« October 2011 | Main | December 2011 »
Blue and I made pinecone turkeys today.
Can you guess who did this one?
We're in craft mode because we're hosting a buncha people on Thanksgiving day. Pinecone turkeys = centerpieces.
Next up - napkin ring holders out of toilet/paper towel rolls and yarn.
Cutting and pasting. Mommy duties were pleasantly light today.
At Blue's School
Love it. Missionary's kid gives the church answer. Trained so well.
I also love when the classes do feasts. They make invitations, decorate their tables, and prepare enertainment. Party Planning 101 in preschool!
At our spot:
That's a 2 (kinda looks like an 8, but no, Blue did not have 8 guests just me and Toby.)
Blue was a great table host. He posed for pictures:
He taught me the prayer:
Thank you for our happy heart
For rain and sunny weather
Thank you for this food we eat
And that we are together.
Amen
Next up the entertainment. Look at this picture closely. Can you see the one of these not like the others?
Yup, Toby decided he was going to sing with the class. Whatever. That left my hands free which I really needed as I was both taking pictures and videotaping.
Next up... feasting!
Blue announced to anyone who'd listen that his mommy made the sweet potato casserole with marshmallows. (At home I prefer pecans.) He had plenty on his plate, but they were eaten quickly.
Good times.
In the corner of the dining room sits my attempt at a thankfulness tree.
Supplies: a few limbs from a nearby empty lot spray painted gold because of the spray paint we already had on hand this seemed best, a vase I already had, some potpourri pinecone mix thing I bought at Michaels to fill up the vase, leaves cut from cardstock, and some yarn I had on hand. Oh, and the big pinecones at the bottom will be for something else. It's just a place to put them for now.
The idea: periodically during family mealtime discuss our thankfulness, record on a leaf, and hang. Unlike most fall trees that lose their leaves our tree will grow fuller as we get closer to Thanksgiving.
I've had the tree up for about a week but tonight was the first night we added some leaves. Blue was the first to chime in - he's thankful for the our new outdoor basketball goal that some friends passed on to us and Kevin went and picked up Saturday.
I decided to date each leaf because, who knows, maybe I'll keep them and then, if this becomes a tradition, we can look back and see what we were thankful for in years past.
The discussion went well with the kids, but Kevin was my cut-up (pain in the butt). I can never get everyone to behave at once. Sigh.
It's not much now, but I think once we keep hanging the leaves it will turn into the colorful reminder it is intended to be. (And we're a sit down to dinner every night kinda family so, shouldn't be long.)
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:18
It's been over a month since my niece's wedding in Panama City Beach but about every third day we still have conversations with Kaden and/or Blue that go something like this:
Kaden or Blue: "When are we going back to that house? The one with the pool and the wii. For Mesa's wedding."
Kevin or me: "We're not. We just rented that house while we were there for the wedding. She's married. We're not going back."
Kaden or Blue: "But when Erin gets married we're going back." (Erin is another niece and she is engaged to be married - date set for next August.)
Kevin or me: "Erin isn't getting married at the beach. Erin is getting married in Tennessee."
Kaden or Blue: audible heartbreak
But we recently got a happy reminder in the mail of our super fun beach vacation week:
As Kevin wrote on Mesa's facebook wall, "got the best wedding thank you note (by far). it was very much our pleasure. we couldn't be happier for you two."
Go ahead. You know you want to pin it.
(As for me, it's literally pinned on a board we have in our laundry room for picture things.)
Awhile back I saw these Happy Isle pics, pics of a sidewalk chalk town and kids playing with real cars on the chalky streets, and I thought oooooohhh, we need to do that.
Which was kinda dumb of me. My kids never care about sidewalk chalk. I've tried to make up contests to appeal to their competive nature. Maybe I'll draw them a same sized box to fill and say, "Who can make their box the most colorful?" Or I'll trace them and say, "Who can draw on the silliest clothes?" But they never get into. Never.
But it's been awhile and I thought maybe if we brought the cars out too, and Toby's favorite thing to do is draw these days.... (And next time he scribbles on something important just go ahead and say, Faydra it's your own fault, by now all the writing utensils should be under lock and key. I'll be annoyed, but you'll be right.)
So I busted out a new package of chalk, started the town, brought out some cars and then brought them outside and said, "Add buildings, add houses and trees, Drive your cars, give them more streets!"
At first Blue and Toby seemed interested.
That lasted oh... I'm going to try and not exaggerate this.... about 7 seconds. Kaden just asked if he could ride his scooter.
Why is it that things that look so fun on others' blogs are a total bust at my house?
Lame.
Hmmmm. Do I think Mommy will let me have another one?
I was just having a conversation last night with someone about how Blue wants to do everything by himself. Hates to think he's not the one in charge. And now Blue can say he's been driving himself to birthday parties since he was four.
We have so set ourselves up. Oh yeah? You don't want to drive me? I'll drive myself! Come on, Toby. Let's GO.
(This afternoon we went to the birthday of a girl who is both a church friend and a neighbor. She lives two streets over.)
My Gym. As in the name of a gym for kids, not my gym.
There is a My Gym near our house and I've been wanting to do a free trial class for awhile now. Today was the day!
We were early to fill out an info card and Toby was eager to get into the room full of activities, balls, trampolines, and more. He was practically drooling on the gate.
For the first 10 minutes or so as people arrived the kids explored and had free play.
I wasn't sure I'd ever get Toby out of the ball pit. It was love at first dive.
Then we had circle time. I was a little worried because the music for circle time was LOUD. But Toby did fine. Even on his first day he was watching the teacher and trying the motions. Very cute.
The class we attended was the Gymsters for 23 months to 2 1/2 year olds. Toby will be 2 1/2 on the 23rd of this month but this is definitely the right class for him his first go around. He's not the most physically adventurous child. Not interested in climbing. Not interested in hanging. But many of the items looked familiar or similar to what he's seen in OT so it wasn't all new either. He's also familiar with the idea of trying things just because a teacher wants him to. (Again, thank you, OT) I was really surprised when he allowed the teacher to hold him upside down while he held on to some bars. But he did it.
In fact, with one exception (hang from high bar), he wanted to do every special activity they brought out.
After circle time they set up a wobbly... thing. It consisted of a thin gym mat placed over oddly shaped things. The kids had to just make an unsteady go out it, and my non-physically adventurous child loved it. He just couldn't handle the whole teach-patience, wait in line part of it. He wanted to go, go, GO!
Throughout the hour they (there were two teachers) would bring out different things: swings, a foam thing on wheels that they had the kids lay on and then spun around, a hanging bar (the one thing Toby refused to do) and finger puppets. And in the meantime there was all the other stuff around the room including a balance beam. Toby and I spent a good chunk of time there.
Towards the end there was about 10 minutes where the moms were sent away to the lobby area (to teach separation) and they brought out two big bags of toys and puzzles. I worried that Toby, so over stimulated by this point, would hit or be aggressive with the other kids, but he just sat in the midst of it all, plunking the wood puzzle pieces toward their spots. I was really proud of him - playing with his peers and doing so well.
It ended with another short circle time to sing a good bye song. Again, in spite of so much stimulation Toby waved goodbye to this new fun place and even stuck his hand out for a stamp at the end. (That was a first.)
To be sure, he was at his maxed level just about the whole time. I got one good finger bite seemingly just because he needed a quick release and then I got one good face smack as retribution for the fact that HE fell out of the swing and THE SWING bumped him on the head. (It's always Mommy's fault.) A few times when I'd scoop him up to reroute him, he'd stiffen and start to fight but he inevitably wanted to do the thing that quickly become before him so this was short lived. But with this age group, Toby wasn't the only one to have a few "moments." And considering it was new and there was SO MUCH going on (Bright colors! Music! Ten other kids! The ball pit!) he did really, really well.
At church Toby is still in the baby class because he's supposed to be potty trained before moving up to the 2s and 3s class. Up until about four months ago Toby had two boys in the baby room who were older than him because they too weren't potty trained, but now they've got the potty thing down and have moved up so it's just Toby and the babies. As in the next youngest kid is around 10 months. This makes me a little sad especially since I have NO IDEA when I will potty train Toby. But I know he needs to be around kids his same age and even a little older so he can learn from them. Also, I want him to have some friendships that start young. Maybe this way even when the gap between Toby's abilities and his peer's abilities widens, there will be a sence of loyalty? familiarity? Yes and yes. And Toby will still be part of the group or getting birthday party invites or whatnot. I NEVER want him to be the kid off to the side with no one to talk to. (Heart breaking.)
I loved My Gym because not only does it challenge Toby physically and teach him social skills but it could possibly connect me with more moms with "typical" kids his same age. I need to seek this out because it's very possible I'll never put Toby in preschool and it's very possible that once he's routed in the public school's ESE program he'll be segregated. (I have no idea how the programs work here in PSL, so I don't actually know this, but the first week of December I meet with Toby's Early Steps Coordinator and I'll know more then about when he turns three and then gets transferred to the school district's programs.)
We went today so I could try it out before holiday hooplah figuring we wouldn't join until January, but this late in the cycle there's no registration fee and you pay by four week cycle so I could start Toby next week and I'd get four weeks from that date. In addition to his class he can come to one free-play slot a week. (Big brothers can attend those too for a small fee.) So I'm gonna do a four week cycle now, take the rest of December off, and then reasses if I think he should do Terrific Tots come January.
I'm such an easy sell. :-)
Invitations have gone out, so it's officially in the works...
One day this week while in the car Blue announced to me, "When I'm five, I'm going to behave."
Ha Ha Ha HA.
Not holding my breath on that one.
Even so, he's a boy worth celebrating. :-)
The invite reads, "We're going to have a kickin' time! Train with Master Blue to be the next Dragon Warrior."
Just white card stock and colored card stock on the front. I had a punch for the circle. I could have really used a cricut for those 5's but instead I cut 'em all out. That was nothing compared to one online party account I read where the mom baked giant fortune cookies and inserted the invitations and then delivered them in take out containers. Um. Not in this lifetime.
We're holding the party at a Martial Arts Studio where they do a class and Martial Arts games with the guests. Because I wanted to do all my own food (need a noodle bowl for the theme, not pizza!) and set up they cut the price of the cost per child in half! So my house isn't getting messed up, I get their expertise, AND it's not costing much.
My only party prep is that I want to draw a big Po (that's Kung Fu Panda's name) for the kids to pose with for pictures. And then of course the food... I'm a good baker but I'm not the best decorater. I think even I can manage these panda cupcakes (minus the bows, of course). Then some sort of udon noodle thing and maybe egg rolls. It's a 2pm party so just snacks. I'll make the desserts, (I'm also going to make a cookie cake because the birthday boy gets to cut his cake with a sword and I want something bigger than a cupcake for that.) but I'll probably order the food from a Chinese take-out place.
This is shaping up to be an easy party. And since it's smack in the midst of the holiday season, that's just perfect.
