Joel's Invention

Joel has a science project due this week. It was creating your own invention. He had to come up with the idea, create the invention, apply for a copyright and trademark...etc. His invention was a one handed bowl with detachable cup, spoon and fork.Knowing how much my son loves to eat, especially cereal this was a perfect invention for him. Here is his invention.

Making Modeling Chocolate

My newest hobby is cake decorating. Why? I have no idea but it sounds fun and everyone loves cake!

As I start this new hobby I have to learn how to make all the different facets of said cakes. Here is my first attempt at making modeling chocolate.

Recipe ~

10 oz chocolate (I used white almond bark)

1/3 cup light corn syrup

Mixing bowl

Gel or powder food coloring if you want to change the color of the chocolate.

Instructions ~

Break up chocolate and place in mixing bowl. I melted the chocolate in the microwave but if you want to melt on the stove use a double broiler. I set the microwave for 2 sets of 30 sec to melt my chocolate.

Broken up pieces of chocolate

Once the chocolate is melted, Stir the chocolate really well and then add the corn syrup. Continue to stir until  it is mixed well. I used almond bark with can separate with the corn syrup but the separation is okay. Just let the mixture set a little while longer.

Once the chocolate and syrup is mixed together spread out on a plastic cookie sheet or on wax paper in a cookie sheet. Let the chocolate sit for 2 hours. I placed mine in the fridge to help it set. If you are wanting your chocolate to be the same color you can also add in the food coloring before the chocolate is set. I want to use different colors in small parts for the chocolate so I am going to dye mine later.

Chocolate rolled out on the wax paper

After the chocolate has set for 2 hrs, pull out and the chocolate is ready for modeling. I rolled mine into smaller balls and placed in an airtight container, in the fridge. Now It is ready to mold when I have the time to work with it. Once you are starting the modeling process, let the chocolate get to room temp for easier use. 

Balls of modeling chocolate

Here are a few other items that I have to help with modeling and decorating.

Baking supplies

Decorating tips

Modeling tools

Once I have actually modeled the chocolate into something creative, I'll show you!

More Fish Part 2!

Cori's Tank with FISH!

Nate, Cori and I go to the pet store to pick out a few more attractions and her fish. She had 20 fish picked out. The "cute" (as Cori called him) fish guy was very helpful and friendly. He was also a teenager. Cori was asking him all kinds of questions and hanging on his every word. Anyway on with the fish..... On fish guys recommendation we only got 9 fish and will get more in a week or two. 

White Mollys

To Start we have 3 while Molly's. 1 male and 2 females.

A pregnant Dalmatian Molly

Next we got 3 Dalmatian Molly's. 1 male, 1 female and 1 preggo female. While Cori was picking out fish the guy asked which ones she wanted and if she wanted any that were preggo. She said YES! So in a couple of weeks we will have even more fish. 

PetSmart, where we bought the fish, had told my mother in law that they only sell same sex fish to keep them from reproducing......Clearly that is not the case for this store. The fish guy also said he had never heard of such nonsense. 

We have brought all fish home and are all safely in the tank. They even made it safely thru the night. 

Here are a few more picture from the fish adventures! 

Fish, Fish and more Fish!

Check out Cori's new Fish Tank

Can't find the fish? Because we have to wait 2 days to add the fish after purchasing the tank. 

Check back in a few days when we get back from the fish store. 

Cori has been wanting a fish tank in her bedroom for a while now.

She researched her fish, went shopping with her grandma to learn about what fish to go in what kind of tank, and google'd tons of fish stuff. She is as ready as she can be to add some fish.

She has a 20 gallon tank, lights, heater, blue rocks and tropical (bright) plants. We still have to add the background to the tank (and the fish). 

Public schools can just piss me off.....

Joel has been my more adventurous one when it comes to school, as in he hates to go and begs to stay home. So over the years we have had this love/hate for school. Upon finding the right medicine to help with his attention, Joel has learned to love school more and more. Let's face it I have really smart kids and now Joel is getting straight A's for all his hard work and learning. 

I make my kids go to school, no little cough or sniffles is going to let them stay home. I have to go to work and they have to go to school. One of the great things my parents taught (beat...lol) into me as a child so I am doing the same to my kids. 

There are 3 trimesters for our kids school system and the school makes money for every child in school every day. So the kids have to be really sick to be sent home from school and there are LOTS of germs floating around. For the 1st Trimester, Joel only missed 1 day of school, because he had to have a tooth pulled. For the 2nd Trimester, Joel did not miss a single day. In fact he came home today with a Certificate from the Principle on having perfect attendance the 2nd Trimester. (the same day I got my letter, see below)

SO, when my kids missed 2 1/2 days for our trip to Alabama. I was not too worried about their education. Those two days were also right before spring break and again 1/2 days. 

After returning from spring break, Joel became sick, the school sent him home on Tuesday with a fever of 100.7. Clearly he was sick and feeling bad. This led to 4 more days of missing school with a fever of 103.5 most of the time. For a total of 6 days this trimester and 7 all year!!!! 

At NO point did the school call or check on Joel thru the family or Cori at school. They did send me an email everyday (the blanket one to all parents) for when your child is not in homeroom at the beginning of the day. 

Joel went back to school on Tuesday, turning in all homework, asking for missed work, taking time out of recess and before classes to get with all his teachers to get "caught up" on what he has missed. Most of which is already done, as he has been working on it the last 2 days. And he has all A's and 1 B! 

Today I get a letter from the Vice Principle stating that my child has missed 5 un-excused days (only 2 since I sent a DR's note for all the other days) and I must call the school to set up a time for Joel to attend Saturday school to bring his excessive absences back down. BULL S............

I don't care if my kids missed 10 days I am not sending them to Saturday school to make your school numbers look better to the state or to give the school more money for my kids. Saturday school is a punishment to ALL, parents, teachers, students......

So everyone say an extra prayer for the VP tomorrow morning as I give him a call!!!!!!!

2000 to 2013

On April 19th 1995, My husband and his siblings lost both of their grand parents in the OKC bombing. Nate and I had not even met at this time. I was sitting at home watching the news, glued to the tv. I have never been one who watches the news or paid attention to what was going on around the world. I was glued to the tv. My mom kept asking me why I thought this was so interesting or important that I watch it all day long. I told her that I did not know the reason but I felt like my life depended on me watching this story unfold.

2 months later in June of 1995, I met Nate at Winn Dixie. In the next few months I learned that his grand parents were killed in the bombing in April. Years later I look back on those moments and realize how much that day changed my life and the lives of my future family. 2 People I never met taught and raised 4 Godly women who would raised 12 wonderful kids and many grandkids, nieces, nephews, cousins and in laws. I am so thankful every day for those two people. Dr Charles and Jean Hurlburt.

Here are some pictures of the memories we have made together!

April 19th, 2000 5th Anniversay

These Wonderful Parents Dr Charles and Jean Hurlburt now have 4 daughters, 3 Son in Laws, 12 grandchildren, 9 grand children in laws, 11 great-grand children....and more on the way. 

I am so thankful every day for these people and they way this family has changed my life. God Bless! 

I can't wait to meet these wonderful people in Heaven one day! 

Just the 16 of us!

Trying to get us all ready for the photo

The 16 of us!

This week we (Nate, me and the kids) just came back from our first family trip back to Alabama. We had a great time (and I will get into the trip details in another blog).... This is our family. We started as 2 loving parents and 4 tolerating siblings......to this group of 16!

There is Nate and Val, with Cori (14) and Joel (12). then My parents, then Daniel and his wife Leigh, with their 3 boys Lucas (5), Alex (4), and Davey (3). Dawn and her husband David, holding their daughter Alice (18mths) and on the end, Christie and her husband Jason.

This picture is the only one of all of us in years....always a spouse or sibling missing. This will be the last of its kind for 3 years as Jason and Christie are on their way to live in North Pole, Alaska.

We had planned to all have breakfast with our grandparents and go to Easter service together, but the rain and stomache bug kept that from happening. We still had a fun morning of eating, talking, picture taking and watching the kids find Easter eggs.

I am so glad we were all able to get together this last week. Memories were made by all and many stories to be told over the next few weeks about our crazy group of 16!