Green Eggs and Hamburger

Back in September, Olivia submitted a recipe for the Red Robin Kids' Cook-off called, "Green Eggs and Hamburger", and we found out she had the winning recipe for the Austin Arbor Red Robin! They have her name on a poster on the door and gave her all kinds of free goodies like the cherished Heart of the House cap that the chefs in the restaurant wear. They also paid for our family's whole meal and gave her a gift certificate for a return restaurant visit. Genevieve was so excited to get a special visit from the Red Robin himself. By the end of November, we should hear if Livy is one of the top 50 finalists, but either way we are proud of her for submitting her entry. She has always loved to experiment with "mixtures" and is excited that she can "do science" with food.

Trick or Tweet

Halloween was really fun this year! The girls decorated pumpkin Rice Krispie treats (now made with multigrain, so they have to be healthy, right?! ;) ) We also went to a puppet show at the Cedar Park Library family storytime. Grannie Jean met the girls there and gave them each a treat bag. If you can't already tell, Olivia dressed as "Yoda's Ghost" and Eve was a "Little Chicky".

Brian didn't get to decorate with his famous black lights and glow-in-the-dark decor since we are still in the apartment, but our sweet friends, Tonra, Ben, and Ethan invited us over to trick-or-treat with them. We had such a nice visit and it was fun seeing our old neighborhood again. Olivia even had a Star Wars showdown with Darth Vader outside one of the houses! Afterward, we stopped off at the Surles' house and had a great chat with our former next door neighbors and dear friends, Tony and Dennis. The girls didn't get to bed until 10PM, so we were really grateful for the extra hour of sleep due to daylight savings time ending. What a blessing that was and what a fun day!

Snake Head Monster Truck

Olivia's QUEST (Quality Utilization and Enrichment of Student Talents) class at school studied "people-movers", or means of transportation. Each child was to choose one mode of transportation, research it's features, design it using a shoe and "clean" trash, write a story about it, and present it to the class. Olivia came up with the "Snake Head Monster Truck" complete with gigantic wheels and a rope for pulling small cars out of the mud. She did a great job on her truck and her presentation. Now, she's hoping that she gets Brian's truck when she gets her driver's license; no doubt that she has plans to soup it up!