Showing posts with label puzzles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label puzzles. Show all posts

Sunday, March 11, 2012

The Latest & Greatest

This has been a busy week 
and I have lots to share - 
so bare with me!!

First,
fresh from my sister's blog...
I am going to be an AUNT!!!!

I am so excited and most of the people who read
this know already.
But I am super excited and 
so happy I can finally share!

School is going well.  
We are starting to research next year's curriculum.
But otherwise, seem to be doing pretty well at this
homeschooling thing.  

The meal planning and shopping two weeks
at a time is going well.
I am still getting used to the sticker shock of
grocery shopping for 6 people
every two weeks.
OUCH!!
But the good news is
I manage to feed each 
person in this house for
about $4/day.
Yes, this is breakfast,lunch & dinner
for everyone - including daddy!
Not bad.
It is really nice to stay 
on top of this meal planning thing.
Feels good!

We also had to implement a new
energy saving plan 
around this house.
The boys were getting
REALLY bad at
leaving lights on or
TVs on and leaving the room.
So they are now charged $0.10
everytime I find a light or TV left on.
We are putting it into a jar and will
figure out what to do with the funds 
once we break the cycle.
But so far...it is adding up QUICK!

On another note - 
We have finally found a church!
We have been hunting and going back and forth
to different churches for the past few months.
Today, we finally decided on one.

I mixed up start times.  
We thought we were doing good, got to mass
and walked in.
Then started to realize that they were 
further along in the service than they should have been.
Come to find out - I was 30 min off with the start time!
So, with this in mind, we figured we needed to 
select one and stick with it.

We are joining the scout group 
at this church.
BOTH boys get to join.
Daddy will be J's den leader
I guess I will be den mom.  :)

I am relieved and happy!
We are already finding ways to get involved.
I know it is going to take some time,
but both of us are ready to get a little settled
and this is a HUGE step toward that direction.

Here is the past 10 days in pictures:

Here is a picture of a frog that A made at Co-op.
It was in honor of Leap Day.




Daddy went on an overnight fishing trip 

(this one didn't end with a bunch of stories about
the one that got away...)
So the kids and I grabbed dinner



and then they climbed in my bed
to watch a movie while I cleaned up a little.



We found some Skylander activities at 
J really enjoyed using these 
(once I got them printed and laminated)


A replenished her candy stash with some
Valentine candy we found in her bookbag from Co-op.


A is working HARD on her first big kid puzzle.


S-U-C-C-E-S-S!!
She did it with MINIMAL 
help from mommy!!


T LOVES being outside...
I thought this was a cute picture.


We did an art project. 


T really wanted to help...


and I am very proud of how well the kids
did and how they turned out!






We splurged one night and went out to dinner.
We introduced T to sushi, chopsticks and tofu...



A like the tofu too.


T literally drinking the tofu out of the bowl.


Daddy told J to be quiet...
haha!


We decided to tell them that we were celebrating a birthday.
We figured they would just bring out a little bowl of sherbet
or ice cream and sing a quick song...
oh no.  They brought out a HUGE desert
and charged us $7.00 for it!
But the kids enjoyed it.


T wasn't so sure about the fried plantain
but loved the tofu??


The next day, we cleaned up and reorganized a little
and let A decorate a mirror that one of her aunts
sent her for Christmas.







Then I caught her sharing chocolate chips with her brother.
At least she was sharing...
sneaky girl!!


And R cooked lunch for us Saturday!




Then J had to vacuum cause he made a mess.  


And apparently he liked it - 
cause I caught him doing it again today!


T was hungry and decided to help himself to the
first part of dinner that was put on the table.
A is "helping".





Got one cooking, one cleaning...
and one babysitting!
Time for another one!

(JUST KIDDING!!!!)

Thursday, January 5, 2012

More Holiday Happenings

I enjoy homeschooling.
I really do.
I love being with my kids all day.
They are growing up WAY too fast.
And I was really worried about them
getting restless.
But I am coming up with enough activities
that it works!
And I enjoy it...
BUT
Let me say that Christmas shopping 
at night
after the kids were all in the bed
was
Ah-Mazing!
I don't get to do much shopping without
4 sets of "helping hands".

My oldest, R, asked for a special 
Christmas morning breakfast.
Christmas tree pancakes with 
whipped cream and sprinkles.
We did them Christmas Eve morning though.
(Or was it the day after Christmas morning? -
I forget)
Anyways, they loved them!
Christmas morning we had our traditional
sausage pinwheels 
and
monkey bread.

Here is what our 
Christmas tree pancakes looked like.
(Our predecorated Christmas Tree forest)







I am pretty proud of them personally!!

Notice how I got everyone blinking in all their pictures!
UGH!!

We did quite a few puzzles...
Each one of the kids got to do a floor puzzle.
Thankfully we have a big enough kitchen that no
one got in each other's way!

Oddly - I think my oldest picked the easiest puzzle!!



Then the boys godparents sent the coolest puzzles I have ever seen!!
I just knew these would peak their interest
and keep them occupied for a bit.
However,
they whipped these
puzzles together 
way faster than I thought they would.
Pretty cool!!


(Yes that is a VERY forced smile! - he totally LOVED putting it
together - I promise!)

Daddy took the week off and stayed home with us.
This is the first time we have had a full week vacation with daddy
in I can't tell you how long.
It was nice.
We got to do a couple of fun things.
We went to the movies to see ChipWrecked.
All 6 of us - little T even sat in his own seat 
for a little bit, but got cranky toward the end.
Luckily movies are loud and tend to drown out 
crying babies!
The next day we ventured out to Six Flags - 
aka - Fiesta Texas.
That place is HUGE and way to much to do in one day.
We have been spoiled by the few times
we have been to SeaWorld down here since we got here.
And it has been EMPTY.
The kids were able to ride the same ride back to back 
a couple of times.
Well not this time! 
It was the last big hoo-rah before the season break.
So it was a little busy.
But we enjoyed it.
The following day we went
back to SeaWorld to 
ring enjoy 
their 
New Year's Eve
Celebration.

Princess A accompanied us on that trip!
(notice the princess attire and the monster truck toy in her hand!)



Not a bad way to continue our Christmas season


and
welcome in 
The New Year!!

(Daddy was playing 
with the settings on our new camera
and was able to capture this shot
of the fireworks 
over the lake at SeaWorld.)



We left the new camera in the stroller
so I had to rely on my SLOW
camera on my phone...
I got a LOT of after shots of the whales
jumping
but somehow caught this one PERFECT!



Happy New Year Friends and Family!
I hope that 2012 brings you happiness and peace beyond your dreams!