The Icing on the Cake

Or....

In our case....

The Ice Cream on the Cookie!!!

Sweetpea and Peanut and I made these little delicacies today...been dreaming about them for awhile now...

We finally got around to making them!

YUMMY!!!

Although, be advised: saran wrap and little children, don't mix well together!!

UGH!!!

On another note...

We still have LOTS Of LETTUCE!!!

Here's what I cut yesterday:

Here's what is still left in ONE of the TWO boxes:

I didn't bother to take a picture of the other SIX rows of lettuce in the 2nd box, because, well...you get the idea...we are on lettuce overload over here! Believe me, if I could actually ship it and I didn't think it would turn to "green liquid soup", I'd be shipping a bunch off to as many friends and relatives as I could...

So, we're heading into the weekend...Peanut sleepily asked me this morning as we laid in bed waiting for Sweetpea and Munchkin to wake up, "Mommy, does Daddy have to work AGAIN today?"

(obviously they aren't picking up on the theme here...Daddy goes to work EVERY day...he has been since he graduated from college...)

I lovingly replied, "yes, sweetie he has to work today...but he'll have the next two days off to be with us!!!"

This still didn't satisfy her because she replied near tears, "yes, but then he has to GO BACK to work the next day after that!!"

Oh honey, I know...if only we could win the lottery...that is, IF we played the lottery...

Weekend...here we come...cookie ice cream sandwiches and all!!!

If my children made the rules...

I’ve found that even with a high school diploma, a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, 10 years of marriage, 7.5 years of parenting…I am still incapable of creating a list of rules by which to live that would ensure ultimate happiness for my 3 sweet girls…and so I set out to find the solution…after listening to my brood all day long, I came up with these…surely we can all learn to abide?

1) Toilets need not be flushed…it’s too time consuming and we’re in a hurry. All toilets need to be automatic if flushing MUST happen.

2) Sprite, Lemonade and Chocolate Milk are the only beverages that are to be offered during any mealtime or snack.

3) Snacks should occur at least every ½ hour. They should consist of Nutella & graham crackers, chocolate covered almonds, cheez-its, or peanut buttered pretzels.

4) The only channels needed on the TV are Disney, Noggin and PBS…the TV can remain on at all times at the highest level of volume. (well, okay, you can have the weather channel just to check if we can wear tank tops or not)

5) All dirty clothes, and clean for that matter, need only to be piled in a corner of the bedroom . If something cannot be found, yell at the top of your lungs until someone comes to help or simply cry…because that will definitely solve all your problems.

6) Furniture is to be used as a jungle gym. No need to sit on it properly. (see picture below)

7) Everything can be healed with a bandaid.

8) Mommies need to read to their children every night for longggggggg periods of time…not just one or two chapters….preferably, just keep reading until the children fall asleep.

9) Daddies are also to be used for jungle gym purposes.

10) Toys should be left out at all times for easy and quick access. Preferably, in the middle of the room, on the stairs or in hallways.

11) Talking should be at an octave that can be heard at least one county over, regardless of the fact that your parents are 2 feet away.

12) There is no need to cover your mouth/nose when sneezing as washing your hands will delay the fun.

13) It is a badge of honor to be able to clog the toilet with half a roll of toilet paper when one has only gone pee.

14) One need not just one mode of transportation: load your garage with 4 strollers, 6 bikes, 4 scooters, a wagon, 2 baby walkers, a motorized john deere tractor…oh…and your parent’s cars…

15) Parents are most often deaf, therefore it is necessary to call upon their names 3-4 times before it is humanly possible for them to respond (also, remember #11 while speaking their names)

16) It makes perfect sense to ask to play with the neighbor kids AFTER dinner, when you’ve just spent 10 hours with them BEFORE dinner.

17) Macaroni and cheese made at the neighbor’s house is ALWAYS better than a 5 course meal made at your own home.

18) When one cannot remember the last time you bathed, it is best to wait just one more night, since your sheets are already dirty.

19) When mommy says it’s time to turn the TV off, it is perfectly reasonable to go on the computer and watch videos.

20) When one claims to be full, that clearly means that there is no room for any more healthy food…however, it does NOT mean that you can’t chow down on icecream, chocolate or anything else sweet!!!

Two Posts in one day: quick update & some stuff for mom

I’m trying NOT to be self-conscious…to just “pretend” it’s not there…but, somewhere, somehow…I ran into somethin’ poison ivy/sumac/oak/itchy/yucky/bumpy/red/looks awful RASH!

See here:

It’s all over my arms, and now spreading to my face LOVELY!!!

I’m the type of person that can’t stand to have a zit without popping the little sucker till it bleeds (sorry to be so graphic) You can imagine with all these teeny tiny red bumps all over, I’m about ready to take a razor to my arm!!! UGH

However…all that said…I did have 2 little bright spots in my day:

Exhibit A: I won this CD on another blog site and can’t wait to listen to it…What a FUN FIND in my mailbox this afternoon…to cheer my Bumpy Self!

Exhibit B:
My awesome, incredible, thoughtful husband brought this little VENTI frappachino with a kiss…he still thinks I’m beautiful amidst the sea of red. And YES, I do notice that it is half gone...ummm, I didn't think to take a picture until I had successfully sucked down half of it...and that took about 5 minutes...ahem...

Okay…so onto other things…Mom, this is for you! Here are the pictures of the newly gardened front flower bed…it’s been 3 years in the making…enjoy!

strawberry patch

pathetic attempt at herb garden

butterfly bushes, lilac bush, and some other ones I can't remember

weeping cherry tree

the front of the house...as if you couldn't tell without me writing it out

The Neighborhood

I think the best thing about moving (3 years ago) is the neighborhood. I don’t think we are your “typical” neighborhood…i.e. no sidewalks, you walk aways to get to the next house, no fences, etc…but nevertheless, it’s OUR neighborhood.

Well, I don’t think it’s just the neighborhood…it’s the NEIGHBORS!!! Never have I had the opportunity to be apart of community like this (outside of family and church) Sure, I had friends in my neighborhood growing up, but it was maybe 5 houses out of 100 that I actually KNEW the kids inside.

Here, the neighbors are “family”…we all have each other’s codes and keys and are watching out for everyone’s kids. There are campfires nearly every Friday and Saturday night at someone’s house…we all roast marshmallows, makes smores, have a glass a wine…it’s incredible.

I have the most awesome talks with my neighbors as well…we get on all sorts of subjects from the news, to fashion, to Scriptures…unbelievable!

This weekend, one set of neighbors’ bought this:

You can imagine that the children came running…Again, wish I would’ve brought my camera, but I was too busy “policing” the kiddos and “chattin’” it up with my neighbor friends!

We’re already planning the MEGA graduation party that we’re going to have when all of our kiddos finish highschool…WHAT??? I can’t believe we were already discussing that, but we did…and I’m thankful for the support system I will have at that time when I’m bawling because my baby will be leaving home!!
Until then, I’m enjoying the kids romping around with each other and playing on waterslides, while us mommies & daddies talk and visit. I wonder if it’s anything like the “olden days” when the ladies in their bonnets planned a picnic and met down by the creek with all the families…Well, minus the water slide, lawn chairs, outside radio, Hershey’s chocolate, beach towels, sunblock…okay, so maybe it’s NOT so much like olden days…but, it sure is a fun little piece of family!

National Donut Day

Happy Donut Day!

Yep…I gotta say, I’m happy to live in a country where we celebrate the donut…

Christmas, absolutely!

Easter, you bet!

Birthdays (well, maybe not so much wanting to celebrate as you get older…)

Flag Day.

Mothers/Fathers day.

And today, I discovered that it was National Donut Day!

Sprinkles, crèmes, glazed and holes.

We walked into our donut shop and chose our FREE donut for the day. Talk about a TREAT! Ohhhhh, yummy, you better believe we stuffed our faces. Had Little Munchkin not konked out on my shoulder, I would’ve had some cute pictures to share with you…

But, it wasn’t to be.

So you’ll have to just use your imagination…to picture my older two nibbling all the sprinkles off their glazed donuts, in order to make it last longer…me, suckin’ down my custard filled, chocolate glazed piece of heaven in 5 seconds or less!!! And finally, Little Munchkin (once she woke up) smearing all that sticky, scrumptious sugar all over her face, hands, car seat, windows, shoes, baby doll, etc etc…

Yummy day! Have a donut!

Three Gs of Summer

G- My Girls

Summer is definitely the time to get out the ‘ole camera and start shootin’ away! I get a few neat shots every once in awhile…my head almost gets a little cocky (but then I look at the other 127 pictures that DIDN’T turn out so well, and I’m back to my humble self!)

So, for my first G of summer…here are a few pics of my girls…so much fun!G-The Garden

Ahhhhhhhh, my little haven…never thought I’d be the gardening type, but there is just something about watching little seeds sprout into these magnificent plants that produce the most yummy foods! Thought I’d share a few photos from my garden…Little Munchkin decided to “help” water (she also decided to “weed”…needless to say, we lost a few corn stalks, bean sprouts and a couple broccoli plants)
G-GOLF!!!

Yes, I will admit, I love golf…I can’t play worth anything, but that’s okay because I’m not really competitive with regards to this sport…I’m in it for the joy of the game…I love this time of year because it means that the Memorial Tournament is here and we are somehow able to snag a few free tickets…this year was no different (although I didn’t get to go with my hubby because he had to work) My FIL stood in for him…We watched our favorite players…

Through the rain.

Over the umbrellas.

Splashed through puddles.

Soaked our clothes through.

But it was worth it to see this:

And this:
Yep…my three Gs of the summer…we’re off to a good start!

Good Day

So, I won this really cool worship CD from BigMama’s blog…I’ve never really won anything in my life, so I was pretty thrilled to wake up this morning and see that staring at my face…so fun…yes, fun fun fun…

Had some other fun this morning…although I wasn’t sure I was gonna make it TO the fun…I was supposed to leave at 9am…I think I have a mental problem with time management…I CANNOT and I repeat CANNOT seem to get out of the house at the appropriate time no matter how much “tricking” myself or rushing around that I do. (I suppose it doesn't help that I just HAVE to check my blog, facebook and email every morning as well...ahem!)

As I said, I was SUPPOSED to leave the house by 9am…at 8:37am, as I was jumping into the shower and yelling to my girls to “please put on some clean underwear”, I realized that we, once again, would NOT be leaving on time.

But, by golly, I gave it my best shot…I told the girls to dig through the dirty laundry to find their shorts (we came up with a new rule after this morning’s escapades: wear it TWICE, THEN put it in the dirty clothes…this way you get much more wear out of it, especially since Mom can’t stay on top of laundry either!)

I sprayed on the sun block all over their little bodies, even atop their heads with Little Munchkin’s ponytails. The ponytail holder then promptly disintegrated and left her with wet, sticky hair that stuck up on either sides of her head (what in the world am I spraying on my children???…what is this stuff anyway?)

At 9:20am, we got in the car, sped out of the driveway and headed to the zoo to meet up with my MIL and SIL and the cousins, HOPING to not see them sitting there WAITING for us…only to hear my Honey Bunch say, “Ooops Mom, we forgot to eat breakfast!” (what in the world…did I do it again???) So, we had to make a quick stop at Tim H*rt*ns to pick up some toasted bagels with butter, which Little Munchkin immediately rubbed all over herself!!!

We finally made it to the zoo…it was a hectic morning, but it turned out well…I won a CD, I got a shower, my girls were all smiles with the cousins and Little Munchkin had fun sticking the sunglasses up her nose!!! All in all??? GOOD DAY!!!