Pumpkin Crafts … Bring on the Paper Pumpkins

A while back you may remember the Valentine Baked Hearts that we made for Cole’s class room.  This time we decided to make Pumpkins for his class and the teachers.  This is a fun craft to do, it’s NOT too messy either.  Well if it falls on the floor you can pick it up and done!

I’m hoping to get a BUNCH of baking done tomorrow for the cake walk at church for the Halloween event.  I hope to post some this weekend to give some idea’s if your looking for some.  In the meant time here is a super fun craft to do with the kids.

Happy Early Halloween, hope you find a fun craft to do at home too!!

The Weekend we were grounded … UGH

Well Cole had that chip thing at school so we dialed back our weekend.  Thursday Cole’s school had a field trip to Micheal’s craft store and I went along, all the chaperone’s got a coupon plus a list of upcoming events.  Ok that is the back story .. lol.

Cole bless him did rather well didn’t bug me while I worked Saturday AM and stayed quiet most of the day Saturday.  Not wanting to punish Caden we hit Michael's for a pumpkin panting Kid Class.  For $5 each I bought a pumpkin and the kids painted and decorated for 2 hours!  Of course I left my camera at home (just like I did for the field trip … ugh).  But I have the after shots … hehe.

Sunday we went to church, which was a little light all the women went to a retreat Friday – Sunday.  Sadly I couldn’t go with work and kids (maybe next year).  But it was a nice day and my Tuesday dinner Friend even came and meet with me.  I was so excited her and her son came along with me, and I think they had a good time and will come again.

After church we took my boys and her son back to Michael’s for a Free event they were having.  Making Bats with your hand prints!  What a cool idea you can do at home for cheap and keep for memory sake!

Rick and I also had our movie date Thursday night which was so great to get out and he even didn’t mind a movie that was faith based (whoo hoo … that is a big deal).  You all know about the mess we came home to but it was nice to be just us.

Rick even got some home improvements done around the house.  I had those UGLY vertical hanging blinds that get so dirty and you always have to straight them to make sure you can open then slide them over.  I made a run to Ross and picked up a new rod and curtains.  It makes the kitchen look very elegant, I’m so excited.  Plus we loved the new blinds we replaced after the dog tore the others that we bought one for our room, the boys room and my office.  They make the house look so much better and not the cheap plastic ones we had before.

Yeah to Date night got my hair done and shoes on !

Home improvements!

Happy Wednesday, we’re almost to the weekend

Tempt My Tummy ~ Fall Lovers Pumpkin Apple Bread

Have you guessed yet how much I love pumpkin? I know sorry for you who don't like pumpkin. I promise soon I'll be off my kick :). As you know my moto use what you have in the house! So mom brought over some apples and I had to use them up and this was the perfect way to use it and incorporate with my favorite pumpkin! The end bread was so pretty! I took the 2nd loaf over to my girlfriend Erin's house who was so nice to let us come visit and play her Wii. Enjoy you'll love it!

Note: I put the apples threw my food processor, I know the recipe had chunks but I liked the texture better being smoother! If you're not a big spice fan then you might not like this recipe it reminded me of a chai latte! The smell was wonderful but make sure you leave enough time for cooking and cooling, because you will want to wait up and eat a piece!!

The Crumb Part

& The Finished Product!

For topping:
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
5 Tbs sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbs unsalted butter, softened

For bread:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsps baking soda
1 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 (15-oz) can solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 Granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (2 cups)

MAKE THE TOPPING: Blend together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.

MAKE THE BREAD: Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven to 350F. Butter two 9 X 5 inch loaf pans. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice into a medium bowl. Whisk together pumpkin. Oil, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. Add flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Fold in apples. Divide batter between buttered loaf pans. Sprinkle half of topping evenly over each loaf. Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of bread comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.

Cool loves in pans on a rack for 45 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.

I found this amazing recipe here: http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2005/10/fall_into_fall_.html

What happened to lazy Sundays?

Today was so much fun we went to the Maris Farm and even though it was $10 per kid for the activities it was SUPER fun we were there for almot 4 hours! Unlike yesterday that was a little on the duller side, today was worth the money! We met my parents and I felt a little like we were doing the Puyallup Fair with the crouds, you could at least walk around with out someone being in your bubble. The food was crazy over priced just like the fair I actually think it might have been a little more, but the package deal for the kids play was great. The kids got to do so many fun things, instead of listing them I'll just bore you with all the pictures :). And as a great side note Rick made it out of bed and on time, yup it was a good day! I would type more but after today I'm beat!

One departing thing that became apart today, well two I guess. One one bathroom and 4 people who rush home to use it are not good odds, dad always wins and momma always goes last. And last thing Dad does not like it when a certain 10 year old let's call him Prince R knocks repeatively on the door saying I have to go the bathroom. This is like poking the bear not a good thing! Now that is my wise words of the day, enjoy the pics.

This is the line for tickets (well after 10 minutes and I remembered to take a picture.

I don't mind the line I have a perfect seat!Of course a spider for our face painting!

Now this is face painting done right & it was free (well included in the $5) take that Zoo Boo

Catch me if you can Bapa

Push me daddy this is too fun, I'll make vroom vroom noises

Take me away "Annie" Cole Riding the Cow Train

Mom says I should have rode in Bossy instead Annie

Bapa Being Funny! Monnie being Funny (Like her birds Nest, thanks Cole that is going to stick forever)

Caden wanted to be the ghostCheck out the "Corn Room" really it was a room of corn to play in.

(Wow my hair is really dark isn't it?) "Cow" Roping!

You drive brother, I'll hang on!Corn Maze Adventure
Monnie & Cole Picking a pumpkin

Monnie, Me, Caden & Cole posing with Pumpkins

Daddy, Roy, Me, Caden & Cole (boys just wouldn't look forward) That's all folks, time to go home!

Not bad for $10 for the older boys! Now we must rest for real! Night All!

Field Trip Day (Watch out ... Crazy Camera Mom)

Yeah it's our first field trip day since the official first one we weren't able to attend. Today was field trip day to the Berry Field. So Friday I called to see if I was one of the drivers, nope they didn't need me, so I called this morning to see if I could go. The teacher is like oh you're not going to drive now? So it looks like I was on drive list, of course it is now 8am and I need to be ready and there by 8:45am. I grab the registration and my license, get dressed in record time and grab Cole. Crap forgot about the other boys, Rick can you take them to Grandma Pat's? Grumpy was oh so happy to do that, do you detect the touch of sarcasm there? We hope in the car and it's super dirty so I try to clean as much as I can. We get going and I realize I'm needing the $6 for the farm, oh man what the heck is wrong with me I had the whole weekend to get cash. I stop at the first 7-11 I see have Cole pick out a drink grab 2 bananas (because I'm a healthy mom like that) and go to check out and see the sign no cash back. Ok no worries where is your ATM, behind that latter with the guy on it? Ok back in the car, sorry dude yes you can get a drink at the next place. Stop at the next gas station I've never realized before that there are like 6 gas stations before school. Thankfully this next one lets us get cash back for the small fee. So I'm 5 minutes late not too bad considering everything. We get in the office and they need my license and my insurance card. Insurance card oh crap I so have a expired one, ok I'll just call the insurance guy and have him fax one over. Who doesn't answer there phones after 8am?? Thankfully a few kids didn't show so it was just me and Cole in the car, yup I'm so a great helper!

To the farm we go and boy was it super fun we got to feed the chickens, pick apples, dig up potatoes, ride in a hay ride and pick out a pumpkin. Cole and his partner Bella were super cute holding hands trying to avoid the big mud holes. They only got talked to a few times, I finally found another child that doesn't listen like Cole. We had so much fun minus the mud it was a very cool first field trip.

Starting our field trip, Cole's PreK Class

Cole and his buddy Bella

Stop Squeezing my hand Cole ;)

Ready to feed the chickens, here is some bread.

Feeding the chickens

Digging up Potatoes

Come on buddy

Get on the hey ride

Mom it's too heavy you carry it! Don't you love the face!

After the farm we head to the chiro since I'm starting to walk with a limp again and my back is hurting really bad. We did a pretty good job playing since they have a cool playroom for kids, we didn't have to wait that long to be seen. After being adjusted and told to go lie down with some ice I call into work yet again ... GRRR I'm so dead! Not feeling like taking Cole to daycare I take him home with the treat to be good! It actually worked he ate lunch and went took a nap! After icing and needing to stand I figure I need to take out Roy's garbage. Guess all the fun stuff I found in there, a open can of Spam (that was just opened not eaten just opened), a can of Pepsi have drank, bags of food yet again! So on a hunch I open the draw and guess what I find string cheese, a yogurt drink, bags of beef jerky and a box of cookies. Kids, and when it's not your kid what can you do? I call to the host people and find that I should take it out of his room and talk to him about it and tell him that if it happens again I'm going to have to take something away. Oh boy tonight is going to be fun, he's going to nod and say yes and then continue to keep doing it. I don't want this to be a long 7 more months! Any advice?