Crafting with the kiddos

I love crafts!  I always have.  Now that the girls are getting closer to three, we can craft together.  I am currently hooked on Pinterest and there are so many good ideas pinned up there.  I don't often add content, I just wander through what other people have pinned.  One of my new favorites is the Play At Home Mom site.

There are so many simple and fun ideas on this site.  Today the girls and I made some colored rice.  I Googled it and the basic idea is 2 tsp. of rubbing alcohol, some food coloring (gel or liquid), and 1 cup of rice.  I used some zipper bags and let the girls hold them while I put in the ingredients.  Then we sealed them and squished them until everything was mixed up.  They kept asking for more colors!  I am almost out of rice again.  I will have to start buying the HUGE bag.

I think that we may dump the big tub of dried beans and put the rice in it. That or we'll use the ginormous plastic storage tub to hold the rice.  The girls can use measuring cups, funnels, spoons, toy construction trucks, and other things to play with it.  We can also use it to make pretty paper weights or Eye Spy bottles.  It's a cheap and easy activity to do with the kids.

What did we do with that rice?  We made Eye Spy bottles today!  The rice dried on the stovetop (no heat) all day.  I stirred it often to break up clumps.  The thinner you can spread it out, the better.  When the girls are older, I will send them on a scavenger hunt to find items.  Today, I snuck around and found odds n' ends to pop into the bottles.  I have a bunch of beads and buttons around.  Then I added some other things: plastic toys from the party favors section and some buttons that I bought.  The girls had fun choosing what to put in the bottle and helping to scoop the rice.  We used some small soda bottles that were washed and dried.  The end result:

The girls really liked the little frogs and some imprinted coins from a trip to Disney (high school band trip).  They added beads and buttons, too.

This one has some sports-themed buttons that I found at a local craft store.  I added some old charms from broken jewelry, pebbles, buttons, shells, etc.....  Be sure to glue the lids on or screw them down very, very, very tightly.

Pancake Sunday - Whole Wheat Edition

Today I substituted some whole wheat flour in for all purpose flour (afp).  I had to cook them over lower heat, but they turned out pretty good.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Dry ingredients:
1 c. AFP
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp.  baking powder
pinch salt
3 tbsp. sugar
generous dash cinnamon

Wet ingredients:
3 tbsp. vegetable oil or melted butter
1-2 eggs
1-2 c. milk (depending on your preferred consistency)
vanilla to taste

Add the wet to the dry and mix.  Cook on hot skillet over medium heat until tops are bubbly.  Flip.  I added some vinegar to the milk to sour it.  I poured scant 1/3 cup fulls of this onto a skillet and cooked.  We had about a dozen pancakes from one batch.  Next time, I plan to use some molasses or honey instead of sugar.  I might add some nutmeg or use pumpkin pie spice instead.  I LOVE fall flavors.

Two. Is. Awesome. Today.

Today two years old is pretty cool around here.  Started off with a quick trip to the doctor to check on Thalia's arm.  It seems that she dislocated that ligament or muscle on the elbow joint.  She likes to flop when you hold her hand.  She throws in a twist for good, painful measure.  Thalia was fantastic for the doctor.  She sat nicely and ate her fruit snacks.  She played with her bunny and talked to the doctor. 

Calliope was a bit jealous of all the attention Thalia is getting.  She decided to wear underpants all day!  We've been dry all day!  There was some poop, but it wasn't too bad.

On top of a two+ hour nap, they watched Winnie the Pooh together.  They sat and watched a whole movie.  That is a first!  I was able to wash a sink full of dishes without stopping.  It was so nice.  

The IMAGINATION has been wonderful!!!  There is a lion living in the basement.  They throw him food over the baby gate.  The dog's leash is a seat belt that Calli hooks on her sister's shoulder.  Thalia crosses her arms and tells me "You good girl." Calli helped me mix up a cake.  She has been baking cakes in the bookshelves all day.  Thalia is is Jack Black dancing it around the house singing "What's up?"  The girl is going to be a rock star.  They are playing together very nicely and cracking up.  It is just the greatest day. 

Summer Windup

I always start the summer with all these plans and goals.  I don't usually reach them. This year I put together a little tin with ideas to beat boredom with two toddlers.  I'm not sure where that tin is right now.  I haven't touched other than to move it once or twice.  We did do some of the things: play with dried beans, paper plate maracas, play with balloons, fingerpaint, peanut butter play dough, regular play dough, painting, go to parks, and bubbles. 

I did get more active, but I also cooked more.  So, I'm back up a bit weight-wise.  Sigh.  Fenrir and I are taking more walks.  He makes me feel guilty if I don't.  We joined the pool and went a lot during the really hot days.  The girls learned to climb more on the playground.  It makes me really proud and really scared to see them bravely explore their world.

The one thing I really got from this summer was that we did things together.  The girls and I went to visit family and parks, we played in town, we swam, and we cooked.  We did a lot together and the housework and chores will be waiting as always.  I don't feel like I wasted it away like some summers in the past.

Pancake Sunday - Apple Edition

It's Sunday and that means pancakes at our house.  I love pancakes.  Easy to make and fun to play with.  Today I didn't have any milk, but I did have apple juice.  So, I experimented. 

Apple Yogurt Pancakes

dry ingredients:
1.5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
salt to taste
healthy dose of cinnamon

wet ingredients:
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 cup applesauce (this is a guess because we had the little cups - I used two)
1/2 cup yogurt
2 eggs
splash vanilla
apple juice (until the texture is right)

Mix wet ingredients into dry.  The cooking temp/time was a bit of a challenge.  These burned a bit while cooking.  I turned the heat just below medium and they still burned a bit. I think maybe I need to make tiny pancakes instead of the medium sized ones I like.

Pancake Sunday - Banana Yogurt Edition

A while ago I started making pancakes for Toby and I (me?) on Sundays.  It's a favorite thing of mine.  It kind of fizzled out a bit now that the girls are in to everything.  Today I'm bringing pancakes back (sing that a la Justin Timberlake). 

Via Weelicious, I was reminded how versatile pancakes are.  She has so many variations.  I grabbed our trusty copy of Joy of Cooking and got moving.  The additions really worked nicely.  I hope you've made pancakes before.  It's helpful to know how you like your batter.  My mom always like batters really thin for pancakes.  I like them a bit thicker, but not as thick as some recipes call for.  That's why there's no real measurement for the milk here.  You add enough to get the consistency that you like.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients:

1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tsp double-acting baking powder

In a separate container combine:
2 large eggs (beaten)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain non fat yogurt
a splash of milk
splash of vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and add milk a splash at a time until you get the right consistency.  Mash up some bananas and stir that into the mix.  I ended up using three smallish bananas.  I'm very exacting about this recipe, no?  I think I will add some walnuts next time.  These turned out really moist.  I cooked them in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Really, the dial was set just lower than medium.  I have a tendency to rush things and burn the pancakes.  While they cooked I did the dishes and tidied the kitchen.  I also chased two toddlers around.  Calliope insists that she has a bee in her ear today.  Swim ear? 

What were the girls doing while I cooked?  They watched some Dora and ate cookies.  I don't do it often, but sometimes I honor Grandma P's memory and give the girls cookies for breakfast.  Ok, I give them oatmeal cookies for breakfast a lot.  It's no worse than the sugar cereals and donuts available. 

 Yes, they are on the counter.  That's how I get some cooking done.  They will sit and watch for ages on the counter. 

 Yum!  Pancakes fresh off the skillet...well, after a few minutes.  I never know how many a recipe will make because we eat them as they are done.

I'd love to know if you try these and if they work out for you.  Happy Pancake Sunday!

Meet Calliope

This is Calliope.  We call her Calli.  She'll tell you she's Calli.  Sometimes she'll joke around, but she always lets you know in the end.  It's easy to tell because usually she says, "I Mommy" or "I Nana" if she's joking.  Thalia is a little tricksy on that one.

Calli is a goofball.  She is silly and crazy and just a little chimpanzee.   She is very sad that these glasses don't fit anymore - not even when they're upside down.

Calli can be ornery.  Really, really ornery.

Calli might be stubborn, but she's is also a sensitive and sweet little girl.  She loves hugs.  She loves her sister.  She is always there to kiss Thalia's boo-boos.

Meet Thalia

Thalia introduces herself to everybody now.  I think it may be a response to people asking "Which one is this?"  Really, people? Which "one"?  They're little people.  They know their names.  Just ask.

This is my sweet Thalia.  She's a thinker.  You can see it happening.

She's curious and all about exploring.

She loves her "rabbit bunny".  She hugged that bunny like a long lost friend the very first time Aunt Angie gave it to her.  She's very, very talkative.  She likes to make up songs.  When Thalia dances, her hips shake like a little hula girl.  She introduces Calli like this: "This my sister friend."

I love her to bits and pieces.  She is so special in all her Thalia ways.

Super Saturday

It has been one busy day!  The girls and I had a nice quiet breakfast.  Then they played with the paper plate masks I made.  Nothing fancy at all, just some faces on plates.  Toby got this picture while the girls "arred" like pirates:

This morning we wrangled two frustrating two year olds into their clothes and the stroller.  We walked up town to the farmers' market.  Toby hit the baked goods as always and I found some mint.  I also got a free bar of soap because my name was the name of the day.  Surprise!  It's a lovely handmade soap and is scented with barberry spice.  The girls munched on blueberry muffins while we walked to the grocery store for the veggies we didn't find at the market.  It's too early yet, I guess. 

After unloading the stroller, we had lunch - complete with time out for Thalia.  She really likes to throw her food around.  Then a lovely, long naptime.  Snack and Caillou led into going to Nana's.  Nana was gracious enough to watch the girls so that we could have a date night.  That turned into a "let's redo the front flower bed" night.  As an added bonus, Nana cut the girls' bangs tonight!  WE ADORE NANA!

This:

Is now this:

I still have to dig out the dead weeds between the flagstones.  That is one disgustingly slow task.  I should be able to get it done in a few nights, though.  I really only get to work out front when the girls are in bed or at the sitter's.  We have a busy street running out front.  I can't watch the girls and get anything done.  Fenrir has been my yardwork buddy.  He's getting better about not freaking out when people go by.  For an 80+ pound lab/husky mix, he is one big weenie.  That's about all for now.  I hope that some of that gardening makes up for the muffins and raspberry bread we had today.  YUM!

Painting with Toddlers

At the beginning of the summer I stocked up on art supplies and simple things to keep us busy.  I bought a set of Crayola paints (washable, of course) and the girls mostly demolished that today.  So, how do you paint with two year old twins?  This is what we did and what I would do differently next time.

First, think mess.  Two year olds are all about exploring everything: color, texture, taste, etc....  I covered the table with a piece of cheap plastic drop cloth.  My mom had a vinyl table cloth that worked great.  A friend of ours went to the fabric store and bought some clear vinyl to cover her pretty table cloths.  I thought that was a great idea.

Table covered, check!  One color paint pot open, check!  Paint brushes, check!  Bed-headed toddlers, check!

This is how we started out.  One color.  Nice.  Neat-ish.

This is where we ended up.  Not too bad, but there are two t-shirts soaking in dishwater.  Dishwater is a miracle cleaner.  I learned that from some awesome parent friends.

Now, what I plan to do next time:

• Save the empty paint pots
• Refill empty paints with homemade cheap paint (water, corn starch, food coloring, and liquid soap)
• Could put paper inside a cookie tray to contain the mess (don't remember where I read this, but I've read it on a few mommy blogs)
• Buy some t-shirts at thrift shop for artsy activities
• Set them up at the table and let them go! I could have gotten some work done nearby because they were so into the painting.
• Thought about a paper plate "palette" instead so that I don't have to open/close colors for the girls.  Read several places that you can recycle bottle caps into a palette by gluing them onto a paper plate or cheap plastic plate.  I think I'll just put some blobs of paint onto a paper plate and let them go.
• Sponge-painting!  Probably way easier for them to manipulate than the paint brushes. 

Overall, it was a good way to kill an hour and the girls had lots of fun talking about colors.  They were very impressed with the water changing colors.   It's now 9:20 and we have a long way to go until naptime.  Next up:  bike ride around town, park and playground, haircuts?, lunch!  Then it's sweet, sweet naptime. 

A Trip to Grandpop's House

Yesterday we went to see my dad.  It's a shame that it was so chilly outside.  The girls still had a blast running around in his big yard.  They ran out to the old chicken coop  to explore.

Sometimes they hold hands, but it's more of a game than an affectionate gesture at this point.

They got to take a ride in Grandpop's lawnmower cart.

We went to see the neighbor's steer.  The girls happily cried, "cows!" and were really interested when Grandpop held out his hand and the cows licked his gloves.  I couldn't get a good picture in the barn since it was really dim.  It was great to see the girls exploring the way I remember exploring.  It used to seem like everything was so big when we went to visit my grandparents at "the farm".  We went to lunch with Grandpop and picked out some flowers at a greenhouse.  Overall things went well, but they are two and there were some whiny times at McD's.  The girls settled in for a nap while Dad and I drove around.  After dropping him off, we had the whiniest car ride home evar.

I am not a SAHM

I respect SAHM's a lot, but I just can't be one.  It will make me crazy and the kids will be miserable.  I'm feeling a bit guilty about being so delighted to drop the girls off at the sitter.  However, I have gotten things done today and I still have time and patience for more.  The bushes in the front beds have been pruned, clippings raked, weeds sprayed with poison, potted plants moved to their new locations, dressers cleaned out, lunch made, and I'm still going.  It's so much easier when I don't have to referee two little ones.  Again, I feel a bit bad for not being the supermom who can handle it all and whip up a beautiful cake, but not too bad.

Rain day fun!

The plan was to go to the store today.  The plan was to buy floaties and then go to the pool today.  The plan has been thrown out the window because it is stormy here.  So, it's time to play indoors.

We made paper plate maracas.  The girls had no idea that's what we were doing.  I gave them plates to color on and then let them put in a few handfuls of dried beans.  The beans were such a hit that we're still playing with them now.  I had some really, really old bags of dried beans...some of which are discolored and I doubt they'd taste good.  I poured these into pie plates and the girls are playing on the kitchen floor.  They have a dump truck and scoop.  They each have measuring spoons and cups. Calli has been filling the back of the dump truck very deliberately for a while: measuring spoon to cup and then cup to truck. 

 Calli and the dump truck

I like watching them studiously scoop and pour things from one container to another. 

Thalia and the scoop truck

First real day of summer!

Teachers love summer vacation as much as the students do.  Think about it, we cram all of our work into nine months.  Contrary to popular belief, I am not paid to do nothing in the summer.  My salary is simply divided over 12 months instead of 9. 


That said, I am planning to enjoy this summer to the fullest.  Today we had a nice family breakfast and then went to the park.  To keep you from thinking that we have some idyllic life, the girls we a handful to wrangle into clothes and shoes.  There was a time out for hitting and a lot of whining and "No!"  The girls had a good time climbing on the playground and then we biked home.  They voluntarily put themselves down for a nap (yay toddler beds!) and now I'm working on lunch.'

If last summer is any indication, we'll have roughly this routine:

(6:30) wake up sometime around this
           eat breakfast
           go to park or for long walk in stroller
          play, play, play!
(10-1) nap (shower and nap for me, too!)
          lunch
          play, play, play
          tv/quiet time
         dinner
         bath
(6:30-7)bedtime

We are having these baked zucchini coins.  They smell awesome, but I'm not sure how crunchy they will be.  Probably will have some canned spaghetti sauce for dipping and will add a fruit, too. 

There is a load of towels in the wash and I'll fold some laundry while the girls play later this afternoon.  So far, I'm keeping busy, but it's just been one day.  I hope I can keep this pace up.  I'd like to be more active and lose this last 15 lbs...or at least redistribute it a bit.  Time to get lunch finished up...I hear the girls stirring a bit.

So not Martha Stewart

I used to love watching her.  She was the goddess of all things crafty.  Then, I grew up and realized that I'm not a full time homemaker and I don't have a full staff at my disposal.  So, I muddle along the best I can.  I really enjoy reading Ree Drumond's blog, but again, I'm not a full time homemaker with a handy man at my disposal.  My husband is great, but he grew up on a boat, not in a house.  Also, he has no desire to work in the yard/garden.  I won't force that on him, either.

Today I potted a bunch of plants.  I like the idea of container gardening.  It's not permanent, you can prevent weeds much easier.  You can start very small and grow.  So, I have flowers and herbs in small pots. 

 I bought some big plastic tubs at WalMart and punched holes in the bottoms.  Nothing fancy.  I just grabbed a screwdriver and made holes.  Lots of them all over the bottoms of the pots.  I am seeing how old plastic pots work as drainage.  You know the cheap plastic that the flowers come in?  I used to save those in the garage thinking that some day I would start seeds in them. Not so much.  I mostly just stacked them.  Today I threw a ton of them into the big blue tubs.  I put the empty tubs on top of some leftover flagstones, filled with dirt, and added plants.  I'm curious to see how they grow.  I have a beefsteak tomato, a grape tomato, a yellow pear tomato, eggplant, and golden pepper planted.  I'm hoping that it isn't too much for the tubs.  They are really big, but it could be too much.  I also hope that they get enough sun next to the garage.  If not, we'll be moving them...all 120 pounds of dirt and plastic. 

I'm curious to see what will happen.  I'm also pretty sure the girls will adore watering the plants and watching things grow.

Summer 2011

I am determined that this summer will rock.  The other day I brainstormed things I could do with the girls when they got bored with playing with toys.  If I don't watch them, the war of the wonder twins breaks out.  It's usually caused by boredom, frustration, need for a nap, or hunger.  I wrote lots of little activities on slips of paper and tucked them into a tin (leftover from candy somebody gave me once...there was no more candy and I was a bit sad).  Some of the things in the tin:

• balloons - I used to play for a long time with a plain balloon.  Good for a rainy day.
• paper plate maracas - Coloring and music!  
• paper plate masks - No need for tons of supplies for these.  
• finger painting - Read a suggestion that you put a bit of paint on a paper plate to keep things tidier.
• shape walk - The girls know their shapes and we can look for things in those shapes.  
• cloud watching
• tp tube kazoos
• table fort
• peanut butter play dough
• play with bread dough and bake it
• stamps on paper
• potato stamps
• bucket with soapy water - they're two, anything is fun!
• obstacle course with household objects
• baby doll bathtime outside
• face painting - fun to do and fun to wash off
• visit nursing home down the street - pass out flowers or stickers to residents
• make a book
• make hand prints on cardstock - which I can turn into thank you notes later.  Must remember to give each child a different color or write names and ages on the page.
• make ice cream in coffee cans or zipper bags
• go for a walk in the rain

Today I started out by making the finger paint.  The girls are with their Nana and my gardening projects were not going super.  I used this recipe:  Bath Tub Soap

Upon many reviews of other recipes, I used tear free baby soap.  I screwed up and added water to the corn starch/soap mixture when it looked too thick.  I have a recycled pickle jar half full of this mixture in the fridge.  So, oops, but score!  If the kids like it, there's extra left.  I am hoping that it would make a neat gift.  I just want to make sure that it comes clean before I give it away.

Mine came out a bit lumpy, but the two year olds shouldn't mind.  Life is about messes and textures for them right now.  Here's a pic of the containers I have:

I can't wait to get the kids all grubby so that they can play with this in the tub.  It should be a good bath tub and finger paint base.  I read a suggestion that you let the kids paint on an old sheet hung up outside.  I might try that to see if the colors wash out.  I will post more as we try the different activities throughout the summer.

My Favorite Mommy Things

I've been looking back through photos and thinking a lot about my favorite mommy moments of the year.  Here are some of the highlights:

First ice cream cones.  They now get excited and ask for "cream cream".  Looks like they got my sweet tooth.

 Hanging out with Grandpop on a nice Saturday.  Below is the hearth at Grandpop's house.  They really liked sitting there

 A two year twin chair pic!  Thalia is on the left and Calliope is on the right.

 And one of my favorite things ... learning to blow kisses.  Hope you all had a great year, too.

Words around the house

The girls are really learning a lot lately.  They started playing games together and talking to each other more.  They know "sister" and string that with something else to mean "sister's ____".  It's really nice to see them playing together.  Thalia will bring Calli a drink saying, "Sister!  Sister, here, Sister drink."

Other new phrases:

I turn
sister turn
I did it!
I got it.
Sunglasses!
open
door
up
in
Where are you?
My carseat!

There's a lot more, but I can't remember it all now.

Sometimes twins are HARD

The girls are quickly approaching two and they definitely have more opinions.  I try to give them lots of choices, but sometimes it isn't possible.  Lately, the meltdowns have been all about me carrying them.  I cannot physically carry the two girls anymore.  I love carrying them, but at 23 pounds each or more, my ribs will not let me carry them.  Thalia can cry and throw a fit like nobody else I know.  We have implemented time outs for this.  Mostly, I've been letting her cry it out and then getting her out of her crib.  Unfortunately, she goes right back into a fit if I won't carry her out of the bedroom. On it goes.

Confusion 2011

This weekend we attended Confusion 2011.  Toby and I have been going there for at least five years, but I'd bet closer to ten.  It's my favorite con because of the family-friendly atmosphere.  We know so many people who attend every year that it feels like a giant family reunion of sorts.

The girls travel well and they did great for the most part.  They are in love with elevators and had a blast running on the hotels carpet.  The carpet has giant flowers and vines running along it.  The girls thought it was great to stand on those big flowers! 

Traveling with two toddlers is something.  Their suitcase was stuffed with toys more than anything else.  Of course, the usual medications and "just-in-case" items were packed, but I really eased up on the clothes this time.  I packed loads of snacks:  Gerber yogurt (no refrigeration needed), fruit rolls, fruit cups, apple juice, sippy cups, cookies, and crackers.  Nothing keeps a toddler happier than snacks and some Dora on the iPhone.

Instead of buying a membership, I planned to hang around the hotel.  We sat in the makeshift lobby (yay for construction) and ran the hallway by the meeting rooms.  The girls waved hello and good-bye to everybody.  They met some other toddlers and shared their toys.  Thalia has a bruise/scratch by her eye from catching a table corner.  Calli has one in almost the same place from ???? She didn't cry so the sitter didn't catch what did it.  The girls were totally into the experience.  They even held hands a bit in the hallways (talk about melting a mother's heart!).

Things were going swimmingly until Saturday night.  We headed up to the room and Thalia went in without any trouble.  Calli looked and me and said, "No. Uh-unh."  She then ran off down the hallway.  I let the hotel room close while catching Calli.  Thalia freaked out and closed that little latchy thing under hotel door knobs.  Those actually work!  The man delivering our room service called engineering and a man came with a crowbar.  He finally had to break the bar completely and install a new one.  Meanwhile, I'm holding a very snuggly Calli (Hugs, mama! Kiss!)  and talking through the door to Thalia, who is absolutely freaking out.  We get into the room and settle down with our cold food while the engineer replaces the latch.  Thalia cries for a good half hour and Calli refuses to sit down to eat.  Once the girls were in bed, I settled down with a bottle of Riesling and a bath.  Today, Calli did the exact same thing, but this time I learned to put the other toddler in the hallway before chasing the runner.

The girls were dolls today and even took a three hour nap!  A three hour nap (sing it with me to the tune of Gilligan's Island!)!  We headed out after a nice lunch and caught some sushi on the way home.  They are now sound asleep in bed.