Showing posts with label Mom's Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mom's Club. Show all posts
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Out of Control!
I can now fit in my pre-pregnancy jeans again!!! Goal met so I had to set another one. Went out and got myself a personal trainer...what am I thinkin?
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Welcome Ranch...and other stuff...
Howdy partners! We had a trip to the Welcome Ranch Friday night. A Mom's Club activity that the dads were invited to too. There were a bunch of people there so we started out with some instructions before heading up to ride the horses.
The kids all lined up to take their turns. When it was their turn they got to choose which horse they wanted to ride. Most of the kids wanted to ride the miniature horse, Chocolate, so I told Jayke to pick which ever horse was available and he would get to ride more instead of waiting in line for the one horse. That was fine with him because he wanted to ride the BIG horses anyway!
He had the best time! He would go on his ride, get down and jump back in line to patiently wait his turn. He was so patient I coule hardly believe it. He just stood there in line all by himself watching and waiting. When The Boy in into something nothing else exists in his world.
The parents could have ridden too but I wasn't about to try to haul by big butt up on one of those horses and I think Mike must have decided the same thing because he didn't ride either. Some parents did though and it looked like fun. I was more into talking to the other moms. You know, that adult conversation I lack in my life.
After the riding was finished we headed back to the picnic area and had pizza. The kids all sat at two big tables together. You could tell we were on a ranch, these people were good at herding us to where they wanted us and they were very efficient.
They had cupcakes for all the kids too. After the food the kids hung out and played for a while. Jayke was exhausted so when we got home he went to bed. I think he must have been dreaming about horses though. He does a lot of talking in his sleep. Not surprising considering how much he talks when he is awake.
Besides going to the ranch, not much else is going on. Mike has been working crazy long hours again. He worked like 26 straight a couple of days ago. Right now he is still at work and has been there for 19 hours. We thought his Germany trip was a done deal but now we aren't sure again.
I have lost track of how many people are currently living in my house. There are new people moving in and out every day. Last I checked we had Jayke, Mike, me, Mr. Nobody, Jayke's sister, and Jayke's new brother. Coincidentally, his sister's name is Twila and his brother's name is Will. Both kids in his class at school. I even had to make extra little smokies for Twila this afternoon. Mr. Nobody has been up to no good lately. Things keep happening around the house that Jaykeb informs me are the work of Mr. Nobody. When I catch that little turd, he is out of here! I will be kicking Mr. Nobody to the curb. I haven't seen Icky since we went to the lake though. i guess we left him there. Poor Icky. He is probably lonely and scared. Oh well, one less imaginary mouth for me to feed.
One week until my mom comes and Mike and I leave for Cabo San Lucas! I can feel the separation anxiety forming in the back of my throat already. I will be fine once we get there, it is just the leaving part that gets to me. Jayke is going back and forth with being okay with us leaving to not wanting us to go. I have a feeling once his Oma gets here he won't care what we do. She already shipped a box of surprises down ahead that we can't open until she gets here. She told Jayke herself not to open the box and he told her, "I probably will, Oma." Just matter of factly. He hasn't bugged me about it too much. I opened it and went through it though. Couldn't help it! It had his Halloween costume in it and I was dieing to see it. It is very cute and surprisingly well made. Don't worry, my mom expects that kind of comment from me about her craftsmanship. She will be more shocked that I said she did a good job than she would if I said it was horrible and if anyone thinks I am being mean I have two ottomans the woman recovered that you can come take a look at to see what I'm talkin' 'bout. She calls them my converstaion pieces...'nough said.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
All Aboard!
During our day of truancy we went with The Mom's Club to the South Carolina Botanical Gardens in Clemson. This was Jaykeb's and my first time there. We started out walking the path that goes around the entire garden to the right, then all the way back around to the area with the gardens and ponds, and back up to the parking lot. You can click on the map to enlarge.
Yes, we were dieing by the time we got back to the main entrance where the few moms who were left sat and had snacks and let the kids play on the old caboose. I was very proud of The Boy. He made it the entire way and never once asked for me to carry him. I was ready to ask him to carry me though!
The gardens were really nice and I plan to go back on a cooler day to explore them a little further. By the time we got around to the good stuff we were too tired and thirsty to look and just headed for the parking lot and the cooler.
There is also an old historical landmark home in the gardens called the Hanover House. You know how I love to look at old homes! This one was relocated from the Low Country to the gardens. I don't know if you could go in it or not, that will be something to check out next time we go.
I think the favorite part of the gardens, at least for the kids, was the caboose. They played for a long time up on the end of it, pretending to pick up passengers along their way.
Jaykeb loved being able to take a long walk outside and didn't want to leave. I think we did leave just in time though. He was worn out. We made a quick stop on the way home at another old plantation house just to get a brochure on it. It is the Ashtabula House. I've been wanting to tour it for a while. I think we will go back when Oma is here. Jayke and I were lucky enough to get a sneak peak though when they took us through the main corridor of the home to get the information I had requested. Jayke wanted to stay and look around. I would have settled for sitting on the big ol front porch for a while. There is something about those old porches, you could spend hours just sitting. With the slight breeze today it would have been a perfect afternoon to lounge on the porch at Ashtabula. I love that name!
We headed home after that and The Boy took a very long nap. He even woke up in a good mood for a change. I think I need to wear him out more often. I, on the other hand, did not take a nap so I am exhausted.
Update: Angi's mom had her surgeries today. They were able to fix everything instead of having to go back and do more surgery at a later date. They repaired her femur, wrist, and knee. She will have to go to rehab but should be able to begin her recovery now. Angi is doing well, just really tired. I'm sure she is relieved now as well.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Sweaty Stinky Kids
Mom's Club was held at Kid City today. A giant indoor play ground. 3 whole hours of being able to talk to other moms with very little kid interruption! 3 hours of climbing, running, jumping, screaming and sweating for Jayke. The only bad part about the outing was the heat. The place was not air conditioned very well. All the kids were drenched by the time we left. Drenched and exhausted. Fine with me that meant The Boy would actually take a nap this afternoon. Turns out it was a much needed one because he was GROUCHY! He had fun though!
Unfortunately this will be our first and last time at Kid City because it is actually closed. One of the moms got us in for one last romp and now they are removing all the equipment. We may have found another location similar to this one though and there is always Monkey Joe's still. We all sat and discussed how sad we were to see this place close. I don't know who will miss it more, the moms or the kids!
Looks like he liked the balls the best. I took my pictures when we first got there and there were hardly any other kids. Works better that way because once the kids started piling in there was no way I could have gotten a good picture. Tons of kids there.
So that was our morning and afternoon. Now we are getting ready for Open House at school this evening. Tomorrow is the Spring Water Festival then on Sunday I'm sleeping...until Monday.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
"After All, You Don't Milk a Bean!"
Truer words were never spoken. Heard at the goat farm today when one of the mother's asked how the digestion of soy milk compared to that of goat milk. I guess farmers don't consider soy milk milk. Whatever...I thought it was a darn good question. The goat lady was serious about her goat milk. That and I don't think she was enjoying a gaggle of three and unders running amok. Oh well, the kids had fun and that is what we were there for.
I actually really enjoyed the farm today. It was a little cooler than it was at the zoo. The kids were all very well behaved. The goats were well behaved except for one wascally one who got ahold of my shirt and wasn't going to let go. I especially LOVED the dogs. Each pasture had it's own guard dog. A Great Pyrennes. They were friendly enough as long as you stayed on the other side of the fence. One of them did the dog lean on me for a while and I thought I might have to steal her and take her home with me. God knows I need just one more dog!
We started off with an explanation of some of the different kinds of goats. Who knew there were so many and from so many different countries. Well, I know now but none of the kids know because they were too busy trying to get the goats to eat leaves, sticks, rocks, anything they could pick up. There were baby goats, male goats, mohair goats, three billy goats gruff goats, but no old goat...he had to go to work today. There were cats running around and chickens fleeing for their lives from childrens chasing them. Yes, I said childrens. There were even some pot belly pigs enjoying random mud holes around the farm.
We got to taste whole goat milk, goat cheese and fudge made with goat milk. Jaykeb loved the milk which shocked me because he doesn't like white cow's milk...only chocolate. He enjoyed the cheese which was flavored with raspberry and the fudge, let's just say I had to buy 3 bricks and there are only two left. No, I didn't eat it all either! Here are some of the kids waiting for their samples.
Jaykeb was his usual entertaining self today. He started the day off by covering his ears and yelling, "THAT STUPID CHICKEN IS HURTING MY EARS!" There was a rooster crowing somewhere near by, after that he loudly announced that the goat he was petting kind of stunk and when I told him to stop chasing the chickens he yelled across the yard, "Why? Because they might poop on me?" That's my boy. All about the poop. I was happy to see it wasn't only my child that is fascinated by an animal's bodily functions though. All the kids thought it was great when one of the demonstration goats pooped right there in front of all of us. I've said it before and I will say it again, when you have a three year old you will be shocked at how much of your daily conversation revolves around poop! Just wait Serenity, you will see!
We brought home some goat cheese for Daddy to try but I didn't get any of the flavored kinds and the looks on Mike's and Jayke's faces were priceless when they tried it. I guess I won't be needing to buy any more of that kind. I want to go back in the spring when the babies are being born. Jayke wants to take Oma and Opa there next time they come too. I think this has been one of my favorite Mom's Club activities so far.
Here is the Mohair goat. She was the only one with horns. Her name is Angie.
Another fun filled day in the sweltering heat! Tomorrow I'm only stepping outside to walk from the car into karate and back to the car again.
I actually really enjoyed the farm today. It was a little cooler than it was at the zoo. The kids were all very well behaved. The goats were well behaved except for one wascally one who got ahold of my shirt and wasn't going to let go. I especially LOVED the dogs. Each pasture had it's own guard dog. A Great Pyrennes. They were friendly enough as long as you stayed on the other side of the fence. One of them did the dog lean on me for a while and I thought I might have to steal her and take her home with me. God knows I need just one more dog!
We started off with an explanation of some of the different kinds of goats. Who knew there were so many and from so many different countries. Well, I know now but none of the kids know because they were too busy trying to get the goats to eat leaves, sticks, rocks, anything they could pick up. There were baby goats, male goats, mohair goats, three billy goats gruff goats, but no old goat...he had to go to work today. There were cats running around and chickens fleeing for their lives from childrens chasing them. Yes, I said childrens. There were even some pot belly pigs enjoying random mud holes around the farm.
We got to taste whole goat milk, goat cheese and fudge made with goat milk. Jaykeb loved the milk which shocked me because he doesn't like white cow's milk...only chocolate. He enjoyed the cheese which was flavored with raspberry and the fudge, let's just say I had to buy 3 bricks and there are only two left. No, I didn't eat it all either! Here are some of the kids waiting for their samples.
Jaykeb was his usual entertaining self today. He started the day off by covering his ears and yelling, "THAT STUPID CHICKEN IS HURTING MY EARS!" There was a rooster crowing somewhere near by, after that he loudly announced that the goat he was petting kind of stunk and when I told him to stop chasing the chickens he yelled across the yard, "Why? Because they might poop on me?" That's my boy. All about the poop. I was happy to see it wasn't only my child that is fascinated by an animal's bodily functions though. All the kids thought it was great when one of the demonstration goats pooped right there in front of all of us. I've said it before and I will say it again, when you have a three year old you will be shocked at how much of your daily conversation revolves around poop! Just wait Serenity, you will see!
We brought home some goat cheese for Daddy to try but I didn't get any of the flavored kinds and the looks on Mike's and Jayke's faces were priceless when they tried it. I guess I won't be needing to buy any more of that kind. I want to go back in the spring when the babies are being born. Jayke wants to take Oma and Opa there next time they come too. I think this has been one of my favorite Mom's Club activities so far.
Here is the Mohair goat. She was the only one with horns. Her name is Angie.
Another fun filled day in the sweltering heat! Tomorrow I'm only stepping outside to walk from the car into karate and back to the car again.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Hot, Hot Zoo Day!
Does it look like we were close? That is because we were! Close enough to feed and pet Christy the Giraffe. I think I would rather feed a giraffe than a horse. She was so gentle. Jayke was a little nervous at first but once he did it a couple of times there was no stopping him!
We spent a lot of time with the giraffes and even more time with the gorillas. The gorilla viewing area was in an air conditioned building which was nice since it was 100 degrees today while we were at the zoo. Once Cheeky and Katie got there we all sat and talked for a while in there while watching the gorillas. It was nice to get to know the girls who comment here daily and nice to have someone brave the heat with us. They are back down at the beach now with Patti and her family. I know they are having a great time and I wish I could have gone down too but Mexico is coming up. Have to save up for those margaritas and Miami Vice I'm going to have in my cabana with AJ.
I think our other favorite thing at the zoo were the bears. They were very close too. When we walked into the zoo this guy was the first to greet us.
Jaykeb got to ride on the carousel. He loved that. We all rode but I had to stand and hold onto the kid so he didn't fall off. A few more inches and he would have been able to do it on his own. Next time we go I bet he will be tall enough. He wouldn't just smile normally so that is why he looks like a big goof ball in this picture.
....and let's compare...
He was six weeks old in this other picture. That is his dad lurking behind him. He has been a carousel rider from way back!
I have a lot more pictures but after walking around in the heat all day I'm too tired to post them. I may post some of the others in future posts. Tomorrow, goats. As if we didn't see enough animals today, tomorrow we are going to Split Creek Farm with the Mom's Club to see the goats. There are other animals there too but the farm is a working goat farm and they make all kinds of goat milk products you can sample and purchase. I don't think I've ever had goat milk...should be interesting. After that over to one of the Mom's for lunch and air conditioning!
This is a very busy week for us. We still have karate, our in home visit for school, kid city play group, and open house for school all this week. We skipped karate today after being at the zoo. Jayke was cranky all evening and went to bed early. Next week school starts and I may be able to finish working on his room.
I am hosting Mom's club in December. I am still trying to decide what I am going to do. It is play group but I can have it be some what structured like with a craft or project or something so if anyone has any suggestions for me let me know.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Babies, Babies, Babies!
We finally made it to a Mom's Club activity today. It was a playgroup and it happened to be in my neighborhood which I was excited about. There weren't a lot of people there which sometimes is nice because then it is easier to talk to the moms. Jaykeb pulled his usual shy thing that he does at Mom's Club. He glues himself to my side and just watches the kids until about 30 minutes before it is time to leave. Then he decides he wants to play.
All of the moms there today had little babies with them. Jaykeb was VERY interested in the babies. He always is interested in the babies where ever we go. I think he would love to have a baby sister or a baby brother. Maybe someday he will. I think if I had another baby he might try to take over though. He is pretty bossy and thinks he knows best. He took over his karate class the other night and was giving all the instructions to the teacher. He was the only kid who showed up so the instructor let him and they had a blast together.
I am getting ready to start a big project on Jaykeb's room in the next couple of days. As soon as Mike has time to help me a little. I'm not going to say anything else about it right now. If it turns out the way I hope it will I will put pictures on here.
Now, I was tagged by Jenie for this Meme...
4 jobs I’ve had:
Cashier Target
Sales Associate LS Ayres
Office Manager Alpha Homes (also property management for this and several other companys)
Manager (and part owner) Elegant Accents Inc. An interiro design store where I did everything from the books to visual display to floral design.
4 films I could watch over and over:
Grease
Life as a House
Mt me in St. Louis
Top Gun (I put this one in for AJ)
4 Places I have lived:
Muncie, IN
Jeffersonville, IN
Anderson, IN
Williamston, SC
4 Favorite TV shows:
Grey’s Anatomy
Jericho
Brothers and Sisters
House
4 Favorite Foods:
pizza
anything Mexican
eggrolls with sweet and sour sauce
Spicy Noodles at Thai Smile in Muncie In
4 Websites I visit everyday:
Hotmail
My blog
Myspace
Mypoints.com
4 Places I would love to be:
Italy
Mexico...only a few more weeks!
The mall
Bed
4 Favorite Colors:
Pink
black
Green
orange
4 Names I love but would/could not use for my children:
Caleb...already taken, my nephew
Nate...another nephew
Drue...once again...darn nephews!
Nick...this one is a cousin and I could actually use this one probably
Notice I didn't list any girls names? What does this mean? Either I only want to have boys or I just don't want to use any of the names already used by family or friends. I will go with the second theory because I wouldn't mind having a little girl.
Okay, enough talk about babies today. I mihgt need to stay away from Mom's Club and all the 'ittle ones.
Tagging, oh yeah! I am only going to tag AJ for this. I know how she needs help blogging. Anyone else is welcome to do it if they choose though.
All of the moms there today had little babies with them. Jaykeb was VERY interested in the babies. He always is interested in the babies where ever we go. I think he would love to have a baby sister or a baby brother. Maybe someday he will. I think if I had another baby he might try to take over though. He is pretty bossy and thinks he knows best. He took over his karate class the other night and was giving all the instructions to the teacher. He was the only kid who showed up so the instructor let him and they had a blast together.
I am getting ready to start a big project on Jaykeb's room in the next couple of days. As soon as Mike has time to help me a little. I'm not going to say anything else about it right now. If it turns out the way I hope it will I will put pictures on here.
Now, I was tagged by Jenie for this Meme...
4 jobs I’ve had:
Cashier Target
Sales Associate LS Ayres
Office Manager Alpha Homes (also property management for this and several other companys)
Manager (and part owner) Elegant Accents Inc. An interiro design store where I did everything from the books to visual display to floral design.
4 films I could watch over and over:
Grease
Life as a House
Mt me in St. Louis
Top Gun (I put this one in for AJ)
4 Places I have lived:
Muncie, IN
Jeffersonville, IN
Anderson, IN
Williamston, SC
4 Favorite TV shows:
Grey’s Anatomy
Jericho
Brothers and Sisters
House
4 Favorite Foods:
pizza
anything Mexican
eggrolls with sweet and sour sauce
Spicy Noodles at Thai Smile in Muncie In
4 Websites I visit everyday:
Hotmail
My blog
Myspace
Mypoints.com
4 Places I would love to be:
Italy
Mexico...only a few more weeks!
The mall
Bed
4 Favorite Colors:
Pink
black
Green
orange
4 Names I love but would/could not use for my children:
Caleb...already taken, my nephew
Nate...another nephew
Drue...once again...darn nephews!
Nick...this one is a cousin and I could actually use this one probably
Notice I didn't list any girls names? What does this mean? Either I only want to have boys or I just don't want to use any of the names already used by family or friends. I will go with the second theory because I wouldn't mind having a little girl.
Okay, enough talk about babies today. I mihgt need to stay away from Mom's Club and all the 'ittle ones.
Tagging, oh yeah! I am only going to tag AJ for this. I know how she needs help blogging. Anyone else is welcome to do it if they choose though.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Brain Dump
I need a green highlighter! Actually blue, orange, or purple would work too. I've got so much on my calendar now I have to color code stuff to keep track! I am not this kind of person people! I like to stay close to home and only run around when I have to. Ever since I had Jaykeb I have been wondering how I would handle it when he started playing sports, started school, etc. and I would have to be running here and there. I thought about easing into it. You know, getting him into one thing, going with that for a while then adding something else. That plan must have slipped my mind though because he has something almost every day now! What have I done?!?
Thursday we go sign him up for preschool. I finally found one I feel comfortable with. It is at a church which is what I was looking for and it is closer to my house than the original one I was planning on. Then they threw something at me I wasn't ready to decide. Do I put him in the 3 year old class or the 4 year old class? Eeek! How am I supposed to know? I called my decision maker, my mom. She said to go with the 3 year old class because it is only 2 days a week and he will still be going to Mom's Morning Out one day a week, he has Karate 2 days a week, and we are still going to squeeze Mom's Club in when we can. Okay, I agree with that. 3 year old class it is and if he needs to move up we will rearrange.
I'm glad he isn't starting soccer now! I also almost signed him up for swim lessons which started Monday but decided to wait. I started working with him in our pool this evening instead. Next summer will be soccer and swimming along with karate. Hopefully they won't overlap too much. I don't want to over schedule him. He is loving it so far though.
We have a couple of really fun things coming up with the Mom's Club. We will be going to Splash Zone next week and the following week a working goat farm and Kid City which is an indoor playground that will be open only to the Mom's Club. I even volunteered to host a playgroup coming up! Yikes! I may just have that at a park so I don't have to do a bunch of stuff here to prepare. I did put down a date as my first choice when my mom will be here though...just in case I need help.
I found out today that Katie, Patti, and Cheeky are coming to SC. Well, Patti already lives here but we are all going to try to get together. I really hope it works out so that I can join them! Thank you Cheeky for the coke code! You and Katie are hooking me up!
To top off my day of making plans and filling my calendar, I got a DOUBLE drunk dial this evening. My two friends from home (Indiana, the land of corn and high taxes) called me after having a few too many 'ritas at Puerta Vallarta, our favorite place to drink. There was lots of talking I couldn't understand and then the obligatory request for me to move back home...aaawww...I'm missed. Then they told me to call them later and hung up on me. I called but only got a hold of one of them...the other one must have gone home and passed out...ahem...Ang. Calling her out is the only way I can get her to leave a comment on here even though she reads faithfully and calls to request me to put pictures up if I don't do it often enough.
I'm off to find that green highlighter now...I know I have one here somewhere.
Thursday we go sign him up for preschool. I finally found one I feel comfortable with. It is at a church which is what I was looking for and it is closer to my house than the original one I was planning on. Then they threw something at me I wasn't ready to decide. Do I put him in the 3 year old class or the 4 year old class? Eeek! How am I supposed to know? I called my decision maker, my mom. She said to go with the 3 year old class because it is only 2 days a week and he will still be going to Mom's Morning Out one day a week, he has Karate 2 days a week, and we are still going to squeeze Mom's Club in when we can. Okay, I agree with that. 3 year old class it is and if he needs to move up we will rearrange.
I'm glad he isn't starting soccer now! I also almost signed him up for swim lessons which started Monday but decided to wait. I started working with him in our pool this evening instead. Next summer will be soccer and swimming along with karate. Hopefully they won't overlap too much. I don't want to over schedule him. He is loving it so far though.
We have a couple of really fun things coming up with the Mom's Club. We will be going to Splash Zone next week and the following week a working goat farm and Kid City which is an indoor playground that will be open only to the Mom's Club. I even volunteered to host a playgroup coming up! Yikes! I may just have that at a park so I don't have to do a bunch of stuff here to prepare. I did put down a date as my first choice when my mom will be here though...just in case I need help.
I found out today that Katie, Patti, and Cheeky are coming to SC. Well, Patti already lives here but we are all going to try to get together. I really hope it works out so that I can join them! Thank you Cheeky for the coke code! You and Katie are hooking me up!
To top off my day of making plans and filling my calendar, I got a DOUBLE drunk dial this evening. My two friends from home (Indiana, the land of corn and high taxes) called me after having a few too many 'ritas at Puerta Vallarta, our favorite place to drink. There was lots of talking I couldn't understand and then the obligatory request for me to move back home...aaawww...I'm missed. Then they told me to call them later and hung up on me. I called but only got a hold of one of them...the other one must have gone home and passed out...ahem...Ang. Calling her out is the only way I can get her to leave a comment on here even though she reads faithfully and calls to request me to put pictures up if I don't do it often enough.
I'm off to find that green highlighter now...I know I have one here somewhere.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Good Thing I'm Medicated!
What kind of a child doesn't want ice cream at an ice cream party? This one right here.
What was wrong with him you ask? Who knows. It took him forever before he would finally start playing with the other kids. First Abby, who is Ainsley's mom, had to take him out in the yard and play ball with him. That got him warmed up enough to go play. He doesn't really play with the other kids though. He played ball with Ainsley for a minute but basically ran around and did his own thing. I noticed most of the three-year-olds did this though so I'm not worried about it.
After not eating any ice cream at Mom's Club guess what we had to go do afterwards. Yep. We had to go straight to the grocery to buy ice cream and toppings. I spoil him you say? Nah. I was going to the store anyway and the ice cream was buy one get one free. He had been really good all day so it was no big deal. Maybe he has issues eating food at other people's houses. You just never know how clean people are...or aren't.
While in the grocery I was standing in front of the freezer reading all the different kinds of low fat ice cream when I had this terrible pain on my foot all of a sudden. I turned and some woman was "Oh My Goshing!" me to death. She then said, "I wish I had a bandaid." and walked off. The woman had just run over my bare pinky toe which was just inocently resting in it's flip flop home. I am not saying she barely tapped me with her cart, she ripped flesh from my toe! So I'm standing there with a throbbing toe, Jayke is asking me about my foot in his worried voice, and I'm watching Miss Hit and Run walk down the aisle caually doing her shopping. I think I must have been in shock. Normally something like that would have been grounds for spastic, eyeball bulging, Wendy to appear but she didn't. It was either shock or the meds are doing a fine job on me.
Mom's Club keeps getting better and better as I get to know some of the girls. A lot of them have boats so maybe we will get to do some boating eventually. We have playgroup tomorrow at another Mom's house. As of right now we plan to go. If the toe falls off in the night we will be staying home.
Note: For those of you counting...that is now both coffee and spagetti sauce I have coated the kitchen with. (read below)
What was wrong with him you ask? Who knows. It took him forever before he would finally start playing with the other kids. First Abby, who is Ainsley's mom, had to take him out in the yard and play ball with him. That got him warmed up enough to go play. He doesn't really play with the other kids though. He played ball with Ainsley for a minute but basically ran around and did his own thing. I noticed most of the three-year-olds did this though so I'm not worried about it.
After not eating any ice cream at Mom's Club guess what we had to go do afterwards. Yep. We had to go straight to the grocery to buy ice cream and toppings. I spoil him you say? Nah. I was going to the store anyway and the ice cream was buy one get one free. He had been really good all day so it was no big deal. Maybe he has issues eating food at other people's houses. You just never know how clean people are...or aren't.
While in the grocery I was standing in front of the freezer reading all the different kinds of low fat ice cream when I had this terrible pain on my foot all of a sudden. I turned and some woman was "Oh My Goshing!" me to death. She then said, "I wish I had a bandaid." and walked off. The woman had just run over my bare pinky toe which was just inocently resting in it's flip flop home. I am not saying she barely tapped me with her cart, she ripped flesh from my toe! So I'm standing there with a throbbing toe, Jayke is asking me about my foot in his worried voice, and I'm watching Miss Hit and Run walk down the aisle caually doing her shopping. I think I must have been in shock. Normally something like that would have been grounds for spastic, eyeball bulging, Wendy to appear but she didn't. It was either shock or the meds are doing a fine job on me.
Mom's Club keeps getting better and better as I get to know some of the girls. A lot of them have boats so maybe we will get to do some boating eventually. We have playgroup tomorrow at another Mom's house. As of right now we plan to go. If the toe falls off in the night we will be staying home.
Note: For those of you counting...that is now both coffee and spagetti sauce I have coated the kitchen with. (read below)
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Finger Paint Recipe
If you saw my post earlier this week about our Messy Craft Day and were thinking of doing something crazy like whipping up a batch of homemade finger paint and inviting a gaggle (how many is a gaggle, anyway?)of children over to play in it, you may want to print off this recipe. This is the original recipe our host used to make her paints although afterwards she mentioned a few minor changes she would incorporate for next time. I will tell you what they are after the recipe, which I took from this The Family Fun website.
With a batch of this quick and easy finger paint (which keeps for at least a week in airtight containers), your child can finger paint to her heart's content for just pennies. It's perfect for using on paper or in the bathtub.
• Mix together 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/3 cup of cornstarch in a small pan, then slowly add 2 cups of cold water.
• Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture becomes a smooth, almost clear gel (about 5 minutes).
• When it's cool, stir in 1/4 cup clear dish washing liquid.
• Scoop equal amounts of the mixture into containers and stir in food coloring (or, for even more vibrant colors, use food coloring paste).
Another fun painting option for little kids is to cover a tray or cookie sheet with waxed paper and have your child spoon tempera paint over it in different colors. Cover with another sheet of waxed paper. Your child can press down on the colors and watch them blend and move.
Because of the way in which we used the finger paints it would be better to use tear free baby shampoo instead of dish washing liquid. We had a little one get it in her eyes and it stung, of course. Fun, fun activity! I am going to make some and just dump it in the bath tub for The Boy one of these days. I should also mention that the food coloring did NOT stain The Boy's shorts or underwear he was wearing. I was a little worried about that at first. You can also freeze the fingerpaint and when it is thawed it returns to it's original consistency.
So there you have it...a recipe for a day of good clean fun!
With a batch of this quick and easy finger paint (which keeps for at least a week in airtight containers), your child can finger paint to her heart's content for just pennies. It's perfect for using on paper or in the bathtub.
• Mix together 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/3 cup of cornstarch in a small pan, then slowly add 2 cups of cold water.
• Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture becomes a smooth, almost clear gel (about 5 minutes).
• When it's cool, stir in 1/4 cup clear dish washing liquid.
• Scoop equal amounts of the mixture into containers and stir in food coloring (or, for even more vibrant colors, use food coloring paste).
Another fun painting option for little kids is to cover a tray or cookie sheet with waxed paper and have your child spoon tempera paint over it in different colors. Cover with another sheet of waxed paper. Your child can press down on the colors and watch them blend and move.
Because of the way in which we used the finger paints it would be better to use tear free baby shampoo instead of dish washing liquid. We had a little one get it in her eyes and it stung, of course. Fun, fun activity! I am going to make some and just dump it in the bath tub for The Boy one of these days. I should also mention that the food coloring did NOT stain The Boy's shorts or underwear he was wearing. I was a little worried about that at first. You can also freeze the fingerpaint and when it is thawed it returns to it's original consistency.
So there you have it...a recipe for a day of good clean fun!
Mommy is No Fun at All!
It was "Messy Craft Day" with the Mom's Club today and messy it was! This was the first thing I've gone to at someone's house and this woman was brave is all I can say. When we got there there were tables set up with different crafts ready to go but the main attraction was clearly going to be what was set up in the driveway. There were individual stations with card board taped to the drive way and paper taped on the card board for finger painting. Then there was a huge area of long sheets of paper where the kids could have a free-for-all together. The host, Kristin, had made finger paint and put it in plastic bags to make it easy to just dump blobs of paint out on the paper for the kids to use.
It began nice enough with each child at their own station painting away but before long they all moved over to the big area and pretty much turned it into a slip and slide in paint instead of water.
I was a little nervous because it was so slippery kids were flying all over and falling down pretty hard but it didn't seem to bother them. They just popped right back up and went at it some more.
As usual Jayke found a girl to play with right away.
There were a couple of little ones who were happy enough to just sit and watch. This is little Etta Bea in her cute hat watching the crazy kids make a huge mess.
One lucky mom who had on shorts got slimed by the boys. There were a few times I had to run from being attacked by a slimy child. I didn't make it out completely clean though. I had red paint all up one arm much to Jayke's delight.
After all that mess we had to clean them up somehow so Kristin brought out the sprinkler. Unfortunately that didn't quite do the job so all the kids and the moms headed for the bath tub. I've never seen so many kids in one tub of green water. And so many moms climbing on the toilet, counter, whatever to get pictures. I did not get any pictures of the kids in the tub, I was just trying to get The Boy washed off and get out of there.
After everyone was cleaned up they got to play with Nolan's toys for a while. Jaykeb found a truck and a trailer he really liked. He was still playing with his little friend too.
We left and went to get lunch. Because Jaykeb has done so well with his potty training Oma sent him some money so he could pick out his own surprise. We ran to WalMart and Jayke got to pick out two large trucks and several small ones as his reward. He was even more deserving of it since we went to Craft Day without a diaper and he didn't have an accident and he made it to Walmart and back dry too. Very happy mom here. The car ride home was torture for him, holding his new truck in his lap and talking a mile a minute about it the entire way. "Mommy, can I ask you a question?" Then he would ask me 100 questions about his new truck.
Eventually his big day caught up with him though and I made him go try to take a nap. As I was putting his pull up on for the nap he lay on the bed trying not to cry and said to me, "You're no fun! You are no fun to play with at all!" So that is the thanks I get for taking him to a super Messy Craft Day, out to lunch, and then to Walmart to get all those new trucks. Tomorrow he can just stay home all day with his no fun mom and drive his new trucks.
It began nice enough with each child at their own station painting away but before long they all moved over to the big area and pretty much turned it into a slip and slide in paint instead of water.
I was a little nervous because it was so slippery kids were flying all over and falling down pretty hard but it didn't seem to bother them. They just popped right back up and went at it some more.
As usual Jayke found a girl to play with right away. 
As the kids made their mess the mom's all stood around and took pictures. I'm sure the neighbors were wondering why all these women were standing in the driveway taking pictures of half naked children.
There were a couple of little ones who were happy enough to just sit and watch. This is little Etta Bea in her cute hat watching the crazy kids make a huge mess.
One lucky mom who had on shorts got slimed by the boys. There were a few times I had to run from being attacked by a slimy child. I didn't make it out completely clean though. I had red paint all up one arm much to Jayke's delight.
After all that mess we had to clean them up somehow so Kristin brought out the sprinkler. Unfortunately that didn't quite do the job so all the kids and the moms headed for the bath tub. I've never seen so many kids in one tub of green water. And so many moms climbing on the toilet, counter, whatever to get pictures. I did not get any pictures of the kids in the tub, I was just trying to get The Boy washed off and get out of there.
After everyone was cleaned up they got to play with Nolan's toys for a while. Jaykeb found a truck and a trailer he really liked. He was still playing with his little friend too.
We left and went to get lunch. Because Jaykeb has done so well with his potty training Oma sent him some money so he could pick out his own surprise. We ran to WalMart and Jayke got to pick out two large trucks and several small ones as his reward. He was even more deserving of it since we went to Craft Day without a diaper and he didn't have an accident and he made it to Walmart and back dry too. Very happy mom here. The car ride home was torture for him, holding his new truck in his lap and talking a mile a minute about it the entire way. "Mommy, can I ask you a question?" Then he would ask me 100 questions about his new truck.
Eventually his big day caught up with him though and I made him go try to take a nap. As I was putting his pull up on for the nap he lay on the bed trying not to cry and said to me, "You're no fun! You are no fun to play with at all!" So that is the thanks I get for taking him to a super Messy Craft Day, out to lunch, and then to Walmart to get all those new trucks. Tomorrow he can just stay home all day with his no fun mom and drive his new trucks.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Reedy River and The Zoo
A photographer, I am not. Don't expect any great pictures of animals from our day at the zoo. Sorry folks it wasn't happening, but I got a few good ones of The Boy and a couple of some animals too.
We started out the day on the playground outside the zoo. It was a little chilly but once we got inside where the wind wasn't able to hit us it was fine. The zoo was a really nice little zoo. It was just the right size for a little guy like mine. We didn't get to tired, there was enough to keep us both entertained, but not too much to overwhelm us.
The first thing we saw were the elephants. Two of them eating hay and doing whatever it is elephants do. Jaykeb LOVED the elephants.
I think my favorite part of the trip was when this little guy started entertaining us...
He would hang upside down from the top of his cage swinging and all the monkeys were going nuts making monkey noises. I was told they do that every morning. They had lots of monkeys in this zoo. Here is a rare breed of Monkey I've never seen before...
I didn't really get many pictures of the animals because they were either in areas where I couldn't photograph them or their were too many kids in the way. It was chaotic in there and I was just trying to make sure I didn't lose my child and help the other moms keep track of their kids too. We spent a lot of time up in the back on one of the playgrounds too. The kids seemed to like that as much as they liked seeing the animals. I took this one on the way out.
After the zoo we headed up the road to Falls Park. I had read about it on the computer and some of the moms at Mom's Club were telling me how nice it was so we decided to check it out. The weather was perfect and we got several great pictures. This was by far the neatest park I've ever been to. They didn't have any playground equipment (at least not in the part we were in) and Jaykeb still told me when we left that he loved it! How could you not LOVE this park?
There were rock paths that wound in and out, up and down all over the place. There was the water fall, there were fountains all over, you could wade in the river above the falls, there were bridges all over, pretty flowers blooming everywhere, and if you got hungry just climb one of the rock stairs and you were on Main Street in downtown which is lined with great little restaurants and lots of cute little stores. We didn't make it as far as the kid portion of the park but we will be going back and we will check that end out when we do.
Jayke was all for posing for pictures all over the place. Every time we would come up to a fountain he would say, "Take my picture, Mommy!" I was more than happy to oblige.
To my friends, Kim and Angi, this is where the hotel is that you guys were talking about staying in if you came down for spring break. Maybe next time. I think your kids would have a blast!
We left the park and went to Skins for a couple of hot dogs then home to wait for Oma and Opa to get here. I am going to try to take them to the park while they are here.
I took this picture of The Boy in the flowers for my grandma. I know she will like it! You can see more pictures and read more about the park by clicking here. The main attraction of the park is the Liberty Bridge. A suspension bridge that spans the falls below. It is really interesting because of the way it curves and appears to be floating. It is, "unique in it's geometry and there is nothing like it anywhere else in the US" Here is a picture of the bridge at night featured on the website. You can't tell from this picture the degree of the curve. It is a lot more severe than it appears in the picture. Jaykeb thought it was "cool". I would like to see it at night.
So that was a our day. Lots of fresh air, lots of exercise, and lots of fun. Who could ask for more?
We started out the day on the playground outside the zoo. It was a little chilly but once we got inside where the wind wasn't able to hit us it was fine. The zoo was a really nice little zoo. It was just the right size for a little guy like mine. We didn't get to tired, there was enough to keep us both entertained, but not too much to overwhelm us.
The first thing we saw were the elephants. Two of them eating hay and doing whatever it is elephants do. Jaykeb LOVED the elephants.
I think my favorite part of the trip was when this little guy started entertaining us...
He would hang upside down from the top of his cage swinging and all the monkeys were going nuts making monkey noises. I was told they do that every morning. They had lots of monkeys in this zoo. Here is a rare breed of Monkey I've never seen before...
I didn't really get many pictures of the animals because they were either in areas where I couldn't photograph them or their were too many kids in the way. It was chaotic in there and I was just trying to make sure I didn't lose my child and help the other moms keep track of their kids too. We spent a lot of time up in the back on one of the playgrounds too. The kids seemed to like that as much as they liked seeing the animals. I took this one on the way out.
After the zoo we headed up the road to Falls Park. I had read about it on the computer and some of the moms at Mom's Club were telling me how nice it was so we decided to check it out. The weather was perfect and we got several great pictures. This was by far the neatest park I've ever been to. They didn't have any playground equipment (at least not in the part we were in) and Jaykeb still told me when we left that he loved it! How could you not LOVE this park?
There were rock paths that wound in and out, up and down all over the place. There was the water fall, there were fountains all over, you could wade in the river above the falls, there were bridges all over, pretty flowers blooming everywhere, and if you got hungry just climb one of the rock stairs and you were on Main Street in downtown which is lined with great little restaurants and lots of cute little stores. We didn't make it as far as the kid portion of the park but we will be going back and we will check that end out when we do.
Jayke was all for posing for pictures all over the place. Every time we would come up to a fountain he would say, "Take my picture, Mommy!" I was more than happy to oblige.
To my friends, Kim and Angi, this is where the hotel is that you guys were talking about staying in if you came down for spring break. Maybe next time. I think your kids would have a blast!
We left the park and went to Skins for a couple of hot dogs then home to wait for Oma and Opa to get here. I am going to try to take them to the park while they are here.
I took this picture of The Boy in the flowers for my grandma. I know she will like it! You can see more pictures and read more about the park by clicking here. The main attraction of the park is the Liberty Bridge. A suspension bridge that spans the falls below. It is really interesting because of the way it curves and appears to be floating. It is, "unique in it's geometry and there is nothing like it anywhere else in the US" Here is a picture of the bridge at night featured on the website. You can't tell from this picture the degree of the curve. It is a lot more severe than it appears in the picture. Jaykeb thought it was "cool". I would like to see it at night.
So that was a our day. Lots of fresh air, lots of exercise, and lots of fun. Who could ask for more?
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