On a Saturday afternoon

This past Saturday we were able to spend it as a family. {the first in awhile} So out we went...

After hair cuts and lunch we headed up to the Lighthouse. We happen to make a detour and go to the Marine Science Lab. It's an inter-active place and it look like fun.

We looked at a bunch of different fish, the boys really enjoyed seeing all the fish and turtles. The husband enjoyed sharing his vast knowledge of fish tanks.

Outside there was a rehabilitation area for turtles. Did you know that there is a species of turtle that is 8 feet long!!! Really.... there are HUGE things swimming in our ocean!

After that we walked over to the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. It's the tallest one in Florida. It's actually really pretty. Capitalism at it's best.... they were charging admission to get up close and personal with the lighthouse, so we are saving that for a different day. but I did get some really nice pictures.

Next to the lighthouse was a park. {we LOVE parks} The boys ran off to play for a little bit. Tim started wandering off to a party that was going on. The husband ran to get him and direct him in a different direction. By the time the husband got there Tim already had a party bag! Tommy was watching a mom peel an orange for her daughter, and before I could get over to get him Tommy had an orange in his hand.

I think we need to re-address the issue of stranger danger... because apparently my children have forgotten.

Pomegranate Time

Oh... the pomegranates are ripe!!! We get one or two every time we go to the store. We go outside and enjoy this tasty fruit together.
I love the red inside and how juicy they are.

And for the boys this is a shirts off spitting A-OK activity.

I guess this is one perk to Florida... We get to be outside and spitting in November.

NASA's Oops

After our {great} time seeing the launch and knowing that traffic would be horrendous, we decided to wait a bit. Nicole decided to take the older kids to a little free museum that was just down the way.

{getting set up at ground control}
{Testing, testing... 1,2,3}
{Ground control to Major Tom.....}

I sent James with her since he was really interested with all the space talk. {from what I hear} it's a really cool little place. There are the original control panels from Central Command. Original space boots. Original pictures of the shuttle and launch.

Originals of what you ask???? THE FIRST MANED SPACE MISSION!!

Why does this little free museum have this stuff?? {good question} Because apparently after that first NASA thought that we were done so they threw everything away!!! Some of the gun ho old timers picked the stuff out of the garbage and started this little museum. Where you can, not only see everything, but touch a bunch of it as well.

{Original Space suit}

The funny thing about all of this is that when you go to the Kennedy Space Center to pay and look at all of their stuff... it's not really the original. So if you go to 12 Mile Park to see a launch, head down main street and go to the little space museum.

Thanks NASA!

Where are the boys??

After the launch while Nicole took the older boys the the museum, Megan, Laura, and I took all the rest of the younger kids to that park. Boy oh boy, did they have a lot of energy!! We were there a total of 2.5 hours!! It was a beautiful day, sunny but not hot with a little breeze.

Everyone was playing happily, all the mom's were chit-chatting. I look up and I do a quick count of heads. I see Tim on the swing....
The next thing I know we are missing one... no, we are missing TWO!!!

We looked around and then some guy who was at the park with his daughter pointed to a couple of hooligans and asked if they were part of our group.

Yes, indeed they were. You see... Erin 4, and Tim 3, have a great advantage of getting into mischief together. The boys were being very good while they had wandered away....

Yes, that is two naked boys standing in the dugout. Really words can not explain, so I'm glad that I had a camera so I could capture this moment. The funny thing is.... Tim was wearing a shirt that he can't take off by himself. Erin would have had to help him.

The joys of naked childhood....

Rocket Launch

On Monday the 16th the boys and I went with some friends to see the Space Shuttle Atlantis take off. TOTALLY AMAZING!!!!!

We got there about 2.5 hours before take off. It was already pretty crowded, but we found a place that would hold 11 kids and 4 adults and sat down for lunch. It was hard for all the kids to be so confined to one area, but they did great.

As you can tell... my kids need hair cuts.

About 30 minutes prior to take off people really started to crowd in, so we moved up closer for a better view. It was good in the fact that we actually got to see a little better, but asking each small kids to stand in a 1 foot square area for 30 minutes is a bit much. Fortunately most people were understanding.

And Tim found that he is still very strong and broke the concrete step.

We waited... and waited.... and waited.... but all that waiting really paid off!!
We had a perfect view for take off!!

{Did you know.... that after only 30 seconds the space ship is traveling 500 mph! And after 2 minute it's going 2000 mph!! We saw the Side Rocket Boosters (SRB) fall off. They land in the Atlantic Ocean and are retrieved and used again. The External Fuel Tank (ET) falls off over the Indian Ocean but it is so far up that it disintegrates as it falls back to earth}

Unfortunately after it took off we didn't see much other than a big tree. I grab Tim and ran a little bit to see it go further into the atmosphere. {fortunately my great friend herded James and Tommy with them and saw that they got back to me}

Every moment was so worth being there!! And I can't wait to do it again.

The dog and his satilite dish..

Once upon a time there was a neurotic dog.... this dog was beloved of his family but one day something happen.

No one knows for sure what it was, but he started licking his back end, right next to his nubbin... {for he doesn't have a tail} until it was raw. It was thought that it must be a bite from a bug or a rash. Now the family who loves this dog dearly didn't want to take him to the Vet to be told it was indeed a bite from a bug or a rash, so they did the next best thing.

They gave him the "Cone"

Saying the Cone seemed so harsh, so one of the children...Tommy... noticed a great similarity between it and something else... Hence the satellite dish.

So now as the wonderful {neurotic} family dog wears his satellite dish, his back end is healing for it was just a bite from a bug or a rash.

It is quite funny though... because the satilite dish has velcro we often find the dog stuck to the carpet. Oh, but the velcro does provide a useful tool...caring the tennis balls back to be thrown again.

Alas, he does get time off for good behavior because, the poor thing just looks at his food and water because he can't figure out how to eat with it on.





Oh, and he won't pose for pictures while wearing the wretched thing.

Kinda, sorta, fall.... for a day

It was cold!! Not bone chilling, need a snow suit cold but we actually had to break out jackets last week. We went to the park to have a little birthday party with some friends and it really felt like it was fall! I was so happy!

But then the next day it was back in the 80's and sunny again. I guess you get what you can and be happy with that. Here are some cute pictures of the boys, on that chilly day.

{James really did like the cupcake he was eating... I just couldn't get him to smile about it}

Tommy showing me his tricks

Tim before the cupcake attacked him!

This would only happen to me

The other day I got up in the morning and did my morning thing.... You know, I went pee. As I was washing my hands I heard something, and out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw something in the toilet. I looked and could see nothing so I just brushed it off.

About two hours later Tommy comes running down stairs telling me that there is a frog in the bathroom!!! I am shocked!! I mean really... I asked him where it came from and he said the toilet. I go up stairs and yup... there is a FROG!!!


OH... you can't see it... here's another shot!



Right there... on my toilet!

Fortunately the frog jumped the way of the tub and he was trapped in there while I was trying to catch him. {can you imagin us chasing this thing in and out of the rooms and under beds and toys and stuff... }

There was a lot of screaming by me and the boys just giggled with delight as they watch me jump around trying to catch this thing.

Finally I got it in a cup and covered with a wash cloth and we put Froggy outside. Yes, it was in the house long enough to get a name...

{I ALWAYS check the toilets now.... I really don't want any more surprises!}

Oh... and by the way... this is the SECOND frog that was found in the house.... I bet they both got in the same way! I'm all about nature as long as it stays outside!

This is really cool!!!!

So look at this. I read about it on another blog and decided to try it. I didn't think it would work but it did!

I stood my broom up.... all on it's own!!

You are thinking about trying this huh...
Now you are thinking about where your broom is....Ok, we are done here, go grab your broom and give it a try. {be really gentle}

Vetran's Day

I am so thankful for the Veterans in my life especially for my husband. I am proud of him and the other men and woman he has served with.

This song is by 3 Doors Down called Citizen Solider. It talks about the me and woman who are part of the National Guard. A lot of the time you have no idea who these people are, they are all around but they are not out wearing crowns or lifting them selves up.



Here is another song that I really like. It's "The War was in Color" by Carbon Leaf. I think it's easy for those that have never been in war, to think of what it's like. The reality is that it's all "in color" and it's not glorified like the movies like to make it out to be.



Thank you to all the Veteran's. To my friends I know the sacrifice you have given. To my husband, I love you!!! You are my hero. Thank you for doing your part to keep me and our family safe!

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!!