Planes, Trains & Automobiles...well, actually just TRAINS!

 

Drew finally scored a train set. Our first sale of the season and he came home with a train set, a farm set and several movies. He has been wanting a train, but he has the table train set we gave him last year for Christmas, so we really did not think he needed another train...but garage sales being...well, inexpensive shall we say, how can you not!? Of course, who has room for them to be set up all the time--so we will be setting up, taking down, setting up, taking down... Since we are having our own garage sale this week (Tues-Thurs) hopefully I can eliminate some things from "garage sales past" to make more room. I can't let Drew know I am getting rid of anything, he always says "no thank you" when I ask if there are any toys he would like to donate to the sale...

Cupcakes...

Let's just suffice it to say that I will never be watched on "Cupcake Wars." Drew wanted to make cupcakes the other day, so I rummaged around the cupboard, didn't find a box cake mix...decided we would look up a recipe online. I found one that sounded good and simple enough from scratch...Cream Filled Cupcakes! I proceeded to get out the ingredients, bowls, measuring cups/spoons, etc. We started to make the cupcakes (and I use the term "we" very loosely, since my boy decided I could handle the project on my own this time--even though it was his idea). I made the cake batter and attempted to pour/spoon/ladle it into the paper wrapper things. I believe it took me 10 minutes to fill 15 holes--and not one of them was the same height--and I don't know when it is half full or 1/4 full or 1/3 full once you start filling it up--who knows!? Once they were in the oven I began whipping up the "filling." Everything went fine with this except that I was interrupting my fellow baker's "show" with my loud beater. Cupcakes out of the oven--they did not bake evenly since, well, they were 15 different heights! Let them cool, went back to the "filling" and searched for something, anything--well there has to be something! I can use to poke a hole in the bottom of this dang cupcake and squeeze the filling in---but alas--there was not. So, filling became frosting and wo-lah! Cupcakes!

A bunny named Beavis...

Wow! The bunny pictures were awesome this year. The kids looked adorable and were GREAT with Beavis. Some wanted to hold him while others preferred he just sit nicely by them. Had a wonderful day and a lot of fun and laughter. Thanks to everyone for making our bunny pictures a success! Thanks to my hubs and my niece Brooke for helping out. Thank you Beavis for your excellent photo debut!

Butterflies at Dow Gardens 2011

Took a little venture over to Midland yesterday...The hubs wanted to go over and look at my brother-in-law's new property and see how it was survived the deluge of water we received. I told Drew he needed to get dressed, brush his teeth, comb his hair, wash his face, etc...and he of course said "Why?" and I replied because we were going some place, he of course said "Where?" and I replied, "Midland." He said "Oh! to see the butterflies?" and I said, "Well yes, that is where we are going." So, we filled Daddy in on the addition to our itinerary and off we went. I had no idea how tired he was and on the way there he was being very quiet, so I was turning around to say, what are you doing sleeping back there? and guess what--he was! (That rarely happens, believe me). So, we went to check the property, put gas in the truck, went through Subway drive-thru, then to Dow Gardens parking lot to wait and eat. He finally woke up after sleeping about 45 minutes and was ready to go in. It was a great adventure!