These days, our lives are kind of topsy turvy, it seems. We have no schedule. We have no consistency. We have no real cohesion. I blame summer. I need to find some organized activity to join that is cheap/free and does not kill me in the heat. It is tough due to the kids 2-year age gap. There are activities for under 3 and there are activities for 3 and up. I am having trouble finding activities that we all three can participate in. We try to spend as much time as possible in the pool during the summer, but I just need something that we have to look forward to 1-2 day(s) per week that are planned and consistent. I also need to get some kind of learning plan in place. Cassie is starting preschool in the fall and there are a few more things that I think we need to brush up on to be ready for that.
So, those are my goals. If you have activity ideas that are cheap and won't kill me in the heat, let me know...especially if you're involved in them with your kids! That would be even more fun!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Who Knew?
Who knew that there was a SINGLE brave bone in her entire body?!? I sure didn't. Sorry to be a copycat poster, Kel, but I was just so impressed at my daughter Slip'N'Sliding that I HAD to post it. Thanks for the pics! Thanks to Carla and Missy for a great party and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the 2 birthday boys!!!
OH MY...
Al...most...there...
Let's try it backwards!
TA-DA! She was so proud of herself for being brave!
I just have one question...were slip'n'slides ALWAYS this short and it was just child perspective???
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The New Pictures!
I honestly could not be happier with our family picture! I was SO excited that it turned out so well! If you want to see the whole photo shoot, head over to my facebook.
TILT (Cake Mix Cookies)
It's the simple things in life...really. Like waking up at 8 a.m. and realizing that your early riser is still sleeping (not that I know anything about that this morning--Conrey woke me up at 6:20). Like Happy Hour at Sonic. Like one of the things I love...Cake Mix Cookies. Simple, delicious, addictive. I mentioned them this week on Facebook and I wanted to mention them here with the recipe. They are SO quick and easy to make and they make you feel like you've done some baking with minimal effort! What could be better?
The best part? You can make them with any flavor of cake mix. You can add to them. You can be as creative as you want or you can make them quick and easy. Either way, they're delish!
Get yourself a cake mix. Any flavor. Let your eyes do the walking and your stomach do the talking at the store. Got it? Good. Now, pay for it before you leave. I don't endorse shoplifting.
When you get home, preheat the oven to 350. Dump the cake mix in a bowl, add 2 eggs and 1/3 c. oil. Mix it up good. If you're going to add chocolate chips, PB chips, coconut, nuts, sprinkles, etc...now's the time to do it! Roll the dough into little balls and place on your cookie sheet. If you're doing chocolate, lemon, strawberry, or I suppose any other, they are pretty to roll in powdered sugar. I use parchment because I'm lazy. You do as you wish. Place them 3 to a row and 3-4 rows depending on your cookie sheet. They're gonna spread a bit, so don't overcrowd.
Bake these babies for 8-12 min depending on your oven. My old oven took 8. The current takes closer to 12. You want them to not be liquidy. They will set up a bit after you take them out. Let them cool a bit before diving in. Trust me on this one. Impatience will only burn your tastebuds off.
You can frost these if you want. Frosting always makes things tastier. :)
I will say that there are many different recipes for cake mix cookies out there. Some have cool whip or butter in the dough. Some have 1 egg or different amounts of oil. This is the recipe that I use.
If you want to hear about what others out there in bloggy land are lovin today, head on over to visit Jill at The Diaper Diaries. Also, she has a great giveaway going on and you all KNOW that I would love me some free baby stuff! Thanks for stoppin' by!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Worth 1000 words
Remember Cassie's Bullfrogs and Butterflies birthday party a month ago tomorrow? Well, we finally got pictures uploaded. This is the one that I believe best depicts my birthday girl. Those of you in attendance are thinking to yourselves: "I never saw her looking like that!" She wouldn't wear the mask for the party, but we captured this picture before everyone showed up! TOO FUNNY!
We are FINALLY getting 4-year-old, 2-year-old, and family pictures taken tomorrow, so be looking for them to be posted soon, as well as the pictures in my sidebar updated. Yes, they are a full year old. I'm a bad picture mommy!!!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sibling Love
I have just been so overcome with joy lately with how much my children love each other. They enjoy playing together. They make each other giggle. They just have such a great time when they're together. I will often see them hugging, reading together, or helping the other clean up toys. I am just trying to cherish each of those moments before either or 2 things happen. Number one, I know that baby brother Keaton is going to upset the applecart soon. I hope that that doesn't cause increased sibling rivalry. Number two, I know that there will probably come a day *sigh* when they annoy each other more than they amuse each other. The sweet innocence that they share right now is just absolutely PRICELESS and I wish that I could capture each and every moment.
Last night, they were taking pretend pictures of each other with a toy camera in Cassie's room. I heard, "NO, Conrey, I'M supposed to say cheese! You're taking the picture!" He was behind the camera, looking through the hole, saying 'cheese.' She was giggling like crazy at this.
In the bathtub today, one would shriek and they would both burst out giggling. Then, the other would try to do a more funny shriek and face and they'd bust up again.
How do you bottle this sweet, sibling love to pour over them when they're adolescents and cannot stand the other? I want to keep the kindness, love, patience, joy, etc. that is between them and never let it fade.
I know that it is possible. I've seen it in action. I just want to figure out the secret and instill it deep within their beings. Right now, all I can do is encourage their playing together, their laughing together, their sharing. Oh, and smile a deep grin of mommy contentment. That, I can certainly do.
Last night, they were taking pretend pictures of each other with a toy camera in Cassie's room. I heard, "NO, Conrey, I'M supposed to say cheese! You're taking the picture!" He was behind the camera, looking through the hole, saying 'cheese.' She was giggling like crazy at this.
In the bathtub today, one would shriek and they would both burst out giggling. Then, the other would try to do a more funny shriek and face and they'd bust up again.
How do you bottle this sweet, sibling love to pour over them when they're adolescents and cannot stand the other? I want to keep the kindness, love, patience, joy, etc. that is between them and never let it fade.
I know that it is possible. I've seen it in action. I just want to figure out the secret and instill it deep within their beings. Right now, all I can do is encourage their playing together, their laughing together, their sharing. Oh, and smile a deep grin of mommy contentment. That, I can certainly do.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
22 Weeks
Well, we've hit 22 weeks, people. So far, so good. I went back through my blog and realized that it was much later (like 34 or 35 weeks) than I thought when I started passing out last time. I thought that I was approaching that time, so it was good to know that I've got awhile before I need to be cautious of that. Let's see, what's new? Not a whole lot. I am tired, tired, tired right now, but feeling really good overall (with the exception of the allergy/sinus issues, but those aren't preg-related). Keaton is a moving machine at about 9-10 p.m. and wiggles around until I get comfy in bed for the night. He doesn't keep me up at night, but I'm not sure if I just sleep through it or if he continues to be awake. I'm hoping that he's not a night owl when he makes his appearance! He is supposedly just under a foot in length and just under a pound in weight. I'm not sure what that means, exactly. One website said that he is the length of an Oreo package, but the weight of a large bag of tortilla chips. Hmmm...Are those DOUBLE STUFFED Oreos?!?
We had a great weekend at Family Camp this past weekend. That is where my church goes to camp every Memorial Day weekend at Rock Springs 4-H Camp. I, and several others that I've heard from or talked to, thought that this was one of the best years ever class/lesson/format-wise. I was sad that we left early, but was sooooo ready to leave due to allergy/sinus crud. I felt horrible all day Sunday. We were planning to come back for Mark to work Monday and I was really bummed about it until I started feeling so horrid. That helped me not feel resentful of having to leave, I guess. I hear that we missed some great stuff including my son winning the award for "Best New Talent." The kids sang for the talent show and Conrey just HAMMED IT UP! Cassie did a great job, though I'm not sure if she looked at the audience once. Her head was bent way down low. I am still shocked that it wasn't a mommy solo, though. If I can get ahold of the video, I will try to upload it. It was pretty precious, I must say.
I am H-U-N-G-R-Y ALL the time with this boy! I am sure that this is going to be a record-setting pregnancy for me. Seriously...all I think about is food. Mark and I have switched places. He has been losing like crazy! He has lost 12 pounds by cutting down what he eats, when he eats, and how much he eats. I'm really proud of him. Of course, this is the WORST time for him to be wanting to split meals with me. Hello??? I'm PREGNANT! I do NOT want half of a hamburger...I want TWO hamburgers! I have a lot of lost time to make up from when I couldn't eat, so get out of the way! In all seriousness, though, I am trying to be really careful. I am only about 10-12 pounds away from my final weight with Cassie. Scary thought. I have 18 more weeks in which to gain and do NOT want to gain a bunch of weight that won't ever go away.
Well, that's all the excitement we have time for. Join us next time for more riveting, self-indulgent posts about...well...ME!
Wait...one quick Cassie story before I go. She asked me the other night what Strawberry Shortcake's last name was. I said "Shortcake." She said, "No, I mean what is her LAST name?" I said, "Her first name is Strawberry, like your's is Cassie. Her last name is Shortcake, like your's is V." She was quiet for awhile while she pondered this. I was thinking about how odd it was that we were discussing the last name of a cartoon character. She finally said, "Mom...I mean like Dopps or something...what's her LAST name?" I guess if she wants her to be Strawberry Shortcake Dopps, I'm okay with that...
We had a great weekend at Family Camp this past weekend. That is where my church goes to camp every Memorial Day weekend at Rock Springs 4-H Camp. I, and several others that I've heard from or talked to, thought that this was one of the best years ever class/lesson/format-wise. I was sad that we left early, but was sooooo ready to leave due to allergy/sinus crud. I felt horrible all day Sunday. We were planning to come back for Mark to work Monday and I was really bummed about it until I started feeling so horrid. That helped me not feel resentful of having to leave, I guess. I hear that we missed some great stuff including my son winning the award for "Best New Talent." The kids sang for the talent show and Conrey just HAMMED IT UP! Cassie did a great job, though I'm not sure if she looked at the audience once. Her head was bent way down low. I am still shocked that it wasn't a mommy solo, though. If I can get ahold of the video, I will try to upload it. It was pretty precious, I must say.
I am H-U-N-G-R-Y ALL the time with this boy! I am sure that this is going to be a record-setting pregnancy for me. Seriously...all I think about is food. Mark and I have switched places. He has been losing like crazy! He has lost 12 pounds by cutting down what he eats, when he eats, and how much he eats. I'm really proud of him. Of course, this is the WORST time for him to be wanting to split meals with me. Hello??? I'm PREGNANT! I do NOT want half of a hamburger...I want TWO hamburgers! I have a lot of lost time to make up from when I couldn't eat, so get out of the way! In all seriousness, though, I am trying to be really careful. I am only about 10-12 pounds away from my final weight with Cassie. Scary thought. I have 18 more weeks in which to gain and do NOT want to gain a bunch of weight that won't ever go away.
Well, that's all the excitement we have time for. Join us next time for more riveting, self-indulgent posts about...well...ME!
Wait...one quick Cassie story before I go. She asked me the other night what Strawberry Shortcake's last name was. I said "Shortcake." She said, "No, I mean what is her LAST name?" I said, "Her first name is Strawberry, like your's is Cassie. Her last name is Shortcake, like your's is V." She was quiet for awhile while she pondered this. I was thinking about how odd it was that we were discussing the last name of a cartoon character. She finally said, "Mom...I mean like Dopps or something...what's her LAST name?" I guess if she wants her to be Strawberry Shortcake Dopps, I'm okay with that...
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