Toddlers in the Kitchen!

 

Every Thursday (if I'm not working) we go to our Toddlers in the Kitchen Cooking Class! Through trying out a couple different classes, we've finally found "the one"!! It has been quite the learning experience and the amazing teacher, Ms. Tawanda, has been so great! When I say learning experience, I am talking mostly about social skills. You see, we started going to this class while Austin was going through a year long shy phase. Eve was just a brand new baby and I was a desperate Mommy, trying to do ANYTHING I could think of to entertain my almost two year old. However, every time we went out in public Austin would suddenly cling to me for dear life and cry if anyone looked at him or tried talking to him! It was horrifying for me (being the outgoing person that I am) and I found myself constantly apologizing for him and trying to explain that he is going through a "transition phase" with the new baby and all..... But it was Ms. Tawanda who told me to never apologize. "He is right where he needs to be, and if you stick with it, there will come a day when he will let go of the apron strings and this will all be a funny memory" she promised.

So week after week we went. Some days Austin would leave my side for a quick minute and then dart right back to me, just in case I had left him. Other days he would sit on the floor next to me and REFUSE to participate whatsoever! And if anyone tried to talk him into it he would burst into tears. I hated those times. I wanted so badly to scream at those annoying well-doers. Couldn't they see he wanted ME AND ONLY ME and now I had two screaming kids in my arms instead of just the brand new baby I was trying to secretly nurse under my blouse......

You see, Ms. Tawanda has a Master's Degree in child development and she is more than knowledgeable! Sometimes I would come early to class and tell her all my toddler woes, waiting for her next bit of advice, like she had the keys to the universe or something! I felt safe telling her things because she just seemed to get it. She understood Austin and never made me feel like he was weird or that his constant need for love and comfort was all my fault (like the annoying voice in my head kept telling me).

I hate that voice........

Anyway, just like the amazing teacher said, after a year of routine attendance (whether he participated or not) Austin has now grown out of that phase and has turned into a well adjusted toddler! HALLELUJAH!!! He LOVES Ms. Tawanda and gets so excited when I announce we are going to see her today! Sometimes at night Josh and I giggle because we can hear him in his bedroom talking to himself about her :). She has a very unique name and hearing it come out of a toddlers mouth is just too cute for words (hehe).

The first part of the class is free play! There are all sorts of toys that incorporate child development skills into fun! I'm not sure how riding a giant lady bug fits into that, but didn't we establish that childhood is a big mystery??

This is seriously the coveted toy. The kids are always fighting over it, giving Ms. Tawanda the opportunity to talk about sharing! Maybe that's the learning part?

Austin loves the little kitchen!

He's also a big fan of the giant blocks! He stacks them and Evie demolishes them :).

Hanging out in the music corner.

Right into the mouth, as always....

 

Next comes circle time! Austin used to hide behind me and look at us like we were all insane at this point, but now he sings and claps along with us! I had no idea how well he was actually paying attention until he started singing all the words right on cue! His favorites are the hot dog song (because it is loud and talks about one of his favorite foods) and the pancake song (because Ms. Tawanda throws a pan of cloth pancakes into the air and all the little kids go running around chasing after them)! Now that Evie is walking, she stands directly in front of the teacher, clapping along with her and hanging onto her every word. It is so cute! :)

 

 

Then comes the cooking part! Or sometimes it is more of a learning/craft day and we create things that have to do with cooking. Today we made chef hats!

 

Evie tries so hard to do what the rest of the group is doing. Today I let her color for about ten seconds until she turned the marker into a snack!

Austin seems to like the craft days even better than the cooking days! He LOVES to color, but not as much as he loves using glue!

 

There is no greater learning experience than becoming a parent and I am grateful for women like Ms. Tawanda who have helped me along this crazy wonderful journey!

 

The final product! What do you think? Are we professional chef hat makers or what?! (haha)

 

 

After cooking class we get lunch! Almost always, Austin requests "Smoovies!!!" We've got this healthy eating stuff down! Or that's what we tell ourselves anyway.... ;).

Austin HAS to be the one to hold the smoothie but sometimes he finds it in his heart to share with us :).

Time Out

 

Today took on a very different look after I completely gave up on the gym this morning. But you know what, it was soooooo nice!! I wish every day could be like today! As I was trying to get ready this morning, both kids did what they do best while I stumble around them, trying to brush my hair and teeth amongst the ever growing mess they create EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. It was at this moment that I decided to stop. Stop cleaning, stop fussing. Just stop. Today was going to be a day to just be. And that's exactly what we did! It was fabulous :).

My adorable mess makers!

Trying to curl his sisters hair :).

We started the day off with some morning yoga out on the front porch. The weather was gorgeous and the kids love any excuse to be outdoors! It's not the easy trying to practice yoga with a baby on your hip, but we tried! Her facial expressions while she watched her crazy Mom were priceless :). Meanwhile, Austin ran around playing with his cars. Yes, he had to bring every single car he owns outside with us.

Copying Mommy! My cute little yogi!

Eve wanted to join me in the inversion poses as well so we went inside for that :). It's just a tad bit softer on the carpet.... Austin thought it was fun for a couple minutes and then he realized I was taking pictures and suddenly wanted nothing more than to be the photographer. So I gave him the camera and then Little Miss and I got to work!

Trying to teach her how to do a head stand!

She mastered it!

I swear, this little girl is so stinking smart!

As always, our yoga session quickly turned into a big family wrestling match! There's just something about doing headstands that makes you really silly!!

 

Austin was pretending to be dead so Evie wouldn't pounce on him....

Obviously she didn't fall for it! hahaha!

Oh how I love this goofy boy! He brings out the crazy in everyone :).

 

And somewhere in between all that we read lots of stories and made homemade donuts (see previous post). It has been the perfect day!!!

DONUTS!!! And, We're Back!

I admit it, my blogging has been lacking lately. In fact, I even made it private for a while because I felt like there was no point in having it anyway. Life has just become so busy!! One kid is busy, two kids is insane, and I don't even want to know what three kids entails! At least not right now ;). Anyway, this blog has always been my journal, or our family's journal. I started it when Josh and I got married and since then it has been a happy place for me, almost like a therapist. I've happily written about the good times, and I've cried while I wrote down the bad times. So why did it stop? Simple, pure exhaustion on my part and just too much to do! (also on my part haha).

Then I called my Grandma Wiegel (my Mom's mom) on Mother's Day and had a nice little chat. We both giggled while I told her all about our latest adventures and all the silly things the kids are doing lately. It was then that she told me, "Ashly, you need to be writing all this down!! Someday you will be old like me and you will wish that you did...."

For some reason those words really stuck with me. She's right. I do need to be writing more. Because let's be honest, someday these little moments are going to disappear and I will find myself an empty nester, wishing I could remember my little boy's favorite thing to do while his sister took her morning nap, or the exact moment my baby girl took her first steps!

So here it goes! I am making a promise to myself today to start writing more about our days, the exciting and the mundane. Because the little moments are the ones that matter most, and yet in a sea of memories they seem to be the hardest to retrieve!

I figured a fresh start should come with a fresh title, and what better way to describe our life than the great Jack Nicholson film: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest! We are, after all, a little crazy and a whole lotta laughs! :)

DONUTS!!!

I have always had a love for baking, and I am so lucky to have a son who shares in that love! It is our thing. You know how some people have baseball and other people have shopping? Well we have cooking and I treasure the memories we make (the good, the bad, and the ugly). Yes, not every sweet tasting treat comes along with a sweet memory. There is almost always a lecture or a time-out, or sometimes both! But I guess that's the point! How are our kids supposed to learn if they aren't allowed to try, and how are they supposed to learn properly if they aren't instructed with rules and consequences? Without rules, all chaos ensues and NOBODY wants to remember that....

 

So today we made homemade donuts!

 

Austin: 2 years & 10 months old

 

 

Every month Austin receives a surprise box in the mail with a recipe and fun child sized kitchen tools from Baby Boy Bakery and we choose a special day to try it out together! We have been super busy lately so we have some catching up to do, starting with what is possibly the greatest treat to ever grace this planet! (besides ice cream)

 

 

 

There was only one melt down today (praise the Lord) when Austin didn't listen and then spit in my face after I chided him... oh yeah, this two year old stage is LOADS of fun...grrrrr! But after a time out and a forced apology he was right back at it, the sprinkle master of all donuts! In between each donut he uniquely decorated, he shoved a whole handful of sprinkles into his mouth. What's the point in baking if you can't eat all the good stuff along the way?! :)

 

After Evie girl woke up from her morning nap, she got to enjoy the tasty treats too! I can't be sure but I think she liked it!

Oh my goodness, THAT FACE!!! Gets me every time!

 

Milestones: Evelyne is 11 Months Old!

Our sweet 11 month old baby girl!

This is the last month of our baby's babyhood. Next month she will begin life as a toddler..... :(

I am in denial. I just can't deal with it. She is still that sweet little Indian baby we brought home from the hospital!!

While I have been "keeping her small," she has grown 3 teeth, and is walking while holding onto things! She eats baby food like a champ and can't wait for next month when we can start incorporating even more into her diet!

She is the sweetest little creature in the world, but don't let that fool you, she's tough! Honestly, she's tougher than Austin! She falls down or gets smacked around by Austin and hardly ever cries about it. She just gets back up and tries again! A quality that will serve her well in the future :).

She tries so hard to keep up with Austin and is always following in his wake. It has been this way since she was a newborn. Mentally she seems so much older than she really is because she has him to show her how to do things and she is an expert at observing and copying. But she also has this short, tiny little body that makes you think, she is way too little to be doing that!!

Evie-girl, you are the light in our lives. Your sweet spirit makes our family whole. You are the center of attention everywhere we go and I hope you never lose that sweet ability to win over a crowd simply by looking at them. :)

 

Some fun moments over the past month:

She is obsessed with playing in the rocks! She also loves to eat them....

She has started walking while holding onto things!!!

You can't see it here, but she walks duck footed, just like her Daddy! The doctor said it should go away with time as she develops her muscles. If not, she will make a great ballerina with that natural turn out!



She loves to read stories! She is such a smart little girl :).

Oh my goodness, I die every time I see that little dimply bum!

She knows she's loved :).

Being this beautiful girl's mother has been a dream come true.

Her favorite thing to do is sit on Mom's lap and eat my food! The oatmeal on this particular morning was a big hit!

Having lunch outside of Starbucks. Her facial expressions are priceless!

Out for an ice cream date with Daddy! She can't wait for the day when she can have her own and not just a few licks of Mommy's :).