Rowans Girl and Boy

Bella
Oliver

The kitties officially have names. Rowans girl is now "Bella" and the Boy is now "Oliver". They have their first vet check-up this week so we had to give them names. I am hoping all goes well and that they are healthy. The kiddos are still loving them. Rowan is so gentle with them and talks so sweetly to them.

Hands On House

2 Fridays ago we went and visited the Hands On House childrens mesuem. It was a lot of fun. The kids really enjoyed all the stuff to do. There favorite thing was face painting. Although the group before them pretty much cleaned out all the paint. They water colored their faces.

Ali really liked the enormous light brite. (Hmmm Christmas Idea, I'll have to check yard sales) And she loved dressing up.
Rowan even got into the dressing up part, in his, way to big, phillies uniform.
Going Fishing

Aliana looking at herself in the mirror.

All in all it was a fun activity to do with the kids and not too expensive.

Sunday morning she spiked a fever while i was teaching in her class. When we got home I checked it and it was 103.9. She was just laying around. So I called my doctor and they said try switching back and forth with motrin and tylenol. That worked. And then she woke up monday morning with no fever and was acting fine, still a little tired so I decided not to take her to the doctors. Well don't you know it, monday evening she spiked right back up to 103.9. My doctors office didn't open again until the next day after 1 pm. So I alternated between the meds again this helped and again she woke up tuesday feeling fine, no fever. I took her tuesday afternoon, and am I glad I did. Cause she spiked again tuesday night. They thought she had strep throat. So they put her on an antibiotic. I still feel I should have asked them to do a strep test to make sure before I just put her on antibiotics. But I always feel like I am bothering them when I ask for things. Anyway she had a throat infection of some sort because the antibiotic did clear it up. And today she is starting to get back to normal. But now my throat hurts, and I am feeling a little yucky. So I am very glad it was nothing terrible. Especially with her having a fever that high. Seizures run in hubbys side of the family with high fevers and I did not want to experience that. Through it all she was such a trooper and a little cuddlebug. I was totally lovin it, because at her age right now I can't cuddle her more then 3 seconds.

Canning Peaches

I thought since I liked the idea of freezing corn, I would try my hand at canning peaches. And it actually wasn't as hard as what I thought it would be. My mother-in-law came over to help me. She showed me everything I needed to do. I got 12 quarts out of 1 basket. I did have some extra but I used these peaches right away for desserts and to eat with dinner and lunch. They we're the most fabulous peaches I have ever had. I paid $11 for them, so I know that is not the cheapest but everyone has comlimented on how good they are. I ordered them from an orchard back next to maple grove raceway. I think I will order another basket or two this week, and do some more. I do need more canning jars. I have been blessed by so many already passing some down to me, that they don't use anymore. My sis-in-law blessed me with her canner that she no longer uses. Thanks L! So I am now looking who can tell me the best place and price I can buy them. I am really getting into this. I am also doing my own tomato juice sometime this week. It is very simple to do. And come fall I will try applsauce too.

This is so True

C. A. A. D. D.
"Child Activated Attention Deficit Disorder"
This is how it manifests: I decide to do the laundry. As I start toward the laundry room, I notice that there are cheerios all over the floor and my car keys are in the cereal bowl. I decide to pick up the cheerios before I do the laundry.
I lay my car keys down on the counter, put the cheerios in the trash can under the counter, and notice that the trash can is full. So, I decide to take out the trash. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash I may as well pay the bills first. I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left, my extra checks are in my desk in the office/playroom, so I go to my desk where I find a sippy cup full of juice. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I decide I should put sippy cup in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the sippy cup, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye they need to be watered.
I set the sippy cup on the counter, and I discover baby wipes that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back in the bathroom, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the wipes back down, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote, one of the kids left it on the kitchen table. I realize that after school when they go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote as they fight over who lost it, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.
I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down, get some paper towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do. At the end of the day: the laundry isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm cup of juice sitting on the counter, the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my checkbook, I can't find the remote, I can't find the wipes, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys. Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail. Do me a favor, will you? Forward this message, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent to. Don't laugh if this isn't you yet, your day is coming.

Thanks T for this GREAT laugh!!!!!!!!

Puppy Chow

Since I cleaned my kitchen I had to get it super dirty again. Today I decided to let the kiddos help me make puppy chow. We were 1 cup shy of the 9 cups they call for in the chex cereal, (cause the kids ate about a cup of the cereal, and we just finished breakfast). I needed a 1/2 cup creamy pb and only had 1/4 cup so I substituted with crunchy. The butter burned because I forgot about it. I prematurely gave the kids there bags, and one almost went up in smoke from a hot burner, The bag was empty. So then I filled the bags and sang a shake, shake, shake......... shake your bag song. They did pretty good till ali got mad because she couldn't get the bag open and
rowan started pounding and smashing the cereal. Oh my! I am truly laughing right now as I write, cause now it's funny. I realized I need to get a little messier with my kids and let go. So hopefully I'll still be laughing tonight when I present this special treat to my hubby, with half of the treat having powered sugar on it and the other half all a chocolately gooey stuck together clump of chex cereal, with a side of smashed cereal. But the kids loved it, and that's TRULY all that matters! I am getting more excited to be letting them cook and bake with me, since it is what I love to do. I feel I need to be teaching a little more and giving them new oppurtunitys. I am brave I know!

Kitchen Cleaning

This is going to sound terrible, but I have not washed and scrubbed out all my kitchen cabinets since the day before rowan was born. I scrubbed and scrubbed and it just didn't seem to be coming clean enough for me, I was told I nested! ( that was over three years ago, yuck!) So the other day I decided it was time to go through some stuff I hardly use and donate it to goodwill or put aside for yard sale. This cabinet here is in the corner and has a lot of space. It's really deep. And so it became my "catchall" cabinet. I would shove everything in there. My kitchen floor was covered with appliances, crock pots, and bowls, bowls, and more bowls. Which Ali decided to fill each and every one of them with cheerios. I walked out of the room and could not find here anywhere. Then I looked in here, she was crawling around in here and drinking from my measuring cups. It kept her busy!

So here is a question I have for you all. How do you clean you oven economically and green.

I found a recipe for a salt and baking powder paste but I am not sure if I need to cook the oven with that on. I would love suggestions.

The kittens

Here is aliana pushing "the boy" in her little play shopping cart.
He just absolutely loves this!
So anyway we still do not have any names for these cats. I've gotten a couple of suggestions but not a lot, (Uh-hmmm jmurr). So c'mon I need some names. We are trying to come up with some around here but just can't seem to decide on anything.
Let me know what you think of these.
Rowans Girl
Sassy
Nora
Nala

The Boy
Charly
Jake (Chaky)
Simba

Neal's Birthday

Friday evening we took neal to a barnstormers game for his birthday. It also coincided with a christmas present voucher we had given to my brother Tyler. Here are Rowan and Tyler with their mascot Cylo. I just love R's expression.
Rowan insisted he wear a hat to the baseball game. And of course (lately) whatever big brother do little sis wants to do to. So here is the cutest little thing with her baseball hat. It didn't last but 20 seconds.
We didn't get home until late. Way past bedtime for this big guy. How's he doing that?
Goodnight Rowan!

Saturday we went to shady maple for lunch, free birthday meal! And then Neal's sister came with her family to stay at our house so I could surprise neal with a 24 hour trip to his families cabin. We did a lot of sleeping, it was so relaxing! It was nice to have the time alone and a break from the kids. But then it was nice to see them again when we came home today! I love you neal and happy birthday!

Corn

My fantastic sister in law offered so graciously to show me how to freeze corn. I spent many a years bringing it out of the field and husking it but never learned any further then that. But this is the year I learned. Although I think I want to watch more of how she cuts it off the cob, Which I think is the trickiest part. I blanched it by myself and now I am the proud owner of corn in my freezer. I know it sounds dumb, but this is very exciting to me!!
Staying up late to cook it.
Mmmmm I can't wait to make a huge pot of chicken corn soup this fall. It's always best with real corn.

My kiddos did not cooperate so well. I called neal's grandma and asked her to help. (I gave her some corn in turn) So I had up to 5 people in my garage husking and cutting corn and I was inside tending to my kids. I know as the years go on it will get easier and they will occupy themselves more. I just felt bad. But they we're all great about it. I would actually love to do corn next year with a group of people, it's more fun. My brother-in-law told me the next day there was something in the newspaper about a family in manheim, there are 80 of them and they did something like 5,000 ears? Wow! Now I might try and conquer peaches and applesauce.

Petting Zoo

Aliana feeding the ducks
Ali looking at the pot bellied pigs
Rowan feeing the ducks
Last week we took the kids to a local petting zoo in leola. By hayloft candles. It's wonderful, there are lots of different animals and the best part it's FREE!!!! A lot of people complain about it being so dirty. But I lived and worked on a farm so I really don't think it's that dirty. The kids love it and we should go there more often. This guy was hysterical.