Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Mmmmmm.  This pumpkin bread smells so good when baking, and tastes so delicious when tasting.

Here is the recipe, in case you want some fall deliciousness in your house too:

2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup water
2 cups mashed pumpkin (I just use a 15 oz. can of pumpkin and it works)
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Throw everything into the mixer and mix it up.  Pour in 2 large loaf pans, or 3 regular loaf pans, or 8 mini loaf pans, or whatever.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Smell. Eat. Enjoy. Savor.  etc . . .

wiggly eye reading helper

It's always a struggle to get Christopher to keep his finger on the paper under the word he is deciphering during our reading lesson.  To try and help him focus, I gave him a popsicle stick to use as a pointer, and to make that more fun, we put an eyeball on it.

He thought it was fun to read with his monster eye on a stick. 

Then he thought it would be fun if his finger had an eyeball, so he could see the words really close up.  

Then he thought he should have at least 2 eyeballs.

Sometimes you've just got to do whatever it takes to help them learn.  Even if it means sticking wiggly eyes all over their body.  

Halloween activities

Hello all!  Just thought I'd repost some activities we've done during past Octobers to bring the halloween spirit into the home.  Or, if planning activities is too bothersome, you can just do as I do and screech and cackle and scream like a witch at your kids the whole month.
 hee hee hee hee hee . . .

 Hungry Monster People Toss

Monster Meals

Lair of the Spider Queen