MckLinky Blog Hop

This week's MckLinky Blog Hop is favorite photo of kids. I have so many but this is a recent one that just strikes me.

PLEASE PRAY

I know most of you who read my blog also read The Riggs Family blog and My Charming Kids blog but I wanted to be sure everyone was praying.
http://www.riggsfamilyblog.com/ Please pray for Abby. Things are serious right now.

http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ Please pray for Stellan. He's in extremely critical condition right now.

Got my hair cut......

I decided that my hair was looking WAY TOO SHAGGY!! I know it's summer and I was really only pulling it back or up into a pony tail but school is starting again soon and I wanted it to look nice. When it's longer, styling it takes FOREVER because it's so thick and wavy. This style is much easier to achieve!

Proof that I can have fun.....

or at least let my kids have fun!
I'm not one for outside. Well, I like a nice breeze and warm air and sitting on the deck to read. I don't like sweat or bugs or heat. Hence, I don't love going outside with the kids. BUT, they LOVE IT!!! So, yesterday, I was cleaning drawers in the kitchen and bedroom all day so I let them open the windows to get that outside feel and pull all the couch cushions off (8 of them) and build/climb with them.
Today, since I know I'll be at an all day meeting tomorrow and it isn't terribly hot out, I let them go out. Since we still have to nap/rest, I steered them onto the deck and away from the sand table! We started with bubble snake blowers. Fun stuff!
See it here
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=12210
Then, since Taylor was having fun "washing" with the bubble snakes, I let them "wash" the play house and water table and slide and glass door with shaving cream.
Then I let them draw on the glass door with dry erase markers.

Finally I let them just play in their water table (and make a ramp with the slide for their cars).

Favorite Recipe/Food MckLinky Blog Hop

Okay, I'm not much for recipes. I like to see new ones and try ones that sound good but I don't have tons of favorites.
One I've used a couple times lately is a Buffalo Chicken Dip. It's yummy.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buffalo-Chicken-Dip/Detail.aspx

I see all sorts of recipes all the time that look good but I'm not much for trying new things, I sort of stick with things that work. I'd like to cook more but I don't like the mess, the clean up, the buying of all the ingredients, plus my husband likes such simple stuff that it's not much fun making new stuff.

So, instead of going all recipe crazy, I'm going to post some pics of my favorite foods.
I love chicken fajitas (love the flavor of the peppers and onions but don't like to eat them). Lots of cheese and sour cream on soft tortillas with beans and rice. Yum!



Love pizza!! Pretty much just cheese but I can eat pepperoni too. I like most all kinds of pizza and one of my favorites (if it's not piping hot) is to eat it cold the next day. YUM!! I do like lots of other foods but these two stick out as faves. I love:

*bread and cheese

*pastas

*fresh veggies (corn, peas, green beans, zucchini, etc) in the summer

*pastries

*chicken and noodles and mashed potatoes

*I LOVE LOVE LOVE ham gravy on white bread

*bread pudding

* apple, peach, cherry pies....my mom's butterscotch pie....my sister-in-law's blueberry pie

* oh, there are so many more but I'll stop now.....gee, any wonder why I look the way I do??? :)

Random Stuff

Grady pooped on the potty today! Not that I have any thoughts of this being the beginning of potty training (I don't think we'll even think about it until next summer--2 1/2--) but I was proud of him!

Taylor has gotten up to pee the past two nights. This isn't unusual but she has peed and then WALKED BACK TO HER ROOM BY HERSELF WITHOUT ME CARRYING HER!! This IS a BIG DEAL!!! She comes in, tells me she's going to pee, wipes herself, and then walks back to bed!!! Yay! True, she's still waking me, but at least she's just going back to bed and not making me carry her/walk her back!

Taylor's 4 year old fits/attitude are about to drive me insane. How can she be so sweet/thoughtful/kind/smart and then turn into a screaming/crying/arm flailing mess in the next second??

My family is coming to the zoo today. The zoo is about 20 minutes from me. I'm not sad to be missing the zoo but I'm sad that my family can't come over and see the kids and me for a while. They have 2 hour drive and work this evening so I understand, but it still makes me sad that they'll be here and I won't get to see them.

I've got the windows open and it feels awesome! The kids and I will probably not make it outside for a while, maybe not until after naptime. Everything is wet from rain/dew. I so wish we had a fence to keep them in. I could do the work I need to do and let them out to play. As it is, I have to keep an eagle eye on Grady because he bolts!

Speaking of work, I am planning on cleaning/organizing the drawers in the kitchen and my bedroom. Should be loads of fun! :) Better get to it!

So many emotions

Frustration: As Grady cried out through the night for no apparent reason. I got little sleep. Ryan got little sleep (and he had to be at work early for the big back to school sale!)

Pride/Love/Happiness: As Taylor and Grady played dinosaurs together in her room. They are getting closer and closer to being able to just play together. They were so stinkin' sweet to listen to and watch.

Fear/Sadness/Anxiety/Excitement: As the kids and I walked by Back to School stuff at Target and I realized (not for the first time, but it hit me harder this time) that next year at this time it will be ME buying school supplies (and not for my classroom!) for my daughter who will be heading to Kindergarten. It's just not possible.

Sadness/Despair/Anxiety: As I realize that I have less than a month before I have to be back to full time work. I love my summers with my kids but they go so stinkin' fast!! But, as I'm home and growing more and more impatient most days, I realize that me being a SAHM isn't the best option (and not just because we'd lose our house!) I LOVE my kids but I don't think I'm made to be home with them 100% of the time! I guess I've got the best of both worlds as a teacher.

Excitement: As Ryan's big Back to School sale started today I wished to be there. I always want to be there to see/feel the excitement of the teachers as they get ready to head back to school. He called a while ago and said that customers were lined up already waiting to get in!! Amazing! Hope sales are good sweetie!

Contentment: As I sit here with the windows open and feel the cool breeze (it's only going to be like 70 degrees today IN JULY!! We're usually in the 90s with 100s from the humidity) Ryan hates the windows to be opened but I just couldn't pass it up. Taylor just told me, "I love to feel the breeze!" Awwww.

Relief: As I think about how sick Grady was and how very healthy he's been this year it makes me sigh with relief. We will start his Flovent back up on Aug. 1 for the duration of the Fall and Winter and probably Spring but we'll stop his Zyrtec in the Winter.

Anticipation: As I think of the meetings/outings/appointments/projects/etc. coming up I feel a flutter of anxiety and anticipation.

Nervousness/Pride: As I think of how proud I am of a project that should be great for our school and it will help countless others in the process. I'm nervous, hoping it all goes well.

Nervous/Apprehensive: As I think about the fact that I'm getting a student teacher this year. I had one in 2004 and it was HORRIBLE so I'm concerned about this one already! :)

Sadness: As I think of a girl who lost her husband recently in a car accident. He left his wife and two boys who are the same ages as my two children.

Wow, how's that for emotions that run all over the place?