My Breastfeeding Journey

I want to start off by saying that I am not judging anyone else for the decisions they made regarding breastfeeding and what was best for them and THEIR child. This is simply my experience with breast feeding. If anyone has any negative comments they can just keep them to themselves! :)

My breastfeeding journey with Makenna was definitely not an easy one in the beginning. It took her three months to latch and it was a constant battle. I believe this is a direct result of the difficult birth I had with her that ended in an emergency c-section. I was so drugged and tired at that point, that I didn't even get to see her for eight hours afterward because I couldn't stay awake. By that time she had already had several bottles and was in love with her pacifier. As you can tell in this picture, I am still out of it.

When I finally got to hold her, I immediately tried to get her to nurse. She screamed and cried and would not latch for anything. After five minutes we were both exhausted and Daddy gave her a bottle. I felt like the biggest failure ever. When the lactation consultant came in that day she helped me try different holds and a nipple shield. Still nothing. They brought me a pump and told me I should start pumping to help my milk come in and that we would keep trying to get her to latch. I pumped and pumped and finally the day I went home from the hospital my milk came in! I was so excited, at least I could pump and give her breast milk still. She transitioned from the formula to breast milk in bottles without a problem. I figured she would start latching soon.

A month later she was still not latching. I would try before every feeding, but she would just scream and scream. I was slowly losing hope and pumping was taking over my life. When you pump exclusively it gets tiring and takes a LOT of time. I had to feed her and then pump for 30 minutes every 2 hours. As soon as I was finished, it felt like it was time to start the process all over again. I never really produced enough pumping to build up a good supply. So I had to constantly pump in order to feed her. My breast pump was my BFF. I couldn't go anywhere without it.

Pumping in the car

Thank God I had a good support system of family and friends who supported breastfeeding. My friend Julia was a constant shoulder to lean on and would help give advice to increase my supply or on any other issue. I probably would have given up without them cheering me on. Three glorious months later, I forgot my pump at work. I decided to just see if she would latch before I went all the way back there. SHE LATCHED!! I almost passed out from excitement. :) 

After she finally latched, my milk came in stronger and I had zero problems producing enough milk for her. It was amazing and I stopped pumping all together. I was just so tired of that damn pump. I now wish I continued pumping a few times a day though. When I finally tried to pump again I hardly got anything and then Makenna refused to take a bottle. Go figure. Just my luck. 

When Makenna was around 5 months old, she all of a sudden became "allergic" to dairy. She was extremely gassy, would have poop explosions a billion times a day, and broke out with rashes and eczema everywhere. 

I had to cut dairy completely out of my diet. Not just typical dairy such as, milk, cheese and ice cream.... but anything that the dairy protein was in. Which is pretty much EVERYTHING. You don't even realize how much prepackage food dairy is in. It was insane. If I was worried I wasn't going to lose the weight I put on from pregnancy, I no longer had to worry. I dropped weight at a rapid pace. I was around 115 lbs when I got pregnant. I gained around 35 lbs, so at the time of birth I weighed 150. By the time Makenna was six months I was down to 102 lbs. I was definitely not eating enough and I'm lucky my milk supply didn't suffer. 

After all my breastfeeding struggles, I refused to give up! My baby girl was doing so much better and was happy once again.

Right before her first birthday, I slowly began introducing dairy back into my diet. She seemed to be doing fine with it so I cut out all dairy restrictions and went back to a normal diet. I put back on weight and evened out at 115 where I started.

After Makenna's first birthday I tried weening her off of breastfeeding. She was NOT having it. I decided to keep going and try again in a few month. By this time she was obsessed with my boobs. No, really, she was. I think her latching around the three month mark was a big reason. Around three months is when you start to introduce a "lovey". Her lovey was my boob. Even when she wasn't nursing she wanted to hold my boob. If she wanted to go to sleep she had to hold my boob. I created a boob monster. I always joke with my husband that she's going to mortified of all the pictures of her with her hand down my shirt when she is older. :)

Around 18 months I had had enough. We were still nursing on demand but I forced her to ween to 3 times a day and then slowly cut out a feeding until I was down to just nighttime. Nighttime was the worst one. She would cry and cry to nurse and I would give in. The month before she turned two I had to go away over night for the first time. That was the end of breast feeding, but not the boob holding. She'll be three in September and still tries to put her hand down my shirt when she is tired or wants to cuddle. I no longer let her though. Without success we cannot get her to latch onto any type of blanket or doll for more then a few weeks. She is very stubborn and obviously will not be forced to do anything before she is ready.

With baby #2 on the way I worry about breastfeeding. I pray it comes easier this time. I am having a planned c-section and my husband is under strict order to not let anyone near her with a bottle or pacifier. I am going to request a "gentle c-section" where they allow skin to skin directly after birth but haven't met the new doctor who is scheduled to delivery me. It might have been a long journey with Makenna breastfeeding, but I lasted almost two years. I would like to give baby #2 at least 18 months. We will see how that goes!

Feel free to share your experiences below!

Llama Llama Time to Share...

Welcome to another Book Review Tuesday! Tuesday is beginning to become my favorite day of the week! I really look forward to picking out books that Thomas and I get really excited about. This week, "Llama Llama Time to Share" by, Anna Dewdney takes the cake!

Image found from Amazon.

It is a great story about sharing your toys with your friends. The one thing I love about it, is that it does not come across preachy or repetitive. The rhymes are phenomenal and like always with any Anna Dewdney books the illustrations are AWESOME! Baby Llama has a very hard time sharing his Fuzzy Llama doll with his new friend. Fuzzy Llama's arm gets ripped off when he tries to snatch it back from his new friend. They work through the problem and in the end Baby Llama can't wait to share his toy with his new friend.

This book is perfect for children eighteen months plus who are just learning how to share. Especially if your child is in a daycare or a school setting. When children get to school sharing is most definitely encouraged. They share crayons, paper, books, markers, crafts, and much more! This book comes in handy when teaching the importance of sharing your things with others and showcases sharing from an extremely positive viewpoint!

XOXO,
-D

Daily Routines, Feelings & Emotions...

Life with Thomas is always interesting. Never a dull moment when it comes to spending time with that sweet boy! Thomas has definitely been going through many stages and has been facing many strong battles with his own self will. Times do get very hard and everyone's patients is tested. You want your child to be able to communicate and understand their own feelings and emotions (happiness, anger, sadness) however, at the small and tender age of two years old it is virtually impossible.

In order to make Thomas understand the different structure and activities that I have set into place for him such as, sitting down for breakfast, eating politely and quietly, not throwing your food onto the floor, etc. I have come up with a simple activity to help him be in control of different scenarios that will hopefully allow him to develop a small understanding of what he goes through on a daily basis. 

Thomas has recently become obsessed with Elmo! He asks for Elmo on a daily basis. It is really cute! So his Grandma sent him an Elmo doll that talks, sings songs, and counts. These days, Elmo is probably the only one that Thomas will listen to HA. I had Thomas take his favorite little buddy and "cook" him breakfast. He had to strap Elmo into his seat. He fed Elmo the makeshift food and even gave Elmo water! After breakfast was all said and done, Thomas took Elmo out of his seat and got his pillow and blanket and tucked Elmo in for a nap! "Shhhhhhhhhh!" Thomas tells me! He then proceeds to give him a kiss and say, "Goodnight." 

While Thomas was busy preparing Elmo his breakfast I stood there to help and watch. I would tell Thomas how good Elmo was being! "Look Thomas, Elmo isn't screaming." "Elmo is eating quietly and its so yummy in his tummy." "Shhhhh, Elmo is going to sleep without crying." Just hoping to set a new pace for Thomas so he recognizes that Elmo goes through the same activities that he does! I also keep saying to Thomas, "Who is turning TWO so soon!" "Who is such a big boy!?" Thomas is!! Just to hype up and reward all of his great behavior. We all are still working on his screaming and levels of frustration. It will take time but it really is only a stage.

What are some activities that you do to help your child understand their own daily routine, feelings and emotions? Feel free to comment below and share your thoughts and ideas with us!

XOXO,

-D

Book Review Tuesday!

Image found from Amazon.

Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? written by Eve Bunting & Sergio Ruzzier is just adorable! Thomas is currently in LOVE with this children's story. He always asks to read the duck book and quickly follows up with a loud, "Quaaaackkkk!" Duck has lost his new blue socks. He searches in his box, asks his friend the fox, and the ox but still he can't find his new blue socks! The rhyming in this book is done in a humorous and in a light hearted way. Eve bunting did an amazing job keeping the rhymes simple. They are simple enough for first time readers attempt to tackle. 

Sergio Ruzzier did a phenomenal job on the illustrations. The lost blue socks are slowly revealed as the story goes on. He makes it fun and easy for the kids to spot on their own! The illustrations in this story are done in water color and ink and the colors are nice and bright. Yet again, just the right amount to keep your child engaged and asking to read this story over and over again!

Both images found from Sergio Ruzzier

From all of the rhythms and rhymes and delightful illustrations this book is sure to make its way onto your child's book shelf! Also, a great gift to bring along to a baby shower! Perfect for ages 2-5 years old! I hope you and your family enjoy this read as much as Thomas and I do!

XOXO,

-D

Super Easy Summer Treat!

Now that Thomas is turning two years old in a few weeks he is old enough to want to do everything his mommy and I do! He recently went to Florida to visit his grandma and discovered one of the best tools ever!... A big boy step stool! It is seriously the best thing since sliced bread for him! Thomas loves to be involved in everything now. He watches us bake, cook, prepare all meals etc and loves to be involved every single second! It is the cutest thing!!

He always wants to help out and I look for different treats and easy meals that he can have fun being involved in without having to use big knives or the stove to prevent injury. Even though I never take my eyes off of him you just never know! I recently came across a childhood treat of my own (nostalgia at its finest) and I figure I will give it a go with Thomas. It is a bit messy but, Thomas wouldn't have it any other way!!

They are Copycat Kit Kat Bars! Sooo yummy and so very easy and fun to make with your little ones.

Image & Recipe found off of Raining Hot Coupons.

There are only two ingredients for this recipe and it is so much fun for the kiddies to mess around in! This may be the perfect rainy day activity and comfort food recipe. 

• 1 Package Vanilla Creme Wafers (I would just buy the store brand)
• 1, 12oz Package of Chocolate Chips

The best thing about this is depending on the nutritional rules of your household you can make this however you want it! Whether your an organic and natural household or even a gluten free household. Just buy the ingredients that work well for your family.

Image found off of Raining Hot Coupons

Next, all you need to do is line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper, melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds or however long it takes. Depending on the power level of your microwave of course! Then, once all the chocolate is melted allow your little one to have fun dipping and coating the wafer with the melted chocolate! Lift the wafer out with a fork allowing all the excess chocolate to drip off. Side note, once all is done you can even allow your little one to use the chocolate to draw pictures and shapes on construction paper or wax/parchment paper. Just something a little messy, yummy and different for them to experience. 

Image found off of Raining Hot Coupons

Once all your wafers are coated, place them in the fridge for five minutes to set! Trim the edges to make them even and enjoy!! SO much fun!

What are some yummy treats that you enjoy making with your little ones? Comment below and let us know some of your favorites!!

XOXO,

-D

Friday Favorite - Mayden Inspired

Happy Friday to all! Today I am bringing you an amazing product review for my Friday Favorite. When Danielle and I were approached by Mayden Inspired, to try out some of their awesome baby/toddler booties, we jumped at the chance. As a mom and nannies, we are always in search of shoes that babies and toddlers will actually keep on their feet! Makenna is one of those children that NEVER keeps anything on her feet. As soon as she is at home or gets in the car, off come her shoes and socks. We are forever losing them.

The owner and sole maker of booties, Danielle Murphy, is a local New Jersey mom. She started making booties for her own children and the word of her cute booties quickly spread. Mayden Inspired booties run from sizes newborn to 18/24 months, which I will say is about a size toddler's size 6. You can order them in a variety of designs and patterns. We were sent four pairs, two 18/24 months and two newborn sizes. 

As you can see, Makenna was very excited to receive her booties! 

Lucky for her, she has small feet. The size 18/24 months just fit her. That's why I am guessing they even out to a size 6. I thought she would tell me they were too tight but she just said over and over, "I love my new slippers!" She wore them the entire day and I had to force her to take them off for bed that night. That has never happened before! Two months later, her foot grew and the booties are very tight on her now :( But she loves them so much she still wants to wear them! 

The booties have held up extremely well. She wore them for the last week of school (she has to wear slippers at school) and all around the house. They show no signs of wear and are sewn very well. Considering Makenna's foot is about to bust out of them, and they are still holding up, I would give them an A+ for quality! :) I can't wait to put the newborn pair on baby #2 when she is born in September! I have them packed in my hospital bag waiting to go! 

The other newborn pair we received ended up being to small for the baby we wanted to test them. Our mistake since baby Celia was almost 3 months old. Danielle M. quickly switched out the booties for us. Celia and her Mom were huge fans of them! She kept them on and didn't pull them off at all. They are tight enough to stay on snug, but are not so tight that they leave marks or cut off circulation. And have I added that they are ridiculously cute?! 

We loved her booties so much, that we decided to gift them to a certain NJ based celebrity mom. We will keep you all updated if we spot them out and about when her baby is born! :)

The above picture shows the two different styles Mayden Inspired makes. A Maryjane type booties and a classic Moccasin style. 

Be sure to check out Mayden Inspired's Etsy shop. You can see all the different patterns and styles that they offer. If you don't see exactly what you are looking for, email Danielle M. through Etsy. She is always getting new fabrics in stock. 

We know you will all love these booties just as much as we did!

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

xoxo- K

Disclaimer: We were not paid to do this review. We received the booties free, but if they sucked we would NOT have written a good review about them! :) 

What's for Dinner?!

It has been a long time since Keri and I posted a recipe that we enjoy! The recipe that I am going to share with all of you I have made a handful of times! It is every Mother and Nanny's dream.... fast, easy & simple. A household favorite in my book! I have made this for Thomas and my employers. Needless to say, WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER! Pun completely intended ;)

This is what we call a ONE PAN DINNER! Chicken, Potatoes and Greens! 

Both images were found from Trey and Christy.

I am a HUGE fan of Pinterest! I throughly enjoy stalking all of my beautiful girlfriends and mommy friends to see what they pin and what works best for them! One of my working girlfriends pinned this and gave it a go! I was very inspired and just HAD to try it the next day! You literally throw your raw chicken, potatoes and greens into a pan. Then season and bake! EASIEST THING IN THE WORLD AND OHHHH SOOOO YUMMY!!!

RECIPE:

• Three Chicken Breasts
• Four Medium Red Potatoes
• Green Beans or Broccoli (I used Broccoli)
• 1/2 Stick of butter melted
• Italian dressing mix packet (follow directions on packet for your homemade dressing!)

What to Do:

• Cut the chicken breasts in half
• Cut the potatoes into small chunks
• Spray the bottom of your 13X9 pan
• Place your chicken in the middle, potatoes on one side, veggie on the other
• Top it with half the packet of dressing and the melted butter
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour

I cannot brag about this recipe enough! It is a no brainer! Especially on your laziest of days!! 

Give this AWESOME recipe a go & let us know how you and your family like it! Thanks to our friends over at Trey and Christy for this wonderful, simple & easy dinner idea! MOMMIES and NANNIES ACROSS THE WORLD THANK YOU! 

XOXO,

-D

Through Thick & Thin...

Life for me has been an absolute whirlwind lately. Even though Keri and I are a team and are pretty much the same person our lives are extremely different. As for Keri we all know she is expecting baby #2 (Gummy Bear) very soon! I could not be more excited and happy to meet my second niece! :) Then, on the very different and opposite spectrum of life there is me ;)

Unfortunately, my grandfather just lost his battle to terminal lung cancer. It has been a bit of a long road to travel but being with him in his last couple weeks have meant so much to me. It was very difficult to stand next to his bedside and watch him pass but in the end I know he was comfortable. My immediate family was able to be there for him throughout his last hours. His passing was followed by a beautiful private service. I could not be more thankful for the wonderful and loving support system that has been surrounding me these past few weeks. To everyone who has sent my family and I their well wishes, sweet thoughts & condolences it has meant more then you can even imagine to me.

On a brighter note... since January I have been very busy planning a fun and feisty Bachelorette Party for one of my dear friends of 25 1/2 years! ps. I will be turning 27 this August! So that should give you a little insight as to how close we are! Needless to say the weekend was a success and she had a wonderful time! (I hope! ha ;) )

For the past year all she has been telling me is how much she has been wanting to visit Ocean City, Maryland! Between the beach, all of the bars & of course the infamous SEACRETS! We just had to find out for ourselves what everyone has been talking about. I have never been there and all I wanted was to make all of her wishes come true! I pulled the troops aka the Bridal party together and with everyones hard work and dedication we truly had a beautiful weekend for one beautiful Bride-to-be!

We stayed at The Princess Royale in Ocean City, Maryland. It is an ocean front resort with a hotel and a condominiums attached. Our Bachelorette Party stayed in a three bedroom, three bathroom condo! There were thirteen women all together! Everyone slept comfortably and our fridge was stocked with food and alcohol!

Here are some pictures from the fabulous weekend!

This picture was upon our arrival! Beautiful Bride-to-be & a yummy Malibu Barbie Drink!

Nothing like dipping your toes in the water with your sister!

The Calm before the storm... HELLO SEACRETS! Seriously, one of the best times I have had in awhile! I highly recommend going there! 

SO much fun!

This was the view from our balcony! It was one of the most serene moments of the trip! My close friends know that I hate sleeping with any doors or windows unlocked but by the last night I couldn't resist the natural sounds!

On our very last night of the Bachelorette trip we were blessed enough to see a SUPERMOON! Beautiful to say the very least.

Now that it is back to reality for me I feel like I can finally breathe a bit and focus on myself again! No more running back and forth to the hospital or being so on edge when your phone rings. There is three weeks left until my beautiful friend says her "I Do's!" I cannot wait and feel so very honored to stand next to her side. Now allow the whipping of my butt into shape commence! :)

Have you planned a fabulous Bachelorette Party or have some fun stories from one you have attended?? We love hearing from each and every one of you! Feel free to comment with some fun stories!

XOXO,

-D

Book Review Tuesday!

For today's book review I wanted to scale back a bit and focus on the babies. I feel that since Thomas has grown up so much lately we have entered a different tier of books. Every once and awhile we break out one of his baby books but he usually shakes his head "NO" when I pull an "immature" book off of his shelf! Sheesh! ;)

In this summer's theme of KEEPING THINGS SIMPLE, I decided to go with ..... 

Image found off of Amazon

This is one of my favorite books and authors for my really little ones!! Sandra Boynton does a wonderful job in her writing and rhyming. This is such a simple board book. The illustrations are colorful, fun and a great size! Always enough to capture the attention of your baby! There is a great connection to the six early literacy skills. Phonological awareness, narrative skills and vocabulary to name a few. The rhyming is SO MUCH FUN! "A cow says, MOOOOO!, a sheep says, BAAAAA!, three little pigs say, LA LA LAAA!" This book is just filled with serious amounts of silliness! The animals are all whimsical. If you choose to introduce this book to your baby they will know all of their farm animals very quickly! I know this is what helped Thomas to learn at a fast pace!

Both images found from apple.

As mentioned above, I HIGHLY recommend this book for its phonological awareness! Its ability to help your child start and build up their vocabulary skills and help to develop some interpersonal skills as well! 

Please feel free to share some of your favorite board books and reading moments below! Whether you are a Mommy, Daddy, Caregiver, Teacher or friend we love to hear from you!

XOXO,

-D

Monday Ramblings

I feel like the weeks are just flying by and I can never get everything done that I have planned! My to-do list is getting longer and longer. I spent the other day organizing Makenna's closet and trying to make room for baby #2's stuff. The access to the attic is unfortunately through that closet. So I wanted to make sure that before I blocked it with a shelf, I got out all the stuff in there that baby would need for at least her first three months. Which meant we still had bins sitting all over our hallway a week later. I am not the most organized person in the world… which drives my husband CRAZY. When I do try to organize I am OCD about it and it takes an entire day to get it done, but the rest of the house suffers as a result. I keep seeing "cleaning schedules" on Pinterest. I really need to check some of them out. With another baby on the way I need to get more organized. Anyone use a cleaning schedule?? Feel free to share it with me, please! I am lucky that my husband is the total opposite of me. He does most all of the vacuuming, laundry and general house de-cluttering. 

Makenna is at such a fun age! She'll be three this September and I'm trying to soak up as much of this time as I can. The stuff that comes out of her mouth sometimes is absolutely hilarious. Most days she refers to us as Mommy Pig and Daddy Pig, but she likes to call me random words all the time: your majesty, superhero, tree, rock or whatever she is looking at. I thought I would share some of the funnier comments with you all…

She leans over and smells a marker, "oooohh it smells like poo poo and marshmallows!"   

Playing doctor, "I feel like you are going to have a heart attack. Let me check you out." She turns around and puts the stethoscope on my butt.

"Mommy, you understand?" after everything she says.

Drops something in the sink. "It's gone for the ages."

The kids were screaming and I kept telling them to stop. They didn't listen so they both got a time out. I hear Makenna say to Matthew, "It's ok Bubba. My mommy will get better after we take her to the doctor."

"I love goldfish! They are so….friendly!" 

The Doctor says to her, "Do you know what your mommy is having?"

Makenna: "Yes, she is having a Gummy Bear."

I took her to the bathroom at a restaurant. The toilets were really low to the ground and small. She looks at me and says, "You better not sit on this. Your butt is way to big."

What are some funny things your kids have said? I love hearing about the things kids say! They are usually hilarious and brutally honest. We will be back with a book review tomorrow! We also have a fun craft, another product review and a great recipe lined up this week! 

My family is going on vacation soon, so I will also be talking about traveling with kids. 

Someone is VERY excited for vacation!

Hope you all have a great week!

- K   

Muffins, Muffins & More Muffins!

Keri and I were approached by a company that represents Garden Lites. A delicious vegetable company! These muffins are Gluten free too! Which is a HUGE hit in one of the household's that I Nanny for! They were kind enough to send us five boxes of veggie muffins to taste test on our kids! This was our very first opportunity we received the third day our blog launched. Needless to say the word excited was a complete UNDERSTATEMENT!

We received five yummy flavors;

• Zucchini Chocolate
• Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip
• Veggie Blueberry Oat
• Carrot Berry
• Golden Corn 

Keri and I split up each package of muffins so we could equally divide them amongst the children. Just to give some background on their ages.... Thomas is two years old, Makenna is almost three years old, Matthew is three and a half years old and Michael is six years old. Thomas LOVED the Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip muffin and the Golden Corn muffin. Makenna and Matthew LOVED the Carrot Berry and Veggie Blueberry Oat muffins. Michael LOVED the Golden Corn muffin and I absolutely LOVED the Zucchini Chocolate muffins. 

Keep in mind the children who are under the age of four years old have not been introduced to chocolate much in their early lives :) All from personal choice. So just because they are not used to it they did not really enjoy the full Zucchini Chocolate muffins. However, myself on the other hand who is extremely into chocolate REALLY enjoyed them!! :) 

In our homes these muffins were a TRUE WINNER!!  They are a great healthy snack and the kids thought they were cupcakes. They got a dose of fruit and veggies without even realizing it! As mentioned above go check out their website  at www.gardenlites.com You can also find these muffins in Wegmans, Whole foods, Target, Stop n Shop and MANY MORE stores! Make sure your go buy a box and try them out for yourself! SUPER YUMMY! 

XOXO,

-D

Book Review Tuesday!

YAYYY! I always get so excited when Tuesday rolls around. Keri and I have received so much wonderful and positive feedback about our book reviews. Without further a due here is my favorite book of choice for this week....

This children's book is amazing for so many reasons. The moral behind Pete the Cat's story is, "No matter what you step in, keep walking along and singing your song... because it's all good." I love how Pete the Cat finds a fun way to say don't sweat the small stuff! Throughout the entire book Pete showcases such a positive attitude. The illustrations are fun, colorful and rustic. Pete the Cat undergoes a couple of shoe transformations. Whether he stepped in mud, strawberries or blueberries Pete keeps the same casual face and just keeps strolling all and singing his song. This book teaches children the art of just being able to chill out. Whether that means that mommy won't be able to refill your sippy cup right away, or you spilled something on your new shirt. No worries, it will all be okay.  

I truly do not want to ruin the book for anyone however this story comes with a CD where all the kids are able to sing along with Pete the Cat. This book is perfect for a story time or circle time. I have talked to teachers who have used this book and they all said it was a winner in their eyes. You can find it in your local library minus the fun CD or you can order it offline CD and all! 

I hope you all enjoy it! 

XOXO,

-D

Simple Summer Activites

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend! 

Danielle and I are slowly adjusting to our summer schedules, so we should be back to our normal five posts a week now. Today I want to share some of the stuff we have been up to lately. It's always hard to find ways to keep the kids entertained without spending a ton of money going places. Here are some free activities that Makenna and Matthew love to do over and over again.

After we pick Matthew up from camp we usually head to the park for a picnic. We pack up lunch, snacks and a blanket to use if there are no picnic tables available. They love to eat outside and watch all the kids play. Bonus, they usually finish all their lunch without any issue because they know they have to eat before they play. When lunch is finished we do all the regular fun park stuff; swings, slides and sand boxes. To keep the kids entertained a little longer, I started making up some other things to do. 

We usually have a ball of some sort or a little train in the car. One of the kids takes the item to the top of the slide and the other stands with a bucket at the end and tries to catch it. Then they switch places. They will do this for an hour non stop. 

Another activity that will keep them entertained for HOURS is water play. Every night when we make dinner, Makenna gets all her buckets, cups, spoons, shells and any random toy and sits on the deck. She loves to play with water and when its time to clean up she never wants to. So simple, but she has so much fun!

What kid doesn't like playing in water on a hot summer day? Another water activity they love is playing carwash. We take the bikes, scooters and play cars outside and set up a little carwash station. We make sure to dirty them up with some chalk if they are looking to clean. Some old rags with a bucket of soapy water and another bucket of clean water to rinse is all you need. Sorry I forgot to take pictures of this one! 

The last activity that the kids are loving this summer is pretend camping. Matthew got a really cool Thomas blow up bed. They pack up some necessities and camp out in the living room floor to watch a movie. We also build tent forts and read books inside.

So that's what we have been up to the last week. What are some fun activities you and the kids have done? Please share below! Danielle will be back tomorrow with a book review. 

-K

Book Review Tuesday!

I am a huge fan of books that help to teach children manners and proper behavior. I especially love to read them the stories when it pertains to them and the different feelings, emotions and stages that they go through. Even though most of my little ones are toddlers they understand everything that is going on around them. They have the ability to identify with the books even when they can't fully communicate with us. I know every child goes through this stage and sometimes Thomas still struggles with this just a little bit ;) ... you know that moment when they look at you and drop their food all over themselves and the floor! WAIT, DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT... NOOOOO! Haha you know we all think it in that moment and most of us even voice it. Thank goodness for the awesome book, "How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?" by, Jane Yolen.

Image found from slcbookboy.

Image found from scholastic.

Image found from Google.

"How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?" just happens to be apart of an amazing series! At the end of this post I will mention some of the other stories in this series. For now, let me rave about this one! When Thomas was heavy into the screaming stage at mealtime and throwing everything you placed in front of him this book was the best thing that ever happened to us. Not only did it keep his attention but all he wanted to do was read it over and over again. The author, Jane Yolen does a wonderful job of starting out this book by teaching proper table manners. In the first half of this book she states all of the things that should NOT be happening at the dinner table. The second half of this story showcases what great table manners should be! One of the best idea's the author had was using Dinosaurs to help get her point and her themes across to children. By using Dinosaurs instead of humans you get these hilarious pictures. They have human parents and bystanders that watch with these horrid looks on their faces. All of the pictures are awesome! It beautifully captures the awful behavior of the dinosaurs and the funny and shocking disapproving looks from their parents. It is honestly hilarious. The book is filled with tons of fun rhymes. "Does he belch, does he burp, or make noises quite rude?" When I read it to Thomas during meal time I usually say all of these rhymes in a funny and quite annoying high pitched voice. I also act some stuff out. He absolutely loves it. I am sure its a scene but anything for the little man ;) Another fun perk of this book is that somewhere on each page the Dinosaurs full name can be found. So if you have an older child you can make a game out of it. More or less an I spy... I spy a name that starts with the letter, "T." If they find it you can proceed to tell them the name and try to have them pronounce it. Your older child can even try to do some research on each Dinosaur to find out what they ate and how they lived. There are so many things you can do to make this book more fun and educational then it already is!

"How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food," is beyond comical and so simple in its approach to teaching children table manners. For Thomas this book was an absolute home run! It never gets old to him and he now loves Dinosaurs. It really has helped him to grow and understand what should and should not be done during mealtime. 

Some of the other awesome books from this series is:

• "How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Room?" 
• "How Do Dinosaurs Say I love You?" 
• "How Do Dinosaurs Go To School?"
• "How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends?"

You can see exactly where the author Jane Yolen has gone with this series. Absolutely GENIUS!! Like I said above, this series is a HOME RUN in Thomas's house!

What are some books that have helped to teach your child some important lessons? Have any suggestions as to what books you would like to see showcased for Book Review Tuesday? Comment below to let us know! 

XOXO,

-D