What did she say?

In our family there are certain 'words' we use that are variations to something that only our family can interpret. I can only imagine that this is true for most families.  Kids say the darnedest things and you can't help but keep it going by adding that phrase or word to the families daily use.

Lately the girls have said the funniest things and these new 'words' have been added to the Patik Language...

Talia:
I was headed to the gas station and liquor store the other day.  Made sure I told her where I was going and that I would be back very soon.  As I pull up to the drive after my errands, she comes running up to the car and asks me, "Mom, did you eat all your licorice?"  I was confused.  My response was, "What?"  She looks at me with the most serious of faces (combined with the hope that she is about to get candy) and says, "You told me you were going to the licorice store.  Did you bring some back for me?"
And now we call it a run to the licorice store!

Sydney:
She is sitting on the couch watching a movie (no doubt it was probably Tangled).  She gets up to come into the kitchen and stops after about five steps and sits on the floor grabbing her toes.  When I ask her what is wrong, she wails "My toes are sparkling!"  Her feet had fallen asleep and she was having the tingling in her toes.  Of course, now we call it 'sparkling' as well!

When I grow up

Talia is discovering all the different careers to be when she grows up at preschool.  They have the basics...teacher, nurse/doctor, actress/singer, firefighter, scientist, etc.  Before they created these centers for play they asked the kids what they wanted to be. This way the centers were relevant to what the kids interest were.  Great idea.

Talia came home and told me all about it. When I asked her what she suggested and wanted to be when she grew up, she told me that her idea wasn't picked.  (With a bit of disappointment in her voice.)  With her cuddled in my arms, I asked what it was she wanted to be.

She told me that when she grows up she wants to be Santa's Helper. She wants to live at the North Pole and help Santa with the magic of Christmas. Of course, I can't visit her or it will ruin the magic of Christmas, but she promises to come visit every once in while when she gets vacation!

I just adore this little angel! :)

Season Finale

I don't watch a ton of TV, but I do admit that when I do get a chance I love a good reality show (or HGTV.)  One of my favorite late night channels is E!. 

As of now, a few of their reality shows are coming to an end for the season and it is season finale time! The key to a great season finale is the cliffhanger, right?  That one event that leaves you craving more so you'll think of it and gossip about it for the next five months until the show starts again. 

It got me thinking.  If my life was a reality show what would be my season finale cliffhanger?

-Will the front yard ever be complete?  How far over budget will the Patik's go?
-Will Sydney stop wetting her pants and learn to stop and use the potty regardless of how exciting playtime is?
-With license plates due on the second car that has high mileage and in need an emissions test combined with the DMV registration system down, will the Patik's be able to register the vehicle in time to avoid fees and tickets?

I'll admit that my life is not that thrilling.  But then again, are the reality shows all that thrilling? No.  They have great producers and know exactly when to cut the tape to make you want more. 

Stay tuned...there's always a buzz at the beehive!

Book Club for One

I love to get lost in a book!  And I miss reading as much as I was able too in years past.  With infants and toddlers, I was too exhausted at the end of the day to pick up anything to read...barely even a magazine!  Well, the girls are growing and nights are much easier now.


For 2011 I made the promise to myself to read one book a month.  Thought I don't have anyone to discuss the details with, it is something that keeps my heart and soul happy!

Here's my book list thus far:

'Guernsey Literary and the Potatoe Peel Pie Society'  by Maryann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
'The Diary' by Eileen Goudge
'Little Bee' by Chris Cleave (still reading this, very hard for me to read...quite sad)

hanging pics...still

As of the 31st of this month, we have owned this home for a year! Wow...time flies!  We are unpacked and somewhat settled. It no longer feels like the previous owner's home.  But, I am still trying to figure out where to hang pictures and what pictures to decorate!  As my husband says, "it's a marathon, not a sprint."  I just want to walk into one room and feel like it is finally finished....that is my goal this Spring! 

Now....how do I decide which room to do??

Bed switch-a-roo!

So, this week we finally switched beds for the girls.  Sydney had a daybed and Talia had a full.  The daybed fits so much nicer in Talia's room and Sydney's room is slightly bigger and handles the full a lot better. 

This task has been on our 'to do list' for a while, but we have been putting it off. Always a reason.  I am so glad it is done and the rooms look so much nicer now. The girls have adjusted fantastically as well!

Changes and Phases

Lots of baby news this week...birthdays, new births and new announcements are ringing in my ears and it is only half way through the week!  With the start of new life around me I can't help but think about my years since becoming a mom.  Hard for me to even believe it has been 5 years since I started sharing my news of expecting.  My how my life has changed!

One thing I've learned is that as a parent you grow with your child. I think about my friends as new parents and the lessons they will learn and teach their children.  From the first day we are teaching love, but even more simpler lessons like scheduled eating and sleeping and maintaining a calm being.  (Well, my kids know scheduled eating and sleeping and they maintain a calm being almost all the time! HA!)

But, I find I am not just teaching but guiding my kids now. They are both old enough to make simple decisions for themselves and to work independently at certain tasks. I find that now I need to let go a little more and teach them how to spread their wings in the world around them.  It is empowering and enlightening and a little sad.

I do miss the days of my tiny babies, when I held the key to all they needed. We are growing together...and soon they will be grown.  (I do secretly hope they'll always need their mommy!)

Spring is in the air!

I never realized how excited I get for the change of seasons until I began staying home with the kids.  Prior, I just ran through the motions of checking the weather to help decide what to wear that day.  Now, I check the weather for what to wear, how to dress the kids, possible excursions and even what kind of cleaning to get done that day. 

We have had a taste of the Spring weather that will soon dominate most days and with Daylight Savings next week, I am reminded that Spring is not that far away!  So, I have begun to make my spring cleaning checklist.  Clean out the closets, wash the blinds, clean the carpets, etc.  But there is one Spring 'chore' that I get thrilled about....garage sales!

I can't wait to start treasure hunting for that one item that I didn't know I needed or that I have been looking for and can't believe I paid only $2 for it!  However, to begin scouring garage sales I must prepare for my own.  (No way could I bring more stuff into the house without clearing so of my own!)

Here I go....rummaging closets and other nooks and crannies for items I can sell and replace with someone else's no longer wanted things!  Sounds like a disorder...but I know I'm not alone!

Whistle while you work...

Cleaning the house. Ugh! I don't always want to do it, but I do like a clean house.  It takes a lot to keep the house clean and the more people there, the harder it becomes. 

Over the past few weeks, Steve and I have started discussing a chore list and allowance for Talia.  She is old enough to be helping out around the house and as a core family value we believe that everyone should pitch in to help. 

But it is a conundrum for us.  We don't want her to do her chores simply because of money, but we want her to learn the value of earning a dollar.  Makes me rack my brain to try and remember how my parents did it! 

For now, we have emphasized three basic 'duties' that she should be doing daily; clearing her dishes after a meal, dressing herself daily, keeping her room clean/bed made.  She will not be earning money for these chores but rather beginning to build a foundation.  These chores promote manners, self responsibility and general cleanliness. But, it's not for nothing....

She is regularly bombarded with hugs, kisses and thank you's.  And once a week one of us will take her out for 'Talia Time' and she can choose a reward...the $1 bins at Target are AWESOME!  In the next year we will start adding a few more 'duties' to her list and assign a monetary amount to each based on frequency.  Meaning, one time doesn't earn money, but three times a week consistently would.

Today, as I was picking up after Talia was at school I noticed Sydney picking up some things and walking around the house.  She too was helping pick up the house.  It was so adorable. We stopped picking up and just giggled and played. After all, that's more fun!

I am so proud of my girls!  I am so excited for the days ahead to watch them grow. For now, I will enjoy each day as it comes and cuddle my girls every moment I get! One day they'll be picking up their own houses!

The Princess Posse

With two girls I knew what was eventually going to come my way...Princess Mania!  We love every princess, want to be a princess and dress like a princess at least daily.  With all these fairy tales in my day-to-day world, and an inquisitive 4 yr. old, I can't help but take another look at these fables and wonder what message it truly sends to my girls.

I want what most moms want for their girls; strong self-confidence, a loving home and family, courage to undertake anything they can dream of and the happiest of childhoods.  How does the 'princess posse' influence?

Each princess has come from a broken home.  Whether it is the loss of a mother (most common) or being locked away from family.  In the end it was a man that saved them but not without a major traumatic event to make it all worthwhile.  A poisoned apple, stuck finger on a needle, traded legs for a voice...well, you get the idea.

I am aware that life is anything but perfect.  And, in time, my girls will begin to learn this harsh reality also.  While they are young (and impressionable) I wonder how their minds interpret these stories.  I recently came across an article in a magazine speaking directly to this topic.  The author wrote about body image and expectations of life.  I'm not the only mom that wonders if the tale of a princess really has a stronger impact on life than we give credit too.

Maybe I over think and my girls are just enjoying dressing up in something beautiful and playing fairytale.  Heck, I still dream about it too.  There are days I'd give anything to have the animals around my house help out with some household chores! For now, we continue to play princess and surround ourselves in all that is magical about those girls.  I will  continue to encourage my girls for personal strength and self-confidence to get through those times of tragedy and to always walk tall no matter what happens in their fairy tale!

Best Biscuits EVER!

A small known Beezy fact: I do not like and won't open pressured rolls of dough (ie: biscuits, cinnamon rolls, etc.) 

Here's my own biscuit recipe that is easy enough to whip up any time of day!

1 3/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/3 C. shortening
1/4 t. salt
2 1/2 T. baking powder
3/4 C. milk


-Heat oven to 450 degrees farenheit. 
-In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking powder. Add the shortening and mix together. You can use a pastry cutter, but I just use my fingers to mix it together. You're looking for a crumble texture to the mixture. 
-Add the milk and stir together until dough starts to form and it moves away from the edges of the bowl. 
-Transfer to a lightly floured surface and kneed about 10 times.
-Shape into a ball and roll out to 1/4" thick.
-Cut your biscuits with biscuit cutter, or a round cookie cutter. 
-Place in round glass baking dish and bake for 10-12 min. 

We love our biscuits with butter and honey, but serve with anything!  I've used this as a top to my chicken pot pie and it is fantastic. I recently tried these as dumplings for Chicken & Dumplings...delicious!  Add a bit more milk until it is a moister dough and then drop in to the bowling soup/stew and let cook 10 minutes covered.

Little joys

Too often the day-to-day activities seem to become big tasks.  Before I know it, I feel overwhelmed with the small things.  Though I don't really buy into the New Year's Resolutions, I do believe in new starts.  My new start is being present in the moments around me.  Learning to cherish each moment for what it is and let go of the stresses that in the end, don't make a difference.

Over the past few days, while working on being present, I have found such joy in the small things I often blend into the day.  I like this new focus and am so excited each day to be thankful for what God has granted me in my life. 

My dancing princesses

Defining "Beezy"

As I start this blogging journey, I realize that there might be some pertinent information you should know about me.  "Beezy Bees" is more than just the name of my blog.  Here's the story...

I was born as Lori Bree. And being a true Southern girl, most of my mother's friends would refer to me as Lori Bree (sometimes Lori Belle).  Eventually the name started to morph and it shortened to Lori B and eventually to 'B'.  My mother kept this up and created a whole new nickname from 'B' and thus my nickname of 'Beezy' was born.  Even now in my thirties, I find my mother rarely refers to me as anything other than Beezy!

Since this blog is focused on myself and my family, I felt it only fitting to name "Beezy Bees".

Funny fact: I am incredibly afraid of a bee!

Sausage, Peppers & Onion

A long time family favorite, this meal can be altered for your family's preference.

1 pkg of Hillshire Farms Beef Keilbasa (Sausage), cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
2 T Olive Oil
1 T minced garlic

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and onions and sautee until onions are transparent.  About 3-5 minutes.  Be careful not to burn the garlic! Add the green pepper and continue to cook until they begin to get tender. Add the sausage and turn the heat to medium-low.  Allow to cook for about 20 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Variation Suggestions:
~Add/replace chicken with sausage
~Add a can of stewed tomatoes for a more 'southern' flair
~Boil diced red potatoes until just undercooked.  Drain and add to skillet to finish cooking.

Laughter is the best medicine

A good chuckle, hearty giggle or down right laugh-til-you can't breathe can really turn your day around or keep it going in the right direction.  Do you laugh every day? Seems silly, right?  How hard can it be to laugh everyday? However, when the small stresses of life start to take over, you'd be surprised how little you are laughing.   

Talia (aka 'Doodlebug') has recently learned the art of knock-knock jokes.  I'll admit they don't always make a lot of sense, but to hear her laugh at her own punch line is fantastic!  Here are the latest knock-knock jokes circulating our home:

Knock, Knock.
Who's there?
Sherwood.
Sherwood who?
Sherwood be nice to get a kiss from you!

Knock, Knock.
Who's there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock, Knock.
Who's there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock, Knock.
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad I didn't say banana?!

Everyday my girls do something that puts a smile on my face and makes me laugh. I am so thankful for them and the opportunity to be at home and cherish the moments that help make the big stuff seem even smaller.