Kangaroo Farm

We had a great time at a local kangaroo farm yesterday. We are SO happy that Grandma and Grandpa came to visit us and help us celebrate Erin Joy's birthday!

In addition to kangaroos, we saw emu, ostriches, lemurs, donkeys, pigs, peacocks, turkeys, hissing ducks, chickens, llamas, miniature horse, and alpacas. They had 50 kangaroos in addition to wallabies, wallaroos (which are NOT a cross between kangaroos and wallabies as I assumed), and cavies which look like giant rats.

Rachel and Erin Joy's favorite part was holding the baby joey which was named "Bella" just like our kitty! I enjoyed taking pictures of everybody feeding the llama and alpacas by putting a pellet of food between our lips. We had fun receiving kisses from these animals.

Look Who's Five!!

Happy 5th birthday to my sweet baby!  I can't believe she is five years old and she certainly isn't a baby anymore.  We had cake and ice cream for breakfast to celebrate.  She has five Dollar Store Dora balloons on the back of her chair.  

We look forward to opening presents tomorrow because Grandma and Grandpa are coming!!!  We are also going to go to a small kangaroo farm tomorrow because Erin Joy likes kangaroos at the moment.  We are just keeping it low key with no big party because we are saving our money for Disneyland.  I figure Disneyland is a birthday/Christmas present all rolled into one big gift.  

She'll Never be a Taxpayer

The following conversation took place at our dinner table last night:

Rachel: Do you have to pay for me to go to school?

Me: No, you go to a public school and it's free.

Rachel: I never want to be a principal then.

Me (confused where the conversation was going): Why not?

Rachel: Because they have to pay the teachers and teachers make a lot of money.

Me: Actually, the principals don't pay the teachers, the taxpayers pay the teachers.

Rachel: Oh. I never want to be a taxpayer then.

She doesn't want to be a principal or a taxpayer because teachers make so much money. Sounds logical to me! I should have asked her why she thought teachers make a lot of money. Her mother is a teacher. We are certainly not rolling in the dough over here, but maybe she thinks we are rich. Rich with blessings, that's for sure.

I'll Be Good, I Promise!

Rachel is quite the teacher. The long list on the white board are the punishments for misbehavior in her very strict class. I have to behave myself or I will get a warning. I might have to miss 5 minutes of recess or even 10 minutes. I might get a time-out. I might have to change my card to blue, green, red, or something. She will call my parents if I don't behave. She might even take my Tiger Pride badge away from me. Oh dear!! I'll be good in her class!

Erin Joy will be good too. She loves playing school with her big sister.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Part of Rachel's homework assignment this week was to go on a hunt for a spider and a web. That was easy. Our yard is full of spiders this time of year. She got to watch the spider and make observations. She also got to draw pictures of the spider and of the web. While she was busy with her homework, I had fun taking pictures of spiders. I know it's strange, but I like spiders and I love this kind of homework!

Armor of God

We had fun putting on the armor of God for our family home evening lesson.

Fun in the Sun

After dance class yesterday, we went to our local Children's Museum. They have a great "Rooftop Adventure" and when the sun is shining, it is a wonderful place to play. They have new exhibits including a glow room where the girls were fascinated with their glowing teeth. I tried to take a picture of their teeth. I had to turn the flash off and it made the pictures blurry, but you'll get the idea.

My favorite picture is the very last picture so hopefully you can make it to the end of the slideshow before becoming bored of looking at pictures.

Rachel's PE Homework

We made a collage of Rachel playing in the yard to fulfill her PE homework requirement. Hopefully, her PE teacher doesn't notice that she is jumping rope and hula hooping in boots with heels. He wouldn't be happy about that.

School Daze

This is for Ms. Jennifer...a great teacher at our school who is very loved by Rachel.  Often after a long day at school, we come home and play school.  ARGH....can't we do anything else???  I'm done with school at 4:00, but not my girls.   At least I am never the teacher.  Rachel usually fills that role.  I get to be the student, raise my hand, read words, do math problems, and review my letters.

 A few days ago, Rachel pretended to be the substitute teacher named Ms. Jennifer.  She wore this name tag.  (She happened to have a substitute teacher in school that day named Mrs. Hickenbottom.  Giggle, giggle, giggle...we kept laughing mommy so she told us to call her Mrs. H.  Poor Mrs. Hickenbottom....)

Yesterday on the way home from school, Rachel told me that school is better than summer because during the summer we have to go to places like the beach, the park, hiking, and drive too much.  She said she likes school better because all she has to do is sit there and not think.  Oh brother....I know she must be thinking a little because she sure is reading.  She came home with a bunch of little books and told me, "I have to read these two times every night and I can't watch TV ever again."  That's not exactly what the note from her teacher said, but I didn't argue.  She can read her little books from school quickly and accurately.  She can read well enough to know when I add things to her favorite stories she wants to hear at night.  

Things like: "Cinderella went to college and got her Master's Degree before marrying the prince."  

"It doesn't really say that Mommy."

And fortune cookies:  "Rachel will always obey her mother."

"It doesn't really say that Mommy."

Shucks.  Sometimes reading isn't a good thing :)

Rachel really likes specials (music, PE, and library).  Her current favorite is library because she gets to take a book home.  "I used to like music the best, but our music teacher doesn't let us keep the sand blocks and the rhythm sticks so now I like library the best because I get to keep a book."  PE has never been her favorite because she has to wear tennis shoes and she'd rather wear her boots or her Hello Kitty sandals.

Erin Joy really likes preschool, but she doesn't like to admit it.  On preschool days, she complains that she doesn't want to go.  She doesn't go to preschool on Friday.  Yesterday (Friday), she cried because she wanted to go to preschool.  She told me if she couldn't go to preschool, she was never going to eat again.  That was an empty threat...she has been eating just fine.

I love my girls.  They certainly keep me entertained!

It was sunny yesterday and it is sunny today.  We have to take advantage of these sunny days because they are becoming less frequent.  Next weekend, we look forward to a visit from Grandma and Grandpa and the forecast is for rain.  Shucks.  Oh well. We'll do something fun to enjoy the sunshine today.  I'll let the kids vote.  Will it be the beach?  The park?  The zoo? The Children's Museum?  Stay tuned for our day in the sun report....

Dollhouse Frock GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Dollhouse Frock GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

I'm hoping to get lucky one of these days...

Ready for the Ballet

Rachel has always loved to perform. On the other hand, sweet Erin Joy who is brave enough to go up to any stranger (she especially loves men with beards) and give them a big hug and say, "I love you" is TERRIFIED of performing.

They performed yesterday at the Seattle Public Library for Mid-Autumn Festival. Rachel performed and Erin Joy generally watched from the sidelines. When she did get up enough courage to get on stage, it made for humorous video.

Enjoy the great Mid-Autumn Festival dance production starring Rachel and Erin Joy.....

Humpty Dumpty

I thought I'd make a nice Sunday breakfast for my girls.  Eggs anyone?  I can't even blame this one on the girls...I created this mess without their assistance.