Oops, fell off the wagon...well, not the love wagon, just the blog one. Ah, well, it was bound to happen. However, I did have great fun planning and executing my love for this weekend--all focused on Jeremy.
Saturday night I planned an in-house date for us once the girls were in bed (the fact that they both go to bed without a peep by 7:30 makes this kind of planning so easy). It was a scavenger hunt date inspired by the gals at The Dating Divas. I left a poetical invitation for Jeremy in the morning so he could anticipate our fun night. I sent him out of the house for a while so I could set up. When he came back, I had left clues around the house for him to gather up items for our date. The clues then led him to me and voila! instant date! It was great to neglect the TV and just spend time together, and we didn't have to pay a babysitter!
Sunday was a fun day with church and the Superbowl party we were going to so, in anticipation of that being a busy day, Kayla and I made chocolate chip cookies for Daddy on Saturday. He apparently missed my baking, so I had to oblige him.
Sorry for no pictures, but it was a busy weekend! :)
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Share the Love Day #3
Today's love is once again for my Kayla-Bug. I found these cute little flower boxes at Target and decided to introduce Kayla to planting.
Here is the "invitation" to play that she found when she got up from her nap:
We decorated the pots with sticker letters for both girls, then Kayla got to work decorating her pot. Notice, there are "girly" colors and heart/bow/star stickers and outer space ones. Which ones did my sweet girl use? That's right, the space ones. After all, she is going to be an astronaut with Larry Boy and go to the moon...
She was really concentrating hard on peeling the backs off the foam stickers. She did great--all by herself! I had these leftover from projects I did with my second graders. The pots were from house plants I bought a while back at Lowe's.
Kayla didn't want her hands to get dirty, so the most she would do was pat the soil after I put the seeds in. :) She also helped water the soil.
Here is our sunny spot for our forget-me-nots to grow on our front porch. She was so proud of these pots and actually wanted to pose for these pictures! That doesn't happen very often!
I have a brown thumb, so I am not the greatest teacher in this area, but we may find that she is good at it. I am excited to see if they actually grow over the next few days and weeks! This was such a fun project!
Here is the "invitation" to play that she found when she got up from her nap:
I have a brown thumb, so I am not the greatest teacher in this area, but we may find that she is good at it. I am excited to see if they actually grow over the next few days and weeks! This was such a fun project!
A Day in the Life with Two Kids!
A friend of mine did a post about this once, just to record what a "normal" day is like. It is fun to look back and see what life was like at different stages, so I'll try to do it at another stage as well. This is a typical day when Jeremy is working a 14 hour day.
5:00 am Sabrina wakes up for her first feeding. She is still nursing, so thankfully I don't have to go grab a bottle. We stay up for about an hour, then go back to bed until Kayla wakes up. This is some good alone time with Sabrina and she is usually really talkative and happy!
7:30-8:00 am Kayla has been getting up a little later than usual, so it has been great to sleep in!
We all snuggle in bed while Kayla has her juice and Sabrina nurses.
8:30 am Breakfast time. Kayla has been very finicky about whether she is hungry for breakfast or not lately. She usually has yogurt or cereal with milk. Her favorites are Mini-Wheats, Cheerios, and anything chocolate.
9:00 am Mommy's shower time. Sabrina hangs out in the bouncy chair and plays with toys and Kayla watches Sesame Street or Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures on the computer. If she's not watching anything, she hands me lotion that she wants me to give her or plays with my mirror.
10:00 am Sabrina's first bottle of the day. I am still mixing pumped milk and formula, so I pump before I leave the house. I like to be going out somewhere by this time, whether it is the grocery store, playgroup, the park, or storytime at the library. I love doing something where Kayla can interact with kids her own age, but sometimes our outing is just for me to get out of the house (and take my new car for a spin!).
Story Time at the Igo Library.
Her favorite part is the parachute at the end when Ms. Nancy sings "Row Your Boat." She eventually lets the kids go under it, but Kayla is always going in early. :)
Kayla is starting to listen better: here she is sitting down and putting her hand on her head waiting for a sticker.
Sabrina is usually hanging out in the wrap or having a bottle while we check out books.
12:00 Lunch time. We are usually home by now so that there are as few meltdowns as possible (me included!). Sabrina naps in the swing while we make and eat lunch.
12:30 or 1:00 pm Nap time for Kayla. I give Sabrina a bottle, put her down for a nap, and then pump.
1:00-2:30 pm The girls are both asleep and I get some time alone to clean, rest (not nap, don't usually get enough time to fall asleep and actually feel rested), and--lately--get on the computer. It is nice to get a few things done while I have two hands and the ability to focus.
2:30 or 3:00-4:30 pm Kayla and Mommy time! I try to do as little housework as possible during this time. I really want to focus on Kayla and give her my undivided attention. We read tons of books, color, do playdoh, play outside, and just play with her toys. If I'm really tired, we'll hang out on the couch and watch something. Her favorites are Iron Giant, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 3, and Veggie Tales.
4:30 pm Sabrina gets up and has a bottle. I either pump before or after, depending on the day. This has been a very difficult time for Kayla lately. She doesn't want me to get Sabrina up or feed her at first. Eventually, though she'll either help me feed Sabrina or go in her room and close the door for some quiet time (by her own choice!). She comes back in a better mood and we go on with our day.
5:00 pm Time to make, eat, and clean up after dinner! This is usually the hardest part of the day. It is just so much activity for me where I can't be holding either of the girls. Sabrina is in the swing or on the playmat and is in the kitchen. She loves to help me and will hand me whatever I need and help me mix things. She knows her way around our kitchen already!
6:30 pm Bottle for Sabrina, bath time, and getting ready for bed, and reading books. Sabrina absolutely loves to be in the tub. She kicks her legs and likes to hear me splash the water. I love that they take a bath together!
7:30 pm After the girls have both been read to, sung to, and prayed with, it is lights out. We are very fortunate that Sabrina goes to bed so easily at such an early age. It is such a relief to know that by 7:30 we will get a rest!
If I didn't get a chance during the day (or if Jeremy was working), part of my night looks like this:
Then we're on the couch until bed!
The girls mostly both sleep through the night, with a couple of hiccups every once in a while. And thus the cycle begins again!
5:00 am Sabrina wakes up for her first feeding. She is still nursing, so thankfully I don't have to go grab a bottle. We stay up for about an hour, then go back to bed until Kayla wakes up. This is some good alone time with Sabrina and she is usually really talkative and happy!
7:30-8:00 am Kayla has been getting up a little later than usual, so it has been great to sleep in!
We all snuggle in bed while Kayla has her juice and Sabrina nurses.
 |
| Ah, yes, still the paci... This was taken on a day that Daddy was already at work, but he snoozes and snuggles too. |
9:00 am Mommy's shower time. Sabrina hangs out in the bouncy chair and plays with toys and Kayla watches Sesame Street or Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures on the computer. If she's not watching anything, she hands me lotion that she wants me to give her or plays with my mirror.
10:00 am Sabrina's first bottle of the day. I am still mixing pumped milk and formula, so I pump before I leave the house. I like to be going out somewhere by this time, whether it is the grocery store, playgroup, the park, or storytime at the library. I love doing something where Kayla can interact with kids her own age, but sometimes our outing is just for me to get out of the house (and take my new car for a spin!).
Her favorite part is the parachute at the end when Ms. Nancy sings "Row Your Boat." She eventually lets the kids go under it, but Kayla is always going in early. :)
Kayla is starting to listen better: here she is sitting down and putting her hand on her head waiting for a sticker.
Sabrina is usually hanging out in the wrap or having a bottle while we check out books.
 |
| We go places with Daddy, too, on his days off during the week. |
12:00 Lunch time. We are usually home by now so that there are as few meltdowns as possible (me included!). Sabrina naps in the swing while we make and eat lunch.
1:00-2:30 pm The girls are both asleep and I get some time alone to clean, rest (not nap, don't usually get enough time to fall asleep and actually feel rested), and--lately--get on the computer. It is nice to get a few things done while I have two hands and the ability to focus.
2:30 or 3:00-4:30 pm Kayla and Mommy time! I try to do as little housework as possible during this time. I really want to focus on Kayla and give her my undivided attention. We read tons of books, color, do playdoh, play outside, and just play with her toys. If I'm really tired, we'll hang out on the couch and watch something. Her favorites are Iron Giant, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 3, and Veggie Tales.
 |
| "Read my Bible, Momma!" (Gotta love Buddy Bucks stickers!) |
4:30 pm Sabrina gets up and has a bottle. I either pump before or after, depending on the day. This has been a very difficult time for Kayla lately. She doesn't want me to get Sabrina up or feed her at first. Eventually, though she'll either help me feed Sabrina or go in her room and close the door for some quiet time (by her own choice!). She comes back in a better mood and we go on with our day.
5:00 pm Time to make, eat, and clean up after dinner! This is usually the hardest part of the day. It is just so much activity for me where I can't be holding either of the girls. Sabrina is in the swing or on the playmat and is in the kitchen. She loves to help me and will hand me whatever I need and help me mix things. She knows her way around our kitchen already!
 |
| Typical dinner scene, although Kayla has been refusing to sit in her high chair lately. She does pretty well in a regular chair. Sabrina is usually on my lap. |
7:30 pm After the girls have both been read to, sung to, and prayed with, it is lights out. We are very fortunate that Sabrina goes to bed so easily at such an early age. It is such a relief to know that by 7:30 we will get a rest!
If I didn't get a chance during the day (or if Jeremy was working), part of my night looks like this:
The girls mostly both sleep through the night, with a couple of hiccups every once in a while. And thus the cycle begins again!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Share the Love Day #2
I made it 2 days in a row??!! That's a new record.
Today's love goes out to my big girl, Kayla. We don't have as much Mommy-Kayla time anymore and I have been sensing that Kayla is really missing that. However, Sabrina takes a longer nap than Kayla, so we do get an hour or more one-on-one time in the afternoons. I have been wanting to use that time more wisely (instead of plopping down in front of the TV so Sabrina doesn't get woken up by loud play), so I made a special treasure hunt for her and I to do together today.
Each heart (cut from an old gift bag) has a clue to the next heart. For example, one said, "The next heart is inside a place that gets very cold."
I only did five heart clues because I wasn't sure how much she would like this and didn't want her to get frustrated. The "treasure" was Valentine window clings. I got them at Target's $1 Spot. We found a snowman one around Christmas time so I knew she would enjoy them.
As she got up from her nap, she saw the first clue. She was excited and ran straight to where the second clue was. She had a tough time answering "it is under the place where we eat" but with help, we found the third clue. This was about when her attention wore out....coloring break!
We got back to "treasure hunting" and quickly found the treasure. She was excited and we played with the clings together for a while.
This was a fun way to learn new things about Kayla through an activity that we don't normally do.
We even had the extra-special treat of visiting with Grandma at her office today!
Kayla loves using Grandma's keyboard and watching the fish. :)
Today's love goes out to my big girl, Kayla. We don't have as much Mommy-Kayla time anymore and I have been sensing that Kayla is really missing that. However, Sabrina takes a longer nap than Kayla, so we do get an hour or more one-on-one time in the afternoons. I have been wanting to use that time more wisely (instead of plopping down in front of the TV so Sabrina doesn't get woken up by loud play), so I made a special treasure hunt for her and I to do together today.
Each heart (cut from an old gift bag) has a clue to the next heart. For example, one said, "The next heart is inside a place that gets very cold."
I only did five heart clues because I wasn't sure how much she would like this and didn't want her to get frustrated. The "treasure" was Valentine window clings. I got them at Target's $1 Spot. We found a snowman one around Christmas time so I knew she would enjoy them.
As she got up from her nap, she saw the first clue. She was excited and ran straight to where the second clue was. She had a tough time answering "it is under the place where we eat" but with help, we found the third clue. This was about when her attention wore out....coloring break!
We even had the extra-special treat of visiting with Grandma at her office today!
Kayla loves using Grandma's keyboard and watching the fish. :)
Sabrina looks so big in this picture! Isn't Grandma beautiful?!
Until tomorrow!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Share the Love Day #1
I guess I really love Valentine's Day...the candy (those pure-sugar melt-in-your-mouth candies that are Valentine's version of candy corn, for example), the cards, the flowers, and the colors. What a fun way to show someone you love them! And, since February is at the beginning of the year, it's also a good time to follow through on resolutions that may have fallen by the wayside since January. Thus, as a way to look forward to the 14th, I am declaring each day preceding it a "Share the Love" day in my home!
Basically, I'll do activities that show my love (and hopefully God's love) for those around me each day until V-Day. Some will be meaningful in and of themselves, some will be meaningful because it is done with someone. I tried to do this last year on each day before Valentine's, but only succeeded a handful of days. This year, however, I am more prepared and I'm hoping that knowing you are reading along will help me stay accountable!
Day #1
Since I am starting to lose more baby weight, my maternity clothes are not really fitting anymore. So, I have gone through my closet and taken out all the ones that are not fitting. I also took out clothes that I have outgrown by virtue of my age. Not that I had anything inappropriate, I just want to update my look as a 30-year-old mommy of two. *cringe*
Fun after pic (picture the before just being a really stuffed closet...)
So, how is this love? Well, a ministry that is near to my heart is the Agape Pregnancy Center. They offer free maternity clothes to the women to whom they minister (as well as counseling, parenting classes, and {soon} free sonogram services). Jeremy and I are not sure that we're done having kids yet, but I did have an over-abundance of maternity clothes that were mainly professional. The girls and I went to the center to donate the clothes and see the place--what a great ministry they have! (btw, many of these clothes were first donated to me....I'm just passing on the blessing.)
Now to go shopping....
"We love because God first loved us {through Christ}." 1 John 4:19
Basically, I'll do activities that show my love (and hopefully God's love) for those around me each day until V-Day. Some will be meaningful in and of themselves, some will be meaningful because it is done with someone. I tried to do this last year on each day before Valentine's, but only succeeded a handful of days. This year, however, I am more prepared and I'm hoping that knowing you are reading along will help me stay accountable!
Day #1
Since I am starting to lose more baby weight, my maternity clothes are not really fitting anymore. So, I have gone through my closet and taken out all the ones that are not fitting. I also took out clothes that I have outgrown by virtue of my age. Not that I had anything inappropriate, I just want to update my look as a 30-year-old mommy of two. *cringe*
Fun after pic (picture the before just being a really stuffed closet...)
So, how is this love? Well, a ministry that is near to my heart is the Agape Pregnancy Center. They offer free maternity clothes to the women to whom they minister (as well as counseling, parenting classes, and {soon} free sonogram services). Jeremy and I are not sure that we're done having kids yet, but I did have an over-abundance of maternity clothes that were mainly professional. The girls and I went to the center to donate the clothes and see the place--what a great ministry they have! (btw, many of these clothes were first donated to me....I'm just passing on the blessing.)
Now to go shopping....
"We love because God first loved us {through Christ}." 1 John 4:19
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