tub paint

This one did not leave my husband very happy as we now have some lovely rainbow grout but nothing I'm sure a little bleach won't fix up for us.. S however had a blast using the bath tub paint we created using shaving cream and food coloring in an egg tray. Simple and fun- though another caution I would suggest doing it without water in the tub because it gets a bit slippery, pre-bath and no standing in the tub!

giving thanks

There is quite obviously nothing greater to be thankful for in this lifetime than love, loved ones, time with loved ones, and the health and happiness of loved ones. I am eternally grateful to the love of my life who made me his wife and the mother of his kids,to my parents who I appreciate and respect on so many new levels through my own journey through motherhood, and obviously my little loves who keep me on my toes and show me the world through new eyes daily and have let love unfold boundlessly and overflow from my heart. Being a mother is simply the most amazing, wonderful, mind-blowing, life changing experience I have ever had (and continue to have). I am so thankful for all the friends and family who support and encourage me and all of us on a daily basis. I am so blessed.
We were very fortunate to spend this thanksgiving with my grandmother, the kids' Nonna, who is 98 and going strong. Amazing. Thank you.

flubber!

S and I had a lot of fun making this really simple recipe for flubber, a slimy gooey and shiny dough. It is similar to the "gak" that she uses at school but not as stretchy or as slimy.. I think it is the ingredient ratio that makes the subtle differences.. Fun and fascinating! When we were through we put it in a plastic sandwich bag for safe keeping and that has been where it has stayed since as it is quite fun to squeeze and squish it within the bag! FYI borax should not be handled by the kids.
Mixture 1:
1 ½ cups warm water
2 cups Elmer’s Glue
Food coloring

Mixture 2:
3 tsp. Borax
1 cup Warm Water

Stir mixture 1 together in 1 bowl.
Mixture 2 in another bowl.
Make sure both are mixed well.
Pour mixture 1 into mixture 2.

There is no need to stir the mixture but you can if you want because it is the chemical reaction that actually makes the flubber. When it is in a glob work it for 2-3 minutes. Initially it feels wet but it eventually dries up to the final product.

getting in the groove~

It has been an absurdly long hiatus and I have no excuses other than just a general "trying to find our rhythm" with preschool, weeks of visitors, two sets of stitches, an over seas vacation, and an officially busy and always on the go toddler.. Add to that a lack of synchronized napping (or napping in general some days) and things have felt hectic and busy and bustling which can be fine at times but lately it has turned more into that sort of consuming and out of control busy.. excuses, excuses..
As I write this I am thinking about the fact that S has been having some "focusing" issues the past few weeks- boundary testing, struggling to cooperate, etc- and we have been working really hard to manage her behavior and identify the root of the problem. I am realizing as I write this just how much we all seem to be craving a routine of some sort. Daily, weekly, general, informal.. it seems like we all need to get a better grip on things.
Maybe if I can be more disciplined and structured I can help her do the same with herself? I don't know how much of this will prove to be a solution but I can share with you three simple parts of the approach we are taking;
1)Structured up and down time. It is easy to make a schedule of activities and responsibilities but hard some times to do the opposite. We are trying to work in some "go with the flow" time each day (ironic to schedule it I know..)and some quiet time to ourselves. We tend to be social and lately overly social. Every time we go somewhere S asks "who is coming with us?"- I think it is really important to just be with ourselves too.
2)A timer. I personally always do better with goals and deadlines on the horizon and I don't know why a three year old would be any different! It has helped keep us on track for things like meal time, cleanup time, getting dressed.. It helps her feel directed and contained and helps us remember to set concrete limitations and expectations rather than letting things drag out until we are feeling frustrated and then reacting with anger..
3)One on one time. This is an easy one to address, but also an easy one to let slip by. We are making it formal by scheduling a sitter one day a week so I can have a turn alone with each child and not just to run errands or play with friends but to do something just the two of us.
And for myself-
1)I am trying to put a deadline of three new posts on here a week.
2)I am trying to be mindful of my health & fitness because it really influences my stress levels and self esteem. (I signed up for a 5k in a few weeks and have some great new recipes to share)
3)I am trying to remember to just "be". Be myself, be an positive example, be loving, be patient, be honest, be kind, be proud, be mindful, be good, and be whatever I am with full intention and mindfulness.
A work in progress progresses....Thoughts or suggestions?

to infinity....

and beyond!
Yesterday we took a trip out to get S her halloween costume.. this year she is going to be Buzz Lightyear (no shock to those that know her..) and after wearing it along with an ear to ear smile all evening we decided she needed a rocketship to go with it! A few cardboard boxes, duct tape, streamers, and fabric straps and we are ready to blast off!

how to sell a sandwich

We tend to be creatures of habit in this house when it comes to mealtime, if it aint broke don't fix it, right? I found a really cute piece on "sandwich art" so decided to surprise S with one of her favorite charecters for lunch.
Can you name this face?


I'm not offended if you can't, it is a bit rough, but S loved it! That is my attempt at Winnie the Pooh. The extra two minutes it took was well worth the excitement and the giggles I got as I watched her talk to her sandwich!

bonjour elephant~

One of my summer projects has been at last concluded and nailed to the wall so I can at last share it with you!
When I was designing H's nursery I thought about making one entire wall a world map.. What a great way to both decorate and educate right?! However when it came time to put it all together I became a bit concerned it would be too overwhelming and opted instead for a giant map print of 5'x7' to hang opposite his crib and above his changing table/book shelf combination. It looked really lovely and was a great accent untill he discovered it mid diaper change one day. Because of the large size I hadn't framed it and that was likely my mistake but really, that would cost a fortune! From that day on it became H's mission to slowly rip the edge of the print and eventually he tore one large piece right out of Antartica and the Atlantic and the map was no more.
Since then I have been dissapointed and trying to think of what to replace it with but having a tough time deciding as I really did like the map but what made it interesting was the size and that obviously wouldn't work there..
At last I decided to cut up the map and piece together a new picture from the pieces. Origianally I had a patterned background but wasn't completely sold so I actually recut the pieces (a bit larger this time) and placed them on a simple whit backing. I was thrilled with the results and hopefully created something that can work on his room for many years to come!