Preschool Time - Sensory Bin Overview

 I took some inspiration from Carisa at 1+1+1=1 and made some sensory bins for Scarlett. She sits at the table and can work on these and I can see her from the living room or the kitchen. 

The clear bin is a shoe box bin from Big Lots. It does have a lid. 

The yellow bin is from Dollar Tree.  

All the little accessories are pulled from the kitchen, toy box, or under the beds - totally not kidding!  

 

This bin has multi-colored rice and some fun blue accessories. We are not necessarily doing a color-of-the-week thing, but we do things like this to emphasize colors. 

Cotton balls, foam shapes, and rocks make up our other sensory boxes.  Scarlett loves the rocks most of all. I think we will add 2 more bins just so there are some variety. 

Lastly, I have 2 of the yellow containers that my husband brought home at some time. These just have some fun things to keep a little one busy. I keep this on the table next to her sensory bin. Scarlett will bring us a book or yell at ask us to play with her.

These bins are not more of our preschool curriculum. They are just fun. More on these later.

I am linking up with Homeschool Creations Preschool and Kindergarten Community. 

Such an abundance of great ideas.

Two Days In A Row

It's summer break and Scarlett loves to paint (ahem)!

You might can tell! 

If she didn't look so happy, this would feel like a parenting fail! 

This is what happens when you are cleaning up and leave a toddler to paint. 

Happy Girl! Bring on the Summer Fun!

Best Outdoor Toy Ever

 This toy is one of our absolute favorite outdoor toys. Kids come from everywhere when we pull ours out of the garage. We have toted our 2 Flying Turtles all over the USA and they are still in great condition. They hold up well to any kid, any size. We have had turtle races with grown men before and its so fun to watch.

 

The Original Flying Turtle® (Teal) : Amazon.com : Sports & Outdoors

Many colors available. We have green and purple. 

We have used the mess out of these things. This purple one is about 7 years old and is missing one of the hand-grips. Considering kids bikes don't last 7 years, we think the Flying Turtles are doing well. I am not sure that Caroline knows that her purple turtle has been taken over by the toddler.  She will soon.

 

This is one of our many outdoor adventures this summer. Finding things to do with a toddler in and around a townhouse is a little challenging. Scarlett props her feet up on the bars and we push her around. She is learning to "drive" better each week.  

More toddler fun in the works. 

*this is my own personal review for the Flying Turtle. We really do love ours and in no way were we compensated for this review. 

Favorite Part of the Day

I used to love nap time. The house got so quiet and I could recharge in the stillness. I certainly would get feisty when that nap time got messed up. I needed it as much as my Scarlett did. 

Now, I am working when she is napping and when I pick her up all recharged. Except, mama is starting to drag.  I am going all day and working part time and I miss that quiet time that was all for me. I have tried getting up at 5:30 and that is not working one bit.

So my new favorite time of the day is after everyone is asleep. Everything can be still and quiet and lovely.  I can recharge and remember all those things that get pushed back during the day.  I can make a list, read a book, or simply sit, but I absolutely cannot clean anymore.

Recently ....

Scarlett slept through the night for the very first time a couple of nights ago. She did not have a repeat performance last night, but she is sleeping for longer stretches of time. 

She will get there eventually, we are just not a "let em cry it out" family.

Although, "crying it out" may have happened a few times because we were all sick of each other. For naps and bedtimes, she will fuss long enough for me to get out of the room and she is done. Maybe she's just making a show of missing me.

Scarlett has also learned to climb up the ladder and slide down the slide right by herself.

Good Grief! 

Next week will be college. 

In other fantastic news, Jack has lost another tooth.

He is so excited to look like a snaggletooth since he has been so slow to loose any teeth.

This is number 4 and he is 7 years old.

I see an orthodontist in my future. I can see how the bottom of his mouth is shaped like my husband's. 

Sleeping Through The Night

 It's not for everyone! Scarlett does not sleep through the night. 

Tomorrow she turns 14 months old and has NEVER slept through the night.

She regularly wakes 2 times every night. Occasionally, we will only wake once. 

I'm not sure that I can adequately explain what a full night of sleep would mean to me. 

 

 

 The picture is dark, but I have to have some proof that she does sleep. 

I know that I will look back one day and this will be a very so very unimportant.

Now that she is drinking cold old-fashioned milk, she's about to go spend a weekend with Grammie.

No one will be allowed to wake me up!

 

She does wear herself out with appliance climbing and other shenanigans.

Scarlett also likes to lock herself in other rooms. Not really locking herself in because she can't reach the doorknobs, but she closes the door and then yells at me from the other side. We are having a ball.

Fire Ants

My poor baby got into a fire ant bed. I was checking the mail, turned around, and they were all over her feet because she was standing right in the middle of their bed. I scooped her up and dashed for the house. She cried and cried. I felt terrible.  I took some pictures from the last few days and she is doing so good.

 

About 5 hours after the ant attack of 2012. She had been napping in the car and we had just sat down during Jackson's soccer practice. I found out later I could give her Benadryl, but she had some Tylenol to help with the pain.  Miserable!

 

This was the next morning. Her ankles had disappeared :)

 

This was 30 hours later. You can see the blisters forming. She had some Benadryl in her a couple of times by the time this picture was taken.  Daddy was home by then and those ants were on their way to the grave. 

 Her feet started bleeding after this. She would rub against something and the blister would pop and bleed. It

  was pitiful, but she never scratched at them.

 

This is today. 6 days later. All the blisters have popped. She has a few scabs and is healing so well. The picture is blurry, but that just goes to show that she's on the move.

Happy1st Birthday!

We did not know that you were a missing link from our family. Sweet Scarlett, you are just what we needed to make us bigger and better. We love your smiles and your hugs and your stubborn streak.  We occasionally love your midnight happy hour playtime.

 Caroline and Jackson were very surprised to wake up on a Sunday morning one year ago and find out that they had a sister. They had no clue that we had left the house and Mrs Kaleena had been sleeping on their couch. You came quickly into this world. You are a force to be reckoned with. 

Can you see how much that they loved you? They had been waiting for this exact moment for 9 months. They dealt with a cranky mommy and  their space being taken over by baby gear. Today you take comfort in your "big kids" and you laugh at their attempts to amuse you.  I could not do each day without them.

You have a do-it-yourself attitude. There is nothing that you cannot do. You walked at 9 months, climbed on the couch at 10 months, and climbed out of your crib at 11 months. Thankfully, you have not repeated the climbing out of your crib thing. Scarlett, you are an eater and will try anything we put in front of you.

Your sweet brother called from Disney World today to wish you a Happy Birthday.  You had a smash cake that you wouldn't touch, but your Memaw and Grammie were here to laugh at you anyway.

Happy Birthday Scarlett!

Ribbons and Bows

Recently, I've been feeling creative. My sweet Scarlett needs a place for all those bows, headbands, and ribbons; because she will wear them one day. They had been taking up residence in a basket, but would over flow each time I went searching for a bow.

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 A canvas from Michael's, on sale of course, painted in a mis-tint from Lowe's. Can it get much cheaper than that.  I even had the black ribbon that I wrapped around the lower half and stapled into place on the backside of the canvas frame. 

 I also bought a Cricut machine off of Craigslist and I am enjoying a few craft projects. I also think that that this picture is upside down. Pink vinyl for some cute pink letters. 

Here is how it looks without all the ribbons and bows added to it. The letters do stand out a little more in person, but I slightly wish that I had a brighter pink. 

 

Here it is with a whole bunch of bows and flowers. I made need to add another ribbon row for more bows. 

A Saturday of Pictures

Up bright and early on a Saturday morning

Wear a headband for Mama, please!

Loved that she was taller than the mini

Enjoying her Starbucks!

This weekend I get to spend some time with just my girls. We have had so much fun. 

My oldest needed this time with her Mama. She is so good at helping me. She got ready and asked if we could go anywhere? Off to the shopping center to do some window shopping. We oohed and aahed our way through Charming Charlie and spent some time in other stores before parking ourselves in the Barnes & Noble to look through books. 

My baby girl will be one soon. She is getting so big. Scarlett has been walking for 2 months, eats everything that you put in front of her, will not touch milk, and loves her family. She will go to each and every one of us for love and comfort or when she's hurt or scared. I love that she trust not only me and her daddy, but she equally trust and loves her brother and sister.

Sick and Tired and Teething

I've got a miserable cold.

Scarlett is teething. Looks like 4 top teeth coming in at once.

Not a good combination.

This is how she fell asleep today on the couch. She was propped on my legs.

Poor sweet girl. 

Lil Light O' Mine

We have been participating with Lil Light O Mine this holiday. This blog has challenged us to teach, encourage, and help our kids give to others during the Christmas season. Our hope is to teach our kids to make giving and doing for others a part of their lives.

Yesterday, I thought my kids needed some loving. Nothing particular good or bad happened. We just needed a little bit of our time to love on our older kids.

You can probably guess that the baby gets a lot of attention.

So I pulled out Graham crackers, marshmallow fluff, chocolate chips, and more accessories.

And we made some edible snowmen.

They loved it.

I just have the one picture. We enjoyed being there and doing for Caroline and Jackson. They do so much for us and have learned how to live with a small baby's schedule.

We love you Caroline and Jackson. Thanks for being OUR great kids.

What a Climber!

My sweet girl started climbing. I'm astonished. She turns 10 months old next week.

Sweet girl, has developed an attitude too. I will have to get her fiery temper on video. Mostly, she is a smiley baby and much more shy than my older two.

We've got to do something with all the temptations that are in her brother and sister's rooms. She wants to get into their stuff in a big way. 

Happy Monday!

I have one in the bed taking a good long nap. She is having to learn that she cannot nurse all night long.  Last night she did some protesting. She is really doing well. 

That hair is my nemesis or maybe its the little fingers that keep pulling the bows out.

I have one that is recovering from the stomach virus and just now crawled out of the bed. 

Off to be a mommy.

Have a wonderful Monday. 

Christmas has started here!

I  could not resist the urge to get started on Christmas early.  This sweet little girl has changed the way that we do everything. We (me, hubby, and the older kids) watch her in fascination. She takes it all in and before you know she is right in the middle-enjoying. 

So...

I am so glad that I started Christmas early so that we can enjoy this wonder.