It's another Monday Five Countdown hosted by Bookish Penguin!
Five Things I'm Grateful For:
1) As always, hubby's job for being enough that I can stay home.
2) Tax return time, for the nice, yearly, pick myself up out of a hole time.
3) Having such happy kids.
4) Getting to spend time with my family on my birthday
5) That it's Monday, and not wednesday, like I was dreaming it was last night.
4 Things I Can't Stop Thinking About:
1) Hoping my refund amounts show up when they are supposed to
2) The baby shower I am co-throwing on Saturday. I hope it turns out as beautiful as it is in my head.
3) Blogging with more consistency, even when I don't have a clue about what to write.
4) Yard sale- I want to have a yard sale and I really, really, need to get more stuff sorted out to sell.
3 Things I Want To Accomplish This Week:
1) Measuring the fridge space and looking for a new-to-us fridge. Narrowing down what would be the best use of our money, and easiest to repair down the road if we need to.
2) Cleaning out my van- it needs vacuuming and a good scrub of every surface. It would be good to do while it's cloudy today.
3) Get the boys room closet cleaned out. It's too much of a mess, and most of it is junk.
Two Things I Want To Be Positive About:
1) Budget talks at hubby's work always make me nervous, so I am trying to not worry about it.
2) Our Wednesday shuffle always stresses me out, and really for no good reason.
One Random Thing:
1) I think I already did my one random thing- my whole post about school lunches. I usually don't put much care into what the public school system is doing (I think Charter Schools have the best idea, along with private schools), but I can't shake it out of my head. Next up will be inspectors at the grocery store making sure if you have kids, certain things can't go home with you in your cart. Heaven forbid I let my kids have ice cream every once in awhile!
Monday, January 31, 2011
School Lunches (and Dinners?)
A big topic of discussion lately has been Michelle Obama's new school lunch bill. She is aiming to cut obesity by requiring schools to feed kids healthier school lunches (and breakfasts) with more fresh vegetables and whole wheat. This costs the school districts more. People are angry over the proposed idea of taking funding from the food stamp program to fund part of the increased cost.
I don't see why- in a month, you should feed your child 90 meals. That's 30 days of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If your child goes to school, and gets free lunch (and free lunch now includes free breakfast) that's 40 meals you are not responsible for. So they should figure out a formula of how much money they are giving the family for each person, and if they have a child who is in school and receiving free lunch and breakfast, they could take away a percentage to account for the meals they don't provide.
Kids also are picky. If you have kids, you know exactly how picky they can be. Kids have to try something around 20-30 times before they will actually like it. If you take a kid who knows nothing but McDonald's french fries, potato chips, and other cheap junk food, and give them a handful of baby cherry tomatoes, or some broccoli, they will probably throw them out. If you give them salads, and they've never eaten a salad before, they will probably not eat it. Maybe if they were really, really hungry, you might get lucky. Maybe halfway through the year they will cave and start trying stuff. With kids you never know- and that's a lot of food and money to be throwing away.
Kids in school cafeterias aren't very supervised either. There is no authority there to try and get the kids to try new foods, or to encourage them to try a new bite, or to battle kids teasing each other (ewwww...you ate that? goes a long way for some kids). I'd also be pretty angry as a parent if some school official was forcing my kids to eat everything off their plate before they could play. So where's the middle ground?
I really think it all comes down to the parents who want their kids to have a healthy lunch are already sending it with their kids. The ones who are on free lunch should pick- keep their extra food stamp funding and provide their own lunches, or receive free lunch and breakfast in exchange for a portion of their funding.
I don't see why- in a month, you should feed your child 90 meals. That's 30 days of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If your child goes to school, and gets free lunch (and free lunch now includes free breakfast) that's 40 meals you are not responsible for. So they should figure out a formula of how much money they are giving the family for each person, and if they have a child who is in school and receiving free lunch and breakfast, they could take away a percentage to account for the meals they don't provide.
Kids also are picky. If you have kids, you know exactly how picky they can be. Kids have to try something around 20-30 times before they will actually like it. If you take a kid who knows nothing but McDonald's french fries, potato chips, and other cheap junk food, and give them a handful of baby cherry tomatoes, or some broccoli, they will probably throw them out. If you give them salads, and they've never eaten a salad before, they will probably not eat it. Maybe if they were really, really hungry, you might get lucky. Maybe halfway through the year they will cave and start trying stuff. With kids you never know- and that's a lot of food and money to be throwing away.
Kids in school cafeterias aren't very supervised either. There is no authority there to try and get the kids to try new foods, or to encourage them to try a new bite, or to battle kids teasing each other (ewwww...you ate that? goes a long way for some kids). I'd also be pretty angry as a parent if some school official was forcing my kids to eat everything off their plate before they could play. So where's the middle ground?
I really think it all comes down to the parents who want their kids to have a healthy lunch are already sending it with their kids. The ones who are on free lunch should pick- keep their extra food stamp funding and provide their own lunches, or receive free lunch and breakfast in exchange for a portion of their funding.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
29 Things I've Learned in 29 Years
Since yesterday was my birthday (and I couldn't come up with some inspirational blogging idea), I'll share with you 29 things I've learned in my 29 years on this lovely earth.
1) Time flies, even when you feel like time is dragging on. Times flies when you're having fun!
2) Having family is better then anything in the world. Having your family grow is amazing.
3) Friends really are the family you pick.
4) Always carry baby wipes and chapstick.
5) God has a plan. We may not know it, or agree with it, but He has a plan.
6) Enjoy the dirty, smudged up fingerprints everywhere.
7) Always have a backup meal plan for unexpected company.
8) Hugs and Kisses must be given daily.
9) Always try (and taste) new things.
10) Always find time to be a kid and do something silly!
11) Praise 10 times more then you correct.
12) Top Ramen + Veggies = Yum!
13) Good music is always a necessity.
14) Spell check is your best friend!
15) Take pictures of everything!
16) Read good books every day. Read bad books so you know what the good books are.
17) Count your blessings.
18) Do everything you do to the best of your ability.
19) Be compassionate to the frazzled mom with the crying baby. Make a joke to the mom with the grumpy toddler. We've all been there.
20) Hold new babies every chance you get. When you think about it, it's really a miracle we are all here.
21) Visit a thrift store with a friend, just to look at all the funny old clothes.
22) Listen to the stories of people older then you. Write them, tape them, and don't forget them.
23) Stop and smell the roses, the dandelions, and random blades of grass.
24) Laugh at yourself often.
25) Always give to others, whether its time or money.
26) Sometimes things are better left unsaid, and some people it's best to just agree with.
27) Those girl scout songs will someday come in handy.
28) Learn to say No.
29) Love everyone.
1) Time flies, even when you feel like time is dragging on. Times flies when you're having fun!
2) Having family is better then anything in the world. Having your family grow is amazing.
3) Friends really are the family you pick.
4) Always carry baby wipes and chapstick.
5) God has a plan. We may not know it, or agree with it, but He has a plan.
6) Enjoy the dirty, smudged up fingerprints everywhere.
7) Always have a backup meal plan for unexpected company.
8) Hugs and Kisses must be given daily.
9) Always try (and taste) new things.
10) Always find time to be a kid and do something silly!
11) Praise 10 times more then you correct.
12) Top Ramen + Veggies = Yum!
13) Good music is always a necessity.
14) Spell check is your best friend!
15) Take pictures of everything!
16) Read good books every day. Read bad books so you know what the good books are.
17) Count your blessings.
18) Do everything you do to the best of your ability.
19) Be compassionate to the frazzled mom with the crying baby. Make a joke to the mom with the grumpy toddler. We've all been there.
20) Hold new babies every chance you get. When you think about it, it's really a miracle we are all here.
21) Visit a thrift store with a friend, just to look at all the funny old clothes.
22) Listen to the stories of people older then you. Write them, tape them, and don't forget them.
23) Stop and smell the roses, the dandelions, and random blades of grass.
24) Laugh at yourself often.
25) Always give to others, whether its time or money.
26) Sometimes things are better left unsaid, and some people it's best to just agree with.
27) Those girl scout songs will someday come in handy.
28) Learn to say No.
29) Love everyone.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
It's always Wednesday...
Wednesday is a very busy day around here. We wake up early and the kids go to PE class with a bunch of other homeschoolers, then we come home and do chores, and eat lunch, do schoolwork, play and then it's time for Awanas. The next few weeks, the two oldest go to Awanas at 4:45pm for Awana games practice, then I take Princess at 6:30 for regular Awanas, and pick all three up at 8:30. Whew! So Wednesdays are busy, busy, busy.
So of course, all disasters seem to happen on Wednesday. What happened today? We came back from PE class and I had Genius go inside and open the garage so I can bring in the trashcans (if they are in the garage, then I can take out the trash without Doorbuster bolting after me and into the street). He opens the garage, I bring in the trashcans, and notice water EVERYWHERE. At first I thought it was the washer, but the washer was empty. Then I notice it's the water heater. Water is leaking out of the bottom of the water heater. Yikes.
Makes me very glad I rent! I called the management company so they could call the owner to come out and fix it. Then I call hubby to ask him how to turn off the water to the water heater. He's wondering why I called and asked this. I tell him what is happening and he offers to see if he can come home early. What a sweetie!
Luckily, he showed up about an hour later. We all ate lunch, and I put Doorbuster down for his nap. Then Hubby offered to let me take a nap! How special was that! I never, ever, get to take naps. Someone always finds me and wakes me up. I woke up just in time for hubby to take the kids to Awanas (the two oldest), and then the owner showed up with a shiny, new hot water heater.
After they opened the box, and installed the new water heater, the pilot light wouldn't light. And the top vent wouldn't fit. So they had to head back to the store to get another water heater. The second one was the charm, and they were on their way to return the first water heater and head to their house. I was on my way to go pick up the kids from Awanas.
I was considering joining some homeschool friends of ours to do a science class on Wednesdays, but that might be pushing my luck. I don't know if I need to add anything more to my to-do list for Wednesdays.
So of course, all disasters seem to happen on Wednesday. What happened today? We came back from PE class and I had Genius go inside and open the garage so I can bring in the trashcans (if they are in the garage, then I can take out the trash without Doorbuster bolting after me and into the street). He opens the garage, I bring in the trashcans, and notice water EVERYWHERE. At first I thought it was the washer, but the washer was empty. Then I notice it's the water heater. Water is leaking out of the bottom of the water heater. Yikes.
Makes me very glad I rent! I called the management company so they could call the owner to come out and fix it. Then I call hubby to ask him how to turn off the water to the water heater. He's wondering why I called and asked this. I tell him what is happening and he offers to see if he can come home early. What a sweetie!
Luckily, he showed up about an hour later. We all ate lunch, and I put Doorbuster down for his nap. Then Hubby offered to let me take a nap! How special was that! I never, ever, get to take naps. Someone always finds me and wakes me up. I woke up just in time for hubby to take the kids to Awanas (the two oldest), and then the owner showed up with a shiny, new hot water heater.
After they opened the box, and installed the new water heater, the pilot light wouldn't light. And the top vent wouldn't fit. So they had to head back to the store to get another water heater. The second one was the charm, and they were on their way to return the first water heater and head to their house. I was on my way to go pick up the kids from Awanas.
I was considering joining some homeschool friends of ours to do a science class on Wednesdays, but that might be pushing my luck. I don't know if I need to add anything more to my to-do list for Wednesdays.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Breadmaking Attempt #1
I've been slowly trying to cook more and more from scratch. So I decided to be brave and make the World's Best Rolls from Our Best Bites. I love that website since they break everything down into the easiest, simplest steps and don't assume you know how to cut or mix certain ingredients.
The rolls came out really good, and it was actually easier then I thought it would be. The worst part was trying to mix the ingredients. Once I started mixing the flour in, my blender started smoking. So I ditched the blender and kneaded it by hand.
I also need to learn some patience in rolling out dough. You're supposed to split the dough into two, then use two 9x13 pans to put little individual balls of dough to make rolls. I put the dough onto some unfloured wax paper, got the dough stuck on it, and stuck on my unfloured hands, and had dough stuck everywhere. So I kinda pulled off some roll sized blobs and stuck them in the pan. Which I now realize was a 8 x 11 or something like that. I still had dough leftover after filling the pan, so I just stuck it on the pie dish. It was still good!
I think next time I will just put them in muffin tins, or just make them a loaf. The kids didn't care either way, as we ate the big pan in an afternoon. I also think I'll freeze one half of the dough, and just cook one half at a time. It was a lot of dough!
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| They taste better then they look! |
I also need to learn some patience in rolling out dough. You're supposed to split the dough into two, then use two 9x13 pans to put little individual balls of dough to make rolls. I put the dough onto some unfloured wax paper, got the dough stuck on it, and stuck on my unfloured hands, and had dough stuck everywhere. So I kinda pulled off some roll sized blobs and stuck them in the pan. Which I now realize was a 8 x 11 or something like that. I still had dough leftover after filling the pan, so I just stuck it on the pie dish. It was still good!
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| Extra |
I think next time I will just put them in muffin tins, or just make them a loaf. The kids didn't care either way, as we ate the big pan in an afternoon. I also think I'll freeze one half of the dough, and just cook one half at a time. It was a lot of dough!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Monday Five Countdown!
I was trying to come up with something to post about and I am going to follow Bookish Penguin and Lori and do a Monday Five Countdown! (Wooo, cheer, cheer, add your own sound effect here!)
Five Things I'm Thankful For:
1) Hubby's job being enough that I don't have to work. There isn't a day I am not thankful for that!
2) The weather being so nice and beautiful! It's spring here- so no more worrying about buying cold weather clothes or how high my heater bill might be.
3) My kids all being such easy going, low maintenance, happy workers. They do their school work without complaint, they do their chores without complaint, and they have even been playing together nicely. It's great to see all of them making up silly games to play together.
4) A nice backyard with grass, so we can all go out and play badminton outside in the afternoon.
5) My crockpot, for cooking such yummy things while I'm busy playing with the kids.
Four Things I Can't Stop Thinking About:
1) Taxes, W-2's, and how much our refund will be. I'm hoping it's enough to cover paying things back that we ow, and enough left over to replace our apartment sized fridge with a larger model with an ice/water dispencer. Not new- but one in decent shape that's fairly new.
2) Yard Sale- I really want to have one, I just lack the willpower to actually have one. My garage is filled with stuff that needs to be sold, I just need to sell them.
3) If only my guildies would show up on time, ready to go, knowing their fights, so I could raid more. (Yes, I'm a nerd. It's my fun not-mommy-time.)
4) Things to blog about when we spend the weekend doing pretty much nothing. There's only so much that can be said about laying around, mowing the lawn, and doing laundry.
Three Things I Want To Accomplish This Week:
1) Get all the favors for my friend's baby shower done and ready to go, and get the banner finished.
2) Clean out my closet, and rearange the top shelf of the kid's closets.
3) Learn to use my bread machine to make some bread.
Two Things I Am Working On Being Positive About:
(This is a hard one, I'm usually pretty positive)
1) Finances, bills, and Furlough days.
2) Mopping and Cleaning Floors (Good enough is good enough, no need for them to be perfect)
One Random Thing:
1) I love my hubby's chicken strips he makes. They are sooooo good! I could eat 2 or 3 lbs of his breaded chicken all on my own. On a regular night we will eat 3 costco chicken breasts, but on chicken nugget night, we can eat the whole bag and still want more. He could go into business just making his chickens. Yum!
Five Things I'm Thankful For:
1) Hubby's job being enough that I don't have to work. There isn't a day I am not thankful for that!
2) The weather being so nice and beautiful! It's spring here- so no more worrying about buying cold weather clothes or how high my heater bill might be.
3) My kids all being such easy going, low maintenance, happy workers. They do their school work without complaint, they do their chores without complaint, and they have even been playing together nicely. It's great to see all of them making up silly games to play together.
4) A nice backyard with grass, so we can all go out and play badminton outside in the afternoon.
5) My crockpot, for cooking such yummy things while I'm busy playing with the kids.
Four Things I Can't Stop Thinking About:
1) Taxes, W-2's, and how much our refund will be. I'm hoping it's enough to cover paying things back that we ow, and enough left over to replace our apartment sized fridge with a larger model with an ice/water dispencer. Not new- but one in decent shape that's fairly new.
2) Yard Sale- I really want to have one, I just lack the willpower to actually have one. My garage is filled with stuff that needs to be sold, I just need to sell them.
3) If only my guildies would show up on time, ready to go, knowing their fights, so I could raid more. (Yes, I'm a nerd. It's my fun not-mommy-time.)
4) Things to blog about when we spend the weekend doing pretty much nothing. There's only so much that can be said about laying around, mowing the lawn, and doing laundry.
Three Things I Want To Accomplish This Week:
1) Get all the favors for my friend's baby shower done and ready to go, and get the banner finished.
2) Clean out my closet, and rearange the top shelf of the kid's closets.
3) Learn to use my bread machine to make some bread.
Two Things I Am Working On Being Positive About:
(This is a hard one, I'm usually pretty positive)
1) Finances, bills, and Furlough days.
2) Mopping and Cleaning Floors (Good enough is good enough, no need for them to be perfect)
One Random Thing:
1) I love my hubby's chicken strips he makes. They are sooooo good! I could eat 2 or 3 lbs of his breaded chicken all on my own. On a regular night we will eat 3 costco chicken breasts, but on chicken nugget night, we can eat the whole bag and still want more. He could go into business just making his chickens. Yum!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Disney Trip 1-18-11
I'm so glad I have kids who don't know what Federal Holidays are, and that we homeschool. We did school on Monday and took our day off on Tuesday. We went to Disneyland so Hubby could see World of Color. World of Color is so spectacular! I love it more then fantasmic and the fireworks.
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| Teaching Doorbuster to walk and hold hands |
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| Don't take a picture of me! |
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| Can you believe it? 80 degrees, perfect day! In JANUARY! |
Thursday, January 20, 2011
4 out of 7 so far
Who'd of thought this little guy: 
Would turn into this little guy with real awesome glasses:
So far Me, Hubby & Stepdaughter wear glasses, Daredevil makes #4.
Uhm, Hmm, Urg, Eggg
I spent all day yesterday and most of the morning today trying to come up with something to write about. But, I keep getting interrupted by many little ones and their many little needs. Well, it's only one of them actually.
Princess talks. And talks, and talks, and talks and talks. She talks to you while you type, while you read, while you talk to someone else, while you load the dishwasher, while you chew your food, while your in the bathroom, or wherever else you may be. You can't get a spare thought in around her talking. Some days I say God was really smart only giving us one girl, because I couldn't handle two of Princess walking around talking non-stop at me all day. Some days I wonder if God did give us two girls, maybe they would talk to each other and I could get a few minutes of quiet. I'm trying to teach her to listen a bit more, because she talks too much and doesn't listen to anything at all. It's 8 months until she starts kindergarten, and she has to learn to wait her turn between her brothers for schoolwork. I know it will be a blink of an eye and she will be a teenager and not want to talk at all, but really, sometimes other people need a chance to talk too!
Some well meaning people say that she would probably talk less if she socialized more. We go to parkday once a week for 3 hours or more, then while the older kids have PE class, she plays at the park with the other younger kids, then their is Awanas, and we usually visit one on one with another friend during the week, and church, and there are actually some days we need to stay at home and get some schoolwork done. They all see plenty of kids their age during the week.
Oh, and occasionally we do have to fit in errands. And doctor appointments, dentist appointments, eye appointments. I don't know how people who put their kids in school do it. I'd go crazy. I suppose that's why we homeschool and not public school.
Today we have to go pick up Daredevil's glasses. He is slightly farsighted. Genius has perfect vision. When Daredevil was trying on glasses to choose what ones he wanted, he put on a pair of red framed glasses and announced in a hushed voice- "I look awesome." It took all of my willpower to not crack up laughing at the seriousness of his voice. He did look very awesome.
Yesterday was PE class, where the older two are learning basketball, which they really don't like. I don't care if they like it or not, they need to know the basics of how to play a few different sports. Daredevil spends a lot of his time spinning in circles and hoping someone admires his circle spinning. At least the coach is very patient and directs him to pay attention. Genius does his best to make it look like he is playing, but not really play. It's funny to watch. Next month is dodgeball which they both know how to play well. They also had Awanas too. While they were at Awanas, hubby and I had our date night and went to Bakers. I ate waaaay too much- 3 shredded beef texas tacos, a large order of fries and a large chocolate shake. I probably could of ate another taco, but I really would of paid for it this morning. Paid for it as in, been really hungry this morning since I ate way, way, way too much.
I'll wrap up my rambling now, because I just found a large blue kickball floating in the toilet. Thanks Doorbuster!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
DIY- Lego Vacuum
What you'll need:
1) 7-8 inch rubber tube, about an inch to a inch and a half wide
2) Plastic Container (we used a old Mr Clean bottle- because we recycle!)
3) Screen Material (netting, old piece of screen)
4) Vacuum with a hose that fits over the top of your bottle
What you'll do:
Drill a hole the size of your tube in the plastic container, near the top. Put the screen material over the opening where you will put your vacuum hose (see the orange top?). Put the hose in the hole. Attach your vacuum to the top, and there you go! It sucks up legos and catches them into the bottle.
Monday, January 17, 2011
10 years of Strollers
It's funny looking back at all the strollers I have owned in 10 years. Every different season in life needed a new stroller.
I started out with a Graco Travel System our dear neighbors gave to us. It was so cute!
Then came a period of time where we used this do-it-yourself wagon with cover. I used some fabric and PVC pipe to make the cover. Then when we went to fairs and stuff, both my stepdaughter & Genius could ride.
One more kid to the family, equaled the need for a double stroller. A double stroller to carry double the stuff! I LOVED the colors on this stroller. It was also a rare combo, so it made it really easy to find when we parked it. It was just so huge to push and carry, though. The kids look comfortable in it though!
After a car crash, the yellow & gray Graco duo glider got replaced with a black and white graco duo glider. This one had velvety seats. Stroller in trunk + rear end collision = your choice of stroller.
Then came Princess and the desire not to push the heavy Graco Duoglider around anymore. Getting it on the tram to and from Disneyland was a pain. So I got a Combi Twin Stroller. It was my very favorite for a long time.
When I went to the mall or just out with Princess, I had a pink & denim Graco single stroller. I had a girl, I needed a pink stroller!
Then Came a lightweight Maclaren (I think it was) that took up less space in the trunk for our vegas trip. By this time, Daredevil was a walker, not a rider anymore.
The Mac's wheel got mangled, so it was replaced with a Chicco umbrella Stroller. It was lightweight and easy to take to Disneyland, but still reclined, had shade, and a basket.
Then came Doorbuster, so we went back to the Combi. Princess refuses to walk. She very much prefers a stroller. She just loves to go in, and out, and in, and out, and in, and out. You get the picture.
Our current set up, Princess hitching a ride on the Uppababy. I wanted her to start walking more. That did not go over well. I can be pretty creative in a pinch!
Oh, It's Another Lazy Day!
(Slightly borrowed from The Plain White T's song "Oh, It's Another Rainy Day")
We've spent this weekend being lazy, laying around the house, catching up on movies, and other around the house projects. I've managed to do 10 loads or so of laundry, deep clean princess' room, deep clean & dust the living room, catch up on the dishes that no one ever wants to wash (well, the ones that the dishwasher doesn't want to wash....darn that stubborn machine!). Hubby has mowed the lawn and put boxes and stuff up in the rafters. He even installed the coat rack that I wanted put up. We wanted to restain it a darker wood, but it seems all of our stuff is light pine, so keeping it light pine is a safer bet for now.
The kids and I both cleaned the playroom/schoolroom and rearranged it for the millionth time. I had the table by the window and the legos and it just wasn't working. So we cleaned it off, removed the TV from the room, and put it against the wall by the bookshelves. Now the room seems much bigger and much neater. Genius spent some time teaching Princess photoshop. I guess we will have our own production company someday, with all this talent they seem to be picking up. At the very least, if Princess took up drawing on photoshop, it would save on all the paper that is all over the house.
We've played a few rounds of soccer, some badminton, and some basketball dribbling in the backyard. I hit a few birdies on the roof, so that may be hubby's job next weekend- throwing all the misplaced balls and birds back down to us. I bought a lot of spare birdies because I figured they'd get lost. Now that the grass is mowed and not wet, we may play some croquet today.
I finished the name part of the baby shower banner, now to finish the rest of the banner. I also am going to make another hanging for her other daughter, so they can be room decorations after the fact.
I really should get sewing on the skirt turned dress for Princess, it's all pinned, just needs to be sewn. Plus I have to resew up the blue dress I got. When I tried it on, it was too small- which was weird since it is a size bigger then I usually wear. So I figured with a bit of adjusting (as Princess calls it, taking off the boobies), I'd just make it into a dress for her. So I got out the seem ripper and started removing the boobies, when I noticed some different colored stitching. Turns out, whoever owned the dress before me had taken it in to fit them! So that was why it didn't fit me in the first place! So I removed all the taken in stitching, pinned it from where I had taken out the stitching, and it fit fine. So it is sitting in the pile of things to sew. With the weather being so nice, I have a very good incentive to sew the dress, I'll be able to wear it!
We've spent this weekend being lazy, laying around the house, catching up on movies, and other around the house projects. I've managed to do 10 loads or so of laundry, deep clean princess' room, deep clean & dust the living room, catch up on the dishes that no one ever wants to wash (well, the ones that the dishwasher doesn't want to wash....darn that stubborn machine!). Hubby has mowed the lawn and put boxes and stuff up in the rafters. He even installed the coat rack that I wanted put up. We wanted to restain it a darker wood, but it seems all of our stuff is light pine, so keeping it light pine is a safer bet for now.
The kids and I both cleaned the playroom/schoolroom and rearranged it for the millionth time. I had the table by the window and the legos and it just wasn't working. So we cleaned it off, removed the TV from the room, and put it against the wall by the bookshelves. Now the room seems much bigger and much neater. Genius spent some time teaching Princess photoshop. I guess we will have our own production company someday, with all this talent they seem to be picking up. At the very least, if Princess took up drawing on photoshop, it would save on all the paper that is all over the house.
We've played a few rounds of soccer, some badminton, and some basketball dribbling in the backyard. I hit a few birdies on the roof, so that may be hubby's job next weekend- throwing all the misplaced balls and birds back down to us. I bought a lot of spare birdies because I figured they'd get lost. Now that the grass is mowed and not wet, we may play some croquet today.
I finished the name part of the baby shower banner, now to finish the rest of the banner. I also am going to make another hanging for her other daughter, so they can be room decorations after the fact.
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| One of the letters...with glitter! |
Saturday, January 15, 2011
My Shopping Adventure!
Since my hubby had to work today, and may go watch the football game at the bar this evening, I figured I'd make my escape for a little bit of kid free time. There were a few stores with sales I wanted to go to, but I really didn't want to lug kids in and out and in and out of the car.
So first I went to Albertson's and bought 6 cans of Campbell's soup- 2 tomato and 4 chicken noodle; and a loaf of french bread. These were free since I bought a newspaper subscription and got an Albertson's gift card. I hadn't been couponing very often since I had been forgetting to get the paper (or just not going anywhere that they sell them on Sunday). So I got the weekend paper for $6.60 a month, and I can cancel at any time. I bought 4 weeks only for $6.60, and got a $10 gift card. I got paid to get a newspaper every Sunday, isn't that silly!
Then I went to Jo-Anns since they were having a 40% off all paper crafting supplies. My "sister" is having her 2nd girl, and we are throwing a shower for her. I got 2 packs of 4x6 scrap-booking paper to make a banner for decoration, and to also make the thank you favors. I'm making these, so I got the baggies and paper for it. I got really cute paper for the top, not just plain paper. I am still debating on stamping Thank You on them, or getting a silver pen and writing Thank You at the top. Then for the banner, I am taking the 4x6 cards, cutting out letters and gluing them onto a contrasting sheet, and stringing them together with ribbon. Then when the shower is over, she can reuse the name part (I will probably be able to make a matching name banner for her other daughter too). Total cost for this- $12.00. I'll probably have a bunch left over to make cards and stuff out of.
Then I went to the 99 cent only store, and bought some drink mix packs (The crystal light ones that go for $3.99 at our grocery store, are 99 cents), some tea (2 boxes for the favors), rose petals (I wanted them for table decorations for the shower, so I got two boxes) peanut butter twix, and a pack of beef jerky.
After that, I had an adventure. I went and checked out one of the Mexican food stores I always get a circular for. They always seem to have pretty good prices on produce & meat, but I wasn't sure about shopping there. I have a hard enough time reading the ad, I didn't know if everything would be in spanish and I would have to rely on my high school spanish (which isn't very good). There were actually quite a few people that spoke english in there, and there was a good mix of regular food and mexican food. I got 5lbs of oranges for $1.00; and a bag of really good freshly made tortilla chips for $2.50; a reusable can of nacho cheese for $1.50; and a 5 lbs bag of frozen fench fries for $2.50; and some frozen veggies for .50 cents a bag. Not bad at all! If I would have a spare freezer (or more freezer space) I would have bought more of the 50 cents a bag veggies.
So that was my long day of getting in and out of the car, but at least I didn't have to discipline anyone, say no a million times, and I got to listen to talk radio for a bit. That's a nice, peaceful afternoon for me!
So first I went to Albertson's and bought 6 cans of Campbell's soup- 2 tomato and 4 chicken noodle; and a loaf of french bread. These were free since I bought a newspaper subscription and got an Albertson's gift card. I hadn't been couponing very often since I had been forgetting to get the paper (or just not going anywhere that they sell them on Sunday). So I got the weekend paper for $6.60 a month, and I can cancel at any time. I bought 4 weeks only for $6.60, and got a $10 gift card. I got paid to get a newspaper every Sunday, isn't that silly!
Then I went to Jo-Anns since they were having a 40% off all paper crafting supplies. My "sister" is having her 2nd girl, and we are throwing a shower for her. I got 2 packs of 4x6 scrap-booking paper to make a banner for decoration, and to also make the thank you favors. I'm making these, so I got the baggies and paper for it. I got really cute paper for the top, not just plain paper. I am still debating on stamping Thank You on them, or getting a silver pen and writing Thank You at the top. Then for the banner, I am taking the 4x6 cards, cutting out letters and gluing them onto a contrasting sheet, and stringing them together with ribbon. Then when the shower is over, she can reuse the name part (I will probably be able to make a matching name banner for her other daughter too). Total cost for this- $12.00. I'll probably have a bunch left over to make cards and stuff out of.
Then I went to the 99 cent only store, and bought some drink mix packs (The crystal light ones that go for $3.99 at our grocery store, are 99 cents), some tea (2 boxes for the favors), rose petals (I wanted them for table decorations for the shower, so I got two boxes) peanut butter twix, and a pack of beef jerky.
After that, I had an adventure. I went and checked out one of the Mexican food stores I always get a circular for. They always seem to have pretty good prices on produce & meat, but I wasn't sure about shopping there. I have a hard enough time reading the ad, I didn't know if everything would be in spanish and I would have to rely on my high school spanish (which isn't very good). There were actually quite a few people that spoke english in there, and there was a good mix of regular food and mexican food. I got 5lbs of oranges for $1.00; and a bag of really good freshly made tortilla chips for $2.50; a reusable can of nacho cheese for $1.50; and a 5 lbs bag of frozen fench fries for $2.50; and some frozen veggies for .50 cents a bag. Not bad at all! If I would have a spare freezer (or more freezer space) I would have bought more of the 50 cents a bag veggies.
So that was my long day of getting in and out of the car, but at least I didn't have to discipline anyone, say no a million times, and I got to listen to talk radio for a bit. That's a nice, peaceful afternoon for me!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
We love Science!
Picking curriculum is hard! There is so much neat stuff out there. The hardest part is finding things that work for a large range of kids, don't need a lot of prep work, and don't cost too much. We have been using Science in a Nutshell, and I think it is as perfect as it gets for us!
Each box- let me stop there- the box in itself is great. One of the biggest problems we have with our school stuff is it gets played with constantly. If we aren't doing our scheduled school activities, they will play with the math manipulative, play with the letter blocks, build their own things and generally drag everything everywhere. The box is labeled with what the kit is, and has a handle to take it places easily. That's one problem solved!
Everything you need is included in the box, minus a few household items. When we were doing the Crystals kit, it even came with the salt, the cotton balls, everything we needed. I think for the electrical kit, I had to supply a paper clip. I can open the box and the kids can get right to work, without me searching for just one more thing.
It even includes enough stuff for 3 kids, activity books, and a teacher guide. I usually read through the activity books and just ask the kids the questions, or have them demonstrate the ideas to me. The activity books are really made for older kids to write in answers. The teachers guide shows exactly what you need to do, and gives you a little more information to share with the kids. If you wanted to go really in depth, you would probably want to supplement with another book. It's great for my kids though, they can get right to the messy, experimenting part. When they start asking why something happens, I know I have them hooked!
*I was not paid nor compensated for this post. Just sharing what works for us!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Good Morning! (& some kid updates)
Doorbuster has started a new habit. When he wakes up in the morning and sees Princess, he starts waving! Not a open and close the fingers wave, but a all fingers out, turning his hand, very deliberate wave. It's the cutest thing to watch. He wont do it to anyone but her, and only when he wakes up. Did I say it was cute yet? No? It sure is!
We are still waiting on Daredevil's student study team results. It has been interesting trying to get him extra help, or to find out if there is anything physical or mental that is hindering his reading & processing. At the very least, when he has to do state testing next year, it would be nice if he had some extra help and assistance. He is getting better at reading the story we've been working on. Reading to him is like reading to a mexican jumping bean.
Princess is obsessed with going to kindergarten. She isn't actually going anywhere for kindergarten, but she thinks she is. We hear about it every 10 minutes. She thinks kindergarten is a magical place. Hubby thinks we should send her so she gets that "experience". I don't want the "experience" of catching every illness that goes around, doing tons of homework, and driving back and forth to school. No thanks. Currently she wants to go to the mall. It starts early, doesn't it?
Genius has downloaded Maya 8, and is designing his own historical computer game. He made a game for Princess to play using multimedia fusion. He says that is boring though. He likes the 3-D stuff better. We learned Maya 8 was what the colleges here were using, so he found the website, downloaded it, set it up, and has been watching the videos and following along. I'm pretty impressed at least. I keep pushing him a bit on his video game making, he has a lot of really good ideas.
We are still waiting on Daredevil's student study team results. It has been interesting trying to get him extra help, or to find out if there is anything physical or mental that is hindering his reading & processing. At the very least, when he has to do state testing next year, it would be nice if he had some extra help and assistance. He is getting better at reading the story we've been working on. Reading to him is like reading to a mexican jumping bean.
Princess is obsessed with going to kindergarten. She isn't actually going anywhere for kindergarten, but she thinks she is. We hear about it every 10 minutes. She thinks kindergarten is a magical place. Hubby thinks we should send her so she gets that "experience". I don't want the "experience" of catching every illness that goes around, doing tons of homework, and driving back and forth to school. No thanks. Currently she wants to go to the mall. It starts early, doesn't it?
Genius has downloaded Maya 8, and is designing his own historical computer game. He made a game for Princess to play using multimedia fusion. He says that is boring though. He likes the 3-D stuff better. We learned Maya 8 was what the colleges here were using, so he found the website, downloaded it, set it up, and has been watching the videos and following along. I'm pretty impressed at least. I keep pushing him a bit on his video game making, he has a lot of really good ideas.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Goodwill Finds
Of all the stores to have in walking distance, it's a really good thing I have a Goodwill store, and not a Target! Whenever the kids are antsy (or I am), taking a walk over to our local Goodwill store is always fun to do. The kids call it the treasure hunt store, because that's what I tell them we are doing. We go hunting for treasures. Everything changes every few weeks or so, and the big things in the back of the store are always interesting. This time there was a wooden castle dollhouse, a plug in fireplace and a rocker that matched our furniture. I would of taken pictures, but I forgot my cellphone and camera at home!
But I sure found some goodies:
Every time I read A Dress a Day I am inspired by what you can turn old clothing into. Goodwill and thrift stores should be supported! They help keep things out of our landfills. You never know what you may find.
But I sure found some goodies:
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| Found this dress for Princess, just had to sew up the straps from what they were here. |
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| It has pock-a-dots, and brown and pink. My favorite! |
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| This was just pretty. |
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| More pretty |
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| This dress was with the skirts, and had a half off tag. Cost me $1.49! |
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| The special of the week was skirts. I love the fabric, but it's not my size. So I'm going to turn this into a dress for Princess! |
Every time I read A Dress a Day I am inspired by what you can turn old clothing into. Goodwill and thrift stores should be supported! They help keep things out of our landfills. You never know what you may find.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Book Review: God Loves Me More Than That
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| Story Time |
One of my favorite books lately is God Loves Me More Than That by Dandi Daley Mackall. It's a sweet story that does it's best to tell kids how much God loves them. It tells them how big and large God's love can be, but also how soft and quiet it is also. It's written very simply that a beginning reader could read it, and so can one sleep deprived Mom! It's also fun to read with the catchy rhymes that are in the story. Princess has the book down pat, and will even sing her own version of it while looking at the pictures. The pictures are so beautiful and colorful, even Doorbuster will keep focused on the pictures. It's the perfect way to remind any child, no matter their age, how much God loves them. I would recommend this book as a great addition for any child's library.
*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. The opinions presented are solely my own.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
WFMW: What DOESN'T work for me
Kristen at We ARE that Family hosts a Works for me Wednesday. Today she did what -doesn't- work for her.
What doesn't work for us? Schedules. But not in the way you think.
I used to be anti-schedule. We did what we wanted, when we wanted, at all hours. Now with 4 kids, and 2 (soon to be 3) that need their schoolwork done, and me not working, we needed some sort of schedule. It also didn't help that everyone wanted to eat Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Snack, Dinner, Supper, Desert, Bedtime snack. Add in when do we play outside, when do we do our school work, etc. No one knew if they were coming or going.
So I read a few large-family blogs and they all seem to have some sort of schedule. So we tried to copy their schedules. It didn't work. I tried a different family's way of doing things. It didn't work either. I doubted myself- what was I doing wrong? Then it hit me like a bunch of bricks! I needed to figure out what worked for *my* family. We don't wake up, get dressed, and get our schoolwork done right away. We also don't wake up at 6am, and trying to get everyone up at 6am is silly for us. I also need a few minutes in the morning to wake up! So I figured out what we needed in our routine, and most importantly on our own schedule.
Our days roughly go like this:
8:00-9:00- wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast
9:00-10:00- morning pick up of rooms & bathroom
10:00-12:00- reading & math (this includes reading for history, reading for science)
12:00-1:00- Lunch
1:00-3:00- Outside Time, Free Time
3:00-4:00- Science/History depending on the day
5:00-6:45- Free Time
6:45-7:45- Dinner
7:45-10:00- Free Time then Bedtime
Not starting schoolwork until a little later works better. Doorbuster takes his nap around 10:00 and 3:00. Lately he's been napping between 1 and 3. It works better to get the harder part of school done first, and the fun stuff last.
This works for us! Those other schedules didn't.
What doesn't work for us? Schedules. But not in the way you think.
I used to be anti-schedule. We did what we wanted, when we wanted, at all hours. Now with 4 kids, and 2 (soon to be 3) that need their schoolwork done, and me not working, we needed some sort of schedule. It also didn't help that everyone wanted to eat Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Snack, Dinner, Supper, Desert, Bedtime snack. Add in when do we play outside, when do we do our school work, etc. No one knew if they were coming or going.
So I read a few large-family blogs and they all seem to have some sort of schedule. So we tried to copy their schedules. It didn't work. I tried a different family's way of doing things. It didn't work either. I doubted myself- what was I doing wrong? Then it hit me like a bunch of bricks! I needed to figure out what worked for *my* family. We don't wake up, get dressed, and get our schoolwork done right away. We also don't wake up at 6am, and trying to get everyone up at 6am is silly for us. I also need a few minutes in the morning to wake up! So I figured out what we needed in our routine, and most importantly on our own schedule.
Our days roughly go like this:
8:00-9:00- wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast
9:00-10:00- morning pick up of rooms & bathroom
10:00-12:00- reading & math (this includes reading for history, reading for science)
12:00-1:00- Lunch
1:00-3:00- Outside Time, Free Time
3:00-4:00- Science/History depending on the day
5:00-6:45- Free Time
6:45-7:45- Dinner
7:45-10:00- Free Time then Bedtime
Not starting schoolwork until a little later works better. Doorbuster takes his nap around 10:00 and 3:00. Lately he's been napping between 1 and 3. It works better to get the harder part of school done first, and the fun stuff last.
This works for us! Those other schedules didn't.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Getting out the door...to the Happiest Place on Earth!
This post is brought to you by special request from my Aunt over at Guacamole Gulch. She wondered how I get everyone packed up and out the door to Disneyland. It's an adventure to get everything ready, that's for sure! I pretty much use the same system for whenever we go someplace for a long time- I break out my handy, dandy reusable shopping bags!
I usually plan out my weeks activities on Sunday nights. I'll know where we are going, what activities we are doing, what days we are going to the store, what's for dinner/lunch etc. Lets say we are going to Disneyland on our favorite day- Tuesday. That would mean Monday we would go to the store and get anything we would need that I don't already have at home (for example- snack foods, more jelly, lunchables, etc).
Let's pretend I've got bare cupboards. I would go to the store and buy lunchables for the two oldest boys, and probably some lunch meat and rolls for the two youngers and me (Princess only eats the meat out of the lunchables, so buying her one is silly). I also like to take pringles- the cans keep the chips from getting smushed in the bottom of the stroller. I will usually take one other snack like cheeze-its, goldfish, or pretzels. We also always take dum-dum lollypops with us, so I would grab a bag of those.
After we get home, I take whatever food items are going with us and put them in one grocery tote. I transfer the snacks (minus the pringles) into gallon size ziploc baggies. I separate whatever lunch meat I am taking and stick that into it's own baggie. I also throw in a few extra sandwich bags to hold individual kids snacks when we get there, or for leftover food. I also toss our water bottles in the fridge with some water in them to freeze overnight. Each kid has their own waterbottle, in their own color, that hooks onto the back of the stroller. I also toss a few powdered drink mixes into the bag with the food. The bag then goes by the front door.
Then I collect up everyone's jackets, gloves, hats and an extra blanket or two, and they all go in their own bag, which gets placed by the food bag by the door. I usually have this bag already packed and hanging up if the weather hasn't been too cold or rainy. I also keep sunblock in this bag- I never use it for anything else but for getting stuff to Disneyland.
Did I mention my kids are well trained NOT to touch the bags? They will tattle instantly if anyone touches the bags, as they know if they take something out they are all stuck without that item. If Doorbuster takes out the can of pringles, no one is getting any pringles!
I also double check to make sure everyone has whatever clothing they are wearing the next day washed and ready to go. It's not fun to wake up and get ready to go, and realize you have no clean socks!
At night before bed, I make sure I have the right stroller in the car (I take my double combi, as princess still naps or falls asleep before we leave). I also go through the diaper bag and toss out any trash, extra toys, and remove anything that I would be sad if it disappeared- like the shot record cards, etc. I make sure I have a good supply of wipes, at least 6-7 diapers, diaper rash cream, band-aids, hand sanitizer, and 2 sets of extra clothes for Doorbuster, including socks. It sounds like a long list but it really only takes about 5 min to check everything.
Then when we wake up, everyone eats breakfast, I toss the refrigerated stuff into it's cooler bag. The cooler bag goes into the food bag. The boys are each assigned a bag to carry to the car, I take the diaper bag, and off we go! I do make a quick check when everyone is in the car to make sure we do have everything. I also double check my passes to make sure I have the right ones.
When we get parked at Disneyland, the kids stay sitting while I get out the stroller. I put all the food items in the bottom of the stroller and toss the jackets on top. We stick waterbottles in a line along the back so they can get reached easily, and the dum-dums go in the back pockets of the stroller.
If we are going for a whole long day, I will sometimes take lunchables and sandwiches for the kids, and me and hubby usually eat lunch from home, and then get Bengal BBQ. It's our favorite place to eat at the park. Yes, we bring our own food into Disneyland. We couldn't afford to eat there every time we go. We will occasionally buy ice cream, or a churro as a treat. I bring a fair amount of food into Disneyland and have never been bothered, hassled, or given a hard time. We have bought the kids meals on occasion, and the kids really don't eat them.
For us- a day at Disneyland runs less money then all of us going to the movies and having soda and popcorn. Plus it lasts longer and makes more memories!
I usually plan out my weeks activities on Sunday nights. I'll know where we are going, what activities we are doing, what days we are going to the store, what's for dinner/lunch etc. Lets say we are going to Disneyland on our favorite day- Tuesday. That would mean Monday we would go to the store and get anything we would need that I don't already have at home (for example- snack foods, more jelly, lunchables, etc).
Let's pretend I've got bare cupboards. I would go to the store and buy lunchables for the two oldest boys, and probably some lunch meat and rolls for the two youngers and me (Princess only eats the meat out of the lunchables, so buying her one is silly). I also like to take pringles- the cans keep the chips from getting smushed in the bottom of the stroller. I will usually take one other snack like cheeze-its, goldfish, or pretzels. We also always take dum-dum lollypops with us, so I would grab a bag of those.
After we get home, I take whatever food items are going with us and put them in one grocery tote. I transfer the snacks (minus the pringles) into gallon size ziploc baggies. I separate whatever lunch meat I am taking and stick that into it's own baggie. I also throw in a few extra sandwich bags to hold individual kids snacks when we get there, or for leftover food. I also toss our water bottles in the fridge with some water in them to freeze overnight. Each kid has their own waterbottle, in their own color, that hooks onto the back of the stroller. I also toss a few powdered drink mixes into the bag with the food. The bag then goes by the front door.
Then I collect up everyone's jackets, gloves, hats and an extra blanket or two, and they all go in their own bag, which gets placed by the food bag by the door. I usually have this bag already packed and hanging up if the weather hasn't been too cold or rainy. I also keep sunblock in this bag- I never use it for anything else but for getting stuff to Disneyland.
Did I mention my kids are well trained NOT to touch the bags? They will tattle instantly if anyone touches the bags, as they know if they take something out they are all stuck without that item. If Doorbuster takes out the can of pringles, no one is getting any pringles!
I also double check to make sure everyone has whatever clothing they are wearing the next day washed and ready to go. It's not fun to wake up and get ready to go, and realize you have no clean socks!
At night before bed, I make sure I have the right stroller in the car (I take my double combi, as princess still naps or falls asleep before we leave). I also go through the diaper bag and toss out any trash, extra toys, and remove anything that I would be sad if it disappeared- like the shot record cards, etc. I make sure I have a good supply of wipes, at least 6-7 diapers, diaper rash cream, band-aids, hand sanitizer, and 2 sets of extra clothes for Doorbuster, including socks. It sounds like a long list but it really only takes about 5 min to check everything.
Then when we wake up, everyone eats breakfast, I toss the refrigerated stuff into it's cooler bag. The cooler bag goes into the food bag. The boys are each assigned a bag to carry to the car, I take the diaper bag, and off we go! I do make a quick check when everyone is in the car to make sure we do have everything. I also double check my passes to make sure I have the right ones.
When we get parked at Disneyland, the kids stay sitting while I get out the stroller. I put all the food items in the bottom of the stroller and toss the jackets on top. We stick waterbottles in a line along the back so they can get reached easily, and the dum-dums go in the back pockets of the stroller.
If we are going for a whole long day, I will sometimes take lunchables and sandwiches for the kids, and me and hubby usually eat lunch from home, and then get Bengal BBQ. It's our favorite place to eat at the park. Yes, we bring our own food into Disneyland. We couldn't afford to eat there every time we go. We will occasionally buy ice cream, or a churro as a treat. I bring a fair amount of food into Disneyland and have never been bothered, hassled, or given a hard time. We have bought the kids meals on occasion, and the kids really don't eat them.
For us- a day at Disneyland runs less money then all of us going to the movies and having soda and popcorn. Plus it lasts longer and makes more memories!
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