family rules

So, this is something I probably should have done a lot earlier... rules.  Max is a good boy, but it's hard to know how to act in public if your parents don't teach you the basics.   Duh, I guess.  It's probably pretty common, at least I hope so, that as a parent you get so involved in the day to day tasks that the big lessons are sometimes forgotten.  Anyhoo- it was apparent recently that I needed to create some house rules.  Just the biggies.  I brainstormed with Max and then typed them up, reviewed with him, and slapped those bad boys on the fridge.

Lola lost interest...

Look at his face!!  Ah, this picture cracks me up.  Not necessarily happy about this...

valentine's 2014

We have been doing a lot of kid-involved crafts around here preparing for Valentine's Day.  That means we have a ton of good memories... as well as a house that looks like a tornado ripped through it and a frazzled mommy.  But first of all, how cute are my valentines?

No handmade valentines for the kids like last year, but they didn't mind.  I had these out when they woke up and they each had a breakfast candy and pink milk.  The best part of Christmas is the look on the kids faces when they come downstairs first thing in the morning.  I decided every holiday should be like that.

They helped me cut out and then decorate sugar cookies (thank you Trader Joe's pre-made kit).

I found this tutorial on making boxes and it's so easy I don't think I'll ever buy another gift box.  Seriously.  I know these look a little wonky, but it's only because I made them in 5 minutes.

So this is what everyone's presents looked like.

Some little gifts for daddy, beef jerky chocolate and a turkish coffee maker.  Random?

We gave all of these away before I remembered to take a picture, but I would write things or draw pictures in white crayon and have the kids watercolor over it.  Then they (Max) wrote messages on the back.  I so wish I would have taken a picture of the card he wrote to his teacher.  He literally wrote out, "Happy Valentine's Day! Love, Max".  He's incredible.  I barely have to show him examples of any of the letters anymore.

Last, but if time has anything to do with it, certainly not least... superhero valentines for Max's class.  I shamelessly copied these and found some more superhero logos here.  Max was so happy about them and excited to give them to classmates.  There was a rule that we weren't allowed to write kids names on them.  I get it, if you forget a kid that would be sad.  But because of that, I totally blanked on including a To and From.  It wasn't until Max got home from school and showed me all his valentines did I realize I didn't write "From Max" on any of them!  Epic Fail!  Now no one knows who they were from... I'm sad.  I feel like writing the school, but I think that gets filed under "crazy mommy".

Happy Valentine's Day!

diy kids play cookbook

The kids got a cute little play kitchen for Christmas and they really love it.  The old one got a lot of play, that's for sure, but it was looking pretty shabby.  This one has the perfect spot in our new office slash play room.  I thought it would be really fun to make the kids their own cookbook with silly recipes to follow.  Also, a way to continue to teach numbers, colors, and just encourage their imagination a little.  

I took an old board book of theirs that neither of them read and mod podged the printed recipe cards on top of the current pages.  It was easy... but takes a lot of time because you have to let each page dry completely before doing the next so they don't stick together.

"Eat this Lola!"

"Ok"

This is Lola doing the Pat-a-Cake, "roll it".

Here are all the recipes I wrote.  I think the Superhero Stew and Pat-a-Cake are my favs.

And aren't these totes cute??  My mom made them for all the grandkids last Easter, filled with play food.  I love them.