Hair today....Gone .... Today!

Yep that's right my 6 year old (K-Dog) decided to get out of bed last night & in the middle of the dark play room CUT her hair! ! ! !  Yes this is her FIRST HAIR CUT EVER! ! ! ! I'm beyond saddened by this! She has been telling me for the last year that she wants to grow her hair out to donate it to Locks of Love & now there is NO way that's going to happen like she had planned. She had decided that when she was 10yrs old she would have it cut off & donated....well you can see from the pictures that won't happen for a L-O-N-G time. . . . 

It may be hard to see but ^^ this shows where she cut her hair :(

Just LOOK at how LONG her hair was!!! She had NEVER had a hair cut in ALL HER LIFE!!! She's been growing it out since she was born!

I'm so saddened by this! Her hair reached her bottom! :(

And here's the AFTER I evened it all out with what she had cut. :( 

Sad sad mommy!

:(

I guess life happens, I know I'm not the first mom to have to deal with this. But when I told her she would have to wait longer to donate her hair to Lock of Love, she cried. She is upset with herself & even asked me if I still love her. Well that's a silly question, there is NOTHING she could do that would make me love her any less than I do! I am disappointed in her but I may love her even more now than I did yesterday....lets not tell her that tho....

I hope everyone has a happier Tuesday than we are having here.

5 Week Challenge...MommaSie Time

One of the other blogs I follow, shared on her Facebook page another ladies blog about an upcoming fitness & spiritual challenge! A 5 week challenge to help one get more in touch with their spiritual side as well as working on ones physical aspect of life.
I'm so IN!!! I know it's going to be a challenge for me as we are full-time homeschooling & D-Bug has started her LAST year of preschool! However I know with great guidence & support from the group of 120+ wonderful ladies that are involved in the challenge I will be able to succeed & come out on the end of the 5 weeks ready to continue with both the spiritual & the fitness sides of the challenge! Any weight loss during this time is just an extra bonus!!! :)

If you would like to check out the blog & see if you want to join in the 5 week challenge as well, please click  HERE! 

IF you decide you want to join in, please follow her instructions for joining in & PLEASE come back here & comment that you are "IN" as well! I will do a weekly "MOMMASIE TIME" post about how I'm doing & you can join me by commenting on how you are doing or commenting your link to your blog post!

I'm looking forward to this challenge! This Challenge starts September 10th (That is THIS coming MONDAY!!!) So please hurry up & get signed up! 

Lots of love & prayers,
MommaSie

Fluffy butt to Coop!

We have had some very busy days/nights/weeks over the last couple of months & I can FINALLY say that the Chicken coop side (& run) of the new building is up & functional!!! Our chicks are very happy with their new home! I think pictures do a much better job of telling about our coop than do words . . . .

From the tiny beginnings of 2 & 3 week old chicks . . . .

To having "play-times" outside . . . . 

& spending nights in the garage . . . . . 

...in 2 separate pens . . . . 

One sunny day the walls began to go up!
(North side - aka back side of the building)

(South side - aka front side of building, where the door & window will be)

(West side)

Outgrowing our pens in the garage - moved outside . . . 

Watching as the roof beams go up!

(From inside the NW corner looking SE you can see where the window will be placed)

Watching as the tin siding goes up!
YAY We have WALLS!!!

Moving INDOORS!!! The inside of the building was split in half - half for chicken coop & half for storage & dog/cat feeding station . . . .

. . . Rose checking out a weed . . .

Roo-pert laying in the dirt with his girls!

Smart hens roost in color pattern
Black-white-red-white-red-white-red-black (SPACE Roo-pert supervising)

My wonderful hubby putting up the chicken wire over the top of  the run!
I love that man!!!

Looking inside (kinda) at the door to the chicken coop & their window!

A few of the girls enjoying a warm spring morning in their finished run! 

Again . . .

Here we see the gate (Left side of the picture) & Louise heading inside . . . 

Looking into the coop from the unfinished storage side of the building . . . 

The coop door . . . .

The coop window & what will be the "hospital room/brooder" once the cat (yes cat) learns to love the outside & no more breaking of family loved & passed down lamps (yes I am very angry at the cat)

My oh so friendly girls!
(loving the sweats & boots right!?!)

  

A few of the girls hanging out on the floor roost
(need to build & place permanent roost for the girls but this works "ok" for now)

. . . Rose telling me I'm not paying enough attention to her . . . .

So she stands on the toe of my boot!

WHAT a DIVA!!!

"HELLO!!!! Do you see me!!!"
(I have 7 black hens so I haven't named any of them as they all look alike!!!)

Louise & Snippy heading out the door....
(we are working on a slide door for the girls - right now we just block them in with a big framed window that is screwed into the wall)

Enjoying the weeds D-Bug & I pulled for them....

And to think this all started because I feel in love with some fluffy butt chicks at the feed store!!!

In about 2-3 more months we should be seeing our first eggs!!! So excited!!!

On new beginning on to the next!

Happy Belated Mothers day to all!!!!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

So my MeMaw sent me a box full of Gluten Free products when I first found out I have Celiac Disease (Jan 2012). It was full of crackers & pastas & mixes! I've used some of it, mostly the crackers & pasta - and can I say YUM-O on the pasta!!! That will have to be a blog of it's own! LOL (there ya go a little something to keep you coming back!)
Well today I decided I was going to try the Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix she sent.

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cookie Mix

All you add is 1 stick of butter (softened not melted) - 1 tsp gluten free vanilla - & 1 egg

It makes a very crumbly mix (this is about a third of the mix as I decided to take pictures after the first batch was cooked & the 2nd batch was in the oven)

The first batch of baked cookies! They were a little "gooey" so on the 2nd & 3rd batches I increased the time by 2 mins & they came out lots better!

They are pretty thin & do have a "grainy" texture but with a tall glass of milk, you don't even notice!

D-Bug & I give these 2 thumbs up!!!

Here's to New Beginnings & healthy foods!

Gluten Free Zucchini

When I found out I was Gluten intolerant I was mortified to think that my favorite summer-time treat would be banished from my diet . . . . well low & behold I have made a gluten free version ! ! ! !  YAY ! ! !

Gluten Free Zucchini Chips

• 2-small to medium Zucchini
• Rice Flour
• Season salt
• Pepper
• water/milk
• oil 

While the oil is heating (medium to medium high heat) mix the dry ingredients together in a zip-lock baggy.
Slice the Zucchini into 1/4 inch slices (I like mine a little "thick" if you like yours thinner, by all means slice them that way).

Place slices into water or milk (or mixture of both) to soak for just a few seconds.
Remove slices from liquid & place in bag (I only do about 10 slices at a time for a medium pan), ZIP bag almost closed, blow air into bag (like a balloon) finish zipping closed. 

Shake bag (I have never had a bag break, but be aware it may if shaken too hard with too much air) to cover slices in rice flour mixture.

Remove covered slices from bag & place carefully in pan of preheated oil.

Fry until golden brown, turning once (or until desired color)

Remove & "drain" on a paper towel covered plate. (I usually sprinkle with white salt right after removing from the oil - but that is optional)
Cool slightly & enjoy!!! :)

These are so yummy!!! And I have noticed that the rice flour doesn't burn like wheat flour does, leaving your oil cleaner & able to store & re-use for another day! (I store mine in an air tight container)

Enjoy your yummy New Beginnings!

Our "Egg" Craft....

This Easter was surrounded with busy BUSY days, both before & after. My Grandma D turned 80 & we went to her birthday party the Sat before Easter, I sang at church Easter day & we began revival! Dinner with Hubby's family, K-dog had her FIRST (& only) public school, Kindergarten program, Both K-dog & D-bug were in a dance recital this last weekend (yea we've been "flying by the seats of our pants" the last couple weeks) . . . . so here I am F . . I . . N . . A . . L . . L . . Y getting around to posting about our craft we did the week before Easter.

How much time I've spent on Pinterest & then thinking "hey we can do that" . . . yea I need to quit . . . it was almost a disaster BUT our eggs turned out really cute, I just have to get over the "mess factor" when doing crafts with kids LOL

Well I had seen these eggs made with balloons & yarn.... they were so cute & easy looking in the pictures! Well I wanted to make a cornstarch paste instead of a sticky glue . . . . so I found one that was just cornstarch & water (I didn't pin or save the web site, so I will have to look for that again) . . . . I made it up, blew up a few balloons & got the girls to the table. I explained what we were doing & showed them how to do it . . . . & then handed them a bowl of "glue" & yarn & a balloon . . . then my OCD kicked in & I literally had to leave the room for a bit why they wrapped the balloons . . . . Here are a few photos . . .  they don't show where K-Dog dropped her whole balloon wrapped in glue on my floor!!! 

 D-Bug & K-Dog studying very hard to get those strings to stay on the balloons!
This was tricky for little hands . . .

 Our finished "eggs" ready to dry
Who knew it would take almost 3 days for them to dry! 

 K-Dog & D-Bug holding their "eggs"!

D-Bug was more interested in picking the excess dried "glue" off.

"Eggs" are "chin holders"!

These really are cute & fun to do, I just think the next time I will try them the girls will be older...I'm thinking 10. . . that gives me 4 years to work on my fear of messes! LOL 

Have a great day & many blessings to New Beginnings!

Fun at Lunch!

The one thing I really don't like it making meals . . . ugh . . . no one ever seems to have any ideas for what to make, so it's almost ALWAYS up to me. So for today's lunch I took to Pinterest & the "pins" I had made concerning meals . . . . & I found this picture  - Although I couldn't find who the original poster was, I am forever grateful! Here's our creation: 

The girls LOVED it! K-Dog called them silly octopuses! D-Bug just thought they were weird but she loved them just the same!
So this was their lunch today! I on the other hand don't know what to eat yet . . . . go figure . . .

So there's another "New Beginning"!

Full Time Chickens......

So I am by all means a expert beginner when it comes to chicken care....I knew they needed food water bedding & heat....what I wasn't expecting was how fast they GROW! Along with all that growing is a lot of chicken poop &  noise! Wow change ONE thing and those babies really let you have it! I gave them a different waterer...got "yelled at" took the rocks out of the water, got "yelled at"....I can not win with these girls! LOL
I'm thinking the babies are between 2 & 4 weeks - - - yep I didn't ask at the store how old they were (although I'm not sure the guy that was helping me would have known anyways.....that's another story)  - - - so here we are, I've been a chicken momma for a little over a week now (10 days) my babies love me LOL they are just like my DD's they tell me when they don't like something I've done :p
In the following photos I was trying to get a good picture of each lil chick.....needless to say they weren't interested in being Chick Models (as you will see)....

 White baby  - more concerned with whats under the kennel :/ 

 Box full of 16 peeping babies....they are about to out grow their "clean up time" box :(

 One of my Rainbow Layers - this is her 2nd photo her fist one the flash scared her & she jumped (so cute to watch but didn't make for the greatest of pictures)

I'm watching the comb on this lil one...not sure if this is the rooster I picked from the Red Sex Links or not,  (this is the same one from the first picture) but I have 2 white ones I'm watching pretty closely - I really only want 1 Roo - Lil guy here has at least one black spot under a wing....he really didn't want me messing with him too much, he had things to see & stuff to talk about.

 Standing Tall Pretty Lil Lady

 Alright Fluffy Butt, turn around so I can see you

Better thank you  - doesn't she have pretty lines on her feathers!

 At least this lil Rainbow Layer isn't giving me the "butt"

 How bout the whole lot of ya come say hi again! (do you see Whities toes.....) 

 Am I a bad Chicken momma???? :( She/he walks just fine I'm just worried I caused the toes to curl :(

WAIT!!! Where'd you go!!! Seriously! What a bunch of PreMadonas!

The other white chicken I'm watching for Roo-ness
I did have some white chickens in with the Rainbow layers, but they SHOULD be all hens!

Pretty baby & yet ANOTHER fluffy butt! lol 

 This lil Rainbow Layer was half asleep....I got a few "talkings to" after the flash went off *oops*

 WAIT!!! I did have her set & then OFF she runs!

 There she is with her head in the feeder....speedy lil lady!

 Next one was the closest black Rainbow Layer - - She jetted off the second I put her on the floor....I tried to move her a few times & just gave up

This lil lady is a Rainbow layer - you can't tell from the picture but she's got 2 straight lines down her back between her feathers....She's really cute!

 Lots of pretty babies

 Is this how models eat when done with a shoot?

Looks like we have outgrown the LARGE dog kennel :(
I guess I know what part of my Saturday will include :(
Oh how fast they grow...

Happy days
Happy Chicks
Love,
Momma Sie