Thats my boy!

It must be an instinctive nature for little boys to be able to pick-up a ball and know what to do with it.

I still have a hard time understanding the game!

Benton is lucky enough to have 2 best buddies...and they are twins to top.

They have a great yard with a "play place", basketball court, gardens, trampoline, and a great place for us Moms to relax and watch.

We gather most mornings so our sons can play some ball and we can catch up.

Beautiful mornings.

Sweet Innocents

The kids are preparing to sing in church on Sunday this Christmas morning.

They are singing "Baby in A Manger".

Every time Alex sings this song she tells me how much she loves this song and how it makes her want to cry because it is so beautiful.

After singing it for me a few times she announced that she needed to make something for Jesus.

She then proceeded to pack a sack lunch.

I mentioned to her that Jesus lives in Heaven and she said,"I know Mom. It is for when he comes to earth again. He is going to be hungry!"

So there sits a little sack lunch, for Jesus, on my counter.

"tank cue"

I was nursing my baby (Adalyn) and she stopped, looked up at me, and said, "tank cue." Her FIRST words...and she was thanking me!

Shameless Plug

My 4 sisters and mom have created a food blog. We share all our recipes with each other via this blog. Now we'd like to share it with you. Stop by and let us know if you've tried anything, or if we need to edit some of our recipes. Your suggestions, variations and feedback would be greatly appreciated. Join us at Scrumptious Sisters.

Blue Eyes

Garrett came home with a Great Dane puppy yesterday. This dog has the bluest eyes...so we decided to name him Blue.

He is going to be huge when full grown. Blue is only 1 month old. Alex loves to hold him over her shoulder and put him to sleep. In a few months she won't be able to lift this dog.

Real Moms Love to Eat

 It is true...who doesn't like to eat? I know all of us moms out there are guilty of hiding that mug of hot cocoa behind the cook book while making dinner or stashing that candy bar in your sock drawer and sneaking a piece here and there without your kids noticing.  I am here to tell you that you need not be ashamed of the fact that you LOVE to eat. We all do. I've found a book that is for us Beth Aldrich’s book, Real Moms Love to Eat and Food Affairiates.
I believe that by making all things from scratch will save you calories and tons of preservatives, therefore, making your sweet tooth not as guilty to satisfy. Instead of running to the store for a box of Oreos, try making them yourself.
By eating six times a day you will keep your metabolism boosted and constantly working. That is good. We need our metabolism working at its best and this will help accomplish that. I've recently read that by starting your day with a large glass of lemon water will get your metabolism off to a great start and also by saving your glass of water for the END of your meal will also help in aiding digestion. Instead of diluting your digestive acids throughout the meal, save that drink for the end.
Whole food are another great way to taste on the lips without seeing it on the hip. Whole food are great for the whole family and it is a wonderful way to start your kids onto a healthy way of living. Don't get me wrong, I am a lover of all things DESSERT and I will treat myself now and then but I do have a few rules to abide by in doing so; 1. It has to be made from scratch. 2. If possible, substitute sugar for Agave Nectar or honey. 3. Try to use at least half whole wheat flour.
Real moms really do love to eat, so don't be ashamed. Pull out your aprons and start cooking. This book has great ideas and recipes for success in the kitchen and discusses "how to Conduct a Love Affair with Food, Lose Weight and Feel Fabulous (Penguin Books, NAL, January, 2022). This is a how-to book about learning to love and savor the foods that YOU like to eat, not foods on some crazy diet plan."

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Beth Aldrich - Real Moms Love to Eat blogging program, for a chance to get 3,000 My SocialMoms Rewards points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Make your own Art Supplies

This is my first published article I wrote for Social Moms.com. Enjoy!

Make your own Art Supplies
Sometimes it’s more fun, feasible, and less-expensive to make your own art supplies, rather than running to the local store and stocking up again when your kids use the last bit of finger paint. Recently I hosted four little boys at my house and had to rely on my make-it-from-scratch skills. I was able to whip up homemade art supplies (some that are even edible) and they were a hit. These art supplies recipes can be made in only a few minutes, and you can get your children involved:

Edible Finger Paint

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Ingredients:

• 3 T sugar
• 1/2 C cornstarch (or flour)
• 2 C cold water
• Food coloring
• Blank paper

Directions:
Mix sugar and cornstarch together in a sauce pan. Add cold water and combine with a whisk. Cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens to a thin pudding consistency. I recommend stopping the cooking process a little before it’s the consistency you’d like because it thickens upon standing. Once removed from heat, COOL and then separate into bowls and color as desired. Pass out the paper and let the kids express their artistic abilities with their fingers and hands.
Another fun way to enjoy finger painting with your kids is during bath time. All you need are a few simple ingredients.

Bath Time Art

Ingredients:

• 1 can of shaving cream
• Food coloring
• Muffin tin
• Paint brush (optional)

Directions:
Spray the shaving cream into a bowl and mix with food coloring. Repeat in a separate bowl for each color. Separate the different colors of shaving cream into a muffin tin and it becomes a palate of fun for the bath. Include a paint brush or just use your fingers and let your kids be creative on your bathtub walls. The best part is it rinses off. Your children will want to spend hours in the tub with this idea.

Peanut Butter play dough

Ingredients:

• 1 C creamy peanut butter
• 2 C powdered sugar
• 1/2 C honey

Directions:
Mix either by hand or with the use of a stand mixer. Let your kids get in on the fun by using their hands. This is another great idea for you and your kids to have fun in the kitchen. The results are fun to play with and taste great too!