Terrific Ten!

I can't believe it...my baby girl is ten years old...sigh. To make her birthday party a little more triumphant, I made these cute party favors with just a Twinkie and a glazed doughnut:

I thought that it would be a really cute teacher gift as well. On the tag do a "Top 10" reasons why Mrs._____ is such a terrific teacher. Then have you child think of the 10 reasons.

Here are my Top 10 reasons why I love my 10-year-old Kaylee:

1. Kaylee is a beautiful girl, inside and out.
2. She is very helpful. When asked to help she doesn't complain.
3. She is a happy girl. She makes me happy just being around her.
4. She is a great pianist. I love to listen to her play.
5. She is kind to everyone...it doesn't matter who they are, Kaylee loves everyone.
6. Kaylee strives to make good choices and learns from her mistakes.
7. She is a hard worker, and likes to get the job done right.
8. Kaylee is so cute with little kids...she is a better "mother" to her brothers than I am at times.
9. She is fun to be around, she likes to have a good time.
10. I love Kaylee's smile...complete with dimples :)

Happy Birthday to my Terrific Ten Year Old!

My New "Nest"

Why is it that after living in my house for 5 years I have finally gotten around to painting my bedroom/bathroom? Why do I have this crazy insane drive to do all of these unfinished projects when I am sick and exhausted from being pregnant? It's called nesting, and I've got it bad...but it has paid off. Check out my new nest:

My nest before:

My nest during:

And my new nest:

 We found the coolest thing - paintable bead board wallpaper. It looks just like bead board and is so much easier to put up and less expensive...love it! I think I want to use it around my kitchen bar...here we go again, another project...sorry Eric...only 16 more weeks of the insanity :)

Climb 'Til Your Dream Comes True

Happy New Year! I know, it's a little late :) Here is a great poem to help you reach your dreams this year.

Climb 'Til Your Dream Comes True

By Helen Steiner Rice

Often your tasks will be many,

And more than you think you can do...

Often the road will be rugged

And the hills insurmountable, too...

But always remember, the hills ahead

Are never as steep as they seem,

And with faith in your heart start upward

And climb 'til you reach your dream,

For nothing in life that is worthy

Is ever too hard to achieve

If you have the faith to try it

And you have the faith to believe...

For faith is a force that is greater

Than knowledge or power or skill

And many defeats turn to triumph

If you trust in God's wisdom and will...

For faith is a mover of mountains,

There's nothing that God cannot do,

So start out today with faith in your heart

And climb 'til your dream comes true!

The Help

I really enjoyed The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It is set in Jackson Mississippi in the 1960's during the civil rights movements. It is about the relationships between African American maids, or "the help", and the white families that they work for. It was troubling, touching, funny, and thought provoking. The only thing that I disliked was the occasional use of foul language.

Here is a quote from Kathryn Stockett about The Help:
"I don't presume to think that I know what it really felt like to be a black woman in Mississippi, especially in the 1960s. I don't think it is something any white woman on the other end of a black woman's paycheck could ever truly understand. But trying to understand is vital to our humanity. In The Help there is one line that I truly prize:

Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separated us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought.

"I'm pretty sure I can say that no one in my family ever asked Demetrie (our family maid) what it felt like to be black in Mississippi, working for our white family. It never occurred to us to ask. It was everyday life. It wasn't something people felt compelled to examine.
I have wished, for many years, that I'd been old enough and thoughtful enough to ask Demetrie that question. She died when I was sixteen. I've spent years imagining what her answer would be. And that is why I wrote this book."

Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Wraps

These were so easy and a big hit! I love that you can make the chicken mixture up to 3 days before...so this is great for a busy day if you plan ahead!

Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Wraps

recipe from Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook

• 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken and it was really good)
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped *****
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions (optional)
• 1 cup ranch dressing
• flour tortillas
• shredded romaine lettuce

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except tortillas and lettuce. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. To serve put some chicken mixture and lettuce in the tortilla and wrap.

*****I HATE cooking bacon. An AWESOME trick that I learned is to lay the bacon, single file, on a foil-lined cookie sheet and cook in the oven on 375 for about 20 minutes. It comes out crispy and not all shriveled up. Then I just wrap the bacon in paper towels, squeeze out all the grease and crush the bacon at the same time. Let the grease on the pans solidify then just wrap up the foil and throw it away...you don't even have to wash a pan :)

Enjoy!

Flubber

Aaron came home from scouts one day with a bag full of goo....not just any goo, this stuff is cool! My kids love playing with it and it was super easy to make. Plus is doesn't stick to counters/hands...a definite plus! Here are some things we did with it:

Roll it

 Smash it

 Stretch it

 Wear it

 Hide things in it

What to make some Flubber?

Here's how:

Mixture 1:

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 cup white glue (Elmers)

Mixture 2:

• 1 tsp Borax detergent
• 1/2 cup warm water
• Food coloring (optional)

Stir each mixture in separate bowls.

Make sure they are mixed well. 

Pour mixture 2 into mixture 1.

No need to stir, just reach in and work it for a few minutes.

 Have fun!!!