Helado ("llado")

Brian wanted soft serve ice cream the other day after dinner so we told N2 that if they ate a good dinner they could have a treat (sadly this is what we need to say now for them to eat a good dinner).  The local place to get soft serve is McDonalds.  Sad, isn't it?  Clearly someone would make good money if they opened up an ice cream shop in Wauconda!  Brian asked N2 if they wanted Helado (Spanish for ice cream).  They of course said yes (not sure why as they don't speak Spanish) and kept repeating "llado" as we were driving.  We got them each their own ice cream cone. They've actually never had an ice cream cone before (at least not a big one).  It was quite entertaining!

Noah insisted on taking itty bitty licks where he would hardly get anything on his tongue.  Natalie on the other hand took giant bites from the sides of the cones rather than the top.  They had such a great time and ended up quite sticky!

Mad Hatter Birthday Party

Grandma's birthday was on Friday so we had Grandma and Grandpa up for a delicious birthday dinner of lemon pepper steak, red potatoes with butter and parsley, spinach strawberry salad, green beans and watermelon.  Natalie and Noah had sausage.  As soon  as  Noah finished his dinner  (which actually included some fresh spinach!) he pushed his plate away and said "Cake."  Noah is clearly following in his Uncle David's footsteps!   Noah is OBSESSED with cake!  He has learned that birthdays equal cake. He has even learned how to sing the happy brithday song and now sings it all the time.  Noah also announced that he needed a party hat when we had cake.  I  have no party hats (I know, what kind of mother am I???) so we scrounged around and found all of our "dress up hats."  Brian even found some of his hats that he used  to wear in high school (which is another story).  So our birthday party became a mad hatter party.  Here's a  look at us in hats (I was wearing a hard hat too).

Grandma just brought  Natalie that dress because I told her most of Natalie's dresses (that were Amelia's) were too short and a little scandalous in my book even for a 2 year old.  So Grandma found her a nice cute dress which now has watermelon stains in it that I can't get out.  Boo.   Anywho, Natalie and Noah were happy to sit on Grandma's lap during the singing (which they did not sing) and helped Grandma blow  out the candles.  Luckily no spit ended up on the cake.

Natalie and Noah every much enjoyed their cake (Noah even asked for more) which turned out quite well for my first time making it.  The icing was a little different and  I wonder if everyone cuts out the salt that it calls for?

Think Twice

You know, I really should think twice before I jump into an activity with N2.   My sister told  me how much fun her daughter had playing with baking  soda and vinegar so I thought, what the heck I  should try it too.  Once I get an idea in my head it's quite hard to dissuade me.  I only had one medicine dropper so we trekked out to Walgreens to get another one (we had to go there anyways) and wouldn't you know it, they were all out at the pharmacy counter!  But hey we got free coloring books at the pharmacy!  So then we went to Jewel to get one and  luckily they had one.  We also scored a free 2 liter bottle of Cherry Dr. Pepper.  Free today only!  I think from when I  first got the idea to when  we started was over an hour.

N2 were quite excited to have some fun.  I gave them each their own  baking soda box with a teaspoon and cup with green vinegar (they both wanted green) with a medicine dropper and showed them what happens when you squirt vinegar on top of baking soda.  The fizzing was quite cool!  They were quite enthusiastic.  However neither of them could use a medicine dropper.  They didn't quite get how to squeeze  the bulb, put it in the liquid  and let it go.   So I showed them how over and over again with hopes that they could do it themselves.  Fail.  Occasionally they would get a little vinegar in the dropper themselves but not much.  They  could however get the baking soda on the pan so we would have mounds of baking soda just  waiting for vinegar.

My patience was wearing out at this point  because they just couldn't get how to use the medicine dropper and they kept sticking the tip in the baking soda or sticking the spoon in the liquid so  I kept having to wash things out.  Then came the real kicker-Natalie managed to knock over her cup of vinegar (which I had JUST refilled) and it spilled all over the  table, herself and the floor.   She was NOT happy to have green vinegar all over her.  Nor was I happy to have green vinegar all  over everything (it even went under the booster seat).  I  stuck her in the  tub, clothes and all, cleaned up the vinegar and declared the science experiment over!  The silver lining here is that I've heard the vinegar  is a good cleaner for the floor-so  at least the floor under  the table is clean!    However my house smells like vinegar.  I  think this is project for when 2 adults are around.  Or perhaps I should  let them use syringes-those might be easier to use.