Broken crayons make the world go round....

As we approach the third month of summer I find myself trying to come up with more things to do with the kids inside on account of it being "record breaking" HOT outside. So today was "let's make tie-dyed crayons day."


First step was have the kids go through all of our crayon boxes and pick out the broken ones.


They liked this part. They sorted them into piles and broke the bigger ones into smaller pieces.


Then they were ready to go into the muffin pan (which I sprayed with a little Pam). We baked them at 275 degrees for about 7 minutes.


They literally stood there watching their crayons turn into a liquid. It was a long 7 minutes.


When they came out Tyson used a toothpick to swirl the colors around for a more "tie-dyed" look. We let them cool for about 10 minutes on the counter then placed them in the freezer for a quick set. Have I mentioned my angels are a little on the impatient side?

Ta da!!!!! How cute are these?!?

Em couldn't wait to try them out!

Tyson's first project was to make a "Welcome Home Dad" sign. When he finished he said, "that was so cool Mom! What project do you have for us tomorrow?" Guess I'm going to submit this post and begin searching the internet for some more kid friendly crafts.

Date weekend

This weekend every one had special one-on-one dates. Our neighbors across the street, Cathy and Dave took Tyson to the movies and out to dinner. My kiddos definitely benefit from them not having grandkids.....they spoil mine rotten. Anyway that meant that Emmy had Paul and I all to herself.

We took punkin shopping for back to school clothes at the mall. She had such a good time and was such a good girl. Of course it probably didn't hurt that she had a few cookies, fruit punch, a pretzel and may have even picked up a new stuffed Winnie the Pooh from the Disney Store along with some new school clothes. I'd call that a good date!

Tyson had the best time going to see Mr. Popper's Penguins then out to eat at McDonalds. They were impressed with Buddy's good behavior and manners. I think I see more dates for those three in the future.


Sunday Emerson had her first movie theater experience and I was lucky enough to be her date. Sherri and I thought the new Winnie The Pooh movie would be a great first movie for the girls.

And we were right! The girls loved the whole experience, everything from the popcorn, the skittles and of course the movie. They both walked out and asked if they could see another movie.

When it's too hot to bake.......

Typically when the kids tell me they're bored we BAKE. But it's been so hot with record breaking temperatures lately I haven't really wanted to hang out in the kitchen with the oven for long amounts of time. So.....we are resorting to other ways to fulfill our sweet tooth and still learn some kitchen skills.

Smoothies 101

a few simple ingredients (we've been experimenting with different fruit combinations) and a blender is all you need

every one takes turn chopping and adding fruit(we use a mix of fresh and frozen) to the blender

Tyson samples to make sure we have just the right amount of yumminess

From the looks of these faces I'd say every thing is just right!

Cheers!

~~Rain is a good thing~~

Tuesday it actually rained here. We are in serious need of some rain and cooler temperatures. The minute the kids heard the rain they came running down stairs asking if they could go "check it out." Of course I said yes, but first let me grab my camera we may not see rain again for a few months.

I stood by the front door and attached my zoom lens and let the kids go to town.

They were so funny, it was as if they had never seen or felt rain.

There is country song by Luke Bryan titled Rain is a Good Thing. My kids LOVE this song and almost have all of the words memorized. Coincidentally as they played in the rain they sang this song over and over (and by the song I mean the chorus). Feel free to click on the link so you get a feel for madness around here sometimes.

I wished I had videoed them playing and singing but then how could I have gotten all of these great still shots?!?

I see BLUE!!!

A quick mid summer shot of my 7 year old and my almost 4 year old.

Who are these big kids?!?

4th ofJuly, Fireworks Edition

One year ago we took the kids to see their first professional fireworks display. You can read about it here. They were not sure what to expect in the beginning, but ended up really liking it. Well this year when it came time for the 4th they were all about seeing the fireworks. Being new to Oklahoma we asked around, "where were the best fireworks?" Turns out the best show was right here in Edmond on the UCO campus just a few miles from the house. And they did NOT disappoint. They were spectacular!!!

We had to get there a couple of hours before the show began to secure a good viewing spot. We packed a cooler with drinks, a bag with snacks and a few footballs to help entertain the kiddos and we were off.

Tyson and Paul threw the football back and forth for a while.

And of course Emmy did not want to be left out of that fun......

Paul gave her a few tips and she held her own.

Nice form Em!

Meanwhile Sam and I felt it was important to stay hydrated with our Malibu/pineapple orange juice concoction and take pictures of Paul and the kids.

It was almost time and they were beginning to get a little restless.

See what I mean?

Happy 4th of July!!!! Already looking forward to next year!!!

A New Lucas Family Tradition

Our July 4th morning started pretty early when my alarm went off at 6:30. I put a pot of coffee on and got myself ready before I woke up the rest of the group. My plan was to make "pigs in a blanket" to take with us to the parade than pack up a small cooler of drinks. Mission accomplished! I woke the kids up around 7:15 and they were dressed and ready to go within 10 minutes. They were so excited for their first 4th of July parade. The parade started at 9, so I figured if we got there by 8:15 we should be able to find a good spot. Well, was I in for a surprise......most of Edmond was already there and from the looks they had been there since 7ish. We managed to find a place to park and walk a few blocks down Broadway and even found a pretty good spot on the corner. We set up our chairs, got out our breakfast and handed out the apple juice, let the festivities begin!






Tyson was so cute, he had brought his camera too and couldn't wait to snap some pics. Hmmm, wonder who he gets that habit from?
A good time a was had by all! And it actually stayed pretty overcast most of the parade which helped to keep the temperature from getting above 150 degrees. On the way home Tyson told us, "we should do this every 4th of July!" Buddy I think that's an excellent idea!