Amanda's 19th Birthday!

Our President's Day weekend was packed full of busyness!  We started the weekend on Friday night with a visit from my sister and two of her friends.  Sunday was her 19th birthday, and she wanted to come down here and celebrate a little early!  On Friday night we went to to Casa Bonita which is a Mexican restaurant in Denver that has not only dinner, but entertainment as well.  Cliff divers, a live Mariachi band, and an arcade are just a few of the types of entertainment there!  Here are some highlights from the restaurant:

 Mariachi band singing "Happy Birthday" to Amanda.  It was awesome!

Shots from the arcade : )

They had this sweet machine that blew up a balloon for you and then placed a cork in the end of it and walla!  You have a balloon to take home with you!  I'd never seen anything like it before!

After dinner we went back to our house for dessert!  When I had asked Amanda earlier what she wanted me to make for dessert she said "Oh Sarah, you don't have to do that!  A tomato would be fine!"  And if you know how much Amanda loves tomatoes, you'd know that there was actually a hint of truth in that... so what did I get her for dessert???  That's right.  A tomato with a candle on top : )

Just kidding!!!  She had a real cake too : )

But that doesn't mean she still didn't enjoy the tomato!

Happy Birthday Amanda!!!! I'm so glad I could be a part of it!!! : )

Bursting with Ideas

Lately my head has been SO full of ideas.  Ideas about projects to do with preschoolers that is!  I'm in a class this semester where I have to do a ten week practicum at a preschool.  As part of this practicum, I have to present an invitation and two lesson plans based on the same science topic.  The topic I chose is "color!"  Oh my goodness, what a wide topic to choose from!  But that is the beauty of it.  I went to this AWESOME local teacher resource store this last week and now I am even more excited about it than before!

I present my invitation next week which will start out by reading the book "Mouse Paint," and continue with children being invited to mix colored water with eyedroppers and then transfer that colored water onto coffee filters to look at the designs and colors that makes.  The idea of the invitation is for me to learn what the kids already know about colors, what they want to know, what intrigues them, etc.  Then I'll plan my lessons from there.  I am one excited soon-to-be preschool teacher! 

...And I hope that's a good sign... I've really been wondering lately if preschool is really where I should be.  Working at an after school program has made me really wonder if I choose the right major.  I love working with 5-12 year olds.  They can do so much more for themselves... I can hold a meaningful conversation with them without being confused by what they're saying once... but then, preschoolers are fun too.  I love knowing that I get to help them learn... that maybe I'm really making a difference in their future.  It's so exciting to watch a child discover something for the first time, to see them really "get it."  Maybe I'll figure out eventually which age group I want to work with!

But for now, my head is just brimming with color ideas.  I even woke up two nights ago several times thinking about color and kids.  Here are some of the great resources I've discovered:

http://scienceforpreschoolers.com/topic/physics/color-science

http://www.ideasforpreschoolers.com/colors.php

http://www.amazingmess.com/

http://chasingcheerios.blogspot.com/

My Favorite Cooking Blog

The internet can be a wonderful resource to use when you don't know what the heck to have for dinner... which for me is much to often.  So where do I turn when I need an idea for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert?  I'll admit, I have googled  "Coupon for Pizza Hut" a time or two, but if I want to PLAN something, my go-to website is http://www.melskitchencafe.com/.  This blog has PRACTICAL, SIMPLE recipes that use NORMAL ingredients.  The woman who writes it has a family of her own, so she doesn't get too fancy.  That's my kind of cooking blog.  If you have questions about the recipe steps or cooking in general, she'll respond to your comment right away.  I also LOVE her "Tutorials" section.  If you want to know how to do something like how to shape rolls or how to cut a pineapple and you want step by step pictures, this section rocks.  All of the recipes are well organized in the Recipe Index so if you're searching for something specific, this is the place to go.  I've tried several of the recipes, and I can't wait to try more!  Check it out for yourself!