Cooking Camp.....yum, peanut butter bars.

• Aunt Karisa gave the kids this cookbook for Christmas.....and we decided it was time to put it to use. I mean, ...."quick and easy".....what more can you want when cooking with kids. We picked Peanut Butter Treats, because in my opinion, you just can't go wrong with something involving peanut butter + chocolate!
• Looks like someone is already testing the ingredients and can't get her mouth back open!

• Oh, lovely little children hands, all packed down on the peanut butter bars. Now that looks appetizing, right?
• Walt was the man to spread the melted chocolate---and as usual, any task that requires much eye-hand coordination, he uses his tongue as the guide. That tickles me silly to watch him.
  

• Oooohhh....they were just as good as you are thinking they would be. Temple & I remember them fondly as our favorite school lunchroom dessert back in the day! :) Did you have these in your school lunchroom when you were a kid?

The recipe is posted here at the House of Bowling recipes blog.

Can I have your attention please.......

Just wanted to announce that the 2nd annual Bowling Family SPRING BREAK ROAD TRIP is scheduled to begin in just a few days!!!!!

Big Dave.....the coolest dude at Camp McDowell.

• Walt loves it when he gets to be in a class taught by Big Dave, especially when there's a hike involved. Big Dave's mother is an Indian woman. She taught him early on about their culture, which he keeps very close to his heart. Here's big Dave taking a break from a long hike and showing the kids how to make fire with some dry pine straw & leaves they gathered, and a rock.

• Clearly....he made fire. And he thought it was a good idea to continue to hold it in his hand while talking to a group of 10 year old little boys, who may or may not, be planning to try this trick when they return home!!

I did learn something new this week at Camp McDowell from none other than, Big Dave. Remember the saying...."leaves of 3, let them be"? In reference to Poison Ivy, Oak, Sumac and such? Well......guess what.....it's not just when the leaves are showing that the threat is there. It seems that the oil is in the vine, even when you think it's dormant in the winter.

• So, how in the world do you tell a Poison Oak vine from any other vine crawling up a tree? Good question, and I'm so glad you asked! See, this photo. Looks just like a regular old tree with a regular old vine on it. The vine is growing up the tree, but isn't wrapping itself around the tree like most vines will do. It's just going straight up. That's Poison Oak/Ivy, etc.

• You see the poison oak vine doesn't require the choking style, as other vines do, to get oxygen from the tree to live. Instead it has these little hair-like feelers that shoot out from the sides of the vine and attach onto the tree.....and in turn, they get the oxygen. See the little hairs holding on tight to the bark? So, now you know.....now, go share your new knowledge with someone else!

Camp McDowell.....I love you, but your hikes make my shins hurt. :)

So, last week, I gathered up enough energy to be a chaperone with Walt's enrichment class at Camp McDowell. And although last year I was able to sleep in the cabin with my Walt......this year, they needed chaperones in the girls' bunks. So, me and another fearless mother of boys, were summoned to the cabin of 15 girls, varying ages from 3rd-8th grade.

• Oh, I can't begin to tell you the difference between living with a cabin of 9 boys versus 15 giggling girls, sharing a shower, and sleeping on cots. The biggest difference may have been when I walked in to brush my teeth the first night, and saw no less that 247 bottles of "stuff" the girls would be using for the next 48 hours. Groovy Grape shampoo sets, bottles and bottles of lotion, lots and lots of brightly colored towels (turquoise, hot pink, lime green), a few monogrammed toiletries/cosmetic make-up bags, Coconut conditioner for that sleek look, a million pony tail holders and hair clips....etc.etc.etc.

Because clearly, the varmits we'd be seeing on the wilderness hikes and at the pond & stream class would want us to look our absolute best, or not come along at all. I've seen squirrels run away at the sight of a non-lip-glossed gal......and don't get me started on what the coyotes were howling at one night...... :) Girls. If I didn't realize it before, I do now.....they are different. Totally different.

• But thankfully, there were also these wonderful sights at Camp McDowell that make it all worthwhile........there's just something about hearing a clean, crisp, refreshing waterfall, and seeing a beautiful moss-covered giant rock.

• Look....there's a little varmit....oh, it's just Walt....standing at the "fork in the road" leading into Camp.
• One of our favorites----the swinging bridge over the river. Time to face your fears, or fall through the open cables! :)
  

On one of our many hikes, after we cross the bridge, but before we reach the waterfall, we pass lots of rocks that have clean water falling from them. As the indians say...."weeping rocks make the best drinking water"...... Well, last year, Big Dave (a senior instructor at Camp McDowell, and Walt's favorite teacher ever!), taught the guys a new game to play when you pass by these rocks. It's called EYE SMACK. Sounds fun, right?

• So, you stand underneath the rocks and try to catch one of the water droplets with your eyeball. Sure, when it splats onto your retina, it hurts for a second and then, you laugh out loud and do it all over again, and again, and again. Or at least that's what you do when you are 10.....not so much when you are 36. I'm just here for the photo opportunities.

• And look at this other varmit that arrived one evening to eat supper with us and stay for the ever popular, NIGHT HIKE. Thanks T-5.
  


• He's the cutest little deer skin wearing, sign of the bear painted face camper I've ever seen!

SATURDAY SHOWCASE.....our gymnast with some of her biggest fans!

So, this week's Saturday Showcase actually goes to a couple of SENIOR CITIZENS....who have absolutely no idea what a "BLOG" is....but they love their great-granddaughter tons. And also, to the little girl pictured below.....because she fought through a stomach virus, some serious competition nerves, and still tried her hardest.




Tyner Beth was surprised at her meet this weekend when Grandaddy and Grandmama showed up as her cheerleaders. They can sit for hours at home and watch her tumble, dance and entertain. She couldn't wait to show them her "real" routines in competition! And we can't thank Aunt Joy enough for bringing them and for wanting to come watch Tyner Beth compete herself.....what a sweetie!

• I would like to report that Tyner Beth did much better this time on vault----and in case you all don't remember what an improvement this was, just click here and take a look at what happened in her first meet. (Splat....head first into the mats.) But this weekend, although still very nervous, she completed her vault very nicely.....GOOD JOB, TB!!
  

• Here's my cutie patootie---receiving her medal for Bars. And those two little gals who beat her....well, all I can say is watch for them to be in the olympics for real someday. :)

Here's a run-down on her stats:

• FLOOR: not so good, she put in an extra straight jump into her routine, which caused her to get off beat with the music and thus consequently ended with her receiving the lowest score. However, she still had a great smile!!
• BEAM: 4th place
• VAULT: 4th place
• BARS: 3rd place

So, for a quick recap.......she had the stomach virus, missed school on Friday, was only able to eat a few saltine crackers and a gatorade, thus a little weak and puny on Saturday for the meet, and still managed to pull out a few good scores. That's my girl. She's a trooper and makes us so proud!!

• There are really no words to describe what this photo means to me......or what it will mean to Tyner Beth someday when she is older. Having her 82 year old great grandparents come see her flip, tumble and twirl around ---- well, it's just PRICELESS.

It's Friday, and I'm tired.

I've been at Camp McDowell the last few days with Walt on his enrichment class field trip. Therefore, I am tired. Therefore, you have not been getting your posts for the week and I am sorry. But, alas, there will be the dawning of a new day, or week, and I'll start 'er back up again. Walt and I have lots of good photos to share and a few facts to pass along to you. However, for now, I am tired.

Have yourself a great little weekend and I'll see you back again real soon!

Snow, in Alabama.....Can you believe it?

Now here's a photo you wouldn't normally find on my camera. Not ever. Who would have ever thought my southern porch would have snow covered shoes grace it's wood?

• If I didn't know better, I'd say these were shoes of folks who lived in Michigan. Or Minnesota.....that's what Walt likened our snow day to.... as he said, "I just didn't expect us to get this much snow....I mean it looks like we live in Minnesota." This from my child who, as of yet, has never ventured into Minnesota.

And by the way, for those of you who do live in Minnesota, I bet you would glady take our 3-inch, one-day, short-lived, fast-melting, snowfall of '09.

That would be a cinch to our fellow Northerners. They scoff at such piddly little snow as that, they probably have luaus around the pool when only 3 inches fall..... and we, well, we head out to get bread and milk and extra gloves and toboggans like there's no tomorrow. Because we could be snowed in for days......or not.

• How about our lovely Snowman?......I like the fact that he is in tune with his inner SEC allegiance.
  And he wears it well. That was, he wore it well.......right up until his head melted and rolled off his body.

• Even the pets had a short run in the white stuff. Sadie thought it was fun and wanted to play with the us in the backyard.



• Mr. Jingles is your typical finicky cat......he hated it.

• Here in the deep South, we may speak of it from time to time, wish for it occasionally, have even been known to pray fervently for it on Christmas Eve, but we hardly ever have contact with REAL SNOW or any type of wintry weather play. Therefore, every decade or so, when some of the white stuff actually falls from the sky, no matter how great or small, it will often create confusion in the minds of southern youngsters. Something about the crystalline ice messes with the synapses in their brains. For instance, I offer you example A:

While Tyner Beth was getting all geared up to frolick outdoors......(putting on mittens, scarves, hats, heavy coats, boots, extra socks, etc.etc.)........she confused a reflection of sound with an igloo dweller..... "Mom, I look like an ECHO." ---- "Like a what?"--- "You know, an ECHO." --- "Do you mean an ESKIMO?" :)

Here is Walt---- he's trying to hold onto two HUGE snowballs (he prepared for his Dad and Rivers), while simultaneously attempting to catch a snowflake with his tongue. Hey, snowball fights are hard work, you take a little snack break when you can!

Looks like Rivers is ready for some snowball action, too. Clearly, this was no light accumulation we received.......look at the size of that snowball.

Now, I turn your attention to the Elder of the family. Seriously? Should fathers really chase down their young and pelt them at such close range with large round balls of frozen precipitation? I think not. But I am merely the camera woman......and clearly the smartest one of the family. If you hang an expensive camera around your neck, the whole idea of being smacked with a wet snowball.....well, it's off limits. And half the time, I didn't even have to turn the camera on. Just the image of it being there did the trick. Thank you Nikon.

Snow..... I appreciate you stopping by.....my family had a blast. But thanks for knowing your time and place. The amount and time span were grand. See you again sometime in the spring of 2015. Where in Alabama, Dean Martin's classic has been changed to "I'm dreaming of a White Easter" -- because we all know it's not coming for Christmas.

Somebody just turned a DECADE.....

Here is Walt this morning, blowing out the 10 candles on his Strawberry Mini Star Cake. Now, it's not everyday I offer up cake for breakfast, just every DECADE! :)

• That's right.....Walter Chandler has been around for a full 10 years! He is SUPER excited to be in the "DOUBLE DIGITS" (he has said this phrase over and over for a week now.) So, we are celebrating. And it should turn out to be another week, full of birthday fun....as there are lots of activities going on this week at the House of Bowling.

• Of course, we started out the fun yesterday, with the whole SNOW adventure. Temple woke the boys up at 7 am to show them the snowfall. He woke Walt up and said, "Happy Birthday (a day early), look what we've got outside!" Walt was SPEECHLESS. Once we all went outside to play in it, Walt scooped up a big handful and said, "Thank you, Lord!". Yep, quite an AWESOME birthday treat. And I'll have more snow pictures and tales to come in the next few days, but first things first.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WALT!!!

• Mondays are crazy busy for all of us, so we decided to let Walt have his birthday meal the day before his real birthday. I let the kids choose whatever they want me to cook for their dinner (within reason......fritos with cool whip as a meal is not an option, nor is twizzlers with twinkies......as the mom, I do draw the line.) Walt did an excellent job in choosing a very colorful plate---hamburger steak, corn on the cob, salad, and strawberry/blueberry parfaits. Temple purchased a new deep fryer over the weekend....so he threw in a side of fries on his own!

Walt choosing hamburger steak just makes me laugh out loud. He loves it. And I'm glad. But you would have to understand that this is my child who begs me to give him only plain spaghetti/pasta noodles because he doesn't like the meat in the sauce (hamburger meat). I make him eat it 1/2 and 1/2, because I am a mean mother like that.....I expect you to get a little vegetable and protein alongside your plate full of carbs. And when we grill hamburgers outdoors, he would rather have a "ketchup bun". Seriously.....he ordered hamburger steak for his birthday dinner. And he ate it all. Some things in life just have no explanation. :)

• In honor of Walt's first decade of life....we interviewed him at the table during his birthday meal. A list of 10 of his favorite things follow:

1. favorite person = my family (although for the record, I would like to point out that he said mom would be #1, dad #2, followed by his siblings. Just for the record.) :)
2. favorite breakfast food = cereal, Lucky Charms to be specific
3. favorite sport = FOOTBALL
4. favorite candy = skittles
5. favorite thing = the pets -- Sadie (dog) and Mr. Jingles (cat)
6. favorite place to be = the beach
7. favorite thing to do in your free time = playstation 2, X-box or cars
8. favorite thing to get at the concession stand = dippin' dots
9. favorite beverage = Granny's sweet tea
10. favorite place you want to go = Mexico

• We also made bags for Walt to share with his classmates at school today for his Birthday. To celebrate his 10 years, we put 10 fun items in each bag, in honor of his DECADE. His teacher even plans on letting Walt pass them out during Math class.....see, birthdays can be fun and educational!!
  Oh, my sweet little handsome guy---Walter. What a blessing you are to all of us!! My heart is filled to overflowing to have you in "double digits". I can hardly wait to see what the next DECADE holds for you-----great things, I know that for sure.
  

• "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." ~~Ephesians 2:10

Lord, you AMAZE me.....

• Early this morning, like before 7 am, I was startled awake by Temple yelling "Kimberly".....and I thought for sure we had overslept and were about to miss Sunday School. We both teach class. That would be bad. Or maybe not. Anyway, he said "look out there"........so, I peered my head from behind the covers and this is what I saw........

• Our entire backyard and all the surrounding woods were blanketed with fluffy white stuff. What in the world?.....it's a dream, I know it's a dream, because it has to be a dream, because only in dreams do you get SNOW where we live. Don't pinch me. Just let me dream.