Gray Grandma's Birthday

We celebrated my grandma's birthday at the end of May. It is funny because the kids call her gray grandma when they are trying to say great grandma, so the name has stuck. It ended up just being a low key celebration with just my mom and Logan and myself. I made cupcakes with a new buttercream recipe that turned out really well. Logan had fun eating cupcakes and helping blow out the candles and open presents. I am so thankful to still have a grandparent around.

Logan posing with the birthday girl

Helping open some presents

Of course Logan had to help her read the cards

He decided 4 candles would work, one for each of us

Helping blow out the candles

Zoo Fun

We went to the zoo on a Friday in May. I loved my Friday's off in May and they were so worth not having the snow days in the winter. It was a beautiful day. I had to laugh because my last trip to this zoo was with my class on a field trip. It was so nice to not have to be keeping up with a class full of students and their chaperone's.

The kids enjoyed seeing all the animals and walking around the zoo. Madison was so funny when she stopped to look at the monkeys and started singing 5 Little Monkey's to them. Logan said sissy belonged in the monkey cage, gotta love brothers.

My brother with the kids ready to go in

Enjoying a picnic lunch

Pretty pink flamigos

Climbing on a lizard

Driving the boat with Jack Hanna

These kangaroos were so cool. They could roam around an enclosed area where we were walking through

Enjoying the gorillas

Here kitty, kitty

A roaring good time

Tasty Tuesday- Easy and Yummy

I hope to get back to a better cooking routine soon. I have been so busy since school has been out, so the goal is to get into a better routine next week. I wanted to share with you two of my new favorite recipes. They are both super and quick and easy and oh sooo yummy. I wish I had pictures, but I always forget to take them until everything is all gone.

Cheez It Chicken
A friend of mine share this with me and this is the perfect recipe to fix at the end of the day because it doesn't require any prep work ahead of time.

Frozen Chicken Tenders or Chicken Cutlets (use the amount appropriate for the crowd you are fixing them for)
Sour Cream- enough to coat the chicken
Crushed cheez its - again enough to cover the chicken
A stick of butter

Cover a baking sheet with foil. Preheat the oven to 350. Dredge the frozen chicken in the sour cream-IT MUST BE FROZEN. Then roll it in the cheez its and place on the baking sheet. When you have all the chicken on the sheet, melt the stick of butter and drizzle it over the chicken. Bake uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes or until juices run clear. Serve and wait for everyone to thank you for making this wonderful dish.

Snickers Dip
We had our local Relay for Life Walk on Saturday and I made this dip for my team to snack on. It is heavenly and the perfect combo of salty and sweet.

2 packages of cream cheese softened
1 (8oz) container of Cool Whip
1/2 cup of brown sugar
6 regular size snickers bars chopped up
Pretzels for dipping

Mix the cream cheese, cool whip and brown sugar together. Stir in the chopped snickers bars.
 Chill for a few hours and serve with pretzels.

Preschool Graduation- Oh the Cuteness

In the middle of May, Logan graduated from this 3 year old preschool class. Next fall he will join the Pre-K class at his school. This preschool has been such a great opportunity for Logan. He went 2 days a week in the mornings and he has learned so much. It is a church based program so it has been so nice to see him growing in that aspect as well.

They did the cutest graduation ceremony, complete with caps and gowns. We were so proud of Logan for staying on stage and singing all his songs, as this has not always been the case in past performances. We were also proud of him for remaining calm, when the little boy next to him kept bothering him.  I know it will be just the blink of an eye before we are sitting at his high school graduation.

My little graduate-bottom left

The whole group

Logan getting his diploma- the trained them to stop on the mark and pose for pictures!

Showing off his diploma

Posing with one of his wonderful teachers

Logan and his mom

Logan with his great grandma and grandma

Logan with his grandpa

Logan and his friend Stormi

One last pose

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Catching Up- Mother's Day

I have a lot of catchingup to do. We will go back to the beginning of May for Mother's Day. We celebrated a week early, because my aunt was going to be out of town for Mother's Day. We went to church then enjoyed lunch out. Of course we had to catch up on our Sunday afternoon naps! Once we were all rested we headed outside to play with the new bat and ball set I had gotten for Logan. He insisted that my grandma was the only one that could throw to him, because the rest of us couldn't do it right! We ended the day enjoying a Mother's Day cake from here, if you are local, you must try it.

Trying to play with Aunt Weez

His favorite pitcher

Posing in front of the flowers

Playing with his remote control truck

I'm Back

Oh how I have missed blogging! Today is my first day of summer vacation, WOO HOO! May was a super busy month filled with finishing up a school year and packing a classroom. It is always amazing to me how much a teacher collects, I am officially in my new classroom but not unpacked, that is my project today. I have to say I was blessed with some wonderful helpers yesterday and everything was moved into my new room just 2 hours after we started. I have to say I had one of those moments on my last day that just made me cry and still does two days later. It was a great reminder of why I do what I do and a wonderful revelation that I made the right choice to change teaching positions. A little guy in my class has really struggled this year. We have made gains, but he has so far to go. On the last day of school, he comes up to me and asks me if he is going to third grade. I assure him that yes he is going on to third grade. It was what he said next that brought me to tears. He said to me, "will there be someone there that will help me like you do." Yes, ___ there will be someone there to help you. This little guy has been through a lot in his life and does not have a stable home. He is the one you just want to bring home and just give him love and let him experience the world. He is one of those kids that has touched my heart and will help me remember why I do what I do. There are tough days, weeks and years, but that is why I do what I do!

Easter

Well it is over a month later and I am finally finshing my Easter post. Better late than never, right? It has been a super busy spring. I am now in the home stretch of school with only 12 days left. WOO HOO! There are some changes taking place which I am excited about. My teaching title is changing to second grade intervention room. I will be team teaching with our special education teacher next year. It was a position I chose to take and I am excited about the new challenge. With this new job comes a change to a new room, which means I am knee deep in boxes everyday while still teaching my second graders. Not an easy task, but I am managing.

Okay so back to Easter. We  went to church that morning and then back to my grandmas for pictures. It was super windy that day which is why we have hair blowing in all different directions. The kids semi-cooperated for pictures this year, maybe there is hope for them yet!

He insisted on having his picture with the cows in the background. The cows were actually in trouble because they were out of their pasture that morning!

Looking at each other through the lilac bush.

Logan found his basket

Playing with his monster truck from Aunt Court

Madison got a miniture Fur Real pet