It’s so hot….

…you could fry an egg on the side walk….
…as long as you like your eggs a little runny…..
This is “Shark Week” on the Discovery channel and the boys have enjoyed it immensely.
Each night they watch one of the hour long shows and discuss it afterwards as they go to bed. Enthusiastic retellings of vicious attacks, stories of missing limbs, and tales of the blood red water have me questioning whether the viewings should continue.

Their artwork also displays what they’ve been seeing.
Sadly, the people in their pictures never seem to make it back to shore.
Have a great weekend and remember to STAY OUT OF THE WATER!
When Alex turned 5 four years ago he requested a CARS party.
It was tons of fun and fairly easy to put together.
Since it was a race car party we needed a race track cake. The track is made of black sugar crystals while the side boards are cardboard. We made the “start” and “finish” signs and placed some of his hot wheels on the cake.
Race Car Birthday Cake
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The first activity of the party was to take some Crayola Air-Dry Clay and use it to form their own race cars. This activity didn’t turn out as well as I would have liked. Some of the kids were not satisfied with their creations and complained since it didn’t look like Lightning McQueen.
While the clay didn’t go over so well, the bean bag toss was a huge hit. We took a large piece of wood, cut 5 holes in them, and modged podged some large CARS stickers on with various point values underneath. HUGE HIT with the 5 year old crowd.
Creating Cars from Air-Dry Clay
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Bean Bag Toss
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Another favorite outdoor activity was “The Big Race.” Alex and I decorated 2 diaper boxes and turned them into cars. Alex put race numbers on them as well as headlights and wheels. Two at at a time the kids raced around the yard usually laughing the entire time. The plastic helmets I bought added to the excitement.
“The Big Race”
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Little Brother wants to play too
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After running around the backyard the kids were ready for an inside activity. I made the CARS Bingo cards, laminated them, and created call cards. I went a little over board and created 15 individual cards. All of the kids loved the bingo game and played several rounds.
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CARS Bingo Game
It’s a Printable!
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Would you like a copy of the CARS BINGO game?
Please go here & print a copy.
Please consider becoming a follower of Big D and Me if you decide to download the game
Having difficulty downloading? Contact me and I’ll email you a copy.
Here are some of the games our family is enjoying this summer
YAHTZEE – I’m taking my six year old to Vegas based on his history with this game![]() |
MEXICAN TRAIN One of the greatest games for all ages of your family![]() |
CLUE – An oldy but goody on the game front – Just played this today with my 6 & 9 year olds and lost![]() |
DON’T BREAK THE ICE – My two year old is still learning the concept of taking turns so she usually smashes for fifteen seconds and the games over![]() |
MONOPOLY – We actually own Oceanolopy so we are buying and selling codfish by the hundred![]() |
BLOKUS – New game to us – great for those who like puzzles and visual challenges |
What are some of your favorite games to play?
Last Friday, much to Derek’s dismay, we dressed in our cow costumes and headed to Chick-Fil-A for our free meal. Two years ago we dressed as Star Wars characters so we decided to be “Rock Stars” this year.
Derek was completely mortified as we walked into the building. I reassured him this was only temporary, we’d get a free meal, the kids would enjoy it, and he wouldn’t have to dress like a cow for another 364 days.
Well, as we entered the restaurant, the store manager came over and took our picture. She very excitedly informed us that our picture would be on the stores’ Facebook page. I kept staring and smiling at her, completely ignoring the look of horror that suddenly came across Derek’s face.
When the manager walked away I looked at Derek and said, “It’s for the children.”
“And more importantly, the $25 meal we are about to receive for free.”
So I present to you…..
Moo Hendrix, The Stubborn and fiercely independent 6 year old who refused a name, The Black Eyed Cow, Sheryl Cow, and MooDonna

My chicken sandwich and waffle fries were delish!
Already contemplating our theme for next year….Derek is desperately hoping he’ll be out of town on business.
I am sure those of you with girls are saying “Yeah, another Lego post!”
But even if you don’t share that same enthusiasm, this project may still be useful to you.
Instead of Lego mini figures insert – barbie accessories, strawberry shortcake paraphernalia, or porcelain figures
Just trust me and keep reading
Started off with wooden boxes which previously held a stamp set and a puzzle
Painted them white – two or three coats
Anchored them into the wall
Placed a small collection of Lego mini figures into the boxes
The boxes were placed next to the red display boxes we made a few months ago.
We added shelves I bought almost two years ago when a Container Store was going out of business (75% off baby!)
I need to add something above the boxes to finish out the space but for now it’s done.
The desk has papers covering it, the floor is covered in paper, and there are Mardi Gras beads in the shot. Just keeping it real. Many bloggers would have cleaned up their space before taking the pictures.
I did not….. Why?……. #1. I hate cleaning #2. It’s their room #3. I wanted the boys in bed so I could run downstairs and enjoy a bowl full of ice cream and magic shell.
Worked on any house projects lately?
Friday (tomorrow!) July 8th is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A
If you and your loved ones dress like a cow your meals are FREE!
(Chick-fil A has a downloadable cow costume on their website.)
Partial costume = free entree Full costume = free meal
Two years ago we dressed up in a Star Wars theme and ate for free. You do not need to have a theme to your costumes but it added an element of fun. Here are our construction paper and reversed t-shirt ensembles from two years ago:


Fortunately I translate baby faces and can tell you what she was thinking
Dammit lady – I don’t even eat solid foods yet and you have dressed me like this. Why must you do this? I will be beyond embarrassed. What if my friends see me? This family is a mess. I cannot wait till I go to college.