Adventures in Book Buying

Yesterday, I took the girls to see the new Judy Moody movie at the theater.  Since the girls have both finished all of their summer reading logs that the bookstores offer each summer, I told them we could stop on the way home and get their free books (the prize that the bookstore grants each child for completing the log).  We went in, and the girls picked out their books, then Briana asked if we could look around for a minute.  "Sure," I told her, preparing myself for the stacks of books the girls would pick out and beg me to buy for them.  Sure enough, Briana spots a brand new Smurfs book "Sydney, look!" she hollers.  Sydney grabbs it out of her hands, eyes wide.  As she's looking at the back cover, she sees there are two other Smurfs books advertised on the back that she can't live without either.  "Can we PLEASE look for these, Mom?" she asks.  I sigh and find the other two Smurfs books.  "You'll have to spend your own money on these," I warned her.  Meanwhile, Briana is finding all kinds of A to Z Mysteries that she can't live without.  That's when she sees the Magic Tree House books.  "Do you think these are like the A to Z Mysteries, Mom?" she asks me.  "I don't know," I tell her, "I've never read them." So we spent a good 20 minutes sitting on the floor in Barnes and Noble trying to decide which looked better.  Just when she had narrowed her search down to four books, she spotted something on the shelf.  It was a blue chapter book, titled The Smurfs Movie: Junior Novelization.  Sydney about died.  I told her I didn't care if she got it, but she had to spend her own money.  Guess what we ended up coming home with?

Every single Smurfs book they had.  And, she already read The Smurfs Smurfin Guide to the Smurfs last night. 

Briana was much less willing to spend her own money on books and came home with one Magic Tree House book. 

I imagine all the books will be read aloud to Ellie by the end of the week!

Pillows!

Look what the girls made yesterday!



They are fleece tied pillows!  They turned out really cute and the girls both slept on them last night!

Doggie Paddle

It was a big day for Ellie.  First, almost going for a bike ride this morning.  Then, this afternoon, she had her very first swim. 

The girls were dying to get her in the pool with them.  Knowing how much she hates taking baths, I thought the experience might not be so fun for her.  But, she surprized me and seemed to like it. 

The girls fussed over her the whole time she was in there, which always helps.  She got to try out all their pool toys too.

She stayed in the pool for over a half an hour! 



Monster Cookies

Yesterday was the hottest day of the summer so far, with highs close to 100 degrees.  The kids got out the pool, and I heated up the house by baking a batch of monster cookies.  I can't think of a better way to spend a hot day than baking!  I found the recipe here:  http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/06/30/monster-cookies/ . 

But, I'll post it here too.  I was a little worried about these cookies because they use melted butter and there is a teaspoon of corn syrup in the batter.  But, they turned out de-lish and I've received only compliments on them so far.

Monster Cookies

3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon corn syrup
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1½ cups chunky peanut butter (I used creamy)
4½ cups rolled oats
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup chocolate chips
¾ cup Reese’s Pieces
¾ cup M&M’s

1.  Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a very large mixing bowl, stir together the eggs, both sugars, vanilla, corn syrup, baking soda and salt (I used my hand mixer). 

3. Add the melted butter and peanut butter, followed by the oats and flour.

4.  Stir in the chocolate chips, reese's pieces and M & M's.

5. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

6. Drop by the 1/4 cupfuls onto parchment lined baking sheets and press lightly with your hand to flatten the dough slightly.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. 

They are really yummy! 

And, since it's summer, if you're looking for a fun way to add some healthy-ness to your cookie snack, give your kids some watermelon afterwards!

The perfect summertime treat!

Lastly, the girls and I have been going on bike rides every day so far this summer.  Since Sydney hasn't mastered her two wheeler yet, she gets to go in the bike trailer on the back of my bike.  This morning, we got ready to go for our ride, and guess who was this close to coming along with us?

Unfortunately, just as we were leaving the driveway, we had a major catastrophe and the bike carrier completely fell off of my bike!  And after I spent half an hour trying to get that stupid thing back on, I was already hot and sweaty and didn't have the energy to deal with Ellie, so she had to stay home.  But still, she got to try out the trailer for a second, and she liked it!





Dance Recital Day!

Briana had her dance recital yesterday.  She danced her little heart out and did a fantastic job!! 



I'm so proud of her!!

Happy 9th Birthday, Briana!

Yesterday was Briana's 9th birthday.  I know!  Nine!  She was just born yesterday, so I'm not quite sure how this happened.  She wanted to open her presents before school, so we got up early and opened presents over some delicious cheese bagels.
 

Since Briana's birthday also happened to be on the last day of school, she got to take in treats for her class on her actual birthday, which has never happened before.  So it was pretty much the best day of school ever.  The girls got out at noon, so we took them out for lunch, and spent the rest of the afternoon playing with Briana's new stuff. 
At one point during the afternoon, Briana went up to her room to play while Sydney and I went outside to work on a craft.  Briana came tearing out the back door screaming "THERE'S A HUGE BEE IN MY ROOM!!!"  So, I ran upstairs with Briana on my heels telling me, "I don't know what it was, but it was huge!  And red!  And it was buzzing!"  I looked all over her room and found nothing so I told her to be on hightened alert and to come and tell me if she heard it again.  Our mysterious red bee didn't reappear until bedtime, in the form of a housefly, this time in Sydney's bedroom.  "There is no way I'm going to be able to sleep in here with a fly!" Sydney told me through tears as we read her bedtime story.  "I'll send Daddy up to get it," I replied, passing the buck. Mike came down about five minutes later, hollering over his shoulder "Well, sleep in the hall then!  I can't find it!"  An hour or so passed, and I was ready to go up to bed myself.  This is what was waiting for me in my room.

Not one, but two girls terrified of a little fly.  Mike picked up Briana and took her back to her bed, and I picked up Sydney to take her back to her bed.  In her sleepy state, she opened her eyes, looked at me and said "did you kill the fly?" and promptly fell right back asleep in my arms. 
Happy Birthday, Briana!!!

Taylor Swift

Saturday night, Shannon and I took our girls to see Taylor Swift.  It was my girls first real concert, and they could hardly wait!  They spent a long time making posters and tshirts to wear to the concert.  I also found this cute setup in Sydney's room a few hours before we left. 

It's Barbie and Ken holding up their Taylor Swift posters, and Sydney's Taylor Swift doll performing.  This was the cutest thing!

Shannon and Savannah came over before the show and we sprayed the girls hair all pink and sparkly.  Can you tell they're excited?

Once we got to the Quest, we got some cute pictures and got in the never ending line for tshirts.

After that, we found our seats and the countdown for Taylor began.

Did I mention that the girls all painted the number 13 on the back of their hands? 

Yep.  Because 13 is Taylor Swift's lucky number, and she also has it on her hand when she's performing! 

Once Taylor did start her performance, the girls were in heaven.  IN HEAVEN.  I don't think I have ever seen Sydney so happy in her entire life. 

The girls held up their hearts just like Taylor does, and they swayed their hands back and forth, singing along to every song.  It was great.

They held their posters up too.

The concert itself was really quite awesome.  There were people dropping down from the ceiling and popping up out of the floor, and every song had cool dancers and actors.  And, Taylor had a lot of outfit changes, and that girl can change her clothes fast! 

Sydney told me right when the show was over that it was the best thing that has ever happened to her!  Then she told me the same thing at least three more times when we got home.  The day after the concert, Briana told me she wished she could go back to yesterday and go to the concert all over again because it was the best day of her life! 

So, I'd say they liked it!