Painting, Pizza For Prayer Group, Petting Zoo, & A Picnic Too!

The familiar childhood smell of finger paint filled our dining room Saturday as AJ tried out one of his big boy birthday presents.

He takes his painting very seriously...

We also made Pizza Mac & Cheese & a yummy Triple Chocolate Fruit Pizza for our Prayer Group this weekend!  Check out the recipes below...

Pizza Mac & Cheese (Sure to be a hit with the school age and under crowd!)

Ingredients:

7-1/4 oz pkg mac & cheese

2 eggs, beaten

16 oz. jar pizza sauce

4 oz. pkg. sliced pepperoni

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

We also add 1/2 cup sliced green peppers and tomatoes (totally optional)

Directions:

Prepare Mac & Cheese according to package directions; remove from heat.  Add eggs; mix well.  Pour into greased 13 y 9 inch baking pan; bake at 370 degrees for 10 minutes.  Spread with pizza sauce; layer pepperoni an mozzarella cheese, green peppers, and tomatoes on top.  Return to oven until cheese melts, about 10 minutes.  Makes 8 Servings

Triple Chocolate Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:

1 pkg (18 oz) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

2 squares (1 oz each) white chocolate for baking

2 tablespoons milk

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup thawed whipped topping

12-16 strawberries, cut in half

1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange segments, well drained

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Shape cookie dough into a ball and roll out into a 12 inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are set.  (Cookie will be soft.)  Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes.  

2.  Place white chocolate and milk in microwave safe bowl and microwave 1 minute; stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.  Cool slightly.  Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well.  Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture ; mix until smooth.  Fold in whipped topping.  Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cookie.  

3.  Arrange strawberries and mandarin oranges over cream cheese mixture.  Place chocolate morsels and vegetable oil in microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds or until melted and smooth.  Drizzle over fruit.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.  Cut into wedges.  Makes 16 servings

Today we ventured to a local park to enjoy a train ride, the petting zoo, playing in the stream and a picnic.  It was a family day of fun for only $6!

Here is the train...

Here is AJ last summer freaking out & screaming the entire train ride...

Here we are enjoying a nice peaceful train ride this summer...

Peace Out friends!  Have a great week!  Let me know if you try either recipe!

3 Years Ago...

July 16, 2006 

God blessed us with a healthy, beautiful baby boy...

& now he is getting ready for pre-school!

I can't even begin to express the joy he has brought into our lives

or

 describe how it feels like just yesterday we were in the hospital delivering our brand new baby boy.

What a journey, an honor, and a pleasure it has been to watch him grow and develop into this little person.

FaMiLy PiCtUrEs!

Yay!  Our family pictures are here!  Check out Jeff Poucher Photojournalist for more info on our photographer.

Here are a few of my favorites!

Bout Had To Throw Down & 4th of July: Part 2

Parent Orientation Day: Check

I love my job & I love new beginnings.  This year brings a lot of new into my school life...new kids, new room arrangement, new communication/organization folder system in my class, new phonics program...

I love it!  The change is refreshing & fast paced with less than two full weeks off between school years.  I am truly and genuinely excited about every bit of this newness!  Everything new brings great potential for my class to grow as learners.  I LOVE my job.  I thrive on the challenge, juggling the organization & planning, the creativity, being innovative as things change, my team mates, & the kids.

I don't mind spending hours upon hours preparing for the new year because I love the process and seeing my students' enthusiasm for the first day of second grade.

and I'm a nice person...I really am.  

But if you push me far enough, I will bite back.  If you go too far, I will let you know it.  It usually takes a lot, but when compounded with a certain level of stress in life...such as the first day of school closing in on me...my tolerance level might be shortened...a bit.

So today when I left my school at 7:15pm after getting there at 7:30am to grab a quick bite at Sonic before driving 40 minutes home to put the kids to bed & dive back into beginning of the school year preparations...I may have been a bit quick to snap back at the lady on the other end of the intercom...just maybe.

I just let her know that it was not okay for her to "get sassy with me...a paying customer"...albeit only a $5.25 paying customer...a paying customer that had been wearing heels since 6:00am...

Uhuh, don't get lippy with me through that little Sonic intercom, lady.  I will let you know my opinion on your little attitude...and I did.

I'm pretty sure she spit in my Dr. Pepper.

On to 4th of July: Part 2

After the parade we went to the neighborhood 4th of July BBQ.

There was a face painter, hot dogs, hamburgers, fruit kabobs, and all kinds of yummy sides to eat!  AJ passed up a train painting for a ladybug...really?  What?!  Okay, more power to him.

Check out a few of the neighborhood girls born this year...and this isn't even all of them!

Must be something in the water...

From the neighborhood BBQ, we joined some friends to visit as we waited for the fireworks to begin.  It was approximately 8:30 and they were fading fast...

but they made it...all were awake when the fireworks began after 9:00.  

According to AJ the "pop bang fireworks were awesome."

4th of July: Part 1

I love this day!

I love the summery feel of eating watermelon, grilled hot dogs, lemonade, & potato salad outside.

I love dressing the kids in red, white, & blue.

I love going to parades.

I love getting together with friends & family.

I love my country.

I love fireworks.

This is one of my favorite times of the year from which some of my favorite childhood memories stem

such as:

 picking out fireworks and setting up our own show in the front yard with my brothers...

I vividly remember catching fireflies with my little sister as we impatiently waited for it to get dark enough to start lighting our fireworks,

writing my name in the air with my sparkler,

the smokey smell fireworks leave behind, 

the year I was old enough to get my own punk for lighting my own fireworks,

the stinging feeling of the blister swelling up on my right shin after being hit with one of the said fireworks...good times!

And so we begin creating such patriotic memories for our children...

(minus the actual getting to light our own fireworks...apparently it is illegal here...I grew up in Missouri where you could have bottle rocket fights in your front yard)

Starting with AJ & Girlfriend's first 4th of July parade...

Girlfriend was all decked out in her red, white, & blue...

not having as much fun as me...

AJ got to see lots of police cars, fire trucks, & horses...

& ate a lot of suckers...

& now we venture off to the traditional neighborhood BBQ, followed up with homemade funnel cakes with friends as we wait for the fireworks!

God Bless America!

Ebras, A Train Ride, Radioactive Shaved Ice & Yellow Daisy Calling Cards

I would say that after several attempts, 

we have mastered how to spend a peaceful morning at the zoo without injuring any innocent bystanders and leaving with our sanity intact.

We traveled light (back pack & left the wagon at home)...

 talked a lot about how peacocks are nice birds that do not eat our shoes before we got there...

quickly averted attention away from the cotton candy hut...

AJ got to see his ebras... 

ride the train...

and have neon-radioactive-colored shaved ice.

AJ even left with a peacock feather...that we purchased...didn't pluck.

I think we are making progress on his deathly fear of peacocks.

I also discovered a FaBuLoUs new etsy shop where I got my calling cards for parent orientation day.  They are sophisticated yet fun.  They are bright and funky while still being professional.  

They are the highest of quality & were shipped right away!

I am in love with them.  

How am I suppose to give such little treats away?  

I guess keeping them would defeat the purpose...maybe I will just save one to look at & admire...

I digress...

Click here to get to her shop!

You will not be disappointed, but you will be tempted!

& if you want to be as sophisticated/fun/bright/funky/professional as me, you can buy the Yellow Daisy Calling Cards...