Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program

If you head on down to your local Barnes and Noble Store by the childrens section there will be a stand with a summer reading program paper, rip one of these off, and when your child has read 8 books, turn it back in for a free book. The books are good ones. My son did this last year. This year I have both of my kids participating it is for school age children. It says 1st-6th but the lady at Barnes and Noble told me Chloe could participate and she is going to be in Kindergarten. Also the fine print says that each child can do it 2 times so that's two free books!
(Tanner has actually already filled up his first sheet-and that is chapter books people-we went to the library 4 times the first week of summer vacation-I'm very happy he is such a good reader, but sometimes it is a challange. His end of year test said he was spelling on a 7.6 level (that's seventh grade 6 month I believe) reading on a 6.1 level and reading at 188 WPM with 100% accuracy. Anyone with any reading suggestions for this child?

Life without a Camera.

It has been almost a whole week now since my camera stopped working. Last Wednesday after Tanner's game we were outside and the whole think just went bonkers, and wouldn't let me take a picture or even shut the lens. I took it in to Best Buy because at the time we bought it we also bought the 4 year warranty, which happened to have 4 months left on it. So the good thing is it's going to get fixed or replaced the bad thing is they had to send it in to do this and it will be 2-4 weeks before I see my camera. I have been trying to take picts with my Grandma's and sisters camera whenever they are around but the bad thing about that is then I have to get them all from them. Chloe's B-Day is in about 9 days I wonder what the chances of me getting it back by then will be. Hopefully this doesn't completely blow off my Project 365 either.
While my camera has been Missing in Action we have played on the new slip and slide I bought the kids, worked in the garden (it is really starting to grow), and gone swimming twice.-Hopefully I can add picts at a later time.

MY KIDS-2009

Memorial Day Camp-Out

We went camping with my family over Memorial Day at Otter Creek. It rained and poured the first day and a half. Luckily we had the my dad and mom's motor home to hang out in part of the time, and that there was a small laundromat at nearby camp ground with a dryer we were able to use. After that the weather was nice, and the fishing okay. We had a birthday party for Chloe, my mom, and Cody. We also played some horse shoes and cards. The kids had so much fun playing with their cousins. We only had one small problem with a crazed women on the beach where we actually ended up with the camp ranger down there to escort her away (sounds like something that would happen on an Ellison campout not a Gentry one. haha jk). Other than that the fishing was good, and we had a yummy fish fry one night.

Thanks to everyone who came it was lots of fun spending time with the fam.

Haircut and Team Pictures

Well I took Chloe in to get a haircut yesterday. I was sick of fighting her every morning to get her hair done. She was pretty sad while they were cutting it, but at least she didn't cry. Now she seems to like it though and I think the result is really cute, and will be nice for summer. She and her kitten also took another nap. This is begining to be a daily occurance.
Tanner had his baseball game tonight along with team pictures. I felt bad for the photographer. It took him about 15 minutes to get the boys settled and take their team picture, and he had a lot more teams besides just our to do. It turned out good though I'm sure. I snapped one as well from behind his back so you can kind of see the Sox lineup. Oh yeah and they won again tonight. That's three in a row. Tanner got to more doubles. He still has only struck out once this whole year. I think those are some pretty good stats.

Naptime Buddies

Yesterday Chloe had her kitten in the house playing with her. I went to check on them and here is the picture I found....Chloe and her kitten sleeping soundly right next to each other, and to add to it Licorice was asleep at ther feet. How cute is that!

Albertson's Steals This Week

I get so excited when the ads come out Tuesday afternoon so that I can look and see what the great deals might be for the next day. Well you know that doublers came out in the ads this week, so if your sitting around waiting to go later you better get your but on down to the store.

I can't wait until next week my neighbor is going to start going with me on Wed. mornings bright and early.

Here is what I got this morning. Yes I went at 6:45 and I saw at least four other KCL's out with coupons in hand.

First Transaction

-2-Kraft Dressing use $1.50 on one coupons if you have any left = FREE

-2-Triscuits use $1/1 printable coupons +doublers (you can print these on Krazy Coupon Lady or Kraft Foods if there is any left)

-1 box honey maid grahamn crackers; 1 pkg 6 hershey's bars; 1 pkg kraft marshmellows use the $1 smores coupon from last Sundays paper + doubler

You will also automatically get $3.00 off these three items.

Total for this Transaction 2.06

(It would have been even less but this cashier would only left me double the cracker coupon up to .75 so it wasn't over the valueof the item. Still a good deal though.)

Second Transaction (I grabbed another newspaper with more doublers on my way out of the store.)

-2 Wheat Thins Crackers $1/1 printable from same place as above + doublers

-1 Vive Pro Loreal Shampoo $1/1 coupon in Sunday's paper + doubler

Total for this transaction .15

(This cashier let me double the cracker coupons for the full amount)

Sunday Paper Anyone

So for those of you out there who have multiple Sunday papers. What are you going to do with all of those Albertsons Doublers? If anyone has any great ideas let me know.

I'm sure I'll find something to use mine on. I had better get busy and get my list made so I can get to the store bright and early tomorrow morning.

A Few More Books

Taking Chances by Shannon Guymon

A fun love story about learning to trust and forgiving the past. Light and Easy Read. 4 out of 5 stars.

Poisoned Pedigree by G. G. Vandagriff

A Great Mystery about yet another messed up family tree. Makes you think until the very end. I really like this authors books I have read all of them. This is the third in the series so you might want to read the other 2 first if your going to read this one. 4 out of 5 stars.

Mom Says I Can by Judy Cooley

This is a fun picture book to read with your child. Love the art work!

Albertsons Doubles-Awesome Deals

There were doublers in the paper yesterday for Albertsons. Combine those with the coupons that came out this morning from KraftFoods.com and you have and awesome sale.I went to Albertsons and did two transactions.

The first transaction

10oz kraft mayo

kraft dressing

280z kraft bbq sauce

18 oz kraft bbq sauce

velveeta shells and cheese

the second transacation

bagelfuls

velveeta shells and cheese

18 oz kraft bbq sauce

4 easy mac cups

I paid $2.97 for the first transaction and they paid me .88 for the second. So overall about $2.00 total for all of this.

The trick match up the add in $10 incriments with the coupons from KraftFoods.com and then use the doublers 3 per transaction.

Home Run Kid

Well the Sox had another game last night, and guess what they won. Yeah 15 to 4 or something like that. Anyways Tanner had another awesome game with his hitting. He hit a double, a triple, and you guessed it a HOME RUN! He hit other runners in everytime too.

You could just tell Landon was so proud when Tanner ran over home plate after hitting his Home Run, and he started a streak after Tanner got his I think at least 3 other kids hit one too.

tadpoles and scouts

On Tuesday we took all of the scouts and the scout want a bees (Chloe, Brydee, and Jay Jay) on a little nature hike/garbage clean up walk. We hit a bike trail right in town, so we weren't really sure how much nature we would actually see. The boys however were able to find swarms of tadpoles and frogs. They were all quite excited about it, and we left with jars and bottles filled with the little creatures. Chloe was so happy when one of the boys donated her some tadpoles. I was actaully pretty happy too since next week in preschool we are learning about tadpoles and frogs, but I guess we should have taken a little better care of them. Today they are all dead.

I might have to hike back up and try and find a few more.

A Couple of Books

Okay here are the latest books I have read.

Missing Pieces by Jeni Grossman

The first of this book was really hard to get into I think it was partly the writing style it's not the smoothest flowing story at least at the first, but after the first 2 or 3 chapters I really got into it and ended up enjoying the story. It is filled with mystery, action and a little suspense.

I would give it 4 out of 5 stars

Torn Apart by Diony George
This book is based on a true story I'm not sure whether I really liked it or not. It is sad in ways realizing how much goes on in the world because of pornography. The first of this book and the end of it are very different it's almost like two different stories.

I would give it 3 out 5 stars.

Pick a Kitten, any Kitten!

Okay so you can kind of tell the kittens apart. We've come up with names to keep track of them but once you pick one it is all yours to name what you want. Here is the descriptions with pictures and little names we like to call them.

*Sparkles--white and brown spotted with black ears and a dark tail, formerly know as Zoro until it was discovered she was a girl. She'll melt any heart.

*Batman--white, pure white, nothing but whiteness. If you like white then this is the cat for you. The name? Oh, He was the last one to open his eyes and Chloe kept calling him the blind one, so blind as a bat "Batman".
*Hannah Montanna--If you haven't guessed this one is a girl. Just as white as Batman. Friendly, loving, charming, cute little girl. If you pick this one you'll get the best of both worlds.
This one has acutally been picked, sorry guys choose from the other three!

*Billy Ray--Yep a boy. This is another white and brown spotted one, accept its ears are not black. Oh and know he doesn't have a mullet. If you miss out on this one, it's your achey breaky heart!

So Now for the picks:

Dustin gets the number 1 pick.

Mackelle and Jack number 2.

Bridey and JJ number 3.

Hello Gorgeous

Last week Chloe and I went dress shopping and she picked out this new dress. Yesterday she was getting ready for church and I walked in her room she was holding up her dress saying "Hello Gorgeous". What a clown.

Free Legos and More

So the kids had gotten some postcards in the mail for a lego event at Wal-Mart this Saturday (they both get the Lego magazine-free and then Tanner is also in the Lego Club). Anyways they were supposed to be able to go to Wal-Mart make mom a rose out of Legos for Mother's Day and then they would also get a gift (I'm sure some sort of Lego Set). Anyways Lego screwed up the event was only going to be in Utah County but they mailed them for the stores down here to. So even better we got to Wal-Mart and they said to just pick a $10 lego set instead. Tanner got two one for each of his postcards they were actually $10.97 each and then the only girl legos they had was a big pink creator bucket which was $14.58 so they let Chloe have that instead of a $10 set. Anyways all in all we walked out of Wal-Mart with $37 worth of free legos. The kids were quite pleased.

If your interested anyone can join up to get the lego magazines for free at Lego.com and then they do have these events at Wal-Mart every once in a while.

Another good find this week. Target had their Fragrance Collection Candles on sale and if you bought 2 you got a $5 gift card. Well last week I printed 2 $4 off 1 coupons for these candles. So I bought the candles with coupons for $3.99. Then Target gave me a $5 gift card, so they actually paid me $1.01 to buy the candles. I'll take them for that. I have put a link for The Krazy Coupon Lady on my blog. I check her website out once a day she always posts great deals and a lot of times links to print great coupons.