First Grade

This is a little late and I'm catching up..

Riley began 1st grade on September 4, 2012.  This was a much later start than when we lived in Ohio.  Riley was REALLY ready for first grade and I think she was beginning to get bored at home. Her teacher is Mrs. Destache (rhymes with mustache) and Riley just loves going to school. I currently volunteer in Riley's room on Wednesday mornings from 10:15a.m. until 11:15a.m. while Isabel is at Mother's Day Out.  Usually I spend that time reading with children, helping with writing summaries and any busy work that needs done in the classroom.  I just had my first teacher conference last Wednesday and Riley had a great report.  She's above-average in reading and is currently reading about a year ahead, not bragging just documenting.  She's on track in every other area and her teacher said she is really bright and has transitioned well into her new school. Riley also participates in Girl Scouts and just finished up swimming lessons.  Following are some photos from her first day of school.

xoxo,

Jackie

Thanksgiving 2012

We spent our first Thanksgiving in Milwaukee this year.  Although we would have loved to spend the holiday with family in GA (or WV for that matter) we decided to stay here this year before our big trek home for Christmas.

I woke up at 6:45a.m. and pulled the cinammon rolls out of the fridge (new tradition?) to rise before baking them.  Riley woke up soon thereafter and was anticipating the homemade rolls!

After eating, we sent a text to family and some friends to wish them well for the holiday.  The girls really enjoy coloring with oil pastels lately and we've been working on this sign for the last few days.  Riley has also learned how to make bubble letters so we have seen many signs lately.

We contemplated hitting the gym (which is right across the street) but decided against I could begin our turkey feast, which was going to be eaten at lunch this year.  Our menu consisted of turkey (of course), stuffing, creamed corn, mashed potatoes and gravy and yeast rolls.  We were also having apple pie which we didn't eat until much later in the day.  While we were eating, the girls enjoyed some bouning in the bounce house which we set up in our living room.  Hooray for high ceilings!

Soon it was time to eat.  After Dustin said our prayer, we dug right in.

I wanted to document this photo because just after the turkey came out of the oven, I sent a message to my sisters that read..."Save the neck for me, Clark."  Oh, what a favorite that movie is around here.  Anyhow, back to the meal.  We also enjoyed some homemade lemon and clementine juice that the girls and Dustin made while I was cooking.  Squeezing the juice kept both Riley and Isabel busy for a good 45 minutes.

The last photo is pretty blurry but wanted to add it as Riley was so proud of her creation!

Next, we burned off some energy outside (high of 65 today) and Riley and Isabel played with our neighbor Barbara's granchildren.  Her daughter has 3 girls and 2 of them happen to be the same age as our girls.  When the wind picked up, we headed inside and began decorating the tree.

As you can see, half of the lights are burned out on the bottom of the tree.  We're going to wait until after Christmas and buy a tree on clearance.  Until then, this will be the year of the Charlie Brown tree.  The girls both enjoyed a candy cane and also watched Frosty The Snowman (which used to be a favorite of Riley and Izzie really loved the movie too!).

After 2 days of no naps, everyone was in bed at 7:00p.m. and Dustin left shortly there-after to scoop up items from our long Christmas list.

xoxo,

Jackie

Kings Island Hallowfest

This afternoon after lunch we took Riley to Kings Island for their Halloween celebration. What fun we had! They had an entire area in the park dedicated to this festival for children.

On the way in we grabbed a map and a bag for trick-or-treating. We headed to the petting zoo(the goat seemed to be Riley's favorite), a corn maze, a haunted house, pumpkin patch where Riley picked out her very own pumpkin and lastly to the dance floor where a D.J. was spinning some age-appropriate tunes. No dancing for us though, the music was too loud and Riley was covering her ears!


There were also picnic tables set up to decorate your pumpkin with markers. Riley drew all over her pumpkin and Dustin put together a "cat" mask for Riley, which she absolutely loves! However, the glue stick we used to decorate the mask isn't the best at keeping the pieces on the mask, but that's easily fixed!

We came home and I actually cooked! As many of you know, I really enjoy cooking but haven't been able to stand much kitchen time since being pregnant. Any little smell sets me off, and sometimes just the sight of something unappetizing is too much too handle. I prepared my Dad's famous BBQ hamburgers. I know Dustin was very happy to have a home-cooked meal, and a little shocked at the prospect as well. Ha ha!

We watched the Bengals(I think they won) and I went to sleep early at 6:00p.m. I love an early bedtime.

It's very chilly this morning, both breezy and cool. I promised Riley some baking this week, so be on the lookout for a new recipe. Not new to us actually, one of my Summer favorites.

Have a great week!

xoxo,

Jackie

Week 8: Tired

I apologize for the lack of posts this week. I've been very tired and nausuaes to boot! Not a good combo. I'm feeling a bit on the upswing, so I hope these good feelings last!

Likes: Fresh fruit, crackers, pretzels, hot tea
Dislikes: Anything creamy (sauce, sour cream, etc.), coffee, cabbage

xoxo,

Jackie

Catching Up

Hi All,

Time to get back in the groove of this. I swear, if I miss a day, that's it. So hopefully I can get caught up a bit here. First, I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes. It comes from the Food Network magazine. These breadsticks(an Olive Garden knock-off) are REALLY good. When I make these, I'm able to split the dough in half and make 2 batches on 2 seperate days.

Almost-Famous Breadsticks

Ingredients
For the Dough:
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour,plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons unsalted butter,softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fine salt
For the Topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter,melted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of dried oregano
Directions
Make the dough: Place 1/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a mixer; sprinkle in the yeast and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, butter, sugar, fine salt and 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water; mix with the paddle attachment until a slightly sticky dough forms, 5 minutes.
Knead the dough by hand on a floured surface until very smooth and soft, 3 minutes. Roll into a 2-foot-long log; cut into 16 1 1/2-inch-long pieces. Knead each piece slightly and shape into a 7-inch-long breadstick; arrange 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a cloth; let rise in a warm spot until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Make the topping: Brush the breadsticks with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt with the garlic powder and oregano. Brush the warm breadsticks with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with the flavored salt.

You will not be disapointed in these. I'm planning on making these along with some dips for an upcoming playgroup. I've also included some pictures of my little helper. She likes to roll her dough and then eat it raw. At least she's enjoying herself!

Our weekend was pretty uneventful, as it usually is. I guess that's what happens when you work 3rd shift! Saturday, we ran a few errands and then I was able to get some cleaning done around the house while Riley napped. Sunday, we headed to Sams Club after church to pick up a few things then headed to JCPenney. Funny story here: So we don't usually shop at JCPenney, but I received a coupon for $10 off any purchase in the mail, and Riley needs some new clothes, so I thought this was a good opportunity to pick up a few things for her. So we chose a dress and a pair of pants for Miss Riley. I decided to take Riley back out to the car while Dustin paid because she wouldn't stop climbing the manequins in the store. We're on our way out when Dustin said he lost the coupon I had handed him exactly 15 minutes earlier. The funny thing is (although he denies it) is that Dustin is NOT good with coupons. About 2 months ago, I handed him a stack of coupons to pay for our groceries. Again, I was taking Riley out to the car while he paid. Again, we arrive home when he finds the coupons stuffed in his pocket. I guess you have to laugh:)

That about catches me up. Upcoming busy week! My Wednesday morning Women's group with our church Crossroads begins, there are a few playdates planned and I'm also meeting my Mom and sister along with my niece and nephew in Columbus on Thursday. I'm so excited! I don't see my parents as often as I previously did because I work all weekend, and my sister...well, I haven't seen her since Thanksgiving. So this will be a real treat! I'm going to do my best to not to blow the whistle on my pregnancy (I'll be 8 weeks this upcoming Tuesday) so I can tell everyone on my upcoming trip to Georgia on October 9. At least if I'm tired I can blame it on work. Stay tuned for an upcoming post on our visit in Polaris.

xoxo,

Jackie

First MOPS meeting

Yesterday Riley and I attended our first MOPS( Mothers of Pre Schoolers) meeting with Jenny, Ethan and Carly. MOPS is a Christian organization where the children play in the nursery while the Moms meet over breakfast. The meetings are bi-monthly and include crafts, guest speakers and games. We had a nice meeting and I even ran into a women named Carrie that I attended high school with at Jackson. What a small world. I ran into her last Summer at a park, so it was nice to see her again. Riley, Ethan and Carly had a great time in the Nursery!

Not too much else to our day. Riley and I ran into Kroger for some milk after the meeting and then headed home. I've included some pictures of Riley that I took in front of our house before MOPS. I thought it would be fun to do a "school" picture with Riley even though she's not attending preschool, but will be attending MOPS. Close enough, right? I also included a picture of Dustin and Riley working on her new counting puzzle in the kitchen and a picture of Dustin riding on Riley's back. That's the one of them on the couch. I had to include this because Riley is always asking us if she "can ride on our BIG back." Dustin recently began asking if he could could ride on her back, and of course, she obliged. She's nice like that!

xoxo,

Jackie

P.S. Please don't mind the overall condition of our front porch. Yikes! I just reviewed the pictures. Our front door desperately needs a paint job, and our porch is general needs some TLC. Also, I'm still figuring out blogger and photo layout. My pictures always end up in the beginning of the post even though they're uploaded after the text. Hopefully that's something I'll figure out soon!

A Morning With Friends

Riley and I had the pleasure of babysitting Carly this morning while my friend Jenny took Ethan to his first day of Mom's Morning Out. The girls enjoyed some snacks and then had a stare-down in the playroom! Carly is a sweet little girl who just turned 1. We love to have Carly and Ethan over for playdates!

Soon after my friend Nicolle stopped by with her girls Alizah and Ellie. Busyness has prevented us from getting together more this Summer, so we were super-excited that the girls could make it this morning. The Moms had the opporunity to chat while the girls played and Carly napped.

Soon it was time for Jenny to pick Ethan up from school. He came back in and the kids enjoyed watching Dora. Notice Riley's purple shirt? The front says "100 Princess". Isn't that the truth?

xoxo,

Jackie