All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. ~Walt Disney

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

St. Patrick's Day over the RAINBOW!!

The day started off with us finding these footprints all over the house!!
They lead us to these cute treats for the boys!!

I made the boys Rainbow waffles, they turned out so cute!! I found the simple directions HERE but instead of Bisquick I use my sister's buttermilk pancake/waffle recipe HERE with my Buttermilk Syrup HERE they were sooooo yummy and the boys just loved them!! They took a little more time than I thought they would but they were soooo worth it :)
We had a Rainbow Lunch!!
We finished our St. Patrick's with amazing Corned Beef and Cabbage for dinner, it was soo yummy and the perfect ending to our day!!
 



Monday, March 11, 2013

Borax Crystal Ornaments

Saturday we made Borax Crystal "Ornaments" The boys had so much fun coming up with shapes and watching the crystals grow.  It was so easy and they all turned out amazing!! They already want to make more so I think it was a hit :) If you want to make them, the super easy instructions are below...

What You Need
 
•Pipe cleaners in various colors
•Scissors
•Straws
•String
•Mason jars
•Water
•Borax
•Oven mitt
•Teapot or pot to boil water
•Measuring Cup


What You Do
 
1. Have your kiddos make shaped out of the pipe cleaners... av star, a heart, a spiral, a snowflake, an egg the posibilities are endless!! Make sure it fits through the opening of the jar you are using or use a lager vase or bowl for larger shapes.
2.Bring water to boil.
3.Knot one end of a length of string around the pipe cleaner shape and the other end around the straw and lower the pipe cleaner shape into the jar, then lay the straw across the rim of the jar. If the pipe cleaner touches the bottom of the jar, adjust the string so that the pipe cleaner hangs freely. Lift the pencil to remove the pipe cleaner shape from the jar and set aside.
4.Carefully pour boiling water into the jar, filling it about 3/4 full.
5.Add borax to the water, one tablespoon at a time and stir after adding each tablespoon. After about 1/4 cup has been added, check to see if the borax has begun to collect on the bottom of the jar. If not, add more borax to the jar, little by little, until there is a small amount has collected on the bottom.
6.Lower the pipe cleaner shape into the jar, laying the straw on top as before. Make sure the pipe cleaner is fully submerged in the solution and not touching the bottom or sides of the jar.
7.Using oven mitts, carefully move the jar to a safe place where it won't be disturbed.
8.The crystals will grow on the pipe cleaner as the water cools and begins to release the borax.
9.Let the jar sit for 24 hours. Check the progress of his crystals from time to time to see how they are growing. After roughly 24 hours and once the pipe cleaner is covered in crystals, remove it from the solution.
10. Hang it somewhere safe to dry and enjoy the beauty!!

My favorite one is Ayden's Birthday Balloon's
 
Landon's Flower
 


Saturday, March 9, 2013

Ayden as 41... George H. W. Bush!!

Ayden did a President report on George H. W. Bush and did an amazing job!! For the report he had to put together a display box with facts about the President, draw a portrait, a life timeline and present a 2 minute memorized report.  He also found some original buttons from his campaigns that made it extra fun for him.  We all learned a lot about our 41st President and I personally admire him a lot and was so very proud of Ayden :)

My name is George Herbert Walker Bush and I was born March 9, 1924 in Milton, Massachusetts, to Dorothy Walker Bush and Prescott.  My father was a banker who went on to represent Connecticut in the U.S. Senate from 1952 to 1963. I grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, in 1942.  I enlisted in the Navy on my 18th Birthday and served the US military in World War II as a naval aviator. In less than a year, I completed flight training at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and went on to fly TBM Avengers with VT-51. For a time, I was the youngest pilot in Naval Aviation.  On the morning of September 2, 1944 I was shot down over the Northern Pacific Ocean and parachuted safely into the water, dangerously close to the shore. Once in the water, I unleashed my inflatable yellow lifeboat, crawled in, and paddled quickly out to sea. The Japanese sent out a boat to capture me.  Circling fighter planes transmitted my situation and position to the U.S. submarine Finback that was patrolling 15 to 20 miles from the island.  A few hours after transmitting my position, Williams, then a commander, sighted me on the periscope about seven miles away from shore. He ordered the submarine to the surface. I saw this thing coming out of the water and I said to myself,”Jeez, I hope it's one of ours!”  I was taken inside Finback and the sub quickly submerged.  Later I was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross.  This was one of the most dramatic moments of his life -- an experience which gave me a "sobering understanding of war and peace."  There's no question that it broadened my horizons and helped me prioritize important things throughout my life.   On January 6, 1945, while on leave from the Navy, I married Barbara Pierce in 1925 in Rye, New York. We met as teenagers at a dance.  We later had six children: George, Robin, John (known as Jeb, Neil, Marvin and Dorothy.  After completing my military service in September 1945, I enrolled at Yale University, where he studied economics and was captain of the baseball team and was a member of Skull and Bones, an elite secret society. I graduated in 1948 then moved my family to Texas, where I began a prosperous career in the oil industry, and eventually became president of an independent offshore oil drilling company. I began my political career in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1967. During the 1970s, I held a variety of government posts, including CIA director.  I was a two-term U.S. vice president under Ronald Reagan, from 1981 to 1989. In 1988, I defeated Democratic rival Michael Dukakis to win the White House. I served as the 41st U.S. president from 1989 to 1993.  In office, I launched successful military operations against Panama and Iraq.  Sadly in 1992 I lost my bid for re-election to Bill Clinton. In 2000, My son George W. Bush was elected the 43rd U.S. president; he served until 2009.  After leaving the White House, my wife Barbara and I divided our time between homes in Houston, Texas, and Kennebunkport, Maine. In 1997, the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum opened to the public on the campus of Texas A & M University in College Station, Texas, I was honored. I worked with my successor, Bill Clinton, to raise funds for victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. I am an adventure seeker and went skydiving on my 70th, 80th and 85th birthdays.


We are sadden with the passing of George HW Bush. Ayden worked on the report for over a month and as a family gained such fondness for 41 and his family. He will be missed by many but leaves a legacy of integrity, honesty and love for all.






Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Published!!


I was so thrilled to be contacted by Atlanta Parent Magazine to publish my String Easter Egg craft in their March issue!! I have been making them for years with my boys, family, friends and youth groups so it was fun to share :) I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the magazine again and inspire other moms to get crafty with their kiddos and make memories that last a lifetime :)