The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round

Concepts Learned :: Colors (blue, yellow, black), Shapes (rectangles, circles), methods of transportation, fine motor skill application (glue on the popsicle stick, placement of shapes on construction paper)

This week we have been learning about various modes of transportation! Not only did we make a bus made of rectangles, we also sang "The Wheels on the Bus" and reviewed colors, shapes, read fun transportation stories, and created our own "roads" in the block center for our cars to drive on. Materials for this activity include...

1 standard size sheet of blue construction paper
1 large, yellow rectangle from construction paper
1 small, yellow rectangle from construction paper
2 medium sized black circles to create "wheels"
Elmer's School Glue
1 small, paper cup
1 popsicle stick

I allowed the children to spread glue on the yellow rectangles and black circles using a popsicle stick dipped in a small Dixie cup with Elmer's glue inside. Much easier than having to squeeze a glue bottle! You can also use glue sticks for this project, obviously.

The end result was pretty cute!

"Kinda Sorta Homemade" Taco Hamburger Helper

INGREDIENTS

1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 pound of ground beef
1 can of Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
1 cup milk
1 package of taco mix
2 cups of elbow noodles, uncooked

DIRECTIONS

Sauté all vegetables with butter in a medium saucepan until wilted. Add ground beef, stirring frequently until browned. Drain, return to saucepan, and add taco mix, cheddar cheese soup, and milk while on medium heat. When the mixture begins to bubble, turn heat to simmer.

Cook elbow noodles in a separate saucepan. When the noodles are soft, drain and add to the beef mixture, stirring thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Giving Thanks

As Thanksgiving comes to a close, I've been reflecting on everything in my life that I have to be thankful for. I am thankful to have a roof over my head and food on the table. I am thankful for the clothes I wear and our overall good health despite the problems my husband and son have had this year. It is through these things that I realize how truly rich and fortunate we are. No, we don't live in a million dollar home. Yes, we have to pinch pennies and cut corners financially. But despite these "first world problems," we have truly been blessed. I am especially thankful for the wonderful husband I've been given who stands by my side through thick and thin and my precious little boy who brings so much joy to my life.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We feasted on ham, turkey, broccoli casserole, dirty rice, rolls, salad, and potato salad, and it was delicious! Holiday food is the ultimate comfort food. It also helps that we had amazing families to spend the Thanksgiving holidays with - on Thanksgiving day and this past weekend  spending time with the in-laws.

I managed to snap some pictures of my little man on Thanksgiving day! I hope you all had a wonderful day with your families as well!

Jambalaya (Crockpot OR Stove Top)

INGREDIENTS

28 oz can diced tomatoes (don't drain)
1 can tomato paste (small)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (Tony Cacheres or Slap Ya Mama)
Hot sauce (Tabasco or any other brand) to taste
1 package of sausage
1 small package of shrimp
3-4 frozen boneless chicken breasts
2 cups rice, uncooked

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients except rice and set crock pot to cook for 6 hours (lower or higher settings are fine too). When finished, shred the chicken. Cook rice separately... You can either mix the cooked rice with the finished jambalaya or serve over the rice.


If you prefer cooking on the stove top, begin by baking the chicken breasts in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour (if frozen) or 30 minutes (if thawed). Make sure the juices run clear then shred the chicken breasts. Combine shredded chicken breasts, onion, celery stalk, shrimp, and sausage in a dutch oven or stockpot. Add a dash of cooking oil (I prefer olive oil) and saute until the vegetables are wilted. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the rice is cooked. You can either mix the cooked rice with the finished Jambalaya or serve over the rice.

Side Suggestions :: Jambalaya tastes really good with a side of corn muffins and fried okra!

Enjoy!

Love the Holidays!

The holidays are officially upon us! I love everything about it... the hustle and bustle, Christmas music, the weather, and the atmosphere in the air! I am officially off of work and school for the holidays and couldn't be happier. I have already baked two pumpkin pies, cupcakes, and completed 95% of my Christmas shopping list. I cannot wait for the local radio station to begin playing Christmas music! Maybe we will even get some snow this year :)

My poor little Gunner is recovering from a long period of being sick. He developed strep throat over a month ago, and we just couldn't beat it down even though we used four different antibiotics! While on the final antibiotic he contracted a stomach virus so it was tough trying to keep down the antibiotics along with fever reducer and liquids. Yesterday, Gunner had a follow up doctor appointment with a new set of problems: a weird, dry rash on his stomach and upper arms as well as loose stools. I was worried the strep hadn't completely gone away, but the strep test was negative, the rash was diagnosed as eczema, and the loose stools were attributed to teething. I definitely have a lot to be thankful for as my little boy is now running around like a maniac and obviously feeling much better.

This evening we are driving to Broaddus, Texas to visit my mother-in-law and sister-in-laws. I know they are excited to see Gunner, especially since we weren't able to visit the weekend before Halloween because he had strep throat. I'm looking forward to the peace and quiet that comes along with our visit to Texas. There's something to be said about occasionally not being at home where you feel you have to be cleaning, cooking, or doing something at all times!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thursday Favorite Things!

My Thursday Favorite Things!

For my Thursday Favorite Things (graciously hosted by Katherine's Corner) I have chosen to talk about a most favorite hobby of mine. I absolutely LOVE to Belly Dance! Everything from the music, the choreography, the costumes, the performing... I could go on and on! I started Belly Dancing 9 months ago with Ameelah's Belly Dance Studio when I decided I desperately needed a hobby - My home, work, and social life (or lack thereof) was totally stressing me out. Having just had a baby, and practically becoming a shut-in, my self-confidence had taken a pretty big hit as well. I've taken dance as a child and in high-school/college - ballet, jazz, and lyrical - but nothing satisfied my desire for the unique, creative, and versatile styling that Belly Dance offers! Not to mention, it is a great workout! The teachers are wonderful and extremely talented, and it has given me a goal to work towards - also something that I have desperately needed. And so it came to be that there has been no greater outlet for me than Belly Dancing - It is the best thing that I have ever done for myself, and I encourage ALL women to become actively involved in a hobby, be it sewing, cooking, dancing, making bows, karate, pottery, cycling... just anything! I am living proof that just because you've had a child or simply because you've become an adult, you can still have fun! Don't ever lose yourself in the monotony of every day life!

My Birth Story

"Okay... So I've updated my layout and changed a few things on my site... What the heck do I blog about now?" These were just a few of the thoughts running through my head over the past few hours as I've struggled with the subject of what will eventually be this blog post. Then it dawned on me. I never shared my birth story.

So here we go!

When I worked for Hertz Rent-A-Car, several co-workers and I made a betting pool on what day would be Gunner's birthday. Some said way before the 40 week mark because I was so huge... Others said a week or  two after my due date because the first child is always late. Little did I know he would decide to come on his due date - February 16, 2011. It's funny to me that I'm writing that HE would decide to come on his due date because at my final doctor's appointment on February 15th, the Doctor penciled me in to arrive at 4 a.m. the next morning to be induced because of my blood pressure. I was NOT happy that I was going to be induced. I wanted him to come on his own. Anyways, after finding out I would be holding my little man within the next two days, I was instantly overwhelmed with the thought of the delivery and being a mother. I called Eric, told him the news, and we rushed to my mom's work where I sat bawling my eyes out. I couldn't believe after 9 months of either feeling sick or being extremely uncomfortable, this was about to happen. Saying that I was scared to death would be an understatement. I was petrified of the delivery, I was afraid of the induction, I was afraid of the catheter, I was afraid of the contractions... What if there are any complications? What if I hemorrhage? What if something is wrong with Gunner?

I think the appointment earlier that day set things into motion - I lost my mucus plug within 2 hours. After a series of other... um... lets just call them "events" I realized that this could be it! That evening Eric and I visited my parents. It was 7:00 p.m., we had just eaten supper and were sitting down watching television when I felt fluid trickling down my pants leg. I remember running down the hall screaming, "Oh my God! I think my water broke!" and freaking out because it was tinged with blood. I cleaned myself up as best as I could and left immediately for the hospital (thank goodness I had put the hospital bags in the car earlier that day). Upon our arrival, they put us in a nice little room, hooked me up to an IV, and started the routine dilation checks - I was only a fingertip dilated. I felt pretty pleased with myself at that point because I wasn't hurting too badly. Nothing more than a few stomach cramps, so we waited. I was so anxious I literally couldn't sleep. I started having more pain around 3 a.m., like "wake Eric up every 5 minutes while clenching his hand" pain. At 4:30 a.m., I was still only dilated one fingertip despite the pain, so they started the Pitocin drip. And that's when the real fun began...

No labor and delivery class could ever prepare me for what would happen next. About an hour later, the contractions started in my back before spreading to the front. That was the most awful pain I've ever felt in my life... And I was having them back to back! The nurses kept asking me if I was ready for the epidural, but i said no. I was clawing the sheets on the bed, squeezing any human arm that came near my person, screaming, and crying. I wanted to die of embarrassment because I graduated from Louisiana College with 3 of the nurses who were witness to my insanity. My Doctor also came in during this most painful time to break what was left of my water - it had only partially broken. At 8:45 a.m. I was checked for dilation again, but had only made it to a 3, so they increased the Pitocin again. My mom finally persuaded me to get the epidural, and it is the best thing I've ever done! I was able to get some sleep and visit with family for a while. They kept having to increase the Pitocin which led to more medicine pumped through the epidural so for the last several hours, I was a giggly, foggy mess. Finally the nurse said it was almost time. We needed to get the Doctor as soon as possible. The nurses propped my legs up and told me to push with each contraction. It took 5 pushes to get Gunner's head where they wanted it to be, and when the Doctor arrived, it took only one push to deliver him. I faintly remember Gunner being placed on my chest as the Doctor stitched me up... It was love at first sight. This baby was mine... all mine, and I couldn't wait to share my life with him! This is one of the most memorable days of my life, and I'm surprised I remember as much about it as I do because I spent most of it groggy from the epidural! I love looking at Gunner's newborn pictures because I relive this day every time I see them. I still look at Gunner, and I can't believe that Eric and I created something so wonderful!

♥