Some Like It Hot

There are some kids who tremble with fear at the thought of eating spicy foods.

This ain’t one of those kids.

We recently discovered that Lucy loves Rotel dip.  Yeah, she can’t get enough of that spicy, cheesy goodness.

Just give her a bowl of dip and a bag of tortilla chips, and Lucy’s in her happy place.

Until her chip breaks and she loses it in the cheese.  Then she whines and fusses until someone comes to rescue her drowning chip.

Although you couldn’t tell it by looking at her face, she’s mighty particular about getting dip on her hands.  She’s got to have a napkin handy to wipe the cheese off of her fingers. 

What I’m Up To

As if I don’t have a billion other things to occupy my time this summer, I’ve decided to take on one more project…

A Dining Room redo!

I’ve been contemplating this for some time now, and I finally decided to go ahead with it.

Crazy, I know, especially considering that I decided to start this project right in the middle of Bible school week.  Ludicrous!

Here are some before pictures.

Dark.  Too dark!  I do like the paint color, but because this is a north facing room full of dark stained furniture and floors, the overall effect says, “Dungeon.”  Not really the look I was going for.

Even the Butler’s Pantry is going to get a facelift.  Not that I have a butler.  (Unless, of course, you count Ty.)

Time to lighten things up a bit.

First, a coat of primer.

Let there be light!  Already a significant improvement.

I’ve been tackling this project all by little, lonesome self this week, so it’s been slow going.  Any work that’s done has to be completed by the time little Lulu wakes up in the morning, because, in case you didn’t know, paint and two-year-olds don’t mix.  I did manage to get three walls covered with the first coat of paint yesterday, but I want to wait until I’m done with all four walls before I show you.

After the paint is done, I plan on making some drapes, hanging some pictures and artwork, and moving the chandelier.  Right now the chandelier is hanging somewhere over the vicinity of the head of the table rather than over the middle of the table.  When we built the house, we took great care to make sure that the chandelier was hung directly in the center of the room, but we forgot, of course, that the china cabinet would push the table slightly out from the exact middle of the room.  Now I’ve got to figure out how to get the light moved without creating an ugly hole in the ceiling.  Not that a hole in the ceiling would be totally out of place in the room.  There are already two 10” holes on either side of the chandelier where speakers are supposed to go.  I really don’t care if I ever get the speakers.  I just want the holes covered up!

So, when I’ve made a little more progress I’ll share some pictures with you.  Hopefully, I can get all the painting finished this weekend.  It all depends on if the monkeys take naps or not….

Speaking of chandeliers……I’ve got a joke for y’all.

An old country church was having its monthly business meeting.  During the meeting one of the ladies suggested that the church look into buying some chandeliers for their sanctuary.

An old man in the congregation stood up.

“I’m against it,” he said.  “I’m against it for three reasons.

First, can’t none of us spell it.

Second, can’t none of us play it.

And third…we need some lights for the church.”

The “Bird” Day Party

Ty’s Angry Birds “Bird”day Party was this weekend! Yea!!!

Ty and I have spent weeks planning this party - the decorations, the food, the cake, the activities…so many ideas! There were a few things that I just didn’t get around to doing, but when all was said and done, the party turned out great!

First the invitation.

Quite simple, really. I had some blank note cards left over from previous birthday parties. I just used some of my scrapbooking papers to construct an Angry Bird on the cover. For the wording inside, I typed the text in Word, printed it out, and glued it in the card. Easy peasy!

Here’s what I made to hang on the back door to greet our guests. It was such a fun, inexpensive project. Ty and I had a good time working on this one together. I started with a circle cut from the side of a cardboard box. Then I took some lime green tissue paper and cut it into 4” squares. Ty was in charge of scrunching the tissue paper, and I glued it into place. Not bad for a bunch of reused materials. I think this little piggy turned out so cute!

I also made these hats for the birthday boy. One for when he’s feeling birdlike and one for when he’s feeling piggish.

The main party table…

I don’t mind telling you that I’m a cheap thrifty party planner. I always try to use as much stuff that I already own as possible. Here’s what I used for the table and what I paid for it:

• Ty’s plush Angry Birds (part of his birthday present, so basically free)
• some faux wood blocks from Ty’s toy work bench (free)
• clay pots from the Dollar Tree (6 for $2)
• pinwheels from Hobby Lobby (6 for $3)
• scrap fabric from my stash (free)
• left over plastic eggs from Easter (free)
• shredded packing paper from the Dollar Tree ($1)
• scrapbook paper ($1)
• online clipart (free)
• tablecloth and placemats left over from previous parties (free.)

Grand total…$7

I also made these pig lanterns to hang above the table. I picked the lanterns up at Hobby Lobby for under $4 and used more scrapbook paper to add the eyes and noses. Unfortunately I forgot to make some ears for the poor dears, but I don’t think anyone noticed.

To keep the kids busy at the party I chose a couple of bird-related crafts for them to make. I set up a craft table on the back porch to keep the mess (and the noise) out of the house as much as possible. And even though it was 101 degrees out there, the kids didn’t seem to mind. An added bonus: the crafts doubled as party favors for the kids!

First they made bird feeders using pines cones, peanut butter, and birdseed. It’s an easy craft that even the littlest partier can do. Simply spread peanut butter on a pinecone and roll it in birdseed. Then hang it in a tree for your feathered friends to enjoy.

The other craft project was painting bird houses. You can pick up small wooden birdhouses at craft stores for only $1. I just set out some brushes and washable paint and let the kids get crafty.

I made these Birdie Bags using plain red paper bags and some scraps of paper. Each kid got a bag to carry their craft projects home in.

Now, the cake!!!

Or should I say cakes?

Yeah, I was just crazy enough to tackle two cakes. One for the birds and one for the pigs.

Birds…

Pigs…

For another sweet treat, I made “Birdseed Pops.” They’re just like Rice Krispie Treats, only I used Fruity Pebbles. When they were cooled, I cut them into squares and stuck a lollipop stick in them.

This little birdie really enjoyed her pop.

Our Menu…

I tried to make all of the food either bird or pig related. Here’s what I came up with:

• Hot Wings
• Deviled Ham sandwiches
• Pigs in a Blanket
• Bye-Bye Birdie Dip (a.k.a. Cheesy Chicken Dip – recipe to follow)
• Birdseed Pops

Here are a few pictures of the food table. I ran across the two tiny green pigs while cruising in Mexico and just had to have them for this party. They were perfect!

The “Bird” Day Boy…

Ty got some great gifts. Lots and lots of fishing paraphernalia, a Rio character, G.I. Joe toys, a new Webkinz animal, swimming goggles, some interactive books, and of course, a plethora of Angry Birds.

Here’s Ty in his new fishing hat and life jacket. Ain’t he cute?

Make a wish! It was all Luke could do to keep from helping Ty blow out the candles.

After the party, the cousins went for a ride in the paddle boat.

I really think Ty was just looking for an excuse to try out some of his new gear. Looks like Blue wanted to go for a boat ride too.

Well, that was fun, but next year I’m thinking Chuck E. Cheese.

Oh, y’all know I would never do that. This party business is a sickness, and I think it’s hereditary. Ty’s already planning his next party. His next two, in fact.

Besides, it’s time for me to start thinking about little Lulu’s 2nd birthday. It’ll before before we know it!

P.S. Here’s the recipe for the Chicken Dip. So easy and so good! I hope you’ll try it.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Dip

• 2, 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese
• 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 lg. cans chicken, drained
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 can cream of celery soup
• 1/2 soup can water
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped green onions

Combine all ingredients except green onions in crockpot. Heat for 45 min. Top with green onions. Serve hot with crackers or chips. Rich and delicious!

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The Last At-Bat

Ty’s last T-ball game was Monday night. And it wasn’t just his last game of the season. It was his last T-ball game ever. Sniff. Sniff.

He’ll be moving up to the pitching machine league next year. I think he’s ready for it. I know his daddy is. They are starting to get bored with T-ball. No rules, no outs, no score, nobody wins. It’s basically babysitting on a baseball diamond.

Ty looked so big out on the field this year. I think it was because he was one of the oldest players. He seven years old now, and some of the other boys are only four. I could definitely tell a big difference between the way Ty played this year and the way he played last year. He paid more attention to the game, and as the season moved on he seemed to be more excited about playing and playing well.

He forgot to bring his cleats, so he had to play his last game in his Crocs. After running after a ball one time, he came over to the fence and told me he almost had a “flat.” I think that means he almost lost his shoe.

I’m not gonna lie. The boys definitely cared more about getting drinks and snacks after the game than about actually playing the game.

Ty’s last at bat…

More like a last-at-BUNT! He just got a piece of it.

Hooked

Now that T-Ball is officially over, Ty has picked up another hobby to keep him busy this summer.

Fishing.

Specifically bass fishing.

Dad has Ty hooked, and neither one could be happier about it.

The Tool Man took Ty to Poverty Point Reservoir early Saturday morning. Very early. They fished for five hours, and this is what they caught…

It might not look like much to you, but to a seven-year-old it was something. The Tool Man said everyone on the lake knew when Ty caught this fish. Ty was SUPER excited. His first bass!

Unfortunately, this was the only fish that they caught that day. Ty skunked his dad.

When they made it home, it was time for a photo shoot with the fish. Dad had to show Ty how to hold it just right.

And after a few pictures, it was into the grease…

Since it was his first bass, and he was so excited about it, we let Ty do most of the cooking. But don’t worry. Dad was close by watching Ty carefully.

Ty really seems to like cooking. By the time the fish was done, Ty had flipped and turned the fillets so many times that they were falling to pieces.

Lucy had to see what all the fuss was about. Once she found out what we were cooking, she couldn’t wait until the fish was ready. Uh oh! With only one small fish in the pan, we were praying for miraculous blessing. I guess God heard our prayers, because thankfully, Ty was more than willing to share his fish with his baby sister. I think she ended up eating more fish than he did!

My two guys are officially hooked on fishing now. It’s all they talk about. They’ve bought new poles, restrung reels, tied new baits, and planned more trips. I just hope that next time they catch more fish!!