What To Do? {part 9}

Another fun thing to look into...is a petting zoo or farm that you can visit. We were lucky enough to visit one while on vacation. If you live near Gilbert, Arizona...go & visit Marley Farms. It was a blast! We had someone show us around & tell us about all of the animals. The kids loved feeding all of the animals & listening to their noises.



We also were also able to pet some goats & llamas. The kids made observations about how the animals felt different.



It was a great experience & the boys learned so much! It was great. Enjoy your summer!

Muffin Tin Monday

I have to admit...I am loving the "no theme for the summer" idea. There is NO pressure. Yesterday, the kids & I picked up some corn on the cob. It is my all time favorite thing to eat in the summer. So, of course..we had to include it in our Muffin Tin Monday meal.

Here is what we had:





mini blueberry muffin {because everything is more fun in mini}, mac & cheese, corn on the cob {or cut off of the cob for Preston}, strawberries, mac & cheese, more corn....

Have you ever seen one of these?

They are GREAT for cutting corn off of the cob!

Check out other Muffin Tin Meals over at Muffin Tin Mom!

What To Do? {part 8}

Let's go swimming....

There is nothing better on a hot summer day than swimming.

Whether it is in a little pool in your backyard...

Throw in a few balls and/or put a little slide up to the pool & you will have a good time!



Or at a REAL pool...




On a side note...I highly recommend the swim shirts! Less sunscreen needed & less of a chance of sun burning. They are wonderful & the boys love them!!

Preparing for Surgery

Both of my boys are going in to get their tonsils out next month. I have a little experience with surgeries with the boys, but nothing like this. Kaden had eye surgery a few years ago, but he was only out for about a day. When my kiddos think back on their surgery...I want them to remember the good parts. So, I decided to make them each a little care package. Here is what I plan on putting in it:

comfy jammies
a movie
coloring book
crayons

Do you have any other ideas?

What To Do? {part 7}

While we were on vacation...we took a trip to a local aquarium. The boys loved seeing all of the fish. There was even a touching station where they could feel starfish, hermit crabs, & a few other sea animals. The aquarium that we went to had a cute question card that they gave out to all of the kids. The kids loved figuring out the answers to the questions & at the end...they each got a sticker for completing the question card. Look in your area to see if there is an aquarium near you.

Muffin Tin Monday

Better late than never, but we finally managed to have Muffin Tin Monday...on Thursday. We had movie night & Muffin Tin Monday is perfect for movie night! Here is what we ate:

Peperoni Pizza, M&Ms, Sausage Pizza, Blueberries, Kettle Corn {recipe}, Peas in the Pod {from Aunt Val & Uncle Cody's garden}

Check out other Muffin Meals over at Muffin Tin Mom

What To Do? {part 6}

Sidewalk chalk is very inexpensive. There are SO many possiblilities when you have a sidewalk & some sidewalk chalk. Here are just a few ideas:

Hopscotch. I drew the grid & the boys drew the numbers. Preston traced the numbers that I wrote. The grabbed a "stone" from our rock collection. They played forever. I would say it was one of their favorite activities.

A letter game. I wrote a few letters on the sidewalk & just asked Preston to stand on the letter that I said. You could do the letter sounds.

Happy Birthday Little Man!

Today is my Littlest Man's Birthday. He is 4 years old & I can't believe it! We are off at the aquarium & a special lunch. The aquarium will be be part of our "What to do" series. I will post pictures soon!



Happy Birthday Preston! We love you!!

What To Do? {part 5}

My boys are obsessed with planting things. What a fun opportunity to see something grow. So, we decided to plant some flowers for us! It is really a pretty basic & cheap activity.



All you do...is put dirt in a cup. Poke a small hole in the dirt. Place your seed in the "hole". Cover it up & give it a bit of water. Pretty basic. The kids did it all!

The fun part is...that they have something to look forward to over the summer. I will keep you posted on our flowers. There are chances that I might kill them though. I don't have the "greenest thumb" around.

What To Do? {part 4}

I saw this book a while back on Trey & Lucy. I knew that we had to give that book a try. I had to request it from our library & it took a while to get it here, but it finally came in.



Preston was a little distracted today, but Kaden loved it. He had a great time figuring out the order & didn't need much help. I want to buy this book now!

Muffin Tin Monday

Happy Muffin Tin Monday!!! We are on vacation in Sunny Arizona. My little niece & nephew are playing with us...so I decided to make Muffin Tin Monday for them too! They loved it & so did the boys!!



We had strawberries, hot dogs, mac & cheese, carrots/broccoli/tomatoes, veggie dip, donut pieces. It was yummy!


Check out other Muffin Tin Meals at Muffin Tin Mom!

What To Do? {part 3}

Something simple & pretty easy that the boys & I enjoy..is to watch the birds.



We found this incredible bird feeder at Lowes, but you can get a pretty basic bird feeder at Walmart for a few dollars. While you are there...buy some bird seed. Hang it up somewhere where you can watch the birds come to eat. We have it right outside of our front window...hanging from the trees. We love to watch the birds that come to eat from our bird feeder. It sparks some great conversation about different birds.

Off to play...

We are off to play for the week. I have a few posts scheduled & may add some along the way. I love SUMMER!!!

Father's Day Idea

We don't like to spend much on Mother's Day & Father's Day. It is always a challenge to find original & fun things to do each year. Today, we made a video interview for Daddy.

Here are the questions that I asked:

How old is Daddy?

What makes Daddy happy?

What is Daddy's favorite thing to do?

What is Daddy really good at?

What does Daddy do for his job?

Where is Daddy's favorite place to eat?

What is something Daddy teaches you?

What makes Daddy sad?

What are Daddy's for?

What does Daddy want for Father's Day?

It was fun to hear each of their answers. I can't wait to put it on a DVD & have them give it to Daddy. Maybe would could do this each year & see how their answers have changed! {Thanks for the questions Shelley! They were perfect!}

Summer 2010 Bucket List

I have seen this idea in the blog world a few different places & I loved it. I am ALL about lists!



The boys & I sat down to make a list of the things that we wanted to do. No matter how silly or small...everything went on the list. We left enough room to add more stuff along the way. I already want to add a milk & cookie party for the boys & I. Now, each time we do something on our list...we get to check it off!

Muffin Tin Monday...Short Order Cook

Ok..this is as close as my kids get for a short order cook. "What kind of sandwich do you want?" Preston is always sure to answer Peanut Butter & Sandwich {aka pb&j}. Kaden however likes to mix things up. Today was a tuna fish sandwich. So, here are their Muffin Tins:

Preston's lunch:



pb&j triangles, fruit {plus veggies} bar, pb&j triangles, fishy crackers, a chocolate chip cookie, & milk in his new drink bottle

Kaden's lunch:



tuna fish with cheese triangles, fruit {plus veggies} bar, tuna fish with cheese triangles, fishy crackers, a chocolate chip cookie, & milk in his dino bottle.

Check out other Muffin Tin Meals at Muffin Tin Mom

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

Today is National Chocolate Ice Cream Day. Summer feels like it has finally arrived here & some chocolate ice cream would be pretty tasty!

National Doughnut Day

Yum! As a little girl, I was know as "The Donut Queen". They are a very delicous treat. Glazed, Chocolate, Cake, Raised, Maple...I love them! My husband doesn't carry the same fondness for donuts. However...my babies are just like me.



Today, is National Doughnut Day. We use ANY excuse to get donuts. Our favorite donut shop is about 20 minutes away, but it is worth it.

So make some donuts or go & get some & enjoy National Doughnut Day!!!

What To Do? {part 2}

This week, the boys & I set out to the Dollar Tree. They have a great section of workbooks for kids. There are workbooks for all different ages & subjects. We picked up a few workbooks for each of the boys.

Kaden will be going into First Grade...so we picked up:

A First Grade Addition
"The Amazing Spider-Man" Printing Practice
Disney Time and Money
First Grade Reading Workbook
A First Grade Workbook that is about simple fractions, money, alphabetical order.
Scooby Doo Addition & Subtraction

Preston will be on his last year of Preschool...so we picked up:

Pre-K First Words
Pre-K to K Colors & Shapes
A Preschool Workbook about thinking skills, sounds & symbols, & number sets
Pre-K to K Beginning Sequencing
Math with Bert & Ernie

We also picked up a "Manuscript Tablets" for journals & writing.

All for $1.00 each. We should be set for a good part of the summer. Every morning...Monday through Friday we will do a few pages in our workbooks. I hope that it will help them retain more of what they have already learned & that I can help them be prepared for the fall.

Stay tuned for our next part in the "What To Do" series.

Father's Day Gift

Last year, I came across THIS really cute idea. We went out & bought a "D" & an "A". The boys & I painted the letters together. It was so cute...they worked really hard on them.




Then, I took the boys outside & took their pictures. They were so cute!! If they stopped smiling for me, I just reminded them that the pictures were for Daddy...then they would smile again. We really miss Daddy! Here is the finished product...I love how the boys are peaking through the "D". They were doing it at the store & I just had to use those...it is totally them.

What To Do? {part 1}

Summer Break is officially here. Even if the weather outside doesn't show it. I decided that I was going to continue to make sure that the boys are learning. It helps that they love it. So, I am going to spend some time telling you the things that we like to do over the Summer Break.



Today, I am going to talk about going to your local library. Sometimes I forget that we have that resource available. We were very lucky to have a new library built close to our house. The boys LOVE to go to the library. There are computers with educational games that they can play. They love to pick out their books.

I have a weak spot for children's books. There is something about beautiful illustrations or a good, fun story that calls to me. I have to admit that I love choosing books as much as the boys do.

I ALWAYS bring a reusable shopping bag to take our books home in. We always end up filling it. When we arrive, I tell the boys how many books they can choose. {Sometimes we go over, but at least they have an idea.}

When the books make it home. They stay in the shopping bag. The boys know right where their books are & when it is time to return the books...I know right where they are. I don't have to go digging through their room to find the missing book.

Having new books to read is fun & exciting. The boys want to read that much more when we have new books that they got to pick.

So, take an outing out to your library. It is a fun experience & it is free. Most libraries also offer activities & story time. Check out what is available to you!