Creating more from less!

I don't know if the title actually fits all that I want to blog today. Let's start with the creating part...the guests mentioned in yesterday's blog had to visit their grandma today and help daddy and mommy create some much-needed repairs at her house.

We had noticed that our mommy had purchased lots of fruit, but some of it was turning brownish due to lack of interest in its consumption. No child is excited about eating a peach or nectarine with a soft spot in it, much less a brownish banana. Some adults wouldn't either. And the plums...well, lets just say they had lost their appeal, even to ME and I like plums! And I have a difficult time throwing away food if there is even the smallest possibility of it still being edible. My grandsons love to use the blender! So, we peeled and squished and put all those browning fruit into the blender and whirred away. We added a cup of sugar to the mixture and whirred some more. It came out very tasty...however, the boys knew just what was IN the "smoothie". To fix their hesitation to try it, we made it into popsicles. Boy are they yummy! We found that applesauce makes good popsicles too. They do melt quickly, but one can always add either flavored or unflavored gelatin to it. (Strawberry tastes pretty yummy!) Healthier popsiciles and not wasting food work together for me!

I actually found a way to get the boys to use napkins instead of their shirts or the backs of the chairs...You MUST have napkins with figures on them. Superman or Diego work well, but even flowers worked for me. All I do is tell them to make sure they get goop on the flower stem, or Superman's arm, or Diego's backpack, etc. They make sure every crumb or goo lands precisely on the napkin as close to the target as possible. Sure saves the sleeves!

The weather is continuing to be creative here. The metorologists daily change their predictions as to when we shall get soaked again. Yesterday it was possibly today or Thursday, now it is Saturday. I shall be in Mexico on Saturday. My husband's company sends qualifying salesmen and families to a resort on the border near Nogales. Then on Saturday eve, the boss treats us to a great dinner in Mexico. We plan to go shopping there Saturday afternoon as well. I am looking forward to this weekend. Last year, it conflicted with the homeschool convention and I only got to spend Saturday eve with my honey.

Oh yes, speaking of creative...from now on I shall try to use the kids' nicknames. Part of the reason is that the boys really do go by those names with their parents, and for new blog-readers, I can more anonymously tell of their antics. Also, I have hesitated to use their pictures with their names, so eventually, I will post pictures of the cute things they do. From now on Ty will be referred to as "Handsome", Caleb as "Hunky" and I will still use Baby Girl for the girl. Jonathan goes by "Jomo" anyway. And Andrew will be TDH (for Tall, Dark, and Handsome) (His suggestion!) I told you they were creative!

So, the adventures of Handsome, Hunky, Baby Girl, Jomo, and TDH begin...

PS- During his reading flash cards last year Ty (the last time I shall use his real name) looked at the flash card of his name and said that spelled "Handsome"...with a big impish grin on his face!

PSS- Little Elijah doesn't yet have a nickname from mommy and daddy (or anyone else that I know of). So, for purposes of this blog, he shall become "Big Boy"!