Show Me the Money!

Last year, a week before Cameron left to Iraq, he came home with a beautiful fall bouquet for me...just because:

I kept the artificial leaves that came with the bouquet...and this year, I made a new centerpiece to display with those very same leaves:

After our walk this morning, the girls played and watched some TV in the master bedroom while I got ready...then we headed over to playgroup.  It was at Alicia's house today.

Odette was intrigued by this toy and I helped her rock back and forth on it.  She loved it and I only wish I had had my hands free to video tape her little face full of glee as I rocked her on it!

The girls had a great time playing, but I knew Odette was getting hungry...as was I...so I rounded them up and we had our packed lunch of ham sandwiches, carrot sticks, cream cheese rolls, and wheat thins.  Alicia provided the drinks and dessert...home made ice cream sandwiches...YUM!  :)

After lunch, the girls went right back to playing.  Alegria took over the rocking toy that Odette was playing with earlier and first used it as a crib for a stuffed elephant of Sky's...and then she used it as a secret hiding place!  That girl has a wild imagination!!!

Odette played with some blocks...we've been teaching her to build towers instead of topple them over and she's doing so well now with that!  She also discovered Baby Jace's jumperoo and wanted to play in it...until I put her in it and then she wasn't so sure!  Hahah!

We left a little after 2.  Daddy was already on his way home and he arrived shortly after I put Odette back down for a nap.  He gave Alegria some coins and used that moment to teach her a lesson on finances.  He taught her how to count her coins and taught her a little about why she should save her money.  She loves putting coins in her elephant bank and had a great time emptying it a few times, stacking her coins, and then putting them back in!

Cameron had to leave for Cub Scouts by 5:45, so I got started on dinner while he unpacked his duffel and he and the girls watched some TV (by now Odette was up already).  I was in the kitchen when all of a sudden I heard Alegria come running out of the bedroom yelling "She got marker on me!"  I wasn't quite sure what she was talking about...until I got a good look at Alegria:

Caught red-handed!  Or should I say "green" handed?!

I don't think she thought there was anything wrong with what she did:

She did NOT like getting cleaned up with a cottonball doused in alcohol:

For dinner we had white rice topped with beef stew...and Frontier Pies cornbread made from a mix that our friends Jerry and Sandy McArthur gifted to us...it was my first time making cornbread and boy, was it tasty!

The rest of the night was pretty low-key.  We took some pictures:

Swept the floors:

And the girls had baths.  I was even able to get some cute pictures of Odette in a robe that my brother, Helaman gave to Alegria, that Odette's pretty much outgrown now, too! 

Odette: "Hm...it says here to only use a pea-size amount of toothpaste..."

Odette: "Mmm...this is good stuff...what all is in it?"

And that was our day.

Good night!

Pipsqueak Preschool - Week 10!

It's my week to host preschool again, and even though I had promised myself I would NOT be up all night the night before again like last time...well...it happened again anyway.  Oh well!

I took a short nap from about the time Cameron left to go to work (5:50) until about 7.  I got up, got myself and the girls ready, and then we went on our walk.

When we got home, the girls watched some TV in the master bedroom while I showered and got ready.  Then I put Odette down for a morning nap and Alegria and I waited for her schoolmates to arrive.

This week I'm teaching the children the letter "J," the number "10," the shape "square," and the color "white."  I decorated the entertainment center with various objects that either began with the letter "J" or that were white.  I didn't have too many, but it was fine (the puzzles on the table and the blocks were only for the children to play with while we waited for everyone to arrive):

We read books, sang songs, jumped around, and just plain had fun while learning! 

My favorite part was the craft, though.  I found a cute idea online on how to make a jellyfish craft...perfect since we were learning the letter "J!"  I cut two pieces of laminating paper for each child into the bell shape of a jellyfish.  I then cut ten strips out of a blue plastic tablecloth for each child for the jellyfish tentacles (to tie in the number "10!").  As far as decorating the jellyfish, I had the children decorate them with sequins...they loved it and their jellyfish turned out super cute!

For their snack, I gave them juice and Jell-O Jigglers in the shape of the letter "J," a jet, and either "Jack" or "Jill!"  Yes...lots of use of the letter "J!"

The children really enjoyed themselves and were happy that they got to take home not only their cool jellyfish craft, but also a little frog that they got for jumping when I read the word "jump" in the book "Jump, Frog, Jump!"

Chloe stayed for an hour afterwards and had a little play date with Alegria.

Once she left, I was so exhausted that I crashed on the couch while Alegria and Odette played in the living room and watched a movie.

When Daddy came home from work, we all just relaxed.

Odette practiced her walking skills, too...  Soon she won't crawl anymore at all!

Happy Odette!  This is how she smiles at us every time she walks to us and we clap for her and hug her for walking!

High five!

At the end of the night, I displayed Alegria's and the sample jellyfish in Alegria's room...LOVE them!  :)

*sigh*

I can't wait to go to bed tonight!

Good night!

Family Night Out

After our walk this morning, we went to the library for story time.

Story time was wonderful, as usual!  :)  Alegria loves making the craft and made this all by herself...well, except for the tree.  I drew the tree for her.  Come to think of it...I don't really help her with the crafts much anymore...she's so good at glueing and drawing now that she doesn't ask for my assistance anymore, so next time I think I'll help Odette make the craft so she can start developing her creativity, too! 

A picture with their favorite librarian!

Alegria is the perfect big sister and loves pushing Odette in the stroller:

We shared some Nerds candies after lunch and Odette ended up with one above her lip...a sweet and sugary beauty mark...?  :)

Tonight we had a little family outing to go to.  The Activity Day Girls (8-11 year old girls from church) had invited us to a family dinner that they were hosting as part of their achievements that they were working towards in their "Faith in God" books.  We gladly accepted the invitation.

When we arrived, everything was set up so beautifully!  The girls had hand-crafted the place mats and had made leis for everyone to wear! 

For dinner they served Hawaiian Hay Stacks...and boy, were they delicious!  For dessert we had sugar cookies that the girls had decorated themselves...YUM!

We sure had a great time!  And what's more...I didn't have to clean up after dinner!  :)

Cameron tried getting Alegria to eat a lemon slice after she'd already tried licking one...can you tell she didn't like it?  She tried getting as far away from it as possible!  

It was a wonderful end to a wonderful day!