Showing posts with label arts and crafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arts and crafts. Show all posts

Sunday, April 10, 2011

April Antics!


Puddles, puddles everywhere!  Too much fun.  Though the snow was getting a little tiresome, each new snowfall has meant a whole bunch more water to splash around in.  Here is a splashy type afternoon for rubber boot sort of fun...




One VERY snowy and cold day last week, we needed to stay inside for the morning.  The boys tried their hand at puzzles and jewelry making and did GREAT!  Pipecleaners are the key to taking the difficulty level of this craft down... easier for little fingers.
Sam finished his early so he's just going to help his buddy Smith!
Smith carefully putting beads on the pipecleaner... very focused!
Sam loved making his bracelet.  So much so that I couldn't get him to stop putting beads on at a size that would fit him.  He kept going and going and ended up making a bracelet for Mommy!
Sam started gymnastics lessons this month.  Some of you may know that gymnastics was a HUGE part of my life growing up.  I believe it's the sport that built the foundation for me wanting to be a life long athlete and PE teacher.  I spent many hours in the gym, both training/competing and coaching, so to see Sam at gymnastics made my heart sing.  He LOVES it.  He is the youngest in his class so he gets a real kick out of his coach (who is super silly) and is very eager to get going.  The coach was very impressed with his front support on the parallel bars... like a little Hercules!!!  Here are some shots from the parent viewing area that Shaun took on our first class.  Not going to lie, I'm going to leave the family viewing area when I take pictures so I can get right in there.
Warming up!
ROLL!
Balancing while stepping over fishies!
Jumping with Coach Paul... this was taken right after I was reprimanded  by Coach Paul for stepping onto the trampoline.  He told me trampolines are only for kids and coaches... tear, I thought I could sneak a quick bounce in!
Sam thinks I should be allowed to jump too!
BIG event this weekend... Sam had some of his very best girlfriends (and one other very brave boys!) over to practice their Easter Egg hunting skills.  We searched for eggs, ate a Easter brunch, coloured eggs and played in the sunshine.   An absolutely perfect morning filled with some of our favoritest people.  Another celebration of good friends!
Sam sporting the Easter Egg bag that Gramma Bee made us.

Love love love this little animal...

Sam chooses some decorations for the party.
Let the games begin!!!  I placed five eggs at each location (one for each kid) and they would grab one and leave the rest. Worked quite good, especially if you consider that these kids are all under 3.  We used empty plastic eggs and they LOVED it!  Too much fun!
Lovely little Logan takes a break to color some pictures!
Pretty Payton is a fast egg hunter finding one in the bedroom... Christopher is right on her heels to swipe his own!
Adorable Avery playing patiently waiting for the big kids to finish their search.
Sam and his gals (Christopher wasn't into sitting with all these girls!)  Look at all the eggs they found!
Time to get crafty!  Princess P and her Momma colour  eggs together.
Logan gives her egg a high five for being so great!
Now to the park to burn off some of that Easter brunch sugar!  Sam and Payton race down the slide.
Our wonderful friends, as they head out to get on with their day... can't even say how much I love these three!!!
Payton getting pushed on the swing by her daddy!  Holy BEAUTIFUL hair on this child... wow!
Parker flying high!  Loves it!
The Ross girls head home - I love them...
and so does Sam!
Our tiniest egg hunter is getting hungry and sleepy, so the Farrell family also had to get going.  What a perfect way to spend a beautiful day!  We are so lucky for the great friends we have!
It was time.  Time to build a tricycle and hit the open road.  Shaun and Sam worked together to build a very cool bike Sammy got for his birthday from our Red Deer friends.  After all the hard work it was time to enjoy a bike ride!
Sam showing Shaun which step to do next. 
Fixin' this part right here...
... and tightening this one up back here!  This was one of the moments "like father, like son!!!"  Probably could even add like Grandpa to that saying!
And we're off.  Sam loves it.  Loves it!!!  Unfortunately his little legs are about half an inch too short so he needs a push everywhere he goes.  Hard on mom and dad's backs but totally worth it!
Sam and his new ride... love at first site!
Busy April so far, but thought it's get it all put up before too much time passes and I lose motivation.  This first week of April has made me very excited for summer... can't even wait to spend our days outside playing with friends.  YAY for sunshine!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Good Bye Lillie!

We have had a really great friend come into our lives for the past 6 months.  Parker's relative from Holland came to stay to be her Nanny for a few months.  It turned out terrifically for us because they would come play once a week.  Fun for the kids and fun for me to have adult company.  She is a super sweet girl, who has now headed off to travel to Vancouver, the States and then back home before going to University in the fall.  We had many really fun play dates, but here are a few pictures of one of the last (and messiest) ones.
So, the craft of the day was painting with shave cream and food colour.  Sounded neat when I found it on the internet... not so much.  GIANT mess.  I couldn't even get a picture of Smith or P "paint" because the was shave cream and food colour EVERYWHERE.  One of those good idea, bad ideas!
Here is Sam and Parker playing hide and seek with Lillie while I put Smith down for his nap.  They were caught red-handed in the panty (note Parker's fingers... apparently next to impossible to get red dye off small hands!)
Busting loose!
Lillie with the kiddos... Sam sure does love her!
Parker kickin' it in Sam's clothes because her outfit didn't make it out of the craft clean.  I think she makes a very cute little tomboy!
Thank you Lillie for all your days with us... the laughs and chats, many cups of team, your love of the kids and time for me... it all was so wonderful.  If you are ever this way again, please don't forget to visit!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

March Madness

Here we are, half way through March, and I've finally had the time to sit down for some quality time with my blog.  It's been a busy month of report cards, road trips, birthday parties (both ones we've missed out on and been too), cold weather and now beautiful weather.  I probably have 101 more excuses as to why I didn't blog, but the most important thing is that I'm back in action!
I've tried to start planning theme days with the boys while I'm cooped up.  The freezing weather was getting me down and I felt like I was in a slump.  I spent a few hours planning out activities, fun foods, crafts, etc for each day with the boys.  It was a life saver.  Having a plan gave me purpose and something to really look forward to trying each day.  Love doing it!
Here is a little glimpse into our busy days so far this month... enjoy!
Nothing like a snowy blowy day to motivate us to build a fantastic fort in the living room.  The foam floor mats are perfect for making tunnels, but definitely not indestructible enough for a couple little boys!  
Another adventure we tried was baking cookies together.  I put all the supplies into kid sized bowls and each one took a turn pouring in an ingredient.  Stirring was the hugest hit!
Seriously could be the very best cookies I've ever made... EVER!  I just needed a little toddler magic to make them that much better.  Best little helpers!
Sam working on his egg carton caterpillar.  Though the paint looks like pudding,  from the look on Sam's face after eating it, I can say if does not taste like pudding!  This has been a multi-day craft, but tons of fun.
Clearly nothing is more enjoyable than balloon bouncing.  We've had balloons out for almost the past month.  Yes, someone has bitten or broken one each day but with proper supervision and 'rules' (hahaha, I try really hard to give them rules) they play for many minutes.  Bouncing off heads, playing with static, working on catching, kicking, looking through and bum bouncing... never ending fun!
My little 80s punk!  My Aunt's surprise 49th birthday was 80s theme... and we rocked it!
The baby whisperer... crimped hair and all! (You can't see it well but Sam is wearing jean cut offs and Serry is wearing a shirt that says "No one puts baby in the corner".  Love it!
Kiss for my cousin!
New hair, but equally as rad!
I HAD to post this picture of my sister... look at her and then the baby... EXACT same face.   You are in for a wild ride, Breezer!!! :)
Gramma and 'Kitty' snuggles!
Love this guy... pulled off creepy 80s like he lived it!
Finally some warm weather!!! We have spent almost every waking moment possible playing outside in the past two days.  This little boy loves splashing and crashing!  Freezing fingers, wet pants, snow burned face... nothing stops him from wanting to be outside.  Can't even wait for Spring!
This is our snowman we made today... Sam was inspecting his mustache.  Mr PotatoHead pieces come in very handy for snowman building!