Sparkler Fun

We enjoyed little fireworks in our backyard on July 3rd and 4th. Here you see Sarah and Michael drawing with their red sparklers. They liked them a lot! We were afraid that Michael might set someone on fire, but everyone survived unscathed. Sarah even enjoyed an egg-salad sandwich while sparkling away.

Good meals

We've had a few good meals lately, and wanted to share them with you.

Bratwurst Spaghetti
Cook bratwurst in a pan with some apple juice or other liquid.
Drain and slice into thin circles.
Add onion, black pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.
Sprinkle with 1-1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar.
Pour Aldi spaghetti sauce over bratwurst in original pan and heat through.
Serve over cooked Barilla pasta.
The children will ask for seconds!

Barbeque Chicken Pizza
Cook pre-cooked chicken bits (we roasted a whole chicken in the crockpot the day before) in good barbeque sauce until warm. We like Sweet Baby Ray's barbeque sauce.
Mix more barbeque sauce into an equal amount of spaghetti sauce.
Spread mixed sauce on mostly cooked pizza crust.
Spoon warmed chicken bits over sauce.
Sprinkle onion slices over pizza.
Cover with shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.
Add sliced jalepeno peppers if you like.
Bake at 400 until cheese is melted and crust is done.

Doctor Sarah

Sarah has been taking good care of her stuffed animals lately. Here is Baby Yellow Bunny receiving her night time medicine from Doctor Sarah. Sarah made a soft pink bed with a blanket she can pull over Bunny's eyes to keep the light out as she carries the bed around. Sarah also cooks Bunny's medicine fresh for every dose, so she has some pots and pans handy right at Bunny's bedside. We are sure that Bunny will be feeling better soon with such a caring doctor.

Napkin Dancing

Have you ever experienced Napkin Dancing? My old friend Lori taught it to David at a wedding dance this weekend. David kept saying that he just didn't know how to dance, and Lori, the former PE teacher, found a way to make dancing fun for all. They started with Fork Dancing, which is simply waving a fork in time to the music, and progressed to Napkin Dancing with cloth napkins taken from unused glasses at the reception. Napkin Dancing caught on with the flower girl as well, bringing much joy to the dance floor.

David and Lori also discovered how to fold their napkins into babushka scarves. A good time was had by all.

Little Friends

We just had a fun trip to Iowa, where we got to see many of my old friends and got to play with our little friends. Here is the annual picture of the gang--they are aged almost 1, 2, 3, almost 4, 5, and 6. Last year they danced together at Tammy's wedding, and this year they played at Grandma's house and Anson Park.

The girls especially appreciated each others' company, as they are both surrounded by brothers at home.

We also enjoyed pizza and delicious rhubarb crisp together.

Birthday Fun

Here are some pictures of the crab fishing race and the Play-Doh activities at David's birthday party last week. The boy in the red and blue shirt walking down the sidewalk is the clear winner of the crab race--he's already done with his marshmallow, and everyone else is still trying to figure out how to take a bite! Michael is looking at the string, deciding whether he should try the crab walk or just pick it up and eat it. :)
Sea urchins were a popular creature for the kids to make after David showed us how to break toothpicks and stick them in a ball of Play-Doh.

Jellyfish Cake!

David just had a party for his 6th birthday! Three friends from preschool came over for an ocean-themed party on Thursday. We had an Eggless Crazy Cake in the shape of a jellyfish, Ocean Water punch (blue Kool-Aid with Swedish Fish candy in it), and Goldfish crackers to eat. For entertainment, the kids (including Sarah and Michael, of course) did the crab walk across the yard to a bunch of marshmallows hanging from the clothesline, which they had to try to eat without using their claws (hands). They also played Pass the Prickly Sea Urchin, which is very much like Hot Potato. Whoever was holding the Sea Urchin (spiky ball) when the music stopped would leave the circle. The winners of these games got to dig for buried treasures in the sandbox, then share the prize boxes with everyone.

We also made a jellyfish pinata similar to the one from Cinco de Mayo (pictures are on another mom's camera) and eventually destroyed it with a snow brush stick. Everyone got several turns at hitting the pinata, and it exploded nicely!

It was pretty hot outside, and the mosquitoes were terrible, so we spent as much time as possible inside after the games were done.

While inside, we ate the cake, including some of the frosting tentacles, made Play-Doh sea creatures, and decorated goody bags with fun foam sea life stickers. David also got to open some very thoughtful gifts from his friends. All of the kids batted blue balloons around the living room to finish off the occasion.

The party was all over in about 90 minutes, but will be a happy memory for a long time.