Germ Experiment

I have Pinterest to thank for leading me to this very simple, but very good science experiment for us.

We have three children in our home.  One of them is still in diapers.  One of the other two must constantly be asked if they washed their hands.  If the answer is yes, then we must next clarify that soap must be used.  With that child in mind (though everyone could benefit), we had our first summer science lesson.

(I will explain my mistakes at the end, but will write the post as it should be done.)

Germ Experiment
Materials
2 or 4 apple slices
Jars with lids
Labels
Marker
Experiment
After children play outside and before they wash their hands, have them handle an apple slice "all over."  After the children have all handled it, place it in a jar.  Have the children wash their hands and then show them the other apple slice and allow them to handle it with clean hands.  Place that in the other jar.

Ask for suggestions as to how the jars should be labeled.  Then have the children make predictions as to what will happen to the apples in each of the jars.

Place the jars out of sunlight and out of your way.  Wait...

When mold begins to grow (or decomposition is well under way) place the jars in a prominent spot.  (Our kitchen counter was ideal.)  Have the kids makes observations and even smell the two apple jars.  Lead them to conclude why one set of apples became moldy and was much more rotten than the other.

We followed up our discussion by writing in our summer journals.  They told me the title.  I wrote it for Brother for him to trace and Big Sister used his for spelling.  Below his picture, Brother had me write a sentence about washing our hands for the conclusion.  Eventually Brother copied Big Sister's drawings and made two jars with apples inside.

Left: Not so moldy
Right: Big mold

 



This year Big Sister kept a science journal in her kindergarten class.  It is so helpful!  She learned the ABCD's of scientific drawing are
A- Accurate
B- Big
C- Colorful
D- Detailed

When we were done, I had the children dispose of the apples by dumping the contents of the jars into a zippered bag.  Beware!  Decomposed apples are juicy!!

Shameful confession: I totally messed up this experiment.  I also did something that no scientist should do.  I made the results meet my conclusions by changing the lids when I saw the "clean" apple was totally rotted and moldy and the other really wasn't too bad.  I made the mistake of cutting TWO apples.  (These apples were not in the best of shape, and obviously one was pretty close to rotten already.)  If you do this experiment, use apple slices from the same apple!  If my children both washed their hands regularly without complaining, I likely would have led the experiment down the road of "Why did that happen?"  However, with the goal I had in mind, I opted not to do that and switched the lids instead.

I'm going to link this to Science Sunday at Adventures in Mommydom!

~ Annette {This Simple Mom}

Star Wars Gift Ideas

My husband is a Star Wars fan.  My children are becoming fans.  Since many others may be looking for gifts for like-minded people, young and old, I thought I would share a few ideas that we have (other than the movies themselves) and maybe a bit on a wish list.

Star Wars Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy by Matthew Reinhart.  This is an incredibly detailed and information filled book.  Each of the six pages have detailed pop-ups, plus additional smaller "books" on each page.  This is likely one of the best gifts I have ever given my husband.  I will caution you that this is not a child's pop-up book.  It is much too delicate in the details.  Our children are allowed to look at it only with an adult, and even then they don't operate many of the special features.  (It also helps me to know the story better!)  A follow-up pop-up book is also available.  Though we do not own it, I can only assume it is of the same great quality (and costs less).

Darth Vader and Son and Vader's Little Princess are cute books by Jeffrey Brown.  Each page has a different illustration related to parenting.  And Son is focuses on Luke and Little Princess keeps the attention on Leia.  My husband actually bought DV and Son for our children, and he will get V's Little Princess for Father's Day this year.  The children read love the style (and my 4 year old has much of the first book memorized).  But really, these are a perfect DAD gift, and we highly recommend them!

Star Wars Phonics Boxed Set was a set of books my husband chose for the children.  Not only are these books a nice, simple reader, but it helps a child to understand the movies better.  My son, especially, likes them, though both children request or read them from time to time.

The Jedi Path is a "training manual" that educates the Jedi knight on all things Jedi (and the Dark Side).  This was a book that I gave to my husband a few years ago.  Though he liked it, I definitely recommend the pop up book mentioned above more.

Star Wars peg people were a gift that I made for my children.  Linked to individual photos and helpful information if you are interested in making Star Wars "dolls" for someone or as a Star Wars craft for an older child.

Star Wars: Mega Models was provided to me for review from publisher DK.  I promptly handed it over to my husband.  He has built Anakin's Light Saber and Baba Fett's Helmet.  (Also included are TIE Fighter and Yoda.)  The book suggests an age of 8-12 years, but this grown man who does enjoy a challenge likes these paper craft puzzles.  They really do take fine motor skills, but the project results are pretty impressive.  Prior to each project, a two page spread provides information about the item and photo images.  The directions are very clear.  No glue or tape is needed, and the images "punch" out.  The paper's quality is heavy and durable (unlike a similar book by a different publisher that I noticed in a store) and no glue is needed.  Disclaimer: This book was provided for review purposes, but I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions are my own.  Thank you DK!

Darth Vader Alarm Clock
We have an alarm clock set aside to give to our son when we find a "cool" alarm clock for our daughter, too.  Many different styles are available.

Star Wars Legos
My husband would actually really like to get some of the (really big and quite expensive) Star Wars Lego sets...for himself.  I know he'd have fun with it, but with a one year old in the family and the cost, it's just not the right time.

So there you have it...bunches of gift ideas for your Star Wars fan!  Please leave a message in the comments if you have additional suggestions for us!


 Annette {This Simple Mom}

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing an item through a link, I will earn a small percentage. Thank you!  Also, Mega Models was provided for review purposes.

Summer Schedule {List or Printable Cards}

Tuesday was my daughter's final day of kindergarten!  Woo-hoo!  With summer's arrival, I want to be purposeful in having fun with my kids and not wasting the summer!  That is why I made the Summer Fun Poster list (and more detailed lists elsewhere for my own use.)  The follow-up to our fun list is to have a bit of a daily schedule for our family so the children know what to expect, AND so there time is built in daily for a bit of fun...if the children cooperate and complete their chores.

I work hard at not being too rigid in our family scheduling.  I know that flexibility within a schedule is ideal.  Children also respond very well when they know what is expected of them AND what will happen next.

My oldest two respond well to a schedule, especially knowing that play or going somewhere would not happen until XYZ were completed.  My youngest also naps daily at noon, and that is non-negotiable though may have a small window of flexibility.

I made our Summer Schedule in a list form in a Word document.  I like the simplicity.

My son pointed out immediately that I didn't include snacks.  I know many may want to do that, but I opted not to since they are super flexible in timing.  The "play" times can include television, though not four times a day for our family.

Family Fun time will be dedicated to science experiments, pool time, games, and all sorts of things that I mentioned with my Summer Fun Inspiration Printable.  GO!  just means that we'll go somewhere together.  Today we'll be heading to a friend's house, but it might mean the library or park, too.

I began by making our summer schedule rather complicated.  Somewhere, likely on Pinterest though I can't find the pin at this time, I saw where a mom used sentence strips to make a schedule.  She may have used
magnets to put it on the fridge and moved things around as needed.

With that in mind I created a summer schedule printable, which you can see to the right.  Each card is about the size of a business card when printed at regular size.  After I printed and laminated them, I realized I didn't like the idea.

If you the cards are your style, please download and print the Summer Schedule Cards Printable.   Print on cardstock and/or laminate them.

So what is your schedule style?  Are you home enough to even implement a schedule?  Do you do everything by the clock?  I keep my eye on the clock to allow adequate time for lunch prep and Little Sister's nap at noon.  My afternoons are spent at home daily, with rest time for all, but mornings last 5-6 hours in our home since we are early risers.  (Not all of us rise early by choice.  Ahem.)

~ Annette {This Simple Mom}

An Effective Speech Language Pathologist

My oldest child never babbled as a baby.  She never babbled at all, actually.  She had to learn how to say each sound, and every sound was work.  Then she began to say word approximations and words, but each was an effort.  Eventually she would string words and approximations together to make a sentence.  She was two months from her 3rd birthday when she said her first BIG five word sentence, "No. Brother'sNickname. Eat.  Mamma.  Shoes."  Each word was said slowly and with a pause in between each word, but we were beyond thrilled.

When she was nearly 3, we could not understand her attempts at communication on a daily basis.  Even with context clues, we still often puzzled over what she was attempting to say.  When she was 2 1/2 and a young 3 she was knew all sorts of songs and rhymes, yet she could not say a single one.  Instead, she would fill in the blanks when we would pause during the rhyme.   She has overcome her verbal apraxia with a lot of hard work and years of therapy. (Apraxia is a neurological speech disorder, not muscular.  It is not outgrown with time.)  Her story is not typical of apraxia, and we are grateful.  Much of her success is thanks to an effective therapist who taught my husband and me to think like an SLP and who worked diligently with our girl.

From the time Big Sister was about 17 months until nearly five, she worked with several speech language pathologists (SLP).  One of those therapists stands out among the others.  

Big Sister was 21 months when Ashley began working with her and worked with her until her third birthday when she transitioned out of the Early Intervention program.  

This effective SLP was...

In Control

During each session, she was in control and in charge, leading purposeful play while highly sensitive to Big Sister's reactions and desires.  

Firm

Ashley was firm.  Just because Big Sister didn't want to do a certain activity didn't mean this very persistent child didn't need to do it.  I learned that even a nonverbal child can be expected to make sounds (though she had very few).  

Motivating

This effective therapist motivated her to complete each activity.  She used familiar and new (or not often used) activities during each session.  This helped Big Sister be comfortable, yet excited and eager for what was to come.  

Questioning with Follow-Through

Ashley asked questions about her speech even though there was no or minimal progress for months.  She remembered what I said and later documented it in her daily notes.  Based on the session and Big Sister's development and goals, she would assign homework for my husband and me to complete.  Much of the homework was something we could implement easily into daily routines, too.  (We had a fussy newborn at the time.) Despite the lack of speech for months, she still created purposeful and meaningful homework for us.  

High Energy

Ashley’s high energy was important to keep my daughter interested.  (She kept me interested, too!)  Her energy, interest in Big Sister, and the homework she assigned helped me to better understand the speech problems and keep Big Sister working hard.   Her energy probably made the biggest impact on Big Sister, as a child, and on me, the mom who was trying to learn from her.

Learning

When Ashley was stumped over Big Sister's lack of progress after months of therapy, she sought out more information.  She didn't wait for the verbal apraxia diagnosis to change how she worked with my daughter while still working within the speech goals.  

It was even during therapy that Big Sister first said mama (/muh-muh/) for the first time at the age of 27 months.  It was hard to say goodbye to Ashley when Big Sister aged out of the program and began attending a speech and language preschool.  But really, our daughter's progress is simply amazing.  The child who could barely string words together at age three had the lead in a play at age 5 (and she totally cracked up the audience with her acting and inflection).  At age 6 1/2 she was privileged to have a line at the kindergarten graduation.  She spoke clearly!

Certainly, we are thankful for the people who have influenced our daughter's progress, and most of all to the Creator who formed each of our children perfectly with verbal apraxia, epilepsy, and SVT.  As a parent with special needs children, I know that my identity cannot be on the circumstances!

~ Annette {This Simple Mom}

Caramel Popcorn Recipe

My mother-in-law makes the most delicious caramel popcorn.  She brings the caramel corn to large family holiday gatherings for everyone to snack upon.  Now that we have a hot air popper, I requested the recipe and made my own batch.  (I love my popper though I was reluctant to have yet another small appliance.)

When I first made the caramel corn myself, I made a half batch (3 quarts) which is the amount of popcorn my family would usually eat in a sitting: one giant bowl of popcorn.  Since it was covered in sweet goodness, we didn't eat as much at one time (my kids are little),  but if it weren't for a bit of self-control it would have been devoured rather quickly.  

This recipe for caramel popcorn stores very well in an airtight container, so next time I will make a full batch when we have friends visit for a football game or movie.  That will be enough for the party and more for our family to snack upon during the week.

Before you begin, make sure you have a candy thermometer!  

Sister Mabel's Caramel Corn

From:  The Popping Corn Book, Orville Redenbacher's Authorized and Complete Popcorn Lover's Guide,  c1975

2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 cup margarine or butter

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

6 quarts popped popcorn (two batches which equals 1 cup of kernels total) 

Place popcorn in a large roasting pan.  In 2 1/2 quart saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, cream of tartar and salt.  Bring mixture to boil, stirring, over medium-high heat.  Stirring constantly, boil rapidly to hard ball stage, 260° (about 5 minutes).  Remove from heat.  Stir in baking soda quickly but thoroughly.  Pour all of mixture over popcorn in large roasting.  Stir gently until all kernels are coated. 

Bake at 200° 1 hour, stirring 2 or 3 times during baking.  Turn out at once on wax paper; spread apart and allow to cool completely.  Break apart if needed.  Store in an air-tight container.  Makes 6 quarts.

~ Use CAUTION!  The mixture is HOT!
~ The photo above was taken when the popcorn was cooling on the wax paper.

~ I prefer mushroom popcorn.  There is almost no hull.

~ This may sound a bit complicated to make, but it is easy as long as you have your candy thermometer.

~ To be honest, I put in the baking soda too early, but it still tasted great!

If you like popcorn treats, consider making popcorn balls!  

~ Annette {This Simple Mom}
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing an item through a link, I will earn a small percentage. Thank you!

The Fruitful Wife {Giveaway}

Last year Crossway surprised me with an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of The Fruitful Wife.  I began to read it, and quickly realized (in the introduction) that I wanted to devote more time to reading it, so I set it aside.  I'm glad I did, because this is a book that I appreciated reading slowly and carefully.

Quite honestly, there were many times while reading The Fruitful Wife that I thought the book should have been written for a wider audience of all women because so much of the fruit of the Spirit applies to all of us.  Yet, I needed to read it in reference to my marriage.  Hayley DiMarco wrote about the fruit of the Spirit in general terms but gave much application for relationships, and especially the husband and wife relationship.  Though written for wives, I do not think you need to be married to gain perspective and wisdom from The Fruitful Wife.  If you are a married woman wanting to honor your husband and God, I definitely recommend you read The Fruitful Wife.  Add it to your wishlist right now!  And then leave a comment to enter the giveaway!

The Fruitful Wife dedicates a chapter to each parts of the fruit of the Spirit named in Galations 5:22-23, along with an introduction and conclusion.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Each of the chapters has more information than I expected about each topic (and it's relevant, too).  As I have been recommending this book to others since I began reading it, I offer to lend my copy (when done) telling my friends that my book is heavily highlighted.

The Fruitful Wife emphasizes that the fruit of the Spirit is not natural to people.  In fact, the fruit of the Spirit is only possible through the enabling of the Holy Spirit when we deny ourselves and giving glory to God.  That takes love and self-control!    Sounds tough, huh?  Hayley DiMarco writes in the introduction something I could have written:

I naturally resort to self when tested; it’s my habit, my nature, my flesh. When I’m misunderstood, I get defensive. When I’m uncomfortable, I complain. When I’m tired, I’m cranky. When I’m at the end of my rope, I lack all self-control. So the descriptive, “Fruitful Wife,” does not come naturally to me. (p. 11)

I am sharing just a few quotes that I really appreciated.

The Fruitful Wife on joy:

The joyful wife is a blessing to her husband and family. She blesses him with a home that is a pleasure to come to, not because of its cleanliness but because in it there is cheerfulness, optimism, playfulness, and delight.  (p. 56)

The Fruitful Wife on patience: 

Complaint, most often, expresses the inability to endure suffering (2 Tim. 4:5), even of the most inconsequential kind. And when complaint seems most warranted, as in the case of unfair imprisonment or torture, patience bears with mankind as it sees not chaos and loss but order and hope. (p. 88) 

and

But the fruit is really just the outpouring of another work—the work of clinging to God. That is the primary work for fruit to be produced. As we cling to him, as we worship him, pray to him, study his Word, and spend time in his presence, his Spirit animates our lives. (p.99)

The Fruitful Wife on self-control:

Self-control is necessary in the life of faith. If we can’t control ourselves—in other words, subdue our flesh—then we are no 

longer controlled by our love for God.  (p. 193)

And a few more thoughts from the book.  Peace with God comes from our acceptance of our suffering, not the exemption of suffering and pain.  Joy is not denying suffering but seeing God's providence through it.  When Big Sister was just two weeks old and we weren't sure if her heart rate would ever get under control or if she would go into cardiac arrest again.  During those long days at the hospital I remember repeatedly sharing two things with others.  1) Parenting is not for wimps.  and 2) Throughout all of the questions and uncertainties God would bring us through it.  We said the same things all over again when Brother had a three hour seizure.  You can read more about the SVT, epilepsy, and even apraxia if you like.  (I suppose another hardship we dealt with as parents was the screaming for months of our youngest...and it was not just colic.  It was pain, but not in the form of colic.)

I did appreciate all of the Bible references in this book and the honest writing.  I definitely recommend this book!  Improvements though?  Sure.  I would have liked an in-depth topical index.  Twenty-three notes/resources are included, but a reader benefits from an index in a book like this.  Another note for readers is that the book has blue text.  I suspect some would like this while others may find it difficult to read.  (The ARC had standard black text.)

Personally, I have recently been challenged by the non-fiction women's books I have been reading.  Though they are not easy to read, at times, and even harder to change my ways, I appreciate when I read a book that challenges my thoughts and ways, especially when it leads me away from sinful habits and toward glorifying God.  Below is a list of books that may interest you that I recommend.  Only the first title is specifically for wives; the others are for women in general.  From the prompting of the books I have been reading, I created a Daily Gifts gratitude journal free printable.  Please let me know if you are recording your blessings, too!

More books for Christian women that I highly recommend and linked to my reviews: 
The Beautiful Wife, by Sandy Ralya 
Choosing Gratitude, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss 
God's Priorities for Today's Woman, by Lisa Hughes
A Woman's Wisdom: How the Book of Proverbs Speaks to Everything, by Lydia Brownback
The Girl's Still Got It: Take a Walk with Ruth and the God Who Rocked Her World, by Liz Curtis Higgs (This is a study of the book of Ruth.  Deep yet light-hearted.)
and of course The Fruitful Wife by Hayley DiMarco

I thank Crossway for sending me the ARC of The Fruitful Wife.  Very exciting for you, too... One reader will also win this book.  (And if you don't win it, I hope you will buy or borrow your own copy!)

GIVEAWAY   Giveaway is now closed.  Congratulations, Shonda!
Enter
Please leave a comment below if you are interested in reading The Fruitful Wife.  Be sure to leave your email address (at least once) so I can contact you if you win.  

Extra Entries - Leave a separate comment for each extra entry.
~ Follow through email, RSS feed, Facebook, or Twitter (see sidebar).  Leave a separate comment/entry for each way you follow.  (Be sure to let me know if you follow under a different name.  Also, I didn't include GFC since that will be going away this summer.  Google Reader will, too, so consider following a different way!)
~ Share about this giveaway and leave a link in a comment.  You can have two comments/entries for this! (You can tag me with This Simple Home on FB and @thissimplehome on twitter...of course you could blog about it, too.)  Thanks for spreading the word!

Giveaway will run through Friday, June 14th.  The winners will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond.  Random.org will help to choose the winners.  Winners will be announced on Facebook and on this post.  This giveaway is limited to the US and Canada.  Thanks for entering!

~ Annette {This Simple Mom}
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing an item through a link, I will earn a small percentage. Thank you!

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-Up Recipe

I used Grammarly to grammar check this post because I write the way I speak.  I was not surprised when my "Style and Word Choice" had three problems in the first paragraph.  Want to know a little-known fact about me?  I taught junior high English for a year although I was not well-qualified to do it.

During the early days of our marriage, a friend suggested that I subscribe to Kraft magazine for easily prepared recipes.  I honestly don't know how many new recipes I tried, but the Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-Up originated with them.  I am grateful for this particular recipe.  It has been a favorite in our home for many years, with little change.  Not only that, the Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-Up is extremely easy to prepare and adjustable.

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-Up

1 pound ground beef

4-5 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4- 1/2 pound cheddar cheese, cubed

1 package refrigerated pizza crust or homemade pizza crust

Brown beef, bacon, and onion on medium-hi heat.  Drain and rinse the mixture (to minimize fat).  Return mixture to the skillet.  Add cheese.  Cook until completely melted, stirring.  (A lid speeds up the melting process, but be sure to stir it!)  Remove from heat.

Unroll the pizza dough on parchment paper or sprayed sheet.  (Or form a rectangle with homemade dough.)   Spread with mixture.  Roll up dough starting at a long side.  Pinch the seam closed.  Place seam-side down on sheet.

Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes.  Slice diagonally, if desired, and serve.

This recipe is very flexible.

I have made it...

With and without bacon.  (We do prefer bacon.)

With and without onion.  (We prefer a touch of onion for flavor, but we're not big onion eaters.)

With cheddar, with Velveeta, and with a combination of both.  (Velveeta melts faster.  Both taste good to me.)

From homemade dough and canned pizza dough.  (Both taste good...canned dough is easier.  I also prefer the thin crust canned dough.)

I actually prefer to bake my bacon in advance and freeze it for when I need it.  Frozen bacon crumbles/chops easily!  When I use precooked frozen bacon, I still add the bacon early since it is frozen.  

If you are not using parchment paper, you may want to try to place the canned dough on a floured surface so it is less sticky.  I personally use parchment paper for most of my cookie sheet baking and cannot recommend it enough!  (If I know I will use it later the same day or if I am baking cookies, I will reuse the sheet a few times because it is a bit pricey.)

~ Annette {This Simple Mom}

Disclosure: By discussing Grammarly in this post, I was given an Amazon gift card.

Summer Fun Inspiration Poster {FREE Ideas}

With June's arrival, I know I need to be purposeful in planning out a handful of activities for my children during the summer months.  I don't want to always make them play on their own because I want to have an active part in their summer, making memories.  It will also keep them excited, knowing something different is coming soon.

And maybe, just maybe, the television will be ignored more days than not if I give purpose to summer days.

If we don't stay busy, I know that I will turn to the TV for entertainment when they have played their Legos or have played outside for an hour.  Instead, we'll move on to a different activity as a family.

Some activities will take just a few minutes to complete, while others will take a bit more parental guidance and planning.  My thought is if we complete three or so activities a week, our summer will be lots of fun.

Some of these activities are things we would do anyway.  We already had our first campfire of the season.   We bake together regularly...but why not include them in our summer fun?!

Download SUMMER FUN POSTER

Or email me for the Word document that you can edit

thissimplemom@gmail.com

I have FUN and SUMMER Pinterest boards, along with LEARNING ACTIVITIES.  Many of the ideas came from there, and if you use Pinterest you can go to the site for explanations, where needed.  Others are just fun ideas that I would like to see happen.  Stay tuned this summer to see how our family interprets these fun ideas.

We may have a week-long science theme week instead of just an experiment or two.  We will also complete a few marble activities, if things go as planned.  We'll memorize several Bible verses and ideally complete a Fruit of the Spirit week (on the heals of me reading The Fruitful Wife...rather timely, huh?).

A few things that didn't make it to the Summer Fun Inspiration list because I am unsure if they will come to fruition.  I would like to host a summer book swap.  I would also like to have an Elephant and Piggie Party/Day.  I did not include visiting family or attending family camp, though we would like to see both of those things happen.

I'm not sure if you noticed, but very few of these activities will require money.  (Actually Kiddie Camp through CEF has a fee, too, but both of my older children can attend camp for a week for a total of $13.  TOTAL.  Not bad!)  We already try not to spend much money on things and busyness, but this summer our family is impacted by the government sequester so we need to spend drastically less.  (If you don't know, many military civilian employees are required to work 20% less and earn 20% less for a duration of 11 weeks.  It was originally supposed to be 22 weeks, so we are thankful for the shortened furlough time.)


Quite honestly, I am thrilled that my children have loved being outdoors this spring.  Our kid-size "construction site" and mastering pedaling the bike has helped my 4 1/2 year old son want to be outdoors even when there is no one to play with.  My daughter, age 6, could swing all day...but I want to be a purposeful mom and make some memories together as a family, too.

(Did you notice I did not call this our summer bucket list?  Personally, I don't care for the term when discussing fun-or death-with my children.)

Be sure to return this summer as I share about our family fun!  

~ Annette 

What's for Dinner in June

Though I did meal plan for the month of May, I never actually posted about it.  Meal planning once month at a time is a must for me.  Weekly or even biweekly planning just leaves me unprepared.

Week 1
Homemade Pizza
Bacon Ranch Chicken
Spaghetti
Couscous and chicken or ham
Cheeseburger Macaroni

Week 2
BBQ Chicken
Ham and Mac
Cheesy Bacon Potato Rounds and Salad
Pancakes

Week 3
Chicken Tacos
Pulled Pork
Spaghetti
Homemade Pizza
Burgers

Week 4
Angel Hair Chicken and Veggies
Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups
One Pan Chicken Dinner
Tenth Anniversary Dinner OUT!

I am so excited for summer's official arrival meaning my daughter will have completed kindergarten and be home for the summer.  That's when it is official for me despite June 21st being another ten days away.

Brother, age 4, requested oranges when asked if he would like something special to eat on his last day of preschool.  He certainly has enjoyed them since then!  Big Sister, age 6, requested a chocolate chip cookie cake for her final day of kindergarten.  I will have to clarify with her if she wants a giant chocolate chip cookie or a cake that has chocolate chips in it.  Do you make anything special at the end of the school year for your children?  I guess food is my way to celebrate...for better or for worse.

We rarely go out to dinner, and the budget has been rather tight this year (and getting extremely tight this summer with the government sequester which has civilians who work for the military working/earning 20% less and very costly plumbing problems).  This means that I am super excited to be able to celebrate dinner out with my husband on our tenth anniversary.  I asked him as I was meal planning and was thrilled to hear that we can go out together to celebrate.  (Quite honestly, I was a bit surprised, too.)

See all of my recipes with more coming all the time!

As always, I'd be happy to share any recipes with you!  Just ask if it's not linked!  I'm linking up to Meal Planning Monday!
~ Annette {This Simple Mom}