Must Eat!

This is a must eat recipe! It is simply wonderful! I have never been a big green bean fan but I could eat these all day long! You have to try them. They are pretty easy to make, the hardest thing being washing the beans and stringing them but if you get the stringless kind it is really easy. You will not be disappointed. I am thinking right now when I am going to eat them next! Seriously they are delicious!

This is a recipe I got off Tasty Kitchen. You can click on any of the highlighted words to get there.

Maple Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Recipe Description

A delicious, sweet and salty gluten-free appetizer.

Preparation Instructions

Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Wash beans and salt and pepper them, lightly. Grab 5-6 beans and group them together. (I normally grab 8)

Wrap the cluster with a piece of bacon and place them, seam side down, on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the beans.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat butter, brown sugar and maple syrup until melted. Using a brush, liberally apply the butter mixture over the green bean bundles until covered.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the edges of the beans and the bacon are crispy and brown.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Fresh Green Beans
• Dashes Of Salt And Pepper
• 8 strips Bacon (turkey Or Regular)
• 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
• 1-½ teaspoon Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup

Realistic Housewives - Toys

Do you ever feel like toys multiply overnight? Or when your kid has a birthday party you pray there aren't any toys that make noise or have 10,000 itty bitty pieces? Do you ever just sit and dream of all the toys being sorted and organized in nice neat baskets or bins? Or dream that your kids would play with one thing at a time and then put it away before pulling out something else to play with?!! Oh one can dream!

I suppose a real housewife would go around picking up after her kids so that toys aren't scattered all over the house. Or even better she would have trained her kids to put away before going on to the next toy. And her house would be straightened before the kids went to bed. Do you know someone like this? I don't. We like to believe that we are the only ones with cars on the kitchen counter, trains on the bathroom floor, and pink purses laying all over the living room instead of in the playroom or bedroom. So basically we think our house is the only one overrun with toys that need to be organized! We just don't want anyone to know that happens in our house!

Toys have always been a problem in our house being a mess. Even with a "playroom" they seems to take over the house. So this summer I am trying to implement some new rules to keep my sanity. We are doing two things - 1. making our beds everyday (which I blog about here) and 2. we are going to pick-up the house everyday before supper. I decided to do this so I don't feel like I'm living in chaos all the time. I also want to be able to do more fun things instead of constantly picking up. Also it is time my kids learn to help around the house. My hope is these things become a part of our routine which will make our lives much easier! One can hope!

So anyone else feel this way about toys? Any tips? If you have any leave a message and I'll do another post on it.

I forgot to take pictures before we cleaned up yesterday. Picture the train table a wreck. A train couldn't run on that track if he tried. And toys all over the floor. We did a lot of cleaning out and getting rid of toys we don't use anymore as well. My plan is to get a chalkboard and white board to hand on the wall so I can get rid of the easel combo chalk/white board that takes up a lot of space.


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This is the other side of the room looking into the foyer and dining room. See the toys that are spilling over into those rooms? Can you relate to that?!


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Pancake Pantry

Over the holiday we went to Tennessee to visit with family. It was a fun weekend that included a wedding, pancakes and swimming! One place we like to eat at when we can is the Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg. So we loaded up the whole family and a good friend and ate some pancakes! The kids loved it because they got M&M pancakes. I highly recommend this place if you are visiting the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area!

Jesse eating his pancake, 4 pieces of bacon and an egg! He was one hungry boy!


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I kinda cut his face off but I was trying to get him and the pancake in the picture. He was pretty excited about his pancakes as you can tell by the smile on his face!


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KeKe, Nany, Bailey, Sara and Jack


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Granddad hugs!


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Future Golfers

After the daddy's came back from golfing the kids had to play! They were funny!

Potty Training

I decided it was time for Jack to learn to use the potty. I am ready to get rid of diapers! After 6 1/2 years it is time! So on Monday we started. I wasn't too sure how he would do but he has done pretty good. He is doing really well at telling me when he needs to pee pee and making it to the potty in time. He is still having trouble going #2. It's not he isn't making it - it's just that he isn't going. So that is not good. Anyway, we are working on it.

This picture was taken today. He's already like a man sitting on his throne reading a magazine (in his case watching a movie on my iphone)!


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A few things that he has said so far that are really funny are:
"I can't do this potty training, mom"
"make me some more pee pee mom!"
"never, never, never, never, never, never going to the potty again!"

ok I think there are a couple of more but at this time of night I can't remember!

Kindergarten Graduation

Today Bailey graduated from Kindergarten. What?! It just seems like yesterday I walking her to the bus for the first day of school! Her class put on a little program. It was so sweet. I didn't expect to cry because I don't cry easy but oh my did I cry! Getting more like my mother every day! :)

The kids also got awards for reading, Math Superstars and some other things but Bailey got a special award. In each class one boy and one girl was awarded the "Character Award." This award was decided by Bailey's teacher, the gym teacher, art teacher, music teacher and I think the guidance counselor. I was so proud of her! What an honor!

Some of these videos are long so only the grandparents will want to watch but her class did a great job. And I also need to thank Bailey's teacher Ms. Hunter. I don't really know the other K teachers but I am pretty sure Ms. Hunter is the best! Bailey loves her and we love her too! She would be so sweet to call me when Bailey did something exciting at school like reading for the first time or losing a tooth. It was also comforting to know that she was like minded and was always so encouraging to me. I enjoyed getting to know her and also Ms. Gloria her para pro. I couldn't have made it through Bailey's first year of K without them! Thank you ladies!

Bailey and Ms. Hunter (the polka dots weren't planned but it is cute!)



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Bailey and Ms. Gloria



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She looks like a little lady sitting here with her legs crossed!



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This one made me cry just watching it again! so cute!



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getting her diploma from the principal



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oh and I forgot to say that Ms. Hunter is a Georgia Bulldog fan, so all year we would give each other a hard time. I know you are thinking that I would never do that! But anyway, Ms. Hunter had shirts made for when they went on field trips and this is what they looked like...



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now when she sent home a letter about this at the beginning of the year she just said they would be red t-shirts. I had no idea they had a bulldog on it! I wouldn't have let Bailey wear it if I had known! :)

We love you Ms. Hunter! Can't wait for you to have our boys! (good thing you have a few years before you get my baby! #handful!)



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My sweet girl

Today my girl graduated from Kindergarten! I am so proud of her!

Realistic Housewives - The Bed

It seems in the world there are the people who make their bed and then the ones that don't. No in between. Well maybe except for when company comes over then you make the bed. I have never made my bed. Oh sure I've tried to be one of those that makes it as soon as they get out but it never lasts long. It fades quickly. But a real housewife would make it every day no matter what.

But the weird thing is when I get in the bed I have to straighten it up so it isn't messy. Drives my husband crazy! And I know you are thinking, "then why didn't you make it in the first place?!" Oh I don't know just didn't. Lazy. But with summer coming and three kids getting bigger and making bigger messes, I have decided that making beds everyday is in order for everyone! So starting next week all the beds will be made.

I do need to say that I told my husband about this the other day and the next day when he got up he made the bed! I beat him to it the next day but he has continued to do it the last two days! What a sweet husband! So we are turning over a new leaf!



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Water Day

End of the school year is here and so is the fun! On Friday Bailey had a water day in K. She was excited  because she got to wear her swim suit under her clothes. She had so much fun with her friends. And mom had fun watching her!



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trying to pop a water ballon


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getting marbles out of the water with their toes


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