Moo makes dinner

The past few nights Moo has been helping me make dinner.  If there is something she can do, I let her do it.  It's much easier now that she's a little older and I have a new handy stool from Ikea.  Although she's already getting a little too tall for this particular stool.  Anyway, the best thing for her to do is cut up mushrooms or similar soft foods with a butter knife.  She really seems to enjoy it.  Of course I sometimes have to go back in later and make some of them a little more "uniform" so they all cook in the same amount of time, but that's a small price to pay.  I usually do that while she's in the bathroom washing her hands so she doesn't get her feelings hurt by my "fixing" her chopped veggies.  The other day as she helped me make a casserole, I grabbed my camera and snapped a few pics.

She takes her job very seriously.  She also knows not to touch the big knife, that's Mommy's work station right next to hers.  I moved around the counter to get a better shot of her.

After I told her to keep the mushroom on the counter.  Daddy sliced right through his hand one time while he was doing exactly what she was doing in the last photo.  ALWAYS KEEP THE FOOD ON THE BOARD!!!!

She had me take this shot twice because she said she wasn't ready.  She's so funny.

Ta-da!  The finished product, although I don't know why the photo came out looking so yellow.  It wasn't that yellow in person.  Anyway, it's true what they say - if you let kids help you cook and psych them up for how good it will be while they're making it, they are SO eager to try it when it's done.  We've had this before and Moo just wouldn't eat it.  This time she ate a big serving, the only difference is that she helped with almost all of it.  Go figure!

Pet Rock Painting

Another item from our Summer Fun List was making some pet rocks.  Moo loved the idea and couldn't wait to get started.  She was concentrating so hard.  

It can't be too serious.  They are pet rocks after all.

Moo made a family of Rainbow-gators, a new species of gator who live under a rainbow and therefore are quite colorful.

I went more traditional with my Gator family.  There is a bow on the little one too, you just can't see it in this shot.  Mommy, Moo, Toots and Daddy (the one showing off his teeth).

After a long afternoon of pet painting, it's nice to relax with a little cocktail.  Don't worry, we were both drinking apple juice.  She just likes to use the "fancy" cups.  She even sips with her pinky out.

Lemon is my favorite...

Moo shared two of her Strawberry Shortcake dolls with Toots today.

Let's just say Toots was happy about it.

Painting the Driveway

So I pulled a great idea from my Summer Fun List for Moo to do today while the Hubby and I cleaned out the garage.  I got it here, WhiMSy love, and if you have kids you'll love it too.  It doesn't matter how old they are, if they can hold a paintbrush, they will have fun.  It's really simple to make chalk paint - a little water, a little corn starch and some food coloring!  That's it!  It's basically the same as plain old chalk, it washes off with water, but it's like the difference between coloring and painting.  Moo likes to color, but she LOVES to paint.  This seemed to make plain old sidewalk chalk REALLY, REALLY fun.  Toots liked her view from the stroller we stuck her in and parked in the shade.  And Mommy and Daddy got quite a bit of work done while everyone was playing.
While I'm at it, you should really check this blog out.  I LOVE it and since stumbling upon it have checked it every day for great kid-centered fun.  All of the stuff she does seems like it would be so FUN to do with the kids.  And since she has two girls too, the crafts are all things that we could do here with total success.  The other thing I find inspiring about this blog is that Nikki so enjoys spending time with her kids and really has fun doing all these things with them.  I think that is the key.  To have FUN with your kids.  Not give them something to do, then ignore them while they do it.  I don't know, I love it.  Click on the link above for the chalk paint, or the button link to go to her most recent post.  You'll love her, trust me.

Bridal Shower Sneak Peek....

Hmmm......What could these be for?  Why a perfectly charming, vintagey themed Bridal Shower, of course!  Can't give away too much though, the Bride might be watching...

The Fresh Beat Band - Where for art thou, Marina?

It is a sad day here in the Fabulous Farmhouse.  Moo, Toots and I just sat down to watch a show we all love, Nick Jr.'s 

"The Fresh Beat Band" only to discover that our favorite character was no longer on the show!  Gasp!  I hate it when they do that!  The girl on the far right in the blue and purple dress is Marina, our FAVORITE by far.  Well today we saw that she had been swapped out with someone else.  They gave the new girl the same dress, same haircut and called her Marina, but it was so obvious she was NOT Marina that Moo's first comment was "Why are they calling that girl Marina?  Where is the real Marina?".  There was no explanation as to why they switched actresses on the show or on their website.  Somewhere on the internet I read that actress number one was getting married and looking at other job possibilities.  While my kids and I will miss her terribly, I know I can't expect people to stay on one show forever or that these shows will last until my kids outgrow them.  But I really think these T.V. execs don't have kids of their own.  They seem to think that nobody will notice such a huge change.  If one actor leaves the show they should come up with a reason for his character to leave, then replace him with a new and different character on the show.  That way kids have an explanation and some idea of what the heck is going on.  They should have said that Marina is moving away for whatever reason.  It's sad, they have a show about her leaving.  Then the next show, some other girl moves in and the other characters meet her and now she's their friend and on the show in Marina's spot.  Simple, explains everything and helps kids realize that not everything is permanent but that one friend leaving could mean a chance for a new friend.  I mean really, you think the average 4 or 5 year old is fooled by a dress?  Oh, she's wearing Mom's pants so she must be my Mom!  Pa-leeeze!

Heavy post, I know.  I only tackle the hard topics here.  By the way, we made a craft today after all the T.V. drama.  I'll post about it later tonight after the girls are in bed.  Hopefully.

Happy 4th of July!

What can I say?  It's well over 100* outside so we're stuck in here trying to be as patriotic as possible.  I'm  really feeling the crazy nails right now.  American Flag inspired fingers as modeled by Moo.

So is Moo.  She just loves them.

Moo has decorated herself for "America's Birthday Party"

Happy Independence Day!  And Happy Birthday America!

"The Best Party Ever"

Party Games...

Mediating a grown-up water gun fight...

Finding and tasting a variety of leaves and grasses...

Three kiddie pools to explore, a tub of water balloons, a tub of water guns and a tub of fishing poles....

Cheese pizza...

and sun bathing (while watching out for tan lines)...

Equals "THE BEST PARTY EVER!"

Rainbow Nails

Thank you Sally Hanson for your beautiful rainbow or summer colors!

Moo loves her colorful fingers and toes.  Hello summer!

Santa Monica

It was a little chilly, but we still had to get our toes wet.

Even if they are super fabulous toes.  Moo seemed to fit right into the celebrity strewn city.

Toots, of course, was sleeping.

She did wake up eventually and we all had a great time walking around .  Even Rapunzel.

My Girls!

San Diego Fair

We went with some friends and their kids.  Moo wants so badly to be 13.  I'm glad we know 13 year olds nice enough to let 5 year olds hang out with them.

                                                        It's okay, the big kids got them too.

               If she's got Irish blood in her, she should be good at Pub games like throwing darts, right?

Woohoo!!!!

                                              I can't believe I won!  And it's a UNICORN!!!!

                                                     Hey Dad, did you see me??!?!?!?!?

                                                                        Best Day Ever!

*well, since the last Best Day Ever anyway.

Another Seaworld Trip

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 Yes, you read that right.  We went to Seaworld.  Again.  As I said in our last Seaworld post, we have gone a lot.  Moo is *sure* she wants to be an Orca or Dolphin Trainer when she grows up, so we will undoubtably be here quite often between now and then.
 
 Right off the bat, you can see Moo has embraced the Seaworld idea.  Her shirt is the one she picked from the gift shop the last time we came.  It reads "Melt hearts, not ice caps".  My little activist.
 
  Upon entering this time, we met up with Penny penguin and had to do the photo-op since we were wearing our penguin tee.  It was her idea, even though this photo makes it look like I'm making her stand next to a giant killer penguin telling her to smile for the camera.  Next we hit the new dolphin show, which was pretty good.  I like to see the trainers actually swimming with the animals, I think that's cool.  Moo did too because she was BEGGING to go in the water with them throughout the show.
  
   Then we hit up the penguins, because we all love those.  Then the new Turtle Reef, which was neat.  Lots of turtles, even a turtle video game for the kids to play where they had to get from point A to point B without getting eaten by sharks, choking on an oil spill or eating trash.  Moo had fun playing it, even though she didn't really get how to use the controller and our turtle was practically dead by the time the game ended.
We had to see the starfish touch pool, we LOVE to get in there and actually touch something.  
  
   We also found a giant milk bottle outside of the Petz Rule! arena.  Moo just had to strike a pose.  Does anyone remember those milk commercials from the 80's?  The ones with the skinny little kid looking in the mirror, then seeing himself a big hunky football player, saying "I may be small now, but I'm drinking milk!".  This shot made me think of those old ads.  Too funny.      

   Of course, we can't forget Toots.  She spent her time peaking out of the stroller at all the wonderful sights and sounds of the park and sleeping.  Mostly sleeping.

Good Morning Mommy!!!