My little red headed pea was so excited to go, her and Maria did all the lifting!
HEEHEE she wanted to keep this whole box for herself (-:
Proud Girl Scout Leaders Daughters right here!
Now to get them sorted and passed out…..stay tuned for part two of Our Troop’s Journey Through Our First Cookie Sale!
Puff wanted to play all the time but Pete is an old man and just wants to lay around, sleep or get some snuggles in with his humans. We felt that Puff needed a playmate, another brother!
The girls had begged for so long and we resisted but one morning I woke up and said YES we can get another kitty.
So after work on a cold day January 3, 2012 we went out to look for a new kitten. The first place we went to was just scary but the second place EUREKA! All I wanted was an orange kitty because rumor has it they are the friendliest. We got to a place where they had two orange kittens so we had to decide which one. I let the girls decide it was hard, until we found out only one was a boy so there you go easier than we thought!
We couldn’t wait to get him home….we named him a week before we got him Paddington but that sounded plain compared to Petey Peteman PHD and Professor Puffington….so Chad called him Saint Paddington I liked Paddington Peabody and got out voted since Pete is a doctor and Puff is a professor Paddy is a Saint…..we have a weird family. Paddy made himself right at home even tried to get a snack, clearly being the new guy he didn’t know the no felines in the fridge rule.
It didn’t take Paddy long to fit in, in fact we didn’t see much of Pete and Puff for the first week he was there! When we did see them Paddy tried to play but they would hiss and run, kind of like Paddy trying to play with Pete when he joined our family.
It took a little over a week for Puff to realize how awesome his new brother was, Pete on the other hand is our little old man and still just want to be left in peace!
Of course we all knew he was awesome when he got here….that is until I saw a flea one lone flea…time for your first bath Paddington….Don’t hide!
He was a champ Dad of 2 Peas ran to the store and got the shampoo he did so good I hardly got any scratches! He sure looked tiny all wet cute little guy.
But the one thing about Paddy that just cracks us up is he always looks like he is smiling. He is such a good cat especially with Phoebe just like Puffy they let her play with them and don’t care if she carries them around. Paddy fits in with all our Peas: Pete, Pyper, Phoebe, and Puffy….
So welcome to our home Paddy! We love you! Now lets talk about the no felines in the sink rule…..
October 2010 the oldest Pea joined the Girl Scouts, she was so excited! Her leaders were awesome Abby is the mom of one of her classmates and Jo is a Grandma to two of the scouts. Our first meeting the parents filled out a thousand forms it seemed and paid the dues.
Py was having so much fun, she got her Safety Patch and a new helmet and visited the Fire Station in the first month. (I got to go too)
When January rolled around it was Cookie time and I text Abby to see when we would get our order forms there were already people selling at work. unfortunately, there was a death in her family and our meeting was cancelled. Jo claimed the same and no they aren’t related never met until they started the Troop.
The next meeting was in February now we were behind with the cookie sales and even missed an opportunity for the girls to win prizes with the initial orders. I then got a text from Abby that the parents needed to be at the next meeting for what I assumed to be direction for the cookie sale…..Boy was I wrong.
Apparently, Jo the co-leader had never turned in the girls membership forms along with the forms the money. Therefore, our girls were not a Troop. Jennifer from Council came in to explain to the parents that we were not an official troop and with this being said we could not sell cookies until we were. Also, the girls needed another leader to work with Abby or there could not be a troop. The look on Abby’s face the whole time Jennifer spoke was heartbreaking so I volunteered. Yes, me….the woman who works full time has a 7 year old and a 3 year old pea whose mentally disabled Mom just came to live with her family…..volunteered. What the heck was I thinking? I thought about becoming a leader at the initial sign ups for Girl Scouts because so many girls needed a troop but I thought maybe next year. Nope, this year it is and I have to say…..I absolutely love it I think I was born to do this co-leading with Abby. Abby is awesome when most people would have prosecuted Jo for taking off with the Troops money she kept giving her a chance to give it back. Eventually, Jo did give the money back but not ALL of it. I hope it was worth it to her for less than $200.00 and all the supplies to disappoint 12 little girls 2 of them who never came back to the troop because she was their Grandmother.
Now as for me I have jumped in head first, Dad of 2 Peas has been amazing while I attended meetings and training in a rush to get leader status so we could sell our cookies and become a troop. Without him I couldn’t do all this he takes good care of Mom and the youngest Pea while the oldest and I do out Girl Scout things.
So here we are and I am super happy to say this is the best, Abby is wonderful we think alike and have the girls first attitude. She has become a great friend and I look forward to all our adventure in Girl Scouting! There is nothing we can’t do together!
The oldest pea became a Brownie Girl Scout this year and when she was picked to bring the snack for one of the meetings she wanted to make it herself no store bought treats from her no way! So she grabbed her Silly Snacks Cookbook and found a recipe for the Teddy Bear Snack Mix and from there she made her own rendition.
First she added Golden Grahams -
The Teddy Grahams not one but two kinds of Teddy Grahams -
We needed two bowls because we have a lot of girls in out Troop (-:
Then chocolate chips -
LOTS of chocolate chips!
And pretzels the recipe called for potato sticks but we looked everywhere and couldn’t find them so we switched it up.
Then mix it all up! (with CLEAN hands of course!)
Your hands may get a little messy
Doesn’t it look good?
She was so proud and did it all herself she even put it in the little individual containers for the girls. Now shouldn’t there be a badge for that??
Now comes the youngest pea she wanted to make her own treats for Valentine’s Day so what better than the Teddy Bear Snack Mix?? and yes she did it ALL by herself.
A while ago Dad of 2 Peas bought a huge container of cheeseballs I kept the container for scraps of ribbon but hadn’t used it yet. I pulled it out for Phoebe to make her mix it was perfect for her!
So again we used Golden Grahams ……
Teddy Grahams…….
She wanted to add marshmallows! …….
Lots of marshmallows!!!
We found the potato sticks ……
We used tiny cjocolate chips for tiny hands …….
Added more of EVERYTHING to fill to container……
And shook it up up to mix it now she was the proud pea and I am one proud Mommy !
So to sum it up here are each of the peas versions of the Teddy Bear Snack Mix :
Pyper: Phoebe: Golden Grahams Golden Grahams Teddy Grahams 2 kinds Teddy Grahams Chocolate Chips Mini Chocolate Chips Pretzels Potato Sticks and then Phoebe had to out do her sisters mix and added the Mini Marshmallows~!
Go ahead and let your littles make thier own version of the Teddy Bear Snack Mix they will be so proud to do it all themselves (-:
A better late than never post !
Every Christmas season our the Peas host a cookie party. We have invited the same families the last three years and have seen several additions to those families each year. It’s our way of seeing some of our friends at least once a year and let the kids have fun and get messy. (ok the adults get pretty messy too LOL) This year we had a few cancellations so we were able to invite a new family to join in and they had a blast I mean who doesn’t love cookies right??
Our invites always include the BYORP rule, that’s right bring your own rolling-pin (-:
I whip up the white icing and Dad of two peas always mixes the colors the girls love watching him.
Phoebe was just wanting to eat it!
A little socialization before we dive in…….
First some healthy snacks make sure the girl’s hair is out of their faces…….
some giggles………..
some sanitizer…………..
Finally!! So how we work this party is simple, we always get the pre-made dough and give the kids their own roll. They get wax paper, plenty of flour and we always have tons of cookie cutters.
This year was the most exciting for Phoebe because she could do almost all of it by herself.
Pyper my little perfectionist (-;
Aunt Lisa to the rescue, last year they were attached at the hip this year Lisa was able to watch, enjoy and even make some of her own cookies.
Almost everyone is one picture !
I love Phoebe’s mini rolling-pin it’s the perfect size for those teeny hands!
As the kids got their cookies cut out Chad was baking as fast as he could to keep up…..
And let’s not forget REAL MEN BAKE!
Quick clean up by rolling the plastic table-cloth and it was time for a pizza break while the cookies get finished baking and cooling we ate dinner…
One last table-cloth change and on to the icing!! We use little cheese spreaders for the icing since the little hands can hold them better.
She was so proud to ice her first cookie all by herself….
Pyper was very serious about her cookie decorating….
We always let the kids eat the first one hey decorate (-: that’s the best part!
YUM!!! Pyper is an old pro she loves her cookie parties (-:
Phoebe sharing decorating tips with Dena …………
OHHH sneaking more icing in the mouth I see…..
Lisa made a cookie tree with some cookie cutters that she brought over she did great!
More icing….. WHAT! no wonder she was awake all night!
Py wondering where she would put the rest of the cookies, she ran out of room in her tins. We made so many this year we filled 8 tins and 4 plastic cookie holders.
My biggest joy is getting the take homes ready for the kids this year I was able to find these cute gingerbread train baskets from Target, all the other gingerbread themed things were from Oriental Trading Company.
We try to get something different ever year for the families to take their cookies home this year JoAnne Fabric’s had these and they were awesome very deep to fits lots of cookies.
Cookie also always give each of the kids their own “Riley Girl’s XX Annual Cookie Party” ornament we hang them on the tree and let them look for them to take home.
And there you have it The Riley Girl’s 4th Annual Cookie Party…..we can’t wait until next year!
This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com
It’s been awhile but I love love love my girls with a fall setting! So I had to enter this weeks iHeartFaces contest.
Every year we go to Circle S Farms to pick our pumpkins. This year it was so windy the girls almost blew away! I love this shot of the Peas when we first walked into the farm; the sun on Py’s red hair is lovely.
Be sure to head over to iHeartFaces.com to check out all the other entries !
This year my friend Jen and I took all the kids to Fruitful Farms to pick apples. I always wanted to go and this year seemed perfect. Once we got there the kids were too excited! They even posed for a pic right away (and yes this is when I realized little pea put her shoes on the wrong feet! we fixed that after I got the shot LOL)
We got out bags from the farmer and he took us all on his wagon to show us what was ready to pick and what apples were used for what.
He then took us to the best tree for our first photo op seems like he has done this before he even took the picture so I could be in one! (it was pretty early in the morning as you can see by Maxwell yawning)
Then onto the picking!
Our only rules from Farmer Congrove were to make sure that whatever apples were eaten we put the cores go in the buckets so that hornets don’t go after them from the ground. He encourages us to eat as many apples as we wanted to try to make sure we liked them…..well Phoebe took that to heart.
Pyper was a little more picky like me (-:
Phoebe and Maxwell had a blast they talked the whole time and compared apples. They even made a game looking for conjoined apples.
I made the mistake of saying they looked like apple butts and there you go. The Find the Apple Butt Game was born. I have a feeling it will be around for many years to come (oh gosh).
I tried to get a picture of my peas together and it was difficult Phoebe and Max were attached like an apple butt but I got her to sorta stand still. (it took 8 shots to get Phoebe to look at me!)
Farmer and Mrs. Congrove checked in on us often sometimes picking up children and taking them for quick rides around the orchard. Phoebe loved it she felt like such a big girl! (apples in hand)
Not to be left out as soon as Mrs. Congrove came around they ALL jumped on! This was not part of the apple picking experience but we were the only ones there; once the farm started filling up with pickers the rides stopped. But, how great of them to do it for the kids while they could.
I got this picture of Py on my cell phone what a lucky shot!
Eating MORE apples ….
Just remember the rules to avoid hornets making nest in the ground make sure your apple cores go in the bucket!
We picked just a little more before we had to head out…..
One last ride up to the barn to pay.
We picked a bushel and a peck and grabbed a small bag of honey crisp on our way out, it was very reasonable I spent $26 for all of them. But the fun we had and the special way the kids were treated made it worth every penny!
Beckie and Thomas Congrove – Owners
http://www.pickyourown.org/OHcolumbus.htm
http://www.ohioapples.com/ohio_apple_orchards_member.php?memberid=21
As you all know every year I give Pyper a birthday interview I love seeing how her answers change each year and thought it would b e something she would laugh at later in life. Today Phoebe turned three! What a great age to start the interview, right? Well you tell me……
What is your favorite color? “pink or blue” great start !
What’s your favorite song right now? “pink” do you know what a song is? it’s what we sing in the car what do you like to sing in the car? “the happy song”
How about your favorite tv shows?? “pink” Phoebe what do you like to watch on tv? “Dora”
and your favorite movie? “Cinderella” she sure understood that one!
what about a book? “Dora” awesome!
What do you like to do at Jessica’s?? “play a happy song” I’ll ask what song that is tomorrow ….
Phoebe, What is your favorite thing about sissy? “pink” I am seeing a trend here….
your favorite game?? “um Cinderella” I must look into this game I’ve never heard of it maybe she means when I call her Cinderella and let her vacuum with the little vac (she loves it I swear!)
What about Pete and Puff??? “they pee in the potty” um?
If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?? “to pee in the potty” well she is doing that very well lately!
If you could get rid of one food forever never to see it again what food would that be??? “I like Grove City” I think I lost her here
If you could meet someone famous who would it be? “I don’t know” it is a tough question
What is your favorite memory? “OH pink” I’m not even bothering to explain at this point it’s too funny the way it is!
Would you rather go to the doctor or the dentist? “dentist” well your wish will come true now that you are three!
When you look at the clouds what do you think of ? “pink” fair enough
If Daddy had a boat and let you name it what would you call it? “pink” he may not like that one but OK
And last but not least the famous ….What do you want to be when you grow up? “a princess bed” you mean a princess? “a princess bed mommy like my new bed” ok then….
So maybe three years old is a little too soon for the annual interview but it was worth a shot!!
PYPER SINCLAIR’S SEVENTH YEAR INTERVIEW
It’s that time of year again, same questions as the last three years !
What is your favorite color? “pink” - of course it is that one never changes 0-:
What’s your favorite song right now? “Fireflies and Freak the Freak Out” - OK I could have guessed Fireflies by Owl City as it is the ONLY song she wants to sing on the Wii (Disney Sing It) over and over and over again…….
How about your favorite tv shows?? “A.N.T. Farm and iCarly” – I admit I do like these as well iCarly is still hanging in there as a favorite it’s nice to see somethings didn’t change well that and pink!
and your favorite movie? “Justin Beiber Never Say Never” (ugg **rolling my eyes**) )
what about a book? “Judy Moody and the Not So Bummer Summer” – NICE being as I bought it for you and you never read it! Not all those books you got for your birthday and actually read??
What is your best subject in school?? “Art” – I approve
OK Py, What is your favorite thing about sissy? “she’s cute” – she is cute lol
your favorite game?? “Just Dance 2″ – I like it too!
What about Pete and Puff??? “they are snuggly well Puff is anyway Pete is kind of” – yeah Pete is a loner huh? – “Yeah”
If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?? Florida Why Florida? “because its really fun because its Disney and its really fun” – nuff said
Ok Py lets get to the nitty gritty of this interview…..
If you could get rid of one food forever never to see it again what food would that be??? “Onions and Tomatos” – hmmm sure Math isn;t your favorite subject? “Mommy” just teasing you…
If you could meet someone famous who would it be? “Justin Beiber” (Phoebe seconds that) – I got nothing …
What is your favorite memory? “Grandma Ellis she used to rock me in her arms and sing me a song to fall asleep and she made me a bed on the floor” – and I hope you always remember her pickle….
Would you rather go to the doctor or the dentist? “dentist…because they give surprises balloons and toys!” – well gosh who can argue with that???
When you look at the clouds what do you think of ? “Grandma Ellis” – me too
If Daddy had a boat and let you name it what would you call it? “Cinderella ! (Daddy screamed WHAT?!?) I’m kidding mommy I would name it Prince Charming for Daddy” – well that’s better than Jess from last years interview! and kind of sweet too (-:
And last but not least the famous ….What do you want to be when you grow up? “ummm…..Phoebe’s Lawyer” What is Phoebe going to need a lawyer for????? No wonder you want to run off to Canada~!
I love giving Py her yearly “interview” and she loves it too, I hope she gets a good laugh out of them when she is older. If you have littles you should do this too all us parents have to have something good to break out when they get married or graduate from something just to embarrass them LOL!
The first time we went to Cosi with my in laws I took the oldest Peas thinking that the littlest pea would be stuck in a stroller and miserable all day so she stayed home with Daddy…….. little did I know they practically have a whole floor just for those little people 5 years and under!
So we had to come back with Phoebe and our friends Brandy and Dave and their boys THEN come to find out it was Dad of 2 Peas first visit too so we had lot to look at and do for both of these two!
When you first walk in you are immediately greeted with “cool stuff” as the oldest pea would put it. A harp without strings but plays when you touch it because of lasers!
Then we wandered on over to the heart beat thingamagig Py liked this one a lot Phoebe was still a little confused LOL!
Once our friends arrived we headed up to the little’s floor, unfortunately Pyper was too old so she and Chad played a X-Box Kinects in a little room away from the big kids. And trust me when we say this the staff makes sure the big kids don’t mix in we had Py comes out of the little room to watch rat races they were putting on and this one staff member stared her down like she was about to rob a bank!
Once we were in there Phoebe was a little overwhelmed yeah, she just stood there taking it in not knowing what to do first. There was so much!
I finally got her to go back to the water part where she had to don a rain coat and looked so dang cute !
What to do what to do. I have never seen Phoebe so shy about playing!
After a good 30 minutes I got her to look at other stuff, she liked this ball race but once a little guy tried to play with her she took off!
When she gets shy she makes this face that is so funny, kind of like she just got caught doing something embarrassing she did it a lot when the other kids tried to play with her. She is with other kids everyday so not sure why she was so shy but she was!
So we went over to the other side of the floor the medical heath part, she put a band aid on a baby doll….
watched a video on the eye doctor…..
and talked to animals (-:
By this time she was ready to catch up with sissy and Dad, so we grabbed our friends and moved along.
We found Chad and Pyper in the “Progress” section across the way…..it was AWESOME the last time we were there Py and I went back in time to 1898 and now they added 1962!
Chad showed Py how to use the 18oo’s hoops…..
and do I even mention that Peas hair I love her piggie tails (-:
Chad showed both the peas the telegram office with a talking bird!
Birds was kinda frightening dare I say Alfred Hitcocky?
Chad loved the old camera Pyper was posing of course and I missed it OOPS
Then we scurried over to the 1960′s! Phoebe loved this little ride that used to be outside the grocery stores, it was kind of hard to tell what it was a helicopter? a UFO? it didn’t matter she loved it no matter what it was!
Pyper loved the phone booth, I used to go up the street from out house all the time to call boys on a payphone and here my little one had no clue what it was she didn’t even know what the cord was for…..I am getting SO old!
Phoebe was walking with Chad from window to window she was just taking it all in. Here’s a few shots of the 60′s so cool and notice the Sinclair Gas Station this is Pyper last name the thought it was so cool (-:
See Pyper looking at the bike up there? she wanted to ride it we would have never caught her.
After seeing her middle name in lights we lost her again….PYPER! where did that child go??
OH BOY of course she would find the tv studio she always says she wants to be famous!
There she is!
Daddy’s turn he read the teleprompter with breaking news of Kennedy’s Assassination
Pyper was the camera man Phoebe, Xander and Zach were the crew Phoebe was a little freaked out by the tv so she never went behind the desk
Now hoopla hoops! nothing like the 1800′s hoop they just rolled down the street!
Next up the Gadgets so much to tinker with~! Dave even signed Py and Zach up for a class while Brandy and I took the littles to their own thing Brandy has that pic…hmmm you reading this Brandy I need that picture LOL
again Pyper took off Phoebe played with Daddy and I lost the Maas family, this Mom of 2 Peas clearly was not keeping up~!
OK there she is on the pulley having so much fun~!
Phoebe was getting hungry so after discovering their inner engineer we headed to the cafeteria…..I love the burger and fries, but they have everything there and it is all so good.
After we ate and the bellies were happy we made our way outside, I knew my little one would love this!
THE
~BIG SCIENCE PARK~
to be continued so stay tuned! ……….(lots of pics to go through)
