Movie Mania Monday!

Somebody's got a Big Boy Bed! UPDATE!!!

UPDATE:
So Maddox's first night in his Big Boy bed went great! He slept the whole night without a peep until 6:00 a.m. this morning. It couldn't have gone any better! However, now Maddox is really taking all this Big Boy stuff to heart. This morning he insisted on picking out his own shirt. Even made me hold up a couple several times until he'd made his choice. Then he went to the pantry, opened up the door, took out the jar of peanut butter, took it to his place at the table, and sat down with it. Like he was going to eat nothing but peanut butter for breakfast. Now, if only we could convince him that Big Boys don't need a Binky AND use the potty.

Somebody's got a Big Boy Bed!

I know, I know, having a complete Thomas overload for a bed is a little commercial. I don't really care, because I think we finally got something right! We had Maddox help us take down his crib and set up his new Big Boy bed. We talked all about it, let him play on it, and so obviously made his favorite icon work for us. It is currently 8:10 and he is out for the night without a PEEP. Without a Friggin' PEEP!

(Plus, it's better than sleeping in a bathtub.

Who would let their kid sleep in the bathtub?!)

Naughty or Nice?

We were all REALLY good this year here at the McQuary household because Santa was REALLY good to us this Holiday! Below is a pic of Maddox with his most beloved present.

(Yes, it is an entire train table!)

Please note: He is still going strong and this is AFTER 3 hours! What can I say? My kid LOVES his trains!

Well, he WAS hard at work...

Maddox WAS hard at work on the Flipper (aka Yucky House). Measuring, marking, and hammering make a guy tired so he took a nap in the brand-new (and had been cleaned) bathtub.

Probably not the greatest nap he's ever taken

but it made a really good picture!

Finally...new pics of the Yucky House

Here's what it looked like before. The yard was completely taken over by weeds. The retaining wall needed a lot of help. The trees were overgrown, needed a new roof, the list goes on.

Here's an up -close of the house now. I wish the shadows wouldn't have been so bad in these pics. I'll have to take some better ones. There are sheets in the windows, so that still looks a little ghetto, but the rest of the outside looks nice. New roof, front door, mailbox, house numbers, lighting fixture, and paint.

We pruned the trees (or tore them out completely), planted sod, fixed the retaining wall, put up a new fence in back. With the shadows these pics don't really do it justice, I'll take more. Click HERE to check out the before and after backyard pics.

New Haircut

Here's a pic of my new hair. Actually, not so new. I had it cut a few weeks back. I just think it needs mentioning that this is the best haircut I've ever had. I can do my hair in 20 minutes. (Even though I still don't do it every day) I will be going back to this guy because this is the first cut that I've left with and been able to re-create successfully.

Slow Cooking Thursday!

Click HERE for more great Slow Cooking Thursday recipes!

Holiday Turkey Roast

(I'm making this as we speak!)

3/4 Cup Marmalade

1 Can (16 oz) Cranberry Sauce

1 Turkey Breast (2 to 2 1/2 lbs.)

Salt & Pepper

In a small bowl, mix marmalade and cranberry sauce. Place turkey in slow cooker and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over turkey. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Slice turkey and spoon sauce over slices.

Wordless Wednesday!

Click HERE for more Wordless Wednesday.

New YUM-O Recipe...

Apple Dumplings!

This is a very YUM-O recipe! The above picture are the ones I made, what they lack in presentation they more than make up for with taste! If you don't know, I LOVE Rachael Ray, and this recipe came out of her magazine. Here it is:

Apple Dumplings

1 (8 oz.) can crescent rolls
1 apple - peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges
1 stick (4 oz.) butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup Mountain Dew (YES, you read that right)

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Unfold the crescent rolls. Place an apple wedge on the wide edge of each piece of dough and roll up; place the dumplings in a baking dish.

2. In a saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar and cinnamon over medium heat; stir in the Mountain Dew. Pour the mixture on the dumplings. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes; remove the foil and bake 15 minutes longer.

Makes 4 servings. (2 each)

So you SHOULD make these, Maddox LOVES them. (so do I) I asked for a subscription to Rachael Ray's magazine for Christmas. I should have asked for some of her spoonulas or cookware. I'm really starting to get more interested in cooking lately, and Shawn says if I stick with it, someday I could probably upgrade my cookware. Rachael Ray online store...here I come...

A little Light on Black Friday...

Over at My Mommy's Place: Mommy's Blog she had a great idea. Check out her post A Little Light on Black Friday. I'll be participating and offering something up in the next couple of weeks. Right now I'm trying to get caught up on laundry, get my house clean after having company stay, and working everything out after having my wallet stolen. So check back to see what you could win.

I'm a Winner!

So I won something!

I won this pair of awesome Twisted Silver earrings

over at Adventures in Babywearing!

WooHoo! My day is looking up!

Elevated Social Status...

So we just bought a Wii. Haven't even had it a week yet and already our social status has gotten a big boost. We've had friends over for a Wii party, that was fun. But we have many many more people lined up, wanting to bring us things (such as beer and goodies) just for a chance to hang out with us. Or should I say hang out with our Wii. I'm not complaining, fun will be had by all. Had I only known we would have bought a Wii long before now. We can always use more beer.

Fridge from Hell...

UPDATE: To answer Lisa's question...Shawn's Mom works at an appliance store in Clarkston. If we buy it there we get our appliances at cost + 10%, but have to haul it ourselves. However, it's still a rockin' good deal because on the fridge alone we saved almost $600. Plus, Shawn's family lives there so he gets to see his family too.

So here's a picture of our new fridge, officially in the kitchen as of last night. Everything that could go wrong with this has gone wrong. When unloading it from the truck last weekend Shawn's finger got caught in the back of the fridge and tore out a big chunk of his finger. We then spent many hours in the emergency room because we couldn't get the bleeding stopped. By the time it was our turn to be seen, the bleeding had stopped. So there wasn't any skin to sew up so they put this fake skin stuff in the hole and said that more skin would grow back. OK. While the whole finger thing was happening one of the fridge doors got dented. Not even in the house and it's dented. (Shawn's Mom works at the appliance store so they're drop-shipping us a new door for free, all we have to do is put it on, that was nice) Then getting it into the house was a pain in the ass. We had to remove both doors and the drawer to get it through the door, but then it still didn't really fit so a little non-important piece got broken off. Of course we were having friends over for dinner, but Shawn wanted to get the new fridge in the house. So when they showed up all the contents of our old fridge were scattered all over the kitchen and dining room, the new fridge was still being put back together, and I hadn't even started dinner yet. (at least I was just making Papa Murphy's pizza) At least it's now in the house, but now that it's in the house it's making my stove and counter tops look like ass. I guess they're next on the never-ending home improvement list.

Slow Cooking Thursday!

It's Thursday again. Head over HERE for more great slow cooker recipes.

Mexican Pork

1 pound boneless pork roast, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 jar (20 oz. ) salsa

1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies, drained

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, optional

1. Mix pork, salsa and chilies in slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or until pork is tender. Stir in beans. Cover and cook on low about 5 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with cheese.

Wordless Wednesday!

Click HERE for more Wordless Wednesday!

WooHoo for ME!

So you all know about the Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway. Well...I WON...TWICE! I'm so excited! First, I won 2 organizing books by Kathy Peel. Thanks Lynnae! Check out her blog at From Under the Clutter. I really NEED these books! Hope they help me get organized!

Then I won 3 5 x 7 prints of my choice from Jennifer Grant Morris! Check out her work at A Thousand Words. If you're interested I picked "tulips in black and white", "sun on water", and "winter's signature" from her "My World" set.

PLUS... you should really check out PRIZEY because I won a potty training prize pack! I'm a prize-winning machine!

And the Winner is....

And the winner of my $5 Starbucks

Bloggy Giveaway...

is Amy from My Zoe Bug!

Congratulations Amy!

Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway!

The time has finally come...Giveaway Time! I hope you've all set aside several hours this week so you'll have plenty of time to enter all the drawings. I won something during the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway so I'm PSYCHED for this one! This awesome event is hosted by Bloggy Giveaways, for the master list of participants click HERE.

Here's what I'm giving away this time:

A $5 Starbucks card!

What's better than coffee?

My drawing is open to all US and Canadian residents, whether you have a blog or not, and I'm also covering the cost of shipping. To enter just leave a comment (if you don't have a blog be sure to leave me an e-mail address so I can contact you) on this post by noon, Friday November 2nd. I'll use a random number generator to pick a winner that afternoon. Good Luck!

Why did I bother...& the easiest fish recipe...EVER!

So tonight I attempted to make my family a healthy dinner. I made fish (real fish, not fish sticks), mashed potatoes, and green beans. Maddox came running to the table when I called dinner, took one look at his plate and started crying. FUCK! I was hungry and Maddox had eaten hardly any lunch so I caved and brought him something else. He's teething (last 4 molars) and not feeling well, and like I said, I caved. I shouldn't have bothered because he didn't eat that either, well I guess he ate a container of yogurt and like 4 green beans and his soy milk. wow. On the plus side I have discovered the EASIEST fish recipe EVER. I'm serious, it takes 8 minutes in the microwave. 8 minutes in the microwave, that's it! I used to be so intimidated by any recipe calling for fish, I had no flipping clue how to make fish. Well, not any more! Seriously, this recipe could not get any easier. Shawn and I really liked it. Maddox didn't, but he doesn't seem to like food at all lately, so his opinion doesn't count. Here it is:

Sole Fillets in Lemon Butter

4 sole fillets (4 oz each)
(I actually just used one big piece of fish that I cut into 3 sections, and I'm not even sure it was really sole, but it WAS some kind of fish)
salt and pepper
3 T. butter, melted
1 T. lemon juice (I used a little more)
Crushed butter-flavored crackers

Place the fish in an ungreased microwave-safe dish; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and microwave 3 - 4 minutes. (I have an 1100 watt microwave and only cooked the fish 3 minutes the first time) In a small bowl combine the butter and lemon juice; pour over fillets. Sprinkle with the cracker crumbs. Cover and microwave for 4 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. That's it!

In our house everything comes at a price...

Me: Shawn will you go clean up the dog barf?

Shawn: No.

Me: I'll give you $5.

Shawn: OK.

To the vet again...

Yes, that's right, we took a dog to the vet, AGAIN! This time it was Sophie. She licked a patch of fur off of her leg and was occasionally limping. Apparently she has food allergies. So we had to go to Petsmart last night and buy a bag of more expensive dog food that does not contain beef or chicken. I did not know this but if you have the original dog food packaging you can return unused dog food to petsmart for an exchange. I, of course, had already thrown the packaging out because we store the dog's food in the container under their bowls. So this morning I'm taking 30+ lbs. of dog food, and some assorted cans of dog food to the humane society. On the plus side at least the old food will still get used, and the trip to the vet was a little under $100, it's usually never that cheap!

Field Trip!

Maddox had a field trip today and it was the perfect time to try out my new camera! We went Hidden Acres out in Greenbluff and took a tour. All the kids had a great time.

Here's Maddox with the preschool class after we picked pumpkins. None of the kids in his class would stand together to take a class photo. So Maddox got to stand next to his hero Hunter. Hunter is teacher Bethany's four-year-old son who Maddox thinks is the greatest.

Here's Maddox with his pumpkin devouring the snack they gave the kids. A pumpkin doughnut and apple cider. The parents got a snack too, yum!

He wasn't very happy when I set him on this pumpkin!

Here's Maddox and I in a self-portrait during the hay ride. Maddox was a little scared, the tractor was pretty loud.

Yucky House....

Well our yucky house isn't so yucky anymore...

at least on the outside.

Here's the backyard before we started. The fence was falling down and the trees were overgrown. The green stuff you see wasn't grass, it was weeds.
Here's the backyard while we were working on it.
We started from scratch.

Here's the finished product!

Looks good, doesn't it?!

Wait until you see the pictures of the front!

(I need to go and take the after pictures)

Slow Cooking Thursday!

For more great slow cooker recipes click HERE.

My recipe this week comes from the magazine "Simple & Delicious".

Thai-Style Pork

2 lbs. boneless pork chops

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

2 T. rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 T. cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Hot cooked rice.

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts

Lime juice, optional

Place pork chops in slow cooker. Combine the teriyaki sauce, vinegar, pepper flakes, and garlic; pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until meat is tender. Remove pork and cut into bite-sized pieces; keep warm. Strain cooking juices into a large saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in peanut butter; add meat. Serve with rice. Sprinkle with onions and peanuts. Drizzle with lime juice if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Wordless Wednesday!

This time last year...

For more Wordless Wednesday click HERE.

Some Good, Clean, Halloween Fun...

You Are

A Classic Pumpkin Face You would make a good pumpkin pie.

What's Your Pumpkin Face?

Butterfinger

They call you sticky fingers for a reason!

What Kind of Candy Are You?

Your Monster Profile

Infamous Lunatic You Feast On: Fried Chicken You Lurk Around In: The Hearts of Men You Especially Like to Torment: Boys Who Wear Make-up

What's Your Monster Name?

100 Things...

The time has come…in true blogging fashion my 100th post is 100 things that you may or may not know about me. I was SO EXCITED to do this that I actually tried a while back. Click HERE to check out 65 things about me. (Coming up with 100 things is hard! I started my new list after my 90th post) Here it is:

100 Things

1. I’ve recently developed an allergy to cats.
2. I still don’t understand how a person can develop an allergy to something all of a sudden, after over 25 years.
3. I’m addicted to Bath & Body Works body splash.
4. My current body splash scent: pineapple.
5. Right now my dream job would be working at Joanne’s Fabrics, or any quilt shop.
6. If I worked at my dream job I would probably spend my paycheck before I got it.
7. I would LOVE to start rock climbing again.
8. Currently I’m too fat to start rock climbing again.
9. I HATE spiders. I don’t care how small or big they are I hate them all equally.
10. I forget to buy stamps at the store EVERY time I need to buy them.
11. I wish I knew how to really dance, like ballroom or something.
12. Double sided tape ROCKS!
13. I’ve been having a hard time sleeping lately, can’t turn off my brain.
14. It seems ironic that I can’t turn off my brain at night because it doesn’t feel like I use it during the day.
15. People who don’t signal when they’re turning are as stupid as people who don’t turn their blinker off after they’ve turned. They annoy me.
16. My friend Lisa has a blog that I REALLY want to read, maybe someday she’ll let me. (HINT, HINT)
17. I’ve started to realize that I have an online giveaway addiction.
18. I now only sign up to win the prizes that I really want. I used to sign up for everything.
19. My least favorite rental home repair is working on toilets. Damn wax ring!
20. I actually like painting.
21. Not the prepping or the cleanup, just the painting part.
22. I once doubled my money at blackjack…
23. Since I only started with $20, I only won $20.
24. Math was my worst subject in school…
25. I had to take algebra three times.
26. I wish I had one of those big trampolines in my backyard.
27. I think Bigfoot exists.
28. My first job was at Wendy’s. Would you like to Biggie Size that?
29. I seriously think I’m allergic to maple syrup.
30. I can’t keep any plants in my house alive.
31. I’m afraid to wear contact lenses…
32. Considering getting Lasik.
33. I’m terrified of driving in the snow without studded snow tires.
34. I adopt my pets from the pound…
35. Every time I walk into the pound I cry.
36. I’ve always wanted to see the Nutcracker.
37. I LOVE my crock pot
38. I tend to buy myself expensive shoes.
39. I told my husband that we’d take turns cleaning up the poop if we got a dog…
40. I lied…
41. Now he won’t let me buy Maddox a fish.
42. I love going to my piano lessons…
43. Partly because I get out of the house by MYSELF.
44. I have several pairs of really awesome, really high shoes…
45. I don’t ever wear them because they aren’t comfortable.
46. I absolutely hate pulling weeds.
47. I think my Swifer Wet Jet is crappy.
48. Someday I will pay someone to clean my house so I don’t have to.
49. Even though our dogs are 70 & 90 lbs. we give them a bath in our bathtub.
50. I clean the bathtub afterwards.
51. I think pulling the guts out of a turkey or chicken is disgusting.
52. I generally like listening to all different types of music…
53. But I’d rather listen to opera than rap.
54. I LOVE chocolate…
55. But my favorite dessert is Strawberry Shortcake…
56. However, it has to be made with fresh strawberries, not frozen.
57. I get in food ruts.
58. My favorite restaurant right now is Chili’s.
59. When Maddox is older I’m going back to school…
60. I’m not sure yet what I’ll go back to school for.
61. I spend too much time on the computer.
62. Mike’s Hard Lime…Yum
63. I wish I had more energy.
64. I’ve been to Mexico once
65. It was for a mission trip and I stayed in an orphanage
66. I’d like to be a good cook…
67. By good I sort of mean fancy…
68. Someone who cooks things like tarts, or fancy appetizers.
69. I buy all my wrapping paper, gift bags, etc. at the Dollar Store
70. I hardly ever dream when I’m asleep…
71. I wonder what that means about me.
72. I’ve decided I don’t really care for Kettle Corn
73. I prefer Spring and Fall to Summer and Winter
74. Mayonnaise is so gross
75. If I feel like I’m going to puke I cannot function.
76. I like hot chocolate…
77. But I only like the powdery kind that you add water to, not the kind with real chocolate and milk.
78. I dislike selling things…
79. I have to sell a lot of things for Maddox’s preschool.
80. I’d love to have a really fancy kitchen, something from out of a magazine…
81. Stainless steel would be everywhere…
82. Even though stainless is harder to clean
83. I took two years of Spanish in high school…
84. I barely remember any of it.
85. I really like Cinnabon.
86. I’ve promised myself that next Spring I will plant a garden again…
87. I will water it, weed it, and not kill it.
88. I only like tomatoes if they’re tomato sauce.
89. I don’t really like to vote…
90. But I do…
91. Even though I don’t really feel like it makes a difference.
92. I wish my blog had a cool header; maybe I’ll put it on my Christmas list.
93. I like doing paperwork…
94. It makes me feel important
95. I like jewelry…
96. I just hardly ever wear it
97. I know the Bob the Builder theme song by heart.
98. I love taking pictures and I think I’m good at it.
99. I enjoy going to a movie theatre to see a movie…
100. Whenever I go out to see a movie I buy way too much crap, and can never eat it all.

Soon to be a millionaire?

Well, I have had a LUCKY day and think I might just go buy a lottery ticket! I was 92.9's Loyal Listener 783 (?? - you'd think I'd remember my number!) and won TWO prizes...count em' TWO prizes. I NEVER win anything! I won two tickets to Fastkart to race go-karts and I won two tickets to see Brandi Carlile and a Fine Frenzy at the Big Easy next Wednesday! AND...my application to Blogher was approved. So in a few days you will see a small, yet tasteful, ad at the top left of my blog. Some people might call me a sell out, I prefer to lean more towards entrepreneur. Gas station here I come! (That is where you buy a lottery ticket...right?)

Slow Cooking Thursday!

As always click Here to get to the heart of the matter.

I have to give credit where credit is due...this week's recipe is out of the magazine"Simple & Delicious". I haven't tried this yet but am looking forward to it because there HAS to be an easy way to make ribs! Here it is:

Tender Spareribs

4 lbs. pork spareribs

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup mustard

1/4 cup molasses

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablesppons Worchestire sauce

1 to 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

Place ribs in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine the remaining ingrediants; pour over ribs. Cover and cook on low for 5 1/2 to 6 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with a slotted spoon. Serves 8.

Wordless Wednesday!

Click on over HERE to check out more Wordless Wednesday!

La La La La La....

So Maddox does well at co-op. He starts getting excited as soon as we pull up outside. However, he DOES NOT like circle time! He doesn't want to sing, but most of all he doesn't want ME to sing. I'm no Britney Spears, but I don't think I suck either. I just don't get it. If I try to sing he shakes his head and repeatedly tells me no. He's giving me a complex.

I'm Baaaacccckkkk!

Whew, has it really been a week since I've last posted? I've been trying to get things ready to sell for a craft fair the first week of November. All this fabric...so little time. My Etsy store has been busy so I'm rapidly running out of stock. Anyway, I've missed blogging so I'm back! Coming up at the end of this month Rocks in My Dryer is hosting another Bloggy Giveaway! I'm still trying to decide what I'm going to give away...

Maddox Dancing & Causing Trouble at the Apple Festival!

Halloween Giveaway!

Well, no one won my Halloween giveaway. I think I told too many people before I decided to host a giveaway. ANYWAY, Maddox is going to be a cow! Mooo!

Slow Cooking Thursday!

Click HERE to check out my Halloween Giveaway!

Check out Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for more great Slow Cooking Thursday! My recipe this week is a twist on my Sweet & Spicy Pork Chops. Here's Mine:

Sweet & Spicy Pork with a Twist

1 lb pork tenderloin (or 4 pork chops)

1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce

1 can (16 oz) jellied cranberry sauce

2 Tbsp brown sugar

5 cups enriched rice

1. Place pork in slow cooker. (I ALWAYS use a crock pot liner!)

2. In bowl, mix together chili sauce, cranberry, and brown sugar. Pour over pork.

3. Cover. Cook on high 4 to 5 hours. If using the pork tenderloin continue to cook on low an additional 3 to 4 hours. Serve pork over cooked rice.

Wordless Wednesday!

Head over HERE to check out my Halloween Giveaway!

Halloween Giveaway!

OK folks, I'm going to host a little giveaway! Guess what Maddox is going to be for Halloween?! All you have to do is leave a comment by noon, Friday, October 5th, stating your guess on what Maddox is going to be for Halloween this year. This contest is open to everyone in the U.S. and Canada. If you don't have a blog leave your e-mail so I can get in touch with you. The winner will receive a Halloween table runner, lovingly made by me. EASY! Good Luck! I'll even give you a HINT: he was a skunk last year, so he's not a skunk this year.

Disclaimer: If I've already told you, you obviously can't win, so don't guess!

WooHoo!

So I sold more stuff! Two table runners and one tag around blanket, in addition to the apron that I sold. That's four items in one month, I started my online store on September 3rd. I'm not doing too bad! I'm sharing a booth with Shawn's mom for a craft fair in Clarkston, the first weekend in November, I'm hoping that I'll do well.

Slow Cooking Thursday!

Well it's that time again...Slow Cooking Thursday! Check out Sandra's Blog Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for more great slow cooker recipes. I have to mention that I may be running out of slow cooker recipes. The one for this week is another one that I haven't tried yet. Here's mine:

Chicken Parmigiana

1 egg
1 cup dried bread crumbs
6 chicken breasts, skinless
1 jar (10.5 oz) pizza sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 slices mozzarella cheese

1. Beat egg in a shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken breasts into egg, then dip into bread crumbs, using spoon to coat meat on all sides.

2. Saute chicken in large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray.

3. Arrange one layer of chicken in slow cooker. Pour 1/2 of the pizza sauce on top. Add second layer of chicken. Pour remaining sauce over top. Cover.

4. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or until chicken is tender but not dry. Just before done, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and add mozzarella on top, cover, and cook 15 more minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Wordless Wednesday!

He's been a Busy Bee

Maddox wasn't feeling that great today so we stayed home. Awhile back I

bought a Busy Bee Bag for when I needed something new to do with Maddox.

Here's one of the activities out of his bag, Flower Fun, and it was FUN!
It came with some florist foam and a bunch of
silk flowers for arranging into a
center piece.

Here's Maddox's first centerpiece!

He was so proud of it I threw it into a clay pot that I had

but it didn't quite fit. I was thinking that I could paint up a couple of these clay pots

and have Maddox make a flower arrangement in it for a Christmas present

for his Great Grandma's, just from him.

I don't know, just a thought.

Maddox just kept saying "Oooohhhh, Oooohhhh".

He had me take the flowers out so he could do it again.

He's really concentrating.

He'd pick the flower that he wanted and then

find just the right spot for it in the foam.

Every once in a while he stopped and smell one of the flowers.

Here's Maddox's 2nd flower arrangement.

After this one I stopped taking pictures, we did this for a while.

He just LOVED it!

The Busy Bee Bags come with 10 activities in each bag. Each activity is in it's own gallon Ziploc with everything you need. I got Maddox the "Little Bees" bag for 2-3 year olds. So far he's really liked it.

Soccer Tots!

Soccer Tots started yesterday and Maddox LOVED it! The above picture

isn't very good but this is Maddox as soon as we walked out onto the turf and he

saw all the soccer balls. He started running!

Here he is kicking, and getting distracted. He's one of the youngest.

They didn't have enough interest in the youngest class so they put him in the older class.

Most of the kids are 2 1/2, and Maddox kicks better than quite a few of them.

He doesn't follow directions near as well.

He loved to pick up and bring it to "coach".

He was tired of me taking pictures but I wanted to capture his soccer outfit.
Notice that his shirt says "Soccer Champions".

All in all we had a great time. Great exercise for me because "coach" kept us running the whole 45 minutes. Half the class was for fun and geared toward the kids with songs and games. During the other half you could tell that they were training them to be soccer players. I talked to "coach" afterwards about Maddox being so young, since yesterday was kind of like a trial run. He said that getting them to have fun is half the battle and Maddox had NO problem having fun. A couple of the little girls didn't want to participate and their Moms had to carry them running for some of the activities. And I COULD NOT believe this one family. Their son was 18 months, so even younger than Maddox. After a few minutes the Mom told the Dad that it wasn't working out so he took over. This is a quote overheard from this dad "You're going to do this, you don't see any of the other kids crying!" Holy shit! The kid was only 18 months, and honestly he was following directions better than Maddox, what did that guy expect?!
So other than the psycho dad we're looking forward to next week!

Another Yucky House Update

More progress is being made, but I still hate this house. It will continue to rule our lives probably until Spring. This is the kitchen after it's been gutted.
This is the basement. We'll be putting in an egress window in two weeks
and pouring a concrete floor the end of October/beginning of November.
When finished it will be the 3rd bedroom and a big family room.


Here's me operating the backhoe. (Horrible pic of me!)
I didn't actually do anything important, just moved some dirt around.

Here's Maddox driving the backhoe with Grandpa.

He liked the cause and effect of the levers.

He was really working hard.

Is it any wonder that he's obsessed with construction and trucks right now?!

We're using the backhoe to level out and shape the landscaping.

We're loading the excess dirt into the dump truck.
It's great that all we have to pay for is the gas to run these machines

because someone in the family owns them.

Here's Maddox heading off in the dump truck to dump the load.

Maddox loved to watch the dump truck in action.