The Heat is On!

Today I wake up and decide to make Blueberry Muffins for breakfast ~ Yummy, I know! Everything goes well... we all enjoy them and the kids start to get ready for school. I smell something burning so I check to make sure the oven was turned off. About 20 minutes later ~ after getting teeth brushed and clothes ironed, I come downstairs and it still smells like something is burning...

~

Can you take a guess at who is at the root of this problem?

I walk around the kitchen and noticed that our little monkey had taken the waffle maker out of the cupboard and plugged it in... and it is piping HOT! Lucky for me, he plugged it in and walked away... Had anyone touched the smoking waffle iron, they would surely have been burned - or perhaps he could have burned down the house... Could that happen from a waffle iron left plugged in?

I am grateful a disaster was avoided!

Our little talker...

For Whitney ~ Who suggested I make this video! Thanks!

(pause the music ~ bottom/left)

My Second Grader

His job at school is glitter stick manager

He reads Magic Tree House books

He likes getting postcards from around the country

His favorite treat is cinnamon rolls

He likes his Tamagotchi(s)

He is taking an 8 week Spanish class

San Francisco Treat!

I ate my share of Rice-A-Roni & Pasta-Roni while I was in college - After I was married, I soon learned that my husband wasn't as big of a rice lover as me. He wasn't home to eat dinner with us last night so I made Rice-A-Roni. My oldest said, "This is the best dinner I've ever eaten!" ~ Interesting, huh?

Rice-A-Roni really is a San Francisco treat!

and Oh, how I love San Francisco...

Breakfast

I usually don't let him eat out of a yogurt container by himself,

unless it's the drinking yogurt he sucks through a straw...

But today I gave in to his persistence and he had a good time!

- Little Monkey -

The Magic Bullet

Perhaps you've seen the 30 minute info-mercial on the magic bullet

and you probably thought, "I have a blender - I don't need that."

Well... I think you are wrong!

Zeeny made me a fat free fruit smoothie for breakfast

a few weeks ago with her magic bullet - and it was delicious!

They are too expensive if you buy them online from their website,

I bought mine at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Zeeny got hers from BJ's

If you love Jamba Juice then you should get yourself one!

Last night we made milk shakes - everyone was able to choose

what they wanted in their own milkshake... and I was able to make

some of them small (with less ice cream and milk) for the kids

and others I filled the cup full - Yes... for myself I made a large!

Call me a Farmer!

One of my favorite summer veggies is corn on the cob! I remember growing up there was an old truck up on Hwy 89 that mom would get corn from. They always had the best, sweetest tasting corn! This year we tried our hand at corn - we got a few edible ears... Most of them were only about half the regular size of an ear of corn. Now our stalks are being used to decorate our home.

Apple Picking Party

Yesterday we went to a little friends Birthday Party

at a nearby Apple Orchard.

All of the 2 year olds loved picking their own apples!

The cider and doughnuts were delicious ~ Click here for more fun apple picking photos!

Blogging Etiquette

Etiquette Exists Everywhere!

But what about in the blogging world...

Are there any rules of Etiquette we should be following?

Leave a comment and let me know what YOU think!

Black Out

Ten years ago when we first moved to New York,

I was told that we were moving to one of the safest areas of our country.

We would never see any sort of natural disaster here...

About a week after we settled into our new apartment we experienced this disaster.

~

The very next day was our first day of work. We had to go to the store to buy bottled water so we could somewhat bathe ourselves! Although we haven't experienced any more tornados, our power goes out A LOT! Last night our power was out for about an hour and a half.

Our kids were so excited because they were able to pull out the fun headlamps that Grandpa & Grandma gave them a few weeks ago.

The first picture was taken without a flash, the second using the flash.

The countdown begins...

~HAPPY HOLIDAYS~

There are exactly three months until Christmas Day! I don't know about any of you, but it's about the time that I start thinking about gifts (both those I give and receive)... I know I still need to get through Halloween and Thanksgiving - but I still can't get the joy (or chore) of Christmas shopping out of my mind right now! With both of the older kids in school this year, I think I will enjoy the shopping much more... The last few years I have had to pick up a big (not clear) bin and fill it up with goodies! Then, lamefully tell the cashier I don't want to buy the bin... that it was just being used to camouflage the secrets inside!

Oktoberfest...

This month the amusement park is celebrating Oktoberfest

(yes, I realize it is still September...)

They reserve the weekends in October for Fright Fest!

The kids thought it was pretty cool to be there when it got dark!

I love the fall... I just don't like it getting dark so early~

Before we know it, it'll be dark at 5pm

Sometimes just watching this ride makes me sick!

Sunday Signs ~

Children are like mirrors ~

They reflect our Attitudes!

A New Recruit...

Grandpa's Visit

Grandpa is here for the weekend and we visited Lake George!

It happened to be the 250th anniversary of the siege and surrender of Fort William Henry. The battle reenactment was quite captivating for the guys interested in history. There were hundreds of participants representing the British, French, Indians, etc. The cannons were so loud ~ and we were right behind them. They had tents set up with crafts and artisans demonstrating their skills from the 1700's. I think Grandpa's strategy was to wear me out so I wouldn't have the energy to shop the outlets when we were done! He succeeded... I was wiped out!