Hooked on LEARNING!

I found this little beauty on sale at one of my fav stores, Bealls Outlet. Oh how I love Thee Bealls!!



The boys LUV their Learning To Count program!! Me personally? I can count to 20 in every way imaginable with no help from anyone!?!! We're learning how to count up, count backwards, count by 2's, count by 10's and getting more musical every day! There are games, math worksheets, songs, stickers and posters included. It also includes a great little parent's guide for those of us who lack creativity of use! Big Boy has been really enjoying the CD and number recognition on the computer. I don't endorse a lot of products per se (maybe that is why no major company is clammoring at my door with free products....hmmm? time to 'ho myself out maybe?!) I would really recommend this product and honestly, we have the Hooked on Phonics as well and they love that too!! It will certainly be part of our homeschool curriculum starting in August.

Dear boys...

Yes, I do realize that you are almost 4 & 5 years old. You remind me, ummm, about 17,324 times a day. And I do realize that makes you NOT a baby. You ARE big boys...really. But to me, you will always be my babies. Because as you so astutely reminded me just the other day, Big Boy, I'm too old to have babies. Thanks. Appreciate that. So, that makes you my babies. Forever. And as such, I'm allowed to kiss and hug you 17, 325 times a day. One more than each reminder. That's my job. I'm your Mama. You know, the one who is too old to have more babies to kiss and hug. Sucks to be you, eh?

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!

I don't post too many recipes for dessert. Because honestly, we don't eat a ton of desserts around here. I know, I know.....blasphemy! But bake a loaf of bread in this house and there will be mutiny. I'm just warnin' ya.

So this is one of our favorite desserts. Tried and true. And guess who makes it? Super Hubby! He is one mean pie makin' fool! This is our favorite by him. He makes it ALL the time when we go places. It makes the girls swoon over him. He loves it. I just giggle and think...Yep, He's MINE!

French Silk Pie
1 pie crust (he even makes that from scratch! Here is a great recipe!)
3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces
1 cup butter, softened (do not use margarine)
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 pasteurized eggs or equivalent fat-free cholesterol-free egg product
1/2 cup sweetened whipped cream
Chocolate curls

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Make pie crust. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
In 1-quart saucepan, melt chocolate over low heat; cool. In small bowl with electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in cooled chocolate and vanilla until well blended.
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating on high speed 2 minutes after each addition; beat until mixture is smooth and fluffy. Pour into cooled baked shell. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving (Very important so it sets nicely). Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls. Store in refrigerator.

Here is a pretty photo from AllRecipes.com (my FAV foodie recipe site!). Because we eat ours before any fool has a chance to grab the camera.

Head on over to Blessed With Grace for more wonderful TMTT recipes!! Enjoy!

Oh my....biting my lip already!

I had a very interesting conversation with a friend last night.

She was asking when I was sending the boys off to all day preschool and Pre-K so I could "get a break".

And I told her--again--I'm homeschooling them.

She asked what curriculum I'm following. And we talked about how I'm not sure, maybe not one at all during this preschool year, or maybe something? Who knows?

And then instantly, I found myself feeling under the gun. You know....The Pressure. What do you mean you aren't following a curriculum? How do you teach them to read? Where do you start? What do you do? I talked about research that has shown the importance of instilling the love of learning, establishing routine, teaching them through play, and on and on. She kept going back to...How do they learn? She didn't quite see homeschooling like I do.

I found myself feeling very uncomfortable. Like I needed to EXPLAIN myself. Needing to DEFEND our choices. I really don't like that feeling!

I have heard how often HSing parents feel exactly this same way. I truly pray that my time in this discomfort, this questioning period, is short-lived. I have become more comfortable with this decision to home school in the past six months. But I do still do wonder if maybe I'm doing this for all the wrong reasons. Maybe I just don't know what I'm doing at all.....

I'm not good at living the in state of maybe. I'm really much better at just knowing. Though, maybe, this is why God has planted this seed in us, in me, in the first place. So I can spend a little time in the maybe.

And all the rest of my time....knowing.

Use it up!

We're leaving on vacation soon. My WFMW tip is simple and makes sense.

Use Up What You Have!

Meaning, get rid of all the perishable foods in your fridge before you leave on vacation. It gives you a great opportunity to use up all that stuff that needs to be finished. It also means dinnertime will be, oh let's say, very interesting! Tonite we had fresh cucumber salad (Thanks Millie for the lovely cucumbers!) and a cheesy-pasta-ham-leftover rotisserie chicken-black olive-last remnants of the cheesy tortilla dip dish! It was delish if not interesting!!

We've got some fresh veggies such as cabbage, lettuce and tomatoes left to finish. And some cheese. And hamburger meat. It'll be some interesting casserole-type dishes for the next few days. It helps to make smaller portions too. I tend to always cook with leftovers in mind but I don't do that before we leave for any period of time.

We also really watch our spending prior to and after any vacation so this really gets us into the survival mode of our budget. It does not have to be pretty. It is functional to simply use up what you have so you have less spoilage and waste. Empty out that pantry too! This is one time that gives you perfect reason to use up any older items and get to the new stuff in your rotation.

That is what Works For Me friends! Now head on over to We Are That Family for more great WFMW tips!!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!!

I don't post too many recipes for dessert. Because honestly, we don't eat a ton of desserts around here. I know, I know.....blasphemy! But bake a loaf of bread in this house and there will be mutiny. I'm just warnin' ya.

So this is one of our favorite desserts. Tried and true. And guess who makes it? Super Hubby! He is one mean pie makin' fool! This is our favorite by him. He makes it ALL the time when we go places. It makes the girls swoon over him. He loves it. I just giggle and think...Yep, He's MINE!

French Silk Pie
1 pie crust (he even makes that from scratch! Here is a great recipe!)
3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces
1 cup butter, softened (do not use margarine)
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 pasteurized eggs or equivalent fat-free cholesterol-free egg product
1/2 cup sweetened whipped cream
Chocolate curls

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Make pie crust. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
In 1-quart saucepan, melt chocolate over low heat; cool. In small bowl with electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in cooled chocolate and vanilla until well blended.
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating on high speed 2 minutes after each addition; beat until mixture is smooth and fluffy. Pour into cooled baked shell. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving (Very important so it sets nicely). Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls. Store in refrigerator.

Here is a pretty photo from AllRecipes.com (my FAV foodie recipe site!). Because we eat ours before any fool has a chance to grab the camera.

Head on over to Blessed With Grace for more wonderful TMTT recipes!! Enjoy!

Friend Makin' Monday!

Gotta get in my Friend Makin' Monday post before the day is over!!

Today is CONFESSIONS over at Kasey's All That Is Good blog. Oh let's see....what do I have to confess today? (I'm reaching back into those Catholic days now....)

1. I sometimes, ahem, all-too-often get impatient with the boys and just really want to run outta the house. Like to Canada.....

2. I eat rotisserie chicken straight off the bone. I cannot even wait to put the doggone bird on a plate. And I'm doing that now...no, there is no shame....

3. I have been known to eat an entire loaf of yummy, warm, Italian multi-grain bread from Publix. Slathered with butter. And I'm not really that ashamed at all.....

4. When I was 13, I once ran down to the mailbox with my best friend wearing just a towel. The mailbox was about 300 yards from the house. On the way back, we weren't wearing a towel at all.....

5. When I told my mother I was dating a new guy, she said great! Then I told her he was Indian. She says, "That's nice. We have some relatives in Wyoming...." After spitting tea through my nose, I had to explain he was from INDIA, not Wyoming!

6. I plan to home school the boys. Part of the reason truly is because I cannot bear the thought of them being away from the family for 40+ hours a week. Selfishly, I want to teach them. I want to be the one to open their eyes to the world around them. I don't want any other person to have that privilege.

Oh...that's plenty of dirt on me today friends. Head on over to Kasey's and try to make friends that don't have nearly as many hidden secrets....!

Please pass it on....

I found this today while wandering around. After drying my tears and thanking God for our blessings, I wanted to pass this onto you. We continue to keep the boys in their 5-point harness and carseats. They are not the ones noted but another brand. Since the boys are not over 40lbs yet, ours work well. They are little yet. They barely are 34lbs. still at 3 1/2 and almost 5-years old! But now I'm reminded that even if they were 40lbs., I should keep them right where they are. My prayers go out to the family of little Kyle. I cannot imagine their pain. But I will do my part to honor Kyle's memory and remind my mom friends to protect their children as best only we can. The rest is up to God.

Please feel free to link up to this post on any of the parenting blogs you visit. It is our duty to share Kyle's story.

The Importance of a 5 point harness car seat from Laura Bower on Vimeo.

Bravery

Why is it that when we are young, we are brave beyond imagination? We take risks with no forethought. We just do it.....



And later, we succumb to the fear of the unknown. We think....and think....and think. We wonder if we should? And why should we?

Just for today, do not question. Do not wonder. Yes. Say Yes. You. Can.

What Shall I Do?

Isn't it perfect? Well, NO, not PERFECT! But it could be!! It's too big for a corner or beside a bed. But could be perfect for the porch....redone and painted maybe? Or should I stick in the middle of the foyer with a pretty cover? Like this? What shall I do my wonderfully creative bloggy friends! I just gotta get in on this little carnival.....I want TREASURE!!! Tell me YOUR ideas!

Smartie pants...

Big Boy is getting smarter every day. Not that he was ever dumb. We've always found him pretty insigtful. Every once in a while he comes up with something that makes us laugh out loud. And realize that he is growing into a very funny little guy.

Little Guy was hitting the wall. I asked him to stop. As always, it fell upon deaf ears and Little Guy continued hitting the wall, making a loud thud noise every time. Then Big Boy decides he needs to get into the picture and tells his brother to hit it.
"Hit it, Little Guy" he says.
"No" I reply, "Don't hit it".
"Hit it" states Big Boy.
"NO!" is my reply, again.
"Hit it" Big Boy says again.
"Big Boy, quit telling him to hit the wall. I told him to stop." I say.
"No Mama, I want him to start the music. You know, Hit It!" he replies.

I'm not sure if he's a budding Ray Charles or just a total smartie pants. Jeez.

Everyone is always surprised...

that I grew up a farm kid. And that surprised ME?! It seems glaringly obvious to me. After all, if you were in my brain, you would see this....




Oh how I YEARN to go home soon! Take me home, country roads....

And since this is definitely one of the FINER THINGS in my life, I thought I'd hook y'all up towards Amy's blog to what others are up to for their Finer Things Friday party. Enjoy!

Hurricane Prep Kit

We live in Florida and were here in 2004 when we Hurrican Charlie and his whole posse decided to pass our way. I was 8 months pregnant with Big Boy and went through 4--yes, friends, 4--hurricanes in the final month of my pregnancy and another right after he was born! It was crazy! So in honor of the beginning of Hurricane Season 2009, I thought I'd show my list and crate of hurricane prep items.

First, we make sure that we have the following ready for the event:

--Generator is checked and ready to go

--Fill 5 gallon gas can

--Batteries--both rechargeable and regular

--3 flashlights

--Candles

--Matches

--Dogfood

--Paper towels, toilet tissue

Then at the first indication that a storm is actually on it's way, I start to gather my food and perishable items in case we are out of power. In the event we are out of power, the generator should last us about 48 - 72 hours and run not only the refrigerator and freezer but allow us some TV usage as well. So we are never quite out of power at our house. Here is what I look to put into the food crate:

--Several gallons water for drinking and hygiene. At least 1 gallon per person, per day so we try to keep about 10-12 around the house.

--Canned protein such as chicken, tuna

--Non-perishable condiments such as mayo, ketchup and mustard. Usually this is from my stash from any fast-food stops we've had in the past several months

--Bread

--Canned fruits

--Chips/crackers

--Nuts and dried fruits

--Breakfast bars

--Juice boxes

We eat up everything we can prior to the storm to avoid food spoilage as much as possible. Sadly, this is where being very frugal and stocking up does NOT help you! It's impossible for us to get through all our items that we have stocked in the freezer. We always have paper plates and plastic utensils on hand. We just make sure we check our supply on those items.

The one thing we still do not have is a weather radio. We really need to get one. I don't get too excited because our neighbors and friends across the street have one. Hopefully they'll be home when the storm hits!

Here is where you can go for the most updated Hurricane info. This is a place we go to when we want to really see what is going on. Sometimes you just have to get away from the local hype and get the scoop. It helps that SH is very well versed in weather, how to read it and what it means!

Even if you don't live in an area where hurricanes hit, it helps to have these items on hand in case of a tornado or snowstorm. It's funny....I have friends and family from the Midwest that think we are crazy for living where hurricanes hit. But now that I've been here and survived through several, they don't bother me too much. It helps that we usually know they are coming so we can be as prepared as possible.

Head on over to We Are That Family this week for more Works For Me Wednesday tips and tidbits!!

Chicken Quesadillas

We LOVE chicken quesadillas!! We have these little beauties just about every single week. It is one of our favorite, frugal and easy dinner menu items. Leftovers are wonderful as well! Enjoy these and then head on over to Blessed With Grace for a bunch more great summer recipes!

Chicken Quesadillas

1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (8 inch) flour tortillas
Ranch salad dressing

Salsa

In a bowl, combine chicken, onion, mozzarella and cheddar; set aside. Spray one side of each tortilla with nonstick cooking spray. Place tortilla greased side down on hot griddle. Place chicken on half of each tortilla. Fold over and cook over low for 1-2 minutes on each side of until tortilla is golden brown. Cut into wedges. Serve with dressing or salsa. I always put together a little salad on the side to go with.

Friend Makin' Monday!

Over at All That Is Good....we're makin' friends! Kasey is asking what our Top 10 Favs for summer are. Here are mine:

1. Longer days! I love that the sun shines pretty brightly from about 6am to 8pm. It makes the day long and luxurious! I can get a bit of a mid-day nap and STILL have tons of time to get things done. If we hit the beach for the entire day, you feel like you've been gone ForEver!

2. Water, water, everywhere! If you've read anything on this blog in the past week or so, it's been about WATER! Kids love it, we love it....water is GOOD!

3. Fresh summer veggies! One of the things I'm most anticipating for our trip home to Iowa this year (besides my bestest friends wedding! WOOHOO!) is the fresh summer sweet corn and veggies straight from Mom's garden! Oh I can't wait for the green peppers, corn, tomatoes. We'll gorge on veggies for two weeks straight!

4. Open air! We open our windows and doors as much as possible and let the fresh air in. That's another part of going home....they don't have a/c so we spend the whole time either outside or the house with all the windows open. Love that breeze!

5. Swimming lessons. This year we are starting the boys in their swimming lessons. Oh I can't wait!

6. Watermelon! Yummy, juicy, juicy, JUICY watermelon! Oh. My!

7. Summer rains. Here in Florida, we tend to get a summer rain in the middle of the afternoon. It's short, sweet and usually to the point. Doesn't mess up your whole day. Very refreshing. Love the way new rain smells and we love listening to the thunder.

8. Pedicures! Can I always have toes that look like this?

9. Shorts and T-shirts. Our summer staples. Comfy, casual, perfect.

10. Vacations. Summer feels like it's the time to take vacations. Even if you take them other times of the year. Summer vacation is a requirement in life, right?

I hope you all have a terrific summer! And head on over to Kasey's place to make some new friends this summer!

Kid Friendly Friday

This is something we are taking advantage of several times this summer. Free summer movies at participating theatres! Check them out! We have a Cobb Theatre nearby and they offer free G- and PG-rated movies for kids, three times a week! Now many of these movies are ones that our boys have seen, mainly because their Daddy is a MOVIE FREAK! They watch movies all the time! But how fun to go to the theatre and watch it there, on the big screen! Another outlet for us to practice social skills as well! Love this opportunity for our summer fun! Check out your local theatres and see if they offer free kid's movies during the summer months as well.

Enjoy more Kid Friendly tidbits over at I Blame Mom! Have a great weekend all!!

Summer Fun!

Chrissie--a very artsy, talented Mommy--is have a great little blog party too!! She's lookin' for all sorts of summer fun for the kiddos. I've been posting a lot of ideas lately so if you wanna see what we're doing this summer, check out this or this or this.

Then head on over to in His Grace for lotsa other frugal and fun activities with the 'chillins'!!!

Paint Party!!

It's a lovely PAINT PARTY!!

Melissa over at 320 *Sycamore is having a really great little party this week. She decided to get together with a bunch of paintin' fools like me and show off our fav COLORS of all time. I'll admit I'm a bit paint shy. I don't think of myself as too bold with my colors. But here are a few my very fav ones in the house:

The spare bedroom just got done so there isn't much to show you. This is Valspar Violet Evening. The plan is complete the room in black, silver and chartreuse accents. It's still a plan in the works...

Our kitchen in Valspar Churchill Hotel Olive. I absolutely LOVE this color! The red just really pops against the green and it goes with everything!

Behr's Cranberry Zing. It's bold. It's amazing. It was my first paint job in the house. Take note friends....lay down some primer when doing red. This is 5 COATS of paint!!! I'll never forget that weekend as long as I live!!

Head on over to Melissa's for more wonderful ideas in fantastic colors. Color yourself WILD!!

It's been raining a LOT lately

Sometimes, you don't need water.....you just need a little imagination!

CANNONBALLLLLLLLL!

MOM! I'm Bored!

This week over at We Are That Family is the Mom! I'm Bored! version of Works For Me Wednesday! As in....kids complain Mom! I'm Bored! and this is what you do with them so they'll shut the yap!


Luckily, our little guys are well, little, yet. And Little Man doesn't even know what bored means yet. Big Boy has said it a couple of times and when I ask him what that means, he can't really figure it out yet.


Nonetheless....here are a couple of resolutions to that complaint of Mom! I'm Bored! at this house:


Watering plants, the yard, whatever gets them outside and in the water! This usually keeps them happy for an hour or so.

Car washes go over great yet! Protective equipment is completely optional!

Now I'm headin' over to We Are That Family for more tips on what to do when the kiddos are bored. I'm takin' notes! Have a great day!!!!

I'm a Runner?!

Believe it or not, friends, I am signed up to do this:



I'm doing it in September....which means I have plenty of time for training and NO time to procrastinate! I'm actually the runner in a relay team so lest you think I'm really superhuman...I'm doing a third of the tri! HA! But I just like to say I'm TRAINING for a TRIATHLON and let everyone come to their own conclusions! Tee hee....

So I'm back to reading this book:



It is an excellent reference book for any runner, new or old. I used it a few years ago when I ran my first 5K and it was a great reference for all things running related. Helped me to prevent injuries and to deal with the inevitable soreness and shin issues.

So here I am friends....coming out of the closet! I'm running this Triathlon and hopefully, another 5K or two before Christmas. Nothing like signing up and paying a few entry fees to make a person get off their proverbial duff and get MOVING! I'll keep you up to date on my progress!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!

It's a crazy week my friends! Here is a quick TMTT recipe that is a classic in our family. Quick, easy, frugal and yummy! Enjoy!!


1 pkg. hot sausage, kielbasa or summer sausage
1 small onion
1 Tbs olive oil
1 pkg. yellow rice mixture

Cut up sausage or kielbasa into bite size pieces. Slice onion thin. Carmelize onion in olive oil. Add sausage. Brown onion and sausage together.

Cook rice according to package directions. We use the yellow rice in the Spainish section of the grocery store. Serve sausage and onions over rice. Yumm!!

Sorry for no picture friends. We ate it all! Have a great Tuesday and visit Grace's Mom for more TMTT recipes and goodies!!