3 Things.....

It's been a while since I've written a "3 Things" post about each of the girls. Every once in a while, I like to share three things about each of the girls.... what they're interested in, what their day to day is like, what they're loving and hating.... something they can look back on and we can remember what they're like at this moment in time. 

Gretchen

1. Gretchen is as smart as a whip. Her every day knowledge and her love of learning surprise me every single day. She's reading on a 7th grade reading level and always has a book in her hand. She has a book report project due in three weeks, and she chose a 500 page book to read. She started reading it on Friday and finished it Tuesday night.  She just loves to soak up knowledge.

2. For Christmas she's asked for a microscope and a chess game. Again, she wants to soak up all of knowledge that she can. 

3. She is taking musical theater classes right now and she loves it, but she's trying to choose between playing basketball or starting gymnastics. She has a wide variety of interests, and we love letting her explore all of them. 

Megan

1. Oh, this girl wears me out! She loves school and is so well behaved. She's quiet, and she does everything she's asked to do and her teachers love her! But man, at the end of the day she is exhausted, which often leads to some fits and tantrums on the way home. She needs some quiet time so she can unwind after her day. 

2. She loves gymnastics! She tells me every single day that she wants to be a cheerleader when she grows up!

3. She loves being a little mommy. She's either helping Adalyn or playing with her baby dolls. She also loves to play school, "read" to her "class", and she loves to make her little sister line up, and she sings and teaches her the call backs that she uses at school. And, she can count to over 100. 

Adalyn.

1. Despite our best attempts, Adalyn still loves to suck her thumb. We aren't extremely consistent with putting her thumb sucking stuff on her fingers, and I tell myself that one day, I'll fight the battle, but right now, it's just not something I want to stress over. If she does have her her polish on her thumb, she'll suck her index finger instead. And, she still loves her ballet baby. 

2. She has learned the Lord's Prayer at school! She's helping us say her prayers each night and she either says "Jesus and God are in my heart" and draws out "heart" into 3 syllables, and she says the line 3 times over and over again, and follows it up with "Amen Jesus and God" and then she spits (seriously) or she wants to say the Lord's Prayer.

3. She has quiet the personality, and it's a big one! I know that most days she has to work on using her listening ears at school, and she can be a little fiesty. She's definitely determined and strong willed. She loves to draw and her favorite letter is still "A", and her favorite color is orange. 

Elaine and DJ

1. We are about to celebrate our 11 year anniversary in December. I really don't know how it's already been 11 years. It seriously feels like yesterday that we met and were married. I'm looking forward to celebrating 11 years with this guy!

2. We are still in the full swing of football. We've had a few disappointing games, but we are bowl eligible! That means that football will still be going strong in December and we'll be bowl bound sometime around Christmas!

3. We've been able to enjoy a date night each month during the season! In September, we went out to eat at a new restaurant, and in October, we spent time together in Houston, and last week, he surprised me with a night out to another restaurant in Brookside that we hadn't been to yet. I love getting to talk football and doing parenting right along side this guy! Oh, and the Cubs won the World Series, so he's a happy man! 

Join us back tomorrow for Friday Favorites! 

Sunday Meal Prep.... Round 2

Last week, I told y'all, that my life has officially been changed. I mean, this whole Sunday Meal Prep thing is amazing. I've been able to keep up with it for the past few weeks, and our evenings during the week are running much smoother. All thanks to me taking an hour or so on Sunday afternoons to meal prep and get ready for our week. 

Sunday afternoons, I try to get as much pre-packed and portioned, so while I'm fixing lunches, I just have to grab and go. 

I am a sucker for hummus. I pre-portioned hummus in to small containers, and then made individual serving bags of carrots. I usually throw in a bag of pita chips, and I'll eat this for lunch with a yogurt. 

Thankfully, my girls love crisp veggies. I chopped up some bell pepper and threw in some carrots in to some smaller containers. 

All of our small containers go in a refrigerator drawer. While I'm fixing lunches, I make sure to grab the girls some veggies and fruit, and sometimes, the girls help and make their own selections for their lunch. 

My favorite snack ever is greek yogurt with chia seeds and chocolate chips. I mixed these together in small bowls, so all I have to do is grab a yogurt and a container out of the fridge and throw in my lunch box each morning. 

While my mom was here a few weeks ago, she and the girls made caramel apples. We had tons of dip left over so I portioned some dip out for the girls, cut an apple, sealed it in a ziploc bag, and added to their lunch box! I did cut the apples the night before, and then I put this right in their lunch box and stuck their lunch boxes in the fridge. The girls didn't complain about their apples turning colors or being soft, so I'm calling this a win! 

Lots of portions ready to go in the fridge!

I also made three PB&J sandwiches. Again, the girls didn't complain about the bread being soggy or stale. We always make their sandwiches the night before, so two of the sandwiches went right in their lunch boxes and then one sandwich went in the fridge, and I used it for a Tuesday lunch. 

And for a fun snack, I spread some nutella on graham crackers. 

And last night, while I was making lunches, I spread nutella on a tortilla, chopped up some banana, and rolled the tortilla up! It's a great alternative to a sandwich, and a fun little treat too! 

Lunches for Monday packed and ready to go. 

Their lunch boxes came from Pottery Barn Kids. I actually ordered these last year, and they've held up for another year of school! It also helped that they messed up our order, and we ended up with three lunch boxes for Megan, and two for Gretchen...... But, I've had to throw their lunch boxes in the washer when they come home nasty, and they are still holding up great! 

I place an ice pack in the top of their lunch box, and then put their lunch box in the refrigerator over night. Then, the next morning, we can grab and go! 

And while I was busy making lunches, I prepped some chicken in the crock pot. 

I had two uncooked chicken breasts that I added to the crockpot.  Next, I made a little marinade to brush on top. I squeezed the juice of an orange, added a few drops of lime, oregano, and tangerine essential oil, cumin, chili powder, and garlic cloves, and brushed the marinade on top. 

I shredded the chicken and put it in the fridge for our Monday night dinner. 

On Monday evening, I placed some of the chicken in a tortilla, added some cheese, and then rolled up and placed in a baking dish. I topped with more cheese, and baked in the oven. I served this with a salad and fruit for the girls, and some ranch for dipping! The girls loved their dinner and I loved that I didn't have to spend forever cooking dinner Monday night!

Okay, so after two weeks of sharing some Meal Prep with y'all, are you convinced? Are you goign to start meal prepping or are you already ahead of the game?

Life Lately.....

Life Lately has been a bit busy.... we are winding down football season, work is still crazy with my high number of students, and the girls are busy with school work and after school activities. I'm counting down the week, and I'm ready for a two day week next week! But man, can y'all believe that Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK?! I mean, November is flying by! 

Here's a look at our life lately.... 

Gretchen blew her very first bubble! She was so excited! She's been trying for a while and she's got it! I still remember when I learned to blow my first bubble ;) 

I walked in to the kitchen and found Adalyn sitting with a cup and a bottle of Ningxia! This girl loves her Ningxia! 

Night time snuggles have been the best! 

After tucking Adalyn in, I found Gretchen reading her Bible. She's finished with the book of Genesis and has moved on to Exodus. 

I recently picked up this top at Old Navy, and I'm loving it! I grabbed it in Navy, but it also comes in black, cranberry, and pine. The fit is super cozy. 

And I love the lace detail. 

And, the tie in the back. 

Look at how big Addy Pearl is getting!!!! I found her poncho last year at Target, and it has the cutest little hood. Unfortunately, after this picture, she took it off and refused to wear it! She doesn't like that the poncho doesn't have arm holes. We've attempted it twice, and both times, she's taken it off before heading out the door for school. Maybe one day, I can convince her to wear it! It's so cute! 

I was feeling a little patriotic on voting day last week, and thanks to my "I voted" sticker, I was able to wear jeans every day to work, which was a total win. 

What's better than voting and a few Rustic Cuffs?

On election night, Gretchen wanted to stay up with us to watch the results come in. She was rooting for Hillary..... around 9:15 we sent her to bed and she was a little disappointed the next morning when we told her who won. 

Kindergarten has been rough on this girl. She fell asleep on the way home last week, and slept in the car for a while! I'm so glad that it's cooling off so if this does happen, I can close the garage door, and let her sleep while I still have the car door and house door open.... does anyone else do this? I just hate to wake them by moving them inside.

And, poor baby, look at her face!!! She scrubbed a tattoo off and it scabbed her face! It looks so much better now, but she was pretty self-conscious about it at school last week. I just told her to tell her friends she got in a fight with a bear! 

Once again, we're working on breaking Adalyn's thumb sucking habit. DJ put stuff on her fingers, and I guess it wore off of her index finger. She isn't sucking her thumb, but she is sucking her index finger. 

And this happened over the weekend!!!! We still have to put up our tree, but I was ready to drag out the Christmas and actually enjoy the cozy feeling of Christmas! 

Sunday morning, DJ was home and we headed for doughnuts before church! 

It's been a while since we headed to church together as a family, and it was nice to have a few minutes together enjoying doughnuts! 

This girl was happy! 

And of course, the little girls wanted their picture after church. 

Sunday afternoon, we ran to the grocery store, I worked on laundry, and enjoyed some snuggles with Addy Pearl!

How has life lately been for you my friends?

Thanksgiving Must-Haves

There's just something about Thanksgiving that I love. It's warm, and cozy, and we're with the people that we love most. There's no pressure to dress up, buy gifts, and it's fully expected and okay if you take a nap, or sit and watch the football game. I mean, it's practically the perfect holiday.

 I'm going to round up some of my must haves for this Thanksgiving holiday!

First up, these Metal Cut Out Votive Candles ...... they'll be adorable in your Thanksgiving tablescape, amongst turkeys, and leaves..... And, you can always send one votive holder home with each family that you have over. 

A Turkey Roaster Oven is a must-have. My mom has had one for years, and every year, she cooks our turkey in it, so her ovens will be free for making my grandmother's stuffing, and for baking pies. 

How adorable are These plates and matching cups.... I think having a kids table is super fun at Thanksgiving. It gives the kids a designated place to eat, and makes them feel a part of the celebration. They'll love eating off of these adorable Thanksgiving plates. 

It's always a nice gesture to bring a little something to Thanksgiving dinner. If you're not in charge of the pies and side dishes, then these cute napkins would be a cute little gift for your hostess. And, you can always bring a bottle of wine!

And for more, turkey-day must haves, check out my Pinterest board! 

And, most of all, Have a Happy Thanksgiving friends! 

Sunday Meal Prep

Okay, so how many of us are like this?

 Since the beginning of the school year, this has been me. 100%, hands down, me. 

 As a working mom, I just cannot keep flying by the seat of my pants! So, a few weeks ago, I decided that it was time to do something about it. Enter, Sunday Meal Prep.

#gamechanger

For a make-ahead dinner, I turned to my freezer, and threw together a quick spaghetti. I had already cooked noodles that I had frozen, and some frozen, left over spaghetti sauce that I had made a few weeks ago. I pulled everything out to defrost, and then tossed it together, added some parmesan cheese on top, and put it in the fridge.  Once we got home on Monday night, it went in the oven. I added a quick salad and dinner was cooked. 

Next up, some lunch prep.

I made the girls jello, and put it in individual serving cups. 

And, then I made yogurt parfaits. I have had these little 'jars' for years. I added granola at the bottom, and stored a bunch in the pantry. And then when I fix lunches, I just add yogurt on top. 

Next up, I made a few peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. We always make sandwiches the night before, the girls have never complained about their sandwiches being soggy. I went ahead and made three sandwiches, sealed them in our sandwich containers, and then I was able to grab them for lunch boxes. 

At our house, we have half eaten chips and snacks. And, then they just sit there. So, I emptied out the chips and snacks in to small ziploc bags. Now, I just grab a bag when I'm fixing lunch boxes. 

Okay, so friends have raved about this whole Sunday meal prep thing for years, and I've been too busy trying to survive one day at a time. Now, that I've done this for a few weeks, I'm totally seeing our evenings become less hectic. It's a game changer.

So, do you meal prep and lunch prep? Any tips for this newbie?

Life Lately

Life Lately has been lots of fun and crazy busy! I'm kind of in shock that we're already in to November, and I'm looking forward to slowing down our schedules just a tiny bit before the Holidays. 

Last Tuesday afternoon, we headed to the local fire department for a 3rd grade ceremony. Each school in our district has a poster competition for fire safety, and Gretchen was the winner for our school! 

I was so excited for her! She worked hard on her poster and made it all by herself! (I only helped with some hot glue!)

All of the winners listened to the fire chief and stood for photos. 

Then we toured a fire truck before heading off to gymnastics. 

Wednesday morning, Adalyn wanted her hair curled before school. Thankfully, her hair is super thin, so it doesn't take long! She was so good sitting while I curled her hair. 

Thursday after school we headed to Freddy's for dinner and an ice cream treat! There's not a lot better than Dirt 'n Worms! 

And check out these pictures I got from Addy's teacher. 

The elementary students from their school come over and read to them once a week. 

Friday afternoon, the cupcake truck came to our school! I couldn't resist a pumpkin spice cupcake. 

And then I got this picture of Adalyn... apparently, she wore her coat all day long at school, and practiced some lacing skills. 

Saturday afternoon we headed to a birthday party at a friends house. 

They served chicken legs for lunch, and Megan LOVED them! Like, ate all of hers and Adalyn's left overs. She's requested that I make chicken legs, which I've never made.... I've never even bought chicken legs.... so if you have some recipes send them our way! This girl chowed down! 

That afternoon my mom, stepdad, sister-in-law, and niece arrived! Addy went down for a nap, and the girls played, so my sister in law and I went to Rustic Cuff. I had to pick up a bracelet and she had never been to the store and was pumped to go! And, psst... rumor has it they have red and blue Oklahoma cuffs on sale, and for every bracelet bought, one will be given to a fireman or a policeman! 

Oncew e made it home, we got ready for the ball game! 

Our head coach and his wife work hard to support Alzheimer's. Each year, we have one game that they dedicate to ending Alzheimer's. There were shirts for sale this year and all of the proceeds went to an Alzheimer's foundation. 

The girls ready to go cheer on our favorite team! 

And with their Gee! 

We promised them they could take a silly picture! 

We arrived at the stadium, said hello to the wives, and then took the girls over to play in the bounce houses. Megan and Amelia spotted the band, and the baton twirler, and sat and watched her. 

And then it was game time! I had to show my YaYa how to throw up the Hurricane sign. 

Meg was freezing! 

And, my momma! I'm so glad that she was able to come up for a game this year (and my step dad too!.... He was busy watching the game) 

Saturday night was a late night! We made it home and had the girls in bed around midnight. And with the late night and time change, the girls were still up around 7. We had a lazy morning, and then I spent the rest of the afternoon doing some meal prep, laundry, and picking up around the house. We finished up our weekend with dinner at football! 

Whew, what a busy week we've had!