Mommy Awareness

While being a mom, there is a level of awareness with me. At the end of the day, I look at the clock telling me is midnight, and I'm like, "What the heck?! Where did the day go?! I didn't get this done, did I give my kids enough attention? Did I teach them well enough today? did they eat healthy? Did I ever eat anything besides coffee?" then I realize it's too late for bath time, rush my kids to brush their teeth & then send them to bed with a kiss and a hug. then I lay down & feel completely guilty for not giving them more of myself throughout the day.

Anyone else? Am I alone here? I feel like I'm going on fast forward & I don't know if I got anything accomplished. When the kids are asleep and I'm in bed, this is when my mind is clear and I am fully aware that the hourglass has run out. My mind then races, almost in panic mode, realizing that I wanted this day to count. I want each day to teach something that sticks. Something they will use or remember when they are adults. Or create memories or traditions they will use with their children. But oftentimes, the reality is, that most days are just small steps in the right direction. Not every day has to be a big event. I have to let go of this supermom mentality. If I pick up Doublestuff Oreos instead of making homemade cookies at the end of a busy dance day, that's OK! Because tomorrow I will make something homemade, delicious, and hopefully healthy. The point is, we can't be 100% all of the time. No one said you have to! Do what you have to do, do your best, kiss your kids goodnight, and by God's grace, tomorrow will be another day.

I hope I am raising amazingly successful adults, but I won't know that for many years. What I do know now is, I have 4 amazing children, and they are everything I want them to be.

Our Workboxes

So if you've looked around the web for workboxes for your homeschool, you've seen lots of plastic boxes right? They come from Ikea, Walmart, wherever. The idea is the same, you have several bins that pull out, with an assignment in each drawer. Here is a common picture of the workbox system:

Looks awesome right?! The child pulls out an assignment starting at #1 and continues on until they are done. Wonderful system by Sue Patrick. So, I started researching Amazon, Walmart, Hobby lobby, every place I could to find the cheapest bins, as they were at least $35. $35 x 4, was way more than I wanted to spend. So I started looking on Pinterest and Google to find workbox alternatives. Then I found an idea where they used shoe boxes to hold their assignments. Again, I didn't have the space for this many boxes, plus the rack it needed to be contained within, times four. So when I came upon this blog, my lightbulb turned on! It was brilliant! Just the answer I was looking for. It was inexpensive, easy to collect the materials, and can still use the Sue Patrick workbox method. Instead of working vertically, it works horizontally. 
So, I went out and bought 24 boxes of cereal, the giant size, as to be sure all our books fit into the box. Boy did I get many looks and comments! haha "Your kids must like cereal!" "Wow!" "You gonna eat all of that?" Living near the Duggar family, I assume many of them probably thought I had 15 children or something. But no, it was just for a little homeschooling family. ;)

Then, I took the kids to pick out their own scrapbooking paper to put on their workboxes. I thought this would be much more fun, help attach them to their schoolwork, and promote individuality. They really took this seriously and chose the paper that fit their personalities. I love looking at their shelves and nodding my head, Yes. This is totally her, or yes, he really does like sweets.

So many cute prints at Hobby Lobby! It was so fun watching them choose their own prints!

Once they chose their prints, I bought 2 containers of Modge Podge. We went home and there I constructed these magnificent workboxes.

I had to cut the tops down a little to fit them in our bookcase. Then, I wrapped the scrapbook paper around the cereal box, and used a foam wide paint brush to apply modge podge all over the entire box. This helps the paper seal to the box and soften, as well. Once this dried, I used a packing tape dispenser to wrap tape all around the middle of the box and the bottom of the box, so this protects the scrapbooking paper and also helps it be more sturdy for the books that will be put in and taken out of the box. Now you're done and you let it dry. It doesn't take very long. I proceeded to find some workbox numbers to attach on the boxes. They are often called, workbox tags, and you can find them in all different kinds of characters. I chose some by what characters my kids like. Izayah got Transformers, Skyler got Phineas and Ferb, Alexi got Disney Princesses. I laminated the tags, then used square Velcro tabs to attach to the front of the boxes. Once the student completes the assignment inside the box, they take off the Velcro number and put it in the box. This signifies that the assignment is complete to the student, and the teacher.

If you have ANY questions, please please ask me below in the comment section! I was so blessed by this idea, that I would love to help you in any way that I can! Here is the finished product.

My kids absolutely love their boxes and this method. My 3 year old has claimed 4 of her older sister's boxes as her own, because she wants to have workboxes like her siblings! It's adorable. She loves to school and gets so tickled when she finds work in her boxes. She takes the whole box into the front room, pulls out the assignment, and gets to work! Usually she has a coloring page, Toddler Bible, busy bag activity, math, etc, that she works on while the older kids do their Heart of Dakota curriculum. I will do another post of what's in each box, to help you out! :)
Remember, don't stress if you can't do what that blogger is doing, or that other family is doing, because it may look fabulous, but it doesn't mean it's going to work out for your family. Find a way to fit it to your budget, your personality, or your ideals. That's one of the many perks of homeschooling, we do what we want to! {wink}

Back Into the Homeschool Grind

Today we started back at homeschooling. I loaded their workboxes late last night. (A post on our workboxes coming soon!) I  went to bed, preparing myself emotionally that they were going to be grumpy kids in the morning and dragging their feet on their first day back at school in months. Boy did those awesome kids prove me wrong! I wake up, and find that all of the 3 older kids were awake. The boys were doing chores, which they do in order to play a video game. I said, "You know we are doing school today right? No video games until it's all done." This is our rule. They said, yeah  like they remembered. Okay, great. The girls then run into the homeschool/dining room and check their workboxes. Alexi graciously gave Kaydee 4 of her boxes last night so that Kaydee could feel like a big kid. Big, proud smile inserted here. The girls grab one box, bring it into the front room floor and prepare to work on their given assignment. WHAT?! This was before either of them had eaten any breakfast, mind you. I was feeling like this may be a great start to the day! Hooray! Then, the boys asked where they start. I told them, and Izayah sits at the dining table and reads, Skyler bounces from the front room, to sitting in the hallway reading. (I love the beauty of homeschooling. There are no required seating. You sit and learn where YOU feel comfortable! This is vital to Skyler especially. He is a wiggly boy that doesn't appreciate someone telling him to stay in a chair for hours on end.) I continue to help the girls as needed, and I get them some cereal to eat while they read. As the hour goes on, everyone stays on task, the house is quiet, and there is a happiness in my heart knowing that my children are happily, I said happily, learning! They were done with all but 2 subjects after just 1 hour! I was shocked. We've never been done that fast.

What a great day back at homeschooling! God was with each of us. I just know it. He gave me patience, He led the children to learn, and He guided their hands as they worked. Not once during our homeschooling journey have I ever regretted this decision. Honest! Not once have I wished I could send them back to public school. Sure, I've had those days where I wondered if I am doing enough, am I teaching them the right things, could I add more subjects in? That's because deciding to homeschool was something I didn't want to fail at. So I prayed and prayed, asked friends about it, researched, and talked to the kids about it. I still went back and forth on it, because I didn't go to college. How was I going to raise and teach all my children to be intellectuals that go into the world and find successful careers? One night I went to bed and said, "Okay God. It's all in your hands. Help me come up with the answer." I went to sleep. When I woke up, I promise, I had this sense of awareness and confidence. I KNEW that God wanted me to homeschool my children. Not only did I know the answer, but I felt confident about it. Now my kids don't even want to go back to public school. I absolutely love homeschooling, and I know it's the right thing for us to do. My kids are thriving and learning, what could be better then seeing this in action? It's the best.

My Children, My Blessings

So since my last post, Skyler and Alexi both fell ill with the stomach virus. By the grace of God, that was where it stopped. I know have to steam clean my carpets due to some..ahem..accidents. (yuck!)
Anyways, tomorrow is my last day of work, until we come back in the new year. I'm going to miss my sweet babies, but I am excited to get to work on homeschooling my kids. We haven't done any schoolwork if a few months. But my smart kiddos will pick up quickly and I will make sure we get caught up. :)

I have so much fun watching my girls dance. It makes working well worth it. I would do anything to encourage their love of dance. I always wanted to dance as a young lady, but my hard-working mom worked 2 or 3 jobs just to pay the bills and feed us 3 kids, so dance wasn't an option. But it's fine, I am who I am. Now, I just do my best to give my girls what they want, as long as they work for it as well. I remember telling Alexi how there was a no crying rule if she made the competitive team. That was during the summer, and here it is December, and she has never cried at dance class!! If you know my dramatic, diva daughter, you won't believe this, but seriously though, it's TRUE! She cried an ocean at home, don't let it fool ya, but she is working hard at dance, and I couldn't be more proud! Bring on competition season!!!!! No wait, I'm really not ready! Shh! I play a good game....

The kids are doing great though. Izayah is 12, his voice is starting to change, he has acne, and he is taller than me now! Everytime I look at him, I just can't believe my first-born son is 12 year old and approaching his teens years! P.S. I'm getting OLD! I will be 30 next month-30! Gulp!
Skyler is 9 years old right now. He has a short fuse, and gets easily offended. But he has a big heart and he loves to hug his mama still, which I LOVE! He is doing so well homeschooling. It really suits him much better to be around a person that gets him. He is allowed to read in bed, upside-down, whatever-as long as he is reading, I don't care!
Alexi is 7 years old. She is kind, funny, and smart. She's doing well at homeschooling. She seems to really pick up on math easily! She did NOT get that from me. She has made some sweet friends this year through dance. It warms my heart to see her so happy! 
Kaydee is 3 year old and I can't imagine our house without her presence. She is the entertainer. She cracks us up! She is a sweet, sour, dramatic little girl. She will give you a big hug, walk away and then scream at you to get her some chips in a bowl. haha  She loves her some Doritos chips! Kaydee still sleeps with me at night. She is such a cuddler. I call her my "Snuggle Bunny". She has to fall asleep with my arm over her and she has to be cuddled up right next to me. It's precious in every way, and much to the displeasure of my husband, I am in no hurry to move her out. I know this is my last baby, and I want her to stay as young as possible. Because these kids of mine grow in a blink of the eye. It breaks my heart, but makes me excited to see them grow up, all at the same time. It's hard to be a mom; but I wouldn't change any of the impatient moments, stomach bugs, temper tantrums, bloody noses, or moments when my child approaches me and asks me what this particular curse word means. (God help me!) I am blessed each day I wake up with my 4 children. They are the best things I have ever done. I am so lucky to be their mom. It's the best.thing.ever.

Expectations are Meaningless

Don't expect, don't plan, and don't assume, when you're a Mom. Heck, as a human being.  Life changes spontaneously. I had a great day at work, Kaydee had a fun day at church school (as she calls it). We come home, get Alexi ready for dance class, go to the dance studio and do our normal routine. Alexi goes to class, Kaydee plays, I stone a costume, all is well. So how was I to know what laid ahead of us? I don't. you don't get a crystal ball in life. You just walk one foot ahead of the other and hope you don't get hit by a bus. There are no guarantees in life. So when we got home, Kaydee fell asleep as I'm making dinner. Two hours later, I'm laying in bed watching tv and I hear, "Kaydee go tell Mommy you threw up!" I jump out of bed and go to the hallway to see Kaydee crying and covered in orange vomit! I clean her up at the toilet and tell her to finish throwing up. She had thrown up all over our giant bean bag and down the hallway! Now, there is something so heartbreaking about seeing your child vomit uncontrollably. I just prayed she would stop and I could take it from her. But my poor baby continued to vomit all night. It's now midnight and we are still awake. She is resting now and watching a movie on my phone. I just feel so bad for her. She was vomiting in the tub and saying, "I don't wanna throw up!!" It was so, so sad!

I had plans tomorrow. I wanted to take the kids to the library to get new books. Kaydee absolutely loves going to the library. I have Tuesday and Wednesday off, but now we will have to stay home so not to infect others. I have dance commitments to abide by. But sometimes you don't control what happens tomorrow or today. You take what you get and make due with it. You make it the best you can. So instead of all of my expectations for tomorrow, I will instead snuggle with my baby girl, help the kids get some schoolwork done, clean a little, and hopefully not become ill myself. I just thank God that we all woke up today. We are not all so blessed. A little stomach flu, that I can handle.

Pardon My Silence

I apologize for not writing, but you see, I don't know who reads this, or if anyone cares. Then I started thinking about how nice it would be to look back and remember the silly things my kids said, or what adventures we got ourselves into on a specific date. So, here I am again, attempting to write this blog. Lord knows I can't keep a photo album or journal about my kids, so I should be recording it all now, before they all go off to college. Then I can look back to this blog and cry about my little bitty babies. So, where to start?

Let's start by saying my kids love being homeschooled! Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus! It wasn't as hard as I expected and I love it more then I could ever comprehend. There is nothing better than watching your children grow and learn. You get to see that light bulb moment at the very time that it is being turned on. It's exciting to then hear them speak about something they learned later on. One example is, one day, Izayah was using a measuring cup to create a recipe to make a clay tablet for a Social studies assignment. I showed him how to measure, we completed the assignment. The end? No. A week later, I asked Izayah to look and see how much milk we had left, because I was writing a grocery list. He responds. "We have 1/4 left." I don't know if my jaw actually dropped or not, but I was shocked! I mean, yes I teach them, but to actually hear that they have retained the lessons,  and are using them in real life situations, is thrilling! This is what it's about people!

Needless to say, the kids are thriving and learning each day. Michael, my husband, then had to take time of work because of a severe bulging disc. I was then determined to go back into the workforce and help with the bills. Luckily, the child care center at my church was hiring. I work there in the mother's day out program, which I absolutely LOVE! I have the best co-workers, parents, and children there! It's an amazing place to work. We're always joking about how you can't wear mascara to work because you will cry almost daily. haha! God's spirit and love just surrounds that place. So once I took the job, I asked my kids if they wanted to return to public school since I will be at work, and they all yelled, "NO!" They did not want to return to school, and we decided as a family that homeschooling was working well for us. Even my husband, who was very skeptical about homeschooling in the beginning, was now on board! #GodThing So, they have been taking it very easy until my husband was able to have surgery and go back to work. This was a very hard time for us and struggled to pay bills. I have been so blessed as to have amazing people in my life to help me along the way. My friends, church family and family, have helped us in so many ways. They have been a huge blessing to us! I am looking forward to getting back into the grind of homeschooling now. I have been dropping hours of work, so that we can begin picking it back up again.

Life is up and down and all around, but without my faith, my family, and friends, I don't know how I would have gotten through these last few months. I have cried so so much. But things are better now, God made sure of it. It could have been worse we had enough food to eat, we had a house over our heads, and my children are healthy and happy. What more do we need?

*Stay tuned for more. I will try to update more often. It feels so good for my soul. I love to write. I need to come here and pour my heart out to you. Thanks for listening. Feel free to comment.

Love and Coffee,
Cass.

We are homeschooling this year!

I am so proud to exclaim that we are homeschooling this year! It took many prayers, advice from supportive friends, and straight-up courage to proceed with something that has always been in the back of my head. I thought, how can I teach my kids? I don't have a degree in education.. But this year, during the summer months, God planted this seed into my heart. He told me that it IS possible. I can do this!

One Instance of Why I Wanted to Homeschool

In the previous public school year, my son Skyler had many problems with trips to the office. Once, I happened to be visiting my Kindergartner for lunch. I'm looking around for Skyler, who eats at the same time..I can't find him. Finally, I see him coming to lunch much later than the other kids. He comes into the cafeteria with a very sad face. I tried to mouth the words, "What's wrong?" But he just looked down and shook his head. I knew he must have gotten in trouble for something. I watch him grab his lunch tray and walk into the office. He is then instructed by an office staff member to sit at a table located right outside of the principal's office. This is outside of the office and sitting near the cafeteria where everyone can see that you are in trouble. Humiliating right?! I was sadden by this. I wanted to know what was wrong, but I tried to maintain by distance, and just watch what was happening. He struggled with something that he needed opened, looked around, raised his hand, yet no one came to help him. I could have cried right then, but I controlled my emotions and said goodbye to my daughter, who's lunch hour was over. Then I walked over to my son, which was on my way out of the school. I asked him what happened. He shook his head, like he was embarrassed, or perhaps, too afraid to tell me. I encouraged him to tell me, and that I wouldn't be mad. I just wanted to know why he was sitting all alone. He told me, with tears in his eyes, "I got in trouble for flushing a paper towel in the toilet." I'm sorry, but I scoffed here, as I thought this was a silly reason to reprimand my child, take him away from class, make him late for lunch, and have to sit outside of the principal's office. This broke my heart. I could not keep it in anymore. I cried. I hugged him tight and told him that I loved him, and I would see him later. Yes, I wanted to take him home right then. Yes, I also wanted to stomp into that office and demand answers, but I also wanted my son to learn from this, and try to make better decisions on his own. I can't rescue him from every situation. I have to let him make a mistake and fall from it. I know why they did it. Because it could cost the school a lot of money, if that paper towel had clogged the toilet. Why did Skyler do it? Because another boy was doing it. We talked about this later that night and I told him why they got upset with him. I told him that I did not want to see him sitting out there again, because it is sad to Mommy, and it is not good for him to miss his schoolwork.

This was just the icing on the cake, for many other instances that had happened during that school year. He just seems misunderstood at school. He is a wiggly, bouncy, affectionate, precocious, curious boy. But it's okay, Mama gets him 100%. Here at home, he can read his book laying upside-down in his chair. He can wiggle his legs while he works on the computer. If he wants to do math on the dry erase board, instead of his paper-that is OKAY! Why? Because, we homeschool. And there is no one on Earth who knows my children better than I do. Therefore, there is no one who cares about their future, more than I do.

Rosemary chicken and potatoes

Last night i made another recipe inspiration from McCormick. It was SO easy and delicious! And a big hit with my kids, so that was a plus plus! They especially loved the roasted potatoes, which surprised me. But they were my favorite too!

This one is called Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Potatoes.

Super duper easy! First, you have to buy this little packet in your spices aisle. Not where the gravy mixes are-i made that mistake my first time-but where you would find garlic powder, pepper and salt, etc. It was $1.98 when i bought it at my Walmart Neighborhood Market. All you need to accompany it is skinless chicken thighs, red potatoes, and i bought carrots to roast with it and chicken gravy to go over it. Note: I did have to cook the carrots longer for them to get softer.
So you dump all the spices into a bowl with some olive oil, which i had on hand, and a dash of salt. Then you will coat your chicken and then the potatoes into it. In a large roasting or casserole dish, you line it with foil and then place the chicken, potatoes and carrots into it. Bake at 425 for about 25-30 minutes. It doesn't take long at all! And it will smell so good in your house. My son came in sniffing around at what was for dinner. Definitely made them curious to try this..If it smells so good, it can't be all that bad right?
I also cooked up some green beans with bacon to go along with this, in case they needed a little extra to eat. It went well with this and the gravy was very good over the chicken and the vegetables. A success for sure! My oldest even said, "We need to have this every week!" I'd say, McCormick, you've done it again! You have pleased this picky family, and i thank you.

Before cooked

And after! So delectable!

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Creamy Chicken Alfredo

So i made one of my most favorites of my mom's recipes. My mom was a single mother with at least 2 jobs, so she was brilliant at making recipes that were quick and cheap but tasty! This is my #2! (Gumbo is at the top!)
This recipe won't cost you more then $15! And that's feeding six. I plan my weekly dinner budget around $10 a dinner for my family of six. So if you see recipes here, then they are around the $10 mark. Awesome right?! Now on with the deliciousness....

What you will need:

• 1lb chicken breast or tenders (i usually get tenders because they are usually the cheapest and i like that they are trimmed already and it is easier to cut into bite-size pieces. If you find breasts on sale, get those and use your scissors to cut into bite-size)
• Angel hair pasta (i use this because i have a noodle complex. I like them super skinny. you can use fettucini or your favorite)
• 2 jars of Ragu cheesy roasted garlic parmesean sauce
• mushrooms(i sometimes use steamed broccoli)

How to cook it:

Start by boiling a big pot of water that you'll need for your noodles. Then coat your sautee pan with a little oil and set burner to medium. Place your chicken inside and sprinkle some Season all, pepper and onion powder evenly over the chicken. Do the same when you flip them over. But not until the bottom side turns white.  They are done when nice and browned and all white inside. Cut into bite-sized pieces and set to low.

Now if you want the mushrooms with it, which i highly suggest, here's how you cook them. I buy the mushrooms not in the packaging bc i like them sliced thinly and they are cheaper buying them this way. I get about 7 medium or large ones-but that is because we love them here! (Yes, even my kids eat them! They are that good!) 

 * Put 5 tbs of butter in a sautee pan. Put your mushrooms in and sprinkle in about 1 Tbs of the following: onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and a dash of garlic salt. You just want to coat the mushrooms in this. The powder is what sticks to it and makes it almost a candied mushroom..Mmm! Sautee this on medium and stir every 5 mintues until bubbly. Then set it on low until everything is done.

 Now you should be able to place your noodles in the pot. I use half of a box and it is plenty for 5 people. It won't take long for angel hair to cook, about ten mintues i'd say. Drain and return to the pot. Then you want to dump out the sauce into a saucepan and warm it on medium low. Stir often because you do no want to scorch the bottom of this liquid goodness! Once it is warmed up, you are ready to eat!

So good it's addictive!

A Magical Day at the Park

Today we went to Wilson Park in Fayetteville, AR. A magical, beautiful place for all ages to enjoy. When you set foot in this special play area, you immediately feel the serenity that is present. There is so much to explore and to see here. From the castle, to the gardens, even mosaic pieces under your feet, it had something interesting around every corner. My boys would come up to me and say, "I found a secret hiding place!" And then they would fight over who found it first. (haha) Lexi found herself a secret spot of her own over by some water. She said it was her, "Secret hide-out." She looked so sweet sitting there by herself just gazing at the water and flowers around her. Every child should have a place like this to go to. It really connects them to mature and lets them use their imaginations to play and explore. I loved just watching them play, but i also enjoyed exploring the grounds. It was fun to place Kaydee near the water or mosaics just to see how she would react. She found the mosaics to be very interesting and she just had to touch and feel them. She also loved the pond. I sat with her right next to it on the rocks surrounding it and she about dove in trying to get a white flower out of the pond! I also found a crawfish walking around so we played with it and watched it fight with other crawfish. After the kids played there quite a while they were eager to play at the playground nearby, but it was lunchtime and i didn't have anything but coffee for breakfast so i declared we should pick up some lunch and have a picnic at the park! So we picked up some McDonald's, found a picnic table near the playground, ate our food and let the kids play awhile. In all, we spent about 3 hours at the park! It was wonderful! I captured over 100 pictures of our day, so i'll just post a few of my favorites and so you can see all the amazing details of this fabulous and magical park. *Interesting note: This is the first and oldest park in Fayetteville, AR!*

Alexi's secret hide-out

Family picture on a lotus flower

Find Izayah...

Walking on an earthworm

chillin out in a tunnel

Examining nature's beauty

very interesting..

Peekaboo!

Time to go. :(

My Fun Friday

Friday morning we spent most of our morning playing 'Dance Party Barbies' or so i called it. At first, the girls and I sat on the floor playing with baby dolls for awhile until Kaydee started to take away all of Alexi's babies, which made her frustrated(but she was being very sweet about it despite the obvious annoyed look on her face.) And somehow KK always wants the one Lexi has IN her hand..not the 4 others that are laying between them both, oh no, the exact one she is holding. So it was driving Lexi crazy, so she goes to her room and pulls out every Barbie ever made and throws them down on the floor. "You wanna play Barbies Mommy?" "Sure i do but do we need 50 of them?!" "Uh yeah. Just pick your person."

So we played for a bit and she was showing me her Barbies awesome dance moves, so I made Ken(yes she made me be Ken)have some awesome moves of his own! He was so stiff though(think dirty joke here, go ahead)that i decided to trade him in for a girl with a pretty party dress on. And since she was ready to party, i put on some music off my phone and we really took the dance party up a notch! We danced, did somersaults, jumped, ballet moves, you name it, we did it! It was so fun! We let Kaydee come play with us too, she wasn't left out. She loved just watching us act silly. :) When you have girls, never say no to playing Barbie dolls..little girls grow out of them so quickly. But i still think they're fun. ;)

sharing her Barbies with sister

having FUN!

showing off an armful of barbies

Reading a book to her sissy

So after the dance party it was time to make lunch. Then i realized, we didn't even watch but an hour of tv all morning! I felt very proud! They had their PBS time early that morning and that was it! Usually we play and i just keep the tv on mute(i like to hear the "news" on The View sometimes)but this time i thought, Why don't i just save electricity and turn it off. Duh! Anyways, while made lunch Lexi decided to read her favorite book, The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani. She has loved this book since she was 2. I would read this book to her toddler class everyday with lots of enthusiasm and gesture and they absolutely loved it! So last year Santa and I thought she should have a copy of it. :)

So once we picked up the boys, they spent most of the evening outside. While i was doing prep work for dinner, Skyler comes to me and says, "Look Mommy! This leaf just fell on my head!" I've been talking to them more lately about God and how they can pray to him when they need him, like if they get scared, nervous, or sad. So i took this moment to incorporate HIM into the conversation..So i said, "Yeah it's a message from God. He's saying Hello!" Oh the look on his face was priceless! His eyes got big and his face was full of wonder! He said, "God sent this to ME?!" And he turned around and started to walk away but he turned his head back and said, "I'm gonna go find some more messages from God!" So i smiled and went about cooking..and putting on my makeup since I was going to Girl's Night Out soon!  (Woohoo!) After an hour or so, he comes inside and says, "Mommy! I found 12 more messages from God!" And he is holding two armfuls of leaves. He said, "Come look what they say!" So knowing this was going to be good, i grabbed my phone and hit record and got the cutest video ever! Is there anything more precious then hearing your own child talk about God? This brought tears to my eyes. In this moment, i was so proud and i knew God was speaking to my son.

A delicious and healthy Bacon Turkey Wrap

I love that my family enjoy these so much. Finally a dinner we can all agree on! I serve a side of squash, onion and spinach(although the boys don't care for it much).

Here's what i use:

* Mission Sun-dried tomato wraps
* Avocado
* Tomato
* Bacon(don't skimp out on the cheapest, i learned my lesson!)
* Hickory Smoked Prima Della turkey(from the deli)
* Kraft American cheese(or your favorite)
* Spinach
* Hidden Valley Ranch


Now i promise(kinda)that your kids would even taste the avocado! It's just a secret ingredient i hide inside to give them a boost of healthy goodness! As well as the spinach. We love spinach here and it's great for us since i have a family history of anemia. My kids have never once brought up the fact that there's spinach in there and i bet yours won't either. ;) A tip though, i don't actually let my kids see me cut open the avocado or put it inside, because they will probably most likely not eat it if they see "that green stuff."
So the only thing you have to cook is the bacon. Did you hear me? I don't think you did...IN THIS RECIPE YOU ONLY HAVE TO COOK BACON!!! Awesome right?! And if you really want to spoil yourself, use paper plates! ;)
Ok so after your bacon is cooked and cooled, you will start prepaing the wrap. I don't even warm the tortilla, it's not necessary, but you certainly can if you prefer. I place it on a plate, then place one or two slices of turkey on top of it.
Now time for the cheese!Slap on one slice of cheese(I half it and place it longwise down the middle.
Then place 2 slices of bacon on top of that and then follow it up with your spinach, tomato, and avocado.
Now you can squeeze the ranch right down the middle(twice)or for kids you can squeeze some into a bowl since they like to dip. They may receive this new recipe better that way. Then Enjoy! It is so good and so good for you!
For my squash, spinach, and onion side dish, I sautee them all in some butter on medium with the following spices: A little onion powder, garlic powder, garlic salt, and a dash of pepper. So, so yummy! I adpated this from having some sauteed vegetables at Marketplace Grill long ago. You will love this i think! I am addicted to it and even my 5 year old picky daughter loves it!
Here are the finished products:

Wrap-Up Wednesday

So i have been MIA for awhile, sorry! Just busy busy around here. Especially now that KK is crawling I'm just right on top of her all day making sure she's not eating anything or touching anything bad for her. So i will run through what's been happening around here that's made me smile. :)
*MONDAY: I have to share with you this amazingly easy and delicious casserole my friend Jess fed me and gave me the recipe for. It's called McCormick's Quesadilla Casserole. You just buy this little packet in the spices aisle. It contains all the spices you need, a recipe card that pops out and tells you what other ingredients you need-it's that easy! I had been putting off making this recipe because my kids take one look at any mixed up foods on their plates and they look at me with disgust and start to complain. So i was hesitate to say the least. But this was so darn good looking i was determined to make it and they were gonna eat it or starve! (Ok, so they can pick a PB&J if they don't like dinner, but it was still my mentality!) So i bought Nacho Cheese Doritos to crunch up to serve over it(and because their awesome!)and i remembered the idea to incorporate your kids in the cooking process of something new. So when it came down to preparation, i put some Doritos in a baggy(I call it baggy because it's not a Ziplock bag, it is GLAD because my hubby works for them!)and i let the kids pound it with a potato masher-they loved it! Then when it was ready they got to sprinkle their own crushed Doritos on top. Everyone ate some and liked it but Lexi. She refused and cried until i told her she was not getting up unless she at least took 2 bites so she could try it. She reluctantly did(eventually)but next time i will just give her a sandwich. Skyler my picky boy, loved it and ate it all! I was very surprised by this and i told him how proud i was of him. :) Here are the pictures i took:

Find it with the spices! Many other flavors to try next!

Crush em' up!

My plate with guacamole and sour cream-yum!

The finished product-Voila!

Earlier that day we went to a playdate with new friends! Yay! {and Yay for making new Mommy friends! :D} They had an incredible backyard and the kids just had a blast! A big fort with slide, swings and sandbox built-in. I let Kaydee play in the sandbox and she only tried to eat the sand once. Lexi did not want to leave and it took awhile to pry her away! She then cried int he van because she didn't get to hug her friends goodbye.(yes it broke my heart not to turn around and let her!) Here are a couple pictures of our fun day(which i am still paying for days later-i must be very allergic to pollen)-

Wheeee!

Playing in a ball pit for the first time! I liked it!

*TUESDAY: Mommy woke up feeling sick. Congestion with runny nose, nauseous, achy, sneezing, all-around crummy! But Kaydee had her 9 month check-up so i had to get going. She is a healthy big girl! 23.5 lbs! But better to be a chunky well-fed baby then underweight i say. ;) Here are a few pictures i took today that was cute and memorable:

KK just happened to scoot behind Lexi so Lex says, "Here, scratch my back Kaydee!"

Skyler cuddling with Smokey in a rocking chair

Went to check out the fish at WM

She was captivated by this Betta!

Getting into her first light socket no-no!

*WEDNESDAY: Grocery shopping Day! Exciting for Mommy because i was buying health conscious foods for my family. Because Kaydee is now eating table foods, it is important to me to provide her with healthy meals, and while i'm researching what she needs it is the exact things that we all as a family should be eating regularly. So i was dedicated in finding healthy food to stock my fridge with! I am also obsessed with making my kids' lunches super delicious and healthy. They often come home starving because they didn't like the food at school, so that breaks me heart! I cannot allow my children to go all day at school with hungry bellies. We all know that it is hard to concentrate on anything when your belly is growling and all you can think about is food. So i have to step up(and get up early)and send them off to school with not only the foods they like but also healthy choices! So, i came home from Walmart with almost all fruits, vegetables or healthy choices, like tuna, healthy tortilla wraps, etc. I also picked up Skyler a bigger lunchbox so i can have room to stuff it to the top! :) I was very proud of myself when i took a step back and saw all the bins in my fridge packed with goodness! It looked like we were vegetarians! The only meats in there was bacon and deli turkey(for the wraps i was making that night, recipe in next post). When the kids came home, instead of a Little Debbie snack, Oreo or some other packaged snack, they had choices of apples and caramel or peanut butter, raspberries, blueberries, banana, strawberries, kiwi or veggie straws. They were all so excited about having raspberries and blueberries in the fridge! I gave them some in a muffin cup and they kept coming back for more! I was ecstatic! So, less packaged and more fresh! Lesson of the day!

I can't get enough of this!

On her second helping of delicious fruit!

kiwi in a mesh feeder..kinda sour!

So concludes the first part of my week...much more left out of course because i can't always remember to record everything like the funny jokes my kids tell me, or the sweet times they are playing together nicely. I can't take a picture of the bedtime kisses i give and receive each night, but they are there, each and every day and i don't take them for granted. I am blessed to hug and touch all my children , because there are many who cannot. I thank God everyday for this. And i know in my heart, i will always remember these moments, whether i have time to write them down or not.