S'mores Wars

At our house we love a good dessert. We were watching The Best Thing I Ever Ate on Food Network and then went to fix dinner and Shane got inspired. Grace was having a s'more for her dessert. I like to make them in the oven because the chocolate melts really well and the marshmallow toasts just right. I layer the chocolate and marshmallow on one half of the graham cracker and and toast it in a 400 degree oven until the marshmallow is brown and golden. As soon as the concoction comes out, top the s'more with the other half of the cracker and voila!

Shane decided that the tried and true way needed to be spiced up a bit. His challenge was on. It was like a Throwdown with Bobby Flay! He took his graham cracker and layered it with a full Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and then sprinkled a pinch of salt over the cup before layering his marshmallow over the top. He toasted it in the oven at 400 degrees until his marshmallow was golden, and topped it with the other half of the cracker. I really wanted to say that mine was better, but the peanut butter with the chocolate and the little bit of salt really won me over. I think that his way might be better, as much as it pains me to say it.
This one was his. Delicious!
Here's mine. I should have left the marshmallows a tad longer. I like them a little more squishy than that. These were still delicious. Both of them definitely hit the spot!

Cisco Christmas

We headed to my mom and dad's place in Cisco earlier this week for our Christmas with them. The kids love going to the farm and were VERY excited to get there. I was busy running around getting last minute stuff together while Gibson sat on the couch, fully dressed including his hat and coat, for an hour before we were finally out the door. I only heard, "When are we leaving?" as many times as I heard, "Are we there yet?"

Hayden and Mom were reading stories from his new storybook.
Gibson fulfilled his lifelong dream of hunting in a real life deer stand.
My brother and sisters are great with the kids. Tom was home on leave from San Diego. He was heading outside to go and shoot something and the boys asked him no less than fifty times if they could go with him. He said no that many times and then took them out later with the BB gun. Esther and Bekah both went too. Since Esther was taking all of the pictures, she isn't in these pictures. (She looks just like Bekah ;)
Could this kid look any more at home with his dog and gun?

Grace was getting in on the action as well.
Grandma took the littles to the chicken coop to look for eggs and feed the chickens. There weren't any eggs, but there were little crushed hearts. That is their favorite activity in all of farm life.
Landry was lugging the bucket. She was determined to do it all by herself.
The boys were expressing their disappointment over the empty egg basket.

The boys were off!
Grace and Bekah were having fun. They also got together and made coordinating jewelry to commemorate their day.

We always enjoy visiting the farm. Lots of great food, good company and a great trip!

The Christmas Season

I cannot even believe how fast this Christmas season has come and gone. It has been a blur! As a music teacher, of course this is one of my busiest times of the year. It seemed like we just barely squeezed family stuff in during the evenings. We got our tree and it sat in the living room for a couple of days before we were able to decorate it. Landry finally forced me to get the stuff out and helped me decorate. She even made sure to get the star on the very top.
The boys have just been overjoyed at all things Christmas and this hat was worn lots and lots!
Here are all of my little elves. They were enjoying a Christmas movie after their bath. Please excuse the ever-present stacks of laundry in the background. I've resigned myself to the fact that they are a fixture during the school year.

Despite our busy-ness, we all really enjoyed our season. Some of the things that I wanted to do didn't get done, but their were lots of joyful moments and memories and I will add them to the list for next year!

This just in...

Gibson informed me this morning, randomly from the backseat, that he is allergic to rain. (I looked in the sky - no rain clouds. Where did this come from?) Just in case I wanted to know, when it rains he gets the hiccups. That's all.

I'll log that away...

Grace's Last Meet

Beam

All I want for Christmas is a little more energy!

This month has been one of changes (I'll have to post later about that), lots of activities and busyness, and me trying to stay sane!

Last weekend, we barely had time to breathe between having to be at the school in the morning, taking Grace to a meet that afternoon, directing my choir at the town parade that night and then bringing home two extra children for a sleepover. Sunday wasn't much better.

All this last week I held my annual fundraiser in my classroom. It's called Candy Cane Lane and is a Christmas store where the students can come and shop for their family and friends and get their gifts wrapped to put under the tree when they get home. The kids love it and so do I because it funds my program every year, but it is EXHAUSTING! Along with that during the day, we had extra piano lessons, gymnastics pictures, and a science fair project this last week. By the time that we got to Friday, I was nearly done in... So much so that I turned my undies and socks pink by not paying attention to what I was throwing into the washer.

I am hoping that this next week will be a little more quiet and I can get some Christmas pictures in along with baking and enjoying the holidays with my little ones. Landry is having so much fun with Christmas this year and talks about lights, presents and Santa all the time! I am enjoying the holidays even though they are busy. I am determined to take a few breathers this week. Enjoy yours as well!

Big Rocks Park

My boys' favorite place to go is to Big Rocks Park in Glen Rose. The park is the city park and has tons of big rocks along the river. We visit there a couple times a year and our kids love it.
Landry has been cuddly this week and I have enjoyed it.
Dad was hiking with everyone else.
We got a good group picture.

Thanksgiving

This is a busy time of year for our family and for a music teacher! Gibson and the whole first grade had their annual Thanksgiving program a couple of weeks ago. Gibson was an Indian man. All of the 1st grade was divided into Indian men, Indian women, pilgrim men and women, ministers and turkeys. Gibson had a speaking part and did a fantastic job. His poem:

Thanksgiving Thoughts
Mom is in the kitchen,
And when I take a look,
I'm glad I'm not the turkey
That she's about to cook!

He did a great job and spoke clearly and straight into the microphone. I was very proud. They sang some songs, had some speaking parts, and did a little play. They performed for a packed house and I was happy to tick a good program off the list for this holiday season. :)

No time...

I am a big fan of lists. I make lists for everything and everywhere. I have a certain sense of accomplishment when I can cross something off of it. But, on the other hand, sometimes my lists can really stress me out. I get so focused on trying to cross things off, that I don't enjoy anything that I'm doing.

A while back, one of my friends did a blog post about her lists and that sometimes the important things are the things that don't make the list. She then listed all of the important things that she had accomplished that hadn't been on her list. I am going to take a cue from her. Here is my completed list of accomplishments this week:

1. Have read several books to Hayden and Landry.
2. Have been able to read a couple of chapters in a book for ME!
3. Finally cooked a pumpkin so that I can puree it and use it for a pie.
4. Have made dinner every night this week.
5. Kept up with all of Gib's homework this week.
6. Folded and put away ALL of the laundry off of the couch.
7. Have worked out twice this week.
8. Finally found a little time to record a smidgen of our life on our blog! :)

Look what's new!

Gib's got glasses. He is very excited and keep pulling them down and pushing them up so that he can compare how blurry and then clear everything is.

Halloween 2010

My kids' favorite holiday has come and gone for another year. Of course, they started thinking well in advance what they wanted to be. Grace decided on Nastia Luikin (for all of you non-gymnast people, the Olympic gold medalist), Gib decided that he would be an Indian (he had a bow and arrow set that he was really wanting to use), and Hayden decided that he would be a karate guy. Notice in the pictures that Grace is the only one that stayed true to her intended character. Shane was gone for the school fall fest, so I was on my own. Landry went to hang out with Mimi and Gramps, so I had the other three to get ready and tote to the school. (That's why I have no pictures...boo) We made Gib an Indian headband with a vest and his bow and arrow. Hayden wore his karate outfit. By the time that we got to the actual Halloween night, both boys decided to wear one of their other outfits.

Landry wanted to be a princess, but couldn't decide which dress to wear, so she is wearing two. She was Cinderella on the bottom and then put Ariel over the top. She looked ridiculous, but she thought that she was beautiful and I guess that's all that really matters. They had a blast trick or treating. Hayden took one look at the full bowl of candy, pumped his fist in the air and hollered, "We're rich!"

Overflowing...

Hayden has been having a hard time with cleaning himself after he goes to the potty. Because of his many sensory issues, he doesn't like to be dirty, or touch anything that may be dirty, and here is our problem.

He has been off to preschool this year and has put not only his teacher, but several others through the ringer as he has been in the bathroom screaming at the top of his lungs, with his hiney in the air, "TEACHER!!!! TEACHER!!!!"

In an effort to stop this problem, we purchased flushable wipes and and posted them in the bathrooms. He also has his own little set to carry in his backpack in an effort to encourage independence. So far it has been working...

Last night we were home, and I was in the middle of teaching a piano student. Hayden came in from outside and headed for the bathroom. He was in there for awhile and was really quiet. I finally went to check on him. He was standing in the middle of a flood. Evidently, when you try to flush 50 flushable wipes, they don't go down. I grabbed him from the ever growing flood of water, grabbed the plunger and was able to save the day. Try cleaning that up and still look professional. I don't think that I did. I gave him a clean set of clothes, told him to wash his hands and shut the door on the mess. I know that one day I will look back on all of this and laugh and miss it terribly (well that was today, minus the missing it terribly). Just keep laughing, right?!

More Holiday Offerings

Blogger was giving me fits last night and would not let me post the rest of my cards and tags!
These little cutie tags are perfect under the tree or to attach to your favorite gift on the way out the door. The blank area next to the snowflake is for you to write the name of the person receiving your wonderful gift.
No Christmas is complete without a big tree and I love this snowflake tree. It has an elegant, yet rustic feel to it.

By the way, all of my cards are $3.00 by themselves, or $25 for a set of 10. That comes out to $2.50 a card which is a steal for a unique, handmade item!

The tags are $12.50 for 10.

Holiday Offerings

I have been busy getting ready for the holiday season with Banana Hannah Designs. I am planning for a craft show this coming November and am proud to announce a partnership with Baby Bobo, a fantastic little company run by my good friend Ashley. These holiday items can be found on her website very soon, along with her custom made blankets, bibs, whooby wipes (which are burp rags), and stockings for the holiday season. She has wonderful items and my kids LOVE her blankets.
These tags are perfect to attach to a gift for teachers, co-workers, or family members. The recipients' name can be added to the back of the tag. These will be sure to bring a smile!
This card is full of the holiday spirit, complete with red and green tidings and lots of snowflakes. I love the little bling in the center of the snowflake and the fun ric-rac on the bottom of the card.
Of course, Santa is busy with lots of special deliveries. He'll be buzzing by to send warm greetings to all of your loved ones.
This card is full of traditional holiday greetings. Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like a cheery wreath at the door and a warm fire.

If you see something that you would like, let me know. I would love to make a wonderful hand made greeting for your friends and loved ones this holiday season.

The Night Furies

The male role of chasing the girl is something that is built into our little men and a skill that they develop so early!
Gib was telling me about this great game that he and his siblings were playing in the backyard and he was asking me if I could teach it to his class during music time. I responded that it sounded like a great game, but not really a music game. I suggested that he should teach it to his friends during recess and they could all play it together then. That's when I was told about "The Night Furies." After my suggestion, he informed me that they were busy at recess.
"With what?" I asked.
"The boys have to keep their eyes on the girls."
"What?!"
"Yeah, we're The Night Furies."
Evidently, The Night Furies, are a boys-only group whose only purpose is to chase the girls in their class. When they catch them, they yell "AHHH!" at them and then run off to chase the next one.
Very funny...reminds me of a club that Shane had in elementary: The He-Man Woman-Hater Club.

Mysterious Smudges

I was cleaning and noticed some strange black smudges on either side of my hallway walls. I went to get my cleaner and my paper towels trying to guess at what these may be. As I was cleaning I noticed that they went all the way to the ceiling. I was still racking my brain, trying to think what may have caused these. Then I remembered. A couple weeks back, Grace hollered at me from the hall. I looked and didn't see her. She hollered again and this time I looked up. She was on the ceiling. Mystery solved. Next time, she's cleaning the walls.

Literally...

According to Webster's:

Literally

1 In a literal sense or manner. Actually. Took the remark literally.
2 In effect. Virtually. Will literally turn the world upside down.

The word literally has reached epic proportions around our house. I didn't realize the extent until Gibson came in a couple mornings ago and said:

"I literally walked into my room, literally picked up my shoes and literally found Landry's doll under the basket that had literally tipped over onto the floor."

After I picked my jaw up from the floor, I realized that we literally had a problem. I started to listen closely to other conversations that were happening around the house and realized that everyone is literally saying literally ALL THE TIME! (Including me...which is where this originated from I'm sure.)

As I'm delving into the possibility of other big, over-used words at our house, meet virtually and absolutely.

Embellish Magazine Challenge

This month's Embellish Magazine Challenge is one of my favorite color combos! I could not resist entering this one.
Black, white and summer sunrise paper - Papertrey Ink
Stamps:
Polka Dot Basics - Papertrey Ink
Flourishes, bird and sentiment - Unity Stamp Co.
Ink:
Black and gray Tsuniko Memento
yellow - Colorbox pigment ink
Fiskars border punch
Recollections rhinestones

Thanks for looking! :)

A change in perspective...

The beginning of this school year has been a rough one. We are adjusting to three kids in school, significantly more homework than last year, and a rougher schedule for me. It has taken a good four weeks for us to make the transition and a definite adjustment in perspective for me. It has been a process involving anger, depression, self-pity, and a bit of sadness at the loss of "the way it used to be." I recently heard a quote by Nelson Mandela and I have to say that it has become a bit of a personal challenge to me:

"If I cannot change when circumstances demand it, how can I expect others too?"

I have reminded myself of this often during my process. I have also come to the conclusion that no matter how much I am doing, I have to have joy while I'm doing it. Joy allows me to deal with my circumstances in a manner that allows me to be effective and to not let my bad attitudes carry over into every aspect of my life.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

I am proud to say that I have gotten myself back together, and with that, am enjoying my crazy family again.
We were enjoying a family meal at Steak and Shake. They have these fantastic hats! Who can resist?!
Grace and Landry were showing off their matching pony tails. Landry was mad at Dad and was refusing to look at the camera. Surprise...surprise...
Of course, the boys couldn't let the girls get a picture and they miss out. They were looking tough...

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23

Gracie's last meet

This fall has been Grace's first season to compete as a level 5 and she has learned lots of new elements and skills. Here she is with her team mate at a meet a couple of weeks ago. We are in the middle of competition season, so we have meets every other weekend or so. She is working hard and we are trying to keep up with her schedule! :)
This is her floor routine.

Bella's Blessing

I have recently found out about a foundation called, Bella's Blessing. They are a great organization that was started by Lisa, a mom of a sick child. Her daughter, Bella, developed cancer and during their struggle, Lisa had to quit her job and the family spent a great deal of money on gas, hotel rooms, food, etc., while they were caring for Bella. Bella wasn't able to continue to fight, but out of their situation they have created a foundation to honor her. Bella's Blessing provides financial assistance to middle class families that do not qualify for government or other forms of assistance because they make too much money. The foundation provides financial assistance to be used in the form of rent, hotel rooms, food, gas money or other needs that may arise during the course of a family's ordeal.

They are having a fundraiser this month and I was able to design and create the invitations for the event.

The order included 100 invitations. These invites are one sheet with the front being the "You're Invited" side, and the back containing the information.

The poker chips feature the foundation's logo.

I was thrilled to be able to design these and wish them the very best at their event!

Landry is 3!

My youngest is 3! I cannot believe that our smallest child is no longer a toddler. Of course, she lets us know on a very regular basis that she is very independent, and that whatever she does has to be her idea.

We kicked off her special day with donuts on the way to school. For dinner we had grilled cheese sandwiches and cookie cake. She got a new baby doll and a Little Mermaid beauty kit complete with a necklace that sings. (I have heard that necklace "sing" a lot! Especially when she is supposed to be going to sleep.)





All of a sudden, she was shy...

There she is! Complete with her icing mustache. Happy birthday my little love!