tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78552257339788441112024-03-05T21:23:16.315-05:00A Happy SongMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.comBlogger373125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-78095111771520393292014-07-11T00:51:00.000-04:002014-07-11T00:51:03.954-04:00Spend, Save, GiveBuddy came home from school one day very excited about doing extra summer chores to earn money. Jellybean thought that was a great idea as well. You know something? I concurred.<br />
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I picked up two tin, three-slot boxes. Then we covered them because I disliked the graphics. (<a href="http://deseretbook.com/Tin-Tithing-Bank-Cedar-Fort/i/5075041" target="_blank">These are the boxes I found</a>)<br />
I have never seen two children more excited to work. So far they have cleaned out the van and helped vacuum it, washed the fronts of the kitchen cupboards and wiped down the floor, and they have also helped with a huge amount of shredding that I needed done. I've given a dollar per child for each chore. They split the money up between the slots as they see fit.<br />
A couple of days ago, I let them open their boxes and count out a dollar to go spend on a book at Deseret Industries. They were so proud handing their money over at the register. I'm hoping that they will save enough in their "spend" slot to buy a more expensive toy or book by the end of the summer. <br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-72814507696350467782014-05-07T00:42:00.002-04:002014-05-07T00:42:57.268-04:00Happiness Is...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E4dFp2GpWPE/U2m47WO38WI/AAAAAAAADcI/gM-_P0BTXXU/s450/HappySpring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E4dFp2GpWPE/U2m47WO38WI/AAAAAAAADcI/gM-_P0BTXXU/s450/HappySpring.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 14, 2014</td></tr>
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJ<br />
<br />MJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-47107833675239235642014-05-05T00:39:00.002-04:002014-05-05T10:43:02.797-04:00Easter 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Two weeks ago we celebrated Easter. We like to do an egg hunt for the kids in the backyard. It involves an elaborate ruse to distract the children so that the "Easter Bunny" can hide the eggs. Our eggs contain candy, loose change and this year the "Easter Bunny" was very clever and hid a jig saw puzzle with some of the eggs.<br />
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The "Easter Bunny" was very nice and hid some special yellow eggs just for Teddy Bear. Buddy and Jellybean had a lot of fun helping him find his eggs.<br />
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It was fantastic egg hunting weather. Plenty of eggs to be had and all told, they got more candy than they got last Halloween. Two weeks later, they are still eating it. I'm sure their dentist will be pleased.<br />
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After the hunt, Buddy and Jellybean put together the puzzle and discovered a super secret message from "T.E.B." Whoever that is...<br />
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Because all of the candy, money and toys in their easter baskets weren't enough. Geez "Easter Bunny" way to take it to the next level.<br />
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To see a few more of the photos, go to the link here: <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/115258482936042838372/Easter2014April192014?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNWa66TV0vnylwE&feat=directlink" target="_blank">Easter 2014</a><br />
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F115258482936042838372%2Falbumid%2F6009786916997062273%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCNWa66TV0vnylwE%26hl%3Den_US" height="267" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://photos.gstatic.com/media/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400"></embed>
Have a Happy Day!<br />
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~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-28061953497713476022014-05-03T17:31:00.000-04:002014-05-04T23:01:48.609-04:00and just like that he turned 1.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been having a hard time writing this post. Partly because I'm in denial and partly because I took so many photos that I've had a hard time going through them and editing them. This is somewhat due to Teddy Bear's birthday falling right during our Easter celebration. (easter photos are up next) I guess there's no putting it off anymore.<br />
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Well, we have officially survived Teddy Bear's first year of life. Maybe, with two older siblings and a highly distractible mother, I should say that <b>he</b> survived.<br />
In the days leading up to his birthday, Teddy Bear started walking. Thank goodness for that. D and I didn't know how much longer we could keep lugging this guy around. Luckily, our arms haven't fallen off yet. I discovered in my karate class that my left arm has become freakishly strong as compared to my right...I guess carrying around 23lbs *all of the time* can leave its mark.<br />
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A few days after his birthday, Teddy Bear said his first word (beyond Mama, Dada and "wazz at"). He received a stuffed panda for Easter and he now says, "panda." Which really sounds more like "Danda." Which could easily be mistaken for "Dada" except that his emphasis is completely different. I'm his mom, I know these things.<br />
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Some more about Teddy Bear: He still hates having his diaper changed, officially sleeps through the night (I was way too enabling on this count), loves to dive down slides head first, lost one of his only bottom teeth in a freak colander accident (colander has been banished) Enjoys carrying Jellybean's dolls around and Buddy's underwear (hmm...), likes to make a "vroom, vroom" sound when pushing cars around and a pig snorting sound when looking at pictures of farm animals. Increasingly loves books and has decided that he likes cuddling his panda and his raccoon lovey. This kid also loves to dance.<br />
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Buddy and Jellybean love to include him in their games. I'm only slightly concerned that he is often cast as the villain. His siblings really do enjoy having him around and interacting with him.<br />
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He is just the sweetest kid there is. We love him to pieces.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rnhDOezD_Jc/U2R-XcAgyfI/AAAAAAAADZ4/s6j_iIO8T_o/s1600/Josh%2520Monthly%2520Progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rnhDOezD_Jc/U2R-XcAgyfI/AAAAAAAADZ4/s6j_iIO8T_o/s1600/Josh%2520Monthly%2520Progress.jpg" /></a></div>
Click on the picture below for a link to a gallery with more of his birthday pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/115258482936042838372/TeddyBear1YearOldApril192014?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMOL2NmHtOihFw&feat=embedwebsite" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0MT4jzx2Arc/U2HWBHW9S_E/AAAAAAAADYg/wCOrc2otVHc/s160-c/TeddyBear1YearOldApril192014.jpg" style="margin: 1px 0px 0px 4px;" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/115258482936042838372/TeddyBear1YearOldApril192014?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMOL2NmHtOihFw&feat=embedwebsite" style="color: #4d4d4d; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Teddy Bear 1 Year Old April 19, 2014</a></td></tr>
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Have a Happy Day!</div>
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~MJ</div>
MJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-21001316349592363412014-04-14T23:15:00.000-04:002014-04-14T23:15:19.615-04:00Quick Picture: Fairy Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jellybean saw a fairy garden at a local nursery last week and fell in love. So, here is the result of today's endeavor. A little fairy house is next on our project list.<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-91206839183131790772014-04-01T00:14:00.002-04:002014-04-01T00:14:27.567-04:00She is Four.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jellybean just passed her fourth birthday. She basically had an entire four days of celebrating, which was a bit difficult for Buddy. (It is <i><b>so</b></i> hard to see someone else getting all of the attention and presents...) Jellybean had a blast and then fell to strep throat the very next day. At least she wasn't sick on her b-day.<br />
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She started her weekend of fun off at the Natural History Museum with some of her cousins. The next day, she got to eat her birthday cake at her grandma and grandpa B's house. She had specially requested an Ariel cake with a castle. She helped me put the fish on. She loved the end result and if it doesn't end up on Cake Wrecks, I'll be happy.<br />
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Monday, she received a special visit from her other set of grandparents. Then, on her actual birthday, she woke up to some presents. Later that day, we took a family trip out to buy books at DI and then to get cupcakes. Living the high life.<br />
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Jellybean is fun, loving, sweet and creative. She is always up for a craft or art project. She loves, kittens, puppies, princesses, dress-ups, ponies, barbies, baby dolls and "mommy time." She enjoys being read to and has learned all of her capital letters. She is also well on her way to learning all of the lowercase letters and sounds. She will be starting preschool this fall and is very excited about it.<br />
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This girl loves to play with both of her brothers. Teddy Bear loves her especially. She can always get him excited and laughing. It is so cute watching her play with him. Jellybean is my helper. She sometimes likes to play "helper bot" and is always up for helping me cook or get the table ready for dinner. She loves to listen to music and sing. She can often be heard belting out a number or two in her room. Right now, she loves to sing "Let it go," but can also be heard signing songs that she has just made up.<br />
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Jellybean enjoys riding her bike and will likely be ready to take off her training wheels this summer. She always wants to play and really likes role play games. She is always happy to assign people roles, not so happy if they deviate from their assignments. If you ask her where she'd like to eat out, she'll most likely say Wendy's. If you ask her what color her hair is, she'll say orange. Which is still her favorite color as well. She always has a secret for you and will not let you leave without a hug.<br />
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Jellybean started ballet this year and D and I are so impressed by her focus in class. It is clear that she loves to dance. Jellybean loves to spend time outside, even just exploring the backyard. She also is a great helper in the garden, an excellent rescuer of worms and she can't wait to help me with a vegetable patch this summer.<br />
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We could not be prouder of her. She is such a bright, sunny girl. I am so glad that she's mine. Here's to another year of awesome.<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-35478500119503597682014-03-26T22:55:00.002-04:002014-03-26T22:55:15.934-04:00Teddy Bear is 11 months old!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One more month and this big guy will be an entire year old. D and I were just saying the other day how funny it is that we thought lugging his weight around was a big deal a few months ago. Yeah, it was nothing. It's weird though, now that he is going to be a year old, he just doesn't look that big anymore. A different perspective can really change things.<br />
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What Teddy Bear has been up to: He is into any cupboard that he can get into. He loves to be read to. He tries to climb anything he can. He can stand on his own.<br />
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He says, "Wassat." I have witnessed him flirting with cute girls at church. He is my most cuddly child, though it is very hard for him to stay still. Still a Mama's boy. Hates having his diaper changed. Hates having his nose wiped.<br />
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His top two teeth will be coming in any day now. Will only eat bananas and graham crackers consistently. Other than that, he will try anything once and then he's basically done with it. This makes feeding him solids somewhat tricky. Though texture doesn't tend to bother him as much as it bothered Buddy and Jellybean.<br />
Here's the progress from bringing him home until now. I can't believe how much he has grown.<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-76997318938792658462014-03-26T01:06:00.001-04:002014-03-26T01:06:18.081-04:00Fairy Dust Take a Break Jar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hZFmegzObqQ/Uyu-AcPMiSI/AAAAAAAADQc/l6d9HiVlNk0/s450/FairyJar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hZFmegzObqQ/Uyu-AcPMiSI/AAAAAAAADQc/l6d9HiVlNk0/s450/FairyJar3.jpg" /></a></div>
We don't have to do too many time-outs around here, but sometimes the kids are really getting on each others nerves and need to take a break. I decided to make a relaxation jar to help the kids to shift their focus and help them calm down when they are too worked up. I'd seen the glitter jars around and liked that idea, but I thought I'd add a little to it.<br />
For my jar, I decided to use some shrinky dink plastic and make a little fairy to put in the jar.<br />
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I filled a small-ish jar with warm water (almost to the very top) and then used two tubes of glitter glue (from the dollar store) to create the fairy dust. Then, after I shrunk my fairy, I put her in the jar too.<br />
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I shook everything up, sealed it and told the kids that I had caught a fairy. They have a fun time shaking the jar up and looking for her to fly by.<br />
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Such a simple thing. They both love the idea of a captured fairy. Poor fairy. She won't be getting out of there any time soon.<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJ<br />
<br />MJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-64434174869085977812014-03-03T00:21:00.002-05:002014-03-03T00:21:21.373-05:00Quick PicThe force is strong with this one...<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-44755682412965658382014-02-28T23:39:00.001-05:002014-02-28T23:39:57.974-05:00Pizza ExperimentOccasionally, I try to get a bit more creative at dinner time. Last week, I thought it might be fun for the kids to do their own mini pizzas.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmm, broccoli... Jellybean loves her veggies.</td></tr>
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The verdict: The idea was fun....The kids really got into putting their own toppings on. Unfortunately, Pillsbury pizza dough is terrible and Boboli pizza sauce is also terrible. Next time, I'm going to find a pizza crust recipe that actually tastes good and make my own sauce. Who would have thought that cutting corners would be such a bad idea?<br />
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Sometimes it is just nice to try something new, even if it ends up tasting pretty disgusting.<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-44055653202242840982014-02-23T23:49:00.000-05:002014-02-23T23:49:00.232-05:0010 Month Teddy Bear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eBaae55pxy0/UwrHNtXKYII/AAAAAAAADOg/fizNA6wXN6w/s450/Josh10Months1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eBaae55pxy0/UwrHNtXKYII/AAAAAAAADOg/fizNA6wXN6w/s450/Josh10Months1.jpg" /></a></div>
In only two months, this little guy will be an entire year old. I can see him looking more and more like a toddler and he shows more and more of his sweet personality every day.<br />
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Last month, he was trying to crawl toward me. This month he was trying to crawl away from me. He is trying very hard to walk. He loves using his walking toy and one of Jellybean's baby strollers to walk around. More than anything he wants to climb those stairs.<br />
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How unlucky for him that we've taken measures to keep him from doing just that.<br />
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At 10 months, Teddy Bear is such a smart little guy. He seems pretty focused and I can see his little mind working and figuring things out. One day I was tossing an egg shaker up in the air. When I handed it to him, he tried to copy what I'd been doing. He is also starting to recognize toys that are alike or that are part of a set. Teddy Bear loves music and especially loves when I turn on the music on my phone and let him hold it. I love, love reading to him. It is so fun when he finds a picture amusing in one of his books. There is a particular picture that shows three animals, all holding teacups on their heads. That always seems to elicit a chuckle from him. He is such a sweetheart.<br />
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His sister just couldn't stand to see me with the camera out and not get a couple of shots in as well. She can be a real ham.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4nPVs5BwU74/UwrHOfSICTI/AAAAAAAADOw/w4LPwe1jEsQ/s1600/Josh10Months3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4nPVs5BwU74/UwrHOfSICTI/AAAAAAAADOw/w4LPwe1jEsQ/s1600/Josh10Months3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holding her owls and a very loved stuffed dog that I had when I was a child.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zzPNlJzQCG4/UwrHOnYpIYI/AAAAAAAADO0/AS5-cHxe4s4/s450/Josh10Months4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zzPNlJzQCG4/UwrHOnYpIYI/AAAAAAAADO0/AS5-cHxe4s4/s450/Josh10Months4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing off her Speedy Gonzales.</td></tr>
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJ<br />
<br />MJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-4135064034122648802014-02-13T16:34:00.001-05:002014-02-13T16:34:59.819-05:00Happy Heart Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VpKC6bZTQqI/Uv032wQvmQI/AAAAAAAADN8/4BTTJJQMjqs/s450/Valentine20143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VpKC6bZTQqI/Uv032wQvmQI/AAAAAAAADN8/4BTTJJQMjqs/s450/Valentine20143.jpg" /></a></div>
This year, for Valentine's, Buddy wanted to make something special for his classmates at school. So, we pulled out the perler beads and got to work. We've been playing with the larger beads. I think they are way easier for small fingers to work with.<br />
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He designed the hearts himself and I ironed them and hot glued a pin to the back.<br />
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We mounted most of the pins inside some ready made cards that Buddy received in his Karate class. I'm torn about advertising with a valentine, but he really likes them and it was less work for me. He's really excited to give his friends something that he designed. He even has one special heart for his favorite friend in class. What do you think? Better than candy?<br />
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Have a Happy Day and a Great Heart Day.<br />
<br />
~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-10356392169191724112014-01-28T17:21:00.000-05:002014-01-28T17:21:01.703-05:00Teddy Bear Hits 9 Months!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bs7SiXUHI_4/Uuc4ORbOnyI/AAAAAAAADMg/w3e6ogANfu4/s450/Josh9Months1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bs7SiXUHI_4/Uuc4ORbOnyI/AAAAAAAADMg/w3e6ogANfu4/s450/Josh9Months1.jpg" /></a></div>
This kid just gets more and more fun. At nine months, he is crawling everywhere, discovering everything and basically trying to get or get into anything he sees. He is especially attracted to items made out of paper. This is a problem seeing as Buddy is obsessed with printing lately and there is an abundance of printing paper lying around at all times (despite my efforts to keep it contained).<br />
Teddy Bear loves making new sounds and faces. I caught him making fishy faces the other day, he also likes to copy kissing sounds with his lips. We are starting to hear his adorable little voice. He regularly says, "Mama" and I think he even knows what it means. He loves to crawl and explore of course, but he especially loves having D or myself help him walk. He enjoys trying to cruise and really likes standing at his music table. His cute sense of humor is also coming out more and more. He's kind of a goof ball.<br />
His very favorite thing of all is me. That made this last photo session kind of difficult. He kept trying to crawl to me and I kept shoving him back on the couch. First there was this:<br />
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Then after enough times, he started looking kind of defeated:<br />
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Buddy was there to tickle him, so I'd have at least a couple of happy shots.<br />
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My other goofy kids wanted to be in the photos, too.<br />
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Jellybean and Buddy are always there to make us laugh.<br />
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Such silliness going on around here.<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-5178906906300924332014-01-27T00:29:00.001-05:002014-01-27T00:29:58.404-05:00Little Chef: Cupcake Sundaes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c-P3mR6p-ZE/UuCc2w7c88I/AAAAAAAADLs/vuSpdEmEgLk/s450/Vanilla%2520Cupcake%2520Sundaes3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c-P3mR6p-ZE/UuCc2w7c88I/AAAAAAAADLs/vuSpdEmEgLk/s450/Vanilla%2520Cupcake%2520Sundaes3.jpg" /></a></div>
Back from a long hiatus on Little Chef posts. Jellybean has been begging to help me in the kitchen. I've been feeling badly because I let her help so little lately. When you have a nine month old that is attached to you it's hard to do the little planning that it takes to make our adventures in the kitchen run smoothly.<br />
This little girl loves to bake, so we finally managed to find some time to get into the kitchen this past week. We made Cupcake Sundaes. Just choose any cupcake mix or recipe for homemade, pour it into some flat-bottomed ice-cream cones and bake. We just followed the recipe baking temperature and time.<br />
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Such an easy thing to make and allowed both kids to get creative after the cupcakes had cooled. I mixed up some cream-cheese frosting (you could use any frosting) and then put a dollop of whipped cream on top. The kids chose from the sprinkles I had in the cupboard. Turns out I had collected quite a few varieties. Do sprinkles have a shelf-life?<br />
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They were so much fun to eat, too.<br />
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A couple of things: When filling the cones with batter, fill just the stems so that the cake has room to rise. Also, the cones did get a little soggy the second day. The kids didn't seem to mind. <br />
Definitely a pretty good alternative to ice cream on a cold, winter day.<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-52373008500328694322014-01-22T01:03:00.001-05:002014-01-22T01:03:49.568-05:00Yellow Belt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B4PSNw-xNrs/Ut9aTi009pI/AAAAAAAADLQ/aRUyACAsK_M/s1600/YellowBelt5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B4PSNw-xNrs/Ut9aTi009pI/AAAAAAAADLQ/aRUyACAsK_M/s1600/YellowBelt5.jpg" /></a></div>
Buddy took his first belt test over the weekend and passed. We are so proud of our new yellow belt. He is proving to be quite suited to Karate. He has surprisingly good coordination and also has an excellent memory.<br />
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We fight a little getting him there for class, but he always enjoys it, so I'm not certain what the problem is. So far, Karate has been so good for him, too. It demands focus, being around a large group of kids and I think it helps build determination. Three things that Buddy really needs. I hope that he will want to stick with it.<br />
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Jellybean is pretty proud of her big brother and has decided that she wants to follow in his footsteps. We might have a Karate girl next year or the year after.<br />
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If only Buddy would practice with me. It is hard for me to stay on the sideline given my history with martial arts, but he will have none of my help. Seems to be a common theme with my kids.<br />
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He is one tough and amazing kid. Way to go, Buddy!<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-26200010430669648952014-01-18T00:26:00.000-05:002014-01-18T01:05:23.205-05:00Just Some Winter DaysThought I'd dump a few photos from the last week or so. The sun has been out the last few days, so we haven't been as cooped up, but that wasn't the case a week ago.<br />
Jellybean ready for some serious play time in the snow:<br />
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Teddy Bear, staying warm inside, mugging for the camera:<br />
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Trying to stay busy indoors, doing a little marshmallow building with two of my favorite kids:<br />
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Fun to see the different building styles.</div>
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Buddy is pretty proud of his handiwork. When I wasn't looking Jellybean started to eat hers.<br />
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And then all of the marshmallows disappeared. Weird.<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-91521374972321975322014-01-04T23:21:00.001-05:002014-01-04T23:21:03.890-05:00Teddy Bear 8 Months!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Teddy Bear turned 8 months just before Christmas. I realized that if I didn't get this update posted soon, he would be 9 months old already.<br />
This last month was huge development-wise for Teddy Bear. He accomplished the following:<br />
-He began saying: "Ma ma ma ma" and "Da da da da". He also makes the sounds, "Ra ra ra ra". Buddy is positive that he is saying his name. Jellybean got Teddy Bear to copy the sound, "Sssss." She says that he is saying sister.<br />
-He began sitting up on his own and then...<br />
-He began crawling and sitting and crawling and sitting all over the house. He's becoming quite the explorer. He loves crawling after his brother and sister. They love being crawled after.<br />
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-Teddy Bear figured out how to clap and then figured out that clapping seems to please his parents a great deal.<br />
-He is getting pretty good at picking up and getting puffs and yogurt melts in his mouth.<br />
-He moved up to size 4(!) diapers<br />
-Teddy Bear started pulling up on anything he can pull-up on. He'll even let go and almost stand on his own for a moment before falling on his bottom.<br />
-He also figured out how to roll a car back and forth on the floor.<br />
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Somewhat more frustrating, he has become very attached to me and went through an intense stranger danger stage at the beginning on the month. It seems that he is coming out of it somewhat, but he complains loudly, even while D is holding him. He will only stop when I come to get him. I like being so very loved, but it is also kind of annoying. Also, this kid is starting to break me. My back has seen better days. He is so heavy that I have begun to dread carrying him upstairs more often than absolutely necessary. I hate to wish the time away, but it will be a blessing when he can get up those stairs on his own.<br />
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Christmas was so fun with Teddy Bear here. We even managed to keep the tree from falling victim to his explorations. Sadly, the tree is still up (because we are terribly lazy), so he may still get an opportunity to pull it down.<br />
Here's the monthly photo progress update:<br />
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Grandpa thinks he has thinned out a bit. Maybe a little, but he is certainly starting to take on more and more of the little boy look. Soon, I'll be wondering where my baby went. Meanwhile, I'll just keep showering his cheeks with kisses.<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJ<br />
<br />MJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-11290475530984251902013-12-21T00:15:00.000-05:002013-12-21T00:15:07.899-05:00Teacher Ornament Gift<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is very late, but I thought I'd post anyway. Just a little gift from Buddy to his excellent teacher. I had him write his name and the year on the back. Buddy wanted to stamp Merry Christmas on the front, but unfortunately, I was missing the letter "c" stamp. Sad.<br />
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So excited for Winter Break!<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJ<br />
<br />MJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-6919752988758597952013-12-13T00:17:00.002-05:002013-12-13T00:17:43.468-05:00She's a Dancer, He's a Fighter and The Little One is Just CuteI feel like I just can't get around to blogging lately, but I had to post some photos of the kiddos. This year we started...<br />
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Jellybean in Ballet,<br />
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Buddy in Karate,<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UY30zhw56uI/UqqQuxQweeI/AAAAAAAADHI/X2KtS4LJE-I/s512/Dancer%2520Fighter3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UY30zhw56uI/UqqQuxQweeI/AAAAAAAADHI/X2KtS4LJE-I/s1600/Dancer%2520Fighter3.jpg" /></a></div>
and Teddy Bear is just cute.<br />
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I should also note that Teddy Bear started saying, "Mama," yesterday and I think he even knows what it means. Made my week.<br />
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Some other things to note: We are really looking forward to Christmas. I've even finished the shopping. This last week our fish attempted suicide and failed. I have had Christmas cards sitting on my counter for the last two weeks and still haven't sent them. This Saturday, D and I celebrate 11 wonderful years of marriage. Lots of fun stuff happening around here.<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-89566119136152025422013-11-28T00:56:00.001-05:002013-11-28T00:56:51.014-05:00So Thankful.This year, I decided to start a Thanksgiving Tree (sorry no pictures). I have some branches that I collected from the American Sycamore trees that stood outside our previous home. I thought it would be fun to attach some leaves to them. On each leaf, there is one thing that each of us is thankful for. It has been so fun to see what the kids decide to put down. Buddy is thankful for his backpack. Jellybean is thankful for animals (she still says this "amimals"). I'm thankful for a garage, but I'm mostly thankful for my wonderful husband and for these three little people:<br />
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Teddy Bear turned 7 months last week. Because I haven't been posting as much and because the time moves so swiftly, it seems like every other post is a monthly progress post for this little guy. He is growing up way too fast.<br />
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Teddy Bear continues to be a jovial little guy. I love his sweet smiles and giggles. Who can resist his fantastically squishy cheeks? I can't. Last night, I went up the stairs with him in my arms saying, "ba boom" with each step. I have never seen any child laugh like he was laughing at that. I love that he finds me hilarious. His siblings love to make him laugh, too. He makes all of our hearts so happy.<br />
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This month Teddy Bear got his very first tooth. He has also developed a stronger sense of stranger danger, though it's really more like "you're not my mommy" syndrome. He is slowly but surely figuring out how to crawl. He can now get on his hands and knees and inch-worm slowly forward. The coordination isn't quite there and I can tell that it frustrates him to no end. He wants to be mobile so badly. It will come soon enough.<br />
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He babbles more and more. His new sound combo sounds like, "Ra, Ra" Buddy is certain that he is trying to say his name.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ezdIgjj3mKM/UpbS6JHsHZI/AAAAAAAADGQ/cRLxb6RWv7Q/s450/Josh7Month6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ezdIgjj3mKM/UpbS6JHsHZI/AAAAAAAADGQ/cRLxb6RWv7Q/s1600/Josh7Month6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jellybean insists on being part of the photo shoots. I had to get a picture of the fox hat. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Teddy Bear is mostly sitting on his own. He is so highly motivated to crawl though that he never just sits for long. It's becoming more difficult to keep him entertained. Of course, he entertains us constantly, so it all works out.<br />
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I'm not even going to bother talking about his sleep habits. Let's just say that we are working on it.<br />
Here's his monthly progression. He is definitely changing.<br />
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We love this little guy. <br />
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I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving!<br />
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~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-32980440466739015032013-11-20T00:31:00.001-05:002013-11-20T00:31:46.758-05:00Barbie Time Doesn't Always End Well.I am extremely sentimental. This causes me to save things. A lot of my memories from childhood are tied up in the toys that I played with and it feels important and special to share those toys with my children.<br />
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I often think about how different Jellybean is from how I was at her age. Sometimes I have a hard time understanding her responses to things, but there is one thing for sure that we share: We are both doll people. I'm lucky to have a daughter that loves dolls and she is lucky that I have a lot of dolls to share with her.<br />
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I loved playing with Barbie dolls when I was a girl. I inherited some dolls and a lot of clothing from my older sister. Some of the clothes are vintage, some are hand made, most are awesome.<br />
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I have such a wonderful memory of going to a toy store with my mother, my aunt and my cousin. I remember picking out a Ken doll complete with lounge jacket. Oh, the good times Barbie and Ken had.<br />
Looking through my old set of clothes and accessories, Jellybean ran across a couple of items that perplexed her:<br />
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One Christmas, my mother decided to have a lady in her neighborhood make me some new Barbie clothes. I love them, but am waiting until Jellybean is just a little older to break them out. Noticing that Ken was looking a little threadbare, I also went on Ebay and won a couple of bids for some vintage Ken clothes.<br />
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Now, here's where things didn't end well. We have had my collection of Barbies out twice now. The last time we had them out, I noticed that the legs on some of the dolls have become sticky. So, I decided to google said stickiness and see if there was a proper way to deal with it. Guess what, apparently, those dolls were made with a type of plastic that degrades over time and releases toxic chemicals while it breaks down. Awesome right? There is some variance in how much of a problem that is, but ultimately, I had to come to the conclusion that it isn't worth the risk. So, now I have to say goodbye to my classic Ken dolls and might have to say goodbye to most of my Barbie dolls as well. I can't express how disappointed I was by this conclusion.<br />
Here's the upside. I now know what I'm giving to Jellybean for Christmas: a new Barbie (actually Midge who has her same color hair) and a new Ken as well (he'll look rockin' in the vintage clothes I have for him if they fit). We'll get to build new collection together and actually, after I got over the sadness of having to get rid of my old dolls, I realized that the new dolls are kind of cool. They all have articulated limbs which should make dressing and undressing the dolls a whole lot less aggravating. I can't wait for Jellybean to see her new dolls! I wonder if she'll be sentimental like me and save her new collection to play with a child of her own someday.<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
<br />
~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-51388702987181982472013-11-06T00:42:00.000-05:002013-11-06T00:42:01.284-05:00Leaves and CostumesWell, October went by in a flash and the leaves are falling. Where has this year gone?<br />
It has snowed twice now, but over the weekend the weather was really mild. The leaves were so beautiful on the lawn that it was almost sad having to rake them up, but I guess it had to be done some time. The kids thoroughly enjoyed playing in them first though.<br />
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So much fun.<br />
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Jellybean mostly enjoyed hiding in the leaves. They made for excellent camouflage.<br />
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Teddy Bear got up from his nap, so I decided he should experience the leaves, too. He couldn't figure out what was going on.<br />
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Buddy thought that Teddy Bear needed more exposure. This is also why I found several leaves in Teddy Bear's diaper later.<br />
We had such a fun Halloween as well. Buddy participated in his school parade and we were there to cheer him on.<br />
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Later, the kids all got dressed up in preparation for Trick or Treating.<br />
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Buddy and Jellybean were very excited. Because Jellybean's bag was a pumpkin as well, we dubbed her a "pumpkin patch." I need to dig up the photo of me wearing the same pumpkin costume when I was her age.<br />
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I love this time of year!<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
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~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-47567847464657462872013-10-31T00:01:00.001-04:002013-10-31T00:01:02.435-04:00Happy Halloween!We've got some pumpkins carved and are anxiously awaiting some Tricks and Treats.<br />
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Have a safe and fun Halloween night!<br />
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~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-37041326051307230252013-10-28T00:35:00.000-04:002013-10-28T00:35:26.609-04:00Push Pin Geo Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago, I saw a great picture of a push pin geo board using a cork board, push pins and rubber bands. I wish I had the link. It was such a simple idea, that I thought I'd give it a try with my kids.<br />
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I purchased some cork trivets from Ikea, some push pins and a mega bag of assorted rubber bands.<br />
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I laid the materials out for the kids and before I could show them how I wanted the activity to go, they had already started making works of art on their own. I swear that 9 times out of 10, I have a very specific idea in mind for an activity and then the kids totally change it. I have had to learn to just roll with it.<br />
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This was a great activity. I worried that Jellybean was a little young to be messing with push pins, but it turned out to not be a problem at all. I can see us breaking this out regularly. They'll also be fun to use in conjunction with Buddy's kindergarten curriculum. Right now they are working on shapes.<br />
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Teddy Bear was pleasant as usual and just hung-out in his high chair while we played. Sweet boy, I can't wait until he is big enough to play too.<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
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~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855225733978844111.post-87804861372855595722013-10-24T23:48:00.002-04:002013-10-24T23:48:38.393-04:00Teddy Bear 6 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We've reached 6 months with this little fellow. One half of a year. As always, the time has just flown.<br />
Boy has he grown. We went in for his 6 month doctor's visit. He is 20 lbs 11oz (92nd percentile) and 27.5 inches (86th percentile). He's really shot up even from the last visit.<br />
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Some things about Teddy Bear now:<br />
-He's rolling with ease, all directions and even will roll across a room to reach a toy.<br />
-He would dearly love to crawl, but can't figure it out. He'll get his front half up, then he'll try to get his back half up, but he can't do both at the same time. He laughs when you "help" him crawl by moving his back legs forward.<br />
-He is so close to sitting on his own.<br />
-He still loves music and being sung to. He especially enjoys the ABC song and "Shortenin' Bread".<br />
-He finds me hilarious. I'm especially funny if I put random objects on my head.<br />
-Also, a dancing Jellybean is an extremely funny diversion as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love that, in these photos, he has a red mark on his forehead from sleeping on D. </td></tr>
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-We discovered that he dislikes Shrek masks.<br />
-We've started him on solid foods. Surprisingly, he doesn't seem that in to them. He's willing to try anything I give him, but his expression is one of "eh, I could take it or leave it."<br />
-He's a terrible sleeper. His longest stretch is about 5 to 6 hours. I think a good old fashion cry out is in his near future.<br />
-By far, he is my most social baby. He is very aware of everything going on and for most of the day has a ready smile for anyone.<br />
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This kid is incredibly lucky. He has two very devoted siblings. They really love him and enjoy making him laugh. He laughs easily and it is a delightful sound.<br />
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Teddy Bear is just the sweetest, happiest little guy. We certainly love him.<br />
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That's one more month to add to the monthly progress pictures:<br />
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Have a Happy Day!<br />
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~MJMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528337266061304890noreply@blogger.com1