Lucky Me!

Today was a short workday and so I was fortunate enough to not have to sit in traffic today! Not only that, but when Mason and I got home, we were browsing through our neighbor's clovers and I spotted this little beauty! Lucky Me!

Easter Fun:

Mason looked forward to coloring Easter eggs ALL week! Every day he would ask me, "Is today the day we color eggs?"
















Finally Saturday arrived!!! We took the party outside because Brian had to work all morning and was napping. Besides, the sunshine felt fabulous! What a beautiful day to be outside!!!















Mason did some swinging while the eggs dried.




Sticker time!



I'm not sure which got more coloring – the eggs or Mason!

Smartie Pants Part II :

Dedication:

This post is dedicated to my chocoholic mother-in-law (bless her heart). Janet, this recipe is for you. We all know that your weekly "women's" meetings are really chocoholic anonymous meetings. It's okay. We understand. This recipe is so that you can finally eat your chocolate and have WAY less guilt about doing so. You may even want to take these to your chocoholic anonymous meetings!

Yum Yum Brownie Muffins:

1 Box Devil's Food Cake Mix
1-15 oz. can of Pumpkin

Preheat your oven to 400º. Mix together the two ingredients. Do NOT be tempted to add anything else!!! The mixture will be thicker than a cake mix. DO NOT be tempted to add anything else!!!

Now, I'm a big fan of mini muffins because I feel like I'm actually eating more than I am, but regular muffin pans will do just fine. Spray those little buggars with cooking spray before dropping in your batter. Bake for 20 minutes and enjoy the chocolate deliciousness! Here is why they are less guilty:

1 Muffin, or 3 minis = 181 calories, 3.5g fat, 37g carbs, 2g fiber, 2g protein

A big skinny thank you to HungryGirl.com for supplying me with less guilty snacks that actually taste good!

So Grown Up!

Yes, yes, you can click on my sister's link and see the exact same photo, but I wanted to show the world how grown up my beautiful Athena is.

Gooooo KU!

Even though I went to Kansas State (Go Wildcats!) I still like to root for a Kansas team in the NCAA tournament! It's nice to see two Kansas teams in it to win it this year! Way to go KU for not getting knocked out in the first round and squeaking by a 85-61 victory over Portland State! Kansas State plays USC this evening. Let's hope that the freshman Michael Beasley can lead them to a V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!!!

Smartie Pants

It always amazes me how much information a child can soak up and retain. You would think that after 5 years of being a mother that nothing would surprise me, but when the light bulb went off in Mason's head that all of those letters he had been learning formed words, I was in awe. It's really fun to see him enjoy reading and enjoy figuring something out on his own. I will post a video later this week so you, too, can be in awe.

Masonism:

When asked why people need skin, the reply:

"It holds our butts in."

Minor Mishap...

Heidi and I went out of town to shoot a wedding this past weekend in South Georgia and stayed overnight in a hotel. The weather was absolutely beautiful and swimming really sounded like a good idea. Unfortunately, the only thing standing between us and a cool, refreshing soak was a 6-foot tall fence. Of course, Heidi gets over the fence, no problem. I, however, was not so lucky on the first try. I did manage to get over it the second time, only to realize that I had sliced open my big toe during the first go-around. Now, being that I don't like going to the doctor (no offense, sis) I didn't think it was bad enough to go to the hospital, but Heidi insisted that I go. After some liquid stitches and a doctor that liked to inflict pain, here I am yucking it up with Heidi in the ER.

Family Activities...

As you know from my previous posts, Mason received a bike for his birthday. This gift inspired Brian to search for a bike on Craig's list (a great place to purchase such items), and he found one that he liked enough to buy. Now, this left me bike-less. I can't have my boys riding bikes and me jogging along side, now can I?

Okay mom, remember that blue bike that I hated so much when I was a a kid? I should have hung onto it all these years, because I ended up purchasing a bike just like it only in purple. Isn't it a beauty? I did make the mistake of telling Brian that I felt like the wicked witch of the west (yes, please feel free to make Kansas jokes at your leisure) while riding on this bike. In turn, you can imagine the little song that I heard coming from his direction every time he got near me.

Fabulous at 5!

Yes, I finally got around to taking Mason's 5 year pictures. Of course, this photo session was a short one since he was so excited to get to riding his bike. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Hats Off to the Pioneer Woman!

God bless Ree, the brilliant everyday chef of Pioneer Woman Cooks dot com! I have tried several of her "I already have this stuff in my refrigerator" recipes and I must say that the Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich is absolutely FABULOUS! Please, for goodness sakes, check out this recipe...and please, please make it for your man. You won't regret it, I promise! You can check out the recipe here: Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich

Birthday Weekend!!!

Mason turned the big 5 on Tuesday and this was the weekend to celebrate in style! First, we went bumper bowling and then to Toys R Us to choose a bicycle. He tested several different sizes in the store before we found just the right one; and boy is it a beauty! Happy Birthday baby boy!

Bumper Bowling, Ya'll!

For those of you out there that think 5 is too young for bowling, welcome to the wonderful world of bumper bowling!