Two Cute Videos!

I'm taking a quick break from our usual Elf insanity (which is going well!) to share with you a few videos from our day!!

(Please ignore my voice - I woke up this morning to find it had run away!)


First - she made me a lovely "Get Well" card (although she kept calling it a "Thank You" card! LOL!)


Then, this afternoon she wanted to write her own book - I have to say she gets her artistic ability from her Dad's side because

Remember to brush your teeth!

We had a hard time finding Chip-Chip this morning, he wasn't in the living room like usual!

Christmas Reading

 Yesterday we went to the library, we got a bunch of Christmas books, and the puppy puppet that Skyler is madly in love with!

She's named the puppet "Mr. Runaway" and is dead set on getting a dog just like him for Christmas. Unfortunately? This poor kid is going to be disappointed because we are NOT getting a dog for Christmas. But? She gets major points for the name - "Mr. Runaway" is the most AWESOME name for a dog I've ever heard! (Although I hope he doesn't actually runaway!)

This morning, we found Chip-Chip reading the Olivia book that she checked out yesterday! She thought it was hilarious!!

Coloring Within the Lines

 

This morning we woke up to find that Chip-Chip must have made his trip to the North Pole and back, and he must have had time to spare because he had started to color in a page on Skyler's Giant Coloring Book!!

(And that rascal left the crayons spread all over the place!!) 

The Arrival of Chip-Chip

You may remember, in 2010 we had Elfred Jingle, visit us from the North Pole! He did such a good job visiting our house that he was promoted to head toy maker at Santa's Workship!) Last year, we had a new elf visit us, Skyler got to pick his name out and everything!

Well, this morning we were watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and they had an Elf on the Shelf Balloon!! Skyler was so excited, she asked if I thought our elf would be visiting us again this year. I told her that I hadn't yet heard from Santa, but he had promised us last year he would come back.

About halfway through the parade, we had to leave to take Ryan to the truck - he's gone until Christmas now. But on our way home Skyler said to me "Mommy, I miss Daddy, but I hope our elf comes while he's gone!"

Fast Forward to this afternoon, Skyler was watching a movie and I was cleaning the kitchen when the doorbell rang!! (We celebrated Thanksgiving last week, since we knew Ryan wouldn't be home today.) I told Skyler to go ahead and check it, and well... just watch the movie! 



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We had to open the book to check for sure, but it's definitely Chip-Chip! He's back to spend another Advent season with us, and Skyler couldn't be more excited!!

**Be sure to check back soon for more Chip-Chip adventures!**
 (I've already posted the 11/23 entry - complete with Skyler's reaction this morning as she found what Chip-Chip was up to!)

Tying shoes - it's harder than you think!

While playing dress up with Daddy's shoes, Skyler decided she wanted to learn to tie them, so we worked on it and she did pretty well!!

Four More Years!!

I want to start with the disclaimer here! I try to avoid politics in my online life in general - I don't like to alienate people, and I am so thankful that there are many of us out there who have such diverse qualities. In real life? I'm more than happy to discuss politics with you. I don't always agree with you, nor do I expect you to agree with me. (Just ask my husband - whom I tend to occasionally disagree with when it comes to national politics!) I'm happy to have a discussion with you - maybe we can both learn something.

So for everyone who voted - no matter what direction? Thank you for doing your part.
For everyone who says they are moving to Canada? Please do - I'm tired of that threat!
For anyone who is offended by this post (or my beliefs)? Well, I'm sorry that you're offended so easily.

I also must ad this disclaimer: I do not speak for my entire household on this front. I know that we agreed this election on a lot of things - but that I am not putting words in my husbands mouth! 

Now... Let's get on to the fun stuff!! 

This election season Skyler and I have had some AWESOME opportunities! And tonight we were able to attend our local "Party" to support the Pueblo Democrats! And of course, the night went our way!!

(As a life-long Democrat? This has been a pretty exciting year to me, and I owe a HUGE amount of thanks to my friend Megan for Rally Tickets and the invite to tonight's party!)

When the evening was still "young" Skyler looked at me and said:
"Mommy, is Obama driving a Ferrari? Because they usually win the race."
Wrong race my dear, but I like your sentiment! 

Pueblo Union Depot

The sign we sat beneath

Skyler and her good friend, Mabel, played with Barbies for most of the night.

When they announced that President Obama had won enough Electoral Votes to be re-elected the room went nuts! Skyler and Mabel immediately climbed up on their chairs and started clapping, hollering and dancing!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Since Ryan started driving a truck back in 2005, there have been only a few birthday's he's been home for. (Since Skyler was born in 2008, even less! I believe this is his first birthday home since she was born!)

He usually opts to spend Halloween with us - but we were glad to have him home this year! (Even if it was just because his license expired this year, and he needed to renew...)

The day was great, we had Skyler's last football game! Then we went with the team to get pizza.

After all the football festivities were over it was birthday time!! We went to The Olive Garden for dinner, then home for cake and ice cream! (We had cake-brownies, of which Skyler had made a drawing and wanted me to transfer onto the cake - stick figures of our family! And our cat...)

We ended the evening with presents (enough audio books to keep him entertained for a month on the road and some movies!) and then it was time to watch Stephen Kings Bag of Bones after Skyler went to bed!

So all-in-all? I think Ryan had a nice birthday! But I wanted to share a few photos (from football and his birthday!) so that the Grandparents can see!

 

Skylerism: I Like "P's"

Daily Skylerism:
Her:  "Mommy, I like the letter P." 

Me: "That's nice..." (No clue what she was talking about, and was driving so I couldn't turn around to see.)

Her: "Why don't they want me to write P's?" (Pointing at a No Parking sign.)

Wordless Wednesday

Skylerism: Of Crayons and Cats

I love my very creative daughter. However? I HATE Crayola. I hate textured walls even more. (My little Picasso drew stick figures on her carpet during quiet time. Then, while I was in her room cleaning them? She drew/wrote "No Cats Allowed" on the living room wall... )

After we'd finished talking about why coloring on the wall is NOT a good idea, I asked what she thinks about coloring on the wall again. Her response? "I don't know." *LONG PAUSE* "I think I hurt Persephone's feelings." Then she ran off and laid on the floor with the cat, apologizing and telling her she was welcome after all.  

(*No Children or Cats were harmed in the making of this post - or the events that led to it!*)

Karaoke Kid!

(I apologize for the shakiness, I was laughing too hard...)

{Wordless} Wednesday

MotherFunny HouseParty!

What are two of my favorite things? Mom jokes and Parties! (Seriously - Have you seen NickMom yet? ) This site is awesomely hilarious! And, to make the site better? I was selected to host a houseparty for the premiere of this awesome new TV network!

 

So next month, I'll have a group of friends gather at my house (are you a local mom friend? And do you want to come?? Let me know!) and we'll watch some of the new shows, play some games, drink some fluffy drinks and have a great time!! 

I'm going to teach you how to do this!

**My apologies for the shaky camera... It was such a cute video I couldn't pass up the chance to share it!!

Stay at Home Sunday!

After a crazy week of running here and there? I've decided that we're going to have a lazy, at home day! (Although since I have a pile of laundry and a stack of dishes? It won't be so much lazy as it will be just a stay-at-home day!)

Today? I will...

... Finish my book
... Bake Brownies
... Watch a Barbie Movie with Skyler
... Wash the dishes
... Fold the Laundry
... Draw with Sidewalk Chalk
... Enjoy the day at home

Bad Mom Syndrome?

This whole "I'm a better mom than you" thing really irks me! And it seems to be EVERYWHERE!! (Moms can be such snarky witches, can't they?) On a daily basis lately I am incredibly thankful for my non-competitive, non-snarky mom friends! (So if by some chance any of you are reading this? Thank you for not being that way!)

It started yesterday when we went on a nature hike with some friends. There was another group of mom friends there, and as I hung back so I could take pictures (I've found my telephoto lens is better for getting pictures of Skyler, she doesn't realize I'm doing it then!) and they were each one-upping each other about whose kid goes to a better school, whose kid is closer to fluent in Spanish (umm - they're 4?) and on and on. I just said a silent prayer that I'm so thankful for down-to-earth friends!

Then this morning my friend linked me to a blog roll about being a "Crappy Mom" which made me giggle! It made me realize that I'm not alone in some of these parenting sins that I commit on a daily basis! (Although I still use the excuse "But my husband is gone!" far to regularly!! )

So, without further ado? My Parenting Sins!

1. I let her entertain herself - Yep, that's right. I don't have every minute of every day structured. In fact? There are hours every day where I tell her to figure out how to entertain herself. I don't care if she's in her room, or the living room. But sometimes? Mama just needs a break and a chance to sit down and read a book, or do the dishes without participating in the 350th tea party of the day!

2. She gets too much TV/Computer Time - Again? I'd never get anything done. Really. So, my kid watches more tv than most kids probably do. (Or at least more than most of my friends will admit they let their kids do!) Because (and yes, I know this is an excuse) I am a single mom for 6 weeks at a time, and Grandma and Grandpa live 600 miles away - so I don't get a break. TV is my break. I let her watch Netflix Kids and pick whatever she wants so I can have some time for me!

3. I let her get hurt - If she falls down? I don't go running to her side. I mean, sure, if she is really hurt? I am there and quick. But I monitor the situation from a ways a way. We can't wrap our kids in bubble wrap, so she may as well learn now what really hurts and what is worthy of mass amounts of attention.

4. I take a zillion pictures of her - I know; that's one where you're going "Why is that so bad?" But let's be honest - I take THESE types of pictures of her. A lot.  (And a plot the days I an show them to her boyfriends and laugh while she's angry and annoyed! Perhaps I'll even use one of my free shutterfly coupons and make a book of these photos!)

 

5. If she doesn't want to eat it, I don't force it - This is one I beat myself up on a regular basis. Yesterday, for example. We went on a picnic with some friends. The other moms had all these yummy fruits and healthy treats that their kids ate. (I watched on, as I always do, with a bit of jealousy that their kids are eating healthy. And slightly wondering, are they judging what's in my kids lunch box? My kid? She had apple slices (which she didn't eat) a PB&J on white bread and Goldfish. Why? Because it's about all she'll eat. So I feed her Mac N Cheese at least once a week, Spaghettio's and PB&J because I know she'll eat it. Sure - I try the fruits and veggies. Most nights I try to feed her what I'm having for dinner. But she's so picky - she likes White Chicken Breast (no breading, no dipping sauces) which is great! But that's about it for meat. So no, I don't force the healthy stuff... I have her try it, and if she won't eat it? I give her something she will eat so she doesn't go hungry. 

There are a zillion other ways I don't match up to a lot of parents. But I try not to beat myself up. My kid is healthy, safe and happy. (And for every Parenting Sin I commit? There are a lot more things I'm doing right!)

Earth Keeper

I am a huge fan of exploring the world around where you live - and we're lucky here in Southern Colorado to have so many amazing places to explore. Pueblo Mountain Park and the Mountain Park Environmental Center are no exception to this rule.

The Environmental Center has a monthly Preschool Nature Hike" with Ranger Dave where the kiddos get some fun time in the beautiful mountains of Southern Colorado, and an educational hike to learn and have fun! (Plus some pretty fun music!)

This was our second time going, and Skyler and her friends had a TON of fun exploring, playing in the park and having a picnic afterward!

(I found this video of Skyler's favorite song from the event - it's the park's own youtube video and NOT from a time we were there - but fun to see, none the less!) 

Homeschool? Preschool?

A few weeks ago a friend of mine was telling me about a literacy program called Five in a Row, after reading about the program I realized it was exactly what Skyler needed, and she would LOVE it!

So I headed down to the library, checked out a copy of Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear and started the program right away! (Jesse Bear was my sisters favorite book as a kid, and our family STILL has the book memorized!) Skyler loves the book just as much as Katie did, so we'll be purchasing the book ASAP now!

Her first week with the program was great - we got some printables from the Homeschool Share website and set to work!

Basically, we read the book every day. Talked about what we read, and then did some activities and worksheets about the book. She LOVED it! We made a lapbook with her favorite worksheets, and she has so much fun flipping through the folder she made looking at her activities.

 

So far, aside from reading her favorite part has been picking out patterns - now she looks for patterns EVERYWHERE we go! 

August Recap

We had a really great (BUSY) month of August!

It started out with Ryan being home, and included a Campaign Rally with President Obama, A trip to Nebraska, Lots of time at the Splash Park, Football Practice  and the State Fair!

I've put together a quick collage of some of our favorite photos from the month to share with you guys! (Grandparents - if you want the full size image of any of them - or more - just let me know! I've got them all on my computer!)

 

Click the collage to see it bigger!

Skylerism: Of Monarchy

While watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics, I said to Skyler "Look! It's the Queen!"

Her response?

"Mommy, that's not the Queen. Queens aren't Grandmas, and they have Princesses and Princes with them."

What Have We Been Up To?

We've had a very busy two weeks!! I can't believe it's already July 14, but we've stayed so busy that it's just flown by! I thought I'd do a quick update with some photos of what we've been up to lately.

Skyler had her first Swimming Lesson at Pueblo County High School!   As expected, she loves the water and is just as fearless in water as on land! She's getting pretty good at the doggy paddle!

 

We had a pretty spectacular 4th of July! We started out at the Wet Parade in Pueblo West, which is basically just a city-wide Water Fight! And we came home soaking wet and ready for naps! After we refreshed, we headed down to the River Walk where we spent a good amount of time (2 hours!!) playing the fountains and then walked around a bit while we waited for the fireworks! 

 

We've spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen! Skyler helped make Pretzels - which were absolutely delicous!! (More info can be found on my 101 in 1001 blog - including the recipe!) 

 

For the first time since the Waldo Canyon Fire, we took a trip to Garden of the Gods! We met up with my good friend "Merica" (Erica, but Skyler prefers her version!) and hiked around the park snapping lots of photos. There are a few places from the park you can see the burn area, which is incredibly sad. But the park is just as beautiful as always.

 

We've made a few trips to the local splash parks! We've had a lot of 100*+ days, so we've had to find ways to stay cool! Luckily, the splash parks are a great way to kill a few hours!

We spent a morning in Beulah at Pueblo Mountain Park with Skyler's good friends (Mable, Avani and Abigail - in order pictured below from left to right) and went for a Preschool Nature Hike, then had a picnic and some good time playing at the park! 

 As you can tell, we've had a busy two weeks!! It's been a lot of fun and we've been keeping cool - despite the insanely hot weather here in Southern Colorado! Hopefully the second half of July is as full of adventures!