NOT hooked on....toddler edition

Since I could not 'unstack' these pictures from the Dora ones, I have created another post of them. Here goes....

I have learned that my toddler is not so much into pop-up books. This is a pictorial representation of what she has done to every pop-up book in our home library.












Although she is very fond of this nonpop-up board book. I do love Dr.Seuss but this is a disturbing story line.

Busy summer days

How is it that I can find a whole days worth of nothing to occupy my days all in my apartment? Playing on FB and checking the blog/email/BHB periodically are guilty pleasures that I indulge in when I pass by my laptop or I don't know what to do next. Another on going challenge is attempting to potty train (or at least indulging in her asking) the toddler. Nothing has actually gone straight from her body to the toilet bowl yet but things are very warm when she asks to go so I am trying to keep at it with her. I have pulled out the plastic panties while hanging at home today and she has wet one pair even though I am taking her to the potty every 30 minutes. She goes in the pants THEN tells me. I am not sure how to reverse that process.

I have reorganized the girls' closet so I have more shelf space above the hanger clothes. What to put there? Don't know just yet. Our next mission was to save their DVDs from the storage spot as it always was too tempting for the toddler tornado. Now they have 3 empty desk drawer waiting to be filled again. But alas, looking something for something toddler friendly to fill them.

Tomorrow we are attempting to (gasp) leave the house and go to the beach. Wish me luck!

Hooked on Friday...toddler edition

Don't forget to drop in to see what others are Hooked On over here....

My toddler is all about Dora so today's Hooked on goes out to her with a sampling of our Dora empire. (*Note: she did not get all these toys but these have been collected over the past 8ish year from her sisters' Dora days as well as her own.)


First the important potty training devices all Dora-fied. We have the seat that sits in the normal potty (her preference at the moment) and the stand alone potty. She likes to destroy and reconstruct this as it is modular. For instance the base can be a step stool and the other pieces can be used in other means as well.








Of course we have the Dora house with all the furniture. You will have to forgive me for not setting it up for you but I am happy no pieces are out right now as they are walking hazards.





I would bet we own about 90% of the plastic figurines and about that much of the larger dolls. Here they are peeping out of one of the drawers. There are at least 3 like this. I specifically pulled out the tennis Dora in honor of Serena's recent win.









I think we are only behind by one DVD from owning all of them and I bet that will be purchased soon. We rock the Dora fiesta CD music in my minivan. Yesterday, when stopped at a red light the three girls in the middle row were loudly singing with the CD (which I had cranked up for them) and the man in the pick up truck nest to us gave us a look. I could not interpret the look. I think to him it was like a car wreck b/c he could not look away. I was proud and embarrassed all at once.

So as you can see we are big time hooked on Dora here.

Hope you have enjoyed a look into my life!

Hooked On Friday Party

Check out what the others are hooked on here.

This week I have been hooked on scanning paper copies of the lessons, labs and other useful papers for my teaching arsenal into PDFs. Then the PDFs will be used in my blackboard as well as having the papers in 'copy ready' form. (See prior post describing blackboard.) In my district the paper copying is electronically out sourced which means I need a version I can send through cyber space. No more old fashioned c&p for me. Kind of bitter sweet.

Here is the stack so far. It continues to grow larger.


Here is the beastly scanner, printer, copier that I have been canoodling with for my digitizing.



Speaking of growing and since that is not the most entertaining thing to be hooked on I also want to share my tomato plant story. In May-ish we bought a planter box and decided to try to plant some tomato seeds (2 packets - 1 beefeaters, 1 cherry variety). I had "help" planting by way of my three girls so half the box was the packet of one type the other half was the other packet. Those of you who are agriculturally savvy can predict where this is going.

Here is the box and the growth after just a week.


A little crowded, eh? So I try transplanting them into anything I could recycle into a big enough holder. Here you have my "redneck garden". Some I left in the planter but joining it are two milk jugs, Gatorade bottle, butter tub, Sam's club cheese ball vat bottom and two pots I had from other things.






So, what do you think are they going to live to die? What can I do to help?

Rock On Caillou's Parent

The beginning of today's show had this dialog.

Caillou's Mom: Today is your Father's and my anniversary. It is a very special day.

Caillou's Dad: And we have a very special surprise for you too....a new babysitter!


Awww yeah.....:)

True 'dat

So as a revisit to some of my goal posts (he he he, I said goal posts...like as in football but not...lol).

In no particular order......

I have been scanning my little heart out of school papers in an effort to go green in my files (not really...more of a convenience thing but it is a bonus environmentally so I will go with it). Not finished yet but that is the precursor before doing the blackboard goal.

I have a binder with baseball inserts and have begun my coupon sorting. DH requested to departmentalize it. I rationalized that he had a say in the organizing being that I will most likely ask him to find the needed coupons while I kid wrangle.

I have successfully completed 3 new recipes since returning from the north: Crockpot turkey breast, Noodleless Lasagna, and Taco Soup. All 3 are crockpot recipes too taken from this site. I LOVE this site!!! You should too.

The girls' chore chart (well, excel spreadsheet that stays open on my laptop) is underway. The Middie is empathetic as usual. We recently had a toothpaste and toilet bowl issue but I really don't want to talk about that right now. The Oldest is really into it though. I consider it a math lesson too. I have to admit she is a GREAT helper. She unloads the dishwasher, toddler wrangles, cleans the table and highchair after meals, folds laundry, etc., etc. She really impresses me.

I have purchased and received the Twilight series as I wanted but have not yet reread as 'prescribed'. I read what is available on this Stephanie Meyers' site of Midnight Sun. I want to read Twilight with the Midnight sun together. I am already planning on a personal day for November 20th - New Moon any one? :D


I still do not have my weekly schedule down as I had hoped (traveling kind of got in the way) butt so far I am feeling quite accomplished with what I have done so far. I will keep y'all posted though!

Ditties by the Middie

When she got home from church Father's Day Sunday. She was asked what she did while there. Her response "Colored, ate some bread, drank some blood." They obviously had communion. She took an abnormally large piece from the loaf but enjoyed every minute of it.

There are a TON of little frogs here now. When I say little, think the size of a cricket little. The Middie decides to catch one (runs and squeals from the normal size frogs though). She was holding it between two fingers to show me and says "I know he is still alive because I ca see bubbles coming out his mouth." Poor little tiny froggy.

You gotta love that crazy little girl although I am still not happy with her last 'brilliant idea' of rinsing the toothpaste off her finger in the toilet bowl b/c her sister was in the way of the sink. grrr....

Crazy kid.