Monday, July 27, 2009

The Fine Art of Jewelry Making

And by fine art, I mean chenille stems and jewels (also known as pipe cleaners and plastic beads).
Charis and I were talking about having a giving heart and being kind to others. So we decided to make bracelets for a few people. Brian and our 9 year old neighbor named Joey were on the list, but I wasn't sure how either would feel with a bracelet. Brian might feel conflicted to wear man jewelry all day as not to hurt her feelings and Joey...well, he'd probably just be confused.
This is also a great activity to practice motor skills. Threading is tough work for a 2 year old! We took our craft outside to enjoy the nice weather (and to avoid microscopic beads rolling into every nook and cranny in the house). I debated on whether or not to drag everything outside, but Major gobbling up every bead that rolled his way like they were little mini doggy treats and me, awkwardly chasing 1000 self-propelled jewels across the kitchen floor (over and over and over) helped solidify my decision.

Eventually she just had fun dumping beads. :)


She's proud of her bracelets!



The finished product!


S'mores!

I've been waiting for an ultra-hot summer day that is also cloud free, but unfortunately those days have been few and far between. It's the only time so far this year I've wished for temperatures in the upper 90's. See, I have this super fun activity to do with Charis---s'mores that bake in the sun!! Get yourself a pizza box, aluminum foil, s'mores ingredients, and you are ready to go!
Unfortunately, the sun, weather, Brian's schedule, and my patience have not been cooperating. So....we decided to make them in the oven. If you haven't done it before, here's how it goes:
Step 1: Gather supplies and lay out your s'mores on the baking sheet. Oven should be set around 375 degrees.Step 2: While assembling, taste the ingredients for freshness and taste.
Step 3: If you are Charis, you taste again by gracefully shoving a marshmallow in your mouth with one finger. Step 4: Bake for 4-6 minutes.
Step 5: If you are trying to avoid the squishy, chocolaty mess (it will squirt out the sides) from getting on your furniture, I suggest consuming them at the table. But, if you are looking for fun and a little danger, try spreading out a few towels on the couch or floor. That's what we did. I know, I'm wild and crazy like that. ;)

Step 6: Happily devour.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Camping Preparations!

Brian and a few other guys went camping in West Virginia this past weekend. Brian had been looking forward to this trip for a long time.
In preparation for his outdoor adventure, he set up his tent in the backyard and he and Charis played. She was VERY excited. She pulled on the Moo-Cow boots and was ready to go!!

At first the tent was all fun and games.

We found out that she happens to like the dirt that goes along with camping about as much as I do.

Which is not much. Oh, I like to dream about being adventurous. In my mind I think Camping with the family! What's not to love? And then I think about it...heat, sweating, lack of shower, catching my hotdog on fire over the campfire, burning my smores, waking in the middle of the night and praying the bears don't eat me while I stumble through the woods to find the bathroom...I could go on and on. So right now I'll let Brian enjoy the wilderness and I'll enjoy tent camping...in my backyard. Maybe by the time I'm 30 my adventurous side will "kick in."

Friday, July 17, 2009

Big Girl Bed!









When Atalie was born, Charis was 19 months old. She was so comfortable in her crib that we hesitated to make the transition to a new bed at the same time a new sibling was coming into the picture. This week we made the move to a new "Big Girl" bed with Charis. The first week...love love love. She was asking...no, begging...to go to bed. The second week? "I yike the crib. Where can crib be?" (yike= like, just in case you weren't sure.)
And today?
As soon as I walked out of the door, this happened:
Charis: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Me: It's time for a nap. If you need something, you don't need to scream. Just say, "Mommy I need you."
Charis: Mommy, I need tumping. (something)
Me: What do you need?
Charis: (long pause) uh, chocolate chips??
Me: (about to burst from holding in laughter, yet speaking in my best fake firm voice) It's time for a nap.
I understand, though. I often need chocolate chips, too. ;)

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

I love that they love each other!





They look like 2 little old ladies getting ready to go shopping!

























The girls had so much fun dressing up. Thanks MeMe for a great dress up box! I think I had just as much fun as they did.



Sunday, July 12, 2009

Oatmeal starfish and more!













Charis and I have started Theme Weeks. Our first week's topic: the beach! I dug out all my beach and water books and we learned about a different animal each day. We started with starfish. We read a book on starfish, made our own starfish by cutting out a star on blue and red paper (yes, some starfish are really blue), and gluing oatmeal to the outside to make it bumpy in texture. Tuesday we made a crab, Wednesday a jellyfish, Thursday we painted fish, and Friday we made an Ocean in a Bottle. ( crafts.kaboose.com/ocean-in-a-bottle.html) We had a sea shell hunt in pink sand (woo-hoo for Crayola sand!), hid seashells in the house to find, and examined real starfish, sand dollars, conch shells, and coral. We made sand pictures and played in her sandbox outside and dug for hidden treasures in the sandbox (our own mini beach). Some fun stories we read were The Rainbow Fish, The Fidgety Fish, and The Clumsy Crab. Digging for seashells!
After we found the shells, she decided to get in the bowl.


And some sand in the hair... which, incidentally, I am still finding.




She had a great time! (And so did I!) Next theme....bugs!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Fun (and tears) in the Sun!

There are so many great things about having my parents live close. The kids love them, I really enjoy seeing and talking to my mom, it's cozy and inviting, they always seem glad to see us. I could go on and on. I've never really been crazy about the pool, so it hasn't been on my list of highlights. I need a hot day with an even hotter pool. I'm talking 90+ degrees. You know, a gigantic hot tub. Everyone insists that the pool is there to refresh you. My opinion? It's hard to feel refreshed when you are shivering and have to do a tip-toe dance just to get used to the water. You know the dance. You hop in, arms pulled up near your chest, fists balled, up on your tippy toes, stomach sucked in, a poor attempt to keep the cool water from touching your bare stomach. And don't forget the agonized facial expression. Yes, that sounds like fun to me.

Charis and Brian do not share my opinion.

Charis wanted to jump off the diving board first...

She was very excited to jump into Brian's arms. I think she did this about 100 times.Then it was Atalie's turn! Her first time in the pool.I think she shares my opinion.This was long after she'd dried off and warmed up. Still upset that we had subjected her to that type of torture.I feel your pain, girly. From now on Atalie and I will be spectators instead of participants. And I just found my new excuse for not getting in.

"I would, but someone has to stay with Atalie."


Wednesday, July 8, 2009

It's all fun and games until...










I've been having Charis help me with daily chores around the house. So this particular day she unloaded and sorted the silverware from the dishwasher and helped me mop the floor. She loved the soapy water and sponge. My little Cinderella, mopping happily. Then she decided to do a happy dance on the slippery floor. As you've seen from earlier posts, we are still working on using our hands to brace our falls, instead of our face. It wasn't pretty.
Memo to me---next time, grippy socks and a few ground rules. The first one being "Happy dances belong on carpeted floors."

Monday, July 6, 2009

Otto-tott-O

Atalie's first tastes of solid food went well. We started with avocado (or as Charis calls it, Otto-tott-o). Safe to say it was a success!

















She's a bit worried she may not get any more avocado. She's very malnourished, as you can see.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Painting the sidewalk (They can't all be creative titles)

One thing I know for certain about Charis. Paint + mess + sun = fun. When I found a recipe for sidewalk paint, I knew we had to try it. So we chose our colors, mixed it up, and headed outside.



We painted a road for driving toy cars.




She's focused on her creation.


She painted almost the entire sidewalk.


We even left a message for Brian on the sidewalk, at her request.


Sidewalk painting was definitely a success. I got a few of the $1 brushes, a mini paint roller, and some foam brushes, as well as some cornstarch and food coloring. When we finished painting, we dumped the remaining paint on the sidewalk and splashed in it barefoot. The best part? Besides hearing gleeful shouts and giggling coming from my sweet little girl? It cleans up with water. Just water. Thank you, sidewalk paint recipe person, whoever you are.


Sidewalk paint: 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup of water, few drops of food coloring. Mix and paint!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Investing

It's a soft whisper. A slow swell, similar to the ocean waves rolling onto the beach. More personal with each passing moment. So honest and revealing that I often feel moved to tears. Deeply convicting, yet without condemnation.

That is often how I hear His voice. Well, when I give Him a moment to speak. When I put me, myself, and my circumstances away for a second.

Sometimes I can feel Him getting ready to speak. Getting my heart ready and preparing me. He's kind, you know. Gentle. Days before I can tell He's trying to get through to me. I suppose I need a little while to get ready. I get unusually quiet, involved in my thoughts, and sensitive. Sometimes the sensitivity overwhelms me a little...small things hurt my feelings, everything seems personal. But perhaps my "wall" has to be torn down a little in order for me to hear Him clearly. I'm still learning how to be sensitive to Him and Him alone when He starts speaking. Not everything from Him takes so much time or is as difficult to hear. Mostly when I need to turn the volume down on life and agendas for a while. And that takes me some time.

This particular lesson? Investing. Whatever I invest myself in (my time, my money, my heart, my prayers, myself) will become dear to my heart. So if I want change in an area, I need to invest in it. Too often I complain or vent to Him about a certain situation or person and expect Him to do all the work and me to watch Him. Sure, He does that sometimes. But He deeply wants to involve me in what He's doing. For me to meet Him where He is and join Him. I want change in a certain area. Am I there when they need me? Do I pray? Did I really devote it to prayer? Not just pray, devote...to attach myself, to consecrate and set apart, pour myself into. How much time did I invest? How much of me do I invest?



It is hard to care for something you are not investing in. (Kendrick, 14)


So easily I spout my complaints. But I learned something deep, ugly, and selfish about myself. I need to stop investing outwardly for the recognition it gets. I need to start investing inwardly, with more prayer and alone time with Him, for the change it brings to me, the things it endears to my heart, and the closeness I get from just spending more time in His presence. It's amazing how you start to care deeply about something you spend time really honestly praying about and putting time into.

It's time to start investing.