Nature's Floor

This is a Eugene T. Mahoney State Park.

A little bridge on a trail.

I just thought the way the light hit the trees on the ground was pretty interesting.

This shot is just odd. My son was running down the hill and practically jumped at me.

WW: Vintage Car {Linky}

My mom's cousin, which would make it my cousin once removed, which would make it my boy's cousin twice removed has an old car. Did you follow that? He drove it to the family reunion. He drove the boy's around a state park. It turns out that, that was the highlight of our family reunion to Mica.

Here the boys are pack in like sardines in the back of a vintage car:

 From left to right: Mica, Isaak, Cousin Elijah, and Cousin Evan

The car:

Off they went:

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I just joined Pinterest. If you follow me, I'll follow back. :)

Kung Fu Panda Party - Games and Fun

A great way to reuse a clothes line: Make a Water Balloon Piñata off of it. I love the idea of saving money by drying clothes on a line. Lets face it, I don't want to be sleeping in sheets that have pollen in them. Our line has sat empty for years. This weekend I put it to use:

Note: If you planning on doing this, don't do it too far in advance. I did this in the morning. The boys had swimming lessons the morning of Mica's party. I wanted the Water Balloon Piñata ready to go! Well when I got back from swimming lessons many of them were popping and my niece Kailey (the boy's oldest cousin) helped me hang new balloons.

 It was a hit! The boys and girls LOVED it! Here's Mica wacking the Water Balloon Piñata:

I can show this girl's face because it's hidden:

She beat the heck out of the balloons!

Here's Isaak beating them:

My boss let me have the Kung Fu Panda movie poster that were hanging in the school. They get posters, hang them, then take them down when new movies come out. Brave took it's place.

Daddy hung one on our front porch:

Then I thought the other 2 could be used for a Slip n' Slide:

Let me tell ya they slipped and slid!

Here's Mica and Isaak slipping and sliding after the party:

Then we had cake:

Unwrapped gifts:

Note to Mom's and Dad's with 7 year olds: Have a talk with your kid about gift etiquette. I told Mica ahead of time to thank everyone and give them a hug. Well he did that. But he also said when he pulled a small toy out of a big bag, "Oh that's all." Then he said when he got a toy he already had, "I already have this." Inside I was thinking, "Oh no! I have an ungrateful son." I think he's just blunt like any kid his age.

Then I took a group shot of them with their Fu Manchu mustaches on.

Kung Fu Panda Party - Favors and Food

Mica's Kung Fu Panda party was a success. My only problems in posting is A) I took a lot of pictures to go through. B) I have some photos with other kid's faces in them. I can't post them without disguising them.

I tried to have as much done early as possible.

We got the party favors at an Asian Market:

Each girl got a fan.

Each boy got a drum that is a Karate Kid style drum.

Everyone got a Hello Panda treat box to take home.

These are GOOD!

I had a bowl of cut up carrots, a bowl full of grapes, a Panda Cake and Rice Crispy Sushi prepared.

See how to make these here.

The easiest cake I've ever made!

Mica's 7 Year Birthday

Mica was lucky. He had a very good birthday.

We had him open presents at Grandma and Grandpa Spiehs' house before we left for work:

He got this backpack, a Batman Lego set and a game from us called Blurt. After I got him this backpack I came up with a wonderful idea. For Isaak and Mica next year I want to buy a nice plain backpack. Then every year I can buy a sew or iron on patch to switch out of that plain backpack. Then change their minds on what they like twice a year I swear.

He looks so big in this shot to me!

Grandma and Grandpa Spiehs took them to the new Ice Age movie. Then they went to have lunch at Ruby Tuesday. Mica's still talking about how good the food was there. They got him a Angry Birds board game.

We went to The Amazing Pizza Machine. Mostly because I've been wanting the boys to experience bumper cars. Previously they have never been on bumper cars.

Mica looked like he was on a mission.

 

Isaak was happy to drive something.

Blurry I know.

Afterwards Isaak said, "Mommy I didn't mind it when people I knew bumped into me. I just didn't like it when people I didn't know bumped into me." Somehow him saying that didn't surprise me.

Mica chose to play miniature gulf.

Then Daddy and Mica drove the go karts.

I got a lot of pictures that looked like this:

The slow down:

They played on a no ticket construction. Then we went home to put the boys; we cleaned for Mica's friend birthday party the next day.

Mica really had a blast this birthday. From getting all those gifts to spending time on karts. So we celebrated his birthday this way. Such a great way to hit his birthday goals! If you are also planning a birthday occasion for your kid's then you can visit birthday inspire, where you will find thousands of ideas for planning a birthday. Maybe you will also get some unique ideas to plan someone's special birthday.

Grandma and Grandpa Apel's Gift

Since Grandma and Grandpa Apel live far away they send money in a card.

Mica went to pick out his gift from them. This is what he picked out:

It's a Kre-O Battleship Combat Chopper.

Rice Crispy Sushi Rolls

I've seen Rice Crispy Sushi Rolls pinned a few times. I decided I wanted to make them for Mica's Kung Fu Panda birthday party. I put my own twist on the idea. I thought about Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi Rolls, but someone reminded me of nut allergies.

Here's what you need to make Rice Crispy Sushi Rolls:

Directions:

• Spray a mini muffin pan with flour spray. Set aside.
• Melt the butter, margarine or oil in a large pan. 
• Then add the marshmallows. Melt those, stir with a wooden spoon.
• Stir in the Rice Krispies.
• I spray my clean hands with flour spray, so the mixture doesn't stick to me like crazy.
• Start pressing the mixture into the mini muffin pan. Try and work fast. 
• Add a Swedish Fish to each one as you go. {I know mixing cultures}.

Source

It should look something like this:

They come right out of the pan!

Have your Fruit Roll-Ups in the refrigerator. I tried with them not in there and they were hard to unroll!

Use your kitchen sheers, cut one roll-up in 1/2 and start unrolling them. Then place them around each rice crispy treat.

They turn out so cute:

If you make them just like I did, you'll have 40 rolls. We only went through 20. The rest went to my work. People at my work swore they were real. Some wondered why they weren't in the refrigerator.

Sing, Sing a Song Saturday

I started doing what I call Sing, Sing a Song Saturday.  I'm going to post one song on Saturdays that the boys or I like. 

The song may be part of a movie, a kid's video or just a song we like. It may or may not include words. I'll try and include why we like it and/or the history of the song/singer.

This week I'm featuring a band that Daddy, Mica, Isaak and I all like. It's The Belle Brigade.

This song called Where Not to Look for Freedom. I think we're all in search of freedom. Part of the lyrics include: Where not to look for freedom...Inside someone else's story. It has a splash of country twang, possibly Fleetwood Mac, and Simon and Garfunkle influence. I love songs that have slow and fast parts. This song has a perfect slow and fast parts.

This song is called Losers. It's about not caring what other's think of you. There's a fine line with that one. Sometimes I care and other times I feel like we as society get hung up too much in our status.

Check out more of The Belle Brigade here. They are a brother sister theme.

Mica Turned 7 Today

Dear Mica,

You've learned so much since last year. Here's just some of the things you've picked up on in the last year: Reading, writing, adding, subtracting, telling time, counting change, swimming and more. Much more than when I was your age.  Your Kindergarten teacher felt like you were at the top of your class.

You have a pretty big vocabulary for age 7. Many people think you are older than what you are. It's probably because you talk well and you're tall.

We started adding more chores to your list. At first you liked collecting the trash and taking it out. Now you pretend to not hear us when we ask you to do this job. You also try to skip the process of putting your dishes in the dishwasher. Many times when you are asked to pick up your room, you forget the picking up part and start playing. I'm pretty sure a lot of kids who are 7 are just like you when it comes to chores.

You have a really great imagination. Maybe if we put a story to your chores, they would get done faster. ;) You love to dress yourself and your brother up. Many of the dress up clothes say they go up to age 5, but you still wear them. One day you're a pirate, another day you are a super hero and another day you are a cowboy. Hangers get turned into swards; Daddy and I are often times breaking up fights. No one has gotten hurt yet. In your mind each event should have a theme.

Your crayons have taken a backseat for now. Lego's have taken over in your play. You build all kinds of things, but mostly different types of time machines. Back to the Future has influenced you.

Other movies you like: Karate Kid 1 and 2, The Karate Kid, Kung Fu Panda 1 and 2, Ghost Busters and almost anything that's put on as long as you get to choose. I've heard you tell Isaak that, "Doodle Bops is for babies." You still beg to watch Fisher Price's Little People movies. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I think they are both for ages 5 and younger. I was like that when I was a kid to. I loved that Aunt Terra was younger than me. It was an excuse to play with Barbies a little longer.

I love your sense of humor. Things that you didn't laugh at before you now find very funny. Oh and you are right Isaak's knock knock jokes are not really funny. We just laugh to amuse him.

I love that you are so caring. You walk up to people and give free hugs all the time. Not every kid does that!

Happy 7th Birthday!

Love,

Mommy

Once Upon a Poop...

If poop stories gross you out, do not read this. If you don't get grossed out, you will be laughing at this story.

Tonight Isaak hardly ate. He said, "Mom this is the grossest steak I've ever had!" It was a veggie burger...

Then he had to poop. It took awhile.

Then I heard the dreaded, "Mom I'm done!" That's when I'm thinking, I just sat down. Oh man I need to train this kid how to wipe his own butt!

I went to wipe him. The roll of toilet paper had brown on it. I said, "Isaak why does the toilet paper have poop on it?

Isaak said, "Mom my poop wouldn't come out. I had to help it with my fingers!"

I'm thinking, GROSS!

I wipe him and tell Isaak, "You have to wash your fingers with soap and water!"

Isaak says, "No! I don't have to. I wiped them off on the toilet paper!"

Don't worry, I made him wash his hands!

Boys!!!!