flipflops and applesauce

Playing Spaghetti Restaurant

2010-07-31T07:58:00.001-07:00

After playing with pretend food, the girls asked if they could make a real spaghetti dinner. What a fun idea!

First we made the menu. The girls wrote out the menu items and decided on their own prices. Some of the customers complained that a glass of water was $10, but we explained that it was imported.

Next we made the salads. I helped the girls slice up the cucumber with a sharp knife, showing them how to hold it and keep the blade away from fingertips. We also used pre-washed lettuce and cherry tomatoes.

Then we browned the ground beef and added the pasta to the boiling pot of water. They stood on step stools to stir the meet in the skillet. When the meat was cooked, we poured in a jar of spaghetti sauce.

They got to serve their own plate of spaghetti, and they scooped up quite large portions. But they ate it all! I couldn't believe how well they ate.

And best of all, Dad left them a real tip. Eleven cents each. He won't be able to get away with that amount very much longer.

Splash!

2010-07-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

More Beachy Fun

2010-07-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

We visited our favorite beach again today, this time with our sweet cousins. It was cloudy and one of the girls was a little under the weather, but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless. We spotted a rare night heron and so many other lovely things. What beauty!

It's summertime

2010-07-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

All we want to do is play, play, play.

I had lofty goals of summer learning, but we've been pretty lazy around here. We've discovered this quiet little beach with awesome tide pools, so we've been hanging out there every chance we get.

Here's to silly summer days full of fun. Happy summer to your family.

Rocket Playhouse Winner

2010-06-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

I wish I was neighbors with each and every one of you, so we could be best friends and celebrate the 4th of July together. And I wish each one of you could win the rocket playhouse. You are all so amazing!

But alas, there can only be one winner. And congratulations to you, Amy of Herman Nation!

Amy said:
We're only going on our 2nd year of this "tradition", but we join my brother-in-law's family at the river near their house in Boone, NC, and just spend the day fishing and playing in the water, watching the college kids float happily by. Great times with family!

Amy, email me your address to chrissierouse@gmail.com, and we'll get your rocket to you.

Grateful, So grateful

2010-06-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

Warm sunshine and gooey cinnamon rolls
snowy egrets and squishy muddy toes
the crescent moon through bending cypress trees
quiet, quiet, except for the lulling waves
celebrating 10 years of marriage to my true love

Cardboard Rocket Playhouse

2010-06-14T08:17:00.001-07:00

*Read to the end for a giveaway and discount code.There were squeals of excitement when we took this cardboard rocket from Color Me House out of the box and started assembling it. One girl declared, "We'll never be bored again!" What a treat!
The next day we got to work painting. We used blue and red for the 4th of July. Crayola Washable Tempera paint was great because we got it everywhere.
There has been non-stop play inside their rocket playhouse since the paint dried. They've hauled blankets, stuffed animals and snacks out there, and the two of them fit just perfectly inside together.
Here's the best part: We're giving one away! Leave a comment telling us your favorite 4th of July activity or tradition. I'll announce the winner on Saturday.
And here's a code for $10 off your next order at Color Me House: itsablast
Have fun!

Freedom from Fear

2010-06-08T21:22:00.000-07:00

Our dear friends are moving to Thailand to work with victims of human trafficking. I'm incredibly excited about their passion to build relationships and provide opportunities for women caught up in a world of fear.

This beautiful necklace was created by bel kai designs just for them, to symbolize their desire to bring freedom from slavery through the power of God's word. 40% of the proceeds will go to our friends for their ministry in Thailand. The necklace is also a reminder to pray for freedom for the women trapped in slavery.

You can check out the necklace {and giveaway!} here.

Summer Tuna Sandwich

2010-06-07T15:08:00.001-07:00

A tuna sandwich with an iced tea and lemon wedge is so refreshing on a hot summer day. But the tuna has to be just right. It needs to have a bit of crunch, a little sweetness, and not too much mayo.

And I love this recipe that calls for crushed pineapple and mandarin oranges. It's slightly adjusted from a tuna recipe my friend Michele {an amazing cook} gave me. Enjoy!

1 {20 oz} can crushed pineapple-drained
2 {12 oz} cans sold white tuna-drained
1 {1 oz} can mandarin orange segments-drained
1 {8 oz} can water chestnuts-drained and chopped
1 cup light mayo
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Gently mix above ingredients and chill. Serve on whole wheat bread with fresh lettuce.

Green Eggs and Ham

2010-05-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

The girls read their first book!

We've been LIVING Green Eggs and Ham at our house for about a week and a half now:

I read the book to them, and we watched the DVD for the first couple days. Hearing the book read aloud and watching the animation of the book on DVD helped the girls become familiar with the language, rhyme, expression, and flow of the story. They didn't have to focus on the "how" of reading, they could just enjoy the book.

We played a matching game with some of the unfamiliar words in the book, such as "you" and "here" and "anywhere." I made the game with 3x5 cards, writing each word on two different cards. We played it like concentration-place all cards face down, flip over two and try to make a match. Reading the word "you" is so much less intimidating when it is a single word on a white card, rather than an unfamiliar word in a sentence or page full of words.

The girls read a couple pages of the book at a time. We took it slow. As they gained confidence they wanted to forge ahead.

We ate green eggs and ham for breakfast. Every morning. For a week. I was only planning to make it once, but they kept asking for it. We had all the stuff, so I figured, "Why not?" Eating green eggs and ham for breakfast helped to build a stronger connection to the book. And it was fun and silly-just like the book.

There was a prize at the end. They knew when they finished the book they they would get their very own library card. And it was the library card that did it. Those girls wanted that library card. Bad. They pushed themselves hard, they got frustrated, and one of them had a meltdown. I tried to slow things down, but these girls can be intensely determined.

At times it was silly, sometimes it was tasty, other times it got ugly. And that's how they read their first book.

Glossy Bands Winners

2010-05-22T09:15:00.001-07:00

It was so touching to read about all of your childhood memories. The simplest things seem to be the most memorable ~ reading, baking, gardening, bike riding, paper dolls. And so many of you have fond memories of Shrinky Dinks. They are cool, aren't they?

The three winners of the Glossy Bands kits are:

Penny Malley~
Shrinky Dinks. Definitely Shrinky Dinks.

Stephenie of CajunRose~
I loved playing outside when I was a kid. Picking blackberries was the best time in the world!

Wonder Mom~
One of my favorite childhood memories involved making friendship bracelets on the way to and from from school on the school bus...
(I was always so good at putting off any kind of school work!)

Congratulations!
Email me at chrissierouse@gmail.com and we'll send you out your Glossy Bands craft.

A Little Birdie

2010-05-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

Today we drove the winding roads through the hills to the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary. It's a beautiful nature center with a bird-watching porch and a wonderful {although tiny} museum for kids.

We spent the bulk of our time bird-watching. It was a bit of a challenge with my squirrely girlies. They didn't have a lot of patience for sitting quietly to wait for birds. They struggled using the binoculars. And they were hungry. {Head slap!} I should have packed snacks.

In spite of everything, we saw some beautiful birds. We had fun, and we learned a bit, too. I don't know about the girls, but I'm hooked. We'll definitely be going back.

Klutz Glossy Bands Giveaway

2010-05-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is just the type of activity I love to do with my girls. Simple, unique and do-able. And in my opinion, anything with the name "Klutz" on it is going to be top quality. So, when I was contacted to try out Glossy Bands Bracelets with my six-year-old daughters, I jumped all over it.

And we are hooked!

The instruction manual is amazingly easy to use and everything you need is in the kit. There are so many clever patterns to choose from, four colors of gel, and clear plastic strips to use as a guide.

The bracelets were super fun to make and turned out beautifully. The hardest part was waiting for them to dry overnight. Now the girls wear their creations with great pride and wonder.

This one minute video about Glossy Bands sums the project up perfectly.

The very best part is that I'm giving away three Glossy Bands Kits to three lucky readers of this blog. Leave a comment telling me about one of your favorite childhood activities. I'll announce the three winners on Friday morning. I hope you win!

Rock Hunting

2010-05-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

We've been excited about rocks lately since we watched this really fun (slightly cheesy) video that we checked out from the public library. So this morning we decided to go on a rock hunt. We ended up at Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park for a beautiful rock-finding hike. Along the way, we spotted some sneaky critters and evidence of others...

along with green curlicues and lots of buzzing bees.After we filled our pouches with rocks, we went across the street to Chick-fil-A. (One never wants to stray too far from modern conveniences.)
We sat outside under an umbrella to check out our finds.
I had brought the following supplies:

bottle of water
2 small bowls
balance scale
jar of pennies
2 magnifying glasses
colored pencils
rock hunting chart - several copies (see it here)

First we washed the rocks in the bowls with the water. That really made the colors pop!
Then we weighed the rocks on the balance with pennies. We studied the shape, color, design and texture of our favorite rocks. Lastly, we went inside and ate chicken.

I've ordered the following books from Amazon, but they haven't arrived yet.
Let's Go Rock Collecting
Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough
If You Find a Rock
Everybody Needs a Rock
I can't wait to cuddle up together and read them.

Swanky Chandelier Nightlight

2010-05-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

We are so excited that Family Fun magazine published our chandelier idea in their May issue.
The magazine is so full of wonderful, creative and do-able ideas and we are honored to be included.

Bugs and Blooms

2010-04-27T18:16:00.001-07:00

Inspiration for Summer

2010-04-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

beauty . warmth . rest

Sewing in Kindergarten

2010-03-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

I found an embroidery kit by Jenny Hart at TJ Maxx. I'd been wanting to teach the girls a little sewing, but was unsure where to begin. Her stuff is perfect - funny, simple, non-intimidating instructions & many inspiring images.
We've started with a simple running stitch, creating a broken line. We just draw a simple image on a white tea towel with a washable marker and they stitch around it.
They are hooked, so proud of what they can create.

Irresistible Day

2010-03-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day! Warm sun, cool breeze, and blue skies.
We packed up a little picnic and headed to the park.
All the animals came out to play, too. The sunlit afternoon was irresistible.

Kindergarten School Pics

2010-03-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

They just keep getting cuter!

Play, Play, Play

2010-03-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday we drove to Santa Barbara to meet my sister's family at the zoo. It's halfway between our houses and a beautiful place to catch up while the kids run around.
Just sweet to be together.

There Was An Old Man With A Beard

2010-02-25T16:35:00.000-08:00

There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, "It is just as I feared! -
Two owls and a hen,
Four larks and a wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!"

by Edward Lear

We made these silly bearded men to go with this limerick we are memorizing this week.
It was very free form - scissors, paper, glue, markers, and a couple stickers.

Didn't they turn out funky and cute?

Future Black Belts

2010-02-25T16:05:00.001-08:00

Aren't they irresistible in their uniforms?

Oh, yeah...these girlies are learning some Tae Kwon Do. It's tons of fun and great discipline.
If you live in South OC, check out the studio.

The Sky Through the Branches

2010-02-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

Psalm 8:3-4

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

Quick Snow Trip

2010-02-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

We can see the glittering snow-topped mountains as we drive around town, and the girls have been badgering me to drive up for some snow play. When I say "badgering" I mean that in the most relentless way possible.
Last Monday seemed like the right time to make the trek, so off we went-me, the girls, and our friend Kami. We stopped for lunch at the foot of the mountain. I thought surely I would turn the car around and head home, overwhelmed by all the whining and complaining.
Fortunately, we were able to pull ourselves together and head up the mountain. At the first sight of snow, we pulled the car in, bought an $8 sled for $20 at a hardware store, and headed across the street to play.
And {gasp} we had fun! Flying down, hiking back up, getting soaking wet, dodging trees and other rogue sledders. Lots of smiles, laughter, and shrieks of delight.
About 45 minutes later, I sold the sled for $5 to an arriving family as we piled back into our van and headed down the mountain. Aaaah, making sweet childhood memories...not always as easy as it looks.