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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Cinnamon Playdough on a Snowy Thursday

It's another snowy day. What a delight! We only got a small amount of snow. It's just enough to look pretty. When it started falling T begged to go outside. We both bundled up and kicked a ball around in the back yard for a while, before coming back in to enjoy some hot apple cider and hot chocolate. Yum! Then we made some playdough. I put a lot of cinnamon in it and the kitchen had that nice, spiced cookie smell without the temptation cookies offer.

T spent a couple hours rolling, poking, pulling, pounding, and just having fun with some playdough we made this morning. Soon as lunch was over he was back at it. I think the cinnamon playdough is a hit!

We used whole wheat flour because I'm very low on all-purpose right now.

Here's the recipe:

1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c salt
5 tsp cinnamon (makes it beautiful smelling!)
1 c water
just enough vegetable oil to bind

Mix all together until it's a solid mass. Put out some paper towels or waxed paper on the kitchen table. Have fun!


Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Wordless Wednesday : jaguar and boys

On a zoo trip with some friends,
T (in orange) & friend M
 were excited and enthralled
      by their close encounter
             with a hungry jaguar!

I think this safe "up close" jaguar viewing spot is a favorite of many kids
who visit this zoo.





































Monday, January 16, 2012

Clean Before You Leave?



We have internet! It's been a struggle getting internet to work at our new home. It's working now finally! Took 2 1/2 weeks before setting it up was complete. That was rather frustrating. So far, since Saturday, we've had internet. So glad!!!

Our move happened so suddenly. One day my husband got a call requesting an interview, and within weeks we're moving. The move was so exhausting. Preparing, packing, painting, cleaning, searching for housing. I don't think I'm fully recovered yet. Unpacking is so much easier than packing.

 I didn't have time to put together fresh activities, and thus this blog was neglected. We still visited the library and got books to read, but he spent a lot of time at the homes of friends in the weeks leading up to the move, playing with the toys that weren't packed, watched more TV than usual (Bill Nye is his new favorite), and didn't get to bake Christmas cookies with me this year. We did get our tree decorated! I insisted we had to put it up even though I knew it would come down right at Christmas.

I am very thankful to good friends who put in hours babysitting T so I could pack or paint. J.A., J.C., B.C. and S.C. all watched T despite living busy lives; thanks so much! I also really appreciated the help your families gave loading the truck, and staying after to help clean the house- what troopers! Thankful is an understatement.

Are you like the last two houses I've moved into, where you leave the cleaning to the person who is moving in? I hate it when I view a house that's all nice and clean, and when I actually move in I have to scrub the tubs, clean a 1/4" dust off the fan blades, scrub the ovens, etc. Are you like me? I have a whole list of things that have to be cleaned before the house is considered "finished" and I feel ready to leave my old home for the new one: Totally scrub all appliances inside/out/under,  clean cupboards, the fan blades vacuumed, floors steam cleaned or shampooed, clean the vents, light fixtures dusted/washed, paint touched up, windows washed, blinds washed, bathrooms must be sparkling before I feel there's closure moving out of a house. I was brought up that way, and hate moving into a dirty house. It's only polite, not to leave your own dirt behind for the next person I think! What do you do to clean after you move?





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