Embracing Childhood

Sometimes it is so super easy to make your kids happy.  All it takes is embracing childhood

Spring Time Puddle Fun

First warm day in AGES plus the snowiest Winter EVER (literally by an inch) equals TONS of snow melt puddles.

Coffee Grounds Dirt 

Sometimes a little thinking ahead is required

I had been planning to do this for him for some time.  We had a decent amount of coffee grounds, but it wasn't quite enough.  We had such a stuck inside winter I had to start pulling out the big dogs.

Coffee Grounds, Flour and Graham Cracker Crumbs - Almost an hour of fun for Little Mister.  

Sand Construction Site

Sometimes you have to think outside the box ... literally the sandbox.

Sand from the sandbox because "dirt" was such a huge hit he asked for it again a few days later and I had no coffee grounds.  (Lesson for Coffee Grounds Construction site - play on top of something to make clean up easier.)

Barbie Beach

Separation is sometimes required.

When sharing is not an option.

Mani's at Salon Little Miss

Sometimes it just takes saying yes.  There is power in saying yes.

Peel off Barbie nail polish and waking up before Little Mister from nap leads to a VERY happy 4 year old.

Warning:  When you are working on this post and your 2 year old sees the construction site pictures you might need to pull them out again -- as both of mine are currently playing in sand construction sites.

Toddler Tuesday: Busy Bags

I have been toying around with where I should post this article -- Toddler Tuesday or Teach Me Thursday.  Toddler Tuesday won out because of the reason behind the activity.

Recently, I took some contact paper turned the edges over and stuck it to the door.  I gave them some cut up tissue paper and let them have fun with it.  As you can see they had a blast.

They played together.

They spent quite a bit of time playing with it.

Figuring they had so much fun with it I would use the activity again.

I made small “sticky” boards for a set of busy bags.  Bags that I want to have to that they can play while I am cooking dinner to keep them entertained.

It was an EPIC failure.  They fought over the boards.  They threw the tissue paper all over the place.  Lead to one frustrated Mama.

How do you keep your kids entertained while you are cooking dinner?

Toddler Tuesday: Old Phones

What are you doing with your old land line phones?

If they are fancy-ish like ours (I actually still use it, I just plug the phone line in when I need to use it). Plug it into the electric and let them play with it!

Little Miss:
Has talked to her friend Alyssa.
Talked to Grandma and Grandpa.
And worked.

Little Mister:
Pushes button after button and can’t call China.
Picks up the phone and says, “hello!”
Unfortunately, tries to hit with the handset.

When trying to play together it is a catastrophe waiting to happen.  Playing individually, it is minutes (like 15-20) of bliss.

This phone is great because it has a two way recording feature.  Where we can record things onto it and they can play it later.

Toddler Tuesday: Table Play

This Toddler Tuesday post was started a few months ago, and never saw the light of day.  Mainly because I forgot about it.  It is relevant again, so I will write it and post it.

Hubs is working out of the house again.  Praise the Lord he found a job that fits his strengths well.  This means now that I have to entertain kids while making dinner.  Never an easy task.

Usually Little Miss is content to sit quietly and get some TV time.  I think they have been getting too much TV time and it’s not working the way it once did.  Therefore, the TV is going off again.

Little Mister is still putting a lot of things in his mouth, so I have to be careful with what I give them to play with.

I broke down and gave Little Miss some playdoh and made some salt dough for Little Mister.  If he ate it I knew he would be okay.

He had a great time squishing it.

Now to perfect some busy bags for them.  The one we tried yesterday was an epic fail.  These might take some working to get kinks out and find what works for them.

Toddler Tuesday: I will never ...

What is something you never thought you would let your toddler/preschooler play with, but you do?

Me … the first was my smart phone.  I downloaded apps to keep her busy while we were waiting places.

Now it is my camera.  I am a little leary of this, because it is all I have left.  My phone is long lost.  My good camera committed suicide.  So I am nervous; however, she has so much fun when I let her play with it.  Here are some of her shots recently.

Freda the Pup

Working with Mommy

Mommy (yikes my chest looks a little red - too much sun?)

Hickman #5 - our lazy old dog (he is going to be 9)

Forgetting not to move

Peek a boo!

I love this girl!

Toddler Tuesday

I have to say, for the most part Hubs and I have been really good at not saying vulgar things around the kids.  Of course we have slipped a time or two.  And they here “poop” way more than I ever wanted my kids to hear, but they have yet to repeat it.  THANK GOD!

Could it be that we are constantly reminded of the parrots we have.

So what have your little ones copied from you lately?

Toddler Tuesday: Monsters or Monsterous Behavior?

I had been dealing with behavior challenges and a teething toddler.  I couldn’t handle much more stress.  I prayed for God’s peace and calmness.  I was lead to two blog posts and a Facebook status.

First I read this article.
The advice given to this mom was "Say yes more than you say no." This made me start thinking what does that "saying no" start to mean to our kids?

Of course saying no means; "No, that is dangerous." or "No, that breaks the rules." and all those legitimate reasons we say no. I am referring to the times that we are too stressed, tired, or busy. What about those no's, what are those no's saying? What about when we say "no" because we know the result of saying yes? The selfish reasons we say no.

Saying "no" in those times means:

• I get in your way
  
• I am not important
  
• I am an inconvenience
  
• You don't like me
  
• I can't have fun

Those "no's" result in, "You always say no." That is a heartbreaking thing to hear.

Did I ever want to make my children feel this way? Did I want my "no's" to mean something? Did I say "no" more than I said "yes"?

With a recent move and a bunch of life changes I found myself dealing with a lot of behavior challenges with my kids. Where were these behaviors coming from? I really had to sit down and take a look at what was going on. These are things I heard quite often …

• Mommy, can I play with my play dough? - No, honey it makes too much of a mess.
• Mommy, can I play with -(filling in the blank)-? - No, honey it's at the storage unit and you will have to wait until we are at our new house.
• Mommy, can we cuddle? - Sure honey, let me finish this first.
• Mommy, can we go play somewhere? - No, honey it's too cold.
• Not to mention the fighting, screaming and whining.

I was saying "no" and "stop" all the time. The same day I read the article about saying yes more I read "Dear Mom on the iPhone." Fill in "Mom on the Computer" and that could have been me.

The thing that turned my attitude was when I read a status on Facebook. It was mentioning what monsters a friend's kids were being. I decided that week I was not going to call my kids monsters no matter how they were acting. I was going to stop what I was doing when I was asked to do something no matter how inconvenient it was at the time.

The next time I was asked, "Mommy, will you play Candyland?" I said, "Yes." The next time I was asked, "Mommy, can I play with my play dough?" I said, "Yes." When I was asked, "Will you play with me?" I said, "Yes."

This particular day I was asked, “Mommy can I play with my play dough?”  “Sure, honey.”  “Mommy will you play with me?”  “Yes.”

The light in her eyes when I said yes.

Mama's Rose

Family adventure to the zoo.

At the zoo there were ducks and snowmen.

She even cleaned up without complaining.  There is power in saying yes.

There will come a time - much too soon I am sure - when I won't be asked to cuddle, read books, play games and color. I decided I am going to "say yes more than I say no". When I have to say "no" I am going to make sure it is for a good reason.

• "Mommy, can we make a cake" (It is after bedtime.) "We can't make it right now, but we can make it tomorrow." Then follow through on that tomorrow.
  

I prayed a long time for my kids. I never want them to think they are not important or an inconvenience. I am going to do my best to say yes more than I say no. I am going to do my best to find balance between work and family. All too soon they will be moving out and having kids of their own. When they are showing monsterous behavior I will first take a look at what is going on around them first.

What's going on with your toddlers these days?

{Toddler Tuesday} Peas in a Pod

It is funny how different two kids can be and so similar all at the same time.

Thursday we took the kids out for awhile.  Personally, I love that I can get them out of the house on February 14th and not be freezing or covered in snow.

Two Peas in a Pod - being daring.  Little Miss took on the big slide all by herself, no one at the bottom to catch her.  This is after several times of going down the slide.  No coaxing needed.  So different than just 6 months ago.
 

 

Little Mister - well he thinks that he can climb up anything.  He was determined to climb up a slide.  

 

Two Peas in a Pod - SWINGS!

The faces of complete joy.  "Are you ready to play on something else?" "No, I am getting my swinging on."  Where does she pick up this stuff!

Our next goal.  To get Little Miss to go down the tube slides by herself.  (She has had two not so pleasant experiences with tube slides.  So this will be a gradual thing.) 

{Toddler Tuesday} Emerging Behaviors

Things are interesting around here lately.  Technically, we have a toddler and a preschooler.  Little Miss has us in stitches often.  She has always been a ham, but lately I am loving the imagination that is emerging.

Things emerging - preschooler:

• Coloring and drawing - this lately has been a daily activity.  She asks me to draw so many different things.  I love it when she asks me to draw a monster.  It’s a great way to work on different concepts.  “What shape should the monster’s head be an oval or a square?”  “Should the fur be straight or curly?”  “How many eyes does the monster have?”  “What color is the monster’s body?”
• Over the last week or two she has started interacting with the different tv shows she enjoys.  She will go up to the tv and point to the different “mouska-tools” that need to be used or where to go on Dora.  The one that shocked me the first time I heard her do it, “Do you see super letters?  What letters do you see?”  “R and S”  and she was right.  
• Imagination - We have a family of rabbits that are living with us, Brody the rabbit and a baby.  She has such a caring heart because she is always taking care of the bunnies.  We can’t tell if these are nice rabbits or mean rabbits because sometimes she is saying, “Hurry so the rabbits don’t get us!”  She is hysterical.

What do you mean you want to take a nice picture of me Mommy?

Things emerging - toddler:

• Although he is not always sure what we are asking Little Mister has started nodding yes and shaking his head no.  Every time we ask him something “Do you want more hamburger?” and he nods yes, we repeat yes helping him learn even more words.  
• Could be one of the funniest things he does - he likes to steal and run.  It’s as if he is saying, “I got your stuff and I am not giving it back!”  
• I am already noticing that “terrible twos’ are going to be difficult with Little Mister, he is already throwing fits when he gets frustrated.  

CHEESE! 

I do love being a mommy.  I am happy that our babes are so close in age.  I didn’t realize how tiring it was going to be chasing around these two all day.  I go to bed exhausted most nights, and I probably don’t count my blessings quite enough, but it’s a good exhausted.

{Toddler Tuesday} Innovation

Do you see that there are 2 rings missing from our ring stacker.

Those 2 are the largest rings.  They are currently being worn as "fancy shoes".

Love the innovation and imagination that is developing in our almost 3 year old.  What I find very interesting is that when she imagines things and you ask her the names she does not give things names.  Today we had a dragon with us for lunch.  I asked her what was the dragon's name.  "Dragon."

{Toddler Tuesday} Double Standard

As parents we have a slight double standard.  It's never, ever okay for our children to lie to us.  Even now I find myself saying to Little Miss, "It's okay to tell me you are tired when I ask you.  That does not mean you have to go up for a nap."  I also find myself asking, "Are you being honest?" 

But when it comes to parents we may stretch the truth some.  "Mama do you have your iPod?"  "Yes, but it's not working right now."  It's true - it's not working because I don't have it hooked up.  The real truth, I don't want to listen to the Wiggles and I don't want to listen to you cry because you are not getting your way. 

We have been at a point where Little Miss would just not listen to us.  She would do something bad and say, "I'm good for Santa!"  Time outs weren't working.  Putting her in her room wasn't working.  Telling her Jesus wants her to be a good girl and listen to her Mommy and Daddy was going in one ear and out the other.  We caved. 

I found a Christmas Card that was left over from last year or the year before that had Santa on the front.  We wrote a note to her from Santa and had it show up in the mail. 

Santa reminded Little Miss of things she needed to do to stay on the nice list.  He reminded her that if she ended up on the naughty list she would not be getting a tennis racket {Her OBSESSION}. 

It's working for now.  We keep the card where she can see Santa's face and it reminds her.  Of course it does take some reminding, but it is much better.  Little Mister is not getting pushed down and Little Miss is listening.  Which means Mama is not yelling as much either. 

{Toddler Tuesday} Peek into the Toddler Mind

{Toddler Tuesday} Conversations

Oh boy are we dealing with an attitude from our Little Miss.  So instead of focusing on her bad attitude we are going to share the funny things she says these days. 

I missed this one, so I am sharing what Hubs shared with me. 

Miss is sitting on the couch watching some TV.
Mister is trying to get to her.
"A, I am not a toy!"

Daddy: "K, who is your favorite princess?"
Miss: "Her" pointing to me
Daddy:  "Mommy is your favorite princess?"
Miss: "Yeah!"

Playing in the bathroom in a sinkful of bubbles (boredom buster and clean up from painting)

Miss: "I am making breakfast"
Me: "What are you making for breakfast?"
Miss: "Bubbles"
Me: "Bubbles? What do bubbles taste like?"
Miss:  "Chicken Nuggets."
Me: "Oh, when will breakfast be done?"
Miss:  "Suppertime."

On a walk:
Miss: "Mama look at that neck!" (stick)
Me: "Wow, that is a big stick."
Miss: Picks up the stick, "ARRRGH!"
Me:  "Are you a pirate?"
Miss: "ARRGH!"  Then hands me a twig, "Mama, here is your sword.  ARRGH!"

{Toddler Tuesday} Preschool Plan

Last night I took a look at all of our activities and planed out what we are going to do all month.  I figured I would share it with you here.  Seeing that kids thrive on a schedule I also have come up with our schedule.  My hope is that we are going to be able to stick to it.

Our morning routine is from 7 to 10.
We like to ease into our mornings if at all possible.  This is when I do a quick clean of the kitchen after breakfast and start any laundry.  I do some minor computer stuff and set up for preschool.

Preschool starts at 10 and goes until 11:30.
We will be doing 2 learning activities and art or a game.

11:30 til 12:30 is clean up and lunch.  Followed by story time.

Quiet time and naps start at 1pm and go until 3pm.

3pm to 4 is play time, I might make some file folder games or some desk play games for this time of the day.

4 to 5 is clean up and making dinner.

Onto our Preschool Plan-