Valentines Day Disaster

If you have been following my blog, you know that each week I focus on a new letter with my daycare kids. This week I did not pick the obvious letter V for Valentines Day. Instead, I decided to do the second most obvious letter H for heart. I figured doing the letter H for heart would be more fun and easier to comprehend than V for Valentine. If the kids were out and about with their parents, they would no doubt see hearts up as decorations. It would be a fantastic opportunity to focus on a shape and a few basic colors.

We started out our week doing our normal letter activities. We hopped on one foot. We made out bodies into the shape of the letter H ( This letter was a little tricky.) We colored the letter H, a house, and a heart shaped hot air balloon. We read H books like Hop on Pop, Humpty Dumpty, and In a People House (These books are available in my store as well some others). We danced to Valentines Day songs. We sang a song about a heart. The kids brought in H items in the letter bag.

Here is K proudly showing off his Hulk action figure.

Bells pretending to eat the toy hamburger she brought in.

Ruby is enjoying the fuzzy hat that Bells brought in for her H item.





Finally, it was the end of the week and I had BIG plans for our Valentines Day celebration. When it comes to holidays, I try to have things...no, I OBSESS about things being perfect.Not just for the daycare kids, but even in my family life. Christmas, Halloween, and Easter all have to be AMAZING. And I wanted this to be no different. So, I stayed up very late getting things ready for the kids. It was going to be perfect. I had visions in my head of a whole day of HEART filled fun. From the moment my little ones walked into the house it would be valentine and heart central!

The kids would eat hearts for breakfast!

And they would eat hearts at lunch!

They would make Amazing heart filled valentine cards.

They would sing and dance to Valentines Day songs.

They would exchange their Valentines Day cards and treats.

And at the end of their heart-filled day of fun, they would get to take home their homemade heart shaped crayons. Or would they...

DISASTER!!!!!!!!!

Are

YOU

KIDDING ME??????

I had just spent and hour and a half pealing the paper off of old broken crayons to create the PERFECT Valentines Day treat. WHAT HAPPENED???

Well, lets go back to earlier that day when I scored these AWESOME silicone trays in the dollar spot at Target. The trays were in the exact same place I had found the muffin tray I had used before to make our circle crayons. Unfortunately, I was so excited to find them that I never paid attention to what packaging said.

 

ICE CUBE TRAYS!!!!!!

I

 Ugh! So, there would be no crayons for the kids to take home as favors.

Angry and heart broken I cleaned up, sprayed some air freshener to get rid of the putrid burned plastic smell and crawled into bed. 

As you can see from the pictures above, everything else went perfectly and the kids did have an unbelievable Valentines Day celebration. No, they didn't get to take home the crayons I wanted them to have, but their Valentines Day cards turned out amazing and they were soooo proud!

 

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

Friday Follow is back!!!
I love Friday Follow! Here my 2nd week of Friday Follow the 5th week for the hosts. Come join the party. I loved reading and following all of the blogs last week. I hope you find something else you like here too!

Welcome to the Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.

Here's how YOU can join the celebration:

--Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.

 --Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots. 

--Follow as many blogs as you'd like.

--Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you're from Friday Follow.

--Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow.

The Blog Hop is the same at each of our three hosts blogs so you do not have to add your blog at each site. Just one - but you can follow each blog. Follow a few or follow them all.

The list is new each week. The links do not carry over. Please link up each week for new participants to find your blogs. The list is only open to add your blog links on Fridays. It will be visible all week to visit the blogs listed.

Please be patient with following or getting followers. With the tremendous response there are a lot to visit. The Mcklinky will stay here all week so you can visit blogs at your own pace.

What's wrong with Mommy?

The snow is melting and life is getting back to normal around here. I enjoyed the days of playing in the snow and hanging out with Ruby, but we were both ready for her playmates to come back. Being here with her alone was far more difficult than I expected it to be. I thought these snow days would be lazy pajama filled days of cuddling, playing and resting. Instead I got whining, grumpy, indecisive, and ALWAYS hungry Ruby. It was annoying. I feel terrible saying that about my own precious child, but it's true she was a real pain in the rear.

It was beyond frustrating trying to keep her happy. She would ask for a toy to play with and I would go and get it for her. When I returned with the toy SHE had requested, I was met with GRUMPY RUBY (grrrrrr)! GRUMPY RUBY would look at me with disgust and then throw her self into a heap on the floor. Face down, she would yell/whine, " No, I don't want the toy! Don't want it!" UGH!

Next, I would try to figure out what would be the thing to keep her happy. Here is a scene from the possible one act drama, What's wrong with Mommy?

Me: "How about coloring? Would you like to color?"
GRUMPY RUBY : No!!!! I don't want color! I don't like a color!
Me: Here Ruby, let's play with the puzzles! Help mommy play with the puzzles.
GRUMPY RUBY: ( whining voice- similar to nails on a chalk board) Ehh hu, Ehhh hu! I sooo tired.
Me: ( slightly upbeat and hopeful voice) You wanna go night night?
GRUMPY RUBY: ( throws self in heap on floor, face down) I don't waaaaannna go night night! No, No Yogurt Drink! Yogurt Drink!
Me: We are all out of yogurt drinks Ruby.
Grumpy Ruby: ( still face down, whining voice escalates) NOOO! YOGGGGUUURT!
Me: ( takes deep breath) Ruby, stop whining or I am going to put you in time out. We don't talk to mommy that way. Stand Up. Look at mommy, take a deep breath. Tell mommy what you want.
GRUMPY RUBY: (Hug) Sorry mommy
Me: Thank you Ruby. Now, what do you want to play with?
Returning to normal Ruby: I want the toy. ( points to original toy that started the fit)
Me: ( twitches and shakes) Here! ( Walks away twitching and shaking mumbling about a head ache.)

AND SCENE!

I know I am not the only one out there, who went through this. I was on the phone with Bell's mom, Sonia. She didn't sound much better than me. She too admitted that she might go insane if there was much more of the bickering and whining at her house. My dear friend Sarah said she was soooo ready to go back to work after dealing with her little darling. We are all great moms, but we just needed a break.

SO, While I LOVE the alone time with my sweet Ruby, I did NOT enjoy the extended visits of......
GRUMPY RUBY!!!!!

Writing a book? Hmmm

Okay, so in the last 2 days I've had several folks tell me that they think I should write a book. It's sooo flattering that people like my blog and are enjoying my style of writing. There is no question that I would love to tackle that task and I have thought about writing since high school. I have visions in my head of a best seller, as I am sure anyone who would even consider the idea would. There is only one problem... I have NO idea what I would write about. It's one thing to write a little blog post a few times a week, it's a whole other thing to write a mind stimulating book of any length.

Let's just suppose that I did decide to write a book. Would it be fiction? A Children's book? A How To Book? Would it be a book of poetry? A non-fiction funny/dramatic/moving book about my life (that would no doubt be turned into a movie) ? I am certainly not a  guru of ANY subject. I would consider myself pretty good/great at a lot of things (singing, teaching, being a mom) but I am not awesome at any one thing. I know so many people who are far better at all of those things than I am. I try to surround myself with those people hoping their fantastic abilities and talents might rub off on me!

So, how would that translate to paper? I can see the title now... "How to be Middle of the Road and Happy with it-a Guide to accepting your Mediocre-ness?" And YES I would put a question mark at the end of the title. That wasn't an accident. I did that because the people reading this book would be like me, constantly questioning themselves. The question mark would give them the breathing room they need to accept or not accept their abilities, or lack there of as the book title suggests.

Hmm... the possibility also exists, that maybe I have just been middle of the road because I haven't tapped into God's  true plan for my life. Maybe writing will be the one thing that shows the AWESOMENESS that is dying to get out  (see Wonder Woman costume). Of course, there is also the possibility that I am blowing this whole thing out of proportion. Perhaps, those wonderful folks who said I should write a book were just being nice and really they just like the pictures and videos on my blog.

SEE!!!! Constantly questioning myself! Well, I think I will pray on it and ASK God for some clarity. There's a lot of praying at my house these days. It's a good thing God doesn't get tired of hearing from me! I wonder if God is going to show me that I need to write a book, or if he is going to show me that I have lost my mind due to being stuck in the house for so many days because of the snow. I'll be okay with either! 

20th post! Still Walking the Land and Now I am ASKING!

So, this is my 20th blog post. It's been an amazing journey so far. I've learned that I love to write and that I CRAVE feedback.No surprise on the feedback part.  I've always been a bit high maintenance as far as positive attention goes. I wonder if my need to connect stems from birth order. I'm the youngest behind two outspoken and funny older siblings. In my family, it's whoever talks the loudest or has the best story get's the attention. Perhaps that explains my need to put things out there and get a response. Hopefully a good one!

I'm enjoying taking the walk down Blog Lane. The Lord clearly called me to start this blog.  It has pushed my creativity as a daycare provider/mom and as a writer. I continue to "Walk the Land" trying to figure out where this is leading. I don't know what will happen, but I just have this feeling something huge is about to happen.

I have not filled my daycare slot from when D left. I have posted my opening on Facebook and sent emails to my church to let them know I have availability. I  have even posted on craigslist. I have had plenty of referrals, but all have been for little babies who would likely get crushed by the bunch that I keep. I continue to pray for God to send a family with a child who will fit in with my rowdy bunch, if that is his will.

Lately though, I have been feeling as if maybe I am NOT supposed to add another child to the mix. Maybe it isn't God's Will. The issue is then, that I have to make that money somewhere to keep my family afloat. So, I have also been praying that God would provide that money for my family some other way... AND that the way would be clear VERY SOON.

I keep praying and remembering that verse, "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it." I also have been hearing the words, "He will not leave you or forsake you" in my head. The Lord placed me on this journey. First, to stay home and keep kids, next, to teach music one night a week for Da Capo, and now, to write this blog. Where will HE send me next?

I talked to my mom about my prayers and my concerns. I shared with her that I was reading in John, because that was my Bible reading for that day. The Lord said over and over," If you know me, ask anything in my name, and you shall receive." Later that day, Mom forwarded me a devotional email she gets from Rick Warren each week. God's Financial Provision-Ask Him for Help


 As I read the post, I saw verses that confirmed what God was telling me in my own devotional time. ASK! ASK! ASK! So, I'm asking daily for God to provide for my family financially. I am asking for God to provide financial stability this the summer, when both of the kids I watch will be home with their parents and I will be without a paycheck. I am asking for God to use my talents to his Glory and to use them to provide for my family. I am asking God to use also Ben's gifts and talents at work to HIS Glory and to use them to bring more financial stability to provide for our family. I am asking not only for help now, but also for our future with college and weddings. I am asking God for ANSWERS.

I feel a bit like a brat asking God for all of these things. But if I don't ask, I won't receive. It's God's Will for me to ask. He has showed me this over and over. I have to humble myself and admit I can't do it on my own. Who wants to admit they don't have all of the answers? No one. God knows this, so he is taking the pressure off by telling us it is okay to ask for our hearts desires. The disclaimer? KNOW HIM.

So, I am praying daily. I am working to know GOD more. I am STILL walking the land, and now I am ASKING. Perhaps God's answers will be that HUGE thing I have been anticipating. Please pray for clarity and answers for my prayers.
May God Bless you and Keep you!

Friday Follow!

Just Found out about this great thing called Friday Follow! I've already seen so many cool new blogs and I have gotten some new readers and followers. Even if you are not a blogger, check out these great blogs. These people have worked hard. I hope to learn from them!

Recycled Crayon Experiment on a GRUMPY Day

Every week I get online and look for new ideas of things to do with the kids. Over and over I saw information about recycling crayons by melting them. So, I decided to try it with my kids to see if it would work and if they would enjoy it. Goodness knows I have a million old broken crayons, so I wasn't wasting good crayons. The muffin pan was $2.50 at Target at the dollar spot so this craft was cheep cheep. Right up my alley! 

I was hoping this activity would stop the bickering and fussy behavior that happened the moment all of the kids had arrived. This was the kids first day back after being out from all of the snow. I noticed all of the kids were a bit grumpy. Whenever the kids are gone for more than a day or two, it takes a little while for them to get back into the swing of things.  K's mom wasn't even out of the door before my own grumpy Ruby pushed K and had to sit in time out. Shortly after that,  K and Bells were screeching at each other fighting over a toy. Toys were being thrown as well as temper tantrums. I expected the kids to have a few hiccups in behavior today, but THIS was ridiculous! The only way to stop this madness was to do a group activity and the crayon experiment was perfect.

This activity was great for working on fine motor skills. The kids had to sit and peal the paper off of some of the broken crayons. It also forced the kids to keep trying and not give up. Bells kept saying, "I can't do it!" I continued to encourage her to keep trying and she would eventually get it. "I did iiiiit!" she would say proudly.

 

As we took off the wrappers, we sorted the crayons by color. When we were done sorting, I took the time to review the colors we were using. Then, the kids followed me to the kitchen where I showed the kids that I was putting them in the oven. 

The kids went back to playing and arguing and I played referee while I monitored the crayons . When the crayons had melted a bit, I brought the kids back into the kitchen to show them the progress. I explained that they couldn't touch the pan because it was very hot, but they could look. K observed the melted crayons first, "WOW, it looks like paint!" Ruby and Bells agreed with ooo's and ahhh's.

And then 

*
*
*
*
THEY WERE DONE!

I went out to put the crayons in the freezer to cool. When I came back all three kids had made themselves comfy on the couch or floor. They all asked for blankets and Dora.

Now, I do not normally let the children watch television until it is time for me to cook lunch, but after the morning we had already had with pushing, throwing and even some biting, I was going to follow their lead for a little while. The crayons would be cooled by the time Dora was over, so we would have a natural transition back to activities without fussing.

 

So, once the crayons cooled and Dora was over, I showed the kids the muffin tin of the newly hardened crayons. After the "Don't touch it, it is hot!" lecture, they wouldn't touch them until I did. But then, they jumped right in. I popped out the new homemade circle crayons. The kids screamed like they had just seen Elmo! We took them back into the playroom and tested them out.

 

The kids enjoyed the circle crayons, but we found them a bit difficult to make work at first. Bells and K lost interest and left Ruby to color by herself. She colored for a little while, but then decided it was more fun to stack the circles and count them.   

K and Bells had made there way back to their previous positions. UGH!

 

So it was a good thing my mom showed up!

She brought new life to the crayons, by drawing her own picture with the kids. She drew a sunshine!  The kids were excited to color with her. They each picked back up their own crayons and began coloring.

 

Thank Goodness for GAMAW!!!!

So, here is my review of the crayons. They were OKAY. I think there is good potential. If I could find some new pans with different shapes it could be a great learning tool. Imagine a box of crayons all different shapes. Not only could the kids review colors, but they could also reinforce shapes. We could also make crayons that are seasonal. I'm seriously considering hearts for Valentines Day!

Silicone was the right way to go as far as the pan was concerned. Metal might have made it a pain to get the crayons out. But, the crayons did dye the silicone pan, so don't spend too much money on a pan. Check a dollar store or Target dollar spot.

The crayons didn't color very well. I thought they would be able to use them flat as well as on their side. I thought they might be able to make different patterns. They could, but not easily. I had to push down really hard to make the flat side work, and the kids aren't strong enough for that. 

I will definitely try this again with new shapes to keep it fresh! Even if they don't color very well, the color and shape reinforcement is worth it!

Playdate, Dinner and Old Videos. JUST FUN!

With all of the snow that we got on Friday and Saturday, schools around here were canceled today and have already been canceled for tomorrow. Many of the neighborhood roads are just too terrible for buses to attempt. Both of the kids I keep belong to people who work in the schools, so it was just me and Ruby today.

We had a great time playing together. We built a snowman together and went for a short walk. We played with her tent and tunnel. We watched some television and snuggled. We took a nap. It was a nice relaxing day. However, I could tell that Ruby was really missing Bells and K.

As I have mentioned before, Bells is my niece. So, I decided to call my sister-in -law, Sonia to see if she, my brother Ted, and her girls Bells and A, would like to brave the streets and come over for dinner. We could let the kids play and eat, then put them down at our house. After bed time, the grown ups would get to hang out. It would be our turn to play! It would be a great time.
Sonia and Ted were game for dinner! They arrived a short while later. It was so much fun listening to the little cousins play together. Giggling, running, singing, and even a little bickering made for a great time and an early bed time for the girls. Thus, a GREAT evening of the adult conversations that I crave.
After a delicious dinner Sonia and I were looking at some old video footage. And looking at those videos sent me on a tangent. I have soooo many awesome videos. I decided to share some with you. I love going back and remembering all of these great times. Some are funny and some are sweet. Enjoy!

Here is me busting my lovely husband snoring. I used night vision as so I didn't disturb him and ruin my chance to prove that he indeed DOES snore. Notice the upside down glasses! LOL





Here is a much littler Ruby hamming it up for the camera. I flipped the view finder around so she could see herself.

My brother, Ted being well... Ted! He got me one of those giant cards that plays music and we had some fun with it. Good times!


I hope you like the videos! I'm sure there will be more to come in the future. Please leave a comment and tell me which video is your favorite!

Snow day fun videos and pictures

It SNOOOOWWWED! YAY! The area I live in has no consistency when it comes to snow. So, for those of you who live in places that snow is just a fact of life, this post may make you laugh when you see how life just stops around here when it snows. It is wonderful how quiet and peaceful things seem when it snows. And THAT is why I LOVE SNOW. I love to stop and look at the beautiful sky of white and take in the cold crisp air. I love to watch from my window (usually with hot chocolate and Bailey's) as the world outside is transformed into a pristine white blanket.

Some years, we have gotten slammed. I remember missing a ridiculous amount of school my junior year of high school because we had a blizzard. We had over a foot of snow. IT WAS AWESOME! We would go back to school for a day or two and we would get snow again. My sister was getting married that year and we were sure she was going to have a snowy wedding day, but the weekend of February 24, 1996 was a beautiful, (and if I remember correctly)warm, sunny day. The one weekend without any snow for weeks.

Other years, we go to bed having been told by the weather men to expect an inch or two, only to wake up in the morning and see green grass rather than the white ground we were dreaming of all night long. I had many, many, mornings of devastation when I realized I was indeed going to have to go to school. Whether I was the student or I was the teacher, I was always game for a good fun snow day.

This year we actually had a white Christmas. It actually snowed a few days before Christmas, but the ground still had snow on it, so in my book that counts as a white Christmas. This is our second batch of BIG snow this year. It has been so much fun to go sledding, make snow angels, and snowmen with Ruby. She seems to love the snow too.

Today, we walked to my parent's house (we live in the same neighborhood) and enjoyed sledding down the same steep driveway I did as a child. Ruby made snow angels with my dad and I. My dad said he doesn't ever remember making snow angles as a child. HOW SAD! But, how great that he got to experience it with his grandchild and daughter today!

Then, we went inside and my mom, at my request, gave Ruby and Ben their first experience with snow cream. It is sooooo yummie! Mom takes snow, canned milk, vanilla, and sugar and somehow makes this delicious icy treat. Ben doesn't even like sweets and he liked it! It was a day of awesome snowy firsts for several of my loved ones. What an amazing day!

Letter M is for muffin

   
The kids really started to get the hang of letter M this week! I was so proud! At one point this week Ruby brought me a monkey doll and said, "Mommy, Monkey letter M?" It was an exciting moment for me both as her teacher and her mother. There is nothing like seeing the light bulb go off when a child makes a connection on something they have been learning.
     Trying to keep things fresh and sensory driven, the kids helped me make muffins. M is for Muffin was a huge hit! (Please excuse my crazy socks as you look through the pictures.) I made sure that I pre-measured some ingredients, so that the process wouldn't take too terribly long and loose the attention of my young audience.

We were making Oatmeal and Applesauce Muffins. I found the recipe on the Quaker Oats website. I exchanged the flour for wheat flour hoping to make these muffins a healthy treat. The kids helped me add the main ingredients from the bowls I had put them in.

For some of the smaller ingredients, the kids helped me count the spoon fulls as we added them into the bowl.

 

The children took tuns stirring the muffin batter. I had keep reminding them not to eat the batter because we still had to cook it. But, secretly I wanted to eat the batter too. Mmmm batter!

 

I added the batter to the muffin tin and cooked the muffins. They smelled delicious. Every few minutes, one of the kids would come in and ask me if they could eat the muffins yet. Finally, It was tasting time. I added a little bit of butter to the muffins and ...

 

I'd love to say that this face was because the muffins were so yummie, but that would be a lie. They were really, really, bland. This face was shear pride over having helped make the muffins. Which, despite the bland taste of the muffins, was totally worth it!

 

Bell's face pretty much sums up the true story of the muffins. YUCK! We needed to add cream cheese to make them edible.  The funny thing is, the kids asked for more muffins the next day. I'm pretty sure it was the cream cheese they really wanted.  That pretty much negated the health factor of the whole wheat flour. Oh Well! But they ate it and that sometimes can be a challenge, so I'll take it! 

M is for muffin...Not a success. Not a failure. Let's call it a draw!