Traditions

I started this tradition when my baby girl turned one...to take a picture each year of her with the number of balloons that match her age. I don't always get those pictures taken as close to the actual day as I'd like, but sometime during the year. Today we took her three year old balloon pictures. Here are just a few.

Decorating

We've FINALLY gotten started with decorating baby boy's room...or at least we have the theme picked out. Right now, he is really into animals. I thought a woodland animal theme would be perfect. Stuff has been arriving...ideas have been swirling, and crafts are being made all in the hopes that his room will be a place he loves. The past couple of days I've worked a little here and there around the schedule of the babies to complete some projects for his room. This little deer that I made from felt will be placed somewhere...not sure where yet though. Also, I finished this banner from felt today and it will be hung above his bed. I have a few more ideas to add to this, but it's a start. I am making Baby Girl a few things too so she doesn't feel left out. Her room is bird themed, so I'm getting started with this pink owl that will be added to a bigger project later.

Busy

I've been very busy the past couple days with some felting projects for Baby Boy's newly decorated room. Will share the projects soon. I need a few supplies to finish them off. Now, back to work...

Sneaky Snacky Squirrel

This is one of my new favorite games...to play with our family. It's called Sneaky Snacky Squirrel. You have to be the first to fill up your slice of tree with an acorn of each color. You use the sweet squirrel pincher to grab an acorn off the tree. The look of the game is retro and so cute. It is a hit with the babies too.

Today

We have had a full morning today. Started the day with breakfast, followed by a walk around the neighborhood. Baby boy enjoys pointing out all the little things around him...the moon, trees, birds, dogs, holes in the sidewalk, etc. We saw a caterpillar and some dragonflies too. Then we stopped off in the driveway. I drew a river (the Nile River) and we played Baby Moses. Little Girl played Miriam here and Baby boy was playing the servant to the princess. I was the princess. We played several times and switched rolls.
After we went inside we had our Bible story and morning prayers, played a lot...crafts, built a tunnel, played a variation on hide and seek.
Now everyone is resting. And I'm taking a quick breather.

Father's Day

We had a wonderful sermon about Dads yesterday. It was great to hear the challenge to our men to be Godly men that our children can lean on and that can lead them by example to the cross. The sermon ended with a poem that I absolutely loved. I don't have that poem, but I ran across this one and I enjoyed it too.

What Is A Dad?

A dad is someone who

wants to catch you before you fall

but instead picks you up,

brushes you off,

and lets you try again.

A dad is someone who

wants to keep you from making mistakes

but instead lets you find your own way,

even though his heart breaks in silence

when you get hurt.

A dad is someone who

holds you when you cry,

scolds you when you break the rules,

shines with pride when you succeed,

and has faith in you even when you fail.

Unknown

Happy Father Day
I love this song...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgtZtPAU-sw

Game Night

We picked up Grandma and Grandpa at the airport last night...
One of our favorite things to do together is to play games. We got this new game for the little girl in our life. It's called Honeybee Tree. She LOVES it. The object is to remove the tree leaves and not let any bees fall. She WANTS the bees to fall and giggles whenever they do. It is a fun game if you have any little people in your life and you like to play table games. We have another game coming in the mail too...hopefully tomorrow. Can't wait to play that one.

New Post

I had saved a post the other day while waiting for the perfect picture...so as I got one, I loaded it up, but it posted on my blog on 6/8/11, so if you scroll down, you'll find it.

It's About Time!

FINALLY we are getting started on decorating the room for our little boy. We decided to go with a woodlands theme. We've been gathering ideas and items to make it extra-special...here's a little peek at our finds and ideas. We'll post pictures of the progress/finished product.
O.K. I just HAVE to have one of these owls for the room. It is just such a unique piece and I absolutely LOVE the details. But at nearly $300, that's a long ways off from happening, but I think I can make a knock-off from looking at the owls on Ann Wood's blog...seriously, this woman is a creative genius...the boat I made for the 1st birthday of our little boy, a knock off of her creations. So, we'll see how that turns out. (Keeping my fingers crossed that it will be as great as I envision it.)
These were some of the original inspirations for the woodlands theme. We are waiting (not so patiently) for some of these to arrive in the mail. We got the opossum, owl, raccoon, fireflies, moths, and fox. We'll put some of these on the wall in some sort of arrangement, but I also want to set one on the shelf I plan to install...details later.
I have been thinking about how to incorporate a couple of shelves into the room and then today, I stumbled across this AMAZING idea (Top Right Picture). I love these book swings and they are super easy to make. Thanks to http://brendaacuncius.com/blog/ I'll be installing some of these lovely little shelves with some handmade book swings. I have some fabric in mind that would fit perfectly...hopefully I can get my hands on it.
When I saw this, I KNEW immediately that it had to be included. This cute little nightlight jar of fireflies arrived the other day and I cannot stop playing with it. Seriously, these things fade on and off randomly just like a real jar of fireflies do. How cool will this be in his room? I can't wait.
Even Daddy is getting in on the excitement. He wants to add a paper mache' tree to the corner with a beehive and some other fun details. Hopefully we're not being too ambitious, but if we can pull it off, it will be AMAZING!

To Do List

Found this great little list of 100 things to do with your toddler (from http://counting-on-me.blogspot.com). I'm making it my goal to do these things over the summer. Already have done several of these...can't wait to do the rest.
Color
Blow Bubbles
Play Hide-and-Seek
Peek-a-Boo
Play Chase
Do Finger-plays
Sing a song
Collect rocks in a basket
Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture
Make a fort out of cushions and sheets
Go for a Walk
Make a Car out of a Box
Read a book
Go to the park
Finger-paint
Play with Play-Dough
Toss Bean bags into a Bucket
Play the shell and pea game
Dance to music
Download games for toddlers from the Internet
Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags
Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch
Roll a ball back and forth on the floor
Scoop dirt or sand into a child's bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)
Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision)
Put on a puppet show
Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn
Make a Horseshoe game
Make a Shape Puzzle
Play paper basketball
Run through a Sprinkler
Play with a bucket of water and a sponge (PLEASE WATCH CHILD AT ALL TIMES!)
Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box
Play with a kazoo
Wash windows together
Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon
Brush each others teeth
Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child's clothes
Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other
Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other
Make a playhouse out of a large box
Let child play with a sticker sheet (make sure your child doesn't eat them!)
Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets
Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc.
Go on a Smelling Hunt
Frost Cookies
Plant a flower or vegetable plant together
Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket
Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers
Play hide and seek together- trying to find a stuffed animal or other object
Have a splash party together in the bathtub
Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house
Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)
Make and try on paper hats
Give a piggy-back ride
Play "Horsey"
Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)
Play tug-of-war with a blanket
Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real...)
Make a camera and go on a Safari
Play games with frozen juice lids
Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives
Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives- let your child talk too
String large beads onto or along a shoelace
Squirt each other with squirt bottles
Glue shapes onto paper
Make sock puppets
Make paper puppets
Fill an old purse with toys
Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone
Make binoculars and go "Bird Watching" or "Stuffed Animal Watching"
Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)
Act out a story from a book
Walk on a balance beam- use a 2x4 placed on the ground
Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk
Paint child's palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!
Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror
Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it
Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich
Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through
Do the Hokey Pokey
Make a super-hero costume out of household items
Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes
Play "Red Light, Green Light" saying "Go" and "Stop"
Make a shoe-box train for stuffed animals
Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!)
Make an easy puzzle with felt and Velcro
Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells
Learn numbers from a deck of cards
Play the matching game with a deck of cards
Make a domino chain
Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!
Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy's clothes
Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it
Make a nature collage
Mirror each other
Make a "Mummy Mommy" with toilet paper
Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways
Make and walk along a toilet paper trail
TAKE A NAP!
I might also try some of the ideas listed here
http://www.crystalandcomp.com/2011/05/80-inexpensive-or-free-summer-activities-for-kids/
And check out these cardboard boxes for imaginary play...I'll definitely try something like this...actually I had some ideas already before seeing these...

And check these out for free trips to go bowling and other things with your kids.
free is always good if you ask me. :)

---- Things I Never Want to Forget

How you put on your sunglasses upside down.

That you are little Miss Independent right now and want to do everything yourself. ( "I do myself.")
Every time I pull out my camera for a picture, you want to take one too.
How obsessed you are with the story of Baby Moses. You know it like the back of your hand.
How you enjoy the movie Peter Pan.
What a hard time you have going to bed.
How you say "killey" instead of kitty and "compooter" for computer.
How much you love the song, Only a Boy Named David.
That you can eat A LOT!
How you spend your days playing pizza party, store, and being a good mommy to your sissies.
How you spend hours reading books some days and you make up your own stories to go along with the pictures if you don't know the story well...or if you do know it well, you say it word for word or at least tell it.
How when we got out of the car at Walmart you told me "You the best Momma!"
And when I was singing songs to you at bath time last night, you said, "You sing pretty." (Yeah, I AM storing up your compliments for those teenage years.)
How you love to give hugs and kisses, but sometimes pretend like you aren't going to, and then when we play along and start to leave without a kiss, you say, "Yes, yes!" throw your arms around us and kiss us. You're such a tease.
How you pretend to fall asleep in your car seat and try not to smile when I say, "Look, Daddy, she fell asleep...I guess we'll just have to carry her up to bed." And that suddenly gets you up and going with gusto.
How you can draw those deep belly laughs out of little brother.
How as soon as we moved you out of diapers...you just pretty much stay dry...including the move, at the end of May, to get you sleeping without diapers.
How you love pink and purple...and how happy that makes me feel.

Trying It Out

Got to try out my dad's new camera today...the Nikon D7000. We took the kids to the back yard for some water fun. Here are a few shots from today.

Swimming

The other day we got a chance to use our new wading pool. Baby girl had such a great time. She kept jumping up and screaming, "Pixie Dust!" Yes, she's obsessed with Tinkerbell.
Baby Boy was not so sure about the whole swimming thing. He DID NOT want to have anything to do with it. The bravest he got was to dip one of his little feet into the foot washing bin I had set up near the pool. Instead, he spent his time playing at his water table and playhouse.