Using Morgan's Cool Bake Oven

I went through the kids' activity box on Tuesday to clean it out and put all the supplies in a bigger box. While I was switching everything over, I came across the mixes for Morgan's Cool Bake Oven that she got for Christmas. We had made the brownies that came with it, shortly after Christmas, but I had forgotten about it since. Anyway, the weather wasn't cooperating to make it outside to play Tuesday afternoon, so we made some Cool Bake Cookies instead! :-)

*I had never heard of the Cool Bake Oven before Morgan got it for Christmas. It's pretty neat-it actually 'bakes' the dough using ice!

Wordless Wednesday: Close up

For more Wordless Wednesday, check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Go Graham Go!, Healthy Moms and PB and Smelly's Dad.

Potty Time Tuesday: Exciting News!

So it's actually Wednesday when I'm posting this, but I had to tell everyone what Blake did this morning.

We are still just letting Blake sit on the potty when he feels like it. I haven't been pushing him at all. I've just been taking it easy with potty training until summer. Well, this morning, I asked Blake if he wanted to sit on the potty and he shook his head yes. I went to take his sleeper off, but he insisted on doing it himself. He got the zipper down and then Morgan helped him get his feet and arms out. Morgan was about to get his diaper off for him too, but I stopped that one! (Last night, when I took Blake out of the bath tub, he wet on the rug and I didn't want a diaperless Blake running around and peeing all over. Also, when he wet on the rug, I put him right on the toilet and told him that was where he was suppose to go potty hoping it would sink in.)

Okay, so back to the story. I put Blake on the potty and gave him his tube of toothpaste to hold like usual. I sat on the step stool and talked to him. I didn't really thinking that anything was going to happen. Blake started to reach for the toilet paper, which he usually does, and he actually got some and went right to wiping himself. I thought that he was just mimicking what he had seen Morgan and I do, but when I looked, I saw a little droplet on him and realized he had actually peed in the potty! The little bit of yellowish water confirmed it! I think I was just as excited as when I won the play set and camera last Wednesday! LOL!

I think he might be getting the idea, but I'm not sure what to do next. Should I start putting him on the potty certain times of the day, like when he wakes up and before and after meals? Or maybe I should try what I did with Morgan and let him run around without a diaper, even though it isn't summer yet? Or should I just keep taking it easy like I have been? Or maybe it was just an accident-that he happened to go on the potty this morning, and no matter what I do, he still might not really be catching on? What do you think?

To participate in Potty Time Tuesdays, head on over to Healthy Moms.

Make Something Monday: Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie

As much as I love to bake, I usually don't have a ton of time with the little ones, so I LOVE this recipe. I can still have chocolate chip cookies without having to drop a bunch of cookies on cookie sheets and then wait for them all to bake. I just whip this up and cut it into squares. It probably takes less than half the time as making individual cookies.

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 6 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (12 ounce package) Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually blend into butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12x5/8-inch round pizza pan with foil. Pat dough evenly into prepared pan to within 3/4-inch of edge. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool; cute into wedges. Makes about 8 servings. (I cut them into small squares and get about 30 cookies.)

For more Make Something Monday, check out Go Graham Go! and Jolly Mom.

Baskin Robbins is Honoring America's Firefighters with a 31 cent Scoop Night!

With Rich being a volunteer firefighter, I thought it was pretty neat that Baskin Robbins will be honoring America’s firefighters on Wednesday, April 29th from 5:00 to 10:00 pm. They will be hosting a 31 cent scoop night (for the small size) where firefighters will be serving ice cream and teaching kids about fire safety and prevention. Baskin Robbins will also be donating $100,000 to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC)National Junior Firefighter Program.

I'm not sure if we will be going, or even if our local Baskin Robbins is participating, but I wanted to spread the word. It sounds like a fun way for kids to learn some very important fire safety and also enjoy a yummy treat! :-)

Thank you to Chefdruck Reviews for sharing this information on your blog! :-)

My Not So Ordinary Day

Yesterday seemed like it was going to be a pretty ordinary day. After having a nice weekend, with a couple cookouts with family and friends, the weather had changed drastically and had been cold and wet! With the rain and wind in the morning, I had been pretty bummed. It was Earth day. It should be sunny and nice. We should have been outside planting something and enjoying the weather!

Well, afternoon came and the weather cleared up. It was still windy, but the rain had gone and the sun was out. I started thinking about being able to get outside and plant the flowers my mother-in-law had given me for Easter. (Yeah-I know-I should have gotten out and done it sooner.) Maybe the kids could burn off some energy that they had been building up the last few rainy days. I decided that it would be best to go out after dinner. Rich would be home and we could do our little Earth day activity of planting some some flowers as a family, then the kids could play.

While the kids slept for their afternoon nap, I did some of my normal internet things, like blog hopping, catching up on e-mails, etc. I went to clear out my spam folder and noticed an e-mail that wasn't one of my usual spam e-mails. I opened it up and, at first, thought it was junk, but kept reading. I read it twice before I realized it was for real! I don't know if you remember my A Dream Swing Set post and how I could win a beautiful new rust-free wooden swing set and brand new camera? Well, I won! The e-mail from the guys at Dad Blogs was informing me of being the big winner of the Kid's Creations Three Ring Adventure play set and they actually ended up upgrading the camera to the Canon PowerShot A1100. Isn't that crazy?! I was literally shaking with excitement and disbelief! I think I actually had a lump in my throat at one point as I was trying to tell Rich on the phone and couldn't quite breath right. Dad Blogs has my info and they have already informed me when everything should be here. I can't believe it!

After all the excitement, we still made it outside after dinner and planted the flowers in honor of Earth Day. The kids played on the old swingset and in the pea stone pile while Rich and I discussed where we wanted to set up the new play set that is coming. (I'm still thinking that's pretty crazy!) On top of that, we broke down and bought a pet containment system for Bear after a concerned neighbor stopped by. Rich set it up last night when the kids and I came back inside. Bear will no longer be king of the neighborhood...just king of the 90 foot radius from our mudroom. LOL! So, what I thought was going to be an ordinary day, turned out to be not so ordinary after all.

Here are some pics of last night:

Morgan helping plant the flowers.

Blake on the swing.

Blake playing in the pea stone pile.

I wanted to say a quick thank you to Dad Blogs and Kid's Creations for the awesome giveaway! Thank you also to Alexia, because I wouldn't have even known about the giveaway if she hadn't blogged about it first! Also, thank you to all those who have already congratulated me. You are all SO sweet! :-) I'll be letting everyone know how the kids are enjoying the play set once it is here and all set up. Thanks again!

Wordless Wednesday: Oops!

For more Wordless Wednesday, check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Go Graham Go!, Healthy Moms and PB and Smelly's Dad.

You Don't Say Super Comments Award

Last week I was awarded the 'You Don't Say Super Comments Award' by Alexia for the comments I leave on her blog, The Mommy Rambles. Sometimes I'm not sure if it's Alexia's place to ramble or mine for the size of some of the comments I leave. LOL! I always love reading her posts and commenting, then e-mailing back and forth on a daily basis. I think it's safe to say we've become friends through our blogs-something I never imagined would happen when I started this! I could probably go on and on, but I really wanted to thank Alexia-I am very honored! :-)

I would also like to pass this award on to some of my top commenters. I truly appreciate every comment that is left on my blog. I wish I could pass this on to everyone who has ever took the time to stop by and comment, but I can't and I really want to honor my top three. These bloggers leave a comment here almost every day and I always love reading what they have to say!

• Cascia at Healthy Moms
• Alexis at Running Away? I'll Help You Pack.
• Pam at country mouse city mouse
  

Thank you for all your wonderful comments! You truly deserve this award! :-)

Blake's Potty Time

My little man has been sitting on the potty about once a day for a few weeks now. He hasn't done anything on it yet, but he is definitely getting more comfortable. He actually asked (by pointing) to sit on the potty 4 times yesterday. At first I thought Blake was really making the connection with his diaper being dirty and needing to sit on the potty, but by the forth time he didn't have a dirty diaper. Now I'm not sure if he was making a connection or just wanted the extra one on one attention and to be able to hold onto his toothpaste tube. (I don't know why, but he loves anything that resembles a bottle lately!)

For now, I'm going to continue with letting Blake sit on the potty when he wants to. He is still telling me when he has a dirty diaper and sometimes will show me that his diaper is dirty then point to the bathroom. I'm hoping that is a good sign?

On a similar note, Pierra at Jolly Mom is hosting a few potty training giveaways right now. One is for a Potty Monkey Potty Training System from PottyMD. The others are for potty chairs from BABYBJÖRN and Boon. Besides the giveaways, Pierra also has other product reviews and an interview with a Pediatric Urologist. Head on over to Jolly Mom and check it all out!

To participate in Potty Time Tuesdays, head on over to Healthy Moms.

Make Something Monday: Cornmeal Muffins

I had never made cornmeal muffins before, but some of the ingredients in this recipe sounded like the muffins would be moist and delicious, so I made them! Plus the recipe was from a friend's mom and I know she only makes yummy food! :-)

Cornmeal Muffins

• 1 c. flour
• 1 c. cornmeal
• 2 Tbsp. chopped onion
• 1 c. creamed corn
• 1/2 c. mayo
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 Tbsp. oil
• 1 egg

Combine dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add other ingredients. Stir until moistened. Bake in muffin papers in a muffin pan at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.

These muffins turned out just as delicious as I expected! They went over well with Rich and Blake, but Morgan decided that she didn't like them. I think she is getting pickier! :-/

For more Make Something Monday, check out Go Graham Go! and Jolly Mom.

Birthday Fun at Seven Dogs and a Baby

Angela over at Seven Dogs and a Baby is having a huge birthday party in honor of Conner's second birthday. It sounds like it is going to be a blast! I think I am looking forward to the scavenger hunt with "I Spy" riddles, just as much as the amazing prizes! The party runs until April 30th, so there is plenty of time to head on over and join the fun!

Have super special second birthday Conner! :-)

A Neat Coincidence

April 11th, 2005 really sticks out in my mind. I had just moved back to live with my parents from my college town and it was my first day of my new job at a local veterinary clinic. After a full day of work, I stopped by Rich's place (now 'our' place) to tell him all about my day and, being that it was a nice day, help Rich work on the yard. I was working up some dirt next to the house when Rich's aunt came to visit. I don't remember exactly why she came by anymore, but I do remember that it was the day that she took the following picture-Rich's and my first picture together.

April 11th, 2005

This past Saturday we were at Rich's parents' for an Easter dinner/going away party for Rich's brother who left Easter day for the Marines. Rich's aunt stopped by and took a bunch of pictures, including this next picture. (I think her camera is attached to her-she always has it!)

This past Saturday

A couple nights ago Rich and I were discussing the pictures, when I mentioned that they were taken about the same time of the year 4 years apart. I starting thinking a little harder about it and it hit me that they were both taken on the exact same day-April 11th! Rich and I don't really have a lot of good pictures together. Besides our wedding pictures, I can only think of one other picture of us and I can't say it's the best. (Rich had just gotten out of the shower and his hair was crazy and I was looking like a pregnant blimp-LOL!) So for our two fairly nice pictures to be taken on the same day 4 years apart seemed like a pretty neat coincidence to me. :-)

Wordless Wednesday: Hugs

I loved this picture, but the original was really blurry. I used Picnik and fixed it up a bit, so I think it looks a bit better now?

For more Wordless Wednesday, check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Go Graham Go! and Healthy Moms.

Easter 2009

We had a really nice Easter this year. We started the day by sleeping in a little, because the kids didn't get a nap and went to bed late the day before. Since we got up late, we didn't make it to our church's Easter breakfast, but it was nice to get the rest after the long day! When the kids got up, I got them dressed before they went out to see what the Easter bunny had brought and search for their Easter eggs. (Slide show and video below.) We then made it to the early service at church, which was packed! After church, we came home for a bit before heading to my in-laws for lunch and to say good-bye to Rich's brother who left for the Marines that afternoon.

That was basically our day...well, sort of. When we got home we saw that my brother texted us at 12:45 asking if we were going to my aunt's for Easter. That was the first I had heard of it and since dinner was at 1:00 and it was almost 5:00, we would have been WAY late. I kinda felt bad about the whole situation, since we would have tried to make it for at least a little while if we had known. Oh well I guess... Besides that little bit of our day, we truly had a great Easter! :-)

Make Something Monday: Chocolate Clusters

I had went to a recipe exchange before Christmas and had gotten a dozen of these Chocolate Clusters and I devoured them! I received the recipe from my friend who co-hosted the cookie exchange a few weeks ago and I had to make them right away!

CHOCOLATE CLUSTERS

• 1 pkg. semi-sweet choc.chips (11 oz)
• 1 pkg butterscotch chips (11 oz)
• 1 pkg peanut butter chips (11 oz)
• 1 pound jar of cocktail peanuts

Mix all the chips together and microwave for approximately 1 minute. Stir and then continue microwaving and stirring at 20 sec. intervals until melted well. Add peanuts. Drop onto waxed paper covered cookie sheets. (The secret is continue to check until melted-don't burn!)

I absolutely love these! They are super easy to make and they're delicious! The only problem is they are a bit pricey to make with all the chips and peanuts, so they will probably only be an occasional treat. :-)

For more Make Something Monday, check out Go Graham Go! and Jolly Mom.

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and a very Happy Easter!

Here are a few pictures of our Easter last year:

The Kids' First Movie!

Since Rich wasn't around this past weekend, and I had the car, I wanted to try to get out and see "Horton Hears a Who" with Morgan and Blake. One of our local theaters offers free viewings of kids movies that are no longer in the theater and I wanted to try to make it at least once! I figured Morgan, at least, would love it!

So the kids and I made it to the theater, got our tickets and the popcorn with no problems, but it kind of went downhill from there. Morgan spilled the popcorn before we even made it into the theater and we had to turn back and get a refill (which they gave us for free, since the first bucket was spilled-very nice of them!) We then went and found seats towards the back and along the aisle-I wanted an easy escape without bugging too many people. Morgan sat right down and I shot a quick picture while Blake stood up in his seat, which immediately folded up on him-LOL!

The kids then did well sitting and eating popcorn...until the movie started! Blake had sat for 5-10 minutes already and that was enough-he wanted to walk around. If he did sit down, he wanted the popcorn, which Morgan would keep from him, in effect, making Blake squeal. I would then have to leave the theater with Blake and let him calm down before heading back in. (Thankfully a friend of mine was there with her daughter and she kept an eye on Morgan.) We ended up leaving the theater 3 times before they had an intermission! (Morgan also managed to spill her popcorn a second time-LOL!)

Since the movie stopped for intermission, Morgan automatically assumed that the movie was done. After explaining to her several times that the movie was going to start up again, she still insisted that she wanted to go home. Between being in and out of the theater a bunch of times, spilled popcorn, squealing Blake and Morgan wanting to go, I decided we should go. (Plus Morgan was enjoying herself and would have never asked to leave if she was feeling good-so I assumed she still needed rest from being sick.)

The movie going experience wasn't all bad, though:

• I got a compliment from a woman sitting behind us on how well my kids behaved for their age. She surprised me! I thought we would have been annoying her! LOL!
• The moment the lights dimmed, the sound got louder and '20th Century Fox' popped up on the screen, was priceless! Morgan perked right up in her seat, her eyes got wide and she started pointing and yelling "Mom! Look!" I, of course, immediately hushed her while giggling and smiling, but it was absolutely priceless!
• When we got home, Morgan asked to go to bed right away. (Yeah-she wasn't feeling well.) We read and then she prayed and thanked God for the movie and the "yummy popcone". It was super cute! :-)

This Saturday Rich will be home, so I'm thinking of leaving Blake with him and just taking Morgan to the theater and trying it again. They are showing "The Tale of Despereaux" and I think the trip will go a lot better without Blake. I'll have an extra hand to keep the popcorn from spilling, we won't need to leave the theater a bunch of times and Morgan is back to her old self again :-) It should be fun...

Wordless Wednesday: How many can I fit?

For more Wordless Wednesday, check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Go Graham Go! and Healthy Moms.

Thankful for a Warmer Day...

...warmer inside at least. We had a Spring snow storm go through yesterday. Between the heavy snow and strong winds, we lost power at about 5:30 in the morning. I spent most of the day under a blanket trying to stay warm. My goal was to sleep as much as possible and hopefully when I woke up the power would be back on and it would be warmer. The kids didn't allow for much sleep, though. They pretty much thought it was business as usual, except there was no TV-LOL! Our house is usually cold anyway, when it's windy and cold outside, so we try to keep the shades pulled to keep as much of the cold from coming in as possible. I would have tried to read or cross-stitch instead of sleep, but it was too dark for that!

The power did come back on at around 4:15 in the afternoon. I was so excited! First thing I did was go flush the toilet in case the power we had was only temporary. (Sometimes it goes off and on a few times before it's on for good and I wanted to make sure we had as many flushes as we could get-LOL!) Then I ran out to the mudroom to get the electric heater and stood in front of its' warmth until the furnace kicked on. I spent the rest of the evening very thankful for warmth and power and running water... It's something we take for granted when we have it, but we sure miss it when it's gone! :-)

Make Something Monday: Corn Dog Casserole

I'm not a huge fan of corn dogs, but when my parents made this casserole for the first time, I really liked it! This was only my second time making it and I actually halved the recipe with basically no problems.

Corn Dog Casserole

• 1 cup corn
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 15 hot dogs (cut into quarters lengthwise, then into thirds)
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons sage
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 packages cornbread mix (I use Jiffy)
• 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• chopped green pepper and onion are optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute corn (which I forgot as you'll see in the pic), hot dogs and butter. (Also the green pepper and onion, if you choose.) In large bowl, combine eggs, milk, sage and pepper. Add hot dog mixture and stir in corn bread mix. Add 6 oz of cheese, mix well and spread into a 3 quart baking dish (preferably a shallow dish, so it cooks through better.) Top with remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Serves 8-10.

I just put this picture in, because I love how the little pieces of hot dog curl up! :-)

It turned out almost as well as I remember it. For some reason it had a bitter aftertaste, so I almost wondered if I added too much sage or maybe the Jiffy corn muffin mix tends to be bitter? I really don't know, but it was really good otherwise and Blake loved it! (Rich was gone when I made it and Morgan wasn't eating much, since she was sick.) It may not be the healthiest dish, but it's a nice treat every once in a while for my hot dog loving kids :-)

For more Make Something Monday, check out Go Graham Go! and Jolly Mom.

Guy Time for Rich

Rich is away this weekend for some guy time. He went on a pheasant hunt yesterday, then went on to a buddy's cabin where they will be hanging out doing guy stuff and eating guy food (steaks and venison chili-not the pheasant that I'm going to have to learn how to cook-LOL!) As much as I love him to be home with us, I'm happy that he was able to go. He needs his guy time..he is a father and husband when he is home, an employee/surveyor when he is at work and a firefighter on his fire calls and at fire meetings, but he rarely gets the chance to just hang out and be a guy.

Since Rich is away on his guy weekend, I thought it was fitting that I came across a giveaway for The Man’s Book: The Essential Guide for the Modern Man at Book Dads: Fathers Who Read! By reading this book, I think it would be a great way for Rich to escape into some guy time on the days that he can't physically get away. Unlike me, Rich truly loves to read, so not only would he enjoy a little guy time, but he would also be doing something he loves. If you also want to give your husband some guy time on days he can't get away, head on over to Book Dads: Fathers Who Read! and sign up to win The Man’s Book: The Essential Guide for the Modern Man. (They're giving away 5 books, so you have a great chance at winning!)

Something Old

Today is Day 5 of My Life. In Pictures. and it is the final day! I have had a great time capturing pieces of my life in pictures this week and I just wanted to thank Amber at Everything Except the Grill for hosting this fun photo challege.

I had thought of all sorts of things that were old that I could take pictures of (including myself, since I'm feeling pretty old lately), but I decided to take a picture of our outhouse behind our house.


Our house was built in the 1930's, so I'm assuming that the outhouse is from the same time. I'm not exactly sure why the previous owners kept it up after installing indoor plumbing in the house, but I'm glad they did! It's actually a three-holer, which I find intriguing to some extent. I love my privacy (though I usually don't get it with 2 little ones) and I cannot comprehend how they used to 'do their business' while sitting next to someone else? They must have been one very close family! :-)

Even though the original owners felt the need to keep the outhouse, I'm not sure how much longer we will be able to. In a lot of ways I want to keep it, since it was part of our yard from when Rich bought the house and it is definitely a conversation piece. At the same time, it is also showing it's age and I don't know that we can afford to fix it up. It's an extra building that we don't use and there are several more urgent fixes that we need to work on as we can. Either way, I love that I took this picture. I think it turned out neat and it will be great to have, especially if we decide we need to tear down the outhouse in the future. :-)

Something I Do Each Day

This is Day 4 of My Life. In Pictures. and the assignment was to take a picture of something you do each day. At first I couldn't think of anything that I did that I wanted to take a picture of, besides maybe a picture of taking care of my family. Then Rich suggested the mailbox, because I walk out to get the mail each day. So here it is:

I know it doesn't look too exciting, but it is for me. I love getting the mail! It's like opening up a present each day and being surprised by what's inside. I'll admit most days the 'present' is quite dissapointing...usually a bill or a boring catalog...but I still love the anticipation as I walk up to the mailbox. There could always be a letter from a friend or a special package waiting for me. Those rare occasions, where there is a nice 'present', are what keeps 'getting the mail' exciting for me. :-)

To participate in My Life. In Pictures., or to see what other people do each day, head on over to Everything Except the Grill.

Time for Potty Training?

I have been eagerly waiting for Blake to show signs that he is ready to be potty trained. One of the main signs that Morgan showed that she was ready is when she started hiding to do number two's. Well, I don't know if it's because Blake is a boy, or if he just hasn't been ready, but he could care less if he hides to do his number two's. He'll stand right in front of me staring at me the whole time he's working at it! He is not interested in hiding at all!

Even though Blake hasn't hid to poo-poo yet, about a week ago he did start pointing to his diaper and saying 'poo-poo' when he has done either number one's or two's. Not every time he does them, but some of the time. I'm thinking that might be his sign to me that he is ready to start...at least a little. So, the last few days I've been taking him to sit on the potty. He has even started pointing to the bathroom and saying what sounds like 'potty'. He hasn't actually gone on the potty yet, but I don't expect anything right away. I'm just excited that he has finally shown interest!

So, now that Blake is showing interest, I'm not sure whether I should work at training him all out or hold off until the weather is warmer, like I did with Morgan. I'm worried that I have a window of opportunity right now and if I wait too long it will be harder to train him in a couple months when it's more convenient for me. Either way, I do think I will at least let him sit on the potty once a day as an introduction. I would also love some extra tools to help introduce potty training to Blake, like books and movies, so he can really get the idea of what using the potty is all about. Luckily, I've come across two giveaways for some potty training tools. One giveaway is at Stop, Drop and Blog for a Complete Starter Kit from the Potty Training Made Easy website. The other giveaway is at Healthy Moms for the same Potty Training Kit from Baby Signs. (Both Potty Training kits are from the same sponsor, but the giveaway sites linked them under different names.) I would love to win either one because, I know from potty training Morgan, that I can use all the help I can get!

If you are also in the midst of potty training and would like some extra tools to guide your little one in the process, head on over to both sites, by following the above links, and check out the entry rules! :-)

Wordless Wednesday: The View from My Front Door

This is also a My Life. In Pictures. photo challenge picture. If you would like to participate, head on over to Everything Except the Grill and check it out!

For more Wordless Wednesday, check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Go Graham Go! and Healthy Moms.