Summer break, week 2

We are starting to get in a groove and figure out how to happily make it through the day.  One of the hardest parts is that Jackson keeps waking up early and comes in our room dressed and ready for the day by 6:15-that's just way to early for us!  However, Jason and I are now both getting up a little earlier and having a more productive morning, and I am becoming strongly addicted to coffee...

Mystery Reader

On Monday my neighbor, Stacy, and I took the kids to the water park at Carowinds.  They had a great time going down some slides, playing in the wave pool, doing the lazy river and playing with all the water toys.  We both have season passes, its nice to have a friend to go with.  We also had a "Mystery Reader" stop by when having school-thanks Aunt Sarah for reading to the kids!

I didn't get any pics at the park but this is of the
kids once we got home-I think they played hard!

One morning we met Shana and my friend Liz, at Dan Nicholas park in Salisbury.  The kids played on the play sets and we rode a little train and carousel.  They also had a nature house with snakes and fish.  We were "lucky" and they were feeding one of the snakes while we were there-cool!  Shana and I brought the kids to chick-fil-a for lunch, and WOW is all I can say.  It was packed but we found a table with 4 tall chairs, finally got food and let the kids play.  After a while it settled down and we were even able to talk a little.

The 14th was Amanda's half birthday! 


The kids and I made half a cake for her that we all enjoyed that night, we even let her have some icing.  After loosing Megan we are trying to experience some of the little milestones that sometimes go unnoticed.  I painted Amandas toes, and also did Lauren and my toes to match.  Yesterday someone asked how old Amanda was and Jackson said, "shes half,"  they looked a little confused.
Saturday night we enjoyed a cookout at a neighbors house which was fun for us and the kids.  We have also spent a lot of time with Sarah lately, its been an interesting couple of weeks for her:).  Lots more happened but I'm late posting anyways so you get what you get!

We also spent some time with Aunt Sarah, Jason and
Jackson playing wii.  Amanda and Lauren watching...

Hope you have a great week!

Lasagna, Family Style

Lots of cooks in the kitchen!

"This is not how Mom made
lasagna!"
notice the cute glasses???

Know the saying, "Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the soup?"  Lucky for us that is not true!  This weekend we had family in town for a wedding and several people stayed at our house.  We decided to make some lasagnas to freeze and bring on our annual beach trip this summer, plus we made one to eat on Sunday, because we had to try it out and make sure it was ok!

Braciole

My family, like most, enjoys tradition and we all remember how grandma used to make lasagna.  Mom brought her recipe card but on the top of the card was-"Year 2000, many changes."  Way too many changes for us we decided!  Jason actually commented, "did anyone like her lasagna?" because we all kept talking about the different things we would change.
On Saturday we made the sauce, with sausage, meatballs and braciole.  I am always entertained because everyone makes everything differently but it usually tastes pretty similar.  Dennis was in charge of meatballs, and they were the biggest meatballs I've seen in a long time.  Then he rolled some in egg and bread crumbs, a very strange technique to some of the family but they actually held up better than the others.  Michael made braciole, which was devoured before the lasagna was made.  This is not something we make often so he was spared too many "you aren't doing it right comments."

Sunday morning we made the pasta and assembled the lasagna.  I wish I had recorded the conversations.  How many eggs/batches of dough should we make?  three is not enough, eight is too many, we finally decided on five but after making it would plan on two eggs per lasagna(doing it the traditional way-not the 2000 Many Changes way), we should have made six...   Next question-how do you do the layers?  one or two layers of meat?  three or four of cheese?  what is the final layer on top? and on and on.
We finally had three completed lasagnas and froze two while cooking one, a necessary quality control.  It was delicious and enjoyed by many, also since it was at my house I enjoyed leftovers for lunch a couple days!
Thanks for your help everyone and final question-how much are we going to charge per lasagna when we open our butcher shop???



Enjoying the finished product!

Summer Break, week 1

This week is ending much better than it started-thankfully!  I think it has just taken the kids and I a few days to get in a summer routine.  One thing I have started doing is having "school" and they love it!  I bought them both their own workbooks and a big sticker book. 
I also have a felt board that one gets to do while I work with the other.  Jackson is starting to read, slowly, but gets so excited to read a sentence.  We have a section of the playroom designated as the school.  They wanted a "mystery reader" the other day so I had to come in and use a different voice to read a book-sometimes I am very grateful that there are no adults around during the day to see what I am doing! 

Learning about evaporation
at the park on a hot morning

We also went to the pool with friends which was fun.  Jackson loves going down the water slide and a friend gave me a baby carrier that you wear in the water which makes things much easier with Amanda-she usually falls asleep in it!  We went to the park this morning and have spent a lot of time outside, even though its super hot!








This morning we told the kids to go check on Amanda.  It got pretty quiet so I decided to go check on everyone-they were all in the crib...

This picture of them eating McDonald's is probably one only a mother would love!  We met Sarah at the mall and bought some books, then headed to the food court for lunch.  The kids picked McD's and wanted to sit at one of the little tables by themselves.  I looked over and they had shared everything.  Jackson gave Lauren 1/2 his burger and fries and she gave him 1/2 her nuggets and apples.  It makes me happy when they do nice things for each other without someone telling them what to do.
Hope everyone has a good weekend.  We are looking forward to seeing some family for Jennie Anns wedding reception. 

Summer Begins!

We have been at the beach the past week-yeah! We had lots of fun and I will post about that later.

Good Morning!

Good Night!

Last Friday was the kids last day of school, Jacksons last day of preschool before starting Kindergarten-my baby is growing up. Jason took a picture of them on the way to school in the morning and I took one when we got home, looks like they had a tiring day!



Jackson asked if we could make homemade pasta the other day so we made some for dinner Saturday night. I remember making pasta with my Grandma and family growing up and it was a very precise activity(most cooking with grandma was...). You had to keep the crank going at one constant speed, no pasta could touch another piece, it all had to go into the pot at the same exact time, everything was very orderly. Fast forward several years to when I make it with the kids...  They were eating peanuts at the time so we had some peanut "skin" on the dough they touched. I also use the pasta machine to roll out fondant for baking so there were some blue flecks on some pieces. The kids would roll the crank slow then stop then go fast and guess what-the pasta still turned out delicious! I even let Lauren put the dough in the machine and catch it on the other side. The dough definitely was touching and it did just fine! Now, grandma would pass out at this next part but I used Ragu sauce-gasp! Anyways, it was fun to make as a family and everyone enjoyed a yummy dinner.

Poor Amanda, being the third child I'm sure she is going to get picked on a lot and its already starting. The kids decided to dress her like a princess. It was entertaining and she was a good sport for a while...

What are they doing to me??

Time for a little
make-up, Amanda

Somebody please save me,
I've had enough!

Cutie Pie!

Early Summer Days

I started this post on Sunday but didn't have much to write so held it thinking I would add more.  Guess its been a quiet week because not much to add.  I figured I'd go ahead and post it.  Hope everyone has fun weekend plans, we are heading to the beach!


(Sunday 5/22)We had fun at our neighborhood pool for the first time this year yesterday.  First we had to run to target to get Amanda a bathing suit, maybe one day I'll be the type of person that plans ahead but probably not likely!

The water was cold but not unbearable, Amanda seemed to enjoy it too.  Jackson went down the slide a bunch and Lauren had fun jumping in.  At swim lessons they swim better than they did yesterday, hopefully they will put it all together soon.

For dinner Jason grilled steaks and we ate outside. Then cupcakes for dessert. The kids, Lauren especially, have my sweet tooth. Not the best trait to inherit.

Yum, I can't wait to eat this!

Licking fingers clean. 

  Yesterday I got a babysitter and had my hair cut/colored.  Then Jason and I went out to dinner, with Amanda. He ended up getting a work call so I ordered a nice blue cheese and pear salad and had a beer while waiting for him. It was a local restaurant and they were slow so everyone was pretty chatty. One of the waiters said he felt bad for me sitting there alone but I told him I was enjoying it! Then Jason and I enjoyed a nice dinner before heading home and sitting on the back deck talking for a while. 

Tomorrow is the kids last day of school, and I finally registered Jackson for Kindergarten this week!

Yesterday Jackson asked why his "feet cry" when he plays on the playground with socks/sneakers-I've never heard sweating described that way!

Meatballs!

Making Meatballs is "gross"

Laurens dinner was a success!  I had the kids help make the meatballs which was messy but I think they liked them because they helped make them.  I cut Jackson off at 6 meatballs, then him and Lauren both "sneaked" one off Jasons plate (he wasn't home from work yet).  I did notice Lauren put half of hers back on his plate....  Here is the recipe, I only used ground chuck and baking them in the muffin tins cut down on the greasy kitchen mess you usually have after making them!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-meatballs-recipe/index.html
Bean and pasta soup from the freezer tonight, then a new chicken kabob recipe tomorrow, hoping its not too adventurous for Jason!
We were going to pick strawberries today but the place said that they are mostly gone, slim picking:(.  We are going to go to the bookstore and then the greenway to ride bikes instead. 

Carowinds!

 We took the kids to carowinds Sunday night and had a fun time, we even ended up buying season passes. At first, they were hesitant to try the rides but by the end of the night they both had a blast. Jackson was definitely more adventurous than Lauren. 

a little excited:)

Lauren sitting with Jason, Jackson alone.
They said I could ride with Amanda if we
took her out of the bjorn and had her
"sit" in the seat-we decided not to attempt that!

Jackson rode on the last car because
another kid told him it went the fastest!
Lauren wanted off....

He wanted to drive the car alone and then did the little roller coaster alone too!  He was really cute on the roller coaster, I went with him the first time and he was nervous but seemed to enjoy it, then we rode again and he loved it.  After that he rode with Jason and by himself.  Lauren did not have as much fun on it, she looked terrified!  She said that maybe when she is 4 she will like it.  I think she enjoyed the cotton candy as much as the rides.

Lauren Loves Cotton Candy!

On Sunday I told everyone that they had to pick what we were having for dinner one night this week.  I picked turkey chili, which we had last night.  Jackson and I had it again for lunch today and he said it was so good he wants it every day!  yeah!
Tonight its Laurens night and she wants meatballs.  "No spaghetti, sandwiches, or sauce, just Meatballs" she said.  I'm trying a new recipe so I'll let you know how it turns out. 
Jackson wants hot dogs, mac and cheese, corn and carrots and Jason wants chicken kabobs so those will be coming later this week.