Author: thefamilyo

  • A Delicious, Light and Yummy Cake!

    pineapple

    My mom makes the most delicious pineapple cake.  It is my sister’s favorite and has quickly gained more followers as I have started making it.  I never attempted to make it because I assumed my mom always slaved over it.  Seemed complex.  I don’t do cakes often.   But I wanted to know how to make it.

    Turns out this cake – is easy as pie!  But really, it is so easy!  Make it, trust me, you will love it and so will everyone who eats it.  It is a super light and fluffy dessert.  I asked my mom where she got the recipe and she said that my Grandpa’s sister used to make it.

    Disclaimer – I have no good pictures of it!  :O(   Next time I make it I shall update this entry, sorry!

    (IT REALLY IS PRETTY, I promise)

    pineapple cake

    Pineapple Cake

    about 18 servings

    1 box of yellow cake mix – bake according to directions on box

    1 can of pineapple chunks

    1 pkg lemon instant pudding (no cook)

    1 container of cool whip

    Walnuts

    Directions

    Bake the cake and let cool completely

    When cool, poke holes randomly with a fork all over the cake

    Pour the juice from the pineapple over the cake

    Place the pineapple chunks all over the top of the cake

    Make the pudding and then fold the pudding into the Cool Whip and make sure the pudding and Cool Whip are well blended

    Frost the cake and put walnuts on top

    Enjoy!

     

     

  • Field Trip: Bugs and Butterflies and more!

    Butterfly Pavilion

    A few weeks ago we went on a Field Trip to the Butterfly Pavilion with my sister and nephew.  It was so much fun and the kids loved every minute.  They got to hold Rosie, the famous tarantula, plus they were able to observe many more bugs and spiders.

    Bee Hive in Action

    huge beetle

    I think everybody’s favorite part is the actual Butterfly Pavilion which is a huge tropical forest filled room with butterflies flying EVERYWHERE. It was really cool.

    butterfly pavilion

    I do have to admit that I was so scared that a butterfly or other flying insect would land on me, I was petrified.  I could finally relax once I put my hoodie up, even though people looked at me like I was crazy.  After all, it is extremely hot and humid, but I got to enjoy myself so it was worth it.

    butterfly

    After the exhibits we hit up the interactive area which has many stations of fun and learning.

    butterfly pavilion

  • Field Trip: Airplane Museum!

    propeller

    In our city we have a museum after any young boys heart – the Airplane Museum, it is called Wings over the Rockies.  It is located in a hangar that used to be used on a military base here in Denver.  We didn’t tell the boys where we were going, but after a 20 minute drive, we turned the corner to see this:

    Wings over the Rockies

    The boys jaws dropped, their reactions were priceless!

    After getting our tickets and browsing the gift shop we headed into the hangar.  WOW!  There are tons of different flying machines all around, on the ground and in the air!

    planes

    boys by jet

    small plane

    So much to see, so many cool things!

    The coolest thing for my boys was something that is not even real, lol.

    A scale model of Luke Skywalkers X-Wing Fighter complete with R2D2!

    Luke Skywalkers X-Wing Fighter

    Luke Skywalkers X-Wing Fighter

    It was a fun day, the boys ran around with so much excitement!

    Of course we ended the field trip with Astronaut Ice Cream, yum (eww) and a Captains Hat for Oliver.

    Astronaut Ice Cream

    If you live in Denver, I recommend taking your kids, they will love it!

  • Lemonade Day, Have you Heard?

    lemonade day

    Have you heard of Lemonade Day?  It is an opportunity for parents and teachers to equip kids with skills they need to become tomorrows business owners.

    The National Lemonade Day was today but our local Lemonade Day is May 22nd.  Perfect time to plan.

    The really cool part?  Your child receives a backpack loaded with workbooks (youth and teen), tips, signs and a parent book.  Plus a lot of fun swag from local sponsors.

    Lemonade Day

    Lemonade Day

    Kids Workbook

    Each child also gets a personal website for their stand.  This is the one we created:  For His Glory.

    We picked up our packs today and will start planning tomorrow.  They encourage you to let your child decide a goal to work towards.  They also get to decide how much of their proceeds go towards charity.

    In Denver they are holding a contest and 100 kids will get to set their Lemonade stand up at Cherry Creek North’s Annual Sidewalk Sale, which is a big event here in Denver.

    I am excited to get started!  Perfect homeschooling opportunity.

  • The Homeschool Mother’s Journal – Week 10

    The Homeschool Mother's Journal

    Thanks to the Homeschool Chick and The Kelley Eight I will now be journaling this fantastically crazy journey we are on.  I am thrilled, excited and thankful!

    Week #10:

    In my life this week…

    Planning.  Planning!  This drives me crazy, I am not a planner.

    However, I have to submit a Summer work schedule to my boss, schedule Camps and classes for the boys, and research and plan my curriculum for next year.

    I have sat down many times and can never quite finish.  My mind goes crazy when I try to coordinate.  This is hard stuff for me – why?!?!

    In our homeschool this week…

    I introduced my 1st Grader to a notebook we bought called “Story Starters”.  It is a worksheet with a blank frame area and several ruled lines.  At the top of the sheet there is a question, some are silly, some are interesting.  The one Preston picked was – How could a cake be ten feet tall?

    Preston enjoyed drawing a super tall cake, then he wrote a paragraph describing how he would make it and what it would look like.  He enjoyed the exercise and I enjoyed seeing the results of his imagination.

    My nephew comes over a couple times a week and he is a star student.  He actually asks for worksheets and completes them.  Then he brings them to me to check, it is so cute.  He does awesome!

    Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

    We got out this week!  It was so nice.  We went to Red Rocks and let the boys hike around.

    We also took a field trip to our local gardens.  We saw so many budding bulbs.  The boys got to play in a rock cave and skip rocks on the pond.

    They also went to several playgrounds and last night we went to a family fun restaurant called the White Fence Farm.  It was a wonderful experience.  They have a playground, farm animals, a 2 story slide, dance floor, books, a play area, so much more too.

    My favorite thing this week was…

    Watching the boys play, I love to watch them run around playgrounds and parks.  They have such energy and no inhibitions.  They are so free.

    Their curiosity is always taking them on an adventure.  They play so well together too, for the most part, lol.

    What’s working/not working for us…

    Outside school, school on the go.  When we went out and about this week, I took some markers, paper, worksheets, and flash cards.  I had opportunities through out our play time to pull them out and have some school work fun.  Then back to playing.

    Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…

    How do you stay sane and on track when looking at all the curriculum choices?  I have a hard time keeping track of it all.

    A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

    Found this site on another blog, www.spellingcity.com.  I think it is a nice little tool to have.  It is an online spelling list that you create and then your child takes a test.  The website says the word for the child and uses it in a sentence.  Pretty nifty and a nice way to break things up and do a virtual test rather than always on paper.

    Here are some pictures of the boys on the trails and rocks around Red Rocks Amphitheater.

    Oliver at Red Rocks

    Sam at Red Rocks


  • Scones!

    fresh baked scones

    The perfect amount of sweetness.

    I love scones, love them! I love cinnamon scones, blueberry scones, citrus scones, and “fancy” scones. I call the authentic circular ones tops with jam and cream the “fancy” ones.

    Recently I went to Afternoon Tea and picked up a bag of scone mix.  The first batch I topped with jam and whipped cream, the second batch got a milk chocolate frosting on top.

    scones baking

    They were delicious!  My kids loved them.

    scones with jam and cream

    chocolate scones

    Here is a yummy recipe I made from scratch if you want to bake some up!

  • Fun in the Sun

    Preston Cowboy
    The weather here in Colorado is crazy! One day it is 70 , the next it is snowing and freezing, then back to 70 the next day. Seriously!

    Last week on one of the so-so days we had some fun outside. Wasn’t too cold, wasn’t too hot.

    The boys did floor puzzles on the sidewalks, we colored the sidewalks with chalk. We ate lunch on a blanket in the grass, fun! To top it off… the boys went for the costume drawer, which is always a hit.

    puzzled sidewalk

    puzzles outside

    oliver buzz ironmanthis is a Buzz Lightyear, IronMan Hybrid

    Buzz Lightyear

    Sam Toot

    oliver outside

    LOVE this life!!

  • The Homeschool Mother’s Journal – Week 8

    The Homeschool Mother's Journal

    Thanks to the Homeschool Chick and The Kelley Eight I will now be journaling this fantastically crazy journey we are on.  I am thrilled, excited and thankful!

    Week #8:

    In my life this week…

    Working out some issues and questions I have with theology, fun week – eh!  I have had many concerns about some things I have heard preached by a popular pastor.  The best thing to come out of it was me diving into the Bible and some Commentaries.  Interestingly, my oldest asked about why Peter started to sink on the lake… this is one of the topics I was researching.  Perfect timing as usual, thanks God!

    In our homeschool this week…

    OLIVER is reading!  This is so fantastically, awesome!  He turns 5 on Monday and will be starting Kindergarten in the Fall.  I went to a consignment sale recently and headed straight to the Homeschool and book section.  SCORE!  I picked up 2 sets of BOB books!  Oliver dove right in.  We read Mat, Sam and Dot together then he took over.  I was amazed and so happy.  I have been worried about teaching him to read.  It looks like the phonics work paid off!  Also, Starfall.com is a great website for this.

    My oldest is learning fractions and time, also were are working on reading comprehension.  I am realizing that I need to have him write creatively more.  I picked up some story starters and would like to work on those.

    Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

    This week Preston got to race soap box cars at his boys club, he loved it and can’t stop talking about how the steering wheel actually move the wheels on the car.  Saturday is our church easter egg hunt, they love this!  On Sunday we have been invited to a Seder!  We are really looking forward to that.

    My favorite thing this week was…

    Oliver reading!

    What’s working/not working for us…

    **REPEAT**Space is still an issue.  If we do get into this house, it will provide much needed space for my 1st grader to work, read and build things without his brothers destroying his work.

    Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…

    The thought I have been having a lot lately is this:  I love homeschooling!  I love being with my boys.  I love teaching them and learning with them.  I love for them to be able to ask any question at any time.  Just so grateful to be able to do this.

    A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

    Oliver reading, and yes he is in shorts and a cowboy outfit (thanks Cher!)

    BOB Books

    oliver reading a BOB