Choo Choo Train Birthday

So, we finally made it to June and the Choo Choo Train 3rd Birthday.  This will be the last BIG event until the after the baby comes.  I had fun putting it together and I love seeing my kids have a blast, but I really am glad our last planned weekend is over and now I can just rest and work on baby stuff!  As with the pirate ship I took photos step by step in the making of the train and some extras.

The train was a total of 3 cars: the engine, a boxcar, and the caboose.

The Engine:

 2 boxes

 the smaller one, I added a large piece of cardboard to the top to get a rounded shape

 

 cut out the door opening and some windows

 

 tape them together

I wrapped the train in wrapping paper because I don't have a big enough space or area that I wouldn't mind having paint everywhere as a result.

The Box Car:

 a box - cut an opening in the side...

...and wrapped it.  this was the easy one!

 

The Caboose:

 2 boxes

 closed the big one up at one end

 cute a semi-opening and some windows

 cut some windows out of the top window

 put one on top of the other with the openings facing the same way

 wrap it up

Other stuff:

The Cow pusher (snow plow)  I took a rectangular peice of cardboard and semi-cut two triangles and folded them together and taped them.  Then I fully cut two traingles from the remaining corners.  Then covered it in foil.

 The wheels: 

I have to admit this was my husband's genius.  I had decided to use black paper plates, however, i didn't know how i was going to attach them as well as the cow pusher.  He suggested pipe cleaners.  So I took a knife, and while holding the plate up against the box, i punctured 2 slits and then used half a pipe cleaner to secure it.  Slipping it through both sides and twisting it like a twist tie in the back.  The technique worked on the cow pusher as well.

Front walk - Just a train track on the sidewalk made with black duct tape.  Came up easily afterwords.

The cake:  Used mini loaf pans (5 in a pack at walmart) for the train cars.  Got a board from the garage and covered it in foil.  Then I used those astro-belts or sours strings, whatever your local store calls them, to make a track.  Just used a little icing to glue them down.  Then on each cake, i just iced the top, not the sides, then we put different candies on each on.  I put the "3" candle on the front car.  Each kid got to pick a car to have a slice from.  1/3 to 1/2 of each car is an adequate piece for a kid.

Garden 2013: The Pregnant Gardener

So, I've decided to call this year's version of our garden "The Pregnant Gardener".  As you may know or have guessed already, I am pregnant.  I'm nearly 24 weeks along with my 3rd child and I am determined to still have my garden.  The only year I have not had a garden in the past 6 is when I was pregnant with my second child, but that's because he was born at the beginning of June and I was WAY to round to get down on the ground!  This year has been rather slow in coming...about 2 months ago, I weeded all 3 of our garden boxes......our boxes are about 3ft by 20 ft each.  I was still feeling good and capable and was anxious for the spring.  Well, then we had a range of icky and nice weather, but I knew there was still a frost potential so I waited.........well, guess what happens when you have a range of icky and warm days and fertile boxes of dirt?  Unless you are from another planet, then your guess is probably right...stuff grows!  I went back out right after the last frost about 2 weeks ago....and you would have thought I had never touched those boxes.  Devastated much?  Well, there is a big difference in 2 months ago to now......namely a little girl, all curled up and, up until this past week, with her back flat up against my pelvic bone.  Doesn't lend to the ability to bend over for any length of time easy......at all!  There is only so long that I can either hover over those boxes or be in the downward dog position in the grass before I'm just worn out.  So, I have been doing a 5-6 foot section at a time and calling it a night.  I have now cleared 1 2/3 boxes.  Hope to get the second totally done this weekend and maybe the third....maybe.  I have gone ahead and planted things as I have found the good soil again.  Stood up my trellis tee-pee and planted cucumbers which have started to peek through already.  Got some pumpkin plants going and they are about an inch tall now.  Tonight, I managed to put in some sunflowers, beans, yellow squash, peas, and butternut squash.  It was hot, though.  I was never so happy to read on the package of pea seeds "scatter and cover".  Hot damn!  So, there you have it.  The beginning of what I hope will be another successful year.  Learned a few lessons last year about positioning my cucumbers so I can see all the plants instead of going on safari to get them and putting the pumpkins near the outer part of the garden so they can grow out into the yard instead of into the other boxes; creating our own pumpkin maze.  Getting a late start, but our growing season was extensive last year so even get a percentage of what we had last year would be quite the haul!  At some point I'll get some pictures up here, but not until the other boxes are done........how embarrassing otherwise!  Maybe I'll even convince my sister and friend to post some of their pics too since they have quite the produce sections themselves!  Signing off for now.......I'm EXHAUSTED and being kicked!  Happy gardening!

Scary Mou.....umm...I mean Minnie Mouse Cake

So, my first cake to sell..........disaster.  Supposed to be a Minnie Mouse Cake

Rectangle cake and I also made a round cake to start with.

cut out the top piece and set it with the circle on a platter....so far so good...

face on......not too bad.  color was good.  then i tried to cut a corner and bought pre-made black icing.  bad idea.......it was like tar and looked like it to.  by the time i got to the finishing touches, i was tired and DONE.  and Scary mouse was born.  brace yourselves.

Yikes.

Y is for Youngins'

Well, the young ones have certainly got us wound up!  Both going through some new stage at the same time!  5 1/2 year old has decided he's going to be extra defiant and then throw a fit when he's called out.  Never seen temper tantrums like this out of him!  The 2 1/2 year old has missing ear syndrome....you know, where suddenly his ears don't work and he just looks at you with a blank expression and keeps right on doing whatever he's doing?  I know, with the 2 year old, that this is just a phase, been there, done that, survived.........will not actually last as long as it will feel it does.  The 5 year old, however, not really sure if this IS just a phase or something else going on?  Anyone else go through this?  In actuality, it's only been 3 days of unusual behavior........so, of course, I've already determined there's a phase to be dealt with........love the first child stuff.........mom and dad have no clue........he's one step ahead........it's great.  Oh well, just love the child and get some sleep.  One more day, yall!  I think I can, I think I can........

X is eXcellent dinner!

OK, so I'm a day late, surprise and all.  Lat night, we served an excellent dinner to accompany an excellent movie.  We had chicken korma with rice, some kind of flat bread that isn't Nan, a yogurt and cucumber dish and then a Carrot Heal for dessert.  The movie was Monsoon Wedding.  We had 5 people from church over for the evening as part of an auction item.  Our church does an auction each year to raise money and the items auctioned off are donations of evenings or events or stuff from other church members.  So we donated a dinner and movie at our house and people bid on the slots to come.  Pretty neat arrangement, I think.  Anyway, it was great!  Thank you to my wonderful hubby for doing the cooking!  OK, I will do my best to blog something better tomorrow and Tuesday or the last 2 days!!

W is for Writing

3 days left, X, Y, and Z.  I find this is getting harder and harder to write.  Most of my blogs during non-challenge season are products of my 1 hour commute home or a shower (drum roll) by myself, or even from a dream.  Even then, I tend to outline my ideas on a scrap of paper to make sure I get all of those points flying around in my head.  This month has been a little lax on the planning and preparation.  It's been interesting to start with a thought and just let my stream of consciousness develop through my fingers, but in the same way, I really feel like "who's reading this?  who cares about any of this stuff"?  Honestly, you probably don't unless i somehow have connected with you and you know me and can picture my facial expressions and, surprise, sarcastic tone.  Usually the people who do get that........have already heard exactly what I just wrote.  Anyway, I am looking forward to being able to say i completed another year of the Blogger Challenge, but i am also looking forward to being able to stop for a little bit and really put some thought or passion behind my posts again.  I just can't come up with stuff on a daily basis.

Although, i do know the funniest woman alive, we'll call her H for now.  We are about as different as people can be when it comes to kids, school, husbands, cleaning, etc.  and yet we are the best of friends.  I'm pretty sure I have convinced her to at least try to develop a concept for a new Co-blogging project, so stay tuned!!

V is for Viewing Television...

So, here it is, the great debate between men and women (for the most part i think).  HD or Regular?  I can't really tell a difference.  I've been told that if the TVs were side by side, I would notice a difference.........I'm sorry, at what point, unless i decide to open up my own appliance store, would I ever have 2 TVs next to each in order to make a daily comparison?  Maybe I'm just not that involved with the shows I watch to care.  I usually don't get to sit and just watch when I get a chance to watch TV.........there's laundry, or the kids, or something else I have to be doing as well.    I guess I just hope I never get to the point in my life where the decision between regular and HD TV ranks at all on my priority list.