Wonton Soup

Today, the girls and I tried our hand at homemade won ton soup topped with fried won ton skins.  We also made homemade chicken and vegetable fried rice and added store-bought egg rolls to round out our meal.

Abby's duties were pouring the broth into the stockpot, washing all the vegetables, and watching out for Daddy.  Ellie beat the eggs for the rice, set the table, peeled the carrots, prepared the egg rolls and did all the math calculations for the timing of our dishes (ex: if we flip the egg rolls halfway through the 12 minute cooking time -- what is half of 12?  what time on the clock do we need to add the chicken if we're cooking the veggies for 5 minutes first?).  I love my little kitchen helpers!!

Our soup was yummy!!

I think it was a hit!
Daddy got home from work just in time to enjoy the meal prepared by his three girls!  Next week, I think we'll try homemade pasta.

S'mores!

Well, this isn't a s'more, but it's a tired little girl.  Tim took this photo -- we can't get enough of sweet sleeping photos around here!

Daddy whipped up a fun dessert last night -- Grilled banana s'mores!  Oh my goodness they were delicious.  He grilled the bananas until they were caramelized and melted down, then we topped our graham crackers with marshmallow creme, chocolate and the bananas.  Mmmmm!!  Sticky, melty, gooey and super tasty!!

Yummy!!!!

Ellie ended up with marshmallow on her nose and in her hair -- I think that's a sign of a very good dessert!

Camellias & Ballerinas

Here's Abby with a very special camellia in Granna's garden -- the Camille Camellia -- just like Abby Camille!  Abby is calling it the Abby Camille Camellia.  It's lovely!

Abby is loving ballet, just like big sister does!  Here she is warming up with sweet Lizzie, one of the helpers in class (notice the cute stuffed animals wearing tutus!).

Abby & Hannah Elaine

Pretty pink ballerinas!  Cile, Abby, Hannah Elaine with Mrs. Kathy!

Mamie Martin Reading Fair 2012

On Thursday, Ellie turned in her reading fair project at school.  This year, she chose The Ballad of Valentine, a whimsical children's book (to the tune of My Darlin' Clementine) about a romantic admirer trying to get a lady named Valentine to be his valentine.
Ellie worked so hard on this project.  We went to Hobby Lobby and she selected all her supplies and props. She spent a great deal of time writing all the information by hand in pencil and going back over it in sharpie, painting her mailbox, and putting the storyboard together.  We are so proud of her perseverance and creativity! 

Little valentines for Valentine in a mailbox painted like the one in the book.

At the end, Valentine becomes his valentine!  Ellie used her dollhouse people to portray the characters.

Ellie's story summary.
She also had to include the theme, tone, publisher, author, main characters, setting and conflict/resolution somewhere on the storyboard. 

We set it up just outside her classroom Thursday morning.  During the morning, the judges came around to each classroom for judging.  They called the students out of class to be interviewed.  Ellie said they asked her the title, author, publisher and publication date.

SHE WON FIRST PLACE for second grade!!!  Hooray for Ellie!  (see the blue ribbon! and the very proud smile! this is the photo the school took for their website)

Ellie told us all about it after school.  She said they announced the winners over the loudspeaker.  Her category was the last announced -- overall winner for Second Grade, Individual Project.  She said when they called her name, her whole class jumped up and started cheering and hopping around.  Ellie was speechless with excitement!
When she got in the car at parent pick-up, she handed me a note that said "Dear Mommy, Love Ellie.  I got FIRST PLACE in the reading fair!!" -- she was so excited she couldn't even say the words! 

Later that evening, family members were invited to view all the entries.  All the children did such a great job on their storyboards.  Very impressive work!

FIRST PLACE RIBBON!!!  Hooray Ellie!

Her storyboard is still at school waiting for the District Judging  next week.

Blue Day!

Last Wednesday was BLUE day in Abby's class.  The children were asked to wear blue so Abby selected this blue dress (and is ready with her favorite toddler busy book and book bag!).  In class, they learned all about the color blue -- they painted with blue paint, colored blue rectangles and had a very blue snack of blueberry yogurt and blue iced cookies.   Fun day!

Random Phone Photos

Some of my favorite photos these days are taken with my cell phone.  Here are a few random, recent shots!
My sweet lunch date, Ellie, at Sweet Peppers in Renaissance shopping center where we had a  mommy-Ellie afternoon, shopping & hanging out.  We had such a lovely day, just the two of us, window shopping and chatting.

All bundled up on one of the very few cold mornings we've had this winter.  She LOVES her scarf and hat -- she's ready for more cold days!

Don't take my picture when I first wake up!!!!  Seriously!!!!!

My little car-pool buddy!  While we're parked and waiting in the long line outside Ellie's school, Abby likes to climb up in the front seat and read books with me.

After school Mardi Gras treats at Janie's Bakery

Another visit to Janie's bakery -- this time for donuts early one morning! 
(After her big pajama day at school, Abby is totally into wearing her jammies outside the house often!)

Mmmm!!  Big giant donuts!!  Ellie wasn't sure which one to devour first so she opted for alternating bites of each!

Enjoying our day off  from school and work (MLK Day) in the warm sunshine!  
Ellie moved up this week to the highest reading level in the school library.  We're so proud of our little reader!!

And here's a photo Granna took of Abby at Granna and Papa's after one of their big pancake making sessions!
  
Sweet times!

GO EAGLES!!! Hanging out in Hattiesburg!

Saturday, we went to Hattiesburg for a little day trip.  We started with a delicious restaurant at Crescent City Grill, one of our favorite restaurants.   Ellie ate a huge salad, crab cake & cheese grits while Abby enjoyed a burger and cheese grits (and REALLY enjoyed the homemade ice cream sandwich dessert!).  After our entrees, Tim and I shared an amazing King Cake bread pudding made with donuts and warm cream cheese filling (about 5 million calories, I'm sure!).

After our tasty meal, Abby and I dropped Tim and Ellie off on campus so they could watch a USM basketball game.

Ellie LOVED her first college basketball game.  She was fascinated by the player's heights as they were announced and enjoyed all the action on the court.  It was a great game, USM beat Marshall.  Yay Eagles!

While they were at the game, Abby and I hung out on campus for a few minutes, then hit Starbucks to fuel up before some serious power shopping!

Where's Abby?

Pajama Day!

Abby got to wear pajamas to school last week!   It was Pajama Day for the 2's!
She was very serious about picking out just the right nightgown and slippers.  She chose this pink heart one Santa brought her and dressed her Bitty Baby in the matching gown.

She thought it was soooooo funny to wear jammies, not regular clothes, to Mrs. Holly's class.  She giggled the entire drive to school! 
When we arrived, to Abby's great delight, Mrs. Holly was wearing footie-jammies.  Mrs. Holly was so cute in her grown up version of the snuggly pj's. Mrs. Holly read the children lots of night-night books that day. 

 Here are Abby, Mrs. Holly, Macel, Livi, Lylah, James and Tyndale in their jammies!  Such a cute group!

100th Day of School!

Last week, Ellie's school celebrated their 100th day of the school year!    Ellie's class made adorable headbands to wear throughout the day and they did lots of fun activities revolving around the number 100.

 Each child was asked to bring 100 items to count and share with their classmates.  Ellie chose to bring valentine conversation heart candy.  Yummy!  She came home with a baggie filled with all sorts of counted items -- Hershey kisses, cereal, skittles, m&ms & even more candy (I think they ate as much as they counted!). 

Such a great way to celebrate their 100th day of school!

(sideways!) Here's Ellie's 100 day of school worksheet! 
It says:  I could carry 100 bows, but I couldn't carry 100 pencils!  I could eat 100 mini M&M's but I couldn't eat 100 cookies.  I could put 100 pencils in my desk but I couldn't put 100 elephants in my desk!  I wish I had 100 American Girl Dolls, but I am glad I do not have 100 sisters. . . I think one is enough.

(so funny!)

The weekend was brought to you by the letter P.

Last weekend, Daddy had a church men's retreat so I surprised Ellie and Abby with a girls weekend. 

It was full of the letter P:
 Pizza (at Fox's)
pajamas
Piggly Wiggly (for treat ingredients)
parfaits (smoothies!)
penguins (Mr. Popper's Penguins on DVD, very cute!)
 Pinkalicious (new audiobook CD)
pancakes
 painting
puzzles and lots of
 play!!

Papa & Granna gave Ellie a cool smoothie & Popsicle maker for Christmas so we made yummy parfait/smoothies Friday evening before our movie.  Ellie selected several recipes from the instruction book and did a great job measuring out the ingredients.

Abby was unsure about the ice-crunching noise!

Yummy!!!  Ellie's strawberry/blueberry/apple juice/yogurt smoothie!

Abby (with the mystery rash on her poor cheek!) and her banana/blueberry/yogurt/apple juice smoothie.  Delicious!!

Saturday morning, Ellie selected a tasty banana pancake recipe from her new cookbook (and wore her new ruffle apron!). 

They were delicious -- very light, almost like crepes.  Mmmm!!!

Abby requested a Mickey Mouse pancake!

Painting!
It was a PERFECT weekend!  I love these girls!