Package from Utah

Our state culture swap package from Utah has arrived.  It contained Utah postcards, brochures, a map, recreation guides, hot cocoa, salt-water taffy, a Jacob's ladder game, a Utah chocolate truffle bar, a lacing project in the shape of Utah, statue symbol flash cards, instruction and equipment for how to play a pioneer game called Graces, lime Jello mix, information about Utah's signature foods and recipes, info about how Utah was settled, and state facts.

The kids really liked it, especially the salt-water taffy.  L really enjoyed the Jacob's ladder and he liked the flash cards too.  V said the hot cocoa was yummy!

Now that he has an idea of what to expect,  L is very much looking forward to the arrival of the other state packages.

Books we read this week

These are most of the books that we read this week (plus Keeley who decided to lay on them right as I was taking this picture).

D and I were planning on learning about South Africa, but we only got around to reading 2 books about it and watching one travel DVD.  There was just too much going on now with more kids.


But Friday was just me and D and it was our last full day together for a while.  We did all of D's favorite things.  We played ball outside, we played Barbies, we had tacos for lunch, we baked a cake and decorated it, we played some games, we talked about the meanings of different words, we looked for Halloween costume ideas, we drew with window crayons, and we discussed how things would be next week with school starting.  It was a rough week for her with the new little kids so I hope she had a good day.

Beans from the garden

Today we picked some yellow beans from the garden to go with our lunch.  We steamed the beans and also made mashed potatoes and mini-meat loaves.  D likes to pick vegetables and she loves cooking... but eating, that's another story.  I figure that she is my payback for being such a picky eater myself, when I was a kid.  Hey, at least she drank all her milk!  Sometimes I've got to count the small victories.