What is wrong with me???

I wanted to try this new recipe from my Taste of Home magazine...so this morning I made a list of the things I needed and Mallory and I headed off to Wal-mart. I needed a 2 gallon ziploc bag to mix the cereal and powdered sugar in, but instead of writing down a 2 gallon ziploc bag I wrote down 2o gallon! Well, anyone in there right mind would see 2o gallon and think that must be wrong! Why would I need that HUGE of a ziploc bag for mixing cereal and powdered sugar???? Oh no, not me. I search for several minutes and finally find a 2o gallon box of ziploc bags and away I go. (yeah they actually make them that big) Anyway we get home I start making the stuff. Time to use the ziploc bag...Holy crap this thing is HUGE! Now it dawns on me that I probably grabbed the wrong size. DUH! Well, I bought it might as well use it... This bag is as big as Mallory. Poor thing. She was watching me shake this ginormous bag and looking at me like I was crazy!

I didn't even notice that the lady on the front of the box was carrying 2 sleeping bags and a pillow in her 20 gallon ziploc bag! Seriously, what was I thinking?

Anderson Apple Orchard

One of our favorite things to do in the fall is go to the apple orchard. It's a tradition I always did as a kid and now Dan and the girls love it too! There's a number of orchards around here, but we love Anderson because we can drive through the orchard eating...I mean picking apples from the trees. There's also a pumpkin patch and raspberries to pick. Unfortunately, everyone from the state of Indiana decided to show up too so we didn't go through the country store and get cider or an elephant ear. Boo hoo! Here's a few pics:Mallory did NOT like her raspberry!

Golden delicious apples are the family favorite

First, just the way Mal was holding the apples cracks me up! Then if you look at Dan in the background...what was he doing?

Apple in one hand, raspberry in the other. Mmmm!

Wii had fun tonight!

The girls played a round of bowling

Litttle lefty

They also played some carnival games that were really fun. :) Dan and I are going to put the girls to bed and play some tennis...then watch the presidential debate. Have a great weekend everyone!!

Spelling homework

Last night Madison and I were working on her spelling words. She has a test on Friday's and this week she was to come up with a list of words from the "it" and "iss" families. Easy enough...

Maddy: Ok mom this should be easy. sit, bit, fit...tit. Mom is tit a word?

Me: Uh, yes but let's try and come up with another "it" word.

Maddy: Why?

Phone rings.... Whew!

Maddy: Let's do "iss" words now. miss, kiss...piss. Is piss a word mom?

Me: Uh, yes. Let's use a different "iss" word.

Maddy: Why? What does piss mean?

Me: Well...it's not a very nice way to say someone has to go potty.

Maddy: Silence...thinking... Like, I have to piss?

Me: Yes, but please don't say that word.

Maddy: Ok. I'll try not to put tit or piss on my spelling test tomorrow!

Back to school

Both girls love playing computer games on starfall. They have activities for many ages and grade levels. If you have little ones check it out! :)

I've been terrible about keeping up with my blogging on a daily basis! Mallory has been fighting a cold for about a week and now I've come down with it. Nothing serious, just enough to zap my energy. I had lunch with Maddy at school today. I figured I should be going as much as she wants me to. I know the time will come when having mommy to lunch will be totally uncool!
Aahhh the smell of bleach and cafeteria food brings back memories! It cracked me up how I fell right back into teacher mode. Opening milk cartons, ketchup packets, grabbing napkins and spoons... 1st time in years and years I actually missed teaching. (Not enough to go back though)

Soccer and...nylon panty hose????

I finally remembered to to bring the camera to Maddy's soccer game this morning. Her team played great! Go girls!!!!

Notice Mallory sitting right in the middle! :)

Mallory and Tyler played football during their big sister's game.

Well, we were driving around this evening when I hear Mallory say, "Mom look!" I turn around to find the nylon panty hose we had just used at the shoe store in her nose! Oh and how about that blue sweat band on her wrist???? She gets style points that's for sure.

Success!

Dan and our pastor went biking at nearby park this afternoon. The last time they went John had a freak accident, falling off a bridge, breaking 17 bones and puncturing a lung!!!! (about a year and a half ago) So I took this picture of them...proving they can ride together without a terrible accident. :)

After biking Maddy and the guys kicked the soccer ball around for a while. I think they were playing monkey in the middle.

Mallory wasn't feeling like soccer...she was too busy throwing grass in my hair! She stopped just long enough for me to take this picture.

Fun with Crayola

These Crayola Window Markers are a recent purchase from Target and have been great!!! Mallory and I practice writing letters and doodling and Maddy has fun using them to write her spelling words. Just a fun alternative to plain paper. Although, I suggest adult supervision while letting your younger ones use them...we haven't had an "incident" yet, but I can see how easily going from windows to walls could be! :)

Mallory drawing

Sorry they're so dark!

Weekend recap

This weekend our church had a festival for the children. We were hoping to bring in many of our neighborhood families and I think it was a success. The pictures I took were awful! I was too busy chasing after the girls, but I'm posting some of the decent ones. Mal getting her face painted

Yup. We came home with 2 goldfish from this game.

Maddy

Madison was the corn hole champion. She even beat the adults. (including her dad)

Win a Free Handbag - No Joke.

Handbag Planet is almost here. To celebrate the October 15, 2008 launch, we are giving away a free handbag every hour for 24 hours on the day of the launch. Our high fashion, trendy handbags are inspired by popular designer brands and priced between $30 and $80.

After signing-up in one easy step below, you can select the handbag you would like to win. There's absolutely no catch - this means no shipping/handling fees or credit card required. Yes, it's really that simple!

http://www.handbagplanet.com

FYI: This is not something I usually do, but a friend of Dan's owns the website. :)

I'm so glad it's friday!!!!

We've had a pretty boring week here at the Laughlin house. Nothing interesting to blog about. Here is how Mal and I have spent out day thus far: Now that her best friend (big sis) is in school all day, Mal P's turned her attention to the dog. Thankfully, he's really good natured and doesn't seem to mind!

This Tea Party Game is so cute. ( for those of you with little girls.) The object is to spin the tea pot spinner and collect the items needed for afternoon tea: a plate, a napkin with utensils, cream and sugar, sandwiches, fruit, a dessert, and of course- a cup of tea! First player to gather a place setting wins. :) Both of my girls have LOVED this game.

The flowered tablecloth comes with the game too. :)

Evening at the park

Fall is almost here I can feel it!!! The mornings and evenings are getting cooler, the afternoon temps are just barely reaching 70 degrees... ohhh I love it!! Tonight after dinner it was so beautiful Dan and I decided to take the girls out for a Dairy Queen dilly bar and to the park. Here are a couple of pics:

Best dog on the block!

This afternoon I was getting lunch ready when I couldn't find Mal. I peeked out on the back deck and there she was giving our dog, Jackson, a makeover! :)Dipping my makeup brush into his dog bowl (Ewww) and applying it to his eyes and nose.

Poor guy! He's sitting there so peacefully... I guess he had to, notice the jump rope wrapped around his neck and then tied to the deck.

I took this one of Madison last night before I went to bed. Poor child has the worst time falling asleep at night. Dan and I thought buying her a mask might help... It actually works!!! Here she is sound asleep. :)

Unconventional play

I don't really have much to blog about, but I did snap this pic of Mallory and her buddy, Tyler, in Sunday school this morning. I was just about to start the lesson when I noticed Mallory sitting on top of the fridge and Tyler sitting in the sink... :)
Oh...and GO COLTS!!!!

Happy B-day to me!!!

Madison has been anxiously awaiting the arrival of my birthday. She has been collecting, gathering and hiding things under my bed for weeks. This morning at 6:45 she pulled it all out from under the bed and proundly presented them to me.

Maddy thought I should have this doll b/c it would remind me of what people wore when I was litttle. ( I thought I was turning 31 not 101!) The bear is to remind me of her when she was a baby. We had that bear in her crib, minus the coat, when she was little.

A homemade card addressed to Amanda rather than mom.

A stuffed horse, "for you to sleep with" and a dollar bill...probably from my wallet.
Thank you my sweet Madison!!! I love my presents!

This is just a side note, unrelated to the rest of this post, but I thought was rather funny. This afternoon I was picking up Mallory from preschool when another mom stopped me. She asked me if I was a body builder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Huh? I was sure I misunderstood her so I asked her to repeat it. Yup, she thought I was a competitive body builder. Seriously! The last time I looked at myself in the mirror, the only thing I had in common with a body builder was my bra size! :)

Don't go daddy!

Dan has worked from home for several years and the girls have gotten accustomed to having him home all day everyday. In August he got a new job and is now working at the office. Every morning the girls ask where their daddy is. They seem so confused that he has to be at work now all the time. Dan is usually gone before the girls are awake in the morning, but today he slept in a bit. Here he is trying to leave... the girls are making it difficult! It took both of us to drag them out of the car :) I don't think he's going to sleep in again.

1st day of preschool for Mallory Paige

Oooooh she's so cute I could just eat her up!!!!

Getting ready to walk into the classroom! I still can't figure out why she had that bottle of water...it must have been in the car. :) And look, no tears! Little Mallory has been our clingy one. But this morning she marched right in like a big girl not a tear in sight. Yeah Mal!