Fabulous Fourth!

We had a wonderful 4th of July!

Mike's boss invited us over for a barbeque at his house, and we had a GREAT time. The kids played on the slip-in-slide, which Adam loved. He would slide down, run to me and say, "Mom, we have GOT to get us a backyard so we can have one of these" and do it again. Over and over. Too cute. We played ping-pong, darts, and basketball and ate a yummy dinner.

I was in charge of dessert.

Firecracker Cupcakes with Pop-Rock Sprinkles and Mike's Favorite Cookies

After dinner, while it was getting dark, the kids had fun with sparklers.

And when it was dark the men boys had fun with the real fireworks. :)

It was a wonderful day. I'm so thankful to live in this country, and for all of those who have fought for and continue to fight for our freedoms.

Happy 4th everyone!

Behind My Kitchen Cupboard

About two months ago, I told Mike that plastic freaked me out and that I wanted to switch all of our plastic cups to glass.

And even though I seriously doubted that he was listening to me as I ranted about the ill-effects of phthalates, dioxins, and BPA on one's health (because, really, not an exciting thing to listen to), I remembered who I was talking to and quickly added, "I really want them to be brand-new. And match-y. So, I'm just going to save up for them."

Because I know where he works.

(Not that there's anything wrong with buying used glassware, people).

A month ago he proudly came home with brand-new cups me.

They are made of glass.

They are brand-new.

And they do match one another.

But, they are not what I had in mind.

Apparently Kenya's Cakes of the Stars went out of business recently, and donated all of their new merchandise (shirts, mugs, etc.) to D.I.

Lucky me.

On a bright note, all 38 only cost $3.

And I definitely won't mind when one breaks.

And they are the perfect size for brownies or cake in a mug.*

Unfortunately, they are also super ugly, and I have to explain to all our visitors why we are advertising Kenya's failed business venture.


It's made for a good laugh, anyways. :)

*Mix up your favorite brownie/cake mix or from-scratch recipe. Pour into greased microwave-safe mugs until 1/2 filled and place on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave 1 minute for gooey, 2 minutes for done. Serve warm with spoons. Refrigerate any leftover batter.

Best Hot Fudge Sauce. Ever.

I first made this recipe in January for our Enrichment Ice Cream Social. It was a hit. It's seriously rich and seriously good. I thought it would be fun to share it before the 4th of July... it would be great on homemade ice cream. Actually, it would taste pretty good on just about anything.

Larene's Hot Fudge Sauce
(recipe from According to Kelly)

3 sticks of butter
1 large can of carnation evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
12-14 tablespoons of cocoa
2 lb. bag of powder sugar

Directions:

Combine butter, milk & vanilla in a saucepan and cook on medium heat until butter is melted. Add cocoa and sugar. Mix. Once it is mixed well, pour it into a blender to mix out all the chunks. (You may need to do this in two batches... be careful because the mixture will be warm and you want to allow for it expanding in the blender because of the heat).

Keep warm in a small crockpot (this works best for me) or re-heat on the stove.

Be prepared for everyone to love you. A lot.

Swim Lessons

Adam has been BEGGING to take swim lessons since last summer. All year long, he has asked if he could this summer. I looked around and signed him up at our community center and he took lessons these past two weeks. Adam did SO great! I was a little worried about him, because even though he LOVES the water and loves swimming, he tends to get really nervous and panics when his feet can't touch the ground.

However, he was like a little fish! He had a great instructor and had no problem listening to her and trusting her. He learned how to float on front/back, turn over, retrieve objects underwater, do the survival stroke, swim underwater, and the crawl.

Last Friday was his last day. After taking their test, they got to play on the slides and have fun. He had a blast! And he passed Level I Swim. Yay, Adam!

Grace did not do as well during swim lessons. Even though I was SO happy about Adam having so much fun, I dreaded going everyday and fighting her. She didn't understand why Adam could swim and she couldn't. So, our days at the pool involved:

- Grace stripping down to her underwear and running for the water the second I looked away to watch Adam

- Grace screaming, "I 5! I go to swim. Now!" Over and over.

- Grace stomping on ants and laughing as they died.

- Grace getting upset and throwing her book/toys in the water.

- Going on lots of walks around the pool.

Adam really wants to take Level II swim, but I don't know if I can handle Grace. There aren't any classes for her at the same time, and I feel bad that she has to sit in the hot sun, watching Adam have fun in the water. Frustrating.

Even though Grace didn't fare as well, I'm glad that we did it for Adam. Mike took him swimming on Saturday and he is so much more confident... he only screamed, "I'm drowning! Save me! I can't breathe!" twice this time! :) Normally he screams this whenever the water goes above his head or his feet leave the ground at all.

We're so proud of him!

Our Second Week of Summer Vacation

Maybe this should be titled, "Lazy Summer Blogging."

It is what it is.

Our happenings during the second week:

- A Visit from the R* Family

- Bowling with the R* Family

- Swimming Lessons

- Hair in the Eyes. All of the Time.

- Exchanging One of Mike's (Many) Ugly Ties for a Dozen Free Krispy Kremes



- Tending our (Dying) Garden

- 2 Playdates with Friends

- Finishing the Easter (now Birthday) Dress with a Borrowed Machine from a Friend

Next Week: Grace gaining weight so that she fits into her birthday dress before she turns 5.

Our First Week of Summer Vacation

It included:

- Celebrating National Donut Day


- Playing at Our Favorite Store


- Puppet Show at the Library


- Learning Time


- A New Summer Read-Aloud Book for the Kids + Me


- Picnic Dinner at the Park... with $5 Little Caesar's Pizza


- Lots of Outside Play (with no temps above 85 degrees!)

I think I could get used to this.

Adam's 6th Birthday

Adam turned 6 a week ago... crazy!

I do have excuses for not blogging about it, but I won't elaborate. Because, seriously, who wants to read about those?

Adam wanted a Star Wars-themed birthday (his current obsession), so we did our best to make it happen. Mike had to work in the afternoon/night, so we had a short celebration in the morning: cake for breakfast, presents (lightsabers, action figures, Star Wars Legos, books, movies, and money), some lightsaber fighting, and Lego Star Wars ships assembling.

This cake is supposed to depict a battle scene in lava. As I have still not seen the movies, my Star Wars knowledge was based on my limited video gaming of Lego Star Wars. So. This is supposed to be (what I thought was) a battle between Anakin Skywalker and Darth Maul, the latter represented by the white/blue character. Adam LOVED his cake. And then he kindly told me that this scene does not actually exist.

Whatever. Bite me Star Wars fans. I tried.

After we dropped Mike at work, we went out for lunch. Adam really has been wanting to go to McDonald's playplace for a long time. I don't like fast food playplaces. I find them repulsive, as they are crawling with germs and the food is way over-priced. But for his birthday we went.

They had a great time.


I, however, was reminded why we never eat out. Especially if I'm going-it sans Mike: 2 spilled drinks, 3 spilled ketchups, and a dumped out fries.

The cleaning crew was happy to see us go.

After McDonald's we went shopping so that Adam could spend the birthday money he received. He now has 5 lightsabers, and is happy that should another little person join our family, he/she will be well-prepared Star Wars-wise.

I fear for the next baby.


We had a wonderful day celebrating his life and all of the happiness he has brought to our family! Adam is so smart and funny. He is a wonderful friend and an excellent brother. He has such a strong testimony and is an incredibly example to us. We love him so much and we are so happy that we've got to spend the last 6 years with him. Happy Birthday, Adders!

No More Classes, No More Books...

He's all done! Adam's last day of school was today. They had a really fun day, and his teacher gave them the sweetest present: a nice certificate for passing, a folder filled with all of the worksheets she had saved all year, and a CD of his classes' kindergarten songs!

Every afternoon when they got to school, they had "circle time" and would sing/dance to a song as a part of it. Really fun learning songs that teach adding, counting by 10s, phonetics, and some just-for-fun ones, too. He's taught them to us over the year, and I really wanted to buy the CD, The songs actually come from 6 different CDs, though, so I never bought them. I'm so psyched that we have them and Grace can listen to them.

He had a great day today, and when he came home Grace and I surprised him with an End of the School Year/Happy Summer Party.

Any reason to celebrate and I'm on it.


We had rice krispies treats, danced to Adam's kindergarten songs, and opened "happy summer" presents (craft supplies, sunglasses, water bottles, bubbles, chalk, and water guns). It was the perfect way to start the summer!


He has accomplished so much this year and we are so proud of him. He had an incredible teacher that we love so much. She was fun, but firm, and really helped Adam to love learning. I was talking to some other moms and we are amazed at how far they have come because of her: she has the whole class reading at a second-grade level, beginning to memorize addition/subtraction tables, and taught them all sorts of science and social studies things. And she made learning so fun. She's great! I think more than the math/reading, though, Adam has really grown as a person. He's more confident, more thoughtful, is better at speaking (lisp has disappeared), and can control his emotions more. I was a little worried about his school at first, but I am so grateful that we were led to it. It has been such a good experience for him. It was an answer to many prayers.


But enough of that for now, because IT'S SUMMER!

Field Day

Today, Adam's school had a field day/game day. There couldn't have been a more perfect day for it: warm (not too hot), cloudy, and slightly breezy. Both the AM and PM kindergarten classes were invited, so he stayed at school for the entire day for the first time.

It just about killed me.

I'm going to be a mess next year.

They had field day games in the morning, a BBQ for lunch, and played board game inside the rest of the day.

Adam said it was the best day ever.

Starting the Celebration!

Adam's birthday is next week and school lets out this Friday.

All year long, he has looked forward to bringing treats for his birthday for his class, like his friends had been doing. And then I realized when school got out.

He was pretty bummed about it. And then I decided that who cares if it's not on his birthday? He could bring the treats a week early.

So he did.

He was a very happy boy.

(Though you can't tell it from the picture... I didn't give him any warning and just snapped it).

Let the 6-year-old birthday celebrating begin!

5 Year Survey

Remember last year when I did a survey with Adam, and had planned on doing it every year on his half birthday? Well, his half-birthday was in December. Whoops. So, we did it today quick, while he's still 5 (turning 6 next week... crazy).

All About Adam: 5 Year Edition

I WANT: a new lightsaber that changes colors and that has 4 spikes.
I HAVE: R2-D2.
I WISH: that I could eat candy all day!
I HATE: having to do chores.
I MISS: my cousins and my grandmas and grandpas and everyone in Phoenix!
I HEAR: the sink running.
I WONDER: if I can play Xbox right now. Can I, Mom?
I REGRET: that I sometimes throw a tantrum.
I AM NOT: in love with girls. Ew!
I DANCE: to “Who Let the Letters Out!” and "Going on a Bear Hunt".
I SING: the “Transformers” theme song, Primary songs ("I Love to See the Temple").
I CRY: because I have to clean my room .
I AM NOT ALWAYS: tired.
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: snakes with playdough and spikes.
I WRITE: my name.
I CONFUSE: what red, black, green and orange mixed together make.
I NEED: an ant farm and a robot to clean my room .
I SHOULD: have more fun.
I START: first grade in 3 months.
I FINISH: kindergarten soon!

Where were you born? In Phoenix
How old will you be this year? 6 (5 now)
Nicknames: Adders
Are you taller than your mother? Almost!
Do you cry often during movies? No!
What is your biggest pet peeve? When Trinity says she’s right!
Favorite color: Red. And also yellow, blue, and green
Favorite foods: Haystacks, cheese pizza, creamy Italian chicken
Favorite beverage: Squirt, chocolate milk
Favorite cold cereal: Lucky Charms, Captain Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Favorite Smells: cookies baking, my shampoo
Favorite time of day: the afternoon when I come home from school
What is your favorite game? Smart Mouth and Racko
How many pillows do you sleep with? 4
Do you play an instrument? Yes, the drums and the pretend guitar
What was the last movie you saw? The Shaggy Dog
What is your favorite article of clothing? My Star Wars shirt, my skulls shirt
What is your dream vacation? Phoenix!
What do you love most about Dad? He plays with me almost everyday, he wrestles with me
What do you love most about Mom? That she makes me dinner and plays with me
If you were an animal what would you be? A boa constrictor
What is your favorite "me- time" activity? Drawing or playing with Legos.
What is one of your weaknesses? Not keeping my toys picked up
What would choose for dinner every night? Haystacks and pizza!
What is the emotion you feel the most? Happy!
What are some of your talents? Hopping on one foot, reading, drawing, basketball and baseball
What is a word or phrase you overuse? “can”
What was the hardest thing that happened to you this past year? When Jayden was being mean to me.
What is the best thing that happened to you this year? I lost 2 teeth, I got Lego Star Wars 2, I learned to read all by myself.
The best thing learned this past year? School songs, about boa constrictors
What was your favorite thing about being five years old? That I can do more stuff by myself (swim, make my own breakfast)
What's are you most excited about being six years old? That I get to go to the Adventuredome if I save my money!

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Sunday was Mike's 31st birthday. On the 31st.

How cool is that?

I asked him if he'd been waiting for this day his entire life.

He hasn't. (lame)

We had a fun, low-key day: meetings, church, and enchiladas for dinner. I told him he needed to come home after his meetings and elevate his legs, and skip church. But when the kids and I got to there, he decided to stay. He even helped me out in nursery, to give the workers in there a break for 5th Sunday. What a trooper! For his birthday cake I made Strawberry Shortcake with Strawberry Bread. We had made it a few years ago for a Dutch oven thing, and he wanted to try it again. It was yummy.

After dinner, he and the kids made a HUGE marble tower! It was almost as tall as Mike! It was a fun day, and we had a great time celebrating together.

Happy Birthday, Mike! You are the most incredible husband and father! We love you!