Thematic Photographic-shadow

Carmi at Written Inc has a Thematic Photographic of shadow

I have a huge belief that kids need to be outside. They need to be outside at least once a day. Run around, not tethered to a TV or a Leapster or a million other little electronic devices available these days. When we lived in TX, this was fairly easy to do 11 months of the year.

Claudia of On A Limb asks, "Why do you bother with kindness?" Being outside, getting to know your neighbors is all about kindness. It is nice to let the kids play, catch up with the neighbors, have an impromptu pizza night on the driveway, and all those things that make a neighborhood great!

Here in KY, there have been the rare few days where it is getting quite chilly. I can definitely foresee some need to bundle up and still get out. Even this afternoon, Will and I put on rain boots and raincoats to take a walk in the rain. Granted it was just to the end of the street to gather his daddy's plane. (that is another story!) anyhow.....

But being outside in the harsh afternoon sun often results in some severe shadows. Here are some of my favorite shots that had a tag of shadow from my files.

This one reminds me of so many times I hollered at the boy, "Get your shoes on....you are going to stub your toe!" But I am just glad he had clothes on....more often than not, he is in pajamas if he didn't just get home from preschool!

One of the many from our beach trip the year Husband was deployed.

I love this shot....I even had one enlarged for our wall of family photos. But that shadow on her dress has always bothered me! Finally, another shot from outside....obviously he is swinging....being outside, getting sunshine, having fun. Doing things kids need to do every day.....EVEN if I have harsh shadows!

Thematic Photographic- sweet muffins

Carmi at Written Inc has a Thematic Photographic of sweet

We made some sweet muffins today. Yes, I know it is not Monday.....but Monday was way too hectic. Between our house blessing and gymnastics, we ran out of time. Although from start to finish is Muffin Monday usually only takes an hour or so, maybe a little more with clean up. But I am raising these kids up right: as soon as we are finished with an ingredient, we put it back where it belongs. If it is in the pantry, we go over there and put it away. I have even moved some of the baking things (baking powder, baking soda, etc on a lower shelf just so they can put them away). Anyhow....we made some muffins the kids saw in Parents Magazine: Pear-Bear muffins . They used a spice cake mix and added a few things. I can't bring myself to use a cake mix for much EXCEPT the Chocolate Chocolate chip cake and/or muffins ...

So....

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (we use 3/4 c. whole wheat, 1/2 c. all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 3/4 cups shredded Golden Delicious apple (we used Fugi apples, since that is what we had in the fridge)
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons sugar ***we left this out since we were making the "mouse faces"
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon ***we left this out since we were making the "mouse faces"

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine apple, buttermilk, oil, and egg in a bowl; stir well. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moist.
Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. We added the pear ears here. The chocolate chips eyes and nose are put on after they cool for 5 minutes. The cheeks are sliced almonds. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans immediately.

Plate and share with friends. I am sure they will they will love the sweet surprise! The kids called them "mouse muffins"

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Friday Fill in....and a little giggle

Friday fill in courtesy of the talented Janet

1. Please feel free to enjoy yourself.

2. When I use the good balsamic vinegar I can't help sniffing it occasionally.

3. My favorite thing to cook is Greek penne pasta. (and it uses the good balsamic!)

4.May sound cliche, but hugs and kisses from my kiddos is something I can't get enough of.

5. That's the thing I love most about husband.....he does really think about my feelings!.

6. People griping/whining/bitc*hing about things they can change with a little bit of effort always makes me think to myself, what the heck?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to vegging once the kids go to bed, tomorrow my plans include can you believe it, another scrapping thing!! and Sunday, I want to take a guess.....oh yeah, sleep in.....and enjoy my latest coffee....chocolate velvet with chocolate mint creamer!

just because I am in the need of grins and giggles: Carmi at Written Inc has a Thematic Photographic of "rows"...

I give you......oh yeah, get ready to either go ''eeeewww"....or laugh until your belly hurts!

A row of belly guys.....These guys march in the fourth of July local hometown parade every year! As gross as they are, I laugh every time!

welcome to my night

Carmi at Written Inc has a new Thematic Photographic: night

I am truly a night person. Always have been for as long as I can remember. Stay up late and sleep in....then throw in two kids in two years. All that came to a screeching halt! Finally at ages 4 and 5, I can stay up a wee bit later.

Since the whole spring forward, fall backward thing... the kids have been to in bed by 7:45 or so.

Once the kids are in bed, I used to run around and clean up the stuff I didn't get done during the day. But as they have gotten older, we can all do room rescues and it stays pretty well clean. So now once they are in bed, I just veg. Seriously, I catch up on any trashy reality shows I have on DVR. I light a little tealight in this cool hanging lantern. It is a deep cranberry red. During the morning light, it sends little sparkles all over the room. I have recently found scented tea lights. Now I am burning one called Ember...kind of a spicy fall scent.

Just a little bit of my night. I love the night...quiet, peaceful, thinking of nothing.

Happy Tuesday, y'all

Happiness is.......

This week Carmi at Written Inc had the theme of happy for his Thematic Photographic.



Happy to me has so many meanings.....for today this is what it means:

I would like to think I am raising (or is it rearing.....you raise crops, rear children?? I swear I have heard that somewhere??) Anyhow...I do hope the kids are growing up happy.

Happiness is being able to ease that worried little look on Will's face. Husband is gone TDY (military speak for Temporary Duty...meaning he is gone away from us for the time being). We made another days paper chain for this week. It is much easier when it is just a few days rather than fifteen months. But when Will wakes in the morning his daddy will be home! That is happiness for this little boy!

Happiness is seeing Livi finally get off the couch and take more than three steps. After one visit to the doctor, two x-rays, three days on the couch, and countless times she watched the new "Sleeping Beauty", she can put some pressure on it. PS, happiness is eating muffin batter. Happiness is staying in your pjs all day. Both kids love a good PJ day!

Happiness can be fairly shallow things as well.....like a pair of corduroy mustard yellow scoots with a little brown patent leather band. Yes, they make me happy every time I wear them.

So, just for today, I am happy that Will won't be worried about his daddy. I am happy Livi can walk and her foot isn't broken. Finally, I am happy I have some cute shoes that scream "Fall".

Happy Wednesday, what makes you happy?

Thematic Photographic- blur

This week Carmi at Written Inc had the theme of blur for his Thematic Photographic. Now this is my kind of theme. With two kids under five, 75% of my shots are blurry! I even have a set in my Flickr called "Learning to love the blur".



This one of Livi was taken during her second haircut. The first one was almost 18 months ago! But the words Livi and haircut just scream blur. I took her when I thought she could be fairly still. The stylist was very patient with her, she even let her hold the dryer a bit. But yeah, Livi and blur go hand in hand!

Soccer lends itself to some great blur. In this shot of Will can you read his lips?? He is saying, "SCORE!"....With one game left, he is finally getting the hang of it. Oh well, I do think soccer will be in our future for many many years!

Loved this photo challenge...now if only he could have one called "over exposed"!

Thematic Photographic- Angles

This week Carmi at Written Inc had the theme of angles for his Thematic Photographic. I was clueless until these horse chestnuts showed up in the mail. The uber-talented Janet of Fond of Snape sent them to me....they were even the star in her What Is It Wednesday? last week. So once I unwrapped the little brown box, I grabbed my camera and Livi. We headed outdoors in the afternoon sun. The ones of her holding them had too many shadows. But this one, sitting on the wood of the swing I liked. The ANGLE that this horse chestnut opened formed a perfect 90 degree angle. Inside this pokey little shell were little horse chestnut twins.

In my response to her "What is it Wednesday", I thought it was some kind of horny toad. I grew up in SW Oklahoma...horny toads were a dime a dozen. You could catch them by their tails and they would snap their little tails off to get free! Oh yeah, fond memories! LOL



Also, why is it I giggle every time I say horny toad......?? What am I like thirteen years old??