I Have a Favorite

I once saw an interview on the Rachael Ray show that really hit home with me. Not only was it extremely entertaining because it was with one of my favorite celebrities but it was also so very TRUE. 

She was interviewing Kelly Rippa and Marc Consuelos. She was talking to them about jobs, marriages, food, and of course their 3 beautiful children. They bantered about disagreements and annoying quirks and cooking disasters. It was too funny!

Then Rachael really got into it when she asked them if they had a favorite kid. At this point, I stopped all of my ADHDness and really tuned in. It was a question all parents have thought of at some point in time, but it is never something we same out loud except for "I love you all the same!"

Kelly laughed and said, "You know we've never really talked about it but I know we do. At any given time, one of them is your favorite. At this point in time, there is no doubt we like one better than the others."

"You may say 'I love all my kids the same' but you know in the event of emergency, there's one kid you'd reach for first," Kelly tells Ray.
Mark then said, "Yeah, there is definitely one I would rather be around. The truth is...he is just nicer to us. The other 2 are at that point where they are smart aleck  and don't ever want to do what we tell them. In fact they know it!"

Kelly interjects, "Yeah they know it! If they ever want something, they know to send him in to ask because we are less likely to say no to him."

Rachael asked, "Him? Who is it?"

Kelly replies, "I don't think we have ever said it out loud. But it is definitely..." Then both of them together declared, "Joaquin!"

You could hear the collective gasps of judgmental people all around the world. Judgmental and dishonest. Every parent knows that you have a favorite. Now for me, it is not the same favorite all the time. In fact on any given day, my favorite might change twenty times.

In the morning, my favorite usually rotates between my oldest and youngest child. My oldest is my favorite at that point in time because she can get herself ready to go completely by herself and always wakes up quite chipper. She comes into my bathroom fully dressed with her hair brushed and gathers me into a bear hug. My youngest is my favorite because there is nothing cuter than walking into the nursery to find her grinning at you from behind the bars of the cribs. Then you pick her up and she lays her head on your chest in her version of a hug. She is so giddy and loving.

However later in the day, my middle child will become my favorite. She will dance and sing and entertain us like we are on Broadway. She will crack us up with her antics and drama. She will then grab each of us by the face with one hand on each of our cheeks and not allow us to move until she plants a precious kiss on our lips.

So I would have to agree with Kelly and Mark, I do have a favorite. At any given point in time, I have a favorite. It changes from minute to minute. But I will admit, I do have a favorite. It is munchkin #1. Well now its # 3. *smooch* #2 just took the lead!

Bodacious Batter Blasters

I only write about products or places when they completely blow me away. (See my previous post on The Red Elephant.) So when I say that Batter Blaster is bodacious, what I mean is it is the most awesome thing EVER!

We eat breakfast every Sunday night for supper. There is nothing better than breakfast at night. It is so yummy, and you secretly feel like you are breaking the rules by eating it at the wrong time of the day. We usually have eggs, bacon, grits (so sorry for you people who don't live in the South), and toast or pancakes. More often than not, we have toast, because it is so much easier and less messy than powder batter (that ends up everywhere), cracking eggs, spilling milk, and stirring and stirring and stirring to get all of the blasted lumps out!

So when I found a coupon for a new product called Batter Blaster, I was intrigued: intrigued and more than a little skeptical. I mean how good could pancakes be that came out of a can. But I had a coupon for $1.00 off one can, and they were BOGO at my favorite place ever, Publix. Seeing as  I was going to end up paying about $1 a can for 2 of them, I couldn't resist giving them a try.

I will NEVER buy another kind of pancake batter again. It is so easy! Shake it up, push the nozzle, and cook the pancake. No mess. No accidental salmonella poisoning. No wasted batter. No easier way to do it.

You store it in the refrigerator, and one can lasts my family of 5 through 3-4 meals. Not only are they easy but they are without a doubt the best pancake I have ever eaten. They rival my mother-in-law's from complete and total scratch version that I would never, ever make due to the fact that it is from...scratch (I's gots 3 kids up in here!).


As far as healthy, 2 pancakes have 80 calories and 1 gram of fat, and I can say all of the ingredients on the can, which is something that can not be said for many of the things in my cabinet! 

Try it or don't try it, but if you treasure your homemade from scratch pancakes you might want to avoid Batter Blaster because once you try it you just might not go back!

Cran-A-Licious

My sister and I are both trying to lose weight. She has lost a total of over 65 pounds. Can I hear a WOOT! WOOT! for Leslie? She has been working her tail off for quite sometime, and has really helped me in my weight loss journey. Granted, thanks to genes, I did not have near as much weight to lose. I inherited my mothers genes and she inherited my dear father's genes. Therefore, she has had to work much harder! I am so proud of her dedication. I have watched her count out chips and then roll up and put away the bag so she can't get any more. Me...I have a hard time not gorging myself. She is my inspiration! Do it, Sissypants!!

What she has taught me is that everything you put into your mouth counts. That one Hershey's Kiss, that one Lay's potato chips (of course you can't have just one), that one drink, be it a sweet tea, coke, or beer. The drinks or one drink is what inspired this post!

She developed a super delicious, refreshing, and diet concoction. I am calling it Cran-A-Licious! You will love it even if you don't like cranberry juice. 

 Ingredients: 

Passion Fruit or Rasberry Rum, 

Diet Cranberry or Cranberry Promegrante juice, 

Sprite Zero

Place ice in cup. Pour 1 ounce of rum in glass. Pour enough juice in cup to color rum, We usually fill the glass to about half way. Top of the drink with the Sprite. Stir well and enjoy your 60 calorie drink!!

First Pinterest Project

Finally getting around to truly enjoying the benefits of Pinterest. In the last week, I have cooked 2 delicious recipes and created my first craft. My craft was a menu board for my family. I usually have a sheet of paper that I create it on, but this was so much more attractive and kid friendly.

Here is the inspiration:

At the time I started the project, I didn't really realize that I was starting it. THE Wal-Mart had bulletin boards on sale for, like, $5 and I suddenly remembered the menu board.

I cruised through the fabric isle and picked some corresponding fabric. Then I got some iron on letters. I covered the wood part of the board with the corresponding fabric using hot glue. Next I attached the main fabric using a staple gun. I ran ribbon around the edge to cover the staples. I covered index cards with fabric to create the pockets and then ironed on the letters. Finally I attached the index cards using hot glue. I used a peel and stick hook on the side of our cabinets and some ribbon to hang it up.

The girls and I had a great time writing down our favorite recipes, and I had a great time writing down some of the Pinterest recipes that I have been dying to try.

So without further ado, here is the finished product!

Aye! Aye! Captain

For those of you who are not familiar with my family, I want to catch you up a little bit before I begin my story. My husband and I have been married for 11 years and have 3 little girls. Our oldest looks like me but acts like him: extremely level headed and, for the most part, calm. We also have a 10 month old and it is yet to be determined who she looks like or acts like...only time will tell. And then there is our middle child, my diva. She looks just like her daddy but acts just like me: full of energy, dramatic, and loud. 

You can read about her multitude drama in my previous blog posts: Spanking Really Does Hurt Me More Than It Hurts You,  The Clothing Wars, It's Never Okay to Hit...Or Is It, and At Our Wits End. They are quite entertaining! 

But no matter how dramatic she is and how many fits she has thrown, I have never considered her disrespectful. That is until lately. Lately, she has developed the bad habit of "sucking her teeth" or as some people call it "tsking" when we say something she doesn't like. You know what I am talking about! That little action that is just as bad as rolling your eyes and makes even sane parents almost come unglued with a backhand. Luckily, we are all able to control ourselves ...but  still.

The first time this occurred there was a lengthy discussion about how rude and disrespectful the action was and how we expect better of her. The second time she was sent to time out. The third time, which occurred this afternoon, resulted in her having to repeat the action 25 times. The fourth time happened while we were sitting at the table enjoying Disgusting Yumminess (my latest Pinterest recipe). 

She had been talked to, warned, and punished all to no avail. Now came the time for a (GASP) spanking! Don't judge us! We only use them when there is danger or someone has done something really wrong. Anyway...

My husband informed her that he would be spanking her after dinner, and we continued our meal. She of course started crying (I told you she was dramatic) and was told that if she did not "suck it up" she would get an even bigger spanking. After finishing her dinner, she sat there waiting for the rest of us to finish. Suddenly she raised her hand (I think it is so funny when they forget this isn't school) and said, "Daddy can I go ahead and get my spanking over with?"

So with a giggle in his eyes, he proceed to explain to her what she did and why it was wrong. After he spanked her, she stood up and tried her hardest not to cry and to "suck it up". My oldest and I couldn't help it and started giggling which helped break the ice and helped her not to cry. Then, in true Diva fashion, with a whirl of her Dora night gown, she turned around looked at her daddy, saluted him, and shouted, "Aye! Aye! Captain!"

Lord help us with what is yet to come!

Cute Valentine's

I know this is a little late, but I just wanted to share some cute Valentine's that came through my classroom this year. You could definitely tell the moms who have recently became obsessed with Pinterest. They didn't pass out the regular old Valentines from Wal-Mart!

I loved this one which used chewy hearts and pretzels:

This next one definitely took some planning. I don't think I could think this far in advance, or if I did I don't think I would remember it when the time came around for Valentine's Day!

Even I got creative with my own munchkins' Valentines this year. 

For my 4 year old, I bought 4 packs of bubbles and attached notes to them saying "You 'Blow' me away!". For my 10 month old, I had left over Play Dough from a party and I attached notes to them saying "I love to 'play' with you"! Parents loved them because it was one last piece of paper to "file away" (a.k.a. throw away) and they gave the kids something to do when they got home.






My 7 year old wouldn't let me do something Pinteresty for her and opted for the boring Wal-Mart cards. Of course, once she saw how cool these turned out she wanted to change her mind. Alas, it was too late. Just another example of how her mother will always be right! It would serve her well to learn this lesson now!

Disgusting Yumminess

We tried my first Pinterest recipe tonight! I know, GASP! As addicted as I am to Pinterest, I can't believe this is my first recipe that I have actually tried. And trust me, this mess was so good I will try it over and over and over again.

It is called Crockpot Cubed Steak but I am calling Disgusting Yumminess because it looks so gross, almost like dog food, but it is Oh So Very Good! I am talking lick your plate good...literally had to stop my child from doing this. I did alter the original recipe a little, so here it goes.

Disgusting Yumminess
Cubed Steak (I used a family pack of 6)
2 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup (use Fat Free...No one will know!)
1 soup can of milk
1 Envelope of Lipton Onion Soup
Garlic Salt
Seasoning Salt

Place cubed steak in slow cooker. Season with Garlic Salt and Seasoning Salt. Mix 2 cans of soup with 1 can of milk. Pour over steak. Sprinkle Lipton Onion Soup over top, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

After my family of four dug into it, this was all that was left:

I had planned on having left overs, however, that does not seem to be happening. Next time, I will definitely double, and maybe even triple, the recipe.

Failing as a Parent

There are times where I really feel like I am failing as a parent. One of those times would be right now, at this exact moment, as I sit on the couch typing this blog and surfing Pinterest while my girls play Wii instead of being in Sunday School.

We are really not consistent about going to church. Part of the reason is that we have a baby who is in daycare all day long and the thought of leaving her in the nursery for a couple of hours every Sunday instead of spending time with her breaks my heart. Another reason is that it totally messes up her schedule for the day because she doesn't take a morning nap when we go to church.

Another reason is that in the 7 years we have lived here we have yet to find a church home. We have kind of hopped around from church to church trying each one on to see if it fits. Yet, we seem to find fault with each one.

The truth is...perhaps the fault is with us. In fact, there is no PERHAPS to it. The fault definitely is with us. All of our reasons above are just excuses. Excuses for not doing something that should be as natural as breathing. But because it takes a little effort we make excuses for why we shouldn't go to church.

This week's excuse...we lost an hour and got up late. Well, truth be told no one got up late but me. I slept until the new 9 which was the old 8. Even with the sleeping, though, we could have totally made it to church on time.

This is definitely something we must work on! I want my children to love God. I want them to turn to Him in there times of strife and to trust Him. Most importantly I want Him to live in their hearts and to bless them and keep them safe.

Amazingly, despite our failures as parents, they love Him so much. Their prayers are so precious. And they are constantly talking about God living in their hearts. He is GREAT despite our failures as parents.

Even though we fail to go to church on a consistent basis, I do try to help my children grow in Him. We pray every night before bed and on the way to school. When discussing problems we talk about what Jesus would do, and I try to help integrate Bible verses into our daily lives.

I have been wanting for a long time to do a bible verse a week, and help them to memorize it and apply it to their daily lives. Alas, work, home, babies, laundry...basically excuses have gotten in the way. I have not made it a priority. But today when I was Pinning things instead of being at church I came across ABC bible verses.

This mother did what I have been wanting to do for sometime but have not made a priority. She created one memory verse for each week. She also incorporated into the letters of the alphabet. They are free, so go download them at www.icanteachmychild.com These cards can help fill in the gaps where I fail getting my kids to church and Sunday School.

I promise we are going to get better about going to church. Even though there are many things I am Failing as a Parent, going to church should not be one of them. It is our duty to raise Godly children, and it feels OH SO GOOD! Next week for sure....

Talented

Okay! I am the first to admit that I am super clumsy. I mean it takes talent to trip over a flat surfaces and clearly I am swimming in talent, because not only can I trip over flat surfaces but I can also slip out of chairs and accidentally poke myself in the eye...with my own finger. (Seriously, I have done it before!) 

So if all of that takes talent then today I should have been receiving the Oscar award for Best Stunt Actress....except it wasn't a stunt. I wish I had had a stunt woman to replace me this morning and then she would be in pain and not me. 

What had happened was...
It was a cold, dark, and rainy morning. It had been raining for what seemed like years, yet in all actuality was only a couple of days. We were running late...of course, we were running late. What else would we be doing on a Monday morning?

Anyway, as we headed up the perilous steps intothe building. Perilous because there are many of them that are not really all that steep at all but do have varying heights which could confused some of the less coordinated individuals, such as myself, who might venture up them. Point is....they were perilous!

My oldest munchkin asked me a question and I turned to answer her. This was mistake #2. Turning head while walking never results in something good. I have known myself for 34 years now and I should know never to take my eyes off of steps when I am walking. What was mistake #1, you might ask. Walking up the stairs on a cold, dark, and rainy morning.

No sooner had I whipped my head around when I missed a step. Actually, I didn't miss it. I step on it. Well, I step on the edge and my foot slipped and I fell forward. Now this would not have been nearly as bad, had I been able to brace myself. Alas, both of my hands were full. One with a steaming hot, zebra print cup of coffee. Therefore, there was nothing to break my fall as I slammed down onto the extremely hard concrete.

Needless to say, it #&@*ing hurt!!! And I could not help the few profanities that then slipped out of my mouth. I was just thinking how thankful I was that my children were the only ones around when I looked up to see a father coming out of the building. Luckily, I think he was too distracted by the laughing coming from the group of children coming up the stairs behind me to hear.

Once I got inside I ran into my principal, who, when she saw my soaking wet clothes and my limping, informed me that I needed to fill out an accident report. So I followed her to her office where she began to write up the report. When I told her I tripped up the stairs, she started laughing. Seriously?!?!? That made it sooooooo much better!

By the end of the day, the story had made it through half of the school. I could always tell who had heard it by looking at the smile on their face as they passed me in the hallway. Hey, what can I say? I told you I was talented! Talented....with a few scrapes and bruises added in!

Embracing My Talents

I have been teaching for over 12 years. And during those 12 years I have tried everything to get out of it. There has got to be something better to do. Something that can make more money, get more respect, and have more days off! Alas, I have yet to find that "something".

What I have found is that I am quite good at teaching. I don't mean to sound cocky, but I seemed to have a knack for not only teaching but getting kids to learn. I guess it is because I do whatever I can to entertain them because when they are entertained they are engaged and when they are engaged they are enlivened and when they are enlivened they are encourage to perform to their utmost potential.

So I am finished trying to find other things to do. I will no longer try to get out of teaching to write or blog or teach Zumba or paint or opening my own store or ...whatever else I thought could get me more money, more respect, and more days off.

I am Embracing My Talents. I am going to start blogging about teaching and would love you to follow Tricks of the Trade to follow this part of my crazy, insane, but most of the time satisfying life. And if this blogging leads to something more...well...(hopefully) we will cross that bridge when we get there!

My Newest Hobby

My husband tells me all the time to try to get us out of debt. He swears with all of my hobbies and "talents" there must be something that can make us millionaires and get us out of teaching permanently. One can only dream!

Anyways...I have dabbled in writing, painting, crafts, DIY projects, couponing, more writing, party planning, song writing, blogging...you get the point. The problem is my ADHD kicks in and I lose interest in whatever project I am involved in.

So what is my latest hobby... CAKES.

I got the urge one day to bake a cake. It was my niece's birthday and I wanted to make the cake. I had never made more than a pound cake and the one time I tried to ice something it was an absolute disaster. But I wanted to try fondant.

I had no clue how to do it, but that is what Google and YouTube is for...RIGHT?!?!

I created a sleep over cake complete with a bed and four sleeping babes. I used pound cake, butter cream, and marshmallow fondant. I used Swiss Cake rolls for the little bodies and rolled fondant for their heads. I painted a piece of cardboard to make a headboard.

A week later it was my parents' birthday. No, I didn't make a grammatical error. They do, in fact, have the same birthday. So I offered to make the cake. This time was definitely better. I did much more research about fondant and the result, whereas not perfect, was too cute and oh so good. 

Next up was the Super Bowl. I stuck with the pound cake but got a little better with the fondant. 

Luckily my 7 year old daughter knew roman numerals!!






My latest creation was for a friend of mine's daughter's 3rd birthday. I used pound cake again except for this time it was homemade. I used Rice Krispie treats to make the Minnie Mouse head. It is definitely not perfect, but with my ADHD impatient self...it might be as close as I can get. 

Pizza Roll Ups

*Adapted from a recipe I found on Pinterest

2 Cans of Crescent Rolls
Pizza sauce
Pepperoni slices
Mozzarella Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Parmasean Cheese
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Salt
Red Pepper Flakes

First unroll crescent rolls and pinch together the seams.

Next spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over the crescent rolls.

Layer cheese on top.

Next lay pepperoni slices until they cover the rolls and then sprinkle with seasonings to taste.

Carefully roll them up length wise so that you have a long roll.

Place on grease baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Slice, serve, and enjoy.

Number Forms

My teaching style received a major revamp a few years ago when I went through Singapore Math training. Not only did the way I teach math change, but so did the way I thought about math. These principles of understanding the why in numbers does astonishing things to students mathematical minds.

One of the fundamental concepts that students in grades 2-4 must understand is that of Number Forms. Here is my 4 day standard-based unit on PowerPoint that includes songs, interactive lessons, use of manipulatives, videos... Check it out!
                                   

Backyard Water Park

Every year, starting in May, the weekend rolls around and we pull out the Slip-n-Slides, sprinklers, and blow up pools. Our children are entertain for hours while we relax and enjoy some frozen beverages. We affectionately call it "The Redneck Water Park".

So when my oldest child turned 7 last year, we decided to put our weekend fun to good use. We threw a party at the "Backyard Water Park". It was so easy and the kids loved it!

First I started with the invite, which I pieced together with things I found online. All though I think I could have drawn it myself (maybe next year).

Then I started planning decorations. Banners, signs, streamers...

I even did a table with beach towels and sunscreen.

Next it was time for the food. We had pigs-in-a-blanket, sandwiches, sausage balls, pretzels sticks dipped in white chocolate, and cupcakes.

I made sponge balls using sponges from the Dollar Tree that I cut up and then put together using rubber bands. The kids had so much fun throwing them at each other. 

These are the best and only water guns I will ever buy. They are from the Dollar Tree and are so super awesome! We have had some fro a few years now. 

Instead of spending a ton of money on party favors I just for these water bottles from .... wait for it....The Dollar Tree and painted the kids names on them. Now they can use them and use them again!

After the set up and clean up, this party was so easy! The kids entertained themselves and we enjoyed their fun. Some of the parents even got involved with the fun!

Chicken Delicious

The great thing about this Slow Cooker recipe...you don't have to defrost!

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
paprika
celery salt
Cream of Celery soup
Cream of Mushroom soup
1/3 cup Sherry
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Place chicken in slow cooker. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and celery salt to taste. In a separate bowl, mix together soups and Sherry. Pour over chicken and then sprinkle cheese on top. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Break apart chicken and serve over rice.

*This made enough for two nights. For the second night, I put the chicken and sauce into a baking dish and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. I swear it was better the second night.