Birthdays!!! My littlest bro and my step-dad!

So theres this boy - he was born like super early - and the doctors told us he might not survive and if he did, he would be like weird and stuff... We worked with sleep apnea machines, we worked with tube feedings, we worked with therapists... He lived. He thrived. He is TOTALLY weird!! But thats what big sisters say about their bros, right?? Happy Happy Birthday to the most amazing young man! I can not believe how old we are all getting! My final brother to graduate high school!! Jesse Pierson you are amazingly talented and amazingly loved! Happy Birthday, babycakes!!!!! XOXOOXXOXOXOXOXO Love - Your feeling very old - Big Sister!

So theres this guy - He came into my life when I was ohhh 13 maybe? A built in family pre-made. That was me and my mom. Headstrong teenager full of angst. Hatred for men for other personal reasons. And he jumped in ... with both feet. He accepted me as his own. He loved me and stood up for me - which is saying a lot cuz no one really stands up to Momma bear!! Ha! He has always been calm and patient. He loves me as his very own daughter. He has been a huge influence in my life. And I love him like a father. He has overcome some pretty huge demons on his back and he never fails to make me laugh. He loves my kids and showers them with attention. He is amazing and kind hearted. I could sit here and go on and on about what a rock star my step dad is - but those who know him - already know that. Those who dont - are missing out. 
Jon - THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for just being you. For being a strong father figure and teaching me life lessons. Happy Happy birthday! I hope your day is filled with blessings and love!!! 
Love always, 
Your daughter, 
Melanie ♥

Love you baby cakes!!

RECIPE: Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:

1 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Stir seasoning and 3/4 cup water into 1 pound browned and drained ground beef or ground turkey; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Homeschool - Its All About Me/Emotions

This weeks lesson was All About Me! And Emotions.

Dakota has been struggling lately with dealing with his emotions, and struggling with himself. So we decided to make an entire weeks lesson on these things to help him communicate just a little better :)

Here are a few things we touched on:




This is our weekly bulletin board. These are the things we worked on that we display. As you can see, each boy has a side of the board. They proudly hang their items and love looking at them all week!

We worked on "People Watching" We sorted through magazines and ripped pieces out. They were supposed to be people doing things but the kids got excited and started ripping out things they liked instead, so I rolled with it and we pointed to people in the magazines instead and discussed what they were doing - i.e. reading, sleeping, crying, playing at the park etc. 

We then thanked God for making us who we are, boys and girls and unique. Dakota wasnt really feeling this lesson, so he didnt try very hard but he sat and listened as we sang, Jesus Loves Me and I talked about the things that made us different i.e. Blond Hair, Brown Hair, Blue Eyes, Tall, Short etc.

We did some rainbow finger painting! We tried to draw some faces that were happy and sad, but ended up smearing the paint all over, because it was way more fun!

We made emotion puppets. So we could express how we were feeling. We tested them out and made funny sad sounds and happy sounds. We used these all week, they were so much fun that I think I will keep them out a little longer!

We had fun this week talking about what makes us different. We read a few books about Down syndrome because I have been waiting a long time to use them in a curriculum!

The books we read were:

We'll Paint the Octopus Red
I Can, Can You?
and
The Best Worst Brother
(This one is our favorite because it reminds us of our life)




And last but not least, I leave you with our silly Sunday morning faces!!
How can I resist!

BeefARoni!!

A lazy Saturday...

Today has been one of those days. A lazy Saturday.
While everyone else is outside being active - going to the beach, mowing their lawn, playing baseball, going for a jog - we are home playing.
I got no chores done, other then the menial homeschooling and meal making.
We played. All day.  Inside. and Outside.
And it was glorious.

I even got my Aspie to join in on the wrestling fun. As I blew raspberries in my sons ear, she was tickling his arm. When I ran around the couch pretending to chase my other son, she sat back and laughed, a gut chortling laugh, one that makes you throw your head back and laugh yourself. As we sat and ate lunch together, my daughter explained to me how her week has been great at school and how much she loves to play kick ball, while my boys hungrily munched on their boxed pizza and fruit snacks. My son showed me how he could fit a million toys into his knapsack, and my other son showed me how his truck made honking sounds. We all discovered together just how many times we could throw a ball into a bucket, and we cheered each other on when one of us made it in. We made popcorn and made a mess eating it. We ran outside to check on the growth of our newly sprouted seedlings and we brought them into the sun....

This is "that time".
You know that time that you want to go back to when your child has drawn on the wall. Or that time when you are so depressed you feel like you cant go on. Or that time you are so angry, you feel like your head could spin round.  This is that time that you go back to. And you smile.

Because you know...

You have done something RIGHT as a parent.

You created a memory. One that will hopefully last until your children are parents. And they sit back and tell their children about a time when Mom took an entire day and played with them. On their level. And there was laughter. And there was happiness.

Isn't that what life is all about? Those small seemingly meaningless moments that actually mean so very much?

Well I know it didn't mean much to them now. It was just mom playing and having a stuffed animal pillow fight or listening to their day or just trying to keep them busy. But it meant the world to me. As I sit here blogging, staring at the aftermath of my torn apart living room, I smile.

A warmth fills me up and a small giggle escapes my lip. (Because for one, I know my husband would have a heart attack if he saw this room). But you know what I see? I see one boy sitting on the couch with his "night night" blankie relaxing after a hard days play, I see another boy sitting quietly on the couch with his toy animal watching television, and I see a daughter snacking on a granola bar, satisfied with her life.

Thats it folks. That is my idea of what my heaven will be. Because it really cant be better then this can it?

This is me and this is my life and this is where I am. And you know what? I am still smiling.

Happy Saturday folks!

BzzAgent Review - Green Giant Snack Chips

Hey guys!

As you know I am a BzzAgent.
And I get to review some items that they send my way!

This time around they send me some super awesome snacky-doos!
Here is the info:

A GIANT SURPRISE FROM GREEN GIANT^™

Brace yourself for a giant surprise from the Jolly Green Giant^™ — he’s now in the snack aisle! Introducing new Green Giant^™ Veggie Snack Chips, available in two delicious varieties:

• Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips with Zesty Cheddar are crispy tortilla chips made with real vegetables like carrot, broccoli, and tomato, plus 17g of whole grain
• Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips with Sea Salt are made with real sweet potatoes and 14g of whole grain, with 40% less fat than regular potato chips*

*Green Giant^™ Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips (6g per 28g serving) have 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips (10g per 28g serving).

As a Bzzagent I am going to let you know what I thought of these - 
They were amazing!  My kids and I prefered the Zest Cheddar Veggie Chips out of the two we were given. I think its just because they were coated in cheese! :)
They both packed a great crunch and the snack sized bags proved to be beach worthy! 

I love giving my kids healthy snacks during the day and was pleased that Green Giant decided to step up and make something in the snack line. 

As veggie chips and potato chips are a staple in this house I am glad for the healthier version!

Our family rated these 2 thumbs up!