Library and Outside Picnic

Today was a nice day!:)  We had story time at the library and made a Mardi Gras Hat.  We sang songs, they gave us beads, and a stamp when it was over.  Caden and Hannah enjoyed their day!  We came home for lunch and decided to eat outside since it was a much warmer day than it has been.  Then Caden decided he wanted to mow the lawn.  He mowed....and mowed.....and mowed.  I think he mowed for about 45 min.

Breaded Round Steak with Peas and Potatoes

Tenderized Top Round Steak

Olive Oil

Italian Bread Crumbs

1 can of peas

3 red potatoes pealed and thinly sliced

Preheat oven 350

Drizzle olive oil at the bottom of the baking dish.  Pour olive oil in a bowl and pour bread crumbs in a separate bowl.  Cut and peal potatoes and place in olive oil, take them out then roll around in the bread crumbs.  Cook potatoes covered for about 20-30 min.  While that is cooking do the same thing with the meat.  Dip in olive oil, take them out and then roll in bread crumbs.  Place meat on top of potatoes and cook covered for 45 min.  The last 15 min. you will add the peas and you can uncover.  You will do the same thing with the peas as you did with the potatoes and the meat.  

Variations:  If you don't like meat and peas you do not have to add them.  Or you can do chicken instead of round steak.  

Enjoy!!!

File Folder Games

The last two evenings before dinner I have given Caden a File Folder game to play with.  As you all may know right before dinner the house begins to get very loud and you are trying to organize dinner.  The idea came from this awesome blog.  Caden gets so proud of himself when he completes it.  There are all different types of File Folder games but the ones I made are matching.  Color matching and picture matching.  He does really well on the picture matching but some of the colors he needs a little help.  (In this picture it is not dinner time, I took it this morning just so I can get a picture.  It is too crazy before dinner to take pictures lol)

Zoo

It was a beautiful day so off we went to the Zoo with our friends.  We had such a great time!!!  The kids really enjoyed themselves.  I thought for sure that we would have a good nap when we got home.  I don't know if this happens to every other Mom, but my kids fell asleep right when we pulled out of the Zoo.  When we got home 3o minutes later they were up and not a chance of them falling back asleep.

  

Sticker Fun

I got this Thomas The Train Sticker Activity at Marshals for $3.99.  Caden loves it because the stickers come on and off and they are not sticky.  I am not sure what the product is called but I have seen some on Oriental Trading.

Good Buy

Yesterday seemed to be a long day because after daddy got home from work he went surfing and he didn't get home until 7pm.  He is usually home around 5pm.  So we had to be a little creative.  It was our first time playing hide and go seek.  Very funny!  Caden didn't get the concept of hiding but loved looking for me.  He would put his face up against the wall and try and count.  Wish I had a pic of that!

We went to Salvation Army and found some good little toys for cheappppp (they are in great condition too)!  I got tunnel for 3.99 and boy did they have a blast!  A fisher price cash register for 2.99, and a fisher price little superstar at a Little Bo-tique for 14.99.  They had a lot of fun.  (The links are just for looking at the pictures I got these items at Salvation Army and The Little Bo-tique)

A is for Ant Tot book

I have posted before about this great blog for tot lapbooks and website for lapbooks.  Here is another one we have created from their great ideas.  This one Caden was more involved.  He did enjoy this one better because he was involved.  He also is learning the order of counting by this lapbook.  We counted ants, I had him glue the amount of ants for each number.  The next morning he pointed to the screws on his bed and said 1, 2 in order.  So our next practice will be 1, 2, 3!  Yeah I am so proud of him!

My sweet little girl!

My little girl is so sweet!!!!!  She is now 8 1/2 months and has been crawling since she was 5 1/2 months.  She has just started to stand for a couple of seconds on her own and just started waving, and holding her bottle (when she wants to).  I love this age when they reach so many milestones it seems like almost everyday.  

I feel so bad for her at times because brother is sooo rough with her, he thinks she can play just like him.  It is almost to the point of every time Caden passes by her she cries because she thinks he is going to push her or tap her on the head etc.  She is defiantly going to be a tough little girl and learn to not put up with it when she gets capable of standing up for herself!  We constantly discipline Caden for it but everyday it is still the same thing.  It is a boys instink to annoy!!!!  I had a brother and he was defiantly annoying at times.    

Car Ramp

Caden has really been into his cars lately.  He puts objects under our rugs to make little hills.  So Daddy got a piece of wood and set it up so Caden could race his cars down.  He loved it!

Valentine's Day Heart Pancakes

It has been almost a week since I have post!  Well to recap, Valentine's Day was very nice.  In the morning I made red heart pancakes for everyone.  Caden gave his gift and cards he made to Daddy.  Caden got some cars for Valentine's Day, Daddy got some homemade cards and two new shirts, and Mommy got a few hours a way to get some clothes for myself.  What a great hubby!  

Tot Lapbooks

I was searching the internet for more toddler activities and came across this Tot Lapbooks.  What a brilliant idea.  So I finally completed it, he was semi-interested but if I keep introducing it I am sure he will become a liking to it because he absolutely loves books.

Tent, Long and Short

This morning we made a tent and it was defiantly a hit with my 8 1/2 month old.  It was sooo cute!  My son was just rolling around and hoped that Hannah would wrestle with him as most boys would.  

While Hannah was asleep for her morning nap Caden and I discussed long and short and I was really impressed with what he already new about long and short.  He called it baby and long line instead but he got the idea.

Chicken with pancake mix

Ingredients:

• Chicken with bone and skin
  
• Olive oil
• Flour 
• Bisquick or any pancake mix
• Salt and Pepper
• Paprika

Preheat oven 400

Drizzle olive oil in a baking dish.  Salt and pepper your chicken then put the following ingredients in a gallon zip lock bag:  flour, bisquick and paprika.  Place chicken in the bag and coat them and then place it on the pan and cook until chicken is done about 45 min.

Floor Puzzle Mat

Floor Puzzle Mat with cousin Zoe

Bead sequencing set

Caden wasn't that interested in the bead sequencing until we sorted them into colors instead of using it as sorting patterns.  We will have to try it again later until then we are just going to experiment with it.  

Valentine cards

I got this idea from this site, I thought my 2 year old son would enjoy it because he absolutely        loves gluing anything on paper!  We also talked about big hearts and little hearts.  I used candy hearts also, it was hilarious because he had such a hard time not eating them.  We also talked about sharing because he didn't want to put the hearts on the paper because he wanted to eat it.   

Italian Saghetti

I am full blooded Italian so last night we had my famous spaghetti sauce. Hope you enjoy!

1/2 yellow onion

4 cloves of garlic

extra virgin olive oil

2 cans of hunts tomato sauce

1 can of hunts tomato paste

1 can of the hunts tomato can filled with water

Basil

First I saute the onions in some olive oil about 1-2 tablespoon, then after the onions done I add the garlic (chop it very small depending to your liking).

Then add the 2 cans of tomato sauce, 1 small can of hunts tomato paste, 1 can of the hunts tomato can filled with water, and then add as much basil as you like.

I cook that for about 30 minutes and then I Owen's Italian sausage. You don't have to add meat or you can have hamburger meat or just plain sausage.

Blocks and Coins

I got this idea from one of the blogs I found but I can not find it for the life of me.  So if you read this and this is your idea let me know so I can give you credit.  I got the blocks and wood circles from Hobby Lobby and then painted them.  When the blocks you can have your son or daughter flip the blocks over and in the end have all the same colors facing up.  Then with the wood circles I painted and put numbers on them and I got a oatmeal container and he puts them inside and we name the colors and numbers.  In one of the pictures he made up his own game.  He matched the blocks with the same color wood circle.  He loves matching.  

Mess!

Caden has really been into messes lately.  Everything that is dirty he tells me so we can clean it up.  This picture was taken today when my husband mowed the lawn and was sweeping the deck my son defiantly wanted part in cleaning up the mess.  cute!!

Moo Shu Noodles

Moo Shu Noodles from the Rachel Ray Show Very yummy and pretty easy.  Everybody loved it!!

Chicken noodle soup

My moms chicken noodle soup recipe:

• Put chicken in water were the water just covers the chicken.  
  
• Add 4 cups of chicken broth
• Add 2 cans of stew tomatoes
• Celery
• Carrots
• Parsley
• Salt and Pepper

Cook pasta as directed

The soup is ready when the vegetables are soft and chicken is done.

Talapia

Last night for dinner we had Talapia, Caden loved it and it was sooooo fast and easy.  I called the doctor today to ask if Hannah can have fish and she said yes so she could have eaten the meal too.

Recipe:

Frozen Talapia from any store

Thaw and season as you like.  We used blackened catfish seasoning.

Put olive oil at bottom of pan and cook on broil at 375 for 8-12 minutes.

Sides:

Corn-used steam corn in the bag

Sweet Potato with butter- cooked in oven for 1 hour at 400

Having fun outside....we are so ready for spring!!!

Last week we went outside, it was sooooo beautiful.  Just thought I'd share some pictures of my little slugger and my sweet angel.

Daddy's Valentine present

For Valentine's Day we are making Daddy a heart with lots of things he loves inside.  Caden absolutely had a blast painting the heart with a roller.  I planned to put both of the kids foot prints in the shape of a heart on the outside of the box, but Caden insisted he wanted it on his hand.  I will post the finished product when done..