Breakfast with Bou

Something interesting always happens when I have breakfast with Bou and her boys. This time it was two-fold. First my son and his trips to the bathroom, see HER POST HERE. Definitely a laugh.

Next was on the way out. Only a kid can come up with something so ironic. Her youngest, Bones, was leaning against Bou as she was trying to buy some cookies. Tater was trying to count the stuff behind the counter and kept bumping into them. Bones says in a very serious voice, "Tater, You are invading my space". Straight face and very serious. All the while, leaning from his shoulder to his ankle against his mom. Maybe it takes someone who likes her space to really see the humor in this... but I thought I was going to die laughing. He can invade mom's space, but goodness, no one should invade his!

Shakes Head In Disbelief

This is how I felt this week (at the bottom is my weight):

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then
your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends.

Did you ever notice: The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are " XL."

WHINE Follows, skip to bottom to miss the Whining! Part of that was due to the drugs I have been on since Tuesday morning. Wonder why my posting has been so strange after Wednesday this week? Because I only had posts ready up to Wednesday and from that point forward I had to put them together as I go. Usually I try to stay 2 or 3 days ahead in case of emergencies. What I was not expecting is all that happened this week. I was in ER from 1am to 6am on Tuesday morning. I have (had) bronchitis. I was at the Pediatrician's on Wednesday morning for Tot. He has his first ear infections. You read that right, it is plural. An infection in each ear. Read between the lines here - NO SLEEP. And my pediatrician was on vacation and got someone new they hired. She didn't give us something to dry up Tot's snot. I let this continue until Friday morning and then called the Triage Nurse. Told her I was sick and not getting better because I was up every 1 to 2 hours with Tot. I needed to dry up his snot so we all could get some sleep. She had some recommendations and they worked.

Finally life is slowing down some. I tried to stay up for the blog crawl, but by 9:30pm, I just couldn't keep my eyes open. And if my computer had been on between 1am and 3am, I would have joined back in again. Turned it off and unplugged it last night as we were having Thunderstorms. Too tired to try and plug it in and turn it on at 1am.

Why the sob story? I just knew I had gained weight. I am on steroids, and other drugs, no sleep, I was unable to do my little morning jog for 4 days. What I didn't think about was, I didn't really eat. That is the only thing I can come up with to explain how I am down to 148. I checked it twice. I thought for sure I was seeing things. 148. It's down. YIPEEEEEEEEEEE.

Long Week

Taking a hint from The Laughing Wolf - More Later. I have pictures and stories, but need to take a break for the day. Go check out my blogroll and see what you can find! Random Thoughts from MaryBeth, Random Fate, Texas Ducks, Boudicca, Iowa Geek, Ogre's Politics... all different types of blogs. And Basil's Blog will send you all over the place.

Carnival of Recipes is UP

Christina did a great job on the Carnival of Recipes! There are buffalo wing recipes, sauce recipes, veal, pizza, babyback ribs and ... yep... more chicken recipes! Check it out and enjoy something different this week for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

PS. She was brave enough to include my recipes using Beer, and other household ingredients for Bug Killing! It's at the very end of the list. GRIN.

Karnival of Kidz ENTRY

This week I'm going to use my 'What We Did The Day The Shuttle Took Off' post as my entry.

As for the rest of you... it is time to harrass, annoy, bedevil, beleaguer, bother, bug, hassle, heckle, hound, pester, plague, raid, ride, strain, stress, tease, tire, torment, our wonderful Harvey of Bad Example. He is hosting the Karnival of Kidz this week. You have till Sunday Midnight EST to get those entries sent to Karnival (dot) kidz (at) gmail (dot) com. Check out the Karnival of Kidz blog to find out more information!

BAD EXAMPLE & FRIZZEN SPARKS Family Blogcrawl 2005

I stole plagiarized borrowed this from my Blog Granddaddy Harvey.

Blogsomething Contagion of Miasmatic Review announces that from 7pm Saturday, July 30th to 7am Sunday, July 31st, you should get drunk and comment on any (or every) blog on the Bad Example and/or Frizzen Family blogrolls. Here are the rules:

A) You have to be 21 years old to participate. I don’t want some minor’s parents coming back and saying I told them to get pissed drunk and go on the internet. If you are under 21, you may still participate, as a designated blogger.

2) Drink as much as you comfortably feel you should. This is for fun, I don’t want to have blog fodder stories involving charcoal slurries and ER visits. Be responsible, especially if you have to drive. I’m saying right now that if you do something stupid and hurt yourself I will make fun of you. I am neither legally, morally nor ethically responsible for anything you do either in the real world or on the internet. You are all adults and responsible for your own actions.

D) Please attempt to limit the Blog Crawl comments to the time frame listed. Just so, it’s easier to track. Not that I’m going to link to every single post that has a comment on it, I just don’t want to search for them Sunday to see what everyone said. Oh, and a drunken post on your own blog is perfectly acceptable and I will link to those.

4) Try to leave a comment on every blog in the Bad Example and Frizzen Sparks family. You may use my side bar as a reference if you don’t know who they are. Do not feel limited to these blogs only, go ahead and hit any other blog you would like as well. Oh, and a drunken post on your own blog is perfectly acceptable and I will link to those.

This is from Harvey:

(Yeah, I know. But he always numbers things that way)

Anyway, dingus forgot two things.

Now go read THIS POST from Harvey to find out what Contagion forgot.

Different Kind of Recipes

Many years ago my Mom sent me four recipes to make. It is for Bug Control made from stuff you have at home. I thought it would be perfect to share on the Carnival of Recipes as a change of pace. Besides I couldn't find the recipe I was looking for when I found this one! These are real recipes for what it is stated, but they are NOT for human consumption. They may not appear on the Carnival of Recipes, and that's ok. They are good recipes if you need them.

For Lawn Bugs

1 Can of Beer
1 cup Ammonia
1 cup Liquid Lawn food
1 cup liquid dish detergent
½ cup molasses

Use a hose sprayer. Spray before noon once a month.

For Lawn Varments

8 oz liquid dish detergent
Bottle of castor oil

Use a hose sprayer

For Slugs

1 part aluminum sulfate
4 parts pellet lime or powdered lime

Mix then Spread where needed.

For Mosquito's

1 quart water
1 capful lemon ammonia
1 capful mint scented mouthwash (optional)
1 capful lemon liquid dish detergent

Spray with hand sprayer where needed. It's the odor that keeps them away, it does NOT kill them.

VW in a Pink Frilly Dress?

No way! Actually it is one of the banners that Amy from Prochein Amy made for me. She has a great write-up on what we went through to come up with my two banners. Including one with a Pink Frilly Dress. Go check out what happened to come up with the two banners I have now. It's good for a laugh or two. Besides you'll get to see my stove top. Really!

What We Did The Day The Shuttle Took Off

First you have to do something to get over the Florida Heat. What is better than going to the neighbor's house and playing in the water. Not a thing! She has great containers for us to use... take a look (click to enlarge)

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The water is always better in the other container... Tater must be where Tot is! And vice versa.

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Yo Mom... my diaper is a little full!

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Mom has a camera - check it out!

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Time to get dressed so we can go in and watch the Space Shuttle count down. Naaaaaaa let's run around the yard first. Come on Mom, come get me!

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Mom got us dressed just in time to watch the countdown and see it take off on TV at the neighbor's house. Then outside to see it go the rest of the way up in the sky.

A Different Kind of Car

Looking for paper airplanes got me to THIS SITE, which had a write up on the Air Car. Here is a small part of what Joseph mentioned at his site:

The MDI car can reach a speed of 68 mph and has a road coverage of roughly 124 miles -some 8 hours of travel- which is more than double the road coverage of an electric car. When recharging the tank, the car needs to be connected to the mains (220V) for 3 to 4 hours or attached to an air pump in a petrol station for only 2 minutes.

There is a whole lot more information HERE. Will this car survive? Or will it get squished and hidden away?

Clean, Complex and Dark

Hat tip to Exgaucho.

Be brave, take it and tell me what you got... or if you post it, let me know.

the Wit (52% dark, 30% spontaneous, 33% vulgar)

your humor style: CLEAN | COMPLEX | DARK You like things edgy, subtle, and smart. I guess that means you're probably an intellectual, but don't take that to mean you're pretentious. You realize 'dumb' can be witty--after all isn't that the Simpsons' philosophy?--but rudeness for its own sake, 'gross-out' humor and most other things found in a fraternity leave you totally flat. I guess you just have a more cerebral approach than most. You have the perfect mindset for a joke writer or staff writer. Your sense of humor takes the most effort to appreciate, but it's also the best, in my opinion. Also, you probably loved the Office. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check it out here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/theoffice/. PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Jon Stewart - Woody Allen - Ricky Gervais

More Humor for Dreaded Wednesday

I hate it when people forward bogus warnings...but this one is real, and it's important.

For those of you that spend a lot of time outdoors:

If someone comes to your front door saying they are conducting a survey on deer ticks and ask you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up, DO NOT DO IT!!

IT IS A SCAM; they only want to see you naked.

I wish I'd gotten this yesterday. I feel so stupid now...

Click on More Pawprints to see more humor.

A little girl asked her mom, "Mom, may I take the dog for a walk around the block?" Mom replies, "No, because she is in heat." "What's that mean?" asked the child. "Go ask your father. I think he's in the garage." The little girl goes to the garage and says, "Dad, may I take Belle for a walk around the block? I asked Mom, but she said the dog was in heat, and to come to you." Dad said, "Bring Belle over here." He took a rag, soaked it with gasoline, and scrubbed the dog's backside with it to disguise the scent, and said "OK, you can go now, but keep Belle on the leash and only go one time round the block."

The little girl left, and returned a few minutes later with no dog on the leash. Surprised, Dad asked, "Where's Belle?"

YOU'RE GONNA' LOVE THIS!!!!!

The little girl said, "She ran out of gas about halfway down the block, so another dog is pushing her home."

Humor for Dreaded Wednesday

This is for all women 30 years and over.... and for those who are turning 30, and for those who are scared of moving into their 30's and beyond!... and for the guys lucky enough to be with one of these ladies.

A woman over 30 will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask," What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting.

A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of 30 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing.

Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.

A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 30. They always know.

A woman over 30 looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women or drag queens.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 30 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of 30+, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year-old waitress. For all those men who say, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free". Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire Pig, just to get a little sausage.

Jane Fonda

I needed a laugh about Jane Fonda protesting the Iraq war... and I found it at this writeup of PETV at Bad Example.

Understand I believe in free speech, but I come from a military family and my nephew just recently got back from Iraq. She does nothing but annoy me and usually I just ignore her... but this PETV writeup was great. Hope you enjoy it as well.

Space Shuttle to Launch today

Hat Tip to Exgaucho (though I had heard it on the radio at 5:45am this morning - don't ask, I'll tell later)

HERE is a link with more information on shuttle launches.

It is suppose to launch today at 10:39 a.m. EDT. If it clears up outside, we should be able to see this little tiny spot with lots of smoke behind it go up from our house.

Also, there is a neat count-down timer at that site, but they don't have the code for you to put it on your own site (or at it would require more effort than I am willing to put out to find it).

Rocking chairs

What to do when Mom is not looking... what to do...

HA! Mom was looking but just stayed a distance away and took pictures. Usually when either of my sons are quiet, it is a time to run full force to find out what they have done... but not this time.

Fairy Princess Story

The story to the Karnival of Kidz is as much fun to read as going to all the sites. Go on, it's Monday... you need a smile. Check it out. Thanks Jody for a great job!

Baseball Champs

Watch out Marlins. My boys are going to be Baseball champions. Along with soccer, hockey, football and what other sport they decide to play.

Just look at the form Tater is showing! Look at that face (click to enlarge).

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Tot might need a little help on that form.

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Here's Dad to the rescue.

Other Happy Dogs

Like THIS ONE from Germany that sells dog food and other items.

The Happy Dog CARTOON that is funny (but not necessarily work safe).

Or if you are into bugs there is THIS HAPPY DOG TOY.

Need a video done for your wedding? You can use THE HAPPY DOG VIDEOS.

Want to be trained? There is HAPPY DOG TRAINING.

Geeze, who would have guessed I would be shown in the search with all these other sites. Must be a lot of Happy Dog's out there. ;-)

Tater's Birthday Party

I get to blow out the candles???

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What do you mean Cake isn't finger food?

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Tater shares his new toys with Tot.

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This box is suppose to help me see the Wiggles better isn't it? (Who recognizes which Wiggles this is that is playing?)

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Is this Christmas or my birthday????

149.6

Not a good sign. Definitely the wrong direction. I blame it on Bou. She came and babysat for me and I had a wonderful dinner the other night. Then I had birthday cake for 2 days (lots of icing had to be eaten while decorating). Waaaa Waaaa Waaaa.

It's not Bou's fault, it's my own - lack of self control around good food. Yet... I will give her a hard time. Did you notice the LACK of weight posting last week? Did she reach her goal and just doesn't want to admit it? And last night she calls me to tell me she can't get to mu.nu. Not any site that ends in mu.nu. Is this a diabolical plot to not post her weight again?

Let’s hope Sissy, Grau, Amy and others did better than I did. Guess I need to start numbering my water again. How I hate water. And increase my exercise somehow. Ugh. I will get my weight down.

Tater's Birthday

Most of the blogs I have been reading with children have put out these beautiful letters to their children. They talk about all the fun things and hard times, about how much things have changed in a year.

I, on the other hand, have been busy starting my day at 8am with Speech Therapy for Tot. Running to the post office and store. Baking a cake and decorating it. Now mind you... it took me an hour and a half to decorate this cake. I just finished it and decided to take a few minutes to write this post for tomorrow morning.

I expect some snickering and out loud laughter. It does look like Tater decorated it. I'm new at this and have a new found respect for cake decorators. After working at this over an hour... this is what it looks like:

Now I have to finish cleaning the HUGE mess I made, wake the kids up and run to the doctor's office. Goodness knows how the night is going to go. I still refuse to publish this til' tomorrow. Start your engines... I'm off and running.

UPDATE: I have pictures from last night... just not enough time to get them uploaded. More as soon as I can!

Carnival of the Recipes #49

The Glittering Eye is hosting the 49th Carnival of Recipes. Meatloaf, stir fry, home made ice cream and more. Go check it out!

The Night Out

I had a night out with my Husband. I couldn't believe it. No children. Just him and I at the dinner table eating and talking. I was afraid we would just sit and stare at each other in disbelief all night. But we actually talked and had fun. After dinner we went shopping for Tater's birthday presents. My Hubby is a child at heart. You should see some of the toys he brought to the counter or held up. Luckily we didn't buy it all. Even with dinner and shopping, we got home before bedtime. I swear the kids seemed like they didn't really miss us. Tot even gave Bou a closed mouthed kiss. Hugs are for everyone, closed mouth kisses are saved for a privileged few.

Bou was wonderful with the kids. In fact, she took a couple of pictures and told the story of what happened in THIS POST. Go on over and enjoy hearing about my kids from a different perspective.

The Nose

saline nasal spray. Saline Nasal Spray. SALINE NASAL SPRAY. RUN RUN RUN FOR YOUR LIFE.

Why do kids wake up if they cannot breath through their nose? They have a mouth. It is possible for breath to come in and out of the mouth. But not for my kids. In a dead sleep, they must wake up screaming because they took ONE breath out of their mouth.

Now you must sit in an upright position and hold them until their nose clears. Why does this always happen sometime after 1am?

The only thing that keeps me going is that I love my children. And I know this too will pass.

Side Note: I have a date with my husband tonight. Yep, it's been 7 months since just he and I went out. Tonight we have that wonderful chance. Bou is coming to babysit. She is bringing her 3 boys and keeping my 2 boys entertained. I love it. Almost wish I could be a fly on the wall watching the 5 of them. Almost.

More Humor for Dreaded Wednesday

A friend from the North sent me this and I just had to put it out here!

Florida Blessing

Bless this house, oh Lord, we cry.
Please keep it cool in mid-July.
Bless the walls where termites dine
While ants and roaches march in time.

Bless our yard where spiders pass
Fire ant castles in the grass.
Bless the garage, a home to please
Carpenter beetles, ticks and fleas.

Bless the love bugs, two by two,
The gnats and mosquitoes that feed on you.
Millions of creatures that fly or crawl,
In FLORIDA, Lord, you've put them all!

But this is home, and here we'll stay,
So thank you Lord, for insect spray.

HOLD IT............there's more............

YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN FLORIDA IN JULY WHEN. . . .

The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.

The trees are whistling for the dogs.

The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.

Hot water now comes out of both taps.

You can make sun tea instantly.

You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron!

The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.

You discover that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.

You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.

You actually burn your hand opening the car door.

You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.

Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"

You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.

Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.

The cows are giving evaporated milk. Ah, what a place to call home.

God Bless Our State of FLORIDA!

Humor for Dreaded Wednesday

A company, feeling it was time for a shakeup, hires a new CEO. This new boss is determined to rid the company of all slackers. On a tour of the facilities, the CEO notices a guy leaning on a wall. The room is full of workers and he wants to let them know he means business! The CEO walks up to the guy and asks, "And how much money do you make a week?" A little surprised, the young fellow looks at him and replies, "I make $300.00 a week. Why?" The CEO then hands the guy $1,200 in cash and screams, "Here's four weeks' pay, now GET OUT and don't come back!" Feeling pretty good about his first firing, the CEO looks around the room and asks,
"Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-off did here?"
With a sheepish grin, one of the other workers mutters, "Pizza delivery guy from Domino's."

Tot

Not.enough.sleep. Long story, not going to tell it here. Lost my pictures of Tater. You are stuck with these cute pictures instead of Tot reading a Barney book. First, touch your nose:

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Rub your belly:

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Peek-a-boo:

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And when you are all through, be a camera hog and beg to have your picture taken again:

Monday Smiles! KoK is UP!

There are so many stories and pictures this week. Check out the Karnival of Kidz over at Katy's place.

She did a great job! Thanks for helping us share some fun with our kids.

Plants

You haven't seen my plants in a while. I figured it was time. Did I mention I have banana trees before? Well I do and there are bananas on one of them! Which I remembered which variety it was!

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Here is a 'group' shot. We have 4 varieties of banana trees. One bunch of trees is the 'praying hands ' and the other set is the 'ice cream bananas'.

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And remember those 3 pineapple plants? How's this:

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The biggest one is leaning. Not sure if we'll get to eat it before it falls over or not.

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More pictures of the kids later in the week. GRIN.

149.2

This sucks. I can't keep the weight off. I was down to 146 weeks ago and now I'm up to 149. I need someone to come live at my house and keep me from eating bad foods. It doesn't help that my son is a turophile and I have to fix it for him. Macaroni and Cheese, cheese sandwiches, cheese and crackers, cheese sticks, cheese on his spaghetti, you get the idea. Between that and the chocolate, I'm doomed without some help. HELP!!

I hope the rest have done better. Bou, Sissy, Grau, Amy and whoever else is giving it a try.

Karnival of Kidz ENTRY

You did get your Karnival of Kidz entry in for this week???? It's due Sunday at Midnight EST. Here is mine:

How could you resist this blue eyed monster cutie? Click to enlarge.

Farmer in the Piggy

Farmer in the Piggy

For those of you who have not had the privilege of meeting my children in person, when they sing there is no 'inside' voice. Lately, Tater has been singing different words to Farmer in the Dell. Most of the time he makes them up himself and you can't help but laugh. Like the title to this post. He sung that one ad nauseum. (ie about 20 times in a row). Just that part.

Also, his Dad has yet to realize that something said 6 months ago will be repeated. We were lucky that he decided to sing this one at home. Considering how loud it was sung.

The Daddy takes the Nurse, the Daddy takes the Nurse. Hi Ho the dario the Daddy takes the Nurse.

And finally he finished up with:

The Farmer in the Cow, The Farmer in the Cow.

I am in so much trouble when they are both talking and singing. I can't imagine what it is going to sound like. I hope they get my husband's singing voice and not mind. My mother has even asked me to stop singing. GRIN.

Carnival of Recipes is Here

UPDATE! Please be aware the oatmeal fried chicken recipe had the wrong amount of oatmeal initially! It was suppose to be 2 cups. It has been updated.

UPDATE! The submitters of the dueling Eggs Benedict recipes are each other's Significant Other

Please be aware I took liberty in stealing borrowing words right from the posts of the authors. And some of it is slightly changed. Sometimes I will admit it, other times I won't. ;-) Finally the Carnival of Recipes is ready for your eyes to feast upon and enjoy.

1. Breakfast


2. Lunch


3. Appetizers / Salads


4. HELP


5. Drinks


6. Dinner


7. Desserts

*** Breakfast

Waffles. Not just any waffle, ANCIENT waffles. Gotta read it to find out. Must say they look delicious! Made my mouth water just reading the recipe. Thank you George from In The Interest of Me.

I'm stealing this line straight from the submission: "Dueling Eggs Benedict Recipes". I'll start with the 'Mock Hollandaise Sauce' from Nic at Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax. Now for the 'Real, will mess up your kitchen, Hollandaise Sauce' from Victor at Publius & Co.

Apple Streusel Muffins from ALa at blonde sagacity are definitely a sugar high for the morning. And watch out, there is a picture of these tasty breakfast (or dessert) treats that will make your mouth water when you see it.

*** Lunch

This could be dinner as well. What's that? This Focaccia Turkey Sandwich from Marsha at A Weight Lifted. Wow. Reading the recipe makes this sandwich sound so flavorful and fresh.

Since lunch is lacking, I'm putting this delectable Meatball Sub here. Taleena from Sun Comprehending Glass suggests to serve it with a cold beer. On these hot summer days, I thing it is an excellent suggestion!

*** Appetizers / Salads

Carrot salad for the person who needs something quick and tasty from Muse at me-ander. It's not only quick but EASY as well.

A work of art is right. Take a look at this appetizing yet beautiful Salade Niqoise from Mensa Barbie.

*** HELP

Yes, this is a special category for a special recipe. Punctilious at Like News but Tasty has requested help for The Secret to Gazpacho: A Work in Progress. Go check it out and give a helping hand.

*** Drinks

This was hard to place but I figured it would work good as ice for a drink. It is the Apricot Peachtea Delight from Christine at Morning Coffee, Afternoon Tea. Great for those really hot days.

Pina Colada Punch for those summertime get-togethers, backyard barbecues and hot days. Thanks CalTechGirl at Not Exactly Rocket Science for something to 'chill' us during the summer.

*** Dinner

Have a complete dinner with this Bacon wrapped stuffed Chicken with the corn and sweet potatoes from Virgil at the Redneck Gourmet.

Another chicken entree and it's perfect for those with kids - Oatmeal Fried Chicken Chunks! Actually this is good for anyone that likes chicken. We were lucky enough to get this from Jay at Accidental Verbosity.

Geeze, we must have a bunch of Chicken Geeks Bloggers. I must say I love Chicken and Dumplins and have it at least once a month. And here is a delightful Chicken & Dumplin recipe from David at Third World County.

Number 4. Yes, the 4th Chicken recipe has been sent. No meat and potatoes for this group so far. Yet, I can't wait to try the Chicken Marsala recipe Christina from Feisty Repartee sent. I love getting it at different restaurants but never had success at home. I think I will now.

YAAAA. Not a chicken entry. And straight from the entry a wonderful description: A no-cook sauce that makes a delicious, fun and easy summertime dish. Also very inviting to the tastebuds. Give this Organic Basil Pesto with Shrimp and Spaghetti from The Pragmatic Chef a try.

Then what happens, I find my Cheesy Chicken Recipe next in line. Give it a shot.

Tasty, filling and another Chicken recipe. The nice part is you can use left over grilled, or even buy a rotisserie, chicken to use. Chicken and Navy Bean Stew with Baby Spinach from Shawn Lea at Everything and Nothing is something to try.

Easy, Fast, and Appealing to most everyone's tastebuds. Here is a Turkey Rice Casserole from Punctilious at Like News but Tasty.

Not in the mood for long and involved slaving in the kitchen? Then give the Simple Pasta con Pesto from Anna at bunny? a try. Sounds like my kind of meal!

An inexpensive dinner doesn't mean it has to be horrible. This Plain Old Pasta is inexpensive yet delicious. Thanks to Bernadette from Booklore you have something simple and yummy.

Here is a tasty delight in this recipe for Chicken Enchilada Casserole from TheHeadGirl at The Common Room. Now I'll have another recipe to add to my "Mexican" set. Thanks!

A traditional Brazilian dish called Feijoada is given to us from Kris at Anywhere But Here. Never having a Brazilian dish, this sounds yummy! I love trying something new.

Want pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven taste at home? Give this Grilled Pizza recipe from The Glittering Eye a try.

This is my lucky week. Here is another international recipe that sounds enticing - Tandoori Chicken. Jeff from Trub. The sediment of life. was kind enough to send this in to me.

Smoked salmon and grilled meats make for a wonderful summer meal. Make sure you thank Hal at a geezer's corner when you go over to get these recipes.

My kind of recipe, easy and tasty. KeeWee from KeeWee's Corner sent in this Ham and Cheese Pie. I bet my kids love it!

*** Desserts

Kevin at Technogypsy has a recipe from Grandmother! It's Lemko Nut Cookies that sound scrumptious.

Here comes a pleasurable experience. Go try out these zenfully delicious smores at Memento Moron by Brian.

Cake. Yummy, Rich, Cake! Kentucky Butter Cake from Michele at Meanderings. I have all the ingredients. I hear this one calling my name this weekend.

Blueberries. Blueberries. Can't you just hear it calling to you? Well then you need to try this Blueberry Pudding Cake from Shawn Lea at Everything and Nothing. Looks easy and mouthwatering.

Sweet and International. Want to try something different? Give this Czech Kolace from Army Wife Toddler Mom. Definitely delectable.

This is for the dogs! Or in my household it would be for the dog and the kids. Really!! Here is a recipe for Birthday Bones from Sissy at And What Next. What a lucky dog, Kiki is.

Chocolate and cheesecake. This is my kind of recipe for dessert. And simple too. Inviting, divine, all come to mind when I read the Chocolate Cheesecake recipe from Owlish Mutterings.

Hold on to your hats... here comes two recipes that will make you gain weight just reading the ingredients. Cocoa - Spice Snackin' Cake and Reese's Brownies (Made From Scratch) from the Physics Geek. Block the door, I'm thinking of heading out and getting the one ingredient I don't have and make these up right now!

Last and certainly not least is Spotted Dick from tritical - the wheat / rye guy. Be sure to read it all and slice while hot and serve with a sweet sauce.

Cypress Tree

Hat Tip to Ogre. (Space filler until I get the Carnival of Recipes done).

You Are A Cypress Tree

You are strong, adaptable, and striving to be content. You're good at taking what life has to give - even if you don't like it. A passionate lover who can't be satisfied, you are quick tempered at times. You hate loneliness, want love and affection, and need to be needed. A bit of a live wire, you love to gain knowledge any cost... and you can be careless at times.

Ok, I'm curious... what are you?

Caption?

I have no clue on what a good caption for this picture would be:

The background: Tot dragged the laundry basket over to the TV, stood on it and pointed to the TV. Notice it is the weather channel. As I realized what he had done, I grabbed the camera. Too late, he was down. But notice the finger is still pointing back to the TV. Now what is that boy trying to tell me?

Click on More Pawprints for more....

Side Note:

Have you noticed HURRICANE Emily? Yes, you read that correctly, HURRICANE. From NOAA Hurricane Center. She's headed toward the Gulf right now. We'll know more next week.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 90 MPH...150 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. EMILY IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES... 45 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 115 MILES...185 KM.

Did you know you can get an RSS feed from them? How do you think I find all this stuff?

Tot's Life

Poor poor Tot. His life just got much more difficult. Not only is he in speech therapy now, he is also in swim lessons. I know I said I wasn't going to put him in swim lessons until he could talk. He helped me change my mind. A couple of weeks ago we were all in the pool helping Tater with his swimming. Tot decided to 'walk in'. First time Dad caught him. Dad made sure he didn't go under water. Second time Mom caught him. Oops. Mom knows better than to make it seem 'safe' if you just walk in a pool. I let him go under and then made sure he came back up. Not a happy camper. But he didn't just 'walk in' again. And at that point, I called to see if a spot could be found for him as well.

First lesson. Not bad. Only cried when he saw mom. Second lesson. Mom made to go in ‘Florida room’ so Tot couldn’t see her. It has sliding glass doors that are tinted so you can see out but not in. He cried, he stopped crying, he cried, he stopped crying. Actually he did find as long as she kept from about shoulders up out of the water. When ever she made him go further in the water, he cried. He did look around for me once or twice, but she was very good at keeping him distracted. I think water has taken a whole new meaning to him now.

What age did you learn to swim?

Humor for Dreaded Wednesday

COWS Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that our government can track a cow born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she sleeps in the state of Washington, and they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give them all a cow.

CONSTITUTION They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it's worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.

TEN COMMANDMENTS The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments in a Courthouse? You cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery", and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges, and politicians! It creates a hostile work environment!

And last but not least . .

George Carlin said it best about Martha Stewart . "Boy, I feel a lot safer now that she's behind bars. O.J. Simpson and Kobe Bryant are still walking around; Osama bin Laden too, but they take the one woman in America willing to cook, clean, and work in the yard, and haul her ass off to jail."

Tater's New Bed

This will be my entry into the Karnival of Kidz. You didn't forget the Karnival did you? Get your entry out there today!

Yes, Tater is growing up. He needed a new bed. In fact, when we decided to buy a new one, he ended up with a nicer bed than Mom and Dad. Good thing he needed a new bed when they went on sale. GRIN.

Here are some pictures. I couldn't resist adding one of his stuff toys to the top of the headboard. Notice the Pegasus? That use to be mine. It is in his room now. It flew to the top of the headboard when I was in there. Blackmail when he gets older came to mind. {snicker}.

Here are the pictures in the order I took them. Notice how Tot just had to get in front of Tater?

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We already have Ghosts!

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Always fun to play on a new bed.

Get Those Recipes In EARLY

Make sure you get those recipe entries in early this week. I'm hosting the Carnival of Recipes and you never know what is going to happen in my household!

You don't have to have a blog to enter. You can send an email to recipe.carnival (at) gmail.com. Or if you have a blog you can send an email or you can go to Ferdy's Carnival Form Filling Page.

5 Things

"Five Things Society at Large enjoys, but that I, for the most part just don't get" from Lee-Ann. I was going to cheat and just link to 5 that had really cool answers, but I can't find them!!! I guess I have taken so long in answering this, most everyone else has theirs archived off. Sigh. I have tried to find 5 that weren’t already out there.

Here I go:

1. Paying for packing boxes. We must enjoy it as a society since everyone and their brother sells them. But it drives me crazy when you see them torn up and thrown away by stores. Then again, I need boxes for packing right now. ;-)

2. Pets roaming free in the neighborhood. Of course society in large thinks animals should be free to roam around, I see it every day. Cats, dogs, even guinea pigs on occasion. I don't. Fence in your yard, get a leash. I don't want your dog pee'ing on my kids’ toys, nor your cat prints on my car. I keep my animals either fenced in or on leash. Please do the same. Mind you, I’m the person who will take any animal given to me and lavish it with as much love as my own children. Our adopted dog has had TWO leg surgeries. I have been given horses, birds, and more. But they are domesticated animals, treat them as such.

3. Stupid laws. Enough said.

4. Looking into the lives of celebrities. I just don't get it. I don't care what they do off the screen. Don't tell me, don't publish it, don't care.

5. Basketball. WHAT? Really, I watch hockey (or use to), football, baseball, soccer, volleyball and a bunch of other sports. I just don’t get basketball. I just don’t get it.

Wasn't planning to pass this on, but Sally volunteered! It's all yours Sally.

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

Here's my entry for the Carnival of Recipes!

Got this recipe from the Publix flyer they sent out. I would like it if it was a little spicier, but the rest of the family loved it.

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1 (4 oz) can mushroom pieces
20 round buttery crackers
1 large zip-top bag
1 cooking spray
1 (20 oz) bag frozen diced chicken breast (or 3 cups leftover rotisserie chicken)
1 (8 oz) bag extra wide egg noodles

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F


2. Place large saucepan on high heat. Add broth, soups and mushrooms. Whisk thoroughly, cover and bring to boil, stirring occassionally.


3. Place crackers in zip-top bag, seal tightly and crush.


4. Spray 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place chicken on bottom of dish.


5. Stir noodles into boiling mixture and return to boil. Boil 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.


6. Pour noodle mixture over chicken and sprinkle with crackers.


7. Spray top with cooking spray and bake 15 minutes.


8. Serve

Pensacola Update

As of tonight: Tink had no damage and has power. Mom stayed at Shorty's. Shorty has no damage but no power. They saw the power crews in her neighborhood, so hopefully they will have power within a day or two. Mom's house did great. They went to it today and saw that the last tree is still standing. Phew. It was leaning and we weren't sure if it would go down or not. Mom's neighborhood does not have power either. Since the generators are at Shorty's house, she'll be staying there.

If you went to the Pensacola News Journal website, you would see the long lines for gas. Hard to believe people are already out and trying to get more gas. It's only been one day. The best part, is most everyone was prepared and it went through quickly.

Thank you again for all your prayers, good wishes and good thoughts. {{hugs}}

Karnival of Kidz 12 is Up

This week Jen at Iowa Geek hosted our KoK. Check out this LINK to see all the great stories. Relaxing with the family, jumping with the dolphins, or a lesson in animal classification are all part of the stories to make you smile. It's Monday, go check out the link and smile.

The July 4th Fun

Last year, Bou, gave Tater this cool pool. We never really had a chance to blow it up and use it. This year... I opened my big mouth and the kids got all excited. Our pump didn't work. So Daddy blew it up himself. Not me! We all know who has the hot air now. GRIN.

Here are some pictures of the monsters kids having fun. Click to Enlarge.

This is how to jump backwards into the pool!

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Tot's relaxing (yep, that is his head and toes appearing just at the top of the pool) and Tater is ready to change all that.

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Tater's jumping in, run run for the hills (or fall out of the pool)

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Tater's jumping in, run run for the hills (or continue to fall out of the pool)

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Yes, we can play in the pool together.

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And then the fun began. Click on More Pawprints to see the rest.

This pool also had cannons that shot water out. Daddy hooked it up. And proceeded to have cannon wars with Tater. Daddy won this war.

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This time Tater wins!

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And here they are in action:

Pensacola Pictures

There are some pictures already posted at the Pensacola News Journal. Click HERE to see them.

The one that really got to me was the squirrel. Odd, but it suddenly hit me how badly the wildlife must be suffering. I saw it after Ivan and I cannot imagine what it is going to be like now. The people, the animals, the environment.

HUGE Thank you

After all the others helped me out (see post below), I succeeded in screwing it up. I really wanted it up today. And with the help of Gir at Your Moosey Fate, it is up and working.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Gir. I would not have had it up and running today without your effort.

Moving to new home

Click HERE to be taken directly to it. And change your links to:

http://onehappydogspeaks.mu.nu

Many Thanks!

120MPH As It Hits Landfall

I still can't believe it was moving 20MPH. That is the fastest I remember a storm moving once it was on land. We'll know more tomorrow. My mom's house is an unknown until then.

Carnival of Recipes is Up

Check out the yummy recipes at Blog O'RAM. It's worth going over just to read the write up.

Dennis the Menace Part 4

I did talk to my family last night. My Mom is over at Shorty's house. Tink and family are prepared. I'm glad Mom left. Mom's neighborhood lost power last - the TV reported that it occurred due to lightning strikes.

Forgive me if I am not commenting or posting a lot today. Stressing out here.

Thank you

My first 'real' post is to say thank you. CalTechGirl at Not Exactly Rocket Science, Amy at Prochein Amy, Orge at Ogre's View, Ted at Rocket Jones, Elsa at Elsa's Photography and Sissy at And What Next. I appreciate all you have done for me. I couldn't have made it over here without you.

Yearly Physical

Something about this weight loss is just causing a ripple effect. I went and had my yearly physical. This is what the letter said:

Dear Valerie:

Please call if you have further questions.

I had to laugh out loud when I read that. Doesn't he realize I have been trying to drop weight for NINE weeks? Nope, he doesn't. And my weight for this week is 148.6.

Carnival of Recipes is UP

Check out the yummy recipes at Blog O'RAM. It's worth going over just to read the write up.

Dennis the Menace Part 3

As of 5:40 p.m. ET, Dennis' maximum sustained winds increased to 115 mph making it a major Category 3 hurricane once again. The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter Aircraft found a rapid drop in the pressure signifying intensification. Also when viewing the satellite, Dennis has regained most all of the organization and symmetry that it had before its Cuban landfall.

For those not familiar with what Cat 3 or Cat 4 means:

Category Three - An Extensive Hurricane

Winds: 111-130 mph, 97-113 kts, 178-209 km/h

Minimum surface pressure: 964-945 mbar

Storm surge: 9-12 ft, 2.7-3.8 m

Foliage torn from trees; large trees blown down. Practically all poorly constructed signs blown down. Some damage to roofing materials of buildings; some wind and door damage. Some structural damage to small buildings. Mobile homes destroyed. Serious flooding at coast and many smaller structures near coast destroyed; larger structures near coast damaged by battering waves and floating debris. Low-lying escape routes inland cut by rising water 3 to 5 hours before hurricane center arrives. Flat terrain 5 feet of less above sea level flooded inland 8 miles or more. Evacuation of lowlying residences within several blocks of shoreline possibly required. Example: Hurricane Gloria (1985)

Category Four - An Extreme Hurricane

Winds 131-155 mph, 114-135 kts, 210-249 km/h

Minimum surface pressure: 944-920 mbar

Storm surge: 13-18 ft, 3.9-5.6 m

Shrubs and trees blown down; all signs down. Extensive damage to roofing materials, windows and doors. Complete failures of roofs on many small residences. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Flat terrain 10 feet of less above sea level flooded inland as far as 6 miles. Major damage to lower floors of structures near shore due to flooding and battering by waves and floating debris. Low-lying escape routes inland cut by rising water 3 to 5 hours before hurricane center arrives. Major erosion of beaches. Massive evacuation of all residences within 500 yards of shore possibly required, and of singlestory residences within 2 miles of shore. Example: Hurricane Andrew (1992)

Power loss

No.the.storm.is.not.hitting.land.here! ERGHHHHHHHH.

But I must say, we were only without power for an hour (so far). Yes, we are getting bands of Dennis all the way over here. Yes, it is raining, windy and nasty. If you can see any of the weather sites, you can see the radar and we are getting some of the east bands.

I'm worried because at 6am Dennis was down to 90MPH and within 2 hours he is up to 105MPH. Building too quickly for my taste. I just wish he would turn...

I will be online off and on as I can... But I'm unplugging stuff and just making sure our equipment doesn't get fried. When the power goes off, it usually is an off/on/off/on situation.

Back to the regular posting tomorrow. ;-)

Some not so well known good sites:

http://hurricane.terrapin.com/ATL-04A/

http://stormcarib.com/guide.htm

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/radar/latest/DS.p37cr/si.kamx.shtml

Dennis the Menace Part 2

Karnival of Kidz!

Go HERE to learn how to submit an entry.

I want to thank Phin

It is available for all to use. As it says on Phin's site: These colors don't run!

New Dog Bowl?

Now for something entertaining:

Yep, that is Tot in the Dog Bowl holder. I couldn't get the camera fast enough to get the one with Tater in the Dog Bowl holder. Monkey see, monkey do.

ABCD... D is for Dennis the Menace

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I am NOT ready for hurricane season. I have not run my grill. I have not checked my propane. I do not have tons of can'd food. This just sucks eggs.

80MPH and headed for the Gulf as of 8PM EST. Pensacola needs to relocate itself.

This picture is linked directly to weather.com and if it goes away or changes. OOPS.

Red Neck Humor

Bubba and Homer were sitting in back of their trailers, shooting the breeze.

Bubba asked Homer, "If I snuck ovah to yore house while you wuz out fishin' an' I made love to yore wife, an' she got pregnant, would that make us kin?"

Homer scratched his head for a bit then said,

"I don't think so, but it shore would make us even."

London attacked by Terrorist

I have someone I consider a friend that lives near London. Luckily her husband and child are ok. But when I got the email from her this morning about it, I freaked for a few minutes. It brought back memories of 9/11. I have chill bumps as I write this.

Everyone in England has my prayers. And in particularly my friend, Sally. Sally knows that I'm here for her (or I hope so!) and will do what I can for her.

And for everyone else in England, if there is anything I can do... email me or post a comment here.

Tuesday's Post a Little Late

Nothing wrong with Tater. Somehow it doesn't surprise me. Tot on the other hand, had some congestion in his chest. Sigh. I talked to my mom about it and was thinking maybe he had smaller "piping" in his throat and all. But last night I started to think it's because he is a perpetual moving machine and won't stop long enough to get well. Hence, it just gets worse. Not sure.

Either way, when I got back from the doctor's I saw this:

Yep, our Dog was sick too. Isn't life Grand when every child is sick? Yes, that was said sarcastically.

I have uploaded some fun pictures from the 4th and will get them out in a day or two. When I can find 10 minutes to write it up and copy/paste the links.

BTW, I am still working on moving to mu.nu. onehappydogspeaks.mu.nu is almost complete. Be ready!

More Humor for Dreaded Wednesday

Jacob, age 92, and Rebecca, age 89, living in Florida, are all excited about their decision to get married. They go for a stroll to discuss the wedding, and on the way they pass a drugstore. Jacob suggests they go in.

Jacob addresses the man behind the counter: "Are you the owner?"

The pharmacist answers, "Yes."

Jacob: "We're about to get married. Do you sell heart medication?"

Pharmacist: "Of course we do."

Jacob: "How about medicine for circulation?"

Pharmacist: "All kinds."

Jacob: "Medicine for rheumatism and scoliosis?"

Pharmacist: "Definitely."

Jacob: "How about Viagra?"

Pharmacist: "Of course."

Jacob: "Medicine for memory problems, arthritis, jaundice?"

Pharmacist: "Yes, a large variety. The works."

Jacob: "What about vitamins, sleeping pills, Geritol, antidotes for Parkinson's disease?"

Pharmacist: "Absolutely."

Jacob: "You sell wheelchairs and walkers?"

Pharmacist: "All speeds and sizes."

Jacob: "We'd like to use this store as our Bridal Registry."

Humor for Dreaded Wednesday

She asked Chris what he had done over the weekend "I went to visit my Nana."

"No," said the teacher, "you went to visit your GRANDMOTHER. Use 'Big People' words!"

She then asked Mitchell what he had done. I took a ride on a choo-choo."

The teacher said "No, Mitchell, you took a ride on a TRAIN. You must remember to use 'Big People' words."

She then asked little Alec what he had done? I read a book," he replied.

"That's WONDERFUL!" the teacher said. "What book did you read?"

Alec thought real hard about it, then puffed out his chest with great pride, and said, "Winnie the SH.T."

If I Could...

What Landmark Study? The one being conducted on human ancestry. The Genographic Project. They are looking for DNA and all you have to do is buy the kit (for $99) and become part of the study. Click on the links above and read all about it. And if you are willing to share, tell me what group you are a member of.

Hat Tip to The Gray Monk. He participated!

Odd Items

And Sissy is at it again with the Word of the Week. Unctuous. There are so many ways to use that word... like: I may seem unctuous when talking about Bou losing weight, I am not. I really want her to lose it. I just want to lose it first!

And being lazy, I'll let Basil give you some HEADLINES to read.

Ben at Exgaucho picks on Floridians voting abilities. Go give him a difficult time.

Ogre's back and updated his blog. And I think it looks pretty awesome. Well... everything except his comments. Ugh.

Off to take the kids to the doctor. I don't know how much I will be blogging this week. Usually I get two or three ready over the weekend and didn't have time this weekend. Busy getting the house and yard ready. Luckily, the in-laws came over yesterday and helped out. Yaaa! It should be on the market by the end of the month!!! Well... maybe if I blog a little less and clean a little more. ;-)

Karnival of Kidz 11 is Up

Happy Independence Day

Here is a 'Card' for you.

You can create your own fireworks over New York HERE.

Here is a Raise the Flag ecard.

4th of July recipes from the Whitehouse.

For those who are not US Citizens, here is a LINK about our Independence Day celebration. And here is the LONG Version put out by our Government.

And a side note: Barney's Home Page (not the dinosaur, the President's dog)

Net Loss 2 pounds

Now the WHINE factor. Bou is complaining because she gained weight. Trust me it is water weight. But to help get rid of it she is going to the gym for 1 1/2 hours a day. I want to get away from my kids daily for 1 1/2 hours. Blhhhhhhhhhhh. I'll add it to my list of why Bou lost her 15 pounds before me.

3am

I was trying to find a way to make the train track work better for both kids. I think I found it. You can change the green hills for other arrangements, but the shortcut idea and two 'separate' areas seems to work. Yes, I thought of this at 3am and implemented it the next day.

UPDATE: Ok, so I haven't even posted yet. But I got a picture of Tot as he was 'settling down' in his crib for a nap and had a chance to upload it this morning. Notice the feet up on the side and the head down. He does this for 10 minutes before laying down. Then he curls his legs under him putting his butt up and his head down. Sigh. It's been a long week. ;-)

Tater's Point Of View

Gives you a whole different perspective doesn't it? Wonder if they will remember that when they are 16 years old?

Carnival of Recipes is Up!

Playful Ideas

Update: Supervised activities are great. Just something that is different than normal and will be easy to keep them under control! Side note: this is done at night, but I'll take activities for the day as well... anything! I can always use them.

I was looking for ideas of things to do with my kids Wednesday night. It's Guys Night Out. I'm usually pretty stressed by the end of the day and appreciate my Hubby coming home to take care of the kids while I do chores. But Wednesday night is the 'Dreaded Wednesday'.

Some things I have tried are:

Playdoh. This is fun for about 10 minutes and then the close supervision is just too much for me. Tot still has a tendency to eat it. Tater has a tendency to drop it on the floor and step on it.

Blocks. This can actually be played unsupervised for about 2 minutes. Then you hear the yelling start. Someone has knocked down the others tower or thrown the blocks.

Rolling Dice. Ok, this was not the best of ideas. I thought it would be good at teaching to take turns and learning numbers. Not recommended for a 20 month old who has temper tantrums and a Mom who is low on patience.

I saw some other ideas I might try:

Pouring rice between two jugs.

Sticky backed plastic. Peel off to expose sticky side (stick the corners down if it helps) place a container with stuff to stick on within reach next to the child.

Tongue Pictures

This is my Entry into the Karnival of Kidz! Don't forget to get yours entered by Sunday Midnight EST!