The Kids Behind the Blog May 2017

I’m completely bewildered by the fact that it is now May! What in the world! The past month has brought a lot of highs and lows and May seems to be following suit. At least this link-up is a true delight. I get the biggest kick out of my four year-old. I have no idea where some of this stuff comes from.

If you had a magic tree-house that could take you anywhere in the world, where would you go?

“Mmmm…to…ummm…to school!”

Finish this sentence…”Red Rover, Red Rover…”

“Under cover!”

What is your favorite memory?

“Jesus makes me happy and strong.”

What is your favorite part about nature and being outside?

“Cows and riding in my Jeep.”

What do you think Mommy would like for Mother’s Day?

“Get married!”

(for the record, I have been married to her father for almost 9 years lol)

“I’m thinking…money, and that’s all. I’m thinking that’s enough.”

The Kids Behind the Blog: March 2017

This link-up always gets me giggling. I am always tickled to hear my daughter's responses. I hope you'll join me for this month's Kids Behind the Blog.

What's at the end of a rainbow?

-Jesus!

What do you like to do when it rains?

-Go outside with my umbrella. We play and hide under the tree so we can be warm.

If you found a leprechaun at the end of a rainbow what would you do? 

-Take him to see some animals and bring them home.

Tell me three ways you know it is spring time. 

-You can go outside. You see leaves on the trees. And what about it being sunny?

Do you wear green on St. Patrick's Day? What happens if you don't wear green?

-Yes. What happens? I don't know.

She hasn't really celebrated St. Patrick's day so...some of this was a little hard. I honestly don't know if she's had much leprechaun exposure either lol. She will experience the fun this year at preschool so I'm sure next year's answers will be much more involved.

The Kids Behind the Blog: February 2017

February, the month of love.

There is no one I love more than my kids...

I absolutely adore the little people they are becoming and they become more entertaining with each passing month. I'm linking up with The Kids Behind the Blog for this month's love themed questions.

1) What does the word love mean to you?

-"You pray for peoples' hearts. You say kind things."
Be still my heart. Even at nearly 4 she gets it better than a lot of adults.

2) Kids choice! How do you want to spend Valentine's Day?

-"I want to go dancing."
I guess we'll be doing some dancing on Valentine's Day.

3) Do you have a Valentine? If so, who?

-"Yes. My friend Tessa at school 'cause she's my friend."

4) How many days are in the month of February?

-"4"
She will be 4 in April...so everything is currently revolving around the number 4.

5) How do you show someone you love them?

-"I love my teachers. I be kind."
She truly is such a kind and helpful little girl. She makes me feel like we're doing something right as parents.

I hope you'll join us for the link-up. I love reading what your kids come up with.

Kids Behind the Blog October 2016

I have become such a fan of the Kids Behind the Blog link-up. It is the perfect way to document the funny way our littles think. This month provided a great deal of entertainment with its questions. Here are the responses of my precious 3 year old. She always keeps me laughing.

1. What do you want to be for Halloween?

I want to be Tinkerbell...a REALLY tiny one (she uses her fingers to demonstrate just how small) and she insists that her brother will be Peter Pan.

2. Do you like handing out candy or collecting it? 

I like getting candy because I want to it eat.

3. What should mommy and daddy be for Halloween?

Mommy should be Minnie Mouse and Daddy should be a prince.

4. Do you like to make a scary or happy faces Jack-o-lantern? 

I want a scary face one because I want to make it by myself. (Hmmm...not quite sure.)

5. What is the best part of Halloween? What's the worst?

Best: Making Granna a Minnie Mouse like you.

Worst: Scary face pumpkins

(I questioned this based on her previous Jack-o-lantern response...she said she changed her mind and wanted a happy face pumpkin.)

She's truly a gem. What else can I say?

School Lunch Toddler Edition: October

October is one of my favorite months...definitely my favorite month in the fall. With a new month comes a new lunch menu. Prepacking their meals has been a major time saver throughout the week and I am determined to get better at it for myself. My lunch packing was hit or miss, but truly helpful when I was consistent. All that aside, I've gone through the last couple of months and pulled a few favorites and added a couple of new things.

Helpful tips:

Cook as many grilled ham and cheese sandwiches as you'll need for the month. Freeze them and thaw at the beginning of each week. Heat in the morning and wrap in foil or place in a thermos. Done!

Stock up on applesauce pouches/cups/fruit cups when they are on sale. They last for a long time and are great, easy ways to add some fruit to their meals.

Hard boil the number of eggs you'll need for the week at the beginning of the week. I go ahead and peel mine for the kiddos. This will save everyone some time in the long run.

Linking up for Mommy Moments

Kids Behind the Blog September 2016

It's time to join up with Meghan for September's Kids Behind the Blog. First off, I still can't believe it is September. I mean seriously! I do look forward to asking questions of my littles and recording their responses. I know we'll all enjoy looking back at these one day.

My baby girl is another month wiser...let's see what my three-year-old has to say!

1. What is your favorite sport? Why?

Soccer because I like to kick things.

2. If someone gave you a million dollars what would you buy?

(I altered this slightly by asking what she would buy at the store if she had a lot of money) I would get strawberry gummies.

3. Tell me 3 things that kids do better than mommies and daddies. 

Dancing

Getting dressed for parties

Flying like a bird (I'm not really sure where this came from, but who am I to argue.)

4. What is your favorite thing to do in the fall?

Play on the playground

5. Share with me 3 things you like about yourself.

I'm a princess.

I like my orange hair.

I like to give hugs.

Well, there you have it. My sweet girl is something else, that's for sure. I can't wait to see what she has to say next month!

By the way, I'd ask my one-year old but he's currently saying nothing but "Pup-pup" these days as he totes around his stuffed animal puppy. I figured these questions might not be suitable for his little one track mind haha.

School Lunch Toddler Edition: August

School days are in full swing around here. Our 3 year old began preschool this year and is loving every minute. With three of us needing to leave the house by 7am so that I can drop off baby boy at the sitter and G at her preschool, I needed to find a way to shave off some minutes in the morning so that we aren't running frantically out the door. My friend was telling me how she has started prepping her kids' meals for the week. The week! I typically try to do them each night, but if I'm too tired, I convince myself that I can just get them done in the morning. This clearly has not been working...so I decided to give this weekly meal prep thing a go.

I try to carve out about an hour of time on Sunday evening to compile all of the meals. It does not typically take this long unless I need to make muffins or something else that needs to bake so that it can be frozen for future meals. We are going on week 3 and I like the way things have been playing out. The prep takes a little time but it is well worth it. I have chosen to rotate out the same 5 meals each week for the month. G eats breakfast at home before heading to preschool and N eats at the sitter. Their breakfasts vary but are quick (and I try to keep them generally healthy-protein packed and full of whole grains- as much as possible.)

Here are the meals that I've been rotating out for August. I hope this will help you save a little sanity in your crazy, beautiful life.

The Pumpkin Muffin recipe can be found here.

Linking up for Mommy Moments

A Minnie Mouse Birthday Party

Even now I get a little misty eyed when I think about the fact that my first born is now 3. Time is flying and I can't seem to hold tightly enough. Our beautiful little girl turned 3 a couple weeks ago and I'm proud to say her party seemed to go over pretty well.

When I asked her what kind of birthday party she replied,

"A Minnie Happy Day [Birthday]. The pink Minnie. Not the red one."

I did my best to make her wish come true. I LOVE celebrating birthdays but I refuse to break the bank to do so. With a little preplanning, do-it-yourself projects, and a fairly frugal mindset, we were able to turn out a sweet little get together to celebrate our baby girl turning 3.

The Attire

My mom is an amazing seamstress. A few months ago I had run across a dress that I just knew would be perfect for G on her special day. I sent a picture to my mom and she nailed it yet again!

The Food

G had requested strawberry cake. Easy enough. I added some fresh strawberries to my standard vanilla pound cake and yum! I made a strawberry buttercream to go on top. I also made some confetti style vanilla pound cake cupcakes for those who may not like strawberry the way we do.

I did a simple hotdog bar. We had various toppings, including cheese and chili. They were a big hit.

My mother-in-law graciously made a delicious fruit salad and my mom brought a veggie tray. We also had Mickey Mouse shaped veggie chips that were like by children and adults alike.

The Décor

I went simple yet again. I simple found some plain black pails and filled them with pink and white raffia. We went to a local party store and found some great black and pink balloons that had white polka dots. These tied in with the theme perfectly.

As everyone finished eating, we eventually had the kids make their way outside where we played on the playground and blew bubbles. We opted out of opening presents at the party this year. The last few parties (for little ones) that we've attended have done this in regards to gifts. I must say, it is quite nice. Watching toddlers open gifts can become quite dull for adults and children alike and this allowed for everyone to simply enjoy themselves. We did have her grandparents over later that day to watch her open her gifts. Personally, we found this to be a win-win for everyone.

Overall, it was a wonderful day filled with fun, food, family and friends.

Check out her other birthday parties!

Red Riding Hood

Hello One-derland

G turns 3!

3.

These days have gone too quickly. Just yesterday I was snuggling a tiny baby and today I hold the hand of a little girl, 

well on her way into childhood.

I am in awe of just how amazing you are. 

At 3, your favorites are...

*my input

Color: pink

Food: chicken nuggets

Song: Let It Go

Game: matching (Memory)

Movie: Lion King

Thing to do with Mommy: making cards (*we had made a card for her friend that day) and coloring

Thing to do with Daddy: watch T.V.

Thing to do with N: get him toys

Animal: Bella (her moose)

Book: the blue zoo book (*Peek Inside the Zoo by Simona Dimitri)

Best Friend: Stella

At 3 you are such a dreamer and a self-declared princess. You sing and dance without a care. The world is a stage and you love to be on it. You are all about right and wrong and “help” others follow the rules. You are helpful, giving, 

and so much fun.

 

My prayer for you:

Dear Jesus. I pray that as her parents we will guide her to know you and to walk in Your ways. We want her to love 

You first and foremost in her life. We pray for a mighty fortress over her emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. We pray she gain sweet friends. We pray that as things in her life change that she will handle them with grace. 

We cannot thank you enough for blessing us with this beautiful, fiery free spirit. We are humbled that You have 

chosen us and we look forward to the day that she chooses You.

Amen.

10 Mommy-Daughter Dates

There are few things that I enjoy more than spending time with my kids...in fact, I really don't know of anything I would rather do. I jump at the chance to spend some quality time with both my daughter and son. For my son, who will soon be 9 months old, our time consists of lots of snuggles, rocking in the chair, playing outside, and working towards new milestones. I love every second.

My daughter, who will be three in April, is a whole new kind of fun. I adore my mini me more than words can say. I'm continually amazed by how much she picks up on, how her interests change, and how big her personality has become. We have the best time!

Since before N was born, I have made an intentional effort to spend one-on-one time with G. As she gets older, our outings become that much more fun. I thought I'd share a few of our favorite Mommy-Daughter dates.

The Park

Free is always good. We have a couple of local parks near us, but their playground equipment is limited. We have to venture a little further into town to get to the "good" playgrounds and I must say, they are totally worth it. During the summer, we take full advantage of early morning romps and a light lunch under the shade of the trees.

Plays

G has finally become old enough that she can sit through and enjoy movies. I decided to take advantage of this new milestone and took her to a play. Recently, our local high school presented The Little Mermaid. The students did an AMAZING job. They captivated her for almost the entire length of the play. I definitely look forward to taking her to more in the future.

Educational Centers

We have a local educational center geared towards children. I would be a full time member if I was a SAHM. It would be well worth the money. I've taken her up there a few times and her favorite parts of the center are the paint room and the farm area. My girl loves some art and animals.

Zoos and Aquariums

These outings almost always include the whole family. We all LOVE animals and these trips are some of my favorites. We make amazing memories as she learns about new animals and we are able to share God's creation with her in such a fun way.

The Spray Park

On the grounds of one of the "good" parks, there is a Spray Park. It is awesome and free. She gets to sport her cute bathing suit while playing with other children in various sprinklers and waterfalls. It is a blast. We typically pack a lunch and make a full morning of it.

The Movies

Before our dollar theater closed down, it was the place to go. We had no problem waiting for new releases to become a little older so that we could pay $1.50 to watch them. In fact, it was at that theater that G had her first movie watching experience. Unfortunately, we only have the "high dollar" theaters left so our movie outings are very few and in between. They do make for a fun treat though.

The Library

During the summer, our library usually hosts various kid centered activities. If you are able to make things work, they also have weekly programs for babies and toddlers. Unfortunately, the morning hours that these are held do not work with my schedule. All that aside, we love taking trips to the library. We venture out early, grab something fresh, and homemade from the local bakery and then head over. She has the best time picking her selections and playing with the sensory bins. We both love reading so it is a definite win.

Homebound

Every now and then my hubby will take N out for the day. This allows some down time at home. She and I enjoy doing little crafts, making hot chocolate or cookies, and watching whatever Disney movie is currently her favorite. We may get a good little nap in together before heading out to play with bubbles and sidewalk chalk.

Playdates

G is at the perfect age for playdates. We love getting together with her little friends and their moms for an afternoon of play. I enjoy the adult conversation and seeing G interact with other children her age.

Frozen Yogurt

G has acquired my love of ice cream. We have a few sweet spots that we love. However, one of her favorites is our local frozen yogurt shop. She gets a kick out of picking her flavors and then adding toppings.

These dates are simple and generally inexpensive. The most important thing is that quality time is spent together. I want her memories to be filled with good things. I want her to feel loved and invested in. She is a precious gift and it is such an honor to be her mom.

What types of places do you enjoy taking your littles ones to?

Linking up with September Farm

and

Mommy Moments

Snowman Toddler Craft

The last handful of weeks we've finally experienced some real winter weather. As a teacher, this means snow days! I savor this extra time with my babes, especially since I pay dearly for the days we are out when we return. My oldest is coping with a nasty cold and despite her begging, I've kept her inside. To keep her from getting cabin fever, we've been building with play dough, coloring, enjoying a Disney movie from time to time, baking and getting in extra cuddles. 

To mix it up, I decided to pull out a toddler friendly craft. G loves snowmen. Perfect! 

Here is what you'll need:

Construction paper

Glue

Cotton balls

Crayons or markers

Sidewalk chalk

I began by drawing the outline of a snowman on her paper.  She then took her glue and began smudging large dots on her paper. 

(pardon the packing boxes in the background...we're slowly but surely getting this house packed up)

On top of each dot, she placed a cotton ball. This continued until she could no longer see the outline.

She then drew (with some assistance) the eyes, nose and buttons.

She used the chalk to add "snowflakes" and snow to her paper. I love the look of chalk. It has a snowy soft texture.

Afterwards,  we hung her masterpiece on the refrigerator. She couldn't have been more proud.

Countdown to Halloween link-up Week 1

While we don't do much in the way of celebrating Halloween,  we do a lot to celebrate the blessings of the Fall season. This past weekend was supposed to consist of a great consignment sale, pumpkin picking and one of our local orchard ' s apple butter festival. However, thanks to 3 days of rain, all outside activities were postponed. I did get some awesome deals at the consignment sale. Yippee!

I've been trying to savor the last bits of my maternity leave since I go back to work today. The struggle is real. To keep my toddler (and my mind) occupied, we did a couple little fall activities that we picked up from our library...not to mention lots of play dough and snuggling.

She completed a sorting activity and then a leaf activity. This was her first time using a glue stick...she is now slightly obsessed.

Join the link-up