Breakfast this morning

I've been making pancakes for me and the girls for breakfast lately.  I say "me and the girls" because Q leaves too early (okay, only 7:30) but honestly he would rather have the whole shebang with eggs, biscuits, gravy, sausage, and you get the point.  Who can blame him? And maybe just one day I'll be a really good housewife and wake up early every morning and make these things for him... Oh, I KNOW, maybe in the next year when I'm up early with our newborn baby! ha!  Who am I kidding?

  So, this morning I decided to mix things  up a little and add chocolate chips to the pancake mix.  Journey was still asleep.  Q was about to walk out the door for work.  I was mixing the pancake mix and Deci was sitting on the counter reading me bible stories.  Here is how our conversation goes.

Deci:  "Moma, do you know how to make doughnuts?"

Me:  "Nope."

Deci: "Well, maybe when me and Journey grow up you can get a grown-up job and learn how to make doughnuts for me and Journey."

Me: "Why do you want me to make doughnuts?"

Deci:  "Because they are good and if me and Journey are grownups then you can leave us here and go to work to make doughnuts and then bring us back some after work."

And I thought I was being the cool Mom by adding chocolate chips to the pancake mix!  That settles it then, when I go back to work, I'll work at a doughnut shop and everyone will be happy! :)

Gak

Deci's last day of her speech preschool was last week.  She will start again in the Fall but one of her favorite things about her class is that they get to play with this play-doh(ish) stuff they call Gak.  So we asked for the recipe and I thought I would share it with you guys.  Super easy.

What you will need:

1. 2 cups water

2. 1 Tbs Borax

3. food coloring

4. 1 cup Elmer's White Glue

First Mix: 1 cup water, 1 tbs Borax and food coloring together in a bowl.

Then in another bowl mix: 1 cup water and 1 cup Elmer's glue.

Then, slowly pour the first bowls contents into the 2nd bowl while mixing together.

It will look something like this:

At this point, I thought I had messed something up because it wasn't mixing together.  I then put my hands in the bowl and started kneading it together.  It took a little bit and I still wasn't quite sure I got it right when I passed it to Deci to play with but after a few minutes it turned out perfect!

This was a full hour of entertainment a few nights ago!

AND I'm pretty sure if you store it in an airtight container it will last a while!

Portable Flannel Board

I found this craft in a book called "The Preschooler's Busy Book" by:  Trish Kuffner

I also have one for toddlers.

Step 1: Get felt...

 Step 2: Get a large piece of Cardboard. (Or Shoebox, which the book recommends)

Step 3: Glue Felt onto cardboard.

 Step 4: Cut felt into shapes such as animals, cars, people, circles, squares, or triangles, or try letters and numbers if you feel ambitious.

Step 5: PLAY!  Your felt board is ready.

I made mine like this because I didn't have a shoebox but in the book it talks about how if you use the lid of the shoebox you can store the felt pieces inside the box and use it for the car.  I need to find a shoebox and make this again.

(overlook the one-eyed girl.)

Crossing off number 6! Bend, Oregon (part 2)

Well, the day has finally arrived when picknik.com no longer lives so I had to find a new photo editing procedure and It's killing me!  I've been on photobucket.com for the past hour and not got anything done.  I know this will just take time...but if any of you have any other suggestions of websites where I can edit pictures let me know.

So today there aren't any picture collages and I hate it because I love them...but here goes...

We started the day off by driving up Pilot Butte.  From the top we could see SOOO many snow covered mountains. Mt Bachelor, Mt. Washington, the three sisters, 3 fingered jack, and Mt. Hood..I think...

 I forgot to add in the last post about the funny story about when I told Deci we needed to start packing for our trip.  It went something like this:

Me: "Deci, we need to start packing for our trip."

Deci: "But I hate packing!"

Me: "I'll pack for you."

Deci: big sigh, "Ok, but do we have to pack the table?"

Me: "No, we're only going for the weekend."

Deci: "Ok, but can I take my pink blanket, big dog, my elephant, and my bunny?" 

Me: "Sure."

I think the 3 moves we've made in the past year and 1/2 has made its toll on Deci....I mean, the table? really?  She honestly thought we were going to have to pack the whole house and move again! ha!

 I loved seeing all the big white puffy clouds!  When it's cloudy where we live, it's CLOUDY...like you-can't-see-the-sun cloudy!

 Journey decided to sleep though this adventure.

 Next, we went to go hike to a water fall and found a nice man on the way back to make this picture of us.  Notice Deci with No shoes...hiking with no shoes. yep.

 Deci started out with shoes on but remember when I talked about getting these boots for $3 at a thrift store...well thrift store shoes aren't always the best.  They wouldn't stay on her feet right and when she ran they started sliding off...it was just easier to take them off.

 Lava Fields.

 We were talking with some married couples the other day about this hiking trip.  These married couples don't have kids yet and I guess Q and I feel it's our responsibility to warn them how hard it can be with kids...  This hike was 1/2 a mile (there and back) but felt like we hiked 10 miles.  This picture below was at the water fall and at this point we were both carrying kids and they weren't cooperating at all...

 After this we went back to the house and canceled our plans of going out to eat because we were exhausted.  It was very relaxing and we taught Deci how to play the board game Sorry.  Then when the girls went to bed we opened a bottle of wine and Q and I played the game Sequence. I LOVED not having television or internet.

We didn't go to bed so early and I regretted it later when Deci woke up screaming around 12ish and got in the bed with us.  I think around 1ish Journey woke up crying (which is weird because she's my kid that sleeps all night, every night).  I tried to put her in the bed with us but Deci was taking up 1/2 the king size and Q was taking up the other 1/2.  So we went to the bottom of the bunk bed where Deci started off sleeping.  Journey wouldn't go back to sleep.  I think she finally went back to sleep around 3 then I woke up hearing this beep...beep...beep...beep sound coming from downstairs.  At first I thought it was the house alarm but knew it would have been louder.  I went to wake up Q but when I got out of the bed Journey woke up.  Q went down stairs and it was just the kitchen timer going off...I'm not sure why...  We finally got back to sleep and woke up Sunday and headed home.  It was a very fun family weekend.  Just what we needed.

Crossing off Number 6! Bend, Oregon (part 1)

  I made a list (Here) of places and things I wanted to do in Oregon in 2012.

We are slowly, oh so slowly crossing them off our list.  Currently we've only crossed off 2.  Some of these things are expensive...mainly expensive to drive to some of them and frankly we just don't have the time or money BUT we were blessed this past weekend to be able to spend time in Bend, Oregon.

See, I don't know all the details (I wish I did) but there is a guy...(or a family) out there that built a house in Bend for pastors and their family to go to get away for FREE!  Crazy, I know! We found out about it because of the pastor at the Shift in Albany.  (Thanks Brad and Naomi!!)

On the road.

 The house we stayed in was BEAUTIFUL!  And the BEST part to me was how kid friendly it was.  The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the playroom.  Then they had a baby room with a baby bed! If you're a mom you know how hectic it can be going on vacation when you still have a baby sleeping in a baby bed.

 This isn't even half of it! 5 bedrooms.  The house was huge and we had it all to ourselves.  Oh and no internet or T.V.!  I just so happened to love that.  It was much needed family time.

We woke up to a little bit of snow on the ground the next morning and decided to drive out towards Mount Bachelor.

Look how blue that sky is!  Q told me on the way over that it's sunny in Bend 320 days out of the year! What? And why aren't we living in Bend?? haha...no seriously... 

We decided to stop on the way to play in the snow...but my feet kept sinking a foot into the snow...Deci was the only one who could walk on the snow without caving in so we decided to get a picture of me and the girls and get out of there...

It didn't work so well.  The sun was SO bright.  We're not so use to the sun where we're from.  Plus Deci just wanted to play and Journey was screaming.  Good times.

(I found deci's boots at a thrift store for $3.00! I love them...but not so good for hiking...more about that in part 2)

Next we went to the High Desert Museum.

Journey loved the turtles.

Watching the Otter.

Can I just tell you about this awesome stroller we just so happen to find at a yard sale this weekend in Bend???  Deci's friend's mom has one of these strollers and I was so envious of it.  It's like a double stroller but not as bulky.  Deci can either stand or sit.  It's such a perfect stroller for our girls age.  We forgot our stroller at home.  (we currently don't have a double stroller) We passed a yard sale sign.  Pulled in and found this stroller for $50! I think they sell at Target for $125 and this one is in perfect condition so I would say we got a really great deal!

And Deci loves it.  We used it all weekend.  Can you tell I'm proud of this find? ha! :)

Ok, well that's it for part 1.  I'll try to post part 2 tomorrow.

 

Wednesday's...I hate em'

 So...the post below I wrote on Wednesday:

Wow, where do I start...  Today's been hectic.  I can not tell you very much productive stuff that's gone on in this house today.  I hate Wednesdays.  There I said it.  I actually say it a lot but there, I've made it public to you bloggers.  Wednesday's start whenever the girls feel like waking up but this morning I woke up at 7:30 and heard silence so I decided to sit in the den and read.  Low and behold Q woke up, then Journey, then Deci...all within 5minutes after I got up so I didn't get to read.  We ate breakfast and took showers then Q leaves for work at 10. So, we get 2 hours with him on Wednesdays. (ok, don't feel too sorry for me.  He has a long day also.) My friend, Kylee came by this morning, which I am SO grateful for.  She is such a blessing to me.  She's one of those friends who just wants to be around you to help and learn.  She doesn't judge me and there is freedom in this (me) over insecure girl. So, we had coffee and tried to have a conversation while Journey pitched a HUGE fit.  She's just now learning this and it's actually HILARIOUS! Just a few days ago Q and I sat laughing at her while she jumped up and down screaming because she didn't want to wear a shirt! HILARIOUS, I tell you.  So Journey was screaming and Deci was just wanting attention as always, bless her.  She can never get enough attention.  I might add that she is telling Kylee the story about how I got pulled over by a policeman on the way to Portland a few months ago! That girl has a great memory.  Kylee leaves at 12:30 and I am so grateful for our time because that means 2 hours less that I'm in this house alone with 2 mini me's. We talk about how it's hard having kids, especially living 2,800 miles away from family.  Kylee is married but they don't have kids yet.  She's from Ohio so she understands this life, living away from family.  She encourages me to blog more about this life away from family and life with kids.  She wants to learn...she wants to soak it up like a sponge. I love this and I wish before I had kids I would have spent more time with moms with kids.  Maybe I would know more about what in the world you do with kids everyday! ha!

  Anyways, so I laid Journey down.  Played Barbie's with Deci for seriously 5 minutes.  I honestly hate playing barbies.   Then it's ME time and Deci gets to watch T.V.  1/2 way through working on a blog post the internet goes out which means so does netflix that Deci is watching. :( So, Deci once again is begging me to play with her.  (seriously, people, I promise I play with the girl).  Today, I just didn't feel like playing with her.  I just wanted to sit and watch T.V. all day...I wanted to read.  To take a nap.  This is all a sign that I need a break because honestly, I'm not the perfect mom but I do play with them, I do usually clean something everyday,and I'm not always a couch potato.  Q and I had a conversation not too long ago about how I need a break at least once a week.  Gah, I know.  How selfish can I be?? I know that may seem like a lot but I just need me time.  So, today, I let the house go.  I let the kids go WILD.  I didn't clean...ok, maybe I did load the dishwasher and load the washing machine...but that's it.  I didn't "cook" food.  I just warmed up left overs for every meal.  I didn't play with my kids much today (eeeek, they played by their self?? What?).  I let them watch too much T.V.  (Even with netflix out we watched a DVD).  I feel like a horrible mom but it's ok.  I know I'm not "horrible" and I think one day like this every now and then will be okay... I think... :/

So, my internet is still out.  I'm currently typing this on a notepad on the computer and I will later copy and paste onto the blog.  I have been reading the 7 book (that I talked about before) today A LOT.  The funny thing is I'm currently reading the part where she gives up media for a month...she checks her email and a few things but not FB, Twitter, or her blogs. She's not watching T.V. etc..  It's funny
because it's killing me that I'm sitting home along and all I want to is blog or get on FaceBook!!!  AHHHH!  I guess I've become too attached.  I really should be reading, knitting, cleaning...(the kids are asleep)  But I'm learning so much through this 7 book.  It's exactly the book I needed right now.  I miss home, especially this past week when our close friends, Neal and April moved back to Alabama for their baby Knox. To be around long time friends and family for help as the prepare for the next surgery. I was actually working on a post about them when the internet went out. So, I'm here... being transparent...trying not to complain too much because I have SOOOOO much to be grateful for and so much God is doing in our lives.  He's changing us here.  I've heard it said before, but when you meet the homeless, when you put a name with a face...it becomes real.  I want to make a difference.  I have this one life.  I'm so afraid I'm not living up to my potential.

Lord, keep changing me.  Keep making me more like you.  Don't let me become complacent in this world.  -A

Sisters...and makeup

 

This is how we make PIZZA around here...

First off Momma and Deci do the hard work.  Rolling down the pizza dough, putting on the pizza sauce and cheese.  Then little munchkin comes in and this is what happens.  Keep and eye on Journey.

 Big sister shows Journey what to do... take the peperoni...

 humm.....

 first one in the mouth!

 Yummy!

One for the pizza...

 not too sure she's happy about that decision...

 humm... lookin' good, lookin' good...

 one for Journey...

 One for the pizza...

 ooooh, I'm caught!

 CHEESE!

Haha! Sweet girls!

 I love when we make homemade pizza! I love making these special memories with my girls.

(Sorry for the unedited pictures.  As much as I love to edit, and love the way they look, It does take so much time...time that I'm fighting for at the moment. *sigh) ;)

Finding Balance

   As a mom I really struggle with finding balance.  How much time during the day should I play with each kid, how much time should be spent cleaning, teaching the kids, crafts with kids,  playing online, doing bible study, laundry, phone calls, reading, watching T.V. and finally "me time".  I know it doesn't sound like a lot...but if you're a mom you probably understand.  This doesn't even have the days I go grocery shopping so take Deci to school...some days have more going on than others.  I'm sure I'm not the only mom out there that struggles with this.  I sometimes wonder if I feel this way because of my first child's need to have me near.  She wants me to play with her 24/7.  Seriously, I could probably play with her every waking minute and she would still want me to play with her more.

   I feel like there are not enough hours in the day sometimes.  The house is almost always a mess.  I almost always have a kid at my side asking me to play with them and I honestly almost always crave "Me time".  I understand that as I signed up for this mom job that I gave up a lot of my me time or I have to be creative and have that time when the kids are in bed.  I've had several moms with older kids that tell me to "let the house go and spend time with those babies or you'll regret it when they are older."  I understand this but a part of me just wants to clean...to do something that feels like I'm normal.  Not just a mom that's changing diapers, cleaning up spills, playing barbies, calming crying kids, teaching them how to share... sometimes I just want to clean.  I want my house to look clean even though it hardly ever is.

  I know also how important it is to teach your kids to play by themselves.  To teach themselves how to entertain themselves.  I somehow messed up on this with Deci but with Journey she just wants to follow Deci around.  Journey has always been more content playing my herself and I know that has a lot to do with being a second child.  I actually called a friend back in Alabama a few months ago to ask her what her day was like as a stay-at-home-mom when her kids where my girls age.  I know that with every age it's different but I just needed to see an example.  I'm such a "by the book" kind of mom.  I can sometimes be a perfectionist even though I'm SOOO far from being perfect.  I just have a hard time balancing all that needs (or all I want) to be done during the day.

  I talked with a friend this morning that said she will set her kitchen timer for 10 or 15 minutes and clean until the timer goes off.  Or she will set it and play with her kids until the timer goes off.  She said she does that because she use to start cleaning the kitchen then walk away to do something else and never get the kitchen clean.  So, today I'm going to try this because I do the same thing.  Even sometimes I'll sit to play with the girls and then remember that I didn't put the clothes in the wash so I'll get up and go do that and then remember something else that needs to be done.  I know there doesn't have to be this schedule everyday...even though in Audrey's Perfect World there would be a schedule! haha!  I just don't want to neglect my kids.  I want them to know I love them.  I want to do my Job and clean the house and cook, I want to do my bible study everyday, and I need me time...to blog or read.  I'm just being honest with you guys today.  I know there aren't a ton of moms that read my blog but if you are a mom and have suggestions for me I'd love to hear from you.

Pinterest: Frozen Yogurt Drops!

I found this on Penterest HERE.

I'm not sure why I didn't think of this myself.  I'm not big on the texture of yogurt so why not freeze it?

Baby Knox had a clinic in Eugene a week or so ago so April and Neal Dropped off Raegan and Charger for a few hours to play with the girls.  I thought this would be something fun Rae and Deci could do together.

All you do is get any flavor of Yogurt. (I would recommend not getting the yogurt with real fruit pieces in it because the fruit has a hard time coming out of the hole in the bag)

Put the yogurt in a zip lock bag.

Cut a hole in one of the corners of the bag and squeeze out drops onto a baking sheet.

Put the pan in the freezer for one hour. Then they are ready to eat!

YUM!

This will be such a fun snack for Summer!

Check back in next Monday where we will start Marriage Letters back up! :)

Go on over to The Run a Muck and check out the topics for the month of April on Marriage letters.

Next week: On Serving Together