Wallace and Gromit

Last night for movie night we watched 2 of the 3 adventures of Wallace and Gromit on Netflix. At first, the kids didn't really like Wallace and Gromit. They love Chicken Run but didn't realize they're made with the same stuff, clay! They had to adjust to the quirkiness and small amounts of dialog too which is a little different from the rest of the fast past animated type films they normally watch. I didn't realize W & G are obsessed with cheese until last night.

After they watched the third adventure today they decided they wanted cheese and crackers, just like they do in the movie. Sliced cheese. Last night Samuel, before he watched the movie, insisted he did not want sliced cheese on his sandwich but shredded! Go figure! The power of media? Pickyness gone away with imagination? Who knows.

I had left out some mini-Easter cookie cutters. You see, I tried making Rice Krispie balls with peanut butter filing covered in chocolate. I tried it too with nutella. Neither worked so well. They fell apart and did not stay on their stick. Needless to say, I failed and will have to attempt to make them again after some adjustments so I can show you. But they did taste good! So, I had the cookie cutters out and I showed the kids how to have cute little crackers and cheese! Fun times!

Okay, that was a really long explanation. Now you get "crackin" and "cut some cheese!" Har, har.

Jocelyn's preschool group

Jocelyn is so ready to begin school. Not only does she look older than she is (she's a tad tall for her age), but she usually acts it too. So many people, including myself, expect her to act more mature than her age, which can be difficult for a little girl!

Fortunately, my Aunt Emilee suggested putting together a little playgroup/preschool with 3 other little girls. One of the girls is my first cousin, Jocelyn's second cousin once removed, I believe is the technical term. She gets along really well with Rosie. Then there are two other girls who are at least a year younger but it works out. It's a very low key group. The curriculum is to get together, socialize, play, imagine, learn to share and have fun! I love it! And they love it! I only have to host once a month for 2 hours! Easy!

Here are some snapshots from last month's. These girls were having fun jamming to the Beatles and made fruit loop bracelets.

Dinosaur Dig

Jocelyn wanted to do something special today. Was I surprised?

I am still recovering from our HUGE Relief Society activity (meeting) last night. It turned out so beautifully and I'll share more on that once I get the photos from my friends awesome camera (because, of course, I forgot mine).

So this is what I wore today until about....well, now. Cecily is down for nap #2 so I'll finally be able to get ready for the day.


So I thought of something spur of the moment and inspired by one of my favorite blogs One Charming Party. Sometimes those spur of the moment ideas are the best, aren't they?

I grabbed a tray and filled it with some candy (fossils), cut snickers look like really dino parts:

Sugar and a brush (basting or painting):

Binoculars and Aprons:

A map:

And pulled Sammy off Angry Birds and we were on an adventure!

It helps to speak in a cool explorer accent like Spanish (think Columbus) or Australian (think Crocodile Dundee....side note-when I was staying up late creating for Cecily's birthday party I watched both films back to back! It was so fun!). Since I am not so hot at the Spanish thing I tried the Australian. Samuel asked me to stop it but liked it after about 3 lines.

So we went on our adventure looking for fossils around the house. We checked high and low until Jocelyn spotted them (okay, she knew where I set it up) with her binoc's. After the initial shock, of, "cool, what is this?", they got to work!




This activity lasted at least 20 minutes after I left them. It makes a bit of a mess (and a tasty one) but it's totally worth it!

Jocelyn cleaned all the dino's, reptiles and other creatures that belong in that basket. I like how she arranged them all over the sink to dry.


How would you arrange your dinosaur dig?

Trying to enjoy the simple things in life

We've had several lessons in Church lately about President's Uchtdorf's talk "Of Things that Matter Most." I realized, finally, that it was something I really need in my life. I have read and re-read the talk several times, with a prayer in my heart, that I will figure out how it can relate to me! But my head is being awfully thick and I can't let go of my pride because it is sinking in awfulllly slowly. Don't get me wrong. I am in a very good place right now. Emotionally and mentally speaking. Perhaps you remember when wasn't like here and here. Life is good right now. The only thing I can complain about is having too much to do! I'm never bored!

However, I know I need to simplify my life when I don't notice the simple and small things like these:

A toy Jocelyn had left in the soap dispenser. It was a fun little surprise to find it as I filled the dishwasher.

Or these little marshmallow people Jocelyn made to go in Samuel's star wars ship (the mini ones). Notice, how simple I was? I didn't even wash the table before I took the picture for you guys :)

I am these little people's mother. I am the only one they have. Gulp. Sometimes they wish they had another. Sometimes I wish I could go off-duty. But I can't. We are bandaids. I am stuck on them and they are stuck on me. We help each other out. We are growing up together. I guess, my college diploma doesn't automatically grow me up?

I really need to stop and enjoy these little critters, like now. Be in the moment now! Stop thinking about how I want it to be in the future and focus on what I can do now to get there instead of trying to get there now.

Listen.
(When is asked what he thought of love on V-day, this is what he said, lol.)

Enjoy their changes.
J is growing up too fast. Look at those pants and shoes?! She dresses herself. I can't keep up.

Watch the milestones happen....live.
(live, as in "live in New York City" not live, as in, "I live in a house").

More on this subject later when I can gather my thoughts more cohesively :)

Happy Valentine's Day

This morning I did a little something for the kiddo's (and hubby). I made a special Valentine's Day breakfast. It was a totally last minute idea so it was nothing extravagant. Just used things I already had on hand.

On the menu: Heart shaped pancakes with cream and red sprinkles and pink milk (milk magically turned pink with dye).

Don't you like Cecily's morning 'do? I can't decide if should give her bangs!


Coming up later....the kids Valentine cards and shirts!

Also, if you haven't already, check out 4 new desserts on my other blog!

1. Creme Brulee
2. Fortune Cookies
3. Oreo's
4. Strawberry Tart

Thanksgiving Point Gardens

In August Thanksgiving Point has $2 Tuesdays for each of their "museum's." We went twice that month. The second time was to the Gardens. This was their first time going. It's a big and beautiful place! It's the only place I've been to that reminds me of Kew Gardens in London. Spacious, quiet, beautiful and full of well manicured gardens. There is also a children's garden area, which normally requires a separate entrance fee. But not on Tuesday's in August!

I made the mistake of forgetting our stroller so I had to pay more to rent one. And because the gardens are so large and you want to get your money's worth, we were there for a very long time. Which made for very tired children. Luckily, the weather cooperated and was not too hot that day :) The kids did really well and we all had a great time! Even after Jocelyn lost a shoe at the very end, or was it a bow? Now I can't remember. You'd think I would know.....hmm.....this is why you blog before you forget it all. haha. Oh, yes, I remember. Now that I am looking at the photos. It was a shoe, a flip-flop. She went barefooted through some luscious green grass and somehow lost it. We went back as soon as we realized it was gone and retraced our steps but could not find it anywhere! Oh, well. They were a garage sale find. Not a big deal. I wonder how she got back to the car without them....hm...maybe I had 2nd pair? Or she just walked barefoot. Fun!

Oh, by the way, the first and only other time I went to these gardens was while I was dating this other guy named Brinton. That day we found a frog in a bunch of flowers and I was being brave and picked it up. Well, it peed on me. Guess it wasn't meant to be? That frog was not my prince (nor the guy I was with)!

Now for a ton of photos! Secret garden, archways, sleeping baby, grasshoppers, mazes and lots of water!

Dinosaur Museum

I'm in the process of making a blurb book and forgot a few posts from last year......oops. Please excuse the flashback!

In August Thanksgiving Point has $2 Tuesdays for each of their "museum's." We went twice that month. The first time was to the Dinosaur museum. The kids ask when they can go there again every time we drive past the point of the mountain. Here are a few photos.

Cecily's celebration

I realized that I never finished showing pictures of Cecily's first birthday. Here are some more fun photos!

I love the classic first candle faces! You can see the whole thought process, it's fun!
I deliberated (for way too long) about which baby doll to buy Cecily. For some reason, Jocelyn was not ready for her first baby. I got her one for her first birthday and she really didn't care much for it. Jocelyn grew to love them when she was a few years older. But when I noticed Cecily taking Jocelyn's dolls and rocking back and forth while holding them, I knew she needed her own.
So I couldn't decide b/w the cheap $5 kinds where the head looks like they could pop off at any moment. But then I saw these baby cabbage patch surprise dolls. I reeeeally wanted to get it for her. I had a big cabbage patch doll growing up and loved it. But these were smaller, perfect for her size. But they were a surprise, covered in a cabbage leaf. You didn't know what color hair, if any, you'd get or if it was a girl or a boy. I wanted her to get a girl and I cheated because I saw a pink bow and blond curly hair peeking out of the hat, and it reminded me of her. So I bought it. And I am so happy I did because look at her reaction! Now she sleeps with her first baby.

Now for the birthday hat.

Yes, she kept it on....for now.

Well, it almost came off.

Yay, it stayed on!