MISS BELLE HAS A PARTY.

i've said it before and i'll say it again...this girl knows how to celebrate. she let us know a few weeks ago that she would be planning and organizing her party this year. after all, she is seven now. i was more than happy to pass the party planning baton to my little miss and i think she did a pretty darn good job. i just helped set up before and clean up after. everything else was all madi. everyone had a great time painting faces, running around in costumes screaming at the top of their lungs and eating cherry cupcakes with cherry frosting with a cherry on top, cherry ice cream on the side and cherry limeade to wash it down. yep, she loves cherries just a little. we planned, we partied, we cleaned, we napped, we self-medicated. and like all good celebrations, the best part was the leftover cupcakes the next day. happy birthday madi belle. you are our favorite seven year old ever.

-bette

QUICK BLACK BEANS & BROWN RICE.

in a perfect world i would make this from all fresh ingredients and let it simmer in the crockpot (i actually don't even own a crockpot) for a few hours until dinner time. in that world i would also have a sparkling clean house and be rocking a charming set of pearls june cleaver style. geez, my head is spinning. back to the real world now folks. half an hour till the mister gets home, the discovery of freshly crayoned wall murals and what-did-i-just-step-in?!'s, wet hair from a last minute shower and the inevitable "i should probably make something for dinner". this is precisely why i love to have some easy meals handy. i'm going to be relying on these even more when littlest jones arrives in a few weeks. we have a little bit of a love affair happening with black beans and who doesn't love good ole beans and rice, with or without pearls?

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked organic brown rice
2 cans organic black beans(do not drain)
1 can organic chopped tomatoes
1 can chopped green chilis
1/4 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to tase
2 Tbs olive oil
small handful of fresh cilantro

Directions:

prepare rice according to package. my stove top rice always turns out like oatmeal or tooth-chipping pellets, so i count on my trusty rice cooker every time! chop onion and garlic, saute in olive oil until translucent. add beans, tomatoes, chiles and spices. bring to a boil then turn to simmer. simmer beans until rice is ready to eat. pile it up in a bowl and garnish with cilantro. quick and delish!

BIRTHDAY GAL.

it just keeps happening, doesn't it? i was really hoping this year we could just skip the actual growing up part of her birthday. no such luck. madi belle woke up a whole seven years old today. i can't seem to wrap my mind around it. that tiny little thing who gave me the title of mama, is growing into a lovely little lady before my eyes. we are beyond blessed to have her in our lives.

today we celebrated in typical jones fashion. some special birthday pancakes made by daddy, an early phone call serenade from granny and two of her favorite things, art supplies and a vintage dress. (thanks granny and nana!) charlie even got in on the action with a fancy whipped cream beard.

the littles have been completely sugar wasted all day. it's been a little crazy around here and i'm keeping my fingers crossed for an early bedtime tonight. mostly because i still have a party to plan for saturday and i have nothing at all done. so, off i go to try and muster some party preparation energy. wish me luck and a happy birthday to my sweet girl!

-bette

BACK TO SCHOOL DAY.

yesterday we had a back to school day for the kids. now, they're not actually going anywhere but, we're trying get back into some sort of routine and we wanted to do something special with them. we got up early, grabbed donuts and chocolate milk and headed to the park for a breakfast picnic. the kids choked down some donuts and opened their new backpacks and supplies. the rest of the day they camped out at the kitchen table drawing, crafting, reading, working on a solar system lapbook and using way too much glitter glue. it was a super fun day and i'm thrilled the kids are so excited about school this year. i plan to blog about what unschooling looks like for our little family sometime soon. hopefully it will be accompanied by more hilarious pictures, like this last one of charlie. i don't know what i love more, his chubby cheek expression or his new lloyd christmas haircut. choosing to learn at home can sometimes be exhausting for a mama but, these littles are so stinkin worth it! hope your school year gets off to a great start!

-bette

WE HEART ANIMALS.

this saturday our church held a back to school event for all the kids in the city. they gave away 3,000 backpacks full of school supplies, free lunches, haircuts, eye and dental exams. the kids spent the day eating sno cones, jumping in the bounce houses and hanging out with their friends.

the petting zoo was our last stop for the day and let me tell you these three were in. heaven. i'm pretty sure if me or paul had turned our backs for a second, one of them would have been stuffing that pony into the back of our car. charlie definitely tried to kidnap the bunnies a couple of times. luckily, they were too fat for him to get very far with.

i can't wait till we own a home and can get the kids an animal friend or two. this only encourages my dreams of living on a farm. after all, those ponies and goats would be awfully crowded in a city backyard, now wouldn't they? that day will come. in the meantime, we will find us some borrowed animal friends to love on and maybe try to kidnap one or two.

-bette