Chirp

Will spring EVER come? 

It was almost 30 today!! #1 and #2 helped Dad work cattle this morning and #3 and #4 played outside for a little while.

This kid could live in the sandbox.  You leave him there in the morning and he would still be there at supper time.  He NEEDS spring to come.  His haven is under 3 feet of snow - he'll settle for mud and ice for now.

This week while #5's been sick, I took the opportunity to finally put away the rest of the winter stuff and get out a few signs of spring. 

I needed something for the top of the hutch in the mudroom...

A BIRDHOUSE!

# 1 & # 2 helped me build this little beauty this afternoon.  It's by no means perfect.  We used scrap barn wood and sanded of the visible bird poop!

And now the WOW factor-

Look at these cute little lights.  Can you even see them?

They look like branches with rice lights on the ends.  I stuck 'em in a fake ivy bush.  

I think it looks quite homey!

I got them at one of my many favorite quilt shops.  Let me know if anyone needs some.  $24 each - I think.

*Country Decor Tip - Put indoor decorative lights on timers*

Ever wonder what to do with that large glass jar you have sitting in the garage/attic/shop/shed/barn?  Put dog bones in it!  That's if you have a dog, of course!

Have a great weekend!

Blessings-B

Mom Tip #252

Anyone out there working on "Timed Math Facts"?  To state the obvious my poor, poor, time-pressured son is required to take basic addition and subtraction tests with different time limits.  This week he came home with a sort of contract saying that he is committing himself to studying 10 minutes each night so that he can reach his goal of getting 85 addition problems correct in 4 minutes and 65 subtraction problems correct in an additional 4 minutes.  Follow all of that? 

{SIDEBAR:  He is quite awesome at math but the whole timed thing is not his cup of tea!}

I can only go through flashcards so many times.  He knows these "math facts"... who can we turn to to help fine tune these skills? 

GOOGLE!!  That's it - GOOGLE! 

I typed in "math skills" and I found this website.

It's FABULOUS! 

Thousands upon thousands of math drill worksheets!! 

He's gonna hate me tonight but I'M much too competitive to allow this mission to be impossible!!

Happy Homework!

Blessings-B

Dessert Anyone?

Here's the easiest and quickest dessert you will ever make!  I'm putting this in the file labeled

"Food You Take To The Field". 

The recipe can be doubled to feed an entire harvest/planting crew (10-15 people).

Super Simple Apple Crisp

½ c butter

1 – 17.5 oz package oatmeal cookie mix

2 – 21 oz cans apple pie filling

½ tsp ground cloves

Place apple pie filling in ungreased 9x9 or 8x8 pan. Sprinkle ground cloves over filling. Melt the stick of butter and mix with the oatmeal cookie mix. Spread this on top of the pie filling. Bake @ 350 for 35 minutes or until the sides are bubbling.

Blessings-B