1st Zoo Trip of the Year

We finally made it out to the Zoo this year. We decided to get yearly membership, since just one time visit for our family would cost about 1/2 of the yearly admission.

I love going to the zoo, I know, I know--- why?  I am a big kid. It's just something we did all the time as a kid and I enjoyed it and I still do. My kids love it too.

We surprised the kids this morning and they were ecstatic, they ate their breakfast really quick. No nagging them about finishing their food. :)

We made it there just 45 minutes after they opened and beat the Sunday crowd. We had a wonderful time. Baby William slept almost the entire time! He really loves his stroller.

We even got to see the lion keepers feed the lions today. Pretty awesome. The lion and lioness had 3 cubs 9 months ago. They are already almost 100 lbs each!

We are planning on going back soon with some friends, perhaps with a picnic lunch packed next time.

Love that we got yearly membership, and I am planning on fully taking advantage of that. 

Here's to more zoo trips :)

June Birchbox 2014

I am always eagerly awaiting my monthly birchbox. It's like a little present for me every month.

Let me tell you what birch box is, just in case you are not familiar with it.

It's a monthly subscription service which is $10.00 a month where you get sent 4-5 high-end samples each month. First you take a little survey so they can find out more about your skin, make up likes and dislikes so they know what to send you.

You then get to try out the products and review them on birchbox.com. For each review you get 10 points. Every 100 points equals $10 you can use in the shop. So if you review your 5 samples each month, thats $5 going back to you to use in the shop. So technically each box costs $5! Now, you can't beat a $5 little present for yourself, now can you? :)

With the birch box, I can try high end products without having to buy full size products. If I love the product, then I can go buy it :)

If you are interested in checking it out, go to Birch Box

5 Month Update

This little guy has mastered so many skills in the last month. Like rolling over as soon as he gets on a flat surface and discovering his voice. He will "talk" and scream with delight, pull his socks off and  even put his feet in his mouth. 

Weight/Length:  He is a healthy big boy.  I will get an exact weight and measurement on his next apt which is at 6 months. 

Sleep: He goes down anywhere from 9pm-10:30pm and sleeps till 6:30-7:30 in the morning. We co sleep, so as soon as I hear him moving around, and starting to wake up, I nurse him and he continues to sleep- which is usually at 12am, 3 am and 6am. He doesn't poop at night, so I don't change his diaper till he wakes up in the morning. He also sleeps really well in a stroller when we go on walks/shopping or the outside swing.

If he is fussy during the day, I swaddle him and give him a binky and rock him, he instantly falls asleep. I notice that motion is his secret. Anything moving puts him to sleep. 

Eating: We are still breast feeding, but we also have started to introduce solids. Everything he tried he liked so far. We have tried whole wheat baby cereal, avocado, banana, apples, squash. He especially enjoys his boon feeder ( I load it up with any kind of fruit we have and he will sit in his high chair feed him self, if he drops it, he gets really upset. 

William is learning how to use his straw sippy cup. All of my kids preferred a straw cup in the beginning because they did not have to lift it up to drink, and this one is great.

Sun-dried Tomato and Broccoli Pasta

I love pasta. No question about it. I have a few recipes I love and this one is one of my favorites because it is so simple to make and yet so delicious. You can serve with a salad and have a filling and delicious meal in about 30 minutes!

INGREDIENTS:

3 TB Olive oil

4 Cloves of garlic (sliced or coarsely shopped)

1 jar (8 oz) Sun Dried tomatoes  in oil

2 heads of broccoli (chopped)

1 box of pasta (penne or rigatoni) Cooked according to package instructions

salt and pepper

paprika

Parmesan cheese to serve

Preparation Instructions:

In a large saute pan, add olive oil and chopped garlic. Sauté for a minute or so, then add the sun dried tomatoes and all of the oil into the pan. Increase heat to med-high. Stir until fully combined and let cook for about 5 minutes on med-high heat. 

Add the broccoli. Stir to coat the broccoli well in the oil (you might need to add some more oil for richness) Combine all ingredients and cook on high heat about 10-15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp of paprika. The sun dried tomatoes should be soft and dark. When broccoli is fork tender, it is done.

Throw the cooked pasta into the pan and mix well with the sauce. 

Serve with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

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Back Yard Before and After

We have been working on our backyard and it is finally coming together. 

It has been one of those project that has been put on the back burner because it was so big. But now that most of the inside projects are done, so we have started working on the outside. 

I used to hate being in the back yard during the summer, because it was so HOT out there. The sun hit the patio directly, and even with a gazebo, it was too hot. 

We hired a friend to build us a patio roof last year, but it wasn't finished until fall time, after that we stopped working on the yard. 

Now that it is spring/summer, we have started cleaning the yard and planting some plants. 

We still want to paint the house and replace the roof, but those big projects will have to wait until next year. 

But even so, we love it now. We have a space for everything: grass for playing, playground, sandbox, garden boxes, and patio for dining. 

Welcome to my back yard...

Here is the before:

and After:

Last Day of Kindergarten

Miss Emily has finished her last day of kindergarten today!!

We have finished the curriculum Little Hearts for His Glory from front page to back page! Yippee!!

This year flew by so fast! I can't believe my little girl is now a 1st grader! I am not ready for her to grow up, but she is right before my very eyes. 

She is such a smart little cookie! She learned to read, write sentences, count to 100, do math problems and so much more. She is such a curious child, she will ask questions all day long, and if I don't know the answer she asks me to look it up online or find her a youtube video. Just today she asked me how plastic is made, so we looked it up :)

 I am learning so much just by teaching her.

I will be getting her a 1st grade workbook, which she will work on this summer (just to keep her skills sharp and so she doesn't forget everything) 

But now, bring on Summer!!

People have asked me weather or not I am going to be homeschooling for the next school year. My answer is "I don't know yet". I really enjoyed home schooling her this year and watch her succeed. We got school done in 2 hours or less, and then she was free to enjoy herself. 

It is just much harder now with a baby and I am struggling on getting everything done. 

There are three options for the next school year:

Homeschool 1st grade 

(I will need to figure out which curriculum as well)

Pros: 

I will continue to see my daughter all day long
My daughter wants to continue homeschooling

 I get to teach her at her level, she won't be held back or left behind

No need on waking up early and rushing around to get to the bus or driving her with the rest of the kids in tow. 

Cons: 

I feel stretched to the limit some days

Always wondering how we are doing (academic wise) and if she is doing enough since we are able to finish school so fast. 

Church Private School

Pros: 

It will give me more time with the younger kids. 

Affiliated with our Church 

She will be with her friends from church

She will learn Russian

She will be with children her age and able to attend field trips

Cons:

I won't see her 9am-4pm

Homework after she gets home- which means very limited amount of  family time

It is about 30 min away (no traffic) with traffic it is longer (but there is a carpool)

Monthly Tuition

Packing lunches

Public School

Pros:

It will give me more time with the younger kids. 

She will be around children her own age

I will know at what level she is academically

Cons:

I won't see her 9am-4pm

Homework after school means very little family time

I will need to get all the kids and drive her and pick her up, or have her take the bus (scary for me)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

As you can see, we have so much to think and pray about this summer. 

Miss Emily also has her strabismus surgery next week and will be healing after wards. 

So that is kind off a priority on my mind right now, I am praying God will bless the doctors hands and everything goes well. After that we will decide on the schooling question, but any input is appreciated. 

Bring on Summer!