What can you buy for $2?

Sometimes I just love couponing so much that I want to shout it from the rooftops. Some weeks are blah and deals are slim pickings. Other weeks, like this one, I love that I coupon and that I work for a great blog that helps people save money.

Today, I got all this at Fry's.


3 ears of corn
5 Lysol wipes (all which will go to the classrooms as they are always on the supply list)
3 Gillette Shave Cream
1 Apple Granola bar (one of the only things Noah eats)
1 Land o Frost Honey Ham (Emily's favorite with extra mustard for lunch)
6 Cover Girl single eyeshadow (Emily picked out the colors, she wants a make up kit for her b-day, just for play)
1 Colgate Toothpaste
2 Adult Toothbrushes
3 Kid Toothbrushes
2 Reach Floss
3 Betty Crocker Ultimate Potatoes (we don't eat these, but they were free. They'll go in the donation box at school)
2 Turkey Hill Ice Cream (isn't this the weirdest name for ice cream? It sounds like a brand of whiskey.)
1 pack of ice cream cones (because I don't like to do dishes, so they eat their ice cream on a cone)
1 Betty Crocker Fruit Roll Ups

I paid $1.95 plus tax! I saved over $101.

I would've saved even more, but my store was out of stock of a few things. I LOVE coupons!

Yea for Karate...or Not....

A new school year starts Monday. Ben will be in second grade and Emily in fourth. Noah starts preschool but not until after labor day. Last year we took a year off from after school activities. The kids have tried lots of things, gymnastics, karate, piano, ballet, tap, drama, tennis, swim lessons. You name it, we've tried it. They are usually gung ho for about 6 months and then it's a heavy sigh when I say we have _____ today. That's when I know it's time to quit.

Last year, we took a break. Emily still had her piano lessons, and that was it. I kind of enjoyed being lazy not doing so much.  But this has been the year of the handstand/backbend/cartwheel for Emily.  I asked her a few months ago if she wanted to take a gymnastics class.  She said no.  Last week, she changed her mind.  I asked Ben if he wanted to take a class of some sort, and he said he wants to learn to be a ninja.  Noah said he wanted to be a ninja too.  Noah's never taken any sort of class and karate may be just what he needs to whip his attitude into place before preschool starts.

I made the phone calls and got traia classes set up for this week.  Emily went to a girls level 1 gymnastics class on Monday.  She loved it, and they said she was ready for girls level 2.  All those handstands this summer paid off.

Today, I took Ben and Noah to taekwondo.  Ben's class was first and then Noah's.  Ben did great.  He loved it and it was good to see him work up a sweat.  Noah sat and watched Ben asking when it would finally be his turn.  Ben's class finished and Noah was up.  He walked out on the mat.  The instructor asked them to run 2 laps.  Noah ran one.  Stopped at the corner and started to cry.  No real tears, but he wasn't happy.  He came over to us and that was that.  He was done.

Insert a lesson from one of my worst parenting moments.  Emily was in preschool and her class was singing a song on stage.  Emily barely moved her lips and didn't move.  Afterwards, I yelled at her.  I told her she won't shut up at home and she gets up there and doesn't do a darn thing.  I've regretted that moment ever since.  I should've just loved her cute shy self and gave her a big hug for trying her best. I've asked her to forgive me for being such a bitch witch that day, and she forgave me easily.   But, I've never forgiven myself, and I often tell her how that was one of the worst things I've ever done as a parent.

Lesson learned for the third child.  I didn't get mad at Noah or frustrated.  We waited a few minutes and I asked if he wanted to try again.  He didn't and we left.  Ben loved the class though, and we'll be back next week.  Maybe Noah will want to give it another chance then.  But if not, I'm okay with that...

Vacation, Day 14

We're home!  Yea!!!

Vacation, Day 13

I can't believe this was our last fun day of vacation. I'm so glad I blogged about each day because I would never remember what we did without it. Well, I could look at pictures, but it's nice to have the stories as they happened. It took almost an hour every night to get the blog done, but I'm so happy I did.

Aunt Paula made pancakes for breakfast. Amy and Emily made palm trees out of fruit. They were cute and yummy.


Then we went to the beach. We headed to a different beach at low tide, so we had lots of sand. It was super nice. The coolest thing was the starfish all over the rocks. I've never seen anything like it.




Thank goodness cousin Amy was with us because I would have never touched these things. I'm so glad my kids are more adventurous than me.




They ran on the beach.


They tried skim boarding. Ben fell. Emily just stood there. Noah fell.






He got all butt hurt and had to go recover with some help from Aunt Paula.


He was back in action a few minutes later.




Only to get swallowed up by the sand monster.


Emily and Ben had a race. Ben won.


Noah wanted to win, so he got a really big head start.


David, Aunt Paula and Amy took a dip in the ocean.


Ben was playing on a sandbar with the mountains in the background. That's Vancouver Island.


Noah trying on my glasses.


Amy and I took the rafts out. I told her I'd get all the way wet before I left. After we got out there, I had to flip off my raft.


David wearing a starfish.


Emily wanted to hold it again. By the way, Emily has a boo boo on her chin. She was on a log a few days ago and another log was crossed sitting on top. She thought it would be stable enough and stepped onto it. The log fell and she fell and hit her chin on another log.


Amy, Noah and Emily walking on the rocks.


A pretty view on the way home.


Since it was our last night, the kids took a jacuzzi bath in the tub.


And we had to get gelato ice cream....again. Noah had Blue Smurf flavor.


Wow, what a great vacation we have had. We still have a day of adventure to get home tomorrow starting with a ferry at 8:30. Our flight leaves at 2:30, so we'll kill a little time at a playground or something. We are so thankful to my Dad and Suzy and Uncle Terry and Aunt Paula for such a great vacation. My only not so great day was the one night I spent in a hotel. So happy that we could spend so much time with our family having fun.

Vacation, Day 12

Today started early. We were waiting in our car for the ferry by 7:50! We had a nice quiet beautiful ferry ride. Once in Vancouver, we headed to Stanley Park. We saw the Hollow Tree. It's estimated this tree has been around for a thousand years.


Then, we did a little souvenir shopping. The streets were pretty.


We were hoping to find something Squatchy (as in Bigfoot) since B.C. is known for sightings and he was one of the mascots at the 2010 Olympics. We didn't have any luck, but we did find this cool hat for Ben.


Here's a view of the city. I love the Chevron in the middle of the water.


We stopped to see the totem poles.




Ben figured out how to climb walls.


We went to the water park and the kids had a great time playing.










Well, Noah had a great time until he collided with another boy and got hurt.


He was set on pouting and crying. We finally distracted him with squirting Emily.


Emily kept him happy after that. She can be so sweet and motherly sometimes.




They have a huge dryer for kids to go in to dry off after. It wasn't all that effective. We have stronger breezes back home, but it was still fun.


This was the view from the park of Lions Gate Bridge.


Emily and Ben were climbing trees on the way back to the car.


We ate lunch and my kids polished off a whole pizza by themselves. I think they worked up an appetite. Then, we headed to Lynn Canyon. There is a suspension bridge, waterfalls and creeks. The bridge was freaky!


The trail to the water was really pretty and wound its way through the woods.


I loved all the roots from the trees.


I love this kid in the tree.


These branches looked like natural rope swings. Emily gave it a try, but it didn't work so well.


We passed a gynormous rock just begging to be climbed.




Aunt Paula looking cute out by the water.


My kiddos.


They were a little unsure at first, but David took them around and they were pros in no time.








Even Noah was having fun.


Me on a rock.


Here's the bridge on the way back.


This was the view of below the bridge.


We drove up a mountain to a scenic outlook. We are now on the opposite side of Lions Gate Bridge. Emily was so tired, she stayed in the car.








Our wonderful hosts.


We got back on the ferry and made it home by 6:30. It was a full day, and we all had a great time.

Tomorrow is our last full day here. We are planning to spend it at the beach!