Hendricks County Fair

For those of you who don't know, the Hendricks County Fairgrounds are right behind my house. I can see the lights of one of the parking fields through the trees around the pond. The Fair was just last week. The second night of the fair they always do fireworks. We were able to sit our back patio and watch them. They were pretty good. The finale was awesome! And we didn't even have to fight the traffic!Last Thursday we actually went to the fair. This year we decided to walk (saved the $5 parking fee). I had clocked it once; it was only about 2 miles. K girl got to ride in the stroller and C walked with me. He actually did pretty good about not complaining. Since we (me) are still on a penny-pinching kick, we decided to just get desserts instead of dinner and dessert like we usually do. The same with the rides. We'll wait and do that at the state fair. There's more choices there anyways. The kids got milkshakes and Daddy got a funnel cake. I ended up eating a little of all three.

We walked around and saw all kinds of animals and 4H projects. It was fun!We also watched a "logging demonstration" Oh dear! Those guys humor was horrible! Not off color per se, but lame! It was hot walking around but not unbearable. I can't wait for the state fair though. That ends up being almost an entire day, with lots of good food and much more to see. I'm going to count that day as a field trip for C since we will have already started school. Why not? Crazier things get counted as a school day for the public schools. That fair comes up in about a month. Stay tuned for that post.

I read in the paper later that this cow sold for over $5000 at the auction. Nice artwork, don't ya think?

Best Friends-Worst Enemies

Can you guess what this post is about?

My kids can fight worse than cats and dogs. My mom has commented that she doesn't remember us (me, my bro, and sis) fighting this bad at this age. Both of my kids can lash out at each other when they are very mad. But funny thing, they've never really gotten into a "fist fight"---YET. I'm waiting. (I think K will beat her brother up)

But yet on the flip side, they can be best of friends. Sometimes they are so love-y with each other. I will catch them working well together or snuggling together. Those are awesome moments to see. If I can, I try to get their picture. There have been times that I've had them "re-stage" the love-y moment so that I can get the picture (Is that pathetic, or what?) But I'll never tell which pictures those are!

So here are the pictures that I have of them being Best Friends. I haven't taken any pictures--yet--of them being Worst Enemies.

I will blog.......

Tomorrow! Good night all!

Feed your brain!

One of the reading programs that C was in this summer was through Half Price Books. It was called "Feed Your Brain." To receive a reading reward ($3 gift card), he had to read at least 15 minutes per day for 5 days each week. He had already remeemed some of his gift cards and today we went and redeemed more. He had a total of 4 ($12). He shared one with his sister and he used 2. So he still has 1 more plus there are 2 weeks left in the program. Between the two kiddies, they got 12 books and 2 bookmarks. I thought it very interesting what type of books each picked. K picked mostly Disney books (Pinocchio, Bambi, Aladdin, Tarzan). C picked more "educational" type books (Bees and Wasps, Earth, Bats, Nebraska, New Mexico, Virginia). I think he is going to be exactly like his Daddy and enjoy learning. Both of them retain facts (sometimes useless information; love you honey!) very well. I'm excited for C to start school (Aug 4); I think he's really going to enjoy this year.

We also went to Wal Mart and got the kiddies bike helmets. It was sad that we waited this long. Once we get them all adjusted, I'll get pix of them in their helmets and on their bikes.

K also spent some birthday money. She picked out a little doggie in a purse. I think she really wanted it for the purse. Next time we'll just go look at purses. She's a girl (so unlike her mommy--although a friend had a really cute pink Coach purse at church last night. I liked that one)

In all our shopping, what did I get????? Draino!!! for our bathtub. It keeps stopping up. Maybe this time will fix it. Oh I did get coffe at DD--with a coupon; does that count?

This post dedicated to.......

Momma

For those of you that read her blog, you know how much she hates laundry! I saw this picture in a magazine and it made me think of her.

The last time I did laundry, I took a picture of all the laundry on my bed. I only have 2 kids, but that pile can get pretty big! Unusually this pile got folded and put away same day.

Finally, a swing set!

We have been promising to buy a swing set for the kids for at least 2 years. We finally did it today! Yeah!

Since we live in an uppity neighborhood, we had to get permission from the association to put it up. On the form, it asked how long til completion. My answer? "No idea!"

Since I love staining so much (NOT) I am going to stain it before we put it up. I figure that will be easier than after it's assembled. That will take me a few weeks. Then sorting all the pieces and pre-drilling will take some time. Then we have to find a Saturday that we have nothing planned. So maybe by NEXT Christmas. Daddy is still convinced that we should just keep going to the park. Hopefully after it's done, he'll change his mind. (Definitely not in the middle of the process; I've heard they are a bear to put up).

I'll keep you posted and post some pictures once we get started. Pray for us! With something like this, we are going to need it!

By the way, when we were trying to figure out where to store all the stuff, Daddy suggested inside. That way they can enjoy it even before it gets up. Sure, why not? (JK; it's in the garage)

I must BLOG!

My hubby commented that none of the blogs that he reads (mine, my sissy's, his moms, and his sissy's) haven't been updated in awhile. Well his mom's got updated today by his sister (did you follow that?) So I thought I'd update my blog. But since not much exciting has happened, this will be somewhat of a hodge-podge post.

Let's start on Tuesday. K girl had her 3 year check up. They said she is tall and skinny for her age. They asked if she was a good milk drinker (nope), does she like meat (only sausage), are there any guns in the house (why is that any of their business?), does she wear a helmet when riding her tricycle (seriously?), etc. So we get home that night and for supper I decided to try chocolate milk with her. Last time she didn't like it. This time---she drank all of it down. And has had4-6 more glasses since. Make a liar out of me. Then Wednesday night I made baked chicken nuggets and potato pancakes. She usually won't eat the chicken. Once again, she made a liar out of me. She loved them. I think I'll take her to the doctor more often. Maybe she'll eat better.

Thursday we went out to lunch with Daddy and a friend from work. She loves to see my kiddies whenever we go out. She's a sweet lady. Her and her husband just recently adopted a 9 year old boy from a very bad home. Amazing dedication.

Friday the kids and I had to go to Wal Mart--again. I am cooking breakfast for church visitation Saturday morning and needed supplies. I also got some stuff for our SS ice cream social Sunday night after church. I also am in charge of breakfast for SS Sunday morning. All in one weekend. What was I thinking?

After dropping all the food off, K had an appointment with the ENT to check out her ears. He said that they look really good. They are all but 3% closed. We are OK for swimming lessons. Except I don't think we will be able to get to them this year. The summer just got away from us. C got his DVD's for school in the mail the other day. We will be starting school August 4th. He's excited, but only a little.

On other notes:

*I finished sealing another section of fence. YEAH! Only the long side is left. I'll be so glad when it's done. Hopefully before it needs done again? (3-5 years from now)

*our other TV died the other day. What is with us and TVs? My mom says she is always breaking/buying a new iron; my aunt's problem is toasters; mine is TVs?????? Why can't it be something cheaper, like a can opener? This is the TV that C used for school. So we have been brainstorming to figure out what he's going to use for school. Maybe my laptop? Posts would be very scarce then. I'll keep you "posted."

*I mowed the grass Tuesday night. I hate to mow grass but that was the day I found the dead TV. I was so mad at the TV that I went and mowed grass. Here is a picture of the kiddies trying to help by putting the lawn mower away. Teamwork--for once.

So that gets you caught up for now. I'll be back when I have other news. I'll leave you with some pictures of 2 cute kids.

Happy Birthday, K girl!

Yesterday was K girl's third birthday. For some reason, she thinks she turned six (I think because her brother is 6?). Crazy girl.

For breakfast, she wanted chocolate chip muffins. Easy enough. For lunch, she wanted to go to "Bob Heavens." Both of the kids are part of the Bob Evans kids birthday club. Around their birthday, they get a card in the mail for a free kids meal and drink. For some reason this year K got 2. C also had a free meal from a reading program at a local library. So we all ate at Bob Evans and only had to pay for Daddy and I's meal. Nice.

We had saved 2 presents for her to open on her actual birthday. We got her a new Color Wonder book w/ markers. She loves those things! And so do I! They don't make a mess! We also got her a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse puzzle. She's really into puzzles.

It was kinda a low-key birthday for her since we had church, but I still think she had a good day. I really can't believe she is 3! This year while C is doing school, my plans are to start working with her on school-type stuff. It's amazing how different learning preferences and personalities are.

It's a Princess Party!

We had K's birthday party last night. Only a few people were able to come, but it was still fun! I didn't even stress out! It was a penny-pinching party, but it looked really nice. Since it was a princess party, I used some tule to decorate. I did buy some cute plates and napkins and a banner that said "princess party." A long time ago, we had bought some princess figurines at the Disney store. I used those and a little Cinderella's coach for decoration too.

Aunt T made the cake (like she always does). She always does such a good job! This cake was a sheet cake made to look like a cobblestone pathway and on top was Cinderella's coach (made out of cake). She also made a little pillow for the glass slipper and a little mouse. Instead of me explaining.......here's a picture.

Mr. D picked out a set of golf clubs for her. She was so proud of them! She used the putter inside a little, but can't wait to go outside with Daddy and C to use them for real.

Here's the "bling" that C bought her. So pretty.

Other stuff she got: a giant coloring book, crayons, a small coloring book, a preschool work book, My Little Pony, puzzle, sidewalk chalk, bath toy, Sno Cone machine, 2 new outfits, and some money. We saved a few things for her to open on her actual birthday (Sunday). (check back for that post)

I think she had a good party. She was so excited about her cake. That's all she talked about Thursday "Aunt T is going to bring my cake" She's still convinced that she's going to be 6. Crazy girl.

Happy Birthday America!

We had a very small Fouth celebration on Sunday the 5th. We actually went out to eat with friends for lunch. Sunday evening we didn't go to church; Daddy's stomach was very upset-probably due to lunch. So instead the kids played outside for awhile. Then we got quick baths and went outside to do some fireworks. I had bought a small pack at Kroger that afternoon. NEVER again! Half of them wouldn't light! I will be taking them back to get my money back. Thankfully our neighbor across the street was doing some too; so we got to watch theirs. There was also quite a show of huge, professional type fireworks right in our neighborhood. Someone dropped a lot of money. We have plans to grill out brats this coming weekend, in late honor of the Fourth. What a strange Fourth. Oh well.

Of course the kids thought the fireworks were loud. So they sat with their ears covered the entire time.

C's new bike

Tuesday night we went shopping and C was able to get a new bike. He had about $37 that he had saved from the garage sale and his grad party. I did a little searching online and found one that I really liked, he liked it, we all liked the price, and some of the features were really nice. He wanted a handle brake, but I wasn't sure he would know how to work one. This bike is really nice; it has a handle break and a pedal brake (for when he forgets to use the handle one). He is so proud of that bike. Walking out of Wal Mart, he was jut grinning. A few people actually commented on how happy he looked. We came home and let the kids ride for a little while. There is a little adjusting that needs done on the bike, but for now he is at least able to ride it.

Misc.

Just a few miscellaneous things to tide me over until the next post.

Wal Mart savings! Monday, I only spent $91 at Wal Mart. But wait! $20 of it was on a gas card for gas (you get 3 cents off with a gas card). But wait! $13.17 of it was for stuff for K's birthday party Thursday night. So actually I only spent $57.92 on groceries. And I didn't even have many coupons (2) or matches (2) this week. It's been a lot of work but kinda fun too.

K isms: As she was sucking her thumb Sunday, a friend asked if he could have a taste of her thumb. Her answer was "No you have your own." Well duh! Monday night at the game she did NOT stop talking. I asked if her mouth was ever shut. "No Mommy. That's why I have a mouth."

Blessing: I have been praying for some extra money to come in--to save for Disney, to put towards the swing set that we WILL be getting next week, and a few other things. I was thinking some babysitting for me or some PPVC jobs for Daddy. We got a check in the mail today for a nice amount that was overage from our mortgage company. Not how I was expecting it, but thank you Lord!

C had a little (short for even him) bike that someone had given us 2 years ago. It didn't sell in their garage sale and so they just gave it to us. Just this year, he has really taken off on that bike and is confident riding it. Well it got a flat tire. I mean a hole in the tire, can't be fixed, flat tire. So tonight we are going to look for a new bike for him. He said he is willing to put all his money ($37) towards it. I"m hoping we can find a good one at a good price.

This cool car/truck was in our neighborhood yesterday. She was visiting a friend across the street. She kindly let me take pictures. Not only do I think it's very cool looking (I like old cars) but I loved the color. It's a 1929 model T Truck, I think? I'm sure about the year (I asked her) but not the name. Oh well. It's cool. And it had an "oo-ga" horn. Too funny.

McD's: is giving away a free McCafe' every Monday until the end of August (7am-7pm). Go try one! Hey, it's free!

Daddy is done with softball for now. His tourney is Saturday and then it's over! Unless they decided to play summer league. Aaaah! I have no idea if he ended up with a winning record or not. He played a double header Monday night. I do know that he won the first game (beat our other FBC team) and lost the second game. We are waiting to see when we play Saturday. I just hope not the 8 am game. 9:05 wouldn't be too bad.

I think that's all I have for now. Hopefully tomorrow I will blog about our very small July 4th celebration.

Here Comes the Bride!

Our 4th of July was very different this year. We didn't have a picnic or do fireworks. One reason? It POURED! Second reason: we had a very special wedding to attend. M and Green Socks got married on Saturday and C was in the wedding as the ring bearer.

Friday afternoon was the rehearsal. I took C (original plans were for Daddy to take him; due to K's bad attitude, I took him--a break for me). It was at a church that I wasn't familiar with; I was afraid I would get lost. But Maggie (our GPS) got us there. The rehearsal went well. We had literally scared C in regards to how he was to act for this weekend. He took his job very seriously. Funny side note: one of the bride's brothers made T-shirts for all the guys to wear. The shirt had a funny picture on the front and the back said "I was a part of T & M's special day" C did NOT want to wear the shirt! Why? It was hot pink! Let me back up to Thursday. Daddy took C to pick up his tux Thursday night. When they got home, I asked how it went. C's answer "the bow tie is pink!" Poor guy. He's so funny. Does not like guys to wear pink. Well he didn't have much of a choice. Anyway, I digress.

After rehearsal, we went to the dinner at a local Italian restaurant. After dinner, we stopped at Hallmark. I though it might be a good idea to have a card to go with our present.

Saturday morning, C needed to be there at noon. Again, originally Daddy was going to take Ca and I was going to meet them there later. Saturday morning I decided that we would all just go together. But that meant packing up stuff for K and I, lunch for her (they had lunch for the wedding party), something for her to do, stuff for the reception, etc. We left about 11:30 (we didn't get home until around 8; it was a long day).

K and I spent most of the time just keeping busy. We watched part of a movie, colored, played, talked to everyone, listened to Daddy's iTouch, oh my! Pictures started for C around 1. We got seated around 2:30 and the wedding started at 3:30. It was so pretty! And C did such a good job! He stood so still, turned when he needed to , watched what he was supposed to. He had many compliments afterwards. Now the flower girl was another story. She was so funny! She's only 4 and got very bored. She kept everyone entertained. Thankfully the bride couldn't see her.
The reception a pasta buffet. So yummy! They had the best baked lasagna. The cake was really good too (our preacher's wife made it). After dinner, they had dancing. Oh my! That's when the fun started.

Guess who was one of the first on the dance floor? My daughter! She was so funny! She was going around asking people to dance. She danced with the groom at least 3 times, the bride a couple times, friends, strangers. She was keeping up to. They did some line dances and she was doing pretty good. Anytime we had to clear the floor (some slow dances for couples) she cried. When we told her it was time to go, she cried. That night when we said prayers she said "thank you we got to dance tonight" She LOVED IT! Now my son on the other hand, would not get out there. He had all kinds of offers! Me, friends, older grandma-type-friends, the bride. Nope. Not interested. Instead he took my camera and was the photographer. It was a good time. But a very long day.

OK. Now for pictures. I'll warn you: there's a lot! I didn't want to put them in a slide show cuz some need captions. Hope you enjoy!

Here's the bride at rehearsal. She looked so pretty!

Here are some of the guys being goofy. That's the brides 2 brothers on the end.And here is the cute ring bearer (in his pink shirt) and the flower girl (the groom's daughter).Here comes the bride! And her dad (Mr. D)RehearsalDoesn't he look cute? He did such a good job! He wanted to wear the tux to church on Sunday. I think he was a little proud of it.I think this picture turned out really good. I might get it printed.Stanley came to the wedding too.The bride and groom. That's the mother of the bride in the background. She is not going to like me for that picture. This was K's dollar dance with the groom. All I had was quarters! The groom dancing with his daughter and my daughter. His little girl's name is with an H and mine is with a K. My little girl can never get H's name right.One of K's dance partners. (B graduated from PCC this May)One of the bride's brothers.Dancing with Daddy.Like her face? One of the times she had to get off the dance floor.Doing the Macarena (or however it's spelled)This is J & E. They've watched our kids before. I thought it was a cute picture. I think C actually took it.We were waiting for Daddy while he got the car (it was still raining!). My kids did not want to leave!

Sweet Savings

I am currently on a "saving money" kick. We aren't usually extravagant spenders, but don't pinch our pennies either. I am the one to balance the checkbook and so I see how much we spend on certain things--eating out for example. Now don't get me wrong; I love to eat out. If I don't have to think of it, make it, and clean up afterwards, I'm all for it. But there for awhile, it seemed like every third entry in the checkbook was for "dining." (and we had some big grocery bills this month, mostly due to C's party). So I decided to be a good steward and see how much money I could save at the grocery store and how little we could go out to eat in a week.

A friend from college has a website dedicated to saving money at the grocery store. (www.mysweetsavings.com) I started getting some ideas from her, starting with getting a paper for the coupons and sale ads (I don't know that I will ever be as extreme as she is). I've gotten the paper for 2 weeks now. (This past week I had 2 papers given to me--with all the ads and coupons still in it! Thanks Miss J!) I do have to say that it takes me awhile just to get ready to go to Wal-Mart! First I make my menu list. Then I write down all the ingredients I need. Then I see what I have and cross out what I don't need to get. Then I look in the sale ads (Wal Mart does comparison shopping; very nice) Then I go through my coupons. I've also looked on the internet for coupons, especially for name brand stuff. For example, this week I needed sunscreen for the kids. I love the spray on kind but it's so expensive! I got on Banana Boat's website and there was a coupon for $2 off! Nice.

Now to my bragging time :)
This week I only spent $109 at Wal Mart. That's groceries for an entire week. Actually it wasn't all groceries. I bought a phone card for my phone and had a price match for it too! (Usually it's $19.88; I paid $17.99). I saved $10.09 just in price matches and had $7.15 in coupons for a grand total of $17.24 in savings!

I was so excited! I called Daddy twice to tell him all that I had saved. He kiddingly asked if I was going to blog about it. Of course! It's very note worthy! Now that I see what I have saved, I'm very excited to try again next week. I think I'll go start now. (anyone have any inexpensive dinner suggestions?)