Kaitlyn is sick

My poor princess doesn't have school today and of course she doesn't feel well. She really never gets sick so I think it might be that her body is FINALLY telling her that she needs a break. Kaitlyn is my type A personality and runs and runs and runs until she can't take it anymore and her body basically quits for a day or so. It stinks that today is the day that she doesn't feel good, she was suppose to sleep over at my parent's house tonight. She's sad that she doesn't get to go but she knows there will be other days. It's 55 degrees outside (which is really warm for us right now) and she has to stay in and chill. Hopefully tomorrow she'll feel better!

Cammie's birthday piratet party!

For Cammie's birthday, he had a pirate theme! I LOVE planning theme parties!!! Since it was just for family, we had didn't make any games but we did make a fabric bag for my cousins and niece to take home filled with goodies from the pirate chest!

Here's my little pirate! This was my nephew's halloween costume, who is 16 now. Cameron loves to wear it around the house!

We made his invitations for his party! I told you I love planning themed parties!

We painted Camerona pirate chest! It was fun to make and he can use it to keep lots of stuff in it and remember his party too!

We used a fabric runner on the table and filled it with fun pirate items!

I spy containers

We made some really fun I spy containers! We made an I spy bottle with Racine Family Club. Cam and I hosted a kids event making these. It was soooo easy to make. We already had colored rice and added that to a water bottle. Thank goodness we had some that I saved for a craft because we don't use ANY plastic water bottles anymore. It was fun to see what everyone came up with to put in their container. We let the kids decorate the paper with dip dots before we put the items that were in our containers.

Some ideas are: crayons, pom pons, tip eraser, foamies, penny, bead, golf tees, counting bears, ribbon, you can put anything that would fit in a water bottle

We also made some out of fabric! I really like the fabric ones better and they are quieter if you are going to take it with you to church or somewhere you'd like the kids to be quiet at. I'd like to make some theme ones with the fabric too. (Someday when there is time!)

Beautiful!!

You have to see these awesome quilts that my mom and aunt made! We had Cameron's birthday party on Saturday and I was completely amazed by the great gifts that were given.

My aunt made this one for Cameron. We had a pirate themed birthday party so she came up with the idea to make him a treasure hunt quilt. The second picture shows that under the X on the bottom left corner is a treasure. It was so creative!! On the back corner, it says: Cameron's treasure 1-09.

Then to my surprise (my mom never even hinted that she was making this!) my mom made Cameron a quilt with all of our family members on it. It's really nice because you can switch in and out pictures. Cameron LOVES looking at the pictures of everyone. We had to take Chris' sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew's picture at the party to put on it because my mom didn't have a picture of them. At the bottom of the back of the quilt it says, "This quilt was lovingly created for Cameron Max Porcaro in celebration of his 3rd birthday! January 22, 2009 Love, Gramma Roxie" This is something that will treasured always!!

Happy Birthday Cammie!!

Frickin'

Okay, I think it's funny and Chris, hmmmm not so much! Chris asked Cameron what he wanted for breakfast this morning and Cameron said, "Hot dog, bun, and some frickin' cheese!!" Chris turned and give me this look!! I started giggling and Chris asked me if I would think it was so funny if he said it in public. At that point, I still couldn't help not laughing but was wondering if it would be as funny if he said to someone.

Busy, busy, busy

WOW! I have been having a blast! I can't get enough of making crafts and things. I thoroughly enjoy teaching preschool and having a preschooler!! We have been busy creating and Cameron is really enjoying it.

Here we made white playdough with fine glitter and mint in it. It is our playdough for January; it's suppose to look like snow. We've been playing with it every day. Yesterday, we used buttons, beads and toothpicks to make a snowman. I wish I would have taken a picture of one of Cameron's snowmen.

I'd like to start making one of these handprints every 6 months. I wish I would have thought of this when he was born. Obviously he wouldn't have been able to paint it when he was really little but I love it. I let Cameron paint the canvas with lighter colors and then when it was dry I painted his hand with a darker color. I think I am going hang them in the playroom in the basement. We had to paint on paper after we were done. Cameron LOVES painting!

It was my cousin's 4th birthday party on Saturday. I had so much fun making her some birthday gifts. She always wears handband so we made her some reverable handbands. I had to use Cam's head to measure; I should have taken a picture of him wearing them. That would have been another great picture to show his wife. We made 4 but I hadn't finished it when I took this picture.We also made her a "pocketbook", a purse; my grandma always called it a pocketbook and so does my cousin, Amy. It makes me smile everytime I hear it. I had so much fun making her this. We filled it with tissues and lipgloss.

I told you we've been busy!!

Will he forgive me for this when he gets older?

I love having boys! When I was pregnant with Cameron I really, really, really wanted a girl. I wanted to do all the things that I loved with Kaitlyn and more (is that possible????!!??). Okay, I wanted to be able to do a little girl's hair (Kait would NEVER let me touch her hair). I hate to say this but was disappointed when I found out that we were having another boy but goodness gracious God definitely knows what he is doing. I couldn't have asked for neater kid and have come to realize that I LOVE HAVING BOYS!! They are truly, truly different than girls ( please don't roll your eyes, I know what you are thinking). Here's my little guy with his big sis. He had NO desire to put clothes on and insisted on singing and playing piano to "Rainbow Connection". I even have it on video. It's great! This will be a great picture to show his wife or put on his graduation invites (just kidding!). Kids, I love them! There is nothing that makes me happier than all three of my kids. They are why I was put on earth (;

It's almost Christmas??!!??

What! I just can't believe it! It's almost Christmas! I still feel like I have so much to do but I really don't need to get it done by Christmas. We've been busy makin' crafts and doing projects. And basketball games, school, volleyball games and just fun Christmas stuff. I haven't had to time to post much so hopefully soon I can get caught up!

We went to the Milwaukee Zoo Lunch with Santa on Sunday. It was soooo cold but we made it to the Peck Center and had a blast! (Even the big kids did but Anthony won't admit it(:) The kids got to go up and sing and Cam loved it!!

Cam even took a run to Santa. This was a surprise because at the mall Cameron wanted NOTHING to do with Santa but he liked him here.

I love this picture of the kids! Well I gotta get back to more sewing (I'm trying to make Bella, my niece and Mallory, my cousin a tutu for Christmas). I don't think we'll ever get the kids all looking at the same time.

What are we going to make today?!? Take 2

Alright, here we go again! Cameron and I came downstairs this morning and the first thing he said, "What are we going to make today?" I had to think quickly because I hadn't planned on making anything today so we decided to make pancakes for breakfast.

Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 c. Buckwheat pancake mix

1/3 c. milk

1 c. applesauce

1 egg

1 TBSP. applesauce

1/2 c. chocolate chips, opt. (Cameron wanted these added)

Mix everything together until just blended. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cook on one side until bubbles form on the edges, then flip and cook on other side until golden brown. Serve with your favorite toppings! For thinner pancakes, add more milk. For thicker, use less milk.

For blueberry pancakes, add 1/2 c. blueberries.

For cheese, add 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese.

Thanks to my cousin Amy for introducing us to buckwheat pancake mix.

Cameron got to "taste" some of the mini chocolate chips.

We had to make some that looked like Mickey Mouse!

Yesterday, we made yummy, yummy oyster crackers!!

Here's the recipe:

1 pkg. oyster crackers

1 c. oil

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. dill weed

1 pkg. original ranch-style salad dressing

Mix all ingredients together. Bake 250 degrees for 10 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning.

This recipe came from the Holy Communion cookbook. The kids love these and so do we!!!

Dinner at Shogun

We had a great time at Shogun tonight for dinner. This is a Hibachi restaurant in Racine and the kids love it there! Alright, Cameron doesn't like the fire part but tonight he didn't even mind it!! It is SO expensive but the kids really have fun and I know that when they get older this is one of the things that the kids will remember! We all have those memories of when we were children and we want our kids to have these memories too!

I remember all family vacation we would take with my nana and uncle. Every year the week after the 4th of July we would go on a week vacation with my nana and uncle! I loved staying in the same room as my nana and uncle! We've gone to LaCrosse, Mackinaw Island, Michigan, even to Pennsylvania! It's something I loved (even if there was always one MAJOR fight between somebody, that part I didn't enjoy) and want my kids to have those memories without the arguing (:

Anyways, back to my Shogun memory! The kids had a blast trying to catch the vegetables!! Here they are all trying to catch zucchini! Anthony was the fastest to get it but Kait caught it too (after a few tries) and even Cameron got a piece in his mouth (alright, they told him to close his eyes and open his mouth and Andy put it in his mouth and we all cheered and clapped!). Even Chris and I tried. Okay, Chris did it right away and I never did! I tried but it never happened.

The boys first day of school

Jeez!! Sometimes I just don't think!! I totally forgot to post Anthony's first day of school pics! I know that its been 1 week already since school started but better late than never!

Of course I made Chris take Tally for a walk so he could get Anthony's first day of school picture. Anthony didn't mind it as much as Kait but I think that's because he idolizes Chris so much so he doesn't care what Chris would do!! He's such a doll!! I love this kid!!!

Here's Cam's first day of preschool picture! This was the best I could do, he would not stand still! He had it after his first day. He did great but it was a long time for he. He had to sit for both sessions and by the end he was DONE!

Kait's first day of school

Well my baby is officially growing up (but she's still my baby!!)

Here's Kait at the bus stop her first day of high school. She's so sweet!! The night before her first day I asked her if Chris could walk her to the bus, at first she said NO but then she said that it would be okay if he just took Tally for a walk and stopped for a minute. I love that she doesn't mind that we are around, sort of.

There she is getting on the bus. I know I'm so lame sometimes but I just love these kids SO MUCH!!!! Poor girl, I'll probably be there taking pictures when she's walking to her first classes in college.

Simple things in life

I've told people this before but if I could I would live in the 1800's. Life was SO much simpler. We had a blast this morning. We were playing with chalk on the driveway and Cameron found a ladybug on the driveway. He asked me to help him pick it up and we spent the next 45 minutes examing, playing, poking, watching this ladybug.

We had to even draw a picture of a ladybug on the driveway!

I'm hanging this picture everywhere! It reminds me that "kids just need our love and attention"

Painting

Yesterday we had such a blast!! We spent the morning outside. I'm always wanting to do crafts with Cameron but sometimes time and what I need for the crafts aren't organized to find them right away. Now that the basement is finally put back together, it's so organized and easy to find everything. It's easy to get the craft items I need and use them, FINALLY!!! I made sure that I got all of the supplies together the night before and put them in a laundry basket. I gave Cam a big stretch canvas and some paint (it works great to put it in a muffin tin so they can mix colors) and let him go at it. He wanted me to paint my own canvas too! Of course, he wanted me to draw a giraffe! Here's our finished product(okay, Cam's is finished and mine-not so much:

Kait also made one too! I hung Kait's and Cameron's paintings in the dining room. They look great!

Today, we went to a Racine Family Club Christmas in July party! It was so much fun. Santa was there and Cameron was not too sure about him. He had a cap on and would peek at him from under his brim. They got to decorate cookies. First they got to mix the frosting and then they got to spread it on their cookie and put sprinkles on. Cam's favorite part was the sprinkles. This isn't the best pic but here he is licking the frosting off!