Chores

Yesterday was King and Queen's 6th Anniversary.  Nana came up to watch the Princess' so we could get out.  We enjoyed dinner, a movie, and browsing the mall. We got home late, so the Princess' were already sound asleep.  Nana gave a good report, left the ice cream maker for our gelato adventure, and went home. Part of Nana's report was the Princess V and Princess C did the dishes. She supervised, but let them do it. I was slightly shocked. Not because she let them, but because they didn't just play with the water and bubbles. So I put them to the test today. I said it was time to do dishes and they came running! Princess V wanted to wash, and Princess C took over rinsing.

My children are amazing! I should have Nana visit more often to help me get a handle on them. I try, but she has this amazing nack of making everything fun! I even remember being a little older then Princess V and loving to wash the dishes. How does she do it? And more importantly, how did she make it stick to the next day when she wasn't even here?!

Did I mention their bedrooms were completely clean and spotless as well? They even stayed that way all day today. Not only was it good for the Princess' but it sure motivated me to get more housework done, as well as play more with the girls. Today was a day to remember.

In the kitchen with kids

If you've been following along with us this week, we've been learning about Venice, Italy. To finish off the week, we borrowed an ice cream maker, and made some Gelato! YUM!

Don't they just look so excited to be eating such a wonderful treat? We even had some left over! Tomorrow we are going to make some peach gelato, instead of strawberry. We estimated a little too much ice, and need to get it out of the freezer.

Daddy Daughter Dates - Princess C

We have been trying to find ways to curb the whining that goes on in our house. We really want the Princess' to have consistently good days.  So King Daddy came up with this fabulous idea for Princess V and Princess C. For every good day they have they get a sticker. If they had a "bad" or whiny day they don't get a sticker. Depending on severity of the whining, a sticker may even get taken away.  Isn't the chart cute?

 Princess C reached 5 good days yesterday, and so today she got to get dressed up and go out with Daddy.  Looks like they are off for some fun!

Princess V needs one more sticker, and she'll get her turn. Watching Princess C go out today, I hope motivated her to have some better days.

Welcome to Week 49 of Toddler Talk Thursday! Where Family and Life in Las Vegas, Crazy about my Baybah, and My Life as a Sippy Cup Mom talk all things TODDLER!!** If you want to follow this on twitter – or plan on tweeting your post – please use hashtag: #letstalktoddler ** This week’s featured Blog is: Happenings of the Harper Household who suggestedThis Week’s Topic: How do you keep your toddler entertained in difficult situations – grocery store, doctors office, etc? 

The only real place we frequently go that I need something extra for entertaining, is church and grocery shopping. For church we always bring some crayons, or colored pencils, and notepads, snacks, a bottle, and random toys (usually the ones from fast food kid meals). Also since Daddy is with us at church, if we really need it one of the girls will get to play games on his itouch.  We've got some fun preschool/toddler games, like matching, shape games, etc. 

 

Grocery shopping, I'm usually on my own, so I don't have the itouch with me.  If I know we're going to be there for awhile, I let the Princess' pick a toy to hold. Then they can play with it while in the cart, but when we get to checkout, I just let the cashier know we are not buying it. Writing it up it sounds like I'm taking advantage of the store, but it's not like that really. The toys don't get dirty, or harshly played with. Mostly they just hold them. 

For Princess V and Princess C I try to have them walk by the cart. It helps them get some energy out, and not feel too confined. Princess R is more difficult to entertain. She always manages to shimmy out of the buckles and stands, turns around, tries climbing out, of the cart. She is going to be a little escape artist! So having something for Princess R to hold is essential for my sanity, and her safety! 

 

For car rides, I always let the Princess' bring a toy from home. They know they can bring it in the car, but when we get to our destination the toy must stay in the car. This helps keep special toys from getting lost, because trust me, they will get lost when brought into a store!

 

Future topics - Do you use charts with your toddlers? Reward system? How's it working out?

Feeding the birds

In our book of the week, Olivia wants to feed the Pigeons. First she can't find any, and then she is surrounded by them. 
We don't have any pigeons around here, but there is a park that has flocks of geese duck and some smaller birds.  So this morning, we packed some bread and headed to the park.  We were off to feed the birds just like Olivia.  The Princess' had a lot of fun tossing bits of bread to the geese. I got a little wary when they kept coming closer. One goose in particular had my heart thumping, as he kept hissing  to chase the other birds away from us. Princess V even got hissed at a couple times just for moving a foot. Scary I tell you! But they had a lot of fun. We just booked it out of there pretty quick once our bread was gone.

Book of the week

This week we are going to talk about Venice, Italy. To go along with it, we'll be reading Oliva Goes to Venice by Ian Falconer.

A fun book about Olivia the pig, and her family's trip to Venice. They eat a lot of Gelato, take a ride on a Gondolier, see some sights, and take home a souvenir.  Will Venice survive having Olivia visit?

If we can manage to find an ice cream maker, we'll be making some gelato this week. I also plan on creating our own city of Venice and taking a pretend Gondolier ride through it.

Toddler Talk Thursday: Meals

It's Toddler Talk Thursday! Hosted by the amazing ladies at Family and Life in Las Vegas, Crazy About My Baybah, and My Life As a Sippy Cup Mom.

This weeks topic brought to us by The Many Adventures of a Modern Hippie Mama.

Topic: How does your toddlers mealtime go?

Well, meals seem to be a bit crazy around here. Princess R loves eating. She would eat all day probably if I let her. We get up and eat breakfast first thing in the morning. Usually a bowl of cereal. Princess R gets soy milk in her cereal. She's so funny about it too. For awhile she really wanted cows milk, but soon she got used to me pulling her soy out. One day after getting Princess V and C their cereal and milk, Princess R clapped and pointed at the fridge indicating that she wanted her soy. She actually knew the difference!

Lunchtime is our crazy meal. There are days I am just not hungry for lunch. It's also close to quiet time for Princess V and Princess C, and naptime for Princess R. Sometimes we eat lunch sitting at the table, Princess R in her high chair. There are days though that Princess R is just too tired before lunch and goes down for an earlier nap. Those days, I usually lay out a blanket in the tv room and Princess V and Princess C and I have a picnic while watching a movie for quiet time.

Dinner on the other hand is my sit down at the table as a family time. I involve the Princess' in helping set the table and clean up afterwards. Princss R even loves trying to help. Mostly though she's just so excited that food will soon be coming that she gets up on the table and moves all the dishes around while yelling because the food's not there yet.

As for being a picky eater, Princess R is not one. She tried everything. If it's on your plate and not hers (or she doesn't see it on hers) she wants it. There are some foods, she'll try, decide she doesn't like and spit out. No biggie. We just keep trying. She doesn't seem to remember most of the time that she tried it before. 

When Princess R is done eating, she grabs her plate and starts yelling again. This is her signal that she'd like to get down, and put her plate in the sink. Yes my 1 year old likes to put her own plate in the sink, I'm very proud of her! Oh and if we don't get to her in time, that's when food starts flying to the floor.

Suggestion for next week: How do you deal with whining?

Counting with M&M's

Today Princess V and Princess C worked on counting. We had a bag of M&M's handy (thanks Grandma), so we pulled out this amazingly yummy book. The first half of the book is learning to count to 12 with color recognition. It then delves into creating sets. From there they can learn about shapes. All using a yummy treat!

Some fun things

Once again, I've decided to put off our letters. We just have too much family in town this summer. So starting in August we should be back to some regular lessons.  

The past week we spent with Grandma and Grandpa from Japan.  We watched the last 4 Harry Potters, went out to dinner, enjoyed Mark's last parade, went swimming at their hotel pool, got nail done with Grandma, and went jumping with some cousins.

We've got a lot more family activities planned this week as well!!

Toddler Talk Thursday - New Baby

Welcome to another week of Toddler Talk Thursday, hosted by Family and Life in Las Vegas, Life of a Sippy Cup Mom, and Crazy About my Baybah

This weeks topic is: How to Handle Bringing a New Baby home with a toddler in the house?

Well, we've been through this twice now, and I still don't know how I really did it!  Princess V was only 17 months when we had Princess C. Until the doctor appointments became invasive I took Princess V to them with me.  We talked about it a lot, and just tried to involve her with everything through the pregnancy.  Once Princess C came, Princess V was at the age where she really liked to just play alone. So I could easily hold, feed, care for Princess C in the same room as Princess V.  

I was much more worried bringing home Princess R. Princess C was 2yo, and she loved my lap. I was very worried she would get jealous of the new baby, and have a hard time with me holding her.  So once again, we involved her through the process a lot! For her 2nd birthday, she got about 5 baby dolls, and I think that helped tremendously.  She was able to be just like mommy with her babies.  

Princess R has me worried. (No I'm not announcing anything here).  She has been my biggest Momma's girl EVER! She can be playing perfectly happy with some toys, and other kids, but if she even thinks another child is going to get on my lap, bloody murder is screamed, and she's clinging to my leg like it's a life line!  We'll obviously do the same thing with her, where we involve her in every aspect of the pregnancy.  My only hope for her, is that she will have outgrown this stage (even though it's been since birth) before we have another baby.  

Some advice I'd give to anyone getting ready to have a new baby. Bring your other children to the hospital after you've given birth. Don't just leave them at home, and then return with some stranger baby.  We've done this both times now, where we bring our other children to the hospital to meet the new sibling. They get to see that this person is now a part of their family, before intruding into their home space.

Yellowstone Family Reunion Part 2

ok, we took this on our way out of the park. I insisted out of all the pictures we took, this must be one!

Daddy and Princess R hanging out at the falls.

Family picture!

Princess V with Aunt A at Old Faithful.

Princess R loving the shade of her stroller!

Princess C. She had loads of fun. So much she was hardly ever still enough to get some pictures of.

Princess C got sick on our way to another hike. So we steered away from the rest of the family and did some window shopping in West Yellowstone. Princess V became a Bison.

Princess C sporting a coon skin hat. She wears it well.

Princess V got some quality Daddy Daughter time while checking out the Norris Geyser Basin.

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Princess C and Daddy listening to the Crackling Lake, and finding a bug swimming in the water.

More Daddy daughter time.

We ate lunch in a meadow of sorts at Mammoth Hot Springs. The Princess' loved the freedom to run around and the softness of grass instead of dirt, rocks and twigs.

I got a slew of pictures with Princess C here. Only she decided she had to frown in all of them. She finally let me take one of her "smiling".  

We had so much fun! All 3 Princesses threw up once, and then felt perfectly fine the rest of the time. Possibly too much car time, not the same foods they were used to. It could've been a myriad of reasons. They enjoyed it, I enjoyed it, and that is what making memories is all about! We'll be back to learning our letters tomorrow!

Yellowstone Family Reunion Part 1

We're back! Tuesday morning, we took off north to Yellowstone. My brother and his family were meeting us in Yellowstone from New Hampshire, as well as my parents and other siblings from Utah.  It was the first time our little family has gone camping with the kids, and they were little troopers!

On the way there. Princess R somehow ended up with 2 juice boxes, and was thrilled!

Daddy letting Princess R nap in his arms on our hike.

Ranger Program on bears. Princess V loved sitting with her cousin A.

As long as she was wrapped in a blanket Princess R slept very well in a tent.

We had some cold mornings before a fire was built, so Princess V and I cuddled in the car to stay warm, and away from the millions of mosquitos.

Princess R loved moving around the campfire and sitting in different chairs. She is a natural born camper!

Princess V and her cousin A waiting to get the hike going.

Daddy chopping some wood

Princess R in the chairs again.

Princess C had lots of fun too!

Princess V running away from the snow (yes SNOW!) her cousin L was kicking around.

"Yes mom, put me on a blanket, but I'd much rather stand in the dirt and try to get in that snow!"

Snow snow snow. This was the kids hangout place.

My favorite place, by the fire, in the smoke. Less mosquitos that way