Yosemite Hike - 2011

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Our Very Own Happy American Girl!

 
Sydney at The American Girl Doll Store in Los Angeles


SHE DID IT!  Sydney set her sites on getting herself an American Girl Doll and she raised over $100 to get it.  In case you didn't know, Sydney started a business over the summer called Sydney's Funtastic Faces.  

She made quite a bit of money painting faces during play dates at parks and was even hired for a birthday party!  The final push to make money was the "Hot Co-Co" stand the girls had a few weeks back and taking care of The Brook's dogs while Mike was visiting The Road Scholarz! I could tell how determined she was to make the last $10 she needed when I witnessed her pick up dog poop for the first time in her life!

Why drive to to LA to get the doll?  Well, there are only 3 American Girl Stores in the U.S.; 
Los Angeles, Chicago & New York.  For those unfamiliar with "the dolls", there is a series of books tied to each doll and each story has a great historical fiction component which Sydney has been thoroughly enjoying.

Truth be told, the store was a bit overwhelming but Syd handled herself great and was very focused.  With all the accessories for the dolls, it will be easy to shop for her for Xmas and birthdays for many years to come.  Assuming Mia isn't a passing fad! 

Saturday was a day for the memory books!  A proud day for Scott & Me and hopefully one that Sydney will always remember and look back on as a big accomplishment.




Possible Girl of the Year for 2008....."Shelby"


Our American Girls




Sunday, November 2, 2008

Weekends like this....


Mom & Girls at Race For The Cure


Weekends like this...make it all worthwhile!  Scott was out of town this weekend so it was just me and my girls.  Saturday was spent with back to back soccer games, a local children's production of Sound of Music followed by an afternoon birthday party for one of Shelby's classmates.

This morning after getting our extra hour of sleep, the girls and I woke at 6am and were soon off to Race For The Cure, after a quick doughnut run of course.  The walk was great as always and I had my token "moment" with Mom before the race started and thought how proud she'd be of me getting my girls out there for such a special event.  I think I figured I've been doing The Race for over 12 years!  It was extra special to walk with our friends The Defreitas' who were first timers.  The walk is always such a special event and even more so today, to experience it with them, their first time.

I'd promised the girls a lemonade stand all week.  Today was payday!  Unfortunately it was cold and misty so we decided on a hot cocoa stand.  They went to town making a list of supplies, took inventory, made some signs, and then we headed to the store.  They had a class operation complete with cash register and quite a nice price strategy.  Fifty cents per cup with a choice of marshmallow and/or whipped cream for an additional 25 cents each.  

All said and done the girls stuck with it for a few hours, even through some rain, and made 
$16.00.  Yes, the money was key today for Sydney because she reached her goal of saving $105 dollars to buy her own American Girl Doll!  

It was a great day with my girls and I was proud of them for their hard work and the fact they walked over 3 miles this morning without one complaint!  And so when Scott got home from Colorado, there were dishes in the sink, laundry left from before he left and beds unmade but boy, did I enjoy my kids today and felt present with them!

How could anyone resist a handmade sign that read, "Hot co-co stand!"


We set up in front of Hearst Elementary.  
Thought we'd get more traffic there than at our end of the street.

Happy Halloween!




Halloween on a Friday, I've decided, is one of the best things ever!  How great it was to trick or treat our hearts out, ignore the clock and enjoy the night out with friends from Explorer in Pt. Loma.  It's been said before, The Fortune's love Halloween, and this year was no different.  The girls new right away what they wanted, Sydney a "Groovy Girl" and Shelby a devil.  I was hot on an idea for Scott and me since it was my year to pick.  Scott obliged as King Triton to my Mermaid but now I must wait 360 something days to see what he picks for us next year!