It's about time I documented some silly happenings around here...
Believe me, there have been enough to keep anyone in stitches of laughter! But I'll share some of my favorites of late:
1. Ryan is still on the kick of "knock-knock jokes"... and his favorite one is still: "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Bug." "Bug who?" "Did you get that???" With lots of silly, 2 year-old belly laughter to follow! Nothing better!
2. Andrew has been pretty serious about his swim team and practice. He has been staying in the pool when his age group is done with practice and the older groups keep going for another 30 minutes. When asked to get out of the pool he replies "Just one more lap mom, please! Remember, I'm trying to be an Olympic swimmer one of these days! Gee, can you not let me just practice hard?" Oh, what I would give to be 5 going on 20 again!
3. Hide-and-Go-Seek has become a very favorite game for both of the boys. Just yesterday my mom was over and playing the beloved game with Ryan. She found him under a big reclining chair and asked if he was stuck. It was very apparent he was. He adamantly said, "No, grandma, I NO-it stuck!" Pause for a little bit of a struggle under the chair... "Umm, grandma, I can't get out!"
4. Andrew was out helping my dad in their yard. Of course not because he is being a good, thoughtful and helpful grandson, but because he was "working" to be paid for "helping". He is saving up money for a plastic (very plastic) bow and arrow set, an electric scooter, an IPod, a DS... you get the picture, he will be picking up a LOT of sticks in the yard for 25 cents per hour! I guess you can't discourage a man with a vision...
5. During one of these "working" sessions with my dad, Andrew was asked to bring down an empty trash can that was standing right by a wagon. The same wagon that my dad had just laid down a fresh cup of coffee. Andrew picked up the handle of the wagon...my dad called out, "Andrew, we don't need the wagon. We just need the trash can." "Oh," was Andrew's reply. My dad walked up to where Andrew was, looked down and saw his coffee mug turned over on its side, coffee everywhere. "Andrew, did you knock over my coffee?" "Huh? Oh, no, grandpa...the wind did it." "Andrew, do you feel any wind?" "Uhhhh, nope grandpa..." "Andrew, are you telling me a story?" "Well, gee grandpa, most people buy my stories!"
Showing posts with label Andrew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andrew. Show all posts
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Sowing Seeds of Truth
The start of a new school year begins with lots of excitement, new clothes, a real schedule...and if you are a mom like me - FEAR that your little handful of love will be exposed to things that, quite frankly, you don't want him to know or see until he is 37 years old!
This has been very hard to swallow this year. Kindergarten just seems SO old and Andrew loves life so much and especially loves to be the center of attention. (ahem, I have NO idea who he gets this wonderfully charming characteristic from!) Because of this, he is usually right in the middle of all kinds of activity and is pretty inclusive with anyone who laughs at him and his jokes.
I opened up some conversation between me and my husband a couple of weeks ago about guarding our loving boy's heart and mind. How do we protect him to the best of our ability? How do we make sure that there are more seeds of truth being planted in his growing heart than seeds of the enemy and his lies? (Luke 8:4-15) What are things that we can do at home to make sure that we build the character traits that will make him the strong, loving man of God that we pray each night over him?
Now, I know some will say, "Melody, come on now girl, you simply can't protect him from all the evil of the world. That we would be silly to expect to and that he needs to learn how to "deal" with and respond to it because it will be all around him his entire life.
But I am convicted that the answer to these statements is "NO!" We can and should shield our children from as much evil and corruptness as we possibly can. Our world and its ways have given us an excuse to say "Oh, well, it is just the way it is...We can't let them be caught in naivety."
I will not let Satan lie to my family in this way. We can and should give our children a solid foundation of truth while shielding them until they have all the tools that God's Word offers to stand on stamped onto their hearts. (Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.)
I won't go into all the things that we began to discuss and pray about, but I wanted to share with you one thing (of many) that we are doing to promote a solid foundation in truth and faith.
On our way to and from school (especially on the way to school) we are memorizing small verses of scripture. It really has been amazing to see the change in Andrew's day when it starts off this way, and to be completely honest the change in my attitude throughout the day. We have also just recently begun to say some of the verses after praying at the dinner table together.
Dr. Gary Smalley wrote a wonderful guide for parents concerning this topic, HERE. It is material that I have studied and taken to heart. Dr. Smalley advocates placing God's Word in your heart and your children's hearts so that you all have the tools in place to react out of love, grace and mercy.
Here are some of the scriptures that we know, and were the first ones we memorized (about 2-3 weeks for each):
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30
Love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:31
For you are great and work wonders. You alone are God. Psalm 86:10
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; I know this full well. Psalm 139:14
Call me a "holy roller" or call me a wise mama, I don't care... but one thing is certain:
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! Joshua 24:16
What are ways that you plant seeds of truth in your child's (children's) heart?
This has been very hard to swallow this year. Kindergarten just seems SO old and Andrew loves life so much and especially loves to be the center of attention. (ahem, I have NO idea who he gets this wonderfully charming characteristic from!) Because of this, he is usually right in the middle of all kinds of activity and is pretty inclusive with anyone who laughs at him and his jokes.
I opened up some conversation between me and my husband a couple of weeks ago about guarding our loving boy's heart and mind. How do we protect him to the best of our ability? How do we make sure that there are more seeds of truth being planted in his growing heart than seeds of the enemy and his lies? (Luke 8:4-15) What are things that we can do at home to make sure that we build the character traits that will make him the strong, loving man of God that we pray each night over him?
Now, I know some will say, "Melody, come on now girl, you simply can't protect him from all the evil of the world. That we would be silly to expect to and that he needs to learn how to "deal" with and respond to it because it will be all around him his entire life.
But I am convicted that the answer to these statements is "NO!" We can and should shield our children from as much evil and corruptness as we possibly can. Our world and its ways have given us an excuse to say "Oh, well, it is just the way it is...We can't let them be caught in naivety."
I will not let Satan lie to my family in this way. We can and should give our children a solid foundation of truth while shielding them until they have all the tools that God's Word offers to stand on stamped onto their hearts. (Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.)
I won't go into all the things that we began to discuss and pray about, but I wanted to share with you one thing (of many) that we are doing to promote a solid foundation in truth and faith.
On our way to and from school (especially on the way to school) we are memorizing small verses of scripture. It really has been amazing to see the change in Andrew's day when it starts off this way, and to be completely honest the change in my attitude throughout the day. We have also just recently begun to say some of the verses after praying at the dinner table together.
Dr. Gary Smalley wrote a wonderful guide for parents concerning this topic, HERE. It is material that I have studied and taken to heart. Dr. Smalley advocates placing God's Word in your heart and your children's hearts so that you all have the tools in place to react out of love, grace and mercy.
Here are some of the scriptures that we know, and were the first ones we memorized (about 2-3 weeks for each):
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30
Love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:31
For you are great and work wonders. You alone are God. Psalm 86:10
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; I know this full well. Psalm 139:14
Call me a "holy roller" or call me a wise mama, I don't care... but one thing is certain:
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! Joshua 24:16
What are ways that you plant seeds of truth in your child's (children's) heart?
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Just a Few Handfuls of Love...
I hate to admit that I just uncovered this draft...and I have no idea why it didn't get published for the world to have this very, ahem!, important update from the Hansen homestead. (This had to have been started around April, maybe...oops!)
- Andrew is a funny kid and he has a great, fun loving personality. I have really enjoyed him the last several days. It is nothing that he has done. It really is all me. It's funny because I know that I am a good mom. I at least try my hardest to be. Andrew is a great kid, just very independent, self-reliant and bullheaded. The red headed temper doesn't help much either. This past Saturday was the first time since we have moved and I have been staying at home 5 days a week (working part-time for a university) that I have felt like a REALLY good stay-at-home mom. It made me sad to think about everything I have missed, but gratefully and completely blessed to be finding my path to what life can be like for all of us in our new journey. (Update: As you know, I am now thankful to be able to stay at home full time with my little red and blond headed monsters!)
- Speaking of Andrew being a funny kid... Tonight at the dinner table Mike asked Andrew if he had told anyone at school about going fishing and making a catch (family trip to the pond on the golf course last night). Andrew said, "Ah, man, no! I told myself I was going to remember, but I didn't." Mike said, "Boy, you sound like your mom." To which Andrew replied, "Well, I better change my voice, ahem, ahem!" he said clearing his throat.
- Ryan's favorite song right now is "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." He has just been singing it randomly out of the blue. His little voice becomes so high and sweet sounding. He will sing and sing until he gets to "like a diamond in the sky"... and then he gets stuck, like a record player (if anyone can remember what those are) and he sings that one line over and over and over and over again until you help him continue on. It is pretty funny. We counted eleven times before my sister couldn't take it any more and helped him get to the end of the song.
- Andrew is playing t-ball this spring. He is in the "competitive" t-ball group. It is amazing to sit back and watch the dynamics of the parents of each team we have played so far. Our team's parents are very laid back, positive and cheerful. The parents of the team that we played last week were intense, focused and yelled a LOT. Might I remind you that while we are on the "competitive" side of the league that these kids are just 5 and 6 years-old. 1.2.3.4.5 & 6. We had to chuckle under our breath at one mom who was KEEPING STATS and argued with the 13 year-old umpire about how many runs they had during one of the innings. Ridiculous. What happened to letting kids have fun? Especially at school these days! But that is a soap box to be saved for another day.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Don't Blink July!
It is just amazing to me how fast July was here and gone! The summer was going by at such a nice pace.
And then JULY happened. Or did it? I really can't remember!
July was a fun month, though!
Mom: Who's there?
Ryan: Ladybug
Mom: Ladybug who?
Ryan: Did ya get that?
And then JULY happened. Or did it? I really can't remember!
July was a fun month, though!
- We had a visit from our dear friend Jaime (or Auntie Jewels), and Andrew and I played in our first golf tournament with Jaime and Mike.
- Andrew worked on his skills as a fish. He actually took swimming lessons (for the second week this summer) from the lady who taught me how to swim oh so many years ago! He is now swimming by himself from one end of my parents' pool to the other! He has grown gills!
- Ryan's little personality keeps blooming and blooming. Which in turns means that Mike keeps looking at me and saying, "Never mind, he is yours!" I got in trouble for this, but he HAD to have his toe nails painted when I was painting mine. I told him, "No, you're a boy. Boys don't paint their nails." But it is hard to argue with a two year-old in tears screaming, "No, mom, I BOY, I BOY!!! I bugs on them!" So despite the remarks and intervention attempts from Mike and other family members...he has had blue-greenish toenails for the past two weeks that he is VERY proud of!
- We made it over to see my inlaws and play at the lake WITH Mike the last full week of July! It was a great time!!! We took our good family friends aka Mike's "other wife" (his best friend...separated from birth I swear) along with us too. We took boat rides, rode the jet ski, ate yummy "night treats" and Andrew SKIED! I'll share a video soon! (I even got up on one ski this time!)
- Ryan is all about the knock-knock jokes right now! He is quite the comedian! His knock-knock jokes go something like this...
Mom: Who's there?
Ryan: Ladybug
Mom: Ladybug who?
Ryan: Did ya get that?
- Ryan walked in with a massive booger on his finger and said, "Look mom, a BIG one!" "Ew! Yuck, Ryan! Let's put that one in the trash." "No! Mom, I eat it!" "No sir! Let's go get some tissue." "No!" Gulp. "Yucky, Ryan! We don't eat boogers!" Ryan shrugs. "Want some mommy?"
Friday, July 6, 2012
America the Beautiful!
We had SO much fun celebrating the 4th of July this year and reconnecting with the great small town traditions of celebrating the freedom we in America should all be very thankful for!
My wonderful friend, Jamie, came down to stay two nights with us over the holiday. It was SO nice to have her here with us. We share the same brain, separated at birth I'm pretty sure. We have attended the same church for 11 years and just before we moved a year ago some fellow church-goers had just realized we weren't sisters!
Now, I have to put in this disclaimer: I have made this confession before, but I truly am not the best at capturing each wonderful moment and memory with film! However, I was actually on top of things this year, trying to be so organized and have everything ready for this fun filled day... but, alas!, fate was against me - and I could NOT find my camera anywhere to save my life! And we would have had SO, SO many neat pictures!!! Oh well... we can always stage a re-enactment!
Moving on from the never-ending disclaimer...
We started Jamie's visit by decorating Andrew's bike for the parade, dinner, a practice round of golf at the club and then I put Jamie to work by asking her to help me complete decorating the club for the 4th. I had 13" mesh ribbon in red, white and blue to decorate the outside entrance and patio areas of the country club. It turned out very well. (Sure wish I had a picture, but it was dark when we finished anyway!)
We woke up on the 4th, ate cinnamon rolls and got ready for the parade. Andrew was SUPER excited about riding his bike in the parade and throwing out candy. He received a "Participation" ribbon and everything! He was so proud, and so were Mike and I!
After the parade we met up with my parents, aunt and her boyfriend at the city park. This is where you will find the start to that good ol-fashioned small home town lovin'... pony rides, talent show (including an appearance of the late Michael Jackson!), a gun fight show every half hour, carnival rides, funnel cakes, corn dogs, turkey legs, lemonade, bingo, face paint - you name it, they have it!
We left the park to get ready to play in the "Firecracker" golf tournament (scramble) at the country club. Mike, Andrew, Jamie and I made up the team. It was Andrew's and my first golf tournament to ever play in! Mike and Andrew really carried our team - Jamie always found the water hazards (but also made some really good shots) and I always found the pavement, which meant running across the street several times to retrieve my ball from some very nicely cut lawns!
Once we had completed our 18 holes, we made our way over to my parents' house for family time and yummy food! I made this fabulous Peanut Butter Cup homemade ice cream. Yum!
I found the recipe on Pinterest, and it sure is a keeper! Super easy, few ingredients, and delicious!
Independence Day came to a BOOM! when we laid out at the park on blankets and lawn chairs, listened to a local band (the Grisselheads...don't ask! but good music), and took in a great fireworks show. I don't know if you were able to see the paper lanterns that were sold at firework stands this year, but they were absolutely gorgeous! Those were my favorite this year!
I'm so thankful for a wonderful friend, great family and this country's freedom that I cherish and will never forget that it came with a significant price.
God bless America, and God bless you!
My wonderful friend, Jamie, came down to stay two nights with us over the holiday. It was SO nice to have her here with us. We share the same brain, separated at birth I'm pretty sure. We have attended the same church for 11 years and just before we moved a year ago some fellow church-goers had just realized we weren't sisters!
Now, I have to put in this disclaimer: I have made this confession before, but I truly am not the best at capturing each wonderful moment and memory with film! However, I was actually on top of things this year, trying to be so organized and have everything ready for this fun filled day... but, alas!, fate was against me - and I could NOT find my camera anywhere to save my life! And we would have had SO, SO many neat pictures!!! Oh well... we can always stage a re-enactment!
Moving on from the never-ending disclaimer...
We started Jamie's visit by decorating Andrew's bike for the parade, dinner, a practice round of golf at the club and then I put Jamie to work by asking her to help me complete decorating the club for the 4th. I had 13" mesh ribbon in red, white and blue to decorate the outside entrance and patio areas of the country club. It turned out very well. (Sure wish I had a picture, but it was dark when we finished anyway!)
We woke up on the 4th, ate cinnamon rolls and got ready for the parade. Andrew was SUPER excited about riding his bike in the parade and throwing out candy. He received a "Participation" ribbon and everything! He was so proud, and so were Mike and I!
After the parade we met up with my parents, aunt and her boyfriend at the city park. This is where you will find the start to that good ol-fashioned small home town lovin'... pony rides, talent show (including an appearance of the late Michael Jackson!), a gun fight show every half hour, carnival rides, funnel cakes, corn dogs, turkey legs, lemonade, bingo, face paint - you name it, they have it!
We left the park to get ready to play in the "Firecracker" golf tournament (scramble) at the country club. Mike, Andrew, Jamie and I made up the team. It was Andrew's and my first golf tournament to ever play in! Mike and Andrew really carried our team - Jamie always found the water hazards (but also made some really good shots) and I always found the pavement, which meant running across the street several times to retrieve my ball from some very nicely cut lawns!
Once we had completed our 18 holes, we made our way over to my parents' house for family time and yummy food! I made this fabulous Peanut Butter Cup homemade ice cream. Yum!
I found the recipe on Pinterest, and it sure is a keeper! Super easy, few ingredients, and delicious!
Independence Day came to a BOOM! when we laid out at the park on blankets and lawn chairs, listened to a local band (the Grisselheads...don't ask! but good music), and took in a great fireworks show. I don't know if you were able to see the paper lanterns that were sold at firework stands this year, but they were absolutely gorgeous! Those were my favorite this year!
I'm so thankful for a wonderful friend, great family and this country's freedom that I cherish and will never forget that it came with a significant price.
God bless America, and God bless you!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
A New Chapter Called Home
It happened so fast that I haven't really had any time to tell many friends what Mike and I have been talking and praying about over the last several weeks.
I am now working on a new routine and huge changes in life. And I am enjoying EVERY minute so far!
I am now officially a stay-at-home mama!
The decision was made through LOTS of prayer and discussion and lots of trust! I am very excited about this journey and look forward to the next three years (at least) of this focus on my family. God is good all the time! I have completely put my faith in Him and this decision is one of those wonderful leaps.
Just to show you what we have been up to recently in the wake of this decision...
I am now working on a new routine and huge changes in life. And I am enjoying EVERY minute so far!
I am now officially a stay-at-home mama!
The decision was made through LOTS of prayer and discussion and lots of trust! I am very excited about this journey and look forward to the next three years (at least) of this focus on my family. God is good all the time! I have completely put my faith in Him and this decision is one of those wonderful leaps.
Just to show you what we have been up to recently in the wake of this decision...
- Andrew has used his fabulous jewelry making skills to make a beautiful pipe cleaner necklace and bracelet set. He has been adamant about me wearing them out of the house on our errands. They have made quite the first impression! (Sorry that the picture isn't very good. The necklace is rockin!)
- Ryan has been wearing my jewelry! Isn't he SO pretty! He certainly knows his fashion trends by stacking up those bracelets!
- Enjoying time with Grandma and Grandpa and Cherry Berry is the best!
I am so blessed to be given this opportunity to spend this precious time with my fun loving boys!
Now... I just have to plan what this time at home looks like. You know me, I have to have a plan!
And saving the world of D-town might just be part of that plan... Andrew does like to pretend to be a superhero, so why not?
More to come on our superhero victories soon!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
A Memorial Day Countdown
1. Playing hide-and-seek with Grandma and Grandpa. Andrew has a new set of rules every time we play. This time the "it" had to touch the "found" player with a ball. When asked by my dad who made him the king of the house, Andrew squarely looked him in the eye and said "Jesus." Hard to argue with that kind of alabi.
2. Moving on from hide-and-seek (which grandpa is really good at) we mastered our badmitten skills. Andrew was seriously in the game. We even beat Grandma and Grandpa one game out of two (and they were trying)!
3. Making strawberry jam for awesome Pre-K teachers. This is one of the good things about living in a small town. You know how to find everyone. With the craziness of the end of the school year, I had the best intentions to search out some great end-of-year teacher gifts but just ran out of time. Until now. I found some perfect ideas on pinterest.com. We had a great time making the jam - and it was super easy (no cooking kind, recipe right off the pectin label)! This project gave me the idea to make this a weekly activity...not neccesarily making jam but doing something nice for someone else each week. Next week, I think we will take some of our gorgeous hydrangeas to the nursing home for Andrew and Ryan to hand out. I'll let you know how it goes...
4. Wearing high heels and playing hide-and-seek. The fun didn't stop at Grandma and Grandpa's house! Andrew and Ryan were running around the house playing hide-and-seek with each other - each in a pair of my heels. Daddy is SO proud! (It is a good thing that he was at the country club working non-stop this weekend so he didn't have to witness this!)
5. Painting the walls. We have FINALLY settled on a wall color that we both like for the entry hall and family room. It has been a BIG looming cloud for a while now, but I can finally finish painting and begin decorating the one place that it has been killing me to see so bare! I will have to do a reveal of the final to-do when it is complete.
6. Talking to Grandma H. on the phone. You never know these days if the overly talkative Andrew is going to show up when a phone call is made. Today he was all about talking to Grandma. Ryan was right there wanting in on the action too. He was SO sweet asking to go to Grandma's hous-ch.
2. Moving on from hide-and-seek (which grandpa is really good at) we mastered our badmitten skills. Andrew was seriously in the game. We even beat Grandma and Grandpa one game out of two (and they were trying)!
3. Making strawberry jam for awesome Pre-K teachers. This is one of the good things about living in a small town. You know how to find everyone. With the craziness of the end of the school year, I had the best intentions to search out some great end-of-year teacher gifts but just ran out of time. Until now. I found some perfect ideas on pinterest.com. We had a great time making the jam - and it was super easy (no cooking kind, recipe right off the pectin label)! This project gave me the idea to make this a weekly activity...not neccesarily making jam but doing something nice for someone else each week. Next week, I think we will take some of our gorgeous hydrangeas to the nursing home for Andrew and Ryan to hand out. I'll let you know how it goes...
 |
| Our special teacher berry gifts |
4. Wearing high heels and playing hide-and-seek. The fun didn't stop at Grandma and Grandpa's house! Andrew and Ryan were running around the house playing hide-and-seek with each other - each in a pair of my heels. Daddy is SO proud! (It is a good thing that he was at the country club working non-stop this weekend so he didn't have to witness this!)
5. Painting the walls. We have FINALLY settled on a wall color that we both like for the entry hall and family room. It has been a BIG looming cloud for a while now, but I can finally finish painting and begin decorating the one place that it has been killing me to see so bare! I will have to do a reveal of the final to-do when it is complete.
6. Talking to Grandma H. on the phone. You never know these days if the overly talkative Andrew is going to show up when a phone call is made. Today he was all about talking to Grandma. Ryan was right there wanting in on the action too. He was SO sweet asking to go to Grandma's hous-ch.
Friday, May 25, 2012
A Pet Peeve and Frogs
In an effort to eat and live a little healthier I have made it a goal to get in bed at a decent hour. I say it is still a goal because it hasn't quite happened yet.
It is just amazing to me how fast the time goes from when we put the boys to bed to the clock reading 1 am. The other "morning" I accused Mike of playing a trick on me by moving the clock up two hours. I was really convinced. But alas, it was truly one in the morning.
I tell you all of this because I wasn't going to write a blog post today because I knew it would be a completely crazy day since my, ahem!, awesome landscaping skills were demanded at the country club.
Anyway, on to the pet peeve and why I am staying up late to write this out.
Andrew is playing t-ball this spring in the competitive 5 and 6 year-old league. It seems like our team and parents are the most relaxed, laid-back and fun. I understand following the rules is important since we are in the competitive league, but some teams we have played have been INTENSE. Parents yelling all the time, keeping stats, and expecting a great deal from something that is supposed to be FUN.
It was our turn to bring snacks tonight, and surprise, surprise! I forgot the snacks at home. By the time we turned around to get the snackies and then to the ballpark, they had already started the first inning and were 5 minutes into the game.
On the bottom of the second inning, Andrew was up to bat first. He stepped up to the plate, measured up to the T... and then a mother on the other team stood up and yelled, "He can't play! He's NOT on your roster! There is NO WAY that kid can play without being on your roster!!"
Everyone surrounding me on our team was expressing disbelief that someone would object like this.
I mean really they are FIVE years-old! Just let them play.
Since when are we so worried about wins and losses at this age, more so than instilling the love of the game, simple fundamentals, teamwork, good sportsmanship, and FUN!
They finally got it sorted out and Andrew sauntered up to the ball on the T and smacked one down the third base line for a double.
After the solid hit, I couldn't help yelling out "Way to go! We are on our way to the College World Series!"
I have seen so many very talented kids give up a sport in high school that they used to love because the fun was gone. Don't steal the f.u.n.!
On a lighter note, while at the club working on the flower beds by the pool. Andrew caught at least eleven small frogs (about the size of dimes or smaller). He carried them around all day in a huge plastic bear that used to hold animal crackers.
One of the little ones bit the dust and he was devastated! He came running up to me asking what was wrong.
I told him that the frog had passed away and was now in Heaven with God and Jesus. He said, "But why is his body still here in my hand." "Because God gives you a brand new body when you get to Heaven," I lovingly responded. "Why don't you find a pretty flower and put him under it?" I suggested. Tearfully, Andrew picked a flower and buried him underneath it.
Sweet boy. Growing up and dealing with our world is so hard sometimes.
I'm just so thankful and humbled to have the love of God sent by the Holy Spirit to speak through me when I don't know what to say as a mom during those tough conversations.
It is just amazing to me how fast the time goes from when we put the boys to bed to the clock reading 1 am. The other "morning" I accused Mike of playing a trick on me by moving the clock up two hours. I was really convinced. But alas, it was truly one in the morning.
I tell you all of this because I wasn't going to write a blog post today because I knew it would be a completely crazy day since my, ahem!, awesome landscaping skills were demanded at the country club.
Anyway, on to the pet peeve and why I am staying up late to write this out.
Andrew is playing t-ball this spring in the competitive 5 and 6 year-old league. It seems like our team and parents are the most relaxed, laid-back and fun. I understand following the rules is important since we are in the competitive league, but some teams we have played have been INTENSE. Parents yelling all the time, keeping stats, and expecting a great deal from something that is supposed to be FUN.
It was our turn to bring snacks tonight, and surprise, surprise! I forgot the snacks at home. By the time we turned around to get the snackies and then to the ballpark, they had already started the first inning and were 5 minutes into the game.
On the bottom of the second inning, Andrew was up to bat first. He stepped up to the plate, measured up to the T... and then a mother on the other team stood up and yelled, "He can't play! He's NOT on your roster! There is NO WAY that kid can play without being on your roster!!"
Everyone surrounding me on our team was expressing disbelief that someone would object like this.
I mean really they are FIVE years-old! Just let them play.
Since when are we so worried about wins and losses at this age, more so than instilling the love of the game, simple fundamentals, teamwork, good sportsmanship, and FUN!
They finally got it sorted out and Andrew sauntered up to the ball on the T and smacked one down the third base line for a double.
After the solid hit, I couldn't help yelling out "Way to go! We are on our way to the College World Series!"
I have seen so many very talented kids give up a sport in high school that they used to love because the fun was gone. Don't steal the f.u.n.!
On a lighter note, while at the club working on the flower beds by the pool. Andrew caught at least eleven small frogs (about the size of dimes or smaller). He carried them around all day in a huge plastic bear that used to hold animal crackers.
One of the little ones bit the dust and he was devastated! He came running up to me asking what was wrong.
I told him that the frog had passed away and was now in Heaven with God and Jesus. He said, "But why is his body still here in my hand." "Because God gives you a brand new body when you get to Heaven," I lovingly responded. "Why don't you find a pretty flower and put him under it?" I suggested. Tearfully, Andrew picked a flower and buried him underneath it.
Sweet boy. Growing up and dealing with our world is so hard sometimes.
I'm just so thankful and humbled to have the love of God sent by the Holy Spirit to speak through me when I don't know what to say as a mom during those tough conversations.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Hansen Sunday Comics (on Monday)
And-a-one...And-a-two... It is time to have some silly fun with you!
Here are some of the crazy, bizarre and precious moments of late...
Here are some of the crazy, bizarre and precious moments of late...
- Ryan has been a dumpster-bottomless pit-never full-devouring-everything-in-sight monster. I was cooking dinner last night and he kept coming in whining, crying, stamping his little feet for "mooore cheesssse! moooore fishies! mooooore crackers! PUHleez mommmmy!" I walked away from the kitchen for two seconds and came back in to see the box of Goldfish slide off the counter and hear Ryan happily sing-song "Ryan got the fishies. I did it! I did it!" He whipped around the corner SO proud of himself until he saw me, and then turned on his little heels and bolted in a diapered-blur for the door. He is growing so FAST right before our eyes! Much too fast.
- Andrew lost his second tooth yesterday! He came over to show me how far his tooth could "stretch." I asked him if I could wiggle it to see and he hesitantly let me. Boy, was it loose! He wouldn't let me touch it again, but with my encouragement he pulled it one time and POP! It was out! His little lisp with both bottom teeth out is just so stinkin' cute!
- It is now officially summer in the Hansen household. We were invited over to our first pool party of the summer on Saturday. We all had a blast, especially the boys being surrounded by other little boys and water. We marked the start of summer by Mike and I both performing the daring race into the pool fully clothed to fish out the two-year old. Who, by the way, just screamed "Ryan swim, Ryan swim!" as we pulled him up to safety.
- Is bigger better? I live with three boys who say, "YES!" Last night this was proven. Andrew said "AWESOME, Dude!", Mike had a goofy grin and Ryan woke up and said "Wow-wee!" And now I can see Kevin Durant's NOSE HAIR as I watch the Thunder on our new 55" TV. Seriously. (Go Thunder!)
- We are in the middle of potty training. Nothing too serious, but just a little acknowledgement of his interest. It is amazing how your memory fails you sometimes. I truly can't remember the steps we took with Andrew. I know every child is different, but sure would have helped to have something written down or memory of it left somewhere (like in my brain). Call me crazy, but I am really not into reading all of the "how to" potty books. It will happen when it happens. For now it is so cute watching Andrew encourage Ryan to use the "froggy" (training toilet). Don't ask how it got that name...
- It's great and wonderful to have friends visit us from our last stomping grounds. Until they teach your children things... like lines from movies. I have a cute wipe-off weekly menu that my mother-in-law made me for Christmas. On it is our weekly menu for this week. It served as inspiration for the lesson taught. I walk into the living room where the boys were playing together and our family friend says "Ryan, what do you tell mom?" Ryan (the two year-old) grins up at me and says "Mom, meatloaf!" Nice! This has now been repeated continuously over the last two days. (Thank you Wedding Crashers, and thank you friend!)
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Lions, Tigers, Bears...Fur Real!
Today Andrew's class went to the Tiger Safari near Oklahoma City. It was a wonderful adventure!
Two buses of 4 and 5 year-olds, exotic animals so close you almost literally could reach out and touch them, and two bathrooms...need I say more!
The "safari" started out with tortoise rides, a petting and educational talk session with several different animals, and a guided tour to see the other animals.
They have some of the biggest, most majestic tigers I have ever seen. However, I haven't seen tigers so up close and personal either. They had kangaroos, llamas and a huge grizzly bear. The kiddos were able to feed several of the animals, and Andrew's favorite moment was feeding the wart hog. The wart hog - that's my son!
At the end of the guided tour, we went inside the educational center. And there were more animals!
A huge iguana, an albino python, a joey (baby kangaroo), and a baby spider monkey were passed around to pet. Shrieks and rolling laughter were a constant The kids were going WILD! It was a lot of fun!
We then ate lunch, and prepared for the hayride. It was a short ride, but just right for the age group.
Once we left the Tiger Safari, we went over to the town we used to live in for Ryan's two year-old check up (finally!). He received a clean bill of health and a shot (boo hoo!). He was NOT a happy camper.
On our way home, we stopped at our favorite fast food restaurant, Chick-fil-a. I decided to get just a sandwich, no fries, but added the yummy banana pudding milkshake. I thought I was doing a good job by limiting the intake of fatty foods, subtracting one to have the other.
I actually have come up with a new weight loss tip, especially for those of you who are like me - sporting a sweet tooth and the will power of a robust kid in a candy store in Disneyland.
While driving down the highway on our way out of town, I picked up the shake for a scrumptious slurp. And then dropped the cup in my lap along with half of the yummy goodness. Stunned, shocked and COLD, I wasn't quite sure what to do (the effects of the cold!). I finally realized I needed to pull over (HELLO! Genius!), and I made my way to the next exit and pulled off into a medical business park.
Not really sure what to do as I stared at the melting mess making its way around my posterior, so I decided to use the napkins (three total) I had to scoop up enough for me to get out of the car without a landslide of ice cream following me out.
I then climbed out of the car and began wiping myself off, realizing that this was not just ordinary ice cream but had small bits of cookie crumbs in it. Nice.
Not only did it look like I had efficiently wet my pants, but also might have had another type of problem.
At this point I had not even thought of anyone seeing me wipe myself off...until I realized that there was a gentleman who seemed to be trying to figure out if I needed help or not. Nice again.
I decided that I had cleaned it up enough and it was time to GO!
So this is my new weight loss strategy. I don't necessarily like it, but it certainly cut my intake in half. I could have had the fries!
Great ending to a very "I Love Lucy" day!
Two buses of 4 and 5 year-olds, exotic animals so close you almost literally could reach out and touch them, and two bathrooms...need I say more!
The "safari" started out with tortoise rides, a petting and educational talk session with several different animals, and a guided tour to see the other animals.
They have some of the biggest, most majestic tigers I have ever seen. However, I haven't seen tigers so up close and personal either. They had kangaroos, llamas and a huge grizzly bear. The kiddos were able to feed several of the animals, and Andrew's favorite moment was feeding the wart hog. The wart hog - that's my son!
At the end of the guided tour, we went inside the educational center. And there were more animals!
A huge iguana, an albino python, a joey (baby kangaroo), and a baby spider monkey were passed around to pet. Shrieks and rolling laughter were a constant The kids were going WILD! It was a lot of fun!
We then ate lunch, and prepared for the hayride. It was a short ride, but just right for the age group.
Once we left the Tiger Safari, we went over to the town we used to live in for Ryan's two year-old check up (finally!). He received a clean bill of health and a shot (boo hoo!). He was NOT a happy camper.
On our way home, we stopped at our favorite fast food restaurant, Chick-fil-a. I decided to get just a sandwich, no fries, but added the yummy banana pudding milkshake. I thought I was doing a good job by limiting the intake of fatty foods, subtracting one to have the other.
I actually have come up with a new weight loss tip, especially for those of you who are like me - sporting a sweet tooth and the will power of a robust kid in a candy store in Disneyland.
While driving down the highway on our way out of town, I picked up the shake for a scrumptious slurp. And then dropped the cup in my lap along with half of the yummy goodness. Stunned, shocked and COLD, I wasn't quite sure what to do (the effects of the cold!). I finally realized I needed to pull over (HELLO! Genius!), and I made my way to the next exit and pulled off into a medical business park.
Not really sure what to do as I stared at the melting mess making its way around my posterior, so I decided to use the napkins (three total) I had to scoop up enough for me to get out of the car without a landslide of ice cream following me out.
I then climbed out of the car and began wiping myself off, realizing that this was not just ordinary ice cream but had small bits of cookie crumbs in it. Nice.
Not only did it look like I had efficiently wet my pants, but also might have had another type of problem.
At this point I had not even thought of anyone seeing me wipe myself off...until I realized that there was a gentleman who seemed to be trying to figure out if I needed help or not. Nice again.
I decided that I had cleaned it up enough and it was time to GO!
So this is my new weight loss strategy. I don't necessarily like it, but it certainly cut my intake in half. I could have had the fries!
Great ending to a very "I Love Lucy" day!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Catching Up...
This certainly has been the longest blog hiatus that I have had since its creation. I don't want to drift away from updating everyone who used to be in our lives daily before we moved. It is my one sound way to feel like I am staying connected in between the phone calls and visits that seem much too brief and too far apart!
So here is what has been happening over the last couple of months. I will warn you - it is a LOT (good grief, it has been TWO months, really!):
So here is what has been happening over the last couple of months. I will warn you - it is a LOT (good grief, it has been TWO months, really!):
- The biggest news of the past two months is... we have a Toothless Wonder in our midst! Andrew lost his first tooth on Sunday night (March 18th). He and Mike had been wiggling and rocking that tooth back and forth and back and forth ALL weekend trying to get the little sucker to come out. Mike was determined to make this momentous occasion happen before the boys and I left town to visit his parents for spring break. So finally, after much wriggling and pulling, Andrew said he wanted to take over. He began wiggling and with eyes wide said, "I can twist it!" Mike and I said "Go for it!" He kept twisting and on the fourth twist and eyes even wider Andrew was holding his tooth in his hand grinning, laughing and shrieking!
Golly! Doesn't he look SO old! (My heart is breaking! Boohoo!)
- During our great stay outside of Branson with Mike's parents, we were able to just relax and hang out with Grandma and Grandpa H. We had a great time playing with cars and the super-duper snake track that used to be Mike's, getting beat by Andrew playing the game "Trouble" and checking on the dock as the lake kept rising and rising over the week. On Thursday we ventured out and headed to Silver Dollar City. I LOVE this place! It holds so many wonderful family vacation memories for me and I am so fortunate to have gracious in-laws who love treating us to a day there. We had a great time even though the afternoon was cut short by more rain. However, it did make me sad to know how fast my first baby boy is growing! Andrew was measured for a wrist band to ride the "big" rides... and there is only ONE ride in the entire park he can't ride because of his height!!!
It is so much fun riding with Grandma H.!
- I finally have all the trim painted white in our playroom! It took 3 ridiculous coats of paint, but it is now time to move on to painting the walls and getting everything back in order. I am embarrassed to show you this picture, but it is the reality of the progress at this point. We'll get there... I have to keep reminding myself that the real fun will begin once I start working on the finishing touches!
(A MUCH bigger update is coming on the playroom... I mean, it's been two months since a real post here, friends! You don't think that I have been sitting around eating bon-bons and folding laundry, do ya? ...especially not the folding laundry part!)
- We have acquired several new pets on the transition to D-town! A new doggie named Zoe (she was with us before the official move), a half-dollar sized turtle that Mike found on the golf course named Bob (or Bobbie for short, as Andrew reminds us!), and another loving addition...
By the way, this is not my doing (although I wish I had thought of this before)!
I told Andrew to go lay down for a "rest" and then couldn't find him until... behold!
- Easter was great fun this year. We went to church and then had my parents, sisters, brother-in-law, a family friend who has not missed an Easter with us in seven years, and more family friends when lunch was over and games were gearing up! A good ol-fashion Easter egg hunt, the indoor kind since it had been raining off and on, was the highlight of the afternoon.
Whew! Finally - this is posted after almost another month of hiatus!
With a handful of love (and patience),
Melody
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Andrew's First School Program
Tonight marked a milestone in Andrew's elementary school career. He had his very first school program. There were 96 little Pre-K kiddos excitedly buzzing through the school's auditorium surrounded by hundreds of loving family and friends.
It is just amazing to watch your child grow up so much in front of your eyes.
From the moment we walked into the auditorium, Andrew was high-fiving, waving and talking with boys and girls all over the place. He certainly is a social butterfly.
He was pretty excited about what the evening was going to entail. I kept asking him throughout the day what he was going to perform during the program and he would produce a sly little cock-eyed smile and say "It's a surprise, mom. Don't ask again, you'll just ruin it for you."
It was a very cute program that lasted 45 minutes. They sang about 8 songs with hand motions and all. It was a "rock star" theme. The "PreK Rocks" t-shirts they wore said "AB/CD (like the AC/DC logo) Future Rock Stars of Marlow Elementary."
We knew that he was going to have some microphone time while saying his name and what he was going to be when he grew up. If you have ever had the side-splitting opportunity to watch Andrew in any of the past church programs, you understand how nervous this made Mike and me. And yet again, Andrew would not tell us what he was going to say. This could be bad. Hilarious without a doubt. But very bad.
Whew! I am glad to say that we made it through without so much as a hiccup. He spoke very loud and clear. He stated his name and then said "I am going to be fighting fire when I grow up." We hope he meant he wanted to be a firefighter. Fingers crossed.
It is just amazing to watch your child grow up so much in front of your eyes.
From the moment we walked into the auditorium, Andrew was high-fiving, waving and talking with boys and girls all over the place. He certainly is a social butterfly.
He was pretty excited about what the evening was going to entail. I kept asking him throughout the day what he was going to perform during the program and he would produce a sly little cock-eyed smile and say "It's a surprise, mom. Don't ask again, you'll just ruin it for you."
It was a very cute program that lasted 45 minutes. They sang about 8 songs with hand motions and all. It was a "rock star" theme. The "PreK Rocks" t-shirts they wore said "AB/CD (like the AC/DC logo) Future Rock Stars of Marlow Elementary."
We knew that he was going to have some microphone time while saying his name and what he was going to be when he grew up. If you have ever had the side-splitting opportunity to watch Andrew in any of the past church programs, you understand how nervous this made Mike and me. And yet again, Andrew would not tell us what he was going to say. This could be bad. Hilarious without a doubt. But very bad.
Whew! I am glad to say that we made it through without so much as a hiccup. He spoke very loud and clear. He stated his name and then said "I am going to be fighting fire when I grow up." We hope he meant he wanted to be a firefighter. Fingers crossed.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The 5 Marvelous Wonder Years
Today is your day, Andrew!
The past five years have sprinted by in a blur.
You are just as charming and interested in life as you were when you were an itty-bitty 9 lbs 1 oz ball of love when God blessed us with you that wonderful night five years ago. You were born now - 9:50pm - on that cold October night.
Everyone was so excited to meet you. The nursing staff had to continually scold those family members and friends who were waiting by the door outside the hospital room. We were all SO excited to welcome you into our loving family.
You were such a precious baby boy. You were just a perfect little guy. You hardly cried unless you were hungry - and you had a healthy appetite from the very beginning!
At 9 weeks old you were sleeping through the night from 7:30pm to 7:30am. You loved to eat and sleep so much that we joked about you being like Garfield (Grandpa McKinley's favorite cartoon character)! You have always had a very predictable schedule. And you still get a little out of sorts if you don't keep to the routine.
You also played the role of Jesus at just a ripe age of 2 months. And you did beautifully! Right before the finale of the choir's Christmas cantata, I handed you to Joseph who in turn handed me the baby doll they had been using. He turned and walked back to the middle of the stage and at just the right moment raised you up in the air (Simba from Lion King style). You kicked and looked out towards the audience and everyone gasped with surprise! You did the exact same cue a second time too!
You have always kept us smiling and on our toes. You have an easy, go-lucky sense of humor. And, boy, do you love to laugh. That's okay with me, because I love to laugh too! The picture of you in the golf bag made headlines at the Ping National Sales Meeting. Your picture was shown after the President said that they had been having weird messages left about the items they were shipping with their golf bags. After beginning what everyone thought was some sort of reprimand, he throws this picture up on the big screen for hundreds of reps to see. What a celebrity!
You began walking at 10 months-old, and have never stopped running since! You were also eating whole apples with a full set of teeth by then too!
At two you were completely in love with finding out about the world around you, and you didn't have any reservations to wonder (or race) off to explore. I would have to chase after you because you never would look back. You just knew I would be following you (in a dead sprint!).
As a three year-old you were just as curious, and your independence to do things on your own was more than noticed! You loved the idea of becoming a big brother - and were determined you were going to have a sister. Your vocabulary was wonderful for your age. You were communicating clearly without any trouble in understanding what you were saying. You have always aligned yourself with an older group of children.
At four years-old, you were full of adventure, excitement and love for your family. You were still figuring out your role as an older brother, but doing so beautifully. You truly love the world around you and the people God has placed in it for you to meet and know.
I can't wait to see what life has in store for you this year! You bring so much to Mommy, Daddy and Ryan's life every day. Thank you for all the belly laughs, giggles, endless curiosity, gentle kindness and an enduring love for our Heavenly Father and Jesus. Chocolate Milk Cheers to Five, Andrew! We love you!!!
The past five years have sprinted by in a blur.
You are just as charming and interested in life as you were when you were an itty-bitty 9 lbs 1 oz ball of love when God blessed us with you that wonderful night five years ago. You were born now - 9:50pm - on that cold October night.
Everyone was so excited to meet you. The nursing staff had to continually scold those family members and friends who were waiting by the door outside the hospital room. We were all SO excited to welcome you into our loving family.
You were such a precious baby boy. You were just a perfect little guy. You hardly cried unless you were hungry - and you had a healthy appetite from the very beginning!
At 9 weeks old you were sleeping through the night from 7:30pm to 7:30am. You loved to eat and sleep so much that we joked about you being like Garfield (Grandpa McKinley's favorite cartoon character)! You have always had a very predictable schedule. And you still get a little out of sorts if you don't keep to the routine.
You also played the role of Jesus at just a ripe age of 2 months. And you did beautifully! Right before the finale of the choir's Christmas cantata, I handed you to Joseph who in turn handed me the baby doll they had been using. He turned and walked back to the middle of the stage and at just the right moment raised you up in the air (Simba from Lion King style). You kicked and looked out towards the audience and everyone gasped with surprise! You did the exact same cue a second time too!
You began walking at 10 months-old, and have never stopped running since! You were also eating whole apples with a full set of teeth by then too!
At two you were completely in love with finding out about the world around you, and you didn't have any reservations to wonder (or race) off to explore. I would have to chase after you because you never would look back. You just knew I would be following you (in a dead sprint!).
As a three year-old you were just as curious, and your independence to do things on your own was more than noticed! You loved the idea of becoming a big brother - and were determined you were going to have a sister. Your vocabulary was wonderful for your age. You were communicating clearly without any trouble in understanding what you were saying. You have always aligned yourself with an older group of children.
At four years-old, you were full of adventure, excitement and love for your family. You were still figuring out your role as an older brother, but doing so beautifully. You truly love the world around you and the people God has placed in it for you to meet and know.
I can't wait to see what life has in store for you this year! You bring so much to Mommy, Daddy and Ryan's life every day. Thank you for all the belly laughs, giggles, endless curiosity, gentle kindness and an enduring love for our Heavenly Father and Jesus. Chocolate Milk Cheers to Five, Andrew! We love you!!!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
5 is a Big Number to Celebrate!
I think having a five year-old running around the house is harder to think about than turning 30... or 40 (okay, I'm 11 years away from 40, so maybe things will change as we get closer!).
Andrew has been looking forward to turning 5 since he was 3 years-old. It is a B.I.G. deal! It has meant so much to him for so long, I felt like I had to blow his birthday celebration out of the water while keeping that very family feel. I never want to loose that family aspect of birthdays which is why it will be a rare occasion that we will have a birthday party anywhere other than our home.
We had his birthday celebration yesterday and it was great! I am reminded just how blessed we are to have all of the wonderful family and friends God has given us to make this life wonderful.
We had a train-themed party and I used a lot of great ideas that I found on pinterest.com. Andrew had a great time helping me make a train track along our sidewalk up to the door on the front porch. We had everyone wear their costumes, so we also put out some Halloween decorations and games.
Andrew and I had a lot of fun putting together the food for the party. (With the help of super Aunts, Melissa and Megan!)
I made dirt cups (chocolate pudding and crushed Oreo cookies and gummy worms) for the construction area of the train track. I put together a finger food train of ranch dip (tender), big pretzels (log car), carrots and celery sticks (produce car), and black olives (coal car). I made pb&j sandwiches and corn dog nuggets. With the corn dog nuggets, we placed two together using a toothpick and then placed two cheese squares on the top for a smokestack. They turned out really cute. We had cupcakes that kept growing and growing in the oven! I used self standing cupcake liners, so no muffin pan needed. Because of this, they kept expanding out larger and larger. But they sure were good with a nice cream filling!
However, the biggest hit was the yummy poppy seed sandwiches that I made the day before and baked just before the party started. They were absolutely wonderful! Here's the link: Delicious-baked-sandwiches. The recipe is below.
It was a wonderful evening from the Great Pumpkin Pop (orange balloons I filled with colorful rings, plastic insects, and train tattoos) to Andrew's celebrity wave and sincere thanks to everyone as he opened their gifts to his clear excitement about every aspect of his party.
Can't wait to see where he chooses to eat dinner on his birthday day, Wednesday! I am very curious since his all-time favorite choice has always been Chili's!
Delicious Baked Sandwiches
Sandwiches:
1 pkg. brown and serve rolls (I used the Hawaiian brand - yum!)
1/2 to 3/4 lb. deli meat
sliced cheese - enough to fit on each sandwich
Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. mustard
1. T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. poppy seeds
Directions:
-Put sandwiches together and place in 9X13 baking dish
-Boil sauce until bubbly and pour over sandwiches.
-You can bake immediately or refrigerate for several hours or overnight. (I let sit overnight.)
-Bake in 350F preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until tops are brown and crispy.
-Enjoy!
Andrew has been looking forward to turning 5 since he was 3 years-old. It is a B.I.G. deal! It has meant so much to him for so long, I felt like I had to blow his birthday celebration out of the water while keeping that very family feel. I never want to loose that family aspect of birthdays which is why it will be a rare occasion that we will have a birthday party anywhere other than our home.
We had his birthday celebration yesterday and it was great! I am reminded just how blessed we are to have all of the wonderful family and friends God has given us to make this life wonderful.
We had a train-themed party and I used a lot of great ideas that I found on pinterest.com. Andrew had a great time helping me make a train track along our sidewalk up to the door on the front porch. We had everyone wear their costumes, so we also put out some Halloween decorations and games.
Andrew and I had a lot of fun putting together the food for the party. (With the help of super Aunts, Melissa and Megan!)
I made dirt cups (chocolate pudding and crushed Oreo cookies and gummy worms) for the construction area of the train track. I put together a finger food train of ranch dip (tender), big pretzels (log car), carrots and celery sticks (produce car), and black olives (coal car). I made pb&j sandwiches and corn dog nuggets. With the corn dog nuggets, we placed two together using a toothpick and then placed two cheese squares on the top for a smokestack. They turned out really cute. We had cupcakes that kept growing and growing in the oven! I used self standing cupcake liners, so no muffin pan needed. Because of this, they kept expanding out larger and larger. But they sure were good with a nice cream filling!
However, the biggest hit was the yummy poppy seed sandwiches that I made the day before and baked just before the party started. They were absolutely wonderful! Here's the link: Delicious-baked-sandwiches. The recipe is below.
It was a wonderful evening from the Great Pumpkin Pop (orange balloons I filled with colorful rings, plastic insects, and train tattoos) to Andrew's celebrity wave and sincere thanks to everyone as he opened their gifts to his clear excitement about every aspect of his party.
Can't wait to see where he chooses to eat dinner on his birthday day, Wednesday! I am very curious since his all-time favorite choice has always been Chili's!
Delicious Baked Sandwiches
Sandwiches:
1 pkg. brown and serve rolls (I used the Hawaiian brand - yum!)
1/2 to 3/4 lb. deli meat
sliced cheese - enough to fit on each sandwich
Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. mustard
1. T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. poppy seeds
Directions:
-Put sandwiches together and place in 9X13 baking dish
-Boil sauce until bubbly and pour over sandwiches.
-You can bake immediately or refrigerate for several hours or overnight. (I let sit overnight.)
-Bake in 350F preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until tops are brown and crispy.
-Enjoy!
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