Thursday, June 30, 2011

CHINA

Our campers jumped right into a Chinese restaurant.
They wrote in Chinese.
They chopped and rolled some egg rolls.
They shredded carrots.
And shredded carrots.
And shredded carrots.
And made some sweet Chinese treats.
With fortunes and everything.  Their own clever, handwritten fortunes.
And then we said goodbye.  And wished them all their little fortunes to come true.  Especially the one that said You Will Have One Million Dollars Someday and Live in a Mansion by Kate and Delaney.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Menu...MEXICO

Our theme for the week was Cooking Around the World.  We had to pick 4 countries, one for each day.  We had so many yummy ideas...we are still sad we left out France and crepes, and cream puffs, and eclairs...oh my!  But, we did.  Moved on.  And our taste buds survived.
MEXICO

We started with some limes.
Then mixed up some salsa.


And jarred it up.

A batch of taquitos...
and cinnamon chips
and it was one big Mexican fiesta!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Cooking with some Characters

Meet my partner Hillary.  She has been my 2nd spouse for the last few weeks.  I couldn't ask for a better cooking "other half."

at Smart & Final, on a shopping run
Max with his binky, Henry buried under chinese take-out boxes

She is a character.  A hard-working, amazing cooking, fast dish-washing character!  We were serious business about this cooking camp.  But at the end of a long, sweaty day, we would get a serious case of the giggles just reflecting back on our insanity!

These little characters made this camp a success.  One of my favorite things this week was seeing eyes light up while fingers chopped and stirred.  I was so proud of these little chefs.  I loved watching them pick basil from my backyard, stir the marinara sauce, push carrots into the food processor, roll up their very own taquito, press together 2 chocolate wafers and see the filling squish out, and dip the butter cookies in chocolate.  And the best sight was the smiles and the excitement that appeared when they each saw what they had made.


Characters welcome in my kitchen anytime!

Monday, June 27, 2011

cooking by the dozens

Almost 2 dozen happy little cooking campers came and went today.  They came...they cooked, ate, baked, colored, played, word-scrambled, chopped, stirred, laughed, canned, bow-tied, dish-washed...and then they left.  Although my house might appear as if a stampede of muddy-pawed st. bernards came and went.



By the Numbers:

1  Day of camp under our belts!!  Yee-ha!

2  Dishwasher runs

3  Tables aka "kitchen work stations" sit where my kitchen table was yesterday

4  Diet Cokes to get Hillary through the day!  Well, maybe just 3 1/2!

5  Mixing bowls, used, washed, used, washed, used, washed

6  Batches of salsa prepared

12  Cups of chopped tomatoes, chopped and measured

25  Limes squished, zested, and squeezed

36 Colorful aprons hang in the hall

48  Taquitos prepped, baked, and just about eaten

72  Tortillas....gone!

Photos will have to wait until tomorrow.  Picasa is not cooperating!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

soccer CHAMPIONS!!

Abbey returned from the indoor soccer awards ceremony with 2 big trophies.  She knew she would receive one.  Her team was undefeated.  Season champions!  Her team was called up to the front and cheered on by the rest of the teams as they were handed the shiny awards.




The second trophy Abbey is holding up was a sweet surprise.  She received the sportsmanship award from her coaches.  She was beaming!


Coach Amanda told me that Abbey never gave up and always tried and that's why she was such a great sport!  She repeated the story that a friend watching their soccer game said to her that she loved how the little girl (Abbey) would take direction...as the coaches would yell to her where to be or what to do on the court, she would make eye contact and say, "OKAY!"  

We are so proud of her!  I have discovered that once in a while you get to be a part of the winning team...you get lucky, and you enjoy every minute of it!  Abbey loved being able to tell all her friends her team was undefeated!  She loved the girls on her team that worked together and made undefeated possible!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

LISTS: TO REMEMBER (this week)

I love lists.  I make lists for all kinds of things:  to do, to clean, to organize, to buy, to cook, and on and on!  I also cheat a bit and put things on a list that I have accomplished already just so I can have a few items crossed off.  Because it's really the happiest feeling to have a list of crossed off to do's.

This week's to do list was never-ending.  Places to be, things to make, treats to bring, presents to buy...it would all get crossed off, and I'm happy to be looking back at the week, having survived!  We missed a few naps and a couple of showers (this might include me) but we made it through!

So here it is.  Our TO DO list for last week (the highlights), in no particular order.  Now, more of a TO REMEMBER list.

  • Help in Landen's Classroom for the last time...we made Father's Day treats
  • Landen's Father's Day Kindergarten Celebration...
there was singing 

and these adorable portraits!
  • Attend 2nd Grade Awards Ceremony

Abbey received the Kindness & Responsibility Award

Layne gets credit for creatively playing on the floor during the program

  • Birthday Breakfast at Bagel Shack
  • Birthday Party for Landen's buddy Wright
  • Get to last Soccer Practice
  • A Soccer Game...1st playoff game!  Ladybugs vs.   
Abbey playing goalie
fighting for the ball
LADYBUGS WIN!!
  • The Soccer Championship Game!  Ladybugs vs. Goal Crashers
  • Make championship cupcakes

LADYBUGS WIN AGAIN!!  They reign undefeated!
  • Build a garden box
more of a "honey-do" item
  • Plant the garden box:  go to Lowe's, have the kids pick veggies, have the kids help plant
  • Late Night Cooking Camp meeting with my awesome partner Hillary!  We literally talked food until midnight!  We love it!
our bucket of cooking camp tricks
  • Go visit Lisa and her new baby girl...welcome Alyssa Lauren!
  • Go fill up the car.  Going to the gas station frequently ends up at the bottom of the list.  This time, it didn't get crossed off.  As in, I didn't make it to the station.  As in, I ran out of gas, with 2 of my kids and 1 borrowed kid in the car, panicking along with me!  My to-do quickly became, make a fun adventure out of running out of gas!
Kylie, on her most adventurous playdate ever! Ab, Layners & the sputtering Yukon in the background

grateful my camera was in the car...this photo shoot gave us all something fun to do!
grateful we were stranded by the dog park and the nature trails
grateful I was dropping off at a party, and 2 friends were not too far behind
super grateful for Craig Mordock...one of those friends who came to our rescue and was back in a flash to bring gasoline and get us back on the move


And now we get to sit.  And be couch potatoes for a minute.  Until we wake up Monday morning to the last week of school...the kindergarten carnival, the second grade park day, game day, the teacher's gifts, the lunch box exchange, and the sock hop!   Just another TO DO list waiting to be made!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

A Giveaway!

The first All About the Ericksons Giveaway!  Today we have 3 amazing items to give away!  These 3 from the Erickson house are a little cranky cuddly, smelly, smart, and pesty, perky.  Leave a comment with your preference in the comment section.  Winners will be announced tomorrow!




They do look kind of adorable don't they?  Let me tell you how cute they are all snuggled in their beds fast asleep. It didn't look this way a little earlier though.  The sun came up.  Then there was screaming and gnashing of teeth over what church dress to wear.  Then hatched the boy who didn't want to do_____.  Just fill in the blank with any direction that a mom would give.  Add some explanation points at the end of every stubborn response that came out of his mouth.  Then came a couple of potty accidents.  at a friend's house.  a friend's new, rather large house. {I do live in the OC, remember} and whining, whining, whining.  Not from the potty accident cleaner as might be expected.  But the potty trainer herself.  Go figure.  The sun went down.   

Yep.  There were many moments throughout this long Sunday that I could have given 1 away.  or 2.  or 3.  But then the sun goes down and all is peaceful again.  And there's a good chance that the sun will rise over happier, more agreeable Erickson kids tomorrow.

If not, a winner will be announced.  Good luck! 

Thursday, June 2, 2011

A Banner Day

It was a banner day!  

This little girl scored 2 goals!  2 amazing kicks!!  2 soccer balls sailing into the goal!!


See her messy hair and sweaty smile?  She worked hard!  Her first points of the indoor soccer season.  She has a powerhouse little team.  Undefeated and headed to the playoffs next week.  Today was her big day.  She got some powerhouse cheers from the crowd!

And this littler girl is becoming a bigger little girl.

potty training in Nemo swim diapers

We moved up from swim diapers to Dora undies today.  I couldn't talk Layne out of the swim diapers.  Explaining to her that these diapers are for the swimming pool and the other pull-up diapers are for potty training was like speaking another language!  The only thing she was understanding was that one stack had Nemo on them and the other stack had Lightening McQueen.  Leftovers from Landen.  I was too cheap to buy the Ariel pull-ups, so we settled on the Nemo swimmies.  They all work about the same anyway! 

But, today, she didn't have Nemo or Lightening Mcqueen on.  She had on Dora.  Big girl undies!  And, she stayed dry!  From soccer game, to a friend's baptism, to IHOP, and home.  Dry.  

A banner day.

kindergarten vs. second grade

These kiddies were super excited to bring us to their classrooms and play tour guide through all the art projects, science experiments, and "word walls" in their little world.

We hopped in the car and Landen yelled, "We are going to my class first!"

And then Abbey exclaimed, "No!?  We are going to my class first!"

Apparently they had put some hours into this debate already and were prepared to make their case for which classroom had to be seen first.  I thought for a minute about a way to solve this diplomatically.  Something that resembled fair.  Because these kids were getting a little heated and I was hearing lots of "BUT, MOM!!"

Then R parked, walked to the book fair, and then walked to the first classroom we stumbled upon.  Problem solved.  No one complained.  Sometimes I wish I had come to this earth as "Dad."


This little boy has loved every minute of kindergarten!  Minus the handwriting.  And maybe minus the word study sorts.  But, everything else has been new and exciting and he has had a great year! 


Tour Guide Landen standing right in front of his Dad.  I hung back from the tour to snap some pictures and keep track of Layne.  Everyday she dreams of going to school.  She could not contain herself in this classroom of books and blocks and small tables and small chairs.  I was barely keeping up with her new discoveries!


Second grade was the next stop.  Pictured here, Abbey's desk and on her desk her portfolio of amazing projects!  I love a teacher who gives you something so cute and well-put together to keep forever!  Her classroom was full of beautiful things they had made this year.  


My favorite display wall was this one.  Each black & white photo of the student sits above "What I Learned in Second Grade."  Abbey wrote that her favorite subject was science.  I have heard all year about life cycles, small experiments, and the tadpoles and butterfly cocoons in her class.  She has really enjoyed studying the world around her!  She also loves reading and writing creative stories.  I think I know where she got that from!

It's been a great year watching Landen at the very beginning...learning to read and write and play nice on the playground!
And, it's been exciting to see Abbey jump into new territory, like science and history, which she has loved learning about!

It's been a kindergarten vs. second grade kind of year.  You just can't pick which grade is more exciting, more rewarding or more challenging!  Definitely a tie.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Wishing it was still Memorial Day!

It was back to work yesterday.

It was back to work for all the work I didn't finish yesterday, today.

But, it was a fun weekend!  And a very fun day off.

Saturday was a run/run...first Royal, then my turn.  I love to go at 8am instead of 6am...such a treat!
Royal got a fun golf invite, so off he went, and it was me and the kiddos.  Soccer game, then playing out with our neighborhood friends, until the sun went down.  It was a full road rally with every wheeled toy we own, and the Murrays own, out on the street...and 2 moms on foot trying to keep up!  Jenna and I are seriously outnumbered...I think we need some wheels too!

this looks quite tame...trust me, it really is complete chaos!

Sunday, calm.  Just the way it should be!

Then, Happy Memorial Monday! we started at Walmart.  Somehow always a necessary stop before heading to the beach!  Then, off to Doheny to meet some friends, grill some hot dogs, and dig in the sand!

iphone beach shots
this is the "Sand Pool" built by my kids and these cute Puckett kids

We are lucky to frequently receive these incoming text from the Moodys:  We are at Dohe...join us! 
Translation:  It will be a fun day at Doheny beach with the Moodys, and plenty of other friends!

We were home exactly 1.5 hours to shower, dress, and bake a little treat for Aunt Whitney's belated birthday!  We met at Cafe Rio with Uncle Ryan, Aunt Whitney and the Kershaws for dinner and cupcakes.

loopy, silly, nap-less layne

Abbey in our fabulous,local Cafe Rio

cupcakes, or as Layne would say:  cup-a-cakes

Aunt Ashley...Happy Birthday to you!  One of these in the mail for ya!  Please look for a chocolate & vanilla iced Priority mail box coming your way!  just kidding



NOW:  washing towels, emptying the cooler, putting away beach toys, doing the laundry that got skipped on laundry-day-Monday, vacuuming sand out... of just about everything!  wishing another holiday was in view!