Before the Sun

Oh, it’s only been a month since I blogged last…sigh.

Shane and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary. We went downtown for dinner, without the kids, went to an underground Speakeasy and played pool. It was just what I needed, in fact it’s something I could get used to, say once a month?

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Averi is now 15 months and things are pretty much the same, most days are routine and a tad mundane. Her sleep schedule is 6:30 to 6:30 give or take. We just got over the girls having colds, Averi was waking up multiple times a night but knock on wood, that is over.IMG_6129 IMG_6154

Her vocabulary is coming along, saying mom, dad, all done, bye and a lot of whining. She is waving and blowing kisses bye bye unless it’s to me, then it’s a full meltdown. She is very attached and although she is fine when I am gone, it’s the going and returning part that causes the tears.

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Kaili was going through some 4 year old challenging behaviors. Not listening, trying to get rid of her sister and her sleeping regressed. Can I say how DONE I am with not sleeping? We are hoping that the girls will share a room sometime but the way it’s going, I  am not sure how that will ever work. Sometimes they piggy back each other in the wake ups and if one of them actually sleeps in, I can promise you the other one was awake at 5.

I decided to try a behavior chart with her, made it myself to fit our needs. I have to say it really worked well for the first few months but her sleeping is back to shit. Okay, that is a strong word. She goes to sleep by 7 and is, for the most part (4 out the 7 days a week) is quiet once in bed. She has been waking up in the middle of the night due to nightmares or scary sounds and sometimes it’s a battle to get her back to sleep. But really the problem lies in her waking up for the day. She is usually up before 6:00 and comes into my room. The rule is, she is to stay in her room (aside from bathroom runs) until 6:30 when the green light on her clock comes on, but that is out the window. I could let her in my room or go into hers but I don’t want to create a habit but, I also don’t want to spend that time getting up and down in a fight with her. Ugh, does this make sense?

IMG_6051Anyhow, the chart hasn’t really been working for me in that department. I don’t know what else to do except make a mandatory rest time after school if she doesn’t follow the wake up rule.

 

Artful

This weather we are having has been glorious. We have been spending our afternoons wading in the hot tub and eating popsicles like it’s mid July. Please don’t take my sunshine away Mr. Weatherman. Along with outdoor activities, I have tried to keep K busy with some inside art each day. So if you need some inspiration to pull your kid out from in front of the TV, I got your back.

Wine Cork Clovers

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Shamrock Cookie Cutter Printing

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Nature Walk Collage

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Coffee Filter Butterflies

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Hurry up Spring, I am ready to get all Easter up in here.

A Week In Photos

Kaili had school pictures last week. She went representing the Super Bowl champs.

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I made these honey bananas and they are ridiculous. I had to make them again the next day and the next.

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Kaili spent some time working on Valentines day crafts.

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I also got around to pulling out some heart color matching I had made years ago.

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I took Kaili down to Mission Beach since it was supposed to be “beach” weather.

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But in a matter of minutes the fog rolled in and it was freezing. Might has well have been in Sochi.

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Kaili wanted to wear her cupcake dress to school. She was given this as a gift for her 1st birthday, fits her just fine….sigh.

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I made fish tacos for the very first time. Hello culinary bucket list. They were delicious and I can’t believe I have waited so long. Recipe to come.

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Good Morning.

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Painting Hands, Feet, Knees and Toes

One of the great reasons for having kids is we get to make them do stuff, right? “I can’t wait until they can do the dishes.” “I can’t wait until they are old enough so I can go to Disneyland.” Well I am glad I can finally use Kaili’s extremities for all my cool art projects I have stored up. Now she is old enough to “help” and she even said “thank you” after I showed her the final products.

I did let her free paint in between using her hands and feet for my own satisfaction, I mean it’s all about balance.

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Art in our house usually requires a bath afterwards. But look how cute my her art came out.

IMG_1880 IMG_1886I also can’t wait until she can do the the dishes and we can go to Disneyland, vacuuming will be helpful too.

Go Away Mommy

“Go away mommy!” Kaili says that quite often these days and now I am giving the girl what she wants, I’m outta here.

We rented a house in Arizona through VRBO for a week getaway. The guys will be going to the Hawk vs. Cardinal game on Thursday and I will be lounging in the pool with a glass of wine. A little mind cleanse before my FET.

Shane and Wags left a few days ago for Seattle where they played downtown, went to the Seahawk game and ate amazing looking food, I have to say I was a tad jealous, oh who am I kidding, really jealous!

Albacore Tartare
Albacore Tartare
Candied Bacon
Candied Bacon
Burger at 8 oz. Burger Bar
Burger at 8 oz. Burger Bar

Meanwhile, I was introducing a few new tray tasks to Kaili.

Acorn tray tasking
Acorn tray tasking

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Water transfer with medicine dropper
Water transfer with medicine dropper

Kaili and I picked up Grandpa G from the airport Saturday afternoon, he is my wing man for the drive to Arizona. Before we left he wanted to represent the Walla Walla  #12 at the Hawk game, so we made him this.

Wave it proud G!

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I am more hesitant about leaving Kaili this time  around than ever before. Maybe it’s because she is more aware, always clinging to me, or constantly asking “where mommy go?” Whatever the reason, it sucks. But, I need some time away so I have been preparing her for my absence. I made her this, aren’t I clever? In my defense I did most of this upside down. Nt like I was standing on my head but…well you get what I’m saying, I hope.

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I will share pics of our Arizona rental once we arrive. Unless it’s a shithole then I won’t show you anything but I will tell you how fabulous it is.

{Preschool} Letter C and Circle Activities

For my last week of September we worked on the letter C, I threw in the circle since… well it starts with C.

If you really start thinking about all the things that start with the letter C it will blow your mind, so I advise against it.  Here are some tray, table and art activities for your preschooler.

A tray full of C goodies to look at and manipulate.

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Chicka Chicka Boom Boom magnet activity. I cut out the tree and taped it onto a magnet board. After reading the book at circle, I invited the children to read the book themselves, putt the letters on the coconut tree as they followed along in the book.

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Carrot tray tasking . Show the children how to use the tongs to transfer the carrots into the dirt. Left to right motion.

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Circle collage on a circle

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Circle Printing– Provide different circles for the children to print with. I really wish I had incorporated a few wine corks for this activity. Cork, circle, double C’s….damn it! I’ll have to do it with Kaili.

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Pizza and Pumpkins

Friday evening Kaili was invited over to a friends house to pick a pumpkin. My friend has a serious green thumb and I feel like a bad human being when I go to her house because her backyard is like a little farm and I can’t even grow tomatoes in a container.

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Saturday I found myself with leftover blue cheese and Pears from our Farm Fresh delivery. I knew that I wanted to put them on a pizza with some arugula because I heart arugula . Sprouts didn’t have any pre-made pizza dough, are they done with that? So I was forced to make my own. I used this Martha Stewart recipe that only required an hour rise time, perfect.

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Preheat oven to 450.

Once the dough was rolled out i brushed garlic + olive oil onto the dough and baked it for a few minutes. Then I threw on some mozzarella, crumbled blue cheese, roasted pears and red onions and baked for 10 minutes, toss on some arugula and return to oven for a few more minutes.

I would actually recommend using gorgonzola instead of blue. The cheese was so strong that it overpowered the other flavors.

D is for Dinosaur and Dentist

The past few weeks I have been working on Dinosaurs with the kids. We used our  imaginations to take us back in time and explored a world very different from the one we live in today. I branched out a bit with the older kids and they were  surprised to find that “prehistoric animals” didn’t just mean dinosaurs.

Bristle block printing on a Dino cut-out

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Cut, color and glue the T-Rex together

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Dinosaur sensory play in sand

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Dinosaur Tracks

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In other not so fascinating news, Kaili had her first dentist appointment. I was referred to a pediatric dentist through Shane and my dentist, I am not convinced there is really a difference. Well besides the waiting room…

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Our dentist doesn’t have video games in his waiting room. Is there a rule that we have to take kids to a pediatric dentist or do all dentist see all ages?

The good news is that her teeth are fine but he told me I wasn’t supposed to be using fluoride on her yet. But but but our pediatrician said fluoride toothpaste was fine after 2 years old. Why is this so confusing?

He did mention that she has underbite and said she should see an orthodontist at age 5 or 6.  She did just fine. Sat for him, opened her mouth when asked, closed it when asked, just like the perfect little angel she is.

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She has a follow up appointment at 3 years with a cleaning and x-rays, the whole she-bang. I hope she can get through childhood without any fears of the dentist, clowns are bad enough.

Foam Dough

What do you get when you mix equal parts cornstarch and shaving cream? We shall call it super messy but fun Foam Dough. I saw this on Pinterest and thought I would give it a try. I mean it can’t get much easier then mixing two ingredients together…right?

Well what the pin did not tell me was that it takes a lot of mixing until you reach the desired texture. I was elbows deep in the stuff and my classroom looked like…well a classroom but the sh*t was everywhere. So after all the kids took turns “mixing” it, it started to become firmer, less gooey and crumbly and I could see the light.

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I added a little liquid water color

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Before I left for the day I bagged the stuff up, I am curious to see how it keeps. I have this feeling it will be rock hard tomorrow but who knows?

I would definitely make this again BUT I would either A. put all the ingredients in a sensory table outside and let the kids do their own thing with it.  Or B. pre make it in a big bowl near a sink and then give the kids the dough to manipulate. I think A. is the better choice. Then you can add in plastic knives, or play dough scissors. ,measuring cups, spoons, ect.