a playdough kind of day

I found a recipe to make playdough and thought I would give it a whirl.  I did have to substitute one ingredient, cream of tartar, and I think the substitution ( x3 of vinegar was the sub for it) made it a tiny bit sticky but that didn't stop the fun.  Also, I used liquid food coloring and didn't have an issue with it, just FYI.

Overall it turned out rather nicely.  I made 4 different colors.  I doubled the recipe so each of the girls would have plenty to play with.

Bella immediately started mixing everything together.

Surprisingly, Emily was more reserved and kept everything separate.

Now we have one giant multi-colored piece of playdough.

Both seemed to like it and played for a good amount of time.  That is the part I like.  That means they aren't fighting.

joy, joy, joy!

They were a complete success!  I couldn't be more overcome with joy!

Just look for yourself!

And, they were super easy to make.  Try them for yourself.  Here is the recipe again in case you don't want to scroll down to the last post.

the good and the bad

I attempted to make crab rangoon the other day.

They look good, huh?

Well, they didn't taste very good.  The filling was fine.  Could have probably used a little sugar.  I think where it all went wrong was the wrappers.  I had to make the wonton wrappers from scratch.  The dough was kind of tough and doughy and I don't think I rolled it thin enough.  Or the cooking temp was off or something.

I was really disappointed.  And I don't really feel like a second attempt.  I will just have some when I visit the US.

The crab rangoon wasn't a success but the blueberry muffins that I made were!

Look good?  They were!

Next up crescent rolls.  I did try some rolls the other day and they turned out not so well.  I followed all the steps...  I am on the hunt for a no-fail bread/roll recipe.

busy and fun friday

Yesterday Jorge took the afternoon off work so we could hang out together.  His working hours kind of suck and he is not home very often.  So, it was a nice change of pace.

(Warning:  Photo filled blog post! -- some not so great quality)

He came home, picked me up and we drove over to the Bodega (a sister of Wal-Mart) in San Juan.  It is a little bigger town and always has a better variety of groceries and such.  This trip was fun because the store has added more products.  Of course it made me happy.

Still having a full freezer/fridge I couldn't buy much, but only a 20 minute drive keeps me from that store.  Not too bad.  I did bring home a few goodies.  Take a look. (It is the little things that make me happy!)

I LOVE these egg noodles!  Blueberries!  Tomato soup!  Bacon bits!  And there were other goodies that I was excited about.  There were more varieties of pasta and other frozen berries and those concentrated frozen cans of juice and other things that I just don't remember.  Those will be another shopping trip.

After our fun trip to the store we dropped off all the groceries and went to a little restaurant that is about 5 to 10 minutes outside of town.  I have no idea the name of it but that isn't really important.  I did take a picture of the place.

They have these drinks that are made with Fresca, fruit juice and a little tequila.  And what a festive way to serve them.  The restaurant doesn't have any windows so the breeze blows right through and makes it feel so tropical.  They have chips and salsa which is nice.

We finished there and a little later had a few drinks from a little bar.  Jorge isn't into having his picture taken so this is as good as it gets.

Later we meet up with a couple friends and went downtown.  It was pretty busy there.  We had a few drinks, ran into a bunch of people we knew and I had some cotton candy.  (See the purple tongue.)

It was a great day!

walking with cows

Yesterday I went on my usual walk.  I was minding my own business when a cow pops her head out of some bushes on the side of the road.  We casually walk past each other.

As I made my way back the cow had multiplied.

All of them were roaming free eating all the greenery that had popped up since all the rain.

Who needs a weed eater or lawn mower when you have some of these?

Happy mowing cows!

watercolor artists

I bought some watercolor paints the other day at Office Max.  The paint that we have used before is TOO messy for my taste and because of how I am, it is required that we paint outside.  Watercolors are more appropriate for their level of messiness.

Of course they are experts at making a mess, so the colors of course start to all turn brown.

But, that is OK.  They love it and had a blast.

The girls are always wanting to paint.  It is the little artists in them.  It is funny how they have distinctive styles.

Bella is so organized and detailed and clean about things.  Her work shows that.

And then there is Emily.

She is wild!  And carefree.  That is what I love about her the most.  Her works shows her true colors.

Now that they have seen these pictures they want to paint.  Advertising would work on them very well.

Costco... a little piece of heaven on earth

Some of you already know this, but I am employed again! My awesome friend, Bradley, called me up in June and asked if I would be interested in working for him part-time from here in Mexico. I didn't have to think about it at all. I didn't care what I would be doing. All I knew is that I have been itching for some responsibilities that don't involve kids for a while. Being a mom is great and all, but I need something more. I just like working. AND, the money is always a positive!

The money is what is allowing our lives to be a little easier and better down here. Jorge's income is just pathetic and I have been struggling with trying to maintain staying within our tiny budget. I have gotten a lot better, but still not close to what it would take to live off of his income alone.

With this extra income we now have, we went all fancy and got a membership to the Costco in Aguascalientes. It is the bigger city about an hour and a half from here. It has the big mall and movie theaters and fast food restaurants and Wal-Mart and Home Depot. You get the point.

Yesterday we got the membership and bought lots of fun stuff at Costco. I don't think I have been more happy here in Mexico than I was yesterday!

Before we had even been in the store 1 minute, Jorge spots a cart with Coors Light in it. For some reason that is his favorite beer and the only place we have been able to find it is at Chili's (you know, the restaurant). And at $3 plus a bottle, well, he only has a few when we go every so often. We see commercials for it on our TV and know that there is a distribution center in Monterrey but haven't found it for sell anywhere. Well, at least until yesterday. You might imagine how happy he was.



After spotting the beer, I headed straight for the cheese section. My heart melted immediately because of all the variety. Remember we got that small refrigerator? Well, I had to pick and choose. But, I was happy knowing that I can go back whenever I want and buy a different kind.

We went down almost every aisle. (Towards the end, with a full cart and a small refrigerator at home, we decided to skip going down all remaining aisles. We will leave those for our next trip.) We got to the frozen food section and I didn't think it was possible for my heart to melt a second time, but it did! I found this!


Edamame! (note how large the bag is compared to the microwave!)

And these!


Chinese dumplings!

And we found salsa for dipping chips in. Funny that I live in Mexico and you would think that would be a staple, but they just don't do the chips and salsa like in the States. So, I have been on a mad hunt for a recipe and have found something close but no cigar. Now I can just pop over to the Costco for some more. And you see we got some asparagus! And crab meat (imitation but still good!). And you can see my provolone and colby jack cheese! Love is in the air!



I wasn't lying about the size of our refrigerator. You can see how packed our freezer is. For my non-meat eating friends, don't read the next line. We bought STEAKS! And pork chops and a bunch of chicken. It was WONDERFUL!



Next time I hope we can control ourselves a little bit more. I am sure we looked like fools. Oh well. It totally made my day.

walking towards the rain

I didn't walk one time last week. That wicked cold of mine just wouldn't leave me alone and go away.

Today is actually the first day that I don't have to run to blow my nose or cough where it sounds like my lungs are going to bust out of my body.

The forecast calls for a thunderstorm here in Jalos today. And, it is much welcomed if it does come. The last few days it has felt hot here. The house has just been trapping the hot air inside.

Since I feel better today I wanted to get back into my routine of walking. I sort of missed doing it.

Today was a really nice walk. Right before I got ready to leave the sun was shinning brightly and I assumed I will be sweating a few minutes into the walk. Well, I was right.

But, I was walking towards this.


(This picture has not been edited. I downloaded it straight from my iphone.)

I kept thinking I should turn back, but decided to go for it. I did chicken out a little bit before my normal turn around point. Even so, the wind started up and the breeze was so wonderful!

I made it back with just a few drops falling on me. Other that the wind throwing dust in my eyes, it was a very pleasant walk.

loud mouths

The last two nights this has been happening right outside our bedroom window. They come around 8:30 pm and make a raucous until a little after 9 pm.



They almost sound like a bunch of monkeys. Annoying!

hello again

I have been absent for a while now. The past week (and currently) I have been sick. I am ready to get over it but for some reason it wants to stick around.

In the middle of being sick Jorge ends up bringing home a puppy.



Yes, such a cute face, but can't get around being a puppy! I am not a fan of puppies. They are just such a pain to deal with. So, that lasted 24 hours and then I had the dog pack up his things and get out of dodge.

I have been battling with Bella lately. I have heard from a few people (and read a few places) that this is an age thing. Let me tell you I hope that is true. Some days around here are just horrible. We fight non-stop. I try to practice being calm and trying different approaches with her. But, it is easier said than done. So, we keep going, try to find a balance and cross our fingers that this too will pass.

Emily, on the other hand, is easier to deal with. My issue with her lately is her lack of listening. Or, her perfected ignoring techniques. Other than that, she is just so funny.

Here is a video of her demonstrating how to take off a shirt. Usually when I ask them to take off their clothes and put them in the dirty clothes hamper I don't watch. I am usually getting their bath water ready or some other small daily task. This was really the first time I saw her do this and I asked her to do it on the video camera and as you will see, she cooperated nicely. (oh, and enjoy my sexy voice from being sick)



And, those of you with more than one child will probably agree with me that the second (and third and so on, I assume) always pick up things more quickly than the first. This little video shows that she has learned her alphabet way earlier than Bella did. That is the benefit of them having an older sibling to mimic.



We have been enjoying the pool. Once we put it out back on the patio it was cloudy most days. Which here without that lovely humidity, it is a much cooler temp without the sun. But, after a week or so of that, the sun is back out, full force! And, we have been using the pool a lot. And, even though I felt like I was going to pass out blowing it up, I am glad we bought the big pool. It is nice that we can all get in it and enjoy cooling off.

One day we had a little friend join us for a few laps in the pool...



I am going to go and blow my nose for the one millionth time. Hope everyone has a great weekend!