Noah's 1st Day of Pre-School

Noah started Preschool on Monday! It was kind of a whirl-wind getting him ready! Ben and I got back from Seattle (we were at my brother, Curt's wedding...blogging that will come soon!!) on Sunday night at about 7:30 and then we had to go and pick up the boys (they stayed with Ben's brothers) and by the time we got home and put the boys to bed it was about 10:30 pm. I had to get Noah all ready for school and there by 9am the next morning. (All you mother's out there know how stressful it can be to get kids all ready for school!) We did it and he was all ready. Doesn't he look handsome in his little outfit? He looks so grown up! I can't believe my baby is 3!
I love this picture of him with his crooked little grin. His teacher said he did great for his first day. When I went to pick him up he was the only little kid asleep still. He was out like a log. Not too surprised considering he got to bed so late! His little folder has a paper that says what he did that day and what he needs to work on...his teacher says he needs to work on "listening...he talks way too much when the teacher is talking". So I guess we have to have a little talk about that!

Caden's Last T-ball Game

T-ball season is over (well, it ended like 2 weeks ago, just a bit behind on the blogging thing)...thank goodness! It was way too hot! It was always around 105 degrees! Plus some of the games started at 8:15 pm. A little late for us since they go to bed at 7pm! But...it was so fun to see him play! For the last game Caden got to be pitcher! He was so excited! He did a great job...he got all the balls and knew to throw the ball to first base. Way to go Caden!
Here he is day dreaming. In a picture I didn't post he was picking his nose. I guess he got a little bored when he didn't get the ball:-)
It's too bad that on the second to last game I finally figured out what to do with Noah during the games instead of chasing him everywhere. If I sat on the top of the bleachers, I can see him the whole time and I can watch the game and let him do his thing. Here he is climbing the bleachers and being silly.
After the game the team went to CiCi's for some pizza and the boys got their TROPHY's! I think he was playing just for the trophy. He was a little too excited!
Noah was happy as well...

Fun in the Sun!

On Monday we went to Lewisville to have some fun with Alma and Hannah. We went to this cute little waterpark that is over there. The kids had a blast and Noah actually went in and played, he put his face in the water and did all these "tricks". I'm very proud of him, (this is a big deal because this whole summer he just walks around the pool or will just sit and put is legs in, which is wierd because he is our little daredevel). Caden has been swimming like a little fish all summer, without floaties. He loves being in the water! Above is a picture of Caden, Hannah and all sorts of other friends that Alma knows. Caden keeps talking about his new friend...the girl in the yellow swim suit.
ONE, TWO, THREE, JUMP!!!
Caden swimming around.
Noah and Caden playing on the water park (I don't know what to call it...it's like a park in the water).
Hannah and Caden...had a blast! Thanks again for the fun time!

Breaking Dawn Party!

On Friday night, my friend Sharla, my cousin Jennie and I went to Barnes and Noble for the Breaking Dawn Prom (I know...the Prom? As my friend Sharla said..."That was so 3 books ago".) It would have made sense to have the theme be a bridal shower or something, but whatever. Anyway...we went, we had our picture taken, we made these lovely picture frames and then we got a corsage with a black rose, and we made "Bella Bracelets". Great fun. Especially when we were the only adults there....mostly kids around the ages of 12-16. Boy did we feel pretty cool, let me tell you! Oh well! We got there pretty early because we were told that if we didn't get a bracelet, we wouldn't get a book! So we got there around 9pm, and there were PLENTY of bracelets...so we went to Red Robyn to stuff our face with appetizers and desserts. That was the best part. I wonder what our boy waiter thought of us with our cool corsage's? Now, this picture is pretty special. It only took about 10 times to get it. Sharla had a hard time keeping her eyes open (not sure if it was because it was WAY past her bedtime??) and I couldn't seem to get us all centered. So, here we are.
Jennie didn't want a prom picture (I can't imagine why not??? There were only a million teeny boppers around looking at us funny...), so we settled for this...

Sharla and I at 1:30 am getting our book...Yeah! Let the reading BEGIN!!!
I finished the book last night, pretty good...I feel indifferent towards it. Not my favorite out of the series. Can't say that I would let my daughter read this one in particular (not that I have one, but if I did...I would wait till she was maybe 18 to read it). So, still worth the read because I read the others and HAD to find out how the saga ends! What did you think of the book??

Kids Say the Darndest Things

I guess Noah has decided that since he is now 3, he can say whatever he wants...well, for journalings sake and to prove that when he is a teenager, I have every right to embarrass him as much as I want or feel the need to. He has put me in some bright red-in-the-face moments this week:

On Wednesday we went to Chick-fil-a with my cousin, Jennie and her two boys. After we ate they of course played in the play area. Well, Noah is at the top holding his bum, walking around like a chicken yelling, "Mom! My poop's coming out!!". Yeah, not at all embarassing when there are other people in the room!

On Thursday:
We were at Kohl's checking out (imagine several boys around the ages of 10, 15, 18, 21 and some dads) and for some reason Noah yells out "OH! my Nuts!" They all just looked back and see this little 3 year old yelling this out and they all could not stop laughing. I had to explain that I don't think he meant it like that....I have no idea what he was trying to say. I just couldn't wait to get out of there!

This is a Caden one...I just think this is kinda cute:
On Tuesday we were getting some last minute things to finish our backyard landscaping and on our way to Home Depot
Caden says, "Mom, my brain talks to me all the time."
Mom: "Really? What does your brain tell you?"
Caden: "Oh, it tells me things like, that's my school that I'm going to or Oh, there's Home Depot!"
Mom: "Well...your brain will do that alot to you, my brain does the same thing."
It just made me laugh! How does he know his brain is talking to him? How do you explain that those are thoughts? He is so aware of things and catches on so quick!

Happy 3rd Birthday Noah!!

My baby is 3 years old! How did that happen? How did it happen so FAST! He already seems like a little man. It seems like yesterday that I was in the hospital! Time flies by WAY to fast when you have kids!! So his birthday was on Tuesday, July 29. He wanted a Backyardigans Party sooo bad. Everyday for several months he kept asking me about his party. So we threw one together and he got to invite 3 of his friends and then some family (my cousin Jennie was in town because she is MOVING here!!! Yeah!!). So here are the highlights of the party:The cake. Oh this cake took me ALL day to make. But I must say that I am rather pleased with the outcome. He got to pick out how he wanted his cake (he had 3 choices) and this is the one he chose. He kept bringing me the cake pan everyday until it was time. He was so excited. (I love that he gets so excited about these things!)
Noah blowing out his candles.
He didn't want his Pablo cake...he opted for the pink cupcake.
We had a little bounce house in the backyard for the kids to bounce on (we borowed it from a friend). This is the greatest bounce house. I think we are going to have to get us one.
Noah pinning the bowtie on Pablo.

Noah bouncing on the bounce house.

Pinata time! Everyone picked a string and pulled...it didn't break. Oh well!
Ben finally pried it open and all the candy came pouring out. I love that all the kids are on the grass getting it and Aliza has her bag open and letting the candy fall in her bag. Smart girl!

I think Caden was confused on whose party it really was. He was mad when we didn't do the game he wanted, he opened all of Noah's presants, he opened all the toysa up and played with them...like this fireman costume. He could not wait to give it to Noah so he could wear it. Funny kid!

Rainbow Cookie Pops

These were so fun to make! The boys loved being able to roll the dough into circles and then into snakes. It almost seems like it is play dough. It is a great little summer activity. These look really cute if you put a cookie cover over it and tie the end with a bow. The recipe came from mysisterscucina.blogspot.com. You need to check out their blog, great recipes.

Rainbow Cookie Pops

3/4 c. butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese
1 c. white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
assorted colors of food coloring
24 lollipop sticks

In a bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms. Divide dough into fourths. Tint each with a different food color. (This takes some time and fore-arm muscles, so get ready! The more the food coloring, the more vibrant the color.) Wrap each color in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls and for each cookie place one of each color and form into a ball. (Make sure they are all sticking together well.) Shape the big ball into a 12 inch long roll (like a snake), starting at one end, coil roll to make a cookie. Place cookies 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Carefully insert lollipop sticks into bottoms of cookies.

Bake cookies for 8 minutes of until lightly browned. cool and store in an airtight container.

French Dip Sandwiches

I'm really not much of a cook. Not that I don't know how, I would just rather bake something. So, when I came across this recipe, and it was good, and the crock pot does all the work...I was in heaven! Since we only have a family of 4, this makes tons of meat...but let me tell you how good the leftovers are! (Now, just so you know I DO NOT eat second day meat...it tastes disgusting to me. That's how good this is.) So first day are the sandwiches, second day we used it for fajitas with all the fixings, third day we made some quesadillas. It all tasted great and I got 3 different meals out of it! I hope you will try it! (This recipe came from allrecipes.com).

French Dip Sandwiches

1 (4 lb.) boneless beef roast
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
3 whole black peppercorns
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
20 slices French bread (or hoagies)

Remove and discard all visible fat from the roast. Place trimmed roast in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, bouillon, bay leaf, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder. Pour mixture over roast, and add enough water to almost cover roast. Cover and cook on low heat for 10-12 hours, or until meat is very tender. Remove meat from broth, reserving broth. Shred meat with a fork, and distribute on bread for sandwiches (add a slice of Provolone cheese if you want). Used reserved broth for dipping.

Strawberry-Cream Angel Food Cake

I have had this recipe sitting a in pile for years! Glad I finally got to make it! It is from foodnetwork.com and is one of Emeril Lagasse's. Pretty good. I give it a ***1/2 rating. I would probably change the whipped cream on top. It wasn't as sweet as I would have liked. Also, you may want to double the whipped cream if you love the stuff, like myself! But still pretty good.

Strawberry-Cream Angel Food Cake

1 plain angel food cake, baked and cooled
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (12 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 c. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 c. sliced fresh strawberries
1 c. heavy cream
2 TBS powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Whole strawberries, stems removed, as garnish

Using a serrated cake or bread knife, carefully cut the top 1-inch from the cake. carefully remove and set aside. Using the tip of the knife, cut into the cake along the inner and outer edges, leaving a 1-inch border of cake intact. Using your fingers, carefully hollow out the cake between the two cuts, leaving an empty "tunnel". Tear the removed cake into bite-size pieces and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the condensed milk and beat until thoroughly combined. Stir in lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. almond extract. Gently fold in the cake pieces and strawberries. Spoon the mixture into the tunnel in the center of the hollowed out cake (see following picture), and cover with the reserved cake top. Cover cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve the cake, whip the cream until it begins to form peaks. Add the powered sugar and remaining 1/2 tsp. almond extract. Whip until the cream forms stiff peaks but is not dry. Frost the cake with the whipped cream and decorate with reserved whole strawberries. Refrigerate for up to one hour, or serve immediately.

Hope you enjoy!

More to Come!

I have had a few comments that I haven't posted anything in awhile...well there is a good reason. I was at YW girls camp from Wed morning until Saturday morning. (I had a great time and was so glad that I was able to go. We have some amazing girls in our ward. There were 20 girls that went. I think they all had some good experiences, which is always a plus!) I had to leave a few hours early so that I could get home and take Ben to the airport so he can go have a guys trip with my Dad and my two brothers: Eric and Curt. They all went to Palm Springs, California to go backpacking at the San Jacento Mountain. They are going to be roughing it and doing manly things (probably no showers, no shaving and other gross guy stuff. I can only imagine). I'm just glad he is having fun! The only bad part is he will be gone for a whole week! Ahhh!!!

So far the boys and I have just been playing catch up...doing laundry, putting away camping stuff (not a whole lot considering we were staying in double wides and had AC that was blasting at a wonderful 72 degrees, I was FREEZING!! But we do live in Texas and it was over 100 degrees. I can't complain too bad!) and cleaning the house. In the meantime Noah was up half the night throwing up and with a 103 degree temp. Poor guy. I hate it when he gets sick!

Now, we have been bored which means we have been baking lots. So, I have lots of fun treats to post for you all! Only problem??? Ben has my camera! So, I am going to wait and post the amazing treats and science projects until I get a picture! Just know that I will have stuff coming. In the mean time, I hope everyone has a wonderful week and don't give up on looking at my blog yet!

FHE Reunion

Back in the ole' Lewisville days, before we had children...we had an FHE group where every Monday night we would get together, have a lesson, play a game and of course have yummy treats. It was good times! Then the kids came along and we all know what happens after that! We all just did our own thing. But we still always saw each other. Then we moved to Fort Worth and we haven't been together since! Audrey and Jon were sweet enough to have everyone over for a little reunion. It was great seeing everyone again! Above are all our kiddos (Margaret, Noah, Steven, Hannah and Caden)
The gang: Ben, ME, Kelly and Alma, Jon and Audrey. Picture curtisey of Caden. Did he do good or what??
Hannah and Caden. Good buddies!

Let the Game Begin!!

Caden has started playing T-ball! This is his team, The Bats...It's quite fun watching a bunch of 5-6 year olds playing t-ball...the whole team runs after the same ball, they run in random places instead of 1st, 2nd, 3rd or Home, etc...they are doing much better though! It's kinda neat the way they play, the coach pitches 3 balls to them, if they hit it, great, if not then they bring out the T and they try hitting it from that. No one is ever out and you just run one base at a time.
Here is Caden hitting the ball. He was able to hit it from the Coach, way to go Caden!
Swing batter, batter SWING!

Peanut Butter Popcorn!

I have been in a Peanut Butter mood lately. For some reason I just can't get enough of it! Who can blame me though? Right? Anyway, my friend Gwen emailed me a recipe a long time ago for Peanut Butter Popcorn that she saw on target.com and just had to make it! Well, today my friend Sharla and I made (I later found out she thought that sounded so disgusting, glad to say I proved her wrong!!). This popcorn is very addicting! I made a few changes to the recipe, and it turned out delish! Hope you enjoy!

Peanut Butter Popcorn

2 (3.5 oz.) pkg. microwave popcorn, popped
1/2 c. margarine
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
20 large marshmallows

Pour popcorn into large bowl. In a saucepan, combine margarine, brown sugar, and marshmallows and cook until sugar is dissolved and marshmallows are melted. Stir in the peanut butter until well blended. Pour mixture over the popcorn, and stir quickly to coat the corn before it cools. (This mixture is very gooey, if you like that GREAT, if not I put mine on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven at 200 degrees for 10-20 minutes and stirring every 10 minutes.) After you can add Reeses Pieces, like I did, or peanuts, m&m's, drizzle with chocolate...the possibilities are endless! Hope you like it! At least it has given me a peanut butter fix...for now!