Camp Yardsofun: Day 3

Camp Yards-o-Fun Day 3:

First we went out & weeded the patio/deck area until we were exhausted! Weeding is HARD WORK! Cadence told me so. :-) The girls didn't enjoy doing this job as much as they enjoyed the previous two days, but we did get the job done & felt proud when it was finished!

After working hard, I gave each of the kiddos a note that read "Thank you for picking up the weeds & "GRASS" today." Each girl got a handful of pixie stix grass! They loved that!

For our craft, we made adorable bird feeder ornaments to hang on the tree in our front yard. First you put 2 cups of bird seed in a bowl.

Then you get a plastic candy mold of some sort & spray it with Pam so the treats don't stick. Next you make the gelatin. You're supposed to use the non-flavored kind, but I didn't have any on hand, so we made Cherry flavored jello. You mix 1 cup of water & 4 tablespoons of jello together over heat until the jello is fully dissolved. While I was cooking the jello, Cadence cut some straws into 4 pieces for me.

Then you mix the dissolved jello into the birdseed until it's all coated.

Pour it into your plastic molds & press down to compact it. Then put the straw pieces into your shapes making sure they go all the way through. This will leave a hole through your shapes so you can string ribbon through them & hang them on your trees. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (it's better if you do it for four or more).

When they're nice & hard, you can get them out of the molds, take the straws out, & thread ribbon through them. They make adorable little ornaments for your trees & the birds love them.

The birds didn't waste any time. They chowed these down the same day we hung them up. What a fun idea huh?

Then for dinner we ate Spaghetti & Meatballs . . . & Kiwi for Lorien's special dinner. She loved that. We were supposed to play Hide & Seek afterward, but the kids were so tired from weeding that they just wanted to go to bed. HOORAY!

Camp Yardsofun: Day 2

And Day 2 begins of our Spring Break Yard Camp. Today our big project was cleaning up all the garbage & old leaves in the backyard. The girls were surprised at how much nicer the deck looked without those leaves everywhere. I think they're finally figuring out that things are prettier when they're not cluttered. They did a FABULOUS job cleaning it up today.

When they were all finished, I gave them each a note that said "Thank you for 'CRUNCH'ing up all the garbage in the backyard today." Then I gave each of them a Crunch Bar. They LOVED that & I love that they are getting the "puns" & are thinking they are clever & funny! Yeah for me! I can impress a 5 & 7 year old!!

The girls went grocery shopping with me after cleaning & were VERY good at the store so I bought them each a chocolate donut. Taya made a HUGE mess with hers, but she definitely loved it!

Then in the afternoon we did our camp craft for the day. We made clothespin bugs (that will become magnets as soon as I can find a place that sells magnets out here). First we took the clothespins outside & sprayed about 3 coats of spray paint on them.

Then I just let the girls go at it with construction paper, pipe cleaners, wobbly eyes, & glitter glue. We had SO MUCH FUN!!!

Taya wasn't really all that into it, so I "helped" her make hers. She LOVES her bugs & carries them around the house now.

Left: Taya's Center: Lorien's Right: Cadence's

Tonight was Daddy's spotlight for dinner. I made Olive Garden's Recipe of Chicken Fettachini Alfredo with breadsticks & strawberry salad. It was YUMMY!

And to end our evening, for our family camp activity we blew bubbles. Bubbles are one of my kids' very favorite things in the world. Enjoy the pics. They show how much joy bubbles brings to our home.

And then we all went to bed. It was a great day. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Camp Yardsofun: Day 1

Camp Yards-o-Fun started in full force this morning. (I make up these week long camps during Spring Break & Summer Break to. . . #1: Get my house clean, #2: Teach my kids HOW to work hard, #3: Have fun, & #4: FAMILY TOGETHERNESS TIME) So here you go. . .

Welcome to 2010's Camp Yards-o-Fun!

We started today with our big project of the day. We each got big soapy buckets of water & cleaning rags & went to town on all the outdoor toys & gear. We washed the playhouse (that had crusted on dead bugs, grass stains, mud, & who knows what on it), the swing set & slide, the little car & picnic table, the big glass table & chairs, the BBQ, & all the odds & ends out there. Now we're not talking about spraying down with a hose (that does NOTHING)! We literally scrubbed for almost 2 1/2 hours! But we sang & told stories & we worked side by side together & loved every second of it.

After working hard outside, we came in (& got blankets because it was kind of cold) & I gave each kid a special note from mommy with a treat. "Thank you for your 'EGG'-cellent work cleaning the outside toys today!" Then I gave each of them a chocolate egg.

Bladen was especially excited about his.

Then this afternoon we did our "camp craft" for the day: baking bug shaped cookies (to go along with the "yard" theme). Cadence & Lorien mixed the sugar cookie dough all by themselves. I rolled them out with Taya's help, & all three of them cut the cookie shapes. Cadence cut butterflies & Lorien cut ladybugs.

The cookies baked fine (I was worried because we had a fire last night & half our stove melted), & then we decorated them. I LOVE how kids pile on sprinkles. It makes me laugh.

After cookies, I made dinner. Tonight's camp cafeteria spotlight was Taya. I made pancakes & kool-aid which are her two very favorite things in the world. We each told Taya what we love about her. She was too busy stuffing her face to hear a word of what we said. But it was fun.

Then after dinner we took some cookies to a friend of ours here in town, made our Camp Yards-o-Fun skit, ate our cookies, & headed to bed. The girls are SO excited to see what is in store for them tomorrow! Now the "Camp Director" is off to bed for some much needed rest. Until tomorrow. . .

FIRE!

As much as I hate typing this on my blog (because I'm SO embarrassed). . . I'm putting it out there to show you how quickly something unexpected can happen to ANYBODY! And to BE PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES!!!

I made some yummy funnel cakes for the kids & some friends last night after dinner. No problems whatsoever. But I must have not turned the dial all the way to off (by accident of course) & the oil stayed hot. I went into the kitchen to clean up & as soon as I pulled that lid off the pan, flames erupted. It took less than 30 seconds to fill our entire home with smoke. I kid you not!! LESS THAN A MINUTE & the air was unbreathable. The flames were out of control immediately & I started screaming "FIRE FIRE FIRE!!" Trek ran downstairs coughing because of the smoke while I preceded running upstairs to save my kids. (They were sleeping) I threw open their doors, opened their windows, grabbed them, & ran back down the stairs & out the door. Everybody was safe (coughing our guts out, but safe)! Trek managed to get the fire out with several bowls of water (?). I guess in times of panic you forget about the actual fire extinguisher under the sink. ha ha ha. It took a large portion of the night to get the air breathable in the house again. We put the kids back to bed when it was safe. They slept with their windows open all night just to be safe.

When the smoke cleared, I ventured into the kitchen to see the damage. Everything was BLACK! I just started crying right there. All this was MY fault. I grabbed a bucket of soapy water, rags, a toothbrush, & a bottle of bleach & went to work. I was up a good portion of the night scrubbing & cleaning (& crying). I really should have taken a picture of the smoke damage to show you how bad even a SMALL fire can be, but I was so embarrassed & upset at myself that I couldn't bring myself to take pictures. I wish I would have.

But, everything is going to be alright. I got the blackness out of the walls, cupboards, counters, & appliances (thank heavens for bleach). Everything looks pretty normal actually. The only casualties were my very favorite pan (may he rest in peace) & the stove. I melted the fan above the stove & then I melted the stove itself. The oven still works, but the knobs to turn on the burners are melted on the right side. We're going to have to replace the stove entirely I think. Since we live in base housing, they'll probably replace it for us, but we'll probably have to pay. (Which I TOTALLY understand! I'm just thankful the kids are safe).

The fire melted the indication light completely & warped the back of the stove. The knobs on the right side are melted.

The clock on the right side got burned. I can turn the oven on, but it has to stay at 350 degrees because the up & down buttons & their mechanisms are completely ruined.

I was surprised at how well such a huge ugly mess cleaned up. It wasn't easy by any means, but it DID clean up. I was horrified it wouldn't & that I would have to stare at black walls & cupboards until we moved.

So, everybody is safe, nobody got hurt, we didn't lose anything of real importance, & we're starting to get the smokey smell out. Heavenly Father was truly watching over us & we're so grateful for the protection he provided. My sweet hubby is my superman & saved us all (with Heavenly Father's help of course). So let this be a lesson to all of you! Emergencies happen FAST when you least expect them to. Are you prepared?