duece and daisy

As I have said before, Summer is here, so... Take me out to the ballgame!!!  We went to our annual Sunday school class outing to the ballgame.  The highlight for the kids is Duece and Daisy.  They are hard to get to...  apparently they are hot in those suits at 100 plus degrees outside---  who would have guessed?? ha.

But, if you keep your eye out, and can quickly jaunt from your seats and run to a spot where they are, you might just catch up to them and hopefully you can weasel your way through the crowd of kids and get to say HI. 

or better yet... get a HUG!
Daisy---  what an awesome mascot!!!!

Molly joined us this year-- she decided to skip the past 2 years (or was that decided for her?!)

after getting your hug, the next exciting thing to do is get your hat signed

Molly got in on the action as well

cute kids, they sure do love each other

gotta have our favorite poses in there too

Deuce was NOT as "family friendly" as Daisy.  He would go out onto the field and then head into the dug out area as soon as he was done "performing".  Sam was determined to meet him this year.  We chased him down several times---  and Finally caught him... before he hid away again. 
I was so proud of Sam- he asked Deuce if he would sign his hat...

can't leave out little sis...

Then my sweet boy asked if Deuce would take a picture with them.. that's my boy!!  he sure knows the drill, guess he has heard it over and over and over for the past 6 years---  "wait, we have to get your picture with..."  but see how worth it it was?!

A blast from the past.... 2011

2010--  see blog here

2009--- our first ballgame as a family

I love summer time and the rough riders!!!!  until next year....

Wow, what weather we have had

 It has been a crazy weather season for us.

 

  We have gotten a lot of rain lately which is wonderful after the horrible drought we have been in.  But it hasn't just rained, it has poured and flooded and poured some more.  We have had BIG winds-- knocking down trees and fences in our neighborhood (thankfully our new fence from last year has proven itself!!)  We have also had hail.  Lots of hail, like hail 3 different times in the past 2 weeks.  Thankfully a couple of the storms were  during the day and the kids were able to see it.

end of year M&M's sing

Sam's final singing with the M&M's.  The last songs for Molly's first year.  What a whirl wind of a year for M&M's.  It is hard to believe it is over.  I love to hear those sweet voices singing.

 there were 3 songs, but in passing the camera to Kirk, we missed one---oops!

Princess Diva in the making

This is a usual occurrence when I get Molly up from rest time...  As you can see, she uses her time wisely

Take me out to the ballgame...

 It's spring, time for warmer weather, hot dogs on the grill and BASEBALL

We signed Sam up for t-ball this year.  Because of his age he is on a modified t-ball team even though this is his first year.  Modified means that the coach pitches you the first 4 pitches and if you do not hit it by then you get to bat off the t.  It has been challenging for Sam, but he is getting the hang of it, and hopefully by the end of the season he might actually like it ---  right now he says he doesn't because he has to learn too much :)
He has a hard time keeping his attention on the ball, but when he does he really has some good baseball skills!  I LOVE the way he stands at bat... perfect form!  and oh, he is just ADORABLE in his uniform!! 

 at bat

 at third, getting ready to bring it home

 catcher

 um, he has to wear something new... gotta protect the future, even if it is uncomfortable!

what a proud point earner!!!!  it is amazing how good it feels to make it to home plate!!

I am so proud of that cute little boy...  he is on a team

•  with boys he has never seen before, 
•  of a sport he knows nothing about,
•  with shoes that feel funny when you run,
•  and he is trying to figure it all out!

gotta watch this mama bird

This is an amazing video clip an American robin lays her four eggs in a hanging basket and the home owners set up a camera to film the results.

To see it all, click here. Should hear it with speakers on...and click to start video.

 

It makes me sad to see the mama at the very end....

Uses for Bounce

Bounce This Along
The U.S. Postal service sent out a message to all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their uniform pockets to keep yellow-jackets away.
Use them all the time when playing baseball and soccer. I use it when I am working outside. It really works. The insects just veer around you.
All this time you've just been putting Bounce in the dryer!1. It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels mice.

2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.

3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often. 4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.

5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.

6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from 
resettling..

7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.

8. To freshen the air in your home - Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.

9. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.

10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.

11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing. 12. To freshen the air in your car - Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.

13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan..

14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket. 15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.

16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds..Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.

17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight. 20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.

21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.

22. Wet a Bounce sheet, hose down your car, and wipe love bugs off easily with the wet Bounce.
23.Put a sheet of Bounce in your suitcase when traveling, it will help keep mites or any other critters out of it. While you are at it, travel with several Bounce sheets and run them up and down your bed linen before getting into bed, it will cause all the critters already in your bed to run. Keep a sheet in your suitcase even after you have unpacked to protect your suitcases from bugs nesting in it.

surprise!!!!

Molly got a a new vanity for Christmas.  It came with a nifty big box....

The family

Molly loves to arrange everything together.  Everyone needs a friend... a family.  I will find friends and families all over the house, with all kinds of objects.  I just never know where the families will be or what they will be made of...

Meet the potato family... daddy, mommy, brother and sister.

Birthday Clubs and Freebies

Birthday Clubs and Freebies
I found a sight that has a list off all the places that have deals for your birthday.
You can go HERE to see her list.

FREE PRETZEL DAY

Merry Christmas M&M's sing in big church

well, The M&M's got to sing in big church today. They were pretty cute! I love watching these little ones and seeing how they behave in unusual circumstances. True to form, you can hear my kiddos singing. I was very proud of them, there was no tap dancing, no antics, nothing crazy... then Sam ended it with a sweet little face ha!!! Molly was very proud of herself as well, and wanted ma to give her the affirmation she needed ha!! oh, and, Molly did NOT like that another little girl was getting the attention that she so craves... she had to squawk out something to get everyone's attention as well! Poor little girl, just can't handle someone else being in the lime light!

My kids did not do very well the second service. Apparently they felt they had already done their job so why do it again?! Molly spent the entire time chewing her finger and well, either bending down or sitting on the floor-- she also enjoyed watching the girl behind her. I was impressed how she got the other molly to do a little marching with her.
Sam on the other hand, well, who can resist a pretty girl right?! I enjoyed how his sweet little friend Emily "dared" him to do a shout out, then acts all innocent and nonchalant about it... But hey, it cracked Sam, Emily and Jessica up, so I guess it was ok right?! ha

fun stuff to do for kids for Christmas

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Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast

Today was the Thanksgiving Feast at school. Every year the Kindergarten classes celebrate the first Thanksgiving. They (well, all but Sam, he was sick this week) learned all week about the first Thanksgiving. They created their own place mats, necklaces, and head wear (Indian feathers and pilgrim hats) I was able to help volunteer this year so we were able to serve the food and drink and clean up. It was the cutest little sight to see 130-140 little Thanksgiving feasters marching in to enjoy their "meal" I wish I could post some of the pictures of the whole group but I did not want to show their faces without permission...

Top 10 Products You Don't Need to Buy

By Whitson Gordon

Top 10 Products You Don't Need to Buy (Because You Already Have Them In Your Home)

We spend loads on all sorts of cleaning, health, and other household products at the store every week, but quite often you can get the same jobs done with less obvious products already in your house. Here are ten of our favorite household stand-ins.

In a lot of cases, it might not necessarily be cheaper to use something you already have in the house, but if you're in a bind, any of these will work well—no trip to the store required. Plus, a lot of them get the job done without harsh chemicals or other annoyances, which is a big plus.

10. Surface Cleaners

Whether you're cleaning the bathroom, the windows, or the kitchen, you probably have everything you need in your pantry. You can clean your toilet with pretty much any acidic beverage, like a can of Coke or a packet of Kool-Aid, and while you're in the bathroom you can take a grapefruit and some salt to your grimy bathtub. When it comes to the countertops in the kitchen, a bit of wine or some laundry detergent will get things squeaky clean, while some rubbing alcohol and ammonia will make the windows sparkle.

9. Itch Relief

There's no need to go grab a Benadryl stick when you get bitten by mosquitoes; you probably have a ton of different itch remedies right under your nose. Vick's VapoRub does wonders, but you could even get by with some Scotch tape, nail polish, or Alka Seltzer. If you have some meat tenderizer around, that can actually get the job done too.

8. Metal Polish

If the chrome on your car or the steel in your sink is looking a little dull or scratched, you can use one of any number of things to polish it up. Baby oil and Cola both work well on Chrome, while flour's a good choice for stainless steel. Flour plus salt and vinegar makes a good brass polish, and you can shine up that silver with baking soda or a banana peel. Incidentally, banana peels also work great for polishing shoes.

7. Bug Traps

If your house is infested with bugs, why buy traps to kill them? They're obviously visiting because you have food they want: use it to your advantage. Trap fruit flies with apple cider vinegar, or sprinkle some baby powder, chalk, or borax around those ants' favorite hangout to deter them. Alternatively, putting vegetables on your counter makes them realize you're no longer a source of the good stuff, and they'll go away.

6. Drain Uncloggers

Skip the harmful Drano, and just grab some baking soda for stubborn drain clogs. If your toilets a little backed up, some laundry detergent can do wonders. If the above products need a little help, you can get in there yourself with a cable tie or duct tape to get the pipes flowing freely again.

5. LCD Cleaner

We all know you aren't supposed to use things like Windex on an LCD screen, but that doesn't mean you need to buy a fancy screen cleaner. All you really need is a cloth and a bit of water, although a coffee filter will do the trick too if dust is the only problem. When it comes to full-on scratches, though, the best you can do is take a pencil eraser to it and hope for the best.

4. Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets are popular, but a bottle of fabric softener will get you much further. Combined with an old towel, you can easily replace those dryer sheets with one big, reusable one, or turn it into an after-the-dryer wrinkle releaser. Alternatively, you can get the anti-static goodness from some aluminum foil, or fluff those clothes in the dryer with a tennis ball. None of this is to say dryer sheets are completely bad—after all, they do have a lot of clever household uses themselves.

3. Sticker Removers

Products like Goo Gone are pretty useful, but you can easily get by with a number of things in your kitchen. From hair dryers to vodka, vinegar, and even lighter fluid, you've got more than one way to wash away sticky residue from a surface.

2. Deodorizers

We all have to deal with funky smells every once in a while, but you can remove odors with just about anything, from the usual baking soda and charcoal to vinegar or even newspaper. And if you've got to de-stink an entire room, why make it smell like Febreeze-y chemicals when you could just throw some vanilla in the oven and make it smell like fresh baked cookies?

1. Stain Removers

Stains always seem like the end of the world, but with the right household fix, you can clean just about any stain. Vinegar works well for many stains, while shaving cream does a good job on greasier stains (as does rubbing them with chalk). Dish detergent will get rid of that occasional gasoline stain, and asprin will remove those stubborn sweat stains on your clothes. Grab some corn starch for furniture-related stains, and whatever you do for any of these, make sure you act quickly. If you've got a stain we didn't list, you can bet the database over at Stain Solutions has a recommendation, so head there for more info.

Fall Harvest meal-- kids sing with M&M's

ok, so, I guess it was up to my children to add the comic relief for the night.
Molly decided that the step she was on was the perfect place to attempt some new tap dancing moves that she has created.
You can here her share with everyone "I just really like this song" during the first little pause of the first song.
In true Sam form, he decided he needed to sing just a word or 2 behind. (I am starting to think he might be doing it on purpose now just to make sure everyone knows when he is singing ha).
Apparently the mother of these children hyped them up with sugar or something prior to going on stage as neither seem to be able to just stand and sing. (or is it because Sam knew that I was unable to see him at the spot I was sitting so if he danced a little jig I was sure to have him in the video)
I did have to interrupt the taping of the 2nd song due to the fact that my daughter decided it would be a good idea to stick her cute little fingers in the electrical outlet on stage. You can also hear me telling her that she needs to keep her dress down.
I am not sure who the little boy is that is next to her, I know I am the director, but I still do not know him. BUT apparently Molly grew a strong attachment to him, as she grabs his hand and holds it throughout, then decides she needs to rub his head. Kirk told me that she also caressed his ear ever so lovingly as they were leaving (I was helping littles off the stage at that time)
It is too bad that my children are so shy and introverted! HA





1st part of second song




2nd part of 2nd song