3 Funnies

Today Kadyn did/said some of the funniest things.  I had to write blog about them so they were captured somewhere and not forgotten about.  I ask that you be a little forgiving as one of them is a bit crude, but I'm sure other Moms will understand the humor for sure.  Here goes:

Funny #1-  Kadyn trots out of the bathroom and exclaims, "Mom I found a new way to poop." Me thinking, "Seriously.  Isn't there only one way to poop?  Should I hear this?"  So I calmly reply, "Do share."  She says, "You just close your eyes real tight and squeeze really hard and it just come right out."  Me, "Yes, that's usually how it works."

Funny #2-  On our way to McDonalds to take advantage of the 50 cent ice cream cones Kadyn tells me (as if I didn't know)  "Mom I want an ice cream cone.  That's a cone with ice cream in it."

Funny #3-While at McDonalds Jeff tells me a little more about his trip to Springfield with Kadyn last Saturday.  Apparently she jammed her finger when getting in the car.  He has the windows rolled down and she asks if she could put her finger out the window and let the air blow on it to make it feel better.  He says that would be fine.  A little later he looks back and notices the finger that she's hanging out the window is the bird.

Oh the funny things they say and do.  I'm going to to miss this age.  It seems the older she gets, the wiser she gets, the less innocent she becomes, and the funny things she says out of pure innocence slowly disappear.  They certainly aren't as frequent as they used to be, but when they do come, they're darn funny.

My new discovery.

This year I trotted off to Walmart with the kiddies to try to find some flowers for my pots and perhaps attempt to start a container vegetable garden. Our yard is going to need some major dirty work to be ready for a real garden.  We don't have the resources to make that happen right now, so container gardening really seems my only option.   I had every intention of buying a few tomatoe plants and pepper plants and putting them in some already existing pots.  However, I ran into the neatest little planter that I just had to have.  You can hang up to 4 tomato plants from the bottom of the container and plant your choice of herbs, cucumbers, peppers, strawberries, or other vegetables in the top.  It really is a neat idea and concept.  So many plants, such little space.  I really hope it works. 

Since I started my vegetarian kick, I have also tried to buy things organic when I can afford to do so. I bought organic soil to put in my planter and would like to keep them fertilized organically as well.  I do not want to do the whole manure and compost pile thing.  I just don't have the resources or area to do that yet.  So I did a little research.  my plan is to water the little beauties with my fish tank water, and on occasion use some milk mixtures, coffee ground mixtures, and egg shell solutions to feed the little plants.  I hope it works.  I realize that container gardening often means you have to replenish the soil often of nutrients. The soil is I bought is supposed to feed up to 2 months, so hopefully this will help fill in the gaps.  Wish me luck!  Here's hoping the end of this summer yields me a bountiful crop of green peppers, yellow peppers, and tomatoes.  Kind of wish Jeff would let me do one more so I could have strawberries and zucchini.  Maybe next year.

YMCA

Jeff is board member of our local YMCA.  It actually isn't located in Branson, but in a small superb of Branson called Hollister. Being on the board was a great way for Jeff to get more active in the community, meet new people, and hopefully spread the word about his business. Being on the board, of course, requires that we become members.  We had such great ambitions to go exercise at least three times a week together after Jeff got off of work and we did make that happen for a little while.  Having childcare seemed like too good of a perk to pass up.  Really it meant no excuses not to exercise. 

Next thing we know, sickness started overcoming our efforts to go.  I started babysitting which meant I couldn't just up and leave at 5:00 to go meet Jeff at 5:30.  Then there was the whole issue of the girls being hungry at 5:30, cleaning the kitchen, giving the girls baths, letting the girls have a little Daddy time, and then off to bed. There really was little time to get to the Y and get all those things done.  After being sick week after week, the thought of dropping the kids off in the daycare center at the Y seemed a little scary too.  Needless to say, I found plenty of reasons to not resume my efforts to work out. Excuses....maybe.


But all our dues are not in vain.  We got to enroll Kadyn in soccer last fall and plan to do so again next fall.  We want to get her into gymnastics soon.  Then there's the fun community events they host.  Last October they had a big halloween bash that was really fun.  Just last Saturday they had a family fun day.  Kadyn got her face painted, got some balloon animals, got to make a crown, won a medal in a race, got to watch some high school mimes reinact the crucifixion, got to go inside an ambulance and fire engine, and walked away with lots of cool handouts.  It was fun for all.  Here are two pictures of Kadyn in the emergency vehicles.

Carrot fries

I tried these today.  Awesome!  So so easy.

Ingredients

• 1  pound carrots
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4  teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4  teaspoon salt

Directions 1. Slice carrots into 1/2-inch-wide sticks using a crinkle cutter (I  didn't use a crinkle cutter). Toss with olive oil, dried thyme, and salt. Bake at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until soft, on a parchment paper–lined pan (I just used some nonstick spray)

New talents

From 2010-04-04

Click on the pic to see the video.

New Easter Traditions

You may remember awhile back I was racking my brain for new ideas to make this Easter more memorable, to cement the real meaning of what Easter is really about, and to create new family traditions.  I appreciate all those who shared their traditions and plans with me.  A special thanks to Roach Mama for reminding of that Christian website I shared on my blog awhile back.  I decided to use several ideas from there for this Easter that I hope to carry on for Easters to come.  We started 12 days before Easter by opening an egg each morning with a biblical verse in it and some little trinkets that reperesented that verse.  Off the top of my head, there was a nail in one, a little wooden cross in another, some cloth in another, a thorny vine in another...you get the idea. 

The week of Easter we did an Easter craft each day, except Monday.  We made a sun catcher cross, a tomb with a stone that opens up to a verse about Jesus rising from the dead, a sacrificial lamb made from a handprint and cotton balls, and a 3D version of an empty tomb.  Kadyn really enjoyed this. 

Then, finally we made ressurection rolls the day before Easter for breakfast.  I'm sad to say we didn't get any pictures of these.  It was fun though.  Basically you take marshmallows (Christ's body) and dip them in butter and roll them in a sugar and cinnamon mixture (preparing the body for burial with spices).  Then you wrap them in a crescent roll (the shroud).  Next you place them in the oven (the tomb).  Tape the door shut (the stone to keep people out of the tomb).  Place a stuffed animal in front of the oven (soldiers to guard the tomb) and cook according the instructions.  When they are finished cooking the marshmellow is melted and clear so it appears the body is gone.  It really is neat!

The rest of our celebrations were more traditional in nature which I discussed in my previous post.  I really think Kadyn got a firm grasp on the true meaning of Easter this year after all our festivities.  Mission accomplished!

Easter 2010

Easter this year was very nice to us.  Uncle Jason and his new girlfriend, Amanda, came to visit us along with Grandma and Grandpa Bilberry.  It started Friday night when we all went out to eat at a place called Tijuana Willies. We were also celebrating Jason's 22nd birthday.

 

Saturday everyone slept in a little.  I had to snap a photo of little Bren and Jeff, it was too cute.

 

Late morning the girls got to open a belated Christmas gift from their great aunt and uncle.  Kadyn and I made resurrection rolls together (bummed no one got pics of this).  She really enjoyed it.  It was a fun and yummy breakfast.

 

After everyone got ready the boys went to a classic car museum and the girls stayed home with the kids and dyed Easter eggs.

 Late afternoon we played a little Wii and Baba cooked hamburgers for the family before we jetted off to see a the Branson show called Shake Rattle and Roll.  We were fortunate that we were able to get free tickets thanks to Ruth, the mother of one of my daycare kids and performer in the show.  It was fun listening to old hits from the 50's.

Easter morning the girls woke to their Easter baskets full of goodies, a few small gifts, and a note from the Easter bunny.  The note informed them that Jesus wanted the girls to have fun on Easter to celebrate his resurrection so he asked the Easter bunny to hide some eggs.  The plain eggs were for Brennan to find and the Noah's Ark themed eggs were for Kadyn to find (they were hidden in more difficult places).  We all went to a lovely service at church after all the Easter egg fun, and then took a scenic drive by Table Rock lake on our way to Branson Landing to eat some yummy Easter dinner at The White River Fish House.  After our meal we came home, relaxed to a movie, and then said goodbye to Jason and his girlfriend.  Grandma and Grandpa Bilberry will be leaving us tomorrow.  Overall, it was a wonderful Easter.