Family Fun

I love having my (free) subscription to the Family Fun Magazine. There are so many fun ideas in those magazines. We got our new magazine a few days ago and together, the girls and I, went through the entire thing and "dog-eared" the crafts or activities we wanted to try (which was pretty much the entire magazine, minus the ads).
Well, this morning we were eating breakfast and Melanie was complaining because she wanted it to be Spring. Spring is her favorite season because everything is blooming and there are flowers everywhere (including in our tree). I told her that fall was my favorite season because we spend all summer waiting for the weather to cool down, and fall is when that happens. It's so nice to finally open the doors and windows, and to play outside. She still insisted that spring was better because of the flowers. So I told her that here in Arizona we could plant flowers in the fall too. Well, that started something. She wanted to plant... and she wanted to plant NOW! She literally followed me around the house this morning with her broken watering can insisting that we go to the store and get flowers right now... and that I fix her watering can... and pretty much didn't understand that I'd prefer to wait until we had daddy to help us.

Then I remembered there was a planting idea in the Family Fun magazine. A "Terrific Terrarium". This is a fun idea where you get pretty much plant an "Eco system" in a container. the kids can even put little toys, rocks, and/or moss in it to make it extra special. So, I show her the picture and ask if she wanted to make an indoor garden. Of course she did. And Of course we couldn't do all this until after we went to the store. We had to hit up 3 stores, Micheal's (for the container and creature), Petsmart for the gravel and activated carbon, and Home depot for the soil and plant. Luckily, I literally live right next to a shopping center that contains all three, right next to each other. We got everything but the plant first, and then headed to Home depot. The very nice employee tried to help me find a plant small enough, but there was literally nothing. So I showed him the magazine (yes, I brought it with me) and we discussed seeds. That's the route we finally decided on.

We got home and put the whole thing together.

Noelle is not pictured, but she helped put the soil in the terrarium as well!
So, right now, the giraffe is all alone, but eventually there will a something growing in there with him. (hopefully!)

Sigh. That made Melanie much happier. But, then she started playing princesses and I remembered this fun crown from Tangled that was in the magazine. So... Here you go.
Do you sense Noelle attitude in this picture? Wow! And people think only red heads are feisty.

Eventually I got a more pleasant face from her. :)

I can't wait to try out the other activities we have picked out.