Mommy Made

Mommy Made Oobleck! {Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss}

2012-03-02T18:10:00.000-08:00

As most parents of school aged children know, today is Dr. Seuss's Birthday!

Brucey told me today, they got to play with oobleck today in class

among several other Dr. Seuss themed activities!

I was in class with Kiah today, so I missed out on all that.

And Kiah said she wished she could have played with oobleck.

So I told her I knew how to make it and we could play with some at home....

Since it IS Dr. Seuss' birthday today and all... its only suiting that we celebrate! :)

Now in case you dont know what oobleck is,

Its a fun and silly substance that is both a solid AND a liquid!!

Its hard when you squeeze it or apply pressure,

but "melts" and acts like liquid when you leave it in your hand.

Its SO fun and fascinating to play with... even for a momma!

And if you dont know why we are making oobleck on honor of Dr. Seuss, well its because

Oobleck gets its name from the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck.

Which is a book where a gooey green substance, Oobleck, fell from the sky and wreaked havoc in the kingdom.

If you would like to MAKE your own oobleck, its extremely EASY!

You only need 2 ingredients:

2 Parts Corn Starch

1 Part water

I used 2 cups of corn starch, and 1 cup of water.

Now you can also add some food coloring if you would like to give it a certain color.

Brucey told us oobleck was green, so it HAD to be green!

Zander was a little iffy about the stuff.

It took him a few minutes before he would touch it!

Then when he did, he would make a face and ask for a napkin. :)

Haha little cutie.

I thought it was fun to play with!

Have you ever made oobleck before!?

Did you do anything fun to celebrate Dr. Suess' birthday??

Outside

2012-02-29T07:00:00.080-08:00

Dino Hat C/O: The Knotty Nani Boutique

This Winter has been a strange one.
Very warm for winter, even for a California winter!
Last night, though, it was insanely windy.
It started raining, and the lights flickered a few times.
I thought we might lose power!
I had a hard time sleeping, the wind and rain was so loud.
I ended up not hearing my alarm clock, sleeping in and waking up at 7:08 instead of 6:20.
It was a rush to get the kids ready and to the bus stop on time at 7:22!
The morning was very chilly and the clouds were still dark, everything was still wet outside.
I thought it would be dark and dreary all day.

Surprisingly, though, the sun came out for a few hours to brighten the day.
So Zander and I were able to venture out to play for a little bit.
He loves it outside, and though I am not much of an "outdoorsy" person,
I love being with him and watching him play and explore.
It was so nice, after having such a hectic morning and bad night.
It was a nice reminder to me to be thankful for the "storms" in life,
because they help me to appreciate the times of "sunshine", and not take them for granted.

2 Samuel 23:4 (NIV)

^" he is like the light of morning at sunrise
on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain
that brings grass from the earth.’"

Birthday Girl (Outfit Post)

2012-02-28T07:00:00.002-08:00

Today my little Princess turned 9!
For her birthday we decided to do something small and more personal.
She invited a few close friends, for a sleep over.
They got all dressed up just for the fun of it.
I took them all out to a movie, we had pizza they played the kinnect,
and stayed up late talking and giving each other make overs. ♥
Cutest thing ever.
Kiah loved it and said she wanted to do the same thing next year for her b-day.

Since the girls were getting all dressed up I did Kiah's hair and makeup.
She got to wear her gorgeous new dress from, my sister, her Aunty Mona!
And I of course had to take a few pics of her modeling it.

Stunning little thing, isn't she?

Hope Necklace (Another b-day gift from Mona): Maurices

Giant Rosette Bobby Pin: Agape Love Boutique

Dress: Ross, Shoes: Payless Shoes, Cardy: Thrifted

If you want, you can see more from Kiah's Birthday Photo Shoot on my other blog {here}!

I also had to take a few pics of Kiah's friends. ♥

Meet the Friends... This is Katelyn & Jasmin

Jasmin is actually Kiah's cousin (Mona's daughter)

And they call each other "Best Frousins" (Think Friend & Cousins combined) too cute!

Sierra & Megan

All the girls...

Little Beauties!!

Excited to go out on the town!

P.S. Im gonna be Linking this post up to these places.

Check them out!! :)

Time.

2012-02-26T21:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight as I sit here thinking about Kiah, Bruce and Zander, I am just so thankful for them.

The blessings that they are.

I am lucky to be their mother.

Every day is something new with them.

I love learning more about them, watching them learn about themselves.

They are so beautiful to me, (can be some trouble at times),

but at night looking at them sleep so peaceful... Like little angels.

Part of me cant wait to see them grow up and see how they will turn out.

At the same time, I need time to slow down so I can savor this time longer.

Time has been going by all too fast.

This month for instance has gone by all too quickly!

Didnt the year just start?

Kiah will be 9, {NINE!!!} on the 28th!!

Zander will be 3 on March 13...

And Bruce will be 6, come April 29th.

SERIOUSLY!?!

Wow....

So since time wont slow down I'm just going to soak it all in,

as much as I can, this blessing called being a Momma.

And pray my memory (and camera) wont fail me any time soon!

Puppy Love

2012-02-25T21:00:00.004-08:00

It never fails.

If its a weekend, and I let the kids stay up "late", Brucey is always the first to fall asleep.

He just passes right out!

It makes sense, he is SO active during the day.

He plays so hard.

There is hardly a moment he isnt moving, talking, doing SOMETHING, making some kind of noise.

Some times it drives me nuts. I like things calm and quiet.

But at the same time I love that about him.

He is just like The Daddy in that way.

We named him perfectly, in that aspect. ;)

Tonight Bruce asked if he could play with Mini (our dog) in his room.

I told him yes, a little while later I noticed it was unusually quiet.

So I went to check on him....

Sweet little thing. Totally passed out. Snuggled up with Mini.

The sight totally Made.My.Night. Sweet little love bug. ♥

My Little Reader

2012-02-24T21:00:00.001-08:00

Zander is my little reader.

He loves being read to, and he even loves reading all by himself too.

He will bring out several books from his collection, surround himself with them,

then stack them up one by one as he finishes reading or looking through them.

This brings such JOY to my heart. My little book worm.

He even has a few books memorized.. which I think is pretty great for a 2 year old!

His favorite book is Green Eggs and Ham.

He never gets tired of listening to it, and looking at the pictures.

Which is fine with me, its a fun book and I enjoy reading it to him.

As do most people he brings the book to, while climbing in their lap expectantly.

(As he did last summer to a dear friend of mine, Becca. Last photo).

What a blessing it is to be a Momma.

To get to watch a person grow, and learn.

Getting to know my kids every day is so exciting.

I am excited to see the man Zander will become, what he will do.

He is so smart, and also very talented.

From even a very early age I could tell he would make for a great actor.

He is very dramatic in everything he says and does... its surprising sometimes.

You dont expect a 2 year old to act like he does sometimes.. My little actor.

But he also sings, and sings very well! I love it, my little singer!

And back to my little reader... goodness he has such a thirst for knowledge.

I am in awe of him sometimes, I just know what ever his path, God is going to use him for great things!

My little blessing.

But, of course, I do believe this of all my children, call me partial. ;)

Quadruple French Braid Pony Tail Tutorials

2012-02-22T20:35:00.001-08:00

Today I have a fun hair style sort of Tutorial for you!

I used to do this to my younger sisters hair when we were in high school.

Well I was bored, and decided to do it to Kiah's hair, and for fun take some pics to share and inspire you!

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So basically what this is, is 4 french braids coming to the center of the head and making a pony tail!

Its really cute, but just takes a little bit of time and patience, for both persons involved. ;)

You will need 4 small rubber bands and one big pony tail holder.

Oh right, AND the ability to french braid hair!

Step 1: Part hair straight down the middle.

Step 2: Part the parts, into 4 equal sections and tie off.

Step 3: Let down one section...

Step 4: French braid first section towards the middle of the head, secure with little ribber band.

Step 5: Let down and french braid the next section towards the center of the head & secure with rubber band.

Step 6: Have the person turn around with head facing downward in your lap (on a pillow).

And repeat steps 1-5!

Step 7: You should have all 4 sections french braided all leading to the center of the head.

Step 8: Gather all the "tails" of the braids to the center and secure with the pony tail holder.

Step 9: Admire such a cute braided pony tail!!

This is such a cute, fun, funky and interesting hair style that will get lots of attention! ♥

Dont you just love it??

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What do you think?

What Kiah Wore {Walmart Fashion}

2012-02-21T23:03:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid/teen Walmart clothes we totally un-cool.
If you wore a Walmart brand you were made fun of. :(
Thinking about that now, it seems so ridiculous!

Even though for a long time I still wasnt a huge fan of Walmart "fashion" for my own kids,

(I much more prefer clothes from "Tarjay", always thought they were way cuter)

I must say clothes from Walmart have come a long way.

This outfit was picked out by one of my sisters, and Kiah totally loved it!

The shoes were hand me downs, but also from Walmart (Hannah Montana Collection).

Shirt, Jeans, Shoes: Walmart, Necklace: The {Posh} Daisy

Isnt she just cute as a button.
My little model. ♥

P.S. Im gonna be Linking this post up to these places.

Check them out!! :)

P.S.S. This is NOT a sponsored post. Just having fun showing off some of Kiah's new clothes. ;)

I Like You Like A Girlfriend

2012-02-15T08:31:00.000-08:00

Oh goodness... the time has come.
We knew it would come eventually, we didn't realize it would come so soon.
My beautiful Kiah-Girl, has several boys crushing on her!!
Its pretty obvious to me, when I volunteer in her class which boys seem to vie for her attention,
or swoon just a bit when she is around... its so funny (kinda). There are about 4 of them, that I've noticed.
But I know Kiah has no interest in boys "in that way" not yet... The idea is still kind of gross to her.
Thank goodness! :)
Yesterday (Valentine's Day) one boy in her class straight up told her that he had a crush on her.
She told me about it, and it made me want to laugh out loud.
I was like.. Thats it? Thats all he said and then nothing else, and then you guys continued working?
She's like... Yeah we were doing centers and he just told me he had a crush on me!
I'm like... Uh... Awkward! haha
And she agreeed.
Then a few days before that, another boy gave Kiah this letter:

Oh goodness.... isn't this just sweet, and funny and awkward all rolled into one!
But gracious me, I didn't think I would have to start worrying about boys & crushes THIS early.
I am so glad Kiah is pretty grounded, and values her work, and learning so much.
She isn't boy crazy (yet) and I hope that she stays level headed as she grows older.
I am sure she will have tons more boys crushing on her through out the years.
She is beautiful, smart, but also kind and funny!
Lets just pray this "boy crazy" phase doesn't come too soon for her.. Or too strong for that matter! ;)

What Does Your Joy Look Like Today?

2012-02-13T14:08:00.000-08:00

There is a great Series & Link Up going on over at Raising Miss Mommy.

Today's question is What does your joy look like today?

Today my joy is simply brought by the imagination of my youngest, Zander.

Watching him entertain himself with his dinos and cars.

Listening to him "ROAR" and make car sounds.

His only distraction - This momma with her camera!! haha

This is my joy.

Simple.

I'm blessed to be a stay/work at home momma.

My joy is not having to miss out on simple moments like these.

Toys, games, imagination, the good stuff.

2012 Valentines

2012-02-10T19:47:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day is Tuesday already!

So I thought I would share with you the cards I made for the kids this year.

They aren't anything totally genius on my part.

The "3D holding a sucker" idea has been all over blog-land and pinterest for quite some time now.

But when I saw the idea last year I knew I wanted to re-create it for my kids.

So I did!

This is how they turned out.

Cute Right!? :)

You can find the tutorial to Bruce's Heart Breaker Tee {here}

Find the tutorial for Kiah's Be Mine Shirt {here}

100 Followers Celebration GIVEAWAY!

2012-02-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

I am thrilled to announce that Mommy Made has hit 100 followers!
And to celebrate Ive put together a BIG giveaway for all of you. :)

Im using rafflecopter to make entering this giveaway super easy.
There will be 9 winners, one for each of the prizes.
Please take some time to check out each of these lovely sponsors and what they are offering:

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*****ATTENTION*****

If you are having trouble with any of the links below in rafflecopter, please scroll back up
and find the links under the prize pictures and "like" the pages from there!
Then you can still hit the "i did this" button on rafflecopter to count as an entry!
But PLEASE go a like ALL of the sponsors pages...
weather from the links posted above or through rafflecopter, as it is madatory to enter this contest!
Those who dont like every page WILL be disqualified from winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Facebook, 100 Followers And Giveaway News

2012-01-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

I've finally made the decision to start a facebook page just for Mommy Made!

Yay. :)

So if you are on facebook, connect with me there.

Mommy Made on Facebook

Check out my photo albums for Mommy Made's most popular posts,

as well as my own personal favs!

I'll also be adding more fun photos of the kids and activities that have not made it to the blog.

Also, we are SO close to 100 followers here on the blog!

I am so excited! :)

And to celebrate I am preparing an awesome group giveaway, just to say thanks.

So spread the word and help Mommy Made reach 100 sooner! :)

Also, if you like Mommy Made, find me on Top Baby Blogs and vote for me!

Currently im #669.

Saturdays.

2012-01-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

Saturdays.

I love my Saturdays.

Saturdays are the ONLY days I get to "sleep in".

Of course being a momma I dont REALLY get to sleep in.

The kids usually wake up early and always want to eat right away.

Which means they are waking ME up early too.

But Saturdays are the only days I dont HAVE to get up early for anything.

Sundays I wake up early for Church. Monday through Friday I wake myself up at 6:20 am.

So I enjoy Saturdays a lot.

Even if I'm only sleeping in until 7:30 or 8:00.

But I must confess today... Today I slept in until 11:00!!!

Wow. Yes. I slept in till just about noon.

Hard to believe.

I wasn't bothered, I wasn't abruptly awaken by a child needing breakfast, or cartoons on or help with anything!

I just SLEPT.

Amazing. A total guilty pleasure that I thoroughly enjoyed... As it is SUCH a rare thing.

When I woke up I was just slightly concerned.

Either someone had stolen the kids for ransom or the house would be a complete disaster, I was sure of it.

However when I reached the living room, this is what I found that had kept the kids so busy.

Too busy in fact, to bother Mommy.

Blanket Forts:

Most days I might have been irritated by the slight mess in the living room.

Most days I might even have made them rush to clean it up.

But today I was thankful.

Thankful for imagination... And cute little faces!

Thankful for kids in good moods and a good long (much needed) sleep!

Thankful for an 8 year old wonderfully helpful daughter who got herself and the boys breakfast.

Thankful for my little beauty and two little handsomes!

So instead of rushing the clean up. I grabbed my camera and captured a wonderful memory.

After that I got on the floor and checked out their new little "homes".
Then got up and made breakfast for lunch (mmm blueberry pancakes!).

Kiah named her fort "Kiah's Perfect Palace".

And I named this, the "Perfect LAZY Saturday".

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! ;)

In A Mommy's World....Silence

2012-01-26T23:18:00.000-08:00

You know the phrase "Silence is Golden"?

Well In a Mommy's World, Silence is NOT always golden.

Silence is TROUBLE!

If you're a momma, you know exactly what I am talking about.

Kids are LOUD little creatures.

And though I want to CHERISH the few times during the day when I can have silence,

from naps and what not, for the most part silence is trouble.

Chances are when kids are playing in the room "silently" they are usually up to no good.

I can recall one time when Bruce was about 2 and I used to baby sit another little boy his same age.

Those two were best friends and played together pretty wonderfully.

Anyways... one day when I thought they were just playing so greatly it turns out I was way wrong!

They had sneaked into the fridge and smuggled a carton of eggs to their rooms.

When it finally hit me that they were being TOO quiet I went to go check on them.

I found them dancing around a bunch of smashed eggs in the carpet!

Yeah FUN STUFF.

Silence is trouble!

And sometimes, silence can be a little SCARY!

Well today I had a fun little scare.

Zander was supposed to be cleaning his room.

For a while I tried to make it FUN.

I got him excited about doing certain parts of the cleaning.

Like I'd ask him in a real excited voice "Can you find me all the garbage!?"

And he would say "YEAAAAHHH"

He'd come running out with a handful of paper or random garbage from his room

and say "Momma I put dis in da babage!"

And I would say "YAY!! Good job Buddy!"

After a while Zander started losing his enthusiasm to clean up and I was too.

I was cleaning, cleaning, cleaning too... and I just was feeling too tired to keep up the energy to get him excited.

So finally The Daddy Stepped in and told Zander he needed to get to his room and clean it up!

Zan ran off crying.

He was crying for some time.

And finally it got quiet.

When I realized he wasn't crying anymore and was being extremely quiet I went to check on him.

This is what I found:

And empty room! I said his name and go no reply.

Again a little louder "Zander, where are you!"

I was instantly in a panic.

All kinds of bad situations ran through my mind in an instant.

You know the panic that us Mommas get... you think of ALL THE WORST things that could happen.

I was about to freak out.

Then I stopped and came to my senses. I walked further into the room.

"Zander?"

Again no Answer.

After looking around I notice something....Aha!

Why he was under his bed, or sleeping on his hand?

I have no clue..

But my goodness, isnt he the most beautifully handsome sleeping boy ever!?

Oh how I LOVE him.

Ok so maybe he wasnt as MUCH "trouble" as his older brother has been when he was being "silent".

But his silence sure did give me a BIG scare even if just for a moment!

What kind of "trouble" have you found from your kids' silence?

DIY Girls Be Mine Valentines Day Shirt

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I shared how I made Bruce's No Sew Heart Breaker tee-shirt refashion for Valentines Day.

Today I would like to share with you the shirt I made for Kiah, for V-Day.

I saw this idea originally on this months Family Fun Magazine.

But of course I put my own little spin on it.

Supplies:
~Plain White tee shirt (Family Fun Mag used red & pink shirts)
~Red or Pink Puff Paint (FFM used white)
~Heart Shaped Paper Doily
~Foam Brush
~Tape
~Card Board

STEP ONE: Stick the card board between the shirt to protect from the paint.

STEP TWO: Stick some tape to the back center of the doily and position it on the front of the shirt.

STEP THREE: Using the foam brush slowly dab the puff paint over the doily holes.

STEP FOUR: Once you have dabbed paint all the way around, carefully pull up the doily.

You will be left with a lovely "lace like" heart print on the shirt!

STEP FIVE: Now here is where I added my own spin on it. I thought it looked a little too plain with just the one empty heart. So I added "Be Mine" to the middle.

Definitely way cuter!

Now just let dry over night.

And it looks totally fabulous!

The perfect little valentines day outfit.

Headband is from Vintage Wanna Bee.

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So simple and so cute.

Kiah LOVED it, and I do too. :)

No Sew Boys Heart Breaker Tee-Shirt Refashion

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm planning on taking special pictures of the kids for their Valentines.

I wanted each of them to look super cute!

Girls are so easy to "dress up" for Valentines day.

Anything with lace, ruffles, hearts or glitter will do.

Boys on the other hand can be a little harder, there isnt a big market for "cutesy" boy clothes for V-day.

So Mommy Made him a special shirt for Bruce for Valentines day!

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Its so simple YOU TOO can make one for your little heart breaker!

Step 1: Use paper to cut out a heart, and cut a zig zag through it to make it "break"

Step 2: Place it on the shirt to get an idea of the size in case you need to trim it down.

Also make sure you have enough red fabric. There should be at least a 1/4 inch past the heart on each side.

Step 3: Remove red fabric and pin down your heart template to front of shirt and trace with pencil.

Step 4: Cut a hole in the middle of one side of heart, then continue to cut around pencil lines.

Do the same for the other side of the heart.

Step 5: Turn shirt inside out, and place cardboard between shirt to protect from sticking together!

Step 6: Add liquid stitch, do only one side at a time to ensure no folding.

Step 7: Carefully add the red fabric (one side at a time)

Step 8: Trim excess red fabric, leave and let dry for about 30 minutes.

Step 9: Flip right side out

Step 10: Grab Puff Paint and Decorate I thought adding a "stitched" look would be cool and rugged.

But you can get created and design it how you want! :)

Step 11: Add your word(s) let dry over night!

My handsome little man! :)
We thought it looked a little more "manly" with the layered shirt look.
So he just threw on a long sleeve shirt to go under, but I am sure black would look good too.

Come back tomorrow to see the special Valentine's Day shirt I made for Kiah!

Dinosaur Magnets - A Kid Friendly Project!

2012-01-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Last Night Kiah went on a date with The Daddy.

So I planned a fun little craft to do with the boys!

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I already had all these supplies on hand but everything can be found at

Dollar Tree or Walmart for a reasonable price!

1. Wood Shape Cut outs (found these dino shapes at dollar tree!)

2. Paint Brushed (Dollar Tree)

3. Acrylic Paint (walmart)

4. Puff Paint (Mine were from walmart but Ive seen some at $tree too!)

5. Super Glue (Dollar Tree)

6. Magnets (Walmart)

Step One: Pick a Color and Paint wood cut out.

Both the boys did so well painting!

I love how cute Zander looked holding his dino so precisely. :)

Brucey isnt as delicate a painter, but he did a wonderful job with his! :)

Step 2: Let dry for about 10-15 minutes.

The boys didnt want to be so patience about waiting.

So to pass the time, we cleaned up the table, washed the brushed, put away the acrylic paint and washed our hands.

Step 3: Use Puff Paint to add some details

Bruce added his name to one, "My Sis" to another and spots to the other two.

Zander did lots of spots and squiggles.

But he was especially proud of himself when he put two small eyes on the yellow dino!

He excited exclaimed "Momma Yook ah my dy-ah-saur eyes!"

He did eyes on the purpleish looking one too.

(its actullay brown.. im not sure why it looks purple in this pic)

Step 4: Add some super glue to a magnet and stick a dino on top!

(I of course made these two purple ones)

Step 5: Stick to the fridge and enjoy!

BTW thats Zanders Christmas tree and thats Bruce's tiger!
My little artists!! :)

Little Miss Popular!

2012-01-20T16:00:00.000-08:00

Friday's I go to School with Kiah. :)

Kiah is amazing.

She is one of the smartest kids in her class.

She is very friendly and so popular!

She is totally the opposite of me at that age in that sense; "Popular".

I went to this very same school when I was her age.

In fact, I actually had the very same teacher that she has now!

Crazy, right?

But what I remember about that playground, that very same black top...?

Walking around alone, playing by myself. A shy girl, who didn't quite fit in. That was me.

Seeing Kiah with all her friends makes me smile.

I am so happy with her. I am so glad she is the opposite of me.

I am so glad she is outgoing and fun.

I love seeing her surrounded by all her friends with their silly hats and stuffed animals.

They all have their "inside jokes" and stories and silly songs that they get excited to share with me.

haha It's really cute. Ah to be young. ;)

It warms my heart, Kiah tells me that everyone loves me and

gets excited when they know I am coming to class with her!

So, I wasn't popular when I was little, but now I am popular with the littles.

Kiah tells me she loves it the most when I come to class with her,

goodness she is so precious, but really its ME who loves it the most. ♥

Do you go to classes with your kids?

Are your kids just like you, or the total opposite?

School Lunch Drama

2012-01-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

Just about every Thursday I go to school with Brucey.

Somedays I bring a lunch, other days I buy a lunch.

Today I didn't do either.

It was kind of a rushed Morning so I didn't have time to prepare something

and I didn't have any cash on hand to buy a lunch today.

No big deal though, I can deal with going with out food for a few hours.

I usually eat a late lunch anyways... some days I don't even eat lunch.

But when it came to lunch time my stomach was growling.

Ugh.

I could have left to grab something at the store real quick.

But Brucey gets so emotional if I try to leave.

He wanted me to stay with him, so I did.

I sat with all the other kindergarteners at the lunch table.

Brucey talked and played and ate.

He held my hand too and smiled at me, he was so happy I was there with him.

He is always excited when I go to school with him. :)

Now I always tell him to try to eat everything from his lunch, because we pay (full price) for his lunch and it gets expensive, so I don't want him to waste any!

Today he did a great job, he ate all of his food.. except the grilled cheese.

He tried, he did his best.

He said I will try, but he just didn't like theirs.

He split it in half and took a several bites then said he was full.

There was more than half left.

He asked, "Mommy, do you want to have it?"

I DID want to have it. haha I was hungry still.

But I couldn't have it. I was not ALLOWED to!

Yeah... that's right, I was told that I was not allowed to eat his food.

On the very first day I volunteered in class for Bruce I didnt think I would stay until lunch time.

Most parents stay until right before lunch, then leave. Some stay, but most go home at that point.

Bruce of course wanted me to stay. But I wasnt prepared.

I didn't have a lunch or cash on hand!

I didn't mind, I actually wasn't that hungry on that day.

But a similar thing happened that day.

Brucey finished all of his lunch except for half of his chicken sandwich.

He liked it, but he was just full.

He said, "Here, Momma, can you eat this, I'm too full."

I thought well why not. Its better than it going to waste!

Two bites into the sandwich and I was approached by one of the lunch ladies.

The conversation went something like this:

Lunch Lady: I'm sorry, but you are not allowed to eat the kids' lunches.

(She didn't sound really sorry, she sounded kind of harsh.)

Me: (confused) Oh, this is my son.

Lunch Lady: That may be, but the state says this is the required amount of food for school children.

I cant have you eating his food. You are welcome to purchase a lunch for yourself though.

Me: (with a lump in my throat) Oh ok.

She walked and I put the sandwich back down on his tray, TO BE THROWN AWAY!

I felt hot. I got tears in my eyes that I immediately tried to dry up,

I was a mixture of embarrassed and totally PISSED off!

Words stirred up inside of me and I had wished I had told the lady off.

Of course I didn't want to cause a scene, so I didn't.

But I was beyond frustrated!

"I am welcome to purchase a lunch"

Oh right, cause the one I already purchased for my son should go to waste?

I wanted to get angry and tell her that I am the one who pays for my sons lunch... not the damn state!

And if I didn't want it to go to the GARBAGE then I would eat what I want since I, after all, PAID for it!

But I never said a thing. And since then I have brought my own lunch, or brought money.

Except for today.

If you're curious, no, I didn't finish his sandwich today.

I didn't want to "get in trouble" or START any.. cause if that lady said something to me again,

I just might unleash. Which I wouldn't really be right for me to do in the long run.

So I came home and blogged about it instead. ;)

*sigh*

I shouldn't let it even get to me, and if anything I could just talk to the principal or something.

Its just a little frustration. I wonder if any of you have experienced something like this?

Or what your thoughts are about it?

I mean I can see the other side, if its a state paid lunch, fine I get that.

And I am sure they cant make exceptions cause who wants to sit and check EVERY ones lunch status.

But I just felt like she was rude, and it upset me how she said "the kids' lunches."

As if I were just picking off all of their plates!? Ugh...

Anyways... I'm done now, I promise.

P.S. On a lighter note...
I found this earlier on Pinterest and thought it was fitting.
Hehe

Source: someecards.com via Maria on Pinterest

Its always best to end on a laugh right?

Its The Thought That Counts

2012-01-17T18:33:00.000-08:00

A few nights ago, Brucey thought it would be the greatest thing if he could "clean" my toenails for me.

After he was finished he got a little smile on his face.

"Momma, can I..... paint your toenails?"

"Oh, no buddy, I don't think that's a very good idea."

"Please, Momma! I'll do a good job! PLEASE?"

I didnt really want to deal with him getting paint all over my toes, or making a mess,

or walking around with an "ugly pedicure". But he just seemed so cute and excited.

So I said,

"hmmm... oh alright, I don't mind. Sure... go ahead!"

He was thrilled I said yes, and had a big smile on his face!

Then he got a seriously look, cause he was down to business.

He wanted to do different colors and made sure to ask what my favorite color was so he could include it.

Sweet little Buddy. I love him so much.

The Verdict?

Well, just see for yourself:

Not too bad. He did pretty well keeping on the nail. The big toes are borderline ugly. lol

But it was very loving & thoughtful. :)

And that's what counts right?

So I thought I would remove the polish shortly after, but decided "eh,who really looks at my feet."

The next night at my women's bible study... just about everyone noticed them! HAHA

But they all "aww'd" when I told them why they looked so "fun". ;)

Dear Bruce, I'm Sorry

2012-01-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Bruce,

Hello my handsome little boo. :)

Lately I have been loving on you a little more than usual... and I don't plan on quitting. Being the middle child that you are, I know you need it. You see.. you have been acting out a lot lately.. and for a long time all I found myself doing was just getting angry and yelling or punishing you. When I look back at those times I get real sad. Not because of your behavior, but because of MINE! YOU are my special little guy. And I know you were just looking for a little more love and encouragement... which I now realize I hadn't been giving you enough of. Sadly it took hearing other people putting you down (which really hurt my feelings) to realize that I was doing the same exact thing. Judging you, stereotyping you, casting you aside! YOU, my precious, sensitive, 5 year old son! I am sorry for this Bruce.

Its crazy when you think about it... for so long I thought that you were the most difficult out of your siblings. That you gave me the hardest time and made me stress the most. However... it might just be the other way around... Maybe it was ME giving you the hard time. Maybe I've been pushing you away to the point where you just wanted some attention. Looking back I see it more clear. And again I am so sorry, my little love. All I want now is to go back and give you loves. To hug you and kiss you and let you know you are special and a gift. Because when I do that now, lately... I can see a difference. I can tell how much happier you are.Genuinely happy! And that both warms my heart and breaks it at the same time. Just because I love you so much and I feel terrible for not always being the best Momma to you.

Though I am sure you would probably tell me I was always a good Mommy to you. I know in my heart I have not been to you what I should have. My attitude has not always been uplifting, its been one of impatience, annoyance and frustration. Sadly, even Mommy's make mistakes! It is important that we realize and learn from our mistakes. Which is what I plan on doing. I have no excuse for being an impatience mommy. You, as well as Kiah & Zander are gifts. Precious gifts to me from God. And I want nothing more than to care for you and treat you as such. I love you soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much much much much much much much much much much!

Love Always,

Mommy

P.S. You are in School right now and I miss you a ton!

In A Mommy's World....Sharing Food

2012-01-04T19:43:00.000-08:00

In a Mommy's world there is NO SUCH THING as Finishing Your Own Food!

Sharing your food is just inevitable.

There just must be some kind of kid code that Mommy's are not aloud to finish their food all by themselves.

Because when I am home, I never get to!

Zander is the main culprit for this action.... But both Kiah and Brucey have been known to do it before.

It doesnt matter if they just ate, themselves, or even have their own plate full of the same food.

What's on Mommy's plate ALWAYS taste better than whats on their own plate.

Just such an occurrence happened this morning as I was lazily eating a bowl of cereal on the couch.

Zander, who had just finished his own bowl of cereal by the way, comes up to me.

Mouth open wide "Bite?"

I guess its my own fault (or so thats what The Daddy keeps telling me) because then I just send a spoonful of yummy Cinnamon Toast Crunch soaring to his mouth... So automatically... without hesitation!

I just do it!

Without even thinking.

Its just so natural for some reason.

I take another bite as he crunches away, and I watch in delight as his adorably chubby cheeks move to his chewing.

Yes, I think its cute (annoying at times, but for the most part cute)!

Grrr...

I smile as he gulps and opens wide again "AHHHHHHH" expecting another bite.

And This ~~dummy~~ Momma, feeds him another spoonful.

Maybe its cause he is still in his "cute phase" and he can get away with being a stinker,

maybe its because he is the baby of the house and I can help but ~~spoil~~ baby him,

Or maybe its just cause I am a momma who has nurtured, cared for and

FED 3 kids and it really is just a natural mommy reaction.

Who knows!?

But I am sure the time needs to come soon, where I put my foot down and stop sharing.

Considering the fact that I was barely done with my cereal when the bowl was literally snatched out of my hands by Z.

I said... oh are you taking that to the sink for me?

His reply?

"Nooo, I drink you milk, Momma."

*sigh*

Only in a Mommy's World!!

P.S. Read my first In A Mommy's World Post about Privacy {here}

Little Builders

2011-12-27T21:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Morning I had a few little builders in the house. :)

I was busy trying to get food prepped for dinner with the in laws and the boys were being a bit rowdy.

So I told them to go to their room, get out their blocks and build me something!

I was quite impressed with the out come.

First Zander came running out to show me what he had made:

"Rawret Ship" = Rocket Ship

"Bobot" = Robot

"Hewacocker" = Helicopter

Wow right!?!

I was totally impressed with his creations!

So of course I said... lets get pictures!!! haha

Gosh I love those big blue eyes!

Kissy Face!!

Brucey came out next.

He took a little more time and made a Castle! :)

This picture reminds me of Wilson! haha

My handsome little boo.

Doesnt he just have the sweetest smile!?

I Love my little builders!

We had a wonderful Christmas by the way.

We spent Christmas Eve with the in-laws.

Christmas morning we woke with the kids to open presents, then went to church and after that had my family over for Christmas dinner.

All the kids really loved and appreciated everything they got, which wasnt a whole lot this year.

But everyone had fun and were thankful.

It totally melted my heart. :)

How was your Christmas?

Flash Card Confusion

2011-12-21T15:56:00.000-08:00

Something that I truly love about my kids is that they each have such a thirst for knowledge.

Kiah and Zander are more "book smart" and love to read and solve problems...

They have both been found at one time or another, alseep with a book clenched in their sweet little hands! *hehe*

Brucey is more "street smart" he is SUCH a quick learner and has amazing hand eye coordination.

He takes after The Daddy that way. He is our little athlete. :)

But they are all love to learn!

So I decided it would be fun to buy some flash cards.

Since Brucey has gone into kindergarten he is more excited about learning new things,

showing off his reading, spelling, & counting skills!

Zander who is a SPONGE when it comes to learning drinks up anything he hears from Kiah & Brucey.

So he already knows his ABC's, How to count to 15 (before he starts making up numbers) and most of his colors.

One night I got out the flash cards, and they each crowded around, its so fun to see how excited they get to do them. Zander LOVES to count. He likes the cards where you have to count how many of an item is in the picture. You can see him in the picture below, counting. :) And Brucey gets so eager to should out the answer.. is covering his mouth to remind himself he has to let Zander answer some too! :)

They were being so adorable, I went ahead and let Kiah take over the cards to I could take a few pictures of my little learners! And thats when Zander got a little goofy! :)

Kiah pulled out a new flash card, it was of a white crayon.

Zander was supposed to tell us what color it was....

His answers had us all crackin up! :)

Green? He guessed.

No, not green.. you know this one buddy! :)

Purple?

Nope, not purple.

YELLOW?? Blueberry!?... GRAPE!??

Haha He was simply adorable, I love his determination not to give up.

We finally told him it was white.

"Oh, White!" he said.

Oh how I love my little learners. :)

Isnt it so fun to see young ones learn?

How Not To Get Caught Up In the Hype Of Christmas Shopping!

2011-12-01T08:49:00.000-08:00

While I was driving yesterday and listening to the radio either K-Love or Air 1. The radio show host was talking about not wanting to get caught up in all the hype and excessiveness of shopping and gifts and buying things that her family didn't really need.
She was talking about how much her family has, and her kids have plenty of toys. And that she wanted to concentrate on being thankful for all they were blessed with, rather than thinking of what else they can get.

I can totally relate to this! It seems like my family has it all! Shopping for them is hard.. my kids have so much, and actually we are planning on going through all their toys and such to get rid of all the stuff they don't need or use anymore. And I always try to remind my kids to be grateful and thankful for everything they get. Though sometimes it really is so easy to get sucked into all the hype of Christmas shopping, with black friday deals and sales, coupon and toy flyers being sent in the mail, all the eye catching commercials and so on...

Well the radio show host talked about a lady who did something different. I thought it was so neat that I wanted to share this idea with you too. When it came to Christmas this lady's family knew they only got 4 things! Something they WANT, Something they NEED, Something to WEAR and Something to READ! How brilliant is that!? So smart, and I loved that it rhymes. haha Well Ive already done Christmas Shopping this year... And though I know it didn't go crazy this year, I have before. So I think I may adopt this idea and use it next year to help keep me and my family in line and help us focus on what Christmas is really about; The Birth of Jesus. :)

In America we really are blessed with so MUCH. And most of the time we don't even realize it. We take it for granted and at times we can be so greedy. I don't want to be like that, and I don't want my kids to be like that either. Which is why we got involved with Operation Christmas Child this year and plan on making it something we do every year! So I'm really loving this new idea of "Want, Need, Wear, Read" to help my family focus more on our blessings, being thankful, and the real reason for the season and less on what we can get. :)

Do you have any special ways to beat the hype of excessive gifts?
How do you set the limit?
What do you do to help your family stay grateful this time of year?

For Your Young Book Lovers! (Customized Books)

2011-11-27T00:02:00.000-08:00

When I was young, my Mom got me and my sisters each a personalized book for Christmas one year.

I have always cherished this book, and loved that it had my name in it, and the names of my friends!

This is my special book:

And this is me, age 9... and yes Student of The Week... haha

Kiah is lucky, she is way cuter than I was at her age! ;)

Here is a closer look at my book.

Recently one of my sisters mentioned wanting to get a personalized book like ours for her own daughter. :)

And I knew it would be a perfect gift for my own kids too!

So I searched online and found this website Happy Kids Personalized Gifts!

You can check out all their books and even read the whole story to be sure you like it before you purchase!

The Prices are wonderful and range from $10-$17.

These are the books I picked out for my little Book Lovers. :)

Kiah got The Ballerina Princess.

I liked it because it looks similar to Barbie, and she is pretty into Barbie right now.

Though Kiah's reading level is a bit higher than this book,

I know she will treasure it so much, as I have treasured my own special book!

She loves to read and she even reads my special book a lot.

I know she is gonna LOVE to have her own. :)

Since Zander is totally into counting right now I got him a Sesame Street Counting Book.

Through out the whole book there are things to "help Elmo count".

I know Zander will LOVE this!

Of all the kids, he is my biggest book lover!

I love that about him... he even fell asleep clutching his fav book in his hands! :)

I am sure he will be excited to hear his name in this book.

Although these books are a surprise for them (for Christmas) I asked the kids to tell me who their best friends where..

So I knew who to add to the book.

Its sweet that when I asked Zander, he told me Kiah and Brucey were his best friends. :)

Sweet Boy!

And for my tough little Super Hero Brucey, I got The Justice League!

This was one of the more expensive books at $17, but its a lot bigger.

Brucey is just learning to read now.

And though he gets excited to read and find words he knows, he often gets board with the books we have.

I think this one will DEFINITELY keep his attention!

Its big, and colorful, full of action and he and his school friends are included in the action!

So I am EXTREMELY excited to give these to the kids.

I really hope they like them as much as I think they will... more so hopefully! :)
Pin It

Do you have a little book lover?

If so, you will definitely want to check out this fun site!

p.s. This is NOT a sponsored post at all!

Just thought it was a fun gift idea and had to share. :)

In a Mommy's World

2011-11-25T13:52:00.000-08:00

Today I would like to talk about some silly things that happen in a Mommy's world.

In a Mommy's world there is NO SUCH THING as PRIVACY!

Let me share with you a few stories...

< Bruce.

So to set the scene, I will just say.. I am in the bathroom.

Brucey: Momma, Look at my shorts!!

Me: Brucey.. I'm going to the bathroom. I'll look when I am done.

Brucey: Ok, I'll just be right here by the washer.

(I was in our laundry room bathroom)
So he stayed right there until I was done... not quietly though.
He stuck his fingers under the door.

Momma! Can you see me!?

Brucey... Go Away!!

The sound of little feet hitting the tile slowly fades as he runs away...
Then gets louder as her runs back to my door.

MOMMA! Look!

He slips a piece of paper under the door.

Did you get that?!

Bruce, get out of here and let me have some peace! Goodness!

I'm half annoyed and amused at the same time.

But he gets quiet. And I finish my business in peace.

*sigh*

I open the pocket door to find him direct in front of me.

*oye*

Example #2

Zander >

Zander is still so much a momma's boy.
When he wakes up in the morning, he likes to lay with me in bed until I wake up.
Sometimes he is patient and just cuddles with me, other times he like to "ache me up".
He still wants me to pick him up and hold him.
And I love that... but he is almost 3 and getting heavy for me!
Plus when I get up in the morning, first thing I want to do is pee and brush my teeth!
My bladder wont allow me to hold anyone or anything heavy. :)
So I convince him to hold my hand, and TRY to convince him to just wait for me while I'm in the bathroom.

Does that ever work?
No!

So as I pee, he barges in and whines for me hold him.

No buddy... Im not gonna hold you right now.

Hold my hand?

Oh goodness, buddy... go wait for me on my bed. Then I will pick you up and get you some breakfast!

*pouty lip*

Hold my hand, momma, pwease!

Gracious... so I held his hand as I pee'd....

Yes, you read right.
Thank goodness this isn't an everyday occurrence,
but obviously this isn't something I can let happen for very much longer!!

Is it just me, or does it seem like having boys gives you lots of potty stories?!

Maybe this is just part of the joys of having boys...
Because with my Kiah girl, I've never really had a problem with privacy, SO FAR!

Since having boys though, my privacy has become non-existent!
What about you? Can you relate?
Do you think this is more of a boy thing too.. or have you had similar situations with your little girl? :)
I'd love to hear from you!

Peek-A-Boo, I See You!

2011-11-15T10:21:00.000-08:00

Peek-A-Boo, I See You!

And you can see me,

over at Bella Before & After!

Im guest posting over there, and sharing with you a couple silly stories and incites into a Mommy's World!

Hope to see you there! :)

Custom digital portrait by

Art By Jacy!

She Did Fantasic

2011-11-14T09:19:00.000-08:00

Kiah had her volcano report a couple weeks.ago

Lucky for me they happened to be their reports on a Friday, which is the day I volunteer in her class!

Kiah was the first one to go up and do it, since I was there to watch.

She didn't want to be first, and was a little nervous. However, she still so great.

She had such a wonderful report explaining about volcanoes and the parts that make up a volcano,

She talked about her trip to Mt. Lassen, what she learned on the trip and why the trail they hiked was called Bumpass Hell. She even shared a funny story about the smell of the boiling sulfuric pool.

And no, neither I nor The Daddy had anything to do with her report.. she wrote it completely on her own, and I hadnt even read or heard it until that day in her class.

When I asked her later why she hadn't shown me her report earlier, she said because she wanted to surprise me. :)

Boy WAS I surprised, I know she is smart... but I was still amazed at how well she did.

I got teary eyed, I had perm-a-grin, and (I know I say this a lot but...) I was..well am so proud of her!

Of course I am talking about my little over achiever, and yes, she did fantastic!

Kiah had her volcano report a couple weeks.ago

Lucky for me they happened to be their reports on a Friday, which is the day I volunteer in her class!

Kiah was the first one to go up and do it, since I was there to watch.

She didn't want to be first, and was a little nervous. However, she still so great.

I got teary eyed, I had perm-a-grin, and (I know I say this a lot but...) I am so proud of her!

So, not only did Kiah make a Volcano diorama, but she ALSO even created a poster.

This poster showed all the parts of the volcano.

So after she read her report, she used that to show all the parts of a volcano.

She then took and answered questions. She looked like a pro!

I don't think I will ever forget this day in class with Kiah.

She is so talented and smart.

She is also so determined.

I love how she desires to work hard and has such a thirst for knowledge.

That is rare these days... Believe me, I know..

I see it when I volunteer in Kiah's class once a week.

I see so many of the kids off task, talking, not paying attention... falling behind!

I mostly work with the kids that are falling behind in class.

The kids are great, sweet kids really but just don't have a desire to keep on task!

Teachers in this school are being swamped, I can see how hard it is for them to give everyone the extra attention they need, so I love that I can help.

Though Kiah is getting older and getting to the age where "school isnt cool or fun" anymore,

she remains a wonderful student. I love that about her.

I thank God every night for her, for the blessing that she is.

I know he has big plans for her.

She is a light and an example to everyone around her.

I pray she never loses the desire to do good, learn and achieve!

Night Time Routines

2011-11-08T22:49:00.000-08:00

Every night the kids and I have a bedtime routine. I put them to bed, and go to each of them separately, tuck them in, we pray and I say I LOVE you SOOOOOOOOOOOOO (as long as I can hold my breath!) Much much much much much much much much much!! Then I smother them in kisses!

They hold me tight and always ask for just ONE more kiss.... and then they ask again. :) I love it. I cherish it. Some nights I wish I could just stay in bed with them snuggling all night.

And some nights I am just so exhausted I cant wait for them to just be sleeping so I can go relax with The Daddy. Which means our bed time routine gets a little rushed. Sometimes I rush so much I forget to pray with them.
Nights like tonight... when I was tired, grumpy and emotional for no real reason and just need some peace and quiet. So I rush. Then as I start down the hallway to the living room, I hear it, from at least one of them (tonight it was Zander). Mooooommma! I run back in to see what he needs.
"Whats up Zander?"
"Momma, we pway?"
"Aww buddy, yeah I'm sorry, we can pray!"

And then my grumpiness is pushed away and my heart is filled.

I thank God that even my TWO year old can help keep me accountable!

His little prayers are so cute and funny too, he ALWAYS says

"And thank you for strawberry milk" every time, without fail.

I love it!

It makes me thankful even more for these precious ones God has entrusted to me.

I couldnt find the sleeping pic of Kiah so I used this one of her praying from her baptism.

What are your night time routines?

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Today I just wanted to quickly share a few photos from Brucey's School performance!

We are very proud of him!

The performance consisted of a "play" where each of the kids had one line.

They stood in a semi circle and said their line one after another, and it was completely adorable!

It was called "A Day in the Pumpkin Patch"

Bruce was on the very end, and had the very last line!

So he actually got to step in the very center and shout out his line:

"And we wish them all... A Happy Halloween!"

He was supposed to throw his arms up in the air... which he DID.. but he did it so fast... the time I took the picture. you can see it looks like he has no arms!! haha

After the little play... they sang several songs they have been working on!

It was the most adorable thing!

They did all kinds of movements and such to go along with their songs!

I got a little teary eyed watching!

If I have not mentioned this before... you may not know it, but Bruce is VERY shy!

So shy that for the longest time most people thought he didnt even know how to talk!

Of course at home he doesnt shut his mouth.. he talks my ear off. ;)

So we were worried he would get up in front of everyone and totally shut down like he usually does in front of people. So when he got up their and did his line, and sang the songs with confidence we were beyond proud and excited too!

He has grown so much since going to kindergarten.

Its so great to see his growth and change.

He is SUCH a big boy now!

I have also had the pleasure to help in his class room once a week.

He loves when I come in, and I love that I get to see him learning and just how smart he is!

He is a super fast learner!

Oh and did you catch the kid's pumpkin shirts?

They got to tye dye and paint their own jack o lantern shirts.

So cute right!? :)

"Haunted" Gingerbread Houses!

2011-10-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my sweet friend, Kim, and I got together for our kids to make

"Haunted" Gingerbread Houses!

Pin It

Above you can see Kiah's far left, Bruce's in the middle & Zanders to the right. :)

They had so much fun, and their houses turned out so cute!

This was such a brilliant idea, that Kim had for us to do.

Im so thankful for such a wonderful friend.

She is very crafty (like me) and a super talented cook, baker & cake decorator!

Plus she is amazing with a sewing machine! :)

She got everything together for this fun project for our families to get together and do.

So cute, I love all the fun candy decorations she found to use.

She colored vanilla frosting with orange and purple and each of the kids got their own bag to use.

I helped the boys put up their houses, and she helped Kiah and her daughter Dovelynn.

The boys used gram crackers and the girls used actual gingerbread, that Kim baled herself!

After we got the houses set up, letting them sit for a few minutes for the frosting to set,

the kids got to decorate them.

Of course enjoying a bite here and there along the way!

Zander actually did pretty good too!

But he really liked licking the frosting off his fingers the best. :)

This was such a fun creative idea, I think we will have to do it again next year.
It also got us warmed up for decorating gingerbread houses for Christmas!

Who Wants Handsome!?

2011-10-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

Ive mentioned in my last post, and a few other previous posts about how I never want to forget things when it comes to my kids.

All the big events, milestones.. and even more importantly... The little things! All the little things are often forgotten. And I will say it a million times... I never want to forget these things!

This morning, my alarm went off at 6:00AM, and as I reached for it as I normally do, I could not reach it! I was half out of it, still sleepy. I woke myself up a little more to see that I had been squished between The Daddy and two little ninja boys! Zander & Bruce Jr. So I reach as far as I can to grab my phone and stop the vibrating alarm before it woke any of them up!

Goodness.. my heart gets racing thinking of them waking up that early with me.. their grumpy little morning attitudes! haha
Luckily I managed to maneuver myself out of bed without anyone of them noticing! I tip toe out to the living room and start a pot of coffee. I was trying to think of how and when they got into bed with us. I usually wake up for everything! But I have been so tired lately that I must have slept through it...

Anyways, as I was thinking about our crowded bed, I was reminded about another morning experience. It was about 2 or so years ago. Must have been during the summer or a weekend, because I wasnt up early getting Kiah ready for school. So I remember The Daddy and I were laying in bed as was Kiah with us and we were just talking and enjoying each others company. Now I am not sure if Brucey was in bed still, or maybe watching cartoons in the living room. All I remember is that suddenly he appears in our doorway and exclaims "Who Wants Handsome!?" Referring to himself. HAHAHA

"I do! Come give me Loves, HANDSOME!" my reply of course, laughing at his adorably funny entrance!!

Goodness... remembering that just made my morning! I cant believe I almost forgot about that. I wonder what even made him think to say that? It was so funny and unexpected and cute. You see what I mean!? Its stuff like that, that I want to remember forever. And tell him, when he is older, or tell his wife! ;)

My little Brucey boy... he really is SO handsome! The spitting image of The Daddy. With a perfect amount of Mommy look to him. So, SO handsome... but maybe I just a bit partial?

I am amazed at how big he is getting and how much he (and Kiah & Zander) have grown. I look at their pictures and they just look so grown up! This time will go by so fast! It already has gone by faster than I realize sometimes. I look at their pictures and am in awe at how grown up they look. Then I am a mixture of joy & fear! I already miss them so much- the babies they were. But of course I am excited at their growth too.

I am sure that is normal of most if not all Mommies out there, though, right!? :) Our children are such blessings to us! They are fun, silly, loving, and wild too! Goodness! And Though some days are rough, with kids, I am so thankful for them everyday! I am thankful the little things I never want to forget. I'm even thankful for the rough days.... Cause they sure make me appreciate the good days!

I Hope I Never Forget This

2011-10-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

There are always moments in life where we think to ourselves "I hope I never forget this".

Sometimes they are big moments, sometimes they are just little everyday things that we can often take for granted.

All of them are important.

I'm always tell myself "Don't forget this moment.. it will pass faster than you think!" when it comes to the kids. That is why I blog for them, that is why I get snap happy with the camera. Because I never want to forget!

I want to remember, preserve and share these memories!

As Im getting older, and I am not even that old (according to all the 3rd graders in Kiah's class) it seems I am already losing my memory! I am forgetting things so much. I hate that. :(

So I am going to try my hardest to remember, whether in pictures, or stories and keep sharing them here, so that one day when my kids are older, I can show them all the things BIG and small that I wanted to remember. All the things I want them to know about themselves. Then I can also share them with their future spouse and their own kids too!

I want to be able to say, your Daddy did that same thing at your age, to my grandchild.

Or you look just like your Mommy, when she was your age, to my grandchild.

I want to say to my kids, remember when you were this age and you did this...

And even better than just telling them.. I want to be able to show them!

Today I want to share something about Zander that I never want to forget.

Zander, who is 2 and half years old right now, gets excited when ever I come home.

I love this. Whether I have been gone all day, for an hour or even just a few minutes...

as soon as I open the door and Zander see's me, he throws his arms in the air and excitedly proclaims:

"YOU'RE HERE!!!!!"

And I always reply, "Yes, My Love, Im here."

Talk about feeling appreciated! Talk about feeling loved! He is just 2 1/2 years old and he makes me feel so special! Like every entrance I make is a grand one! He is so happy that I am home. And I am happy to be home too. So then I scoop him up in my arms and give him big bear hugs!! And just enjoy the moment.

What things or memories do you hope you never forget?

Share it with me in the comment section, or I encourage you to even write your own
"never forget" post, and share the link with me! :)

Can We Say Over Achiever?

2011-09-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

Can We Say Over Achiever?

Yes, Over Achiever, My Kiah Girl is an over achiever!

Not that there is anything wrong with that, I am proud of her for doing so well academically.

And I love her thirst for knowledge, I love that she aspires be the Teachers Pet, that she never turns her green card, and gets "lunch bunch" every week of the year!

For those of you who don't know what that is, its lunch with the teacher where they get special treats and maybe a movie or TV time. Only the kids who keep their cards green all week long get it. Its actually funny... when She first told the daddy about lunch bunch, he was shocked.

He said "when I was a kid, having lunch with the teacher was a punishment, not a privilege!"

ANYWAYS.....

Back to the subject of being an OVER achiever...

SO, Last week end Kiah comes home telling me she has to build a Volcano. Then she said, well I don't HAVE to, I'm doing it for extra credit. SO I think, OK great, she wants extra credit. And I assume the teacher told the kids that if they wanted extra credit that they can make a volcano... since I know they have been studying land forms and such. Well the time comes for her to get started and I said I would help her, because she would using my supplies. So we head out to my craft room and I have a few supplies and ideas to help her with. But I am curious about the volcano...

So I ask her if she got a paper from the teacher about it, to see if there were any specifications and what not. She says no, because she doesn't have to do it...its just for extra credit! I said.. well I would like to know what your teacher said, so I know what we should be doing for sure. (I am just crazy with directions like that.) So I say well tell me what EXACTLY your teacher said. And Kiah tells me she didn't say anything because its for extra credit. I am confused....

So I ask he again What did her teacher say!
She said NOTHING.
I say what do you mean nothing!!!??
Kiah started crying.
I say, Baby can you please just tell me whats going on. How do you know you're supposed to make a volcano?
So she tells me I told my teacher I wanted to make a volcano, and she said ok.
I'm still confused... I ask, what? That's it? Ok so tell me exactly what happened in your class, and the conversation with your teacher... tell me exactly!!

So Kiah says, I went to my teachers desk. I told her I wanted to make a volcano. And she said ok.

I say.. and that's it!? She didn't say ANYTHING else?
Kiah cries a little more. And Answers no.
I say ok, babe, stop crying. Its ok.. I am not mad, I was just confused! Here I thought this whole time that your teacher told the whole class that you all could do a volcano for extra credit if you wanted. But that's not what happened, whats it?
"No".
Ok, so your teacher said nothing about extra credit?
"No".
OK Kiah, we can still make this volcano, for fun and you can still take it to your class. But you need to understand, that you may NOT get any extra credit at all, ok? Because your teacher didn't say this.. you cant just assume you will get extra credit for this. Ok? I mean you still MIGHT get extra credit.. BUT don't be upset if you don't, ok?

"OK".

So we get stuff together, she paper mache'd and painted, and glued.... and then before too long she had a cute little volcano diorama. Which she proudly tooks to school, Monday morning. When she came home, she tells me her teacher liked it, and said that they will eventually be making volcano dioramas and she wont have to do it because she will already be done! HAHA So I guess it wasn't all for nothing. BUT it was definitely something to remember. A memory of my little over achiever! She is so sweet and has such good intentions. And really I love that she wants to do her very best and anything she can to be the best student she can. Even if it is a little confusing and frustrating! :)

Do you happen to have a little over achiever in your home??

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

2011-09-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Its the first day of Fall. Hooray. So I'd like to say a little goodbye to Summer and hello to Fall.

Goodbye Summer.

Goodbye Summer Adventures.

Goodbye Sun bathing

Goodbye Tan Skin

Goodbye Swimming

Goodbye Flips Flops & Tank Tops.

Goodbye BBQ's.

Goodbye Water Fights.

Goodbye Camp Fires & S'mores.

Goodbye Late Night Star Gazing

Goodbye Fireworks.

Goodbye Heat.

Goodbye Dry Land

Goodbye Summer.

Hello Fall.

Hello Falling Leaves

Hello Pumpkin Patch Adventures

(This adorable photo above was taken when Brucey was 2 years old!)

Hello Cool Weather.

Hello Costumes.

(Halloween 2010)

Hello Halloween

Hello Candy

Hello Leaf Crunching

Hello Yummy Food

Hello Grateful Hearts

Hello Family Traditions

Hello Mud Football

Hello Thanksgiving

Hello Fall

What are your Hello/Goodbyes?

Time for a Hair Cut..

2011-09-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ok so I know this LOOKS bad.. but I tell you I LOVE this kids hair!

He has such adorable curls and he can totally pull off the long hair look.

Ok looking at this picture, you may not agree.. but thats because The Daddy was trying

to give him the "Ace Ventura" look. HAHA And yeah he looks silly.

But even still I was hesitant to let him get a hair cut!

But The Daddy had other plans.. SNEAKY plans, I might add!

When I was away in my craft room working on several orders, I was interrupted by The Daddy.

The Daddy was being AWFULLY LOVING to this Momma!

He just said "Heeey, LOOOOVE You"

You know what Im talking about.. if youre a momma or a wife.. you have heard this voice before.

I wasnt falling for it... "What did you do!?" I asked a little paranoid.

It took a while to get it out of him, he just kept saying LOOOOVE Yooou!

haha... finally I got him to admit he cut Zander's hair.

I had a mini freak out.. then Zander popped his adorable little head in.. and my heart melted!

I let out a loud AWWWWWWWWWWW

I wasn't upset, he looked just as handsome, if not more so!

And so grown up.

Oh my goodness, my handsome little man!!

Its funny, we joked that his head shrunk about 2 inches with this hair cut,

but also looked like his ears grew about 2 inches too! haha

No more big curls, to hid those Yoda ears!

But he still looks as handsome as ever. :)

*sigh* So I guess I am unsure which look I like better.

I always end up loving it once its cut, but I also love it when it is long.

Which look do you like better for my little Zander Boo??

You can see him with his long hair {here}

where it looks cute and not crazy like the first picture above! ;)

Spider Monkey

2011-09-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

Zander has become quite the spider monkey. He has recently figured out how to open doors.

This has become a worry for me, I dont need him wandering outside alone!

So we decided to keep the doors locked even when we are home.

Well, Mister Spider monkey has figured a way to also unlock the doors!

Lil Stinker!!

And his adorable little mug shot...SO Guilty!!!

'Sowwy Momma' He says.

Boys are such fun...

Sometimes I think it is wired in them to do everything they can to give their mommy's a heart attack!

Prize Winning Masterpiece

2011-09-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

With Halloween just around the corner,

I have been looking through our Halloween decor from last year...

And look what I found. :)

It may look like any old kid coloring, and no big deal.

But I assure you this isnt just any old kids coloring!

This is a PRIZE winning coloring!!

Last year Sherri's Restaurant did a coloring contest.

We dont eat there much, but happened to go and the kids colored their picture for the contest.

After we left, we didnt give the contest much though.

We probably even forgot about it. haha

Then one afternoon I got a call, it was someone from Sherri's, telling me Brucey won!!

I tell you it was very exciting!

He won glow in the dark necklaces, puffy Halloween stickers, and a real pumpkin!

Bruce was SO excited that he had won, and we were all super proud of him. :)

Ahh, it makes me smile just thinking about it.

What a fun memory.

Goodness, I never want to forget this!

Big or small I am proud of all my kids' achievements, as Im sure all Mommas are.

The Giant Growling Frog

2011-09-17T00:32:00.000-07:00

Before I get to this post, I must say I am A SLACKIN' on this blog!

I know I dont have that many followers, so I doubt anyone notices...

But I am just bummed because I really wanted to keep this blog updated for myself and the kids.

*sigh*

Ive just been so busy over at Agape Love, that I've put this blog on the back burner...

So much so that these pictures are from MAY! haha Yeah 4 months ago!

Well I guess better late than never!

So, anyways, I want to introduce to you The Giant Growling Frog!

(I am not sure why it was bleeding)

This big guy lives in our koi pond and up until now.. or well May, this frog had been totally illusive!

We had heard him, but never really seen him! The Daddy had caught glimpses, but could never find it.

Well while draining the koi pond one morning, he FINALLY caught the Giant frog!

Brucey, who loves froggies, was extremely excited! So was The Daddy.

Me, well I was just kind of surprised, I thought it would be a lot bigger!

Sure this thing is pretty huge. But this thing growls... no joke. It growls!

One night while in my room, alone, cause The Daddy was out for "guys night", I heard growling!

I was so scared, I was completely freaked out! I thought there was a mountain lion close by or something. We have had a mountain lion on our front yard before and seen them on the road too. So I was worried. Later I found out that, that "growling" was from this dang frog in our koi pond!

Eww just thinking about touching it creeped me out a little bit.

Bruce & The Daddy however, were just proud to hold and show off their new pet.

Zander on the other hand... was a little more like me! haha

He did try to brave it out...

He considered holding it...

Got so close to grabbing it....

Yeeaahhh....NO. HAHA

This kid cracks me up!

Anyways... The Daddy totally thought he was going to keep this giant frog as a pet.

He even got a big fish tank from my sister to keep him in.

He put thick chicken wire over the top to keep the frog from jumping out.

And all day it stayed in the tank. It didnt hop or even try to get out.

But the next morning when the boys went to go check on him...

The chicken wire was lifted and giant froggie was gone!

We knew that thing had strong legs but man.. we didnt expect that! haha

I just laughed and Brucey and The Daddy were bummed.

It wasnt too long before we heard giant frog back in our koi pond again.

How ever The Daddy drained the koi pond again, and through the summer it remained dried up.

So we hadnt seen or HEARD giant frog after that. Im wondering if he will come back once the rains come again....

Do you have any fun or interesting creatures living in your yard or around your house?

Zander's Moon

2011-09-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

In an effort to get a little more exercise into our day The Daddy and I decided to start taking walks during the morning after Kiah and Bruce go to school. Zander who loves going outside was excited about this idea. He wanted to quickly walk ahead of us and check everything out. There is nothing more precious than watching your child happily explore and learn!

Zander is just fun to be around in general, he never ceases to amaze me.
Today his new favorite word to use was "Oh". He cracked me up,

'Momma Wah dat?' Pointing to a mail box.

'Mail box!'

'Mail box, Oooh'

We keep walking.

'Momma Wah dat?' Pointing to a speed sign.

'Its a Sign!'

'Sign, Oh'

We keep walking.

'Wah DAT!' Excitedly pointing to a dog. (He knew what it was)

'Doggy, Zander.'

'Oh, DOGGY, Ruff Ruff ' Then sticks out his tongue and pants like a dog.

I love when he does that.

After walking a while, Zander started to slow down.. so daddy put him on his shoulders. :)

You will never guess what he saw once he got up so high?

The Moon! Yes... but not just THE moon... Zander's Moon!

'MOOOOOOON!!! Moon Momma... yook at MY moon Momma!'

'Oh thats Zander's Moon?' I ask

'Yeah Dat my moon Momma!'

Then Daddy says 'No thats MY moon!'

'Oh, dat Daddy moon, momma.'
Isn't he just the sweetest?

Then of course when I refereed to it again as Zander's moon, he kept correcting me and saying No that's Daddy's Moon! He is the sweetest. But I wanted it to be Zander's moon again.. so I nudged The Daddy and he said "No, thats Zander's Moon!"
"Oh, Dat my moon, Momma."
I don't know why, but I just love that he loves the moon. I love how smart he is and how curious and adventurous he is. I love his thirst for knowledge and I know that God has BIG plans for my special little guy. Every day I look at him and cant help but wonder how his life will turn out. I almost cant wait for him to grow up so I can see... but for the most part I almost want him to stay like this forever... Forever my baby boy, forever my little wonder. :) OK so maybe not FOREVER, haha, but you get my point. I just need to cherish every moment I have with my amazing kids, and pray I don't forget about their fun little personalities and behaviors at this age.They make life so much more fun and entertaining as well as stressful and frustrating at the same time! HA. They are such blessings, they strengthen my faith and teach me so many life lessons... Like that quote:

"While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about."
~Angela Schwindt

Its so true. :) Happy Friday Everyone!

Kid Friendly Enchiladas

2011-08-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure about everyone else's kids..but my kids are sort of picky eaters!
All three of them are.. But Zander is ESPECIALLY picky..
He will just LOOK at something and decide he doesn't like it. Even when I KNOW he does!
This usually happens every time I make enchiladas. He looks at the plate in front of him, in disgust, and pushes it away.
*sigh* I tell him, I know you like them, just try them! He opens his mouth, barely touches a small portion to his tongue, then spits it out. So I decided to try something different. And came up with something ~~Zander~~ I mean Kid friendly!

So basically I start as I usually do.
(The numbered parts are my regular recipe/directions for enchiladas)

1.) Boil boneless skinless chicken breast until cooked thoroughly
2.) Allow chicken to cool down then shred the chicken by hand into a pan

At this point Zander usually likes to watch me in the kitchen. He asks what I am cooking.
"Wha Dat Momma?"
I tell him its CHICKEN, in my most excited voice! Nummy for Enchiladas!
"Ah Had Some, pea, momma?"
Me calmly "Of course buddy!" I figure he can eat SOMETHING since he most likely wont eat them once they are done and ready to serve!

Anyways.. so I give Zander a few pieces of the plain cooked shredded pieces.
"Mmm dat good Mommy-Momma"

I continue to prepare the enchiladas as I normally would.
3.) Add some enchilada sauce to the pan of shredded chicken.
4.) Let simmer together.
5.) Heat corn tortillas in a bag to make them soft
6.) Soak them in sauce before wrapping chicken with them

By this time Zander wants more chicken, so I give him a bit more in a small bowl of the chicken with the sauce this time. I wait for his reaction.. and he is still smiling, still eating.. not grossed out faces and no spitting it out! SUCCESS! Of course by this time he noticed the tortillas and shredded cheese and asks about them!

So I tell him, this is for the enchiladas.. do you want some?

He say yes! And who am I to argue with a picky toddler who will potentially actually eat my cooking!? So I grab a warmed tortilla before soaking it in sauce. I add some of the saucy chicken and shredded cheese. Wrap it up and then hand it over.

And... drum roll...

He actually ATE it. ALL of it!

Sure he ate before everyone else... but I was just glad he was eating at all! :)

And of course I finished the enchiladas for the rest of the family.
7.) Wrap chicken in sauce soaked tortillas
8.) Fill up 13x9 baking dish
9.) Top with shredded cheese
10.) Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

I usually serve mine with homemade tortilla chips, refried beans and corn!

Im not sure if it was just that Zander watched me cook and see for himself what he was eating, or if it was just because it was a little more plain for him to eat it that way, I was just happy he was eating even if it was a slightly modified version. Plus... it didnt take me any extra time to do that for him.

So do any of you have picky eaters?
What helps you get them to eat?
What dinners have you had to modify for your kids to eat?
I'd love to hear your ideas and recipes! :)

Love,

First Day Of School!

2011-08-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of School for the kids. Which is always a BIG and special day in general.

But it was even more special today, because it was Bruce's VERY FIRST day of school ever!

Zander wanted to go to school too, poor guy he cried when he couldnt come with us! :(

He started kindergarten today!

We found Kiahs class, and its wonderful because it is actually right across from Brucey's class!

Check out that stack of books on her desk! She will be learning lots this year!

The first thing she noticed was the zebra on it! haha

She felt right at home in her class! She knew just about everyone too. Such a big girl.

And since there was still time before class started she came with us to check out Bruce's class.

We already had a sneak peek at Bruce's class, because we got to go there a week before school started to meet his teacher. He even colored and cut out his own bear like a big boy!

Today when we came in, there were puzzles to do while we were waiting for everyone to arrive.

Then class started, he had to sit on the color rug that matched the color of his name tag.

I got to stay with him for a while. (I stayed about 30 min)

He kept looking over at me to make sure I was still there!

Looking a little shy and nervous.

Learning new songs and how to sign to them.

Then there was a song about names, that also involved using a ball! You sang the song, then the teacher would throw the ball to you and you say your name. Of course Bruce LOVED that! And was completely ready to participate for this!

Ready to catch the ball and say his name!

Got it!

It was good to see him enjoying himself.

When it was time for the class to line up and learn how to follow the foot prints to the bathroom is when I left him. He seemed happy and content and confident. SO I kissed him good bye, snapped a few more pictures and left.

*sigh* It was hard to leave him.. I wanted to stay all day!

But I knew I had to let him do it on his own.

Boy, look at how big and handsome he looked!

So I came home to a quiet (and messy) house to wait anxiously to hear about the kids' first day!

I realized that all summer long I hadnt really CLEANED the house! We'd been so busy, on vacation and having visitors I hadnt had the time to really clean.. only mostly tidy up! SO I took advantage of the quiet and having only child (Two if you could The Daddy, who acted like he was dying of boredom with out the kids being home!) and really cleaned the house.

I even scrubbed the counters and gleaned the grout to make it nice and white again and washed our washing machine... it really needed it! And before I knew it, it was time to go get the kids! The time passed so quickly for me...

Unfortunately it seems the time didnt pass as quickly for Brucey! :( I went to his classroom, I saw him before he saw me. And he has started crying just a minute after I had gotten there. Poor guy! Then I called his name and he seemed relieved to see me. One of the parents who was helping in the class told me he was tired. I said yes, he gets tired this time of day plus he is so SHY. She said her son is shy too and this is a very long day for them. (Full day 8:20-2:45) I felt bad. I asked him if something happened, and he said no.. he just missed me. I asked if he had a good day aside from that and he said yes. SO he liked his day and once we were home he was a lot more excited about his day and shared about it with us. :) So thats good. I just pray that tomorrow goes better. I am a little nervous because tomorrow he will take the bus! Yikes! Of course Kiah will be there and help him and walk with him to his class.. so he wont be alone. But I am still a little nervous!

As for my Kiah girl, well she was beyond excited! She had a wonderful day. She said she loves 3rd grade and that her teacher is nice and so funny! :) It was so great to hear. I knew she would do great. She was also excited to hear about Brucey's day. She loved kindergarten, and said she knows Bruce will love it too! I agree with her, he just needs a little time to warm up, he has always been like that!

So who else had kids who started school today, or this week? How did it go?

Any Kindergartener Newbies?? How did they do?

How did YOU do?

I know I was extremely emotional when Kiah started Kindergarten,

and yet when my shy guy Bruce started today I didnt even shed a tear, oddly enough!

Lets hope I do as good once I see him go off on the bus! :)

I Ache.. I Mean, I'm Awake!

2011-08-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

I had a hard time sleeping last night so I was up till around 2 AM checking out blogs, editing photos, facebook stalking and such.. So of course after finally going to sleep, the "morning" came too soon.

Then of course I woke up to Zander laying next to me punching my face over and over saying "Mommy ache up! Mommy Ache UP!" Sure he MEANT "wake"... but I was feeling the ache more than the wake! sigh ... The joys... right? :)

On top of that.. look at this kid! Sheesh, darn that cute face... its really hard to be mad at a face like that! Little Stinker! On the other hand.. If I want to get any good sleep at all, I may have to put an electric fence around my bed....

p.s. I was just kidding bout the electric fence, I'm a momma... there is not such thing as good sleep!

I Spy Something Missing!

2011-08-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

I Spy Something Missing! Can you find what it is??

Yup! My big boy lost his very FIRST baby tooth!!

It is so hard to believe that he is already 5, he is going to kindergarten in ONE week!

And as if he wasnt official enough.. losing his first tooth sure made him an OFFICIAL Big Boy!

He got to use the special Tooth Pillow I made for the kids, last year. Which was very exciting for him. :)

You can find the tutorial on how I made this cute little tooth on my Agape Love Designs Blog {Here}!

He fell asleep with his tooth in the pocket...

And woke up to a pocket full of cash! :)

Yeah, the tooth fairy gives out big money for THEE FIRST Baby tooth that falls out!

Oh and I have to mention the (funny) sweet conversation between Kiah & Bruce Jr. Before they went to bed.
It went something like this:

Kiah: You have to be sleeping before the tooth fairy will come. She wont come if youre awake!

Bruce Jr.: How does she know I am awake!?

Kiah: Because she is like Santa Clause.. she knows when youre sleeping and she knows when youre awake!!

Hahaha

Mommy Made Doughnuts(And YOU Can Too!)!

2011-08-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

OK so they dont look like anything fancy, but they sure are YUMMY and totally easy to make!

My mom used to make these for us when we were kids, and now I make them for my kids. :)

All you need are these biscuits:

I used my deep fryer But you can use a deep pan with some cooking oil (like vegetable or corn)

So I popped open the biscuits and used pulled them all apart.

Then used a SMALL circle cookie cutter, to cut holes in each of the biscuits as shown:

Pop them in the oil.. only a few at a time, so they dont burn. Let them bubble and brown.

Then carefully turn them over. Make sure you leave them long enough to cook all the dough, but not too long to burn!

Pull them out onto a paper towel to dry and get the oil off.

Do the same with the holes.

Grab some frosting or sugar to top with and then serve!

A quick yummy "home made" treat!

I added some food coloring to the frosting for added fun. :)

Good thing is these doughnuts are very filling, that will stop you from eating too many!

So savor each yummy bite! :)
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This Is What Competitiveness Looks Like...

2011-07-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

You have heard me say it before... but I will say it again. My son Bruce is COMPETITIVE!

He gets that from The Daddy...

Would you like to see what his competitiveness looks like?

These pictures dont do it justice.. it was pretty terrible looking.

His whole stomach, both knees, just under his nose and one of his wrists were all scrapped up!

And he wasnt really crying so much over the scraps themselves.. as he was at the fact that Mommy had to get pictures of it! Which is why the pictures arent that great, he kept moving and wouldnt hold still for me to get a good shot of his "battle scars".

He kept getting mad at me and covering himself up.

Until The Daddy told him to knock it off and just let me get a picture... this is then what happened... a crying fit!

But at least you get the picture....

So you may be wondering what happened?

Well he was outside... just as he is in the pictures.. shorts, no shirt, and flip flops. The Daddy was outside too checking the mail... they decided to race back! Sometimes this Momma thinks The Daddy is one of the kids! Sheesh.. so what happens? Little Bruce trips on his flip flops in an attempt to beat The Daddy. I of course was a little upset with The Daddy... And in the end all Little Bruce could say was "I almost beat daddy though!"

*Sigh* Dont worry buddy.. one day you will! :)

Love,

Once Upon A Time.. (A Story About A Little Boy Who Wanted To Do It All)

2011-07-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a little boy who LOVED to do what others did! It was a good thing.... at first. It meant that because he had an older brother and sister who could walk, he learned to walk very fast and early at the age of 9 months! It meant that he learned to eat like a big boy, and play like a big boy and talk and get himself dressed and all the things his big brother and sister could do. It meant that he was very smart and quick at catching on! It made his Mommy and Daddy super PROUD. It made his Doctor excited to see his fast growth and surprised to see him acting several months ahead of his age! It made everyone around him, ooohh and ahhh over how cute this LITTLE boy was doing BIG BOY things!

But Like I said.. that was AT FIRST! Soon he started wanting do EVERYTHING on his own. Little Mister INDEPENDENT! He would sometimes throw fits when Mommy tried to help, because HE wanted to do it HIMSELF! That worried his Mommy.. because he even wanted to do dangerous things, like climb the counters and pour his mommy some coffee, jump in the pool without floaties, ride the big boy quad by himself, climb out of his high chair on his own... then eventually refuse to even use his high chair any more so he could instead eat up at the breakfast bar on the tall stools like brother & sister! It meant things like trying to walk in daddys big shoes, brothers roller skates and EVEN Mommy's Shoes! And more recently it has meant that not only does he copy everything his brother & sister do... he is also watching what Mommy does....

Like when Mommy is unloading the dish washer, or starting a load of laundry, making lunch, or GOING TO THE BATHROOM! And she hears a little voice "I Help... I hellllpp"....

I guess this Mommy should have known what was coming one day when her little boy was paying special attention to her and how she PUTS ON HER MAKEUP!

You can tell he is "innocently" thinking "What Momma?"

or I guess I should Say "MeeMoo PeePoo" Which is what he has been calling me lately!

Ha.. HA.. ha...

This little boy sure is a stinker, but at least he is good for a laugh.

The End.

We made Krusty Dogs

2011-07-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

What? You're not familiar with Krusty Dogs??

Well Check out this quick video:

Yup... Burgers in the shape of hot dogs! Sounds silly, and you may be wondering why we would want to make "Krusty Dogs"? Right?

Well The Daddy was in the mood to BBQ. Its always nice to BBQ in the Summer time!

I went to the store to pick up a few things we needed. But of course as soon as Im in the van about to leave for home I get a call from The Daddy saying we were out of Hamburger buns! But he didnt want me to worry about going back inside the store, that we could just use regular bread.

Well I get home and realize we have an excessive amount of HOT DOG buns! So I tell The Daddy, hey before you grill those burgers.. why dont you just shape them like hot dogs and we can use the hot dog buns! You know.. like Sponge Bob did with "Krusty Dogs"! We both laughed.. but it was worth giving a try! :) And it worked! It was very interesting and funny.. but it was better than using regular bread. And the kids got a kick out of us having Krusty Dogs! :)

Who says Sponge Bob is useless? *hehe* He definitely helped us out that night! :)

Have you ever had to have a silly meal to make up for something you didnt have?

Or have you ever gotten fun ideas from cartoons?

Beat The Heat On The Cheap!

2011-07-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

Im not sure how hot it gets in the summer where you all live, but here in Cali it gets HOT!

Like crazy HOT.. up in the 100's on most days kinda hot!

The heat makes it hard to wanna be out and about outside for too long.

Which leads to lazy days lounging around the house all day long... yeah not fun!

We are majorly blessed with an amazing pool that is wonderful when it comes to beating the heat!

However there are days where I get too busy to watch the kids in the pool.
(They are not aloud in with out Mommy or Daddy out there)

So when I needed to spend all morning cleaning and doing laundry till the late afternoon I end up with a few grumpy and bored kids who are too hot to go play outside!

As much as I would love to just head on out jump right into the pool and forget about any and all work and mom duties Ive got to do... The Daddy reminds me that I cant! :(

So what to do with 3 hot, grumpy and BORED kids when Ive got work to do?

Stick 'em outside with a hose, a large pot and 3, Dollar Tree squirters!

I let them fill up the pot with water making it easy to use these squirters (meant for use in the pool)!

They spray a lot better, farther and more water than squirt guns. So they are loads of fun!

The kids have a blast squirting each other.

They are no longer bored... so I can get some work done!

And they stay nice and cool while also playing outside and getting the excessive they need!

Yay! Successful way to beat the heat on the cheap! :)

What do you do to beat the heat??

4th Of July 2011

2011-07-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

I do plan on adding words to this post.. but right now as I sit here it is almost mid night! I am tired.. and I just wanted to get these photos uploaded before I forgot and it was already Halloween! haha

So if you happen upon this post.. feel free to check out our 4th Celebration in pictures. I will write more tomorrow... :)

If you want to see more of my firework photos.. check out my other blog Agape Love Designs!

Grass Sock Heads {Kids Craft!}

2011-06-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

Do you remember making sock heads in school when you were a kid?

A few weeks ago my sister Sammy and I were reminiscing about making them and thought it would be the perfect summer craft for the kids to do!

So we headed to Walmart and got some supplies:

Potting Mix

Grass Seed

Old Socks (had on hand)

Scissors (had on hand)

Googly Eyes (Had on hand)

Marker & Glue Gun (had on hand)

Each kid got a sock!

Zander, Brucey, Kiah, Sammy's Son Jake and her Daughter Deanna-Grace!

The kids picked out their favorite googly eyes!

Lay the sock flat as shown below:

Draw a mouth and then mess around with the googly eyes until you like what you see!

We let the kids get creative and draw their own faces!

We had the kids arrange their eyes then draw dots where they need to go, so I would know where to glue the eyes!

This one is Zander's.

They took their time figuring out the face they wanted

They even made some MONSTER faces!

When gluing on the eyes be sure to stick your hand in the sock to prevent gluing both sides of the sock together!

After I used the hot glue gun to glue on the eyes here is what we had:

I tried to get a group shot... so hard to keep all the kids still! LOL

And get them all to look!

Cute lil stinkers!

We are missing two... but finally got some smiles! haha

Ok so next step.. split up the seeds!

Stick the seeds in the sock.

Then fill with dirt!

Cut the length of the sock a bit to tie.

Stick in a cup of water and wait for the grass to grow!

It doesn't take long for the seed to sprout! Here they are only 4 days later!

Some sprouts take a little longer than others...

But eventually the grass grows very tall! Here are the sock heads only 2 weeks later. At this point if desired you can let the kids cut their sock head's "hair". :)

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This was a very fun, easy, kid friendly craft!

Each day the kids checked their sock head and were so excited by the new growth each day!

Do you remember making these in school as a kid?

What fun kids crafts have you been doing this summer??

Zander Likes SHOES {Eleven Months Ago Today}

2011-06-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

I was checking out some old post from one of my other blogs (The 4 Way Stop) and came across this post. It made me smile and laugh remembering some of Zander's little quirks and the way he acted just about a year ago (11 months ago today to be exact)! Since this Mommy blog of mine was made JUST for remembering fun little things about the kids.. I had to re-post it, here. Enjoy!

Originally written on July 23 2010

My 16 month old son Zander has a thing for shoes. He is always very good and patient for me when I need to put on his shoes, and will stick out one foot then the next for his socks then shoes. Its so cute! He just really likes shoes. If there are shoes around, and he doesnt have any on, he will try to put them on an walk around in them. :) Usually its his brothers shoes or sister's flip flops, and when daddy has his shoes laying around he will walk around in his giant shoes!

The funny thing about it, is that when Zander is trying to concentrate on something he starts humming. Usually its when he is doing something he shouldn't; like pulling all the baby wipes out of the container, or ripping up my magazines... So when I hear humming I know to go check on him! He also does it when he is trying to get shoes on. He usually gets one foot in fine, but then trying to get the other foot in just right is a lot harder with a shoe on that's a lit bigger than his foot! So if he doesn't get it after a few tries he gets so frustrated he will start crying and kind of throw a little fit. Kicking the shoes off and throwing himself to the floor. Only to calm himself down and get back up and try again. Hehe its so cute and funny to watch.

Anywho.. the reason I bring all this up is because last night I heard a loud clicking in the doorway. We have a sunken living room. So our doorway is a few steps higher than our living room. So I get up to see what it was.. and there he is walking around in my heels! haha He was cracking me up.. he didn't even seem to have any problems with them ( no wonder I didnt hear any humming!). He was a complete natural in them. Something I thought was so cute, but daddy wasn't too thrilled about. It must have been the little strap that helped him. haha Anywho.. I just had to snap a few shots.

Kiah Learns To Sew (Kids Sewing Project)

2011-06-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

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Kiah loves watching me create. She will sit with me as I make new jewelry and hair clips. She always asks if she can help or make some of her own. Recently she had been asking me over and over to teach her how to sew.
*MOMMY CONFESSION HERE*
Now even though I am a fast learner, I can look at something and just understand how to make it or do it myself without explanation and can make up new creative things, I am a TERRIBLE teacher! I can be impatient, flustered and frustrated at the person im trying to teach. And sometimes if things arent done right or perfect by the "student" I get irritated and just want to do it myself! :(
This is a BIG flaw... Yes I am a perfectionist... sort of.. I like to call myself a lazy perfectionist. haha
But I am working on this! I need to just enjoy things and not worry so much if they are done correctly.. as it does take time to learn something new and get it right, for most people.

So with that being said.. you can see why I was hesitant to teach Kiah how to sew! So I kept putting it off. As much as I wanted to bond with Kiah in that way.. I was just nervous. Then I heard about Elle Sophia Design through Ask Anna! Elle Sophia Designs provides sewing kits for kids!
As soon as I heard about her shop I was so excited! I knew this was JUST what I needed to be able to teach Kiah to sew and have some Mommy Daughter time!

I bought the Kids Learn to Sew Starter Kit and the Kids Sew A Pillow DIY kit
I didnt tell Kiah about it at first.. it was a total surprise and she was SO excited when they came!

The kit comes with simple instructions and some pictures to help. I let Kiah read them and do as they said, just giving her a few tips as she went. And she did so well!

Cutting the string:

Threading the needle (this starter kit comes with a needle that has a very large eye, making it super easy for a beginner!)

Starting to sew!

Working like she has been sewing for years! :)

Really Concentrating on getting the lines straight and keeping the sides matched up!

She did so well, we were both so proud.

Now onto the stuffing!

Next up was the heart.

My beautiful girl!

I am so grateful for this project and this special time I got with Kiah.

I just love moments like these.

All finished! I am beyond proud of her! She was so excited about them, she HAD to take them to church the next day and show them off to EVERYONE!

Funny thing was, that one of the little kids in the church liked her heart and took off with it!
She was so upset she thought she lost it!
Then Pastor Dan made a special IMPORTANT announcement ;) and it was found!

She is pretending its beating... haha Silly Kiah Girl!

The finished Products! :) Didnt she do great? We are going to work on the second project soon!

If you have been looking for a fun sewing starter project or even just a more kid friendly project to do with your daughters, I encourage you to check out Elle Sophia Designs!
And if you are on Facebook {this} is her page! Go like it!! :)

Mommy Made

Mommy Made Oobleck! {Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss}

Outside

2 Samuel 23:4 (NIV)

Birthday Girl (Outfit Post)

Time.

Puppy Love

My Little Reader

Quadruple French Braid Pony Tail Tutorials

What Kiah Wore {Walmart Fashion}

I Like You Like A Girlfriend

What Does Your Joy Look Like Today?

2012 Valentines

100 Followers Celebration GIVEAWAY!

Facebook, 100 Followers And Giveaway News

Saturdays.

In A Mommy's World....Silence

DIY Girls Be Mine Valentines Day Shirt

No Sew Boys Heart Breaker Tee-Shirt Refashion

Dinosaur Magnets - A Kid Friendly Project!

Little Miss Popular!

School Lunch Drama

Its The Thought That Counts

Dear Bruce, I'm Sorry

In A Mommy's World....Sharing Food

Little Builders

Flash Card Confusion

How Not To Get Caught Up In the Hype Of Christmas Shopping!

For Your Young Book Lovers! (Customized Books)

In a Mommy's World

Peek-A-Boo, I See You!

She Did Fantasic

Night Time Routines

Happy Halloween!

"Haunted" Gingerbread Houses!

Who Wants Handsome!?

I Hope I Never Forget This

Can We Say Over Achiever?

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

Time for a Hair Cut..

Spider Monkey

Prize Winning Masterpiece

The Giant Growling Frog

Zander's Moon

Kid Friendly Enchiladas

First Day Of School!

I Ache.. I Mean, I'm Awake!

I had a hard time sleeping last night so I was up till around 2 AM checking out blogs, editing photos, facebook stalking and such.. So of course after finally going to sleep, the "morning" came too soon.

Then of course I woke up to Zander laying next to me punching my face over and over saying "Mommy ache up! Mommy Ache UP!" Sure he MEANT "wake"... but I was feeling the ache more than the wake! *sigh* ... The joys... right? :)

On top of that.. look at this kid! Sheesh, darn that cute face... its really hard to be mad at a face like that! Little Stinker! On the other hand.. If I want to get any good sleep at all, I may have to put an electric fence around my bed....

p.s. I was just kidding bout the electric fence, I'm a momma... there is not such thing as good sleep!

I Spy Something Missing!

Mommy Made Doughnuts(And YOU Can Too!)!

This Is What Competitiveness Looks Like...

Once Upon A Time.. (A Story About A Little Boy Who Wanted To Do It All)

We made Krusty Dogs

Beat The Heat On The Cheap!

4th Of July 2011

Grass Sock Heads {Kids Craft!}

Zander Likes SHOES {Eleven Months Ago Today}

Kiah Learns To Sew (Kids Sewing Project)

Then of course I woke up to Zander laying next to me punching my face over and over saying "Mommy ache up! Mommy Ache UP!" Sure he MEANT "wake"... but I was feeling the ache more than the wake! sigh ... The joys... right? :)