Pumpkin Fun!

Last week the boys and I were invited to join my friend's preschool group on a trip to pick pumpkins!  I am truly grateful, because it allowed the boys to get a true field trip experience.  Waiting in line, playing with other kids, taking turns.  The boys loved it... well mostly.  CJ wasn't too happy about being in the carrier.  He prefers to be on the ground ever since he found his walking legs.  Unfortunately, I wasn't interested in scooping him up and out of various obstacles around the farm.

We enjoyed a hayride, and picking pumpkins in a pumpkin patch of course, but we also had a blast feeding and petting the animals.

The boys had a blast playing in the world's largest sensory bin.  Just kidding, it was a shed filled with corn kernels, and lots of trucks, buckets, and shovels.  My boys were in heaven.  I had to literally drag Bear out.  

His disappointment was short lived, as it was off to a corn maze!  Ace had a great time leading the way!

I love when I get pictures like this!!

Needless to say the boys had a blast! and gave me quite a nice nap when we returned home... Winning!!

Having brought home a few good pumpkins, we of course had to do a few good activities with those pumpkins!

First we washed pumpkins.  This was a great water activity and we were also able to discuss sinking and floating.  Love these teachable moments!!

With our pumpkins cleaned, painting was our next activity.

Of course we had to make a Jack-O-Lantern!  His name is Silly Spooky Jack-O-Lantern.  Creative, right?  I should have followed the Pinterest directions for prolonging the life a Jack-O-Lantern, but...  After a few days on our counter, he was a moldy mess.  So he was relocated to the front porch until Halloween. 

Sorry Jack.

Anyway... scooping pumpkin seeds is one of Ace's favorite things.  I believe I've mentioned he is all for anything sensory.  Squishy, slimy, pumpkins seeds and flesh is right up his ally.  

Some of the seeds we used for this letter art activity.  Ace is getting better at squeezing his own glue.  It's difficult for me to let go and allow him to make his own (mess and all).  It takes a lot of deep breathing for me.  I still put Bear's glue for him... He's I'm just not ready yet.

I saw a super yummy looking idea on Pinterest for the remaining pumpkins seeds.  I'm hoping to try that recipe Next week.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Last, I made some pretty simple pumpkin puree'.  

Now, I must admit, I do not like pumpkin pie, AT ALL!!  I'm sure I'm not the only one!  I can't really pin point why.  I typically love a good custard pie, so it's not the texture, maybe it's just too.. pumpkinny?  Whatever, I did whip up some yummy pumpkin french toast, and I also want to try some pumpkin muffins, or pumpkin bread, amongst other things.  So after following The Pioneer Woman's recipe for pumpkin puree, I divided it up and placed it in the freezer to await the fun things I have planned for it.

Any ideas for some yummy (non-pumpkin pie) pumpkin treats

 I should try???

Color Coded Discipline

Hi!!  

I hope you all are enjoying this awesome fall weather as much as the kiddos and I are.  It's allowed us to enjoy outside activities without being overly hot or freezing cold.  We've gone apple picking, and tomorrow we have plans for a pumpkin picking field trip.  I am truly loving all the time we are spending together as a family.

With that said, allow me to keep it all the way real.  Sometimes, my kids are off the hook, and I'd rather not spend time with them at all.  I have been that woman in Target with a baby screaming, a 3 year old running wildly through the clothes, and a 4 year old having a melt down because he has been denied his latest request for something (ANYTHING) new.

How do I handle these situations?  Well, to begin with, I try to avoid these situations all together.   I know their triggers: tired, bored, or hungry (basically the same for any kid). I find that if my children are scheduled and fed, they are pretty good kids... actually very good.  When we go out, I try and remember to give them the "mommy talk".  Basically I break down my expectations, and consequences.  While home we have a routine (not so much a schedule) that they come to expect.  In the morning, Ace asks what we are doing for the day.  He's that textbook child who thrives on a routine.  I believe it makes him feel secure and safe, otherwise he can be a very worried child.  He reminds me of the book Wemberly Worried.  I can go into more details about our daily routine or plan in another post.

However, there are those times when for whatever reason, they act a mess, routine, "mommy talk" or not.  On one particular day about a year ago, Ace was having one of those days.  He was being a monster.  I thought I was going to loose my mind.  Screaming, yelling, slamming doors.  It was me vs. my (at the time) 3 year old.  Once the battle was over, and we were both calm, I knew something had to change.  I mean I was a teacher in an urban area, with often over 25 kids to keep in line.  How come I couldn't keep my own child in order.

You know the phrase "necessity is the mother of invention".  Well, I didn't invent anything, but I did tweek a system that I used in my classroom, and our color coded discipline system was born.  It is very simple.  I glued blocks of craft foam to a piece of white paper leaving about 2 or 3 inches of white on the top.  I fold over the top to create a place to slide a ribbon through and voila done.  I hung it with a Command Strip in our Kitchen Art Center.  I wanted it to be very visual.

How do I use this?  

Well, each child has a clothespin.  Their names are written on them with a Sharpie.  For the picture I flipped them so their names don't show.  I only have one for Ace, and Bear now, but at some point when he's old enough I'll add a clothespin for CJ.  In the morning the clothespins start at the top in dark green.  Everyday is new and they can start fresh each day.  I want to teach them that bad days happen, but we must move on and make the next day better.  The color chart is as follows:

Dark Green = Perfect Day: Dessert (Usually pudding, fruit, or fruit snacks), iPad or phone time before bath, plus a magnet on responsibility chart for Ace.  Ace has a Melissa and Doug Magnetic Responsibility Chart, it comes with lots of pre-written responsibilities and also a few blank, so you can write your own.  I added a good listening responsibility.  If he gets 7 magnets (sunday through saturday), he is rewarded with a treat of his choice (with in reason). 

Light Green = Pretty good day: Dessert, iPad or phone time before bath, no magnet

Yellow = Okay Day: Dessert, no iPad or phone

Orange = Needs Improvement Day: No Dessert, No electronics

Red = Very bad, No good, Horrible day: Straight to bed after dinner, no dessert, no bath, no book, Do not pass go, do not collect $200 (a little Monopoly humor.. lol).

We have only ever had a Red day once, and rarely orange.  Every child tests the limits sometimes.

How do they move up and down the chart?

  When the boys get time-out, they move down from one color to the next.  On most days they stay in the green (dark or light).  I have on occasion, moved a clothespin back up a space.  This only happens for exceptional unsolicited behavior or actions.  For example I once caught Ace cleaning the playroom and getting Bear to help.  I didn't ask him to.  He was truly just being a good kid.  On the other hand there have been times he is in yellow, and will say "mommy, look, I just picked up my Legos.  Can you move me back up?"  Nope, doesn't work like that.  

I like this system because it allows me to have a concrete reference for their behavior.  My husband always asks how the boys were when he gets home from work.  Sometimes, by that time I am so tired, and brain fried, I don't remember the morning tantrum.  Simply seeing that someone's clothespin is in light green helps me to remember.  It's also perfect for small children, as it is a visual representation of their behavior.  

We've been using this system for about a year and it works for us.  What discipline systems (if any) do you use in your home?

Preschool At Home: Stamping, Stomping, and Silly Sentences

Whoa!! I feel like I just got off a crazy roller coaster ride.  It's been a super busy week.  I mentioned in this post that we celebrated two birthdays, and a sick (possibly teething) baby.  Well, on top of all that we hosted a huge boxing party.  My husband is really into boxing and is a huge Mayweather fan so it was fitting.  We had about 30 people here on Saturday.  It was loud, messy, and down right fantastically fun.  

Even with all the planning and prep work, I still managed to squeeze in some preschool time.  Here are some of our highlights from the last 2 weeks. 

Theme: All About Me

Letter: Gg

Sight Word: is

Focus:  My Feelings/ My Birthday

We continue to follow the Zoomin' Movin Alphabet.  It's perfect for my little guys, whom are obsessed with all things that go.  It's free from Royal Baloo.  While, I don't do everything that comes with each unit, I use it as a guide to help with my planning.

I like to do sensory activities with the boys, so when I saw this grape sensory idea on Play Learn Love, I knew I had to try it.  I started by laying down some plastic to cover the floor, then grabbing an old bin, last, I gave each little one a container of grapes to harvest.  This took a lot of patience for them.  Bear lost interest in it pretty quickly so I took over his container.  Ace, who loves all things messy, moved quickly knowing that he would soon have the time of his life stomping and squishing grapes.

Bear played in the grapes for a bit, but he is not as interested in sensory play as Ace.  I'm trying to get him more and more interested in things like this.  At one point he disappeared and returned with his fire truck and just drove his little truck through the grapes. 

Once upon a time, Ace couldn't stand getting his hands dirty or icky.  Now, He'd swim in messy sticky stuff if I'd let him... hmmm.

CJ had fun exploring in the grapes too.  While the boys played we talked about the sound that g makes, and other words that start with g.

Love these baby feet.

I was really excited to get our new Melissa and Doug letter stamp set.  We have a few stamps the boys like to play with, but I really wanted a full upper and lower case set, and a non-toxic pad.  I gave Ace some of his sight word cards and he practiced stamping them.  Bear is obsessed with the letter B so he did a lot of B and G stamping.

These pictures are really dark, typically my back doors give great light, but not on a dark and stormy afternoon.

By the way, the sight word cards come from the Zoomin' Movin' Alphabet Units.

Using salt on a tray was a great sensory activity for Bear.  He was able to get his hands "messy" then quickly dust them off if he wanted.  I let the boys do what ever they want in their salt, and just allow teachable moments to occur.  Bear typically asks me to write a B, although today he asked for an A.

 Ace was drawing different types of faces (happy, sad) because we had been discussing feelings.

I made a feelings lapbook for the boys to explore.  The printables came from 1+1+1=1, you can download them for free here.  

I was really excited to use the sight words Ace knows in sentences.  He was so proud of himself for reading them.  Of course he had to make some of his own.  It was interesting watching him put the cards down.  He first began just laying the in random order and telling me his own sentence (even if it didn't match what was actually on the table).  I started to rearrange his sentences so they would make sense and I think we both got a little frustrated.  Him, because I was messing up his sentences, and me because I wanted him to make sentences that made sense.  We compromised in the end and I told him he could make "silly" sentences (thanks mom for the good idea!).  He was totally okay with that.  I find that I am constantly struggling with balancing fun, creativity, and learning.  It's helpful to keep reminding myself he is only 4.

We finished out our week by decorating cupcakes.  I had this activity planned for the afternoon of Bears birthday since we weren't having a party or anything.  My hubs decided to take the day off so we spent a great day as a family eating pizza and visiting Chuck E Cheese.  We ended up doing this activity in the evening and Bear was burnt out, so it ended up just being Ace.  In hindsight I should have just saved it for the next day.  Oh well.

As always, thanks for reading!!

Leiah

Kitchen Art Center

It's August!!! You know what that means, Kitchen Overhaul Time!!

As the first stop on my Kitchen overhaul I'd like to share with you our Kitchen Art Center.  I added this sometime last year, although I can’t quite recall when.  This area only needed a quick wipe down since it is pretty easy to keep organized.  Of course I first saw this idea perusing Pinterest, and I jumped on it!! The original post is from Modern Parent Messy Kids... Go check it out.

The shelf l used is from Ikea.  I believe this is the Ekby shelf and brackets with the Bygel rail and plastic containers.

The plastic containers are holding erasable color pencils, pipsqueak markers, crayons, and dry erase crayons.  I love the cups because it’s easy for the boys to clean up.  On the shelf I keep a supply of papers, finger paint, tape (so I can quickly display works of art), extra markers, dry erase wipes, stamps, paintbrushes, glue, and scissors.  I already had the little tin buckets, got them from Target way long ago.

You may have noticed that it's pretty high up.  I DO NOT want my kiddos having access to art supplies whenever they feel like it.  These are by request only.  

This was the easiest project ever.  It makes art really simple.  Like, I'm making dinner and Ace is whining and Bear is getting into something (any and everything).  Me: "Hey guys, you want to dot paint?" Instant quiet... And very close to where I am, so I can keep one eye on them.

It's also convenient when we are doing a real deal art or school project.  The pocket chart is there, and I can grab scissors or glue sticks easily.  While we do have a lot of other art and school supplies (kept in another cabinet), these are our most frequently used supplies.  I love this so much that I added the same center to our playroom!  

What are some ways you like to store and organize art supplies?  Leave a comment and let me know.  If you like what you're reading, how about liking the Rosey Glasses Facebook Page, or Following us on Twitter!

Thanks for reading,

Leiah

The Hand Me Down Situation

Hello friends!! So I finally did it... I found a way to organize the kiddos Hand me down clothes.  Wanna see how?... read on!!

Seriously with three boys the clothes were out of control.  When Ace was born we got loads of stuff... LOADS!! Lol, two showers and everyone's coworkers' kids' clothes hand me downs (did you get all that?).  Now, I am not one to turn things down (at least I wasn't... More on that later), so I had to find a place for all the clothes. One cute little baby boy... No problem!! His baby clothes load was stored neatly in the closet separated by homemade size dividers.  Clothes that my baby boy grew out of we're just tossed in an old diaper box.  Problem... He just kept growing out of them!! Duh!! The boxes began to get overwhelming!  Enter... Bear, right on time.  All Ace's clothes went into Bear's drawers and all was well again.  Until the seasons changed, and of course Bear grew out of his clothes.  Needless to say everything just got out of control again.  Now, I did take control back and pack a few diaper boxes for donation, and I had some make shift system of transferring clothing from one room to the next, but... It. Was. Not. Working!! Then I got preggers again and really lost control.  On top of all that, with clothes in boxes I had no idea what kind of inventory I had.  Okay, obviously I had some idea but, to really know what I needed for the next season meant emptying boxes which was a pretty daunting process.  After unpacking all the baby clothes, and receiving a new haul for Ace from my cuz (we like to keep it in the family!!), things got really out of hand!  I knew I needed to do something.  I needed a system that would work for me and my needs.  So this is what I did:

My Process

Of course I had helpers getting into EVERYTHING, which of course adds to the mess!!

First, I go crazy on Pinterest and Google Images.  There is tons of inspiration out there and it really
gets my creative juices flowing.

Next, I like to think about what I've seen and imagine it in my own home.  I saw some awesome stuff, one was a completely organized shelving system, sitting pretty in matching labeled bins.  I mean, it was like a personal second hand store in the basement!  Awesome organizing, but it wouldn't work for me because I hate running to the basement.  Yes, I'm lazy like that.

Then, I really hunker down and decide what I want my finished project to look like and how I want it to function.  I make a plan as part of this step and make a list of things I need as well as a timeline.

Finally, I start.  After all the steps.. I'm seriously excited.  It's like Christmas, because I know soon I will have this awesomely organized gift of a space.

So, yeah... I started with this.  These were only clothes that were is CJ's room.  In-San-Ni-Tee!  Keep in mind, things always get messier before they get better (at least in my case).

I ended with this.

 Lol... are you as excited as I am?  The top left are things going to goodwill.  The top right is organized and going to my another one of my cousins, expecting her first boy!! The clear bin is going in our basement for "just in case".  The blue bin will stay in CJ's closet for easy access.  I repeated this project in each of the boys' rooms over the course of about a week.  So they each have their own bin.

I separated clothing by season and  size, summer/spring and winter/fall and used a post-it to write what is specifically in each package (which are jumbo sized Ziplock Bags).  Now when it's time to shop for a new season I can lift a package and see what I have without taking everything out.  Laaaaaaaaaaaa!! That was my super sing song voice by the way.

Some of you may be thinking... How did you fit all those clothes in that one bin?  Answer: I didn't!! I had to pare down... A lot.  Part of my goal was to make sure I only kept what could fit in these bins.  The clothes that didn't make the cut went to in a donation box. When all was said and done I had bought 3 blue bins with lids from Walmart and 1 package of jumbo Ziplock Bags.

I am truly excited about this new system and I really think its going to work for us.
My next task (at some point) will be finding a way of wrangling all the little shoes, and big shoes for that matter.

So, how have you handled your hand me down situation? Any ideas for shoes?


Thanks for reading,

Leiah

Iheart Organizing

Organized Diaper Bag

I find the difference between my packing the diaper bag as a first time mother, and now as a third timer, hysterical.  I used to take everything but the kitchen sink.  I was so worried that I'd need something while we were out and it would essentially make our lives miserable for that (very small) period of time.
I've narrowed down what I typically used to bring to just the essentials. Here's my list of what I try to have in my diaper bag at all times.

Baby Needs:
Diapers (about 1 per hour you"ll be out) Although I usually just bring three.
Mini Wipes Case of course
Diaper Cream
A Changing Pad
A burp cloth
A large receiving blanket that usually doubles as a burp cloth, or a cover for feeding
An extra outfit - Sleep & Play, undershirt ( be sure to change it out as baby grows or seasons change
Extra Bib
A hat and baby mittens

Mommy Needs:
Wallet and car key
Comb
Lip gloss
Sometimes an eyeliner
The baby record books for the doctor
Receipt and Coupon holder
Breast Pads
Antibacterial wipes and gel

The Extras:
Boogie Wipes (mostly for Munchkin and Bear)
A baggie filled with mini packets of cleaner, and stain remover wipes

This is everything on the list, plus Munchkin and CJ.

 I know the list seems pretty long, but it all fits neatly in my diaper bag.  When I was searching for a diaper bag while pregnant with the Munchkin, I had one thing on my mind.  CUTE!! I wanted it to be baby cute, so I chose one that was brown and turquoise with a cute little teddy bear. Blah Blah Blah.  It had only one large pocket which basically meant it had zero organization.  Everything was just in there.

I chose this diaper bag for its function and basic style.

Here it is empty, just waiting to be filled with all its goodies.

Here's How I organize my bag.

First, my stuff.  I usually don't take my own separate bag if were going out for a short trip.  This all fits neatly in the zippered pocket in the front.

 Next I fill the two snap pockets in the front of the bag.  One gets the goodies like Boogie wipes (which smell delightful if I may add).  In the other, I place the hat and mittens.

                           

Onto the inside.  In the main space I add the burp cloth and Receiving blanket.  I have a snuggle thing (can't think of the real name) over the baby's car seat, which eliminates the need for a heavy winter blanket.

The two empty back pockets get diaper cream, lotion, and diapers.  I usually bring between 2-4 diapers, since he gets changed right before we leave to go anywhere.

 There is another pocket with elastic in the front (see, lots of pockets = awesome organizing), this is where I keep the extra outfit and bib.

The back open pocket gets the pad and wipes.

There are two side pockets on the outside of this bag.  One is used for antibacterial wipes. I like it here, because it gives me easy access.  My antibacterial gel is a mini one that usually clips onto one of the straps.  The other pocket is currently not being used, but at some point a water bottle or sippy cup will go in there.  I also have a little mini pacifier holder, though It's kind of pointless since CJ doesn't care much for them.

Sometimes depending on where we are going I may bring a toy or throw some extra snacks for the big boys.

All packed up and ready to go!

My Newest Addiction

I have a new addiction everyone.  I'm still loving to organize, teach my little tots (and preschooler now),  and I still love to host a good event... but I have found something new to keep me busy...  Cloth Diapers!

Can you believe it?  I never thought in a million years that I'd actually be taking the plunge.  My interest in cloth diapering began almost four years ago, while pregnant with Munchkin.  I am hardly a card carrying member of the Captain Planet Team, but I am somewhat eco-sensitive... if that's a word.  I very often forget to bring my reusable grocery bags to the store... but I reuse the ones I get for garbage and mostly doggie duty outside.  I try and recycle anything that can be recycled.  While newly pregnant with my first baby I decided to look into it.  Let's just say for anyone who has ever tried to "look into" cloth diapering, they know how totally overwhelming it is.  It's not your grandmama's cloth anymore, or should I say it's not JUST your grandmama's cloth anymore.  You can still find the old school flats and prefolds, but now there is just so much more!  So much that it is extremely overwhelming.  Basically I got bored of trying to figure everything out and that was the end of that.  When I found myself preggers with Little Bear I thought about it again, but only very briefly.  I'd successfully used disposables and thought it'd be a bit crazy to start with two little one under 2.

So yes, I've decided to start with (what will be) 3 kids, three and under... yes crazy! 

Why?

My answer is simple..  I am expecting this to be my last baby, and I really like to try everything at least once.  Plus, well, not to toot my own horn, but I'm a bit more of an experienced momma this time around.  So when the thought popped into my head, I started googling, and stalking some cloth diaper forums, and watching you tube video after video.  After a while, all the cloth diapering lingo became more and more familiar.  I began to understand!  So jump in right??... wrong!!  There are a lot of variables to consider while cloth diapering like ease, cost, and size.  Cost being a big one.  Yes, over time cloth diapering is probably (in most cases) cheaper.  However, if you get carried away (which I'm learning many people do) you can expect to probably break even... then again you could sell your stash or use it for another baby to come.  The best advice I read is to decide your reasoning, and go from there.  My reason, as I've said before, is mostly to try something new, with cost and environment coming in tied for second.  So how do I try something new, with out investing too much in the beginning.  By going the part time route.  This means I will use them while at home, and keep disposables on hand just in case the laundry doesn't get done in time.  "Baby Steps".

So I ordered my first set. 

I decided to go with a less expensive pocket diaper (perhaps in an up coming post, I'll explain the different types... or at least point you in the right direction).   An online buddy suggested Sunbabies one size.  I ordered 6 with bamboo inserts (no there are not bamboo sticks inside... ouch!!)  $51.00.  I figure that's not too bad of an upfront cost.  I also bought a drying rack for $20 from Walmart.  Then I added two BumGenious 4.0s (another type of diaper) just because.  They were 17.99 a pop!!... so I stopped there.

We have been cloth diapering part time for only a few days.  I've encountered both wet and solid messes, and  I've completed one load of diaper wash, and I gotta say... I'm still excited!  I'm loving it.  I love watching Little Bear run around with his fuzzy butt.  The texture on the inside is so soft, I can only imagine it's much more comfy for him.  Comfy for baby, better for environment... so far so good!  Even though I am enjoying it so far, I've decided to give it another week or so before ordering more, and beginning my newborn stash.  I gotta say it is extremely difficult... there are so many kinds and options. Sigh... Patience!!

Until next time... Have a wonderful day!!