A Little Birdie Told Me...

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Friday Night Doughnuts & A Thomas Party!

What do you do on Friday night with the family?

We like easy nights with pizza for dinner, watching a movie...or running to the local Krispy Kreme to indulge in fresh warm doughnuts we just watched being made...

with strawberry milk of course...

mmm...mmm...good...

And here it is...

The most expensive birthday cake a 3 year old should ever have...

That is one spastically happy looking Thomas cake...

And here is one tired birthday boy...

(I am sure he is thinking..."I just can't believe I really got a Omas cake...")

AJ is walking around this morning saying, "I had fun my party.  Boons (balloons)...Omas cake...friends.  I happy."

Man, I love that boy!

And he is still talking about the cake the next day...

Good job dad!

Teeth & A Thomas Cake

Today I picked the kids up from daycare, 

and as I reached out to snuggle love my little baby girl something white greeted me when she smiled and cooed...

Yesterday she was just an infant, and now she has two teeth!

T.W.O teeth at once!  

She seems so grown up all of a sudden...

And here is little Mr.

A few weeks ago Andy asked AJ what kind of birthday party he would like...

AJ squealed, "OMAS (Thomas) Pardy!" 

(surprise, surprise)

Then Andy followed up with asking him what kind of cake he would like.

AJ screamed, "OMAS cake!"

(of course)

Last week the following conversation went down...

Andy:  I am the best dad ever!

Me:  Of course you are.

Andy: I got AJ a 3-D Thomas cake!

Me: Really?!  He will be SO excited!  Where did you get it?

Andy: Child's Bakery

Me: As in the place where people order wedding cakes?

Andy: yes...I think we are talking about the same place

Me: hmmm...

Me again: So how much did this 3-D Thomas cake cost?....

Andy: well...I'm on my way to take out another mortgage on the house right now...

Me: That bad huh?....

brief pause...(I'm beginning to wonder if I really want to know...)

Me again:  Seriously, What is the damage?

Andy: Enough that it required a deposit.

Me: A deposit?!

Andy: Anything over $50 requires a deposit apparently...

Me: Over $50?!  How much is this thing costing us?!

Andy: maybe...$70

long pause as I catch my breathe again

Me: $70

silence

Me again:  Does it puff real steam?

Andy: No, but it has Happy Birthday AJ written on it...

Me:  Yeah, but will it also sing Happy Birthday to him for $70?

Andy: I'm pretty sure it doesn't puff real steam or sing...

Me: Wow, well he better talk about this cake for the rest of his life...I mean...like....

write his personal narrative in 2nd grade about his amazing 3-D Thomas cake...

Andy: yeah...something like that.

Me:  Okay, this is going to be a fabulous Thomas party!  People will talk about it for ages...$70...that's painful...I mean...that's equivalent to the cost of...

Andy:  Let's just not think about it...

Me:  Okay, what's for dinner?

Me:  He's worth it.  I mean...Thomas cake: $70....The look on his face when he sees it: priceless...

I hope.

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."