Bunny Money

My kids love Max & Ruby. On our last trip to the library, they checked out as many Max & Ruby books (and other Rosemary Wells books) as they could find! This book was one of them. In the back of the book, there is "bunny money" with a note from Max and Ruby about how to copy, color, cut out the money and shop. Sadie thought this was an excellent idea! She sent the book to work with her dad to copy the money for her. The next day she and I spent over an hour coloring, cutting, & pasting money to play with. The day after that we set up "bunny store"...

Sadie & Kinnick with their bunny money...

I've been saving some grocery items for Sadie to play store with. We got those out and Sadie used garage sale stickers to mark the price on all of them (all her idea!) She had extra stickers, so she added some toys and set up the bunny store in her room.

Apparently things weren't priced high enough because Sadie bought everything in the store and had money left over! She saved all the bunny money and can't wait to play again!

Jammie Walks

Last summer we started the tradition of going on "jammie walks". After dinner we change the kids into their p.j.'s and load up in the stroller to go for an evening walk. We started it as a way to let them know that we were going for a walk but not stopping at the park. Marc and I love it because it usually keeps them occupied and gives us a chance to talk. All three kids love it when we ask "Want to go for a jammie walk?" Hopefully this is something we will be able to continue for a least a couple more years!

SO Tired!

Sadie's Graduation

Thursday morning was Sadie's graduation from "Little Bulldogs Preschool". Honestly, I'm excited that I don't have to do morning time battles anymore for awhile!

They started with a little ceremony in the high school's auditorium. They were so cute on the stage with their little hats! Sadie hid her face when she came out and wasn't too thrilled to get her diploma.

When she made it to her spot on the risers she spotted us watching and was able to give some smiles.

After the ceremony, we went back to Sadie's classroom for a little party. They had treats and gifts for the kids. We had a fun time... although it was exhausting keeping up with all three kids!

Sadie and her teacher Mrs. Cherveny (Sadie requested to do their picture by the cake!)

Sadie's class... she had 19 classmates (some left after the graduation).

Kinnick loved eating treats... he had Doritos and cake (so did Sadie!)

Macey enjoyed an Oreo cookie.

That night we made a special dinner for Sadie... she picked her favorites: pork chops on the grill, "Cars" mac & cheese, broccoli, and kiwi. We also enjoyed some ice cream after Kinnick and Macey went to bed. I can't believe how big my little girl is getting!

Mother's Day

I had an absolutely wonderful Mother's Day... my started with a note to stay in bed (and read). I was surprised with sweet smiles, lovely pink roses, and a tasty caramel frappe! I got to enjoy McDonald's breakfast with my favorite kids (and husband!)

We opted to go to 11 church and thus had a relaxing morning. Marc took care of the kids while I got a long uninterrupted shower (that NEVER happens on a Sunday morning!) Sadie and I had some snuggle time watching "Dancing with the Stars".

One of my requests was that Marc take some pictures of me with the kids (he doesn't really like any job involving taking or helping with pictures) but he happily obliged and we got some great pics (see top!) He also took care of lunch (and clean-up) all on his own! We had chicken from KFC and he made all the sides himself. (If you would have told me several years ago that I would have fried chicken on Mother's Day I NEVER would have believed it. I've never really liked fried chicken but slowly Marc has worn me down and I know really enjoy it occasionally.) After lunch we put the kids down for naps and enjoyed some relaxing time ourselves.

After rest we headed out to Spring Lake (in Streator) to do some hiking. Kinnick (he played and trashed his room during rest time) fell asleep during the 5 minute drive! We had a blast hiking a few trails and seeing the "waterfall". We were cracking up at Sadie & Kinnick--they each had a "gun" and were shooting lions and other wild animals on our hike. I think we will have a lot of fun hiking this summer because Kinnick and Sadie are much more independent.

Our last stop of the day was time-out for ice cream. This was a perfect ending to a perfect day!

Love this picture of Kinnick sharing his ice cream with Macey... she hasn't had her own cone yet, but I believe this summer she just might!

Obedience Update

Since we started our Obedience Chart back in October, the kids have earned several fun rewards. I'm trying to use this less and less (they don't get a sticker every time by any means) but it's still a nice to have for those challenging days! Here are some of the fun things they have worked for:

A family fish! This was our most recent reward. We walked up to the pet store last Thursday and now Lucy is officially a member of the Gorsch family (yes, they know it's a boy, but Sadie was set on the name Lucy and Kinnick was happy to go along with it!) They love feeding helping feed Lucy (3 x per week) and even Kinnick now asks "Is it a day to feed Lucy?" Sadie is also very anxious to clean out her bowl (wonder how long that will last!)

A night to eat at Burger King and play in the play place... the kids enjoyed eating in their very own booth!

A pizza party/family game night... the kids enjoyed making their own mini-pizzas and choosing games to play!

An ice cream sundae party... we had Hawkeye colored sprinkles--Kinnick went a bit overboard with the black!

Some other rewards they have enjoyed include:

-Choosing an item at the Dollar Store... This was great to do in the winter b/c we spent about an hour browsing the store and it only cost $3--Kinnick chose match box cars and Sadie chose lip gloss.

-A family movie night... I took the kids to Wal-Greens and they each got to pick one big box of candy for our movie.

Lindsey's Shower

Last Sunday, the girls and I were able to attend Lindsey's baby shower. We had a great time and can't wait to meet this baby boy!

Sadie took this picture of Macey on the way home--she said, "Mom, can I have your camera to take a picture of Macey? She looks so cute sleeping!"

What I've Been Reading Lately...

Love, Love, LOVED this book! Everyone needs to add it to their list as a "must-read" (in my opinion!) It's based on the true story of a little boy's trip to Heaven. Several months after the event took place little Colton (just 4 years old) began to amaze his parents with details about Heaven and Jesus, and other people he met in Heaven. The book is written by his dad and I promise you will not be able to put it down! I read it in less than 24 hours... Read this book and share it with your friends--I guarantee it will change the way you think about Heaven! (Thanks to both my sister-in-laws, Steph & Cori, for recommending this book to me!)

This was a great book that encompassed many different areas of being a mom. It is filled with practical advice to help make your home a place that meets ALL the needs of your family (aka--home as a trauma unit, a rest stop, a church, a school, a museum, and many more!) Jill Savage is always full of great advice and helpful encouragement to moms.

Dr. Leman writes in a "tell-it-like-it-is" style that will have you smiling and laughing often as you keep turning pages. This candid book does exactly what the title suggests--tells you things your husband wants you to know but doesn't always say. As I read this book I found myself having lots of meaningful conversations with Marc--I learned as much from these as I did from the book itself. This is an insightful book for wives.

Another practical, down-to-Earth book written by a mom for moms. Dagnan was a full-time teacher who left her job to stay home with her young children (I could relate!) She gives lots of advice for making the transition from working to staying home. My favorite chapter: "Taming the Type A Personality"--very encouraging for me. My favorite quote from this book: "Every day, each situation, regardless of how ordinary, how broken, how daily, is a blank canvas; an opportunity for imprinting a memory, a lesson, a value on impressionable little minds. Open each day like a present, knowing it may become anything you want." This book really helped me look for JOY in each and every day... no matter how many tantrums, spills, whines, or messes!

So I started and ended on a "theme"! This is another book based on a try story of a man's journey to Heaven. Don Piper was pronounced dead--he remained dead for an hour and half in the aftermath of a disastrous wreck. During this time he experienced 90 Minutes in Heaven. This inspiring book tells the story of his long & painful journey to recovery. God continues to use this pastor's story to share the hope of Heaven with others. (Once again, thanks to my sister-in-law Steph for loaning me this book!)

PS--I'm looking for some good fiction reading--let me know if you have any suggestions!

Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream Cake

Yummy, Yum, Yum!! I tried this recipe a few weeks ago and I love it! It's easy, it's impressive, it takes minimal ingredients, and it's something different that tastes amazing. Try it next time you are entertaining...

Ingredients: -1 can refrigerated cinnamon rolls w/ icing; -1 1/2 c. pecan halves (divided); -1 1/2 qt. vanilla ice cream; -1 t. cinnamon; -1 c. caramel ice cream topping (divided)

1. CRUST: Bake cinnamon rolls as directed (reserve icing packet). Cool completely. For crust, place 4 cinnamon rolls and 1/2 c. pecans into a food processor and process to crumbs. Press into bottom of spring form pan and place in freezer.
2. Filling: Place ice cream in fridge for 30-40 minutes (or on counter 4-5 minutes) until soft. Place icing from packet into a small bowl. Add cinnamon and stir. Coarsely chop remaining cinnamon rolls. Chop 1 c. pecans with food chopper. Combine cinnamon rolls, 1/2 c. pecans, and icing in large batter bowl--toss to coat. Combine softened ice cream, cinnamon roll mixture, and 3/4 c. caramel topping in large mixing bowl--fold gently until combined.
3. Assemble & Freeze: Spread ice cream mixture evenly over crust. Top ice cream with remaining 1/2 c. pecans and drizzle with remaining caramel topping. Freeze until firm (about 6 hours or overnight). For easier cutting, let cake stand at room temp 10-15 minutes before removing collar from pan. ENJOY!
Recipe from Pampered Chef's Simply Sweet Cookbook

3 Little Words...

"Children obey your parents, in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your Father and Mother..."

Ephesians 6:1-2

This is the verse we started memorizing last week. I chose this verse based on the bible study that our small group is currently working through. (Which I really like!) Anyway this week we talked about teaching kids to honor others (in addition to obedience). I have wanted to do this verse for awhile and felt like now is the perfect time. We talked about what it means to honor someone (going above and beyond, doing something unexpected, etc.) and I introduced this verse.

Sometimes I choose a verse to memorize based on what I need to learn/work on because I've found that helping my kids memorize verses is a sure fire way to memorize it myself! Usually I choose a verse based on something they need to work on (sharing, being kind, etc.) I chose this verse thinking it was pretty much just for them (although I know I still need to honor my parents!) I've probably read this verse hundreds of times and always thought that it was written pretty much for kids, but this time I focused on the words "in the Lord" and stopped to think about what they mean. (Now this may be nothing new to most of you reading this but it hit me as something I've never thought about before!) God is instructing me (as a parent) to raise my children based on His word... in the Lord. Their job to obey is based on me first doing my job... WOW!

PS--For those of you haven't tried memorizing scripture with your kids, it's really much easier than you would think! Here's what works for us: I choose a verse and write it out on a note card. I leave the note card with my center piece on the dining room table (sometimes it IS the centerpiece!) We practice the verse before each meal and at snack time. I break it down into phrases and they repeat. Eventually I make the phrases longer until I just need to say a word and they've got it. We always do the scripture references with the verse (mostly for me, b/c I'm not good at remembering them!) After they can say the verse independently we keep doing it for several more days. I also refer back to the verses we've learned when dealing with discipline issues. We usually work on a verse for 2-3 weeks before moving on. I think pretty much as soon as they can talk, they can do this!