Welcome! I'm happy you stopped by. I hope that you find something useful here to aid you on your journey!
Every day for the next three weeks I am going to set a daily goal of activities to do with the kids. I'll post an update at the end of the day to let you know how it went!
August 12
Goals for the Day:
- Build a blanket fort.
- Make cookies.
- Have a tea party.
- Watch a movie.
- Camp in the backyard.
Today we made chocolate chip cookies, using our favorite recipe (see below!). Since we were planning on having a tea party later, we used a little scoop to dip the dough onto the cookie sheet. That way the cookies would be small enough to fit our child-size tea set.
We watched "Scooby Doo Where Are You?" while eating lunch. We do that a lot in the winter, but rarely in the summer when there is much to do and good weather to be outside, so this was special treat.
In the afternoon, we had our tea party. We got out the children's tea set, and a silver tray and dish that were my mother-in-law's. Then we made good tea. We put the cookies in the dish, the tea service on the tray, and spread a blanket on the floor. Daughter picked special flowers from her flower garden for the decoration. A lovely time was had by all!
We didn't get a chance to build the blanket fort, and we didn't camp out in the backyard. Not tonight. There is a very heavy due happening, and we would be totally soaked by morning.
What we did do was take blankets out onto the trampoline, wrap up, and watch for shooting stars. The Perseid Meteor Shower is happening this week. The moon is just past full, so the sky was a bit light, but we did see some meteors. Daughter saw her first true shooting star. (In the past, she has fallen asleep before we saw any.)
We cuddled under the blankets, and the cats snuggled on top of the blankets, until Daughter was about to fall asleep. It was a nice ending to a good day together.
About me:
My name is Theresa, aka "Tree" to some longtime friends and a few relatives.
I'm a (mostly) stay-at-home-mom of two. My passions include my family, my faith, and living in a simple manner that respects the blessings we have been given.
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me."
Matthew 18:3-5
Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cream together in a mixing bowl:
- 1 c brown sugar
- 1/2 c regular sugar
- 3/4 c vegetable oil
Add:
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla
Into a separate bowl, sift the following, then add to the egg/sugar/oil mixture:
- 2 c + 2 T flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
After mixing the above, add:
- 1 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
Scoop onto cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 8 to 18 minutes, depending on size of scoop. Remove when cookies are slightly brown on bottom edges. Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to cooling rack or newspaper-covered surface.
August 13 Goals:
- Go to the Farmers' Market
- Play in the garden
- Paint with watercolors
- Have a campfire and make s'mores