Child Labor

Rick sent me another photo from Indiana. Looks like Rick's dad put Millie to work.

Off Duty

I am in TN with a bad back so Rick took the kids to Indiana without me. So, I am officially off duty. Here are 2 photos he e-mailed me today after they got back from the Strawberry Festival.

I believe Millie has turned into Dragon Girl.


Not sure why Reed doesn't have a shirt on here but he seems to be enjoying his cookie.


I find it ironic that usually cleaning the house is the last thing on my mind but all day all I have wanted to do it get up and clean. I guess the heart wants what the heart can't have and since I have been lying on the couch icing and heating my back all day, it knows I shouldn't and couldn't get up and clean. I hope this urge to clean remains when my back gets better.

Splah Park

We used to go to the splash park almost every week when Millie was younger with our playgroup but we have not been since Reed was born and I even had to call a friend and ask directions. Wow, it has been a long time. But last summer Reed was just too young to go and it was more trouble than it was worth.


I almost called the adventure off because I really hurt my back yesterday and I was having trouble standing up straight. Since I was meeting someone there and I didn't have their phone number, I figured I should go. It was feeling a little better so I packed their lunches, sun screened everyone and got everything loaded up.


I was surprised the water was on when we got there because they used to not turn it on until 10 but when we got there at 9:30, it was on already. I told Millie she may not want to get in yet because it was still a little cold but she went right in.


Reed was a little more cautious but he was squealing and running around the outside.


Reed of course needed a little snack.


By this time my back was continuing to tighten up and I could not stand up straighter than about 100 degrees from my waist.


Millie was getting cold and had to keep coming back to warm up. Her Spider Man towel that my mom got her was doing a great job of keeping her warm.


Millie was telling me all morning how she was going to stand under the bucket and let it pour down on her head.



She was timing the bucket here (she didn't want it to actually dump on her head)


Holding her nose, she is about ready.


Dump!


Even though I was nearly paralyzed when we left, the kids had a blast. I had to have Reed climb in his car seat with Millie helping him to get home. I was worried on the way home because I truly didn't think I would be able to get him out of the car. Some how I managed to get him out but it did bring me to tears.

I am feeling better now but I am thinking my 4 1/2 hour car ride to Indiana tomorrow may do me in. I am also guessing my 5K I had planned on Saturday is off too. By the time I make it to Floyd Knobs, I may be in a wheel chair. Wish me luck!

My Car

I think it was long over due for a car cleaning. This all came out of my car...except for Reed.


A pair of shoes Reed wore last summer. I am bummed they didn't make it in my last hand-me-down box. I will have to find a new little boy that can wear them.


The sad part is most of it all went back in.

Birthday Party Overload

After Millie got her desk clean, we headed to our first birthday party of the morning. It was for her friend Brooke at school and it was at Chuck E Cheese. I have not been inside a Chuck E Cheese since I was probably 6 so it was interesting. I remembered the Chuck E Cheese of my youth being VERY dark and dingy. This one was very nice, bright and cheery. Millie loved the basketball game, she actually made 5 shots in a row at one point. The girls did a little dancing with the big mouse and then we had to leave for another birthday.


This next party required a wardrobe change because it was a princess tea party. So, we changed in the car and were ready for tea. All the little girls got their nails painted when they got there and then got to put on a princess dress. Good thing I started our Princess 101 course last week with Millie!


What an adorable group of princesses!


They had real tea cups and cute little heart shaped sandwiches. It was every little princess's dream party!

Lesson Learned - I Hope

We had a big day of birthday parties yesterday but when I went in Millie's room that morning, I noticed she wrote all over her desk. So, before she could go to the birthday parties, I told her she had to clean her desk. She took all the stuff off and then I gave her a wet sponge with a little soap on it. Rick wanted me to give her the magic eraser because it would take it right off. Well, I knew that but 1) I wanted her to have to work at it and 2) I didn't want her using the magic eraser because of the chemicals. I don't know what is in them but they will clean anything so I figured she shouldn't be touching it. So I sat on her bed and read a book while she scrubbed...and scrubbed...and scrubbed some more. She got some of it off but most didn't come off. I let her work at it for about 20 minutes. I figured that was long enough. I have to give her credit, she scrubbed as hard as she could and she really did try to get it clean. I then came in with the magic eraser and took it all off in about 5 seconds. Yes I know, that was a little mean but it was more about the lesson taught and I am certain she learned it. I wanted her to sweat it out a little. And I told her that if it did not come clean, she would not go the birthday parties. Of course, I knew I could get it clean but she didn't know that and I know that is what she was thinking when she was scrubbing her little heart out.

Books and Blooms at UT

I took the kids and we met a few friends at the University of Tennessee Gardens this morning. They have a program called Books and Blooms and every Thursday morning during the summer they have story time and kids activities.

Millie and Reed did some running around before it started.


A little tree climbing is always necessary.


What is she doing up there?


They danced and clapped to the puppet show...


...then went for a walk and tickled the flowers...


...and then chased some bubbles.


They had way more fun afterward playing with their friends though.


It didn't take my kids long to find the hot spot with the food. Even though we just finished our picnic lunch, they still acted half starved.


Reed eventually ended up in the wagon AND had the food.

Preschool Graduation

I never thought the time would go this fast but Millie graduated from Preschool tonight. Preschool! Of course, being the crazy photo nut that I am, we got there about an hour before it started so that I could be first through the doors and get a front row seat. Rick's brother Brian could not have picked a better day to visit us because he was able to stay with Reed and Millie and let them run around while I held tight to my coveted first in line position.

Reed and Millie were doing some goofing around while we waited for the church to be opened.

Doesn't she look cute?


A little singing...


A little praying...


She was the only one from her class 'graduating' so she was sitting there waiting on her 'diploma' all by herself. The rest of her class will be in preschool for another year but Millie will be the only one going on to kindergarten.


Getting her diploma from her teacher, Mrs. Ashley.


Little Miss Graduate. Mostly she was happy because we were getting ready to go eat pizza. And she was still super excited her Uncle Brian was there.


My munchkins. Reed was also ready to get some pizza, or Boah as he calls it.

Have I mentioned that Millie was bouncing off the walls excited that Brian was here to visit?


I even got to be in the picture. Thanks Brian!

Thunderstorms

'Tis the season for thunderstorms which, last year, sent Millie into fits of panic, tears and terror. Well, just as she has gotten over her fear of bugs this year, she also got over her fear of thunderstorms. Thank goodness because Reed watches her like a hawk and if he thinks she is scared, then he gets scared. Same thing happened with dogs but they have both pretty much gotten over that and all is good. Thanks Nicole and your gentle giants for your help!

So now when it thunders, Reed looks at Millie to see what his reaction should be, if she is cool with it, he looks at me and says in the cutest little voice..."Thunder. Reed. Brave." When he says "Thunder" he has a worried/scared look on his face. The "Reed" has a proud look and "Brave" has a very serious scrunchy face.

Call Mammy If I Fall Off The Ladder

Rick was gone all day Saturday for a 12 hour mountain bike race...which he spent half of the time at the hospital with a team mate...so we were on our own all day. We usually spend most of our time outside unless it is raining or Reed is napping so we were outside...again. I was trying to think of something new for them to do (so I didn't have to get up, I was in the middle of a really good book) and I remembered the roller coaster. Bummer, it's up in the loft in the workshop. So I asked Millie, do you think I can get it? She wasn't sure but she really wanted it down so she cheered me on, told me I could do it (even though I was not as strong as Daddy) but be careful because you might fall. I took my cell phone out of my pocket just in case and gave it to Millie. I told her to call Mammy if I fell off the ladder and I got really hurt. She was up for the task!


Well, I got it down with no major incidents and the kiddos loved it. It only took Reed a few rounds and then Millie didn't have to help him get on it. They zoomed down that thing for several hours until lunch time.

After lunch and Reed's nap, we headed out back on the deck for some water table time. They both have a great time at the water table my sister got them last year for their birthday (Thanks Laura!). I think part of the fun for Millie is picking which bathing suit she is going to wear. She has about 7 of them and for some reason, the past week or so she has gotten all into princesses. Go figure? She still only knows one of them, The Little Mermaid, but she told me she wanted to have a princess party this year for her birthday. I am sure this will change by tomorrow and we will be back to Iron Man. You just never know with her. I have decided that maybe she needs a little princess education (me too for that matter) before she goes to kindergarten. Most boys probably know more about the Disney princesses than she does. I don't want her to feel left out if for some reason she decided to play princesses at school with a few girls but doesn't understand that Spider Man and Iron Man don't really fit in.


Totally off track here...so anyway...she has been picking out the bathing suits that have princess on them before we play in the water table. They took a little break from the water table to go for a little drive. Millie was in it first (it is just a one seater) but Reed found room for his chubby butt to get in too. Millie was a good sport about it and let him ride around with her.

The Sandlot

My mom bought Millie the movie The Sandlot a few weeks ago when she was visiting. We saw it at a used video store for $1 and I could not pass it up. She loves the movie and so does Reed. Reed will never just sit and watch TV or movies, not that we have them on much, but he has never been interested. Well, he sits and watches this movie and talks the ENTIRE time. No joke. He has to tell me EVERYTHING that is going on. It goes something like this...

Ball
Bat
Baseball
Dog
Nice
Fast
Bambino
Shoes
Baseball
Haha
Oh Big Wolf
Dog
Eat
Nice
Baseball
Ohhh!
Hat
Big Dog
Run
Oh No!
Ball
The Beast
Nice
Bambino
Baseball Bat

It is pretty cute

I Can Cook!

If you have never heard of Homemade Gourmet, it is a direct sales company that sells pantry staple food seasonings. I am sure it could be described better but that is how I see it. You buy from them a package of dry seasoning mix, and then you just add the meat, dairy or veggies that it needs to finish. They have lots of yummy desserts, side dishes, drinks (yes big kid drinks too...) breads and of course, entrees. I just completed one of their "4 Meals in 4 Minutes" packages and it was super easy! If you know me at all, you know I am far from a kitchen diva. I don't like to cook or clean. I really don't know why Rick keeps me around. I do cut the grass so I am not totally worthless. Anyway, the 4 meals in 4 minutes claims you can put together 4 meals in 4 minutes. So, I gave it a try...

Here are my ingredients. Nothing fancy, I didn't have to buy much at all. The 4 containers in the middle are the seasonings I bought from Homemade Gourmet.


For the record, note the time.



Here is the finished product. I decided to make them all chicken because that is the only meat Millie likes but I could have used the same menu and used steaks or pork chops. There are 3 pounds of chicken in each bag AND they are ready to put in the freezer!


Note the finish time. And I had already cleaned up and the kitchen was neat.



So, it took a little longer than 4 minutes BUT each of those will feed us for 2 meals so really, I made 8 meals in 16 minutes. You really can not beat that. The other great thing was I only dirtied 4 dishes, that is all. 1 knife for opening the chicken, 1 spoon rest, a measuring cup for the chicken broth and a spoon to get the cream of chicken soup out of the can. To finish cooking these meals, you can either grill the meat, bake it in the oven or plop it in the slow cooker.

If you are interested in trying any of this out, just let me know. I will be hosting a party at the end of the month or first of next month and you can order all you want.