Hogle Zoo

Thursday we went on an outing to Hogle Zoo. My mom went with us. I couldn't believe how much better it was from the last time I was there. There was a huge part under construction so we couldn't see all of it but it looks like next year it will be even better.

Our first stop was to see the cute baby elephant.

Then we went to the bird show.

Abi wanted to ride the carousel. Maddy didn't. 

The line was really long. Abi really wanted to get on an elephant so I'm posting this picture even though it is blurry. My mom is in the center on the cheetah and Abi is on the inside next to her on the baby elephant.

I printed off a scavenger hunt for them. It was cute to see them marking off animals.

We had lunch in the cafe that used to only have outdoor seating. 

It was so much nicer this time and it was great to get out of the heat for a while.

They had lego creations all over the zoo. I thought these were the most creative. You can barely see Abi's face in there. 

I was most impressed by the new Rocky Shores area. It was not there the last time we visited. We spent more time watching the Sea Lion and Seals than we did in the rest of the zoo. 

Maddy was pressing her face up against the glass. We wondered why she was just standing there like that until we felt it and the glass was cold.

a Polar Bear Lego

Then we went into the building to watch our favorite little guys some more!

Maddy wanted to kiss him so every time he circled by her she would stick her face in this corner and kiss the glass. It kind of grossed me out but it was cute. 

The Polar Bear actually had a pretty big area now but kept walking in to this little room... probably to get out of the heat.

The girls' other favorite attraction at the zoo!

Bored Play

After our hike Wednesday I didn't have anything else planned for the girls. I was sewing some skirts for them and their dolls.

So, while I sewed they had to entertain themselves. They played happily for awhile. They read for awhile. Then they uttered for the very first time this summer, "Mom, we're bored."

I grabbed the box I keep with ideas for days when things aren't planned and let them choose.

First they painted sun catchers.

Abi did a cat and a unicorn.

Maddy did a butterfly and a caterpillar.

After that I gave them poster board, markers, and the tote of play animals and told them that we would be visiting the zoo the next day so they should use the supplies to design their own zoos.

Maddy loved this more than Abi did.

Hike: Battle Creek Falls

For this week's hike we went to Pleasant Grove and did the Battle Creek Falls trail.

It was a great hike. It was very steady uphill but not too hard for the girls and ended up being only about a mile and a half round trip. The weather was perfect.

Abi always offers to carry Maddy's water bottle for her. 

When we got back down we saw this memorial and found out that it is called Battle Creek because it is the site of the first battle between Mormon pioneers and native americans in the area. Sad.

Cooking: Hot dog roll ups

For their cooking this week the girls did something really easy. They wrapped hot dogs in crescent rolls. We wanted to make a bunch of little ones so I cut the hot dogs into six pieces each and then they tore apart the roll dough to make enough. They sprinkled them with Parmesan cheese and then we baked them. They were a hit. The girls really enjoyed making them and then having them for dinner.

Science: Balloons

This week our science was all about balloons.

All of our supplies for balloon science:

Abi blowing up a balloon to use in making a hovercraft.

I glued a top of a bug juice to a CD...

Then we attached the balloon and opened the top.It floated around on the table top.

Can you blow up a balloon in a bottle? They both tried to blow up the balloon inside this 2 liter bottle but couldn't do it until we poked a hole in the bottom.

Then we mixed vinegar...

and baking soda...

and watched it blow up the balloon...

Art: Pointillism

For this week's art project we looked at examples of Pointillism and then used worksheets I found on Pinterest to practice it using Q-tips.

I filled up their palettes with washable paint I picked up at Walmart and stocked them with a bunch of q-tips. They loved it.

Then we really had some fun. We unwrapped some old crayons and melted their ends in a candle and then dotted the paper with the crayon while it was liquid. 

Abi's in progress...

I worked on this one. Maddy helped me a little but was a little too nervous because of the candle. 

I loved this. We still have to completely finish them because they are time consuming but it was so relaxing.