Snow Painting

Walking through Target the other day I came across some spray bottles in the dollar section. I swear one can never have enough spray bottles. They bring about so much fun. So I grabbed a few and continued. Well today I figured out what I would do with them. SNOW SPRAY PAINT!

I filled each bottle with water and then added some food coloring. I actually have some fun neon food coloring which worked out perfectly. The girls were so excited to try them out in the fresh new snow. I think I might try kool-aid for next time just so I don't use all my expensive food coloring. They had had fun and staid out for about a half an hour. Pretty good in the cold. The only problem is that it does stain, which means the little drops of pink on A's snow pants probably won't come off. Oh Well!

I think it would have worked a little better if the snow was not so light and fluffy. When the spray hit it, it just sort of blew away.

YUMMY!

So I recently found this chocolate chip cookie - brownie recipe on a blog. The photos they took made me drool. My photos do not seem to have the same effect. Since stumbling upon it I have thought about it often. It is so simple to make too that didn't help get it out of my mind. I kept going with the "Don't need the calories" and "if I make it I will eat it all" lines. Well today I broke down and have the full tummy to prove it.

Betty Crocker is the one to blame of this feast of heaven. I actually found the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip cookie dough bag. I will say the directions do say to frost this as well, but I though enough already. I mean I have brownie and chocolate chip cookies together in one piece. I really don't need the chocolate frosting. I am glad I did not add it too. This is enough for me.

It is a time like this when I wish I worked (outside of the home) so I could now take the rest to the office and get rid of it.

Get ready Vic, I have some ready to send to you too.

That's M(eye) Girl

PHOTOS MAY BE GROSS FOR SOME READERS!

We decided that for family day we would head to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago today. The best part is that when we went on line to check it out we found that today was a FREE day! Yes, we will save money! I quickly packed drinks, apples, bunny crackers, and a few fruit nuggets in my purse to help the "I'm hungry" chants and we were off.

When we got there we found out that today they would also be having a cow eye dissection activity at 1:30. B has been bugging me when I will dissect a cow's eye with her. She knows I have done it in the past with my science classes. Well sister, today is the day! She was so excited until we read the fine print that stated you had to be 10 to participate. I will be changing that I told her. I figured we could show up and see what happened. She was game.

We spent the time exploring. I swear it is not as much fun as I remembered, but then I forget that a museum changes the exhibits. The girls still had a good time and for FREE it was great.

Finally it was time for the awaited event. B and I headed upstairs to the classroom and hoped for the best. No problem! We were in and quickly had our gloves on without a problem. She was so excited! The others at our table were impressed that a girl of just 6 would do this. She was so in to it. She took a minute to touch it, but once she did she was hooked. I was so proud of her.

Ok, I'll touch it.

I have to cut all the fat off?

Look Mom, eye on a scalpel

That is what the inside looks like?

Look at my new eye.

This is my favorite. This was her idea too by the way. We will be using it for her Student of the Week too.

She said over and over how awesome this was. I am so happy that she liked it. I knew she would. It is nice to know that there is another part of me that she got besides my mood swings.

My Hero

My parents have been hit by the intestinal flu bug and since we had just spent time with them I am a tad concerned. I can do many thing with a sick child, but puke and the runs are not near the top of the list.

So at this date A has a cold with a cough, but nothing more. I however woke up this morning running to the bathroom. I would like to add that this happened right after A came into my bed coughing at 5:30 AM. By 6:00 we were both downstairs resting. Without A in the room B actually slept in till 7:30! This is huge but again caused me a bit of concern since she never does that. Is she sick too? Will she be upset that it is so late? Should I wake her? She is not sick, but was not happy to wake up late. B is not the morning person like A is. Her smile and good mood take a few hours to come out.

Not able to take the tears and such I asked if she just wanted to stay home today. I could use the help and in case she got sick I did not want to have to go get her from school. Plus, no kid likes to puke at school for real. Fake it sure, but not for real. I was surprised again to hear that B did want to stay home. Fine, no problem. Will this turn out to also be a mistake?

NOPE! She has been a great help. She has watched a lot of tv with A, but has also played with her too. She has come to check on me and even got me a little food. She made them both lunch and read A her nap time story. I am super glad she stayed home today. She is my hero. And growing up too fast by the way.

Not From My Kids

the girls each had a friend over to play right after school today. In fact it was a perfect play date for it was a set of sisters, which mean one stop pick-up. As the girls were leaving the youngest one stated:

E: I wish I had stayed home.
Me: Why? Didn't you have fun here?
E: yes, but I+ should have stayed home.
E's Mom: Why would you say that?
E: Cause sometimes I just feel like I will puke.

Her mom and I both laughed and I told her this was so going on my blog. I was finally glad to hear weird things from a kid that was not mine.

My Personal Challenge

So I am a shopaholic. I am also a returnaholic. I don't drink, smoke, over eat (often) but I do love retail therapy. I find that there are now many times that I buy things and in a few days I return them. I guess it gives me a high and something to do. Not that as a SAHM I don't have lots to do, but returns gets me out of the "office". With the economy the way it is I have decided to try to kick the habit cold turkey. I have tried this before and it has not gone well.

I have not spent money in 5 days! Well, to be honest I did hit the grocery store yesterday, but stayed to items on the list. I also bought my brother a birthday gift, but made more money than I spent on returns first, so I don't count this. I even went to the movies Saturday night with FREE tickets and did not buy popcorn or a drink!

In order to stay on my no spending kick I had to make birthday presents. A had a party to attend for one of her friends, Addie. She turned 2. I did not have a good gift in my gift closet so I hit my craft drawer. I have wanted to make felt play food for a while now. I have lots of felt, lots of photos in my head, but nothing made. Well today was the day. I need a present, I can't spend money, and I have some time.

This is what I created for Addie. She now has 3 chocolate chip cookies,(my favorite) 3 sugar cookies with sprinkles, and 2 frosted heart cookies.(I need to work on these) I put all cookies in a clear treat bag and tied it with a small rubber scrapper and a little rolling pin.

I also made their new baby, Maylia, her letter M onesie and burp cloth. It was time consuming due to all the "help" my little helpers were giving me, but it felt good to be creative again and make something.

Oh NO! Husband just told me he needs new t-shirts and leather gloves! Guess I will hit Kohl's since I have a gift card. That doesn't count as spending money either, right?

A's Favorite Place

Here is where I will find A many time during the day. It is heat vent between the kitchen and the living room. She loves to stand there, or as in this photo, lay there when the heat comes on. It reminds me of many early mornings when I was young sitting in front of the fridge doing the same thing, getting all the heat I could. I love this shot since it has here hair blowing in the "heat wind" too.

My Tinkerbells

We finally watched this movie this weekend. Well actually since I really wanted to see it we watched it Saturday morning. It was so nice to curl up on the couch with my girls and watch the entire movie. It was really good. It was also neat since we had met some of these fairies when we were in Disney. Now we know what they were talking about (we had no idea when we met them)

Tinkerbell

Iridessa -fairy of light

Rosetta-a garden fairy

I know it is only a Disney movie, it is not real. However, my girls made it real. They proceeded to spend the next couple of HOURS playing fairies. They had me help them make fairy houses and they dressed up like a fairy. They even made up fairy names. They had such a good time. It was nice to see them playing together so nicely without fighting for such a long time. Perhaps Disney included some magic fairy dust in each copy?B is a water fairy-hence the swimsuit. Not sure why she looks so mad.

A was an animal fairy. She had lots of animals in her house.

Here they are in B's house with their animal friends.

No One HUH?

There are days were I feel like I just got myself ahead of the game and then there are days where I get so far behind. You know what I am talking about don't you? I have been in the "ahead of the game" zone for the last few days. It has felt good. I have made bread, grocery shopped, cleaned a bit, even did laundry like towels and the couch slipcover. The best was getting the birthday present for a birthday later this week. Usually I am off buying one the morning of, or looking through the gift closet to wrap one up. Not this time. I found the gift last week and have it all ready to be wrapped on the dining room table.

Tonight I came in and noticed some plastic wrap on the table near the gift. So I looked and did not find the paint set opened. Ok just some trash I figured. Then it hit me! Not trash but the plastic wrap to the paper that went with the paint set! "Who opened this!" I yelled to my children. "Not me." they each said. A then stated," Daddy maybe opened it". I don't think so, but figured I should ask him too. Funny not one of the 4 people who live in this house opened the paper, yet somehow it was opened. I now have to go out and buy a new pad of paper in the blizzard and freezing temps tomorrow. My husband did say that I should just give the paper the way it is, who cares if the plastic is off. That is so not the point! It might be the solution, but not the point. So much for being ahead.

Backseat Comments

Me: A we need to take some stuff back to the container store.

A: why do I have to go?

Me: Because you have to

A: I think Dad should do it

Me: Dad can't since the stuff in in our car.

A: We could just stop by his work and give it to him. Then he can do it, not me.

Needless to say even with this good idea we did not make daddy do it. We didn't do it either btw

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After swimming for an hour at the club...

A: B don't talk to me

B: I can talk to you if I want

A: Then I'm not listening to you

B: Good. I'm not listening to you either

A: Stop talking!!!! Mom, B is talking to me and I am not listening to her. Isn't that a good idea?

B: If you are not listening to me than how do you know I am talking?

A: Shush! just stop talking!

B: Don't shush me! I'm not listening to you, so I don't have to shush.

And on and on and on it went for a full 15 minutes. It was one of the longest rides of my life, yet it was funny all at the same time.

I Try Every Year

I love the beginning of a new anything...year, school year, week, month, you get the idea. I love to start fresh and clean. So the start of a new year is the best. I finally get to use the new photo calander that I created and write all nice and neat on it. This lasts for a few weeks, then dates start piling up and I have mess all over my nice new page. But lucky for me I can turn the page at the start of a new month and try again.

My wish however is to use a day planner. I think I buy one each and every year swearing that I really will use it. I spend time putting all sorts of info in it and by February I don't even know where it is. This year is no exception. I bought a new planner last week, since they are all half off, and now I am trying to figure out if I will use it. I really want to use it, but maybe I should just return it. I swear now that I have 2 kids in school and am beginning to have more things to schedule I really think I will use it. I can carry it with me so I don't always have to say,"Let me check at home." In my mind it will work. Yet somewhere in my reality I'm not so sure.

So I have put off filling it in. I'm sure in the next few weeks the love of a new planner will wear off and since I have yet to write in it I will be able to retun it. I just wish I could make this work.

Family Fun

I don't remember when, perhaps Thanksgiving, my Aunt taught B how to play charades. Now this is not one of my favorite games so each and every time B wanted to play with me since then I have guessed once or twice and then "had to go check on something"

Well for Christmas I found this kids charades game. It is a small metal box that includes the cards, a dice, and score cards. She was super excited about it. Needless to say B has wanted to play daily, and yet we have not. So tonight was the night. We happen to eat dinner a little early and got the girls in their jammies quickly. Charades it is!

We played in teams, B and Daddy on team 1 and Mommy and A on team 2. I figured for sure A would be a crappy partner. I mean how many 3 year olds can act out things or make a good guess from what I act out. Well holy crap! A was great! She was all over looking at the card and acting out the picture. She did great too at guessing. I'm not sure who was more excited when she was right, me or her. I will say there were a few times I used a little bit of sound effects, but she is only 3. B too was having so much fun. She had a smile on her face the entire time. It was a fun half hour.

I would have to recommend this activity for your family too. I never thought it would work, but I sure was wrong. Yes, I said in print that I was WRONG. Who would have thought?

American Girl

B's dream came true this Christmas for she received her first American Girls doll-Elizabeth. She has been begging for this for a while, and so this year we got her one. She was so very happy, and has not put her down much since she opened her up. A also got a American girl doll twin. She is the little sister type doll. A too loves it and has it in her arms often.

We even ventured to the place of all places...American Girl store downtown! B was so overwhelmed. A had no trouble finding one thing that she wanted for her American Girl Doll, but B had a very hard time. There is just so much to see and look at. I of course spent more than I wanted, but if I could I would have bought a lot more too. I had a good time there too. It is just all so cute and not all that outrageous for most stuff. Plus there were even things on SALE. B finally decided on the roller blade set and we were out of there. I was proud of Daddy too, he did a great job on floor 1. by floor 2 he had to go sit down and get his man card back.