And she goes on and on...

After some wheat-free yummy peanut butter cookies (low sugar and honey sweetened) were baked and the sun shone in it was up to about 68 inside but now I'm cold again! We just might have to turn the heat on tonight.

Tried two new recipes for dinner Sesame Chicken Bites (but I left out the sugar - of course!) and Quinoa Pilaf and they both turned out very good. I do need to try not to plan two new recipes on the same night, it's hard to get the timing down. It all worked out though.

Thanks so much for all of your game suggestions I want them ALL! For now we got Sequence For Kids and Boggle Jr. and I have about 9 more on my wish list, maybe for Christmas! It's been fun to have other games to play!!

I totally think October is going by faster than September did! I must have learned something from those 30 days, because I'm still menu planning, using or freezing leftovers and budgeting better! Imagine that behaving like a grown up and everything - 'bout time!

Well wasn't this just a bit of randomness...hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I'll be up in the mountains at a retreat with a bunch of gals from my church. I'm taking the baby, but the boys are on their own!

61 and 28

That's what our indoor and outdoor temps were when I got out of bed this morning. I am cold.

Do butterflies hibernate? I'm thinking it would be nice to. Now, if only I could convince my kids it's heavenly to stay in bed on cold mornings instead of being so hungry at 7:18am. ;0)

I think it's a good morning to go bake some cookies!

Grab your parachute!

The other day in the car my son kept saying...

Mommy I really, really want to eat some jump food!

All you need is...

Love, love, love is all you neeeeeeeeeeeed!!! A sleeping baby never hurts either! Funny, I ended up taking this on the last official night I put her to sleep in our bed - it took forever too!

Last Thursday we started putting my daughter to sleep in her crib instead of our bed. While it has been a transition, night number three was the worst and it seems to be smoothing out. I'm always hesitant to say for sure though because they change their routines so quickly, once I get used to it I'll have to adjust.

For me to stay sane and get enough sleep with a new born co-sleeping is the only way, but there becomes a time when I need an evening with my husband without having to nurse my daughter every hour or two (thirteen and a half months seems to be the mark.) So down she's been going. We still care for her - I'm not a big fan of cry it out - so we go in and lay her down.

Yes, she starts to do the Stevie Wonder (as my husband calls it) she sits leaning against the side of the crib bobbing her head around like you or I would dozing on an airplane. At least she lets us lay her down and then settles in to sleep.

Following after her brother who used to fall asleep with his arms and legs hanging out the front of the crib with his forehead resting on the jail crib slats, but he was older and a much lighter sleeper so he would wake up at anything. I have no idea where my kids get their stubbornness from!

Oddly enough, she seems to sleep better, initially, in the crib. She sleeps for 4-5 hours in her initial stretch each night so it seems to be the right time to begin this transition.

Now, as soon as I'm in bed all bets are off, if she fusses it's back to our bed so that I can nurse her back to sleep and get some myself. Seems to be working for now, we'll see how it goes.

Game Craziness

I'm curious what your favorite board games are? I am SO very sick of Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders (pulling my hair our with boredom) that I've decided with some of the money my kids got for their birthdays in August I'm going to buy a couple new board games. What should I get???

My son likes to play his "big games" (board games) everyday. The card games, uno, go fish and old maid, he enjoys almost as much. I just saw on the uno box that it's 7+ but he does fairly well (kicks my butt!) He is only 4 but most of the games for that age group are so dreary for me! I'd really like your opinions, what games do your kids like best??

9 Pint or 2 Kid Canner.

If I could really bottle them up I would!

Not really them but you know, everything about the stages where they are right now. Mmmm I just love them SO much!

The last day...

...of the 30 day challenge. I am amazed at our progress and that we really lacked nothing this month. We are very rich with blessings.

At the beginning of the month I kept adding things to a mental list to buy at the end of the month, but as the month has gone on that is no longer the plan. For the most part. I will be purchasing a package of diapers (tonight my daughter is in the last one) we have been using cloth all day but disposables work better for us at night.

If I were to go out and buy everything that I wanted all month long it would just counter act any of the savings this month has brought us. It is VERY nice to have money in the bank right now, usually this is the week that we check the bank account to see how close we are to make it until Friday when the next check comes in. It's been nice to have some extra cushion. Must of which will be an extra payoff to our HELOC, yippee!

I think the biggest thing for me is entitlement. "I worked hard so I deserve it." Right?! Well goodness, my husband works hard for the money we spend so do I really need more shoes, hair things, or garden tools? Or can I make do with what I have for just a little longer. I think Mary spoke about this a week or so ago. But the biggest thing I am taking out of this is when something comes up that we need maybe we can get along just one more day, week, or month before we purchase it. Delaying the purchase may help squash the desire all together or heighten the need, making the choice a bit clearer.

I do deserve a nice hot cup of tea after a long day, peace and quiet once in awhile, a ladies retreat weekend away (with the baby, two weekends from now!!) and hugs, LOTS of hugs from my family. These things I know I am entitled too but the stuff, I'll leave it for now.

Scout's Honor

Dear Michael Chertoff,

(or any local Homeland Security Representative for that matter.)

My son (he's four) wants to be a rocket ship for Halloween. I've been Googleing "rocket ship costumes", "patterns for rocket ship costume" and whatever else I can think of, to find a way to make him one. I'm not having much luck.

I know, I know what's this to you? I'm getting to my point, I think I have one today. In my defense, I really didn't know what I was clicking on, I read the link right as my fingers were clicking. A homem@de shou!der-f*red rocket l@uncher is never going to be made in this house, of this I am certain. See, I'm purposely trying to keep anyone really looking for such a device far away from here.

Please do not send any of your task force to my humble (albeit clean) home, you will be wasting (precious) tax dollars! Your search will only reveal a frumpy house wife and two pretty well cared for children. Possibly one very startled husband depending on the time of day.

I know you understand that accidents do happen, quite frequently in fact! Seriously, I am ignorant enough that I have never even imagined making one of the a for mentioned devices from PVC pipe. The most creative thing I've ever done with that is pretending to be in Blue Man Group.

While I have my issues with government, I'd be more likely to peacefully protest and even more likely to write to my representatives.

Thank you for your time, any help turning my four year old into a rocket ship is of course at your own discretion.

Humbly,

Frumpy Butterfly Mama