Birthday Girls

Our girls (who share a birthday) have turned 8 and 1!! I almost can't believe it!!

Nina absolutely loved her birthday cake. I am happy to say we had no candle incidents!! :) Sophie burnt her fingers on her 1st birthday cake's candle, so we didn't even have a candle on Benjamin's 1st bday cake. We decided to give it another try though and it was so cute as Nina tried to "blow" the candle out - she really just breathed heavy in the direction of the candle. She had so much fun squishing her piece of cake between her fingers and smearing it all over her face as she ate it. It was hilarious!

Sophie's favorite part was opening her gifts. She got an i-Pod shuffle, a locking diary :), a soft fleece blanket from Grandma Nielson, and a few "Fairies" things including a new Tinker Bell charm for her charm bracelet. We put the first Harry Potter audio-book on the shuffle for Sophie and she's really enjoyed listening to it a lot. Of course turning 8 also means her baptism is close at hand now and she is so excited about it and so are we. She can also decide whether or not she wants to get her ears pierced now, but so far she's not decided if she wants to.

I am so grateful for my sweet daughters (and my sweet son too)! They are blessings in my life. Happy birthday Sophie and Nina!!

One Word Quizzy Thingy

In lieu of a flashback Friday today I thought I'd do this fun 1-word get-to-know-ya quiz that I stole from Cami's blog - thanks Cami!! :)


Only rule: you have to answer with one word.

1. Where is your mobile phone? purse

2. Relationship? comfy-cozy (not one word, but hey it has a hyphen right?!!)

3. Your hair? blah

4. Work? motherhood

5. Your sister(s)? miss

6. Your favorite thing? giggles

7. Your dream last night? Hogwarts

8. Your favorite drink? Coke

9. Your dream car? Volvo

10. The room you're in? cleaned

11. Your shoes? Keen

12. Your fears? many

13. What do you want to be in 10 years? healthy

14. Who did you hang out with this weekend? Harry (completely stolen from Cami, but true!!)

15. What are you not good at? statistics

16. Muffin? minis

17. Wish list item? kitchen

18. Where you grew up? West

19. The last thing you did? lunch

20. What are you wearing? blue

21. What are you not wearing? socks

22. Your pet? nope

23. Your computer? Mr.Darcy

24. Your life? satisfied

25. Your mood? cheerful

26. Missing? family

27. What are you thinking about? nap

28. Your car? minivan

29. Your kitchen? sunny

30. Your summer? kids

31. Your favorite color? green

32. Last time you laughed? Benjamin

33. Last time you cried? worries

34. School? someday

35. Love? family

Confessions of a Park Eavesdropper

Harry Potter mania is starting to die down a bit. I'm feeling all sad about it... :) I keep rereading my favorite chapters, but soon I'm going to have to go get another book to read so I don't feel so lonely for my Hogwarts world. I think I'm going to read Goose Girl by Shannon Hale next. I've been told it's really good and I have enjoyed both Austenland and Princess Academy by the same author. Though, I am so excited for J.K. Rowling's interview on Dateline this Sunday - I have the DVR all set for it!!

Today has been very relaxy. I took the kids to the park after running a couple of errands this morning. It has become a favorite thing this summer to picnic at different parks. Today we went to one with a big sand box that Sophie had a lot of fun with, but Ben, who doesn't like water or sand now apparently, had much more fun on the slide. (How did a SoCal girl like me give birth to a child who hates all the components of a beach?!!:)) I had to brush his feet off multiple times from the small amount of sand that got in his sandals just by going near the sand box. Funny guy. Nina loved lounging in her stroller, leaning as far back as she could with her feet up, and watching the kids play. It's always funny to me when she does this.

While I was at the park today there was another couple there for a playgroup of sorts and what was weird to me was that it was a man and woman who were friends (married to other people) but met at the park to have their kids play together on a regular basis (they parted with "let's go to that one park next week"). I found all this out by just being near them, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop or anything, but they were talking pretty loudly right next to me and well... I was bored... :) Should have taken a book... So anyways what's up with that?? I just find it strange. Maybe its a fairly normal thing outside the LDS culture, but it seemed like the conversation got uncomfortably flirty a couple of times and I wondered what their spouses would have thought about the whole thing. It's always interesting to me to get glimpses into something that's foreign to me. Wow, that seemed a bit nosy-neighbor-from-Bewitched-ish!! Must remember my book next time... :)

The Monday After

It is now the Monday after a crazy and wonderful weekend devoted to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. On Friday night we put the kids to bed and then woke them up a little before 11pm and headed out to our local Borders for the Harry Potter release at midnight. Adrian and I felt kind of bad when Ben really didn't want to wake up and we felt like we were torturing him a little, but I have to tell you today he has been talking all about the "Arry Potter pauty" so even if he was reluctant at the time he has fond memories of it! Anywho, we made it over to Borders and met up with Cami, Jake, Corinne, her friend Katie, and Jann. It was fun to hang out with them for a bit, but they were in group ahead of me (they had orange wristbands and I had a silver which was the 2nd group) so we headed to a nice cozy spot by the cash-registers and sat by a man dressed up as a very convincing Lucius Malfoy to wait for when my group was called. We had treats of Bertie Botts Jelly Bellys and chocolate frogs and then it came time to get the book. I waited in line until it got moving and then Adrian and the kids met up with me to enjoy the experience of actually getting our hands on the last book. We saw Julia when we were in line and she had a great witches costume on. Then I got it!! Yay!! The store workers got a little peeved when Adrian took a picture of my actually being handed the book. I guess they didn't want any photos of their store room in the back. A bit weird. But he got the pic anyway. :) Then I got a big HP poster when I paid for it and Sophie thought that was ultra cool. I told her that some day she could have it to hang up in her room if she wanted. I hope she becomes an HP fan too!

I drove home from Borders and Adrian read the first chapter out loud for us in the car. When we got home he stayed up even later and read while I slept. With all the other books Adrian has been the first to read it as he is a speed reading demon! So it was killing him that I was going to take it away for the weekend! I think he thought he might be able to still read it before me!! :) When I woke Sat morning he had read about 200 pages in and I had to snatch it out of his hands before I headed over to Cami's to catch the Knight Bus for our HP get-away.

Jann had decked out her car with "Knight Bus" written on the front window and names of characters from the books on the side windows. I was in the front passenger seat right next to our driver Ernie or Jann so I was Stan Shunpike!! He's not the most illustrious character in the books, but it was fun to be the Stan to Jann's Ernie and get to chat with her the whole way up! Also on board was Ginny(Cami), Hermione(Katie), Harry (Alex), Neville (Jenn), Ron (Julia),and Luna (Corinne). We went to a cabin in West Virginia that we were quick to christen "The Burrow" upon arrival with the cutest sign that Katie had made. Cami also taped her HP7 poster from Borders on the wall. It was just the most perfect Burrow. It was all decorated with patch work quilts all over the walls and on the beds and had a fabulous screened in back porch were we ate our meals. There were also many comfy spots to read. I myself read on the couch, on a futon in the loft, and a comfy chair in the living room. And when I say I read I really did read. Many had gotten much further than me upon arrival, but I made it a goal to read the book before going home. So I stuck in and read. It was so fun to have periodic chapter checks to see where everyone was in the book! We shared a wonderful dinner together - we had(on golden paper plates) Mrs. Weasley's shepherds pie (which I made and like the goof ball that I am I also made up copies of the recipe written as if it was from Molly herself), Jenn's wonderful homemade rolls, salad, and pumpkin nog in goblets. So cool and as you can see very die-hard HP fanish!! You gotta go all out for the last book right?!! It was so fun to sit and chat with these wonderful ladies! Dinner and then reconvening for a wonderful dessert of strawberry crepes a bit later at the table again might have been my favorite part of the whole weekend. After dessert I settled in to finish the book. I stuck to my goal and decided to not go to bed till I finished, so I didn't go to bed! I stayed up all night and finished somewhere around 7:30am. It was actually quite lovely as I sat in the comfy living room chair to watch the sky through the windows as I read; it changed shades from darkest navy to beautiful cornflower blue. It really was beautiful.

In the morning it was so nice to talk about the book with those who had finished (while those who hadn't were asleep so as not to spoil anything). There were so many wonderful parts in the book! I loved every second of reading it! There were moments of real comedy, tragedy, perilous adventure, reconciliation, and triumph. It was superb! My favorite by far. And can I just say that I love Harry. He is an amazing character. Rowling is a brilliant writer and it is flabbergasting that she thought all this stuff up!


We ended our wonderful weekend with a breakfast all together, signings of the books, and fun photos all together on the deck. (My favorite pic is the one with all our noses in the books. (I'm the 5th one in.) Then the Knight Bus (with Jann driving of course) took us home. I was sad to leave behind the lovely break from the everyday that this trip was. I'll admit I was also a little sad that I had read the last book. It's been a 7 year love of HP for me. I started reading them when Sophie was 1. But of course I'll keep rereading them!

When I got home it was a boost after staying up all night (I was a feeling sluggish) that the kids were so happy to see me. That makes you feel so good as a mommy. Nina just wanted to snuggle with me and wouldn't let me put her down. It was very sweet. I found out that they had had a wonderful time with daddy. They had watched a movie together and had cream soda and candy so that was super cool to them and Nina slept well even without nursing before bed. So it looks like the weaning is going well. I pretty much started weaning her just for this trip!! :) She nursed again last night, but I think sometime this week she'll be weaned all the way. That probably deserves another post in itself. I've always been a little sad when that special part of babyhood ends. Anyways, yesterday after church, a quick spaghetti-O dinner, and Nina going to bed, I went to bed too. I think it was 7pm. I was bushed, but now I am feeling almost back to normal. We are having a lazy sort of day and I'm probably going to go to bed a little early again tonight, but it was oh so worth it. Oh, and Adrian finished the book yesterday. I can't decide if he was happier to see me or the book when I got home yesterday morning!! :)

So there's the recap of my weekend. Thanks to the ladies who I shared this great weekend with and especially to Corinne and Cami who's brain child the trip was! It was the best!!

HP 7 Predictions

I've not been blogging so much because I have been trying to frantically read book 6 before 7 comes out, but alas I don't think I'm going to finish. That's okay. I just thought though that I would make my last predictions for fun before reading it. So here goes:

• I think there is going to end up being some kind of understanding/ reconciliation with Draco and Harry. I think Draco will play a part in helping Harry, maybe at the end, but I think at some point in the book

• I think that Snape will end up being neither good nor bad, but kind of a free-agent acting for himself rather than truly allegiant to either side - just MHO. :)

• I think that Harry will survive and Voldemort will die (of course).

• I think Ron and Hermione will also survive. (This is probably deeply hopeful and perhaps a bit delusional ).

• I think Neville will die. Not that I want him too, I love Neville! :(

• Trevor is an animagus. (Maybe Regulus Black???!! :))
  

• I think that the final Horcrux will end up being Harry in some weird way. (A way that means he doesn't have to die to kill Voldemort.) I know this is not a popular view, and that Rowling will probably come up with twists I could never imagine, but that's my guess.

• I think and hope Ginny will survive too! I do not want Harry to die saving Ginny! That would be too much!! It's a children's series for heavens sake!!

• I think love will conquer all!
  

So those are all the predictions I have for now. I plan on being completely wrong in all of them, because I never imagined any of the things that happened in the last books. I was so floored when Dumbledore died... Anyway, I thought it would be fun to write what I was thinking right before the last one came out. Now I'm off to go get my wristband for my place in line to get the book tonight. :)

10 Yearsies

Adrian and I have now been married 10 years! Wow, that seems like a significant number to me!! Maybe it's the roundness of 10 or that it's a whole decade. Sometimes it seems like we were just newlyweds, but then again... sometimes it seems like its been 30 years... Ha ha, just kidding Adrian!! No really I am so happy that I married my man!! He is an awesome husband and father! He is the love of my life and I am so happy that we are sealed together forever! I don't think I could have ever imagined the twists and turns our journey would take (so far) when we got married on that beautiful July day 10 years ago. We have been through our share of struggles and triumphs. But all through our thicks and thins, we have stuck together and grown through the experiences. Love ya Honey and happy anniversary to us!! :)

Hey I'm on a roll! I've blogged everyday this week, well except for Sunday and now I'm blogging about how addicted I am to blogging!!! :) Thanks for the fun link Ashlee and Cami!!!

65%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Flashback Friday

It seems I haven't done a flashback Friday about me and Adrian yet, so I'm gonna do one today. When Adrian and I were newly-weds we lived right next to a Japanese hibachi style restaurant named Tepanyaki. Oh, we loved this place! Everything was so good and we literally spent any discretionary money we had going to Tepanyaki for dinner. When we would get home, usually around 7:30 at night, after a long day of classes at the Y and our part time jobs (I worked as a teller at First Security Bank and Adrian worked as a programmer at a small computer company that has long since gone under now) we would drive up to our little rental house and smell the food cooking on the open Benihanna style grills over at Tepanyaki. It was torture. Every night it was, "Oh, do you smell that?? and "Do we have enough money to go tonight??" Usually the answer would be no and in we would go to our tiny house and have chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches or Top Ramen and boiled eggs, but at least once a month (on one of our paydays) we would splurge. We would always get the cheapest thing on the menu, which was the chicken, but oh it was so good all grilled up with the zucchini and mushrooms and onions. I wish I knew what ingredients went into that sauce they put on them. So yummy!

We have found a similar hibachi style restaurant near where we live now, but I don't think anything will ever come close to Tepanyaki, just because of the immense treat it was at the time and the memories that we have going there during our early months of marriage. I guess it's kind of like when you go camping how the food tastes so much better because your a little more tired and you have to work a little harder to make it (that's what I've heard anyways :)). So now, whenever we go back to our old college stomping grounds we always try to squeeze in a trip to our favorite newly-wed spot and reminisce... but now we always get an appetizer, cause that was our fondest dream back then! :)

The Day of Potter

So yesterday I started my day at 12am with Harry Potter and ended it at 12pm with Harry Potter too! Last night I went to the show again with a bunch of friends. Adrian came home a little early from his class last night so that I could car pool with everyone and it was a blast!! Jann has a super-van that we affectionately named the Knight Bus for the night! Jann even treated us to some Knight Bus style driving a couple of times, which was tons of fun!! It was so fun to chat before the movie and then chat after about all the things we loved and would have liked to have seen in the movie. For myself, I was so bummed that Kenneth Branagh didn't make an appearance as GilderoyLockhart again in the Mungo's Hospital scene from the book. That part of the book just cracked me up! I absolutely loved the bits with my favorite villains, Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy and the cooler than cool Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort. Lucius actually had lots of lines in this one, so that made me happy! It was such a fun night!

I have to admit that today I am not on my A game. I'm a bit groggy. So far the kids have been playing nicely so I hope that keeps up. I can hope! I really should get ready and get out and do something with the kids. Yes it's almost 11am and I'm still in my pjs - what is it about blogging that I just admitted to that! :) But I am happy to report that Nina's 8th tooth is now completely broken through so hopefully we won't have as much teething-sadness today. I think a ton of screaming and fighting right now would probably give me a migrain!! I'm really looking forward to nice sleep tonight. Maybe I'll go to bed as soon as the kids do. That will be the plan.

But the lack of sleep was worth it. Girls' nights are so refreshing and rejuvinating (a least emotionally if not physically :))! Now I am SO excited for book 7 to come out and my Harry Potter get-away. I don't think I've mentioned this on the blog, but I am going with 7 friends to a cabin (which we are going to call "the Burrow") for a day and night when book 7 comes out for the express purpose of reading book 7 away from "familial responsibilities"!! :) Doesn't that sound like a blast!! Seriously can't wait!

We Saw It!!!

So as you might note on the time signature, it is 3 am and I am posting. Crazy I know... BUT we in a crazy sort of spontaneous (as spontaneous as you can be w/ 3 children) way went to Harry Potter tonight, this morning, whatever :) - the 11:59pm showing!! We got our favorite babysitter to come and basically spend the night so we could go to the first showing. Thanks to H.!!! So the show was FANTASTIC!! I think one of my favorites so far, but I love them all really. We tried to take a picture of us in our seats with Adrian's phone, but it was too dark... Really it was wonderful and so much fun to do something spur of the moment. Just what I needed at the end of a rough day. So yay for date nights/mornings and Harry Potter!!

Evaluation

I'm almost reluctant to post about this, but I feel like I probably should - this being about my only journal at the moment. So we had Ben's speech/social development evaluation today and it was a mixed bag as to its success. During the screening he was very sweet as he answered all the questions, in a very quiet voice, but making eye contact and answering all the questions. I was so happy. I had been building this up for days, telling him he was so lucky that he was going to get to go to a school and talk and play with some fun teachers. He was actually excited as we set off this morning. And he was not disappointed, the waiting room at the eval center had a big Lego table - his favorite, so he thought it was a pretty cool place. Directly after the eval they had the IEP meeting with Adrian and I and the specialists who had done the screening. The wonderful news is that they believe Ben is within the normal range - a bit delayed in speech, but still within the normal range. I am so happy to hear that's he's not that far behind. The OT wanted him to be re-evaluated in 6 months for some gross-motor and sensory issues she felt should be tracked, just to make sure he keeps progressing, but other than that they aren't recommending any follow ups.

Here's the mixed bag part. One of the specialists (the psychologist) was quite well... snippy I guess is a good word for it. She was ultra-judgemental about Ben not being potty-trained yet, actually saying, "So I see, you are letting him choose whether or not to be potty-trained." Ouch. I said we really were working on it, but I guess she was right - I haven't forced the issue yet. I've been trying to take a more laid-back approach and probably soon I'll have to start the real potty training... Anyways, and then she made a couple of dismissive comments about my concerns with Ben's speech and sensory issues, saying he was acting completely appropriate for a 3 1/2 year old boy and maybe I was comparing him to much to other kids, especially girls who are much more social at this age... Ouch again. I pretty much felt like an over-reacting inexperienced mom. It was hard. I left feeling happy that Ben is doing well, but almost embarrassed for having him evaluated. I'm sure she deals with kids with major developmental delays, but I felt like we should have been treated with a bit more... tact. After all, it wasn't just my concerns, Ben's pediatrician had encouraged me to get him evaluated again... Oh well. Adrian didn't feel so bad about the experience. I think it's harder on me - mommy guilt rearing it's ugly head I guess...

Tents and Transformers

So after a wonderful week full of lovely girls nights (thanks ladies!!), Adrian and I went on a real date Saturday night!! Yay! I thought of an ingenious (if I don't say so myself:)) plan for babysitting. I put Nina to bed before we left and Adrian set up the tent in the basement for Sophie and Ben to sleep in. A few months ago Ben was afraid of tents (at least really afraid of sleeping in one) and now he loves them. We put the hide-a-bed mattress in the tent and put sheets on it and everything so that Sophie and Ben sleep with their regular blankets and all - we think that the whole sleeping bag on the ground thing might have been Ben's hang up. They actually sleep so well in the tent! But the major benefit is that they went to bed in the basement so they didn't have to go anywhere near Nina's room the whole night, therefore not waking her up! And it worked. Nina slept peacefully the whole night according to the babysitter. Success!!

Adrian and I went to Transformers. It was definitely entertaining. I think it was perfect for Adrian; he loved the original cartoon as a kid. It was action-packed and all Spielbergized with amazing special effects. I really like the actor who played the main character, Shia LaBeouf. He reminds me a lot of John Cusack in his younger years. I am a huge Say Anything fan! Anyways, I told Adrian that I thought the movie was the male equivalent of a live action My Little Pony movie with Colin Firth and Liam Neeson! (For all the 30-ish gals who played with their ponies and Monchhichies while their male counterparts played with Transformers and He-man figures. :)) But like I said it was entertaining and it was so good to get out of the house together and have some couple time! Now I just can't wait to see HP with the hubby too!! So yay, for date nights!

Flashback Friday

Today, I think I'll flashback to Annie and my days as a little actress in sunny CA. I was recently talking with a good friend who's son just loves the movie Annie and man, that flick just bring back the memories for me. I absolutely adored it. Everything about it, but the songs especially. At home I remember singing "We've Got Annie" with my sister Lori and my cousin Lesley. I always wanted them to pick me up and spin me around just like in the movie. For my first day of kindergarten I wore an Annie red blazer and plaid skirt. The little red blazer had a patch with the cartoon Annie on it and in a little pocket on the side that had a tiny stuffed animal Sandy attached with a string. (If you remember, Sandy was Annie's dog.) When I was really little I did pageants (probably starting when I was 2?) and that turned into acting when I was about 5 or 6. I remember auditioning for a part in the LA production of Annie the musical when I was about 7? It was a huge full day long "cattle-call" (as they call it in the biz :)), with tons of little girls at a hotel, or maybe it was a theater, in LA. I sang my little heart out, "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" of course, but didn't make the cast. It was actually one of the only parts I remember really really wanting - that and a Sunny Delight commercial that the little boy from Punky Bruster was in, but alas I didn't get that one either... You probably wouldn't believe it of me now, but I was such an attention grabbing little ham! I used to love get on stage in front of people, singing and dancing away. It's weird to think of that, because man I do not like getting up in front of people now... What changed? I often wonder this, but I guess I know the answer - adolescence... Junior high has a way of sucking all that natural self-confidence right out of you, or at least it did for me. Those crazy years... Anyways, even though back then I didn't have my 7 year old wish fulfilled and get to be in a real production of Annie, I still look back on those Annie-days with much fondness. I really need to see what Sophie and Ben think of Annie, they'd probably really enjoy it too. It would be grand if that was their favorite movie to watch in the car - then I could sing my heart out to "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" in the privacy of my mini-van with only my children as witnesses!! :)

July Art History Pic

This month I thought I would be patriotic and pick a favorite painting of George Washington, Prayer at Valley Forge by Arnold Friberg. My parents love this painting and my Dad has a large print of it hanging in his den. I think this is just one of those paintings that I grew up with, so even though it's not a significant art history piece it still has a lot to offer and makes me feel safe and comfortable. I have only read a bit about George Washington, but what little I have read amazes me. He was such a humble, courageous, and faithful man. I love the story of this prayer and apparently there was an eye witness account to it:


"I was riding with Mr. Potts near to the Valley Forge where the army lay during the war of ye Revolution, when Mr. Potts said, 'Do you see that woods & that plain? There laid the army of Washington. It was a most distressing time of ye war, and all were for giving up the Ship but that great and good man. In that woods (pointing to a close in view) I heard a plaintive sound as of a man at prayer. I tied my horse to a sapling & went quietly into the woods. To my astonishment I saw the great George Washington on his knees alone, with his sword on one side and his cocked hat on the other. He was at Prayer to the God of the Armies, beseeching to interpose with his Divine aid, as it was ye Crisis & the cause of the country, of humanity & of the world. Such a prayer I never heard from the lips of man. I left him alone praying. I went home & told my wife. We never thought a man could be a soldier & a Christian, but if there is one in the world, it is Washington. We thought it was the cause of God & America could prevail."


--Source: Eyewitness testimony of Isaac Potts, a Valley Forge resident who shared the following story with the Rev. Nathaniel Randolph Snowden (1770-1851), who then recorded it in his "Diary and Remembrances."


Of course, how could we know for sure if this happened, but I really like the story. I am so grateful for our country and for those who have given their lives to protect it. So for this month I'm happy to have a nice stars and stripey kind of art history pic!! :)

Sundae Fast Sunday

Last night was our first "Sundae Fast Sunday" and we hope to make it a monthly tradition. It all started when we, as a fam, were hanging out at the mall on Saturday and saw a ice cream maker on sale in Sears. I thought it sounded like fun to make our own ice cream and Adrian told me about the home-made ice cream he had had in his youth saying it "is sooo much better than any ice cream you can buy". So I thought I should try some of this home-made ice cream!! And I said, "hey we should have home-made ice cream sundaes on Sunday!" :) So we bought it and decide to make it a fast Sunday tradition so that we all have a fun treat to look forward to after we break our fast.

I have to say it was a lot of fun. All day yesterday Ben kept saying, "We make ice cream now?" When we got home from church everyone was so excited to mix the ingredients together and Sophie and Ben were both excited to see the cream churning in the machine. Here's the recipe we used:

Vanilla Ice Cream

4 0z pasteurized egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
1 cup sugar
1 cup half and half
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a bowl combine egg substitute, sugar, and vanilla and mix well. Add cream and half and half. Mix well and chill thoroughly. Then follow standard instructions for your ice cream maker - which for ours is: turn on the maker so it starts spinning and then slowly pour cream mixture into ice cream barrel and let mix for 20-25 minutes.

After dinner we broke out all the topping: hot fudge, caramel, Twix magic shell sauce, strawberry sauce, whipped cream, peanut butter m&ms, mini chocolate chips, praline crunchies, and Kit Kat bars. Sophie went for a sundae with every possible topping, Ben had just ice cream and m&ms on the side, Adrian had magic shell and whipped cream, I had hot fudge, Kit Kat and m&ms, and Nina had spoonfuls from Adrian's. The ice cream was so soft and so creamy - well will those ingredients you can imagine! It was a tad softer than we would have liked it, but I think next time we will let it churn a little longer to harden more. Man it was good tho!!! It was a fun family treat and everyone declared it the best ice cream they had ever had - even Nina in her own "Mmmm Mmmm" way! :)