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).

T Week!

Monday

We had a very pleasant Monday. The kiddos helped me dust and clean after we did our usual morning routine. I love how helpful they are. And also how OCD they can be. Every speck of dust that was in their eyesight was removed. And handed to me. We painted our Train T’s and played with our ‘snow dough’. After sitting over the weekend, it’s slightly messier, but I already had the broom out anyway! After nap, the kids played with the magnets on the fridge. They have become a new favorite toy, and they moved them from the fridge to the floor today to make a train for the letter T.

Tuesday

This morning was slightly rough. One, if not both, of them are getting some new molars so we’ve all been a little moody. We did our morning routine minus our songs. Instead, I put the Hit List music channel on and we had a dance party to dance our crazies out. It worked temporarily. We ate some snack and sang Mahna Mahna a few hundred times, all while cracking up. Today’s project was inspired by T week and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. I painted their forearms brown and their hands green and we made our very own coconut trees. I need to get some letter stickers for us to stick around the tree, so a Dollar Store trip might be in the cards for this evening.

Wednesday

Today was a laid back kind of day. I found some lower case letter alphabet letters while sorting through my supplies (which is something I need to do a little more often). They had so much fun lining them up along with their other magnets on the fridge. We tried spelling our names and recognizing how some lower case letters look different than their upper case counterparts. We painted some paper plates green and glued turtle legs and heads to them. They ran around like crazy people with those things once they were dry, making them swim and skate and fly!

Thursday

We forgot to do our calendar yesterday, so we doubled up on our dates today, and got back into our usual morning routine with some exercising and some freestyle dancing. I like to use the sound bar or the Music Choice channel to play music for them because most music videos are not kid appropriate OR Tristan and Lily start freaking out and yelling at the people in the videos for climbing on tables, jumping on couches, or hitting cars. It’s hilarious and cute but I’d rather just put the music on and let them dance. We did some fine motor tuning by building very tall towers out of blocks. We also worked on sharing, taking turns, and asking before we knocked someone else’s tower down. Sometimes that is a little tricky to understand, but we’re getting there! We played some more with our new magnets and practiced sharing yet again. 

Friday

Finally, Friday. Actually, this week wasn’t so bad. I feel like I started a lot of projects that I need to complete, but they’ll get there. I retrieved my Barbie collection from my parent’s house last night so we spent some time this morning playing with Luke (Skywalker AND Perry), MC Hammer, the kids from the Babysitters Club series, and Joey Lawrence. Tristan enjoyed setting up the furniture on the existing furniture in our house (ie the chair on the chair, the couch on the couch, etc). After we did our ‘songs’ and the calendar, we ate some snack and stripped down to our smocks. I find just wearing a smock is the safest way to paint with a toddler. Also a giant drop cloth (or old sheet in our case) also does the trick. We painted the top of our spaceship today! I cannot wait to complete this cardboard creation. We have been working on painting it for a few weeks now. I have to get some more glue sticks and add some fun details to it, but it’s about 78% complete and on its way to take off. Hopefully in time for a Photoshoot Friday next week!

S Week and a Mini Photoshoot Friday!

I apologize for the lack of posts lately! I have been slightly off my game with blogging and thinking of 3985 million things and projects at once. We’ve been keeping up with our letters and projects, but I have not been keeping up with my usual naptime write up of our day to day events. I am in the middle of creating a mock table setting for our very DIY wedding (which is coming along quite nicely if I do say so myself). This past long weekend gave me a chance to recharge my batteries completely and now I feel like I can conquer anything! Especially the rest of those cookies Lily and I made on Valentine’s Day!

Tuesday

Back on track this morning bright and early! We ate our breakfasts, had some nakey baby time (it’s a must in this house), and then got dressed to do the calendar. We played with blocks and took out a few toys we haven’t seen in a while. Then it was time for snack and projects. We painted our S Snakes with water colors and then used those same water colors to paint snow! Even though my batteries are recharged, I wasn’t quite feeling bundling us all up and venturing out just yet today (plus we’re all a little dried out and chapped). So instead, we brought the snow to us! They had fun using different colors to decorate the snow and it was just the right consistency to smush and mold and melt. It was a fun sensory project without the added hassle of layering, forgetting to go potty, un-layering, layering again, freezing, and back indoors.

Wednesday

Before we did the calendar today, I thought it was Thursday and panicked because I have a lot of things I would like to accomplish before Friday. But when I found out it was only Wednesday, I got slightly bummed. So that’s where I am at this week! Anyway, we did our usual routine up until we tried to do our songs and exercises. The cable and internet were being a little wonky, so I turned off the wifi on my phone and we did Bear Hunt and Walking Through the Jungle in our usual fashion of trampling around the house. We had a little more free play time then climbed in our chairs for a healthier snack of fruits followed by a not so healthy chocolate chip cookies. They need to go ASAP because I am giving up sweets for Lent. Or trying to! After snack we took turns scooping uncooked black beans into socks to make snowmen. It took a decent amount of time and they were cracking up doing it. I tried to tie off each section (using a rubber band) in Olaf proportions, and I plan on cutting out Olaf-esque faces, carrot noses, and buttons but we shall see how they turn out! The socks and the beans were a Dollar Store purchase so I am not sure how sturdy these things will be. They might just be a shelf decoration for now!

Thursday

Brr. I am giving up WINTER for Lent. Sheesh. I can’t wait to get these kids back outside! We had a laid back morning today. We did our morning routine with our calendar and songs, and then we just played. They were being so sweet toward each other and sharing so well, I just went along with it. We didn’t do a project in the morning, but after nap and lunch we tried a new sensory play! I found a ‘recipe’ on Pinterest for ‘snow’. You mix 2 cups of baking soda with ½ cup of conditioner (I used Suave Coconut because it was under $2 and white). The kids loved it! They had fun helping me mix the two ingredients together and then I gave each of them a Tupperware container and some utensils. Tristan used the utensils until I made him a ball to hold. Lily dug right in and got dirty. It is like the winter version of the Cloud Dough (baby oil/flour mixture) we made in the summer. It leaves some residue on your hands so it’s not quite as mess free as play dough is, but if you don’t work it around too much, it’s pretty easy to clean up.

Friday

This short week actually felt like a short week. We had another laid back morning. We did our routine but at a slow moving pace. We watched a few silly videos and had a little bit of a dance off. We even did a laid back Photoshoot Friday where the kids were superheroes! This was a simple but fun idea I decided to do this week while I’m working on building a big prop for the next one. Ash brought over some cute costumes for the kids to play with and I tried to come up with the simplest photo shoot I could do. The kids helped me color the action words and I made the buildings out of cardboard I had laying around. After we were done taking pictures, they played with the words and the buildings, making 'roads' and walking very carefully on them. I love when they come up with ideas like that on their own! It is also so nice to see them be able to entertain themselves and each other, even if it is just for a short period of time.

Hope everyone has a fun weekend! Here's a Flashback Friday picture to the first Superhero Shoot we did. Man, it was definitely a whole lot easy for this one when Tristan was just a peanut! 

Tiny Victories

This week has started out a little rocky. I am not sure if there is a full moon or some sort of barometric pressure change or my karma from all the things I put my poor mother through is starting to make itself known. Whatever it is, this week the past one and a half days have needed some extra caffeine, more patience, and a lot of belly breathing. When I feel myself start to drift off into that negative place, I try to think of things that have occurred in the past week or two that I consider Mom Victories. They are the little things that occur throughout the day that make you say to yourself in an almost cocky way, "Hey, I got this" before your child tries to prove you wrong. Whether it is bath time without a fight (to get in or out), or a successful trip to a store where no one shoots your a sympathetic look as your child sings at the top of her lungs with no means to stop, these tiny victories are not to be taken lightly. They are the fuel that keeps us going as parents. Well, that and coffee. Here are a few of my personal favorites that I feel sometimes deserve a trophy or a trophy or a cupcake. 

• Finally picking that monster boogie. You all know the one I am talking about. It is probably attached to some part of their brain and has been in their nose for 2 days. They have fought you on picking it for them despite constant nose itching and suddenly you notice their defenses are down while they are drinking their cup or watching TV and BAM. You use that pinkie nail and get it with one quick swipe, rejoicing in victory until you realize you have a booger on your finger and no tissues in sight.

• Peeing alone with no incidents. I breathe a sigh of relief if the kiddos are contently occupied and I manage to sneak off to the bathroom alone. Thank goodness one thing I learned in college was to pee super-duper fast because one of the following usually occurs. The first being as soon as I sit down, I hear one of them scream in distress about a taken toy or someone sitting to close or someone looking at them the wrong way. This will be followed by an OW and some crying or more screaming. The second is that creepy eerie silence that you know cannot be good. You pee with lightning speed and run back in the room to find one of two scenarios. They are exactly where you left them, zoning out to Elmo or Daniel Tiger. Or they are on top of the TV stand reaching for sharp knives while opening up all the cleaning chemicals. Well, not that extreme but you get the picture.
  
• Putting a child down for nap without seriously considering cutting an arm off and leaving it in the crib. We now don’t have these issues too much because Tristan uses a cot downstairs instead of the pack and play and Lily sleeps in her big girl bed, but I can remember a few times all I wanted was a shower and all one of them wanted was to sleep on me. They would be sleeping soundly, complete with drool and snoring and I would ever so carefully shift their weight and wait a minute, hold my breath and then lower them in gently, keeping contact as long as possible. Then just as I was bringing my arms back up, eyes would pop open and crying would begin. Sometimes my own.

• A meal time selection that everyone eats and does not complain. This is probably partially my karma for being a picky eater as a child. Every meal time resembled a diner. My brother didn’t eat cheese and I didn’t eat anything but the staples--hot dogs, nuggets, corn, and mac and cheese—so dinners were always fun for my mom. I usually try to plan out in the morning or at nap what the lunch menu will consist of. It usually is two different things but on some rare occasion, I will prepare one meal (usually soup or nuggets) and both children will not only willingly eat it, they will ask for seconds and watch TV without screaming at one another. I like these times.

• Making it up the stairs without making a noise. I oftentimes give myself a mental high five when this occurs. Moms of light sleepers know the struggle. You finally get them down/back to sleep without having to remove a limb and you happily prance away, forgetting how damn loud your house is and WAHH it’s back to the rocker or the floor for you. I have perfected sneaking up these steps like a teenager slinking in after breaking curfew. I know which stairs creak, the right foot placement to not make a sound, when to hold on to the railing, and now for fun, I skip steps and work on my glutes.
  
• Seeing either child read to, comfort, share a giggle, or just hug the other one. All jokes aside, I appreciate the opportunity I have been given to not only watch Lily grow and learn new things daily, but also for her to have her best buddy by her side doing the same thing. I know I am lucky to get to do what I am doing, but I also know it is not an easy task and not everyone could do this. We have really great days and some not so great days. We have time-outs and belly breathing mixed in with our projects and crafts and fun. They drive me nuts (and they know it). I lose my patience. I give them 3,052 kisses a day. Sometimes, I want to run away and hide in a closet with a bottle of wine and a ton of chocolate. But then I come back from taking a deep breath and counting to ten, and the two of them are sitting side by side, reading to each other or making each other laugh. And I then know I am doing something right. 

Week Nineteen Recap!

Monday:

Nothing stunts any motivation like a cold and rainy Monday! But we weathered the storm (see what I did there?) and got through the morning with minimal whining, fighting, or drama. We ate our breakfast and then got dressed and ready to update our calendar. Mondays are good calendar days because everyone can take a turn putting a number up. They’re catching on to the songs and to which day it is. We danced to some of our usual songs and even added some new ones, then went on a bear hunt. After some free play and straightening up, we hopped in our chairs for a healthy snack of apples and goldfish. We started to talk about the letter N and things that started with it. We painted our Nest N’s using water colors and then finger painting some ‘snow’ onto a blue piece of paper for a project later in the week.

Tuesday:

Well, we are officially back on a routine. The kids know what’s coming next in the morning for the most part, unless I decide to throw a curveball in, which is sometimes needed! We ate breakfast, got dressed, updated the calendar, and then ran around the house for a little bit while I got my act together and some laundry done. We had a picnic with the toy food (something we haven’t done in a while) then we cleaned it all up and started our ‘exercise’ time with some Animal Action and then some of our faves, like I Like to Move It and Everybody Dance now. We ate some snack and got ready for some crafts. Today’s project was a melted snowman! I cut out all of the pieces (a white blob, some coal buttons, a scarf, a carrot nose and a top hat) and spread glue all over a green piece of paper. I gave them each their own set of materials and let them do the rest! They ended up stacking everything on top of the snowman blob, which I thought was pretty cool. This project and the shining sun almost tricked me into thinking spring was near!

Wednesday:

Hump Day! We’re halfway there people! The day started out with both kids eating all of their breakfast (French toast) with no yelling, screaming, crying, or complaints. I was floored! Usually one gives the other the wrong look and for a brief moment, World War 3 looms on the horizon. We got dressed, brushed our crazy hair, changed Lily’s earrings, and then did our calendar. They started to get a little rowdy during free play, so we cleaned up the cars (I had to take away cups and turn the TV off for either to cooperate, but it got done) and we did some Animal Action, Cosmic Yoga, and one song of each of their choosing. We ate some snack and finished our igloo project by gluing white squares (ice blocks) onto the pre-drawn igloo. Lily started singing the opening song from Frozen (which I don’t even know) and Tristan followed suit. We played with some Lego Duplos for a little bit (I want to get another set of these), went on a bear hunt around the house, and then got ready to wind down for nap with some reading.

Thursday:

I will preface today’s update with this one fact…I did not have coffee today. And we went to the gym after Lily was asleep last night, so I coudlnt fall asleep until late. Damn endorphins! I should probably switch my game plan to going to the gym in the morning but it’s too cold for that nonsense. Anyway, I felt like I was waltzing through molasses all morning. The kids ate and got dressed with little to no problems, and then we did our calendar. Tristan asked to play with the trains, and that was a nice little break for me to straighten up and get a project ready. Until they started fighting over the trains and we had to clean up in a haste. After we all cooled down, we had snack and started on our project, a resist painting of a tree on a canvas. I taped off the tree and a snow pile with some blue tape. I thought it would be more frustrating than it was because the tape kept peeling off, but the kiddos actually used their listening ears and only painted the white space. They came out very very good! I think I might hang Lily’s in her room. Once we washed hands and cleaned up, we had some free play time til we became too wild. I put on some yoga, which we got through a decent chunk, and then switched it up to Animal Action and Walking in the Jungle, and then ended with some Barney (unfortunately for my sanity, they have become obsessed with ‘the dinosaur singing’) and of course our Frozen medley.

Friday:

Woo we made it to Friday! We did our usual eat breakfast, get dressed, and do the calendar routine and then we had some free play. And as usual, we got to wild so I reeled them in with some Cosmic Yoga and some Animal Action. When we got tired of dancing, we played with some blocks and practiced building tall towers (which was a focus skill goal a few weeks ago) and making patterns (which was this week’s focus skill for us and it was also featured on Sesame Street a few times---go me)! Once the blocks were cleaned up, we did some vacuuming and dusting. They really are such big helpers! We skipped an actual project today, but after snack we played a new game! I got a tri-fold board from the Dollar Store and drew a snowman surrounded by snowflakes on it. I cut a hole in the snowman’s belly, gave them some large white pompoms, and voila! An easy snowball toss game! They were slightly cheating and getting very close to the hole, but hopefully with some practice, we’ll be all ready for carnival games come springtime!

Hope everyone has a fun, relaxing (hopefully) three day weekend!