Thue Crue

Christmas for Kids

2009-11-30T07:30:00.000-08:00

I am doing a daily feature over on Unforgettable Childhood: Christmas for Kids.

Each day you can find a new recipe, craft, or family tradition to celebrate the Christmas Season.

Subscribe to Unforgettable Childhood so that you don't miss a single post.

Today's feature is a Christmas Countdown Book Basket.

Unforgettable Childhood

2009-10-25T13:32:00.001-07:00

Have you had a chance to check out Unforgettable Childhood yet? I am busy doing some updating. I have to post about Pumpkin Carving and a Project Runway Birthday Party. . .that should come tonight when I have a few moments. My new blog doesn't have Google Followers so you have to actually subscribe to my reader to get my updates.

I hope that it will be a place of fun for your family. I have a lot of holiday posts that I can't wait to share with you! I hope to see you over at Unforgettable Childhood.

NEW Site is Up and Running!

2009-10-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

The new blog site is up and ready to go! I can't for you to come and explore our new home.

Unforgettable Childhood is our new domain. The site is still under construction and new exciting changes are still in the works.

Please stop by and let me know what you think.

Change is in the Air

2009-09-29T05:32:00.000-07:00

I keep talking about change with this blog and it is right around the corner. I decided that with the change from Summer to Fall, I would do some major changes with this blog.

I purchased a domain name and I am moving my blog to a new home. As soon as I have it running I will give you the address.

I can't wait to reveal the new site and I hope all of you enjoy it!

Amy vs Daisy

2009-09-22T06:26:00.001-07:00

As part of my getting away time, I have started a new part-time job as a legal assistant. Yesterday was my first day. I am working out of this lawyer's home office. When I sat down at the computer to start working I couldn't find the wireless mouse. I knew they had one because I had used it the day before.

I heard commotion of the dog and cat behind me so I swiveled my chair around. Standing by the table was their big golden lab staring back at me with the computer mouse in her mouth. As soon as I stood up the dog ran around the kitchen table. I would head in one direction and Daisy would head in the other direction. No matter what I said or did, I could not get her to drop the mouse.

I finally got really frustrated and went back to the computer. A few minutes later I found the dog underneath a bed with the mouse. She let me take it from her and I finally got to work.

So that was my entertaining first day. Did I mention they have a kitten, too. He sits on the desk and watches my fingers fly across the keyboard. I thought that she was going to pounce on them. But, she just laid on top of the papers I was trying to type from.

I can't wait to see how the day goes tomorrow. Here is a picture of Daisy from the Fourth of July.

Disco 'til Dawn

2009-09-21T04:51:00.000-07:00

Well, they were not up until dawn, but the did stay up very late.

The party was a success. The girls had so much fun and now I can relax another month until the next fall birthday.

Here are a few pictures from the evening.

The decorations:

They danced. . .

They posed. . .

They played Dance Craze Charades. . .(Even Daddy participated in dressing up and in the games)

They finally slept, after a lot of giggling.

Getting Ready to Disco

2009-09-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

The day is here. Six little girls (plus don't forget I already have three of my own) will ascend upon the house at 7pm for a Solid Gold Disco Party. And. . .they are all staying over night.

I will be busy today decorating the house and getting the last minute details pulled together.

I wanted to give you a preview of the cakes for the party. My friend Misti came over yesterday and helped me tackle the cakes. Thanks Misti!

Building A Better Blog

2009-09-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that I have been playing with this blog a lot lately, changing the background, changing the pictures, etc. Well I am trying to use some of the tips from other bloggers that I have received to make this blog a fun place to come and see what I have to say.

There is a lot to be learned and I have a long ways to go, but every new tip I receive has been great.

Today I am hosting a snazL party on this topic, "Building a Better Blog". There are some videos from Susan at 5minutesformom.com and Heather from thedomesticdiva.org.

Join the fun at 3pm EST/2pm CST! Share your tips and learn a few new ones. You can come back here to my blog to join the fun or go to snazL.com.

Hope to see you there!

Mom's Time Out

2009-09-15T06:11:00.001-07:00

I decided that every Tuesday I am going to take a time out from focusing on parenting and have a Mom's Time Out. One of my favorite things to do when I have some free time is read. So today I decided to post a new book review.

Today is the publication date for a new book from a brand new author. The Art of Disappearing by Ivy Pochoda debuts today!

This book was a perfect book for Mom's Time Out. It is a magical story of love and romance with a touch of mystery.

Toby Warring, a young magician and Mel Snow, a traveling textile designer find each other and two days later a Las Vegas Wedding is underway. Through the book the magic keeps the story interesting. When a magic trick goes horribly wrong the couple flees together to learn more about the art of Toby's magic and things that took place in their past. It is a story that asks the questions, what will win Toby's affection, his magic or his love for Mel?

If you are looking for a good book to take a time out from life, this is a great new read.

You can read more about this book at Ivy Pochoda's website. For purchasing info you can go here.

St. Martin's Press; Hardcover
US $24.99
Publication Date: Sept. 15, 2009
ISBN-10: 0312385854
ISBN-13: 978-0312385859

I hope you join me next week for Mom's Time Out.

Kids in the Kitchen - Masterpiece Pizza

2009-09-14T05:09:00.000-07:00

We love our Better Homes and Gardens New Junior Cookbook. The girls love to flip through it and decide what they want to make next. Last night we decided to make a bedtime snack. I would love to be able to tell you that we eat all things healthy in this house. But that would be a lie. . .we love our sweets. And I think they are okay in moderation.

So the younger girls put on their aprons and helped me with this snack, Masterpiece Pizza.

Here is the recipe:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
3/4 cup tiny marshmallows
2/3 cup peanut (we left these out)
1/2 cup miniature candy-coated semisweet chocolate pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and peanut butter with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until combined. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add flour, beat on low speed until combined.
Take about 1/2 cup dough and place near one corner off the cookie sheet. Use the table knife to spread dough into a 5 inch circle. Repeat with the remaining dough to make 4 circles. Bake pizzas for 15 minutes or until the edges are light brown.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle the center of each cookie with semisweet chocolate pieces. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes until you can spread with a knife. Sprinkle each cookie with marshmallows, peanuts and mini m&ms.
Return cookie sheet to oven for 5 more minutes. Enjoy!

This recipe got two thumbs up.

Mom's Balance

2009-09-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out how to add a little vlog to my post. Looking for a little balance in our house. . .

Golden Day

2009-09-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

Today is Taylor's Golden Birthday. I can't believe that she is 9. . .wow! She has decided that since it is 9/9/09 it is not just her Golden Birthday. It is her Super Duper Golden Birthday.

Birthdays are always a big deal in our house. I love to be spoiled on my birthday so I make sure their day is extra special, too.

She wanted Chocolate Dipped Waffles with sprinkles on them for breakfast.

She couldn't wait until tonight to open her presents, either.

We were rebels and sent non-healthy birthday snacks to school. My end result are not nearly as cute as Bakerella, but they sure do taste good. (Check out her site for all kinds of Cupcake Pops for every occasion)

We are in the process of planning her birthday party. Every year each girl gets a Theme Party that they help me plan. This year in honor of her Golden Birthday she is having a Solid Gold Disco Slumber Party.

Nature & Nails

2009-09-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome Labor Day Weekend filled with making memories.

We spent the majority of the weekend camping near our home. The kids ran wild with their friends and we were able to spend a lot of fun time with our friends.

It was really windy, but the sun was out so the girls insisted that they spend a little time at the river.

Nadia took advantage of the wind and decided to fly her kite.

Yesterday we decided to finish off our weekend with a little shopping trip. It is Taylor's Ninth Birthday tomorrow so we took her out of town for eating and shopping. At the end of the shopping trip daddy decided that the girls could get their nails done. I have never even had my nails done. . .but he wanted to treat the girls. I wish I would have had my camera to take pictures of the girls. They looked so cute sitting with their nails under the dryers.

Now back to the grind today. What kind of memories will we make this week?

I Love Packages

2009-09-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I participated in a Birthday Swap over at Seriously Shawn.

Yesterday I received my package in the mail from Bea. She sent the perfect gift. One of the most important things to me is to create an unforgettable childhood for my girls. I love to focus on the experiences we can have together. So she sent me this. . .

Three beautiful aprons for my girls created by Studio Eight. My girls absolutely loved them. In fact, they loved them so much that when I got home from the gym at 8:30 last night they surrounded me as I collapsed on the porch and begged to bake something.

Well they should have been getting ready for bed, but they were so excited about their new aprons that I knew that I couldn't make them go to bed. Luckily I had a box of Pound Cake mix, so we whipped it up quick (and then had to wait 50 minutes for it to bake). They didn't want to get out of bed this morning, but oh well. They created an awesome memory thanks to the beautiful aprons from Bea.

Thanks Shawn for the swap and thanks Bea for the perfect gift. Now I can't wait for Kristen to receive her gift from me. . .

If you are a parent that is interested in reading one of the best books I have read as a mom. Click over to my other blog and enter to win a signed copy of the book Not So Fast by Ann Kroeker. It is a book I think every parent should read!

How I have survived 9 1/2 years of Marriage

2009-09-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

We are celebrating marriage today at a new snazL party on snazL.com.

Today at 3pm EST/2pm Central we will be chatting on marriage, sharing videos and pictures and giving each other advice on marriage survival.

All you have to do to join the fun is go to snazL.com and register. Then go to the top of the page to the "Quick Links" button. Click on upload. Browse your photos on your computer and then upload them to your profile.

During the party click on the (+) button to add your photos, videos, etc to the party. Or do you have a favorite song that is out on Youtube? Upload that to the party. I found the song I sang to my hubby at our wedding, so I added that to the party.

I interviewed my hubby on how he has survived being married to me for 9 1/2 years. I will be adding that video to the party.

It is easy to join in the fun. I would love to chat live with you today at 3pm EST/2pm Central. Hope to chat with you there!

Backyard Campout

2009-08-31T05:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday as I was cleaning inside of the house my girls put up the tent in the backyard. They kept talking about how they were going to sleep in it last night. I laughed. For one thing it was a school night. Not to mention, it wasn't exactly hot out last night. So I thought they would just play in there and then we would come back inside to our nice comfy beds.

The girls somehow convinced their dad that it would be fun to sleep outside, even though they had school today. So we all bundled up and headed outside. The girls each told us a story before bed. It was hilarious. I should have had the video camera out.

We actually went to sleep a lot earlier than we usually do. Somehow the girls ended up on the air mattress and Chad and I were on the ground. He lasted outside until about 2:30 am and then he told me he had to go into the house. Nadia lasted until about 4:00am. The older girls had to be woke up to get ready for school.

I guess this was just another one of our adventures. I only had one question for my hubby. Why didn't we do our backyard campout in the summertime when it was warm out and the girls didn't have school the next day. . .

AND THE WINNER IS. . .I almost forgot to post the winner of the ECOstore USA Shampoo and Conditioner. The winner is #7 The McCormick's.
McCormick's said...
I tried using fancy salon shampoo and conditioner a few weeks ago. Liked the shampoo but my scalp got super itchy and flaky. The conditioner didn't work at all. Would love to try the eco-friendly stuff since you like it!

I will send you an email and get your address to send off your prize.

Yummy Bran Muffins

2009-08-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

Last night before bed I mixed up some Bran Muffins. This morning I put a pan in the oven for a fresh yummy breakfast. I wanted to share the recipe with you. This is something I love to have in the fridge so that I can make them whenever we need something a little different for breakfast. The batter can be kept in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.

1 cup Bran Buds
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp soda
2 cups Bran Flakes

Pour 1 cup boiling water over bran buds and set aside. Mix shortening and sugar. Mix in eggs then buttermilk. Add dry ingredients. Add Bran Buds and mix. Fold in Bran Flakes.

Bake muffins for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Enjoy!

Afternoon Art Adventure

2009-08-27T05:48:00.000-07:00

I am reading an amazing book right now by Ann Kroeker called Not So Fast - Slow Down Solutions for Frenzied Families.

This book has inspired me to slow down with my kids. So Sunday afternoon we had an afternoon art adventure. My oldest was at the river with some friends so the younger two and I gathered up our paint, markers, crayons and colored pencils and we had so much fun.

First we laid out a tablecloth on the front porch and we painted. They thought it would be fun to splatter paint. They filled their brushes with paint and hit the handle to make speckles all over their papers.

After our painting fun we loaded our picnic blanket, sketch books and drawing supplies into the stroller. Madi jumped on her bike and Nadia climbed into the stroller and we were off. We walked to City park and created.

Not long after we were there we had a little visitor. This little bird really wanted to get onto our blanket.

Nadia said, "He wants to be my friend."

My Baby went to school today

2009-08-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

I just have to share a few pictures from Nadia's first day of preschool. I just picked her up and she had a great afternoon. There are only two other little girls in her class so she will get a lot of attention (like she doesn't already get a lot of that at home).

It's Party Day!

2009-08-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

You can join the party fun on this site, or over at SnazL.com. Don't forget 3pm EST today!

Want to win a prize pack of books for your family? Stop by and chat with us.

Party Party Party!

2009-08-25T14:26:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to chat with all of you tomorrow at my SnazL party. I wanted to share with you a few things ahead of time that you can look forward to at the party.

Healthy Snack alternatives from WAT-AAH!

Are you wondering which activities you should involve your children in? Check out this new book from Ann Kroeker.

Are you interested in a new way to communicate with your children's teachers?

Aparna Vashisht-Rota, the founding Mom of Parentella.com will be sharing a great way to get involved in your child's education. Below she shares her tips for Back to School. Come to the party and you can chat with Aparna.

It is back to school time! My son starts middle school tomorrow. We went shopping as he has outgrown his clothes, shoes, and backpack. He was very patient while we picked out his clothes and shoes.

He is really excited to go back to school and meet his friends and get back into the routine. It reminds me of my own eagerness and anticipation for a new school year. I used to love the new school year, so much excitement, new books, new notebooks, pencils, etc. I really enjoyed it.

As happy as I am for my son to embark on a new transition, I also feel sad. He is no longer a baby. He is older but I am also happy that he is grown into such a wonderful, loving, and kind person. I am very proud of him. I have heard that as they get older, it gets a little bit harder. I really want to get to know the other parents and make sure that the transition is as smooth as possible.

I am going to connect with other parents on Parentella. Parental involvement is the most important thing in a child's education. You'd have thought it is the latest and the greatest but it boils down to parents being involved. Parentella is one such tool that helps parents stay connected, informed, involved, and on top of it.

10 reasons I am going to be on Parentella:

1. It is free.

2. It is only for parents and teachers.

3. It is private, safe, and secure.

4. It is simple, easy to use, site.

5. It allows busy moms to keep all information regarding the kids in one place. I am so done reading through the stack of paper they send us! If we are all online, it is money saved for school as no more paper is needed.

6. Parentella sends you automated reminders for events, never forget the movie night again!

7. Ask other parents that difficult question in Algebra. One time, my son got homework and it was tough! I wasn't sure really what we were supposed to do and I'd have loved to ask another parent.

8. Get context rich information! Ask a mom in your child's class regarding videogames, allowance, cellphone usage, etc. We are in it together, so might as well help each other.

9. You can archive information for the entire year when you leave the class to join the next grade, you still have access to the information. All the content you created, stays with you.

10. Organize online signups for potlucks, book fairs, staff luncheon, class parties.

Get Parentella, get involved. It is a MUST HAVE for back to school.

This post is written by Aparna Vashisht-Rota, the founding Mom of Parentella.com. Thank you for reading this post and please feel free to write her at aparna (at) parentella dot com.

Good Enough Mom

2009-08-24T17:05:00.000-07:00

Before I became a mom I thought I had motherhood all figured out. I thought that adding children to our little twosome would be a piece of cake. I thought I would just keep working, always have a clean house, cook and bake all while raising my children to have excellent manners.

And then. . .I had kids. I realized that I do not have a Super Woman cape hiding under my clothing. I do not have super human strength and lightning fast speed.
I tried to be Super Mom, but it just was not possible. I want to be a great mom to my kids. But by whose definition?

I am learning that I cannot say "Yes" to everyone and everything. I have learned that some days if I decide to have an afternoon art adventure with my girls. . .the house may stay a mess.

I am going to start making a few changes with this blog and I can't wait to share them with you.

This blog is my journey to helping my children have an unforgettable childhood. If I was trying to be Super Mom I don't think that is the experience that they would have. I think by being a "good enough" mom, we can embark on an amazing adventure.

Stay tuned to some changes around here and don't forget to join my SnazL party on Wednesday afternoon at 3pm EST/2pm CST. It should be a fun time for us to get to know each other better.

Have a great week!

It is Time for a Party!!!

2009-08-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is your invitation to a party! This Wednesday I am having a party at SnazL.com on Back to School Survival and I would love to see you there.

What is SnazL?

"The power of snazL is that it lets us, the community, create Our Story in real-time. We can watch what’s been shared in sync and then respond by chat; by adding new videos, audio, and pictures live to the snazL story for the community to watch as part of the story; even by drawing. Community members can interact from multiple locations through the snazL: they can take any snazL to their own social networks, websites, and blogs for THEIR friends to discover and interact with. Any changes that are made to a snazL from one location or from snazL.com update automatically to every location where it’s located."--from the SnazL.com blog

I have had the opportunity to party with some of the coolest bloggers around over the last two weeks with SnazL. Heather from The Domestic Diva, Danielle from Extraordinary Mommy, Nirasha from Mommy Niri, Beth from Role Mommy and Susan from 5 Minutes for Mom all hosted parties that I was able to attend with SnazL. I was able to chat real time with them and share my stories.

Here is what I am asking you to do. Check out my SnazL below. Go to SnazL.com and register. On your account you can make an album of your back to school pictures and videos. Below is a list of some of the questions we are going to focus on that day.

It doesn't matter if your kids are in preschool or College. It doesn't matter if your kids go to public school, private school or homeschool. We all have tips to share. You might not even have kids, but I am sure you have stories of your own to share.
What are your morning routines?
How do you decide which activities your kids get to be involved in each year?
What are some of your favorite After School Snacks or lunch box secrets?
How do you prepare your children to deal with bullying?

Oh, and before I forget. . .there will be prizes. Who doesn't love prizes. Stuff for your kids and stuff for you! It is going to be a great party, I can't wait to see you there.

Any questions about how all of this works, send me an email at amy.thue(at)hotmail(dot)com. I can't wait to see what you have to share.

Next weeks topic. . .Marriage.

Give Me Your Best Shot - My Little Monkey

2009-08-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

We have survived our first week of Back to School. Nadia misses her sisters during the day, so she will be happy to head to preschool next week. It is hard to believe it is already Friday. Of course we have to start the weekend with a friend sleeping over tonight. (Sleepovers are very important to our 8 year old). I am surprised that they like to do them here, because my husband actually makes them go to bed. He isn't a very fun sleepover dad.

I am going to share one of my favorite pictures of the week with you today. We headed to the park on Tuesday. Nadia dressed herself before we left. Her sisters couldn't believe I let her leave the house dressed this way. I didn't care. At least her clothes matched. She looked better than she does on the days that she is wearing horizontal stripes on top and vertical stripes on the bottom. When I try to get her to change those days she says, "I do to match mom, see stripes and stripes."

She thought she would try to attempt the monkey bars, but this is all the farther she got. . .

I am linking up with Lolli's Give me Your Best Shot today. Head over to her blog to check out more great pictures.

Get Real Girl Goes Green

2009-08-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it, my family does not live very green. Our town does not have curbside recycling. I bought CFL light bulbs almost a year ago and still haven't replaced the old ones. However, I am trying to teach my Daisy Girl Scouts all about helping the environment so I decided I better start doing what I can for the world.

So as my first "Get Real Girl - Goes Green" post I am reviewing two products from Ecostore USA.

What does EcoStore USA have to offer?
Our eco friendly, plant-based household cleaning products are as effective as the leading supermarket brands, and our body and baby care ranges are gentle on your skin and are simply beautiful to use.
All of our products are made from plant- and mineral-based ingredients, free of toxic chemicals that bring people closer to nature with non-toxic, environmentally safe solutions that also help to reduce our carbon footprint.

Our products also help to ensure value for the dollar for our customers. We know it can be expensive to buy natural or organic products but we’ve found a way to safely super-concentrate our formulations. Our super-concentrates means that a little really does go a long way - saving you money by cutting down significantly on cost per use.

What product did I review?
I chose to review the Aloe Vera Shampoo and Conditioner. My oldest daughter and I are always looking for Shampoo and Conditioners that will add moisture. Both her and I have been using these products for the last two weeks.

What do we think?
My daughter can't believe how soft her hair is and we both have had no problems with dry scalp. We both have hair that requires more conditioner than usual, but this has been with any conditioning product we have used. The product smells good. We both think this product works great and it is safe on the environment.

Would you like to try this product?
Ecostore has sent me another set of shampoo and conditioner that I am giving away to one of you. The only thing you have to do is leave a comment.

The contest will end on Wednesday, August 26th at midnight CST.

Back to School

2009-08-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

My oldest girls headed back to school today. They were so excited (I was, too!)

I am linking in with Seven Clown Circus Wordful Wednesday today so I can share our pictures from the day!

Madelyn is headed to her first day of 1st Grade. (I think she thinks when she comes home today she will magically be able to read the books that were too hard for her this summer). She didn't even want me to walk her across the street this morning. I still did, but she was not going to hold my hand.

Taylor headed to 3rd Grade this year. She is excited to learn how to write in cursive.

Nadia wasn't too excited that the girls were leaving without her. She was yelling, "Wait for me!"

The girls were ready to leave at 7:40 this morning. School doesn't start until 8:25. Madelyn's school is only about 5 blocks away and Taylor's is about a 5 minute drive. . .

I love the first day of school!

Makeover Pumpkin Spice Bread

2009-08-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

Tuesday's MckLinky Blog Hop is sharing a favorite recipe. I decided to give you one of my favorite bread recipes. This recipe stays moist and it is a favorite of everyone in my family. It is even pretty healthy! I have it on a recipe card in my box, but I got it from Taste of Home Healthy Cooking or Cooking Light. I can't remember which. . .sorry.

Makeover Pumpkin Spice Bread
2 1/4 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 1/3 c. cake flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
4 eggs
1 can (15 oz) solid packed pumpkin
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/3 c. canola oil

In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. In another bowl, whisk eggs, pumpkin, buttermilk, applesauce and oil. Stir into dry ingredients, just until moistened. Transfer to two 9X5X3" loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Enjoy, YUMMY!

Home at Last

2009-08-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

Vacation was wonderful, but it is so good to be home. I am working up a few posts, but for now, I wanted to share a few photos with you.

Exploring Sylvan Lake

South Dakota really is a beautiful state!

Cooking at the Campground. For now, our camper is our summer home. (I keep telling my hubby we are going to retire someday at a cottage by the beach!)

Reptile Gardens - touching the Giant Tortoises.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Race Track + Camping = Headache

2009-08-15T08:53:00.001-07:00

I am in a fog as I write today. I am still on vacation, which is wonderful, but I am a little under the weather.

I can't remember if I told you that one of the reasons we headed out to the Hills was for my husband's state softball tournament. So it wasn't all play, we are cheerleaders for the next two days. (well, hopefully two days, they have to win another game to play tomorrow).

We moved our camper from our beautiful campsite in the Hills to a campsite in town. We thought we were brilliant because the campground is close to the softball complex so we could come back and hang out in between games. . .(we should always wait to claim brilliance until we have all the details).

Last night we decided to get everyone to bed early. We were all tired and the first game was bright and early this morning. Unfortunately, as we were sitting by the campfire we realized there was a lot of revving car engines. Turns out there are car races right next door. The campground told us they should only go until 10:30, (yeah, more like 11:30). I am not sure how we did it, but the girls actually fell asleep to the lull of the motors.

Not me, honestly, it sounded like our camper was preparing for take-off on the runway. I thought that we were going to be flying over the great blue yonder. Oh and did I forget to mention that I have a sinus cold. Yeah, so my head already felt like it was going to explode.

So much for our brilliance. It is nice that I got to run the girls back here to play in between games. . .and spend a little time at the computer. But tonight, I am taking a couple of tylenol pm and I am going to sleep like a baby.

Fun in the SD Sun

2009-08-12T14:18:00.001-07:00

Okay so I am on vacation and I was one day off on What We are Reading Wednesdays over at Simple Kids. Today is the day that my first review was posted. . .

I can't wait to have time to write about the events of our day today. We are having so much fun. I thought I would share a couple of pictures with you. I probably won't have much to share the rest of the week. The internet access I have is a little slow and unreliable.

It is raining right now, but we have had beautiful weather so far.

"C" is for City Park

2009-08-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

This week Mcklinky's Blog Hop is favorite photo(s). The girls and I are working on a little project called "The ABC's of our Hometown". We have been brainstorming all of our favorite places in town and trying to find something that represents every letter of the alphabet. We are still working on a few letters and then we need to figure out exactly how we want to put it all together. The pictures I am sharing represent the letter "C". After you check out these pictures, go to Simple Kids to check out my first children's book review! It should be up sometime on Tuesday.

"C" is for City Park

Snazl

2009-08-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

I found this really fun new tool called Snazl from Extraordingary Mommy. I think it looks like another fun way to get to know other women online. She is hosting a party today. Check it out!

Rainy Saturday

2009-08-08T09:48:00.001-07:00

What do you do on a rainy Saturday?

Find every pillow and blanket in the house to make a pile and play SuperWoman, of course.

Or make signs for your rooms to try to keep your sisters out of your room.

Oh and there is always hula-hooping in the house.

It might be a really long day. . .

Daddy's Girls

2009-08-07T06:37:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how many times we have heard, "Aren't you going to try for that boy?"

Well "that boy" in our house is always going to be daddy. We have three healthy, beautiful girls in this house and the only boy is their Dad. I have three "daddy's girls". When he walks in the door at night they still yell "Daddy".

This picture was taken at the lake this weekend. I love to capture the private moments that Chad shares with each of his girls.

I am adding this picture to Lolli's "Give Me Your Best Shot".

Excovering

2009-08-05T05:41:00.001-07:00

"Excovering" - my six year old said this word this weekend. We said what is that? I guess it is Exploring and Discovering. Which is exactly what we have been trying to do with our kids all summer.

Today we are joining Angie over at Seven Clown Circus for Wordful Wednesday. . .because anyone that know me knows that I am Word Girl and Wordless isn't really possible for me. So join in the fun.

Today we are Excovering Grandpa's Corn Field. Thought I would share a few pictures.

Nadia even poses in the corn. Whenever I am just about to take a picture, she raises her arm?! That must be her signature model move.

Taylor playing secret agent in the corn.

Madelyn in her signature ponytail and headband.

Daddy looking like he is in heaven in the middle of a corn field.

Oh wait! Is that a picture of me? That can't be, if you look through our pictures I don't belong in this family. There is no record of me in photographs. . .

Why I am so tired today. . .

2009-08-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

I am trying to keep my eyes open this morning. We ran and ran and ran this weekend and relaxed at the same time. (Is that possible). We got home last night and then headed to a birthday party until bedtime.

I am sharing these pictures from our weekend with Emily at Chatting at the Sky for Tuesday's Unwrapped. I feel so blessed to get away from it all as a family and spend some quality time together.

I had to share a few pictures with you from the weekend. It was filled with camping, family time at Grandpa's farm, and a family reunion. My sister-in-law is a teacher and she just took a class on the brain. She said that she learned that brain cells are built by experiences. Our kids should be smart because we try to give them as many experiences that we can. Here a just a few. . .

Playing with the kittens at the farm.

Taking turns driving the tractor.

Hiding in the corn.

Exploring in the soybean field.

Searching for shells.

Brainquest around the fire (building those brain cells with new experiences and brain games!)

Roasting hot dogs on the fire.

Sunset on the Lake.

Pool time with the cousins.

Birthday Swap Fun

2009-07-31T09:53:00.000-07:00

I love blog swaps and I found a great one to participate in.

Shawn over at Seriously Shawn is hosting a birthday swap. It is a great way to meet other bloggers and receive a little prize in the mail from someone else. Click on her button to check it out!

I Gotta Get Out Of This Place

2009-07-31T06:55:00.000-07:00

We are leaving town again today and I can't wait! My hubby has worked really long hours this week so I have hardly seen him. Luckily he comes home for supper, but the girls have a million things to tell him so I don't get a lot of conversation in. It is always wonderful to get him out of town and away from work. I know, he still has his phone, but at least I can look at him while he is talking on it.

I will be away from the computer until Monday, (which is really hard for me), but I have a great new book to review for my Girlfriends Get Real blog so I am going to sit by the lake and read.

I wanted to leave you with an easy, easy weekend meal (that is probably not good for you, but it is yummy). I apologize in advance for my food photography skills, I am still learning and experimenting.

Grilled Pizza is a favorite in our house, on the grill or even better on the campfire. And, it is super easy to make.

First, take out a loaf or two of frozen bread dough and let it rise to bread baking size. (1 load makes two adult pizzas and three little girl pizzas)

Shape your dough into pizza forms. (Mine are never pretty)

Brush Olive Oil on both sides of the dough. (Wow this picture looks like I used a lot of Olive Oil)

Grill on one side for about 3-5 minutes. We really watch them, you want to take them off of the grill when they start getting brown and crispy. (warning, they can get black fast and then you will have little ones that say I don't want to eat the black part)

Remove from the grill and top the grilled side with pizza sauce & alfredo sauce (from the jar), and all of your other fixings. This time we just used pepperoni and cheese. (I was trying to clean out my fridge without going to the store)

Grill for another 3 to 5 minutes until the bottom is crispy and brown.

Enjoy!

About

2009-07-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

I am a stay-at-home mom of three girls living in a small town in South Dakota. I am currently working on two personal blogs. Thue Crue is my family blog. It is my goal as a mom to help my kids have an unforgettable childhood. Adventures of the Thue Crue is my family's adventures, the good the bad and the ugly. We love to explore, craft and let our imaginations run wild.

Girlfriends Get Real is a blog that focuses on my desire to share my thoughts on Faith. I am not perfect and this blog gives me an opportunity to share my story, my struggle and my journey. I love the Lord with all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my strength and all of my mind (Luke 10:27). I strive to grow in my relationship with Jesus Christ every day.

When I am not writing online I can be found: reading, scrapbooking, and spending time with my family. I am married to a wonderful man that helps me to dream big and finances all of our crazy adventures. He graciously lives in a house full of pink, ponytails and a lot of drama.

Taylor is our soon to be 9-year-old daughter. She loves to write and draw. She plays the piano and sings. Already she loves to be center stage.

Madelyn is our soon to be 7-year-old daughter. She is already way too high fashion for me. I don't have to persuade her to get ready in the morning. Soon, I am sure she will be the fashion director of this house. She will tell you already how horrible it is to be the middle child. (and I sympathize with her because I was a middle child, too)

Nadia is our soon to be 4-year-old daughter. She is the Queen of the Castle, just ask her. She starts everyday with chocolate milk and Dora the Explorer. She can be found cruising down the sidewalk on her training wheels shouting, "Look at me!"

My blogs are ever-changing because God isn't finished with me yet. It is my goal to share with my readers a glimpse into our lives as we try to honor Jesus Christ in everything we do. I want this to be a fun place for you to stop off to laugh with me, cry with me and watch me try to create a childhood that my children will never forget.

Sorry In Advance

2009-07-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let all of you following my blog that you will see a few posts from me today. I am working on adding a Navigation Bar to my site and the only way I know how is to post each of the pages I am trying to link to. I guess you won't have click on the links if I ever get them to work because you will have already received them. . .wish me luck all of this computer language is giving me a headache.

My Little CEO

2009-07-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

Okay for those of you that read my Wordful Wednesday post yesterday. . .it gets even better. My oldest daughter has moved on to a formal presentation to get her own room in the basement. I think she will be a CEO someday.

She had a storyboard and speaking prompts. Where did she learn all of this stuff?

She even tried to compliment my "Sense of Style" and her dad's "Strong Man Abilities".

This is her calling her grandpa to come and put her new carpet in. She said he said, "sure" ("What do you think Grandpa?")

Later in the evening I saw all three girls headed upstairs with suitcases. She decided they should help her pack up her room??

Head over to Cheaper Than Therapy to join in A Thousand Word Thursday Fun.

Wordful Wednesday - Eight Year Olds To Do List

2009-07-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

I know I shared a few photos with you on the MckLinky Blog hop, but I can never resist Wordful Wednesday over at 7 Clown Circus.

Last night my husband and I were outside making supper on the grill when our (way too smart for age 8) oldest daughter came outside with a notebook in hand. She stood in front of us and said, "Okay I have a list of things that need to get done around this house."

My husband and I just laughed, but she continued with her list. It had things on it that we needed to get done before she can move her room into the basement. And a few wish items like a dog?!

After every item she read to us she would say, "Not Checked". After the wish list items like a TV in her room she would say, "Definitely not checked."

She even had a drawing of how she would lay out her room when we finished her list of to-do's.

She went in the house and my husband and I were talking about one of the major items that she had forgotten on her list that would have to be done before anything else.

A few minutes later she came outside and said, "By the way, I forgot about this. . ."

Unbelievable, like I said before, way too smart for her own good. We got a good laugh out of it. Too bad, a lot of the things on her list really do need to be done. Except for the puppy and the TV, definitely will remain unchecked!

Favorite Kid Photo (from this week)

2009-07-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

Another MckLinky Blog Hop is here and this week is Favorite Kid Photos. This was a hard one because I have taken over 800 pictures just this summer. I decided that I wasn't taking enough pictures and well, I maybe got a little carried away.

These first few pictures actually just happened tonight. Little one went to the pool with her sisters. She is wearing a swimsuit she hasn't had on all summer. She said, "Look Mom, I have stripes on my butt."

Her big sister got into the pool to catch her. Thanks honey, mommy didn't really want to get wet today!

My #2 said, "Take a picture of me mom!" and she plugged her nose and went under.

All tuckered out. Can you see the chocolate around Little One's mouth. She fell asleep eating chocolate chips.

Weekend in Review

2009-07-27T07:19:00.001-07:00

Our girls arrived home safely from the Taylor Swift concert. They had so much fun and they even brought little one a t-shirt and me a guitar pick.

Saturday night we decided we needed to do the fire pit. It is a great place for us to all sit around without the distraction of the tv or computer and talk. Smores are always on the menu. We were trying to see who would see the first star of the night.

Even one of the wild little kittens had to check out the fire.

Sunday we spent all day (I mean 11:00 in the morning until 8:00 at night) at softball games. We love it that Daddy still loves to play, but it can make for a very long, hot, (sometimes) boring day. The girls were so good. We brought a cooler full of food and they brought a van full of entertainment.

Later in the day they found a hose and water so they cooled themselves off.

Can you believe I only gave them $.75 all day for the concession stand. I guess the cooler paid off.

Now we are starting another week. One week closer to the first day of school. We are going to start working on a fun project today. I can't wait to share the finished product.

Little one just walked into the house with four paint rollers?? That is not the kind of project I was thinking of. I better sign off for now.

Littlest Pet Shop Houses

2009-07-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

Last Monday when we were camping, it rained and rained and rained.

Thank goodness we have a camper and not tents. My hubby and I sat under the awning and watched the rain. The girls entertained themselves inside. They had brought all of their LIttlest Pet Shops. They started to dig around to find accessories for their imaginative play.

They found plates that they transformed into houses for their pets. They had so much fun. What a great idea. The best part is they came up with it all by themselves.

Here are a few pictures of their fun.

Happy Friday

2009-07-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

Okay so for all of my family and friends visiting my blog today. I am going to leave you with a few new pics of the girls. I wish that I lived down the street from some of you so you could see the girls everyday in their finest and not so finest (then I could leave them with you on the uglier days) :-)

I am still hopping around the blog world today meeting wonderful new blogging friends and checking out blogs that are a lot prettier than mine.

Today's BlogNerd link up is about advise for other bloggers. I am still learning here. The main thing I have learned from this blogging experience is reflected in my blogging name "Get Real Girl". I am slowly gaining a few followers, I would love to add more to both of my blogs. I am excited today to check out new blogs and get new ideas. There are a lot of great sites to download free background templates to make your blog "pretty". And there are also a lot of great bloggers that do custom designs. I hope to get a little custom work done here, when I kick-off some new ideas in the fall.

So if you are a blogger and you want to check out some cool blogs, go to BlogHop '09 or the BlogNerd Bash.

Blognerd Bash

2009-07-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

O'kay, so I am pretty new the world of blogging and I am really still trying to figure it all out. So I decided the best way to do that is to visit as many blogs as I possibly can and learn from the experts.

One way to do this is to participate in blog hops. So starting today I am participating in BlogNerd Bash. A lot of bloggers will be in Chicago this weekend for Blogher. I won't. :-( This is my way of still meeting bloggers.

In September I am hoping to do a huge makeover on this site. I hope it will be fun for everyone so stay tuned.

Part of the Blognerd Bash is to tell a little about yourself, (deep breath), so, here goes.

My name is Amy. I am a SAHM of three girls, Taylor (8), Madelyn (6) and Nadia (3). Everyone is nearing their next birthday so we are starting to gear up for fall parties. I am married to a wonderful man who is my hero, (you can read about it here).

I was a working mom until my youngest was 6 months old. I have a degree in mass communications and have worked in the marketing, customer service and healthcare industries.

I love to write and read. I would love to have more time to craft, (hopefully when my children are a little older). As my youngest starts school I would like to begin freelance work as a writer. I love to sing and lead worship at my home church.

Most importantly, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. He is the most important part of my life. I am on a faith journey that has its ups and downs, but every night I go to sleep in peace, knowing that I believe in a big God that is always with me. I write about my faith journey on my other blog Girlfriends Get Real. In blog world I am the Get Real Girl. Because life isn't easy and way too many people try to pretend that it is. My writing is from my heart, no fluff, it is just me being real.

Visit Amanda to check out this Blog Hop!

And. . .there is another great Blogher at Home Blog Hop. Make sure you check in out here.

Behind the Green Door

2009-07-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

I have a lot to get done today. I am overwhelmed with the messiness and disorganization in my house. It is funny how the kids know when I just have to be left alone to get everything back in working order. I was busy slaving away over my domestic tasks when I realized they were being way too quiet. I decided I better search for them.

I heard giggling from behind this green door.

They heard movement outside their clubhouse.

I think they are hiding from their crabby mom.

Wordful Wednesday - Follow the Trail

2009-07-22T05:37:00.000-07:00

*Wordful Wednesday is for those of us that like to showcase a photos but that just can't seem keep our mouths shut about them. If you'd like to play along, post a photo on your blog, and let the words roll.

I have so many wonderful pictures to share from our weekend away as a family. Here are a few of my favorites. It was an amazing weekend for all of us. It helped us all to remember how much fun we can have together and that we really do like each other.

Join the Wordful Wednesday fun at 7 Clown Circus!

Play Day

2009-07-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

My kids ran me ragged yesterday. It was play day from the time they woke up until bedtime. I was exhausted and they are still sleeping. (That is unusual for little one).

I wanted to share a few pictures from the day. Nadia went from one thing to the next and then back again. It was a great day. Now I need to get my camper packed up for a nice long weekend away. (I should have done it yesterday, but we were having way too much fun).

Backyard Picnic (very simple sandwiches, strawberries and string cheese). We love backyard picnics. The conversation is always interesting and the food just tastes better outside.

Scrapbooking - I let them overtake the table with their supplies. I give them pictures and they create. I used to try to help, but I ended up telling them what to do. Now I just help little one with her "sticks". (what she calls scrapbook tape)

Rollerblading - Nadia really wants to rollerblade like her sisters. I am always a little nervous that she is going to kick me in the shin. (It has happened before and these little rollerblades hurt!)

Wordless Wednesday. . .Time for Bed

2009-07-15T05:48:00.000-07:00

Everyone else was enjoying smores in the fire pit. Nadia decided that she was ready for bed. She built herself a little place to sleep on the sidewalk.

Cupcakes, Cotton Candy and the Circus

2009-07-13T06:31:00.001-07:00

Our family is on a sugar high from a fun filled weekend. We are going to have to eat a lot of fruits and veggies this week to make up for it.

We left for Grandma's house on Thursday. The girls got in a lot of coloring, park playing and beach swimming.

They were tired when we headed back home.

Instead of getting everyone to bed early, we headed to the circus. It is only in town for two nights and the girls have Vacation Bible School tonight. Have you ever been to an outside 3-ring circus? It was great!

Last night when we finally got home, the girls had to give me my birthday presents. Grandma helped them make me books. Little one made me a journal that I can write in. My middle one made me a card.

My oldest decided to write me a story. It is amazing to see what they can do with blank paper, markers and big imaginations.

By the way, this morning the mama cat was keeping guard over the kittens she placed under our deck. She wasn't very happy that I was looking at her. (It is a little blurry because I took it through the screen).

Anybody need a kitten?

Don't forget to click here, to sign up for my Birthday Giveaway.

32 and counting

2009-07-11T05:43:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday, YEAH!! I am celebrating over at my other blog, Girlfriends Get Real. Head over to check out my giveaways in honor of my 32nd birthday. They are just a few things to let you know a little more about me and all the things that I love! Happy Birthday to me, but presents for you. What could be better?

To Grandmother's House We Go

2009-07-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

For the second week in a row the girls and I loaded up the vehicle and hit the road to Grandma and Grandpa's house. It is my Birthday tomorrow so I am dropping off the kids for a weekend alone with my hubby. We are actually going to a softball tournament he is playing in, but it is still a weekend without the kids.

We had a great trip here. Little one slept the first half of the trip. I brought my hubby's pickup (which has wireless headphones and a DVD player) so it was a quiet drive.

This week I have been eating healthy (no chocolate). I walked into my parent's house and there sitting on the counter were Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese filling and homemade Chocolate Frosting. . . What do you do?

Scratch the healthy eating for the weekend and dig in. After all, she made them for me for my birthday. Plus, my dad is planning a feast for lunch today before I take off, so that scratches today. And of course I am going to eat whatever I want for my birthday. Oh well, I guess I will start over on Monday.

I asked my little one what we were going to do today at Grammy's. She said, "Go to the library and the beach and the park." I guess she wants to wear me down before I leave her.

By the way, we did catch a kitten yesterday from under the deck. It was so cute and I didn't want to put it back. I reluctantly did. When we get back on Sunday, the mama will probably have moved them since I touched one of them. If not, my sister said if we catch them we can bring them to her farm. I am not sure how we will get them to the farm without keeping one. . .

Check back tomorrow to see my first giveaway in honor of my birthday!

Tales from the Thue Crue Zoo

2009-07-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

I have shared with you tales of birds and bunnies that live in our backyard. Well, yesterday my little ones made a new discovery. . .Kittens.

Our backyard deck seems to be a haven for animals. O'kay for two adults that are not huge animal people, I think God is laughing at us.

The girls were of course thrilled with their discovery. The cats however, were way too fast for them and now are shaking under the deck because of the shrill of little girl screams. I am finding that maybe inside of me their is a love for all things furry, and I am fighting it with all my might

Last night when the girls were preoccupied I snuck outside to check out our newest addition to the Thue Crue Backyard Zoo. Staring at me through the deck cracks were 5 kittens. These are not newborn kittens, they are probably the size they should be when you are giving them away. I wanted to hold one really bad. They are soooo cute.

I came back in the house and told my hubby there are 5 kittens, not three (that was the number the girls were guessing earlier). I told them how cute they are and how I really want to hold one. He rolled his eyes at me and said, "Do not start to feed them. Hopefully the mama cat will realize they have been found and will move them." (He is a farm kid that believes all animals belong on the farm).

My three year old went out to check on the kittens with me last night before bed. She looked up at me with her big brown eyes and said, "Mommy will you catch one for me so I can keep it?" She melted my heart right then.

I really wanted to post a picture of them peeking at me through the deck, but this morning the mama was keeping guard. She heard me coming and shooed them deeper under the deck to an area I cannot see. Maybe my hubby's wish will come true and she will move them now because they have been found.

Or maybe, later today we can grab a picture of them to post for all to see.

On another note, the flowers we planted for earth day (from seeds) are finally starting to bloom. Here is one pic for you. I am not a green thumb and I have never grown anything from a seed. I am so happy the girls are getting to see the flowers. Maybe next year we will try a few more.

Wordless Wednesday. . .Runaway

2009-07-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

If I didn't know better I would have thought she was running away. . .

Joining Wordless Wednesdays with 5 Minutes for Mom.

Favorite Photo Blog Hop

2009-07-07T06:02:00.000-07:00

This week's McLinky Blog Hop Theme is Favorite Photo. This picture is a great reminder for me to stop and enjoy summer. Nadia loves her freezies, but she has to have the Dora gloves to eat them.

Fourth of July

2009-07-06T06:44:00.000-07:00

Well, the Fourth of July weekend started out very wet.

We woke up on Saturday to blue skies and beautiful weather.

We headed back in from the campground on Sunday afternoon. We were all a little tired so we sat on the porch to unwind. My middle child decided we needed to take some pictures. It is amazing how silly kids get when you get out a camera. (Our oldest missed out on the fun because she is too cool for us).

I hope everyone has a great week. This is our last week of ball games so hopefully we will get to start to slow down and enjoy the rest of the summer.

Oh and by the way I won a fabulous prize a few weeks ago over at Composing Hallelujahs and I had to show off the pictures of what I won. This refrigerator scrapbook was created by Jaime from Scrapbooking Made Simple. It is fabulous. She also included some magnets. YEAH for Me! I can't wait to print some pictures to fit inside. Check out her Etsy Shop. She is great. Thank you Dana at Composing Hallelujahs for a fabulous giveaway and thank you Jaime for your wonderful creations. Check them both out. They are definitely worth the stops!

Dancing in the Rain

2009-06-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

This picture is from Friday night at Camp Thue. Our plans were to rent the pool and have a family swimming party. Some of the kids put their swimsuits on hours before the party.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature had different plans. A thunderstorm came through and they cancelled the party. This didn't stop the kids from getting wet. They went out and played in the rain. They jumped in mud puddles and twirled in the rain. They had a blast.

Instead of whining and complaining about the cancelled party, they embraced the rain. In the pool they would have all went separate ways. In the rain, no matter their age, they played in it together. I think they will remember dancing in the rain. . .a lot more than splashing in the pool.

Today I am linking up to Emily at Chatting at the Sky for Tuesdays Unwrapped. To read more about finding joy in the mess of ordinary life, check it out.

Messy Art Party - Camp Thue Part 1

2009-06-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

Here is the first activity we did at Camp Thue. I had visions of setting up a great tablescape for lunch pre-party. For some reason with this family it just never works. Half of the adults decided to sit inside. Nobody seems to all sit down and eat at the same time, etc. So, I just set up the food and plates and let them dig in.

After lunch I set up the art stations. I had eight stations for the kids to explore.
1. Feet Sponge Painting
2. Wall Mural Painting
3. Paint a Koozie
4. Bubbles
5. Sidewalk Chalk
6. Playdough
7. Finger Painting
8. Beading

At the end we tie-dyed t-shirts. I decided this shouldn't be a station because it was easier to do it all together.

Most of these kids do not get to do "Messy Art" at home so it was fun to let them get dirty. Here are some pictures of the fun.

Feet Sponge Painting. They started with sponges on their feet. That didn't last long. They took off the sponges and just used their feet to paint.

Wall Mural Painting. The kids kept wandering back over to the fence to add more to this masterpiece.

Paint a Koozie. These were the only non-washable paints that were used. The kids loved doing this and after they dried they used them the rest of the weekend. We didn't let the kids drink pop, but their little water bottles fit snug so they still were able to use them.

The kids had the most fun cleaning up the paint that they got on the sidewalk.

Sunday Afternoons in the Summer

2009-06-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

We survived Camp Thue, barely, we are all exhausted. I will blog this week on the Messy Art Party, Horseback Riding, etc. It was a blast. The cousins went home tired, fed and a little bit dirtier than when they came, but I think they will all come back next year.

Of course today after the last of the family left, I wanted to sit in a comatose state in the chair and relax, maybe take a little nap. . .but that was not going to fly with the girls. They are just coming off of being entertained for three days so they want the fun to continue. It was either find them something to do or they would sit in front of the TV for the rest of the day.

We had already been to the swimming pool so I decided to dig out the Tempra Paints, pencils, drawing books and big white paper. I think it is important to put away the coloring books and give them blank paper so they use their imaginations. Of course I had to sit down with them and participate. They don't like it when I set out the supplies and leave them to craft alone.

Hopefully they are satisfied for a little while. I think their dad will be home from work soon, maybe he can entertain them this evening.

If Only I had a Magic Wand

2009-06-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

If only I had a magic wand, I would wave it and my house would be clean. It is a beautiful day out, (well besides the wonderful South Dakota wind), but I am cleaning like mad. I did decide to take a little break to blog a bit. I did promise an after picture of my closet project, but I cannot get blogger to cooperate with me and it will only upload upside down. I will have to try again later.

So today, I move on to another room, another project. I do have a deadline. Thursday night my husband's family starts to arrive so I am under the gun to get going. I didn't get my Spring Cleaning done that I needed to, so I am focusing on Summer Cleaning.

This is going to be our Annual Camp Thue. I wish my house was clean so I could focus on the fun stuff. I am planning a big Messy Art Party for my nieces and nephews and I would much rather be getting the supplies ready for that.

Hopefully by tomorrow, my house will be clean and I will be figuring out all of the activities that are going to make my house messy again.

The Closet

2009-06-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

I should be embarased to post a picture of this closet. But, I am not. It is reality in this Stay-at-home mom's house. This is my entry closet (that isn't in a separate entryway. It is in my dining room). It is one of the many tasks on my plate for this Monday. My husband's family is coming this weekend. Most of them come once a year. I am a little stressed over the tasks ahead of me this week.

I decided that I am going to take it one room at a time. You see, I am domestically challenged. I told my husband yesterday, "It isn't that I don't want a clean house, I love a clean house. The problem is, I am not sure how to get there." So I go to tackle the closet. I will post an after picture. . .that will be motivation to do a good job. First task: put away the winter coats, gloves and hats. Except for Nadia's one pair. She needs those for her freezies.

Second task: Trying to keep my kids from going to the pool today so I can get my work done at home. I might have to hire a babysitter. You see, I can never say, the pool isn't open today. In the below picture, the gray house behind my daughter, just beyond the fence. . .that is my house. My girls know exactly when the pool opens and when it closes. Now you can see why we spend so much time at the pool.

Have a great Monday!

Home Again Home Again

2009-06-20T06:25:00.000-07:00

Well, we survived our trip to Hobby Lobby yesterday. . .barely. Our trip did not start out very well at all, it went from bad to worse. I ran around trying to get out of town so we could get home at a decent hour.

We had just left our house and my middle daughter said to me, "mom, why are you in such a hurry?"

Of course, just as the words came out of her mouth I saw the police officer. Sitting in his car just waiting for someone like me to drive down the street. I was going 30 in a 20 (not sure why that road is only 20 mph). So my goal was to be really careful about how much money I spent yesterday. . .well I spent $70 on a speeding ticket before I even got out of town.

We finally got out of town, no road construction on the bridge, this trip was going to be just fine.

Then I hear those dreaded words from my middle child, "Mom I think I am going to throw up."

I had her move to the front seat and I blew cold air at her. I told her to close her eyes. I tried everything I could think of. I should have just pulled over to the side of the road. Unfortunately on this drive through Nowhereland, there is not really any shoulders along the road. In fact, there is a lot of really tall grass. And with really tall grass in the Dakotas, by the river, is also, rattlesnakes. Especially this year with our high water levels. So, I didn't want to pull over. I should have pulled over. I looked over to her and she threw up. All over herself. Yuck. No extra clothes, no wet ones. Just a few napkins. Yikes.

We found an approach and I got her cleaned up as best I could. The seat and her hands got a majority of the throw up so her clothes were not as bad as they could have been.

We were getting close to town now and I thought we were going to get to the store, I would run in and get a new outfit for her and then we could start our shopping trip.

Then I hear the second most dreaded words in the car from my youngest, "Mommy, I have to go potty."

Are you kidding me. We still have this tall grass/rattlesnake issue. Only now we are about 15 miles from town. I plead with her to hold it and I will take her to the first gas station I see. We got about 5 miles from town and she said, "I'm going."

Crap. So now I have puke and pee soaked clothes, no extra outfits, no wet ones and I wanted to cry.

The only thing I could do is drive as fast as I could to the nearest Kohl's and find some new outfits. Of course, as soon as we got to the store my littlest said, "I have to go potty again." Well, I could not take her into the store with her wet pants so I made my middle child give her shorts to the littlest. Before we got out of the car my middle child said, "Get me something cute, you know I am picky."

We ran into the store as fast as we could. She was holding the shorts on because they were three sizes too big.We got everyone outfitted in cute clothes and I decided we were eating lunch at my favorite spot. No McDonalds today, I deserved a big bowl of pasta.

We did get back home safely. We did salvage the trip and have fun after all. Next time I head out of town, I am going on a Saturday and leaving the kids home with their dad!

Give Me Your Best Shot

2009-06-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

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Linking over to Lolli at Better In Bulk for Give Me Your Best Shot. I was trying to get a shot of the two of us by holding out the camera in front of us. This captures her personality perfectly.

Hobby Lobby Here We Come

2009-06-19T06:48:00.001-07:00

Well, I am getting ready to load up my 3 and 6 year old girls for a trip to Hobby Lobby. Unfortunately, the nearest Hobby Lobby is 1 1/2 hours away. (And this 1 1/2 hours is through the middle of what my girls have labeled as "nowhere land". It isn't just slow traffic through a big metropolis. My cell phone doesn't have service and the towns are few.) But, this is a much needed trip. . .

I am excited to get out of my little town for the day, but shopping with my girls in tow always makes me a little nervous. Some trips are great. Everyone gets along and I don't end up with tons of extra packages. Some trips it seems that we are all almost in tears before we head home.

I am excited to get some supplies for the Outdoor Art Party and Nature Observation Stations that I will be hosting next week for my nieces and nephews. Plus I have seen some amazing Father's Day Ideas in blogworld that I need to get done before Sunday. (Last minute is when I seem to acomplish my best work).

Here is a shout out for some great Fathers day Ideas from Roots and Wings Co. I love this blog and they have a couple of ideas that I just have to try. Scroll down through the week, they have a lot of ideas.

Party planning

2009-06-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

I am busy trying to make my plans for the second annual Camp Thue. All of my husband's family will be here for a weekend of entertaining. And I will be the one doing the entertaining. I am trying to figure out all of the activities, menus, etc. We have kids ages 2 weeks old to an 11 year old.

I know there are a lot of awesome bloggers that focus on kids activities and party planning. I need your help. If you have a blog or an ideas, post in the comments so I can head over to your blog and check it out.

Kids in the Kitchen

2009-06-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I asked the girls to help me decide the menu for supper. They sat and flipped through the New Junior Cookbook from Better Homes and Gardens. Their decision was Chicken Fajitas and Gimme S'more (Please) Dessert.

They really didn't care about the entree. In fact, they let me do all of the work for the actual meal. They were only interested in dessert. It isn't easy for me to let them help in the kitchen, but I took a deep breath and we had a lot of fun. My middle child had a blast crushing the graham crackers with a meat mallet.

My youngest wasn't a lot of help, but she managed to sneak a few chocolate chips and marshmallows.

My oldest was the most help. She read the recipe, helped measure out ingredients and made sure everyone got an equal amount of tasks in the preparation.

The result: Thumbs up from everyone except the youngest. She just wanted more plain marshmallows and chocolate chips.

Here is the recipe for dessert, it was really easy to make and it tasted really good.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter
18 graham cracker squares
1/3 cup sugar
1 12 oz jar fudge ice cream topping
2 cups tiny marshmallows
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 6 oz serving size pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
1 8 oz container frozen whipped dessert topping, thawed
1/4 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chip pieces
8X8X2 inch baking pan (just a note. . .we used a 9X13 pan, we missed that direction, oops)

1. Put butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover bowl with waxed paper. Place in microwave and cook 40 seconds or until melted. Cover with waxed paper before starting the microwave.
2. Put graham crackers in a plastic bag and crush into fine crumbs. Pour into baking pan. Add the sugar and melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixed. (Save out 1/3 of mixture to crumble on top) Put into freezer for 10 minutes.
3. Remove lid from fudge topping. Microwave 45 seconds (we found this wasn't quite enough to have it really easy to pour. Pour over cooled crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup of marshmallows.
4. Pour milk into the large mixing bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Use a rubber scraper to gently stir in half of the whipped topping. (save the rest for a future use). Pour onto marshmallows. Spread evenly on pan.
5. Sprinkle with remaining marshmallows, the saved cracker mixture and the chocolate chips. Cover with foil and freeze for at least 1 hour.

Surprise Visit

2009-06-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my husband's dad made a quick trip out to see the girls play softball. The weather was not the greatest, but he did get to see them play a little bit. After the games he took everybody out for ice cream. Bonus.

Today he went outside and played catch with the girls. The girls were so excited to have him here. With their grandparents in different towns 3 1/2 hours away they miss out on a lot of the day to day activities they are involved in.

I am linking to Tuesdays Unwrapped over at Chatting at the Sky. This surprise visit from Grandpa was a wonderful gift for all of us.

Left Behind

2009-06-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

It amazes me that my two older girls are 8 & 6 and already I am not cool to be around. Their friends trump me every time. . . So yesterday they both had opportunities to spend the day with their friends. They took the opportunity and were gone before I could object.

I love it that they both have so many friends. . .but we always have one problem. The little sister that gets left behind. She is 3 and she does not like it when her sissies leave her. She starts to ask five minutes after they leave, "Can we go pick my sissies up now?" It breaks my heart. She was stuck with me all day so I tried to entertain her the best I could while still trying to get done a few things around the house.

I have to share a few pictures from our day.

At least she wasn't shooting me with the water. She told me she was drawing pictures on the sidewalk.

Isn't it amazing that you try and try to teach them how to pedal and they don't get it. Then one day they just get on the bike and ride it????

After all of our fun she wanted a freeze pop. I wondered why she asked me for her Dora gloves. . .

Trying to Get Organized

2009-06-11T06:14:00.001-07:00

I would love to blog about how organized I am as a mother. . .but I can't. I have millions of ideas running crazy in my head, but there is not a lot of organization up there to get all of those ideas accomplished.

This summer when I was looking for idea books for our summer of fun I came across a book called, The Family Manager's Guide to Summer Survival by Kathy Peel. I decided I needed to add it to my cart at Amazon and see how I am going to survive this summer.

I am so pleased that I got this book. There are tons of really great ideas. That is a bonus. The best part of the book for me was the section with the Summertime Development Chart. She encourages you and your spouse to come up with some goals for each child. She bases these goals on Luke 2:52. She says, "Luke 2:52 says that when Jesus was a young boy, he grew in wisdom (intellectually), stature (physically), favor with God (spiritually), and favor with man (socially). So you set four goals for each of your children based on these four concepts.

I think this is a great idea. I do not want to over organize my kids' free time, but they do need a little guidance. For example, my middle daughter is learning how to read and we really need to keep working with her this summer. Her intellectual goal will be to improve her reading skills.

I am so excited to sit down and make some plans, but I wanted to share this awesome find. I will share more after I have some time to develop my charts.

Have a great Thursday!

Daisy Flower Power

2009-06-08T04:54:00.000-07:00

I am headed with my Girl Scout Troop to Day Camp today. My troop is Daisies so we don't go overnight, we just have a little four hour camp. Last night my 6 year old and I had to make some S.W.A.P.S. to exchange with the other girls. We had never done an event before so we did not realize that S.W.A.P.S were part of the deal until last minute.

She made bee pins out of pipe cleaners and craft foam. They really did turn out cute and they were pretty easy to make. I did all of the hot glue gun work so she couldn't do them all by herself. Below are the instructions for the project. Now hopefully the rain will stay away today for this outside event. . .

Cut a black and yellow pipe cleaner in half.

Wrap the pipe cleaners around a pencil side by side.

Cut out wings from white craft foam paper.

Hot glue the wings and eyes to the pipe cleaners.

Hot glue the pin to the back of the wings.

Bees are ready for the SWAP.

Girls are Mean

2009-06-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had my first experience of being the mom of a kid that was bullied. I sent my little (8 year old) to softball practice. She is old enough this year that she practices with 8-12 year old girls. My oldest is a little athlete, but she is only 8. This is her first year out of t-ball into the "bigger" kids league.

She had her first practice of the summer and it was horrible. The softball field is across the street from my house so she went over on her bike. There was about 15 minutes left when she walked in the door. I could tell something was wrong. She burst into tears and said that a couple of girls were being mean to her.

She said she missed catching a couple of balls and they started saying stuff to her, and they wouldn't drop it. Oh, my mama bear instinct came out. I kept myself from marching over there to give the girls and coaches a little piece of my mind. She calmed down and was fine, but I was still so mad.

I am a parent that believes that sports can really teach my children some valuable life lessons, if they are done correctly. Sports can give children the opportunity to build confidence and be healthy. I believe that some competition as children is good for them. However, I also believe that if they have bad experiences as young children with sports, it can ruin their experience with sports for life.

My hubby and I love going over to the ball field with our girls to throw the ball around and help them learn the game. I wanted to share a few pictures of our last trip over to the field.

The oldest gets a little bored waiting for her sisters to actually hit the ball. . .

The baby was mad because we were giving her older sisters a little too much attention. Oh well, she was still having fun.

Our middle girl is learning to hit the ball without the tee.

Kick Off to Summer Party

2009-06-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

Well! We all survived the Party. Every year I let the girls celebrate a Kick Off to Summer Party. This year I did the party for both girls together. So. . .there were 22 girls in my backyard. (I don't have a very big backyard). It was crazy, but it was a blast. We decided to do a camping theme this year. We didn't get real fancy with the invites since we were having so many girls attend.

The girls wanted to help get ready for the party, but that lasted about 15 minutes and they were over it. Their contribution was the "No Boys Allowed (Except Dad)" Sign, that they insisted they needed. . .

We started out the party with painting ceramic bugs. (note to self: next time make sure I tell the moms to have their girls wear old clothes or have a lot of paint shirts).

Next we played Rainbow Tag. They had tons of fun with this game. I found the idea for this game in my Family Fun Magazine. We changed the game a little bit. In our version, nobody was "it", the winner was the one that found all six colors first.

Next up, we split them into four teams for a Scavenger Hunt. This activity did not take nearly as long as I thought it would, but they had fun with it. They found the items really fast.

Now it was back to the art table for Bagel Bird Feeders. My aunt gave me the idea and it was a hit. I found the instructions on Hearts and Trees Blog. Each girl got one half of a bagel. They spread the flat side with peanut butter. Next, they dipped the peanut butter side in a pie plate filled with Bird Seed. The final step was tying a string through the center of the bagel. I realized (a little late), that I should have tied them with the string before they put peanut butter on them.

Finally it was time for the Fire Pit. I got one of my friend's son to play his guitar and the girls sang along. After they screamed "No boys Allowed" a few hundred times, they did let him sing. It was great.

We finished the night with Smores. It did get a little crazy with sticks and marshmallows and fire. Thankfully some parents stepped in and helped us get it accomplished.

Here are a few pictures of the menu. We didn't do a lot of food because we started right after supper. We did Jello Jigglers, Butterfly Fruit-n-Cheese Mix, and Dirt Cups. I found all of my recipe ideas on the Kraft Foods Website.

I usually try to do cool goody bags, but I told the girls the guest list was a little bit too big for anything fancy. So I found a Journal Idea in Family Fun Magazine that I tweeked into a nature journal. I gave all the girls glow sticks, too. Then they had their painted bugs and bird feeders to finish off their treats from the party.

Another Summer Kick Off Party done. . .now I can relax until the Fall Birthday Party Season hits.

Good thing today I have a Girlfriends Day Shopping Trip Planned with no kids. . .I need it!

Party Day!

2009-06-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

The big party day is here! 22 little girls running around in my backyard. (Well, hopefully. . .I am praying for no rain and warm weather).

Time to get moving. . .there is a lot to do before 7:00 pm. Can't wait to show pictures tomorrow of the party! Wish me luck.

Home from the Hills

2009-05-31T19:59:00.001-07:00

We had an incredible weekend in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Unfortunately we did not have a lot of time to enjoy the tourist areas that are available. However, it was a much needed time to relax and enjoy the view.

The girls and I had our first road trip with Grandpa at the wheel. Not really sure he will take us along again. My little one was a little grouchy until we were over half way to our destination.

We did take a little stop on the way for lunch. We had to take advantage of a photo opportunity in front of the Faith Dinosaur Museum. . .

We spent the weekend watching my nephew run track. Well, the girls didn't really watch. I bribed them with new markers and coloring books.

It was a great trip, relaxing and exhausting all at the same time.

What's up this week. . .t-ball, softball, a kick-off to summer party with 20 girls ages 6 to 8, a much needed girlfriends shopping trip (no kids allowed). If I survive during the week, it is off to another camping trip with a little softball tourney on the side.

Headed for the Hills

2009-05-28T05:49:00.000-07:00

We are just getting ready to head out to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Unfortunately this time we won't be taking in Mt. Rushmore or some of the other tourist attractions. We are headed to Deadwood today. My aunt and uncle have a beautiful home on the mountain.

Tomorrow we will spend the day watching track in Spearfish and then Saturday we will finish up our weekend watching track in Rapid City.

It should be nice and green out there. I should have some great photo opportunities! I will share them on Sunday!

Have a great weekend!

Poetry Time

2009-05-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

One of the activities I decided to do with my girls this summer vacation is Poetry on Tuesdays. I meant to get this posted yesterday, but it didn't happen so I am sharing today. First we read from Jack Prelutsky's book, It's Raining Pigs & Noodles.

Then the girls picked a topic and we started to brainstorm. They decided to write about the bunnies in our backyard. Below is their creation. I decided to leave it in the spelling that my eight year-old used. I got them a new composition book to record all of their poetry in for the summer.

Backyard Bunnies

By: Taylor, Madelyn and Nadia Thue

Four little bunnys made their home in our backyard.

We really tried to catch them but it was really hard.

When we're really quiet we can sneek a peek.

But then our little sister gets excited and gives a big shriek! EEK!

My dad wants them to disapear.

But he's no magician, so they just reappear.

A hungry dog found our bunnys running free.

We're not sure what happened, but now there's only three.

I really tried to let them do it and not give a lot of input. I did help them come up with rhyming words. One of my purposes of this activity is to get my middle child reading. After they finished the poem, she read it back to us. Hopefully this activity will help her work on some of her words and make it fun for her.

Now what should we do today. . .

Memorial Weekend Fun

2009-05-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

Summer vacation is officially here. My two older girls are still in bed at 9:00. Too bad my little one still got up at 7:30. Oh well, it has still been a good morning. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like their first day home from school is going to be bright and sunny. I think we are in for a little rain.

I was planning a little poetry activity with them today so that will keep us busy for a little while and maybe the sun will shine a little later.

I wanted to share a few pictures from our first camping outing of the season. The weather could have been better, but we still had a blast.

On Saturday morning the girls participated in one of the Game, Fish and Parks activities. They learned about building dams and then they went down to the river and built their own dams. Everyone got a little dirty, but they had fun.

Taylor took in a little fishing and thought it was great when she caught two fish at the same time. The weekend was filled with fishing, exploring, and a lot of Smores.

Slip and Slide and Monster Cookies

2009-05-18T14:39:00.001-07:00

The swimsuits were dug out of the drawers and the slip and slide was pulled out of the cupboard. Summer weather is finally here! After school the girls did not hesitate to ask if they could pull out the slip and slide. It took a little digging, but the slip and slide was found and the fun began.

After a little slipping and sliding the girls feasted on fresh from the oven Monster Cookies (I love Schwan's).

Earlier today Nadia got a few of our flowers planted. She loves finding the bugs. She spent a little time talking to a ladybug and then she moved on to the worms. Now if only we can keep the bunnies away from the flowers. . .

Swimsuits are here. Where is the warm weather?

2009-05-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

The new swimsuits arrived in the mail today. I thought that the warm weather would follow them here. It did not. The wind is still blowing (I am not sure it ever stops blowing in South Dakota).

Even though it is a little chilly we had to chase the bunnies around in the yard today. It is amazing the hours of entertainment three wild little bunnies can have on a three year old. (And her mom).

My oldest is turning into a little photographer trying to get pictures of the bunnies before they disappear. They already think a dog, (that they have decided is named Jack), has eaten one of their little bunnies. We went from 4 to 3. All of the bunnies have names, too.

One of our goals for the summer is to try to appreciate the great outdoors. Starting in our very own backyard.

School's (almost) Out for the Summer. . .

2009-05-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

Two days and one week left and school is out for the summer! I can hardly wait. Our camper is out in front of our house and we are getting ready to hit the road with it. Well, not exactly the road, we are only camping 3 miles from home Memorial Day Weekend.

I am starting this new blog to document our family adventures. I am gearing up to make this summer and unforgettable one for my girls and I hope that by the end of the summer I will be able to blog that it really was.

Our oldest is 8, and already is more interested in spending time with her friends than with her family. It is my goal to change her attitude a little bit. Or at least get her to want to spend time with us and she can bring her friends along, (once in awhile).

So I hope you can turn to this blog for a few laughs, and a few ideas on how to have fun with your kids.

In our culture today it seems like our kids are always looking for more. Unfortunately the more they are always looking for usually has a price. I live on a budget and I think that a lot of fun can be had with a little bit of creativity and a lot of patience.

Welcome to the adventures of the Thue Crue!