The Lazy Days of Spring Break

  We had a super great week of just playing outside!  The weather was GORGEOUS, praise the Lord! 

We must have had extra fun, because I have NEVER had seen such dirty bath water when I bathed the kids before bed.  It was so murky, I made them stand for a shower yet too!  🙂

  We ate supper in the tree house a couple of times, watched a “Trampoline Show” or two, starring Destiny and her well-trained acrobat, Tylan, who followed her hand motions perfectly! 🙂   The 3 big kids had a “Sibling Slumber Party” every night in the girl’s room, I love to hear the songs and giggles coming from that room!  Let’s see what else, we went to the library to get new books, got some chickens, had a few play dates, and Destiny had a slumber party with her cousin, Brooklyn. 

  Oh, I got to go see October Baby with my momma and best friend, Kasey.  {GREAT flick, by the way, a must see! Take Kleenex!}  Our theatre was only going to bring it to town for a few days and so many churches advertised and promoted this, that they allowed it to stay through Thursday! Cool, right?!  I’d say those kind of numbers speak volumes of what kind of films we want to see in theatres!!!!!   Also, I had three photo sessions, which I will share in the coming weeks! 

  Some people might think that was a boring Spring Break, but I think it was just perfect for us! 

Happy Monday!  Back to the ol’ routine!

~T

 Spring Break Photos: 

Avery parked her “Mommy” things while she took her nap. It was too sweet not to snap a shot!  She has good taste, out of all my shoes, she nabbed the Jessica Simpsons with leopard print heel! 

Tickets to the Trampoline show!

My intro.  Apparently I was NOT to read the “clap, clap, clap” part.

Where did Paxton go? 

Oh wait, what’s that tiny speck?  Mr. Pax following Sophie around.  Guess he is done watching the show?!

Planting the garden!

Play dates with special friends:

New feathered friends!  (trying to grow our flock as we currently have more demand than supply)

Ooo, they pecked my hand!

Paxton says his Spring Break was full of good “clean” fun!

And it was a bit exhausting too!

 

Clever, no?! Um, no.

  The other day, when we were hiding Easter eggs before bed, the kids put their Easter baskets on as hats.  I thought they looked terribly adorable and quickly insisted they leave them on for a bit so I could grab my camera and take a quick photo or two.   More like 10.

My mind was already thinking ahead to an upcoming Easter post that I could use these in, it was going to be so cute and clever, no?!

  Ummmmmm, NO.

  Didn’t work AT ALL.

4 tired kids + 4 fuzzy chicky basket hats =  CHAOS

Avery sat like this for several minutes, silently contemplating life from below the rim of her “hat”.

Letting it go, and moving on…..

In other news, Spring is officially here.  Want to know how I know?

  ‘Cause my kiddos feet are looking like this every time they knock on the back door to be let in.

  Which is why they stop here, in the laundry room, to wash hands AND feet, before setting foot in mom’s clean house.

  Good job, buddy!

Oh, and faces too. Did you know……Snot + Sand = Smud?

   Springs arrival also means we can have snack time outside each afternoon, and do homework on a blanket in the yard.  LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

 

  Tomorrow I am doing a post on an Easter tradition of ours, making “Resurrection Cookies”.  Come back and check it out, they are really neat! 

~T

P.S.  Guess who started walking today, just a few days after he turned 8 months?  This may not be uncommon at your house, but at our house, babies don’t start doing this for a few more months and do not walk until they are a year.  (Or if you are Destiny, don’t walk until 18 months old)

Pax grabbed onto this Postal cart and off he went through the kitchen.

Then he fell down twice and wouldn’t have anything do with it after that.

Good! That was a close one. 

Oh, wait, I meant awwww, poor baby!

 

Cheesy BBQ Casserole

  Yesterday was GORGEOUS! Like 85* and perfect out!!!!

  Man, I love Spring time!  There is something so exciting about coming out of the dead of Winter into Spring. Full of new life and new beginnings! The birds are back and singing in the trees, the new shoots of green grass are poking through the dead brown grass of winter,  and the days of summer are just around the corner. 

  On days like this, all I want to do is get outside, and play with my kids, rather than be in the kitchen all afternoon, working on dinner prep!  So yesterday, for a special treat, I let Tylan skip his “resting time” in his bed, to go lay on a quilt outside and read, and bird watch with his toilet paper roll binoculars, until I could join him.

  He was a bit lonely and kept wanting to talk to me through the kitchen window, so when I heard Paxton wake up, I took him out to keep his big brother company until I could join them.

  This is the site that greeted me next time I stepped to the kitchen sink:

Precious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  My agenda, once chores were done, was to paint my toes and hang with my boys!  (Avery was still napping at this point.)  I had a “helper” that made toe painting interesting, but I eventually got it done.

  Done that is, after a major re-do, from a diapered bottom sitting smack down on my still wet big toe!  🙂 

  Next up: the recipe!

   This recipe was so simple I almost skipped it!   I am not a recipe snob! (ok, maybe kinda!)  But I had to wonder how good it could be with such basic ingredients?!?!?!! 🙂 

  I seriously almost didn’t make it, but turns out, it tasted great!  The perfect “throw together” meal after an extra busy day of laying in the sun and painting my nails. 🙂

  The BBQ sauce makes this dish deeeeelicious!  I used Sweet Baby Ray’s, my FAVORITE BBQ sauce.

• 3 cups Macaroni Style Uncooked Pasta (Long Sticks, Not Traditional Macaroni)
• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 1 whole Medium Onion
• ¼ cups Fresh Parsley
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 cups Of Your Favorite BBQ Sauce
• 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
• 2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese
• BBQ Sauce As Garnish

Preparation Instructions

Heat oven to 350*. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. (I used my P. Chef round baker.)
Cook and drain pasta according to package directions.
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8-10 minutes until beef is brown, drain.
Stir pasta, 3 T. Parsley, milk, BBQ sauce, mozzarella cheese and 1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese into beef in skillet. Stir well.
Spoon mixture into casserole dish.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, parsley, plus a swirl of BBQ sauce across the entire surface.
Bake uncovered 30-40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!  I am off to work my “4 & No More” Baby Stuff Sale at my mom’s house, today and tomorrow.  Not to mention, next week is Spring Break for Destiny!

WOO-HOO 🙂

~T