End of summer?

It's time for me to start thinking about school and all the things coming up such as fall.  I love fall and am looking forward to it but also not quite ready to let summer go.  I enjoy being outdoors even though bugs always seem to find me and I'm allergic to bees and they always come near me too.  I'm ready though to get my tomato crop and make my spaghetti sauce, go to apple orchards and get some tasty apples, pick a pumpkin and carve it for Halloween.
Speaking of Halloween I have to get the kid's costumes ready.  O will be a witch and I already have a hat and dress for her to wear so I guess she's all set.  X insists on a Pokemon related costume so we decided on Ash Ketchum (a pokemon trainer).  So I just basically have to make him a shirt like Ash wears and the baseball cap and he can just wear jeans and some fingerless green gloves and he can carry his stuffed Pikachu around.  Yeah I think I know way too much about Pokemon.
So add that to my LONG list of things I want to get done.  I just haven't been motivated or had time to work on a craft.  I spend my free time either reading or catching up on shows.  You would think I wouldn't have as much TV to watch in summer but I watch True Blood, Psych & I'm catching up on all the seasons of The Big Bang Theory.  Only 3 more episodes of True Blood left though.  On my to do list is tons of scrapbooking projects that I need to organize and do something about.  Some sewing projects including a new purse for myself.  I found a cute pattern for a child's messenger bag that I am going to make for my purse.  I am thinking of using denim.  Also I still have some material I was going to use to make O a purse.  Not to mention some refashioned shirts I have and also have an idea for a new t-shirt skirt I want to make for myself.  As for crocheting, I have to make Dan a new bookmark.  O chewed the end off and so I told him I'd make him a new one.
I'm sure I'll have even less time to do these things once school starts.  So for now I will enjoy what is left of summer.

Allergies Suck!

X had his first allergy test yesterday.  He's been miserable for the summer.  We've been giving him Zyrtec, Claritin or Benadryl whenever he seems bad and they seem to help.  They tested him for 24 things, outdoor and indoor things.  The experience sucked because he said it hurt and the nurse had a hard time spotting his back.  We found out he's allergic to dust mites, cats and birch trees.  So for the dust mites I just have to try to keep his room clean and dusted.  For the cat (poor Aries) we have to keep her out of his room.  I already clean and vacuum every week, wash all the sheets every week.  Unless I get rid of her, which I can't possibly do because she is part of the family.  As for the birch tree, there is one in our next door neighbor's yard that hangs over our backyard.  Also the in-laws have one in their front  yard.  The Dr said it would only be bad when they're pollinating, which is May-June (this explains why he was so bad then).  We go back in 3 months to see if what we have done has helped.  He also got a nasal allergy medicine to help.  He woke up better this morning.

The Tooth Fairy's First & Second Visit

On Monday I came home and X said "My tooth is really wiggly"  He was so excited.  So we worked on it all night until finally when he was getting ready for bed he pulled it.

Minutes after it being pulled:

Him holding the tooth:

The Tooth Fairy paid him a visit on Monday night.  Then I come home on Tuesday and he says "I think my other tooth is ready to come out too"  I look at it and tell him that it might be a couple of days.  He is determined so we work on it all night.  I yanked it really hard a few times and then made it bleed.  By that point it was in there very crooked and it just needed another yanking.  So I pulled it and he was so excited.  So the Tooth Fairy paid him another visit last night.  He was actually afraid that she wouldn't come to our house two nights in a row.  I told him that she works every night and doesn't mind.

Here he is after loosing his second tooth:

Holding the second tooth:

I think it will be a while before he looses any more since the top ones are barely loose.  But he's excited that he finally lost some.  And now he talks funny.

Up North

We went up to the north shore at the beginning of July.  We went last year and the kids loved it so we thought we'd go back.  Our first stop was Jay Cook State Park.

This is a suspension bridge.  I'm in the foreground with the hat and X is going across.  I absolutely hated crossing it and went fast.  But then X cut his hand on a rock and I had to cross it again with him to go back to the car for a bandage.  I guess I should have been carrying those around with me.

Down by the river on the shore.  Dan and the kids.

Me and the kids on some rocks.  I'm holding on really tight to O because she kept squirming.

After Jay Cooke we got to Duluth.  Since it was lunch time and I had packed some lunches we decided to picnic at Enger Tower.  They have this Japanese Bell because apparantly there is a sister city in Japan.  The kids kept ringing the bell and then we climbed the tower.

The whole family near the bell on a rock

Here is me with the kids in the tower while Dan took our picture

We are in the second window from the top.

We went to Canal Park.  We walked around, the kids fed a few sea gulls.

The next day after breakfast we headed further north to Tettegouche State Park.  Our plan was to hike up to the big falls and the on the way back stop at the smaller falls.  Well after a mile the kids were too tired to keep going and we stopped at the smaller falls.  We figured that the bigger falls were 1/2 mile away and that would mean 1.5 miles back and we did not want to be carrying two kids back. 

 

Me and the kids by the small falls.  Dan and X actually climbed up next to the falls but me and O decided to just stay back.

This is a different area where it's calm and there's a beach.  The kids enjoyed throwing the rocks in the water and finding some cool rocks.

This is the lift bridge in Duluth.  We were lucky enough to make it to Canal Park right when a ship was coming in.

This ship was a little over 1000ft long.  The kids thought it was cool.

On our last day there we went to The Great Lakes Aquarium.  It was either that or the zoo and the kids really wanted to see fish.

X petting a sting ray

O petting a sting ray with the help of daddy

On the balcony at the aquarium, there's the lift bridge behind them

Other things we did was eat at Red Lobster for dinner.  The kids loved seeing the live lobsters and X just LOVES shrimp and so he stuffed himself with shrimp.  We also went to go see Toy Story 3.  O got a little bored and X loved it.  We went swimming at our hotel and just walked around a lot.

Crepes for breakfast

I got a recipe for crepes that is super easy off the Parents website.  I've made it a couple of times and the kids have really liked it.  A couple of weeks ago I made it again and thought I'd post about it.  First here is the recipe.


1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
2 teaspoons cooking oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour


In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg and oil; slowly whisk flour, beating until well combined.


Coat a 6-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray.  Heat over medium heat; remove from heat and spoon 2 tablespoons batter into skillet, tilting skillet to spread batter evenly.  Return to heat; brown on one side only (1-2 minutes).  Invert pan over paper towels; remove crepe from pan.  Repeat with remaining batter.  Fill with whatever you want.

Here is my batter, I had to add a little extra milk to make it the right consistency.

Cooking it in a non-stick pan

Finished crepes, ready to be eaten

Stuffed with various things

The kids enjoying the crepes

Our filling choices:  honey, homemade strawberry preserves, peanut butter, nutella and cream cheese.

X insisted that he needed three things in his so he had cream cheese, nutella and peanut butter. His other one had peanut butter, honey and nutella.  O stuck with the basics, peanut butter and strawberry preserves.

Another new series

I really should NOT start reading any new series of books.  I mean I have tons and tons of books on my book list that I should really read before I start any new series.  If only I didn't work and I could spend all day reading then I could get through at least half of the books I want to read.  But unfortunately the only time I spend reading is on my lunch break and if I can squeeze it in after the kids go to bed and on weekends.  But I do still manage to read at least one book a week.  The new series that I started reading is actually one that's been on my list for a while, it's The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward.  It is about a brotherhood of vampires that fight soulless creatures named Lessers.  Lessers are humans that have sold their souls and their job is to kill other vampires and eventually wipe them out.  The brotherhood is composed of very strong vampires, almost a different race from regular vampires.  Each book focuses on a different brother and tells their story along with the main story that is going on with all the brothers.  So far I have read the first book and cannot wait to read the rest.  I know they look like romance novels, which is what they are categorized as but they have a story.  I normally don't read romance novels.  Here they are in order:

Book Trilogy

I started reading a book series that I really enjoy.  It's a trilogy by Suzanne Collins called The Hunger Games.  So far I've only read the first book and it has left me wanting more.  Unfortunately I am on a waiting list at the library for the second one, Catching Fire and also the third one Mockinjay, which will be release on August 24, 2010.  I'm excited to read the next two.

In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place.

By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.