Final day of VBS

Maisie thoroughly enjoyed her week of VBS and attending with her friend Maya made it that much more special.  For the final day, the 600 campers (yes 600!) put on a show for their family and friends.  The children sang songs with hand movements and signs, they danced a bit to the music and we watched a video of all the special things that they did over the week.  Maisie had asked to attend VBS with Maya and I really didn’t know if she’d enjoy it but everyone who worked and volunteered did a fabulous job and kept the children engaged and active so Maisie had a blast and is ready to return next summer.

Below are just pictures from their little performance today.  The lighting in the room was  really funky so everyone looks a bit orange so it’s orange memories of VBS 2011.

Next week is horseback riding camp and Maisie couldn’t be any more excited as she’s been looking forward to it for months.  She’s also looking forward to spending another week with Maya as well as time with Briana & Chani all of whom will also be attending horseback riding camp with her.  It’s going to be so stinking cute those four little girls together! 

This past week I’ve enjoyed a little time to myself as Maya’s Mom Cecile drove the girls each day but starting Monday the jig is up as I’ll be the one driving both Maisie & Maya to and from camp each day.  This past week I was obviously up early with Maisie but I didn’t have to rush to get myself going and dressed but next week I’m going to have to get my tush in gear each morning.  I’m actually looking forward to the week though as the stable is out near where Lisa lives, about an hour from our house, so I’m going to be spending the time that the girls are at camp hanging with Lisa & Kathy so I know we’ll have fun together.  Hey hanging out & drinking coffee “camp” for the Moms, sounds perfect!! 

No new recipe today as we had a busy afternoon, sandwiches for dinner and the dryer finished so I have to get the clothes folded and then I’m off to bed, so time is up for blogging.  If you haven’t already done so, please check out all my newly added recipes over on Cook Lisa Cook. 

Recently added:  Mango Lassi, Stir-Fried Asparagus with Water Chestnuts, Ginger & Cashews, Curried Roast Chicken Pieces with Spicy Sweet Potato & Carrots, Grilled Corn & Bacon Pudding, Oriental Chicken Salad and Potato Salad with Bacon.

Enjoy!

Lifeguard in training

This season at our subdivision’s pool we have some female lifeguards who are just awesome.  They are extremely attentive in watching over the people in and around the pool and making sure that everyone safe, they’re always happy to see everyone and help out and they keep the pool area nicely cleaned up and orderly.  In addition, almost immediately they knew the names of all the children and are so very sweet with them and their desire to help out with testing the water, cleaning out the traps or any other project that the lifeguards may be doing.

Maisie loves learning about testing the pool water.

Even more fun is counting out and adding five drops of some chemical and Maisie remembers which ones and how to add each.

Mixing everything together.

Finally, checking the numbers to make sure that everything is where it should be. 

Maisie’s already had some busy weeks between Elite Team Gymnastics Camp, VBS and her regular gymnastics practices so she hasn’t been able to spend quite as much time at the pool as she’d like but another two weeks and we’ll have more free days to play at the pool.

And because I promised more recipes, this is a new potato salad recipe for me and according to Eammon, “the best potato salad ever!”  I thought it pretty awesome too and it will most likely be my go-to potato salad recipe from here on out.I have of course posted the recipe for this Potato Salad with Bacon over on Cook Lisa Cook so head on over and make this wonderful recipe for your next dinner, gathering or BBQ as I think you’ll find it a keeper too.

Enjoy!

Pool time with Maisie & Maya

Today after VBS, Maya’s Mom Cecile dropped the girls off at our house so that they could spend the afternoon playing together.  After a quick lunch of udon noodle soup followed by a little inside play we headed to the pool.

When we first arrived and for the first hour, the girls had the pool to themselves and they enjoyed swimming around and playing with the dive sticks. Then a few other little children arrived and the girls decided to have fun jumping into the pool.

Maisie likes to make jumps interesting.  First in a sort of pike position.

Next a forward split.

Then a straddle.  Maisie enjoys life!

After a couple of hours at the pool we drove Maya home and within minutes of dropping her off, Maisie was sound asleep in her booster seat.  She slept the entire 15 min+ drive home then once home she was the Energizer bunny, bouncing around and doing gymnastics.  I’m hoping that her little nap doesn’t disturb her sleep tonight.

For dinner tonight, another new recipe.This Oriental Chicken Salad was quick to make and delicious to eat so head on over to Cook Lisa Cook and check out the recipe.

Enjoy!!

Free for me mornings

Maisie had another wonderful day today.  Her day started with VBS with her friend Maya and then after lunch at home she was with her teammates at the gym for three hours of gymnastics practice.  Once home for the night Maisie ate her dinner and then because she wasn’t yet tired, did another hour of running around and showing off her gymnastics skills.  For Maisie a day with friends, learning things and being active makes for a perfect day. 

I had a pretty good day today too especially because Maya’s Mom, Cecile, is working VBS so she is driving the girls each day this week and I’m loving that I don’t have to get in the car and go anywhere each morning.  Not having to run around, drive Maisie to and from an activity or be home and doing things with her has allowed me some time to get some long neglected projects done around the house.  Today I was able to accomplish so much during the time that Maisie was at camp.  I worked a bit in the yard and garden, I cleaned up piles of paper from Maisie’s school year and sorted through way too much accumulated mail, I got laundry put away, the kitchen straightened up and I was also able to do a bit of cooking. 

Recently I have been doing a lot of cooking which is surprising with the heat wave we’ve been experiencing but I’ve seen so many new and wonderful recipes, I’ve just been inspired.  I have quite a few pictures and recipes that I’ve made recently that I need to post over on Cook Lisa Cook so if you’re looking for something new and tasty, pop on over and check out my recipes, I’ll also be posting more very soon.

Today I had a lot of broccoli in the house so I roasted it up with a bit of garlic powder, salt & pepper and now we’ll munch on it for the remainder of the week.  In addition I had a few extra ears of corn which I had previously grilled so I made a new recipe using the corn, Grilled Corn & Bacon Pudding.  Oh my gosh it was absolutely de-licious!  This recipe is definitely a keeper because not only did it hit a homerun taste wise, it reheated beautifully which is a huge plus in my book.  Because I cooked early in the day, I was able to taste it fresh from the oven but Eammon got it reheated at dinner time.  I will tell you that the reheated portion was just as wonderful as when it was first made, no loss in taste or texture.  At dinner time I actually enjoyed some at room temperature and thought it wonderful.  This would make a great dish for a summer gathering.  I LOVE recipes that are delicious and reheat well as they make my life and dinner time that much easier.

Hop on over to Cook Lisa Cook and check out my recipe for Grilled Corn & Bacon Pudding.

Hope that everyone had a wonderful day.

Enjoy!

VBS

This morning Maisie headed off with her friend Maya to Vacation Bible School.  Maisie returned home happy and excited about her day, all the activities she participated in and the things that she learned. 

As soon as she walked into the house from camp she asked to listen to the CD of songs that they provided.  The campers are going to be putting on a performance on Friday and she’s already in love with the music.  Maisie sat and ate her lunch as she listened to her CD and now she took the computer into her bedroom and is rocking out to her music.  I’m hoping to pry her away from the music in a short while so that we can spend some time playing at the pool this afternoon.  I’m pleased that Maisie enjoyed attending her first VBS and she can’t wait to return tomorrow morning. 

Elite Team Camp finale

Maisie had a wonderful time at Elite Team Camp and was sad to see it end tonight.  Maisie truly enjoyed working with the guest coaches, being with the older girls and learning new skills.  At the end of each day the gymnasts, if they chose to, demonstrate their new or perfected skills before all the other gymnasts, the coaches and parents.  I was so impressed to see so many new skills and the improvement that happened in only four days.  Maisie totally rocked on doing a beautiful press handstand, sticking a cartwheel on the low beam as well as mastering her front walkover and back handspring. 

Today for the end of camp the gymnasts were able to get autographs from all the guest coaches.and some hugs too.

Autographs from teammates and friends. 

Photos with teammates and friends.

Finally a group photo with teammates and the guest coaches.

After a wonderful Elite Team Camp experience Maisie, with her new skills, is even more excited about her upcoming competitive season.

One tuckered out girl

Though she said she wasn’t, Maisie was one tired little girl when I picked her up from Team Camp this afternoon.  After Thursday’s practice & past-her-bedtime BBQ party followed by seven hours of practice yesterday and another seven hours today in a particularly steamy hot gym, well she made it maybe 4 minutes into the drive home before falling fast asleep.  This photo of her sound asleep in her car seat, wearing her leotard, with her water bottle between her legs brought back memories.

Here’s Maisie way back in July 2008 after being at the gym for a total of seven hours between camp and her regular practice.  Adorable then, adorable now…Love my girl!!

Team camp fun

Kaity, Emma and Maisie sporting their new team camp leos. 

The gymnasts doing their lines of skills across the floor.  Maisie is getting really good at walking on her hands and her record thus far is 22 hand-steps.  It only took her three handstands to hand-walk the 40-foot width of the mat!

Camp isn’t all work, after general stretch and their lines, the gymnasts had fun doing a few rounds of Just Dance.  After the dancing the gymnasts split off into groups and started training with the coaches.

Working on back walkovers with Coach Helen.

I was only at the gym for a short while this morning as I had a parents team meeting so this was all that I watched but when I picked Maisie up at the end of the day she said that they worked on many new skills and she had another awesome, wonderful day.

While Maisie was at the gym I prepared a new recipe for dinner, Curried Roast Chicken Pieces with Spicy Sweet Potatoes and Carrots.  This was my adaptation of a recipe that one of my Cook Lisa Cook readers left as a link in her comment. 

Totally delish!!  Head on over to Cook Lisa Cook and check out the recipe.

Enjoy!

Elite Team Camp 2011

Starting today Maisie has four days of intensive training with all the gymnasts at her gym who are on competitive teams.  This is her second year at Elite camp and she has been excited for weeks in anticipation of working out, practicing and learning new skills with the big girls as she remembers how much she enjoyed camp last summer.

Teammates Aspen, Maisie & Alexis.

The gymnasts starting to line up for group stretch.  The young ones, USA Level 3 and AAU Level 3 in the front row with the older and upper level gymnasts behind them.

Let the stretching begin.

Last year at camp all the athletes received t-shirts but this year it was monogrammed leotards for the girls and shorts for the boys.  Maisie was so excited to receive her new leotard and can’t wait to wear it tomorrow and probably every day until the end of camp.  Guess I’m going to be doing laundry each and every night.

I picked Maisie up at the end of her workout and after a quick trip home to change her clothes we headed out to a local park for the Team Camp Kick-off BBQ. 

This year instead of a pool party it was water gun play and Maisie turned into a little Rambo.

Maisie and Aspen.

Maisie smiled the entire time that she was running around shooting her water gun.

A group picture of all the athletes who attended the BBQ.  Maisie was still holding on tight to her water gun.

All the athletes lining up to drench the coaches.  Notice that Maisie has her gun at the ready.

Soaking the coaches.    

By the end of the BBQ it was well past Maisie’s bedtime and she was soaked and exhausted.  Maisie had an absolute blast at both practice and the BBQ and is super excited to return to the gym in in the morning. 

Hot and spicy

That would be the weather, my girl and Eammon’s dinner.

Maisie and I have been having some busy days together and with our weather being so hot lately the thing that she most enjoys, and also a nice way to end the day, is to spend time at the pool. 

Hot weather, spicy girl and Eammon’s dinner a combo of both, hot and spicy.  Because I recently purchased quite a bit of mango pulp I’m trying to make recipes that call for mango. Eammon and Maisie have been enjoying mango lassi and I also made an oldie but a goodie for Eammon’s dinner, Mango Thai Chicken.

Because I used mango pulp instead on fresh mango, I changed the recipe only slightly in that I left out the brown sugar as the mango pulp was already somewhat sweetened.  Other than not having little bits of mango chunks there was no discernable difference in consistency and the taste was right on.  I will say that using the mango pulp was a lot less work and mess so a winner of a way to make the dish.  I served the chicken with Jasmine rice and some veggies that I stir-fried in a bit of sesame oil, fresh minced ginger & garlic and some soy sauce.  If you love mango, head on over to Cook Lisa Cook for both the Mango Lassi and Mango Thai Chicken recipes.

Enjoy!