Simply Irresistible

I don't like chocolate.

I know- that's kinda strange.

But there is a snack/treat I cannot resist. I try not to buy it often because I will eat the ENTIRE thing myself.

A homemade batch of "Trail Mix".

(Actually I just used one bag of cashews)

Cashews + a bag of yogurt covered raisins + a bag of dried fruit .

I know it's a healthy snack but talk about treat with a huge calorie punch. (especially when I eat it all myself.)

Don't they just look so happy mingling together?

I made the mix yesterday- because I wanted to clean and not get side tracked by hunger pangs.

We are on our cleaning spree.

Yesterday we did a complete detailing of the living room.

I did a deep cleaning of the downstairs bathroom.

And worked on laundry.

I rented the "Rug Doctor" and cleaned the carpet 3 x- this was as best as it would get.

(We rent from the University and while our carpet is pretty old- and blue doesn't hide stains well, sadly our unit has newer carpet than some townhouses in our complex- so we aren't on the list to get a new floor for a while.)

But it looks so much better- and feels so much better to walk on too.

Today- I'm cleaning the laundry/guest room. (It's a bedroom that I toss all our laundry clothes on.) Finishing our great-room. (The table and eating area needs some TLC.) The kids job is to wash all the screens and windows. And then the kids and I are off to Hawaiian Waters for an adventure before hockey practice.

Slow and steady wins the race - right? Also Deep cleaning our house slowly- helps us not get burned out. We've been able to maintain the toy room well... Bedrooms are slowly being reclaimed as the laundry is sorted. ( wearable items - and new rags) My deadline is Thursday... we have company coming.

My husband loves it when company comes. :0)

Okay- I'm off!

I can't get sidetracked by the computer today.

Laura

Fantasy Hockey & Family Favorites

It's that magical time of year- when my husbands family gather around the phone on "conference call" to connect family members from California- Utah - and Hawaii for the all important Fantasy Hockey Draft picks. To accommodate the time differences in three time zones it was early afternoon here in Hawaii, After dinner in California and early evening in Utah. It's a fun tradition that keeps cousins, Uncles and Grandparents connected. They "smack talk" each other all season long and it's fun. There is even a trophy that gets past on from year to year- to the winner. What I think is really funny is Grandma has her name on the trophy more times than anyone! ( I think it's funny- but it's not really funny- it's a serious competition and my husband is happiest when the trophy is at our house, proudly displayed on our entertainment center.)

Last night we had Sloppy Joes- a favorite in our house and super easy to make. We call them Sloppy Joes but it's really just browned hamburger meat slathered in BBQ sauce-served on Hamburger Buns with a slice of cheese. Nothing fancy.. but no one ever complains when it's Sloppy Joe night.

 

Laura

Family Home Evening

Today- just a quick idea for a Family Home Evening lesson- for little ones.

Last week Hatrick was in charge of our Family Home Evening lesson. I made a game "Love One Another" a year ago and it is still one of his favorite lessons to give.

I originally made this game to encourage my children to speak kindly and be nice to one another. As you can see- it's not fancy.

Basically- you start on any spot on the board. Everyone picks a starting point and take turns rolling the dice and moving that many spaces along the board.

If you land on a heart- you get to take a heart from the middle. If the space you land on has directions, you do what it says. (Things like "Give someone a hug", "Say something nice to someone", "Took turns with your scooter take a heart", "Shared your ice cream with a friend take a heart", etc..)

Keep rolling and moving around the board until all the hearts are gone. Under the hearts is a picture of Christ and it says, "Jesus says love everyone".

Normally we just use buttons as the game markers- Hatrick wanted to spruce them up. So we punched out images from some scrapbook pages and glued them onto buttons. I thought they turned out cute- and he felt like he contributed to "preparing the lesson".

It's a simple activity- but it generates good feelings as brothers compliment brothers and they all elect to hug me. :0) Often we have to play more than once. I have a couple sons that don't like it if Mom and Dad haven't had a chance to compliment them.

Just thought I would share. I know it can be challenging at times to come up with lessons weekly.

I added another craft to the Christmas file... I'm just going to sneak them in... here and there... so keep your eye on the file "Handmade Christmas Projects". I am loving- surfing the web and trying to find cute projects.

I know it's only October. But it's never too early... right?

Slightly Congested

Okay- not really. I just couldn't believe how gross a simple fruit roll up can look when innocently placed under ones nose. What a goof-ball. I love it when my kids are happy- and silly- and creative- and laughing.

We have Fall break right now and they are not diggin my plan to "clean our house from top-to-bottom". One good thing is- some of the neighbor families are doing the same thing.. so their friends have to clean too in the morning. Yesterday we did the play room- cleaned out the closets and toys. It turns out cleaning out the costume box isn't so bad.

Monday we'll start seriously working & cleaning... seriously.

Laura

Popsicle collection

Every time I go to our doctor to get something extracted from one of my boys- they tape it on a Popsicle stick. The nurse at the health center is a really sweet grandma type.. and she always makes a comment about putting it in a baby book.

The first time, I thought, yeah that would be funny. But it is just getting embarrassing now.

Last month- it was BB's and plastic beads out of Heaths ears and nose.

Today- they pulled this out of Hunter's arm!

 

Hunter, about a month ago, he went scampering off with his friends to a place we call Scrambling Hills. It's a big dirt mountain they like to climb up and slide down. He came home covered in dirt. He did show me a scrape he had gotten on the adventure- but it just looked like a minor flesh wound. He took a shower, we cleaned it up and put a band aid on it.

This picture is from a different adventure- but this is what I mean, "Head to toe dirty" Of all my children he's most like Pigpen in the Charlie Brown Cartoon.

Then about two weeks ago it started oozing puss and little flakes of wood. He told my husband and I the sad tale of sliding down the hill and getting a stick stuck in his arm. But not to worry - he pulled it out.

I took him to the doctor- they squeezed out a good size sliver- and we thought we were done with it.

A week later- it started oozing puss again. We take him back to the doctor. They cut his arm open and scrape out a bunch of "tissue" his body had formed in defense against the foreign object (it looked like tapioca to me) and he even got stitches! (Our first son to get stitches! )

We got the stitches removed and it looked like it was completely healed. We thought, "Well at least that is over..." NO- this week it is open AGAIN!

(stitches picture)

Today I took him in and they pulled out this huge piece of wood. The human body is amazing. That stick was stuck way up in his arm and it has just been working it's way out.

I cannot believe Hunter was so brave. Brave to pull a stick out of his own arm. He didn't even tell the parent who was with him at Scrambling Hills- she didn't even know he had gotten hurt that day. Then brave to have to go to the doctor twice to get shots, stitches, etc.. just a huge ordeal. (No stitches today- the doctor wants it to heal naturally in case there is more in there.. he left it open so anything else can work it's way out too.)

Crazy! Boys are so tough! I would have been hysterical about just having a stick in my arm!

Hunters birthday was last month. I didn't post about it- but here is my post dedicated to my son who is such a sweet- gentle spirit. Fun loving and a goof-ball at times.

For his birthday we rented out the game room on campus. He wanted to invite his entire class from school.

He's challenging his dad in some guitar-hero.

 

Here he's so handsome!

Back from a Scout Day Camp

Love this boy!

Forts

Hello! It's October that means new picks for book clubs on http://www.bookclub4boys.com/!

Okay- there's my plug for that!

I know in some parts of the country people are enjoying the changing of the seasons. Growing up in Maryland I enjoyed the beautiful Fall trees in all their splendor. There are many perks to living on a tropical island. I wont even try to feel sorry for myself- but besides family I really miss that the most- I love the crisp air in Autumn, I love the colors, I love the smells, I love wearing jeans and sweaters. Mostly I loved walking/running the trails that were near my house.

FORTS. That use to be a favorite past time of my boys when the weather was changing. When bad weather would hit the kids would take out blankets, sheets, couch cushions, tables, nothing was off limits- and build a fort.

A favorite game of preschoolers is to set up a fort and then play "Three Little Pigs" I'm the big bad wolf and threaten to blow their house down. They squeal & race out of the fort- run around a bit while I pretended to try and catch them... then run back into the fort for me to knock again.

There are a few perks to having boys. One is - things don't have to be cute. They like things regardless...and actually when I try to make things cute, it kinda ruins it for them. I "mom-afide" something that was cool.. but I tinkered with it too much and now it's no fun.

I found this fort/playhouse on a blog named: Nothing Fancy . I beg to disagree. This is the cutest- fanciest little fort/playhouse I've seen. I love it! I think if you have a girl- you should seriously consider making this for a birthday party/present or Christmas present. What little girl wouldn't LOVE to play inside this darling little house? Jamie uses a card table for the structure and sheets etc.. for the house. Wouldn't that make an adorable birthday party activity. (Not making the house- but playing in it.) You could have a little t-party/birthday party with finger foods, etc..And how wonderful that it's not some HUGE plastic contraption you have to store somewhere when not in use? LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

He's OFF!

Heath is in heaven.

We borrowed our little neighbors bike. Did you know not all toddler bikes are equal? Some tike bikes are break less! At first I thought that sounded really strange/dangerous. What kind of person would place their precious tike on a bike without breaks?

We were outside socializing with the other 2 year olds and Heath was able to try both. My son started on the break bike and was so frustrated and crying within the first minute. He kept stopping himself inadvertently.

Then he threw a tantrum. ( I know- hard to believe- sweet Heath!) And stomped over to his friends break less bike and took off around the parking lot. And surprisingly- they don't seem to need breaks. They manage to coast to stops or bump into curbs to stop. I was soooooo glad we tried the two out before we bought a bike for Heath! Knowing me- I would have bought the wrong one.