A Voice For My Children

Sorry I Have Been Away For A While

2011-09-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Things have been crazy lately and I have found little to no time to go on the computer let alone be able to blog.

So here is an over view of what we have been up to since my last Blog.

Going to the Merry-go-Round

Playing with Baby Dolls

Going on Picnics

Climbing Trees

Playing in the mud

First day back at preschool

Enjoying her "alone time" while brother is at school

Playing at the park, learning to use the "Big Boy" swing

Laughing and saying "Wee" going down the big slide

Bubbles bubbles everywhere

Popping the bubbles

Putting backpacks away at school

Going to Science Museums

Lots and Lots of Mommy time!

Checking out the fishy

Riding a bear

Getting to touch and explore Starfish

Play dates filled with pretend play

Two cute as buttons kiddos

Trying to swim with Papa

Loving the Lake

Sweet treats

Even more Mommy time

First French Braids

Reading, Reading and Reading

Having and after school snack at Barnes and Nobel

Being silly before bed with mommy's hat

Rolling out the pizza dough

Eating the yummy pizza he just made

"Read me the Recipe Mom"

Making Cupcakes

So proud of his handy work

Goofing around

Being the Best Two Kids This Mom Could Ever Ask For!!

The Adventures Of M&Ms!

2011-07-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

In my younger days I studied abroad in London for a semester. I was very fortunate to have that experience for many reasons. One of them being the friends I made, some of them locals from the UK and others studying abroad with me. I cherish those friendships!

I met Red (nickname) in London, she was actually the first person I met there.

I was checking out the apartment I would be living in for the next three months and none of my other roommates had arrived yet. When I went out to the balcony to see the view, I noticed that we shared it with the neighboring apartment. Soon a petite, spunky Red head stepped out and introduced herself to me.

We began to chat and decided to go explore our new neighborhood and hunt down some phone cards to call home and let them know we arrived safely. Our friendship continued during our time in London ranging from doing homework together to going out to experience the night life in the city.

Upon returning from the UK, Red and we fell out of touch because of the distance between where we lived. That was until we were both pregnant with our future sons, and thanks to social networking found each other again.

This was wonderful, she is a lovely person and my first Mommy friend. Since the reconnection, we share our happy stories and tells of woe from our day to day adventures through motherhood.

We have become really close, she is the one that threw my second baby shower. We both have two children, beautiful boys came first and then our sweet little girls. The kids are close in age, the boys 3 months apart and the girls 6 months apart. Boo (nickname) was Boog's first little friend. And Bubbi (nickname) was Littles first girl friend.

We live a fair distance from each other (roughly 2 hours), but try and do play dates as often as our busy lives let us.

When we do get together it is always an amazingly fun time! Our kids play perfect with each other. The boys rough house and explore, the girls tag along after their big brothers. It is a pure delight!

Yesterday was no exception, we played outside, went extreme couponing (Red is a pro), spent some time at our local bookstore, lunch and then some more outside play!

The favorite games and topics of the day were twirling in chairs, spraying water from the hose, digging in dirt and of course lets not forget the snails!

Here is a glimpse into our day filled with laughter.

The twirling in the chairs started off with the kids taking turns spining each other around, soon it was the girls sitting while both boys pushed them around and around.

Then they moved onto slides and digging dirt.

Boog found one of his snail pals to share and tell Boo about. Boo took a bit to warm to the idea of touching a snail, but soon became good friends with the slimy garden creature too!

And what is summer without some water play!

Then it was off to do some extreme couponing! Red showed me the ropes since I had never done it before. With her help I saved hundred and fifty bucks off my bill. But I will have to admit the most impressive part was how well behaved the M&Ms were (nickname for the group of Kiddos). We thought for sure our trip would have to be cut short cause they would get grumpy or restless, but they did the exact opposite.

They actually were in such good moods that we add at trip to the bookstore to play with the train table. They each got a new book and the girls got matching stuff puppies (Littles says thank you Aunt Red!).

Next up, Lunch and ended the day with more exploring and water play.

What a FABULOUS day!

What do you do on play dates?

Momerory Monday

2011-07-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

Doing the Lemonade Stand for the Fourth of July made me think of Littles' first birthday party. My mom and I made all the decorations by hand, the theme was Littles' in Wonderland and the colors where red, white and black. The party was lovely, I think everyone had a lot of fun.

I have always felt a first birthday is a big deal and there should be a big party to celebrate. We ended up with 45 guests in my tiny home. Luckily the weather was nice so people could go outside.

Little was dressed up as "Alice".

The house was covered in decorations........the only problem was my camera was acting up that day and all the pictures came out yellow :( Hench, I am only putting a couple of pictures up.

We made games, this one is the "bean bag toss" or toss the stuffed hedgehog in the Mad Hatters Mouth

When it came time for everyone to sing Happy Birthday, Little was out cold. She didn't have cake until later that night after the party was over, Big Brother on the other hand didn't wait............

Boog loved his Little Sisters party and was a party animal!!!!!!

I love parties and decorations are one of my favorite parts. I have already come up with the themes for the kids next birthdays. Littles' 2nd birthday will be "Sugar Plum Fairy" and Boog's Fourth Birthday is going to be "Circus". I have tons of ideas floating around in my head, I really need to start writing them down so I don't forget.

Lemonade Stand Kit Giveaway!!!!!!

2011-07-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

Not many of you know this, but my wonderful mother has a delightful business that I help with. Her Etsy shop is called Hedgehog Studio. She has created the most darling paper dolls, whimsical banners, boxes, tags, cards and is always coming up with fresh new ideas. The thing about my Mom's crafts are that you can personalize them to make them extra special and unique. This lemonade stand could easily be turned from a fun children's activity, into decorations for a summer party

To make the Fourth of July extra fun for the kids, she and I set up a Lemonade Stand using her Printable Lemonade Stand Kit she sells in her shop.

It was a wonderful experience! I had such a good time talking with my Mom while we made the goodies and decoration (she may be my Mom, but she is also my best friend). If the kids were a bit older I would have had them help create all the decorations, but Littles can't be trusted with scissors and Boog still views ribbon as a toy to run and jump with. The kids enjoyed selling yummy treats (and eating them) along with the refreshing Lemonade (Boog insisted it be Pineapple Lemonade).

We made Lemon Cupcakes, Lemon Cookies, Lemon Bars, and Lemon Cake in keeping with the Lemon theme. We also got yellow plates, napkins, silverware from the dollar store and put some Lemon Candy in Mason Jars to add some extra flare to the table. My Mom has an eye for detail and because of that the Lemonade Stand came out beautiful!

Once it was all set up the kids came out to join in the fun.

Boog had a blast being the official server of Lemonade.

Littles enjoyed manning the money!

Tons of fun in the sun!

Since we all had a splendid time with this family activity, Mom and I thought it would be fun to give away a Printable Lemonade Stand Kit to two lucky winner.

~~To enter, simply leave a comment about this post.~~

**For an additional entry your can share this post (Facebook, Twitter, on your blog, pin Hedgehog Studio on Pintrest, or email some friends) and/or Like Hedgehog Studio on Facebook and leave another comment letting us know.**

~~This giveaway will close Wednesday July 13th at 8pm PST.~~ The winner will be chosen via random number generator and announced in the this post shortly after. Thank you so much everyone :)

Memory Monday

2011-07-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

Littles' first Halloween, it wasn't even a year ago and she has changed so much! She made the cutest Little Sugar Plum Fairy!

Share your Story Saturday

2011-07-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce you to Holly. She is a mother of four and has the most delightful blog, Holly's house....not a perfect mom's blog. I read her blog all the time and LOVE IT!

I contacted her to write a guest post about her and her daughter Brooke, here is their amazing story:

By the time I became pregnant with my fourth child Brooke, I thought I could do this whole motherhood thing with my eyes closed, with one hand tied behind my back, I figured I could mother four kids in my sleep.

I figured wrong. Brooke changed the rules on me. Brooke took the rules I already had and pretty much crushed them. She took them in her tiny chubby fist and ripped them, then scrunched them, and finally tossed those rules into the trash.

Brooke was born with Down Syndrome. And a pretty severe heart defect; a complete AV canal defect. We found out for sure when I was 23 weeks pregnant and from that point I knew raising her would not be the same as raising the previous three.

Not to say that raising Brooke is harder, it's just different. Very different.

I'm pretty relaxed, I'm a mellow sort of mother, but now with Brooke I can't just play with her. I have to be mindful of how I'm holding her and try to make her use her core muscles. I have to try and play games with her that incorporate her occupational therapy skills. But at the same time I can't overdo it, I have to let her just be a baby exploring the world on her own.

Brooke has physical therapy once a week for an hour at a time. Currently, it's a very long hour seeing as hour my child screams for the first 40 minutes before finally giving in. We also have an Infant and Toddler Developmental Specialist come in twice a month. That appointment's not too bad, she just plays with Brooke and checks where she is developmentally compared to her peers. And I try not to jump down the ITDS's throat every visit, asking where Brooke is on the chart. Because it's not important, and really, I don't care (all that much), but still, I think every parent wants to hear their child is a rock star.

Having the two therapists right now isn't too overwhelming, but at one time for a period of about five months, Brooke had a feeding therapist come once or twice a week since my little angel decided she never ever wanted to chew real food. Nope, baby food was good enough for her. Brooke would just mash her little lips together and flat out refuse. This was really hard for me, perhaps even harder than when she went through open heart surgery. Surgery was the only answer to her heart defect and we had a timeline of when she would be better. This was a shot in the dark. This was a crap shoot. This made me feel like a failure as a mother. Surely, I thought, there could be something I could do to persuade Brooke to just eat the damn noodle. But my worrying was for nothing, eventually we convinced her that solid food is the way to go, and unless she has a new tooth bothering her, eating isn't an issue any more. Phew!

So as you can see, having a child with Down Syndrome isn't necessarily harder, it's just different. A good kind of different. There are milestones that Brooke hits that I never noticed with the previous three. We celebrate all of the little things, we take nothing for granted.

Brooke has made us slow down and appreciate what we have, and what our children can accomplish. And I wouldn't change her for anything.

Thank you so much for sharing Holly!- Kimberly

Memory Monday

2011-06-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my little man. I can't believe that back in October he could only communicate by a series of "un, un" and a few words (yes, moo for cow, arrr for dino, plus a couple more) as you can see in the video. Now he can form 3 word phrases.

He has come so far, and it has been a lot of hard work. He was seen 5 days a week for his speech from the age of 22 months old to 3. Then I made him do drills with flash cards through out the day everyday. Now he goes to a preschool that focuses on speech delays.

He still struggles to communicate, and get frustrated when he isn't understood, but nothing like he used to. I think sometimes we take talking for granted, it comes so easily for most of us, and it is one of the main forms for communication and a way to connect with one another.

I will admit I am still concerned for him. I do believe he will get up to speed with his language skills, but what if he isn't before starting Kindergarden? He is bright, and very knowledgeable (when we test his cognitive development is just above where it should be and has always been on the high range since he was very little), but people (kids and adults) can be cruel. If he talks "different" I don't want him to be teased. Being a kid is hard enough without being teased for something you have worked so hard at. But for now I need to push my worries a side and focus on the fact that he is doing so well. He amazes me! His strength and drive to be able to communicate is awe inspiring. I love you Boog, you have been my best teacher through out all of this.

The Snail Whisper

2011-06-25T12:36:00.000-07:00

Boog has had a rather large interest in insects and other small outdoor creature for awhile now. It started with Worms, then moved to Rollie Pollies and now Snails.

If you ask him he will tell you about them (mainly that they are nice and they crawl), but the part that cracks me up is that they are his friends.

He is very nice to them, tries to share his food and toys (yuck!). He talks to them and protects them (from his Sissy, Littles, grabby hands). To top it off, they seem to like him! This morning the snail found him and started the crawl up his leg, Boog was super stoked!

They played "together" for well over an hour. Boog insisted that I do a "photo shoot" of the snail.

After a couple of pictures he decided I wasn't "really capturing the snails personality" and that he should be the photographer! So he took "Snail" inside (yes I let him bring him inside, cause otherwise he sneaks them in! more on that in a bit) found his camera and took pictures of "Snail" for 15 min!

Once they grew bored of taking pictures, Boog came up and said the "Snail" wanted to watch Star Wars. So I poped in the DVD, because who am I to deny "Snail" his favorite move Star Was ;)

After watching a bit of the movie, Boog informed me that "Snail" was tired and want to go back home. Boog opened the back door, headed outside and place "Snail" on a leaf and then came back inside. What a lovely play date!

This isn't the first time he has spent time playing with a snail. Each time we go outside he searches for them and once he finds one, he includes it in all his outdoor activiities. I never had a problem with that, until Boog decided snails should also be allowed inside. I had a strict "No Snails Inside" policy.....until the other day when Boog snuck one in. I was doing the dish and making lunch, then when I went to get the kids ready to eat I found him, the snail, just chilling on the couch with Boog!

I immediately ask Boog what the snail was doing inside! Boog's reply "My friend snail, nice snail, snail watch tt (tv)". It melted my heart and grossed me out all at the same time. So a new policy was born, snails are only allowed inside when Mommy says so and in a approved container (a bowl just for snails) or his kids table that I can clean easily once the snail returns home.

My son, befriender of snails!

A Yummy Snack!

2011-06-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

I still have a ton of fruit left over fruit from our outing to the farm and there has been some great sales at the store, but fresh fruit only last so long. I have been trying to come up with ideas to use them all. So last night when I got home from work I decided to use it in a healthy snack for the kiddos. Yummy homemade Popsicle. Here is my recipe for something your kids won't able able to resist on a hot summer day (it is 99 degrees at the moment).

Half a cup of Bing Cherries
Half a cup of Logan Berries
Half a cup of Strawberries
Half a cup of Blueberries
Half a cup of Yogurt
Quarter a cup of Flaxseed Oil

Into the blender it all goes and puree until it is a nice smooth constancy. Pour into your Popsicle mold and stick in the freezer. Now you have happy kids and a happy mom (because you just made a healthy, refreshing snack for your growing little ones)

Warning to all Mommy that make these Popsicles: They are messy and stain. I recommend the kids enjoy them outside while playing, otherwise you will end up with a red spotted carpet (and a not so happy Mommy).

If you are unable to find Flaxseed oil or Popsicle molds please click on the links in the sentence :)

Enjoy!

Memory Monday

2011-06-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

The kiddos and I were watching some home movies this morning and Littles found this one particularly funny.

So here is Littles 3 months old playing on her belly mat with me.

They grow up so fast, I am so lucky to have these videos to look back on and enjoy with them as they get older. So much fun.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to the two most amazing men I know.My Husband and my father!

Mr. R you are amazing and the kids are so lucky to have you as their Dada! You always know how to make them laugh and the best playmate EVER! They adore you!

The kids made this for Mr. R's Father's Day present

Daddy, without you I wouldn't be the woman I am today. You have given me so much, and done the same for my children.

We spent Father's Day Morning at Papa's house! They all had a blast with a water fight!

You taught me what a man should be. You were the best playmate EVER when I was a kid and my "rock" as I got older. Thank you for showing me nothing but love! You are the best Daddy a girl could ask for!

Riding the train at the park

Baking together

At the Japanese Tea Garden

My first baseball game

Halloween


Easter

Happy Father's Day to all Dads out there!

You have no idea how important you are!

Creatures Of The Ocean

2011-06-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

This morning it was our first class of Summer music "Creatures of the Ocean". Littles did music in the spring and LOVED it, so I wanted to sign her up again for summer. The only day we could do it though was Tuesdays and I didn't have anyone to watch Boog so I signed him up too. I was a little nervous,because music class is a lot of circle time, which has never really been Boog's Strong suit.

For Boog's 3rd birthday I hired the music teacher for his party. He did okay, but didn't really participate except for the very beginning. I had video taped his party and was playing it one day just after signing him up for class and got a glimmer of hope. He loved the video. He sat and followed all the teacher's directions, laughed and had fun.

I would like to tell you that today's class was a success, and it sort of was. Littles did great as usual, Boog on the other hand.......well not so much. He spent most of his time running around and only participating in what he want to.

Dancing with scarves. A moving around activity that Boog decided was worthy of his time.

Could have been a really cute shot if it wasn't blurry, ugh.

I will admit I was a little embarrassed by his behavior ( I should clarify, I wasn't embarrassed by him, but by the fact that other people had paid money for the class too and he was being disruptive. I should also say he wasn't the only one running around, but he kind of got the others wound up). He wasn't terrible by any means,but he wouldn't sit still for any length of time (Littles sat the entire time, like an angel). I tired my hardest to get him to join in, but with both of the kids there, well I can't be two place at once. So I finally made the decision to be an example, by participating in the class with Littles instead of chasing after Boog (in hopes he would see Mama and Sissy and want to do what we were doing, plus I didn't want Littles time spoiled).

Littles enjoying herself and looking super cute

The end of class, bubble time. Both of the kids always get very excited about bubbles.

I just don't understand how he can do so well at preschool, including circle time (I heard wonderful things about his behavior from the end of year meeting) ,then when it is a class that I am forking out money for to help enrich his life, that is when he decides to act up. I know you may be thinking to yourself, maybe he has ADD or "he is just a little kid" but he CAN sit and stay with a task for long periods of time, the trick is it has to be on his terms. Stubborn little kid, I wonder where he gets that from (wink, wink...me). For example today after we got home he sat himself down and colored for 25 minutes straight.

Unbelievable 25 minutes of coloring, why couldn't he have behaved like this in class.

The summer semester is only five weeks long, so if his behavior doesn't change at least I will only have to endure it for a short time (Littles is signed up for the Fall semester too, Boog is back in preschool and is not). But my real hope is that he grows to enjoy it (the actual class, because he enjoyed himself today...by running around) and learn some of the songs. Fingers crossed!

What would have you done in my shoes? Chased after him and made him sit in circle? Left the class?

Memory Monday

2011-06-13T01:07:00.000-07:00

When Boog was nine months old (and Littles was only a glimmer in my eye) we went and got family portraits done. Out of the all the shots this is my favorite one with all three of us. Lots of love for Boog! What a handsome little man. I can't believe how fast he has grown!

Cherries/Berries Fields Forever

2011-06-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

"Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields. Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about. Strawberry Fields forever ."- The Beatles

Yesterday we didn't go to strawberry fields, but we did go pick cherries and berries at a local farm with my dad or as he is better known,"Papa". It was a lovely day, not too hot (cause around here in June it is usually in the triple digits during the summer) and not too windy or raining (it has rained a lot here lately, very unusual).

We picked Olallieberries, Loganberries, and Bing cherries. We all really enjoyed ourselves, it was a wonderful family outing. The kids were able to burn off lots of energy by running around.

There was plenty of quality time with Papa. Boog LOVES his Papa, he asks about him all the time. Shoot even this morning he said "go Papa home, p-l-e-a-s-e". The bond they share warms my heart.

And of course they couldn't escape the Mommy love......

They had a huge "on the go" healthy snack of off the vine berries and cherries.

They learned how to pick berries without smooching them on the vine.

And I was a happy camper, because I got some really nice shots of the kids.

Once the days activities were over we were left with lots fun memories and yummy fruit to enjoy for days to come. Now just figuring out what to do with it all. I froze some for breakfast smoothies, But maybe I will make jam or pie with the rest.

What are you up to this weekend?

Reading To Your Children Is Important And A Joy

2011-06-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

I have the fondest memories of my mother reading to me when I was a child. The most vivid memory is every Christmas she would read me the Little Match Girl. At the end my mother would always cry and I would make fun of her (I was such a lovely child) because it was "Just a story Mom".

But once I got older and read it to Boog his on first Christmas I found myself in tears at the end just like my mother. It is funny how stories stay with us and how our reaction to them change as we get older.

I feel very strongly about reading to my children. It is great bonding time, it helps broaden their vocabulary, and hopefully teaches them to love books. I will admit Boog didn't always love books. Okay he did, but eating them, not having them read to him.

Boog 5 months old

Littles on the other hand took to books right away. It didn't matter if I read them to her or not. She would pick them up before she could even sit and flip through the page on her own.


Littles 3 months old

Both of the kids love books now. One of their favorite places to go is Barnes and Noble for story time.

The kids at Barnes and Nobel when they were younger. I don't take pictures there as much as I used to because I am busy chasing Littles around. She has hit the stage of "have to explore EVERYTHING".

And they get super excited about their bedtime routine. It combines their two favorite things a bath, (not every night, but a couple of time during the week) and story time.

We spend one full hour reading (and goofing around) before the kids hit the sack. I used to be the one who did bedtime, but since I work nights five times a week my husband (Mr. R) does 5 nights by himself and two with me. I really miss always being there for bedtime. I love reading to the kids and having them sit on my lap and telling me about the books.

Here is how last night's bedtime routine went. In the beginning it consisted of Littles and Boog fighting over who got to sit on my lap (and no, they were not happy sharing my lap with each other) so we switched off. Littles would pick a book and she would get to sit on my lap. Then Boog got to pick a book and he would sit on my lap. This went rather smoothly until Mr. R came into the room. I swear his very presents sometimes sets the kids into crazy, rambunctious mode.

After they calmed back down it was Mr. R's turn to read a book.

While Mr. R read his book, shocking a Star Wars book (my husband is the BIGGEST Star Wars geek!) Littles decided she wanted to read her own in my lap.

A music book of children's songs, shocking, she sure does love her music. Then Boog told me "My turn now, p-l-e-a-s-e" and put his hand out for the camera.

We were not prepared for this picture (otherwise we would have been smiling, not a look of what??), but a pretty good shot for a three year old. Next was Littles and my turn to have our picture taken by Boog.

Soon Boog gave the camera up and decided to serenade us while rocking in the the glider.

I put two wall decals of fairy doors in Littles' room and Boog nightly tries to coax the fairies out by knocking and offering them things (and yes he believes that fairies really live there). I love it, it is a crack up to watch and super cute!

Meanwhile Littles was back to reading her music book, she is such a doll.

And we always read a dinosaur book, if not more then one per Boog's request. Littles added the sound affects this night, Roar, Arrr!

Soon the hour was up and time for bed. Littles turned off the light closest to her bed and Boog gave her a kiss.

I highly suggest adding story time to your nightly routine if you already don't. And read some books for yourself, because if they see you reading leisurely they will know books are fun and cool. And remember books aren't just good for your children they are good for adults too.
What is your children's favorite book?
What is your favorite book?

Whats Cooking Good Looking!

2011-06-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

So for the last four days I have been CRAVING nachos and not the kind from some to go place with the nasty fake cheese (don't get me wrong I do enjoy the fake cheese, but only on occasion). So I finally decided to get my butt in gear and make nachos for dinner tonight. I went to the store for the ingredients I didn't have on hand, mainly the ground beef and chips and started to the prep for dinner.

Since nachos have been running through my mind every 5 minutes for the last four days I thought I would do a post about my be loved NACHOS! :)

I started with the prep for the pico de gallo. Diced the tomatoes.

Then placed the diced tomatoes in a bowl with kosher salt and into the fridge to macerate .

Cut Jalapenos in half and scooped out the membrane and seeds. My husband and I love spicy food. Boog enjoys it too, but Littles can't handle it at all. She can't even handle something super mild like linguica . One bite and she starts to cry and spits it out.

Lay the Jalapenos on a sheet pan and roast them under the broiler.

While the jalapenos are roasting, cut up 1/2 a red onion and one clove of garlic

Check the oven because the peppers are ready! Yummy roasted jalapenos. I like how they add a smokey flavor. After pulling them from the oven I dice them up and set aside.

Now chop up cilantro, my husband love it so I use a lot.

After rising and draining the salt and juices of the tomatoes off, I mix all the ingredients together in a bowl with fresh squeezed lime.

Now for the meat. I like to add green chilies and kidney beans to it for Nachos. It is filling and stretches the meat. More bang for your buck :)

Season the ground beef with garlic, paprika, onion powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. Then brown it.

Once the beef is browned I add the kidney beans and green chilies

After it is cooked and combined I drain the fat off by putting the mixture in a strainer over a bowl

Now comes the assembly of the Nachos. First a layer of chips then cheese.

Then the meat, bean, chili mixture

And repeat!

Into the 350 degree oven it goes

While the cheese is melting and getting nice and gooey I chop up my avocados

Aww, perfect! Yummy cheesy goodness!

Top the Nachos off with the Pico de gallo, avocados and sour cream, delish! The whole family loved it and my craving was satisfied! A successful dinner if I do say so myself.

What did you do for dinner tonight?

And Summer Classes begin

2011-06-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

Today was Boog's first day ever of Little Gym. It was a blast, we both really enjoyed ourselves. He enjoyed running around and I enjoyed watching him.

He was so excited about class that I had to snap a before getting in the car picture. Over the top, maybe but I really enjoy having a record of their lives and I just love pictures in general.

So here he is at one of the stations. The photos didn't turn out very well, I was watching through a window in the seating area and my camera sucks! I curse at it every time I use it. My dream/goal is to get a really nice one in the next year or so and go to the local JC and take some classes in photography. Fingers crossed!

I love that he is always so full of energy, here he can get it all out and I get a break from chasing him around ;)

Maybe he should take ballet too, this pose screams dancer to me! I really love to dance and my husband Mr. R isn't really a fan of it. So I am hoping that I can get my kids into it. We do dance party for half an hour everyday. Boog usually joins in for a bit and then sit while Littles and I rock out.

After class we went and got frozen yogurt with strawberries and little bits of mochi in it as a treat. He gobbled it down and then passed out on the car ride home. I guess class really tucker him out.

Next week they both start music class too and I know they are going to love the theme, Creatures of the Ocean. Can't wait!!!!!

Summer Break Begins

2011-06-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

This week was Boog's last day of Preschool until the fall. It was a fun last day filled with goodies, outside play, they made t-shirts and got a certificate of completion. Boog was so proud, I mean just check out the big smile while looking at his name on the certificate!

Summer is going to be busy, filled with Kindermusik classes, Little Gym gymnastic, play dates and lots of playing at the park.I hope to take the kids to the beach and zoo a couple of times too. I can't wait for the fun to begin!

What are your favorite summer vacation activities?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

Littles Vs. the Cupcake!

And so it begin.....who will win, Littles or the cupcake!

Making sure she gets as much in as possible without dropping even a crumb

Part of the cupcake tried to escape so I picked it up and nearly loss a hand

Stuck the rest of the cupcake in all at once....

Sugar overload...the cupcake lost the fight but is getting its revenge........ sugar coma!

Pulling herself back together and chewing the last bit of the cupcake

And the winner....Littles. The cupcake never had a chance :)

Memorial Monday

2011-05-31T12:49:00.000-07:00

We spent Memorial Day at the Airshow. My Dad is a huge Aviation buff and has passed on the love of airplanes to Boog. When we got in the car I asked Boog if he new where we were going, his response was "Nana home". So I asked what else, "Papa". Then I told him we were going to see airplanes! Boog got super excited and began to chant " Nana, Papa, Airplane, yeah (propeller noise)" over and over again.

Here are some of the pictures of us all at the Airshow.

Hope you all had a fabulous three day weekend. What did you on Memorial day?

Lunch Date

2011-05-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

A dear friend of mine came over to give Boog his handmade belated birthday present and for a lunch play date with her son EJ.

Boog with his new Dino (that was made with love from my friend)

Littles eating lunch with EJ

The Kiddos

I have always felt socialization for young children is incredibly important. That being said I will admit that when Boog was a lot younger I didn't know many people with children his age, so most of his socialization was with adults instead of peers. I feel this was some what of a mistake on my part and here is why. Boog has always been super social, but he tends to gravitate towards adults and older children (around 8 or 9 years old).

When we are at the playground he ignores other children his age and tries to play with the big kids, the problem is most of the big kids want nothing to do with him because he is so much younger.

Even in preschool (I found out at the meeting) he will play side by side with kids his age (totally normal, that doesn't really change until 4 years old) and will constantly try and engage the teachers in play instead.

So with Littles I have changed my approach. I now have several friends with children right around Littles age so I do as many play dates a possible. It give both Boog and Littles more peer interaction. I have also been taking Littles to music class and this summer I also signed Boog up along with Tumbling class. We are going to have a busy summer filled with plenty of peer playtime :)

What do you do to insure your children have enough peer socialization?

End of Year Meeting

2011-05-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I had my first preschool review meeting. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was a wonderful experience! The meeting was set up, because when Boog started the special education preschool, I had been pushing for the 5 day a week program. The teachers at that time felt it was a better fit for him to start in the 2 day a week program and do a reevaluation at the end of the school year. I agreed since the school year only had 3 months left and the reevaluation would be here in a blink of an eye. Sure enough the 3 months have come and gone and next week is the end of the school year.

I new Boog was doing well in class because of the short conversations with the teacher when I came to pick him up. This was a 45 minute meeting were I got to sit down and have all my questions answered and be told his progress in a more detailed manner.

Once in the meeting I was surrounded by four wonderful women (Boog's current teacher, his speech therapist, the school's child psychologist, and his new teacher for next year) who dedicate their live to improving those of young children.

The speech therapist was the one who began. She started off by telling me how he was in March (when he first started preschool). He was not willing to leave the classroom for speech and would have a meltdown. I had already know this so it wasn't a big surprise, but what she went on to tell me was.

Then in April he would just say "no, no" and wave his hands and wasn't very compliant during speech. But in May he was her "Super Star"!

Que the tears, yes hearing that he was her super star made me begin to cry. I consider myself a fairly even tempered person, at least in public. Generally I don't show too many displays of extreme emotion to people other than family and very close friends, crying being one of them. But when it comes to Boog and his improvement with his speech delay and the people who help him, I become overwhelmed with so much joy and happiness I can't seem to contain the tears.

The speech therapist continued on to tell me that he now comes to speech prepared to learn and when the others kids don't cooperate he sits and waits. "He almost seems annoyed that the other kids won't sit down and pay attention" she said and then told me that he walks over to the cabinet where she keeps her flash cards, pull them out, bring them to the table and start doing them. (At this point they needed to bring me a box of Kleenex).

The meeting continues on and I find out that he is doing great and passed all his objectives in his IEP (individual education plan), but two (there were 12). They want to have him start the 5 day a week program in the Fall, to create a more consistent routine. The theory is that since he has improve greatly in three short months with only two days a week, 5 days will really help (hopefully) him blossom.

I say hooray to this!! The more school and speech service the better, anything to get him a head start to a bright future. What a great meeting!!!

Wordless Wednesday - Memories

2011-05-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

Boog meeting Littles for the first time!

Always Lift Your Spirits When You Are Down

2011-05-20T13:43:00.000-07:00

I have been sick for six days. It is amazing how a simple cold can really get you down in the dumps. A cold makes even the simplest task seem daunting and unmanageable. But when you are a Mommy it doesn't matter if you are sick and all you want to do is spend the day in bed curled up with Nightquil, watching old movies that you enjoyed as a kid (mine is Labyrinth with David Bowie). You have to get up and pretend to the best of you ability that you are Super Mommy and that a silly cold has no power over you.

So yesterday that is exactly what I did! I got up and got the kids and myself ready, packed them in the car and headed to the park. The sun was shining and it was warm with a slight hint of wind, and the kids had be couped up for days, they deserved to go out and have some fun no matter how I felt.

Once at the park I really start to enjoy myself, how could I not, the kids were running around laughing, with the biggest smiles on. They say laughter is the best medicine and it is completely true. I know that saying implies that the person who is sick is laughing, but hearing my children laugh and enjoy themselves is so much better!

I love photography, and I have two of the best subjects! So while we were at the park I took plenty of photos of the kids. I don't have the best camera, but I am pretty pleased with the shots I got.

Lovely Littles who always shines so bright! She truly is my shining star. She always make the world more vivid and bright whether it be her dancing, laugh or just the simple look of curiosity on her face when exploring the world.

And then there is Boog, who since the moment he was born has been my heart and source of strength. Seeing him struggle with his speech delay, but still always managing to be the sweetest and caring little boy I have ever met (in the picture above he told me "Mama I Love You" and blew me a kiss) makes my heart fill with joy.

My two loves playing at the park and just being little kids made this Mommy feel a hundred times better. That is until we got back home and I realized how tired I was. I guess I used a lot more energy than I thought trying to keep up with the two love bugs. Then I was wiped and needed a nice long nap! Oh well it was totally worth it :)

Good Ol' Baking Soda

2011-05-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

So here is my all time favorite cleaning product, ready for it, BAKING SODA!

Yes, plan old baking soda! It is amazing stuff! Why baking soda you may ask. Well is safe and natural. Ever since I have had children I have been weary about using too many chemical for household cleaning. This has become amplified by the fact that for whatever reason Littles' bedroom is a black hole for odors and fumes.

I swear her room sucks in the air from all over the house and holds it there. I can make dinner at 5 pm (nothing particularly smelly) and at 8pm when I go to put her to sleep her room still smells like dinner is cooking.

The worst part is when I clean. If I use bleach anywhere in the house, like to clean the toilets or sinks in the kitchen, her room smells like an open bottle of bleach So I only use bleach when absolutely necessary (to disinfect, along with other cleaners of that sort) and open all the window in the house to make sure her room doesn't retain the fumes.

Instead my go to cleaning product is Baking Soda. I use it to clean their bathtub, in with the laundry to make my detergent more efficient, sinks, refrigerator, the list goes on and on. I also use it to deodorize the garbage bin, the garbage disposal, and the dishwasher.And my new discovery the carpet!

Boog has been potty trained for five months and is doing great, no accidents during the day! I am very proud of him, but occasionally at night he doesn't make it to the bathroom in time and ends up going on the carpet in his room. So his room ended up having the faint smell of yearn (even after I cleaned it up). I tried everything I could think of to get rid of the smell. My carpet cleaner, a cleaner that is suppose to have enzymes that eat up the left over yearn remnants, nothing was working. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, Baking Soda!

So I tested it out and sprinkled it all over Boog's carpet and let it sit from early in the morning until just before bed, then I vacuumed it up. Sure enough my 6 dollar, 13 pound bag of baking soda (I buy a huge bag from Costco) beat out the 10 dollar, small spray bottle of yearn eating enzyme cleaner!

So here I am proudly proclaiming that I love you Baking Soda! You make my cookies and muffins fluffy and my house clean!