- Make sure that they have an extended nap time in the day. I usually let them sleep as long as they want in the day time if I know we'll be out late.
- Pack along some things that will amuse them during the dinner eg. books, colouring pencils (unless it's a posh restaurant!), an iPad or portable multimedia device, small cars, small doll.
- Pack your own drinks in their sippy cups/ water bottles, then you don't have to be worried that they are going to drop a glass on the floor or all over the table.
- Pack some small snacks, preferably savoury. This is a fall back if the food takes a long time to come out and they are really hungry, then you can give them a tiny snack, eg. plain rice crackers or rice crackers snacks. Don't give them too much!
- Bring some kitchen scissors to cut up food - it's better than trying to use a fork and knife!
- Ensure you bring a pack of baby wipes to clean their dirty faces and hands.
- Don't forget to bring bibs! We prefer to Tommy Tippee brand that has the scoop catcher at the bottom of it to catch any falling food.
- Try and get a table that has good space around it - not too close to other tables. A table that is close to an exit door can be handy if you want to take them for some fresh air at any time.
- Highchairs are great in that children have less chance of getting on and off their chairs!
- It almost seems obvious to mention, but make sure you order food you know they'll like to eat (not just stuff that mummy and daddy like to eat!).
- Use food they like to eat strategically - for example, at Chinese restaurants we get prawn crackers at the start to get to settle down and wait for the food to arrive. We know if we order another bowl at any time during the meal, they will quieten down and eat the crackers!!!!
- If possible take them for a walk when waiting between servings.
- Time it carefully when you order dessert. You need to order it just before the kids start getting full with the main meal. All kids I know will eat dessert even if they are full to the brim! The dessert will buy you time to finish your own meal and keep talking with your friends!
- Take some time during the meal to specifically pay attention to your children. Perhaps read a short book to them or play a game - see below.
- Play a game with them while waiting for food to arrive. We play Eye Spy, but with colours. So, "I spy with my little eye something that is red", and let them find things that are that colour.
- Another game is to ask them if they can find things around the room - without getting up from their seat, eg. A light, a particular decoration in the room, a clock, a ceiling fan etc.
Monday, 12 December 2011
How to Survive a Long Restaurant Meal with Kids
Parties & Dinner
Today we have our playgroup Christmas party at the local park (the third party in two days!). There's a 'secret santa' and we bring food to party food to share.
The boys have a great time running around the playground with the other kids, munching on party food, and opening their presents. SamSam gets a Cars lunchbox and cutlery set, and JJ gets a ping pong set and a bouncy ball :)
Later the boys have a long nap in preparation for another late night dinner tonight. When they wake up they play on their bikes.
Before long it's time to go for dinner at one of our favourite Italian restaurants in the city.
It's a long night, but the boys do very well.
I've packed a number of books that we read during the meal between courses. Daddy also takes them out for a stroll halfway, so that they're not getting up to too much mischief during the meal. They come back with a small stick with leaves and gumnuts which they like to pull apart and put on the table!
They eat Bombed Alaska for the very first time, and it's a great hit. The dessert came just at the right time for two boys who were getting quite fidgety!
We don't finish until close to 9pm, and by the time we get home and after a wash, they quickly go into a good deep sleep.
[I've decided to write a post just about how to survive eating a long restaurant meal with kids! See next post!]
The boys have a great time running around the playground with the other kids, munching on party food, and opening their presents. SamSam gets a Cars lunchbox and cutlery set, and JJ gets a ping pong set and a bouncy ball :)
I am so surprised when JJ tries my Razor scooter (I ride on the scooter along with the boys on the balcony!). JJ can actually balance on the 2 skinny wheels and push himself along! After a while he gets a little better, and he actually prefers to push the scooter than ride his bike!
Before long it's time to go for dinner at one of our favourite Italian restaurants in the city.
It's a long night, but the boys do very well.
I've packed a number of books that we read during the meal between courses. Daddy also takes them out for a stroll halfway, so that they're not getting up to too much mischief during the meal. They come back with a small stick with leaves and gumnuts which they like to pull apart and put on the table!
They eat Bombed Alaska for the very first time, and it's a great hit. The dessert came just at the right time for two boys who were getting quite fidgety!
We don't finish until close to 9pm, and by the time we get home and after a wash, they quickly go into a good deep sleep.
[I've decided to write a post just about how to survive eating a long restaurant meal with kids! See next post!]
Saturday, 10 December 2011
The River & A Late Night
After Grandpa went home this morning, I took the boys down to the river. It's a good 2km there and back, and it's a lovely walk.
How to make the most out of a walk
When we go out for a long walk, I give them each a sturdy bag to collect 'goodies' along the way. They fill their bags with anything that takes their fancy, usually stones, rocks, sticks, flowers, leaves, and seeds. If we're going to the river, when we get there they like to throw each thing they've collected into the river!
I think my boys could never grow tired of throwing stones into water even if they had a mountain of stones!
Sticks have to be the most underrated object found naturally. To a child, it can be a fishing rod, a spoon to stir with, something with which to draw in the sand, or just a great thing to hold or drag as you walk along!
I'll never forget when JJ found a curved stick and declared he had found a "banana-stick".
There's lots of different tree pods and seeds we pick up as we walk along. The boys learn about how the seeds that fall into the good soil and get good water and sun will grow into trees.
We come across red pods with tiny black seeds inside, and the boys are fascinated with opening them and picking the seeds out with their fingers.
Along the way, JJ reads the door numbers on the fences, and picks out the word "Letters". SamSam likes to run his hand along the fence pickets.
I think with going for a walk with kids, you shouldn't rush it. It shouldn't be a means to getting to your location, it's about enjoying the walk itself and exploring anything you come across. If you don't get to your desired location at your desired time, don't worry, they're learning!
Pit Stop
Half way to the river JJ tells me he needs to do a 'Number 2' Typical!! Luckily we're about to pass a cafe, so we stop in. I feel bad just using their toilets and not ordering anything, so the boys score the most Delicious Banana Pikelets ever, and I get a coffee. JJ doesn't even do his 'business' in the end!
Eventually we get to the river, and the boys have a great time. There's a small stormwater run-off that flows through the parkland and drops right into the river. It is a little murky (it is the Yarra after all!), but I let them pretend to fish in it, and push along leaves so that they fall down the 'waterfall'. It's nice and shaded and there's no one around. They are laughing with excitement. They could happily play here all day.
I manage to coax them into walking some more, and we find a nice little spot with a view over the river. JJ has packed a couple of books in his bag, so we pull them out and have a nice quiet read next in the midst of beautiful surrounds.
Finally it's time to go home. We spend a little while in a playground on the way home, but I'm a Mumma on a Mission, I have to get them fed, and in bed for a longgg nap as we have a late night tonight with friends.
This afternoon is also their performance at church for the Christmas carols! After an epic nap, they are dressed in red and green, and waving some plastic candles that light up. There are loads of people in the hall, but the boys don't seem to have stage fright. I have to say that JJ is a born-performer. He loves being on stage and knows all his words and all the actions. They sing with all the other children who go to playgroup. So cute!
Straight after church, we head off to dinner with some dear friends. My tactic of the longgg nap in the afternoon has worked, and they last really well through the dinner. They get to eat a new thing - black bean oysters! I can't believe that they like to eat them!! These boys are little mini food connoisseurs!
Our meal finishes at 9pm, so it's been a truly long day considering they walked 2km and went out for about three hours in the morning! This is the latest they've ever been up, and they get to see our Christmas tree lights in real darkness, which makes JJ say "hooorayyy!".
How to make the most out of a walk
When we go out for a long walk, I give them each a sturdy bag to collect 'goodies' along the way. They fill their bags with anything that takes their fancy, usually stones, rocks, sticks, flowers, leaves, and seeds. If we're going to the river, when we get there they like to throw each thing they've collected into the river!I think my boys could never grow tired of throwing stones into water even if they had a mountain of stones!
Sticks have to be the most underrated object found naturally. To a child, it can be a fishing rod, a spoon to stir with, something with which to draw in the sand, or just a great thing to hold or drag as you walk along!
I'll never forget when JJ found a curved stick and declared he had found a "banana-stick".
There's lots of different tree pods and seeds we pick up as we walk along. The boys learn about how the seeds that fall into the good soil and get good water and sun will grow into trees.
We come across red pods with tiny black seeds inside, and the boys are fascinated with opening them and picking the seeds out with their fingers.
Along the way, JJ reads the door numbers on the fences, and picks out the word "Letters". SamSam likes to run his hand along the fence pickets.
I think with going for a walk with kids, you shouldn't rush it. It shouldn't be a means to getting to your location, it's about enjoying the walk itself and exploring anything you come across. If you don't get to your desired location at your desired time, don't worry, they're learning!
Pit Stop
Half way to the river JJ tells me he needs to do a 'Number 2' Typical!! Luckily we're about to pass a cafe, so we stop in. I feel bad just using their toilets and not ordering anything, so the boys score the most Delicious Banana Pikelets ever, and I get a coffee. JJ doesn't even do his 'business' in the end!
I manage to coax them into walking some more, and we find a nice little spot with a view over the river. JJ has packed a couple of books in his bag, so we pull them out and have a nice quiet read next in the midst of beautiful surrounds.
Finally it's time to go home. We spend a little while in a playground on the way home, but I'm a Mumma on a Mission, I have to get them fed, and in bed for a longgg nap as we have a late night tonight with friends.
This afternoon is also their performance at church for the Christmas carols! After an epic nap, they are dressed in red and green, and waving some plastic candles that light up. There are loads of people in the hall, but the boys don't seem to have stage fright. I have to say that JJ is a born-performer. He loves being on stage and knows all his words and all the actions. They sing with all the other children who go to playgroup. So cute!
Straight after church, we head off to dinner with some dear friends. My tactic of the longgg nap in the afternoon has worked, and they last really well through the dinner. They get to eat a new thing - black bean oysters! I can't believe that they like to eat them!! These boys are little mini food connoisseurs!
Our meal finishes at 9pm, so it's been a truly long day considering they walked 2km and went out for about three hours in the morning! This is the latest they've ever been up, and they get to see our Christmas tree lights in real darkness, which makes JJ say "hooorayyy!".
Friday, 9 December 2011
Games for Toddlers
I'm sort of getting used to these 6am starts.
We have French toast with honey followed by cereal for brekky. I love French toast, and so do the boys. It's a great way to use up bread when it's a bit old for sandwiches. The boys like to help me to beat the eggs.
The boys are keen to play a game this morning, and I take down a game we brought back from Europe - My First Orchard. SamSam got this as a present for his second birthday. It's a game that teaches children their colours.
The box includes some beautiful wooden fruit painted either blue, red, green or yellow, a crow, a basket, and some 2D trees and stepping stones. There's a large dice with the colours on 4 sides, plus a picture of a basket and a picture of a crow. The kids have to throw the dice and can either take a fruit from the tree and put it in their basket, or the crow moves forward a step. They have to pick all the fruit off the trees before the crow gets to the orchard.
It's too easy for JJ to play (he's 3), but about right for SamSam. The follow- on game, 'The Orchard' by Haba, is really good for JJ. You can get both these games in Australia.
Next we play playdough. I like making pretend bananas for the boys, complete with peelable skin! It takes a while to make, but the boys think it's a hoot to peel their pretend bananas.
I hang out the washing and the boys ride their bikes, then blow bubbles.
Bubble tips!
We go through so much bubble mixture that I buy a large bottle and refill some little bubble bottles I found.
It's cheaper to buy the larger bottle in the long run.
The small bottles I've bought are intended for use at weddings! (At least I think so). The bottles are the perfect size, as SamSam - without fail -will pour all the mixture out on the ground! This way we only waste a small amount!
They are also quite a nice size for their little hands.
The boys also like how there's a cat and a dog on the top of their bottles which they identify as their very own bottles.
We do some drawing and writing activities photocopied from the Thomas activity book. I'm always on the look out for good activity books. It's good to have a stash kept in the cupboard as backup play. There's sticker activity books, dot to dot, colouring in ones, writing ones, reading ones, search and find, and compilation activities - loads, so it doesn't need to be the same old thing all the time.
We're going out for lunch with grandpa today, I turn on the TV while I get things ready for our outing. They watch 'Richard Scarry's Best ABC Video Ever'.
Take the Train!
After even more Malaysian food JJ gets a treat. He and I take the train home from Flemington! He loves looking out the window and commentating. I've bought him a bottle of orange juice and he's loving this very rare treat of a bottle and straw all to himself, without having to share with his little brother!
In the afternoon the boys play with jigsaw puzzles, and then some singing and percussion with my guitar. After that we play Hungry Hippos.
We go out for Fish n Chips dinner, and the boys get some exercise walking along the street.
It's been a long day.
The boys are keen to play a game this morning, and I take down a game we brought back from Europe - My First Orchard. SamSam got this as a present for his second birthday. It's a game that teaches children their colours.
The box includes some beautiful wooden fruit painted either blue, red, green or yellow, a crow, a basket, and some 2D trees and stepping stones. There's a large dice with the colours on 4 sides, plus a picture of a basket and a picture of a crow. The kids have to throw the dice and can either take a fruit from the tree and put it in their basket, or the crow moves forward a step. They have to pick all the fruit off the trees before the crow gets to the orchard.
It's too easy for JJ to play (he's 3), but about right for SamSam. The follow- on game, 'The Orchard' by Haba, is really good for JJ. You can get both these games in Australia.
Next we play playdough. I like making pretend bananas for the boys, complete with peelable skin! It takes a while to make, but the boys think it's a hoot to peel their pretend bananas.
I hang out the washing and the boys ride their bikes, then blow bubbles.
We go through so much bubble mixture that I buy a large bottle and refill some little bubble bottles I found.
It's cheaper to buy the larger bottle in the long run.
The small bottles I've bought are intended for use at weddings! (At least I think so). The bottles are the perfect size, as SamSam - without fail -will pour all the mixture out on the ground! This way we only waste a small amount!
They are also quite a nice size for their little hands.
The boys also like how there's a cat and a dog on the top of their bottles which they identify as their very own bottles.
We do some drawing and writing activities photocopied from the Thomas activity book. I'm always on the look out for good activity books. It's good to have a stash kept in the cupboard as backup play. There's sticker activity books, dot to dot, colouring in ones, writing ones, reading ones, search and find, and compilation activities - loads, so it doesn't need to be the same old thing all the time.
We're going out for lunch with grandpa today, I turn on the TV while I get things ready for our outing. They watch 'Richard Scarry's Best ABC Video Ever'.
Take the Train!
After even more Malaysian food JJ gets a treat. He and I take the train home from Flemington! He loves looking out the window and commentating. I've bought him a bottle of orange juice and he's loving this very rare treat of a bottle and straw all to himself, without having to share with his little brother!
In the afternoon the boys play with jigsaw puzzles, and then some singing and percussion with my guitar. After that we play Hungry Hippos.
We go out for Fish n Chips dinner, and the boys get some exercise walking along the street.
It's been a long day.
Thursday, 8 December 2011
A crazy morning
The boys are up at 6am. I think I am very clever by persuading them to go and play in their room while I get another 30 minutes sleep.
I hear some commotion coming from their room - laughing, naughty giggling - and I know they're up to something. They've climbed up onto the change table and found the nappy rash cream and are spreading it up and down each other's arms with cotton buds. SamSam even has some in his hair and on his tshirt. ARGGH!
(Note to self: Once boys are up, don't leave unattended because mischief will ensue.)
I take off SamSam's tshirt and JJ takes his off too. They take off down the hallway running up and down the apartment like wild animals laughing and shouting - like they have been liberated from their clothes - which must be some sort of symbol of parental authority.
I'm wondering if girls also do this sort of thing.
Eventually they settle down, and do some drawing. They show Grandpa their handywork.
After breakfast they play on their bikes outside while I hang the washing.
I relent to SamSam's persistent call of "play choo-choo train". These boys LOVE to play with the IKEA train set and Thomas the Tank Engine trains. We 'rotate' the train set, in that we purposely keep it away from them and only let them have it maybe once a week.
It's a great idea to do this with toys so that they don't lose interest in them, plus 'rotated toys' work really well as a reward for good behaviour.
When we first bought the train set, we left it out in their room and they could play with it whenever they wanted. After less than a week the novelty wore off.
Now that I only take them out occasionally, they are totally absorbed with the set and they'll play for ages with it!
The only trouble is that they love the trains so much, they find it hard to share them with each other. I have learnt to designate certain trains to each child (eg. Thomas for JJ, Percy for SamSam) and remind them before we play which train belongs to who and that the repercussions of any fighting is that the trains will be put away.
I can say it works pretty well :)
We go to Box Hill for lunch with Grandpa and Daddy. The boys like to walk around shopping centres as there is lots to see, and usually $2 rides to sit on. I need to buy some kris kringle prezzies so we go to lots of $2 shops today, and the boys get to play with the toys while I browse.
Lunch is turnip cake, BBQ pork bun & congee - very Chinese!
At home it's a very lazy afternoon. I try and have a little nap in SamSam's toddler bed, but JJ tells me it's only for SamSam, so I have to leave the bed. And then he tells me that actually, it's JJ and SamSam's Room and that Mummy and Daddy's room is 'over there'.
So I leave gratefully, and actually, they play really well together for the longest they have done ever - about 20 minutes without scuffling! I can hear JJ talking with SamSam and trying to get him to co-operate with him. It makes such a difference now that they can talk and understand each other!
Eventually JJ comes out crying because SamSam won't hold his hand. We watch the Heffalump movie, and play with Lego. SamSam makes two dinosaurs and I am a proud Mumma.
We play a new game with the Lego, collecting eggs from the 'hens' in the hen house. I line up some fluffy toys and put the small blocks of Lego underneath them. I give the boys an empty egg carton each and tell them how to go and collect the eggs. This is quite amusing for a while.
Then they find two boxes, and they are going around the house filling them up with Lego and anything they find lying around - this is apparently much more interesting than mum's egg-collecting game (!).
After showers, and milk, I leave them in Daddy's capable hands - I'm going late-night shopping! Hooray!
I hear some commotion coming from their room - laughing, naughty giggling - and I know they're up to something. They've climbed up onto the change table and found the nappy rash cream and are spreading it up and down each other's arms with cotton buds. SamSam even has some in his hair and on his tshirt. ARGGH!
(Note to self: Once boys are up, don't leave unattended because mischief will ensue.)
I take off SamSam's tshirt and JJ takes his off too. They take off down the hallway running up and down the apartment like wild animals laughing and shouting - like they have been liberated from their clothes - which must be some sort of symbol of parental authority.
I'm wondering if girls also do this sort of thing.
Eventually they settle down, and do some drawing. They show Grandpa their handywork.
After breakfast they play on their bikes outside while I hang the washing.
I relent to SamSam's persistent call of "play choo-choo train". These boys LOVE to play with the IKEA train set and Thomas the Tank Engine trains. We 'rotate' the train set, in that we purposely keep it away from them and only let them have it maybe once a week.
It's a great idea to do this with toys so that they don't lose interest in them, plus 'rotated toys' work really well as a reward for good behaviour.
When we first bought the train set, we left it out in their room and they could play with it whenever they wanted. After less than a week the novelty wore off.Now that I only take them out occasionally, they are totally absorbed with the set and they'll play for ages with it!
The only trouble is that they love the trains so much, they find it hard to share them with each other. I have learnt to designate certain trains to each child (eg. Thomas for JJ, Percy for SamSam) and remind them before we play which train belongs to who and that the repercussions of any fighting is that the trains will be put away.
I can say it works pretty well :)
We go to Box Hill for lunch with Grandpa and Daddy. The boys like to walk around shopping centres as there is lots to see, and usually $2 rides to sit on. I need to buy some kris kringle prezzies so we go to lots of $2 shops today, and the boys get to play with the toys while I browse.
Lunch is turnip cake, BBQ pork bun & congee - very Chinese!
At home it's a very lazy afternoon. I try and have a little nap in SamSam's toddler bed, but JJ tells me it's only for SamSam, so I have to leave the bed. And then he tells me that actually, it's JJ and SamSam's Room and that Mummy and Daddy's room is 'over there'.
So I leave gratefully, and actually, they play really well together for the longest they have done ever - about 20 minutes without scuffling! I can hear JJ talking with SamSam and trying to get him to co-operate with him. It makes such a difference now that they can talk and understand each other!
Eventually JJ comes out crying because SamSam won't hold his hand. We watch the Heffalump movie, and play with Lego. SamSam makes two dinosaurs and I am a proud Mumma.
We play a new game with the Lego, collecting eggs from the 'hens' in the hen house. I line up some fluffy toys and put the small blocks of Lego underneath them. I give the boys an empty egg carton each and tell them how to go and collect the eggs. This is quite amusing for a while.
Then they find two boxes, and they are going around the house filling them up with Lego and anything they find lying around - this is apparently much more interesting than mum's egg-collecting game (!).
After showers, and milk, I leave them in Daddy's capable hands - I'm going late-night shopping! Hooray!
 |
| Daddy reading to the boys. |
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Playdate & playground
I can't believee I'm playing Dora Bingo at 7 in the morning!! We play just one game and it's time for breakfast with grandpa.
This morning the three of them are singing 'Old MacDonald had a farm' together - although grandpa sings it as "Old Man Donald" hehe! Breakfast is Vegemite on toast and cereal.
We're off to a friend's house this morning. She has two beautiful girls, twins, a little older than SamSam. I think it's great for the boys to spend time playing with girls, and vice versa.
The boys share fruit with them, and then JJ and SamSam show very bad manners by tussling over a trainset which we eventually put away. They have a ride on the bikes, and suddenly we look up and one of the girls is running around the garden with no clothes on! It goes without saying that all the kids follow suit and we have four little ones running around in the summer sun, butt naked.
The kids are having the time of their lives, and their mummys are getting catch up and have a good laugh at their adorable antics! It's so wonderful to meet up with a good friend to chat, and strangely it's so much easier to look after kids when there's a bunch of them.
We come home and SamSam has to be carried to bed, he's so tired. I play "What's the Difference" with JJ - another $1 game I bought from the recent school fair. This game is supposed to encourage children to get use to describing, and practising putting sentences together. It works well for the first couple of sets of cards, but by the third time we play he's lost some interest. I have to only play this once or twice in the future!! (I broke my own rule!).
After half an hour, it's time for JJ to go to sleep. I put him down, and with only a bit of protestation (no corners today) he finally settles down to sleep. I stuff down some lunch, and get 30 minutes sleep myself. Lovely!
The boys get an afternoon snack of rice cakes with peanut butter and jam, while watching Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 and Winnie the Pooh's Heffalump movie, which they love.
Treat of treats, Daddy is coming out with us to the park! It's a beautiful Summer's day and the boys are very happy. I can't believe how big SamSam is now. He can actually sit in an adult swing!!
Back home grandpa's brought back take away dinner, tonight it's rice noodles (hor fun) and roast chicken with rice.
They have a long overdue soak in a bubble bath, and I give them a good scub. They love playing in the water and I let them have longer baths when it's summertime.
Today's devotion is about giving to others - that gifts don't have to be bought from a shop. God gives us so much and he wants us to be happy and cheerful giving to others.
We read 'The Hungry Caterpillar', Winnie the Pooh's Honey Tree story, 'Puss in Boots', and 'Thomas and the Hide and Seek Animals', then it's bedtime.
This morning the three of them are singing 'Old MacDonald had a farm' together - although grandpa sings it as "Old Man Donald" hehe! Breakfast is Vegemite on toast and cereal.
We're off to a friend's house this morning. She has two beautiful girls, twins, a little older than SamSam. I think it's great for the boys to spend time playing with girls, and vice versa.
The kids are having the time of their lives, and their mummys are getting catch up and have a good laugh at their adorable antics! It's so wonderful to meet up with a good friend to chat, and strangely it's so much easier to look after kids when there's a bunch of them.
After half an hour, it's time for JJ to go to sleep. I put him down, and with only a bit of protestation (no corners today) he finally settles down to sleep. I stuff down some lunch, and get 30 minutes sleep myself. Lovely!
The boys get an afternoon snack of rice cakes with peanut butter and jam, while watching Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 and Winnie the Pooh's Heffalump movie, which they love.
Treat of treats, Daddy is coming out with us to the park! It's a beautiful Summer's day and the boys are very happy. I can't believe how big SamSam is now. He can actually sit in an adult swing!!
They have a long overdue soak in a bubble bath, and I give them a good scub. They love playing in the water and I let them have longer baths when it's summertime.
Today's devotion is about giving to others - that gifts don't have to be bought from a shop. God gives us so much and he wants us to be happy and cheerful giving to others.
We read 'The Hungry Caterpillar', Winnie the Pooh's Honey Tree story, 'Puss in Boots', and 'Thomas and the Hide and Seek Animals', then it's bedtime.
Monday, 5 December 2011
Monday
It's 6:15am and they're up!
They are very vocal this morning and SamSam wants to do "dot dot dot". I get out the pens and they dot the paper - SamSam also likes to dot-dot JJ - to their hearts content.
Best coloured pens for toddler kids
I've found the Crayola washable markers to be really great. These ones are a bit chunky, so they're easier for children to hold. The ink really does come off very easily in water - although the red needs a bit more effort to rub away (but not much more!).
The pens also have a recessed nib, which means that when the boys do things like make dots all over the paper, the pen nib doesn't go into the pen - remember when you did that when you were a kid?!
When I first gave the pens to the boys, SamSam was maybe 20 months old, and he couldn't resist scribbling All Over the perfectly white table that the paper sat on! It looked unbelieveably bad. But with a few wipes, it was completely gone!!
Crayola pens are more expensive, but I reckon they are worth it. We also have their washable crayons :) (If you work for Crayola and want to advertise on my site, please contact me! ;).
They seem quite crafty this morning, so we decorate some more Christmas tree cut-outs that they painted earlier in the week. They must be hungry though, because they end up doing a bit of a half-hearted job! Note to self: feed kids breakfast before doing craft activities!
Breakfast is Yau Char Kway - the Chinese take on doughnuts. They look like long sticks, like Spanish churros. I cut them up and the boys dip them in honey. Yum!
SamSam says one of his pieces of doughnut looks like an owl, and another is a crocodile! I love their imaginations!
After cleaning teeth, faces and hands, and getting changed, we go out to the balcony to hang the washing. The boys are relishing their trike and bike, and also blow bubbles while I hang up the washing and pack their lunches for playgroup.
We love playgroup. The boys play with about eight children of differing ages up to 4 years old. It's held at church and they are run three days a week. They are structured so that there's free playtime, a craft activity, singing & dancing, snack time, and then more playtime. It's also a great opportunity to meet and get to know other mums!
Most churches (of at least medium size) offer a playgroup during the week. They are open to the public and you don't need to be Christian. We pay a small fee of $35 for the term which runs during school term. This covers craft costs, and coffee & tea.
If your child isn't in kinder, then this is a good way to get them used to playing with other kids. Our kids get used to playing with other kids through - playgroup once a week; usually one hour occasional care during the week (while I play tennis with my husband), and then get to mix with more kids at Sunday school.
Just shows that there's lots of different ways to also keep your kids entertained, and growing!
This is what we made at playgroup this week - little SamSam and JJ angels to hang on the tree!
This Saturday the boys will be performing on stage for the very first time, with their playgroup pals. Exciting!
We play a Thomas the Tank Engine 3D cube puzzle that we picked up from the school fair a few days ago. It's quite tricky, and well worth the $1 we paid.
It's nap time and it takes forever to get them have their morning nap as JJ refuses to go down even though he's really tired. I have to put him in the corner four times before he decides it's better to go to sleep than stand in the corner.
After a long nap, we play Dora Bingo - a game I got from the $2 shop a few weeks ago. I'm surprised that JJ remembers it as we haven't played it yet. For $2 the game is pretty good! The boys like to spin the dial and SamSam really likes the feel of the plastic counters.
Today's devotion, SamSam requests one we've had before. It has a drawing of a little girl with a cat, and they are looking for some kittens. The devotion is if we are in need of something, we just need to ask God as he hears our prayers! :) Yippee!
Tonight we're going out for dinner at a Malaysian restaurant in honour of grandpa's visit. We bring our own highchairs to make it easier! (This must be an eccentric thing to do as I don't know anyone else who does it, but that doesn't bother me!). The IKEA high chairs are so easy to dismantle and cart around. The restaurant is used to us bringing them along.
The boys eat really well. We have prawn crackers, char kway teow - a fried rice noodle dish and a sizzling silken tofu dish with egg and pork on rice. Dessert is ice kacang - a kind of Malaysian snow cone with different toppings.
We come home and they ask to ride their bikes around the balcony. After that they come in for a shower, and we read 'Piglets Big Movie' book and 'Mr McGee Goes to the Zoo', then it's bed time.
I love my boys!
They are very vocal this morning and SamSam wants to do "dot dot dot". I get out the pens and they dot the paper - SamSam also likes to dot-dot JJ - to their hearts content.
Best coloured pens for toddler kids
I've found the Crayola washable markers to be really great. These ones are a bit chunky, so they're easier for children to hold. The ink really does come off very easily in water - although the red needs a bit more effort to rub away (but not much more!).
When I first gave the pens to the boys, SamSam was maybe 20 months old, and he couldn't resist scribbling All Over the perfectly white table that the paper sat on! It looked unbelieveably bad. But with a few wipes, it was completely gone!!
Crayola pens are more expensive, but I reckon they are worth it. We also have their washable crayons :) (If you work for Crayola and want to advertise on my site, please contact me! ;).
They seem quite crafty this morning, so we decorate some more Christmas tree cut-outs that they painted earlier in the week. They must be hungry though, because they end up doing a bit of a half-hearted job! Note to self: feed kids breakfast before doing craft activities!
SamSam says one of his pieces of doughnut looks like an owl, and another is a crocodile! I love their imaginations!
After cleaning teeth, faces and hands, and getting changed, we go out to the balcony to hang the washing. The boys are relishing their trike and bike, and also blow bubbles while I hang up the washing and pack their lunches for playgroup.
We love playgroup. The boys play with about eight children of differing ages up to 4 years old. It's held at church and they are run three days a week. They are structured so that there's free playtime, a craft activity, singing & dancing, snack time, and then more playtime. It's also a great opportunity to meet and get to know other mums!
Most churches (of at least medium size) offer a playgroup during the week. They are open to the public and you don't need to be Christian. We pay a small fee of $35 for the term which runs during school term. This covers craft costs, and coffee & tea.
If your child isn't in kinder, then this is a good way to get them used to playing with other kids. Our kids get used to playing with other kids through - playgroup once a week; usually one hour occasional care during the week (while I play tennis with my husband), and then get to mix with more kids at Sunday school.
Just shows that there's lots of different ways to also keep your kids entertained, and growing!
This Saturday the boys will be performing on stage for the very first time, with their playgroup pals. Exciting!
We play a Thomas the Tank Engine 3D cube puzzle that we picked up from the school fair a few days ago. It's quite tricky, and well worth the $1 we paid.
It's nap time and it takes forever to get them have their morning nap as JJ refuses to go down even though he's really tired. I have to put him in the corner four times before he decides it's better to go to sleep than stand in the corner.
After a long nap, we play Dora Bingo - a game I got from the $2 shop a few weeks ago. I'm surprised that JJ remembers it as we haven't played it yet. For $2 the game is pretty good! The boys like to spin the dial and SamSam really likes the feel of the plastic counters.
Tonight we're going out for dinner at a Malaysian restaurant in honour of grandpa's visit. We bring our own highchairs to make it easier! (This must be an eccentric thing to do as I don't know anyone else who does it, but that doesn't bother me!). The IKEA high chairs are so easy to dismantle and cart around. The restaurant is used to us bringing them along.
The boys eat really well. We have prawn crackers, char kway teow - a fried rice noodle dish and a sizzling silken tofu dish with egg and pork on rice. Dessert is ice kacang - a kind of Malaysian snow cone with different toppings.
We come home and they ask to ride their bikes around the balcony. After that they come in for a shower, and we read 'Piglets Big Movie' book and 'Mr McGee Goes to the Zoo', then it's bed time.
I love my boys!
Sunday, 4 December 2011
A Slow and Easy Sunday
The boys are awake at 5:45am. I'm not too impressed at this.
I get them to lie in bed with us for another 15 minutes, but SamSam gets fidgety. He goes out of the room and brings back 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff' book, so I read this in a very sleepy, whispery voice, and mostly with one eye open.
They start to get loud, and I don't want them to wake grandpa who's visiting, so I hoist myself up and walk them back to their room. I try and catch some more shut eye in JJ's toddler bed while they play picnics with the pretend food and Winnie the Pooh - and his other stuffed toy friends - on a blanket on the floor.
Finally it's 7am. Breakfast is raisin toast followed by Powergrain and Bubbles. Grandpa is also up now, and I can hear them singing the Alphabet song together as I get changed in the bedroom. It's very, very cute to hear two toddlers and an 80 year old singing the alphabet together, over and over.
Their conversations are quite funny to listen to because grandpa doesn't quite catch what they are saying, even though they are answering his questions and making conversation with him. I'll have to remember one and write it up next time!
It's Sunday so we head off to church and after some worship songs, the boys go to Sunday school. SamSam has been showing some separation anxiety recently - they say it happens particularly around the 2 year old mark - but he's fine today. It makes a big difference that it's Daddy dropping them off at Sunday school and not Mummy - who'd probably crack under the pressure and take SamSam back into the creche room!
From Sunday school the boys bring back a cutout star and a shepherd which they've coloured in. They say they liked Sunday school. The church is raising money for missionaries by selling lunch boxes of noodles - which are yummy! This is the boys lunch followed by a cupcake from yesterday's school fair.
While they're eating we play a new game - "Put your hand up if you like..." - they have to put their hand up if they like whatever comes next. If they keep their hands down (or cover their face!) it means they don't like it.
The things they liked included: Thomas, ice cream, Mummy's kisses, Maisy Mouse, swimming and cupcakes. The things they didn't like were crocodiles, Scarface Claw (fictional book character - a cat), and the big bad wolf.
They play for a while in their room with their toy cars, and have fun rolling on top of each other and squashing each other, while I fold some clothes. Then they're getting a bit too rowdy, and it's nap time.
After a really good sleep, they have a little snack and do some drawing. I've been noticing that SamSam is quite careful when he draws. He has a good think about where he is colouring with his pen - check out how he coloured in the hippo on the below left! JJ's is on the right.
We play 'going to school'. JJ and SamSam wear their backpacks and want me to be 'Miss Honey' - the name of the bear school teacher in Richard Scarry's books. They pretend to take the school bus, and sit at a desk. They want to learn about the letter 'i'. We write the letter i, and then the only words I can think of to teach them that start with i are 'ice cream' and 'igloo'. Their mum is an ignoramous! So much for the letter i!
We read 'Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy' again, and then the sky looks like it might rain soonish, so we quickly put on our jackets and shoes and go out on the balcony for some outdoor playtime. I'm sooo glad I bought the trike and the bike. They go round, and round, and round the balcony, and are having such a great time. They think it's funny to chase each other and are laughing.
The wind is getting really blustery, and JJ says we should go inside because it's too windy. We go inside and they play supermarkets for a little while, and because I'm a bit pooped I succumb to putting on the Richard Scarry DVDs - ABCs and 'Best Learning Songs Ever'.
Dinner is Nasi Lemak, a Malaysian dish (I'm realising we've been eating a lot of Malaysian dishes recently!). SamSam has seconds. They both eat a big stack of prawns.
It's still early, so daddy takes them for a walk to the community vegie patch - where we have a small allotment growing fruit trees and asparagus. It's nice for the boys to go out with their Dad and do 'man things'! (well it gives me a breather anyway, and I get to soak the dishes and wipe down the dinner table).
They get back, and after a shower, grandpa reads them 'Maisy Goes to the Fair' - what a treat!
Today's devotion is about how before the Bible was written, God gave messages through angels - like to Mary that she was going to have a baby. His messages are always true. I ask JJ what was the name of Mary's baby? He says Jesus! He must be learning well at Sunday School!
After some more books with mummy and milk, it's already time for bed. They look pooped!
I get them to lie in bed with us for another 15 minutes, but SamSam gets fidgety. He goes out of the room and brings back 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff' book, so I read this in a very sleepy, whispery voice, and mostly with one eye open.
They start to get loud, and I don't want them to wake grandpa who's visiting, so I hoist myself up and walk them back to their room. I try and catch some more shut eye in JJ's toddler bed while they play picnics with the pretend food and Winnie the Pooh - and his other stuffed toy friends - on a blanket on the floor.
Finally it's 7am. Breakfast is raisin toast followed by Powergrain and Bubbles. Grandpa is also up now, and I can hear them singing the Alphabet song together as I get changed in the bedroom. It's very, very cute to hear two toddlers and an 80 year old singing the alphabet together, over and over.
Their conversations are quite funny to listen to because grandpa doesn't quite catch what they are saying, even though they are answering his questions and making conversation with him. I'll have to remember one and write it up next time!
It's Sunday so we head off to church and after some worship songs, the boys go to Sunday school. SamSam has been showing some separation anxiety recently - they say it happens particularly around the 2 year old mark - but he's fine today. It makes a big difference that it's Daddy dropping them off at Sunday school and not Mummy - who'd probably crack under the pressure and take SamSam back into the creche room!
From Sunday school the boys bring back a cutout star and a shepherd which they've coloured in. They say they liked Sunday school. The church is raising money for missionaries by selling lunch boxes of noodles - which are yummy! This is the boys lunch followed by a cupcake from yesterday's school fair.
While they're eating we play a new game - "Put your hand up if you like..." - they have to put their hand up if they like whatever comes next. If they keep their hands down (or cover their face!) it means they don't like it.
The things they liked included: Thomas, ice cream, Mummy's kisses, Maisy Mouse, swimming and cupcakes. The things they didn't like were crocodiles, Scarface Claw (fictional book character - a cat), and the big bad wolf.
They play for a while in their room with their toy cars, and have fun rolling on top of each other and squashing each other, while I fold some clothes. Then they're getting a bit too rowdy, and it's nap time.
After a really good sleep, they have a little snack and do some drawing. I've been noticing that SamSam is quite careful when he draws. He has a good think about where he is colouring with his pen - check out how he coloured in the hippo on the below left! JJ's is on the right.
 |
| SamSam with backpack, riding on the bus. |
The wind is getting really blustery, and JJ says we should go inside because it's too windy. We go inside and they play supermarkets for a little while, and because I'm a bit pooped I succumb to putting on the Richard Scarry DVDs - ABCs and 'Best Learning Songs Ever'.
Dinner is Nasi Lemak, a Malaysian dish (I'm realising we've been eating a lot of Malaysian dishes recently!). SamSam has seconds. They both eat a big stack of prawns.
It's still early, so daddy takes them for a walk to the community vegie patch - where we have a small allotment growing fruit trees and asparagus. It's nice for the boys to go out with their Dad and do 'man things'! (well it gives me a breather anyway, and I get to soak the dishes and wipe down the dinner table).
They get back, and after a shower, grandpa reads them 'Maisy Goes to the Fair' - what a treat!
Today's devotion is about how before the Bible was written, God gave messages through angels - like to Mary that she was going to have a baby. His messages are always true. I ask JJ what was the name of Mary's baby? He says Jesus! He must be learning well at Sunday School!
After some more books with mummy and milk, it's already time for bed. They look pooped!
Saturday, 3 December 2011
The Fair and Grandpa Arrives
Hoorah! They wake at 7:25am :)
The boys find a plastic shopping bag that I used to collect their toys lying around the house. Inside were some percussion instruments and they think it's quite nice to walk around the house jingling and jangling the bag.
But then they tussle for the bag, as there's only one. So mummy puts together another bag for SamSam.
JJ remembers that last night before he went to bed I promised that we would play with the Sesame Street figurines. We stand them up on the rug and we make a little skittles game using a ball to try and knock them over. Ooh, lots of fun for the boys.
SamSam hands me the 'But Not the Hippopotamus' book by Sandra Boynton. They've recently begun to appreciate this book - another book that rhymes.
Breakfast is Powergrain and Bubbles, pears, a cup of milk for SamSam, and Milo for JJ. This whole 'eat like a crocodile and put it in your tummy' thing is working a real treat for SamSam. He isn't spitting out his half chewed up food anymore, and is pointing vigorously to his tummy and saying "put it in the nummy" after any significant chews and swallows.
I have to go out for the next few hours, so Daddy takes charge. He reads 'Maisy Goes to the Fair'. They do some drawing and Thomas printout activities, and spend half an hour riding their bikes around the balcony. Then treat of treats, they get to watch an hour of Thomas the Tank Engine on DVD!
When I get home, it's lunchtime. They eat rice with buk khoo teh, a traditional Malaysian dish. They like it so much they have seconds, but when they want thirds there's no rice left - so they end up slurping more soup in their bowls.
After our afternoon siesta, the boys and I head off to a local school fair.
There are lots of people and stalls, and rides, things to eat and buy. The boys have their first ever snow cone, and we buy some mini cupcakes $6, some second-hand children's books that are real gems $2, a descriptive card game $1, toy food 50c and a wind up fishing game 50c.
JJ takes his shoes and socks off to go on the bouncy castle (another first), but after waiting a while for his turn, he changes his mind, and it's time to go home for dinner. Daddy has brought home grandpa from the airport!
The boys have grandpa playing the fishing game within a few minutes. SamSam hadn't even taken his shoes off! SamSam really likes the fishing game, and JJ is really into the new plastic food.
For dinner we eat beef and chicken satay with rice, cucumbers and peanut sauce. The boys love to eat the meat off the skewers, it's a bit of a novelty. Also, they are incredibly delicious!!
Dessert is ice cream with lychees, and everyone is happy.
After a quick shower, and into their pjs, we read our library books and some current favourites. Today's devotion is about 'what will last'? We learn that the grass withers and flowers fall, but the word of God lasts forever.
Soon it's time to go to bed. Daddy has made a really great window shade out of cardboard to properly block out the morning light. They may just sleep in til 10am tomorrow!
The boys find a plastic shopping bag that I used to collect their toys lying around the house. Inside were some percussion instruments and they think it's quite nice to walk around the house jingling and jangling the bag.
But then they tussle for the bag, as there's only one. So mummy puts together another bag for SamSam.
JJ remembers that last night before he went to bed I promised that we would play with the Sesame Street figurines. We stand them up on the rug and we make a little skittles game using a ball to try and knock them over. Ooh, lots of fun for the boys.
SamSam hands me the 'But Not the Hippopotamus' book by Sandra Boynton. They've recently begun to appreciate this book - another book that rhymes.
Breakfast is Powergrain and Bubbles, pears, a cup of milk for SamSam, and Milo for JJ. This whole 'eat like a crocodile and put it in your tummy' thing is working a real treat for SamSam. He isn't spitting out his half chewed up food anymore, and is pointing vigorously to his tummy and saying "put it in the nummy" after any significant chews and swallows.
I have to go out for the next few hours, so Daddy takes charge. He reads 'Maisy Goes to the Fair'. They do some drawing and Thomas printout activities, and spend half an hour riding their bikes around the balcony. Then treat of treats, they get to watch an hour of Thomas the Tank Engine on DVD!
When I get home, it's lunchtime. They eat rice with buk khoo teh, a traditional Malaysian dish. They like it so much they have seconds, but when they want thirds there's no rice left - so they end up slurping more soup in their bowls.
There are lots of people and stalls, and rides, things to eat and buy. The boys have their first ever snow cone, and we buy some mini cupcakes $6, some second-hand children's books that are real gems $2, a descriptive card game $1, toy food 50c and a wind up fishing game 50c.
JJ takes his shoes and socks off to go on the bouncy castle (another first), but after waiting a while for his turn, he changes his mind, and it's time to go home for dinner. Daddy has brought home grandpa from the airport!
The boys have grandpa playing the fishing game within a few minutes. SamSam hadn't even taken his shoes off! SamSam really likes the fishing game, and JJ is really into the new plastic food.
For dinner we eat beef and chicken satay with rice, cucumbers and peanut sauce. The boys love to eat the meat off the skewers, it's a bit of a novelty. Also, they are incredibly delicious!!
Dessert is ice cream with lychees, and everyone is happy.
After a quick shower, and into their pjs, we read our library books and some current favourites. Today's devotion is about 'what will last'? We learn that the grass withers and flowers fall, but the word of God lasts forever.
Soon it's time to go to bed. Daddy has made a really great window shade out of cardboard to properly block out the morning light. They may just sleep in til 10am tomorrow!
Friday, 2 December 2011
It's Friday
A 6am start, I can't believe they didn't sleep in after all the exercise they had yesterday!
While I'm trying to rummage enough energy to wake up and get out of bed, the boys bring their mini tea set into bed, and we're playing tea party while I'm still half asleep.
I show them how to fry a 'pancake' - a little yellow plate - with a little plastic spatula, and then I tell them the story of 'The Little Pancake' - the Winnie the Pooh version.
Breakfast is Powergrain (the Aldi version of Nutrigrain)* with Bubbles (the Aldi version of Rice Bubbles)* followed by Vegemite on toast. *These Aldi versions are just as good as the real thing and something like half the price!
While I hang out the washing, the boys blow bubbles and play on the trike and car. I like going out in the morning to hang the washing because we all get a good dose of vitamin D before the UV rays kick in! I purposely don't put their hats on, and expose their arms when we go out early in the morning sun.
Soon after we're off to church for a women's talk held monthly. This is only the second time I've been to it, and they are simply awesome. I have been so encouraged by what I've heard, and learnt so much practical things to apply to my daily living and my walk with God. I Love It! There are women there who have little kids like me, women whose children have grown up, and those who aren't married yet. It's so good to talk with and learn from these incredible women.
The boys are looked after with other mum's kids, so they get some play time while I get to listen. There's fruit to eat, and the boys get a treat - a mini chocolate cupcake, each!
Straight after we're off in the car to out near the airport to pick up yet another thing I bought off eBay (I promise don't do this often!), a 12 inch bicycle with training wheels for Jae. A Malvern Star bike for $5 is quite a good deal, I hope!
All this driving means that the boys get their quota of sleep for the day while in the car.
On the way home we stop off at the local shops and eat avocado sushi at 'Sushi Boy', then go to the supermarket to pick up ingredients for dinner tonight - tortillas!
We inspect the bike in the garage at home and it becomes apparent that the training wheels are wonky, and the back wheel might need some more air. We need Daddy to come and fix it up!
The boys play on the makeshift mattress-slide in the spareroom, and then we read our devotion for the day.
Today's devotion is about being obedient to your parents because they know what's best for you. They are wise and they love you, and this is most definitely the same with God. We should be obedient to Him because he knows what's best for us.
We watch Sesame Street Numbers and Letters on DVD while we wait for Daddy to come home and fix up the bike. Mummy has a well deserved cuppa tea and a power nap!
After extended DVD time - 'Richard Scarry's Best Learning Songs Ever', and 'Richard Scarry's Best ABC Video Ever' - Daddy comes home, yippee! He fixes the bike, and JJ has such a great time going around the balcony with SamSam on his trike. He looks so grown up now! I can't wait to take them to the park with their new wheels!
Tonight is my night to cook. Tortillas are brilliantly fast to prepare, so healthy, and the kids can help make them, and they Love Eating them! Dessert is fresh pears.
After dinner we read 'Hairy McClary from Donaldsons Dairy' a great book with a catchy rhyme that the boys really like. They are also very intrigued by Scarface Claw a menacing cat. SamSam made me read it twice.
After their showers we tidied up and played a few rounds of animal snap, and a building puzzle logic game. What brings on this sudden desire to play games just before they're about to go to bed is a bit puzzling. Maybe they are trying to wring out some fun out of every possible minute before they have to go to sleep?
They're starting to try a little trick, after about 10 minutes of being in bed, they'll declare that they need to go to the toilet. Both of them! This is even after JJ has already been to the loo just before he goes to bed! We can't really say no, as we're on the verge of toilet training SamSam, and JJ is only a few months trained. I'll have to keep tabs on this...
While I'm trying to rummage enough energy to wake up and get out of bed, the boys bring their mini tea set into bed, and we're playing tea party while I'm still half asleep.
I show them how to fry a 'pancake' - a little yellow plate - with a little plastic spatula, and then I tell them the story of 'The Little Pancake' - the Winnie the Pooh version.
Breakfast is Powergrain (the Aldi version of Nutrigrain)* with Bubbles (the Aldi version of Rice Bubbles)* followed by Vegemite on toast. *These Aldi versions are just as good as the real thing and something like half the price!
While I hang out the washing, the boys blow bubbles and play on the trike and car. I like going out in the morning to hang the washing because we all get a good dose of vitamin D before the UV rays kick in! I purposely don't put their hats on, and expose their arms when we go out early in the morning sun.
Soon after we're off to church for a women's talk held monthly. This is only the second time I've been to it, and they are simply awesome. I have been so encouraged by what I've heard, and learnt so much practical things to apply to my daily living and my walk with God. I Love It! There are women there who have little kids like me, women whose children have grown up, and those who aren't married yet. It's so good to talk with and learn from these incredible women.
The boys are looked after with other mum's kids, so they get some play time while I get to listen. There's fruit to eat, and the boys get a treat - a mini chocolate cupcake, each!
Straight after we're off in the car to out near the airport to pick up yet another thing I bought off eBay (I promise don't do this often!), a 12 inch bicycle with training wheels for Jae. A Malvern Star bike for $5 is quite a good deal, I hope!
All this driving means that the boys get their quota of sleep for the day while in the car.
We inspect the bike in the garage at home and it becomes apparent that the training wheels are wonky, and the back wheel might need some more air. We need Daddy to come and fix it up!
The boys play on the makeshift mattress-slide in the spareroom, and then we read our devotion for the day.
Today's devotion is about being obedient to your parents because they know what's best for you. They are wise and they love you, and this is most definitely the same with God. We should be obedient to Him because he knows what's best for us.
We watch Sesame Street Numbers and Letters on DVD while we wait for Daddy to come home and fix up the bike. Mummy has a well deserved cuppa tea and a power nap!
After extended DVD time - 'Richard Scarry's Best Learning Songs Ever', and 'Richard Scarry's Best ABC Video Ever' - Daddy comes home, yippee! He fixes the bike, and JJ has such a great time going around the balcony with SamSam on his trike. He looks so grown up now! I can't wait to take them to the park with their new wheels!
Tonight is my night to cook. Tortillas are brilliantly fast to prepare, so healthy, and the kids can help make them, and they Love Eating them! Dessert is fresh pears.
After dinner we read 'Hairy McClary from Donaldsons Dairy' a great book with a catchy rhyme that the boys really like. They are also very intrigued by Scarface Claw a menacing cat. SamSam made me read it twice.After their showers we tidied up and played a few rounds of animal snap, and a building puzzle logic game. What brings on this sudden desire to play games just before they're about to go to bed is a bit puzzling. Maybe they are trying to wring out some fun out of every possible minute before they have to go to sleep?
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Two Playgrounds
It's 6:40am, the start of a new day and SamSam is demanding "cold milk". He wakes up JJ by turning on a lamp shining directly on his face, and the day has begun.
Daddy plays Kerplunk with them, and it's not even 8am! How lucky they are!
We head down to the local bakery as a family for some brekky. We ate doughnuts at the bakery, the boys pushed the little shopping trolleys around the supermarket, we picked up some mail at our friend's house, sat outside a cafe for coffee and chocolate eclair, visited the second-hand charity shop. A lovely outing!
SamSam is too pooped to stay awake. While he sleeps, JJ and I open the pop-up tent in the spare room and grab all the library books for him to read, while I do some quiet reading of my own on the sofa bed. 20 Minutes of bliss!
Devotions and Impromptu Slide
I don't let Sam sleep too long, as I want him to have a longer sleep after lunch with JJ. We don't often play in the spare room, so it's nice to spend a bit more time there.
We read today's devotion which is about the millions of stars in the sky, and how God made them all. How wonderful God is!
We read a library book, but the boys want to roll around on the bed. Time for some physical activity!
I take JJ's mattress and rest it against the sofabed to make a slide. After a bit of experimentation we find that a glossy supermarket bag makes a great toboggan to ride down the slide! That's another 15 minutes of sliding fun!
SamSam is not so keen on the sliding, and he suggests getting out the playdough.
Playdough has to be one of the best inventions for kids. My boys can play very happily for an hour with it. The secret is you have to play with them and give them new ideas on how to play. My kids especially enjoy it when I play alongside them - whatever the activity may be.
But I find also that children need to learn how to play sometimes! They're like little sponges - once they learn from you, they will emulate what you've taught them by themselves.
I bought a cheap playdough kit from Kmart which has a few little cutters and plates, a cupcake mould and other little shape moulds. It was only about $7! I also have some little beads in the shape of hearts and stars which they really like to press into the dough. Small birthday cake candles from the $2 shop are fantastic for making little birthday cakes, and ice cream sticks are also quite nifty.
We have the Playdoh brand of playdough. It is a little pricey, but I don't allow them to mix colours, and I make sure we put the dough away once play is finished so that it doesn't dry up. This all means that the playdough lasts for ages - about five months - before I have to buy more pots. A pretty cheap investment!
Lunch is peanut butter and jam sandwiches. The boys help to spread the peanut butter with a butter knife each. They're not super good at it, but it this helps to promote independence!
The whole family goes down for a nap (while I type away furiously at the computer) and I get a few minutes rest before JJ is up again.
I remake the slide, SamSam wakes up too, and they share a box of sultanas in two bowls which makes them very happy.
I get out the guitar and JJ and leads our singing with the Alphabet song and then a Winnie the Pooh song medley. He gets out the percussion instruments and gives the harmonica to SamSam.
It's 2:50pm and the boys are getting feral. I take them to TWO playgrounds where they climb, spin, slide, swing, play in the sand and run for two hours, and by the end, their mum is more pooped than they are!
Dinner is beef noodle soop, delish! We eat really early, so the boys get to go ride their bikes around the balcony with Dad for an hour (they'll be sleeping real well tonight!). Fruit cups are for dessert.
Showers, and then milk and milo next to mummy on the sofa while we read our books. Goodnight sweethearts!
Daddy plays Kerplunk with them, and it's not even 8am! How lucky they are!
We head down to the local bakery as a family for some brekky. We ate doughnuts at the bakery, the boys pushed the little shopping trolleys around the supermarket, we picked up some mail at our friend's house, sat outside a cafe for coffee and chocolate eclair, visited the second-hand charity shop. A lovely outing!
SamSam is too pooped to stay awake. While he sleeps, JJ and I open the pop-up tent in the spare room and grab all the library books for him to read, while I do some quiet reading of my own on the sofa bed. 20 Minutes of bliss!
Devotions and Impromptu Slide
I don't let Sam sleep too long, as I want him to have a longer sleep after lunch with JJ. We don't often play in the spare room, so it's nice to spend a bit more time there.
We read today's devotion which is about the millions of stars in the sky, and how God made them all. How wonderful God is!
We read a library book, but the boys want to roll around on the bed. Time for some physical activity!
I take JJ's mattress and rest it against the sofabed to make a slide. After a bit of experimentation we find that a glossy supermarket bag makes a great toboggan to ride down the slide! That's another 15 minutes of sliding fun!
Playdough has to be one of the best inventions for kids. My boys can play very happily for an hour with it. The secret is you have to play with them and give them new ideas on how to play. My kids especially enjoy it when I play alongside them - whatever the activity may be.
But I find also that children need to learn how to play sometimes! They're like little sponges - once they learn from you, they will emulate what you've taught them by themselves.
I bought a cheap playdough kit from Kmart which has a few little cutters and plates, a cupcake mould and other little shape moulds. It was only about $7! I also have some little beads in the shape of hearts and stars which they really like to press into the dough. Small birthday cake candles from the $2 shop are fantastic for making little birthday cakes, and ice cream sticks are also quite nifty.We have the Playdoh brand of playdough. It is a little pricey, but I don't allow them to mix colours, and I make sure we put the dough away once play is finished so that it doesn't dry up. This all means that the playdough lasts for ages - about five months - before I have to buy more pots. A pretty cheap investment!
Lunch is peanut butter and jam sandwiches. The boys help to spread the peanut butter with a butter knife each. They're not super good at it, but it this helps to promote independence!
The whole family goes down for a nap (while I type away furiously at the computer) and I get a few minutes rest before JJ is up again.
I remake the slide, SamSam wakes up too, and they share a box of sultanas in two bowls which makes them very happy.
I get out the guitar and JJ and leads our singing with the Alphabet song and then a Winnie the Pooh song medley. He gets out the percussion instruments and gives the harmonica to SamSam.
It's 2:50pm and the boys are getting feral. I take them to TWO playgrounds where they climb, spin, slide, swing, play in the sand and run for two hours, and by the end, their mum is more pooped than they are!
Dinner is beef noodle soop, delish! We eat really early, so the boys get to go ride their bikes around the balcony with Dad for an hour (they'll be sleeping real well tonight!). Fruit cups are for dessert.
Showers, and then milk and milo next to mummy on the sofa while we read our books. Goodnight sweethearts!
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