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So, we've taken our apricots and done waffles...
...smoothies...
... and now, this:
Yup, I'm attempting to make apricot jam. Oh my goodness... it is SO intimidating! I have been reading different recipes all day, and really wish I knew somebody who could tell me exactly what to do. But, I am being adventurous, and trying to figure it out. Everybody has their own method, it seems.
I really should be working on Allison's birthday preparations. Or sleeping... that sounds nice, too! Instead, I am attempting to be a pioneer woman. I really, really hope it turns out! If so, I promise to share! (And, I promise to write a step-by-step tutorial for those who are as intimidated as me, and need some clear direction!)
Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day.
Allison had been looking forward to this day for a LONG time. (And so had I, for that matter!) It was finally the day for our special mother-daughter tea to celebrate Allison turning 5! We decided to ride our scooters, as the tea house is only about a block away. 
Of course, we had to stop to smell the roses! 
In front of Barbara's Tea House... 
She was so excited, it was hard to stop and pose for this picture! She literally scarfed down her food... I had to explain to her that she should take a little bite, then sip some tea... she tried, and it was SO cute! 
Quotes I heard over and over: - "I just ADORE this place."
- "It is SO fancy!"
- "Look how elegant everything is!"
- "This is the BEST day EVER!"
Of course, Grandma said she should drink with her pinky up... And she did! 
The main purpose of the tea was to discuss some responsibilities of turning five. We established 3 goals for the summer, and talked about what school would be like in the fall. (Homeschool, that is). 
Pouring and serving her own sugar. Of course she can do it herself.... she is FIVE now! (Well, almost!)
After our tea, we were allowed to "dress-up" and explore the beautiful home. 
Swinging on the porch before scooting back home was another highlight. We'll have to do this again soon!
I've been wanting to make cookies for the last 3 days, but unfortunately my girls did not want to cooperate. Luckily, today they did... so we decided to have an afternoon of cookies and a craft! (Can't think of a better way to spend my afternoon!) I found a recipe online for "everything cookies," and they are delicious! I will post the recipe at the end.
The craft was inspired by "Blue Eyed Freckle." You can find her original post HERE. We altered it just a little so that the girls were the ones both making the craft, as well as playing with the result.
We started off with foam, and the girls traced and cut stencils out of it.
Next, came the fun part... taking a bath and sticking the pieces all over. I kid you not; the girls were in the bathtub over an hour, and only consented to get out because Daniel came home with pizza for dinner.
"Everything Cookies"
Ingredients
* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup rolled oats
* 1 cup crisp rice cereal
* 1 cup flaked coconut
* 1 cup ground walnuts
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon cream of tartar (available in the spices section)
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used 2 cups, plus 1/2 cup white chips!)
Cooking Instructions
1. Cream together the butter and the sugars. Mix in the oil and the flour. Add in the oats, crispy rice cereal, coconut, nuts, vanilla, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, eggs and chocolate chips. Mix until well blended.
2. Drop by teaspoons or tablespoons on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes.
Try it Tuesday was a big success, today! Our new adventure took us to Cal Poly Pomona to go strawberry picking! Apparently, nobody else realized what a gorgeous day it was, as we were the ONLY people there!
It was a beautiful place, and the kids had a blast. In T's words, "Mom, can we do this every day?"
Natalie was quite hesitant, at first. "I can't do it, I can't do it!" Nothing I said could make her pick strawberries... until Allison finally said, Natalie try it for Try it Tuesday! And, she did! And, she liked it! And, she kept trying... hooray for Try it Tuesday!
Unfortunately, I forgot the Bjorn, so Sierra gave me a real workout! Luckily, sweet K helped me hold her!
"Is this one?"
Look at our stash! Can we have strawberries for dinner?
(Actually, we ended up going to kids night at Chick-Fil-A, where the kids branched out from their usual ketchup, and tried a new sauce. So did I! Yum, yum! Another success for Try it Tuesday!)
So, we've taken our apricots and done waffles...
...smoothies...
... and now, this:
Yup, I'm attempting to make apricot jam. Oh my goodness... it is SO intimidating! I have been reading different recipes all day, and really wish I knew somebody who could tell me exactly what to do. But, I am being adventurous, and trying to figure it out. Everybody has their own method, it seems. 
