Festivities this Fall - "The Little Red Hen" and local fairs

After glancing over literally thousands of pictures in a few minutes late last night, I noticed there were quite a few fun pictures and activities from our Autumn days that were not shared. Though I will not go back and recap everything, I cannot help but mention a few. :)

I have always enjoyed taking my kids to local children's events and programs. At the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, a Preschool Program known as Pea Pods is offered for kids and their parents. This Fall, they offered a free preview day for moms and their children. The theme for that day was "The Little Red Hen." At the mid-morning session, the children were able to play in containers of rice, make a craft with seeds, beans and rice, make their very own bread from scratch and have a special storytime with the Little Red Hen herself. It was a little crazy with both Parker and Cooper (this is actually supposed to be for children more around the ages of 4-6, but moms can bring their younger tots. If I had to do it again, I would have loved to had it as one on one time with Parker.)

 

It was a busy morning with both of the boys, but a fun one at that. Before leaving to head home for lunch, we took a stroll through the backyard play area, where the kids enjoyed sweeping out their house, shoveling the sand and dirt around to their liking, and looking at a picturesque view of their "big backyard."

Local Autumn Festivals, such as "Apple Day" in downtown Excelsior, are always at the top of my Fall Bucket List. This year, we visited several different community street fairs. The boys stretched their hands through gates to pet the soft fur of the alpacas, snacked on local fresh-grown juicy treats,  and patiently waited and watched the crowds and activity as their mama perused several of the local vendors (most of which happened to be vintage steals...my favorite!! I will have to share about my finds later!)

One of the highlights of the morning for me was getting to check out the local library sale with the boys. "New" books for $1?! You just can't beat that! Each of the boys were given $1 to spend on a book from the sale. For $1 they could buy 1 hardback book or 2 soft books. After sorting through each of the children's boxes, Parker chose "I'm Mighty!", a fun hardback book about a little tugboat who is small but mighty (it looked like it had never been opened or touched). We literally read that book every day for at least a month after buying it; I would say it was worth the buck! For Cooper, we chose two Berenstain Bears books that were in great condition! I am such a fan of that whole series.

Minnesota photographer, Stan Tekiela, was at one of the vendor booths signing books. Though I did not own any of his publications, I had seen his books around Minnesota in a number of shops and bookstores over the last several years and thought it would be nice to own one. I admire the beautiful pictures and stories that he takes and gathers from the Minnesota wildlife. On a whim, I decided this would be the perfect day to get a book for Parker and Cooper. After sifting through a variety of popular children's titles, I chose "Baby Bear Discovers the World."

 

 What a cute little story it is!!!

 

The weather was so beautiful this fall that anytime we were outside enjoying it, the boys and I were happy. It was easy to go to these events. Whether playing at the local park or strolling through community fairs, a good time was had by all. I am already looking forward to next year's Autumn days!!

learning and playing at the MN Children's Museum

Last week, Clay and I took to the boys to the Minnesota Children's Museum in downtown St. Paul for a little morning fun. One of the temporary exhibits on display was "How People Make Things."

From the MCM website on 'How People Make Things':
"Get a behind-the-scenes look at how everyday items are created in How People Make Things, an exhibit inspired by the factory tour segments from the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood television series. Explore hands-on activities using real factory tools and machines to create objects with four manufacturing processes- molding, cutting, deforming and assembly.
Everyday products featured in How People Make Things include 10,000 Crayola crayons in 90 colors, 10,000 plastic pellets, 300 ice cream cups, stop lights, cooking pans, baseball bats and matchbox cars.
See the nuts and bolts of how products are manufactured through hands-on activities such as:

• Flatten a penny by placing it into one of two rolling mills.
• Operate a 3-axis mill and use the hand wheels to move the x,y, or z axis to cut a block of machinable wax.
• Assemble parts of a real golf cart using tires, dials, body panels and a steering wheel.
• Dress up like a factory worker with safety glasses, overcoats, hardhats and aprons. Then, compare your reflection to pictures of real factory workers."

Parker had a fun time with his daddy trying out all the fun contraptions.

Cooper walked around and touched everything that looked fun to his bright little eyes. :)

Neat facts about Minnesota Manufacturing:

The "Warehouse" has always been a favorite exhibit of Parker's here at the museum. This play area is a place where kids can come together and learn the benefit of working in a team environment. It is cute to watch Parker's leadership abilities already shining through in activities such as these.

Do you see the little mr. mr. climbing onto the conveyor belt to retrieve his block?

Now, Cooper is sending his block back down the chute to Parker and the other boys. :) I think we spent a good 1/4 of our morning here.

Another favorite of Cooper's was making a splash in the World Works exhibits. If my hands had not been near, this child would have been trying to sit, swim and sip this play water!

Of course we visited the other temporary exhibit: Grossology. I was not quite sure what my little ones would get out of this exhibit prior to going into the large room, but I have to say, the bright colors, the humorous exhibits and the simple learning tools changed my doubtful thinking.
Though a little different and interesting, it was truly very educational and rather funny at the same time...even for my little boys.

From the MCM website:
"Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body tackles all the sticky sources of children's curiosity. Based on the best-selling book Grossology by Sylvia Branzei, the exhibit runs through May 13, 2012. The exhibit's goal is to harness kids' natural curiosity about themselves and their bodies by teaching them about how the fascinating human body functions. Kids of all ages will enjoy exploring this interactive environment which promotes learning while having fun.
The learning environments in Grossology provide fun and creative opportunities for interacting play, including:

• Mimic the build of acid indigestion by causing the "Burp Machine" to release a giant belch.
• Scale a wall full of warts, scabs and pimples.
• Explore the role of the kidney in a virtual reality experience in "Urine: The Game."
• Play surgery and attempt to remove organ parts from a body without touching the sides of the patient.
• Find out what causes runny noses, sneezes and allergies with Nigel Nose-It-All"

Would you believe that that is snot hanging out of Nigel's nose?

This picture speaks for itself.

Before leaving the exhibit room, Parker wanted to take a try at climbing on the "wall of skin." Without assistance, he made it to #4.

High five for a successful morning out at the Children's Museum! :)

Reindeer Cookies

When I was a little girl, my mama used to make reindeer cookies with me during the Christmas season. This year, I decided I wanted to make them with our boys.

Since our guys are still a little young (and since I had already spent most of my free baking time on holiday breads and gingerbread cookies!) and for the sake of time, I had hubby pick up the pre-sliced Simply Peanut Butter Cookie dough at the grocery store for me. It worked like a charm! At our Cookie Swap, we had quite a few kids in attendance, but Parker at the age of 3 (almost 4), was the oldest one. Going with the pre-sliced cookie dough was the best choice by far. All I had to do was put two slices on the baking tray together and then pinch them together a little for the reindeer head and then the kids placed the little antlers, nose and eyes. Easy for me and for the children. This is such a simple and fun holiday treat for you to do with kids! 

Reindeer Cookies
Ingredients:
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough (made from scratch or the store bought kind..either way is great!)
Red M&M's
Chocolate chip baking chips
Pretzels

Place dough 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using thumb and forefinger, make a slight indentation one-third of the way down the sides of each slice. Press in pretzels for antlers, chocolate chips for eyes and a red m&m for the nose.
Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until light brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. 

Let your kids have fun with it! (Our little reindeer heads were quite unique...one missing its eyes and one with its antlers upside down...but who cares?! Parker was so proud of his special reindeer cookies and couldn't wait to chow down on them! Each of the kids at the Cookie Swap who participated got to take home their special cookie in a cute little bag...so fun!)

Happy Christmas Baking with your Kiddos!

a picnic at the zoo

This morning Parker came in my room to wake me up saying, "Mama, come get me dressed so we can go to the zoo." For whatever reason, he was set on going to the zoo today. I laughed, rolled out of bed and we got ready for our outing. At one point, I didn't think it was going to work for us to go and still be back for naptime because it was getting to be quite late in the morning. Parker said, "No mom, we just have a picnic at the zoo then come home and take naps." I told him we might not be able to see all the animals to which he responded, "I want to have a picnic cause it's fun....and I want to see five animals."

Well, all right then Mr. Parker. We will go to the zoo and have a fun little picnic.

And fun we did have! After Parker helped me assemble and pack our picnic lunch, the boys and I headed out. It was one of the most exciting two hours of his week I am sure. People watching, chowing down on carrot sticks, a turkey sandwich, goldfish, grapes, pistacchios, and a front row seat next to the big underwater turtle exhibit...a perfect way to spend a couple of hours on a very cold day. Parker and Cooper were both all smiles.

After our picnic, we headed on down to Tropics Trail to do a quick walk-through. One thing I love about going to the zoo is that I can let Parker have some independence and roam in front of me without worrying about him leaving my side. I could almost hear the words, "FREEDOM!!!" screaming from his little body as he happily ran from one exhibit to the next.

I do believe Cooper is going to be just like his brother in that he loves an adventure and new sights. His little head was bobbing every which way very purposefully admiring his surroundings.

Alas, it came time for us to head home, but have no fear little furry friends...we shall be back to visit soon!

Visiting castles and dragons...

One of the current exhibits at the Children's Museum in St. Paul is Lego: Castle Adventure. Last week, Clay and I took the boys for a morning of castle viewing and fortress building. There were three separate areas for building, all based on age and skill level: Soft, oversized Lego foam blocks were available for young toddlers, duplos for older tots, and a Master Builders area for older kids that allowed the use of standard size Lego blocks. Along with building their own creations, kids could explore the castle grounds, safely play in a jousting field using foam lances and soft targets, dress up as a princess, prince or dragon, read some of the favorite children books on dragons and medieval times and much more!

Although Parker had fun standing next to the extra-large Lego statue of a mother dragon and her baby, testing a castle's defenses using a 3-D computer and catapult, and running through the castle grounds that included sliding down the slippery sloped exit, his favorite part of the morning was building his very own fortress with his dad.

When I took a closer look of Parker's creation, I smiled at the pattern. :) Clay told me Parker was building an airplane and the smiley faces were the passengers.

I always look forward to visiting the Minnesota Children's Museum and seeing the latest exhibit. Castle Adventure is here until September; I'm sure we'll be playing again at the castlegrounds before fall. Something else I'm hoping we can do in the near future...Pizza Night at the Museum (offered every Friday night for families).

Can you guess this birthday present?

Have you guessed it yet?

Here are a few hints:

Every little boy (and girl in my opinion) needs one.
It can be made of paper, plastic, wood, metal, fabric...you name it.
This particular "thing" has been known to turn into a ship, an airplane, a cabin in the woods, a hideout, a pirate's hold, and a trillion other imaginables in just a few hours.
When your child is playing with this object, please know that he might not always respond to his given name, but instead answer to names such as "Pirate Parker" or "Captain P."
Warning: if you start to misplace valuables or even not so valuable items, you might want to check here first.
Also, your child may disappear for hours at a time with this entertainment....he might one day even ask to sleep here.

Have you guessed it yet? :)


I don't know who had more fun assembling Parker's first fort...his daddy or Parker himself. It was such a treat for our 3 year old; he even got to stay up late one night this past weekend and help put it up. Though this picture is blurry, I love the story it tells. Parker was very serious in helping his daddy attach all the parts making sure everything was just right. "I big. I do it Daddy. No, no, let me do it. It does (for "goes") like dis."

After the first part of the fort was assembled, Parker wasted no time in running to grab toys to put in his new, very special place. Notice the little man blurred off to the side. ha ha. Out of the 70 something pics I took on this one night, I might have two where he wasn't blurry because he didn't stop moving the whole evening. He was a busy boy on a mission. It truly made my heart sing, though to watch all of this.

I remember growing up and the forts we had: the outdoor treehouse in our backyard that became a spy zone, a house, and a Little House on the Prairie schoolhouse all in one weekend. Or the play tent that Taylor got for Christmas one year that looked just like an outdoor fort, complete with "man's best friend" painted by the main entrance. We would spend hours upon hours in that thing, loading it up with our favorite toys that became real as soon as we stepped into the "fort." Our grandparents also had to have a treehouse for the grandkids to play hide n seek in when we'd all gather for family weekends and holidays. And of course there were the homemade forts built with mom's "old" sheets, the love seat and a few kitchen chairs. More happy memories and creative endeavors evolved from these little spaces. Imaginations became realities, big decisions were made and smiles never left the faces of those who played in the forts on 2068 Ruralia Dr.

I'm excited for our kids to have this too.

This particular construction building set can be found here. What we like about it is that you can make and do so many different things with it. For building: an airplane, a helicopter, a playhouse, a fort, a castle...anything you want basically. It's like a giant erector set! For learning and team building it has multiple uses too. How much fun would this be to set up in your backyard in the summertime and have different challenging activities for your kids and their friends to do?! If you go to the Toobeez website you can check out a variety of videos and examples of ways these sets can be used.

We were blessed to have a friend who gave these to us actually. She works at a children's specialty store in Minneapolis; the store was no longer carrying this particular product and were giving their store models away, so she snagged the giant set for us. (Thank you Jodi!!)

I'm so excited to have this to help us get through those extra long, super messy winter days this year where it is a little too cold for this Southern gal to get outside. :) Mama might just have to jump in and play with the boys on this one...I think girls are still allowed at this point.

Como Zoo and Conservatory

Yesterday morning, Parker and I met up with some friends at Como Zoo for a fun morning out! Parker always gets so excited to see Bella, and of course, Michelle and I always enjoy the "mommy visits." We met another girlfriend of hers and her children there as well...all in all, with the extra neighborhood children that had tagged along with Chelle and Nicki there were 11 children and 3 adults (one of which had to skip off to the bathroom 7 times during the almost 3 hours we were there...here's a hint...it might have been the pregnant one.) To say that the entire morning was complete an utter chaos wouldn't hit it close; I would be lying if I said we didn't have a blast though! The kids loved every minute of it; although we didn't see all the animals and exhibits that we intended on seeing, those children were running around with smiles on their faces the entire time we were there and that's what's most important.

After spending the first few minutes of the morning at the playground and picnic area, we entered the Como Conservatory area to view the Blooming Butterflies exhibit. This "indoor, temporary exhibit" is where one can see hundreds of butterflies "flying freely" from 5 different continents. "The screened structure resembles a caterpillar from the outside and encloses close to 3000 square feet of garden butterfly habitat. Como’s Blooming Butterflies exhibit features a variety of butterfly species and the native flowering nectar plants that sustain them." I managed to capture a few pictures of several of the beautiful, winged creatures in between watching to make sure all the two and three year olds followed the rules by not "throwing items at or trying to capture the butterflies." ;)

Michelle and I managed to get Parker and Bella to pose for a few pictures...and snag a few random shots like this one in between. These two were practically inseparable the whole morning. Where one went, the other followed. When one beckoned, the other responded. I love watching their friendship grow each time we get together.

Another popular feature of the Como Zoo today was Sparky the Sea Lion show. The kids had great seats where they chowed down on snacks while watching the tricks and adventures of Sparky. I can't say whether or not it was a great show (although I would guess by the reaction of the crowd it was) because I was too busy swatting this annoying bee that kept flying around the kids heads and passing more food to the front of the kid zone...running to the bathroom, wiping dirty hands, etc.

Sadly, we had to leave shortly after the Sparky show to head home, but before calling it a day at the zoo, we did get to see some gorgeous plants and exotic wildlife at a portion of the Tropical Encounters exhibit, where Parker was most into the anaconda and the colorful fish. Along with these enthralling creatures, we viewed pink flamingos, ducks, giant tortoises, zebras and a few other important creatures. I was disappointed to miss the polar bears, the new baby giraffe, and a few other exhibits, but I've decided we'll just have to make another trip out there soon. Although we went to Como Zoo a couple of times last year, this was our first experience with it this year...one that will definitely have to be repeated in the upcoming weeks!

Como Zoo is a fascinating place --one that we are blessed and thankful to have near our home that we can visit whenever we want. The history and story of Como Zoo and Conservatory and its beginnings are quite captivating. I have been told that it is the only "free" zoo and conversatory in North America today. I appreciate the many members and donators who still contribute heavily today to maintain its original missions and goals.

Storytime at the Red Balloon Bookshop, sweet treats at Cafe Latte, and time at home...

Laurie, a girlfriend of mine from church, her sweet baby boy Emmett, and Parker and I visited the Toddler Storytime at The Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul last week.

It was especially hot and humid here (for Minne) for a couple of weeks and honestly just too hot some days to get out and play for long...Parker could've played all day if I'd let him; it was his mom that couldn't take the heat and the swollen ankles! ha! Knowing my son wouldn't be content indoors for long periods of time, I planned a couple of fun outings for us...one of them being this storytime. (Thanks, Laurie, for the great suggestion!)

I have never been to a more fun story hour! All of the 20+ kids there enjoyed it. Not only did they read a neat book to the children, but they incorporated education into the entire half hour including a letter of the day (which just happened to be the letter "P"), a number of the day, a traditional nursery rhyme, several songs, and special props that the kids got to help and pretend with after the story was read. The story was a comical one about some animals that went on a picnic one sunny afternoon. When the reading was over, the storytime leader pulled out a large picnic basket and blanket filled with red plates and cups that she passed out to each of the children. Each child called out the different foods and drinks that they thought should be included in the pretend picnic. Parker's choice food was apples.

Red, the raccoon puppet mascot of the store, assisted with the event, to which the kids thought was even more fun. I was amazed at how good each of the toddlers were; hardly any of them budged from their spot for the entire half hour...that is how good this event was! To be able to keep my child still for that period of time takes major creativity and excitement!! I will definitely be going back for future storytimes this fall and winter. Along with weekly storytimes for children of different ages, The Red Balloon Bookshop also hosts Saturday morning storytimes during different weeks of the month that I hope to check out in the future. These typically include the authors themselves who are there to meet and greet and sometimes autograph their books for the children.
In the picture below: Parker is the one in white

After storytime, Laurie and the kids and I walked over to Cafe Latte for a scrumptious lunch and dessert. Along with a delicious chicken and spinach salad sandwich, I enjoyed the traditional Classic Vanilla with Strawberries cheesecake. I even splurged and treated Parker to a chocolate cupcake (since I had long decided I wasn't going to share mine!) To say it was out of this world yummy would be the understatement of the year.  

One thing that Clay and I are so blessed to have is great neighbors. Our friends, Jeff and Heather and their two precious girls, are always welcoming us over to their home and their yard for playtime. On many summer afternoons, the three kids have been round running around in the sprinklers, riding in the jeeps and on their bikes, watering the plants, going through boxes of popsicles, and splashing in the backyard pool. I love watching them play together; it's so cute. Last week, when Clay was gone for awhile, Parker and I took off down the little hill to play in their garage for the afternoon..well, the kiddos played and I plopped myself down in a comfy lawn chair to observe and take pictures. :) The cute thing about this afternoon and this picture is that each time the children went around the house, they would be in a different spot in the pink jeep; it never stayed consistent. "Here they come, and oh look, McKenzie is sitting in Alexia's lap and Parker is beside the girls this time!"

After a pretty busy week, we spent the weekend together as a family at home tackling our chores and tasks, enjoying the simple moments together. Clay and Parker spent hours on "Troublemaker," washing, waxing and detailing the trusty Ford. Clay stayed up late one night replacing spark plugs, distributor caps, ignition wires, the fan belt and a bunch of other things...I personally don't understand any of it, but I have to say after paying someone else to replace the brakes in my car last week, I am thankful that my hubby is good at doing a lot of these things himself. I think it saves us a ton of money....plus, I think he actually really enjoys doing it (which I also don't understand, but will never try to either!)

After finishing his job on the truck, Parker decided his bike needed a wash down...

On a somewhat different note: The nursery is now complete (well, until the baby arrives and we figure out its name!)...diapers are stocked, onesies are folded, crib sheets and bedding are washed and in place, curtains are hung...I am one happy mama every time I look in that room.

Parker's room is almost complete...we're still waiting on some of the backordered bedding to arrive. I can't wait to see the finished look...at least for now! :) I plan to add a little more wall decor in the future, but for the time being, the room will be complete in my book.

I'll be back with some pictures from the nursery and P's room soon! Also, tomorrow I'll post about our adventures at Como Zoo this morning!

P.S. My camera is back and working as of today! Yea!!!