Chili Frito Pie and Fall...

Today has been a great day. I was off of work today for Fair Day, although we don't use this day for going to the fair for some reason. It's just really expensive and why not use it as the *bonus* day off that it is! That's what I did. All of my kids had school today, because their fair day is on Wednesday, so after about 8 am.. I was free! I went shopping, did some planning for Lucy's bday, had a lunch date with my husband and did some minor housework! When I say minor.. I really mean it. With 3 kids, to do only one load in a day of laundry is minor. What a relaxing day, then to top it off, for dinner we had chili frito pie. I would say with that alone is a sign of fall. I love to have warm soups and chili in the fall. It's so yummy and the weather is perfect at about 65 degrees and a little windy. Now, if I just had something sweet to top it off, I'd be set. All of my kid are home now, and the house is no longer quiet. Instead, it's full of 2 girls playing chase in the living room, an enormous dog chewing something up behind me..( I'm afraid to look ) and 2 boys getting ready for the Monday night cub scout meeting. Back to normal... i guess. I love normal though. It's hum drum days that really make me thankful. No one is sick right now, no one has a big school project due, there are no bills to be paid.. (ha! that's just outright funny) well there are bills, but for right now, I think I will just go play chase with the girls. Enjoy your fall night tonight too. Hey, does anyone really read my blog or do I just write for the therapy of expression?

Hot Summer Rain

I love when it rains in the summer. It never ceases to amaze me that it can be 101 degrees out and raining. I'm thankful for the tiny breeze that occasionally lofts our way as we sit out in the backyard and swing in the hammock in the rain.

Today we will celebrate our cousin Mason's First birthday!

We hope you have a super time at your Chunky Monkey birthday!

Yesterday we had pictures made with all 3 kiddos! I always go in as prepared as I can for situations like this. Josie isn't the best at new situations, so I try to prepare the camera man and I always ask for another helper to help make her laugh, and I try to remember to pack the bag with as many things that I know of that will make her laugh.. balls, pompoms, etc... and of course I try to pack "baby" just in case we need it. Don't forget about the snacks for bribery and colors and a coloring book to work in after we're done and mom is picking out pictures so that we won't have a repeat of Christmas Pictures 08 when Josie LOCKED herself into the dressing room. So I get there and have my guns loaded.... and who was the problem.......????LUCY! the giggliest baby that I know... cried. And cried. The photographer went to take the very first shot of the day and pretended to sneeze to make Josie laugh and threw this little stuffed animal... and when he did, it scared Lucy and she never did come back to her giggly self. We got some good shots at the end when Jack made her laugh, but that was it... most of them, she has this look like "what the *&^%$" looking at the photographer. It's nice! also, it didn't help that he refused to call Jack by his name and insisted on calling him Jackson even after I corrected him. I guess he thought he was in charge. Then to top it off.. he told Jack... don't touch the ball again. I don't want it in my shot. OH NO HE DIDN'T!.. I will tell you that I withheld from pulling what my husband refers to as "A Jennifer" and going off on the guy that was about 18... because I had 3 kids there in front of me that I'm trying to teach respect to, so I tried to remember to be graceful and show responsibility, but it was tough. As soon as I get to a computer that has a disc drive that actually works... since mine in permanently sticking out, I will post some of the shots.

Cracker Toffee

Cracker Toffee

1 cup of butter

1 cup of brown sugar

1 tsp of salt.. and boil for 3 min on med heat

pour over 2 sleeves of Ritz crackers flat on a baking sheet

heat on 350 for about 5-7 minutes

cover with a package of chocolate chips and chopped pecans let melt and come to room temp.

put in fridge for 2 hours.. and enjoy! YUM Jack!

Lunch Time Pizza Rollers :(

Well lunch time was like fire and ice today... fun, fun, fun to make... but then not fun to eat! take a look at the pics and I'm sure you'll see why. To our defense... I believe the temp in the cookbook was listed wrong because the insides were still cool. YUCK

Mexi-Tortilla Chip Casserole

Before.........................and After

Tonight for dinner we made this... it's with nacho cheese Doritos so, we loved it, but, of course Josie loved it most. If you are someone that knows even the tiniest bit of info about Josie, you will know about her love for 'dip-dip' and 'red chips' (Doritos) . It was good! Just meat with diced tomatoes, oregano, cumin, salt & pepper and a little garlic salt. Topped with a layer of cheese then chips.. then baked about 20 minutes at 350. Good stuff!

Father's Day Banana Split Shake, by JackKid's Cooking Week at the Macdonald's House!

You know how people will give your kids cookbooks for kids thinking that it will be so much fun for them, but you as the mom just think.. "great! another book of pictures of things that we can never make that he can torture me by asking a thousand times ..please mom, please!" We never have the ingredients and time, and I always get hit with.."why can't we just go buy it!" at 9:30 at night...! So this summer in my "SUMMER 09: I WILL SAY YES MORE OFTEN" mode.. I will say yes! I heard my 8 year old get upset when my mom was over for a garage sale the other day because he had to leave for vacation bible school and he didn't want to miss my mom being there. He remembered the year before when she was there, she made a strawberry milk shake from a cook book he had with him (because of course grandmothers have all the time in the world to do those things and are willing to drop it all for a tiny child's request) I wish I was more like that. I wish he remembered me as the one that would drop it all and make things from the cookbook! All year while working and taking care of 3 kids and a house and scout and soccer and....... I think to myself 'i'm going to do that for real this summer' but then the summer comes and goes like as fast as a blink and I'm left thinking... why didn't I do that!

So this week we are having "A week of recipes" from the cooking for kids book. It's been so fun seeing them get into making their lunch and breakfast and especially dad's father's day dessert!

Here are some of the things we've done so far... stay tuned for more!

Pizza Dippin' Strips!

Josie loves the pizza!

Banana Nut Waffles with

Cinnamon Butter. what a way

to start the day Lucy approves! good waffles

Yum!

We had a garage sale today. Remind me again why we do this to ourselves?!? It was officially 197 degrees out there in Rockwall today... hey! I'm sure of it.. I was there sweating it out yelling, "it's hot!" about 200 times. Why can't I have my sale in my backyard in my awesome shade?

see! Do you think I will think it's worth it when I count the money sitting here in my pickle jar? probably not if it all fits in a pickle jar, right? I wish it was filling up a sun tea jar.. wouldn't that be a good garage sale turnout! Oh well.. I'll be thankful... it could be in an olive jar, right? Have a good rest tonight. I'm sure it will be hot again tomorrow. I know I'll sleep like a baby... until the baby wakes me up! :)

Lucy swam in the baby boat! and Josie in her Goggles!

Jack just before he got dunked by Grandpa.

Swimming at Grandma's House last weekend to celebrate Grandpa's Birthday!

"El-pa-pants" and "Baraffs" trip and an ER trip

Well, our first week of summer has been a long one. We tried to smush in a lot of good fun things to do and managed to squeeze in some not so fun moments too. On Monday, we went to the library to sign up for the summer reading program and picked out some books to bring home. We also took a super trip to the grocery store to stock up on food. On Tuesday, we had a day without dad, becuase he had to work late, so we stuck to the neigborhood with playing outside and a walk around the block.. it actually was breezy that day with storm on the way. Wednesday was our day of trips.. a trip to the zoo, a trip to get snowcones and then a trip to the ER. We had so much fun at the zoo showing Lucy all of the animals.. Josie LOVED the "elpapants" and the "baraffs" but the "kingkins" were her favorite. Seeing those penguins swim right up to her and play with her on the glass made her day. We were exhausted after the zoo! When dad came home, we all took a trip for snowcones and got stuck in a giant storm rolling in on the way back, so we came home and were having a nice LouD thundering night hunkered in at home when my Lovely Josie decided to do a little laundry and sprayed her little sister mercilessly with the Shout stain remover. After a big bath and scrubbing of her face, Lucy seemed fine until about midnight when she started screaming and wouldn't open her eyes. For 2 hours we were up with her screaming, so after many calls to drs and to SCJohnson Shout company... we decided a trip to the ER was in order. We spent that stormy night (Lucy and mom) in the ER and endured a long eye irrigation with saline. She slept until 9 the next morning, but was bright eyed and cheerie when she woke up. Thank you Lord! Thursday... needless to say.. without sleep all night, we stayed home and stayed inside and snoozed whenever we could. It stormed all day, so it was fine anyway. Friday was a little better. We took a trip to CiCis and played. It's been a long week. Hopefully next week will be fun without drama! VBS is starting next week and I expect it will be super busy! I'll check back in later with more! Have a great week.

CHICKA-CHICKA BOOM BOOM! Will there be enough Room? The whole alphabet up the ... coconut tree!

This was Josie's Pre-K performance of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom on the last day of school.

Lucy said.. ."Hey this is FUN!" What do you call these things again.?? CDs??? They're millions of tiny mirrors to me! So fun!

Spring has Sprung

Well, as I'm sure you can see from my lack of blogging.. Spring is here, and with that comes schedules. Tons and tons of calendar squares that are filled! We have soccer games, pta programs, field days at my school, Jack's school, and Josie's school, field trips to the AA center for Jack, field trips to see farm animals for Josie, field trips to the zoo for me.. then OOOPS No field trips.. swine flu! Then oops.. BACK ON... cdc decided it was ok now. It's all hard to keep up with. Last week, I think I was home for maybe an hour each day before 9 oclock each night. Crazy. We're in the middle this week of bday parties, a field trip, progress report grades, and amoxicillin for an ear infection (Lucy this time- right ear)

Last week Jack had 3 soccer games in a week. One Saturday, Tuesday night and Thursday night. We won all of them, Jack claims, due to the fact that he did NOT wash his socks in between games. Lucky socks that smell. Josie has grown about 2 feet since last summer.. and has nothing that fits to wear because as soon as I buy it.. she's already out of that size. Can we say growth spurt! And to top it all off... I think that we have about one more, maybe 2, weeks before Lucy is mobile. SCARY! to have all 3 kids running amuck... what will this house become? She's up on all 4s now and mad as can be that getting up on her knees alone didn't get her to that something that she wanted. It's only a matter of time before she realizes that she can actually move those chubby legs of hers with those roly poly arms and actually achieve the prize! Now, next goal: to eat that food that mom has on her plate instead of these green beans. Jack and Scott right now as I type are working on a push cart for Scouts. Next week is the push cart derby which is a big race of these hand built g0-carts pretty much. It should make for some great photos! I'll check back in with news of the derby! In the meantime.. enjoy your family because these calendar squares fill up fast, but also pass quickly. Enjoy each square as it comes! Love, Jen

It has been a busy week this week. We had soccer on Monday night in hurricane force wind, I swear... I thought little Lucy was going to blow away. They played their little selves to into a tizzy for the 1st half, but on the 2nd half when we changed goals and were headed the opposite direction, we realized that the wind worked to our advantage ! We scored 6 goals to their 2! go TNT. And on an added note.. one of their 2 goals was scored by one of our kiddos when he kicked it up into the air and the wind actually BLEW it BACKWARDS into their goal. Great job guys. Then Tuesday night was a Cub Scouts pack meeting that Scott so wonderfully dragged 3 children to becasuse I had parent conferences all night. We're both ready for a Friday and it's only 1/2 way over. Tonight, Scott and Jack have gone to the shoe store to get much needed shoes for Jack.. he has a blister from his other shoes and we couldn't make him suffer any longer. Hope everyone else is well and good on this rainy, windy night!

Some pics to enjoy

My Spring BREAK

Yea for Spring Break. Speaking of break... I really did get one yesterday. This week has been mostly filled with trips to various doctors for Josie. We have several annual visits we have to make each year... cardiologist, pacemaker, etc... which all went remarkably! I love having visits when they don't remember you were there at the end of the day. We were in and out all good reports! Yea! Josie!!! Yesterday, I got a Spring BREAK though! I told the kids that I was going to feed Lucy a bottle and then I would get lunch ready.. but instead while I was feeding her.. Jack decided to make lunch for us all on his own. What a kid!

There were sandwiches of all different flavors! There wasn't any mayo or mustard on any of them, so they were a tad dry, but they were the best sandwiches I had ever had. Not to mention, he threw in some chips, and grapes to top it off.

As if that weren't enough.. Josie decided to sweep the kitchen for me. She swept everything that she could muster up right on to my carpet, but hey! It will vacuum from there! What awesome kiddos I have!

Now that's what I call a spring BREAK !

Today we spent the day making cookies for spring break.. we will decorate tonight. YUm!

How I do CVS

Today was another use and abuse day at CVS. If you haven't discovered the deals at CVS yet, you really should check it out. Today I spent $20.69 and got all of the things in the picuture.... which includes, by the way, a Large pack of diapers and a 12 pack of diet coke, 3 bags of Easter candy for baskets, Pantene shampoo, conditioner and hairspray (which was free), a pack of gum (free also) and deodorant (which I actually made money on). Total costs amount $47.61 and my cost $20.69. Use your coupons and extra bucks folks! They're just giving stuff away.

Green Day

Well, Yesterday was St. Patty's Day, so we spent it in green. We had green foods all day.. green eggs, green milk and shamrock toast with green sprinkles for breakfast. For dinner, we had broccoli of course, and ranch chicken with rice and parsley for some green. The best green for the day was definitely the green smoothie we had for dessert. See the recipe below and note what makes it green! I believe that his exact words were, " Mom! that smoothie was GOOOD!" who knew!

Shamrock Shake/Shrek ShakeIngredients: (wash hands first!)
*handful of ice cubes
*handful or two of fresh spinach (don’t see why you couldn’t use frozen, but fresh sure is pretty)*handful of frozen peach slices or other yellow or green frozen fruit
*1-2 frozen bananas
*1-2 cups of pineapple juice
*1 apple, cubed (golden delicious is great, or granny smith)

Directions:Throw all ingredients in a blender and blend. Enjoy.


I have to say.. I tried it and couldn't taste the spinach at all. I loved it. It tasted like a peach smoothie to me. We didn't add apples because we didn't have any, and we had apple juice, so we did that instead. Next year, I think I may try this:

Green Spaghetti
This is a great idea!
lb. spaghetti, cooked,
drained10 oz. frozen spinach, chopped
1/2 C. chicken broth
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 C. milk4 Tbs. butter (optional)
Prepare spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat spinach in microwave until hot. Heat broth over low heat. Place spinach and it’s liquid into blender. Add warmed broth and liquefy. Stir cheese and milk into spinach mixture. When spaghetti is done, drain and place in large bowl. Toss with butter, then spinach mixture.