He Can't Crawl, but He Can R-O-L-L!

Gray is unlike any of our other two boys. Big C began crawling and wanting down at around 6 months. Huds crawled only for a short time between 9-11 months. Baby G doesn't crawl at all, he only rolls. My mom says he gets it from me - she says I would roll like a tootsie roll across the floor. Well, that's exactly what Gray does - he rolls.

We will place him down on his mat, in the middle of the floor - the next thing we know - he's into the dining room, on the tile by the fireplace, or wedged in the corner of the coffee table.

Our pediatrician says "crawling is not a milestone" - as long as he gets from one place to another somehow - either by crawling, rolling, or scooting. OK - he does get around, and he is able to get anything within reach or grasp!

Here is a short clip I managed to snag last night, as he was rolling to grab his toys and Big C's backpack!



Our sweet Baby G, "Will you ever crawl?"

Craisin Apple Salad

I have to give credit to my friend, Megan for this one. A few years ago, she introduced me to this awesome salad at our Christmas potluck - I fell in love! I started making it for family dinners and holiday meals, and my Mom has requested that I make it at every meal we've had since.

You will need:
1 pkg of Romaine hearts
1 pkg of spinach mix
2 or 3 Braeburn apples
1 16 oz. pkg of feta cheese crumbles
2 cups of crushed pecans
3/4 pkg. of craisins

For the dressing:
1/2 cup of oil
1/4 cup Honey Dijon or Honey Mustard
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar

What to do:
Toast pecans for approx. 10 minutes at 300 degrees in the oven.
Dice apples into small chunks
Mix Romaine hearts, spinach mix, Craisins, feta cheese, apples, and toasted pecans in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix the dressing ingredients until well blended: oil, honey mustard, apple vinegar, and sugar.
Just before serving, add dressing and blend well together.

Enjoy!
This is a beautiful salad that I am sure your family will love!
Thanks again, Megan!

Two Boys and a Ball

Don't let them fool you - they are not always this precious looking!

My big boys are typically pretty good boys; however, let company come over and they TURN ON! - and I don't mean just a little bit! They (especially Big C) tries to get away with anything he can - doing flips, running through the house, bouncing balls, - WILD! Today was no exception!

We had my parents, sister/Adalyn, and grandmothers over for Granny's 84th birthday. Little H has a brand new blue bounce ball that he got from the store yesterday - let the fun begin!

I sent my sister upstairs to snap a few shots of my big boys with the blue ball...........









And this is what she managed to capture...........two perfect, WILD boys!

The End to Another Season

In just the 2.5 years that Big C has been playing sports, we have seen the end to many seasons. We have seen the end of cello and swim lessons, the end of soccer and baseball seasons - today was the end of Upward Basketball season. I gently encouraged Will to coach Big C's first Upward basketball season and he graciously agreed - with the help of Poppy (who knows a "little" about basketball). Between the two of them, surely they could manage eight, eager and anxious kiddos who were excited to learn to play the game and just goof around! I would say, they did a pretty good job - for their first time around!

Competitiveness and aggressiveness are NOT part of Clayton's personality. Will says "He's not my child!" - Oops - must be my fault??? We have to convince (or bribe) Big C to take the ball, keep the ball, and then SCORE! He has improved (when he's focused), but most of the time, we're the parents yelling from the sidelines - Come on Clayton, get the ball! Shoot! Don't let him take the ball! Rebound!- you get the idea. Though basketball may not be his "thing", I am glad he was able to share in this experience with Will and Poppy.







At the end of each game, Poppy shares a devotional for the team. Little H gets to join in the lesson. - He thinks he's BIG!



A small glimpse of the sidelines each week!

Friday's Fab 5 - Top Mommy Magazines

Clayton's school has been selling magazines for the past two weeks - so this got me inspired to write down a few of my all-time favorite magazines! I love receiving magazines in the mail! Often I only get to skim them - choosing my most favorite crafts, party ideas, parenting tips, etc. Here are my top 4 "must-have" Mommy magazines.



1) Family Fun - My friend convinced me to begin subscribing to Family Fun a few years ago when Big C was little. Since then, I have skimmed over 100 issues. I get tons of family crafts (holiday ideas and treats), party ideas (tasty snacks and fun games), and parenting tips (do's and dont's). I absolutely love getting this magazine in the mail each month!



2) Parents - This is an awesome magazines for expecting parents, new parents, or more experienced parents. This magazine is your answer to any question: "When do I start baby food?" "How do I get my child to sleep more consistently?" It also provides nutrition information, pregnancy tips, post-baby information, - just whatever! It's a great resource with tons of information. This magazine also provides fun crafts, party ideas, and family-related activities.



3) Parent&Child - Another great parenting magazine. Somehow, I began receiving this magazine at school for FREE a few years ago and I absolutely love it! This is a great magazine to discuss a child's learning and development. This magazine provides varieties of resources, activities, and games to help enhance your child's vocabulary and skill development. I look forward to checking my mailbox each month to get this great magazine!



4) Parenting (School Years) - As I mentioned before - Big C has been selling magazines for school. This is a new magazine that I have chosen to take a peek at. Clayton will be starting 1st grade next year and heading into public school, so I thought I might need some insight into the whole "school" world. Yes! - I am a Kindergarten teacher, but this whole "parent" thing is entirely different. This magazine is supposed to focus on the challenges that Moms face with school-age children. I can't wait!



5) The Jesus Storybook Bible - I thought I would stay with the theme and share one of my favorite books to read to my two big kiddos each night. My sister introduced me to the Jesus Storybook Bible, and I haven't put it down since. Big C and Little H love reading Bible stories from this Book! It tells each Bible story, with incredible illustrations, and is able to tie each story back to the coming and life of Jesus. It is simply amazing!

Oreo Balls - Straight from Grandma's Kitchen

My mom makes the best Oreo balls! She has made them for family occasions, small group nights, and treats for Dad! We all love them! This recipe is straight from my Mom, "Grandma."

You will need:
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. almond bark squares or 2 pkgs. white chocolate, melted
1 regular-size pkg. Oreos
dash of salt

*Will bought the white chocolate (by mistake) last time and they were extra delicious!

What to do:
Crush Oreos finely either in food processor or with rolling pin. Thoroughly mix crushed Oreos, cream cheese and dash of salt together and refrigerate until firm. Take out and roll into 1-inch balls; place on waxed paper and refrigerate appropriately one hour. Melt almond bark (or white chocolate) in microwave in a glass bowl on High for around 2 minutes. Dip each ball in the melted coating and place on waxed paper until firm. Refrigerate in covered container.

Try out these yummy treats - you will be so glad you did!

~ ~ ~

On another note - Big C was assigned a president to study during his Kindergarten Presidential unit. He was assigned President William Howard Taft. Here is a sweet picture of him, typing his first little report on the computer last night! He did such a great job!

Wordless Wednesday - Batman is Sleeping