The Bee's Have A Ball

     Queen Bee has been behind in housework for the past week due to not feeling well.  When Honey came home tonight I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me to catch up on laundry and do some cleaning.  Honey was fine with this and took Bumble and Stinger outside and played with them.  I folded three baskets of laundry, enjoying the peace and quiet until my thoughts were interrupted by hearing this happening in our basement...

Honey let them play with his golf balls!

Did I mention that Honey works for a golf course during the summer?  Did I mention that he collects all the golf balls that people leave behind!?!

Stinger's kitten Happy even joined in the fun!

Honey, this is not quite what I had in mind, but thanks for watching the kids!

The good news is I have all the laundry done and the house is more organized.  The bad news is now I have a messy basement.  Oh well, there is always tomorrow.  I think this would be a good time to mention that if anybody ever needs any golf balls please let Honey know!

Three Little Kittens

Look what Bumble found in the woods the other day...

 

Three little kittens...

 

I told Bumble they must have lost their mittens!  As it turns out, they belong to our neighbor.  I think they were just curious and wanted to meet Princess Snowball and Happy.  Bumble had fun trying to coax them out of the woods.   The next day the kittens returned to their home and we haven't seen them since much to Bumble's disappointment. 

He Is With You

Queen Bee's Not So Fun Week

     Queen Bee's week hasn't been so good.   I couldn't fall asleep Sunday night or Tuesday night.  I also had problems with my heart racing and felt hot at times.  I guess I woke Honey up too many times Tuesday night that he told me I must go to the doctor.   I went on Wednesday morning.   
     When I was 19 I found out I had hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and have been taking a pill ever since.  A couple months ago I suspected that the dose I was on was too high.  I felt jittery, was losing weight and my hair for no reason.  I went to the doctor then and they checked my blood levels and said I was fine.  On Wednesday they did more blood work and tested my thyroid again.  My suspicions were correct as now my thyroid was overactive.  They agreed I needed a lower dose. 
I am amazed how such a small gland in my body can control my entire week!
     Hopefully I can get my body back to normal again soon.   I am not a very good mommy when I don't get my sleep!
    

The Bee's Stinky Situation

Honey tried to turn on the bathroom fan the other morning and it didn't work.  It was clogged with stinkbugs.

Any ideas on how to keep them from coming inside?

Queen Bee Makes Candy and Peanut Chews

It's beginning to feel like fall around here and I am not sure how I feel about it yet.  We have so much work to do outside our new hive yet that I wish we could extend the summer just a couple more weeks.  There is one thing however, that I like about this time of year....

 

CANDY CORN!!!!

 

Here is a recipe that uses candy corn as one of the ingredients.  I knew it had to be good!!

 

Here are the ingredients for Candy and Peanut Chews:

 

Let's start with the crust. Here are the ingredients...

 

1/2 cup butter margarine, softened

1 package (1lb. 2.25oz.) yellow cake mix (make sure it had pudding in the mix!)

1 egg

3 cups mini marshmallows

 

This is what it means by pudding in the mix...

 

 

It will say it on the package.  Of course I used Betty Crocker's cake mix.

 First mix together the cake mix and butter on low speed for about 1-2 minutes.  Then add the egg and mix.  It will look like this when finished...

 

Then press the mixture into a 15x10x1 jelly roll pan.  I do not own a jelly roll pan and used a 15x10 cookie sheet and it worked just fine!!  Then bake it in a 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes.  Then remove it from the oven and spread out the mini marshmallows...

 

 

Return the pan to the oven and let bake another minute or two until they puff up...

 

 

Now lets work in the topping.  Here are the ingredients...

 

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups rice krispies cereal

2 cups salted peanuts

1 cup CANDY CORN!

 

First heat the corn syrup, sugar, and brown sugar over medium heat until it boils.  Stir constantly until this happens.  (about 2 to 4 minutes)  Next, rest your hand!! 

 

 

Remove it from the heat and then stir in the vanilla and peanut butter until smooth.  Then add the rice krispies, peanuts, and CANDY CORN!

Immediately spoon it over the puffed up marshmallows and then let it cool before cutting them and eating them.

 

 

While waiting for these to cool eat the remaining CANDY CORN left in the bag so no one else will get to it first!  Enjoy!

This Week At Weis...

     Want some free laundry detergent? Be sure to check out www.forthemommas.com for all the great deals at Weis Markets this week.  My sister also found some Huggies diapers for Stinger that were 50% off.  I had her get four boxes for me.  I am hoping that is the last of the diaper buying as I am trying to get Stinger interested in using the potty.  They call it potty training and he likes trains so maybe it won't be so bad.  Now I just have to figure out a way to incorporate the trains!

Stinger's Flashlight

To hold Stinger's attention when we read books, I let him use a flashlight.  He shines the light on what he is looking at...

 

I also ask him where certain animals and objects are at and instead of pointing he shines the light on them.  It does hold his attention and he thinks it's pretty fun!

 

A Peek Inside Stinger's Occupational Therapy Session

What goes on during one of Stinger's therapy sessions to address his sensory needs?  Well, today this is what went on...

 

 The occupational therapist brought shaving cream!  She sprayed it on our newly made Amish table and let Stinger experience it!  Oh the things I do for Stinger!

 

We couldn't leave Bumble out of this activity...

 So what is the point of letting Stinger make a mess and play in shaving cream?

Stinger does not like soft touch.   I cannot cuddle Stinger or hold him for very long.  This activity helps him get used to touch.  In past sessions Stinger has also played with rice, noodles, and other items that get him used to feeling different textures on his skin.

Plus it was a lot of fun!  The clean up wasn't as bad as you might think and now my table holds another memory for me and my kids!

Oh Deer!

The Bees had some unexpected visitors today!

While Bumble and I were playing with the kittens on our deck, some deer appeared in our backyard...

They seemed pretty friendly.

Bumble enjoyed watching them and had an exciting story to tell daddy tonight! 

Stinger's Huge Progress

     In a few short weeks we have gone from counting the sounds Stinger can make to counting words!!  Stinger loves music and I have been using songs to help him get more comfortable with saying words.  To get Stinger to say "me" we sing the song "Jesus Loves the Little Ones Like Me, Me, Me." When I pause after the word "like," he will say "me, me, me!"  He can also say the word "happy" which is why that is what we named his cat!  When I sing "If Your Happy and You Know It" he will fill in every "happy" in the song.  Other words that he has said are ball, apple, mommy, and daddy.  Up until today he has never called me mommy without being prompted.  The therapist that he has told me to have Honey and Bumble go to another room and yell for mommy over and over again and then I should appear.  I guess all the yelling paid off because today Stinger wanted to go outside but the door was locked.  He turned around and said, "Mommy!"  I almost fell over! I praised him immensely and opened the door for him!  Stinger has the sweetest voice and I hope I will be hearing more from him. 

 

 

Bumble's Critter Corner

The Bee's worked in the dirt for many hours this weekend.  We came across a critter.  Can you spy it in this picture...

Dear PP&L

Dear PP&L,
     The Bees would really like to receive their electric bill.  So you are not in the "dark" I will explain further.  We have had our electric hooked up since May at our new hive and have yet to receive a bill.  This is quite "shocking" to me as I would think I would have seen at least something from your company by now.  I have other electric companies calling our hive wanting me to "switch" to their company.  They say I am paying too much for electricity.  How do they know!?!?! Are you sending my bill to them? Anyway, I have contacted your company two times requesting a bill and each time I was assured I would receive one.  I am still waiting.   I have no idea what to budget for electricity every month and I do not like it.  I understand that your work load must not be on the "light" side, but I am hoping someone at your company can "shine some light" on this matter.

                                                         A Bee that just wants your company to get it's "wires" uncrossed,
                                                                                                                     Queen


                                                                                                                                   

"In Christ Alone" Adrienne Liesching and Geoff Moore

Queen Bee Becomes Unraveled

Please excuse my tardiness in posting.   Somedays it seems I never have a free moment, and just when I think I can sit down things like this happen...

 

It's enough to make Queen Bee become unraveled!

Stinger's Noise Reducing Ear Muffs

       When Stinger was a baby, he would search for things to put in his ears like crumbs or paper.  Most parents worry about their babies putting small objects in their mouths.  I worried about things Stinger would stick in his ears.  I am wondering now if he was trying to tell me that noise hurts his ears.
      I still see Stinger with his hands over his ears numerous times everyday.  Most recently it has been outside when all the locust in the trees are chirping.  We decided to try some noise reducing headphones on Stinger and he loves them...

     Since we still have our season passes to Hersheypark, that seemed like the right place to try them out.  I was a little hesitant though because he was so miserable the last time we went.  I think it was because we had been lenient on his diet and he just didn't feel well. 
     We put the ear muffs on him immediately after arriving and he didn't want us to take them off.   He even slept with them over his ears on the car ride home.

 

I wonder if our Pastor would be offended if we tried these in church?!?

The Bees See Green

The grass in our front yard has started to grow...

There are still some bare spots, but I am thankful that it turned out as well as it did.  It has not rained here for several weeks so Honey and I have been watering it diligently.

We have already started some seed in the backyard.   Bumble and Stinger will be disappointed that they soon will not be allowed to do this...

 (Princess Snowball likes to ride too!)

or this...

Stinger loves to go flying down the sandmound on his little bike.  He doesn't even pedal.  He rides with his feet off the ground and laughs the entire way down while mama holds her breath! 

A Bee Gets A Kitten: Part 2

Introducing Stinger's kitten, Happy!

I am not sure what Stinger likes better.  His kitten...

 

 or its home...

You be the judge!

A Bee Gets A Kitten

Introducing Bumble's new kitten....... Princess Snowball! 

 

I'm sure I will have more pictures of her and Bumble later on this week. Stinger got a kitten too, but I am going to wait until tomorrow to post pictures because right now I am in need of a cat nap!

 

 

A Letter To A Spider

Dear Menacing Spider,

       Bumble will never be the same.   She witnessed the unthinkable the other day.  You spun your web all over our deck which just happens to be where all of Bumble's friends hang out.  You know, the beautiful butterflies she has tamed.  She even brought one inside our hive the other day to show the butterfly her room!  However, one of Bumble's butterflies happened to get stuck in your web.  Couldn't you have waited until Bumble left until you wrapped it up and ate it for your dinner?  Don't try to deny it.  I have proof. 

Bumble was horrified and immediately ran to get her butterfly book that she checked out at the library to see how to rescue the butterfly.  After consulting her book she brought me Stinger's toy golf club, and well, you know the rest of the story! 
                                                                                                A Butterfly Loving Bee,
                                                                                                                       Queen

Queen Bee Makes Blueberry Delight

     Honey shops the local bent and dent store mainly for two items.  Orange juice and pie filling.  I know when Honey brings home canned blueberry or cherry pie filling, he wants me to make either Blueberry Delight or Cherry Delight.  Usually I am "delighted" to make this for him because I love it just as much as he does! 

Here are the crust ingredients...

18-20 graham crackers

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

 

First, take the graham crackers and crumble them. I use a Ziploc plastic bag and a rolling pin.  Then pour the graham crackers into a bowl and mix in the sugar.  Next, pour in the melted butter and mix.  Then place the mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 dish. 

 

 
Now lets make the filling.  Here are the ingredients...

1- 8 oz. container of cool whip (thawed)

1- 8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)

3/4 cup powdered sugar

 

Mix all of this together in a mixer until smooth.  Place the mixture over the crumb crust.

 

Now it is time for the pie filling.  You can use whatever kind you want, but Honey likes blueberry or cherry.  He brought home blueberry after his last shopping trip so that is what I used. 

Pour 2- 21oz. cans of pie filling over the cream cheese filling and spread evenly. 

 

Then refrigerate for a few hours before you devour it.  Then when Honey comes home feed him this for dessert.  He will be "delight"ed!

Stinger's Tings

Stinger cannot live without these ...

 

They are gluten free and contain no dairy products.  They taste like cheese curls or puffs without the cheese flavor, and I have to say I like them too.  This is where I found Stinger's tings the other day...

 

He hid them under the burner in the stove.  I think he was saving them for later and didn't want anyone else to eat them.

 

It's just one "ting" after another with Stinger!