Friday, May 29, 2009

the countdown has started

My kids have 8 more days of school.

I am actually looking forward to it. Not getting up early to get us ready for the day. No getting them to bed at a good hour so they can be ready for school in the morning. I won't have to make sure their uniforms are cleaned and ready every evening. I won't have to go read with kids at school, I have really enjoyed it though, or drive to the school three times a day to drop off and pick up at two different times.

I am looking forward to some summer fun.

But I do know in the back in my mind that summer really just means more work for me. I know they will be fighting their first minute of summer vacation. And the "bored" word will come out the first full week with no school. I am not that naive. So I have planned things to help me with this. I am a planner!

I have each week set up for my summer school. I have supplies bought for projects and books bought or checked out to go along with the lessons. Wall maps are bought and ready to be hung. I am READY!

This last week I have been starting to think about what kind of foods I need to have at home too, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, easy stuff.

So what are you guys doing to prepare yourself for summer!? That goes for all of you with kids and those of you blessed to get rid of your school kids. :)

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Summer Recipes

I am looking for some new recipes for the summer. I thought about this when last week I had a chicken pasta salad that I loved at a friends house. Usually I don't really like cold pasta salads. They have a taste I don't care for but this one used a lot of garlic and olive oil and was so good. So I am looking for some new recipes that I can pull out this summer when it is hot and I don't want to cook or eat hot foods.

So please post one of your favorites! You know everyone is always looking for something new so you are helping more then just me out.

And when I get the pasta salad recipe from the lady who made it I will post it for y'all!

Monday, May 25, 2009

PS

Umm, padingtons was closed today. Hopefully it was just the holiday and that is not things to come as well. I love their pizza and would hate it if they closed for good.

So guess where we went instead! McDonalds. yum yum.

Memorial Day means family day

Today was a nice day. Ben had the day off and we took full advantage of it. We woke up and Ben of course had to get his mocha. Then we taught the kids how to play Connect Four. About 8:30 we headed out for breakfast. I love to eat breakfast out. We decided to drive to Silverton to see what they had and to go on an "adventure." Silverton may not have had what we wanted to eat BUT there were fields of white clover, red thistle and orange poppies! Be-U-T-FUL. Next we headed to West Salem. SOOOO, one hour after leaving our house we were finally ordering food. After a large and very yummy breakfast we came back and Ben took the kids on a hike while I took a nap. :) Now Ben is taking a nap while I played memory with the kids and am trying to keep them quiet. Later today we are going to go to Paddingtons. I love Paddingtons (there pepperoni and olive pizza) but NEVER EVER go there. So this is a special thing for me. What a great day!

Monday, May 18, 2009

OOPSY

Today I did had a big foot-in-the-mouth moment!

Last night was the finale of Survivor. I was out all night playing with my girls and so Ben watched it on his own. I "thought" he said this morning he watched until 10:00 PM. I figured that he meant he had watched until like 10:05 to see who won, before going to bed. I mean why would you not! So I called Ben when I saw the winner this morning and I was like, "I cannot believe ______ won!!" Nope. He hadn't seen that yet. That was the next hour so he stopped and went to bed. I guess I may have ruined it for him. I feel pretty lame!

SO sorry honey!

Friday, May 8, 2009

new summer ideas

So our family usually gets an Oregon Zoo membership and last year we bought an OMSI one as well. They were great because I also used reciprocal zoos and science centers and we went often enough to get our moneys worth PLUS. This year we may not get either membership and try some new things.
So my questions or questions are
1. Have any of you ever gone to the Oaks Park in Portland?
2. Any other great ideas for something/some place new? (not Enchanted Forest either)

I think the sunny weather today has me dreaming of fun summer days with my kids!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Okay the below post is the big event I was talking about Saturday. :) I put a smile face in the post saying pictures were to come because I knew that really only a mother cares about tball. So sorry Rachel. This was the big event. T-ball is THE thing around here.

My little ball player







So for the last month Ethan has been eagerly going to tball practices. The bummer was his practices were smack in the middle of AWANA so he has been missing that but he LOVES his t-ball. He is probably the youngest one his team but he is hanging in there. They seem to me surprised to find out he is 4. Saturday they had their first game of the season. They all look so cute in their outfits but I think Ethan was one of the cutest. :)

The first practice they gave out the team shirts. The coach asked if Ethan wanted to be #1. Etahn said no I am 4! So in the one picture where there are five boys running for the ball he is the little boy out there in the #4. :) We all get a kick out of the way they ALL have to go for the ball. Then they are so proud if they are the one to get it they forget to throw it to first. It is really hilarious.

When he is outfield he feels the need to wear his hat backwards. Not sure where he got that but it's cute.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

the word "storm" seems too tame

This morning we went "somewhere" but I am leaving that for a post after I upload my pictures. I will say there will be cute pictures of my son soon to come. After this special event, wink wink, we went up to IKEA. Ben had never been and I had never been to the one in Oregon so he had the idea to just up and go. We bought a few small things for Alicia's bedroom when we paint it this summer. On the way home we got trapped on I-5 in a terrible monsoon. :) Seriously Ben and I have never been in any rains/hail storm like that. Cars were pulling off, stopping on the interstate. It was crazy. I was scared. I was praying. Ben was perfectly fine. :) We even saw some lightening! Talk about a crazy day! Then all of a sudden, well lets just say awhile of off-and-on storming, the clouds parted and it was sunny but INCREDIBLY and I mean VERY VERY windy.
Lets just say I was THANKFUL I was not driving today. I heard later that a tree fell in the storm and killed someone. That is so heartbreaking.

Hopefully tomorrow I will find my camera and get the pictures off. I think the camera is in my car, at least I hope it is, as I have not seen it inside yet.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Hurry now to coupons.com

Yesterday I bought a box of Frosted Flakes for $1.99. I was happy with the price. I mean I knew it wasn't GREAT but it wasn't too high. Well today I checked a site called Save With Louise. She let me in on the coupons at coupons.com. I have gone there many times but sometimes I forget to check it as sometimes they just do not have anything I would buy. BUT RIGHT NOW, THIS VERY INSTANT, there are Kellogg cereal coupons there! And they are 1$/1! Plus if I use the doubling coupon at Safeway that is $1.50 off of the cereal. So I could have gotten the box for .49 cents! Phooey. But I did print out coupons and plan to go back and stock up on cereals through the next 4-5 days.

If you do not eat these cereals you could get these for a food bank.