Valentine crafts & pancake fun

Reid & I have had a little fun this weekend working on some Valentine crafts.  I've never been much for decorating for Valentine's, but as the boys get older, I find myself wanting to decorate for every holiday!  As Valentine's Day approaches, Reid & I have talked a lot about what it means & why we celebrate this day.  It's really important to me to help him understand what love is all about & why it's a big deal to show love to your friends & family.  He's such a sweet boy.  I think he gets it.... :)

Reid made a few hand print hearts to send to the grandparents. 

The finished product.  He made the hand prints and I wrote a little note around the hands in the shape of a heart. 

I found our heart shaped pancake molds and we had a little Valentine breakfast this morning!

 I LOVE blog world.... so many cool print outs you can download for FREE!!!

This is my favorite.

I tried my hand last night at my own little V-day craft.  A Valentine banner made out of pages from an old book, scrapbook paper, old buttons, a stapler and twine.  Easy as pie!  Took me all of about 20 minutes to make.  Best part.... FREE!  

My husband likes those kinds of crafts... the free ones that is.  :)

Happy heart day!  Hope you & your little ones are having fun making and baking! 

My Little Valentines

As we were getting ready this morning, I turned around to find this....

And a little more of this.... seriously melting my heart!  Riley- Roo is our little love bug.  Who would've guessed?!

These two.... Love them!

Will you be Mommy's Valentine sweet Lindsay boys?

Children's Museum

On Wednesday this week, we made a trip to the Children's museum in Fair Park.  I had never taken the boys there, and thought I had never been there myself.  However, upon arriving, I realized I had been there on at least 2 field trips there with students I have taught in the past.  This is the museum of nature & science-- the place where the I-Max theater is.  It was SO fun to take the boys and let them experience all the fun little toddler activities.  I had never gotten to see any of that since I taught elementary aged kiddos! 

They had the most precious "farm" exhibit with tractors, a cow to milk, and chickens with pretend eggs. Reid was in heaven!

Reid's sweet friends that joined us: Gabi, & Matthew

Reid "milking a cow."  Water actually came out when he milked it, and this was truly the highlight of his trip.  Awesome!

There was a little red fire truck with a cute little slide attached.  Complete with fireman coats & hats to put on and pretend they were really driving a fire truck!

Cute water table to play at.  Thank goodness for the water proof vests they provided!

Riley-Roo had a ball riding on the little John Deere tricycles in the farm area.

Reid & his buddies playing firemen-- L to R

Reid, Jack & Alex

What a fun day!  Can't wait to go back again.  Such a perfect play place for toddlers to pretend and just be kids!  Loved it.  :) 

p.s. Sorry some of these pictures are so out of focus. The lighting in there wasn't great for a camera phone! :) 

Our weekend

The boys played superman with Daddy

Riley's first "superman" experience.  He likes it... don'tcha think?

We had a lot of playtime.

We talked about what shadows are.

We had fun with Reid's fisherman hat.

Melt. my. heart. 

We cleaned out drawers and played in them. 

We went to visit some sweet friends on Saturday and Reid had a ball playing with his friend Connor.  He especially loved the fact that they had a huge piano!

Riley stayed home with Mimi & Papa while we went to visit our friends and looks like he had a little fun too!

It was a great weekend.  Rodney was home ALL weekend long and that was a super bonus!  No airforce duty, no conferences, and no call.  Wahoo!!!  The boys got lots of extra playtime with him, mommy got to sleep in,  and we got to go to friend's houses both nights & have dinner.  It was a super busy, but very fun weekend!  The weather was beautiful and we were just thankful for lots of family time at home.  Looking forward to another busy week and hopefully some more 60 degree days of playing outdoors! 

Tooth fairy

Okay, so we're not quite ready for this one yet, but it got me to thinking when I heard a good friend of mine say on her blog today that her kiddos (8 & 10 years old) don't believe in the tooth fairy anymore because the kids on the bus told them the truth.  What do you say when that happens?!  I'm not looking forward to my boys finding out!  I have no idea what to say, but I thought this was a great response my friend had.  I had to post it... one, because it was so genuine & sweet and two, because I'm gonna need some inspiring words to say to the boys one day when this happens.  Bottom line, I may have to borrow what this mom said someday... Hope you don't mind, Shelley.  :)

Here's what my friend said: 

I told them that I couldn't speak for all moms and dads, but we did it to bring excitement and magic to their special days.  We want all of their memories to be big deals, but mostly we did it to teach them.  Just like Steve and I taught them to walk and talk, it was our job to teach them how to believe.  The most important choices in life come down to faith.  You have to believe in things you can't always see, like God and love.  That's the thing with the tooth fairy.  While you are little, she lets you practice believing in something you can't see, and when you get big, you learn to question and search out the truth for yourself.  God and true love will pass any test, and you passed this one!

LOVE this.  For so many reasons.  Thank you sweet Shelley for your tender words and your sincere heart.  You are a blessed woman and a dear friend!  Love you to pieces! 

Park time in January

Who would've dreamed we'd be going to the park in the month of January!  But alas we are! The weather has been NUTS here.  One day it's 40 degrees and the next day it's 70.  What the heck? 

In the picture above, Reid is telling Riley all about why God gave us trees.  Love it.  These boys had a ball today.  Running around and playing, climbing, sliding, and just being silly.  I am so thankful for them and thankful that I get to stay at home with them every day.

  

I wish I could just freeze time and hold on to this stage forever. 

4 years & 18 months

I love it.  Love them. Love these moments. Priceless.

Our little 4 year old

There are so many cute things Reid is doing and saying almost everyday lately and I wish I had a pen & paper in my hand wherever I am so I can write it down.  He makes me laugh more than anyone I know and I just want to freeze him at this little stage he's at right now!  We have some of the best conversations and I just love hearing his voice... even when he asks me why about a 100 times a day!  ;)

One of the funniest things he told me the other day... "I'm afraid the poo-poo monster will come & eat my poo-poo in the potty!" 

This little guy LOVES, LOVES his pajamas!  He never EVER wants to get dressed and it is like a major ordeal just to get him to put clothes on!  Can't say I blame him!  The other day I was sick and didn't make him change his clothes.  At the end of the day he said to me, "Mommy, I got to stay in my pajamas all day!"  You would have thought he'd won the lottery!

He has such a funny personality and LOVES to be silly!  Whenever we're at a place that has prescription glasses out, he  always wants to try them on himself and Riley! 

This is one 4 year old who seriously LOVES desserts.  If I can bribe him with anything, it's sweets!  Particularly cakes, cookies or cupcakes!  He would probably rather eat candy or cupcakes if he could everyday of his life!  Anytime he asks for a snack, he asks if he can have candy.  Doesn't he know mama don't fall for that one?

He is SO in love with his brother these days!  They really like to play together now and Reid is even sharing his favorite toys with him.  There is nothing sweeter than watching my boys play in the pillows, wrestle on the floor, or as seen here, ride in the cozy coupe together!

And Reid is one of the best pillow tent makers I know!  It's nothing for the pillows from our couch to be on the floor all day long.  Reid LOVES to pull all the pillows off the couch and make tents, a boat, a cave, or whatever his imagination will take him to.  Riley has watched him do this so many times, that now he even pulls them off the couch and onto the floor! It's so fun to watch them be boys together like this.  

I love watching Reid grow & learn more everyday.  He has a great imagination, is VERY musical, loves to read & be sung to, watch movies, eat snacks, and loves any animal that walks the earth.  He's silly, playful, funny, and just down right cute!  He wants me to take his picture any time I have the camera out.  Such a switch from the days when he would run away from it!  He's a precious gem of a child. I love his sweet, sensitive spirit.  I CANNOT believe he will be FIVE years old this year!  I am going to be THAT mom that cries when she drops her kid off at kindergarten.  Thank goodness we have one more year of preschool.  I would be a mess!  I love that after I pick him from school, he wants me to hold him.  He's huge, but I don't care.  One day he won't want me to hold him.  I don't look forward to those days.  For now, you're still a little boy.  You still need me, want me and need more hugs & kisses than I could give you in a lifetime.  Mommy loves you THIS much!