The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Mother

...has been holding me captive this summer.  It's funny, the ideas are there (thanks to Pinterest and the MANY blogs I read!), but I just have been paralyzed to act on them!  I have wanted to do so many things, but so far...nada, nothing, zilch.  My list includes, but is not limited too... ~painting multiple rooms in the house, but especially the powder room, boys bathroom, Lorelei's and Jonas' rooms. ~sewing curtains for multiple rooms and pillow covers and a quilt and skirts for the girls and skirts for me and napkins for the kitchen and well, you get the picture. ~trying my hand at painting some furniture...using a chalk paint or something like it. ~making many of the projects I pin daily on Pinterest.  Darn you Pinterest.  ~writing MULTIPLE blog posts (not 2) and starting my own book! Now what I can say I have done this summer, has been spending time with my kids, mainly swimming and in the kitchen cooking or baking.  I've been sure to try to do...

Would two posts in one day be too much?! Well I am going for it! Dinner tonight was fast and fabulous, so I had to share. I guess I'll call it Tortelinni with chicken, broccoli and bacon cream sauce. Only I didn't actually use cream! It was Macaroni Grill delish! And the kids gobbled it up! Recipe: Ingredients: Two large chicken breast cubed Frozen or dried tortelinni Small onion diced Large clove of garlic chopped Handful of mushrooms chopped Applewood smoked bacon-about 5 slices chopped Cup of cooked broccoli 3/4 cup of milk 3 tablespoons of butter 1 tablespoon of flour Olive oil Salt and pepper Parmesan cheese On medium heat in a sautée pan, melt 1 tblsp of butter with some olive oil. Boil some water for the tortelinni. Sautée the onion and garlic till translucent. Add bacon. After a few minutes add the chopped chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook till slightly browned. Add the other 2 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle with flour. Toss an...

And I never wrote a single blog to document it!!  I really need to make this blog writing more of a habit.  But if you will bear with me and don't mind a long post...I'll catch you up! Let's start! ~Spring break...We did a variety of things, like breakfast out, park trips, firestation visits, two Texas hill country adventures (Boerne and Fredricksburg) and of course just resting! All collages were made with a great iPhone app called Pic Collage! ~Spring field trips- Both Jonas and Lorelei had field trips to Fiesta Farms.  I took off both days to spend with them at the farm.  They both loved it!  My 1st graders had a field trip Enchanted Springs Ranch in Boerne!  It was great! ~I never posted any Easter photos so here's a few pictures. It was a lovely day. Church at St.Francis and lunch at Nana's and Papa's with an Easter Egg hunt of course! ~We took two camping trips this spring, both very different.  The first collage was...

So, Sundays often are full of busy and not of the rest they are suppose to be...today proved to be no different. Most of our day was spent outside working on the back patio. Actually at this moment I am swinging on our new porch swing, listening to our new wind chimes and feeling the cool spring breeze. The evening brought about dinner, followed by loads of laundry. Before baths... Haircuts times 5!!! (John included on that one). In haste, I left the kitchen dishes to be done after I got the littlest ones to bed. Normally I lay with them for a bit (more for me than them!). Tonight, I told Jonas and Lorelei I would be right back, I was going to do the kitchen super fast. When I finished, I returned to find my two sweeties asleep and holding hands. What wonderful way to end my busy, full day!  Happy Sunday...this week is sure to bring big things.  My sweet Lorelei...my baby turns 5 on Thursday, May 3.  So bittersweet...Birthdy post to come.  Plus I owe yo...

I suck at this!  Blogging I mean...mothering, teaching, homemaking, cooking...not so bad, but blogging, well, I suck.  Would you believe it if I told you I have mentally written multiple new posts this month? I actually feel guilty about not writing posts.   As Bailey would say, "epic fail" (gotta love middle schoolers!).  You all can't read my mind can you? Shucks! That would be so much easier.  I guess I have got to find the time to sit and write and update you all, on the very exciting life of the Boyens!  I have many wonderful pictures and moments to share.  Post titles might be..."Spring break fun!", "Major family accomplishments..." and a post sure to come "Camping..a Boyen Family First."  Want to know another thing I suck at...bedtime.  Yea, definitely no good at getting my kids in bed on time.  I get distracted by things like...well blogging!  So off I go, must finish putting these darlings of m...

to have two kids!  We are having a quiet night around here.  Just the two little ones.  The big kids have quite the social schedule these days.  Forget the play dates of the past, the playgroups where mommy found wonderful lifetime friends.  No, nowadays...it's a phone call, quick talk with the mom of the other child (sometimes, not always!) and it's a done deal...sleepover!  Savannah's dear friend in 4th grade (it's funny, she always has a best buddy at every school, even though she is at her 3rd school in 5 years!) now invites her for the whole weekend, not just a night.  Bailey too, is off tonight, at his besties from 5th grade's house, for his birthday.  Even though the house is quiet, without the big kids...I do cherish this time with just the little ones. This afternoon, on our way back from dropping Bailey off at his friends, I took Jonas and Lorelei to Market Days in Old Town Helotes.  We got Jonas a name bracelet, we had ordered i...

To quote my Jonas..." Who needs fun, when there's FUN!"  Family fun at the Boyen house includes flash light blinding sessions, tickle fights, chair tipping...and spit ball wars!! Include lots of screaming and laughter, with a touch of crazy dog chasing after all of it and you have some after dinner entertainment at the our house.  With several "Please daddy..one more time?"  "Daddy, do that thing?" And me having a good old towel fight or tug of war with Bailey, who's now 3 inches taller! I think Bailey just said "This is better than Laser Tag!!",  "Was that an Orbeez you just shot at my eye with a sling shot????"   "OMG he's coming!"  Who needs electronics and t.v. with this good ole wholesome fun! Someone is always in tears...that turn to laughter!  I love these times... Moments to remember!