A night out

Look: Today I was planning on taking kids to the local Lakeshore Learning Store.  When I was a teacher I loved back to school time.  The Lakeshore stores would always be buzzing with teachers all excited for a fresh school year.  Since leaving my teaching job I've discovered these stores not only have weekly crafts for preschoolers, but have a play area.  As long as I can keep my wallet in my purse (their things while educational are also pricey $) we have a great time.  So that was the plan, but instead I spent the morning dealing with my 3 year old's temper.  She was completely upset and in an effort to get her to use her "big kid" words I did not give in at all....GO ME!  So my plan for today was shot...but I have to be flexible right?  Because I spent most of the morning listening to sobs, screams and cries tonight I'm going to thoroughly enjoy my night out.  I didn't even realize until I typed it that tonight I will be hanging out with my teacher friends...and here I was going to the teacher store today.  Subliminal messaging maybe.
Learn: This is something I learned a bit after having my second child.  Going out is a great way to relax.  Sure I get out most mornings for a walk or run.  I spend time on play dates and get sitters when going out with the hubby.  But just going out alone or with some great girlfriends is a must.  I try to plan or do something once a week to give myself the time to recharge.  It's been a vital part of surviving in the world of toddlers that is my home right now.  So tonight I plan on having a beer or four (I have a designated driver), enjoying some delicious food and laughing all night.  What else could I need to be ready to tackle the rest of the week with my wee ones.
Love: The best part about a night out is that it can range from simple to complex.  When in a pinch I've driven to the nearby book store with my own coffee mug and perused all the new arrivals.  I'll grab a magazine I would never by and sit and recharge.  I leave those nights having spent not even a penny!  On the complex end it can be a lot of arranging and coordinating plans, rides and outfits for a few hours out.  But in the end it's always worth it.

Long Time No Blog

It's been months, about 6 to be more accurate.  The spring came and went and no blogging.  The kids and I did tons of fun stuff.  We took our first two real family vacations (hotel and siteseeing).  We entered the world of play dough, legos, trains, finger painting, and seeing a movie in the theater.  Add in a bunch of great playdates, playgroups and story times, we've been a busy family.

Just this weekend I was laying in bed before falling asleep thinking about all the fun things I want to do with the kids.  That is when it popped in my head that I need to pick back up with my blogging. I said as soon as I get home I'll start again.  Well add a busy Monday and here I am. So I'm back, at least a couple times a week...but I wanted to add.  This blog is all about taking time to stop and enjoy the kids.  It's also about documenting it so that I am responsible for making more efforts to create great experiences with my kids.  The thing I wanted to add, was that I wanted to add special things I do for my husband and for myself.  So bear with me as I add and create a new facet to my rantings (I mean blogging)!

Cheerios

Look: I've been wanting to fill our water table with rice or Cheerios for a while now.  I finally bought a super box of Cheerios and did it with the warmer weather this week.  The kids have spent hours this week pouring the cheerios into different containers using cups, spoons and shovels.  It seemed to be endless fun.

Learn: Cheerios was the way to go! As you can see from the second picture our dog, Millie, spent the hours circling the water table like a shark looking for a lonely swimmer.  If I had picked rice I know she would have still eaten it and who knows if that is safe.  Also I wondered if this could be an indoor activity.  The answer is no!  With the ages my kids are there was lots of spillage and this would have been a mess (although I am sure Millie would have been on hand to clean it up!)

Love: I loved, loved, loved doing this.  I think in a day or two there will be no more cheerios and we'll have to start again another time, but I will certainly do this over and over!

Shoe Store

Look: Cleaning the floor of my closet was on my to do list.  Somehow with all the hecticness of the holidays, my closet was a mess.  With it clean the kids oh'd and ah'd over the space.  Then as we were playing one day in my room, Chelsea asked Gavin to "Come into the shoe store" and blammo a game was born.  I think she got the idea from when we went to the please touch museum and they had one too.  They played for a while pulling out shoes, trying them on and Mommy putting them back.

Learn: Everyone knows that kids love the wrapping paper more than the gift sometimes.  But I just didn't stretch my mind to think of how this applies to other things.  In this case I thought they'd like hiding in the closet or reading book in the corner or making it a little cave, but nope a little cleaning up and they see a shoe store.

Love: I love the way their little minds work.  On this day they really played nicely in the shoe store too!

Oatmeal in the helping tower

Look:  C's changing table has been busted for months.  We do diaper changes on the floor and have been using it for storage.  I've had the idea that it could turn into a "helping tower" with a little help from my handy husband.  So this weekend (after seeing a friend post their own helping tower pics) Chris turned our changing table into a helping tower.  Now we pull it up to the counter and the kids can both help cook without teetering on a chair.  It's very sturdy...thanks to Chris.  On this day we made oatmeal for breakfast.  The kids stirred their packets with silk and then put in the fun stuff...cinnamon, brown sugar, raisins and chocolate chips.

Learn:  This tower is starting to change the meals I am planning, I want to include the kids whenever I can now!

Love: I love the chocolate covered mouths, they are happy, full mouths too!

Please Touch Museum

Look:The please touch museum has been around for years.  But just about a year or two ago they moved the location and made an all new museum for kids.  We hadn't been to the new one yet.  My friend Monica called to invite us and I couldn't have said yes fast enough.  We truly had a fantastic time.  The entire museum was amazing, each detail thought out very well.  I have about 100 pictures from that day, but here is just a sampling.

Learn: The most I can say is that we need to get our own membership too!  What fun!

Love:  I will remember a lot of the neat things Chelsea and Gavin did at the museum forever. 

NYE

 

Look: We had a terrific New Year's Eve.  Some awesome friends of ours threw a great party.  They did a special early countdown for the kids so that Moms and Dads could have the kids in bed by the real new year's.  They even tailored the food to Chelsea's allergies.  The kids really liked the hats and noise makers.  And what kid doesn't love playing with someone else's toys?

Learn: We don't go to a lot of parties with Chelsea because there will likely be a problem.  This time it was so nice to actually relax and enjoy the party.  Chris and I enjoyed it as much as Gavin and Chelsea did.

Love: I love our friends.  Anne and Al were very accomodating and it was completely terrific.  What a great way to start 2010!