Amanda Robbins Photography

Check out some of her other shots and blog here:

amandarobbinsphoto.com

Nothing excites me more than photos of my family. Some people do not feel the need to update family photos every year and I understand that, but for me, it's imperative. And honestly, when the babies are small, I like to get them taken every few months because they change SOOO much. When my Butterball was about 9 months old, we were introduced to a wonderful, young mother named Amanda Robbins. She was just starting her photography business and needed to get a portfolio going, so she was offering sessions at a FANTASTIC price. My husband and I figured we would give her a try and if we weren't impressed, no harm would be done. Boy, were we impressed!! Amanda has since become my go-to gal for family photos and for the last three years she has captured everything from birthday celebrations to maternity announcements and more. I honestly feel as if I would be totally lost without her. She has practically become an extension of our family and the greatest thing about that is that she has seen this family at our worst. The patience she has to keep snapping away as someone is crying, yelling, sweating, hair blowing in the wind, running around after kids, etc. She has dealt with us being late because of traffic (on more than one occasion), she has dealt with last minute location changes, horse bites, angry children, killer bugs, treacherous heat and more. And somehow, every time, without fail....she delivers the most beautiful photos that make my black heart melt.

Nowadays, her business is huge. She does shoots almost every weekend and has been KILLING it in the wedding world recently. My husband and I noticed her talent LONG ago when she was just starting and we love getting to see how much she has grown and how she is taking over the photography world in Hampton Roads. If you are in need of updated photos, please contact her. You WILL NOT be disappointed. She's available to travel, she will help you with locations and posing, and she will make you feel beautiful and comfortable! She's just absolutely the best!

Here are some of my favorite shots she has taken on our family since July 2013: 

 

 

Check out her Facebook page here:

www.facebook.com/amandarobbinsphotography/

The recipe I get asked about ALL the time.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

My sister could probably eat macaroni and cheese everyday, but about 14 years, she stopped making the ghetto boxed kind and started making this delicious recipe. A few years later, I moved to Richmond and was lucky enough to get the recipe from her to bring with me. It has lasted me 11 glorious years and I still think it's one of the best meals ever. I make it often because my husband and children LOVE it. And I make it even more often because it is my "go to" item to bring to any parties or family gathers. Every time I share it with others they ask what the recipe is. So today I will share (my version) with the world.

Ingredients: 

3 cups of shredded cheddar (PLEASE BE ADVISED that my family would not survive without cheese and we eat a lot of it, but you really only need 2 cups)

2-3 slice of cheddar cheese (We use colby jack and monterey)

1 egg

1/2 tsp of dry mustard

1/4 tsp of pepper (1 tsp of salt is optional, I personally omit)

1 tbs of cornstarch

2 tbs of butter

2 cups of milk 

2 cups of elbow noodles

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Boil noodles until al dente and strain. Mix milk, butter, shredded cheese, dry mustard, pepper, egg, and cornstarch. Add cooked noodles and mix again. Use cooking spray to cover large baking bowl or dish. Pour in mixture. Top with cheese slices. Bake for 30 minutes. Serves 6. (This is totally personal preference, but I like to take the dish out of the oven half way through baking and mix it well with the spoon just to make sure everything is baking evenly.)

You will not regret making this recipe and you will ditch the boxed mac and cheese you were using before!

Potty training

Recently, I've been asked a lot about potty training. How did I do it? Why did I start so early? Do the girls still wear diapers? For starters, I have no idea how I did it because I never asked for advice and I never researched methods; I literally just did it. We started early because what else would I do while staying home with these crazy girls. There's only so many floors to sweep and mop (KIDDING!). Blair is still in diapers all day, though she will let us know 65% of the time if she needs to poop or pee. Addy has been out of diapers during the day for over a year and a half and out of diapers at night for only about 4 months. I do not claim to know it all about potty training, but I have had a lot of success with both of my children (I hear boys are harder). Below are some tips, ideas and so forth that I have used or heard about. I hope they help!

*Start now. Like yesterday, like 6 months ago. You can purchase the toilet lid or training potty and get them accustomed to seeing it or sitting on it around 12 months. Progressively bring it out more often allowing them to sit without a diaper. (TMI: when I was first introducing the training potty to Addy, she was deathly afraid of it, so I sat on it and peed to show her it wasn't going to eat her alive. You'll do anything to get them potty trained, right? Not to mention, I hadn't peed in privacy in over 6 months anyways, so what difference did it make.)

*When they poop in their diaper, take them to the bathroom and drop the poop into the toilet and flush. This will give them the first idea about where the poop and pee goes. Explain to them in your best, happy voice. At this point, you aren't even talking about potty training, you are just laying down the foundation.

*The moment they wake in the morning or from nap time, put them on the potty. I'm sure they peed while they were sleeping, but trust me, they will need to go again when they wake. This is a great opportunity to show them what pee is/how it works/etc.

*Books and TV shows: I do not know much about TV shows encouraging potty training, but I am certain they exist. I've heard rumors of a great one with Daniel the Tiger, but we've never watched that so I cannot confirm or deny its awesomeness. If a favorite character has an episode about potty training, allow them to watch. Better yet, allow them to sit butt naked on their potty while watching it. We purchased the milestone book set from LeapFrog for our oldest when she was about 15 months old (mostly because it included a book about becoming a big sibling), but it contained a book on potty usage. I wouldn't necessarily say it helped, but it certainly did not hinder the process. There's an ABUNDANCE of books for children and adults on potty training.

*I am not against bribery in parenting. Our kids love junk food, but we don't allow them to have it often. Because of this, junk food is exactly what it should be, a treat. When they make even the smallest strides in potty training, reward them. Cookies, candy, soda...whatever works for your family. We did M&Ms with our oldest and we are currently doing mini cookies with our 21 month old.

*I know people who swear by the 3 day method: keep your toddler naked for 3 days - keep them in one room that is close to the bathroom (or use a training potty that you can move around) - the second they start to urinate, grab them and place them on the toilet. The idea is that they will understand that's where the urine goes (you will be cleaning up a lot of pee, especially the first 2 days). I'm not against this method, but I've never tried it and no child on this planet is fully potty trained in 3 days. Accidents will continue to happen for quite some time.

*Underwear: purchase undies with their favorite character(s). You can either offer them up from the beginning as incentive to try or tell them they cannot wear/receive them until they start making strides in their potty training.

*Potty training is stressful for both parents and children. Do not make it worse by adding unnecessary rules, requirements, etc. For example: if (s)he wants to use half the roll of toilet paper after peeing, go right ahead. You can get into logistics of toilet paper use, wiping and so forth after they have gotten the hang of it.

*This is mostly just opinion/personal preference, but it rang true in our household: do not use a training potty and then expect them to easily and quickly transition to the real toilet. Purchase the removable lids for your toilets and supply your toddlers with a step stool. You do not want to basically start potty training over again when it's time to transition to the actual potty. Additionally, this prevents you from having to carry a potty around with you everywhere you go (does not sound like fun to me) because they will be comfortable using toilets at other locations/homes.

*Put them on the potty even if they have said they already peed in the diaper. My 21 month old will pee in her diaper and then immediately tell me what she's done. I STILL place her on the potty and 9 out of 10 times, she was not finished and will complete the process on the toilet. Cookie earned!

*Do not get upset!! Kids read our mannerisms, tone and so much more. If we sound defeated when they have an accident, they will feel defeated and give up. We do not chastise for having accidents; simply encourage them to try again next time for that reward. They will not be fully potty trained for a while, so there's no need to get frustrated over accidents. My 3 and a half year old still has accidents every 3 months or so during the night. No big deal. The sheets probably needed to be washed anyways. I calmly remind her to take her cute, little tushy to the bathroom if she needs to pee at night (make sure you have night lights and if need be, keep doing Pull-Ups for as long as needed).

*Some noticeable hints that they are ready for serious potty training: they can tell you they have pooped or peed in their diaper (through speech or other methods); they are hiding or leaving the room to defecate in the diaper. Please be prepared for a lengthy process. If you are not willing/able to invest the time in potty training than you have a bigger problem at hand.

*Did I mention praise? I cannot reiterate it enough. SING, DANCE, CLAP, CHEER, THROW A PARTY, anything! Positive reinforcement is key!!

*Lastly, allow them to participate. Flushing, washing hands, throwing away their diaper, etc. Anything to get them involved and make them feel as if they are a big kid.

Who's ready to start potty training? Any tips or ideas that worked for your children? Let me know!

(I cannot believe I typed some variation of the words pee and poop about 3 dozens+ times in a post. HA!)

Hanes Academy

When Addy was little, there was no need for a big production about "school." Every day was school time and it was just her and I playing and learning. Now that my sweet Blair is in the picture, things don't flow as easily. I have to designate periods of time during the day for learning, playing, cleaning, etc. We do not and never will have a specific itinerary for the day because that is not real life. Things comes up, schedules change, and I want my children to learn that no matter how many lists you make or schedules you try to stick to, there will more often than not be a change and we must learn as humans to go with the flow.

With that being said, we have officially started "preschool" in our upstairs office and things have been going quite well. We are most often in the classroom first thing in the morning because it is upstairs and it's easy to monitor them while also getting ready for the day. In the afternoon while Blair takes a nap, Addy and I use the classroom for about an hour. And lastly, we use it any other time when the girls ask or we do not have other things that need to be done.

Addy keeps bragging about going to school and how mommy is her teacher and that really excites me and motivates me to continue. Additionally, I've witnessed Addy on more than one occasion assist Blair in her work or try and "teach" her. That has also given me the boost of confidence I needed to know this is the right thing for our family.

Here are some photos of our classroom/office:

We still have furniture to remove including the couch and coffee table. Also, we have more supplies we need to purchase with the most important being a new printer. Our printer is no longer made, which means the ink is also no longer made. This is pretty ridiculous to us because our printer is only a few years old, but I guess technology is always changing and either way, it's an absolute necessity for our lessons. Another mandatory item is another desk of some sort which I have been have not refinished. My intention is for the plastic art desk to become Blair's work space and for my nice wood desk that is unfinished to be Addy's.

Most items were purchased at Target over the last year and more often than not, they were found in the dollar bins. We have also purchased a lot of things from the Dollar Tree. The season, months, weather, etc. board was an idea I found on Pinterest and copied. I still need to complete the number dates for each month, but so far Addy has really been enjoying it.

Our biggest asset over the last 6 months has been our local library. Can you imagine thousands (maybe even millions) of books at your disposable...and they're free??!! What a wonderful thing for taxpayer dollars to go to! If we are focusing on a specific subject for the week, I can go on to the library website and reserve the book(s) needed on that topic. We pick them up and the girls can play in the library or select other non-educational books to borrow. It has been such a blessing and I am incredibly thankful for it. I cannot explain the pride I have in these two little girls who so love books, stories, the idea of books, etc. As a child, I was a horrible reader (I never quite understood the idea of sounding words out). Because of this, I hated reading in all capacities, but especially reading aloud in front of others. Thankfully, my hatred of books did not follow me into my adult life and I now love nothing more than dissolving into a good book. Reading is literally the foundation for ALL learning. If you can read, you can educate yourself on anything imaginable. I encourage all parents, whether homeschooling or not, to read to their children as much as possible. And not just the 20 suggested minutes by educators. Read to them all day, whether in the grocery store or at home. Encourage them to follow along and even participate in the stories. It will not only build the greatest foundation for learning, but it will also allow their imaginations to explore and when a child has an exceptional imagination, they are more likely to play alone so you can clean house or have personal time.

Do not start feeling bad for my kids as if they are punished with school time. They also have a playroom which is honestly a little ridiculous. We recently removed 1/3 of the toys and placed them in the attic because space was insanely limited. And remember, playtime is learning time too. You do not need a fancy classroom to educate your children. I have noticed that the girls are much more willing to give me 30 minutes to workout, 30 minutes to clean, 30 minutes to make dinner and 30 minutes to check emails, make phone calls, blog or have personal time if I have spent the rest of the bulk of my day with them in the playroom or classroom learning and playing together.

**Let me be totally honest that our lives are not perfect. Some days, we do not go anywhere near that classroom. Some days, I let my kids watch an hour of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse so I can take a shower and sweep my floors. Some days, we spend 6 hours outside and other days, we do not even look out the window. Life is about balance and nothing will make you realize how important balance is until you have children. A classroom setup isn't necessary for all families and more importantly, it isn't even feasible. But it works for us and we enjoy using it. Never base parenting or educational decisions on the actions (or words) of others. Do what is right for YOUR family!

What are some ideas you have for a classroom? What should I add? Any teachers of lower grades (preschool-2nd grade) have opinions about what you would like kids to know or have a foundation of before entering your grade? :)