Monday, January 13, 2014

Children's Museum

 

 We recently purchased a year membership to our local Children's Museum. It's been rated #1 in the country (world?) for as long as I can remember. They had it decorated for Christmas time, but Camden had so much fun in the Playscape.

 

 There was a big music room where kids can play with egg shakers, drums, and other instruments. I grew up with music (flute/piccolo here) and want Camden to be able to do the same. When I was in school music wasn't an elective; it was an expected part of the curriculum. I feel that it still should be although many superintendent's don't agree. Whether it's offered in school or not, he will be participating in lessons either way. :)

 

His favorite part of the museum (besides the food) was the messiest part, the water play area. There was flowing water, scoops, spoons, plastic sharks, etc. He loved it. There were aprons, but they were all really wet and by the time I found a dry one, his clothes were soaked anyways. 

Overall we absolutely had a great time! I love taking him places where we aren't having to constantly watch what he touches or plays with. I like the fact that he can play with anything and everything he can reach.

LOVE IT!

I think it really helps him to be able to test his own limits and is great sensory stimulation. We will definitely be getting our money's worth out of this membership!

Thursday, January 9, 2014

A Family Christmas


 Per the usual we had to get a real Christmas Tree (Frasier Fir) and we found a bargain at Home Depot at less than $50 for a 10-foot tree! Camden was so excited to water and decorate it!


 Per our tradition, we also had Brad and Cam put the star on the tree. We had to borrow a large-tree stand that would be sturdy enough to hold a 10' tree.



 As you can see the tree was gorgeous and that includes the random hanger Camden thought would fit well on the tree. Confession: I was too sentimental about the silly hanger and left it through Christmas. ;)


 LOVE


We ended up seeing Santa at his school on their holiday party night. They got to make cookies and see Santa.


 This year he was a little more hesitant to sit on Santa's lap. He did, but after I talked with him a little. Last year it was all I could do to hold him back from being in everyone else's picture. Hah.


We also had a mommy's play date Holiday Party getting all of the kids together. We really miss our Friday play dates and I can't wait until school is done in another 5 months.



 Christmas morning was a BLAST! He loved ripping off the wrapping paper. He had to get every last piece off and tore it off every square inch at a time. It was slow and he is at the age where he wants to open every single toy as he sees it.


Funny how many high-tech and expensive toys he received, but his favorites were a puffy jacket and a $3 cell phone from the dollar section at Target.



Of course Papaw Jones got him a Big Wheel. I mean where do we store all of this?


A family member made a fantastic idea for future presents. Because he gets so many different toys from all four sets of grandparents he has and then even more from us, it was suggested to start a college fund and allow people to donate. Starting on his 3rd birthday and all following holidays, we will be starting a college fund and allowing family to donate and asking for monetary donations with minimal toys. This way we are being responsible and frugal. We can also keep Camden modest in gifts and what he receives.

 

But really, how easy is it to say no to that adorable, perfect little face?!

Not easy. At all.


Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Indiana Blizzard

 
Our street.

 The past 48 hours has been a crazy whirlwind of heavy snow and desperate ploys to keep my toddler entertained. With a snow emergency comes beautiful and amazing scenery.

 
Back yard.

 

 
Front of the house.

 
Buried mailbox.

 
Gorgeous snow!

Monday, January 6, 2014

Fun in the snow? PLUS: snow ice cream recipe


We have had some crazy weather these past few days and thought I'd share some amazing and fun photos I got of the Indiana blizzard. Starting 2014 off right, I guess. State of emergency. Quarantined to the house. Any travel made illegal. 

 
 
Then, temperatures with windchill in the negative 30's and 40's. It was so cold that there was frost on the inside of Brad's truck. 

If anyone wants to know, ice scrapers do not work on the inside of windows.

 

 

 

 
Some of these pictures show just how wet the snow was. My jacket was soaked! It was so wet we used an umbrella to keep the snow off of the camera.

Snow Ice Cream

Later that night I saw a friend who posted that she made ice cream from snow. Who even know that was possible!?

 
Just take a bucket of [clean] snow (around 1 gallon) inside.


Add about 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/2-1 cup of milk. (Add the milk in small increments until the consistency you want.)

 

Add sprinkles or other toppings.

 

This was such a fun thing to do with the kiddo. 

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Camen @ 2 1/2 years

Just a few more weeks and my baby will be 2 1/2 years old. I wanted to document some of his fun quirks and hobbies so I can remember down the road.

A while back The Incredible's was Camden's favorite movie and I'm sure I could recite every scene without hesitation. Here lately he's been into Despicable Me and requests it every single day. I can't wait to get him the second movie soon!

He's also very much into pretending and being very active. He is so sweet with his manners and being helpful (most of the time). He always says please and thank you (or "thanks" now, for some reason). He says, "excuse me" if you are in his way. He knows his first and last name. Miss Katie and Miss Jenn are his teachers and they are always saying how happy and cooperative he is. He always knows every animal, shape, color, letter, number, etc. When they are singing a song he knows, they say he will bust out in a solo all the time. Amazing kiddo!

He's a garbage-disposal/sponge. He eats everything on his plate and then asks for more. He eats more than I do on some days! Snacks are a must-have around here. He also is a little sponge; more so than I thought. True life confession: I was changing his diaper the other day and he kept running around the house yelling, "I have diarrhea!!!" What I didn't realize was that I'd said that while changing him. Good thing I didn't say something worse. Also a good thing we were home for the rest of the night. HA!

At home he loves to play with trains, Matchbox cars, watch movies, pretend cook for us (or really pretend anything). He has transitioned to the big boy toddler bed although one day while I was working, Brad apparently didn't wake up as soon as Cam would've liked. He played "finger paint" on the carpet with some diaper contents we won't talk about.

Must be payback for when I did it to my mom.

 He absolutely loves going to school. And grandma's house. He is so sociable! At school he apparently greets everyone in his class by name in the morning. He always has the "Ate everything" column checked off for all meals and snacks. Naps are usually 80-90% there, but some days he doesn't want to nap. This is the ripe age for discontinuing naps unfortunately. 

Please. 
No. 
I need that mid-day break.

He loves to sing songs. Just the other day he sang Jingle Bells to me almost perfectly. :) He's also really getting into the Christmas movies, lights, decorations, and other songs right now. I think this will be the most fun year for opening presents with him yet!

Unfortunately he has started to hate having his picture being taken. (It couldn't possibly be from me constantly taking them.) If he sees the iPhone pointed at him, he waves his hands and says, "No, no picture!" Celebs. Pfft.

The potty training we are letting him do on his own. I want him to tell me when he's ready (to a certain point). It is going to make it easier on both of us and we really don't have the time to dedicate to it .. if I'm being honest. At school they said he goes once in a while but always tries to sit for a little bit. If we catch him right after waking up from night time or nap, we will ask him if he has to go and he usually says yes and has success going. He holds his bladder most of the night/nap so we can tell if he's got to go because his diaper is dry. Right as he's getting tucked into bed he says over and over that he has to go potty (because he knows it'll delay bed time) so we have started asking him while getting ready if he has to go.

Camden used to be a momma's boy and is quickly preferring Brad over myself. (*moment to mourn*) It's so bittersweet to see them together, bonding, yet sad because he wants his daddy to read to him at night and rock with him. He will let me, but only if Brad isn't around. I think Brad secretly loves this phase because it's making up for the first year when Cam preferred me (especially for nutritional needs .. lol). I keep telling myself it's from my lack of presence because of work and school. It's temporary. Just a little while longer.

He constantly tells us what he thinks. If something is fun, sad, funny, or happy he will tell us. If he is happy or silly, he tells us. If we make funny noises or do something odd he will tell us, "You're silly!" Also, everything is Camden's. In the entire world. Driving down the street the conversation from the back seat is, "That's my store. That's my truck. That's my school. That's my gym." Sometimes he'll say it's "Camden's" also. He is getting better at sharing, but rarely his food.

CAMDEN. DOESN'T. SHARE. FOOD. (FRIENDS reference)

Even if it's something he knows he likes or wants, if we give him something (say, a cookie) and ask him to give it to mommy or daddy, he will do so. Of course, then he will ask for one. ;-) He is constantly hungry (something I'm definitely bringing up to the pediatrician next visit/call).

Sometimes he does hug our dog, Cato, and tries to play with him. Cato is just so nonchalant and lazy that he doesn't do much so Cam just ignores him most of the time.

That's about it for updates on the little man. He's always on the move and wanting to play and interact with us, which is so much fun (and exhausting sometimes).