Life is Good

Life is Good for these three kids:-)

This morning the girls and I did some Sand art.

Hannah's sand art (OK, mine...but I let her shake the sand off)

Do you notice the sand on and under Hannah's lips....I guess she thought they were decorating sprinkles???  She kept trying to sneak a lick!

Nicole's sand art (I was to busy doing mine helping Hannah with her sand art that I didn't fully explain to Nicole the point.  She started taking all of the stickers off to pour the sand on.  This is the reason you can't see her flowers)

Then we swung for a while....

and swung....

and swung.....

I have the cutest pictures and video of Nathan from yesterday, but I won't put them on the blog because his little naked tooshy is showing.  He's had a bit of diaper rash, so we had some "free time" yesterday.  However, I can show you these sweet pictures.

After some time playing on his belly, he rolled over.  Since he was still "in the buff" I quickly made sure he was covered up....mostly because I had already been sprayed once that day.  I walked away and came back to these sweet poses he managed all by himself.  I didn't instigate this at all.

I think he liked how soft the towel was.  I wish I could show you the other pics....he had the BIGGEST smiles!!!!  I think he loved "being free"

New Style

We have struggled with Nicole's hair for some time.  We all (including her) want long hair, but it's so fine that it gets terribly knotty.  It's also straight on top and tightly curled underneath.  So....I convinced Jeremy to cut her hair, short, to get rid of the "baby hair" and hope that some strong hair grows back in place.  I was hoping it would make this summer more bearable for all of us since she doesn't always let me put it up and usually won't keep it up....so short hair would stay out of her face, get less knotty and *hopefully* look better and be easier. 

So far...the only thing that's happened is it's less knotty. Make that...there are NO knots at all...which was great this morning.  However, her hair seems to be even more unruly and unmanageable.  I don't want to...but, I think I'm going to have to flat iron her hair in the mornings (although I think the first time she goes outside, everything will frizz up again:-(  Poor girl...She's got my texture of frizzy hair, only there is a lot less. 

The above picture was taken right after she got it cut, so it looks pretty good.  But, in every day life, it's pretty messy looking.  I've always been sort of against putting product in a child's hair...but, I think I'm going to have change.  She's going to need something, or else I'm afraid she's going to have several years of awkward pictures. 

To you new mommies...this is why you can't be to dogmatic on how you think a child should be raises or what you should do with them.  When real life comes around...sometimes those things you thought you'd NEVER do (like flat iron a 3 year old's hair), you may end up doing....just to help manage the craziness. 

So....what do you think?  It changes her whole look, doesn't it?

Anyone ever made things out of felt?

So, on one of my coupons blogs, Hip2Save, she is giving away 8 free patterns for little felt food, dolls and books.  I seriously want to win this give away.  I know I don't have time to do this...but maybe eventually.  I don't want to infringe on this girl's copywrited photos....so, click these links and check out these ADORABLE felt toys!!!!

Country Farm Barn (I love this...it's a barn that opens up into a field with corn and a trough for the animals.  And, everything fits into the barn for easy clean up)
Gone Fishing (fish, a fishing pole and a bag)
Activity Book (I LOVE this....several pages of fun things for kids to do like tic tac toe, ice cream toppings, hanging out laundry)
I Know an Old Woman ("act" out I know an old woman who swallowed a spider book with all the little things the lady can swallow...oh, I LOVE this!!!!)
Doll House (all the items fit into the doll house for clean up)
Nativity
Bakery Sweets (cinnamon rolls, spatula, etc)
Fun Fruit (including sliced apples and oranges that you can put back inside the fruit, kiwi, etc)


Have you ever made anything like this?  Any ideas on how hard/easy this would be???

And, again...I don't know the lady who sells these patterns, I just thought they were adorable, and I was wondering if anyone who reads my blog has ever tried to make anything like this.

Sisters

These two pretty much love to be around each other. Yes, they fight...yes, they cry....but, they are learning to love and be sweet to each other. One of my favorite things that happens is when we pick the girls up from their classes at church on Sunday, Nicole runs to Hannah, gives her a hug and tells her she misses her.

Nathan kicking around.

This is just a little video full of Nathan kicking around and having fun. Mostly for our dear family far away to have a chance to catch a glimpse of him:-)

Hair Bow Holder

We really don't have as many hair bows, head bands and clippies as most families with two young girls.  I guess that's partly my fault.  I'm not a bow kind of girl...but, my girls like them (if only for 5 minutes).  Keeping your hair bows organized and off the floor is an annoying task.  But, there are some crafty moms who have come up with some great ideas.  The problem is, for me anyway, that these crafty ideas are expensive.  Here is a hair bow holder that is $70!!!!  That's a bit over kill for me...especialy since we own about $5.00 in hair accessories.  There are also more simple versions, like these.

Yesterday though, I needed a quick fix for some new hair accessories in our home.  I did a quick search and decided to make my own little bow holder.  I used an animal plaque that we already have in the kids' bathroom, and two piece of ribbon from my ribbon stash....and some hot glue.  That's it.  It's not perfect, it's not professional, but it'll work for now.

Nicole had fun helping me too.  She had never seen me use a hot glue gun.

We made two loops....one is sort of a "hill", and the other is an actual loop at the end to put the headbands through.  Now, I need to think of a way to put rubber bands on there and knit headbands.  Maybe with a button?

Homemade Flower crayons

I've had my eye on this craft for some time that I first saw on Elle Belle.  However, I've been waiting for a while to try it because I didn't want to buy a silicone baking tray at full price.  I found a tray full of cute flowers marked way down at Wal-Mart last week...and since then, I've been trying to find time to make these. Today was the day.





This was a fun craft with my little ones....perfect for my preschooler who likes to tear the paper off crayons, and perfect for my toddler who likes to break crayons in half. 

Here the girls are getting started. 

You simply take the paper off your crayons, break them into small piece and fill your tray.

Then you put the tray in the oven at 250 degrees for 15 minutes (mine actually took more like 25 or 30).

The note on Elle Belle says to make sure you use high quality crayons.  I just used whatever broken, falling apart crayons we had...some were NOT high quality, and there was a difference where they were used. 

While we waited for the crayons to melt, Nicole got a little creative with the camera.

Waiting, waiting, waiting....

They're done (notice there are a few that are still lumpy....those crayons just wouldn't melt!  Those would be the "low quality ones" I believe)

But, I love the final product.  After you remove them from the oven, let them cool (we gave them a boost by putting them in the fridge while we ate lunch) and Walla...."homemade" flower crayons.

The lady whose site I got this idea from actually sells these on Etsy.com!  She also makes "no roll" crayons...basically melted broken crayons and flattened.  Sheesh...why didn't I think of that?

Choices

Nicole is one smart little cookie.  I know all moms think that about their kids...but I'm right :-)

She thinks a lot and reasons through things way better than me!  Lately, I've been trying to teach her that really, she chooses how her day is going to play out.  The other day started out not so great, so about 8:30am, we had a conversation like this....

Me: Nicole, I want to have a good day today, do you?
Nicole: Um, yes
Me: Ok, well...it hasn't started out very well, has it?
Nicole: No
Me: Nicole, I want you to understand that you can choose what today is like.  You can choose to obey mommy and we  will have a really fun day, or you can choose to disobey me, and our day won't be fun because you will be getting disciplined a lot.  It's your choice, what do you want?
Nicole: I want to obey and have fun.

So...that was our converstion the other day.  Well, today in the car, this was how it went.

Nicole: Mommy, I want some chocolate milk when we get home.

Me: Um, I'm not sure...maybe.

Nicole: Ok, well, mommy....you have a choice.  Either you give me chocolate milk and I will be happy....OR....you don't give me chocolate milk, and I will be sad.  What do you want?  Do you want me to be happy or sad?  It's your choice.

I couldn't help it...I just started to laugh!

Friends are Friends Forever

Last week, I got to hang out with two of my oldest bestest friends AND their children who are all about the same age as mine! I don't even remember when I met Jessica, we played little league together way way way back when...and spent a lot of time together our senior year of high school when we both decided to go out for the softball team after not playing for like 5 years.  We made the team (I think because it was a brand new school and they were desperate....but we did great), so we have a lot of fun memories together.  I met Elisa in 10th grade I believe, and I didn't like her at first....mostly because she was that "perfect" girl...you know, funny, cute, smart....but then, we started getting to know each other better (make that, I started to get to know her) and decided she was pretty cool:-)

So, Jessica, Elisa and I went to church together, went to a brand new high school together our senior year, Jess & I played ball together, Elisa & I were on the student council together, we graduated 3 in row together at the top of our class, we all became teachers, and we had our first daughters within 3 weeks of each other.  I mean...come on...that's pretty cool, right?

So, last week, we were able to visit (Elisa lives a few hours a way, so we don't get to see much of her).  Here are our adorable kids

Nicole (3), Hannah (almost 2), Ashlyn (3), Addie (3), Aleyea (1)

The girls all played so well together this time.  As they get older, they are remembering each other and playing together more instead of by themselves.

Here is Nate and Nathan.  Elisa's son was born on Nicole's birthday last year...so he'll be 1 in June.  He was a big baby...well over 10lbs when he was born!  Elisa is a petite girl, but she did it :-)

Already rough housing...I love it

We are hoping that next time we get together, the three of us can go out by ourselves and have a "normal" conversation.  However, I love that our lives have been so similar in so many ways.  I know that even I don't see these girls for a long time, we can pick up right where we left off.  I'm thankful for friends like that.

Update on Nathan

Nathan just may be (right now...today...I don't know what tomorrow will bring), my most laid back baby yet.  Yes, he cries....Yes, he get's mad....but he's also full of smiles and laughs.  It's pretty easy to make him stop crying, just look at him and make a funny noise (ok, or feed him).  But, this little boy just LOVES to laugh.  He likes to play with balls (yay!!!).  He sucks on his fingers, on his thumb and on his paci...but most of the time just for fun.  He'll fall asleep with a paci in his mouth maybe 50% of the time.  The other times, he'll spit it out and suck on his finger, or nothing at all.

He likes to watch TV, especially baseball.

He especially likes to wear eye black while watching baseball.

He LOVES his sisters.  Hannah and Nicole both can make him laugh and are always loving on him, or trying to anyway, sometimes it may not come across as love:-)  He will totally chill out laying on the floor both on his tummy and on his back.

He is finally capable of riding in his car seat.  The ability to keep a paci in his mouth has helped, but he also is fine without it a lot of the time.  This is a HUGE change from even a month ago, when he would scream the E.N.T.I.R.E time in the car, now he just cries sometimes.

Nathan can roll over from his tummy to his back.  He's close to rolling from his back to tummy, but I don't think he really cares either way.

Nathan still does not like to eat food.  It's the most horrible part of his day if I decide to give it another go.  I've only tried that yucky oatmeal and applesauce.  I think I might try some peas soon....maybe he doesn't like sweets (so sad if that's the truth).

Nate adores his daddy and nearly lept out of my arms to him yesterday when he came home from work.

He's simply a pretty cool little baby.  He loves to be held and simply melts in your arms, but he also likes to be in the middle of the action.  I feel like the most important person in the world when he looks at me, so I'm going to simply enjoy that feeling, because I know all too soon it will pass and he'll think I'm an annoying meddling mother who won't let him get a motorcycle :-)

I love my Nate.  I love to look at him, to feel him breathe.  I love to tickle him and kiss his little neck where it makes him laugh.  I love listen to him talk and watch him swat and kick at balls.  I find that I am enjoying him more than I did the girls.  I think I spend less time with him than I did with them (mostly because I think I wipe little butts all day long, at least that what it seems like right now).  But, the undivided, quality time I get with him is priceless.  I just adore this little boy!