Giveaway at TVP

Have you checked out the vintage pearl yet? If not this is the perfect time and sign up for a 100 gift certificate.

Park

Charlie! Isn't he a doll Sydney balancing Swinging

Saturday it was cold but the kids do not seem to mind- we hit the park anyway!

Menu

Here is our dinner menu for the week: Sunday: Braised Country Pork ribs with creamy grits and roasted potatoes (for the kids since they are not crazy about grits) This was new to us and so easy yet delicious! Monday: Beef vegetable soup with bread and butter, apples or applesauce Tuesday: Baked Fish, Roasted potatoes, peas Wednesday: Dijon Chicken, rice, corn Thursday: Pork and Broccoli Stir Fry Friday: Lasagna, Salad What are you eating this week? Trying any new recipes?

My little helpers

Now when I cook or bake I have two little helpers!

If Sydney is standing on a chair to help me or even wash her hands at the sink Griffin has to climb up and participate. He loves to empty the little drawers.

Do your kids like to help in the kitchen?

Weight Lifted

Friday I took the PANRE, which is the recertification exam I have to take every 6 years to keep my medical license. Whew I am so glad it is over. I hope I did as well as I think I did. When I finished grad school and took the exam I felt like I failed and in reality I did well, so I hope feeling I did well this time means I did very well. It is such a relief to have it off my mind. I have been studying since I went to FL in February and I am ready to have some me time back. The kids and I stopped at the library on the way home from the park today and I picked up two books for leisure reading! No more heavy binder on my lap in the evenings and no more lugging it back and forth to work each day to study at lunch. I enjoy learning but at this stage of my life I do not enjoy it as much as I used to. I get my scores in two weeks.

Heart Banner- giveaway

Check out Lisa's blog today- she is giving away two heart banners! Very sweet and what a unique gift.

Favorite

this is my favorite little boy

and my new favorite pjs

what a face

Another giveaway

Yes, Lisa Leonard is hosting another giveaway! I was actually a winner yesterday- so those sweet magnets and book are mine. I would feel guilty winning again but oh my baby girl would love this item. Go to Lisa's and check out the giveaway- you might just win.

Squeaky Update

We still have Squeaky the guinea pig! When the weather is warm we try to take him outside to let him exercise.


it takes him a while to get comfortable but when he does boy can he run!
We have a leash for him but he slips out of it so easily and it is hard to get it on him

Several weeks ago Sydney and I were talking about names and how everyone has a middle name (well everyone at our house) and so she decided Squeaky needed a middle name....so his full name is Squeaky Brayden Hall. So funny.

Giveaway at Lisa Leonard's blog

Wow, it is decor week over at Lisa's blog and I love her magnets- so simple! I entered already have you?

Soap Paint

This past Saturday was so warm! We were outside all day doing various activities.

The kids and I got out soap paint and used the top of a Rubbermaid container to play and draw.
Sydney practiced writing her name and kept running out of room.

Syd practiced letters

and mixed colors to create more colors


Griffin carried around the bottles

We used Sesame street brand soap paint and it came in three colors, red, blue and yellow.

We had a great time! Clean up is easy since its soap you just rinse with water!

Have you ever played with soap paint?

Spring is here

This past weekend the kids and I spent lots of time outside. Spring is here!





Sunday was warmer than Saturday with temps in the 70's! We have been cutting daffodils from our yard. Sydney helped me clean the sun room and we ate out there Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Pond on hole 7, so pretty

I looked back and Griffin had his arm resting on the side of the wagon, so funny.

My little bugs!

Spring is my second favorite season, fall is my fave. Which season do you love?

Shamrocks

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Aren't these sweet shamrocks sweet?

green frosting

Syd decorating cookies- she was still recovering from her strep/vomiting and was rather weak but wanted to do cookies anyway.


Sydney loves sprinkles!

We are wearing green and eating green shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day- what are you doing?

New g pants

Griffin is finally big enough that he needs bigger g pants!

I only ordered 6 this time, last time we bought 8 of the medium. I am using the same cloth inserts and I did buy another pack of liners. The last time I ordered was March of last year.

The lime green color is new and we love it!

I really love the cloth diapers- cheaper and so much better for the environment. The g is not for Griffin it is for green, genuine, global, grow, generous.....
Do you use cloth?

Thankful

Our little girl has been sick and is starting to feel better. We are so thankful. Friday as I was about to go in with my first patient after lunch the daycare called me at work to say Sydney was sick. Throwing up to be exact. I immediately get that sinking feeling in my stomach, I hate when one of my kids is sick. So I tell them I will be on my way or maybe one of the nurses. Of course I was working and one doctor instead of the usual four providers. One of the daycare workers went in to check on Sydney while I was on the phone with her and said "oh Meghan its in her hair". This just did it for me, I told the nurses to reschedule anyone that was not sick and I would be right back. I drove to get Sydney, 5 minute drive from my office. When I walked in the room she was sitting in a chair next to the trash can and immediately started to cry when she saw me. The ladies had rinsed out her hair and put in back in a ponytail. I scooped her up with all her bags of dirty clothes and carried her to the car. Thank God for emesis bags because Sydney used about 8 of them. My staff sat with her while I saw a few patients and then I took a look at her, of course her throat was red so I convinced her to let me swab her throat- normally she puts up a huge fight but I do not think she had it in her. Strep throat! Sydney has had strep 11 times now, 8 times prior to having her tonsils out and now three times since. Her doctor came in and took a look at her and we agreed it was best to give her a bicillin shot since she could not stop throwing up. She agreed to the shot and again barely put up a fight. I wrapped up my messages and again packed her up. She threw up in the parking lot again and on the way to the daycare to pick up Griffin. After we got home she was sick at least 10-15 more times and I knew she was dehydrated so I called her doctor on call and requested zofran. Bill was on his way home so he stopped at the pharmacy. She had zofran at 815 and finally stopped vomiting. Prior to this she has only vomited once in her life (if my memory serves me). We kept her up for a while and pushed pedialyte and then she slept beside our bed. She did not wake up til 8 which is 2 hours past her normal time but she was up til almost 10. Today she has eaten 2-3 saltines and 1/2 grilled cheese. She refused applesauce but she has had more pedialyte and milk. I hated to give her milk so soon but it is all she wanted so I gave in. I have not given any more zofran but she has not gotten sick again. I just tucked her in and I think she will sleep well. I am thankful we have access to medical care and that we have medications like zofran to help our little girl, otherwise I think we would have ended up with an IV to keep her hydrated.
What are you thankful for today?

Braids

Our Sydney in braids ready for school. Sydney used to dislike getting her hair done, she would cry and pull away from me even if I was just combing her hair. We used to stick to quick fixes like barrettes. Now that Syd is a little older she likes to have her hair done. I need to take a class like my mom did when I was little and learn some new ways to fix girl hair.

Isn't she cute in braids?

Are you any good at hair?

A Giveaway

Check out Lisa Leonard's blog and enter her giveaway!! I have one of the necklaces she is giving away so if I win I will have to give mine away.

Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Yummy! Sydney and I made this bread Sunday and I wish we had made a double batch! I found the recipe on the site http://moneysavingmom.com/. Here is the recipe link. We do not have a bread machine so we mixed the warm water and yeast in a large bowl and let it set 4-5 minutes, then we added the rest of the bread ingredients. I kneaded the dough for 3-4 minutes and then we rolled it out. It is delicious! You could make a drizzle with milk and confectioners sugar if you wanted to dress it up a bit but it is yummy warm all by itself.

Outdoor Fun

When the weather is nice we play outside

we bounce

we yell at the neighbors dogs (okay just Griffin)

we dance



we wear sunglasses

we throw balls around the yard

and have a good time

what do you do outside when the weather is nice?

Weekend

We had the perfect weekend. Bill has worked the last seven Saturdays in a row! Normally he works every other Saturday but he picked up a few extra days since things have been slow and then he had to work a home show one weekend. It has been a major treat to have him around two whole days in a row. Saturday we spent almost the entire day outside. Bill had the kids out with him in the morning while I worked on some inside chores. Lunch for everyone and then nap for Griffin. Sydney cuddled on my bed while I read some of my book. When Griffin work up the kids had a snack and we headed back outside. We walked around the yard, picked some goldenrod and went for a short walk. We came in and I made dinner for Bill and the kids and then my friend Ellie picked me up. We went out to dinner at Bonefish (my first time, delicious) and then went to a movie.
Sunday was rainy so we had pancakes and stayed in our pjs. We played, and snuggled on the couch. Sydney and I made cinnamon swirl bread. Everyone took a nap except for me. I prepped some food for the week. Bill grilled steaks in the rain and we just hung out together. It was a fabulous weekend at our house. How was your weekend?

A giveaway post on Ginny's blog

Check out Ginny's blog and Stubby Pencil Studio! Stubby Pencil Studio has all kids of neat kids school supplies, craft supplies, reusable bags and more!

Fables

We have been reading fables lately from the book I'll Tell You a Story, I'll Sing you a Song

Sydney thinks fables are great so we thought we would share one with you. Sydney's favorite is The Boy Who Cried Wolf!

The Ugly Duckling
Once upon a time down on an old farm, lived a duck family, and Mother Duck had been sitting on a clutch of new eggs. One nice morning, the eggs hatched and out popped six chirpy ducklings. But one egg was bigger than the rest, and it didn't hatch. Mother Duck couldn't recall laying that seventh egg. How did it get there? TOCK! TOCK! The little prisoner was pecking inside his shell.

"Did I count the eggs wrongly?" Mother Duck wondered. But before she had time to think about it, the last egg finally hatched. A strange looking duckling with gray feathers that should have been yellow gazed at a worried mother. The ducklings grew quickly, but Mother Duck had a secret worry.

"I can't understand how this ugly duckling can be one of mine!" she said to herself, shaking her head as she looked at her last born. Well, the gray duckling certainly wasn't pretty, and since he ate far more than his brothers, he was outgrowing them. As the days went by, the poor ugly duckling became more and more unhappy. His brothers didn't want to play with him, he was so
clumsy, and all the farmyard folks simply laughed at him. He felt sad and lonely, while Mother Duck did her best to console him.

"Poor little ugly duckling!" she would say. "Why are you so different from the others?" And the ugly duckling felt worse than ever. He secretly wept at night. He felt nobody wanted him.

"Nobody loves me, they all tease me! Why am I different from my brothers?"

Then one day, at sunrise, he ran away from the farmyard. He stopped at a pond and began to question all the other birds. "Do you know of any ducklings with gray feathers like mine?" But everyone shook their heads in scorn.

"We don't know anyone as ugly as you." The ugly duckling did not lose heart, however, and kept on making inquiries. He went to another pond, where a pair of large geese gave him the same answer to his question. What's more, they warned him: "Don't stay here! Go away! It's dangerous. There are men with guns around here!" The duckling was sorry he had ever left the farmyard.

Then one day, his travels took him near an old countrywoman's cottage. Thinking he was a stray goose, she caught him.

"I'll put this in a hutch. I hope it's a female and lays plenty of eggs!" said the old woman, whose eyesight was poor. But the ugly duckling laid not a single egg. The hen kept frightening him.

"Just wait! If you don't lay eggs, the old woman will wring your neck and pop you into the pot!" And the cat chipped in: "Hee! Hee! I hope the woman cooks you, then I can gnaw at your bones!" The poor ugly duckling was so scared that he lost his appetite, though the old woman kept stuffing him with food and grumbling: "If you won't lay eggs, at least hurry up and get plump!"

"Oh, dear me!" moaned the now terrified duckling. "I'll die of fright first! And I did so hope someone would love me!"

Then one night, finding the hutch door ajar, he escaped. Once again he was all alone. He fled as far away as he could, and at dawn, he found himself in a thick bed of reeds. "If nobody wants me, I'll hid here forever." There was plenty a food, and the duckling began to feel a little happier, though he was lonely. One day at sunrise, he saw a flight of beautiful birds wing overhead. White, with long slender necks, yellow beaks and large wings, they were migrating south.

"If only I could look like them, just for a day!" said the duckling, admiringly. Winter came and the water in the reed bed froze. The poor duckling left home to seek food in the snow. He dropped exhausted to the ground, but a farmer found him and put him in his big jacket pocket.

"I'll take him home to my children. They'll look after him. Poor thing, he's frozen!" The duckling was showered with kindly care at the farmer's house. In this way, the ugly duckling was able to survive the bitterly cold winter.

However, by springtime, he had grown so big that the farmer decided: "I'll set him free by the pond!" That was when the duckling saw himself mirrored in the water.

"Goodness! How I've changed! I hardly recognize myself!" The flight of swans winged north again and glided on to the pond. When the duckling saw them, he realized he was one of their kind, and soon made friends.

"We're swans like you!" they said, warmly. "Where have you been hiding?"

"It's a long story," replied the young swan, still astounded. Now, he swam majestically with his fellow swans. One day, he heard children on the river bank exclaim: "Look at that young swan! He's the finest of them all!"

And he almost burst with happiness.

http://ivyjoy.com/fables/duckling.html

Do you have a favorite fable?

I'll Start

Did you jump in and comment on the last I'll Start post? If not now is your chance.

Do you have any friends or relatives that you have lost touch with and you desire to reunite? I have a friend who I was close with in High School and part of college and then we just became different people. We just lost touch and I have not spoken to her in years. I think of her periodically and wonder where she and and what she is doing. Even though we drifted apart I believe we would get along now and have lots of things in common. I have tried to find this friend on face book and she is not there, at least not with her maiden name. Maybe some day our paths will cross again and we will reconnect. My old friends name is Shannon Smith.

Who is it that you want to reconnect with?

Hers now His

Griffin looking at a book that was Sydney's favorite and is now Griffin's.

He loves to turn the pages and to make animal noises. His favorite animals are dogs, the wolf, owl, deer, cow and the bear.

Mommy's helper

Welcoming Spring

hello to daffodils in our yard, rain boats, spring jackets and sunshine!