Karo Crunch

I just made this caramel corn that I found on Pinterest, and can I say how easy and yummy it is!

It took about an hour to make, but it's worth it. First, I popped the popcorn and then spread it out on foil lined pans. Next, I mixed up all the ingredients from the website. I only let it boil for about 3 minutes instead of the 5 recommended. Followed the rest of the directions by stirring it every 15 minutes for an hour. Let it cool (or eat it off the spatula). OH. MY. WORD. It is even better than I thought it was going to be. Just look at that gooey goodness.

Things to Do in Nashville (or Middle TN) with Kids

I've searched over and over for free (or almost) free things to do with all the kids this summer. We've started making out "bucket" list, and I'm sure we won't get to half of them, but here's some of our list of possibilities.
1. Visit the zoo. We purchased a membership to Boonshoft Museum to use this summer at area places including the zoo. It's $5.00 to park, and we'll take a sack lunch to enjoy at the picnic tables.
2. Visit the Science Center. Science in Toys opens June 16th.
3. Go to the Discovery Center.
4. Splash at the Splash Pad and have a picnic supper with Dad.
5. Paint some pottery ($3.00 per painter on certain days, plus the pottery--my kids have a $5.00 a piece limit when we go)
6. Go bowling!! Kids bowl for free at several area bowling centers. All we'll pay is shoe rental!
7. Visit the Farmer's Market (or several) in our area.
8. Play in the sprinklers in our yard
9. feed the ducks at Centennial Park. See the Parthenon from the outside (they love the Percy Jackson movie)
10. Go to the cheap summer movies here and here.
11. Go to VBS at our church. The kids LOVE this (and it's FREE).
12. Go to Beechbend Park or Nashville Shores. so it's not free, but it's a fun special treat get-away close to home.
13. Ride the Go Carts and play Putt-putt here.
14. Go to the library for story time and to read.
15. Make stuff!
16. Learn about something new--a place we want to visit, an animal, a foreign country, a new food.
17. Watch a movie at home when it's too hot or too rainy to get outside.
18. splash in the puddles around our house during a rain shower.
19. Visit dad at work and have lunch
20. have a yard sale.

Home Almost Six Months

June 11th marks six months home. My home time has flown by!!! Here are some updates on what Louba can do now:

• TALK! she is a talker and will talk with anyone who will stop and listen. Right now, she's speaking in 6-7 word sentences. I can understand most of what she says. She gets frustrated when you can't understand her. 
• Her favorite things to say/ask: "Whatcha doing?" "Where you goin?" "I like your fingernails" (but only if they are polished. She does not like a french manicure). "Go fast momma!" She does not like to stop when we are in the car. 
• PRAYERS. She says her daycare lunchtime prayer at dinner every night, and "now I lay me" at bed time. Most of the time it's in a whisper.
• Her TRIKE. She loves riding her tricycle outside or in the house. The Easter bunny even brought her a kitty helmet to wear.
• BUBBLES. she likes to blow them, pour them out, play in them.
• EAT. She's finally trying new things thanks to daycare. She'll eat chicken nuggets now, green peas, fish sticks, spaghetti, french fries, chicken tacos, chips, salsa, bananas and peanut butter, pbandj sandwiches, and loves milk and water. She's even gained a couple pounds since January. 
• CLOTHES. she wants to wear dresses ALL.THE.TIME. if we go shopping, we have to look at shoes. 

Book List

Since I'm a Reading/Writing/Language teacher, I thought I'd do a little blogging on what I've been reading and writing.

Books I've read over the last six months to a year:
Hunger Games trilogy--who hasn't? I love this trilogy. The kids love this. JD has seen the movie and is listening to the second book.

Matched and Crossed dystopian society. Boys and girls are matched to their "perfect" mate the year they turn 16. They are also given a "last supper" on their 80th birthday to control the population for optimal living.

Divergent A close second to the Hunger Games. Love this book and can't wait to read the second, Insurgent. Tris must choose her new adult life after she finds out secretly she is a divergent.