The Magical Fruit
Thursday, November 20, 2008
This bean 'n' noodle play box was inspired by the awesome "roni tub" featured over at Two Lines on a Stick. I wanted to use macaroni, but I was lazy and impatient, so I just used what I had on hand: A decorative cardboard box with a lid, a bunch of open half-full bags of dry beans that have been sitting in my cupboard for an eternity, and a bag of egg noodles. What I had didn't fill the box very full, so I think I'll add more beans or some macaroni to it later.
As I was pouring the beans into the box, I thought to myself, "This could be a bad idea." I envisioned Scout dumping the whole box onto the floor. I know it would be relatively easy to sweep up, but then tufts of dog hair, dirt, and fuzz would be intermingled with the beans and noodles and that would just not be cool. I decided I would chance it anyway. I knew Scout would love it and I was hoping I could prevent any bean-splosions with close supervision.
She loves it and thankfully, hasn't made a huge mess with it yet. I did sit beside her the whole time, serving as the bean police, but she wasn't as wild with them as I thought she'd be. She got a little rambunctious a couple times and we had a few accidental wayward beans and noodles, but that was no big deal. I think with time, I will be able to step away and let her play by herself. But for now, I'll sit there and enjoy scooping, stirring, and sifting too!
Labels: children's entertainment, food, learning, messes, pics of scout, playing, toys
posted by Unkempt Mommy @ 6:00 AM,
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First Day of "School"
Monday, November 10, 2008
Well, the prescho0l co-op thing went really well today. Scout had a great time exploring her surroundings and interacting with the other children. I love that it is more than just a play group - that there is story time, songs, snacks, and activities. Not that I think that kids can't learn a ton from simply having unstructured play time with each other. Obviously, playing is the backbone learning. But I think that sometimes kids also thrive on a little bit of structure too. I could see the excitement and pure joy in Scout's eyes when we all got in a circle to sing songs together. We sang some songs that she is already very familiar with ("If You're Happy and You Know It"..."Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes"..etc) so I think it made her feel good that she already knew some of the lyrics and hand motions. The person in charge of bringing the activity this week brought some plastic jars filled with colored water and oil and the kids had fun shaking those around and looking at how the liquid swirled. There was also a big plastic butter tub with a hole in the lid that the kids could pass around. They had a blast sticking their hands in and pulling out colorful fluffy little pom-pom balls. They tossed them up in the air, collected them and put them in different containers, and shoved them back into the butter container. The kids were also able to color with crayons and play with all the toys that each parent brought and dumped in the middle of the floor.
The class is held in a Sunday school classroom of a large church, so the tables and chairs are just the right size for the kids. This is something kind of insignificant, but I noticed as Scout helped herself at the snack table, I couldn't help but see that she looked so pleased to be spooning her own apples and raisins onto her plate. She was looking around at the other toddlers who were doing the same thing and I was imagining that she was probably thinking to herself, "This is a buffet just for us...and we're allowed to touch the spoons and cups and shovel crackers by the fistful onto our plates if we want to!" Okay, maybe I'm reading a little too much into that moment. But I guess I'm just trying to say that I think the way the class was set up fosters her desire for independence, and I like that. And in the same breath, I can say that it also fosters her need for dependence because she can come sit on my lap or hide behind me while peeking through my legs at the other children if she's feeling shy.
There were 5 or 6 other children in our class and their birthdays are all within just a few months of each other. While Scout does have a couple friends around her age at our church, she has never gotten to play with so many children her own age at one time and I could tell that she thought it was pretty cool.
My fears of feeling like a reject around the other parents were unfounded. I got along great with everyone there. They all seemed super friendly and easy to talk to. After all, no matter what our differences may be, we all have a common bond: a desire to provide our toddlers with some fun educational playtime!
Labels: firsts, learning, outings, play dates, playing, school, teaching
posted by Unkempt Mommy @ 4:52 PM,
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She needs a cape and a theme song!
Friday, October 24, 2008
My friend had her second baby a couple weeks ago. I swear - she is friggin' Wonder Woman!! This girl taught a kickboxing class through half of her pregnancy (until her doc told her to stop), while working on her feet 3 days a week as a surgical assistant, all while being an awesome mommy to her almost 2-year-old son. SIX DAYS after her baby girl was born, she called me and left a voicemail, asking if Scout and I wanted to come over so Scout and her toddler son could play together....and then said that if I had any errands I needed to run or if I just wanted some time to myself, I could drop Scout off to play instead of staying. She said she'd be happy to babysit. I was like....What?? Girl, you are crazy! When we went over to her house that day, (of course, I stayed to visit - no way was I going to just dump my toddler off at her house right after she had a baby!!) she was so full of energy and extremely cheerful. Her house was clean and organized. Her newborn was happy and so was her toddler. She was a gracious hostess and cooked all of us lunch. She refilled my tea for me, for goodness sakes! She walked around the house w/ her newborn latched on to her breast as she tended to her toddler, like it was no big thang. I couldn't believe that this woman was 6 days post-partum and was so......together! Despite my rather sunny blog post, I was actually a worn-out mess that was stressed out about breastfeeding and felt like a complete zombie at day six. A happy zombie, but a zombie nonetheless. I remember feeling like I'd never be able to cook or clean or do laundry again because I was too busy breastfeeding every second of every day. I know they say it gets easier with your second baby....but does it really get THAT much easier?
She invited us over again this week. (our toddlers absolutely LOVE each other and BEG to play with each other all the time - it's so cute!) Again, she extended the offer for me to drop Scout off if I didn't have time to hang out with them. I laughed at her again and told her that I'd rather just hang out and have some adult interaction with her. We're headed over to her house as soon as Scout gets up from her nap today. Scout is so excited about the play date - she actually understood me when I told her that we are going over there to play later today and started clapping and running around the house, screaming her little friend's name!
I guess this post doesn't really have a point. I just wanted to share my astonishment at how absolutely put together this woman is. And if she isn't as well put together as she appears, she sure puts on one heck of a show! Wow!
Labels: friends, holy crap, pics of scout, play dates, playing
posted by Unkempt Mommy @ 1:26 PM,
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A Budding Mommy and Artist
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Scout is really into baby dolls now. Actually, she's just into this one super ugly and dirty baby doll we brought home from a thrift store because she wouldn't let it go when it was time to check out. It has no clothes and has the weirdest shaped body, but it has become her favorite. My grandma taught her how to wrap the baby up in a receiving blanket, and Scout does a pretty darn good job for a 1.5-year-old! She spends forever trying to smooth the blanket out on the floor, chucks the baby onto the blanket, and then rolls the baby up. She then picks the baby up (upside down, most of the time) and pats her lovingly on the back. Sometimes she waves to the baby and says "Nigh-night" and then hurls her back onto the couch or floor. I love watching her play like that. I love it that she has an imagination now. A few times, I have seen her lay the baby onto the floor and then lay on top of her. She'll be really quiet and still for a long time and then walk away while telling the baby nigh-night. I'm pretty sure she's pretending to nurse the baby when she does this....mimicking our bedtime routine (only I usually lay BESIDE Scout when I'm nursing her to sleep, not on top of her LOL).And while I'm on the subject of cool things that Scout can do, would you believe that she knows how to draw circles??? I am not joking. For a long time now, I have pointed out circles to her. If I see something that is shaped like a circle, I will tell her it's a circle and sometimes I'll make a circle motion with my finger in the air. Then when she started scribbling with crayons, I showed her how to draw a circle. Almost every time she sits down to color, I draw circles and tell her what they are. So now, when I say, "Can you draw a circle?" she makes a circular motion with the crayon or chalk and ends up making something that actually looks more like an oval. But dang, I'm impressed. Do 1.5-year-olds usually know how to draw a shape when asked?? Yesterday, she pointed to DH's Wii Rock Band drum set and made a circle shape in the air with her finger. My little baby is learning shapes!
Labels: firsts, holy crap, learning, playing, toys
posted by Unkempt Mommy @ 9:01 AM,
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House Arrest
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Scout's nap schedule keeps me confined to the house some days, which can be a little frustrating. Depending on what time she gets up, she has been taking her nap from about 1-3 PM. Yesterday, it was actually an hour later than that. We live about 30-40 minutes from every place worth going to so running errands in "town" is never just a quick trip. Sure, we have a couple of mom 'n pop burger joints, a coffee shop, and a small grocery store where everything is overpriced, but one can only frequent those places so many times before it gets old.
If I go into town sometime in the the morning before Scout's nap, she almost always falls asleep during the drive home which ensures that she will NOT take her regularly scheduled nap once we get home. Depending on how urgent my errands are, I usually opt to stay home (or at least close to home) until after Scout's nap because I am too selfish to give up that 1.5 - 2 hours of alone time I get when she's sleeping. I normally use that time to clean up the kitchen, fold laundry, or just relax and eat lunch while wasting time on the computer. When I don't get that time, it seems like the rest of the evening is much more stressful. Scout is crankier because she only slept for 30 minutes in the car, so she clings to me and I can hardly get dinner fixed.
So, we end up missing out on some fun things as a result. I know there are some mommy groups and play dates "in town" that usually take place around 10 AM. There is also story time at the library and other activities around the community that I'm sure Scout would enjoy. The parks and playgrounds are nicer and more toddler-friendly than the one trashy graffiti and broken-glass laden one we have here in my podunk town.
We usually spend our mornings around the house, playing and trying to get a few chores done. We go out in the yard and take walks around the neighborhood a lot. Every couple of weeks or so, we meet up with a friend of mine and her 2 year old son to play, which is nice but I'd like to have Scout around other kids more often than that. I think we both get pretty bored sometimes. When I wait until after her nap to drive into town, there is not much time left to do anything. By the time we get there and go into one store, or play for 20 minutes at the park it's time to go home so I can make dinner.
While writing all of this, I realized that I'm the one who needs to be proactive and do something to change this situation instead of whining and belly-aching about it. I should make an effort to get Scout involved in more activities even if it means that I'll have to miss out on some mommy-time some days. Or maybe I could try to organize a play group here in Podunkville.
And then, before I got this post published.....
I spoke with previously mentioned friend on the phone who said that she, her MIL, and a couple other mommies are all going to start meeting up at her gymnastics studio here in my podunk town on Mondays, Wednesdays, and possibly Fridays at 10 AM to do some workout videos while the kids run around and play together. Score.
Which only proves to me that whining does work.
Labels: general complaining, outings, playing
posted by Unkempt Mommy @ 8:35 AM,
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We have the best dog ever.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
I am sooooo tired of Scout's hair constantly being in her face all the time. I have threatened to cut some bangs on this child on more than one occasion. She won't keep ANY type of hair accessory on her head for any length of time. I think it would be too sad to cut it right now, though. Maybe I could try some kind of styling product??
I guess I don't need to mention that I've been awful at keeping the house clean lately. You can definitely tell that by the photos. Uuugh.
Labels: my house, pics of scout, playing, the dog
posted by Unkempt Mommy @ 1:39 PM,
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Serial Mess-Maker
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Okay, I halfway expected this would happen when I let Scout play with a bag of puffed rice cereal, but I needed to keep her occupied for a few minutes so I decided I didn't care about the consequences. It was really old and stale anyway.
Having a dog sure comes in handy sometimes.
Labels: messes, pics of scout, playing
posted by Unkempt Mommy @ 12:57 PM,
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Today Was a Good Day
Monday, January 28, 2008
Just waking up in the morning gotta thank God
I dont know but today seems kinda odd
No barking from the dogs, no smog
And momma cooked a breakfast with no hog
....ahem..I mean, today was a good day for me and my Scout. She did wake up at 4:30 in the morning because she had pooped and then couldn't go back to sleep after I changed her (I wish that would quit happening). But then she went back to sleep at 7:00 and so did I and we both got up at 10:00 nice and refreshed. We played until she tuckered out at around 1:30 in the afternoon and she slept until 4:00! That was very convenient for me because the kitchen was a wreck and I needed to make some dinner preparations for the company we had over later on. I made a chicken casserole, like my mom always made when we had leftover roasted chicken to use up:
1 bag Pepperidge Farm Herbed Stuffing (one of the only brands of stuffing mix you can find that does not have MSG)
1/2 roasted chicken, de-boned and pulled into small bite-size pieces
1 cup frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained well
1 can Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup (one of the only cream soups that does not contain MSG)
1 soup can full of skim milk
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9" x 13" glass baking dish w/ cooking spray or grease lightly with olive oil. Prepare the stuffing mix as directed on package and spread a layer over the bottom of the baking dish, pressing it up onto the sides with a spoon. This forms the crust. Spread the chicken evenly on top of the stuffing. Then, spread the chopped broccoli evenly over the chicken. Spread the rest of the stuffing on top. Mix the condensed soup with one can of milk and pour evenly over the entire casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 to 45 minutes (or 45 minutes to an hour if the casserole had been refrigerated prior to baking). Cut into 8 servings. This dish is really yummy served with cranberry sauce and corn on the side. An 8th of the casserole is 9 points, in case any of you WW peeps were wondering.
After I whipped up the casserole, I put it in the fridge for later and made a salad. I cleaned up my mess in the kitchen and straightened up around the house.
Scout finally woke up and we played some more and I got dressed. I popped the casserole in the oven around 4:15. Company arrived at 5:30. DH's ex-coworker and his wife and baby came over so DH could work on some computer stuff for him. I have gotten to hang out with his wife several times before and I think she is super nice. Their little boy is almost exactly the same age as Scout, so we all had fun playing in the floor and chasing our mobile little creatures. Scout was so content the whole time and seemed to have tons of fun.
After company left, Scout got her nightly bath and went right to bed. Aaahh.
I have found that I really enjoy entertaining and it's been refreshing to cook more often lately.
Oh yeah, and I almost forgot the icing on the cake: I found the missing piece to my bluetooth earpiece. I thought I had lost it, but after putting Scout to bed, I cozied up in my favorite hoodie and stuck my hand in the pocket. Lo and behold, there it was. I thought it was gone for good. Without it, my bluetooth earpiece is not functional. I had gotten so used to using it because Scout always tries to grab my phone when I am holding it to my ear, so it was a big inconvenience not to have that luxury anymore.
Here are a few pics of Scout from this morning. I don't know why I didn't think to get the camera out when she was having fun with her little playmate.
Aawwww....mommy lets Scout play with plastic packing material (supervised, of course)
Good thing our dog doesn't mind being used as a jungle gym.
Scout entertained herself for about a half hour by pulling a bunch of books and CD's off the shelf. She was playing so intently and having a grand time.
Labels: food, pics of scout, playing, recipes
posted by Unkempt Mommy @ 10:20 PM,
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Tummy Time
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Scout and I played on the floor for quite a while yesterday. It was really the first time she's ever just been content chillin' on her tummy for any length of time. Usually she fusses after a couple minutes. She's getting pretty good at holding her head up. I always position her so that her hands are out in front of her, thinking she might want to use her arms for leverage. Nope. She quickly puts them down to her sides, so she's left flopping around like a fish. Oddly, there's not a spot in her baby book for "first time flailing around like a fish out of water".
Oh yeah, and as you can see, she's losing just enough hair around the sides so that she looks like she's wearing a toupe.
Labels: firsts, pics of scout, playing
posted by Unkempt Mommy @ 10:01 AM,
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