We only had one meltdown (that included screaming and hitting me) while we were there, which is a praise considering Brennan's behavior at home recently, but that might deserve its own post.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
'ish
It's been awhile since I've shared pictures from a visit to the Mystic Aquarium. I took the boys there on Tuesday morning. Bryce made the day extra special by signing and saying "ish" when we arrived. He's talking so much now and just soaking in everything.
We only had one meltdown (that included screaming and hitting me) while we were there, which is a praise considering Brennan's behavior at home recently, but that might deserve its own post.
We only had one meltdown (that included screaming and hitting me) while we were there, which is a praise considering Brennan's behavior at home recently, but that might deserve its own post.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Squeaky Clean
Tubby time pictures never get old to me. Bryce ate a late breakfast while Brennan was at school on Monday. He made quite a mess with his syrup, so I decided to give him a bath afterwards. He's just started saying "cheese" for the camera!
Peek-a-boo!
Peek-a-boo!
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Outside Fun!
Whenever I pick Brennan up from school, his first question is always, "Where are we going now?" Some days we do go somewhere, but somedays we just come back home (this is usually met with lots of whining from Brennan). Yesterday was a day where I didn't really want to go anywhere and when I told him we were going to just go home he wasn't happy. But he cheered up pretty quickly when I told him we could play outside at home.
I brought out a small pitcher of water and our sidewalk chalk and we got the chalk wet and drew with it on the driveway. It was really pretty. Brennan wrote a bunch of letter Bs and I drew several pictures. Bryce just kept trying to eat the chalk.
We also played "the ball game" where Brennan will sit at the top of our steep driveway and roll a ball down to me. It was a little hard to keep my eyes on both kiddos then so I did lots of running back and forth between the two boys making sure Bryce was okay. He was having fun playing with the hose storage box. Brennan and I also kicked the ball back and forth for a while.
Then it was sandbox time. I'm glad we've been using the sandbox some this season already. I feel like it didn't get a ton of use last year since Bryce was so tiny, but now that both boys like it I think it'll get a lot more playtime. It makes me happy since Kyle built the sandbox himself.
I don't really consider myself an outdoorsy girl, but I am enjoying the warmer weather and playing outside with the boys. Sometimes it's nice just to play in the comfort of our own backyard instead of going somewhere else. We even ended the night playing outside again after dinner and Daddy got to join us that time!
I brought out a small pitcher of water and our sidewalk chalk and we got the chalk wet and drew with it on the driveway. It was really pretty. Brennan wrote a bunch of letter Bs and I drew several pictures. Bryce just kept trying to eat the chalk.
We also played "the ball game" where Brennan will sit at the top of our steep driveway and roll a ball down to me. It was a little hard to keep my eyes on both kiddos then so I did lots of running back and forth between the two boys making sure Bryce was okay. He was having fun playing with the hose storage box. Brennan and I also kicked the ball back and forth for a while.
Then it was sandbox time. I'm glad we've been using the sandbox some this season already. I feel like it didn't get a ton of use last year since Bryce was so tiny, but now that both boys like it I think it'll get a lot more playtime. It makes me happy since Kyle built the sandbox himself.
I don't really consider myself an outdoorsy girl, but I am enjoying the warmer weather and playing outside with the boys. Sometimes it's nice just to play in the comfort of our own backyard instead of going somewhere else. We even ended the night playing outside again after dinner and Daddy got to join us that time!
Monday, May 19, 2014
AWANA Awards
Last night Brennan had the AWANA Awards. He got to get up on stage with his other Cubbies (and their Mommies and Daddies) and be recognized for finishing his book. He received a ribbon and sang two songs. We watched other kiddos get recognized for their hard work too. He really enjoyed watching the slideshow of pictures from the past year of AWANA. He'd shout out whenever he saw himself or someone he knew. It was pretty funny. Afterwards there was dessert!
Brennan is special helper at school today and took his ribbon for show and tell! I've said it before, but he really loved being a Cubbie this year!
This isn't a very good video since I was half way back in the sanctuary. I love his "Yes sir" in the second song though!
Brennan is special helper at school today and took his ribbon for show and tell! I've said it before, but he really loved being a Cubbie this year!
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Blackout!
Brennan has always been such a good sleeper. He was sleeping through the night by 2 months and has been sleeping 12 hour nights since almost then. I've known for quite some time that he was waking up before 7am, because he would start saying, "Mommy, I'm ready to get up, please!" right at 7am on the dot. But I was okay with that because he was following the "lay quietly in your bed until 7am" rule. That is until recently. For the past two weeks or so, he's been either calling for me or getting out of bed on his own before 7am. Some days even before 6:30.
Only two things have changed that I can think of during the past weeks. 1.) I have been working out every morning. I've been setting my alarm for 6am and getting up and doing either one or two T25 workout videos. Maybe I'm disturbing him? Or maybe he's always been awake this early, but now that he can actually hear that I'm up and moving around too he's unwilling to stay quietly in his bed? 2.) I bought new curtains for his room. I love them. They are red and much cuter than the short, ugly blue one there before. But they are also very sheer and let in a lot of light. And it is super bright super early here on the east coast. Maybe the sunlight is causing him to wake early?
I'm two weeks into my workout routine and I'm actually enjoying it (most days). And I definitely think getting up early is the best time for me to get a workout in, so I'm not going to change that. Yesterday I did buy some blackout material to add to his existing curtains to try and block out some of the light. I was looking for a quick fix, so all you sewers out there, turn a deaf ear. I bought the material and some stitch witchery at JoAnn's yesterday morning and while Brennan was at school and Bryce was taking a rare morning nap, I worked some magic on his curtains.
Here's the before. The curtains look almost pink in this picture and I took this yesterday on a super cloudy day. You can see how sheer they are and how much light is coming in.
They stay open during the day and when they're bunched up, they're obviously not as sheer looking.
And this is the after. I took this picture less than 45 minutes after the first two above and now not a speck of light is coming through those babies!
In this one, I tried to pull the blackout material aside on one panel so you could see the different side-by-side.
And one shot of them open.
So now we will see if this helps him sleep in a little in the mornings. I'm also thinking of starting some kind of incentive plan with him where he can earn a sticker every morning he stays in bed until 7 and after he earns 5 (or some agreed upon number) he'll get a doughnut or ice cream or something. I sound like such a teacher. Kyle always says to just send him back to his bed.
And I guess I could always force him to go back into his bed, but this kid can scream and I'm also trying to keep Bryce asleep, so I haven't been doing that. And he's been pulling the "I have to poop" card and then once he's on the potty "its' only gas". Thankfully most mornings he is relatively happy to sit on the couch and watch me do my workout. But I need that hour from 6-7 to be my Mommy time. That's the whole reason I started setting my alarm and getting up early and now it's all seemed to backfire.
Oh and as for the curtains, no big tutorial here. The material was $6.99/yard at JoAnn's and I used my 40% coupon. I bought the super weight stitch witchery since the blackout fabric is quite heavy. I came home, took the drapes down. spread one panel out and cut the new material to size. And my cuts are UGLY! But like I said, I wanted a quick fix. I used that material as a template to cut my second panel. They are just attached at the top of the original drapes, so a few minutes under the iron with a damp cloth and VOILA! Hopefully it holds! If not, I've got my stapler ready. Just kidding. Maybe.
Only two things have changed that I can think of during the past weeks. 1.) I have been working out every morning. I've been setting my alarm for 6am and getting up and doing either one or two T25 workout videos. Maybe I'm disturbing him? Or maybe he's always been awake this early, but now that he can actually hear that I'm up and moving around too he's unwilling to stay quietly in his bed? 2.) I bought new curtains for his room. I love them. They are red and much cuter than the short, ugly blue one there before. But they are also very sheer and let in a lot of light. And it is super bright super early here on the east coast. Maybe the sunlight is causing him to wake early?
I'm two weeks into my workout routine and I'm actually enjoying it (most days). And I definitely think getting up early is the best time for me to get a workout in, so I'm not going to change that. Yesterday I did buy some blackout material to add to his existing curtains to try and block out some of the light. I was looking for a quick fix, so all you sewers out there, turn a deaf ear. I bought the material and some stitch witchery at JoAnn's yesterday morning and while Brennan was at school and Bryce was taking a rare morning nap, I worked some magic on his curtains.
Here's the before. The curtains look almost pink in this picture and I took this yesterday on a super cloudy day. You can see how sheer they are and how much light is coming in.
They stay open during the day and when they're bunched up, they're obviously not as sheer looking.
And this is the after. I took this picture less than 45 minutes after the first two above and now not a speck of light is coming through those babies!
In this one, I tried to pull the blackout material aside on one panel so you could see the different side-by-side.
And one shot of them open.
So now we will see if this helps him sleep in a little in the mornings. I'm also thinking of starting some kind of incentive plan with him where he can earn a sticker every morning he stays in bed until 7 and after he earns 5 (or some agreed upon number) he'll get a doughnut or ice cream or something. I sound like such a teacher. Kyle always says to just send him back to his bed.
And I guess I could always force him to go back into his bed, but this kid can scream and I'm also trying to keep Bryce asleep, so I haven't been doing that. And he's been pulling the "I have to poop" card and then once he's on the potty "its' only gas". Thankfully most mornings he is relatively happy to sit on the couch and watch me do my workout. But I need that hour from 6-7 to be my Mommy time. That's the whole reason I started setting my alarm and getting up early and now it's all seemed to backfire.
Oh and as for the curtains, no big tutorial here. The material was $6.99/yard at JoAnn's and I used my 40% coupon. I bought the super weight stitch witchery since the blackout fabric is quite heavy. I came home, took the drapes down. spread one panel out and cut the new material to size. And my cuts are UGLY! But like I said, I wanted a quick fix. I used that material as a template to cut my second panel. They are just attached at the top of the original drapes, so a few minutes under the iron with a damp cloth and VOILA! Hopefully it holds! If not, I've got my stapler ready. Just kidding. Maybe.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Playground, Pupwiches, and Polar Express
Yesterday the boys and I headed to the library for the last story time of the spring. Brennan and I started going to story time before Bryce was born. It's certainly been more challenging going now that Bryce refuses to sit still and Brennan has been showing less interest in it lately, but we are still there most weeks. In late June, they'll start Books by the Banner where Mrs. Tracy will come the playground and read some stories there.
We headed to that same playground after story time. I share pictures of the boys playing there often, but it's our favorite.
Then we headed home and Brennan requested Nutella "pupwiches" for lunch. I used a dog cookie cutter and bone cookie cutter.
He also requested a picnic in the living room while watching The Polar Express. We have checked it out from the library before and he wanted it again today. We're not big on Santa around here, but I absolutely love this movie for some reason. It's so magical and Brennan gets so engrossed it.
That's how we spent our Thursday morning!
We headed to that same playground after story time. I share pictures of the boys playing there often, but it's our favorite.
Then we headed home and Brennan requested Nutella "pupwiches" for lunch. I used a dog cookie cutter and bone cookie cutter.
He also requested a picnic in the living room while watching The Polar Express. We have checked it out from the library before and he wanted it again today. We're not big on Santa around here, but I absolutely love this movie for some reason. It's so magical and Brennan gets so engrossed it.
That's how we spent our Thursday morning!
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Cows Chickens, a Rabbit, Pigs and Cones
There is really yummy ice cream place over by Brennan's school. It just recently opened back up for the season and Brennan has been asking to go. It's not super convenient for us to go to from home, so yesterday when Bryce and I picked Brennan up from school we decided to get some ice cream before lunch!
Bryce took a little snooze on the way to school. He often needs a little 5-10 minute cat nap in the car on days he doesn't take a morning nap.
The area was originally just Alice Acres where you could buy tons of plants and fresh produce. They also had animals on the farm. A few years ago they opened up the ice cream shop and Cows and Cones was born. We didn't see any cows yesterday, but we did see plenty of chickens, a rabbit, and three pigs. And of course ate yummy ice cream!
Bryce was just chilling in the stroller and I didn't get any pictures of him. After we walked through a few of the greenhouses, we headed home and ate our lunch. I laid Bryce down for his real nap and Brennan and I headed outside to play. It was the first time we took his stomp rocket outside and it was pretty amazing. Those things can really fly. I made one fly completely over the house. I was just glad it didn't get stuck on the roof!
Bryce took a little snooze on the way to school. He often needs a little 5-10 minute cat nap in the car on days he doesn't take a morning nap.
The area was originally just Alice Acres where you could buy tons of plants and fresh produce. They also had animals on the farm. A few years ago they opened up the ice cream shop and Cows and Cones was born. We didn't see any cows yesterday, but we did see plenty of chickens, a rabbit, and three pigs. And of course ate yummy ice cream!
Bryce was just chilling in the stroller and I didn't get any pictures of him. After we walked through a few of the greenhouses, we headed home and ate our lunch. I laid Bryce down for his real nap and Brennan and I headed outside to play. It was the first time we took his stomp rocket outside and it was pretty amazing. Those things can really fly. I made one fly completely over the house. I was just glad it didn't get stuck on the roof!
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