]
Amanda frantic: yes I have a vacuum! [she sure does.. we see it at the start of every single episode in the credits Lee! haven’t you been watching? ] What I don’t have is Ants!
Lee just heads straight for the kitchen without seeking any permission from Amanda either! Ugh!!!
[love how Amanda grabs him on the back!] Gee for a bug guy who has never been to this house before- he knows where the kitchen is?!
Amanda to Mrs Woodrow: Why don’t you go and check the upstairs…
…There’s no war up there or anything it’s perfectly safe there are no ants up there there are no ants there are no ants in the kitchen either! I don’t-
[Mrs Woodrow just walks off stopping Amanda mid sentence. I think Amanda said all that with one breath! ] Amanda rushes to the kitchen..err supply line!
In the family room, Lee is confused over all the chaos. Lee: what’s this?
Amanda: Kartoom!
Without another word Amanda just shoves Lee threw the sheets into the kitchen – haaaaa go Amanda!!! and Lee let’s her!
Amanda: why didn’t you call?
Lee: You’re phone is off the hook.
oopsie..
Amanda: …. that other lady is here judging me (starting to sound a little upset!) for the Arlington Mother of the Year contest.
Realisation dawns!!! Lee looks down at his outfit!
[So this is what the top of Lee’s head looks like! LOL! ]
Lee: Ohhhh I’m sorry…
[Awhhh!!] ha.. it’s the wrong disguise isn’t it.
Sweet that Lee looks sad when Amanda explains how the lady is there to judge her for the mother of the year contest, he immediately realises what he’s done- and says sorry?!! whooo hooooo!!!
Amanda takes a deep breath, it’s not his fault.. so she asks him what he wants.. I like how Lee just comes straight out with it 
and tells Amanda she was right she did see a murder.. Lee wants her to come look at mug shots and see if she can identify the killer.. Amanda says she can try, but explains she didn’t get a 
good look at the other man in the passenger seat. Hey! Amanda!!! equal opportunity baddies please!!!
oh the irony, she didn’t even see the woman in the front seat.. thought she was a man..but because Rita thinks she can identify the guy in the passenger seat Amanda must die.. LOL! ( Hey, do you think Amanda saw the hair of the person sitting in the passenger seat and thought it was a bloke? rofl!!! Ohhhh it is too much.)
It’s lovely to see Lee being so nice.. and whooo I like that his hair is all normal again..
Lee reassures Amanda to just do the best she can.. he has to go see the senator who the dead guy was a staffer for.. Lee tells her to go on to the agency and Billy( his assistant) will get Amanda started.. Ohhh that is too funny!!! Maybe Lee thought if he said Francine would get her started that Amanda wouldn’t go don’t get me started! They go to leave the kitchen and reminiscent of A relative situation, Amanda holds back Lee to make sure the coast is clear! He doesn’t mind!!
[btw- I didn’t realise we had a moment of Lee and Amanda ‘between the sheets’ so early in the show!!! tee hee.. sorry! couldn’t resist!]
Lee very loudly: Weeeell since you didn’t have any ants I won’t charge you for the visit alright?
It’s sweet how Lee makes sure the judge lady hears there are no ants!! awh.. Lee in orange overalls.. hmmm… makes me think prisoner or something! much prefer the yummy black overalls or whooo the blue overalls.. sorry my mind wanders when I think of those hero overalls!
Lee leaves via the front door…
Amanda has a second to gather herself- hooray someone believes her about the murder! phew!!
but Mrs Woodrow does another sneak attack on Amanda!
Mrs Woodrow: You have a very active household Mrs King. [ whooo and that’s bad is it?! ]
Hey the MOTYA committee are very thorough- they went forward in time, to do a spot check on Amanda’s spot check.. and took a photo of Amanda here at the door, and then published it the day before in the newspaper announcing she was a finalist!
I guess they ‘have their ways’! too funny! [Have I made you dizzy??]
btw.. what is Amanda wearing?!! Oh wait.. good news!!! she’s not wearing the fugly earrings!!!
I’ll finish up here with a mention that Rita’s two goons, Foreman and Kincaid are outside Amanda’s home… ready and waiting to pounce!
Kincaid: why don’t we dust her off now.
Foreman: Because it’s grand central in there! sooo we wait.
The baddies… are… waiting…. duh duh duuuhhhhhh..
Okay guys.. that’s enough smk for one post!! don’t want to overload you!! Thanks for reading! I’d really love to hear your insights, feedbacks, questions anything you’d like to share! byeeee for now!!!
"Just walk with me.." 
Iwsod said “It’s sweet how Lee makes sure the judge lady hears there are no ants!!” I don’t know why, but I think his response with the realization of his untimely disguise here is so sweet. It may be a more subtle moment, but I think it shows a tremendous growth in Lee’s character. Amanda is facing all sorts of overwhelming moments on every end of the spectrum so far in this episode – delivering beautiful flowers to murder and being chased, Tuggy’s cigars/nausea, no evidence of a murder, walking in on Lee’s evening, Randi Baby (bleh!), being nominated for Mother of the Year, relaxing at home with her family (she is an awesome mom), eating the biggest carrot EVER (gotta balance out the hugeness of the shirts and earrings)….ok, maybe not the last thing, but had to mention that LARGE carrot!…anyway, for Lee to help her by just making sure Mrs. W hears him announce there are no ants, to me, that’s just a really sweet moment.
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I agree with all the comments about Amanda and her enthusiastic recreation of Sudan. Role play is great for reinforcing learning, not to mention loads of fun. Meh Mrs Woodcow thinks a show home and sterile environment makes a good mother, how little she knows 😦
Philip is totally giving his mum sass by referring to her as “mother”. I used to do it too LOL
In answer to what is Amanda wearing……the top bit looks like a disposable biohazard suit!! Or maybe the sort that forensics wear over their normal clothes when investigating crime scenes LOL
Ah Lee in orange, good colour on him 😉 he would look good in a wet paper bag mind you. I do like him in jumpsuits although in the US don’t people doing community service for punishment wear orange jumpsuits? It certainly is criminal how good looking he is 😉
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This is a very cute scene!!! I love these glimpses into Amanda’s home life (I maybe remembering wrong , but I miss that in season 4. I haven’t really watched seasons 3&4 just listened to them I’m waiting to watch with my husband).
Lee showing up is funny and sweet when he realizes what he has done. The way Lee just pushes his way through and Amanda’s trying to stop him his funny. I think turn about is fair play here, but at least Amanda doesn’t have some bimbo of a man coming and going to entertain with cheap wine 😉
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As a homeschooling Mom to 5 boys I love this scene! Sudan 1885! Go Amanda!
Amanda is in her bare feet enjoying her sons. We rarely see Amanda’s home life like this and I think we are getting a good close glimpse of her in her place doing her thing (almost like we saw in the beginning of this episode for the first time Lee in his space preparing to do what he does in his spare time outside the Agency).
I think “Mother” uttered by Philip is cheeky, my boys do that to me all the time- especially in a moment like this. and Dotty she is the best grandmother around at this moment, it is all about managing the momentum of young boy energy!
I know the stereotype of Mother of the Year is for laughs but I wonder how much they are busting stereotypes in this episode? Blonds, Mothers, players, etc. And may I say that this Mrs Woodrow is looking for “Stepford Wife of the Year” Any woman who lets her sons turn the family room into a battle re-enactment and still has a smile on her face should win Mother of the Year!
And then Lee pops in and interrupts Amanda as she is doing what she does and getting judged for it. This seems like a mirror image of what Amanda did to him the night before when she dropped by his place. Lee realizes what he has intruded upon and what it might mean to her, he sees the value of it.
They are both in each others’ spaces and lives inextricably, huh?
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I’m with you, Morley. I don’t know why Amanda doesn’t get any points for staging real life history in her home and letting her boys really get into it. Talk about reinforcing what they’re being taught at school!
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I agree with you BJo and Morley about Amanda reinforcing the education at home. As a teacher I think it’s great when parents get involved in what they’re children are learning. I think Amanda should get big props in that area. She did it in Spiderweb and she and Dotty also reinforce Reading…The Wizard of Oz, Sky Chief Rides Again. Didn’t Amanda also allow the community play to be done in her living room…Don’t Look A Gift Horse?
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I thought that Amanda allowing her house to be transformed like this should have won it for her too, Morley! That’s a sign of being a great mom 🙂
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Hi Melissa R! saw your message right when I was checking in last for the night!
I agree with you all – it should have been bonus points for recreating the Sudan! Just goes to show how Mrs Woodrow is judging by the wrong standards – IMHO with her standards- it’s a credit to Amanda that in the end she doesn’t win!!! 🙂
Hope you’re well everyone! Is it a long weekend in the USA this weekend?
Byeee
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Iwsod, it is just a regular weekend. Next Thursday is a national holiday. Looks like a rainy weekend here, but its good for the garden.
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It’s a long weekend for us Canadians as July 1 is Canada Day. Wahoo!
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Happy Canada Day!!! Do you have fireworks, cookouts, parades?
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Happy Canada day on 1st 🙂
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Yes, Mother of the Year Amanda would assist her kids in learning things in a fun way. Even though she didn’t win, we all know she was probably the most “normal” choice.
By the way, that same orange jumpsuit was worn by the character Jarod in an early “The Pretender” episode. I remember when we watched it last year, I said “Hey, I’ve seen that suit before!” Sure enough, I pull out my SMK DVD and look for the episode where Amanda was up for Mother of the Year. Found it!
“You got ’em, We get ’em.” What a great slogan for a spy, excuse me, intelligence agent. 🙂
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Okay Morley this is not SMK related, since you homeschool 5 children I may need to get some advice. I’m going to be adding my 4th one this fall and I am wondering how I’m going to handle it all and still have a little time for myself 🙂
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I guess it is SMK related. This is part of the way I have “me” time 🙂 Seriously a lot of it has to do with teaching them to be self-directed learners. But that is a process that I can’t say I have successfully completed. How old are your kids and what curriculum do you use? Can’t say I have all the answers, I have a lot of questions as I go too. It is a journey with pros and cons, but they are the pros and cons I have conscientiously chosen.
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They will be 6th, 3rd, 1st, & K. I use BJU Press(which I absolutely love!), but I don’t use DVDs or on-line stuff. I have decided to have my Kindergartener to do Bible, history, science, & health with my 1st grader. What are your grades?
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This coming year I will have pre-K, 1st, 7th and 10th. I just graduated one this year and one the year before. I use Sonlight, not a lot of workbooks, but a lot of reading out loud. I want to get my 1st and Pre-K eventually working together esp on the parts I do (reading aloud) I did that with my oldest 2 and it worked well. I have learned that less is more, but that is different for everyone. Life and life experiences are great teaching tools for them as well. But busyness is always creeping up on us. I can’t say I have done well keeping it out. We have chosen to invest in activities that we feel are worthwhile and fortunately we all do together. We are all dancers and so we spend a lot of time together that way. And during that time I am not Mom or Teacher, just another member of the company and it is also part of “me” time and family time and builds another aspect of our relationships. That is one of the things that is so rich about homeschooling, the depth and diversity that our parent child relationships can have.
All I can say is that each school year is different and I pray each year to find the grace and wisdom for each one. Somehow we figure it out each year.
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Thanks, it always an inspiration to hear when mom’s have graduated some to know that I can do it too 🙂 I know of families that use Sonlight and like it too.
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It is always encouraging to talk to others. Keep up the good work!
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Just want to chime in in solidarity as a homeschool mom of many! I’ve got five, ages 4-15 at the moment. Morley, I’ve known you were a kindred spirit from your comments I’ve been reading as I speed through the walk over the past few weeks, but this was a little eery to read. My kids are these exact grades you wrote (6 years ago!) – preK, 1st, 7th, and 10th, and I have a 4th grader in there as well. AND we use Sonlight and do my two youngest together as much as possible!
And of course, our most relevant commonality – we both love SMK! It’s fun to realize I’ve found my tribe here at JWWM! 🤣😁
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I’m not sure if it was a protest or not, but Jamie and Phillip did move to go in the opposite direction, but Dotty turned them around to go out back.
It’s funny when you watch some shows so many times you start looking at other things. For some reason I was focused on this carrot that Amanda had in her hand through the whole scene. At one point it looked like she had taken a bite. Don’t know why I focused on that.
Appreciated how Lee a) told Amanda she was right and b) felt bad for showing up in the wrong disguise.
Marshmallows and peanut butter seem to be a King family snack. Wasn’t there an episode where Amanda and Dotty were eating that? I may have to try that, even though I only like marshmallows in s’mores.
Amanda sort of gets back at that Mrs. Woodrow later on!
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Hi Valerie! looking forward to getting to Amanda getting back at Mrs Woodrow!!
yeah Dotty does stop the boys and their getaway! I thought their protest was pretty non existent – given how much fun they had been having, how randomly Dotty came in and said let’s do weeding and how much peanut butter, marshmallows and Oreo cookies the boys were being fuelled by 😉
It was a carrot?? that was bugging me!!! I couldn’t figure out what it was!!!! thanks for solving that one!! I forgot to mention it and ask if anyone could figure it out!!
Oh yeah- Lee is adorable as a bug control guy 😉
Cindy who would have thought living in a busy household could actually keep a spy safe huh?! Lee is such an easy target! 😉 oh wait.. well he does have many women visiting his place.. ‘many many many many women’! 🙂
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Valerie, I think the marshmallow/peanut butter snack was in The Eyes Have It, I think. Amanda is eating cereal and Dotty the marshmallow with peanut butter. Then they trade snacks.
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I think it was in season 3 ‘The Eyes Have It’ that the were eating marshmallows and peanut butter, which is very good by the way. Actually peanut butter on just about everything is good from carrots to potato chips 🙂
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Oops! Sorry Melissa – didn’t see that you had already responded to Valerie on this.
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No apology needed 🙂
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“Kincaid: why don’t we dust her off now.
Foreman: Because it’s grand central in there! sooo we wait.”
Man, this line cracks me up every time. Poor baddies, they must be wondering what the heck is going on in 4247 Maplewood Ave. And here everyone thought that being a housewife was boring.
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