Monster High still rules

Laguna Blue is in the house, Chinese style!

Straight black hair or blonde and blue streaked hair, gotta love that happy little face.

Look at that wig - crazy cute.

Laguna Blue is one of Helaina's favorite Monster High characters and her early pick for a Halloween costume.  It all started on a weekly Walmart run and a stroll through (where else) the toy aisles.  Checking out the Monster High section for anything new, there was a gasp and an "Oh my gosh!"  Monster High wigs.  There were wigs for Clawdine Wolf, Draculaura and Frankie Stein but no Laguna Blue (and they were only $10 - reasonable).  So the search began for a Laguna Blue wig at other Walmarts, Target and Toys R Us with no success.  Finally we went on line one afternoon and at walmart.com there it was - a Laguna Blue wig for the crazy price of $22, but it was way better than the $10 wigs of the other characters.  I told Helaina that the price was just too much and she agreed (big girl that she is).  Then I had a lightbulb moment and checked Amazon.  There it was, exact same wig, and it was only $11 and some change for shipping.  How could we resist.  Ordered it on a Thursday and I told Helaina it might arrive by the following Tuesday.  On that Tuesday, the doorbell rang and we found that the mailman had left a package.  Helaina picked up the package and read the printing on the box - "Amazon, my wig, my wig!  Open it, open it now!"  Shreaks of joy, squeals, jumping, hand clapping, you name it when she saw the wig.  "Be careful, don't mess it up Mommy.  Put it on me, put it on me!"  She wore it all afternoon while carrying around her Laguna Blue doll.  I emailed the pictures to Jim at work and his response was "Yowzers!"  The skimpy Laguna Blue Halloween costume is $30 and it's not much to look at, so I think I'll be putting my (lack of) sewing skills to the test to create something close to one of Laguna's outfits for Halloween - hopefully something that will fit over a snowsuit with the way the weather can be in October around here.  As the gals of Monster High sing, Monster High Rules!

Summer flys by

Yikes, only 10 days until Helaina starts 2nd grade.  How can that be possible.  This summer seemed to fly by, due in part to the many activities we've crammed into Helaina's summer vacation.  It's been fun and exhausting.  Jim is on his 2nd full week off this summer (the first vacation week spent at the Jersey shore), and Helaina has prepared a "to do - wish list" of  activities she would like to end her summer with (as if movies, Darien Lake, Seabreeze, Wildwood, parks, picnics, summer ice cream parlors and a backyard pool aren't enough).

After being presented with the list, Jim's response was "Whose vacation is it anyways?"  (we all know the answer to that question).  We can cross #5 off the list because we hit the Waterloo Outlet Mall yesterday for some school clothes.

We spent lots of time at the library this year.  There were a bunch of programs kids.  Helaina joined the summer reading program and read 41 books in 6 weeks.  She was rewarded with weekly prizes, books and a free Applebee's kids meal.  We also participated in most of the special events that were held.  Above Helaina was dressed to attend the Princess Party.  Decked out in her Cinderella tiara and Little Mermaid skirt, she had fun decorating cookies and making princess crafts.

Love this picture I snapped of my pretty girl next to a pretty basket of flowers.  Sporting purple eye shadow, oh what a treat.

Getting a rainbow painted on her arm.  Notice her blue and purple nail polish to match her mermaid skirt - and of course, her bling.

 Helaina LOVES her jeweled sandals.  Of course we had to paint her toenails to match her fingernails.

We attended a demonstration and lecture about dirt by a science dude from our local science museum.  Helaina and I both enjoyed it, and her name was drawn as the winner of 2 free tickets to the museum.  You should have seen her face light up when her name was called.  She jumped up, clapped and screamed "That's me!  I won!".  Here's a picture of Helaina holding a Herkimer "diamond", which is apparently quartz.  Hence, #6 on Helaina's to do list for Daddy, going to the "Herkmer dimins" mine.

We also went to see Klondike Dave the magician.  His show was hilarious.  There were about 35 kids in attendance sitting on the floor absolutely captivated by him.  He got every one of them to interact with his performance.  The parents were entertained and laughing as much as the kids.  Funny, funny guy.

Then there was the day we saw the reptile lady - I think Helaina's favorite library program.  She sat right up front, almost at this lady's feet.  When the bag of snakes came out, Helaina was the first one to shoot up her hand when the lady asked for a volunteer.  She was just thrilled to have this snake wrapped around her neck.  There were also turtles, all kinds of lizards and the big, hairy...

... tarantula!  Thankfully the kids weren't allowed to touch the spider.  Helaina probably would have passed on that anyways because someone in the family (I won't mention who) passed on the yuck factor regarding spiders to Helaina.

My little bun headed beauty - Helaina's been obsessed with hair buns lately.  I've just been doing them myself and they've come out sort of sloppy so we decided to invest in a "bun donut".  Well, let the fun begin.  After some practice and a few mishaps, I've got the hairdoo mastered - and Helaina is thrilled with the result.

Right after we bought the donut I think she had a bun in her hair every day for a week.  I absolutely love that Helaina loves having long hair for me to play with.  Hopefully she'll never want a pixie haircut!