the things we do...

Being home with our two kids is a great blessing, one I never want to take for granted, but I must admit that some days seem to drag on forever.  It seems like 5:00, when Daddy arrives home from work, just can't come soon enough.  Yet, there are other days that I find myself completely surprised by how quickly the time goes, what we all got accomplished and the fun we had.  Here is a snapshot of some of the things we do at the Swinger house these days...

 We play at the park and go down the same slide again and again and again, because that is what toddlers like to do...

We cheer on the ISU Cyclones during March Madness...

We beg for more snacks, especially raisins...

We play the game of Sorry (and sometimes Hudson makes up his own rules)...

We made dinner together...

We have friends over to play in the sandbox...

We do "learning time" together (reading, math, writing)...

We make pancakes for breakfast on mornings when we don't have to leave the house...

We create a lot of beautiful pictures with sidewalk chalk...

We snuggle and eat snacks together after nap time...

We talk about our favorite blessings from the day, this is one of mine...

We wear our Cyclone clothes on game days...

We go grocery shopping, while Greta digs for things in Mommy's purse...

We play everything up on the table, so little sister doesn't destroy it...

i created :: oatmeal chocolate chip muffins

I'm certainly not a food blogger but when I find a recipe I really like it seems worth sharing.  Last spring I came across this recipe on Pinterest.  Honestly, I don't actually make that many of the recipes I find on Pinterest, but this one seemed like the perfect combination of some of our favorite things...oatmeal, bananas, and chocolate chips.  I've made these muffins time and time again and they seem to be a crowd pleaser every time.    

  

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Note: I always double this recipe and it makes 15 muffins.

Ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
⅓  c. old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
⅓ c. brown sugar
1 egg
6 tbsp. melted butter
3 tbsp. sour cream (or buttermilk)
½ c. mashed ripe bananas, from one large banana
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
½ c. chocolate chips

Directions:1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray or line six wells of a standard size muffin pan, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together melted butter and sugar. Add sour cream (or buttermilk) and mashed bananas, mix on low for 30 seconds. Add egg and vanilla, mix until just combined.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together then with mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Remove bowl from stand and fold in chocolate chips. Using a large scoop, fill each well ¾ of the way full (or a little more if you have some extra).
4. Place in oven and bake for 18-22 minutes. The tops should be lightly golden brown and they should be nice and firm. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 2-3 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Kansas Cousins

The 2nd weekend in March we took a road trip to visit the Kansas cousins, and their parents.  :)   We had been anticipating our time together and the week prior Hudson was counting down the nights until our visit.  Here is a recap of our weekend...  

Hudson saved his video time for the drive to Kansas.  Along with some animal crackers for snack he was eager to hit the road.  Hudson is a good traveler, which we are so thankful for.  

Hudson had fun building with Clara & Ellsy's Tinker Toys.  

On Saturday morning we decorated Easter eggs and Clara was a good, and adorable, helper.  

They had fun trying out all the different colors and stirring them around in the cups.  We won't tell how many of the eggs cracked along the way.  Ha!  

Ellsy took it all in, just like the big kids, thanks to Aunt Jenna's help.   

It was a rainy day so the kids were excited to relax and enjoy a little TV time together.  Hudson introduced Clara to one of his favorite shows, Paw Patrol.  

Daddy likes to watch too...

After naps we headed over to "the farm" and everyone got a handful of rides on the Ranger.  

Greta was not so sure, 

but Hudson couldn't get enough.  

Just waiting for someone to give us a ride...

"Daddy, when will I be old enough to drive this thing?"  

Ellsy and Greta were brave and wanted to check out the cows.  Hudson and Clara (the older siblings) wanted to stay outside of the fence.  

Then they all piled into the sprayer to take it for a spin...

Sunday afternoon it was nice outside and we enjoyed some time at the park, which happens to be right across the street from their house.  

It was fun to see Hudson and Clara enjoy each other and make memories together.  They get along well and I even saw them holding hands a couple of times.  :) :)  

A few more "gifts" from the weekend...

*safe travels

*getting my hair done in Ellsy's beauty shop

*bike rides

*game night

*new toys to play with

*laughter and smiles 

*watching basketball, chatting, and relaxing together

*peanut butter popcorn

*Clara's curls and Ellsy's rain boots 

*a Kansas sunset

*delicious meals prepared and enjoyed together 

*good nights rest 

*pit stop and fast food on the ride home

WeLcOmE SpRiNg!

Yesterday was the first day of spring, the arrival of the most anticipated season.  We have been really excited about the weather warming up here in Iowa and the chance to get outside more frequently.  Its a breath of fresh air for all of us...really.  Here are some pictures I've captured recently, which display our enthusiasm for SPRING!    

"I have been waiting for this for so long....no coat."  

Spring pjs and no shirt at breakfast for these two cuties...

"I can go down the slide like a big girl this year.  Watch out Mommy!"  

Meeting with good friends to join in the prom dress shopping fun, enjoy lunch together, and take in a walk around the pond at the mall to enjoy the sunshine.  

"I'm kind of more of a winter guy but I'm ready for spring."  

Park play with friends...

This one prefers to be outside, even if it requires bundling up and mowing the cement, instead of the grass.    

Enjoying a beautiful day and sandbox fun with his best buddy.  

Recently @ Preschool...

It's been awhile since I have shared highlights of what we have been doing during homeschool preschool coop.  We continue to meet on Thursday mornings and are having a blast learning together and exploring various topics.  Thursday mornings are always a highlight of our week and its so exciting to see all the children participate and grow.  We are so grateful for this group and the blessing they are to our family.      

During the month of February we learned about community helpers.  The first week we studied construction workers and the children built and painted their own birdhouses.    

  

The following week it was my turn to teach/host and we studied doctors and nurses.  Hudson and the gang had fun playing doctors office during center time.  

An "ouch ABC's" activity...

We had a guest speaker, a friend of mine who is a nurse, come to share about the work that she does.  The children were especially excited about checking out her tools.    

We also focussed on rescue workers...police officers and firefighters.   

Our team had some extra time to "train" on this particular morning...running, playing and doing drills.  As you can see Greta loves to join in the fun with all the big kids.  

Time for an obstacle course...

During the month of March our theme has been "our world."  The first week we focussed on maps and learned about different kinds of maps, including some fun with Google Earth.    

The little learners made their own paper.  

Patiently waiting their turn...  

I had fun planning a patriotic day, complete with an American flag project, a red, white and blue snack (strawberries, blueberries and bananas), teaching them the Iowa Corn Song, and 50 States Bingo.  

Working together on the USA puzzle...

We continued our study of the world by making a passport and taking a tour of the 7 continents.  

We are so proud of our little learner and are grateful for the privilege to teach him.