My favorite Side Dish~ Squash Casserole******

I love this side dish. Though it is simple to prepare, it is very time consumig, and it gets eaten up so fast! I am doubling the recipe today because we go through it so quickly. This is the regular sized recipe:
Ingredients:

4 1/2 C. Zucchini (diced)
4 1/2 C. Yellow Squash (diced)
1 1/2 C. Yellow Onion (chopped)
1 Box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (prepare as directed on box)
1 1/2 Stick of Butter
8 oz. American Processed Cheese (diced, use a store brand not Velveeta)
3 Cubes of Chicken Bouillon
1 tsp. Garlic (minced)
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Ground Pepper
1/2 tsp. Thyme
1 Tbsp. Parsley (chopped)
Steps:
Prepare Jiffy Mix as directed, set aside to cool.Place zucchini and yellow squash in a large sauce pan and add just enough of water to cover. Cook on medium low heat just until tender, remove from heat. Drain squash, reserve one cup of water for casserole. On medium low temperature place all of the butter in large sauce pan and saute the onions until the onions turn clear, add salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley . Add chicken bouillon cubes and garlic to onions, stir. Add drained squash and diced cheese, stir. Crumble corn bread in squash and pour the reserved cup of water and mix well.Place squash mixture in a 13"x11" baking pan that has been sprayed with a none stick spray. Cover casserole and place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes. Remove cover the last 20 minutes of baking time.We found that this casserole is a great replacement for stuffing or potatoes.

Baby Alive Sip 'N Slurp

These are the latest items added to my Ebay store. Jaden saw these in the house, and she had been looking at them every hour or so. Finally, she said, "Mom, when are you going to gve Morgan and me our babies?" I said, "Jaden, those are ones that I am selling." To which she said, "Mommy, you have just made me very sad!" OK, so I am going to give in and let her have one, but not right away. I have already bought their Christmas presents, and I think they will like what I bought... But, she just sees these dolls and thinks that's what she wants because that is what is there. She really doesn't need any more dolls. Between her and Morgan, they probably have AT LEAST 20 dolls! Anyway, if you know of anyone in need of a doll for Christmas, please direct them to my Ebay store. I will be selling these until the week before Christmas.

Why Giving Feels So Good... Financially

This article was taken from fool.com I thought it was very interesting, so I wanted to share it with the rest of you:
As the holidays set in, and the season of giving begins to brush elbows with the cabal of commercialism, we're presented with -- to borrow from the classic education vernacular -- an ideal "teaching moment."
So exactly how do you convince those in a material world to love giving as much as getting? Easy: Explain how one begets the other.
Giving makes you happier
Behaving charitably really is good for you -- and not just in an "eat your peas" way. Research has shown that the benefits of generosity are twofold.
First, we get a psychological lift from helping others. According to Knox College psychology professor Timothy Kasser, people who focus on generosity are happier (and healthier!) than those mired in materialism.
A recent University of Oregon study found that charity stimulates the brain centers that tell us that our basic needs are being met (the foundation for success, according to Abraham Maslow -- as in the man behind Maslow's hierarchy of needs), letting us know that it's safe to dial down our hunt-gather-hoard-guard setting.
You don't even have to write a check to get good giving vibes: Offering time or lending skills to a good cause takes us out of our navel-gazing routine and connects us to something grander. This perspective allows us to see just how precious a helping hand can be to others.
Besides helping others, a nice side effect of being generous is that it boosts your own standing, which leads us to exhibit B in our "It Pays to Be Good" presentation ...
Giving makes you richer
Giving has been shown to tangibly boost the benefactor's bottom line -- and not just taxwise, either. Research shows that people who are observed behaving charitably are often recommended for leadership positions in their professional lives.
The Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey further supports the two-way correlation between giving and getting the financial warm fuzzies. As you might expect, we're more generous when we're flush with cash (a 10% raise increases our altruism by about 7%). But the survey also revealed generosity's boomerang effect: A family that donates just $100 more a year than its neighbors (all else being equal) earns, on average, $375 more.
The cycle of wealth doesn't stop there: Every $100 in extra giving increases the U.S. GDP by $1,800; and each $100 increase in a household's income generates an average of $1.47 more for charity. So, give more, and you boost the economy, which helps you earn more and become capable of giving more.

I am grateful to be a mother!!

Playing basketball~ Jaden, Morgan and Anthony

Morgan giving her shy smile

Jaden and Anthony going down the slide at the same time

Morgan going down the slide all by herself

How wonderful it is to be a mother to my beautiful girls! I have always felt the drive to be a mother... Mimicing my own mother with my baby dolls (and my little brothers, poor little things!) I had a favorite doll. It was a doll that my mom made for me. I named her Julie because that was the name of the girl that lived next door. Julie (the real person) was a couple of years older than me, and I looked up to her.

I could play with my Barbie town house ENDLESSLY! When I think back to the hours that I spent with Barbie and Ken, I can't think of what kinds of scenarios I played out. Strange, but I doubt any of the things that Barbie and Ken did are things that I do now. LOL!! Barbie never cleaned a bathroom, balanced a checkbook, took her kids to places for fun, etc... In fact, I know they didn't eat, and I don't think they ever slept either! LOL!!

The real babies, the 2 girls I have, are so much more exciting than an doll or toy I ever played with. They make the tedious things in life more VIBRANT! Every day is an adventure, and I never know what kind of adventure it will be because I am not the only person driving my life.

I discussed with the kids earlier this week about Thanksgiving. Today, I told Jaden and Morgan that it is Thanksgiving. Then, I asked them what that meant.

Jaden said, "On Thanksgiving God gives us food. Then, we tell him thanks for the food."

I am grateful that we have food everyday, and not just Thanksgiving! We must remember those who do not have food every day.

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." Mother Teresa

More photos from last weekend

Morgan with Grandma Mary.

Morgan shoveling dirt and throwing it into her hair.

Aunt Dee

DeVaughnte and Jaden doing the Cha Cha Slide

DeVaughnte wearing LeCount's jacket that he wore when he was a teenager.

Jaden sitting in one of the chairs that Grandpa William made.

The Cha Cha Slide~ (The "Bored With It" version)

Riding the bike at Grandma Frances' house

If you look closely, you can see her scratched up nose.

We always have fun at Grandma Frances house. This weekend was even better because we had a lot of visitors stop by (I will get to that later). The girls like to ride the bike that Grandpa William painted for them. Unfortunately, Morgan decided that she was big enough to ride without help, and she wound up in the dirt! She actually ate the dirt! Poor baby! Her nose is scratched up on the inside and out, and her forehead has a few small scratches. The part that she hated the most was the dirt that got in her mouth. It was all the way back to her throat! I did my best to wipe out her mouth, and then, she drank some water to get the taste out. Funny thing, once she was done getting the dirt out of her mouth, she was ready to ride again!

A clue!!!

We were out, just the four of us, and Morgan kept saying, "A clue! A clue!" I couldn't figure out what she was talking about, until the lady sitting next to us said, "See, the paw print~ it's a clue!" Oh, yeah, right... You will totally not understand if you have never sat down to watch Blue's Clues. I would like to forget that I have ever seen it, except the song keeps popping in my head, "We just found a letter, we just found a letter, we just found a letter, and that's our very first clue!" Oh, how do they come up with these kids' shows?!?!?

Aaaaahhhhhhh, so nice!

Wow! It is so strange to have just 3 kids in this house! We drove LeCount to work this morning, so that we could use the car. Nex week we might even go on a field trip! It would be nice to get out of the house for a little while, especially while it's cold and we can't stay outside for too long. Jaden has been asking to go to the bounce houses. It would be cheaper to go to Chuck E Cheese, so maybe we will go there. When we go, I get the breadsticks (which are $3.99) and a drink that I share with the girls. We spend less than $6, and usually spend a few hours there. It isn't relaxing, though, because I have to keep my eye on 3 kids. I am not one of those kinds of people that can sit at the table and read a book and have no idea where my kids are.

The Mini-Amusement Park

Yesterday we met up with Grandma Leslie, Grandpa Lyale, Uncle Bryan, Aunt Amy, and James. Grandma treated everyone to rides and soft-play (the play are with the balls and slides). The girls had so much fun! Jaden did not want to leave, but we stayed for 3 hours (which I think is plenty of time). Jaden liked the bumper cars best. I think Morgan preferred the balls.

On another note, I wonder how many gumballs are in that machine, and how much money you would have if you sold them all. They were 25 cents a piece. Maybe I can put one of those in my front yard.

You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread man!

On Friday, I told the kids the story of the gingerbread man. After the story, I gave them pictures of the gingerbread man to paint. The paint was chocolate pudding, so the kids went crazy for that! Especially Morgan, she had chocolate pudding from head to toe!!

Yucky Muddy Rainy Day

It was cool, muddy, rainy and yucky yesterday and today. I finally couldn't take having us all crowded in the house. The kids really had to get their energy out... So, outside we went. It was muddy in the spots that have no grass (thanks to the dog), but the kids just stayed in the grass. They took turns "4-Wheeling" through the grass. It was time to go back inside when I got my foot run over for the FOURTH time!!!

Raising a Philanthropic Child

Jaden (my 4 year old) and I have been sitting at the computer watching all of the Childen International You Tube videos. Jaden never ceases to amaze me. We have been sitting here for about an hour, and watching the videos has led to discussions. Some of those discussions went like this:
Jaden~ Why doesn't that girl have shoes on?
When I went on to explain she questions, "Does Henry and Katherine and the other kids have shoes?" I told her that I wasn't sure, but it was a possibility that they did not. Her simple reply, "Then let's send them shoes"
The same conversation went on for the sink, water, toilet, house, clothes, dishes, bed, etc (you get the idea). Her response always was, "Well, then let's send them some!"
I got to these 2 Wrold Vision videos (links below). They are very moving, and informational. I had sponsored with them before, but I have had a much better experience with Children International, so I wouldn't go back to them. However, the information they give holds true for both organizations. Anyway, after we got through watching the 2 World Vision videos, Jaden asked why they were sad. I said, "Because they are hungry and dying." She said, "Well, let's go there and help them. Come on mom!!!" I told her that we couldn't go right now... She asked "Why not?" I replied, "Because it costs a lot of money to go there." That wasn't a good answer for her, of course. Her response was, "Mom, Do you have ANY money? because I have $1. So, let's go!!"
By the way, the music in the one video is by Mercy Me, and can be found on the album "Almost There"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utsOBE6iFj8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_2GAEzJL6I

And for those of you who want more information about the HIV/AIDS crisis specifically:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEqi4jcUA2I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYLWWVh8_ic

Jaden's first Jigsaw puzzle- 25 pieces

Madagascar Escape 2 Africa

Jaden, Morgan and I went to see Madagascar Escape to Africa today. The theater was packed. We got there to see one showtime, but we wound up catching the next show time because it was already too crowded (they said that there were 51 seats left, but there weren't any two seats together, let alone 3!) So, unfortunately, for te next showtime, we had to get in our seats early. Which meant that 15 minutes into the actual movie, and the girls were already ready to go! Some how with a lot of wiggling, talking, and even some crying (thankfully the crying happened at the sad parts of the movie, so no one expected a tantrum!) we made it to the end of the movie. The animals are so cute and cuddly that it makes you want to reach in the screen and pet them! LOL!!! It was a great movie~ if you plan to go this weekend, get a seat early.

http://www.madagascar-themovie.com/teaser.html
"All of the loveable characters are back – Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo, King Julien, Maurice and the penguins – in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. They find themselves in the wildest place of all – the vast plains of Africa – where our zoo-raised crew encounter species of their own kind for the very first time. While discovering their roots, they quickly find the differences between the concrete jungle and the heart of Africa. Despite long-lost relatives, romantic rivals and scheming hunters, Africa seems like a great place...but is it better than their Central Park home?" (from the Madagacar web-site)