I don't get to mention Daddy Will very often on my blog. It seems that we, as parents, often get overshadowed by the kiddos! This blog is all about Daddy and the must-haves of Will (Daddy of 3 busy boys).
1) The Jeep - After we had Hudson, Will was dying for a 4-door Jeep Wrangler. Since we only had the two boys, our family of 4 (then) fit perfectly. Little did we know that 4 months later, Baby G would be on the way. In the summers, the top comes off, doors are removed, and 3 wild boys drive through town in style. Sunglasses and hats in tow.
2) The Bike (complete with child seat) - Now that Big C can ride his big boy bike on his own, Will, Big C and Little H spend many sunny afternoons riding bikes together.
3) All Balls - Will loves sports! And, thanks to him, so do our boys! From football, baseball, basketball, and golf. We spend a lot of time outdoors playing sports. I have even found myself (9 months pregnant)and playing pitch with Clayton. And occasionally you may find me on the basketball court out back!
4) The Wii - Thanks to Aunt Shannie and Uncle Mark (who donated their Wii to our family) we now have a Wii. On rainy and cold days and nights, you will often find our bonus room looking like this..........
5) Baby Trinket of the Week - Classic Baby Beads
Since this week's focus was on boy toys, I thought this fit perfectly. The is another Manhattan toy (found at select Barnes & Noble stores). Gray loves to twist, chew, and roll this brightly colored, adorable toy!
My mom started making chocolate chip cheeseballs for showers and family parties several years ago. My sister and I absolutely love them! So naturally, any party or special occasion that I host, you bet there is a chocolate chip cheeseball somewhere in the spread!
To make this chocolate treat - you will need: 1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese softened 1/2 cup butter softened (do not substitute with margarine) 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 cup confectioners sugar 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 3/4 cup miniature mini-sweet chocolate chips 3/4 finely chopped pecans (optional) graham crackers (I like the chocolate sticks)
What to do: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sugars; beat just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Place cream cheese mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap; shape into a ball. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, roll the cheeseball in pecans (optional). Serve with graham crackers. Makes 1 cheeseball - about 2 cups.
I have mentioned the famous "Slugs and Bugs" CD on here before (Top 5). It has become Big C and Little H's favorite van music. Hudson: "God me me, like the sea, ok?" - "Yes Hudson, we will play the God Made Me CD."
Well, Randall Goodgame (singer and songwriter) came to our church this past weekend! The boys were ecstatic! And I have to say, Will and I were pretty excited to take them to their first kid's concert!
Big C got to invite two of his close buddies, William and Caden. The three musketeers had a blast! - Even with Little H tagging along!
I was so excited that even my parents, Aunt Shannie and Adalyn were able to join in the fun!
These wild 4 boys (minus Gray, who fell asleep during the concert) and so many other children had a fun-filled afternoon of dancing, singing, and just simply acting crazy! It's that what kids are supposed to do? Singing and dancing while learning about the truths of God! How much better can it get?
I am so thankful for a church that is so incredibly family-focused!
So........., I have seen adorable cake pops all over the internet! A few of my friends have even tried these adorable bite-size cakes on a stick. Naturally, I thought I would give it a try. I have to say, there were scrumptious, but they were quite a bit of work! I'm still not quite sure they were totally worth it, but they were a hit at the Daniels' house!
Because I was making these cake pops for Big C's school Valentine's Day party, I decided to use red velvet cake for these bites.
I have never made a homemade, and I wasn't about to start last night - so, I used a red velvet cake mix and followed the directions. After the cake had cooled, I used my hands to mash up the cake into crumbles. Then added about 12 oz. of white frosting (from a can). Mix and blend thoroughly with your hands!
(YES! It was messy!!!)
Mold the cake mixture into small balls (a little smaller than a golf ball) and place on cookies sheets. This mixture made two full trays of red velvet balls. Refrigerate the cake balls for about an hour, until firm.
*You will need a large piece of Styrofoam for the next part* After they are firm, you need to place the stick into the flat side of the cake ball and secure with a dime-size amount of chocolate around the stick. After each stick is secure, you will place back into the refrigerator until the sticks are securely in place.
I used approximately 4 bars of melting chocolate for this next step. After the sticks are secure, it is time for dipping. Hold each pop by the stick, and dip into the melted chocolate. Placing each pop back into the Styrofoam to catch the chocolate drippings. *You will need to decorate the pops as you dip, before the chocolate has a chance to harden.* After each pop is dipped, decorated, and placed back into the Styrofoam, the cake pops will need to be refrigerated again for another hour. This will allow the chocolate time to harden.
After the cake pops are hardened, I wrapped each pop in a small cellophane bag and tied a small ribbon around it for decoration.
I have to say - they do make the perfect bite-size treat! Happy Valentine's Day!
Valentine's Day is becoming one of my favorite holidays (2nd to Christmas of course). Chocolates, goodies, crafts - you can't get much better!
For the past 3 years, Clayton has been assigned to make a "homemade Valentine box" for his class Valentine's Party. This year (since Clayton is playing Upward basketball), we felt that a basketball box was the perfect fit! For those of you who know me well, you know that I rarely come up with any ideas myself. I search Google images and Family Fun magazines until I find exactly what I want. Thanks to Google images and Daddy Will's crafty skills, Big C has the perfect Valentine's box.
Each year, between my Kindergarten kiddos and C's little class, we fill between 30-40 Valentine treat bags! We've established a system - lay out all of the bags, and start spreading the treats! But, my favorite Valentine tradition with Big C is making homemade Valentine cards. As you head into Walmart or Target, Batman, Sponge Bob, and Scooby-Doo cards fill the shelves. However, I have found, that is so much more fun to sit down and make these cards each year. We have made shovels (I Dig You), robots (U R Cool!, U R GR8) This year's cards were alligators (another idea from Google images). Big C loves them and I think they turned out pretty cute!
This year, I'm starting yet another tradition. Tomorrow, we will have our 1st Daniels' Family Valentine's Dinner! Big C has chosen this meal - steaks, sweet potatoes, macaroni & cheese, and salads. Sounded great to me! I even had a little help tonight making a Valentine's Day cake for dessert!
My husband gently reminds me (all the time) about saving money. I know, save more, spend less. But what fun is that???? No really, I do try to be somewhat money conscious, but there are 4 Mommy Splurges that I just can't resist!
1) Great family pictures - I love having family pictures made! About every six months, I feel that it's a necessity to have new family pictures. After all, the boys are so young, and they change so much - it's absolutely non-negotiable! My favorite photographer is Gabrielle Bush - we love her!!!! She's been taking our family photos since Clayton was 18 months old! She's a perfect blend of great family shots and non-staged photos!
2) Adorable clothes - I do love cute clothes for boys! Though, as I mentioned before, that cute boy clothes are soooooo hard to find! I do use two magazines where I purchase the occasional matching outfits for the boys (Chez Ami and Kelly's Kids). I don't do this often, but for family pictures or holidays, this is pretty mandatory. It's pricey and Will usually complains, but they are so worth it!
Don't get me wrong, I love Target and Gymboree, but some things you just have to splurge for!
3) A GREAT camera! - With three little kiddos, I try to capture many of their adorable moments. I constantly leave the camera in the living room, so I can grab it at a moment's notice. After we had Hudson a couple of years ago, I convinced my husband that I needed this camera (for Father's Day!) - it's was the next upcoming holiday (= and we purchased it! I currently have a Nikon D40 and absolutely love it! This camera has been to the zoo, beach, parks, family get-togethers, play dates, births of babies, everywhere!!!
4) An awesome stroller! When we just had Clayton and Hudson, a single stroller was perfect! Hudson sat in the stroller, Big C was 3 1/2 and he walked beside the stroller, holding on to the handle or one of us. Throw Baby G into the mix, and we needed an upgrade. I researched strollers for two kiddos that would suit our family. I talked with a couple of friends, and found the perfect stroller for our family.
This stroller is a sit-and stand stroller that perfectly holds Little H and Baby G. Huds can stand and hold on to the side bars or sit on the seat in the back and go for a ride. Baby G sits in the front and is perfectly content. We love it!
5) Baby Must-Have of the Week - the Jumperoo! While we were on splurges, this is probably the most expensive baby toy that we have. However, we were given our Jumperoo when we were pregnant with Big C and it has lasted through the many hours of jumping from Clayton, Huds, and now Graydon! So, it's been more of an investment! At about 4 months, we drag out the Jumperoo and our boys jump for many hours until they become mobile and then are uninterested! This toy has been a life-saver!
I am a wife to the best husband and my best friend. I am the mother of three rowdy boys. During the day, I teach Kindergarten to 18 eager little minds. I also spend time with 6 toddlers teaching them developmental skills. I love spending time with my family!
Daddy
Daddy is a production improvement coordinator at a local manufacturing plant. He loves movies and softball. He adores his three boys more than anything in the world and loves wrestling with them and making them laugh. He is the #1 husband who helps me with everything & is the love of my life.
Big C
Clayton is our oldest son, born in December 2004. Our big 1st grader has become a great little reader and loves the outdoors, Legos, Mario, games, and taking care of his little brothers. He is the most helpful and hilarious little boy and is the best big brother!
Little H
Hudson is our rambunctious 3 year old, born in July 2008. His smile and his dark eyes will melt you! He loves imitating big brother, C. His favorite things include: Little Einstins, Jake & the Neverland Pirates, the outdoors and playing with his brothers. He is our "Little Wild Man" who is Daddy's best buddy and pal!
Baby G
Graydon is our 18-month old chunker. He has the sweetest personality and the same big blue eyes as Big C. He loves to run and chase his big brothers. He is not a fan of strangers and would rather be at home with his family. He thinks he's a big boy and wants to be wherever C and H are! He is just beginning to speak random words and short phrases. We are so excited to see the little boys that he will soon become.
