Hannah Gets Giggles

Special Picture For Daddy

The Zoo

I am so so excited that we have Zoo passes this year, even though we have only been once so far. We had so much fun with the Stokes family (even though Hannah was a little upset EVERYONE in our families were going except Daddy and Mr Keith). She told me Mr Keith was working with her Daddy. It is so cute how whatever is regular for them must be regular for everyone. If someone's Daddy is at work, then in her mind, they are at work with her Daddy. It cracks me up.

Anyway, we had a BLAST and Avery and Brady were so much help I am not sure I can go to the Zoo without them! Good thing their parents rent them out! he he he he! Just Kidding.



Justus, despite what these pictures may look like, had a great time too but was definitely worn out!

Thank You, Elizabeth for sharing your pictures.
Because of a Bamboozler, whose name I will not mention, I did not have my camera!

:-)

Our Little Helper

Menu Plan Monday

I have a $170 budget for three weeks. This is my third week. So far, I have spent $128.06 of my budget. This week, because there was not a lot to buy, I skipped Aldi even though I could have saved 40 cents a piece on my milk. Because of how far I have to drive to get to Aldi - I don't think it would have been worth it.

This week I spent $26.98 at Kroger. So for the 3 weeks, I spent $155.04. I am excited.

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday: Tuna Helper, Corn
Tuesday: Chicken Tetrazzini, Potatoes
Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Chicken, Lima Beans
Thursday: Softball night - we will spend $10 out somewhere
Friday:Italian Sausage Pasta, Green Beans, Garlic Bread
Saturday: Black Bean Enchiladas, Rice, Mexicorn
Sunday: Leftovers and Sandwiches

To see other's menu plans check out Org Junkie! (There are lots of ideas there!)

Our Sunday Pictures

Sunday pictures are such a regular thing in our home that almost always, when we are getting ready to go to worship Sunday night, before we head out the door, Hannah looks alarmed and says "WAIT! We forgot our Sunday pictures!" forgetting that we had done them that morning. She cracks me up!

Here are the "Hold On, Mommy, let me get a good look at my Daddy" pictures!

Yes, this is seriously the best I could get today of the two of them together. Justus loved Hannah's shoes. (Please also note the weird thing he is doing with his toes - totally gets this from his Daddy!) They are obviously the coolest shoes he has ever seen and if I would have let him, he would have eaten them. Then I got him to forget about Hannah's shoes and Hannah could not get her face to show over/beside his head but if you look closely at her eyes - you can tell she is smiling!

Here are the "whew, the picture thing is over" pictures.
Justus got to put his pacifier in and I stopped making funny noises at him. Hannah got to sit "criss-cross-applesauce" and just look at me and grin!

Our Sunday Pictures

FINALLY!!
Our camera is now back in our possession. Thankfully!
:-)

I've Been Bamboozled!

Have I been bamboozled, taken in by elaborate methods of deceit, hoodwinked?

First, as we are leaving my parents house on Monday and I can not find my camera anywhere. Where could it be? Well Well Well. It just happens to be in my mother's bag. The bag just happens to be with my mother. And my mother just happens to be at work in the complete opposite direction in which we need to go. (This is why, by the way, that you have no Sunday Pictures yet!)

As I am waiting for the postal service to get the camera to me... guess what happens.... My mom posts pictures of our weekend and my children on her blog. I am aghast! Did she bamboozle me out of my pictures of my children?

Second, my friend Julie asks if she can watch Justus some time and being the wonderful friend that I am, I find a time right away that she can take care of my sweet little boy. She keeps him for a couple of hours and what do I see? A beautiful picture of my sweet Justus on her blog. What? What is happening? Did she bamboozle me out of picture of my sweet handsome boy?

Can you believe it?
Can you control your outrage?
Did you know that such bamboozlement could go on these days?
I think I know the heart of this matter.
I think I know what is really going on here.


I think I am just trying to get you to go to these two wonderful ladies' blogs and see these beautiful pictures of my children and comment on them!! he he he he!

Maybe Bamboozled was a little strong of an accusation.
Maybe Mom and Julie were just loving on my children like they always do.
And just maybe I am trying to love on them right back!

(I might have also been trying to see how many times I could use the word bamboozle in one blog post.)

Thank You both for the sweet words about my sweet children.
Love You Both! :-)

Menu Plan Monday

Yes! I know it is not Monday. We just got back into town Monday evening. I just got my grocery shopping done last night and was too tired to blog it then. And then today I have had 5 children at my house playing and this is the first moment I have gotten since I got up this morning to do it. (All 5 children are asleep - am I a miracle worker or what!? - JK)

I have a 3 week budget of $170 ($10 will be spent next week to get supper the night Chris plays softball). Last week I spent $41.95. This week I spent $22.02 at Aldi and $64.09 at Kroger. So far, that means I have spent $128.06 of my $170 budget. I hope that I can spend very little next week and make up for a little of the money spent on our trip this past weekend.

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday: Supper on the road.
Tuesday: Date night thanks to The Melton family!
Wednesday: Salsa Chicken, Green Beans, Biscuits
Thursday: Tacos, Chips
Friday: Chicken and Tomato Pasta Toss, Lima Beans
Saturday: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread
Sunday: Leftovers and Sandwiches

To see other's menu plans check out Org Junkie! (There are lots of ideas there!)

New Book

Family Blessings was great. It was a book about how family came together in a time a need but how you also have to leave your family and cling to your spouse (your new family). I liked it and, once again, it was a little light for Fern Michaels in my opinion (not that any of them are deep and overwhelming). With a little less of the bad language it could pass for a Love Inspired book.

My next book is yet another book that I don't know where it came from. It just showed up in my house. I have never read this author before but it says it is a love story so I am excited to get into it. It is The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach.

I will let you know how it goes.

New Book

I finished Baby Proof. It was ........ interesting.

First let's talk a little bit about what this author does to me. I have read 3 of Emily Giffin's books. She has this way of making me mad. I get to a point with a character where I just want to shake them and I am even tempted to quit reading. In all three of the books I have read by her I have put it down and thought about stop reading it because I don't like a character or what they are doing. Of Course, I can't quit reading and, of course, I end up loving the charcter I was so frustrated with by the end.

Second let's talk a little bit about what this book is about. All of her books are fun. They are not real serious. At least I don't think they are meant to be serious. But this book had an interesting question running thruout the book. It is a question that not many would say out loud. It is a question that I actually thought long and hard about at one point in my life. It is a question no one wants you to ask them.

"Why do you want to have a baby?"

Some follow up questions for this would be.... Is there an unselfish reason to have a child? Should you have a child because someone else wants you to? Is it an OK feeling to not want to have children? If you don't want to have children, are you automatically looked at as a selfish person?

Anyway, I could go on and on and I could tell you all about the book and all my opinions surrounding it but .... I will spare you.

Bottom Line is exactly what I said before. It was interesting. I enjoyed it - in a different kind of way than normal.

Next Up..... Family Blessings by Fern Michaels. This is the sequel to No Place Like Home.

(Honestly, I read most of it on my trip this weekend so expect another "New Book" post this week.)

Choosing Battles

The two battles that I have Chosen not to fight lately are ......

#1
Justus chewing on buckles. You know the ones on the "highchair" at the table. The ones on the stroller. The ones on the carseat. Those buckles seem to really hit those teething areas great and, well, I just decided I wasn't really sure why I made such a big deal about those not going in your mouth in the past. Why don't we start making teethers with that material. I bet they would sell like hotcakes AND babies would LOVE them!

#2
Hannah wearing (or not wearing) pajamas. If she is wearing a dress, she wants to sleep in the dress (play dresses - NOT Sunday dresses). Isn't this just the same as a nightgown. Why was I insisting on pajamas? When Hannah is wearing an outfit, she wants to just wear the shirt to sleep in. Isn't that what I sleep in every night? What is the big deal about pajamas? I have decided the answer to that last question is ...... Nothing!

Menu Plan Monday

These next 3 weeks are going to be a little crazy for us so ..... for this week I am just working with THIS week. I spent $35.78 at Kroger and $6.17 at Aldi for a total of $41.95. This is under my $60 budget but I was only planning for 3 meals (2 meals plus Sunday meal at the church building with friends). Anyway, I was hoping for a little less but I suppose almost $20 under budget is still good.

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday: Crunchy Onion Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese
Tuesday: Cheeseburger Meatloaf, Potatoes
Wednesday: Ham Supper at the church building (I know that I said this last week but I got my weeks mixed up which is why I also had to buy for yesterday meal at the building too.)
Thursday: Supper with Family
Friday: Supper with Family
Saturday: Supper at a Wedding
Sunday: Supper with Family

To see other's menu plans check out Org Junkie! (There are lots of ideas there!)

Our Sunday Pictures

Bye Bye Cast

The Cast Is Off!!
Look at that beautiful leg!

Justus Funny

We sat Justus in the middle of the living room floor to play. Chris was in there but I went to go check on something at the computer. Chris called to me and told me to come and see Justus.
No one moved him.

This is what I saw:

He's not crawling but he is getting around!

Hannah Funnies

#1
Hannah is sitting on the side of the bathtub watching Justus get a bath and she suddenly gasps and says "HE'S POOPING IN THE BATH!" Chris and I both jump and starting looking into the water. We see nothing.

Look at the pictures below in the last post. You see the blue circle on the bottom of the duck? This is the indicator to tell us if the water is too hot.

This is what Hannah saw "coming out" of Justus' bottom!

#2
Hannah is in to pretending to be people or be with people.
We are sitting at lunch and Hannah says:
"Mommy, how bout I be the Mommy, you be the Daddy, and Justus is a Fruit Snack."

#3
Hannah, because of the cast, has gotten to watch lots more TV lately than normal. (I part blame the cast. I mostly blame my laziness and my being behind on the laundry.)

She asks if she can watch the "little stop signs" one. I think and think and think trying to remember if we have watched anything to do with cars.

I think ... maybe Handy Manny worked on a car.
No that is not it!
I think ... it can't be Sesame Street or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse -
she knows those names.
I think ... does one of the Cedarmont Kids videos have road signs.
No that is not it!
I think ... could Arthur have talked about road signs in school.
No that is not it!

I totally can not figure out what she is talking about.

A couple of days later I am flipping the channel and she says "THAT Mommy. I want to watch that! little stop signs!"

I say Ohhhhhhhhhhhh..... You mean Little Einsteins! She simple says "Yes", like I am a moron!

I have corrected her and she is saying it right a lot of the time now!

:-)

Bathing with Bag

So, when Hannah was about Justus' age (the age where they can sit up but you are not quite ready for them to just sit anywhere by themselves un- attended for a long length of time) we decided the the little bath that she laid back in was getting a little difficult. However, because of the situation mentioned above, we were not quite ready for her to sit in the bath tub all alone, even if we were there to watch. The bathtub is hard!

So, we acquired (via a gift, I believe) this inflatable duck. It was great!!

We had decided about a week before Hannah got her cast that it was about time to start thinking of getting the duck out for Justus. Luckily for us, this is also the perfect bathing tool for a 2 year old in a cast!

Put the bag on the leg, just in case.

Make her keep that leg out, just in case.

She leans back. I wash the hair. Daddy washes body.

Presto. A clean 2 year old with a bag.

AND, it is the perfect thing for Justus right now too.

Love It.

The only slightly sad thing is that Hannah doesn't get to take a bath with Justus. But she loved sitting on the side and watching!

So What

SO.......

Last week when I was at my new Kroger Marketplace, I had my rings cleaned at the jewelry store INSIDE the Kroger while I was shopping.

So What.

SO......

The other day, Chris came up to hang out with me in the Bonus Room and I was watching The Joy of Painting and I was mesmerized.

So What.

SO....

I love this song that Elmo does with Sugarland on Sesame Street and I would kindof like it on CD so I could listen to it in the car. Even if I am by myself and Hannah is not with me. I think I would love to crank it up and sing it to the top of my lungs.

So What!

Menu Plan Monday

This is week #3. My budget for 3 weeks is $180. For this last week my budget was $42.31. I spent $12.99 at Aldi and $32.93 at Kroger for a total of $45.92. I was over by $3.61 but I knew I was over and I bought it anyway. Strawberries were on sale for $1.99 and I bought 2. Strawberries were not even on the list. AND since I had $26 that I was using from a gift card I decided to go over the (almost) $4 for the strawberries. (My actually OOP for Kroger was $6.93). I am excited. I am going to call this IN budget, thanks to the gift card!!

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday: One Dish Chicken Skillet, Potatoes
Tuesday: Pizza
Wednesday: Ham Supper at the church building
Thursday: Ham and Swiss Stromboli, Corn
Friday: Chili, Fritos
Saturday: Pork Chops and Rice, Green Beans
Sunday: Leftovers

To see other's menu plans check out Org Junkie! (There are lots of ideas there!)

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

Our Sunday Pictures

What Do You Think?

Has Justus already developed a fake smile for me?

Kite Day

Kite Day at the church building is one of those really fun days where you can fly kites, play outside with your friends, hunt Easter eggs, see the Easter bunny, and just have lots and lots of fun!!

SEE, even Mommy and Daddy are excited about Kite Day.
This is Hannah on the way to Kite Day.
This is Hannah on the way home from Kite Day.
SO, What Happened In Between??

Hannah played ball with her buddy Reese.
(I highly suggest you not make this first picture big unless you want to be grossed out by the bottom of the cast. Really Terrible.)
Then we ate some Great Food.
Hamburgers. Hot Dogs. Chips. Cupcakes. Yum!
Then Justus was fascinated by the Easter Bunny,
And Hannah was terrified!
(We will probably have 2 this way next year.)
Hannah then proceeded to whisper to her friends about how horrible the Easter Bunny was and try to get them to hide with her. What A Leader That Girl Is!!
After she said a VERY Hearty GOODBYE to the Easter Bunny she got ready to find those eggs.
She was a pretty good hunter.
(In case you are having a hard time spotting her, Hannah is the one with the Pink Leg!)
And promptly got to opening them up to see what she got!
She ate some candy with her buddy Willa.
She ate some candy with her buddy Reese.
Then, just because we would not let her eat any more candy, she decided to do a little seesawing.
And a little swinging.
(Thanks Mrs Rachel for pushing us!)
Right before we left we had to get our annual picture with our "Aunt" Stephanie.
WHEW!
What a Fun Day!