Thursday, January 31, 2013

An Unexpected Surprise

Well this week we started something new unexpectedly.  Potty training!  Sunday afternoon Pete held it through his nap until after dinner, I couldn't pass up the opportunity so I made him play with no pants/diaper and bribed him with watching a tv show.  Well he did it!  He has also done it at least once every day since!  I wasn't planning on doing this right now but I guess he was pretty ready and wants to do it so I'm going with it.  Our big tricks are kind of interesting.  The first one is letting him stand up to pee he likes it and it takes a second to wipe up any mess.  The next one is a fountain on the back of the toilet, yep it sounds absolutely crazy but he loves it! That is the fountain that we use they sell it at walmart for a couple bucks or amazon for $10 it runs off a battery so it can sit on top of the toilet easily.  Plus I'm not running the faucet trying to get him to go.  Nakedness is the next thing I've done, if it has been awhile I take off his pants and diaper and make him play like that until he finally goes.  So far he only has peed on the bathroom floor so an easy clean up there too.  We are no where near being officially potty trained but he is well on his way!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Shaving Cream Fun

Sounds strange doesn't it? Well actually it is a little trick I picked up at Ball State during my educational play class. (yes it was a real class for credit and required for my specialty-early childhood education rocks!)  Anyway you squirt shaving cream on the desks for spelling words with older kiddies to add in another sense and add another mental hook to learn the words.  It also makes the room smell amazing and cleans the desks well.  Pete just likes to draw in it and have fun and these types of activities are great for toddlers as well. Pete really enjoyed it, I think Phil did too but he won't admit it as quickly at Pete!  I couldn't let that kind of fun go past without snapping some pictures!  While I'm writing this Phil is with Pete while he is taking a bath because he decided to do his hair with shaving cream as well, nothing a quick bath won't solve!




Monday, January 28, 2013

A Sunday Affair

Today was a great Sunday.  It was a linger longer, which I forgot about and had to bake some brownies with some marshmallows thrown in really quick at 7.30 in the morning.  I beat they were pretty good because they were gone by the time I got through the line even though it was a 13x9 pan.  Pete didn't give me too much of a headache while getting around, he only threw one fit concerning his clothes and tried ripping off his dress shirt.  (Yes, he is only 2.) He was fairly behaved during Sacrament, except for blowing raspberries during the meeting and embarrassing Daddy, since he wasn't at the organ at the time. Nursery was super easy because I had 3 kids and only had 2 for the first hour!  Much easier than my normal group, though I do love the calling, my kids love me (though it might just be the snacks).  Pete's outfit was so cute today we had to snap some quick pictures before taking naps.  We went to my parents for dinner and consumed some wonderful chili.  Pete even went pee on the toilet while Phil was at BYC!  I knew he had to go because he woke up from his nap with a dry diaper and made it all the way through dinner without wetting so I took off his pants and diaper and waited him out until he had to go.  Well it paid off and he didn't mess on the carpet (thanks goodness!) or the floor!  I bribed him that he could watch Shaun the Sheep if he did it and he got really excited about that bribe!  All in all it was a very good Sunday.
Sunday clothes plus his new moose hat

Can you tell who just ate lunch?

hat hair but cute outfit

Mommy and Pete after church

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Pete's Car

 Pete has been dying to play with his cozy coupe for awhile now, but it has been either a) too cold or b)someone too sick; to play with it in the garage.  Wednesday I decided to bring it inside to the basement.  All fun and games right? No!  He wanted it upstairs on the main level, um no there are a flight of stairs just asking to be ridden down, plus there isn't much room for it to get around.  First freak out, saved by gravity and the fact he isn't big enough to bring it up the stairs on his own so it just tumbles back down the two steps he can get it up.  Next problem, parking.  Pete wants his car parked and not just pushed in the corner and get out, now he wants it lined up with the table and backed in.  How do you teach a toddler how to back up a push car without a flood of tears?  Still not sure on that one, I'm still dealing with it!

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

MLK Day in Fort Wayne

Phil had the day off of work this year.  I had acquired a few Target giftcards and thought I'd use them up.  That was our first stop and we wandered around for awhile and checked out the clearance racks which were very plentiful.  I found a new shirt and Pete made a out like a bandit (and on my giftcards mind you) he got two sweaters, two pairs of pants, a hoodie all for next year and a grocery shopping cart for Valentine's day.  We only spent $24 on the whole thing and twenty of that ended up getting paid for with the giftcards.  We had a snack of popcorn and pop before heading off to Glenbrook Mall.  Pete got to take his first ride on a carousel.  I got to ride with him for free as well.  He wouldn't choose so I finally just put him on one so we could get started.  He freaked out at first but once we started going had a blast.  Phil had his ipod so he took a video for us.  Phil and Pete played at the playset inside the mall and I wandered around and went to some stores.  I found a great deal on Pete's hat for next year at Children's Place.  They had all of their winter hats for $1.99 when they are normally $10.  We played with the train set at Barnes and Nobles for awhile and ended up at Sam's Club to pick up some supplies and get a couple snacks.  Pete fell asleep on the way home and was not happy about waking up for dinner!  He did sleep well last night though, he had too much fun playing and shopping!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Nap Time Project: Spock Painting

I've had the idea for this painting in my head for some time now and just haven't had the time or the inspiration yet.  I've spent way too much time looking for an image of Spock to use for my inspiration and still never really quite did find what I was looking for but I did find the bare bones of it.  I wanted it to be pretty minimal simple but get the point across.  I am really drawn to the sidewalk art with stencils and spray paint, even if it is illegal, as long as it isn't permanently destroying a building for something that actually matters. Sidewalks near campus don't personally qualify, though I'm not promoting anything. They are all over the area around Ball State and I've always enjoyed seeing them, they just brightened my days while there.  That is the idea I wanted but I hadn't figured out how to achieve it but also bring some color in as well.  Well finally (after watching Star Trek again the other day) I decided to just do it and see what happened.  If it was awful I would just paint over it or give it away to another Trekkie in need. It wasn't awful at all and I'm in love with it.  Tonight it is going to be getting hung up over the loveseat in the basement.  It was definitely a successful nap time project.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

The Mom and The Pete

I've read a couple of different "big" blogs-professionals and keeping mom in pictures so the kids actually get to have some with mom instead of mom is always taking the pictures.  Growing up mom did have the camera all the time, until digital came around and then it became Dad's area.  With us it is mostly me, no offense Phil.  I'm also really picky about my picture and I take lots more than those of you in "bloggerland" get to see because normally it is me in pjs, with bad hair and makeup.  Sorry I want the world to think I wake up like Barbie though I don't look like her.  I could pull out a tripod and set the timer but it takes time and is fake.  Yup picky I know.  But I do get some occassionally.  My friend, Jami, from Ball State does a weekly post with pictures of her and her son together, to take on the challenge of getting more pictures of them together. Her is my pathetic attempt at it while getting Pete ready for bed, not great but not to bad for some quick snapshots before bed.



I absolutely love this picture!

Monday, January 14, 2013

Headboard DIY

Finished project
I've been noticing a growing dark spot on the wall where our bed meets the wall and our pillows meet.  Grease spots or black dye from our pillowcases!  Either way I didn't want to think about painting over a nasty spot in 5 years when it just keeps getting worse.  Phil went out to Utah to go to his Grandfather's funeral this past week. It wasn't too unexpected and he is with his beloved wife, but as always so left here are sad.  I stayed home with Pete and held down the fort while he was away and spending some time with family out in Utah over the weekend after the funeral.  I decided I would do something about the gross spot before it got too much more disgusting.  I'd seen the tutorials for cheap and easy upholstered headboards a billion times and thought I could whip one out while Phil was gone and surprise him with a changed bedroom.  I searched through pinterest while on prep when I was working some sub jobs and had bought my fabric and supplies secertly before Phil had even left.  Most of the tutorials were from 50-200 bucks for a new upholstered headboard.  I was shooting for the lower range since it was a surprise and not a budgeted planned project.  Well I ended up cutting the cost in half even for the cheapest tutorial I had found.  Mine ended up being $25!  I also already had access to a stapler and staples so that saved me some money.  Want to know how I did it and see the end result?!

Upholstered Headboard DIY

2 inch polystyrene board 4x8 then cut down to 4x5 (Yes it is styrofoam, just like the packing stuff)
2 yards bonded polyster batting ( I bought it by the yard at Joann's because it was on sale)
2 yards your choice material washed and ironed
stapler
staples

Full sized stryofoam sheet 8x4
Homemade electric/hot knife
Clean cut line on polystyrene
First I cut down the polystyrene board, my dad made me a hot knife to do the deed but a saw or knife would also work.  I did the cutting outside so I wouldn't have the white bally/flaky stuff everywhere and then carried it inside to work in the cleaner environment so I wouldn't get my fabric dirty.  I had the air tank and staple gun and used it inside.  Though a hand stapler would also work and would be more portable.

Stapling job
Backside of headboard
Front bottom of head board
Next I laid out my batting and tacked it down with the back of the board up and the batting wrapped up around the sides and onto the back.  Pull it tight to get rid of wrinkles and bunches also make sure the table is under it or the pressure from the air will blast through the Styrofoam and mess up the headboard. The next part is super important because it is what makes it look nice.  Lay the fabric on the board and line up any pattern. Since the bottom of the board will be on the floor the fact that the fabric doesn't reach around the board and onto the back doesn't matter so tack across the bottom edge of the fabric.  Next wrap the fabric around pull tight and staple, remembering to keep it on the table to keep from blasting through.  I made a hem by folding under the unfinished edge while tacking it down to keep it from unraveling in the future.  Miter the corners however they look best to you.  I did it a couple different ways just because one side is facing another wall and won't be seen and the other is closer to the door and wandering eyes.  Once finished drop it into place between the wall and the bed and enjoy!






Finished project in place.



Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Wild Child Shorts


Pete has been working on potty training for awhile now.  First we had to get over his freak out sessions about the toilet.  We did that one, so check number one done.  Now though I'm try to get him to try out underwear and he freaks out!  I mean screaming and tears people! A toilet is one thing to be intimadated by but Thomas the Train underwear, that he picked out?!  Well I was thinking of some other options and what to do about this and ran across toddler boxers in the store and some info about using them for potty training instead of tighty-whities. I couldn't see paying 6+ dollars a pair when it was an experiment.  So I went out and bought some material for him at Joann's to make my own.  They aren't much just a glorified pair of shorts for him that he wears under his jeans.  I just used a pair of his pants for a pattern and hemmed them.  I wanted to practice first to make sure the size was right and what I needed to alter before breaking out the real material I had bought for it.  I picked him out some cow fabric and some tractor fabric. That way too if we don't use them for boxers that will be good for some shorts in the summer!  Mom had some leftover tiger stripe material from a tie she made for Phil for basketball season at the high school.   I couldn't find my elastic tonight for the practice pair so I made a drawstring for now until I decide to dig through boxes looking for it.

First I thought they looked huge and there was no way they would fit Pete...well...
They are the same size as his pants from today, when did he get so big?!
I think they turned out pretty awesome for something quick and easy.  I looked up on Prudent Baby how to sew them just to double check because I always end up putting the two methods of pant sewing together and ripping out the seam a couple times until I do it right.  I still had to rip out two seams because I decided to try doing it a different way but that backfired on me.  Now hopefully I remember how to do it until I'm done with his others as well.

Christmas with Grandma Lich

The final Christmas of the year, though technically it happened in 2013.  We always have Christmas with my mom's family on New Year's Day.  Everyone gets together, now at my mom's house since we all have kids and no longer fit in grandma's house.  We always have pork and sauerkraut; you have to eat the sauerkraut because eating the cabbage will bring money in the new year.  Personally I love the stuff, Phil despises it and Pete looks at me like I'm crazy while getting him to eat a bite!  Really you can eat coleslaw too, but where is the tradition in that and the flavor?!  It was super fun to hang out with my cousins all day and their kids.  There were 4 two year olds there so Pete was having a ball with how many kids were around.  He could even say most of their names by the end.  Aee, Beep, Cici, Jo, Lilliah, Ack, Llen.  In case you were wondering that would be Ally, Ben, Lucy, Jo, Delilah, Jack and Kellen.  He didn't play with Holden so he didn't learn his name.  Pete got some awesome semi-trucks, a tractor apron and sippy cup, plus some pajamas.  I got some new pjs too and Phil got a new sweater!  Plus a ton of tasty food.  So much fun to see everyone and carry on the traditions from when we were kids.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Phil and Pete's Dance Party: Part 2 Couples

Pete and Phil had another dance party last night.  This time he surprised us with it.  If you notice the music isn't your normal dance party tunes, it's the soundtrack to Chitty-chitty Bang Bang specifically Truly Scrumptious.  Well check out Pete's amazing partner that he picked up. A semi!  He then wanted Phil to join in on the action and he chose the trailer end of the semi.  I also had to join in some and picked another one.  What a crazy musically inclined boy we have on our hands, but he had to find someway of tying in his vehicles! 

In other news Pete is sick again and I've got it too.  Apparently he didn't fully get over it last time and has it even worse so he is on an antibiotic now, along with the allergy medicine and tylenol for his fever.  Poor kid.  It really has been the worst Christmas Break though since we have all been sick now within the two weeks that Phil had off of work.  It down right stinks.  I want a refund!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Phil and Pete's Dance Party

Lately Pete has been into dancing to music.  It meant we didn't get a ton of Christmas music this year but we still got to listen to some just not at our normal levels to keep up with this boy's love of dancing.  When he wants to dance he finds the stereo, radio, or ipod, points and says "lalala?"

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy New Year!

Partying with the family tonight!  The kids went to bed around 9 which is late for them.  We're rocking some dominoes.