It's August!

So, I thought I had updated this blog thing more recently than my camera tells me :)

Daddy was showing TW why we don't store steel wool with wood shavings... it took him forever to get it to spark :)

TW has been having night "terrors" (he just runs around and cries about nonsense)... we have been waking him up right before we go to bed to try and help this (hasn't helped, because he refuses to wake up)... J brought him out to watch the Olympic's during a swim final... he was obviously really excited about the gold we won!

TW also read a Boxcar Children book in 3 days!

Mr. E and Berry got out TW's special paint (illegally).  I was putting on make up and heard the two playing in the toy room... but then, they cackled.  I immediately went to spy... after having a minor heart attack looking for the "non toxic" label (it was there), I took a picture and then bathed this little monster.

In preparation for the new Hobbit movie coming out, we 1) read the book and are 2) watching The Lord of the Ring series.  TW gets to watch about 30 minutes a day with Daddy... who has to explain what's going on (I still get the town names confused).  TW does not like suspense, but he doesn't seem to be care about scary orcs (I still avert my eyes)... he made this necklace/ring to match Frodo's!

Lost another tooth... number 3!

A new school "game" all about grammar and building sentences ;)

Learning about Pharaoh Menes, who united Upper and Lower Egypt.

My achingly swollen feet after I got "attacked" by some fire ants... and someone else's feet.

The kids figured out that if they put Smaug in a bucket, he wouldn't wreck the train tracks :)

Practicing gymnastics on the "old mattress"!

Getting adjusted (our chiropractor uses an adjustment "gun" rather than his hands to align our bones)!

Weird shot, but I threw out the old, ratty baby car seat... the one each of the boys has used.  I cried.

And now, a meatball making secret that I learned from some website.  I used to hate making meatballs... it was messy and they never turned out round and involved too much grease... but then I read something and I am a meatball making fool (and the kids and J tear them up).  So, first you get a big 'ole pot of water boiling (like the size you cook your spaghetti noodles in)...  a rolling boil!  Then, you make your meatball... use whatever meatloaf recipe you have... I usually throw in some garlic salt, pepper, an egg, some bread crumbs and dried onion (tinier bites).  Then you roll your balls... I have made TBSP size for plain meatballs or big spaghetti balls, and I have used 1/2 tsp size to stick in spaghetti-o's.  I have used ground turkey, ground chicken and ground beef... the higher fat beef is better for the smaller balls! 

 Then, once your water is rolling, you start adding the balls.  I generally add the whole pound at once.  But if you do more than a pound, you may need to do several batches.  Let the water come back to a roll and then boil for about 5 minutes.  The balls will go from sunk to floating.  I stir occasionally with a slotted spoon.  Then I take them out with the same spoon and do whatever with them.  

This past week, I added some homemade BBQ sauce, tossed them in the oven for 25 minutes or so, and called it yummy!  I think I'll have to cook more next time :)

Smaug caught Pretty Girls cold (so did all the other kids)... and ended up going to the doctors office because I ran out of albuterol for the nebulizer!  Poor guy did not feel very good.  He ended up getting two treatments at the office, having a fever of 102 (which was 99 that morning), and having a "pretty bad" ear infection on one side!  He is feeling much more chipper now :)

I took distractions with us... but they did not last very long :)

In Other News:  TW informed me this morning that he has another lose tooth, and Smaug took 2 steps today :)