Binging at the Bellagio

Sarah and I had our first Bellagio experience last week. She's quite protective of her crab legs when Mitch starts to invade her space.

Mocha mousse topped with whipped cream - a 10 year-old's dream!

If you look closely, you can see the dessert mustache ;)

Apricot mousse, mocha mousse, creme brulee, and crab legs!

Sisters :)
These are just a few of the desserts Sarah tried!

We stopped for a picture by our favorite part of the buffet - the dessert table!
Then we rushed down to see the water show. Sarah found a great spot to record it...

...so everyone crowded in behind her.

Favorites From Vegas

I'm not doing pictures right now (I've wasted too much time having them erased). However, I do have some favorite quotes. Here are a few:

In the pool, Ella sitting on Sarah's shoulder....

Sarah: "Are you peeing on me??"

Ella on the first night...

Ella: "Sweetie, can you do me a favor for a second?"

Ella talking to Cammie after Mitch & Sarah returned from haircuts...

Ella: "I wish I could get my hair done."

Sleeping Beauty at the Birthday party...

Beauty: "Oops. I'm a little bit clumsy today."

Ella: "Yep."

Ella and I sitting at the table when she's not getting her way...

Karin: "No."

Ella: "I'm really mad at you! This is serious!"

Coffee Break (Look at Photos!)

At Mimi's house, getting ready to watch videos from 1976-1984.

The most color coordinated kids on the block - Miles and his bike...
...Ella on hers.
Playing at the high school - nothing beats a white board!
Miles is a bit fascinated with shoes - especially Ella's sparkly ones!
Mimi, Miles, and a mound of blocks.
But it's always more fun when we knock the blocks over and Ella drops by!
Watching (are you ready for this) more Star Wars!
One of Ella's favorite positions - floating around on her back :)
They had to practice a lot before Ella figured out how to sit there.
Miles loves my water bottle...
...it lets him drink AND bathe at the same time!
Watching a little DCI online.
Playing in the garage (Miles was sitting on the other side of Ella until I busted out the camera).
Miles playing with the camera. Click!
Click!
Getting there - click!

There I am!! (Yes, he took this photo himself!)
Enjoying the 51s game on a cool Vegas night (which means low-mid 90s). My new friend Kristen!

Michelle and I at the game - she's a pretty talented self-photographer :)

Photo Shoot with Mimi and Ella

Mimi and Ella got a hold of my camera and took some photos of themselves :)

Happy Birthday Ella :)

I know this is late (too bad). We just watched some family videos from 1976-1984: Cammie had the same candle-blowing difficulties as Ella :)

Some Water Picture - FROM VEGAS!!!

At DK's birthday party, the kidlets played with a Slip-n-Slide (though the water was spraying the other way, and they wouldn't actually slide down it until the spraying stopped).

Miles' version of playing with the S-n-S

Ella Bella Mozzarella
I think she liked it!
If you know Ella, you've heard of her BFF Ali (seen here). Miles - trying to figure out how to play in the water without getting wet.
A common scene in the pool.
Too cute :)
A rare moment of Mommy-separation.
Ella ordering pancakes :)
Isn't she pretty??

Princess Pictures

Since I'm done with uploading pictures to Facebook, I thought I'd do it here...and then they all posted in random order. Sigh. We'll just have to deal with it.

The party was GREAT! Probably the most popular treat was the Oreo truffle. Mr. Miles had four. Here's his snacking technique - open mouth, shove in food. (Cammie really wasn't grumpy - we were laughing at him, so I'm not sure how I managed to get that shot of her!)

Here's Sleeping Beauty. Did Ella like it? Just peek at that kid's face...

Ella even got to use a magic wand! (On loan to Beauty from Cinderella's fairy godmother).

Opening presents was a hoot - it took her 3.4 seconds to clear through 49 gift bags. Lots of pink carnage.

Miles wanted to join in the fun, too, so he grabbed Ella's "Birthday Girl" crown and proudly wore it. It went well with his painted toe nails (I did Ella's and Sarah's "bubbles" while babysitting and he didn't want to be left out. Amazing how well he sat still for that!!)
My sister will have more pictures - it was SO amazing to watch those little girls with a REAL princess. Each girl came into the house with her own crown and in a dress (though there was some dress swapping). They sang, danced, and posed for pictures. I'm so glad I got to see it all!

Ella Opens Birthday Cards

She'll be four in a couple of days - her counting skills are amazing! (I hope these posted in the right order!)

Too Little Sleep, Too Many Mad-Libs

It's my first night in Vegas. Sarah is spending the night with Michelle and me at Mimi's house. Thanks to Uncle Matt, I brought along a Mad-Libs packet from Wendy's (don't ask). It's late. We're tired. We've had too much ice cream. This is what Sarah, Michelle, and I created.

The first electric trident was invented in 1904 by a tasty young man named Papa Smurf. He and his brother, Percy Jackson, ran a small poodle repair shop, and in their spare time the studied toothpaste. When they started work on their invention, everyone said, "Oh my dogs! You'll never get it off the pillow." But they built a succulent model out of old microchips and a used iPhone. It used up two gallons of V-8 juice an hour, and the top converted into Maryland. They sold the patent to a shabby millionaire for $941 and lived merrily ever after.

And then there's this one...

Tonight my whole family is going to run at Wendy's! I can't wait! My chopsticks always orders the same thing. Mom likes to eat iridescent salad full of Americans. Dad likes juicy cheeseburgers with extra toenails. But what should I order? Maybe I want crispy lightbulbs with lots of pencils on the side. Or fuzzy, semi-aquatic lampshades to share with my Obama. Maybe I'll have a little bit of my dad's fluid horseshoe and my mom's slimy army. And if they want some of my Bedazzler made of gems, they can have some - because sharing Carl at Wendy's is fun for everybody! But I hope they keep their jeans off my pretty fries!

Yeah, we've reached the slap-happy phase. Time for bed!!

The No-Bakes - My Substitutions

No-Bake cookies are just about my favorite cookies ever. Fortunately Shaina is also a fan, so I made some for her birthday this week. Though I used a standard recipe, I made a lot of substitutions. Everyone LOVED them, so I thought I share my secret for gooey, dark no-bakes.

Combine in a sauce pan:

1/2 c. coconut oil

2 c. sucanat

1/2 c. milk

Heat over medium-high heat until it starts a consistent rolling boil. When it's boiling consistently do NOT stir for ONE MINUTE.

Remove from heat. Stir in:

3 c. old fashioned oats

Peanut Butter (I never measure - at least 1/2 c., maybe more)

1/2 c. Dutch processed dark cocoa powder

1 T. vanilla extract

After you mix it together, drop by spoonfuls onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet. CHILL!

The coconut oil will solidify at temps below 74 degrees, so during the summer these cookies will need to be chilled to help them set. I'm not sure how they'll turn out in the winter!

So there it is folks - enjoy!!