Quote of the Day

Caleb asked me to play a game with him.  I suggested that Jadie play as well.

Caleb's response: "No. If Daddy plays he might win every time and then we will be the dumb losers."

I'm not sure where he heard that, but I hope it wasn't from me...

Crafting with Caleb: Snowflakes on the Stove

I try to give credit where credit is due, so here's where I found this wonderful idea.  Roots and Wings Co. has lots of other fun ideas, too!  Check them out when you get the chance.

And here is the process as we created our melted crayon snowflakes!

I started out folding the snowflakes and drawing the parts I wanted Caleb to cut out.  He got frustrated when his cuts were imperfect and I was happy to oblige when he asked me to do the cutting!  Although I did  not use coffee filters (regular paper for me), I found this step by step photo tutorial helpful when it came to getting creative with my designs.

This is my favorite snowflake!

Our multi-colored snowflakes...I later decided I liked them better in a single color.

I lined a frying pan with foil.  The bigger the pan, the better.  Some of my snowflakes were too big for my pan and we had to do some shifting to color the entire thing.

Proof that Caleb did help with this project.  It's true that I did most of it, but Caleb did enjoy coloring the first 4 or 5 snowflakes with me.

Laying out on waxed paper for the melted crayon wax to harden.

One in the pan...

I decided to tape them to the front glass door to display them...

A close up on the front door...

I recommend this project for kids 5 and up.  The main thing is that your child understands not to touch the pan or foil.  We used a tall chair for Caleb to stand on so that he was coloring from above the pan, making it easier for him to avoid touching the hot pan or burner.

Printable Valentine's Tags

Here's the Link

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Quote of the Day

Caleb: (referring to cotton candy) "I just don't like fuzzy candy."

Sweet Peas

I couldn't get her to eat them from a bowl or her high chair tray, but straight out of the can...she'll take them that way!

Resolutions

1. Drink more water. This is a repeat from last year, but I know I should go for it again. The benefits far outweigh the cons. The body craves water and the wallet is heavier when I obey the craving.
2. Make a stronger effort to remember birthdays. I sit here with a card organizer. I will use it. I will use it. I'm filling in the birthdays today and my most immediate goal is to purchase cards to fill it.
3. Nag less. Jadie would appreciate this. And I'm sure I will appreciate the resulting husband who isn't annoyed or frustrated by me. Win-win. (a) about things I am annoyed that he's not doing. A reminder is received better than incessant nagging. Knowing the difference is key. (b) about the things I want him to do that he just isn't up for. Staying at home when I really wanted to go somewhere is not the end of the world.
   
4. Revert back to my love of lists. Seriously, how can they not be helpful? Leaving them at home is not helpful, but the list itself is indispensable.
5. Be present. When I learn how to do this, I'll let you know. But for now, I will try to control my urge to be constantly moving. Oh, and that urge to be doing more than one thing at a time. Multi-tasking really isn't as great as I once thought. Really, I'm only doing two things with subpar effort instead of just doing one thing really well. And I miss enjoying the people I'm surrounded with.

Caleb's Five Years Old!

This year was a little more difficult to prepare a birthday party for Caleb.  I'm not sure if it was the way the holidays fell or my lack of preparation or the two-children factor or what...but we had a very small party at home this year.

And it was just as fun...especially when my favorite five-year old opened up a Whoopie Cushion from Grandma Fran and PaPa Freeman.

Guests included: Granana, Grandma Fran, PaPa Freeman, Junior, Beth, Mikayla, Amanda, Wilson, and Noah.

His cake was perfectly imperfect and his attitude was incredibly positive.  All he cared about was that it was his birthday party!

So, here you are...