Me, being domestic.

Me, and my non-domestic self is trying really hard to actually be domestic. On my quest to do so I have met a really neat friend who bottles just about everything! You name it she's done it.

Tuesday lesson.... bottled potatoes! {I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted to} I didn't realize how easy it was to bottle things in the pressure cooker.... I'm so wanting one now!

Step 1) Peel the potatoes {easy enough}

Step 2) Cut up and put in water bath

Step 3) Put cut potatoes into washed mason jars. {I used the wide mouth jars} Fill with hot water, and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Wipe mouths, and put lids on.

{That's it.... done with the hard part!}

Step 4) Put into pressure cooker and from there.... follow the directions in the instruction manual to the pressure cooker.

And about 2 hours later it's done!

When you are ready to use the potatoes just open and drain the water. You can then use the potatoes for salads, stews, mashed.... anyway that you would use peeled potatoes....

.... 10 pounds of Russet potatoes made 7 quart jars full....

Want to Win a Jump Start Game???

I was given the opportunity to review a new Jump Start game for the Wii Escape from Adventure Island. It was a lot of fun!

There are over 150 games ranging from English and Spelling to Math.

Now the age range on the game is 5-9. James seemed to get it for the most part and Tommy just a little bit. But we took the game over to a friends house and let her older boys play it and they LOVED it!!! {her boys were 9 and 11} I'm picky about the computer/video games they play but this is one that I enjoy being in my house. There is a learning aspect to it and being that it's the Wii my boys are up and moving around too.

Here is the best part!!!! You can win your own game!!! One of your very own, and even better... you can win an Ultimate Game Package!! {Go check out all the stuff you can get it's awesome!!}

Head on over here and see exactly what you can win. Just to get you thinking, they want to know how your family uses your imagination to "Escape." Do you build forts in your living room, or maybe a boat under your kitchen table?

The contest runs until November 16th and each person is allowed two entries.

Go win.... and GOOD LUCK!!!!

Pumpkins in Florida

We have found out the hard way that pumpkins in Florida have to be dealt with in a entirely different manner than other places.

On Wednesday {only 4 days before Halloween} we did a science project with the pumpkins before starting out and then we scraped the goop out. That's always the part that takes the longest so I thought we would get out of the way.

Later that evening we did the carving ...{be prepared for lots of pictures.}

Peeking to see what is inside

Time and his pumpkin face.

Tommy had a great time since he go to use the little knives. He really enjoyed pocking holes in his pumpkin.

James did his pumpkin all by his self and was quite proud. {I was happy that he still has all of his fingers}

What have we learned from this??? Wait until Halloween day to carve a pumpkin if you don't want mold to grow.

Yup.... there's mold in them there pumpkins.... and now James is really excited to watch them decay. I guess learning can take place in even the grosses things....

On an entirely different note.... look at these cute bags. I used the freezer paper to stencil a really cute picture for the candy bags. I really like the way they turned out!

I thought they turned out really cute! I'm trying to be crafty again... and this is great because it's so easy!!

No Goblins here

There were no goblins at our house this year. I was hoping that our family could go as a group and do "Phineas and Ferb" but the boys wanted to be different things... and well, that's the fun of Halloween.

So we had Anikin Skywalker

A Stormtrooper

And.... and.... Batman!

We went to a great party on Friday! It was a ward party and Trunk'r'Treat. There was great food, and lots of games for the boys to play. There was a bounce house, and a maze made out of cardboard boxes. James really like that, he went through it probably 5 or 6 times. {sadly I forgot my camera....}

Then Saturday, came a day of sleeping in {since we were all up late the night before} pancakes and cleaning. Then a trip to the Library for books for the next week. {Indians} We made a stop at Target to get Tim some new shoes, that boys feet grows so fast!!

The boys could hardly wait to go out to get candy.

Once we were actually out the boys couldn't wait to get back.... Strange I know but that's my boys.

We 'made' them walk around the neighborhood and boy oh boy they were happy with the loot they got. Keep in mind it was hot and by the time we got home we had sweaty boys {I was now the official mask carrier} that needed drinks.

We came home and watched a couple movies... Ichabod Crane and Garfield's Halloween. And put three little spooks to bed.

The tears were relatively few, and the company was good. Happy Halloween every one!

Nature in Florida

We are encountering all sorts of nature here in Florida... in all sorts. First off we have the man eating caterpillar.At first glance these things look pretty harmless, and dare I say it....cute and cuddly. But Tim found out the hard way that we should leave nature alone. The dang thing stung Tim's hand!!! It made his hand burn and turn red. It was a little puffy,and all Tim could say was that his hand hurt.

It's cool that we have real life science right out our door, but if you ask Tim he'll tell you that caterpillar hurt and that he won't touch them any more.

The other really cool thing that we have...

...An orange tree!!! And it's FULL with oranges!! I'm so excited for them to ripen.

I can almost taste the orange juice!

What grows in trees?

Tommy has been loving having trees that he can climb. We have a smaller one in the front yard and one in the back.

Tommy is still small enough to be able to climb up to the top with out breaking the limbs. He's learning that he can usually just hang down and drop to the ground

Tapped out!

Tim has been playing really hard....

He has been tapping out early, which has been making bed time.... interesting. But he is so dang cute when he sleeps, look at that last picture.

Look who's Potty Trained!!!!

It has been a whole week with NO diapers! Tim was actually pretty easy. I have changed diapers for 6 years, did you hear that..... SIX YEARS!!!!!! And now we are diaper free. {can you hear the joy in this house??? Well it's there.} I can't believe that my baby is no longer a baby anymore.

Thief!!

Most kids usually get caught snitching something from the store and then the parent finds a piece of candy, or gum or small toy in the pocket... Well Tommy was caught!As you can see, it's not the normal thing that most kids will take. But that's Tommy.

And today.... we stopped at the store to pick up a few things. Apparently Tommy wanted soda so he waited until some else had paid for the soda and took it. The poor kid {who Tommy stole from} was so confused at what was going on.

I guess now Tommy is on pocket check when we leave the store, not for candy, but for the sale tags...

Ready to Share

I have been working on another blog geared toward our homeschooling days. I really love homeschooling, and glad that we made the choice to do so. James is doing really well and we are having a good time. It's been nice having the boys around all day, and taking the time to do things. The other day we were getting ready to go and James wanted to read a book to Tim. It was really nice to stop and let James sit down next to Tim and read him Green Eggs and Ham.

Here is the link to my other blog "Socks & Shoes NOT Required" I'm still working on it but there are lots of links to really good homeschooling blogs as well as other educational links... most are FREE {I like free}.

167 weeks left

To count down the time we will be here and the time the husband has in school I decided to make a paper chain. Fabulous idea I know.... so each week he will take off one chain. It's a lot now but it will slowly it will become less and less. He just took one off for finishing the first week of school, so now there is 3 1/4 years left.... minus one week.

The Aftermath

After trying to conquer the toy box and ending up bloody and bruised. Tim decided that he didn't want anyone to see what happen so he went out in disguise... Yes he did. To the library and to Walmart. Do you want to see it when he takes the helmet off?

Look at that!!! At least he's still cute.

First day of school!

After years of wondering what he was going to be when he grew up the husband has found it.... And after a month of waiting to start... he finally did.

Here is the the husband with the boys on the first day of school. Palmer Chiropractic School. {look how cute all my boys look!!!}

And here is the husband walking out the door for his first day of school. Notice the Transformer lunch box. {hey, what ever helps ease the butterflies.... I'm not judging...}

Good luck these next three years, they are going to be rough, but we've been through worse. I love you and I'm proud of you.