I just ran across this video clip from last March that never made it to the blog. It's too cute not to share.
I usually put green olives in our salads but the kids love to just eat the olives plain. This is Rachel asking for an olive "right there" as she points to her hand. I love her simplistic communication back then. It's just so cute!
Pinocchio
We had a great time at Casa Manana Children's Theater this morning. We saw "My Son, Pinocchio". It was an interesting twist on the story of Pinocchio. It was quite touching and I'm so glad we went.
We went with a new homeschool group that we are a part of. I have been on their email list for a while now but this was the first outing we went on with them so we didn't know anyone. I tried to mingle and make some new friends but most of my time in the lobby was spent trying to corral the 2 year old who just wanted to run from one end of the lobby to the other. Maybe next time I'll get to actually talk to some of the other moms.
The play was great. The props were great. The actors were great. And most amazingly, Rachel sat still through the entire production! I still can't believe it!
We went with a new homeschool group that we are a part of. I have been on their email list for a while now but this was the first outing we went on with them so we didn't know anyone. I tried to mingle and make some new friends but most of my time in the lobby was spent trying to corral the 2 year old who just wanted to run from one end of the lobby to the other. Maybe next time I'll get to actually talk to some of the other moms.
The play was great. The props were great. The actors were great. And most amazingly, Rachel sat still through the entire production! I still can't believe it!
Cherry On Top
On the way home from our nature walk, I decided I was hot and thirsty and needed something to cool us off. Ice water probably would've done fine but the sign in saying, "Cherry On Top" seemed much more interesting at the time.
Cherry On Top is a fun and unique self serve frozen yogurt shop in Coppell. You start with getting your own cup. I don't recall the sizes of the cups but I'll just call them Big and Really Big.
Then comes the really fun part where you put the yumminess of your choice into your cup.
There were some great flavors of frozen yogurt to choose from such as Red Velvet Cupcake, Caramel Cream, Hawaiian Delight, Cake Batter, etc. You can choose just one flavor or mix it up however you want.
Then you get more decisions at the table of toppings. There is coconut, gummies, chocolate chips, various nuts and chunks from different candy bars. Oh, the choices!
There is also another station with various fresh fruit toppings as well as bottles to squirt caramel or chocolate sauce on top.
Nicholas was all about the gummy worms.
Rachel was more eclectic since she started scooping toppings like crazy before I realized what she was doing...and she was too short to even see which toppings she was picking!
I was a little concerned about how much these two giant cups of yumminess would cost because you pay by the ounce. And there was a lot of ounces filled in these cups. But I was pleasantly surprised that it came to a little over $6.00 for the two big cups.
I think the boy is in Heaven!
They both really enjoyed their yogurt creations. And they were sweet enough to let Mommy have a sample or two. But not more than a sample! Rachel was even scooping out the remnants in her cup with her sticky fingers!
There was some fun music playing while we ate and Rachel just couldn't fight to urge to get up and dance!
Cherry On Top is located at 110 W Sandy Lake Rd., Coppell, TX 75019. You can reach them at (972) 906-0808 or find them at their website.
Cherry On Top is a fun and unique self serve frozen yogurt shop in Coppell. You start with getting your own cup. I don't recall the sizes of the cups but I'll just call them Big and Really Big.
Then comes the really fun part where you put the yumminess of your choice into your cup.
There were some great flavors of frozen yogurt to choose from such as Red Velvet Cupcake, Caramel Cream, Hawaiian Delight, Cake Batter, etc. You can choose just one flavor or mix it up however you want.
Then you get more decisions at the table of toppings. There is coconut, gummies, chocolate chips, various nuts and chunks from different candy bars. Oh, the choices!
There is also another station with various fresh fruit toppings as well as bottles to squirt caramel or chocolate sauce on top.
Nicholas was all about the gummy worms.
Rachel was more eclectic since she started scooping toppings like crazy before I realized what she was doing...and she was too short to even see which toppings she was picking!
I was a little concerned about how much these two giant cups of yumminess would cost because you pay by the ounce. And there was a lot of ounces filled in these cups. But I was pleasantly surprised that it came to a little over $6.00 for the two big cups.
I think the boy is in Heaven!
They both really enjoyed their yogurt creations. And they were sweet enough to let Mommy have a sample or two. But not more than a sample! Rachel was even scooping out the remnants in her cup with her sticky fingers!
There was some fun music playing while we ate and Rachel just couldn't fight to urge to get up and dance!
Cherry On Top is located at 110 W Sandy Lake Rd., Coppell, TX 75019. You can reach them at (972) 906-0808 or find them at their website.
Elm Fork Nature Preserve
We took a completely impromptu nature walk today. I had to go to another town for an errand and on the way back I noticed a sign that mentioned the Elm Fork Nature Preserve in Carrollton. I've always wanted to check it out and the two kiddos always love being outdoors so we went!
Fortunately, I did happen to have some bottled water in the car already from another excursion and I always have snacks and such with me to keep the wild beasts at bay. And of course I had my camera so we were more or less prepared.
There is a little building at the entrance to the preserve that I believe is a nature center but it wasn't open while we were there.
We stopped to look at some signs along the way. Nicholas can read just about anything these days so he read it aloud to us. It told us about the history of the property as well as proper etiquette while out on the trails. Nicholas already knows how to behave in nature but it was good for Rachel to hear it again.
We saw a lot of trees with these nice identity markers. I really liked it because at this time of year the trees haven't grown their leaves back which makes it harder to identify them.
The kids had fun just running along the path, stopping to look at interesting things along the way.
Nicholas used his magnifying glass (Cub Scouts always come prepared) to look at some tree bark.
We were relaxed and having fun until we saw this sign. Nicholas didn't even take time to read it and simply freaked out at the picture of the red snake.
I must admit that although I'm always aware of natural dangers such as snakes when we go out in the woods, it was particularly unnerving for me to see such a bold sign warning about a poisonous snake habitat!
Rachel, however, wasn't bothered by the sign or the snake warnings. She decided she would just charm the snakes with her Goldfish crakers...
I knew this piece of the path followed the river and the sign was over on that side of the path. So we talked again about rules out in nature, particular to stay alert and don't walk off of the path. We were out of that area pretty quickly but I thought it was really sweet how Nicholas held on to Rachel to keep her safe and close to him.
Nicholas and I were relieved to get away from the river and Rachel was too busy eating all of the Goldfish crackers to care about feeding any of them to snakes. She also tried to read the signs along the trail. She pointed to the letters and said, "ABCDEFG...." with just the same rhythm as if she were reading words aloud.
Nicholas always brings me little wildflowers he finds when we are outside. It is still too early for flowers so Rachel decided to bring me a giant leaf.
I asked her to help me pick out a few more leaves and then we talked about the differences in sizes, shapes, and colors of the various leaves.
Nicholas found a cool leaf that he could see through. We talked about possible causes for the damage on the leaf. We looked at what appears to be spots where pests have eaten from the leaf but also pointed out the spots lower on the leaf which could be signs of distress or disease. I'm not sure what the actual cause for this effect is but it does make for a neat looking leaf.
We spent a lot of time at the pond at the back of the property. I loved how the water calmed Nicholas. He just stood there watching and looking at fish hitting the water, birds flying overhead and bugs all around.
Even busy Rachel stayed still for a while as Nicholas talked to her about what he was looking at.
I'm so proud of how he appreciates and loves nature. I know he's picked it up from me but it was all inspired from my mom and that book she sent me when Nicholas was just a newborn - The Last Child In The Woods, by Richard Louv. Thank you, Mom, for realizing the importance of getting kids connected with nature at such an early age!
As we were about the leave the pond area, Nicholas discovered a spider web and as he looked more closely he found a dragonfly caught in the web. And it was still alive.
Well, my little nature lover got upset and tried to rescue the dragonfly. We talked about the purpose of the web and how the spider might be hungry if we take away his food. Nicholas said that we had to rescue the dragonfly anyway. So we worked together and gently got him out of the web. It was neat watching him while he got his bearings before flying away.
We eventually stopped at a bench to pull out some water and take a break. Nicholas was quick to notice that the plaque on the bench said that it was made by an Eagle Scout troop. He thought it was cool that Scouts had contributed to a small part of our nature walk.
Rachel didn't care to sit on the bench for very long. Instead, she decided that it would be fun to poor out her water out just so she could watch it soak into the ground. I tried to stop her but she was too quick. Note to self, always carry extra water or put Rachel's in a sippy cup so it can't be poured out just for fun.
We found several neat things to study on an old tree stump near the bench. There was fungus and bugs and rotten wood, just to name a few.
We found more neat leaves. I like the polka-dot heart shaped leaf the best.
And when it was time to head out of the woods, Rachel decided that she would be the namesake for Louv's book and truly be the last child in the woods.
Nicholas said that this "see through" leaf was his favorite of all.
That girl wanted to stay and play with leaves, pick up sticks, and dig in the dirt all day! I tried the old trick of pretending to leave and telling her "bye" as I walked away. It didn't register with her at all. She was content and she wanted to stay.
But it was getting hot and humid and near lunch time. So Nicholas and I did a little sweet talking with the girl and finally got her to head back towards the car.
I think I've got two little nature lovers in the making!
Fortunately, I did happen to have some bottled water in the car already from another excursion and I always have snacks and such with me to keep the wild beasts at bay. And of course I had my camera so we were more or less prepared.
There is a little building at the entrance to the preserve that I believe is a nature center but it wasn't open while we were there.
We stopped to look at some signs along the way. Nicholas can read just about anything these days so he read it aloud to us. It told us about the history of the property as well as proper etiquette while out on the trails. Nicholas already knows how to behave in nature but it was good for Rachel to hear it again.
We saw a lot of trees with these nice identity markers. I really liked it because at this time of year the trees haven't grown their leaves back which makes it harder to identify them.
The kids had fun just running along the path, stopping to look at interesting things along the way.
Nicholas used his magnifying glass (Cub Scouts always come prepared) to look at some tree bark.
We were relaxed and having fun until we saw this sign. Nicholas didn't even take time to read it and simply freaked out at the picture of the red snake.
I must admit that although I'm always aware of natural dangers such as snakes when we go out in the woods, it was particularly unnerving for me to see such a bold sign warning about a poisonous snake habitat!
Rachel, however, wasn't bothered by the sign or the snake warnings. She decided she would just charm the snakes with her Goldfish crakers...
I knew this piece of the path followed the river and the sign was over on that side of the path. So we talked again about rules out in nature, particular to stay alert and don't walk off of the path. We were out of that area pretty quickly but I thought it was really sweet how Nicholas held on to Rachel to keep her safe and close to him.
Nicholas and I were relieved to get away from the river and Rachel was too busy eating all of the Goldfish crackers to care about feeding any of them to snakes. She also tried to read the signs along the trail. She pointed to the letters and said, "ABCDEFG...." with just the same rhythm as if she were reading words aloud.
Nicholas always brings me little wildflowers he finds when we are outside. It is still too early for flowers so Rachel decided to bring me a giant leaf.
I asked her to help me pick out a few more leaves and then we talked about the differences in sizes, shapes, and colors of the various leaves.
Nicholas found a cool leaf that he could see through. We talked about possible causes for the damage on the leaf. We looked at what appears to be spots where pests have eaten from the leaf but also pointed out the spots lower on the leaf which could be signs of distress or disease. I'm not sure what the actual cause for this effect is but it does make for a neat looking leaf.
We spent a lot of time at the pond at the back of the property. I loved how the water calmed Nicholas. He just stood there watching and looking at fish hitting the water, birds flying overhead and bugs all around.
Even busy Rachel stayed still for a while as Nicholas talked to her about what he was looking at.
I'm so proud of how he appreciates and loves nature. I know he's picked it up from me but it was all inspired from my mom and that book she sent me when Nicholas was just a newborn - The Last Child In The Woods, by Richard Louv. Thank you, Mom, for realizing the importance of getting kids connected with nature at such an early age!
As we were about the leave the pond area, Nicholas discovered a spider web and as he looked more closely he found a dragonfly caught in the web. And it was still alive.
Well, my little nature lover got upset and tried to rescue the dragonfly. We talked about the purpose of the web and how the spider might be hungry if we take away his food. Nicholas said that we had to rescue the dragonfly anyway. So we worked together and gently got him out of the web. It was neat watching him while he got his bearings before flying away.
We eventually stopped at a bench to pull out some water and take a break. Nicholas was quick to notice that the plaque on the bench said that it was made by an Eagle Scout troop. He thought it was cool that Scouts had contributed to a small part of our nature walk.
Rachel didn't care to sit on the bench for very long. Instead, she decided that it would be fun to poor out her water out just so she could watch it soak into the ground. I tried to stop her but she was too quick. Note to self, always carry extra water or put Rachel's in a sippy cup so it can't be poured out just for fun.
We found several neat things to study on an old tree stump near the bench. There was fungus and bugs and rotten wood, just to name a few.
We found more neat leaves. I like the polka-dot heart shaped leaf the best.
And when it was time to head out of the woods, Rachel decided that she would be the namesake for Louv's book and truly be the last child in the woods.
Nicholas said that this "see through" leaf was his favorite of all.
That girl wanted to stay and play with leaves, pick up sticks, and dig in the dirt all day! I tried the old trick of pretending to leave and telling her "bye" as I walked away. It didn't register with her at all. She was content and she wanted to stay.
But it was getting hot and humid and near lunch time. So Nicholas and I did a little sweet talking with the girl and finally got her to head back towards the car.
I think I've got two little nature lovers in the making!
Ice Skating
Ever since we won those ice skating lessons for Nicholas in December, ice skating has been the big thing in our family.
Nicholas skates quite well now. He likes to try to help teach me how to skate. It's really cute.
This was essentially my first time on the ice rink. I grew up in south Louisiana where they is no ice in the winter. But for a month or so around Christmas, they would turn a convention center into an ice rink so us hot Cajuns could try out a little ice skating (and make total fools out of ourselves).
I have a vague memory of being at that ice skating rink with my younger brother but I also remember falling pretty hard before I made it around the rink once and I have had no interest in ice skating ever since.
Fortunately, Stuart is not so timid of the ice and he loves ice skating. So he has been going with Nicholas to help him get in some practice for his class. And now he's also letting Rachel try the ice a little.
Every time Nicholas goes to ice skating class or goes to the rink to practice, Rachel says that she wants to go ice skating too.
She's got good balance and doesn't get upset when she falls on the ice. Of course, Stuart doesn't let her fall very much because he's always right there with her.
Although most kids just wear their regular clothes and a light jacket, my kids prefer wearing their snow suits when they ice skate. It keeps them from getting chilled but most importantly, they are water proof so they stay dry no matter how many times they fall down. I'm glad they have found a way to get a few more uses out of the snow suits that typically only get worn about two to three times a year.
Here I am, barely standing on my own, and Rachel decides that she needs to be held RIGHT NOW. Thankfully, Stuart came over and saved the day or else we might have both fallen on the ice.
Nicholas skates quite well now. He likes to try to help teach me how to skate. It's really cute.
This was essentially my first time on the ice rink. I grew up in south Louisiana where they is no ice in the winter. But for a month or so around Christmas, they would turn a convention center into an ice rink so us hot Cajuns could try out a little ice skating (and make total fools out of ourselves).
I have a vague memory of being at that ice skating rink with my younger brother but I also remember falling pretty hard before I made it around the rink once and I have had no interest in ice skating ever since.
Fortunately, Stuart is not so timid of the ice and he loves ice skating. So he has been going with Nicholas to help him get in some practice for his class. And now he's also letting Rachel try the ice a little.
Every time Nicholas goes to ice skating class or goes to the rink to practice, Rachel says that she wants to go ice skating too.
She's got good balance and doesn't get upset when she falls on the ice. Of course, Stuart doesn't let her fall very much because he's always right there with her.
Although most kids just wear their regular clothes and a light jacket, my kids prefer wearing their snow suits when they ice skate. It keeps them from getting chilled but most importantly, they are water proof so they stay dry no matter how many times they fall down. I'm glad they have found a way to get a few more uses out of the snow suits that typically only get worn about two to three times a year.
Here I am, barely standing on my own, and Rachel decides that she needs to be held RIGHT NOW. Thankfully, Stuart came over and saved the day or else we might have both fallen on the ice.
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