DIY buring house!

We've got great neighbors.  The husband buys the wife a new recliner for Christmas.  The husband saves the giant box for us.  Awesome people. 

We took the box and ran, before they knew what a gem they were getting rid of, and made it into a burning house.  Besides being super fun, and a great continuation of Oliver's Halloween costume it is also great practice for calling 911, and learning address and phone number...which Oliver is totally awesome at.  

Just a few easy steps...

acquire a large box and tape it all shut

cut a door hole

and a window hole

paint
Oliver chose red brick

paint the door

add tissue paper flames



graffiti  the inside

pretend your house is on fire
scream for help

run for the hills

 We made the house while Lydia was sleeping.  He soooo badly wanted her to get in it when she woke up.  She came down to the basement to play, but wasn't too interested in crawling into a dark burning house.  He kept moving the box around to where is was, but she wouldn't bite at his offer.  She did, however, enjoy standing outside the window and yelling in at him. 

explosions

I buy vinegar and baking soda in ridiculous bulk because I use them when washing Lydia's cloth diapers.  Diaper washing is probably the most boring use of such fun ingredients.  "Explosions," as Oliver calls them, are a much better use and insanely simple.  

he's always excited to see this set up on the table

then we clean it up and start again

new year's resolutions

Do you resolve to do something new each year?  How about this year?  What's your goal(s)?

I have a few.

1. Ditch my maternity clothes.
I purchased very few maternity clothes, but had a hard time letting go of a certain pair of maternity skinny jeans.  Maternity skinny jeans...ha!  What an oxi moron is that? Anyway, I loved them, I loved them long past them not properly fitting, but they were just sooooo comfortable.  They got a hole in the knee and I tossed them along with the last maternity T-shirt I was wearing to yoga class and hit the banana republic outlet for a sweet sale.  New year, new pants!  (attainable goals people)

2. Get dressed.
I'm a stay at home mom.  It's an actual job, it doesn't pay, but it's still work.  Anyway, some days I really stay home all day.  Some days I wake up in my sweat pants and shirt and keep wearing that very outfit until I go back to bed.  As soon as Oliver and Lydia wake up they get ready and get dressed, I should be doing the same.  The alarm now rings at 7am, I get up, get ready, and put on actual pants (like the ones mentioned above) a tank top, a cardigan sweater and then wait for the littles to wake up. 

3. Get bloggy.
I've been a lazy blogger.  That needs to change.  At least 5 posts a month.  Go!

4. Get a daily schedule down.
There is a lot that needs to be accomplished in a day and I want to make sure all my time is going to the appropriate places.  I'd like to dedicate more time to learning activities with Oliver and little projects for Lydia. 

So, in conclusion, I'm going to follow a daily schedule while wearing the appropriate clothing and blog about it once my family goes to sleep.  I totally got this.


Oh I almost forgot, Jim wants to read the bible together this year.  We've done it before, so hopefully we can commit to it again.  So far we are on track.

merry christmas!

Errrr, I'm a little late, in my defense we did celebrate Christmas on the 30th.

This Christmas season was even more magical than the last, they get better and better every year.  This is the first year that I can fully say that Oliver really "got it."  On more than one occasion he announced "this is the best Christmas ever!"  He was excited about sharing the story of Jesus' Birthday, driving around looking for Christmas lights, singing in the kids Christmas choir at church, and opening presents.  This year, Lydia was actually awake for the festivities.  She enjoyed the food, and music, and lights, and paper ripping.

getting out the decorations

kansas city has so many fun christmas activities
Oliver's favorite is visiting union station

christmas card photo
and some outtakes, cause they are always the best

eyes closed

crazy face

falling

I don't even know

a year, wow

 

 opening gifts
Oliver asked and asked for a trash truck
and was sooooo happy to get it

 

We hope your Christmas was merry and blessed!
Cheers to the year ahead!

 

1 year

Happy Birthday to our sweet Lydia!

 The fabric that Lydia is sitting on is a little quilt that I made her for her birthday using a piece of each of the previous month's fabrics.  I've never made a quilt before, but it seemed to turn out well, just don't look too closely. 

A couple outtakes

Oliver needing to join in the fun.  He usually
works behind the camera yelling and dancing
to keep Lydia from crawling away at rapid speed.
He's showing off Lydia's red panda

 

 Lydia 

-has learned her first sign, "milk," of course!

-is still nursing, but also drinking about 12 ounces of whole milk per day

-isn't a huge fan of solid food, and usually throws her food on the floor

-has 6 teeth and 2 just starting to come in

-can stand independently for 10-20 seconds before slowly melting to the floor

-loves pushing stuff around the house

-continues to enjoy climbing the stairs and can now get back down the stairs, mostly on her own

-her favorite spot in the house is on the fireplace ledge, where we keep the library books.  she crawls up there flips through books, throws them down, and climbs back down after them

-weighed in at 21lbs and 31 inches, long and lean....this time.

This Sunday Lydia will be baptized at our church and celebrate her first birthday with us and a few friends.  We are so lucky to have Lydia and we look forward to the smart and beautiful girl she is going to become.  Cheers to the adventures ahead.

birthday eve

Last year the doctor told me that my blood pressure was sky high, the protein in my urine was off the charts, and I was retaining more water than a camel.  I was admitted to the hospital, Jim was called, and Oliver was sent to a friend's house.  I was watched and monitored and banned from eating.  They told me my condition was worsening but I really felt fine, and was sure they would let me go after the 24 hour watch...obviously I was incorrect. 

This year I watched Lydia enjoy paint for the first time, she's working on some art for her party.

Tonight I put Lydia to bed as an infant and tomorrow she'll wake as a little toddler, a little one year old, an ever sweeter, even more curious girl.  She got some extra snuggle time before bed tonight, a few extra minutes on her favorite spot on my shoulder.  Oliver says, "I can't wait to she her when she is one, this is so exciting!"

This is so exciting! 

christmas gifts, lydia edition

I could buy Oliver a million presents, but shopping for a one year old seems miles more difficult.  I'm in the market for something she can like now, and will continue to like for a year or more, and something that promotes open ended play.  Here we go...

Since Lydia's birthday is also in December I'll include those gifts also.

Jim and Oliver found Lydia this fantastic piano for her birthday.  When you push the keys some jacks pop up, there is a cover that keeps the jacks contained.  When the jacks are no longer a chocking hazard the cover can be removed and then the jacks can pop up and be chased around.  

Ramp Racer car track. 


I thought every baby just came with a ring stacker toy, somehow neither of mine did, so we picked this one out, it can be stacked in a few different ways.  





The other day Oliver and I stopped in to Joann's with a 50% off coupon in hand, in search for a gift for Lydia.  I was wanting to find some melissa and doug play food or a chunky puzzle, but the melissa and doug stuff was on sale (25% off) so my awesome 50% off coupon wouldn't work.  We searched on and Oliver found and excavator that had a screwdriver that can put it together and take it apart, he swore that Lydia told him that's what she wanted.  He promised he could "help" her use it if she was having a hard time putting it together.  We talked a little about finding something that might be better for a 1 year old, and I showed him the 3+ on the truck box.  We searched on and found these Smartmax toys.  So fun! They are big enough to not be a chocking hazard and will let Lydia have fun exploring magnets, and building, and Oliver found a 1 on the box, he proudly carried it to the checkout.  At Joann's the price was $70, and with our coupon it was $35