Week 26 Recap

Monday

Today was Jordan/Daddy/Uncle Jordle’s birthday and he was off from work so we took a fun field trip to the Philadelphia Zoo. We have a zoo pass, an aquarium pass, and a Six Flags pass this year so we are set for fun things to do! I did realize after yesterday there is no way I could handle bringing both of them to the zoo by myself just quite yet. The listening skills are not quite there when there are other groups of people around, but we’ll get there. Maybe a goal to reach by the fall before we become a party of 4 (Tristan’s getting a sibling, not Lily)! Anyway, we had a great day! The zoo was pretty empty so we were able to do a lot of the hands on stuff we sometimes miss during our warmer weather or weekend trips. They got to play around in the treehouse for a little bit, and we got to see the tigers on the catwalk above us. They walked around for most of the morning, so once we got into the car, they were out cold. We stopped at Dairy Queen for our free vanilla cones (Tristan slept through it) and then went home to regroup. After we all pottied and had a little drink, we jumped in the wagon and took a walk over to the library to get library cards! It was a fun and busy day and we ALL slept like rocks!

Tuesday

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone! We ate some Lucky Charms for breakfast (I wasn’t sure if I made green pancakes if the kids would actually consume them). We did our calendar and got dressed, and got out some fun St. Paddy’s dress up accessories and took some silly pictures. Then we played Find the Shamrocks. I took the foam shamrocks we used for our backdrop and hid them throughout the different rooms. Then the kids counted to ten (or usually seventeen) and then came to look for them! Once they found them, I counted and they hid them. It was a simple game but they absolutely loved playing it. We put on some Celtic music, then our usual lineup of songs we dance to, and then we got our shoes on and went for a wagon walk with our goldfish snack. The playground across the street was empty when we walked by so we stopped to play for a little bit before taking turns pulling the wagon around the track, then heading home. We took naps, ate green Shamrock pancakes for lunch (I caved and they enjoyed them), and then glued a foam leprechaun together. We finished the day with another wagon walk and green sprinkled shamrock sugar cookies!

Wednesday

Whew made it to the middle of the week.  Today was a very laid back one. It’s back to being blustery and windy and cold, and that is no bueno. Just as we were getting a taste for the sun and outside time! We ate breakfast, got dressed, did our calendar then had a dance party. We dusted and wiped down the downstairs rooms and used our new measuring tape toys from Gpa to measure everything in sight. We had some snack and painted Xylophone X’s and watched a video of someone playing the xylophone. We had some free play and did some exercising, then we got ready for our naps. After lunch we headed upstairs to play with all the fun stuff in Lily’s room.

Thursday

Another slow start kind of day. We ate breakfast and did our calendar after we got dressed. Then we played with one of our new games---Cranium Hullabaloo! It is a fun game where you lay out different pads that each are different colors and shapes that have different drawings on them like food, animals, or instruments. There is a contraption with an on/off switch and a speaker that says what to stand on next and how to get there (crawl, jump, twist). It is a great game for working on shape and color recognition as well as listening skills and standing still. We played for a few rounds and then moved on to the next task. I set up the little table and we colored birthday cards for our cousin Dani who turned 5 today. Once we were done with that, we cleaned up and danced to some music on the music channel. We ate our healthy snack of apples and oranges, and then had some more free play time. I got out another new skill game to play (which I found at the $1-5 bins at Target) which are different oceans shapes on wood with holes and yarn to practice lacing in and out. Lily loves to string a bunch together while Tristan took his time lacing the string through each hole.  

Friday

Seriously snow? Ugh. Happy first official day of spring. We started off with our usual routine of breakfast, getting dressed, and updating our calendar. Then we had some free play time while I straightened some things around the house up. Should have known that Fridays are the days we need slightly more structure because they are just about as done as I am with the week. We had a few moments and some time outs in complete silence, but then we all managed to pull ourselves together and play a matching game. We built some towers with little books and then with blocks. We kept tabs on how the weather looked outside, all while chanting NO MORE SNOW, NO MORE SNOW! We also had a very intense dance competition where they would each do a move and then I would have to copy it. We were all sweating and out of breath by the end. We ate some snack and used watercolors to paint a Yo-Yo Y and a Zebra Z. Finally our alphabet is done! We watched some Sesame Street and read a few books before nap. Thank goodness it is Friday! Hopefully everyone gets some good naps in and we are fresh and ready to do something fun after lunch. I am thinking play dough or something along those lines.

Have a fun weekend everyone! 

Week 25 Recap

Monday

If I kept up with doing a letter a week, we would be just about done the alphabet. I slacked over the holiday season a little since we were doing other projects, and we forgot last week because we were deep into Dr. Seuss and all things related. So this week, we are a few letters at once---U, V, W. Then we’ll conclude our alphabet and finally finish our book next week with the X,Y,Z and a possible trip to the ZOO! We painted Umbrella U’s today after we did our usual morning routine. Monday’s are the best calendar days because they each getting a turn putting numbers up. We had some free play, danced to our faves, and listened and followed some new songs by Patty Shukla. Her YouTube videos are catchy, easy to dance along to, and the kids love following along. The weather is getting warmer finally but the snow is still there and now everything is a muddy swamp. Hopefully by next week we can get some outside time in during the day. I contemplated a stroller walk, but the double stroller is a beast to get around any sort of obstacle. We took a walk with Lily when Jordan got home though, and it did wonders for everyone’s moods. Bring it spring!!

Tuesday

Another day in the nuthouse! The kids were pleasant again today. We ate breakfast and got dressed, then showed Gma how we do our calendar. We had some free play time (Lily was up before Tristan got here this morning which always makes the morning seem longer than it is). The kids helped me measure water and rice to prep some dinner stuff. And as usual on Tuesdays, they both are huge helpers while I do laundry. They enjoy matching socks, dragging the basket from the kitchen to the living room, and throwing my underwear around the room. We ate some snack and then painted our Violin V’s. We usually listen to music during project time (mainly Elvis Pandora) but today Tristan requested some Annie, so we rocked out to that for a little bit. I set up their high chairs like a tunnel and the took turns rolling different balls back and forth to each other. 

Wednesday

The day I have been waiting for since November has finally arrived. WE WENT OUTSIDE TODAY! It was only for a wagon ride because everything is extra muddy, snowy, and soggy but it was glorious! We started the day with some breakfast, followed by getting dressed and doing the calendar. We cleaned up our space and vacuumed, then we danced around for a little bit. The sun was shining majestically at us through the window so while the kids were distracted, I scurried out to the garage to dig out a wagon. I wish I had videoed the reaction to me asking if they wanted to go for a wagon ride. It was pure joy, followed by the fastest clean up I have ever seen, then jumping up and down and screeching. We did a few loops around the block and breathed the fresh air, pointing out Easter bunny decorations and big puddles and loud trucks. They did not even start to fight over foot space until we were almost home. Sigh. I am well beyond ready for you, Spring. It was awesome to have 6,000 steps on my Fitbit before nap that were from a real walk and not just running up and down the stairs on laundry day or going on a bear hunt for the 57^th time indoors. We ate some snack and painted our Watch W’s, and then we used new roller brushes to paint some Shamrocks green, all while basking in the warmth of the sun’s rays. We might go for another quick walk after nap and lunch if the weather permits.

Thursday

One day closer to the weekend and warmer weather! It was a little bit chillier today than yesterday so as much as I wanted to take the kiddos for a walk after breakfast, we held out for a little bit. We did our calendar, danced to some music, and played with our musical instruments. I found little toy acoustic guitars at The Dollar Tree that they got a kick out of. I put on some Lumineers and they rocked out. They even let me play the tambourine for a bit before downgrading me to a leftover drumstick and a maraca. After snack, we decorated the shamrocks we painted yesterday with St. Patrick’s Day stickers. Then we bundled up and made a break for the outdoors. It was a short wagon walk today, just a loop around the parking lot and the church driveway, but it was worth it to get some fresh air for a few minutes. We acquired some booboos right before and during the walk so after band aids were applied and kisses were given, we watched some Sesaame Street, set up Tristan’s bed and got ready for nap by reading a story.

Friday

Another week in the books! This week felt like it went by very fast! We were a little busy which always helps and we got to experience fresh air and wagon walks! Can’t beat that! We did our usual routine mixed in with some new dancing songs and free play. We checked on our bird feeder outside (I think it needs more peanut butter and birdseed). We built a fort out of our parachute and practiced our jumping and our camping inside of it. We made Daddy/Uncle Jordan some birthday cards and crafts. Then we took a fast wagon walk since it’s a little chilly today. After nap, we might venture back out. The shining sun is too welcoming to stay cooped up inside! We got a taste of outside freedom and we're gonna enjoy it before the rain tomorrow!

Dr. Seuss Week & a Photoshoot Friday!

Monday:

Today we started our celebrations for Dr. Seuss’s birthday! We watched some Cat in the Hat YouTube videos that read the book to us. I know we have a copy somewhere but I couldn’t find it this morning. After we talked about all the things the Cat did and how he was not being a good listener when Fish asked him to help clean up and leave. I set up an impromptu photo shoot using a white backdrop and some props on the floor to resemble the scene where Cat tries to balance too many things while on top of a ball. The kids got a kick out of pretending to be the cat and then dramatically ‘falling’ (aka flailing) off when I got a good shot. We did our calendar (I cannot believe it is March already) and then did some of our songs. After snack, we painted our own sort of striped hats and read Dr. Seuss’s ABC’s which has always been one of their favorites.

Tuesday:

We got off to a rough start this morning. Lily woke up a little earlier than usual which threw off her game which made her super sensitive to just about everything. The good news was once she calmed herself down, Tristan took his turn to have a meltdown. We had some YouTube/Chromecast video time for everyone to take a minute and calm down. All of this occurred, with breakfast shoved in between crying and whining, and it was only 8:30 am. Whew. But once we were back on track, we got dressed and did the calendar. Then we did our actual songs and dances and our exercises. We had some free play time and watched parts of The Lorax to continue our Dr. Seuss themed week. Once they grew bored of the old school cartoon version, we had some snack and made our own Loraxes out of paper plates, construction paper mustaches and eyebrows, and orange paint. We finished the morning with reading some books on our own, then reading Dr. Seuss’s ABC’s together.

Wednesday

Is there a full moon coming? Is the weather pressure whacky? Do we need a day outside very badly? What a Wednesday. It started off sort of shaky—Lily was up before she usually does and said her teeth hurt. Not sure if that’s because we’ve been asking her or if they really are bothering her. She’s getting her last huge molar so I don’t doubt that she is having some discomfort. After breakfast and only some minor fighting, we moved on to get dressed and do our calendar. I was browsing the On Demand channel yesterday and found some exercise programs I personally wanted to try. They were being nuts so I thought maybe some guided stretching would help. We did some Bollywood Belly Dancing and they actually participated for the first 4 minutes, but once I planked, they were all over me. I struggled through until I hip checked them both and we all fell down giggling. We had some free play time (closely supervised while I project prepped) and ate some snack. We glued tissue paper on our Thing 1 and Thing 2 to continue our Dr. Seuss week. Tristan chose to use the tissue paper as is, and Lily crumpled and rolled each piece into a little ball. I love how they do things so differently sometimes. After project, we made some GOOP and made a big mess of our trays and the floor. They were cracking up as the goop changed from a solid to a liquid right in front of their eyes and in their hands! When we had enough, they were let down to free play while I cleaned up, and all hell broke loose. Good thing it was just about nap time and Gpa stopped in for a minute to distract them and read them a story.

Thursday

Thursday we had a snow day! I got to spend some quality one on one time with just Lily. We cleaned her room, played play dough, read some stories, drew some pictures, and once Daddy was done working from home, we headed out to play in the snow!

Friday

It was slightly rough waking up today after lounging about yesterday morning. But we made it! We ate our breakfast and then while the kiddos ran around, I put the finishing touches on our space ship! They put on their awesome space suits and counted backwards from five to blast off! They have been playing inside the space while I have been building it so they were very pumped to be able to use the door and peek out the windows and wear their cool costumes. They changed into 'real' clothes and continued to bring their books and blankets and toys into the space fort! After we played for a little bit, we cleaned up and had some snack. We did a few of our dances and watched a few of our videos before nap. I think a laid back Friday is in the cards today! We didn't do a craft for the letter U yet so we might paint after nap or bring some snow inside to play with (it's a little too cold for us to head outside).