Too Cute Not To Toot

I'm in total homeschool prep mode so when I saw this idea from Burton Avenue, well, I loved it.  I don't plan on getting this up this fall but I do love it for the future.  One of these days when I get to Ikea there are a few things on my list - I'll have to check on their whiteboards :-)

I don't know if I will ever actually make these but they were too cute to not share.  The idea comes from One Dog Woof.

Sorry, short list this week.  I buried up to my eye balls with rearranging rooms and preschool lessons.

Summer Fun - Week 11

To catch up on past weeks, just click HERE
As I mentioned last week, I wasn't really sure how much "fun" we'd have this week . . . It's been a little bit of a crazy week with me trying to get way too much done  . . with prepping for homeschool preschool, cleaning on this wonderful cool days, and trying to knock things off my to do list.  So this week I'll share some photos of fun that the kids accomplished!

Monday - Mondays are always busy here - I have laundry to do, things to clean, recovering from the weekend and making sure the details of the week are planned.  The boys decided to go to a "hotel" today . . I heard them "packing" but was in the kitchen getting meatballs made, cooked and in the crock pot for dinner so I didn't pay attention (yep, you read that right HA).  Then I walked into the living room and thought, "Wow, it's really clean in here" . .. until I turned the corner to Nate's room. 

See all of that?  That is every single toy, pillow, blanket, from the living room and the boys rooms and yes, there is even a mattress in there.  They took brushes, toothbrushes, and my contact case from the bathroom all in order to go to a hotel.  Josh would come up to me and say, "Bye mom, I need a Kwiss (i.e Kiss) and then proceed to grab ahold of my cheeks with his hands and kiss me good bye!  He would then proceed to tell me that he was "going to a hotel and would ride the elevator, watch TV, go to the pool, take a bath, brush his teeth, and go to sleep" while there.  I think he really loves going to a hotel.  Now, cleaning up from their imaginary trip was quite the ordeal :-/  They also helped me mop the bathroom floor - this week I clean the floor with a scrub brush . . .before I even knew what was happening, they both had rags, and we had a small flood on the floor HA!  I thanked them for their wonderful help but then told them that I would finish it up :-) 

Tuesday: Our fun today was unexpected. At lunch time, Nate was not happy with me because I served leftovers for lunch.  He was bound and determined to have Mac and Cheese so he started getting pans out while the rest of us ate lunch (Yes, I was mean and told him lunch was on the table or he could go hungry - it was his choice HA!).  Then he said, "Mom, I need a towel to clean up the water".  Well, at first I figured there was just water left in a pan from the dishwasher until I walked in the kitchen and noticed that almost every pot had inches of water in it . .. yes, the sink was leaking :-(   We cleaned up the water, put a big pan under the drip until Darryl got home.  Then he and his "good jobbers" fixed the leak :-)

 Josh was a great helper - he was holding the sink drain so it wouldn't turn while Darryl was tightening it.

 Checking things out below to make sure that Darryl was doing ok :-)

 Then he got distracted and started playing with our Guest Cat Tommy !!

 Well, and Tommy had to put in his two cents worth so he crawled into the cupboard too.

 Darryl with his two helpers - this photo makes me laugh!!

The boys have flashlights and are checking for anymore "drip drips".  (We also have a leak in our roof somewhere that we are trying to find and fix - so every time it rains Josh walks around the house, shining his flashlight at the ceiling in every room looking for drip-drips - he actually found a new spot in the dining room the other day!!)

Wednesday: I just thought I would share a few fun photos :-)

 So, I walked into the dining room and found Nate taking all of my music out of my binder.  I did what any good parent would do and said "NATE what are you doing?". Then I saw his crestfallen face and changed my ways.  I think said, "oh wow, Nate, you look busy, what are you doing?" He smiled a big smile and said, "I'm working, Mom" :-)  He was so intent on working on that binder - what could I do except take a photo!

While Nate was  busy working, Josh got up to the piano and "played".  He also requested that Nate sign with him, which he did.  It was quite interesting to say the least.  And yes, we are starting piano lessons in a few weeks ;-)

Thursday: My boys love matchbox cars.  The cars go everywhere and do anything.  They also have certain cars that belong to certain people.  By that I mean, there are a couple of cars that look like our blazer so they will say they are playing with mommy's car.  There is a truck that looks like the Munchkin's vehicle so, again, they associate it with him. Well, Nate has 4 cars that are Papa and Nana's and they make me laugh:

So the water truck and that hot rod red car?  Those are Papa's cars, according to Nate.  And that little yellow car and the HUGE green one - well Nana apparently drives those.  Every single night he searches for those 4 special vehicles.  I didn't realize my parents drove such vehicles, they must only bring them out when the kids are visiting HA!

Friday: We did something today YEAH!  I took the boys (all three of them) and we went to the grocery store.  My boys love to go - they love to help put things in the cart and remind me of important things that we are out of (i.e. chocolate chips, fruit loops, juice, etc HA!).  The store is a great learning experience for them and it totally teaches me patience :-)  Today they did fantastic which always makes me happy!!  The best part?  We actually went as a family back to the store to run a few errands before dinner, when we were leaving Nate said to me, "Mom, today was a fun day.  I had fun at the store with you".  THAT makes it worth it.  Now, the boys love their sunglasses and today, apparently it was bright in the store because they wore them the entire time HA.  Nate REALLY enjoys them . . .

Yes, his sunglasses are pushed up on his forehead and Josh's are upside down (Nate's favorite way to wear glasses) just above his eyes all while he is enjoying a special treat - a cookie.  I should also mention that while in the store with Darryl, both boys walked in carrying their bags (Nate had a Train bag and Josh actually was carrying a small barn).  Well, inside Josh's barn was a hair clip of mine that looks like a big claw . ..  .well he stopped and put it in his hair and continued to walk through the store.  Darryl and I just rolled our eyes and laughed.  He was so proud of his "hat"!!

That was our week :-)  Nothing big - just some fun photos more than anything.  This next week, the munchkin is on vacation so I've planned some special things to do with the boys. 

The Things My Kids Say . ..

The kids have been "quiet" this week (ok, not really - they have been screaming, running, and playing non-stop . . just not full of quirky things!)  Plus, if I don't write them down right away, I forget!

Here's a few for you:

On Thursday, we were expecting some storms; the boys asked to go outside and I told them they could until it started raining (we were expecting some lightning so I didn't want them outside in the rain).  Nate put on his sunglasses and said "I need my glasses so my eyes don't get wet" HAHA  That made me laugh - who knew?  Sunglasses DO have a purpose other keeping the sun out of your eyes!

I mentioned this last week but Nate is against meat.  If he sees a speck of meat on his plate he says "I don't like Meat" and walks away.  Now though, he looks at his plate and says "I don't like THAT" and walks away.  My once "eat almost anything kid" has now turned ultra picky and it is not fun. 

One night I had to run to the store  - the boys are always sad when I leave but on this night, Josh stood on the porch as I walked to the truck and said, "Mom, please come back, ok?"  How sweet is that?  Then he said, "Oh, and don't forget the chocolate chips, we need more" HA! 


And I thought I would include one thing my husband said this week.  We noticed that our neighbor was digging something. . .. I told my husband it looked like he was going to bury someone.  His response?  "I don't care if we live next to a murderer as long as he likes us" HA!  (Now, just so you know, the neighbor was repairing his sump pump lines)

Weekly Menu

I am really enjoying this "cooler" weather; we have had days below 70 degrees and more are forecasted for this next week.  I so enjoy being able to actually cook again instead of trying to plan meals that don't take much work and do not require the stove.  As I mentioned last week, I planned quite a few new recipes and just about all of them were a success so look for the upcoming Food Friday posts (one went up yesterday!)  This week I have a mix of new and old which should be fun!  I'm also trying to use my crock-pot more for no other reason than it really is so nice to fix-it-and-forget it.  To be honest, I never liked using it that much when I worked full time - I found most recipes were over cooked after 9 hours . .. but now that I'm home, it becomes my best friend for both main dishes and side dishes :-)

Saturday:  I have a concert and Darryl can actually attend!  The kids will have mac and cheese before the babysitter comes for the evening; Darryl and I plan to go out to dinner after the concert so we'll each have a snack on our own before leaving (I have to leave several hours before he does!)

Sunday: As is normal, I plan two meals for Sunday (verses just a regular lunch and then dinner).  After church we are going to try Orange Chicken in the Crock pot (I've been looking for recipes with shorter cooking times so they work for Sundays) with Rice and Baked Wontons.  In the evening, we'll have Corn Dog Muffins and Pool Side Dip and Chips

Monday: Chicken Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes with gravy and corn.  This is a new recipe that I wanted to try all summer but the thought of frying something in the heat was not worth it . . .this is one of those "comfort foods" that we all love!

Tuesday: Honey Garlic Pork Chops, Summer Veggie Tian, and Garlic Bread

Wednesday:  I am planning to take the boys either bowling or to a movie and then we are going to meet Darryl for Dinner.  Should be a fun day!

Thursday: Cabbage Rolls in the Crock Pot (it doesn't look like I've shared this one before - I will have to do that soon!), squashed potatoes, green beens and corn bread

Friday: Crispy Orange Beef, Broccoli and Rice

I plan on baking a Chocolate Cola Cake and trying out Lemon Puppy Chow.  Oh, and I plan on making my favorite Chicken Pasta Salad for my lunch this week.  YUM!!

Nothing to Say . ..

I know it is super hard to believe but I have nothing to say :-)  I have several posts in the works but nothing really ready to post today.  I think my brain is tired from getting ready for preschool to start at home and scrapbooking :-)

So, for today - have fun!


I will have a  recipe posted tomorrow!

Turn Up The Music

Several months ago, as I was driving home from a Scrapbooking crop, I heard this song by Point of Grace.  It's actually a song I've heard before but had never really listened to the words.  This time though, the song really hit my heart.  The problem was that the next day I could not remember one single thing about the song to actually find it again!  I hadn't forgotten why it impacted me but I really wanted to hear the song and be able to share it.  I happened to hear it again on Friday night - I was so excited!!

There is a line in the song that says " And go see your folks more than just on the holidays"  . . it made me realize that I don't honor my parents well because I don't take time to go see them.  My husband and I talked about this when I explained to him about this song and he agrees with me totally.  Before we got busy with life and then had kids, we used to go to my parents a lot - sometimes 2-3 weekends a month.  We really enjoyed our time there and actually miss those visits.  Now, it seems, the times we see them is on holidays or when I ask them to come over to babysit for me - so my husband and I aren't really even here.  I think, when you have parents who are as wonderful and supportive as mine are, that it becomes very easy to take advantage of them instead of enjoying them.  I've reach the realization recently that my parents will not live forever - they are still young but not as young as they used to be :-)  With all of this said, we are making some changes.  We knew we had to get through the month of August because, well, my parents are taking a much deserved vacation, but starting in September we plan to take time out of our schedule and spend time visiting my parents at their home.  (My parents read this blog and you can bet they are jumping for joy!!)  Sometimes it may just be the boys and I heading over on a Friday afternoon and returning on Saturday evening; other times it will be all of us leaving on either a Friday or Saturday afternoon, depending on Darryl's schedule, to stay the rest of the weekend.  I have a time frame in mind but I won't actually state that because some months, well, weekends are just busy, but we plan to do it as frequently as we are able to. 

Why do I feel this is important?  When I think about how much my parents have done for not only myself but also my brothers and their families, I realized that instead of honoring my parents and taking time the time to spend with them, I tend to take advantage of their willingness to do so much for me.  Don't get me wrong, I know that my parents enjoy the things they are able to do but they would also enjoy just some family time too.  I think that as adults, with busy lives and families, it is easy to push our parents aside - yet they are the reason, so often, that we are who we are and they deserve to be honored and respected.  I have the privilege of only living about an hour and half from them so there is no reason that we shouldn't be able to all see each other once every 4-6 weeks.  A Hundred years from now when they are gone (;-) ) I don't want to have a regret that I should have spent more time with them when I could have easily done so.

What about you?  Did you listen to that song and realize that you need to change How you Live?  Do you need to "Turn up the Music" and make some memories?  Whether it be with your parents, your siblings or your own children - don't let life pass you by.

Too Cute Not To Toot

I'm going to start right off with another idea for my future living room - I love this sign idea from Burton Avenue and it goes right along with my beach/cottage theme :-)  I think this would also be cute if you make it weather proof and hung it outside on your patio :-)

Check out this great idea from The Crafted Sparrow for making "stainless steel" magnetic alphabet letters.  Such a simple but cute idea!

Don't these look yummy?  Check out Practically functional for her take on the recipe and she also links back to the original source as well.

This idea from Our Pinteresting family is too creative not to share - I love the bottle opener idea.  Now, in our house, the only bottles we ever drink would be Pepsi or Cream Soda :-)  I might have to make one of these for my brother - his family drinks mostly bottled soda's and I recently saw him opening one with a screwdriver :-/

Personally, I really love this idea for a birthday calendar from de jong Dream home.  I love the whole concept and want make my own version.

Another idea from that Same Blog are these bath crayons.  My boys actually enjoy bath time - I think these would be fun for when they take a bath in the middle of the day, just for fun :-)

Have fun Crafting!