Hip Hip Hip Hippopotamus

This morning Reagan's preschool went on a field trip to the dentist, but first the kiddos & I made a quick stop for breakfast at Starbucks.

  Half of the class went last week & this week the other half got their turn. The kids were so well behaved & one little boy was especially full of questions. Reagan acted a bit reserved, but was eager & willing when her teachers suggested that she get up in the dentist's chair to demonstrate how you get your teeth cleaned.

Over the weekend the hubby requested that I make homemade "refried" beans for dinner. He doesn't make specific requests often & I was up for the challenge of trying something new. So I called my Mom up, knowing that she has made some delicious jalapeno pinto beans. The process was super easy & I had all of the ingredients: bag of dried pinto beans, fresh jalapenos, & better than bouillon chicken soup base.

I brought everything to a boil, set it on a low simmer, & let the aroma fill the house :)

I have been wanting to make salsa so I threw together some ideas from a couple of different recipes. It turned out pretty just a tad too onion-y.

After the munchkins ate some lunch & Jax was off for a nap, Reago helped me make a fresh batch of Strawberry freezer jam. Our last jar ran out a couple of weeks ago & living off of pb & honey sandwiches just wasn't cutting it.

  I absolutely love this stuff! We use it constantly on pb&j's & biscuits. I like the fact that the ingredients are pure & simple. There is less sugar in the freezer jam than there is in regular jam/jelly.

After our jam making session, I tried out a new recipe for baked oatmeal muffins. Jax really enjoyed them after his nap & gave me the "MMMmmmm!" approval. Reagan wasn't impressed.

A couple cute little girl scouts came by the house this afternoon selling cookies. I couldn't resist buying a box once I heard one of them describe the ginger cookies as ,"like a ginger tea cookie, in my opinion" {imagine her saying that in a sweet little 7 year old voice}. So I had to get a box of my favorite combo: chocolate & peanut butter. It was a win win situation.... dessert for tonight & hopes that one day if my sweet little girlie girl decides to be a girl scout, others will be kind to her :)

And, if you are wondering about the title of this post... the kids & I have been singing the Hip Hip Hip Hippopotamus children's church song. They get a kick out of it every time.