Snow watercolor

Last week it was too cold to play in the snow so we decided to bring the snow inside!  (I would recommend having a waterproof tablecloth, shower curtain, or even a towel for the duration of this activity ;) )

First we droppered food coloring into the snow.

Then we dropped pieces of the colored snow all over some paper.

Then we watched it melt.  I posed questions to Brother, asking him why the snow is melting, what is happening as it melts, and whether bigger or smaller piles melt faster.  But mostly he was just interested in creating a huge pile of snow!

 

Finished product!

   

While we were waiting for the painting to dry we brought in some fresh snow and made a miniature snowman.

First, assemble random bits and pieces:

Second, taste the snow!

 

Third, assemble snowman:

 

Meet our late friend, Clyde (he has long since moved on, a.k.a. melted)

 Any of our readers have any snow around?  Ours is gone now; I'm hoping for one more snow so we can take the boys sledding!

Becoming SAHM

I have traded in my high heels and lunch breaks for lullabies and story times.  I am mama and mom.  The world’s toughest job, richly rewarded with a baby’s first kisses and the joyful exclamations of “I did it!” - fair trade for daily dealings with diaper blowouts and the world-crashing tantrums of a three-year-old.  So far it’s been a tough transition for me; I think it would have been easier to have stayed home from the beginning with my oldest (oh, how I wanted to!) but I think we are finally hitting our groove.  Meltdowns are now occasional rather than hourly (what can I say, I was used to being able to pee without an audience and eat at a leisurely pace while enjoying a good book rather than sneakily shoving in bites while my toddler’s back is turned!).  I’m still figuring out how to balance being with my boys, putting food on the table, and keeping the house from becoming a chaotic abyss, let alone maintaining a good relationship with my husband and finding time for myself.  If anyone has any tips, please clue me in!

Sweet Shot Tuesday: Playing in the park

We are lucky enough to live by this really cool sculpture park that is a great place for photo ops.  Despite it being so close to home, we had actually never been before.  Last Friday was a beautiful day, so for our family night we grabbed our camera and walking shoes for a fun time.  Here are some of my favorite shots.

I'm linking up with Darcy for sweet shot tuesday at my3boybarians

 

Monday Meal Planning

Here are our meals for this week:

Monday: Parmesan crusted dijon mustard chicken breast (recipe below), noodle side, broccoli
Tuesday: Tilapia, potatoes, green beans
Wednesday: Burgers, baked beans, peas
Thursday: Quesadillas, corn, black beans and rice
Friday: Steak and twice baked potatoes (from freezer), salad
Saturday: Pork loin, green beans, rice side
Sunday: Roast chicken, 'crash' potatoes (recipe found here), peas, fresh baked bread (wish me luck!!)

My husband is on a special weight loss diet where for the next week or so he will only be able to eat meats (no carbs, no veggies).  So this week I am trying to make things that he can eat, with nutritious sides for the rest of us to have.  Is there anyone else in this situation?   If you have special or restricted diets for one member of the family, how do you handle it?  What about tips for coming to terms with watching family eat 'forbidden foods?' (other than eating separately)

Easy Parmesan crusted dijon mustard chicken breast (inspired by this recipe here)

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup dijon mustard
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Mix together mustard, cheese, and seasonings in small bowl
3. Spread mixture over each chicken breast half and place in baking dish
4. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes

Sick day activities

We've had a run around with the cold virus at our house all week.  First my husband fell prey, then myself, then my poor son (who had it the worst).  The first few days we were all lethargic and slept all day.  Now we're on the road to recovery.  We still feel sick and not up to full capacity, but well enough to where we want to be able to do things again.

I usually try to do fun activities with my son on Thursday nights (when my husband has night class) so I am trying to come up activities we can do tonight.  I'm exhausted (being pregnant + coughing all night + not being able to take any medicine = restless sleep) so I'm definitely wanting to keep the work involved to a minimum.

Though I hope none of you are sick, I do know that sicknesses have really been going around this year, especially with the change in the seasons, so I thought I would share my list of activities with you.  Feel free to share any activities you fall back on for those sick days, I would love to hear them!

1. Play doctor: About a month ago my son started saying he's going to be a doctor when he grows up.  He's kept with it, so we bought him a few things (and got some from my mother-in-law, who happens to be a nurse) and created a doctor kit for him (I'll do a post on that some other day :) Whenever he gets hurt or is sick, we pull out the doctor kit and it seems to make him feel better.  We'll 'examine' each other, give 'shots,' and then start in on his stuffed animal 'patients.'  It keeps him occupied and feeling like he's being proactive in making himself feel better.  
2. Puzzles: keep it easy, we all know how hard it is to concentrate on difficult activities when we're not feeling the best!  
3. Looking at photo albums together: a nice quiet activity for everyone that makes the kids feel special.  Especially if you share stories with the photos :)
4. Reading books: another great quiet activity.  If you don't have the energy or voice to read yourself, Storylineonline is a great resource of popular books read by celebrities where the illustrations get a touch of animation that bring them to life.  Check it out, my son loves it!
5. Coloring: I would stick to crayons (maybe markers, depending on age of child) to limit the mess; in my experience, sick mamas don't like to clean up big messes, and sick kiddos really don't like getting cleaned up!
6. Storytelling: Children love stories, especially ones that involve themselves and/or their favorite things.  If they're old enough, they also enjoy contributing to the storytelling.  Get creative!
7. Go on a walk: If the weather is nice and everyone is feeling up for it, a short quiet walk just might be the trick to perk everyone up.  Just be sensible about the conditions and don't overdo it!
8. Take photos: My son is always on the go.  It's rare that he'll sit still for a photo, especially ones where he's cuddling mommy and/or daddy.  He also looks so sweetly pathetic when he's sick.  It might not be the happiest memory, but it's definitely a good time to take some photographs that will be treasured (as long as they're not covered in puke).  If the child is up to it, maybe have a photo session with lots of different faces (silly, mad, sad, etc. to get in a mini-lesson about expressions and feelings, as well as photographs that you can enjoy together in the years to come).
9. Playdough: If the child is sick and you are not, or if you're feeling up to potential clean-up, playdough can be a great pastime.  I made some homemade playdough a few months ago from this recipe at How Does She? and it works great!  It is shelf-stable, too, and is still as soft and pliable as the day we made it, unlike the commercially-available stuff.
10. TV: I know, I know, most of us hate to rely on the TV as a babysitter.  But there are sometimes where it's acceptable and maybe even necessary.  

Most importantly, make sure to take care of yourself and your kiddos.  Drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest, there's really no better remedy!  The housework and intensive activities can wait for another day (or two...or week).  The more you push the boundaries the longer you'll be sick - it's not worth it!  

Product Review: Melissa & Doug See & Spell

Today's post is a product review of the Melissa and Doug See & Spell set (note: I was not asked to do this review by anyone and I did not receive anything for it).  This product is available on Amazon.com via my affiliate link: Melissa & Doug See & Spell

My oldest son loves puzzles and letters!  The Melissa & Doug See & Spell offers him the joy of both, along with the feeling of accomplishment when he spells a word.  This educational toy promotes letter recognition, beginning spelling, letter sounds (when he isn't sure what the letter is I help him sound out the letter), builds self-confidence, and is just plain fun!  

Each of the words is three or four letters long and is accompanied by a colorful and easy-to-recognize -picture to aid with word recognition.  There are 8 wooden cards, each with a word on the front and another on the back, for a total of 18 words (my son loves turning over the card to see what the word on the other side is).  There are over 50 wooden letters in different vivid colors to make individual letters easier to find.  There are multiples of many of the letters, enabling the child to spell words on several cards without having to take letters off of other cards.  

We have had the set for almost four months and it has held up very well and continues to be a favorite.  My only complaint is that there is no cover, which means we have to put the set up to ensure we don't lose any pieces.  Other than that, my son really enjoys playing with it, and I enjoy seeing his face light up with pride when he spells words all on his own.  I would really recommend this toy, especially for preschoolers and early elementary - manufacturer suggested age is 4-7, but my 2-1/2 year old loves it.  I just watch him closely since the letters could be a choking hazard.

Maternity photo shoot

So my husband is this crazy good professional photographer.  Well not really professional yet, but maybe someday ;)  These are his first attempts at doing a photo shoot with our new DSLR Canon Rebel T3.  I did the editing (and modeling - which I suck at btw, I'm always blinking or making a screwy face...)  I'll start off with the picture I am most proud of; I came up with the idea completely on my own!!)  This is the beginning of our journey to learning how to use our camera.  Enjoy!!