Bubbles {Camping 2013}

After a successful tent nap the kids were ready for more activities so we brought out the crafts. In an attempt to find a craft that was appropriate for small children and older kids I settled on beaded bubble wands. I found this tutorial from Barista Kids helpful. I also used the bubble recipe they provided as some examples I looked at said store bought bubbles might not be stiff enough for these bubble wands.

For the little kids I shaped the wand (circle, heart, etc) then allowed them to put on beads. Once they were done I secured the end. For the older kids I just gave them 12 inches of wire and let them create their wand shape and add the beads. 

It was a hit! The little kids loved blowing bubbles and the older kids had fun experimenting with different wand shapes.

heart shaped beaded bubble wands

Sawyer putting on his beads

Nora slept through the craft time but I made her a bubble wand and she had fun blowing bubbles when she woke up.

Camping 2013 {Day 1}

This weekend we had our 2nd annual camping trip with our church. Despite the muddy conditions we had a ton of fun. I cannot even express how much Sawyer is in his element when is is outdoors. He LOVED every single minute of the experience, even sleeping in the tent.

When we arrived Kyle and his assistant Sawyer set up the tent

The rest of the evening was spent eating a potluck supper with the group then having a small camp fire with our site mates.

The night went pretty well. Both kids fell asleep once Daddy went in and laid with them. The next morning we had eggs and bacon. This was Nora's 1st bacon experience...see her reaction below.

chomping down

I think she is a fan!

It's mine!...and she is not giving it up

Later that morning the state park hosted a kids fishing event. Kyle and Sawyer went to join the fishing action. Before they left the camp site Kyle was teaching Sawyer how to cast. As he was practicing he cast it over the top of the very large motor home next to our camp site. I would say he's got the hang of it :)

this maybe the longest I have ever seen him sit still

Sawyer's casting technique

fishing off the dock with Daddy

2 fishing buddies

Sawyer and his fish

At the end of 2 hours Sawyer had caught 2 fish. But we learned something...Sawyer is terrified of the fish. When he hooked the fish he became scared and wouldn't even reel him in. Kyle had to reel him in while trying to keep Sawyer from running away :)

More camping adventures to come...

Spunky or Punky...

Punky Brewster that is.

I hope other children of the 80's recognize this reference. With the weather warming up it's like Nora has a whole new wardrobe. This particular outfit reminded me of a Punky Brewster ensemble. A little much for my taste but Nora loved all the color and the girl LOVES a jean skirt.

and Sawyer giving his cheesy face

The Story of a Toy

It all began one fateful day when Aunt Candace graciously uploaded Toy Story 2 on the iPad. It was an instant favorite. One day while at Once Upon A Child Sawyer spotted a very large Buzz Lightyear and he was instantly smitten. I am not one to buy my kids toys ever; that's what birthday's and Christmas are for. However, I had a weak moment and justified it because it was 2nd hand.

Well that was about the best $5 investment I've ever made. He played with it exclusively for several days and as the weeks went by it continued to be a favorite. If Sawyer wasn't flying Buzz through the air saying "to infinity and beyond" Nora was giving Buzz a hug and lugging him around the house (he's about 1/2 as tall as her :)

As garage sale season began and their Toy Story obsession grew I bribed got them to comply with stopping at garage sales by telling them we would look for a Woody and Jessie. At each stop Sawyer would ask the homeowner if they had Woody or Jessie. We got some pretty interesting looks :) Then the other day buried beneath a pile of toys I spotted Woody's denim clad legs. I carefully uncovered him and made sure he worked. He was in perfect condition (minus his hat). So I laid him back down and called Sawyer over to "find" him. He made the discovery and was very excited! Since we were on a hunt for him I had to buy him.

However, this created a problem...2 children, but only 1 Woody. The next day I attended a local flea market with tons of vendors. Lo and behold I found a Jessie. The proprietor instantly saw my excitement so he overcharged me but I couldn't pass it up.

Thus began the love affair with Woody and Jessie. They have both been well loved since we brought them home. They get lots of hugs and kisses. They are carried everywhere. They even made an appearance at Aldi today. When the kids go to bed they have to tuck Woody and Jessie in first. They've even made a few trips to time-out. When Nora wakes up she usually wants to find me first but now she asks for Jessie first. What I love about the Woody/Jessie obsession is it is something they can do together and peaceful play time is coveted by this momma!

 Nora hugging Jessie and Sawyer demonstrating Buzz flying saying "to infinity and beyond"

Sawyer giving Woody a spin

Freezing Zoo Night

A few times a summer the Akron Zoo is open in the evening for members. We love these events because Daddy gets to go with us!

It was rainy most of the day but it cleared up for the evening. However, the temperatures were a little chilly and we had to cut the evening short because by 7:00 pm we were freezing. Even though we didn't get to see all the animals we still had lots of fun as a family.

checking out the ducks

 giving their best lion roar

riding the lion

riding the carousel

getting up close and personal with his favorite animal the lion

sibling affection...or maybe they were just trying to stay warm

Ride Em Cowboy

A Picture Transformed

A few months ago I attended a church event called the Common Table. The idea is to bring stuff you no longer need and take items you can use. There is no cost. One of the items featured at this particular Common Table was housewares. I saw this large picture in a nice solid wood frame. The picture was not my style at all but I simply couldn't pass up a 19 x 23 picture with mat in a solid wood frame. I didn't have a particular project in mind but I knew I could find a use for it somewhere. 

the original picture sans frame

here's a picture I pulled off ebay that shows what the original frame looked like

Fast forward a few months and we were working on the bathroom and I started to think about the decor for the small room. I knew it needed some art but I didn't want a gallery collection because I was afraid it would make the small room appear too busy. However, I didn't want to pay a lot of money for a large piece. Then I remembered the country art I had picked up and decided to transform it. Kyle painted the light oak a bright white. I painted the navy blue mat white. Then I ordered a print from an Etsy seller, T30 Gallery. And suddenly this country piece turned into modern art.

Kyle's favorite artist is Rothko so this Rothko-esque print is a perfect piece for our master bath. The print shown was actually a little too dark for my taste so I contacted the seller and she shipped a much lighter print which is now hanging in the bathroom but I'm too lazy to get a picture of the final product.

Just a reminder that someone's trash can be someone elses treasure :)