McGruff at Daisy Meeting

McGruff and his friends came to talk to the girls at their Daisy meeting. Princess A loved meeting McGruff and learning about safety. At one point she told the officer that if a bad person did grab her it was O.K. to kick and bite them but she would run super fast so they can't get her. It was nice to hear that my warning have sunk in, at least a little. It is scary to know that 90% of kids who are taken are taken by someone they have met before. It makes sense but is still scary. We also learned about 911, when to call and when not call. We got to listen to some calls that should not have been made. A lady called about getting her bird out of a tree, a man called about a high school football score (he had seen officers at the game) and the best was to lodge a complaint against aliens. Not illegal aliens, aliens from another galaxy. He wanted to make sure the sheriff's department knew the aliens had left something under the local hospital 200 years ago.

Double Scoop Ice Cream Cones!!

We just got home from Baskin-Robbins. This was the first time we made it to their 31 cent scoop night. The Princesses were just so excited to get double scoops (their first times.) Princess A picked Peppermint and Bubblegum.

Princess G picked Rainbow Sherbet and Bubblegum in a sugar cone.
Princess A made a pile of the bubblegum to save for later. Princess G gave the bubble gums a few chews and then just swallowed them.

This about as far as Princess A got and asked me to eat the rest. Luckily I was almost finished with my double scoop of Daiquiri Ice.

Princess G ate every last bite!

Princess A decided she wanted her cone back so she could bite the bottom off and suck out the last of the Peppermint ice cream. She carried the gum (in a napkin which I forgot in the car) to the car and shared some with her sister.

The 31 cent scoop last until 10pm so you still have time to run out.

Let me know if you go and what flavor you pick out!!

Wordless Wednesday: Popsicles on a Very Cold Day!

Yes, it was cold enough for all those layers!

They had a few licks and said they were too cold!
They wanted me to finish them.
Instead I put them back in the freezer and told them to run around until they were warm.

Ragu Old World Style Sauce Review

We usually have spaghetti once a week (well sometimes twice if I make enough for leftovers.) I have not had Ragu in years. I tried Ragú Old World Style® pasta sauce, both Sweet Tomato Basil and Margherita. My plan was to make spaghetti. I was voted down, the girls wanted pizza! We used the Ragú Old World Style® Margherita pasta sauce on homemade pizza crust (I used my bread machine.) The girls picked cilantro, pepperoni and mushrooms for the toppings. It was so good! The sauce was just right and most importantly the girls kept eating and eating. They were not tired of pizza so a few days later we used the Ragú Old World Style® Sweet Tomato Basil pasta sauce to make pizza bagels. This time it was just cheese, sauce and baby bagels (that is what the girls call the mini bagels.) Again they loved the pizza and the Ragú Old World Style® pasta sauce. I still have some sauce left and will finally make some spaghetti, I am sure the girls will gobble that up too.

Thank you Mom Central for this review opportunity.

Volcanos

Princess A has been asking a lot of questions about volcanoes so when I saw our local library was having a program about volcanoes I signed us up. Princess G was probably a little too young but she still had lots of fun. Here they are exploring liquids with different viscosity. One bottle had water and the other corn syrup. They represent the different types of lava. Different lava makes different types of volcanoes.

They got to sort postcards of cone and shield shaped volcanoes. Princess G thought she got to keep the postcards (she is holding her favorite) and was a little sad to give them back.The best part was the exploding volcano.

I just love science and it is so exciting to see that in my girls!

Butterfly Nets, Frogs and Flies

I picked up two butterfly nets at Target (they were in the dollar section.)

The girls couldn't wait to try them out.

We did not see any butterflies to catch but Princess A found a frog.

We but it in the bug container that was from Princess G's birthday last year.
Princess G wanted something but the only thing I caught was a fly.

Then I caught another bug that was like a fly but also like a very small dragonfly.

Princess wanted to keep that bug.

Princess A decided to feed the fly to the frog. I got the fly into the container and before I got the net out the frog was eating the fly. We missed the tongue action but could see the fly wing sticking out of the frog's mouth. Princess A really wanted to see the tongue so we tried another bug. The frog was not interested. After a while we let the frog go.

Princess G watched the frog jump a few times and then decided to catch it herself. I then put Bubbles (the name Princess A named it) in the bug container with Leaf (the weird bug Princess G named.) Princess G was worried for Leaf but the frog was still not hungry.

The frog survived a lot of dancing and happily hopped away when we finally let it go for good.

It never ate Leaf but Leaf did get squished from all of the hopping.

Painting Birdhouses

The girls were so excited to paint their birdhouses. We even went and picked up some new colors (soft green, blue and a periwinkle), though they used the colors I already had. At the very end Princess A used some of the soft green. It was very sunny and warm so after about thirty minutes they decided to finish later.

It rained later so I am not sure when we will get a chance to finish painting the houses.

Home Depot Bird Houses

We finally made it to another Home Depot Kid's Workshop. The project was a birdhouse. Both of the girls made a birdhouse but Princess G got a splinter and missed the picture taking.

Daddy took her to the bathroom but never got the splinter out. He said it was really in there. I took a look and got it right out. Having nails is a good thing.

Playing Zoom Zoom

The girls watched Bolt again and have been playing 'Zoom Zoom' since then.

Princess A has a powered scooter like Penny and goes 'very fast!' Princess G has 'Zoom Zoom' shoes.
(A few times she was Bolt, too!)
Another version is that the 'Zoom Zoom' is in a pocket or something and they have to find it or get it back from the Green Eyed Man.

They race each other, 'Zoom Zoom' away from the bad guys, and just have fun!

Luau at School

Here are the pictures from the Luau from school I forgot to post.

They are wearing dresses my Mom bought years ago. Princess G is wearing her sister's dress and Princess A is wearing her cousin's. Princess G wanted to bring Camamol since he "loves parties."

The kids had a Hawaiian feast, pineapple, mango, macadamia nuts, and Hawaiian chips

So sweet!

To cute!!

After the food we learned about Hawaii, some Hawaiian words and a hula dance.

The dance was the Huki Now hula dance,

which Princess A remembered learning on our trip to Hawaii a year and a half ago.

A very fun day at school

(it was the second of the three days I volunteered at school that week.)

Wordless Wednesday: Reading with Daddy

Princess A and Daddy have been reading chapter book every night.

They just finished reading The Witches.

Bratz Ponyz 2 Review

The Game Factory also sent a Bratz Ponyz 2 DS game to review. Princess A was just so excited and could hardly wait to play it. Princess A did not even want me to help her get started, she just started playing. Every once in awhile she asked me for help. I played the racing game to show her how to go super fast (you have to swirl and she had been going in the wrong direction so her pony was really slow). She gets so excited each time she earns another accessory for her pony or earns five hearts on a game. (Five hearts is the highest you can score!) She has quite the collection of ballet shoes she earned for her pony to wear. She loves playing so much I even caught her playing the DS under her sheets tonight after I had put her to bed. Like most girls Princess A loves all things ponies and all things dress-up. I don't which part she likes better the dressing-up, the games or the adventure. She loves playing Bratz Ponyz 2 DS game and I suspect that other little girls will to.

World Championship Games - A Track & Field Event Review

The Game Factory sent me their new World Championship Games - A Track & Field Event for DS to review. Princess A saw the game and wanted to play before I even had a chance to open the package. When I finally got a chance to play myself I had so much fun. They have 13 events - 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m, 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin, 1500m, rifle shooting, pistol shooting and archery. I loved the running!! I played the other events but kept coming back to the running. I ran track in highschool and it brought back those memories. I had not been playing DS everyday but since the World Championship Games - A Track & Field Event came in the mail I have played everyday! Princess A has also played it a few times but The Game Factory also sent a Bratz Ponyz 2 DS game which she just adores. I will be posting that review here.

Scrapits Review

I won a beautiful keepsake from Scrapits. Shannon the owner is so sweet that she sent me two, one for each of the princesses. Since the girls adore anything princess I picked the Disney Princess background. I also got to decide if I wanted the Name Meaning Gift or the Day You Were Born Keepsake. I thought the girls would love the Name Meaning Gift the most. I picked up matching white frames to put the prints in. The Easter Bunny left the Name Meaning Gift prints out for the girls Easter morning. Princess A was very excited when she saw that her name was at the top of the print. I took the frames up to their rooms after the huge Easter egg hunt, I really did put out too many eggs but the girls loved it! I must say I really loved both of the girls prints and they look so sweet in their rooms. The girls are no longer babies but I can see how these keepsake prints from Scrapits would be great for a nursery and will still be great decor as they get older. If you are stumped for a new baby gift this would be perfect. (Of course you might want to wait until after the birth, those ultra sounds have been wrong before.)

Kid's Creations Swing Set

The weather has been so nice the last few days. We actually put sunscreen on yesterday and I put some on Princess A for school (they have recess on Tuesdays.) We have a small neighborhood park within walking distance of our house and the girls just love going there to play. It has swings, monkey bars, slides and a few other things to climb all over. We have a backyard and I would love to have a Kid's Creations swing set for the girls to play on. It would be so nice to play in the shade in the morning and late afternoon (the park is in full sun with no shade at all!) Plus it would be nice to be able to sit while they play for hours and hours and hours. I must admit I would playing on it too. Hey I am just a big kid. Yesterday was crazy sock day (sorry I forgot to take pictures) at school and I wore crazy socks and capri pants so you could see the socks. I looked so silly but I had so much fun too. Princess G wore silly socks too! I want this swing set almost more for me than the princesses. I had a metal swing set as a child and loved it. We played on it everyday, even in the dead of winter and in the rain, if we could sneak past my Mom. I love that the Kid's Creation swing set swing set does not sound that hard to put together since I will be doing most of it. I will have my husbands help but he is not that handy so he will be for the brute force and I get to supervise. Years ago my husband and his Dad spent hours trying to figure out how to put Princess A's crib together. I went to help and 15 minutes later it was done! Dad Blogs is having a huge contest to win the a Kid's Creations swing set. I would really love to win!! Go on over to enter. If sign-up please tell them Noreen sent you and leave a comment here letting me know you did!

Ride-ons at Mall

My girls just love those Ride-on things at the mall. You know the ones you put quarters into so they move. I actually have never put any quarters in (besides the horse at Fred Meyer's). One time a little boy was on the roller coaster one and didn't like it. The dad offered the girls the rest of the ride. They loved it and ask if I have any quarters to turn it back on most time we are there. Since they have more fun with just their imaginations I have yet to give in! When they were littler I would let them pick a ride or a bouncy ball at Old Navy's. They always picked the bouncy balls, well at least until the machine broke.
Even without the movements they still want to climb on every time we go past them!

They have to try each one at least once before we can leave. They have two spots at our mall with these and each has about six rides. Sometimes I cut through the J.C. Penny's parking lot as a shortcut that also bypasses the rides, making it an even better shortcut.

Princess A was on Television

Princess A nominated her teacher for the Teacher of the Week and she won. I found out on the Monday after we nominated her teacher. Friday the local radio and television station that sponsors the contest came to surprise her teacher and all of the students. Even Princess A was surprised as I didn't tell her either. (Princess A dressed up that day to see her pediatrician after school, I was dressed up a bit more than usual but I told her teacher I had a meeting later that day. Not telling her that meeting was 20 minutes later in her classroom.)
Princess A was interviewed and she was so excited while she was talking. They used the film footage but did not use her audio, instead the newscaster talked about her. I listened to her interview and she repeated almost verbatim what she dictated to me about her teacher for the entry essay.We watched the segment Friday afternoon and she looked so sweet. Princess A was talked about almost more than her teacher, even her teacher talked about Princess A. It was very cool to see my baby on the television. You can also see me and the top of Princess G's head.
All of the kids thought the surprise and the goodie bags handed out were great but the best part was Ronald McDonald! He entertained the kids and made lots of jokes. When one of the kids gave him a hug he said "You're squeezing the ketchup out of me!"

He came over especially to talk to Princess A. He asked about her teacher and told her how wonderful it was of her to nominate her teacher. Of course we had to get a picture of of my two girls with Ronald McDonald. Their Nana was almost more excited about them meeting him then being on TV, she has been wanting to meet Ronald McDonald since she was little.