We Visited Santa

Today after we went to church and had lunch with Nana and Poppy, we went to visit the "Big Guy". The girls were super excited all week about our trip to visit Santa. They went over their list repeatedly so they would not forget one single thing. Felicia made a fabulous picture for Santa and wore her special Santa sweater in his honor. Madelyn could not stop talking about him all day. She could not wait! When we arrived at Santa's Cottage, silence fell over our car. Felicia was really feeling "butterflies". Madelyn, of course, was grinning from ear to ear. She jumped out of the car with crazy excitement. Felicia thrust her drawing at me and said "You give it to him!" Of course, Madelyn marched right up the steps to his cottage and in she ran. She was on his lap smiling in seconds. She was so excited that the only thing she told him she wanted was a candy cane and a coloring book. Felicia would not go near him at all! So, I had to be in the picture too. She would not even look at the camera. Of course after we left, that is all she could talk about:)

Making Mounds Bars

What you will need:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 cups coconut

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup chocolate chips

2T. peanut butter

1. Crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs. The girls did this by putting the graham crackers in a Ziploc bag and rolling them with a rolling pin.

2.Combine crumbs, sugar, and butter.

3. Press mixture into the bottom of a 10x11" pan.

4.Stir together coconut and milk.

5.Spread over crumb crust. Bake @ 375 for 15 minutes.

6.Melt chocolate chips, stir in peanut butter and spread over warm baked mixture.

7.Allow to cool and cut into bars. YUM YUM!

Our Day of Thanks

Wow, what a great day we had yesterday. Holidays just make me feel all warm and fuzzy. I love spending time with my family. Our busy lives sometimes do not give us the opportunity to just get together and relax. I really appreciate the holidays for allowing us to do that. Our day was fantastic. I got up early like every other turkey maker did, I'm sure. Spent a little time alone with my thoughts, some time with my bloggy friends, and a bit of catching up on the news. I then woke every one else to get them out of bed and dressed. My kids love to cook, so they were eager to get started. I showed Madelyn the turkey in the oven and all she could say was "Holy God". Waiting for Nana and Poppy to get here was like torture for them. They could not wait to start making chocolate pies and cranberry relish. They always do that with Nana. Brandon, our stuffing maker, was on standby. He asked a dozen times if we were ready for him yet. Aaron just wanted to be able to use knives. ( I really have to wonder about him sometimes.) I love this part of Thanksgiving. Tradition. Something as simple as making a pie with their Nana, makes them so happy. And me too! Our next task was to watch the Macy's parade. I set the DVR to record it so we would all be here together when they began to throw candy;) The girls collected a lot and still have no idea that we were the ones throwing the candy to them. Another successful year!
Before long, it was time to eat. We had a special guest for the day. My nephew, James called the day before and asked if he could join us. Of course, there is always room at my table! The boys were really happy to have him there for the day. They played video games and topped of the evening with a couple of games of Texas Holdem'. Big Daddy and Poppy headed off to buy an antique iron fence that Poppy has been dreaming about for a while and Nana and I watched Christmas movies with the girls. It was a simple, yet fabulous day. I hope that everyone else had a great day like we did!

An Award From Vickie

Today I received a little piece of bloggy love from my friend Vickie! She is always so kind and I am certainly glad I found her. Please pay her a visit! I will now pass this award on to : Her Cup Overfloweth! Michelle has some wonderful ideas, she is the host of Muffin Tin Monday and has become a great friend. Thank You Vickie and Michelle for your kindness:)

Christmas of Dreams Blog Party Day 12

Today is the final day of the Christmas of Dreams Blog Party! I have really met a lot of wonderful bloggers and I am thankful for that.

Sponsors: Day Twelve Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Georgie Tees and Mutsy.

VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT

For today’s post, we are to finish the following statement :

I’m Thankful this Year because….

Well, that's easy! I'm thankful this year because I have a wonderful family. My hubby, Mike is a wonderful dad, and husband. He works really hard to provide for us and we are all thankful for him! I have five wonderful kids. They are my life! I appreciate every single day and I am so blessed to be alive!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! What are you most thankful for?

I Won Again!

I awoke this morning to discover that I had won another giveaway! Wow! I have gone from never winning anything, to being a three time winner. Today's prize was from my Bloggy friend Tara in the Atl. Thanks Tara! Please go check out her blog. She is fabulous!

Update On Baby Left IN Bag

Early this morning, a 23 year old women was arrested on the suspicion that she gave birth to and abandoned her baby. The home that the baby was dropped off beside, in a Wal-Mart bag, was the home of her parents. She already has a one year old child and denied being pregnant, saying that she had just put on weight. She is being held on one million dollars bail. Now, this story disturbs me even more! Where is the communication between families these days. I could always and always do tell my parents everything. I also have a very open relationship with my kids. I may not always be happy with what they tell me, but I am here to support them, always. Sadly this young women did not feel that she could do this and now a little baby has been brought into this world without a loving family. I am so saddened by this story and will continue to pray for all those involved. I will also remind my own children that no matter what kind of trouble they find themselves in, they can ALWAYS come to us for help and advice. I encourage everyone else to do the same!

Christmas of Dreams Blog Party Day 11

Woo Hoo! Day 11 of the Momdot Christmas of Dreams is here. Although I have missed a few days. I have to say that it has been so much fun! I have really enjoyed checking out every one's blog and meeting new people!
The question for today is: If you could only pick one food to eat on Thanksgiving, what would it be? Do you have a home-cooked meal or eat out? Does your family dress up?
Well, this one is actually easy for me because I am in love with stuffing! I always make twice as much so I can have lots of leftovers. Weird huh? We always have a home cooked meal. My parents come over and my mom and I cook. The kids get in on the act too. They love to be in the kitchen and any job I can pass off to them is one less I have to do:) The truth is, I love doing this for my family so its more fun than work! As for dressing up, We don't really. I, of course always put dresses on the little girls because they are still at the age that they do not protest. Everyone else just wears what they are comfortable in. I want everyone to be able to relax and have a great time. So, no dress code.
This is sort of off the subject but I wanted to share a funny story with you any way. Last year, when my girls were 2 and 3, we told them that they were going to watch the parade on TV. Well, the last parade they could remember was our town's Halloween parade where they got tons of candy. Of course hearing the word parade got them all excited about candy. So, when they sat in front of the TV, we tossed candy to them from behind. They still, to this day, think that candy was coming from the parade inside the TV. Needless to say, they can't wait to watch it again tomorrow. A new tradition was born.

Sponsors: Day Eleven Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Shishu Style and Mimsi Bags.
VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT

Update- Dear Wrestling Coach/Teacher

This afternoon, Big Daddy received a phone call from the infamous Wrestling coach/Teacher. He was super apologetic about his major error in judgement. He had already apologized to my son, but until now, we did not hear from him. This is all I asked for and of course I accept his apology. However, it better not ever happen again:) Still no word whether or not he wants ME to wrestle. I guess I'll just have to take off my cat suit and wait for his call....

P.S. I can't help but wonder if he reads my blog? I know the principal does. Hi Nunk:)

Things That Annoy Me

April has tagged me to list some things that annoy me. Well, I can definitely do that, after all, around here I am known as the Queen B. I did not earn that title by keeping my mouth shut! So, here goes.

1. As many of you know, I have been a childcare provider for many years, so that's where I will start. Children who are vomiting, have diarrhea, coughs, snotty noses, and high fevers are not JUST TEETHING! I have heard it a million times. Your kid is sick. Admit it. Get over it.

2.Guys, saggy pants. Not attractive. Pull them up.

3.Ladies, I don't need to see your thongs either.

4.Blue tooth users. Annoying. I could go on, but it could be long and painful so I won't!

5.Overzealous sales clerks. At times I feel stalked in the stores. Just let me shop all by myself. I'm a big girl, if I need your help, I'll ask for it.

6.People who leave pets in cars while at the store. Don't take your pets shopping!

7.People who blow their nose at the table in a restaurant. HELLO, I'm eating here.

8.Call waiting. I hate when I am on the phone with someone and they take another call. As if I am not important enough to make them wait a few minutes.

9.Men with super coiffed hair. If you spend more time on your hair than a women it's scary.

10.People who say "um" all the time when speaking. I know someone like this and when they speak, I don't really listen. I just count how many times they say "um".

Well, I will stop there. But, I seriously could go on for days. Now to find out what some of my bloggy buddies like to complain about. I tag Yaya, Lauren, Cassandra, and Vickie.

Coffee Filter Snowflakes

Every year Aaron and I make these snowflakes out of coffee filters. They are super easy and it's fun to see how different they all turn out.

First, flatten out your coffee filter.

Next, fold it in half.

And fold it again.

And fold it one more time.

Now begin to make cuts along the edges. You can make as many different shapes as you want.

Unfold and your done!

You can hang them anywhere you like. We used a little bit of liquid starch to adhere them to the windows. Just lightly paint the starch over them and wipe off any drips that may occur. Now you have a beautiful snowy window!

Muffin Tin Monday-Favorite Foods

With the exception of Madelyn's dislike of veggies, my kids normally will eat just about everything. That's why I was not surprised by the fact that they named just about everything under the sun as their favorites. So, here are a few of them:

Top row: yogurt, corn, applesauce
Bottom row: salsa for dipping, fried pirogi, and fish sticks


For more Muffin Tin Monday visit Her Cup Overfloweth!

Girls Are So Much Fun

They are probably going to hate me when they grow up for dressing them like this. Oh well, Aren't they cute?!

We Made Christmas Trees with our Hands

Because we plan to decorate for Christmas this week, we decided to start making some Christmas crafts. So, here is the Christmas tree made with our hands!

First, I traced the girl's hands. You will need ten hands for this project.

After I traced and cut out the hands, we began assembling the tree. We glued together four hands for the bottom of the tree. On top of that we glued three more and continued working our way up to the top of the tree.

Here is what it looked like at that point.

I then added a trunk and a star for the top.

Using a hole punch, I made a few ornaments for the girls to glue on.

Here is Madelyn with her finished tree. She is so proud!

Some Bloggy Love For Me - Thank You

Mamarazzi from Dandelion Wishes has awarded me with the Butterfly Award! if you have not yet visited Dandelion Wishes, please do. Mamarazzi is great and you don't want to miss out on the fun! Thank you so much for the award. This means a lot and I really appreciate it:) So now I am going to pass it on to a few other bloggy friends. Junior Mints and Reeses, Tara in the ATL, and The Happy Mom .

Why?

The headline of our local paper this morning read: BABY LEFT IN BAG!...........My heart is breaking! I cannot fathom what could drive someone to abandon a few hour old baby, in a Wal-Mart bag, outside, in 19 degree air. Praise the Lord she is going to be okay, physically. But know I have to ask, Why? There are far too many resources out there for women who find themselves in the position of an unwanted pregnancy. Millions of people would love to adopt a child. So why does this kind of thing happen? I'm not sure that anyone can answer this. I look at my children and thank God for them every day!
Please pray for this new baby, that she may grow up healthy and strong and also pray for her mother. That she may get the help that she needs. She must be in a very desperate situation to do something so horrible.

Awarded Again?

Wow, I have to say that getting awarded for what I love to do is fantastic! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy:) Today I awoke to an award from Heidi Boos @Blue Eyed Blessings. I really appreciate it! When you get a chance, pay her a visit. She has a great blog.

The rules for this award are...
1. Pick ten people and pass this award to them.
2. Then contact them and let them know you have chosen them and their blog for the award.
3. Also link back to the person who gave you this award.

So, here are the ten bloggers that I am passing this award to:
1. Too Much Information
2.Ramblings of a Crazy Women
3.Super Fun Mama
4.Vickie's Scrapbooking and Tidbits
5.Chica Schmica
6.teaching tinytots at mommy school
7.My Little Gems
8.Life as a Mom at 21
9. Momma Needs A Time-Out
10.No Time For Flashcards

Bread Sculptures

It was a bit chilly today, so we decided to bake some bread sculptures. There is something so relaxing about kneading dough, and the girls love to get their hands on things like this.

What you will need:

1 packet of yeast

1 cup warm water

2 teaspoons honey

3/4 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 cups flour

Combine the yeast and warm water. Stir until dissolved. Add honey, salt and oil. Whisk together. slowly add flour. Turn the dough onto a lightly flour dusted counter. Knead until dough springs back when lightly poked with your finger.Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 30 minutes. Punch down the dough. Now you can sculpt it any way you like. When your sculptures are finished, cover and allow to rise for another 30 minutes. Brush with beaten egg and bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Dear Wrestling Coach/teacher

I am very sorry you were disappointed by my son's decision to not wrestle this year. I'm not really sure why he wouldn't do it. Your recruiting technique was right on the money. I would jump at the chance to to wrestle for a man who called me a pussy in front of all my peers. Especially after all said peers reminded me throughout the day how you felt.
Well, I told my son that if they were short a wrestler, I would gladly suit up and wrestle YOU. You may think my son is a pussy, but you have not met Mama Cat!

The Lioness

P.S. The wrestling team sure did enjoy all the extra exercise they got from all the sprints you made them run for ratting you out;)

Parenting Advice

Note: The photo that follows is purely for demonstration purposes only! I would never intentionally leave the room, to get a tissue, while the kids are finger painting. That would be just plain ridiculous. I mean really, who would be so stupid?

Fruity Finger Paint

2 cups flour
2 packets of Kool-ade
1/2 cup salt
3 cups hot water
3 Tbs. cooking oil
Freezer paper to paint on (shiny side).

Combine all the ingredients and stir until smooth. I added a little extra flour to thicken it up a little bit.

Finger painting is a great way to practice shapes, letters and numbers.

Or, you can just have fun getting messy!

Do You Remember The Pure Joy......

..... of looking out the window to see soft white flakes falling from the sky? I do. There was once a time when my heart would skip a beat at the sight of it. I would gather all the gear for a day outside in the frigid air. Gloves. Hat. Boots. Warm coat. For some reason, being out in such weather, I would never feel how cold it actually was. My sisters and I would be out for hours. Then we would come in and have yummy hot chocolate to warm ourselves. Before our gloves were even dry we would head out again. That was the way I remember snowy days as a child. As I got older and had to go to work, I no longer enjoyed snow. It was a hassle. Shoveling the slop was no picnic because, really, who had time. Today we awoke to flurries. Just a slight dusting on the ground. And pure joy in the eyes of the little ones. Now that I don't have to go to work anymore, I am beginning to enjoy the simple things again. I am so thankful for that. I bundled up the terrible twosome (Madelyn and Alvin) and headed out to admire mother natures glorious gift. The squeals were numerous as if it were the first snow ever. They were delighted.....And so was I!

Handprint Turkey with a Twist

Today we made a classic hand print turkey, but with a twist. My kids love to be in the kitchen with me. I think that is a wonderful way for them to learn. I learned how to cook by watching my mom and I would love to pass that on to my kids. Sooo, I thought I would see how well they are paying attention. I asked them this question:

How do you cook a turkey?

Here are their responses:

I attached their recipes to the bottom of the hand print turkeys. I hand wrote the responses, but they would look a lot better typed and printed out. (If my printer was not broken.)

Here are the finished projects. It was a lot of fun hearing what they were thinking and they were super excited to tell me how to do it!

Christmas of Dreams Blog Party Day 6

Well, it's day 6 of the Momdot Christmas of Dreams Blog Party. I missed a few days but I am back and ready to parrrrrtttttyyyyy!
Today's festivities are sponsored by Flying Colors Baby, Uncommonly Cute and Lollipop Book Club.
VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT

Today's topic:
We would like to know what is your favorite holiday memory from your childhood.

Well, every year we did the same thing. It would be difficult to pinpoint one specific moment that was a favorite because I loved them All! On Christmas Eve we would put on our best outfits and head to my grandparents house. Our whole family would be there, aunts and uncles, cousins, great grandparents. We would have an enormous meal that consisted of a delectable dish from every family. Desserts to numerous to count. Another treat that we all enjoyed was the guessing of the secret gift. We would pass around a gift that my grammy would have all wrapped up. We would shake, squeeze, smell it , anything we could do to try to predict what it was. Then my grammy would read through all the guesses to determine the winner. It was always something little, maybe a game or a magnet or something else. But we all coveted that little surprise gift. After opening gifts we would all head off to church for the Christmas Eve service. Sometimes we would go back to my grandparents house after that to wait for the candlelight service at midnight at church. Although, we do not all go to my grandparents house for Christmas Eve anymore, we still incorporate a lot of the same traditions in our holiday gatherings now.

Thank you for allowing me to share these special memories with you. Now go make some fabulous memories for your family. Happy Holidays!

Wordless Wednesday-Crazy Hair

For more Wordless Wednesday visit Momdot!

Another Award?! Thank You

Annie from Junior Mints and Reeses has awarded Just for Fun with The Snazzy Blog Award! Thank you Annie:)

This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

Here are the eight bloggers that I am passing this award to:

1.Finding Normal

2.On a Whimm

3.Sippy Cup Chardonnay

4.Momma Needs A Timeout

5.Never a Dull Moment...

6.4 handfuls

7.Delight in the Day

8.Stampinmom

We Elfed the Kids

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