Creepy Crawlies

More Science Center fun!

This picture makes me think of that movie, "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids." LOL


If I saw a bug this big that was ALIVE, I think I would have a heart attack and die. And if I survived the experience, I don't think I'd ever be the same again...


Emily, the brave girl, saw a worker letting people hold the giant cockroaches and she wanted to do it, too. She didn't freak out holding it (despite the look on her face!), but was really afraid she'd drop it, so held completely still; wouldn't even smile. LOL




There was a display case of examples of meals people in other countries eat REGULARLY. Eggs and honeybee larvae, anyone?


Oh, the things you can see and do at your local Science Center!!!

(on a random sidenote, for some Thanksgiving laughs, check out Valerie's list of jokes here)

Always Do Your Best

Dan and I tell the kids this ALL THE TIME. When they're unhappy with something they've created (drawing, painting, Play-Doh sculpture, etc), we ask, "Did you try your best?" When they reply, "Yes." we continue with, "Then you should be very happy with what you've created because you can't do any better than your best." When/if they complain they can't do something, we remind them to just try their best, because sometimes it takes some practice to get something just right. I think Em's got the idea down.

We took the kids to the Science Center over the weekend, and we watched a science demonstration about liquid nitrogen. Emily got called up on stage to blow up a balloon for part of the experiement presentation.


She tried her very best to blow up that balloon. She really did.


It was at the point that her face was purple and the balloon was blown up to about four inches in diameter that she needed a breath. She forgot to pinch off the end of the balloon to keep the air from blowing back out... She was ready to try again, but for the purposes of the show, they needed to keep things moving at a steady pace, so the "teacher" got a new balloon and blew it up herself.

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall...

Who's the craziest family of all?

OURS IS!

Emily and I had WAY too much fun with mirrors yesterday... I didn't even realize I took so many pictures, but I'm sharing them all anyway because they represent just how much fun we were having and how SILLY and CRAZY we are. I was laughing so hard taking these pictures I had tears running down my face!!!!























Connor's turn!




Jared refused to let me take his picture. PUNK!

My turn!
First, I gained 100lbs


And then I lost 150lbs


And then I lost my body


Hurray for mirrors! LOL

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas...

Sales ads in the newspaper are full of holiday decorations on sale, and the ads themselves are decorated in Christmas ornaments and holly images. Other members of the websites I'm a member of are discussing what they plan to purchase, who they plan to buy for, what they want, etc. I've been trying to work on home-made Christmas cards to send out, and Emily's been talking non-stop about The Nutcracker ("Is today a Nutcracker day?").

The baby and I went to Costco the other day and there's one whole section FULL of Christmas decorations, gift ideas, and wrapping paper. One particular display caught our interest, as there was a big red "try me" button right in front of it. SO, we pressed the button and got to enjoy a holiday light and music show. Three white trees (sold as a set) play Christmas music, while the lights on the trees change colors between red, green, and blue to the beat of the music. Connor enjoyed it so much (okay, fine, WE enjoyed it so much...) that when the first song was over, we pressed the button again and listened to another one!

This morning, I woke up to the sounds of Frosty the Snowman. The kids had decided to put that movie in for themselves, and when Frosty was over, they put in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go!!

Sweet n' Silly

I had to show off Emily's hairstyle from yesterday at it drew TONS of attention for her, and I figured it was worth bragging on myself over. LOL

Isn't she sweet?






And now here's where things got a little silly!

Perfect Porkchops

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

6 thin cut pork chops (fat cut off)
4 eggs (lightly whipped)
1 box pork flavored stuffing (finely ground)
4tbsp melted butter

Place 4tbsp melted butter in a 9X13 baking pan. Spread evenly across the bottom. Dip porkchops, one at a time, in the egg, then coat with a layer of the stuffing crumbs. We do this TWICE to each pork chop. Place in pan. Bake for 10min, turn over, and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

YUMMY!

I don't have a picture to share, because the idea to use the recipe as a blog entry came to me once we'd already started eating and my children (ALL THREE OF THEM!) were DEVOURING the meat. Emily ate a WHOLE pork chop... I'd love feedback on this entry if anyone tries the recipe!! It's a huge hit with my family.

The Calm Before the Storm

Here's Jared, laying pretty much exactly how I left him after tucking him in...
"the calm"


(Except he's not wearing the pajamas I put him to bed in... He LOVES this particular pair of footed zipper pajamas, but they're too small! Notice his feet all stretched funny inside them??? But he'll get out of bed and put them on anyway!)



Here's Connor, pillow at the wrong end of the crib, ON his blanket instead of UNDER the blanket, sippy cup launched out of the crib altogether, stuffed monkey down at the other end...
"the storm"


I honestly think he sat there and just tossed stuff around in his crib until he couldn't stay awake a second longer and then fell over, sound asleep. LOL!