School Years

Well, Anika's last day of her first year in preschool was today. Everybody met at the park and we had a few hours of play and socializing interspersed with eating the snacks we packed! I am glad it's over. Next year won't be so easy.

Olivia had her music program last Friday before we left to go camping. I only cried once when they sang "What a Wonderful World." Not bad for a hormonal pregnant lady! After the music, they had a short graduation ceremony, complete with caps and "diplomas." I got the cutest picture of her walking down the aisle with her cap on, wiggling her loose tooth (I may post it someday, I have to download it first)!

Two more weeks and Olivia will be done with kindergarten. I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. This summer, we plan to sleep in, well, Olivia and I hope to sleep in anyway. Anika is an early riser. She'll climb into bed w/ me and look at books while I doze a little while longer. We'll go to the library once a week and will frequent the local swimming pool a few times a week. We'll have park days w/ Anika's preschool classmates once a week, too. I think we'll stay plenty busy.

So It's Been Awhile.............

I guess it's been awhile since I posted! Nothing too exciting since last post. I am feeling really, really good these days. Wish it was going to last, but I know it's not. Olivia now has 4 loose teeth, she should be losing that first one any day now. It will probably happen while we are camping this weekend! Anika has been keeping us laughing with her witty sayings. School is out in a few weeks and I couldn't be more relieved! We are planning on hanging out at the pool and the library this summer, maybe a few "field trips" to different places.

We are going on our first of two camping trips this weekend and everyone is VERY excited! I don't know who is more excited, the kids or Grandpa! Olivia is disappointed thought that we only get to stay for 2 nights. The weather should be great; it's looking like it'll be in the upper 70's!

I am looking forward to seeing Shrek the Third, as is Mark (and the kids). We will probably go see it next week.

Oh, I almost forgot! We had 4 (maybe 5) bull snakes (aka gopher snakes) in our back yard last Thursday. At the same time. Two of them were rather long at 4-5 feet each. The sprinklers had been on and I think they came for the water. They must live on the other side of our fence. It is nice to know they are there. I guess they like to eat rattlesnakes, which have also been seen in the field behind our house, as well as our front yard!!!!!!!

Snack Time

Anika found a recipe for Applesauce Muffins on the Nick Jr website she printed off and requested that we make today. They are just about done baking and are smelling rather delicious!

Here's the recipe:

2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 lg egg, lightly beaten
1 c unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease of line 12 cup muffin pan.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Whisk to blend.
3. Add egg, applesauce and melted butter. Stir until just blended. Spoon into prepared pan.
4. Bake until puffed and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes. Invert and cool completely.


Ok, so they are done and they are really tasty. Anika talked me into putting frosting on hers saying that, because they are in liners, they are cupcakes and they have to have frosting. Oh, and because she is wearing a shirt with a great big cupcake on the front, she also needs frosting on her muffin so it will match the cupcake on her shirt.

It's been a fun afternoon. Olivia put up a sign in our front window that says "The Yummy Shop." I'm on call until 7 PM tonight at work, but it doesn't look like I'll have to go in - KNOCK ON WOOD! Now it is time to get ready for dance class!

The Answer to "What's for Lunch?"

Olivia says to me, "Mom, you're not going to fix us lunch today. WE are going to fix YOU lunch!" Right on!

Olivia prepared a bowl of vanilla yogurt with a side of red grapes and a glass of cold Chai tea.

Anika put butter, plums, milk, Pepsi, and some grapes into a pan. Then I helped her warm it up on the stove. She was very excited about her conconction. Olivia whipspered to me a few times "Mom, I don't think that will taste very good."

We warmed it up a bit and melted the butter. We tasted it, well, Anika and I tasted it. It was kind of like sweet, fruity butter. I thought it would taste worse than it did, but Anika decided it wasn't worthy of eating (or drinking). I took pictures I will try to post later.

Taxes

Well, this is the first time we have waited this long to do our taxes. Usually, I have them done in mid February. They are finally done and, once again, we get a refund from Federal which we have to use to pay the State! I'm so disgusted!

Dang! Two Great Concerts Two Nights Apart!!

It was announced a few days ago that Harry Connick, Jr will be playing here on June 5. Sounds like fun, I love Harry Connick, Jr. Then, today, just in the last few hours, it was announced that John Mayer will be playing at the same venue on June 3! If they were six months apart, I could go to both, but since they are TWO DAYS apart, I guess we can only go to one and it'll have to be John Mayer. I got Mark the "Continuum" CD for Christmas; it is really good! Olivia is asking to go, she likes his music too. I don't know how that will go over when we tell her that her and Anika can't go! :(

Maybe she'll like a shirt? Then again, their tickets would be about as much as two stinkin' shirts. We'll have to think about this one a bit more.

Another Milestone

Olivia was eating a slice of pizza yesterday when she noticed her front tooth hurt when she took a bite. She thought it might be loose so she wiggled it and, sure enough, it's LOOSE! She is now obsessed with wiggling it and reports that it is loose enough this morning to wiggle with her tongue. I'm not sure how long it will be before it falls out, but I'll post a picture as soon as it does!

I can't mention Olivia without mentioning Anika. She says the funniest things. The other night at dinner I told her she had to finish her milk because she poured it herself. She whispered in my ear "Mommy, sometimes you're pretty and sometimes you are a dirt bag. And sometimes you are a pretty dirt bag." Anika says she heard the word "dirt bag" on the movie "Over the Hedge," but Mark and I both know where she REALLY heard it: Grandpa. I told my Dad and he knew right away where she heard it. I told him Anika didn't give him up, but that Mark and I knew better!