Legoland Free Child Admission Winner

The Randomizer picked #2 - Sarah said... We've never been to Legoland but are hoping to go for the first time in June. I think my son will love the Volvo Junior Driving School. He's all about cars.

An e-mail has been sent to Sarah. Congrats and I hope your son has a great time.

Young Love 50's Style

We were out to lunch at Red Robin with the Moore's. Morgan did not finish her lunch so, even though we were out with others, the family rule applied. If you don't finish your meal, then no dessert. She started to cry and Caleb, being the absolute sweetheart that he is, offered to share his dessert - a chocolate milk shake.

It's an image straight out of a 50's diner, minus the bobby-socks.

Happy Birthday to Me

I woke up this morning to a lovely rendition of Happy Birthday by Morgan. She then asks me how old I am. When I told her, she informed me that I'm going to start shrinking and shrinking and I'm going to get wrinkles all over my face and then I'm going to die.

Nice. Real nice!

Camping and Cooking

Camping season is almost upon us. Mark has popped up the camper and is getting it all ready for our first camping trip of the season next weekend. Some people like that new car smell, but personally, I prefer that new camper smell. It brings back memories of fun-filled weekends hiking and enjoying the great outdoors.

Thanks to our friend Kevin Kopp, we have a neat new breakfast recipe we are excited to try out. It's called Ziplock Omelet and will be perfect for the kids. It's fun, easy, gets them involved in the cooking and the best part - no mess.

ZIPLOCK OMELET
Have everyone write their name on a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker. Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (not more than 2) shake to combine them. Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc. Each person adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for 13-15 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water. Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily.

Doesn't this look delicious?

Let Them Eat Cake

Sunday - We went to two birthday parties.

Party #1 was for Morgan's "boyfriend" at school, Cullen. There she had one HUGE piece of cake and several pieces of pinata candy.

Party #2 was for our close friend's son Caleb, or as Morgan likes to call him K-love (not to be confused with K-fed). There she had one piece of cake and was snuck a second piece by Sarah (not sure what I did to make Sarah mad enough at me to do this, but will have to find out).

Monday - Morgan had a cake hangover. Her teachers thought she was sick with the flu by how she was acting. While they were feeling her checks and forehead over and over, I explained it was just too much sugar.

Mark picks her up from school and gives her more candy. At dinner we discover that she also had cupcakes at school for Cullen's school celebration. Then we get a call from the Banaitis. It's Gavin's birthday and would we like to come over for some cake.

And here is the final result of all that sugar overload:

Attention to the Details

Morgan's art work has really evolved from drawing spiders (a circle with lines coming out of it) to adding more details. Below is a picture of a farm. She drew a pig, a cat, a dog, a roaster sitting on a barn, a flower, the farmer, a rabbit, a field of potatoes, a field of carrots, another flower and a field of corn. Who knew you could fit so many things on one piece of paper!

Legoland CA - Free Child Admission Giveaway (Ends 5/29)

Last summer, our family vacation was to California, including Legoland. While planning the trip I discovered that the Lego company offers a free Lego magazine and that each year, in one of the editions, they include a coupon for one free child admission with a paid adult admission. Of course, I immediately signed up for said magazine and took full advantage of this offer.

A year has gone by and I received this year's magazine edition with this year's coupon. While I would absolutely love to have another vacation to California, we will not be using the coupon this year. Instead of throwing out, I thought I would see if anyone else could get good use out of it.

This is NOT an actual ticket. this coupon must be exchanged at the Legoland California Resort ticket booth at the time of purchase to receive one free child admission with the purchase of a full priced one-day adult admission to Legoland. Valid only on the day of purchase at Legoland California. Cannot be applied to pre-purchase or online ticket sales, or combined with any other discounts or offers. Children 2 and under are already admitted free. Expires 12/31/09.


All you need to do is post a comment about which ride/attraction in Legoland is your kid's favorite or which one your family is looking forward to the most. That's it. I will Randomize a winner on May 29th at 5 pm MST. The winner will be contacted by e-mail, so please make sure your e-mail is in the comment or on your blog.

Show and Tell - Lubies

For the first time, I decided to join in the fun in a Blog Carnival. Not only did I find lots of new great sites, I also won a prize from A Wrestling Addicted Mommy and Morgan couldn't be more thrilled. I won a special Gold Star Lubies which is limited to a production of 500. These Lubies are so cute, cuddlyand soft. And being an active little girl, she loves the fact that it doubles as a ball she can throw around. The cow Lubies (which has yet to be named) was her Show-and-Tell at school today.


Get your own Lubie at Rocket USA. They have everything from cats and dogs to sharks and panda bears.

The Goldfish Update

It has been two weeks since we first got Goldie. Since then we have been through Goldie, Red Light and Red Light the 2nd. Luckily, Morgan hasn't been too phased by the untimely deaths of these fish. As a matter of fact, she wanted to feed them to Abbey our cat. You know, as a special little treat. YUM!

I'm hoping we don't get a fourth fish. And if we do, I would lean her towards a Beta/Chinese Fighting Fish. Those things don't die even when you stop cleaning their bowl and it becomes a seas-pool of green algae. And then you stop feeding it for weeks, but that's OK because it lives off the algae. Plus it's fun to put a mirror infront of their tank and watch them puff up their fins and try and charge the mirror. Not, that I would know first hand. I was always very responsible with my fish when I was in college.

Strange Girl

More proof that my child is a bit different. This is what happens when she's left alone with a box of stickers.
I'm only thankful it wasn't a Sharpie!

The $80 Free Goldfish

Yes, I realize that my title is an oxymoron. And I've also learned a lesson about supposed free things.

Morgan went to a school carnival with our friends and neighbors. There were games, face painting, balloon animals and food. And then there was the most popular game. The game where all the kids lined up along the gymnasium, wishing and praying to win while the parents were wishing and praying they lost. And we wished this even though there were tears coming from the losing kids. What is this game you ask? The dreaded ping pong ball in the fish bowl game. Where the "prize" for winning is a goldfish in a plastic bag.


Morgan did not win this game and there was some lip quivering, while inside I was doing the happy dance. But then, then an older child came up to Morgan. One who had played this game before and was holding in her hand a goldfish. She asked that horrible question to Morgan: would you like my fish? To which Morgan's face light-up and she nodded vigorously. Before I knew it and before I could open my mouth to protest, Morgan was standing there with the fish in her hand, the other child long gone. That other girl was a smart girl. And quick

The next day we head out to Petco to buy a tank and some food. I'm thinking we will pick up a small, little thing. $20 at the most. It's just a goldfish after all. But then the evil salesman enters the scene and informs me - in front of Morgan - that if I don't buy at least a 5 gallon tank the fish will die within 6 months at the most. I look down at Morgan, look at the $19 tank in my hand and look at the $60 tank he is pointing to. He played the "you don't want your kids pet to die right away, now do you" card. Not wanting to be labeled a killer, I grudgingly grab the bigger tank. Along with the stones. Along with the food. Along with the fake plant.

Suddenly the free goldfish isn't so free anymore. Actually, it's down right expensive!

Momdot's 31 Bloggers in 31 Days Giveaway

If you haven't heard yet, Momdot is hosting a blogger party in celebration of Trish's 31st birthday through out the month of May.

Every day they will add a NEW featured blogger that is handing out a present. Your only job is to hop over to visit their blog, leave them some comments, enter their birthday present contest and come back the next day to do it again!

Click here to get started.

And if that isn't cool enough, they are also giving away a $3800 HomePlace Structures Swingset.

Experience outdoor living at its finest with HomePlace Structures custom Amish crafted outdoor products. Enhance your property with a stylish yet functional garden building, garage, or gazebo. For the kids, HomePlace Structures also offers exciting playhouses and playsets. Its line of play structures from Pinnacle Play Systems include the best, most innovative ways to have fun: towers and lofts, playhouse lofts, ships/castles, and combination units.

HomePlace Structures exists to provide a variety of structures that add comfort, enjoyment and function to properties nationwide -- accenting homes, parks, businesses, and gardens. We customize playhouses, garden buildings, gazebos, garages and Pinnacle Play Systems for discriminating buyers across the United States, shipping from our base among the Amish of Lancaster County, PA.

To enter the HomePlace Structures contest, click here.

The Mini-Dog Trainer

If you have been following my previous posts, you will know that we have been doing some serious dog training around our house. Tonka still needs to be on leash and on command at all times, even in the house. This weekend, Morgan decided that her stuffed dogs also needed some training.

She was dragging them around the house saying Sit. Heel. Sit. Good boy. all day long.

She's Her Own Worse Enemy

Morgan is extremely emotional. She feels things with ever fiber of her being. When she is happy, she is smiling, jumping, giggling and squelling out load. When she is upset she is screaming, thrashing and stomping. There is no question about what she is feeling at any given time.

We have been working on appropriate behavior for when she is upset, for what seems like forever. Recently, she had the mother of all temper tantrum. She was on the floor thrashing around like a fish out of water - completely out of control. Suddenly, her screams of anger turn to screams of pain. I ask her what is wrong. She replies that she kicked herself in the face. Yes, she had such a terrible tantrum that she gave herself a black eye with her knee.

This picture doesn't do the damage justice, but you can see her right eye has a mark underneath it.

Just maybe, she's learned her lesson?