Jan
18
2012Bronwyn has a boyfriend. His name is Bruce. She likes to pet him. She insists that he’s a “Lay-Dee Boog!” I know the truth.
Bruce is a Hissing Cockroach. He lives at our local Children’s Museum.
I know… this doesn’t sound so much like an activity besides going to see him at the museum, but it’s become a game.
Bronwyn randomly looks at me during the day and says:
“Tea-um. Kinger. Lady-Dee Boog!” (Museum. Finger-I touch him with one finger. Lady Bug)
To which I reply.
“Bruce is a Cockroach!”
Bronwyn grins slying and insists:
“Lay-Dee Boog!”
“Cockroach!”
“Lay-Dee Boog!”
“Cockroach!”
“Lay-Dee Boog!”
“Cockroach!”
Until I either tickle her or collapse in a fit of giggles.
Here’s a little interview of Bron-ee Bear telling you all about Bruce. Enjoy!
Jan
16
2012I used some Christmas money to grab the girls this little project:
Pipe Cleaners: $.77
Multi-colored/ Multi-sized Wooden Beads: $4.99
We’re in love with it! So much so that I have to keep it on top of my ‘fridge to keep the beads from being scattered all over the house all the time!
What’s really fun about this activity is that they can do it at my feet while I’m nursing sort of freestyle like in this video. Or I can get down there with them and really use it to teach! I make solid color necklaces and ask them to do the same in a different color (learning colors). Or I talk about small, medium, and large beads while threading (learning comparisons). Or I make a pattern: large, medium, small or blue, red, yellow and get them to do the same (learning sequencing: a math skill!).
Apr
12
2011- Sort and Put Away Laundry
My girls love putting anything in a box, basket, drawer, or any container. Nothing gets folded for their room any more. I just sort for the three drawers and let them put things up. I would fold it, but they love this task so much that they pull out their laundry just to put it back. You should see how proud they are! It’s free entertainment that helps you finish your chores 🙂 - Go on a Hike
We took them on their first hike when they were about 17 months old. They were recovering from a cold and we totally expected that they’d just ride in our backpacks for the majority of the time. Not only did they insist on walking, but the instinctively followed the trail too! We loved watching what they stopped to pick up (pine cones, rocks, sticks larger than they were). Both girls squealed and sang the whole time.
Now I will say that picking the trail is extremely important part of this activity. Obviously, you don’t want anything too steep or with water features much wider/deeper than a creek. But for our girls having a trail that isn’t filled with people (and their dogs) was very important as well. Try not to pick the most popular trail in the area or you’ll end up carrying them as they follow strangers or cower in front of every dog. - Go to Pet Smart or any local pet store.
It’s like a free zoo. Seriously. Utterly hysterical. - Do Yard Work
They love to “mow” with daddy, attempting to plant seeds with me (can be frustrating…), and love moving yard debris to a wheelbarrow. And knowing my girls, spreading mulch would be the ultimate joy of all yard work! - Give them some Boxes
Disposable diaper boxes are the perfect size for my girls… but really anything you have will do. We’ve made forts out of car seat boxes. We’ve put toys in toddler shoe boxes for instant noise making fun. We’ve hidden our music playing cell phones inside multiple boxes nested together and made them find the music. We’ve filled diaper boxes with clothing or bags and watched them both climb in to play. They’ve pushed boxes around like toys. They’ve turned boxes over their heads and walked around squealing. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, boxes are the perfect toys. - Let them Run Wild in the Toy Aisles
You need one person per child, but the wonder and joy in their eyes is breath-taking. They’re too young to understand that the toys could come home with them and think they’re at a playground. They’ll shake one thing, and press buttons. Then dig out bouncy balls. Mine even just run shrieking up and down an aisle because they can. Just a wise word of warning: don’t do this during a stores busy hours and don’t attempt it if your twinados can destroy the store in 20 seconds or climb shelves. Otherwise, it’s actually pretty fun 🙂 - Let them Paint
Make some finger paint; the odds are good that you have all these ingredients in the house. Strip the babies down to diapers and bring old newspapers into the yard. Let them be crazy. One of mine was all about painting on the paper. The other just loved running off with the paints and hiding them.
Or grab a bucket filled with water and old grown-up paint brushes. Let the babies ‘paint’ the neighbors fence, or the house, or their daddy. The girls did this painting activity for over an hour while Derek and I recovered from a stomach bug on Sunday. They loved it!
