Boys will be Boys

I apologize for the personal nature of this post. My children just brought me a gift in the form of a frozen undergarment. At least they didn't freeze my favorite pair:

Birds & the Bees

Excerpt from a conversation that occurred in my van today...

Adam (almost 6 years old): Mommy, do you have to get married before you have a baby?

Mommy: Thinking to myself, do I give the long answer or the short answer, remembering that my almost 9 year old son is also present, listening intently to my answer and will likely extend this conversation into dangerous territory if it gets too interesting.



Yes.



(Not entirely true, I know, but it's something to strive for, dontcha think?!!)

Adam: How do people NOT have babies before they get married?

Mommy: Who wants to get ice cream?!!

Jello Cake

This is a big summer favorite at my house. It's super easy and your kids will think you are a rock star if you make it for them. Just make a yellow or white cake from a box mix. Then, take a 3 oz. box of Jello and mix it with one cup of hot water. Poke holes in the top of the cake while it's cooling and slowly pour the jello mixture over the top of the cake, allowing the jello to fill up the holes you poked. With the cake in this picture, I actually used both blue & red jello so there would be two different color stripes. Let the cake cool in the fridge overnight or for several hours and then top it with Cool Whip. Another yummy variation is to use a lemon cake with lemon jello.

My Love Affair with the Crockpot

My crockpot was a wedding gift from one of my favorite people, Carol (crazy Carol to those who know and love her). Willie and I were married in Las Vegas, but living in Wichita, KS at the time. No joke, Carol lugged this thing to Las Vegas and we in turn, lugged it to Wichita on the airplane, along with my wedding dress, bouquet, and several other large gifts and wedding items. That was an experience, let me tell ya! If we tried to do that today, the airline would probably charge us a small fortune, but back then, they were very nice about it.

When we first received this crockpot, I thought it was so huge that I would never use it, but now I have a love affair going with this sexy green pot and it has been used many times to make some wonderful meals...enchilada meat, Italian chicken, barbecued country style ribs, etc. (some not so wonderful ones too, in all honesty).

A Year of CrockPotting is a blog written by a gal named Stephanie who proclaims to have an unnatural obsession with her crockpot and made a New Year's resolution to use it every day in 2008. Today when I made my daily visit to her blog, I found out that she is going to be featured on the Rachael Ray show on 7/23! I will definitely be tuning in.

These are two of my favorite cookbooks. If you want to use your crockpot more often, but aren't a fan of recipes with a million ingredients you've never heard of, you'll love the recipes in these books.

House Guest

We are dog-sitting Riley while his family vacations at the Grand Canyon and in Las Vegas. He makes a very cute temporary addition to our animal menagerie, don't you think? Yes, there is a puppy underneath all that fur. I'm going to dust mop the floor with him later. Don't call the ASPCA; I was just kidding!!!

Below are some pictures of our permanent residents; Rocky, the stray cat who adopted us and now runs the household, despite my sworn disdain for cats, Max & Ruby, named after the cartoon characters, and Peanut, the elderly tenant who has tested our patience from the very first day we brought him home, 14 years ago!

Max is kind of a camera hog, isn't he?

FFF - Summer Lovin'

Summer Lovin' is the Favorite Foto Friday theme and so far our summer has been all about Star Wars, baseball and swimming.

T-stance (a.k.a. bowing to your partner before you try to whack the snot out of him with your light saber)

This was the last night of Jedi Training Academy where the boys performed choreographed fight scenes with their partners. After the show, there was a free-for-all on stage. Jacob and Adam did not let this opportunity pass them by. I did remark to Willie that I wasn't sure why I paid good money and drove several miles three times a day for my boys to go to a camp and fight each other when they will gladly do this, free of charge, at home, no gas expenditure required.

My two little Jedis had to take a break from the fighting to laugh.

Melee! Getting Daddy in on the act.

Jacob got his baseball autographed by Ramon Ramirez, Kansas City Royals player #56. He gave the boys pitching tips at a baseball clinic.

#16 for the Shawnee Mission Storm, contemplating his next turn at bat (or debating whether he should get an Icee or a snow cone after the game).

The cute coach on the far left is my handsome hubby. I am SO proud of these boys.

Player #7 for the Shawnee Royals

Returning from a "victory run"!

Congratulating the other team on a great game. Although score is not kept at the t-ball level, Adam insists that Jacob, Mommy or Grandma keep score at his games, just like at his big brother's games.

The boys on Adam's t-ball team are already sliding into home plate...and 1st base, and 2nd base and 3rd base...any excuse to get dirty and show off all at the same time. You gotta love these dirty little boys.

Jacob and some of his friends doing a group jump at our neighborhood pool.

Too bad I didn't have this picture back when the FFF theme was "Jump"!

Adam will do anything for a laugh and often makes me laugh without even trying!

Click on this picture to see it enlarged so you can check out the silly look on Adam's face.

COMING SOON...Ramirez family vacation...August 2008

Location yet to be determined. Anybody want to donate a timeshare week and/or free airplane tickets?!!!

Karen's birthday

The whole crew

Aimee & Michelle

Karen (she really was SO surprised!)

The birthday princess!

Last night we had a surprise birthday party for my friend, Karen who turned 23 (right Karen?). I know I'm being a really boring blogger lately, but other than to say that we had a great time, I'm fresh out of words and the pool is calling!