At HyVee last week, I tried a sample of steak with some of Chef Curtis Stone's Chimichurri Sauce. I'm not one to go to trouble to make some seasoning when you can use BB-Q sauce or A-1 sauce, but this was great! It's got a kick to it!
In your food processor, blend:
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Milestones...
This has been a really eventful week! Mikayla returned from Disney World with my mom on Saturday. This picture didn't really turn out, but it's precious. The girls held hands and kept hugging each other, even while waiting at the baggage claim. I love the relationship the girls have, they are indeed very close and I hope that they always will be.
On Sunday, Mikayla discovered how to blow a bubble with her gum AND to ride her bike without the training wheels! She couldn't wait for her dad to get home on Monday! She can ride just fine it you get her started. Does anyone have any tips on how she can learn to start the bike by herself?
This Wednesday Elyana turned 5! The night before, Mikayla and I made and decorated her cupcakes (Dora style of course). Then we went to HyVee down the road and got her 5 balloons in her favorite colors (red and pink). We tied them to her chair at the table. Then, we placed her beloved stuffed monkeys on the table holding her card.
Her birthday was an eventful day with gymnastics lessons in the am and a birthday party at the House of Bounce in the afternoon. I have no idea how they were not exhausted. I sure am! I fell asleep on the sofa and slept through two phone calls! I'm so excited to have nothing going on tomorrow for the first time in June. I can finally sit down and fill out my W-4 forms for Kingdom Kids Preschool!
Making a wish...
On Sunday, Mikayla discovered how to blow a bubble with her gum AND to ride her bike without the training wheels! She couldn't wait for her dad to get home on Monday! She can ride just fine it you get her started. Does anyone have any tips on how she can learn to start the bike by herself?
This Wednesday Elyana turned 5! The night before, Mikayla and I made and decorated her cupcakes (Dora style of course). Then we went to HyVee down the road and got her 5 balloons in her favorite colors (red and pink). We tied them to her chair at the table. Then, we placed her beloved stuffed monkeys on the table holding her card.
Her birthday was an eventful day with gymnastics lessons in the am and a birthday party at the House of Bounce in the afternoon. I have no idea how they were not exhausted. I sure am! I fell asleep on the sofa and slept through two phone calls! I'm so excited to have nothing going on tomorrow for the first time in June. I can finally sit down and fill out my W-4 forms for Kingdom Kids Preschool!
Making a wish...
Friday, June 24, 2011
June Flys By...
I can't believe that June is almost over. The girls are taking gymnastics this summer at JETS. They are really loving it and I can't believe how good it is for them! The week after Mikayla got out of 2nd grade, I had three cleaning jobs, appointments, regular chores, and I finished the bathroom upgrade project I've been working on. Then, Mikayla hopped on a plane with my mom to meet my sister's family at their timeshare in Disney World. To help Ellie not feel left out on that adventure, we left the airport and headed over to the Mall of America. We took Elyana to her favorite place, the Underwater Aquarium and then let her go on rides.
She was so excited to meet Dora and Diego!
Elyana on the way home...mission accomplished.
A few days after saying "good-bye" to Mikayla, Nate took off for an Origins Convention in Columbus, OH. Elyana and I decided to have our own adventure and we went to visit my dad in Madison for a few days. We had a nice time. We went swimming, visited the Children's Museum, and saw the movie, Mr. Popper's Penguins (great movie!).
Elyana's favorite thing at the Museum, this cool climbing structure with a tube slide.
The Children's Museum has an incredible Rooftop Garden, and a great view of the Mad City Capitol.
Today, after a week of rain, we had a beautiful day. Elyana and I went strawberry picking with our friends, the Baskett's. Tomorrow I'm making my first strawberry pie with my mother-in-law's recipe.
Also, just to update, I have a job! I will be teaching at Kingdom Kids Preschool this coming year. On Monday's I will teach Art all day. On Wednesday's I will be teaching a class called, Young Explorers. It explores different areas of the world; introducing the children to the food and culture. Elyana is 1/2 day Kindergarten this year and I plan on picking her up during my lunch hour. Then, she will get to take Kindergarten elective classes in the afternoon down the hall while I'm teaching. I believe she will have a gym class on Monday afternoons and a Spanish class on Wednesday afternoons.
I plan on continuing my writing. (BTW, I have another article coming out next week for Rochester Women.) As a matter of fact, I hope to write even more. I have so many ideas and so little time, but I hope that will change as Ellie transitions to first grade the following year.
Well, as soon as the whole family gets home, we will gear up to celebrate Ellie's 5th Birthday on the 29th. She's so excited!
She was so excited to meet Dora and Diego!
Elyana on the way home...mission accomplished.
A few days after saying "good-bye" to Mikayla, Nate took off for an Origins Convention in Columbus, OH. Elyana and I decided to have our own adventure and we went to visit my dad in Madison for a few days. We had a nice time. We went swimming, visited the Children's Museum, and saw the movie, Mr. Popper's Penguins (great movie!).
Elyana's favorite thing at the Museum, this cool climbing structure with a tube slide.
The Children's Museum has an incredible Rooftop Garden, and a great view of the Mad City Capitol.
Today, after a week of rain, we had a beautiful day. Elyana and I went strawberry picking with our friends, the Baskett's. Tomorrow I'm making my first strawberry pie with my mother-in-law's recipe.
Also, just to update, I have a job! I will be teaching at Kingdom Kids Preschool this coming year. On Monday's I will teach Art all day. On Wednesday's I will be teaching a class called, Young Explorers. It explores different areas of the world; introducing the children to the food and culture. Elyana is 1/2 day Kindergarten this year and I plan on picking her up during my lunch hour. Then, she will get to take Kindergarten elective classes in the afternoon down the hall while I'm teaching. I believe she will have a gym class on Monday afternoons and a Spanish class on Wednesday afternoons.
I plan on continuing my writing. (BTW, I have another article coming out next week for Rochester Women.) As a matter of fact, I hope to write even more. I have so many ideas and so little time, but I hope that will change as Ellie transitions to first grade the following year.
Well, as soon as the whole family gets home, we will gear up to celebrate Ellie's 5th Birthday on the 29th. She's so excited!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Memorial Day Weekend
We went to the Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells over Memorial Day weekend. We had such a great time. I had saved up for it with dog sitting money and cleaning money. So, we were delighted when they upgraded us to a Condo for a mere $13 a night. We all had our own room, a full kitchen, and family room area. We all spent our time equally doing their water park and doing Magi Quest. The Magi Quest adventures take you all over the resort to find the next clues you unlock with your wand. Elyana just wanted to climb up to the 4th floor of the Magi Quest and go down all of their slides. I told Nate I thought I sounded like a Lord of the Rings "Balrog" coming down the tube slides after her. Great workout though! We made sure that we caught the big clock tower animated show and bedtime stories in the grand foyer. We love how it is so family friendly there. A lot of my pictures didn't turn out but there is this great picture of the girls in a neat sandbox outside of a restaurant we went to:
Mikayla had 2 more weeks of school after Memorial Day weekend. But, she is now a 3rd Grader! Wow! I believe I'm going to spend my summer doing home improvement projects (refinishing kitchen and bathroom cabinets and landscaping a bit), doing my regular cleaning jobs, and taking the girls to gymnastics on Wednesdays. Mikayla is going to Disney World in FL on Saturday with my mother and my sister's family. Nate is leaving for Origins (hoping to get a few prototypes published!) and Ellie and I will keep busy. Mid July the girls are taking a 2 week swimming lesson camp. The final thing we have planned for this summer is a road trip to South Dakota!
Mikayla had 2 more weeks of school after Memorial Day weekend. But, she is now a 3rd Grader! Wow! I believe I'm going to spend my summer doing home improvement projects (refinishing kitchen and bathroom cabinets and landscaping a bit), doing my regular cleaning jobs, and taking the girls to gymnastics on Wednesdays. Mikayla is going to Disney World in FL on Saturday with my mother and my sister's family. Nate is leaving for Origins (hoping to get a few prototypes published!) and Ellie and I will keep busy. Mid July the girls are taking a 2 week swimming lesson camp. The final thing we have planned for this summer is a road trip to South Dakota!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Good-bye Preschool!
Ellie's last day of preschool was so bittersweet. Even the teachers were wiping away tears. I can't believe I now have two kids in elementary school! Yikes! We were trying to pump up Ellie for Kindergarten. We kept telling her that she's a big girl now, that she's a Kindergartner now... I failed to tell her that she didn't start Kindergarten until September. The day after preschool, she jumped out of the van with Mikayla ready to start. Poor thing, she was very disappointed.
Ellie and Mrs. Brown
Mrs. Vierkant
Her preschool friends, each going their separate ways next year...
Ellie and Mrs. Brown
Mrs. Vierkant
Her preschool friends, each going their separate ways next year...
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
May is Flying By!
Everything seems to be coming to an end so quickly. It's a bit overwhelming. This week, Elyana finished up her spring swimming lessons and Mikayla finished up her first year with American Heritage Girls. At Mikayla's award ceremony, she received 4 more badges, making her badge total this year 8. She also earned her first service award star, which means that she completed 5 hours of community service. This Thursday I will finish up my bible study this year. We will have completed a study on Ephesians, Galatians, and I and II Corinthians. Next week though, is monumental to the Jones family, we will be done with preschool. It's bittersweet and I am full of emotions.
My AHG girl! I will be leading the Kindergarten group next year! Yikes!
Elyana ready for her last swim lesson. She blew me away. I actually was filled with adrenaline watching the kid! She went down a fast large water slide at the end of class (without a life vest!)
In the middle of the night last night, Mikayla wasn't feeling very well. She was tired and still feeling a bit off today so I let her take the day off. We both took a nap this morning while Ellie was at preschool. Then, I decided to pack up a picnic and go to Silver Lake after we got Ellie. It was a perfect day for it and we got to feed some of our sandwiches to baby geese. Ellie got a bit tuckered out. I think it was just what we all needed, a little bit of time to play hooky. Now they are both watching a movie and I am trying to work some more on another article I have due. I'm also filling out an employment application for some part time work this fall...details to come.
And, we finally got our leak taken care of. I am so thankful to my father-in-law who suggested we open up the wall behind our stove instead of ripping apart our bathroom. It turns out that when the house was built, a nail was driven into the pipe while putting on the baseboards. It's taken almost 25 years for it to leak. Strange...Oh, and somehow, in the process, we replaced our sink faucet in the bathroom. Then, this momma read several manuals and decided to replace the light fixture in the bathroom also. It looks great!!! My summer project is to refinish the cabinets in the bathrooms and kitchen. Ambitious, I know. : )
Memorial day weekend, this family is heading to the Great Wolf Lodge in WI Dells. We are excited for a little family getaway! Elyana especially has been counting down the months, and now days until we leave.
My AHG girl! I will be leading the Kindergarten group next year! Yikes!
Elyana ready for her last swim lesson. She blew me away. I actually was filled with adrenaline watching the kid! She went down a fast large water slide at the end of class (without a life vest!)
In the middle of the night last night, Mikayla wasn't feeling very well. She was tired and still feeling a bit off today so I let her take the day off. We both took a nap this morning while Ellie was at preschool. Then, I decided to pack up a picnic and go to Silver Lake after we got Ellie. It was a perfect day for it and we got to feed some of our sandwiches to baby geese. Ellie got a bit tuckered out. I think it was just what we all needed, a little bit of time to play hooky. Now they are both watching a movie and I am trying to work some more on another article I have due. I'm also filling out an employment application for some part time work this fall...details to come.
And, we finally got our leak taken care of. I am so thankful to my father-in-law who suggested we open up the wall behind our stove instead of ripping apart our bathroom. It turns out that when the house was built, a nail was driven into the pipe while putting on the baseboards. It's taken almost 25 years for it to leak. Strange...Oh, and somehow, in the process, we replaced our sink faucet in the bathroom. Then, this momma read several manuals and decided to replace the light fixture in the bathroom also. It looks great!!! My summer project is to refinish the cabinets in the bathrooms and kitchen. Ambitious, I know. : )
Memorial day weekend, this family is heading to the Great Wolf Lodge in WI Dells. We are excited for a little family getaway! Elyana especially has been counting down the months, and now days until we leave.
Monday, May 2, 2011
I Love Goofing Around With the Girls
So, do your kids have a toy that you can't stand? Why not scare them with it so they won't want to play with it? Ha! It was not exactly my intentions, but it got an incredible reaction... The girls received a Barbie head, the kind you can put on makeup and brush it's hair, from a friend. Mikayla was taking way too long on the bathroom getting ready for bed. So, I put one of Ellie's nightgowns on the "head," then placed toy foam swords through the armholes (to make zombie arm movements of course). I knocked on the bathroom door and waited. Ellie and I were trying not to giggle. Mikayla finally opened it and screamed, then laughed. We took turns chasing each other with it.
Barbie Head Side Note: (We used to have one when Mikayla was 3 or 4 and I finally got rid of it. Mikayla did the weirdest things with it, she used to take off the heads of her barbies and put them on her fingers. Then, they became the mother Barbie head's children. Also, whenever we went to the mall she would tell me that the Barbie head could work at the mall since most of the mannequins don't have heads anymore. Barbie, could make a schedule being the head to the many headless mannequins...)
Barbie Head Side Note: (We used to have one when Mikayla was 3 or 4 and I finally got rid of it. Mikayla did the weirdest things with it, she used to take off the heads of her barbies and put them on her fingers. Then, they became the mother Barbie head's children. Also, whenever we went to the mall she would tell me that the Barbie head could work at the mall since most of the mannequins don't have heads anymore. Barbie, could make a schedule being the head to the many headless mannequins...)
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