Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream Parlor

Today we had the opprtunity to go on a pizza making tour at Happy Joe's in Rockford! First we had a tour of the restaurant, game room, cash register area and kitchen. Next, the kids were able to make their own pizza for lunch! There was only a charge per pizza making child of $6.50 which included their make your own pizza lunch, a fountain drink, a scoop of ice cream, and 4 game tokens for the game room.

Maple Syrup

When the nighttime temperatures are below freezing and daytime temperatures are above, the sap begins to flow and maples are ready to be tapped!

This was our third year going to Spring Valley Nature Center for this class. Our activities included a tapping demonstration, boildown and taste test.
We were scheduled to go a week ago but there were thunderstorms so our class was cancelled. Our St. Patrick's Day weather was perfect!

Puppet show

Tasting the sap

Practicing tapping a tree

looking down into the boiling sap

it takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup!

To the cabin they go.

When I showed the D'Angelo label to D'Angelo he thought everyone should pay him to get a drink.

Can you taste the difference between real maple syrup and the imitation stuff you buy at the grocerey store?

D'Angelo discovered a caterpillar on the ground.

Botanic Garden - 8/3-8/7

We spent another week at the Botanic Garden :) D'Angelo got to do a week of Bug Camp and the rest of us spent our time walking around the gardens trying to stay cool and happy.

Here is the fountain that Oliver tossed his shoe into- it landed right in the middle. After trying to convince Adeline or Auggie to go in and get it for me I got to walk in and retrieve it.

D'Angelo on the tram ready for his last day of Bug Camp adventures!

Legoland

Thursday afternoon we had a great opportunity to go to Legoland for free!

A Big Thank You to Clearbrook :)

The prices are usually- Adult: $19.00 Child: $15.00 Children age 2 and under are free. So you can see why I couldn't resist going. I knew the kids would enjoy it so after spending the morning at the Botanic we headed over to The LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre in The Streets of Woodfield. The kids had fun playing with all the Legos, riding the rides and watching the 4D Bob the Builder movie. Xavier, Oliver & Tia were in serious need of food & a nap by 3:30 so I headed out to the car to hang with them there while Grandma & Josh played inside with Addie, Auggie & D'Angelo. Around 6pm Adeline came out to the car and the boys stayed until the place closed an hour later at 7:00.

Joshua made these cool chairs for the boys.