Challenge 7- Vocabulary

I like new words.  I like using different words instead or the ordinary one because well I am not ordinary. So for this challenge I decided to take normal words that I usually use and look up different words for them and choose one to use that day.  Now some days I was home when I used to them so I wrote down my sentence and other days I was out and in a rush and quite frankly now that I am playing catch up I can't remember shit.  So I am going to list the "ordinary" word and next to it I am putting the word that I used for that day.  This was a really fun and simple one.  I liked some of the faces the boys gave to me when I used a word to them.  I think it also encourages them to expand their vocabulary and learn different ways to say one word. 

Day 1
Awesome---Mind-Blowing....they thought that one was hilarious

Day 2
Think---Envision...I really can't remember how I used it, but I was probably yelling at them to think about something

Day 3
Listen---Hark...lol  that still makes me laugh

Day 4
Forgetful---Mooning..that is just a wierd word for that, but I like it

Day 5
Yelling---Bellowing..I do that a lot

Day 6
Horrible---Beastly..I am sooo using this word again

Day 7
Teacher---Abecedary..I had to look up how to pronounce that word

Day 8
Coach---Skipper

Day 9
Clean---Immaculate

Day 10
Tree---Timber

Day 11
Nice---Ducky...I have heard this before, and I like it

Day 12
Beautiful---Statuesque...I felt really sophisticated when I used this word

Day 13
Leaving---Vacate

Day 14
Nation---Sovereignty

Day 15
Manners---Bearing...this was hard to use in a sentence

Day 16
Car---Bucket... :)

Day 17
Bedtime---Time to retire....Diz asked me where were we going?

Day 18
Handsome---Majestic...I told the boys they were Majestic and they looked at me like I was a freak

Day 19
Clothes---Attire

Day 20
Shopping---Hunt for...I do that on a daily basis

Day 21
Dinner---Feast..I also like Spread

Day 22
Drink---Wet your Whistle

Day 23
Boys---Lads

Day 24
School---Hall of Ivy....It is Hall of Ivy Time!!

Day 25
Tried---Exasperated
 
Day 26
Grouchy---Crusty...I say Mike is Crusty all the time

Day 27
Good---Splendid...I like using Splendid when I am being sarcastic

Day 28
Bad---Atrocious

Day 29
Goodbye---Adieu...I love Sound of Music

Day 30
Love---Worship


Well thats all of them...Hope you use some of these "cooler" words in your every day life!  My new challenge starts today!  Again my friend Ryan picked this month and I will be finding an "old" picture everyday and writing memories about it.  I am hoping to post 3 different posts with multiple pictures in each post.

ENJOY
AMS

Challenge 6! PAINTING

I am not a painter.  I will just go ahead and say it.  I can paint walls pretty good though.  I enjoy painting pictures, but larger scale pictures.  I am not one for realistic painting or painting people.  Not so good.  So for this challenge I decided to paint a picture in 30 days.  1 picture adding something to it for 30 days.  Now when you look at the picture you are going to think "Really?  This is it?"  Yeah it is, because I can't paint.  I would paint something then I totally messed it up and had to cover it with blue or green paint and start over, or I had to wait till it dried and try to fix it.  Like I said I am not a realistic painter.  I am pretty proud though of my shading techniques.  I love mixing colors together.  Maybe I should just start painting backdrops for other painters?  Nah!  So here is my painting in 30 days, the little girl took me the longest..I hate painting pictures.  I call this Painting "I Wish".  Why?  There are many different reasons why I named it that, but I am keeping them to myself. :)

Enjoy!!

AMS

Challenge 5--Haikus

HEY!!   This challenge was so fun.  It really got me back into poetry.  Before I had the boys I used to write all the time.  Poetry was one of my favorite things to write.  But then life kinda gets in your way and you start to put the things you love to do aside to make time for others.  So this is why I am really glad that I did a haiku everyday...here they are, hope you like them!

Day 1- Different hues of blue
            Blue and bright just like your eyes
            Saying good morning

Day 2- Take my hand my love
            Please, don't ever let me go
            I am safe with you

Day 3- My sweet son, my boy
            In my arms I wish you stay
            Stay my young sweet son

Day 4- My skin is covered
            Oh, the sun leaves so mercy
            This heat is wretched

Day 5- Deep as the ocean floor
            My love for you grows even more
            Endless like the sky

Day 6- She has bright blue eyes
            Hair black as night, sweet as pie
            She's only a dream

Day 7- Oh, the world I knew
            No longer pure as before
            To go back, I wish

Day 8- Dreamer of the night
            Finds it hard to stay awake
            Playing in their dreams

Day 9- Friend. I cherish you
            With out you I would be lost
            Empty with out you

Day 10- Rain on my windows
              Pounding like a strong heart beat
              Relaxing my mind

Day 11- It's a long drive up
             But home is all worth the drive
             Soon I'll be happy

Day 12- Take me far away
              Far away from this dark place
              Shine some light on me

Day 13- My arms around you
             Close tightly around your heart
              It is mine to hold

Day 14- What beauty I see
               My eyes open to this world
               I take it all in

Day 15- I caress your skin
              Lightly touching your body
             The softness that I feel

Day 16- Sweetness in the air
              The smell brings back memories
              I inhale some more

Day 17- Lovely the music
             Her voice sounds so clear and pure
             calming all my nerves

Day 18- Tears are so salty
              I taste them when they run down
              The sadness in them

Day 19- Quietness I need
              Please, no more jiber jabbing
              Just for 5 minutes

Day 20- Hotter then Hades
              These summers are killing me
              Please turn on the air

Day 21- The changing of the leaves
              Shades of yellow, orange, red
              The chill in the air

Day 22- New life starts to bloom
              The sounds of the birds fill the air
              Sweet smells of flowers

Day 23- Sparkling whiteness
              Frost touching everything in sight
              The cold on my nose

Day 24- Hotness is unfair
              The days though are much longer
              The sky is bright blue

Day 25- Patience is not fun
              Waiting is not my strong point
               I want it right now

Day 26- Our talks full fill
               Our friendship is easy
               Two peas in a pod

Day 27-  Your curly brown hair
               Those bright brown eyes amaze me
                One strong little boy

Day 28- Your smile deceives
               Your cuteness hides your devilness
               But, you are sincere

Day 29- Bright sunshine, shines down
              My face is instantly warm
              Brings me to smile

Day 30-  Everyone must try
               To challenge yourself is good
               The rewards, priceless   

There are stories and reasons why I wrote each one, I left it up to you to think why I wrote it.  If you would like to know--just ask and feel free to comment on any of them!

ENJOY!
AMS  

Challenge 4--A Book A Night

My 4th Challenge was to read a book every night to the boys.
Here are the books that I read to them, some were longer than others so I read some of them in 2 nights instead of 1.

Nights 1-3

I Spy Fly Guy
By: Ted Arnold

The boys love these books by Ted Arnold.  This is a great series to get for your early readers...these are the first books we got the boys when they started reading. 



Night 4
Green Eggs and Ham
By: Dr. Seuss

One of my favs!  When we first had Ayden we stocked up on all the Dr. Seuss books...I used to read this to him when he was a baby.

Nights 5-6
Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl
By: Ted Arnold

Another great thing about these books is that boys will like them also...there are so many books out there geared towards girls, but these are great for either boys or girls

Night 7
The Tooth Book
By: Dr. Seuss

Another first book of Ayden's collection...you can't go wrong with Dr. Seuss

Night 8
Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street
By: Eleanor Hudson

So this maybe a little to young for my boys, but Diz loved it...this was one of his first books...he was in love with Elmo as a toddler.

Night 9
I Can Read With My Eyes Shut
By: Dr. Seuss

This is a great book for any age....the boys enjoyed reading this one with me

Night 10
Fox in Sox
By: Dr. Seuss

Umm...yeah be prepared to get yout tongue in a twist....

Night 11
On the Night You Were Born
By: Nancy Tillman

Christmas of 2010 I found this book along with another one that I feel in love with.  This one I bought for Diz, the other for Ayden which was read on a later night. I gave them this book on Christmas Eve along with a pair of PJs....the pictures in these stories are magnificant...as well as the story.  If you have a little one that you just love to pieces I suggest getting these books. 

Night 12
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy
By: Mo Willems

Mo Willems is one of the boys' favorite authors...he is such a fabulous writer..his Pigeon series are great...Diz got this book last year at the school book fair.

Night 13
Wherever You are My Love Will Find You
By: Nancy Tillman

This is the other book like Diz's.  This one we got for Ayden.  Again a beautiful story with beautiful words and pictures for a little someone you love! 

Night 14
Beautiful Brown Eyes
By: Marianne Richmond

I bought this book for Ayden in 2010 after he had his surgery.  I wanted to read him something when he was out of surgery to let him know how much we loved him and how proud of him we were for being so brave.  If you have a little brown eyed love then this is a great book to get to let them know how beautiful their brown eyes just are.

Nights 15-16
I Am Going
By: Mo Willems

This is another series by Mo Willems..Piggie and Gerald....I went on a shopping spree and bought about all the books...I think I am missing 3 books.. When Ayden was in 1st Grade he was really struggling in reading, so his teacher sent home this book with him to practice...Ayden loved them so much that he actually wanted to try harder with his reading so I went and bought the books for at home so he could read them...I think he has all of them memorized by now. 

Nights 17-18
Elephants Cannot Dance
By: Mo Willems

 These books are so hilarious....I just love the Characters in it!

Nights 19-20
I Will Surpise My Friend
By: Mo Willems

These books would make a cute TV Show

Night 21
Firefighter Ted
By: Andrea Beaty

This book and series are great for younger kids...but Diz wanted to read it because we had been reading "Ayden's" books.  It's a cute series...this little Ted takes on different professions...and gets into a little trouble!

Nights 22-23
Are You Ready To Play Outside?
By: Mo Willems

They are obessed!

Nights 24-25
We Are In A Book?
By: Mo Willems

This one is my favorite book out of the Gerald and Piggie series...it is just so funny!

Nights 26-27
Can I Play Too?
By: Mo Willems

Nights 28-30
GooseBumps Horrorland Book 1
By: R.L. Stine

This would be Diz's book...He loves anything spooky, so my mom has started getting him the Goosebumps books...I love seeing him read these books because I used to read them when I was younger!


So there are the books that we read this past challenge!

My new Challenge starts today.  I will be doing a new Haiku poem everyday for the next 30 days.  Really excited about this one because it has been awhile since I wrote, especially poetry...I think I will post every 5 days of what I have been writng!

ENJOY!
-AMS

2nd Post for Challenge 3--FOOD

Day 10-Jalapeno

1 raw jalapeno is about 27 calories...they say that spicey foods are aphrodisiac..yeah thats a lie cause after eating one of these all I want to do was take some TUMS and go to bed...didn't do a photo for me eating this..took a video instead of the boys also participating...it's a little long but the best part is at the end when Diz slaps my ass.  LOL
*So the video is not working right now....will have to check it out and see why!!


Day 11- Kale

Kale is really good for....I got a recipe from a friend of mine to make Kale chips...a little bit of olive oil and sea salt and bake them till they start to become brown around the edges...these things were so good and when I ate all of them I didn't feel bad because they really aren't bad for you.  Kale is high in fiber and low calories.

Day 12- Lentils





Ummmm this Lentil soup---gross....not a fan.  I know Lentils are really good for you...again high in fiber but this was just nasty....Thank goodness Blayne will eat anything....He finished it for me, but he was on the toliet the rest of the night.

 

Day-13 Mangos



Couldn't find mangos yet in season so I found some dried mangos at the grocery store...wasn't really a fan of them.  I truely can't even tell you if I ever had a mango before or not but these were not the best things...they were good for a quick snack and the boys liked them...but next time I think I will search around somemore to find the fresh ones.

Day 14- Nutella

So there has been a Nutella craze saying that it is so much better for you than peanut butter...yeah that's a lie!  Not only is it higher in sugar than peanut butter it also is in calories...so stick to the peanut butter...BUT this stuff is goooooood....I love it!  Kids loved it also...I am going to have to pick some of these up for their lunches.





Day 15- Okra

GROSS--stuff is nastey...no thank you...I am truely not a southern.  Mike's family loves this stuff and they can have it...it's fried and then when you bite into it its just mushy...ewww.  Not very good for you--but what fried food is?

Day 17- Pears

I  have to say I think the last time I ate a pear I was a little girl...it's funny how even food that you havent had in so long can bring back childhood memories.  So pears of course are good for you cause they are a fruit...but remember fruit has sugar in it...even though it is natural--eating to much can be bad, plus it can constipate you!

Diz loved them too

Day 18- Quinoa















Alot like CousCous..but a little harder.  I made some but really didn't like it.  It is a better alternative to pasta...but I think if you stick to whole wheat pasta than that would be an even better alternative to  regular pasta.  This recipe wasn't that good..I know I will probably not be eating this again. 

 

Day 19- Radish

OMG this was sooo nasty...probably because I didn't cook it or anything I just cut a piece off and took a bite...it was hot!  Not a fan....not a fan at all...and I don't really care if it is good for you or not because I will never eat one again.

Day 20-Soy Milk

Not only is eating healthy a good idea but drinking healthy is also...I actually don't mind Soy milk, the only problem I have is that you have to use it in 7 days and sometimes we don't eat cereal everyday so that whole carton went to waste :(  But it is soo much better for you than milk calories are lower, fat is lower which is good!



Day 21- Tortellini

YUMMY!  Love this stuff...don't love the calories...this right here was about 320 calories...not so good for you!  Even if it is the spinach kind,  still not good for you.  But I use Italian food as a treat now and then...trying to find whole wheat tortellini.

Day 22- Udon Noodles

 Yep--just like the pasta this right here was about 350 calories...not very healthy, but very good...it wasn't easy finding these noodles but I really didnt have a choice!  They were really good, but I love all Asian food anyways. 

 Ayden refused to try it...like always but Diz on the other hand.....



Yeah he finished it!

Day 23- Veggie Burgers

OHH YEAH...these things are amazing...have no idea the nutrional value but they taste amazing....spinach, feta, dill, oregano, stuffing, egg.....makes an incrediable patty!!!

Day 24-Won Ton Soup

My Father's remedy for being sick....the whole week I could not even get out of bed I was sooo sick and worn out....remembered it was my W day so I gathered all my energy and went to the Chinese resturant down the street and got some...this stuff is sooo good and such a comfort food when you are not feeling better and miss home! 

didn't cure me, but made me feel soo much better!

Day 25-Xtreme energy





So X was really hard to find a food for...most the the food was in Chinese for other American words...so I just got this...5 calories, and not that much energy!  Waste of a $1

I have a tube top on FYI

Day 26- Yolk

There has been so many different times that people say this is good for you, this is bad for you...it is good for you in moderation as well bad for you in moderation...you eat it all the time yeah its going to be bad.  People don't realize that you need fats (good fats) in your daily diet!

Day 27- Zucchini

I LOVE ZUCCHINI....this is a fabulous veggie...fried, grilled, satueed, you can't go wrong.  Zucchini is so healthy for you...low in calories....unless you fry it ...but mixed with Squash is a great summer or fall side dish!

I had such a great time trying new foods as well as eating some of my favorites....Thank you to my wonderful Hubby for picking this one out for me...this one was a little more challenging--trying to find foods and finding where to get them, cooking them and having time to shop for them, but all in all it was a great time.  Found some great new foods that I now cook for the family and glad that they like them as well!! 3rd challenge down...9 more to go!

ENJOY!

-Ams