Our Little Corner

Hunting for Treasures

2009-11-11T13:51:00.013-06:00

Everyone that knows me knows that I am a yard sale addict. I absolutely LOVE bargain hunting! A good yard sale can yield a ton of neat things and is like a fun treasure hunt. Plus of course it can save a ton of $$$ too! On Saturday Boo Bear, Sweet Pea, Princess & I set out to hunt for some gifts for Christmas. Boo was able to fill her list. Yay, Boo! I found a few little treasures but was getting doubtful about finding anything to really dance about. Then it happened. We went to one that was off our beaten path. I was so glad I did! It turned out not only did they have many things I was looking for but because we visited around noon they marked everything down to half price! I found my treasures-of-the-day at this sale! Whoot whoot!

I found these at the half price tag sale. I have been looking FOREVER for affordable prints for Princess' room. They were marked as $12 for the pair (a good buy in itself) but I got them for $6!

These were also at the half price tag sale. Also originally marked as $12 for the trio, (usually $10-$16 for each at Target), I got them for $6!!!! So all 5 prints for $12!!!! A steal or what?!?!?

This nice, big basket was $1.

A winter coat for Princess. Only $1.50!

These guys were 25 cents each.

I know I got more trains but they must be in another bag that is not pictured. These will be for the boys for Christmas.

These baby toys are for Princess at Christmas.

Total cost? $5!

Two of the toys are Lamaze toys too!

This & the prints were my BEST finds of the day. I have been looking for a dresser for Princess since before she was born. I found this in pristine condition. Half price sale made it $10!!!!! I was ecstatic!

The drawers were super clean & even lined!

The dresser & prints will be a part of Princess' Christmas gifts. It will be fun to decorate her room.

These will be Christmas presents too.

Trains for Bugsy & Bionicle & Tree Frog for Elvis

A little bug house for Bugsy.

Now he can join the big kids in their hunts!

In addition to the above I was able to find a couple of outfits for Princess for $2,
a few books for Sweet Pea at 25 cents each, a bag of stockings for Princess $2, a large bag of bottles & sippies for a $1, a Gap sweater for Elvis & a Fisher Price train set and tracks for only $4! I'm excited at these frugal finds! I am tucking most away for Christmas surprises. =0)

Lucky

2009-11-09T16:18:00.008-06:00

Last night our cat, Romeo caught a little robin. The kids quickly went into 9-1-1 mode and rescued the little guy. Romeo wasn't happy but the bird sure was. They quickly put the rescued bird into Bella's old cage. Thankfully Sweet Pea had already cleaned it out. We kept the bird overnight and all day today. We were going to wait until Daddy came home to release Lucky but since he is going to be late it will be too dark. We gathered all the cats inside and set Lucky free. I pray he makes it!

Lucky in his cage.

Hi, Lucky!

Hopping Away

Up Close

He kept hopping until he got to the fence & there he sat. I pray he flies soon. If not I'm afraid our cats will get him again. =(
Go Lucky! Go!

Winston Grammar

2009-11-09T07:29:00.000-06:00

I'll admit it. This has been sitting on my school shelf for 2 years now. Yep, I'm embarrassed to say it. I was intimidated by it and every time I'd pick it up I'd return it to the shelf. All it took was seeing the word "Grammar" and I'd run. Then of course with our move, pregnancy & new baby I had no desire to add something else new to the mix. Keeping things as simple as possible was the key to my survival! After talking with some ladies at co-op I realized it was time to bite the bullet. I struggled with grammar in college. It was NOT the grammar I remembered in high school. Back then I had to ask for extra bonus work to get a decent grade. (And wouldn't you know it after I finished the course they changed the whole thing. They decided it was too confusing & the book too hard.)
I started the first lesson of our Winston Grammar with Sweet Pea. Then Boo Bear finished her chores & joined in. Soon we were working on the 2nd lesson & then the 3rd! It was .....dare I say it......FUN! The girls agreed which is why we did 3 lessons instead of only 1. We'd have done more but other things beckoned. What a fantastic surprise!

Boo taking her pre-test.

This is simply a test to help the teacher, (me), know how much the student, (Boo), knows or needs to learn. Sweet Pea took one too.

These are the parts of speech cards.

This is the first sentence the book tells you to use.

We started off slow in Lesson 1 finding the nouns & articles. We discussed what these were & hints of how to identify them.

Using the sentence above we named labeled each word in the sentence. The black cards are used for words we don't know the name of yet.

A close up of the sentence using the parts of speech cards.

Next we "labeled" them on the white board. Nouns were underlined, articles checked and the rest left alone.

So far I give this program an A+. It is easy to use, easy to understand & my girls love it. I'll be sure to update as we progress in the lessons.

P.S. I bought mine used online. I was able to buy a set which included the Teacher's Manual, 2 Student Workbooks & 2 sets of cards. Great deal!

First

2009-11-07T19:17:00.000-06:00

This past week Princess had her first taste of food. Up until now she has been nursed & supplemented with formula. I had been waiting to give her food because she was doing fine without it. Since her appetite has increased we decided to start giving her food. I waited until we had a night when we were all home. It was harder than I thought to find one with all our soccer practices, make up games, AWANA, etc. We finally found one so the whole family could watch Princess reach another milestone. I let Daddy do the honors while I took video tape & Boo took pics.

Princess is excited to begin!

Hmmm......what's this?

She wasn't too sure at first.

Still testing it out.....

......& mulling it over.

What will she do?

Yes! It's a winner!

Princess tries to grab the spoon.

Daddy isn't fast enough in her opinion. LOL!

YUMMERS!

Back off these are MY bananas!

Awww.......sure Mommy I'll share.

She kept us entertained. If Daddy took too long in between bites she brought him to attention by banging her spoon, (we gave her an extra one to hold), on her high chair. She loved having an audience & was quite the entertainer. A fun milestone to share!

We Did It!

2009-11-05T18:25:00.015-06:00

Our very first lapbook! I have been thinking about this, researching it and trying to get up the nerve for years now! Yesterday we dove in! I used a couple of templates, some info. pages from Enchanted Learning & a few misc. things I found on the web. It was a 'fly by the seat of my pants' kind of deal. Elvis really enjoyed the adventure & it helped cement what we have been learning in co-op about ants.

Labeling the ant.

He did this all on his own reading the definitions & finding the correct spot.

I was impressed!

Gluing the sequence cards onto an accordion style fold.

His work so far.

The finished product.

The inside. We kept it simple this time only using one folder.

The labeled ant.

Ant Facts

Different ants in a colony.

Ant Maze

Life Cycle of An Ant

The back of his lapbook.

I am proud of how hard he worked on this.

I'm excited to try another lapbook soon.

2009-11-05T12:59:00.000-06:00

We've had some cold days of soccer! We quickly learned to bring lots of blankets, jackets, and to dress warmly. Even then the wind was biting. But we happily sat and shivered because we wanted to watch our soccer players.

Elvis loves playing goalie!

Boo is all bundled up.

Bugsy is all wrapped up in big brother's sleeping bag.

Biggest & littlest sisters snuggle up together.

Aren't they cute?

It's both exciting & heart stopping to watch my guy in the goal.

It has been great to watch his skills improve as the season progresses.

Family Fun

2009-11-04T21:42:00.000-06:00

Dave took a day off from work. We needed a family day for both projects around the house & to spend some fun time together. Since the weather was iffy we decided to go to the Adventure Science Center. We hadn't been there since last spring when Princess was a wee one. We have a membership so no worries about the budget. Dave packed us a lunch which we ate at one of the picnic tables outside. Boy it was windy & cold! We soon headed inside for some fun.

We were the only ones who attended this learning time. It was fun because the kids got to answer all the questions & do all the hands on stuff.

We learned about what inspired specific inventions. Dave & I learned too.

I love that!

Learning how to use a wheelchair.

They learned that it is not as easy as it may look.

Practicing their brushing skills.

Posing for the camera

Land of the Lost?

Peeking at the dinosaurs

First responder Bugs is on his way!

Sweet Pea takes care of Elvis as the ambulance races along.

The organs

Glimpse in the future?

Love this little girl!

The digestive system corner.

Feed ME!

Mama & Bugsy

This took your picture & then showed what you would look like over time if you smoked or had too much exposure to the sun.

Hmmmm............

Princess remains cute. Lol.

My Turn

They added a preschool corner since we were here last time.

Bugs really liked it.
He played with Legos....

.........and rode The Magic School Bus with his pals.

Elvis "hanging" out.

Then he took a short flight.

Sweet Pea played with voice pitch.

And Boo Bear experimented with the cause & effect of earthquakes.

Once Bugsy discovered the trains & tracks in the preschool corner it was hard to get him to leave.

I was a big fan of the skinny mirror.

It was a fun, family day!

What's for Supper?

2009-11-03T14:26:00.005-06:00

I finally got to the kitchen! Princess is sick again. With her needing extra TLC, all our running lately & the kids dragging their feet (which means I have to chase after them) to do chores & schoolwork I haven't had a minute to get in the kitchen. Well, other than to clean it. Want to see what's cooking for supper?

Chicken Cacciatore!

I'm going to serve it with a green salad & Italian bread.

Yummers!

Sweet Faces

2009-10-30T14:14:00.000-05:00

These are 2 of the 3 kittens we have to give away. I would love to keep them but we simply do not have anymore room. We kept the last batch because we did not know anyone to give them to & didn't have the heart to take them to the shelter. I'm praying we can find loving homes for these sweeties.

Very cuddly

Meowing for Mommy

I love the spot on her wee nose.

How can you say no to that face?

Princess

2009-10-30T13:14:00.000-05:00

Hanging out one afternoon........

As you can see she really loved the camera. Hee, hee.

Ready....Set....Gifts!

2009-10-29T22:29:00.000-05:00

Boo was excited about her birthday. She counted down to the minute she was born. She also had an eye on the packages her grandparents had sent. We always have our big gift time when Daddy is home. But I couldn't see the harm in allowing her to unwrap the gifts from her grandparents. She was very happy about this decision!

From Grandma & Grandpa M.

A special pen

Boo was thrilled b/c it is just like Sweet Pea's only silver.

A very pretty bracelet.

Mommy is thrilled b/c the rope is thick & hopefully "Boo proof". Lol!

We teased her about this.

This new doll was inside.

Elvis had fun with the bag the doll was wrapped in.

Got him! =0)

She also received money from each set of grandparents.

Very blessed indeed!

Boo Bear's Birthday

2009-10-28T22:07:00.001-05:00

Not only did we have Bugsy's birthday to celebrate but 3 days later it was Boo Bear's turn to celebrate! Even after 4 years I'm still not used to having their birthdays so close together. Lol. I did do better this year though. We celebrated at home with her favorite dinner, presents, cake & a movie (one of her presents). Instead of taking her out for an activity like a movie or day out we gave her an extra present of signing her up to play basketball this winter. She was given some money from Nana & Grannie to help pay for it and we paid for the rest. That was what she wanted and we are happy she wants to try a new sport.

Happy Birthday, Boo Bear!

Her special dinner complete with Mountain Dew.

Posing with the Chinese food. This was a huge treat! We've been looking for a great place since we left MA. This was the first time the kids have had Chinese in over a year!

Presents!

Elvis bought her this cute poodle with his own money.

Bugs & Princess bought her these books.

Bugs used his own money too.

I found this at Target in their clearance awhile ago.

She LOVES Camp Rock!

Princess watches the fun.

Think she may be happy about this present?

It's a Camp Rock pillow case.

The Hannah Montana movie CD.

And of course a basketball so she can practice!

Hmmmmm................

She was super surprised as she hadn't even asked for this.

The Hannah Montana movie!
(We all watched it that night. Cute movie!)

Posing with her gifts.

Again with the other side of her pillow case showing.

Sweet Pea bought her sister a Hello Kitty & a packet of sewing needles.

Her Hannah Montana cake from Dairy Queen.

Dave & I were very pleased with the decorating job she did.

I think she got her wish! Lol!

This was on the cake.

I loved that on both Bugsy's cake & Boo's cake she put something they could use or play with later. I like to do that too when I decorate a cake.

We found these cute plates & napkins at the party store.

Boo said she had a great birthday and I am so glad.

My wish & goal is to make every birthday make them feel special & loved.

Soccer

2009-10-27T23:16:00.009-05:00

Soccer has been so much fun. Though it can be crazy at times with 3 practices & 3 games a week we are loving it.

Princess watches her older siblings play.

He scored a goal!

We were so proud of him! He got a free kick & made the shot. Go Elvis!

Bugs has a terrific coach.

They're off on the run!

Goal!

I didn't get any pics of Boo this time because her game was at the field in the next town over.

More Birthday

2009-10-26T22:02:00.000-05:00

Bugs loved his presents from Grandpa & Grandma M. too!

A big boy football & an airplane!

Dave was just as excited over the football as Bugsy! Lol!

The bubble wrap was a big hit too! Pop! Pop! Pop!

Growing Up

2009-10-24T21:50:00.000-05:00

Our Little Boy

My little boy turned 4! How did this happen? This is my sweet baby boy who filled my arms & comforted me when I lost our little Rose in a miscarriage. I will never forget how relieved we were when he arrived safely into the world. We had held our breath for over 9 months almost afraid to hope that he would be born safe & healthy. Dave, Sweet Pea, Boo Bear, Elvis & I all rejoiced when we brought him home. He has added so much to our family & we praise God for him.

Here are his birthday pics!

Pizza was his dinner of choice.

He wanted me to take a picture of Thomas & James.

YUM!

Boo gave them all party hats. Lol!

A dinosaur from his big brother.

Reusable Thomas stickers & scene.

He has been wanting this since July!

Daddy & Princess watch.

Cool car! It changes colors too!

Another Thomas train!

DC 100 engine!

A new DVD too! He loves Thomas the Tank Engine!

Star Scream! Yay!

Now it's time to play with all Bugs' new toys.

His birthday cake....Thomas the Tank Engine of course. =0)

A big ol' bite of ice cream cake.

Elvis likes it too.

Everyone agreed that Dairy Queen makes a very good cake!

Not sure what he's thinking but loved his expression. Lol.

Elvis told Bugs he had one more present for him. Then he got up from the table and gave Bugs a giant hug. My heart melted right there on the spot

So good!

See what blue icing does?

After cake it was time to try out the new trains & other toys.

Sad Time

2009-10-23T21:28:00.007-05:00

Our Uncle Bryce lost his battle with cancer last week. We knew it would probably happen but we kept praying for a miracle. It was hard to get that phone call & hear the news that he had passed and we would never see him again this side of Heaven. Sweet Pea & he were especially close. She sobbed when she heard & already misses him so much. I am thankful for the times we had with him. There are so many memories. We love you, Uncle Bryce and miss you very much.

FREE Fun

2009-10-22T19:48:00.010-05:00

Just like I did for Elvis I signed Bugs up for the Chuckie Cheese Birthday Club. They email me a coupon for free tokens when it is my child's birthday. Bugs received his and Daddy took him to play some games. The best part is that it is all free. Gas isn't even an issue as Chuckie Cheese is only 5 minutes from our house. =0)

Dave said Bugs tried every game in the place. Lol! They had a great time together. Afterward they went to Baskin Robbins for another free birthday gift. An ice cream cone! I love being able to give our kids some extra surprises even on our tight budget. Thank you to the companies that give these special gifts!

Quotes

2009-10-19T23:05:00.003-05:00

I was looking around on the web & found a few quotes that I really like. I thought I'd share them.

This one makes me want to stand up & cheer:

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” Dr. Seuss

I can completely relate to this one:

“True friendship isn't about being there when it's convenient; it's about being there when it's not.”

This one really made me think especially seeing who said it:

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

Love this one:

“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.”

This made me smile:

“Anyone who has gumption knows what it is, and anyone who hasn't can never know what it is. So there is no need of defining it.” ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery

And this is a longtime favorite:

“Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all.” ~ Emily Dickinson

Whew!

2009-10-19T10:35:00.002-05:00

Boy, I have a lot to catch up on! We've had 2 birthdays, many soccer games, fall cleaning, co-op, illness, appointments, etc. here at home. So busy! Plus little Princess cut her first two teeth. So cute! I don't know if she'll let me get a picture yet but I'll try. I'm just hoping she'll use those toothers for smiling & NOT for biting if you know what I mean. =0) I promise to post more soon! Sorry for the delay.

Precious

2009-10-13T23:27:00.000-05:00

Piggy Toes

2009-10-10T16:14:00.000-05:00

It amazes me how flexible little babies are. Princess was wow-ing us with her talent of putting her toes in her mouth. With very little effort she just pops them in! Lol! So cute!

Yummy piggy toes!

Bugs wanted to show us that Princess is not the only one who can do this! LOL!

New Additions

2009-10-09T20:57:00.008-05:00

Yes, we have kittens again! Some of you may remember that this time last year our cat Tinkerbelle gave birth to 4 kittens. Well, wouldn't you know that EXACTLY a year to the day she had another litter! What are the odds of that! And she gave birth in the evening both times too. Wild! This time she gave birth to 3 kittens. They are adorable. We need to find them homes. Though we are quite smitten there is simply no more room in the inn. If you know someone who wants to give them a loving home please let me know.

Born on September 27th, 2009.

3 Little Kittens

ADORABLE!

I want my mommy!

Mommy gives baby a bath.

Sweet Surprise

2009-10-05T20:21:00.036-05:00

Daddy brought home a fantastic surprise tonight!

First everyone had to close their eyes.

He brought these in from his car!

Yes! 150 candy bars!!!!!!!

It was Customer Care Appreciation Day & they were rewarded for all their hard work.

Still not peeking......

Then he brought in more!

This time more candy & a bag of gifts.

Okay..........you can look now! WOW-ZAH!

They went WILD!

They couldn't wait to get their hands on it!

A dream come true

{Drool, Drool}

Oh my goodness! MM's too!

Everyone was allowed to pick one for dessert.

This was Bugsy's pick.

Elvis went for the 3 Musketeers Bar

Snickers for this chick!

Sweet Pea said, "You can't go wrong with a Twix Bar!"

Perfect for a little Princess.

She's smiling now!

Enjoying their sweet surprise.

Dave received a bag of gifts too!

MORE candy! Skittles & Starburst....Yummy!

To show off his favorite digital photos.

His new shirt.

(He works in Customer Service, hence the "Army of Service".)

Elvis took a shine to Daddy's new sweatshirt.

A new pen.

It was Princess' turn to check things out.

Nothing like swimming in M&M's!

Yeah, baby! This is the life!

She sure had a good time!

Thank you MARS, Inc. for your generosity! You are #1 in our book! =0)

Apple Fun

2009-10-04T12:07:00.000-05:00

Fall is here!

A few days before we all fell ill to the flu we had some apple fun.

Yummy organic apples were on sale that week!

Goofing around

We read the story of Johnny Appleseed

Princess played on the floor & loved it when I made eye contact while I read the story.

After our story it was time to make our treat!

This peeler-corer is awesome!

I divided the kids into 2 teams pairing a younger with an older.

We made 2 batches of the same recipe.

They took turns measuring & mixing.

After the dough was mixed I kneaded it and rolled it out.

Then it was time to sprinkle in the apple pieces & brown sugar mix.

I rolled it all up & then cut it into circles.

Bugs with his mouth full of apples.

Apple-Cinnamon Rolls!

Princess was so good. She played & watched us the whole time.

The kids sprinkled a little more cinnamon-sugar mixture on top before we placed them in the oven.

As the big kids cleaned up Bugs went upstairs to play with his "Sodor". He was very proud that he put it together all by himself!

Yum!

2009-09-30T22:57:00.000-05:00

One of the nice things about having a teenager & tween in the house is that they can do many things on their own. One of my favorites is that they like to cook & bake. I'm one that sees it more as a chore so anytime someone else is willing to do it I am more than happy to turn over my kitchen to them.

Cookie cutters galore!

They had fun decorating with the sprinkles I found on sale at Target.

They tasted very yummy!