We are already over half of summer! I can't even believe it. Some days it feels like time is flying, other days I can't wait for school - and a normal routine - to start. This was kind of a crazy week for us, so the kids didn't get to pick as many activities.
Week of 7/20:
Monday: Blue and Red Park (Willow Park)
Tuesday: Palatine Library Play Area
Wednesday: Anderson Park with the Grand's
Thursday: None
Friday: None
Saturday: Blueberry picking/ice cream/tractor riding/running through sprinklers
We spent over an hour at Willow Park on Monday. It was a beautiful day; although a little humid. I thought for sure we would run into Reagan's friends there, but it was just us for that hour and we had a blast. Rylan discovered the creek and wanted to go near it. Brought me right back to the days of Kyleigh like that. Thursday was crazy busy with errands all day. Friday, I was supposed to have a work meeting, but that was cancelled last minute. Plus, we drove to Michigan to visit the Barretts. They, of course, had a blast picking (and eating) blueberries and the ice cream. Riding the tractors at Erin's parents house is always a blast as well.
Only a few weeks left of activity picking. They are still having as much fun picking as they did during Week 1 :-)
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Reflections
I have really gotten away from writing notes about the kids, I think it's just the busyness of life and also trying my best to disconnect from my phone (where I usually write all my notes for the month) all the time. It serves its purpose for sure, but I don't want my kids to remember me having a phone in one hand and playing with them with the other. So my note taking has suffered and unfortunately, I'm too tired at the end of the day to write stuff down and then I'll just forget. So here's my best attempt at remembering stuff the kids have done over the past 2 months.
Reagan:
Imaginative play is a favorite thing of his. He ranges from Planes: Fire and Rescue to Frozen to David and Goliath. Sometimes he wants me to play with him, but many times it's just a running monologue with either planes/helicopters or "swords" (made out of the broken fire truck ladder and two Lincoln logs) in his hands. If I am asked to participate in his playing, I often do things the wrong way and I'm constantly being corrected.
His way of coping with things he doesn't like or want to do is being alone. He'll retreat to his room, lay on the bed with his blanket and animals and suck his thumb. I'm not sure if this method of handling situations is always the best, but I usually give him his space and then try to talk with him about what's happened and try to get him to use words to process the situation. Ryan was the same way growing up, so I'm not overly concerned.
He's been very interested about money and buying things. So we introduced a chore chart for him and Kyleigh. We made sure they understood that some things are expected (like taking their plate to the sink or putting toys away), but that if they completed certain chores, they could earn money. It's going really well so far :)
Kyleigh:
She continues to be a challenge for us. Back in May, we could not get her to stop saying potty words like "butt" and "poop." Over the past 2 months, she has gotten better about not saying those words, but the habit isn't broken. If I ask her to do something and she doesn't want to do it, she'll respond with "poop" and just look at me. We've tried various methods to break this habit, but she's holding strong. And as much as I don't want to do it, ignoring her only works half the time.
She is beyond obsessed with the swimming pool. Ever since she started swimming lessons in June, I've been asked EVERYDAY (I'm not exaggerating here) if we can go to the swimming pool. She will be our fish, for sure. And she's doing really well. Ryan is in class with her; she kicks well and also does her "ice cream scoops" well. Kyleigh has no fear of the water - she'll jump in without hesitation. In fact, Ryan took her safety belt off and she insisted Ryan let go of her because she could do it on her own. So Ryan did and she started to sink. Obviously, Ryan got her, but she was so confident in her abilities. She's one I have to keep constant eyes on because she'll walk to the deep end and think she can stay afloat without any help.
Kyeigh is a constant helper. Even in situations where I don't want her help, she is there to assist me. I appreciate this giving side of her and want to foster it more. She has a great love for Rylan (most of the time) and wants to help Rylan with various skills. So Kyleigh is often out of her chair at meal time trying to give Rylan more food or to help feed her. She'll also show Rylan the safe way to get down the stairs or she'll give her books/toys if Rylan is sad. It was such a sweet side of Kyleigh and I want to see more of this than her sassy pants attitude.
I feel like I'm still learning how to interact with her because she can push my buttons so fast and my patience is beyond thin. My mom keeps telling me that Kyleigh is EXACTLY like me when I was that age. I roll my eyes because I like to think I didn't give my parents as much grief as she gives us. But when my dad called one day and without prompting just went on and on about how much Kyleigh is like me, I knew I had to accept it. It's not that I didn't believe my mom, I just didn't want to believe her. But dad sealed the deal. And that's probably why she pushes my buttons so easily - she's just like me.
Rylan:
Oh my sweet Rylan. How she is growing so fast and especially so this summer. This is seriously one of my favorite ages because she's learning to communicate, but can't quite talk yet (although she seems to add new words by the day). One of my greatest memories from May was when we walked around the block. She's perfectly capable of walking without assistance, but for some reason when we took walks around the block, she would reach for my hand and hold onto my pinky finger. And she'd walk the majority of the block this way. It was so sweet and such a gift to my heart. She could do it, but she just wanted to hold my hand (or dad's).
She has learned so many new words over the summer. I think she started off with only a handful of words, but she now has around 10 clearly identified words (others would understand), but several more that sound like real words. It's so fun listening to her. As I'm typing, the words I can think of are: mommy, daddy, dog, milk, snack, book, sock, shoe, uh oh, bye bye (more like buh bye, and it's so adorable!). Just recently, she had learned how to say Kyleigh's name, but it comes out more like Kai-ee and I totally remember Reagan saying her name like that, too! When Rylan wants something, she'll look at it and wave her hands in an up and down motion (like saying hi) until she gets it. It's so cute!
Rylan is also beginning to throw temper tantrums. At this time, it's still funny and cute, but I know the cuteness won't last long. It's just hilarious to me to see such a little person throw herself on the floor because she's not getting what she wants. The tantrums usually last a minute or two, so it's definitely bearable, but we're seeing her will emerge like never before!!
She has a healthy appetite just like her siblings! Man, this girl can eat :) Rylan is also particular about certain foods, especially green beans. She wants nothing to do with them. She's like the others in that she'll often choose to eat her fruit before anything else - even fun kid food like chicken nuggets or pizza! When she hears the refrigerator open, she comes running into the kitchen. If I turn my back even for a second, she's usually grabbed the applesauce container out of the door and is handing it to me! Or if I open the cupboard, she'll walk over to it and say "snack snack." I know my kids' appetites are a blessing because some kids won't eat anything; however, it can also be frustrating because they want to eat so much and if I limit the amount of food they eat, they'll just ask for more.
I know I've missed a lot here because it's hard to remember details spanning a 2.5 month time period. However, I wanted to capture some of my favorite memories this summer. For the first time since she was born, I feel like Rylan is getting the "3rd child syndrome" because I don't have as many notes on her as the other two. I may not have as many notes, but I sure am enjoying the moments with the kids.
Reagan:
Imaginative play is a favorite thing of his. He ranges from Planes: Fire and Rescue to Frozen to David and Goliath. Sometimes he wants me to play with him, but many times it's just a running monologue with either planes/helicopters or "swords" (made out of the broken fire truck ladder and two Lincoln logs) in his hands. If I am asked to participate in his playing, I often do things the wrong way and I'm constantly being corrected.
His way of coping with things he doesn't like or want to do is being alone. He'll retreat to his room, lay on the bed with his blanket and animals and suck his thumb. I'm not sure if this method of handling situations is always the best, but I usually give him his space and then try to talk with him about what's happened and try to get him to use words to process the situation. Ryan was the same way growing up, so I'm not overly concerned.
He's been very interested about money and buying things. So we introduced a chore chart for him and Kyleigh. We made sure they understood that some things are expected (like taking their plate to the sink or putting toys away), but that if they completed certain chores, they could earn money. It's going really well so far :)
Kyleigh:
She continues to be a challenge for us. Back in May, we could not get her to stop saying potty words like "butt" and "poop." Over the past 2 months, she has gotten better about not saying those words, but the habit isn't broken. If I ask her to do something and she doesn't want to do it, she'll respond with "poop" and just look at me. We've tried various methods to break this habit, but she's holding strong. And as much as I don't want to do it, ignoring her only works half the time.
She is beyond obsessed with the swimming pool. Ever since she started swimming lessons in June, I've been asked EVERYDAY (I'm not exaggerating here) if we can go to the swimming pool. She will be our fish, for sure. And she's doing really well. Ryan is in class with her; she kicks well and also does her "ice cream scoops" well. Kyleigh has no fear of the water - she'll jump in without hesitation. In fact, Ryan took her safety belt off and she insisted Ryan let go of her because she could do it on her own. So Ryan did and she started to sink. Obviously, Ryan got her, but she was so confident in her abilities. She's one I have to keep constant eyes on because she'll walk to the deep end and think she can stay afloat without any help.
Kyeigh is a constant helper. Even in situations where I don't want her help, she is there to assist me. I appreciate this giving side of her and want to foster it more. She has a great love for Rylan (most of the time) and wants to help Rylan with various skills. So Kyleigh is often out of her chair at meal time trying to give Rylan more food or to help feed her. She'll also show Rylan the safe way to get down the stairs or she'll give her books/toys if Rylan is sad. It was such a sweet side of Kyleigh and I want to see more of this than her sassy pants attitude.
I feel like I'm still learning how to interact with her because she can push my buttons so fast and my patience is beyond thin. My mom keeps telling me that Kyleigh is EXACTLY like me when I was that age. I roll my eyes because I like to think I didn't give my parents as much grief as she gives us. But when my dad called one day and without prompting just went on and on about how much Kyleigh is like me, I knew I had to accept it. It's not that I didn't believe my mom, I just didn't want to believe her. But dad sealed the deal. And that's probably why she pushes my buttons so easily - she's just like me.
Rylan:
Oh my sweet Rylan. How she is growing so fast and especially so this summer. This is seriously one of my favorite ages because she's learning to communicate, but can't quite talk yet (although she seems to add new words by the day). One of my greatest memories from May was when we walked around the block. She's perfectly capable of walking without assistance, but for some reason when we took walks around the block, she would reach for my hand and hold onto my pinky finger. And she'd walk the majority of the block this way. It was so sweet and such a gift to my heart. She could do it, but she just wanted to hold my hand (or dad's).
She has learned so many new words over the summer. I think she started off with only a handful of words, but she now has around 10 clearly identified words (others would understand), but several more that sound like real words. It's so fun listening to her. As I'm typing, the words I can think of are: mommy, daddy, dog, milk, snack, book, sock, shoe, uh oh, bye bye (more like buh bye, and it's so adorable!). Just recently, she had learned how to say Kyleigh's name, but it comes out more like Kai-ee and I totally remember Reagan saying her name like that, too! When Rylan wants something, she'll look at it and wave her hands in an up and down motion (like saying hi) until she gets it. It's so cute!
Rylan is also beginning to throw temper tantrums. At this time, it's still funny and cute, but I know the cuteness won't last long. It's just hilarious to me to see such a little person throw herself on the floor because she's not getting what she wants. The tantrums usually last a minute or two, so it's definitely bearable, but we're seeing her will emerge like never before!!
She has a healthy appetite just like her siblings! Man, this girl can eat :) Rylan is also particular about certain foods, especially green beans. She wants nothing to do with them. She's like the others in that she'll often choose to eat her fruit before anything else - even fun kid food like chicken nuggets or pizza! When she hears the refrigerator open, she comes running into the kitchen. If I turn my back even for a second, she's usually grabbed the applesauce container out of the door and is handing it to me! Or if I open the cupboard, she'll walk over to it and say "snack snack." I know my kids' appetites are a blessing because some kids won't eat anything; however, it can also be frustrating because they want to eat so much and if I limit the amount of food they eat, they'll just ask for more.
I know I've missed a lot here because it's hard to remember details spanning a 2.5 month time period. However, I wanted to capture some of my favorite memories this summer. For the first time since she was born, I feel like Rylan is getting the "3rd child syndrome" because I don't have as many notes on her as the other two. I may not have as many notes, but I sure am enjoying the moments with the kids.
12 Weeks of Summer: Week 6
I know this post is really late. I'm trying to get better about posting sooner.
Anyway, we had another fun week of activities!
Week of July 13:
Monday: Build an indoor fort
Tuesday: None (VBS day and my birthday)
Wednesday: Mess Free finger painting
Thursday: Watch a movie (Kilmer park planned, but then it rained and then Kyleigh had a fever)
Friday: Bake cookies together
Of all of these activities, I was confident that baking cookies together would have been the favorite, with watching a movie being a close second. Honestly, though, I think the kids liked the indoor fort the best! They had a lot of fun playing under it and we even had a "picnic" (ie plastic food) in the tent. Of course, the movie was a big hit as well.
Anyway, we had another fun week of activities!
Week of July 13:
Monday: Build an indoor fort
Tuesday: None (VBS day and my birthday)
Wednesday: Mess Free finger painting
Thursday: Watch a movie (Kilmer park planned, but then it rained and then Kyleigh had a fever)
Friday: Bake cookies together
Of all of these activities, I was confident that baking cookies together would have been the favorite, with watching a movie being a close second. Honestly, though, I think the kids liked the indoor fort the best! They had a lot of fun playing under it and we even had a "picnic" (ie plastic food) in the tent. Of course, the movie was a big hit as well.
Monday, July 13, 2015
12 Weeks of Summer: Week 5
Here are the activities we did last week:
Week of July 6
Monday: Puddle Jumping
Tuesday: none (took Mimi and Papa back to the airport)
Wednesday: Collect rocks from around the block and then sorted them biggest to smallest
Thursday: Woodfield Mall play place
Friday: Swimming Pool (with preschool friends in the morning and with Daddy and the Revs in the evening)
The puddle jumping was kind of a bust because by the time the kids got up from naps/quiet time, the humidity had dried up most of the puddles. But, they did get a few jumps/splashes in. The rock collecting and sorting went a lot better than I anticipated. The kids were really excited to collect the rocks in their baskets and then at the last minute, I decided to have them sort from biggest to smallest and that was a hit! Of course, the best activity of the week was the swimming pool. The kids had a great time, as always.
Week of July 6
Monday: Puddle Jumping
Tuesday: none (took Mimi and Papa back to the airport)
Wednesday: Collect rocks from around the block and then sorted them biggest to smallest
Thursday: Woodfield Mall play place
Friday: Swimming Pool (with preschool friends in the morning and with Daddy and the Revs in the evening)
The puddle jumping was kind of a bust because by the time the kids got up from naps/quiet time, the humidity had dried up most of the puddles. But, they did get a few jumps/splashes in. The rock collecting and sorting went a lot better than I anticipated. The kids were really excited to collect the rocks in their baskets and then at the last minute, I decided to have them sort from biggest to smallest and that was a hit! Of course, the best activity of the week was the swimming pool. The kids had a great time, as always.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
12 Weeks of Summer: Week 4
Here are the activities we did this week:
Week of June 29
Monday: Play Date at Piper's House
Tuesday: Ride Bike/Tricycle around block
Wednesday: Climb Trees
Thursday: None (picked up Mimi and Papa at airport)
Friday: Fireworks
We didn't really pull sticks while Mimi and Papa visited for the Fourth of July holiday; however, we did lots of running through the sprinklers, went to the "outdoor" swimming pool, roasted marshmallows over the campfire, and made homemade ice cream. So even though we didn't pull sticks, we did plenty of fun activities this week!
Week of June 29
Monday: Play Date at Piper's House
Tuesday: Ride Bike/Tricycle around block
Wednesday: Climb Trees
Thursday: None (picked up Mimi and Papa at airport)
Friday: Fireworks
We didn't really pull sticks while Mimi and Papa visited for the Fourth of July holiday; however, we did lots of running through the sprinklers, went to the "outdoor" swimming pool, roasted marshmallows over the campfire, and made homemade ice cream. So even though we didn't pull sticks, we did plenty of fun activities this week!
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
12 Weeks of Summer: Week 3
I know I'm a little late with this post....
Week of 6/22:
Monday: Joe's Park (the Pirate Park by his friend Joe's house)
Tuesday: Rainbow Volcano (baking soda and vinegar solution with food coloring)
Wednesday: Walgreens park
Thursday: Read Books (it was read together as much as they want, but they didn't choose to read that much)
Friday: Play hide-n-seek
Family Stick Saturday: Roast marshmallows over the campfire
Again, it was another successful week of activities!w
Week of 6/22:
Monday: Joe's Park (the Pirate Park by his friend Joe's house)
Tuesday: Rainbow Volcano (baking soda and vinegar solution with food coloring)
Wednesday: Walgreens park
Thursday: Read Books (it was read together as much as they want, but they didn't choose to read that much)
Friday: Play hide-n-seek
Family Stick Saturday: Roast marshmallows over the campfire
Again, it was another successful week of activities!w
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