Carving Pumpkins!

We carved pumpkins for Family Home Evening last night. Mia loved it, so did Emma! Each of the girls had their own pumpkin, so did Erik and I.

We also invited our friend Melody to join us. She loved hearing the girls squealing because it was so squishy. We've "adopted" Melody into our family! Love ya, Melody!

We also toasted the pumpkin seeds. The girls loved the pumpkin seeds, too! I was kinda surprised by how much they liked the seeds.

Mia cleaning out her pumpkin, she cleaned the whole thing with her hands!

Emma cleaning out her pumpkin, I made her use her hands for the picture, the rest of the time she used a spoon!

Erik cleaning out his pumpkin, he used his hands!

Mia carving her pumpkin. I know I bought a pumpkin carving set and I put it in a safe place, it's so safe I still can't find it!

Emma carving her pumpkin. Since I couldn't find the pumpkin carving set we had to make do with regular knifes, which are not as good!

Melody sorting through the pumpkin guts for the seeds!

Erik with his pumpkin, he did a stencil of the Marshmallowy guy from HomeStarRunner.com. Look at his arms they're orange from cleaning out the pumpkin! I thought that there was something wrong with my camera or the Kodak program at first!

Mia and Emma with their pumpkins! Didn't they turn out cute? The girls did it all by themselves, well mostly all by themselves!

Art Class

This fall the girls have been taking an art class. They attend the art class at the Riverside Art Museum, and their Charter School pays for it!

The art class that they attend is called Kids Open Studio. They go to class each Thursday evening for 1 1/2 hours. The first part the teacher introduces a new painting and concept. She talks about it and then does a real quick demonstration. Then the kids make something using that technique or concept taught.

After they complete that project the kids are then free to use whatever supplies they have to create whatever they want. They have paper, markers, paints, crayons, colored pencils, clay, all kinds of stuff!

The girls love it!

Mia working on a project using markers and paper

Emma made a bowling ball out of clay, they leave the clay there to dry
and then paint them the next week.

Mia's project, she's using the shape markers to make shape designs.

Emma making her bowling set.

Go Ducks!

While eating at Red Robin last week, I filled out a couple of forms for the girls to be entered into a couple drawings. A couple days after our visit we get a call, Miriam's name had been drawn and she had won FREE tickets to an Anaheim Ducks Hockey Game!

We had never been to a hockey game, so we decided to give it a shot. It was a blast! Watching it on TV doesn't come close to being there in person. And even though we were up way high, we were still able to see everything and follow the game well enough.

Mia had won four tickets, so we all got to go for FREE. We only had to pay for gas and parking. Not bad at all!

We got to go out on the ice and sit in the penalty box to watch the players warm up. We got to see and talk to the guys that run the sound effects, countdown, scoreboard, etc. They showed the girls how it all worked and even let them push the button to test the horn! They even got to see a Stanley Cup ring, Emma even got to wear it!

Family Pic in the Penalty Box

Watching the players warm up

Emma wearing the Stanley Cup Ring, working the equipment

Mia working the equipment.

After we left the ice we had to wait to meet Wild Wing--whoever was in that suit was great! He did a great job playing and communicating with the girls. The girls got to be on the big screen Honda Vision with Wild Wing. They were famous for about a minute!

The girls and Wild Wing!

The girls on the Honda Vision

After their shot at fame, we went up to our seats to enjoy the rest of the game. The girls even got FREE Gatorade and Kettle Corn! The Kettle Corn was really addictive.

The girls sitting in their seats

The girls even got real pucks that were signed by a couple of the players. They also got a Ducks pencil case with some school supplies in it. As home schoolers we can always use school supplies!

The only thing that could have made the night better was if the Ducks had won. They lost by 1 point, but we had a great time!

The rink from our seats

Girls in front of the players seats

Prop 8

I set up a blog called What's the Truth About Prop 8?, if anybody wants to give it a look-see. Not much on it yet, but I'll add more.

We're coming down to the wire.

Jam-Packed Fun-Filled Day

Today was Erik's last day of vacation. It has been so fun having him home! So, we woke up this morning wondering what we were going to do with ourselves today.

If any of you know us, we are not that good at making decisions. We joke that we should start deciding what we want to eat for dinner as soon as we finish breakfast, because it will take us that long to decide!

Anyway, we decided to take the girls to the park to play. By the way today was the perfect day to be outside, not too hot and not too cold. We live in California so not too cold is never a problem, but the too hot usually is!

There is a neat little park that was just built not too far from our house that Erik took the girls to one day when I was gone at a meeting and the girls wanted me to go and see it too. So, that's where we went.

We all ran around and played like we were kids again, okay so 2 out of the 4 of us are kids but you know what I mean!

Mia on the monkey bars. She has been practicing and practicing and now

she can go all the way across on the monkey bars! Way to go, Mia!

Emma on the swings. The girls can both pump by

themselves and boy does she go high!

Mia climbing the rock wall. We all had to climb it,

even Erik and I scaled the wall!

Here's Emma on this rope pyramid climbing structure.

It was also very fun, just ask any of us!

Mia hanging upside down. The girls love to pretend they are sloths!

Emma on the slide with her "spacecat."

We play space explorers at this park.

After the park we still didn't have any idea what else to do but we knew we needed gas. So, we made a stop at the gas station. The girls love to help pump the gas!

They are ready to get their driver's license and start doing all my errands for me!

On our way to the gas station Erik's brother Andy called and told us that The Redlands Fires Station by his work was having an open house. So, we decided to stop over there and check it out.

The girls sitting on the front of the firetruck!

Firefighter Emma

Firefighter Mia

Girls with Sparky the Firefighting Dog

After we toured the fire station and did all the fun activities there we went over to Hogi Yogi, where Andy works and had lunch there! Andy was even able to take a break and talk with us while we ate.

Andy even waited on us and made our sandwiches. Excellent sandwiches, Andy, thanks again! The girls had the turkey on white, Mia had cheese on hers while Emma didn't. Erik had the Smoky Turkey with a bunch of veggies and sprouts. I had the BBQ Chicken with lots of jalapenos, Andy is the only person who has ever given me enough jalapenos! Mmmmmm!

After we finished lunch we went to DI to try and get some ideas for Halloween costumes for Erik and I. Erik's mom already got the girls their costumes. Mia is going to be a Fairy and Emma is going to be Snow White. We finally came up with and idea for me but we still have no idea for Erik! Guess we'll have to keep our thinking caps on!

We then stopped over at Erik's parents to say hi. We had a nice time talking to Mom and Dad, the girls haven't had Mammy and Grandpa all to themselves in a long time! Thank goodness we stopped because Erik's Mom reminded us that we were celebrating Veronica's birthday tomorrow. Erik was confused and told me we were doing it Monday when we had FHE, so I was planning on getting the present Monday morning.

When we left there we had to go get Veronica's present. Talk about last minute shopping, they're trying to close up and we're trying to get a present. Hopefully, she like it!

Then home we came and put two not tired girls to bed. And the two tired ones are heading off to bed now!

Tagged By Kristin

Okay, so I got tagged from Kristin! So, I went to the fourth file to the fourth picture and here it is. . . .It's my dinner from a secret shop that I performed at the beginning of the year. I don't remember which restaurant it was, I wouldn't be able to tell even if I did!



Yes, I am a secret shopper. I am signed up with a few different companies. Some pay better than others, some want more info, and some we get free stuff from. It's kind of fun and it gives us a little pocket change. If anyone is interested in becoming a mystery shopper, let me know as I can hook you up. Just make sure that you never, I mean never, pay to become a mystery shopper!

I now tag. . . .Melissa, Alicia, Raela, and Jennifer! Fourth file, fourth picture.

Hip Hop Dance Class

The girls have been wanting to take dance classes forever! Because we decided to go through a charter school this year for our home school, the girls get to take their dance class. We opted to use part of our funds for them to take a few classes.

They are taking a Hip Hop Dance class, a Ballet/Tap Combo class, and an Art Class this semester. When it gets close to the end of the semester we will sit down with the girls and decide what they want to keep doing and what they don't and what else they might want to try.

Anyway, the girls have been to two Hip Hop classes and they are loving it! They are learning a routine to Natasha Bedingfield's Pocket Full Of Sunshine. It is so fun to watch all the girls in class as they are learning new steps and practicing old ones.







When they get home from class, Erik and I get a private viewing of what they learned that day. Anytime they show us anything from dance they have to warm-up first. Their teachers must have put enough emphasis on warming-up because won't even show you one step without warming-up!



Their dance teachers both say that the girls are doing very well for this being their first time ever! Lucky girls, guess they didn't get my sense of rhythm. ;)


Next time you see the girls ask them to show you some of their dance moves!