Summer of Love: Mini Golf

In an effort to control how much TV Cal watches this summer, he and I created this "Screen time" chart. It has ten simple chores on it, like getting dressed, packing his bag for the day, cleaning his room, etc. I'm hoping it will help him get better (and faster!) at our morning routine.

Tonight, we went out for burgers and shakes as a family, and then played a round of mini golf together. It was a really hot day, but after the sun had set, the weather was just perfect.

Afternoon Projects

In an effort to cut down on TV time after preschool, I've been turning to Pinterest (a site I sorta love-hate) for apartment-friendly activities for my busy four-year-old.  I even browsed through them with Cal on my lap so he could pick out all the things he wanted to do.  (I had to veto a couple -- shaving a balloon, seriously?) Here is a sampling of our favorites. 

Salt bin. I actually came up with this on my own, but I'm embarrassed to say how long it took me to do so. We've been playing with salt in Cal's concrete truck for ages now, which inevitably leads to me sweeping up salt all over the floor. Now, with the bin, there's no mess (well, less mess), and it keeps him entertained for quite a while.

Masking tape roads. I gave him the roll and set him free in the apartment. He had little routes going all over the floor, up over the couches, up the stairs into the bedrooms--it was awesome. He even went over it with a marker, making a dividing line.

 Baking Soda and Vinegar.  He was fascinated by this! We did a lot of little things to make this interesting. First, I let him squeeze drops of food coloring by himself, which he always begs to do.  Second, he had a bunch of colors to "paint" with.  Third, I let him use a tiny medicine syringe to squirt the vinegar--something about the new tool kept him completely interested.

 Rainbow Beans. This project was fun because not only do you end up with a cool sensory tub to play with, but the kids get to help with the process (which is long and keeps them entertained for a long time).

 Cup Stacking. Who knew a 50-pack of red solo cups could keep a child busy for so long?

Legos.  No explanation needed! (I woke up to this on my nightstand a few days ago.)

 Silky Play-dough.  One part conditioner, 2 parts corn starch. It made a very soft & pliable dough that the kids kneaded and rolled like bread dough.

 Coke and Mentos. It's funny, some things seem so old to you that you forget about them. A friend brought this one over to try, and the kids LOVED it. Cal was so surprised and delighted when it exploded!

Homemade Ziplock Bag Ice Cream. Cal loved this one (as is evidenced by the fact that he couldn't look up for a picture for two seconds)!

Phew! And it's only May....I better keep up the search for more crafts, or as Cal says, "Science Projects!"

Easter 2013

We had a lovely and fun Easter season this year, filled with lots of activities and time with friends.  On Good Friday, the wonderful moms in our ward put together an Easter egg hunt in one of our neighborhood parks. Look at this turnout!

And here are all the kiddos running to find eggs:

For those that remember last year, Cal was still pretty concerned about what was (or wasn't) inside each egg he found -- our little sugarholic. We adults had instituted a one-candy-per-egg rule, however, so he was slightly foiled in his attempt to gorge himself on peeps and Cadbury eggs. It was a fun day filled with sunshine and friends. It's really starting to feel like Spring!

Our Easter week had begun with me deciding I wanted a yellow tablecloth to brighten up our black table, and I got it in my head that I could make my own. Cal and I went to the fabric store and purchased a few yards of fabric, and then all that was left was ironing, pinning and hemming.

See, Mom? All those sewing lessons weren't a complete waste of money! :)

 Heather came to dye eggs with us, which made for a very fun afternoon. Look who is raring to go!

 

I didn't think I needed to use a spoon or wire, and this is how my hands turned out. Kind of festive, right?

And here is Reed's "Arrested Development"-themed egg:

On Easter morning, here was the spread waiting for Cal:

I felt a little sacrilegious as I set up all the dinosaurs around Christ, but Cal loved it all! We read the Easter story to him that night. I wonder how much he understands. I hope I am properly teaching him that these things mean so much to me.

Co-Op Preschool with Friends

In addition to his formal preschool, Cal and I are involved in a cooperative preschool program with five of my friends from church. (Side note: I am constantly grateful for the amazing young moms we have in our ward. It is an incredibly friendly, supportive environment.) Ashley and Amanda got this program started and recruited us, and now I don't know what we'd do without our wonderful once-a-week preschool with our nursery and primary friends. Each mom teaches one lesson every 6 weeks.

 This is a picture from my week. We learned about the letter D, and birds. Above, the kids are learning how to use glue by sticking feathers on a chicken. (The picture was taken before the event I like to call "Feathergeddon.")

Cal opted for one, showy, blue plume:

The aftermath of an awesome day teaching preschool:

This is a photo I snapped the day my friend Natalie was teaching. Look at these cuties waving snowflakes:

Natalie and I live close to each other, and have worked out a kid swap that is saving my life. It's hard to live far away from Cal's grandparents (both sets), but I am very fortunate to have such a supportive network of wonderful friends.

Dino Mat

This morning, I made a play mat for Cal to use at church (quiet books aren't gonna cut it -- he's too wiggly). Now I just need to find a couple plastic dinosaurs.

I found the idea here.