Friday, December 13, 2013

Countdown to Christmas

 

Can you believe that Christmas is less then 10 days away?  Have any of you bloggers finnished or even started with the shopping for your children or family members? 

Well,  if you said 'yes' to any of this, a Matt and I are about done with everyone, exept for 2 or 3 people in our family.  If you said 'no' to both, I am sure you are not alone to many individuals that like to wait until the last minute to get that "great" deal.  

No matter where you may be within the United Sates or anywhere in the world,  you will have enough time to get your family the "best" gift.  Just make sure you research the best deals within your area.  If you go to your favorite store. 
P

For teachers and directors for child care, your child can decorated their own Christmas card and hand made gift.  If your child is in elementary school, you may want to do the same thing as far as making a card or going to your local dollar store/dollar tree or dollar general and purchasing a glass cup,plate or making a little gift basket just to wish the teacher a "Happy Holidays".

Another idea is to bake cookies for the individual that have made your year or if the individual has been around for many years.  Since allergies to nuts,dairy or other ingredients for their favorite cookies, there are many alternatives to replace the allergic ingredients.  But make sure you do your homework first.  

Tomorrow I am going to share a "egg free" sugar cookie recipe that I have found.  Stay tuned for tomorrow.

Happy Holidays

~Nicole

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Peach crisp...

This past weekend was very productive by baking up the rest of the canned peaches.  (All 9 1/2 cups of it). I am sure many of you baked apple crisp before, the ingredients will stay the same but the fruit is a little different. 

Once you get all the ingredients together such as the brown sugar, butter and oatmeal in the bowl, stir everything up until it's combined.  Since Emma wanted to help out she decided she wanted to pour everything in the bowl and stir away.  
I must admit that she did great, minus the flinging of the spoon,  it looked good.   Since my recipe called for 2/3 cup of butter ( which I used) next time when I make something like this,  I would use 1/4 cup or couple of tablespoons.  

Since I wanted to think outside the box a little bit,  I used one of my many large bowls instead of a shallow casserole dish.  Yes it worked out jut fine, but I made sure that the oatmeal topping was divided instead of having all of it on top.  

After spraying the dish with cooking spray,  I put about 1 1/2 cups of peahes in the dish topped it with 1/2 cups of the oatmeal topping, poured the remaining peahes and topping for the top layer.  Threw it in the oven at 375 for 45 minutes or until the topping was crisp and brown. 

I know the picture above looks a little like oatmeal with peahes, but it turned out pretty good,  despite the fact that there was a little too much butter in it. 

Share with me some other "fruit" crisps that you have made.  And what were the pros and cons when making it and serving it to the family?  I would like to hear from you.

~Nicole 

               What you need:
2 cans of peaches

2/3 cup of butter at room temperature

1 cup of dry oats

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 cup of brown sugar packed

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix sugar, butter cinnamon,  dry oats and butter until it's completely mixed.  Spray pan and add peaches then the oatmeal mixture.   Bake for 40-50 minutes.  Or until golden brown.  


If I missed some ingredients,  just follow the apple crisp recipe that you use.  

Happy baking







Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Cricut Mat and Tacky Spray. A Pinterest keeper

I am sure many of us own a Cricut machine.  Wether it may be the mini or the newest Cricut Expression, but the 9.99 and up cutting mats can be a little expensive even when the mat is used all the time.

A few months ago I needed to save a little bit of money and reuse the mat in some way, especially keeping the adhesive side sticky.  So I decide to look on Pinterest to see what I can do to make use of the Cricut mats.  Low and behold, I found that using Krylon Tacky Spray and blue painters tape does the trick.  

Rubbing a magic eraser to get the old adhesive off the mat and spray where the current adhesive was and wait 1 to 2 hours to dry before using the mat.  Well since I had no magic eraser to take off the unsticky adhesive, but I did have the painters tape and the spray adhesive I wanted to see how it worked.

Well, it worked just as good even if I had no eraser to work on the mat.  But if you have extra Mr. Clean magic erasers, go right ahead and use them.  (Before taping and spraying of course)  When using the spray, make sure that you do this in a well ventalated area, like outside or in the garage.  (when living out in the Midwest, the weather likes to make tricks on us especially during the fall and winter months)

The life time when using this spray will last just as long as purchasing a new mat.  But please make sure that you place the plastic on so dust or other small things will make the mat less sticky.
Feel free to comment on this and let me know what other adhesives you have used in the past.

Until next time and happy crafting!!

~Nicole


Sunday, October 27, 2013

Sunday Funday Split pea soup

Today was one of my days where I had to do something with a bag of green split peas.  The only items that I didn't have was onion and celery.  Of corse I had about 1/4 cup left of chopped carrots left in the fridge so I decide to use the rest.  
The most less exiting thing about these little peas is that when you rinse and go through them,  they will fall out of the strainer and into the sink.  A couple of missed peas will not me missed, I promise you.  

What I did a little different this time is I used 4 cups of veggie stock and one cup of water after adding the peas and carrots.  
Of corse the water and stock will give it some flavorto the soup.  After the broth and water was added,  I just added a little of sea salt in. 

Let the soup cook for 6-8 hours until the peas have become more soft when you stir.  When it's all done you can add some black pepper and eat it with your favorite bread and butter on the side.  Lunch or dinner will be waiting the same day or left over for the week.

Let me know what other favorite things you put in your soup.  Love to share other ideas. Does not hurt to try different things, right?


~Nicole. 😊

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Cinnamon and sugar tortillas

Today was one of those chilly days where I needed to work-up something good, not just for me but for my kids.

Every time they come home, the questions are asked each and every day, "What can I have for a snack?"  As a good parent that I am, I would give them a few choices but their heads would shake in dis believe.  So I came up with a way to make sure they may like it and dip them in their favorite fruit salsa or just plain.

Preheat the oven to 375
What you need to get is just a plain tortilla shell.  It could be whole wheat too if you have it in the pantry.  Put a tablespoon of olive oil and spread it around the shell until it is covered with the oil.  You may also use melted butter or coconut oil. The sky is the limit.  

Since I mixed 1/2 cup of white sugar with a teaspoon of cinnamon and a dash of pumpkin pie spice, I sprinkled it all over the shell.  Pop it in the oven for about 3 to 5 minutes until crispy

When i took it out of the oven, it looked like a baked so papilla but with out the frying.  The possibilities are endless.  For dipping sauce, you can use honey, chocolate sauce or eat it the way that it is.  But make sure there is enough for everyone.  Because you never know when the kids or spouse wants more.

Enjoy and happy baking..



~Nicole
You will need



1 package of tortilla shells (small or large)

tablespoon of your choice of oil/butter

cinnamon and sugar 

*preheat oven to 375.
mix together cinnamon and sugar
oil or butter the shell
sprinkle the sugar mixture on top
bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until the shell is puffy.

Eat and Enjoy.


Friday, October 4, 2013

Home made carmel sauce. #love the fall



Last week I posted a recipe on chocolate sauce, but today it's all about the carmel sauce.  Even though you like to see step by steps on how to make anything from scratch.  But accidentally my photos were deleted from my phone.  


But before I made the recipe, I googled to see how and how much ingredients I should use since I was limited on sugar and other things that I may need.  But low and behold, I stumbled upon a blog by frombrighteyedbaker.  So I asked my blogger friend Alexandra if I could use her recipe on my blog.  And the only things that you really need is white sugar and milk and a dash of sea salt.  If you have rice milk or other milk such as unsweetened almond milk, let me know and give me your thoughts.  

What you would need is:  

1 cup of granulated sugar

1 1/4 cup of milk  (of your choice)

1/2 to 1.4 teaspoon of sea salt.


Once you put the sugar in a medium sauce pan on medium heat you want to make sure that the sugar is level with the pan.  Once everything is heating up, the sugar will turn a light brown carmel color.  (about 5-8 minutes) What I did was once the sugar melted a little, I tilted the pan to get the liquid with the white sugar.  Or use a rubber spatula to mix the sugar well.

Once all the sugar is caramelized make sure the heat is off and  add your milk.  Since I added skim milk, it bubbled up to the brim of the pan, but pour slowly.  Once I added the milk,  stirred over the sink  until the bubbles subsided in case if it went all over the stove. After adding your 1 1/4 cup of milk sprinkle and mix in the sea salt. Just an F.Y.I, the skim milk became lumpy after a minute adding to the melted sugar.  If you do any other milk it should be okay.


In the past when making carmel sauce, I just added 1/2 stick of butter instead of the milk.  Yes it was a little different taste wise, but the milk is a better add in.  In the future, I am going to try almond milk unsweetened and I will comare the difference between the skim and almond milk.  

This recipe is excellent for coffee, ice cream topping or a dip for your fruit.

I would like to thank Alexandra for letting me share her recipe with all of you. 

~Nicole~

Thursday, September 26, 2013

#DIY Chocolate Syrup

Today was one of the days where I have to experiment with chocolate powder, white sugar and water. I know what some of you are thinking,"That does not seem like a good combo".  Well if you are a chocolate fanatic like I am once in a great while, you will love this recipe.  

You will nee to have 1/3 cup  of unsweetened cocoa, 3/4 cup of white sugar and 3/4 cup of water.








Mix all 3 ingredients in a medium sauce pan and boil for 5 minutes or until the mixture is at the right consistency.  When working with sugar you want to make sure that you stir and keep an eye on your chocolate syrup so the sugar does not burn on the bottom of the pan.
After 3 to 4 minutes it will bubble up and become a little more thick than runny.  Once you feel that the thickness is to your liking, let the syrup cool before putting it in an air tight container.  If you are using a small glass container, let it cool completely before pouring in the glass.  Chances are if you transfer the hot ingredients to the glass, it will shatter due to the heat of the ingredients.  After it's in the container of your choice, put it in the refrigerator till future use.

When making this syrup, my kitchen and living room had a chocolate aroma. This syrup can be used as a dipping sauce for your favorite fruit, drizzled over oatmeal or in your coffee. Or it can be a gift for a co-worker or a teacher.
Why buy store bought syrup when you can use the most basic ingredients right there in your kitchen.

Feel free to use this recipe and share with family and friends.

Take care,

~Nicole


Monday, September 23, 2013

Fall days are offically here.


As we once again say goodbye to summer, Autumn comes sweeping on by and gracefully puts cool colors in the trees.  Whether it may be a red, brown,yellow or a mixture of all fall colors on the leaves, I come to realize just how mother nature likes to keep things colorful.  

When I think of the long fall days, there is soo many activities to do with the kids each weekend until Halloween.  It may be the pumpkin patch, haunted houses, apple orchards or digging out the fall and Halloween decorations.  Matt is like a little kid when it comes to decorating for Halloween.  He has done a couple of haunted houses in our garage in the past and the kids in the neighborhood loves it.  

I on the other hand love to decorate the house with scarecrows, pumpkins and other small items that we have had in Tupperware bins.  But what I really love watching is the leaves fall to the ground and the scent of apple and pumpkin spice lingering through out the house.  

What I really love the most is just watching Samantha, Zack and Emma decorate their own pumpkins while getting their face painted at their reactions after seeing all the Halloween decor that we may use in the upcoming year.  Since this is Abby's first year for our festivities, I am anxious to see what she may do while looking at all of the decorations, especially the scary ones.

Another way that we like to stay out of the house for a couple hours on a Saturday morning is watching Zack play tackle football while Samantha plays her first year of fall ball and 2nd year of volleyball.  It has been a little hectic at the house because Matt will take Zack to his game while I take Samantha to her softball or volleyball game.  Emma and Abby is always on the side lines watching either one if their siblings games, but I know Emma is looking forward to trying out her own sport come next spring.

In the next couple of postings I am going to share with you some of the recipes that I have found and used myself to some Pintrest cleaning ideas that you may want to try in the near future for yourself.  Trust me, it will be a fun fall for everyone


~Nicole~

Monday, September 9, 2013

#Fall days #sports #enjoying life




Fall is one of my favorite seasons to make memories with my family.  It's not just bon fires out in the back yard or teaching my 5 year old how to read, it is how we like to spend our weekends.  Samantha and Zack are involved in a couple of sports that they enjoy.  Zack is my little football star and recently he finished up his first year of baseball, his 3rd year of tackle football.   I asked him on the way to school last week on what sport he likes to play the most, Zack told me he was undecided.

For Samantha, this is her first year at playing fall ball and her 2nd year at Volley Ball.  Fast pitch is something that Samanta likes to do, besides having one or two practices with Volley ball.  Knowing different rules and sportsmanship is important to teach at any age.  

As my 3 school agers become a little more independent, I cherish the moments that Matt and I have with Samantha,Zack and Emma.  But with Abby, I see she wants to make sure she does not miss out on anything.  Being 7 months and figuring out how to crawl and take all the excitement in, she gets a little tired of crawling with her stomach on the floor.  

 

As the weather cools off Matt gets into having bon fires in the back yard with marshmallows and the older kids helping him collecting the wood on the other side of our fence.  Sitting with a sweatshirt on and relaxing by the open fire is something that I like to do.  It's not because of the orange glow of the fire, it's the company of my family that makes it all complete.

As for the long nights and short days, I will think of different possibilities of crafting and baking.  Without making different things for the house or cooking different types of courses for the family, my mind goes on an over load.  What I like to do is make a little mental note to see what I can come up with and gather my supplies and let everything fall into place.  Getting ideas from friends or co workers does help out, depending if I am brain storming.  

For the next month and a half I am going to make different things that are "fall like". ( From decorations to baking)  If any of you that read my blog, feel free to add any comments that you may want to share so I can post it.  A fall give away will be at the end of November, so start being creative.

Have a great night,

Nicole


Friday, September 6, 2013

Pre-school friends= growing up together






This past week Emma said "see you later"  to her two best friends that she met 2 years ago in preschool.  Of course Emma's friends: Sadie and Amira are attending different schools than Emma, it can be a little challenging when meeting different friends.  But these 3 girls have a strong connection and friendship I see lasting throughout the years.  

Getting to know Sadie and Amira have been a true blessing on my end because I watched both of them  become strong independent individuals. Especially at the age of 5.   Since being their preschool teacher for this long, I feel humble that Emma has grown up with them.  



Play dates are the best becase the girls can play at the park and run their energy off while I get to hang out with Erica and Melissa.  I would just catch up with the ladies and tell them about myself a little more or just the school Emma is going to.  Some times we just take everything in and just watch our girls squeal and giggle because they are having the best time.  

Before school started for the girls, mini golf was on the agenda.  Since it was a nice day just to be away from the heat and humity, it was actually nice to get the energy out.  Where we were at, the playground was just walking distance to where we were going to play golf.  

18 holes and lots of squeals later, the game was over.  To top the day off we all went on the carousel so the girls can ride the horses.  Towards the end of the early afternoon they said had a little group hug, just the 3 of them.  The next play date we are having is at the park.  In about 2 weeks the "purple park"  as the kids call it is holding a inflatable event and all is welcome.  So Emma is looking forward to that.



Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Pencil pillar for a favorite teacher

 For today, I had some time to make a pencil pillar for my co-worker because she had my 5 year old in her class for about a year.  And I thought this project was the perfect teacher "Thank you".  

What you would need for this project is a 2 pack of pencils, a clear pillar and a bunch of glue sticks for your glue gun.  But before you do this project, make sure that the glass is cleaned off there are no smudges while putting the pencils on.


 The next step is to put the pencils into place.  Learning the hard way, I decide to burn my fingers just a little bit. What I did to make sure not to burn the fingers was to put glue along the side of the pencil that was already glued to the pillar.  Of course I had help with my 11 year old, so Samantha insisted on gluing the remaining pencils.  You want to make sure that all the pencils are touching each other.  If not you may see little tooth pick gaps.  But no one is pickier than me when it comes to making your own crafts.
   Then there you have it.  38 pencils that are glued by me and my little helper. 3 items for 3 dollars from the dollar store.  For the inside of the pillar, you may  use any filler you may like.  It could be glass stones, pen flowers or any thing that a teacher, friend or neighbor may use.  The choice is yours when it comes to crafting.  There is no right or wrong way, just "Your way".

Till next time and be creative.

~Nicole~

Monday, August 26, 2013

Last stretch of the summer week.

Hi everyone,

I know I have not been on for a couple of weeks.  It's been a little hectic with school shopping for the new school year, to capturing my 6 1/2 month old trying hard to crawl and hanging with my little 5 year olds at work before they head off to the "big kid school".  

Since this past weekend the family went school supply shopping for 3 out of the 4 kids.  Target is the best when it comes to school supplies.   12 pack of Crayola crayons was .50 cents, 2 pack of glue sticks was .99 ( I believe)  I could go on and on.  The total was about 37 dollars and rough change for little over a dozen items.  I am sure Walmart has good deals and I will not complain, but it's too far from our house.

This post I really don't have any pictures this time, but for the end of the week to early next week I am going to do a couple of posts.  I am deciding on what I may write and share about since there are a few ideas still in my head and I just have to transfer it and share.  It's from up cycling soup cans to cleaners that you can use around the house.  

If you have any suggestions that you would like to share feel free to let me know, I am up for any challenge.  


Well I must close for now and I apologize for keeping it short and sweet.  In the next post(s)  I will let my creativity shine.  You never know when I may give out a free give away gift just by visiting and supporting my blog..

Have a great week.

~Nicole~

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Just another week.


Well another week has come and gone, and we say "Hello" to August.  I often ask myself each and every summer," where does the time actually go"? 

I admit that I have a blast spending time with my kids as well as my husband, but capturing each moment and sharing these precious moments with close friends and family, that's what is important to me.  

This week, my work holds an annual VBS bible school with anyone that would like to come and participate.  We do games, snack, a story about the theme for the week/year.  This year we taught the kids that reading the bible, friends and family as well as praying to GOD helps everyone stand strong. It is offered to children from pre- school to grade 5.  Samantha is entering the 6th grade in September and she had the privilege to help me out with my little group.  

 Abby had a wonderful time playing and trying out a Popsicle.  Since she is at that wonderful age at 5 1/2 months she is chewing on everything that she puts into her mouth.  When she was done eating the Popsicle,  she got mad at my co worker because Abby wanted more.  But at least she loves to have them,  especially when her gums feel a little sore.  
This weekend our family is driving down to Mankato to the Vikings training camp and do a little swimming, bowling, maybe some autograph signing but will see what happens.  I am getting a few things together for my next blog project.  But I have to made up my mind on what to show.  Maybe 2 blogs in one.  Decisions, decisions.  

Wisconsin Dells trip

 
This past week the family went to Wisconsin Dells just for a get away for 4 days 5 nights.  The first hotel that we stayed at was Chula Vista.  

From our house to the hotel took about 3 hours and 22 minutes to get there.  I must admit that Abby did a great job on her fist road trip, even at 5 1/2 months.   Chula Vista reminds me of the outdoors.  It has foxes,deer, geese and antelope among with other wild life you may find.  

The wave pool was a lite ways down from he indoor watermark along with the outdoor and beach setting.  The kids loved the wave pool except for Abby.  But I will give her some time to get use to it.  Over all our stay was great for the first 2 1/2 days.  


Our next day stay was at Kalahari.  The resort was something you would want to stay a day or two.  The view from out room was ok,  but the sites that we saw was nice .  When you walk into the lobby,  there was 2 baby tigers that were about 3 to 4 months old and you got to take pictures with them if you wanted to.  Along with the tigers was a baby kangaroo that you could get a photo with also.  

There was also a indoor theme park that was open to the public as well as the guests staying at the resort.  From riding on a 8 story Ferris wheel to bowling on the second floor.  Samantha,Zack and Emma had a blast bowling and the scores to all 3 games were a little close.  But most of all the 3 older kids loved the go carts. 

The last 2 nights we stayed at was the Wilderness resort.  And I must admit the resort is pretty huge.  There are about 4 indoor and 2 outdoor water parks plus mini golf and laser tag.  All 6 of us has our work out since we did all the water parks and took a break to rest out of the water for a few with Abby.  Yes it is the Dells is known to be the water park capital of the world.  Everyone had a lot of fun playing and enjoying the vacation.  Thursday night we took time to go to downtown Dells to shop for sweatshirts for the older kids.  
But being home and looking forward to another week of work is what I am looking forward to.  

~Nicole

Friday, July 5, 2013

4th o July fun

Celebrating the 4th of July is one of the best holidays where families and friends get together for BBQ's, camping, Bon fires 
at night while watching fireworks, or even watching your kids laugh and play around win relatives or their friends from school.  

This year, the husband and I invited Zack's good friend form school along with his parents and younger sister for dinner and some neighborhood fireworks.  

We set off sparklers for he kids to do.

The 5 kids had the best time running around with sparklers acting like it was a flag waving behind them.  Us adults just had a friendly conversation about the upcoming school year along with catching up on small things.  Since Abby was a little small to hold a sparkler much less need her little eyes open till the beginning of the fire work show, she didn't mind getting spoiled by a little baby fix by Roseanne.  
Emma and Ella made the most if it by holding water balloons and pretending it as "babies".  These two girls are soo fun to watch and while I watched them play,  it made me think of the imagination I had at that age.  

To top it off the night with an awesome light show care of my neighbors across the street.  Us adults were planning on going to the local park to watch fireworks,  but caught up with our children's laughter and fireworks,  not to mention our biting friends, he mosquitoes.  
I am looking forward to having more play dates and adult get together a with our friends, the Brown family.  

Until next time

~Nicole

Monday, July 1, 2013

Upcycling a glass votive


I am going to admit that I am a junkie when it comes to Pinterest.  Who does not love going onto the site and just look around to see what trouble we can come up with.  It can be organizing the home to finding things to do with the kids during the long summer months. I have done this little glass votive that I cleaned out and decorated for my oldest daughter.  Here is what I did: 

The first thing I did was to put the candle in a pot of water and let the candle melt.  It took about 10 minutes or so but it went by quickly.

Then when the candle is all out of the votive, wash it out with mild soap and water.  Of course I don't have a picture for the second step but you have the idea.  
What you can do is use Mod Podge or go the effective way,  use one part or white glue and one part water.  Use any type of glitter that you may have at home or just stick to the color theme.  The possibilities are endless.  
Make sure you use a foam brush when applying the Mod Podge.  Work quickly because it dries fast.  One you coat the votive you are ready to use the glitter.
Since the glitter tube is small.  I just dumped the whole thing in a d tilted the votive so all the glitter stayed.  With the remaining glitter I just put it back in the container.  

And here is the finished project.  It took less than 5 minutes and I am planning on doing more of these as gifts and for around the house.  

Hope to give you more tutorials soon.  Have a good week.  

~Nicole

Friday, June 21, 2013

Summertime. 😃

I do hope that many of you are having a great summer as well as myself and my family.  Even though I have not been blogging in a few weeks,  things have been a little busy for me as well as my family.  Working at a child care center teaching 5 year olds their basic letters and numbers as well as following directions has keeping me on my feet at all times, not to mention my 4 children.     Samantha is officially in middle school,  Zack is in 5th and Emma is going into kindergarten.     The only child that is not leaving yet is Abby.  Here is a couple things I have done at work:  
        This was a little experiment at work that I did.  It was just about 4 drops of green food coloring and less than 1/4 cup of bubbles.  I gave each child a straw to blow into and TONS of bubbles covering the bowl.  
               As you can see my daughterer Emma having a lot of fun making a lot during the 20 minutes of blowing.  
                Last but not least Emma and her friend Amira with bubble "beards".  They called them that and thought it was funny because the bubbles would pop on their skin.              My husband is looking into a different position at his work and I sure do hope he applies since he has many years of experience as a manager.  I am crossing my fingers each day and maybe he may get the job.  Who knows.  My next blog I will show all you what I have done upcycling glass for your home or a gift for a teacher/co worker.  Till next time, my friends.          ~Nicole         

Saturday, June 8, 2013

The school year is winding down: End of the school year

The school year is winding down: End of the school year: As the end of the school year is coming to an end once again, I find myself proud of Samantha and Zack.  Not only of their accomplishments b...

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

End of the school year

As the end of the school year is coming to an end once again, I find myself proud of Samantha and Zack.  Not only of their accomplishments but their ability to adventure on what they like to volunteer in from after school activities to just hanging out with their friends.

I always tell my children, no matter what they do in life Matt and I will be proud of them no matter what.  Samantha LOVES to be involved in after school activities, like Choir and learning how to p[lay cribbage.  She likes to have the ability to challange herself and work hard to make things perfect in her own way.  Zack on the other hand is a typical boy, likes to get down and dirty from playing kickball to football at recess with his friends.

As of this Friday, we will be housing a kindergartener, a 5th grader and a middle schooler.  The tears and cheers will be flowing and I am sure that Samantha will miss her teachers.  But I always tell her that visiting her most favorite teachers will want to hear what she has done in middle school so far.

Emma is looking forward to kindergarten.  So at work, she always practices her letters and numbers so she can show her teacher in the summer open house.  Getting "homework" in kindergarten will be something Emma is looking forward to and cannot wait to meet new friends in the long run.

Zack is a little apprehensive on starting 5ht grade in the fall, but I can see that he is going to look forward on the adventure in his life.  Maybe getting involved in a couple clubs that the school offers will open up some possibilities for him.

Then there is Abby, even she is close to 4 months (on June 6th), she is very alert and taking things in around her.  Knowing that she can recognize on how loud she can actually be, she thinks its not soo bad after all.  Finding foods she likes is something that I LOVE giving.  Her reactions and shivers on them are funny but yet cute. Cherishing every moment I am spending with Abby is rewarding but yet the months are flying by too quickly.  Just wish they would stay small forever.


~ Nicole