It has been a challenging couple of days. On Sunday, I took the boys up to visit my parents as a surprise for my dad's birthday. It was fun, and my dad was really surprised and really happy we came. But it is hard traveling 9 hours in two days with two toddlers. They missed naps, got off their schedule and were generally naughty. Since we've been home, I have had little patience and the boys have been testing the limits. The morning seem to be worse than the afternoons.
We are trying to keep busy and find some new activities they can do on their own. We made homemade play dough on Wednesday. Here is the recipe for anyone who wants to try it.
Homemade Play Dough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
Mix dry ingredients and oil in a sauce pan. Stir in the water and heat on med/low heat until the dough gets stiff. Turn out onto wax paper or what I did was spray some nonstick spray on the counter. Knead until smooth. I made a double batch and divided it into four pieces and kneaded in a few drops of food coloring and some peppermint extract (as a preservative) It has a really nice consistency and seems to stay pretty moist. I am storing each color separately in a zip-loc bag.
The other new thing we have discovered is on line games at www.nickelodeon.com. They have several games for young kids. Caleb is learning how to use the mouse and play the games on his own. I am hoping this will be a way for me to be able to spend a little more one on one time with Quinn. I really think he is acting out because he needs more attention. It is hard to give them equal attention when they are at such different developmental stages. It seems somehow, Caleb always gets more attention because he asks more questions and is able to do more than Quinn. Maybe the computer games will help with this. If anyone has ideas for other solo activities for Caleb, I would appreciate them. I did get a couple of audio books at the library - so far they are not too interested but we will keep trying.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
This and That
Well, we are all adjusting to being home together. It's turning out to be kind of fun. The kind of fun that once in a while, you've just had enough of. and want to go somewhere and take a nap from! Ha ha... No seriously, we are having fun. We are getting creative with crafts, we made a fire truck out of the box from Daddy's new TV, made Happy Thanksgiving cards for grandmas and grandpas yesterday, and we started out playgroup at the library yesterday. I am feeling lots better than I was a month ago, that's for sure. I am still trying to work out how to keep the kids entertained for any period of time (without the T.V.) while I try to get work done. I really would like to get some of my housework done while they are still awake so I can take a little break while they nap. I am finding it difficult not to give all of my attention to the kids all the time. They are very needy at this point, wanting me to play with them, hold them, read to them, etc. ALL THE TIME! Hmmm... may have just come up with an idea... audio books? They have them available to check out at the library. I bet that would keep Caleb busy for a while. Not sure about Quinn though. Thankfully we have Christmas to look forward to, and some new and interesting toys.
Last night I came up with a new recipe for chicken fingers that the kids really liked. They ate all of it. This may also have had something to do with the fact that Caleb helped me make everything. He loves helping me cook, and it keeps him busy so I can get it done. I have found that he is very focused and follows directions very well while we are cooking together. Anyway, I took Cheez-Its and Caleb crushed them up inside a zipper bag, with the rolling pin. I stirred in a little chili powder and garlic powder, and we dredged strips of raw chicken in some beaten egg, then into the crumbs. I sprayed the baking sheet and the top of the chicken with a little cooking spray to keep it from sticking and crisp it up a little more. They turned out really well. I would have liked to make some honey mustard dipping sauce to go with them but I didn't have the right ingredients. We also had steamed broccoli and rice side dish (from a bag). Caleb was also able to help break off the florets from the broccoli, and pour the water into the pan for the broccoli and the rice. He ate THREE servings of broccoli! YES I SAID THREE! I give him about a tablespoon of light ranch dressing to dip his trees in and he gobbles them up! I'm going to get some of the Hidden Valley powdered mix to make my own with fat free mayo and low fat milk. I think that might be a little better, without the preservatives.
Sorry if I've bored anyone with this post. Just my thoughts this morning. I've decided to do less editing and more of what's going on day-to-day. Please let me know your thoughts.
On the agenda today: Grocery shopping, laundry, playground, maybe some fingerpainting. We'll see were the day takes us!
Last night I came up with a new recipe for chicken fingers that the kids really liked. They ate all of it. This may also have had something to do with the fact that Caleb helped me make everything. He loves helping me cook, and it keeps him busy so I can get it done. I have found that he is very focused and follows directions very well while we are cooking together. Anyway, I took Cheez-Its and Caleb crushed them up inside a zipper bag, with the rolling pin. I stirred in a little chili powder and garlic powder, and we dredged strips of raw chicken in some beaten egg, then into the crumbs. I sprayed the baking sheet and the top of the chicken with a little cooking spray to keep it from sticking and crisp it up a little more. They turned out really well. I would have liked to make some honey mustard dipping sauce to go with them but I didn't have the right ingredients. We also had steamed broccoli and rice side dish (from a bag). Caleb was also able to help break off the florets from the broccoli, and pour the water into the pan for the broccoli and the rice. He ate THREE servings of broccoli! YES I SAID THREE! I give him about a tablespoon of light ranch dressing to dip his trees in and he gobbles them up! I'm going to get some of the Hidden Valley powdered mix to make my own with fat free mayo and low fat milk. I think that might be a little better, without the preservatives.
Sorry if I've bored anyone with this post. Just my thoughts this morning. I've decided to do less editing and more of what's going on day-to-day. Please let me know your thoughts.
On the agenda today: Grocery shopping, laundry, playground, maybe some fingerpainting. We'll see were the day takes us!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Socializing? What's that?
With a couple weeks of being home with my kids under my belt, I’m feeling pretty good about it. I will admit, I did panic a little at the beginning, wondering what the heck I was getting myself into, but we seem to be adjusting to this new lifestyle. We are getting a routine down, naps are getting back to normal, etc.
The problem I am facing is we have not met anyone here in Battle Creek. Everyone says I am very social and I shouldn’t have any problems making new friends. They are right, in part. I am very social. Once I know you. I find it very difficult to make new friends and usually wait for others to make the first move. That, coupled with the fact that it is now November, is posing a very large hurdle in our path to making new friends, and therefore having some outside socialization.
I know this is necessary for both me and the boys. I am already sensing some anger from Caleb for taking him away from his friends at school. He is the kind of kid that needs a lot of structure and thrives on the social interactions he was getting at school. He has become very whiny and impatient and tends to lose his temper more and more when he doesn’t get what he wants. The question is, where do I find the socialization he needs without paying for preschool or daycare? Thankfully, we have signed up for a playtime/story time at the library. That class starts next week and runs for four Tuesdays. So that will be a start. But I am at a loss for additional ideas about where to socialize during the winter. Anybody have any ideas? If we are going to stay sane this winter, we are definitely going to need to get out of the house more thane once a week!
On another subject, Quinn has gone on the potty twice in the last week! I know, it’s probably just a pure accident, but it makes me see the light at the end of the diaper tunnel!
The problem I am facing is we have not met anyone here in Battle Creek. Everyone says I am very social and I shouldn’t have any problems making new friends. They are right, in part. I am very social. Once I know you. I find it very difficult to make new friends and usually wait for others to make the first move. That, coupled with the fact that it is now November, is posing a very large hurdle in our path to making new friends, and therefore having some outside socialization.
I know this is necessary for both me and the boys. I am already sensing some anger from Caleb for taking him away from his friends at school. He is the kind of kid that needs a lot of structure and thrives on the social interactions he was getting at school. He has become very whiny and impatient and tends to lose his temper more and more when he doesn’t get what he wants. The question is, where do I find the socialization he needs without paying for preschool or daycare? Thankfully, we have signed up for a playtime/story time at the library. That class starts next week and runs for four Tuesdays. So that will be a start. But I am at a loss for additional ideas about where to socialize during the winter. Anybody have any ideas? If we are going to stay sane this winter, we are definitely going to need to get out of the house more thane once a week!
On another subject, Quinn has gone on the potty twice in the last week! I know, it’s probably just a pure accident, but it makes me see the light at the end of the diaper tunnel!
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