Fun changes

So the boys asked to be in one room and now they are! A couple of weeks ago Dave and I went out shopping for bunk beds while we left the boys home with a babysitter. We found a really cute bed at Walmart for not very much and brought it home that night. The next day Dave and Logan (yes, Logan is our big helper) put the new bunk beds together and the boys had a fun night in their new room. Trevor loves this room. It's the one he'd had since he was 2 and I think he was sad to switch rooms when closed the loft in. I think he is happy to be back where he started. They boys have all done really well sharing and they like the playroom upstairs. I like that they have more room to play now and that when they are up there playing it's quieter downstairs. We still need to get them to keep the toys in their playroom, but so far it's all working out. Who knows how long it will last, but for now it's nice they all want to be together.

It Happened

Last night Logan did not want to go to bed. The boys were playing and he wanted to stay with them. So when I put him in his crib screaming he did what any 22 month old would - he climbed right out of his crib. Then, this morning Dave woke up first and about a half hour later he came in our room and said, "Did you get Logan out of his crib?" When I told him no he said, "Well he just came downstairs all by himself." So he climbed out again. I was just thinking the other day how nice it was that he had not tried to climb out of his crib, how nice that he still could be a little contained. Not anymore. Dave took the crib down today (we learned from Colin it's better to stop trying to keep them in their crib...once they know how to get out they always get out) so Logan is officially a "big boy". Trevor was excited. When he saw the crib coming down he said, "Now Logan can sleep in our room." So we talked it over and I think we're going to have all three boys sleep in one room (bunk beds for Christmas!), move the playroom upstairs and turn the old playroom into a guest room. And Dave said I could decorate it however I want as long as it's not too "girly". Yipee! We'll see how the boys' room situation works. I worry we'll have some cranky kids who get woken up by their little brother. But it is pretty sweet they all want to be together. Now I just need to get someone to take a really cute picture of the three of them to hang in their "new"room. That would be you, Marylin!

Monday Food Storage Meal - Chicken Ritz

I know it's Wednesday but on Monday I made Taco Salad with my leftover roast so I wanted to do a recipe that may be new to some of you. My friend has 6 kids and she always has great casserole recipes. I love casseroles because you can stretch your money when you make one. If you have just a little chicken you can chop it up for a casserole. Not enough veggies for a whole side dish? Pour them into a casserole. When I had Logan my friend brought this casserole over for dinner and so I've made it since then, but I always add a little twist. Tonight I had some leftover cheese sauce (baked potatoes last night) and some broccoli so I threw it all in to this casserole. This is such an easy recipe that you can add what you have on hand and have a delicious dinner. (I half this recipe since I don't have as big a family as my friend, but you can mix up the whole thing, put half in a freezer bag and freeze it for another day.)

Chicken Ritz

3 1/2 -4 cups cooked cubed chicken

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 1/2 cups sour cream

1 sleeve Ritz crackers

1 stick melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together chicken, soup (do not add water) and sour cream. Place in a casserole dish. Crumble Ritz crackers and mix with melted butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake for 45 minutes. (You can add cheese to this and any kids of veggies or potatoes - the canned potatoes since you should have some in your food storage!)

Halloween Fun!

We had a very fun Halloween this year. I was a little worried when the first three days of the week were windy and freezing cold, but by Halloween night the benefits of living in Vegas paid off and we had a perfect evening of trick-or-treating, no jackets needed. We always walk the neighborhood to my parent's house, going to all of the houses that have decorations. Halloween always reminds me how much I love our neighborhood because every house we go to the people are so nice! The boys had a good time, and when we got home Trevor started to think about what he wants to dress up as next year....

Colin's preschool class

Dave and the boys carving our pumpkin. Last year we just painted faces on our pumpkin so this was new to the boys. I was the only one who liked the roasted pumpkin seeds.

The finished product. Of course my kids wanted a scary pumpkin.
Dave and the boys before we went out Trick-or-Treating. This year we had a ghost, a lion and a Ninja Warrior!

This is our neighbor's house. We have a very festive street.