driveway art

I've had this pinned for a long time. 





How messy and fun!  However, I wanted maybe a slightly less messy version.  So, instead of using paper and doing the work inside we made some sidewalk paint and decorated our driveway.

I didn't make a special pendulum, we just used our PVC sprinkler. 



Here are the details on our fun.

for the sidewalk paint we used
-4 TBS cornstarch
-4 TBS washable paint
-6 TBS water

We measured for the first round, after that I put Oliver in charge.

for the paint dropper we
-cut the bottom off a condiment bottle
-attached some string using duct tape (super classy)

our contraption ready to go

Oliver getting the paint ready

"look it's making a spider web"

"I'm gonna catch you in that spider web!"

we mixed up six colors all together

"this is my airplane"

"this one is for daddy to park on"

you can see some of the spots in the driveway

We enjoyed the activity.  It was super easy, and we already had everything we needed around the house.  Also, I've used a sidewalk paint recipe that uses food coloring, lame, so lame, compared to the brightness of actual paint.  We shall see how it washes off....

vine, soap, casa, afterschool, bookworm, etc

Do you shop at vine.com or soap.com or any of their familyhood sites?  Oh my stars I adore them.  They have everything I need, insanely fast shipping (I ordered something Tuesday night and it was here Wednesday afternoon!), and you can usually find some sort of coupon code to save you some cash or get free shipping, or both.  They let you enter multiple codes.  Like that one ----->

It started out that I ordered cloth diapering detergent and Bac-Out from them, now I order coffee and toilet paper and a bunch of other household goods.  Let's face it, any LESS time I can spend at the actual grocery store with my two children is a good thing.

If you're are a first time customer you can enter that special code and score 20% off, I get a credit, AND they donate some money to my charity of choice.  I picked FEED, because I'm pro food for all. 

So go shop!



Cloth diaper mamas,

Bac-Out is currently 20% off if you enter the code BACOUT.  I had enough of the spray I use for the diapers so I ordered some other items, a fabric refresher (yum) and some lavender scented bathroom cleaner, it almost makes me want to go scrub the shower....almost. 

7 months

Sorry for the delay.  Apparently I use the cord that connects my camera to my computer way too often causing it to wear out.  The replacement has arrived and I'm back in the photo sharing business.

Here is sweet Lydia when she turned 7 months, back on the 6th.  

 


 Lydia...
-learned how to sit, she started when we were on vacation in Massachusetts and is doing much better at not falling over
-went on her first plane ride
-saw the Atlantic ocean, and enjoyed lots of time kicking in the sand and napping on the beach
-is enjoying more and more solid foods
-remains to be a great snuggler
-is just starting to hold herself up in a standing position when grabbing on to something (coffee table)
-enjoys trips to the pool in our neighborhood and likes splashing in our baby pool at home, I think we have two water loving children 

Oliver likes that she is a little more playful.  He can hand her toys and she holds them, looks at them and eats them.  His only concern is when she rolls onto the train tracks and this trains can't get past.  However, he is nice about it and always calls me to fix the issue rather than pushing her himself.  

When I compare the 6 & 7 month photos, I think she seems less of a chubby baby and more of a lean machine...time is flying by! 
 

6 months! happy half

Sweet Lydia is 6 months old!  She's all chubby, and rolly, and smiley. 

Lydia...
weighs 15.15lbs (50th%)
is 27in long (90th%)
can roll both ways and is starting to do it more often
will pick up anything around her
has sampled a few foods; sweet potato, banana, and avocado....with avocado being the most favorite
enjoys nibbling her toes
has some separation anxiety and is pretty sure her mama is the bees knees, smart girl
likes blowing bubbles
has started laughing, and it's adorable

We all love her more than we ever thought and are looking forward to the months ahead.  However, let's take a look at the months that have come before.

 

 

      

 

construction birthday party

Oliver and I decided on a construction themed birthday party.  I pushed the idea because I really wanted to make a construction site cake and because Jim has a bunch of safety stuff the kids can play with.

double layer 9x13 chocolate cake
chocolate rocks, found at a local candy store
cone candles
toy trucks
a few signs my father-in-law made
crushed oreos

the Tylick men
apparently Jim has to be very serious when wearing his safety vest

 I like an easy outside party.  When I say easy I mean I don't have to manage the children, they just go play and have a good time.  The past two years have been hot, and last year it was sort of rainy.  This time around it was cloudy and 67ish, which in my book is near perfection.

Out in the yard we set up three different stations where the kids could play.

Dump truck path

big dump truck found on craigslist
cones
balls to load in the truck
spray paint, cause I have tons!

 

 This activity was not that popular.  They loved the balls and cones and the truck, just not together and not on my spray paint track.

Sand table & Log area

We had a dead tree removed and I had the workers leave some stumps for Oliver to play on.  The kids like climbing on them and driving big trucks around them.  Oliver and I also made a little sand table with two storage bins and a toy box turned upside down.  We screwed the bins to the toy box, added sand and toys, and called it fun. 

Wrecking ball area

a ton of boxes taped shut
a hippity hop ball, that we already owned
rope

 

everyone LOVED the wrecking ball
the dads seemed to enjoy building tall towers for the kids to wreck

After some playing people popped into the basement to grab some snacks.

veggie dip
fruit pizza
snickers dip with pretzels, nilla wafers & apples
homemade soft pretzels & honey mustard dip

enjoying his snacks

Lydia & I wore orange and white
to fit in the construction theme

After playing and eating Oliver opened his presents then played some more

casting his new fishing pole

pulling a friend in his new wagon

Oliver had a great day playing with some of his friends.  He sent them home with a little gift bag that included a toy dump truck, play dough, stickers, and a tool belt from Home Depot. 

Thanks so much to everyone who came and helped up make Oliver's day so special!

4th birthday!

My mother questions me, "how will he know when his birthday really is, if you never celebrate it on his birthday?"

Oh please, there is no confusion.

big punch balloons adorn his door
(target only had "girl" colors)

color doesn't seem to matter

blueberry birthday muffins, complete with candles
and a new shirt with a big 4! (hidden by his arms
as they prop up is handsome smile)

a trip to the curious george exhibit

presents!

 We give him his family gifts and anything that came in the mail, on his actual birthday, so things are not too overwhelming at the party and so he can have some fun on his actual birthday. 

The big thing Oliver was hoping to receive was a pedal bike, read - two wheeler with no training wheels.  Oliver got a balance bike last year.  It had two wheels, but no pedals and let me tell you, he had serious pedal envy.  However, we didn't give in.  He practiced on that balance bike for a whole year, and he got really good at it.

So the goal is to learn to balance first (hard), then focus on pedaling (easy) later.  In theory this means learning to ride that pedal bike should come fairly quickly.  Holy bananas! It worked just as I thought, maybe better...a rare treat.

waiting for him outside
(that's Jim's company car)

pretty happy

10ish laps with alternating adults around the driveway

after 20 minutes he was
riding by himself at the tennis court

I'm thrilled it happened so quickly for him, I really wasn't excited about that whole run-behind-the-bike-while-holding-the-seat-and-carrying-an-infant thing.  At this point he just needs me to hold the bike upright while he gets started.  His bike is a 14inch and his seat is on the lowest setting, which means he will have time to grow into it.  The 12 & 16 inch are much more common, but the 12 would have been outgrown too quickly and the 16 would have been too big.  Of course, we found the bike on amazon...where are good things come from. 



So again, a balance bike is worth it!  There are lots of brands, but we liked strider the best because it was VERY lightweight and super easy for him to maneuver on his own.  Last summer when we drove across the country he used it to get around Niagara Falls, Chicago, and Boston...it was more fun than a stroller or a baby carrier.  



Oliver also had a 4 year check up with his doctor.  He acted silly, spoke in a baby voice, but ultimately proved his awesomeness by counting, drawing a person, naming colors, etc.  Oliver is 35lbs (50%) up from the 3rd percentile where he was a mere two and a half years ago and 42 inches tall (75%), up from the 25th.  In short, the doctor said he was perfect, which is already common knowledge, but it's always nice when someone of authority on the subject confirms it. 

After the doctor leaves it's time for two shots.  The nurse comes in with the shots and asks if I'd like them in his arm or leg. I let him pick, he picked arm.  The nurse made him remove his shoes, so it wouldn't hurt if he kicked.  Then she made me hold his arms down in a sort of shot restraint.  So I'm wearing Lydia and holding him. I tell her this isn't necessary and that he isn't going to move.  She insists I hold him.  I hold, not tightly.  He watches the shot...eeek, I never do that.  He says nothing, and he doesn't move.  Shot two, he watches, he says "ow ow, oh I like that band-aid, she poked me."  Oliver is awesome, like really. 

Today was a dentist visit.  Also, no drama.  Cleaned his teeth, flossed, x-rays, fluoride, ice cream, and a balloon.  Yes, they give ice cream at the dentist.  Yeah, I'm jealous too.  I guess it's some sort of job security tactic. 

In theory I'll be back tomorrow with details about the party!