Fun in the Sun

We've been enjoying the great outdoors the last few days, and I've got the sunburn to prove it! You'd think that the boys would be worn out, but James stayed awake last night until 10! So let me show you some pictures of our antics over the last few days.

We've ridden our bikes, played with our lawn mowers, ridden on our jeep & 4-wheeler... we've run, played, and these two still have energy to spare! 

We've had several picnics: popcicles, lunch, hotdogs, and homemade pizza last night. They love eating at their little table outside.

Played with bubbles -- I found the coolest little squeeze bottles where the bubble wand pops up when the kids squeeze... they haven't quite gotten it down, but it's cute anyway.

We also took a trip to the zoo this weekend to feed the giraffes and see all the other animals that Tyler has constantly been talking about. He has such a sweet interest in all animals... if only he would be more gentle with the ones that we consider part of our family.

This picture cracks us up -- it's like James was showing the giraffe how to eat with his tongue. So cute! Love that funny little guy!

We cooled off for a bit while having a snack before heading off to ride the train. Too bad the giraffe feeding and train riding are on opposite sides of the zoo... 

After a morning at the zoo, we came home for naps -- then more play time outside. After having their pizza picnic -- it started raining. So what are two little boys to do when it starts raining? Run outside and get on their slide, of course. We wouldn't have ever let that happen, except it wasn't storming -- and they were about to come in and get a shower anyway... so we let them play in the rain for a couple of minutes for their very first time. They knew what rain was, but they'd never really experienced what it really means.

I'm sure there are lots more evenings & mornings that will be spent out in our yard this summer... Pin It Now!

Meal Plan Monday

I've been trying to get things more organized around our house lately - and take a different approach to how I do things. My main thought is that if I don't manage things -- it's not going to happen. Granted, life with two toddlers is out of control - if I don't have a plan for all things... they won't happen at all, right?

This is why I've started working on my own version of a household management notebook - I've started with the planner I wrote about in my previous post, and I'll be adding a few things to it to make it more my own.

I also found some great menu plans on some homeschooling websites -- they took all the guess work out of planning for the entire month! One of them does dinner only and the other does an entire day's worth of meals including snacks! I used them to plan our meals for this week, and I thought I'd share my plan with you.

Monday
Breakfast - Fruit & Cream Oatmeal and Toast
Lunch - PB & J, Chips and Fruit
Snack - Popcorn
Dinner - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Broccoli

Tuesday
Breakfast - Pancakes & Eggs
Lunch -Quesadilla and Fruit
Snack - Apples and Peanut Butter
Dinner - Baked Chicken Parmesan, Fettuccine Alfredo, and Salad

Wednesday
Breakfast - Yogurt, Fruit, and Granola Parfaits
Lunch - Chicken Nuggets, Corn, and Pasta
Snack - Grapes, Cheese, and Crackers
Dinner - Hot Dogs or Frito Pie

Thursday
Breakfast - Muffins and Fruit
Lunch - Turkey, Cheese, and Fruit
Snack - Frozen Gogurt & Pretzels
Dinner - Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole & Green Beans

Friday
Breakfast - Eggs, Toast, and Yogurt
Lunch - Peanut Butter, Honey & Banana Pinwheels and Chips
Snack - Cheese on Pretzel Sticks
Dinner - Homemade Calzones and Salad

Saturday
Breakfast - French Toast, Fruit, and Sausage
Lunch - Hot Dogs, Tater Tots, and Fruit
Snack - Frozen Gogurt & Pretzels
Dinner -  BBQ Chicken, Corn, and Pasta Salad

We will see how well we do with sticking to this plan, and I'll come up with a new one for next week -- I'll be shopping on Saturday next week because I'll need special provisions for Father's Day. I'll also be doing some "shop your pantry" meals as well - because I saw some things I need to use up in there when I was putting things away this morning.Pin It Now!

The Well Planned Day Planner

When we decided to homeschool the boys, I started looking for a planner that would accommodate the various things going on in our lives -- school, appointments, my Scentsy business, and home organization. I believe I've found just the planner for me - The Well Planned Day Planner.

I'm going to show you the various things I love about this planner, but want to let you know that I did not receive anything for free so these are my honest opinions. I personally love that it's spiral bound as well as hole punched because I'm thinking of taking mine apart and putting it in a binder. It runs from July through June of each year -- so the newest version just came out in print recently.

In addition to a great planner, this gem also has 12 articles written on all sorts of topics like: Letting Kids be Kids, Recovering from Homeschool Burnout, and 5 Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Homeschooling. They are short reads with great information.

I has a perpetual calendar that you can enter your important dates in as well as putting them in on the dates they fall in the year. Additionally, it has a budget worksheet and a household duty worksheet - so you can set up a cleaning schedule for yourself with weekly information as well as special projects for the month.

There are 4 pull out sheets where on one side it's a chore chart, and the reverse side is a mini school schedule for each child to know what subjects they need to work on each day. I plan on using these in the future and laminating them to put on our refrigerator.

There is a worksheet for the teacher to plan out your schedule  for the week - which I will use to not only plan out our school schedule, but throw in cleaning time, and business hours for my work as well.

There are 4 sections following that follow to track all the information for your child's personalized plan for school - you can track the materials to be used and costs, personal information for your child like their goals and additionally their weekly schedule. The teacher's schedule looks exactly like the student's -- so I'm only going to show you the version for the kids. I personally don't have 4 kids, but I love that they've set it up this way. I do hope to have another baby in the future -- and who knows what will happen from there so this planner can grow with our family over time.

There is a great year at a glance page where you can plan out your holidays and things that you'll want to plan for your school year. I plan to compare the school calendars locally as well as the calendars for our family so that we can make sure that things all match up as best we can for holidays and vacations. The other side of this layout is a sheet for you to write out your goals for the semester.

Of course there is a two page monthly layout, and if you look closely at the bottom of each date -- there is a plan for you to read the Bible as a family with chapters for each day's reading.

On the back of this layout there is a page for planning additional reading project lists, field trip plans, and monthly bills... with a second page with 6 shopping lists that you can pull out to use.

Your weekly schedule is set up with each day you can plan your class assignments (each subject has 4 lines -- one for each student) Then there are two sections for additional electives or daily appointments. I LOVE the check boxes that are built in for when an assignment or item is completed. The left side of the layout has Monday - Wednesday, and the right side has Thursday-Friday as well as some other great items. I love the open boxes for your weekend planning, the weekly priority boxes, and the menu planner.

As you move out of November, there is a great section of holiday organizers with a Christmas Card planning list, Activity planners, Gift giving lists with budget, shopping list broken down by store and list of items to get, online shopping planner with date ordered & received tracker, and a page for notes.

As you move out of December, there is a page to write out our semester accomplishments, and and attendance tracker for each student that you can use -- some states require proof of your homeschooling dates and things - I think this is a GREAT resource for keeping up with these items. On the back of each attendance record, there is a progress report form that you can track weekly grades and the semester grades for each subject as well.

At the very end of the of the planner there are 4 report cards on a nice card stock paper - they pull out and fold in half. They will be a neat keepsake to keep with your child's school records, and will be great to look back on when they get older. We of course won't be using them until we get to a level with tests in the curriculum, but I think they are great! When the report card is folded: there is a cover, then a side with grades and attendance, a side with literature completed and enrichment activities, and finally a page for comments.

(I can't get this picture oriented correctly for some reason)

My plan is to add a couple of other items in with this to complete my planner -- I will likely laminate a more detailed cleaning schedule to put inside the planner I can then use it as a wipe off schedule for the week -- and it can be moved around to mark the place for where we are currently... like a place holder for where we are in the year. The publishers also have a sneak peak of the inside of the planner you can check out here. Additionally, they have student planners and even have an online version that you can share between all of your electronic devices -- each family member can have a unique log-in for their family's information which could be convenient with older children.

I am so excited to get started planning out our year! Pin It Now!

Our First Kiwi Crate

Have you ever heard of Kiwi Crate? It's a box of themed projects that come to your door each month for kids ages 3-7... depending on the kids possibly a little younger or a little older too. You can get a box for each child, or they have a great add on option for siblings - which is what I chose to do. The sibling set sends you extra supplies and the things you need to make multiples of the projects.

* Includes all the materials and inspiration for 2-3 activities - art, science, games, imaginative play, and more.
* A new theme - like gardening, dinosaurs, space - every month.
* Different subscription options, but basic is $19.95 a month
* Sibling Add-On for $7.99 per additional child - they call this a fight free crate. HAHAHA!

A friend of mine on Facebook posted about it and I was able to get a discount on my first box, so I ordered. I couldn't be more thrilled with what we got, and I can't wait to get started on a project with the boys. We will likely start one next week once everyone is back to normal after Tyler's surgery.

I thought I'd take a minute to show you what we got in the mail... addressed to the boys of course!

The theme this month is feathered friends -- so we will be making bird costumes and nests with eggs... 

On the back of the cover for the box -- are some stickers - these go on a map that they sent along with the kit. As we get going with the projects, I'll show more about these items. 

This is the package with the map inside, and as you can see below -- they sent the boys a pair of scissors to use with their projects too. 

This brochure tells about what is is coming up for the summer... June is Nature Explorers, July is Wonders of Water, and August is Fun with Flight! Can't wait! 

This little card explains the project and tells what supplies from the box are needed - as below. 

All of the supplies are in the box under these brochures and things -- it looks like a blast, and I can't wait to get started. If I can keep my OCD at bay and let them make a mess, have fun, and maybe learn something! 

If you might be interested in getting your own box at $10 off for the first order... follow this link and sign up! You won't regret it, AND once you get started... you'll learn how you can save on future orders as well.Pin It Now!

A to Z about Me -- Take 2

I did this one other time in January of 2009 -- I just stumbled on it and thought it would be interesting to go through it again and see how it's changed in the last 4 years. So here we go:

A-
Available: no
Age: 34, about to be 35 <tear>
Annoyance(s): liars, cheaters
Animal: Missy (Boston Terrier), Allie (Cat)
Attitude: laid back and easy going - depending on who is involved -- can be demanding and stressed around my kids

B-
Beer: never touch the stuff
Birthday: May 16
Best feeling in world: Love
Best weather: mid 60's and sunny
Been in Love: I am
Been on stage: as little as possible, hate being the center of attention
Believe in God: Absolutely (have you read much here?)
Believe in Santa: Yes, I love the magic of Christmas - even more now through the eyes of my boys

C-
Candy (favorite): Depends on my mood -- love Peanut Butter Twix
Color: purple or aqua
Chocolate/Vanilla: typically Chocolate
Chinese/Mexican: depends on the day, I really like both
Cake or pie: both, depending on the flavor or pie topping - loathe meringue
Continent you want to to visit: Europe
Cheese: Yes, please - not a fan of swiss or blue cheese though

D-
Day or Night: mid-day (not into mornings or nights)
Dance in the rain: Sure
Dating: been there, done that...although meeting Mom friends is sort of like dating all over again
Dogs or Cats: both, I love animals in general (unless they are reptiles)

E-
Eyes: Blue
Everyone has: An opinion
Ever failed a class?: yes, mostly due to my own fault and lack of focus in my original college days

F-
Full name: Kimberly
First thoughts waking up: Is it the weekend?
Food favorite: depends on the nationality
Friendly: of course, but shy upon first meeting
Fan of: lots of things

G-
Greatest Fear: Snakes or Drowning
Goals: Be successful with Scentsy, Velata, and Grace Adele AND homeschool our boys AND move back to TX!
Gum: don't really chew it anymore
Get along with your parents: Most of the time
Good luck charm: No need - I pray when I need help
Guilty Pleasure: Watching Dance Moms on Lifetime

H-
Hair Color: Brown naturally, but most of the time it's red now
Height: 5’ 6"
Happy: Yes
Holiday: Christmas
How do you want to die: I don't think about it, when it's my time - God will determine how (hopefully painlessly?)

I-
Ice Cream: Cookies in Cream or Orange Sherbet
Instrument: I don't play one
Ice cubes or crushed: Cubes, Sonic ice is my favorite

J-
Jewelry: Wedding Ring and Watch
Job: So many answers - business owner, blog writer, homeschool teacher, mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend...
Journal-writing: Isn't that the point of a blog?

K-
Kids: James (3), Tyler (2)
Kickboxing or karate: Neither, tried Taebo in college and sprained some muscles :-)
Kooky: Wha?

L-
Longest Car Ride: College Station, TX to Naples, FL (I think) OR Cypress, TX to Williamsburg, VA
Love: Best feeling in the world
Letter: Love getting them!
Laughed so hard you cried: It happens, only wish it happened more

M-
Milk flavor: Flavor? Milk only has one flavor...
Movies: You've Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, American President, Hitch, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Remember the Titans, and many more...
Music: Old Country and Worship Music...
Motion sickness: Yes
McD’s or BK: McD's, don't go often

N-
Number of Siblings: 4: two older sisters for most of my life... then at 25, became the middle child with a younger brother & sister added to the mix
Number of Piercings: 1 in each ear
Number of Tattoos: None
Number: No clue

O-
One wish: To be rid of weight issues, health issues, and infertility issues... to be comfortable in my own skin
One regret: None, because everything I have done has led me to where I am today

P-
Perfect Pizza: Beef, Mushrooms and Cheese
Pepsi/Coke: Dr Pepper -- but if I only had those two choices, I'd rather have Coke
Parents still alive: Yes
Party-goer: Not really, unless it's a game-night

Q-
Quote: None come to mind right now
Question for God: Depends on the moment
Quickest at: Typically, nothing

R-
Reason to cry: Stress, Grief
Reality TV: Mostly things on the Food Network... but I do love Dance Moms and Double Divas on Lifetime
Radio Station: The Oldies Country Station
Roll your tongue in a circle: Yes

S-
Song: Depends on the moment
Shoe size: 10
Salad Dressing: Ginger Dressing from Benihana's, Ranch, or Italian
Sushi: Love the restaurants, but eat other items
Skipped school: In college
Smoked: Tried it, but didn't like it
Skinny dipped: No, mostly got thrown in the pool fully clothed as a teen --lovely friends
Sing well: No
Swear: More than I'd like to admit
Strawberries/Blueberries: Strawberries if they are fresh, but blueberries in baked goods

T-
Time for bed: around 11
TV Show: Grey's Anatomy, Monday Mornings, Dallas, Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, Franklin & Bash, Perception
Time right now: 10:41AM
Train or Ship: Train, I guess

U-
Unpredictable: No
Unique quality: I'm not sure - you'd have to ask my family and friends
Undergarments: Yes

V-
Vacation spot: The mountains
Victorian or Country: Country, Colonial really... aren't we talking architecture?
Valuables: Wedding Ring

W-
Weakness: Food
Which friend acts like you: No one acts exactly like me
Worst feeling: Guilt/Anger
Wanted to be a model: No, wanted to look like a model
Where do we go when we die: Heaven, or at least that's where I'm going
Worst Weather: Hot & Humid

X-
X-Rays: Probably have had too many
Xylophone: Only played with the kid version

Y-
Year: 2013
Yellow: What?
Yesterday: Sunday

Z-
Zoo animal: Giraffes -- check back tomorrow to see pictures from the boys feeding them at the zoo recently
Zebras-Black w/white or White w/black: Does it matter?

Let me know if you post this -- I'd love to read!!  Pin It Now!