My Sweeties

Here's a couple of cute pics of my cute girls:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I finished reading this book about a month ago and I thought it was excellent. I definitely wanted to recommend it on my blog because it was so fun and it seems to be popular among book clubs right now. The entire book is letters of correspondence, which is so delightful, and the characters are truly endearing. A young writer is searching for a book subject when she receives a letter from a man from Guernsey, an island in the English Channel. She becomes intruiged by the occupation of these islands by the Germans for five years during WWII and starts corresponding with these islanders to learn more. This was one of the most engaging books I've read in a while and I hope you enjoy it too!

Next up on my reading list: I just picked up Catching Fire (second book after Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins) from the libaray and I'm very excited to dive in!

Diaper and Wipes Case

I had so much fun making these Diaper and Wipes Cases. They turned out pretty good, although I'll need to keep practicing in order to make these for gifts. The wipes case fits in the diaper case too, which is convenient. I also loved making the little fabric yo-yo I added as an embellishment - very easy and fun. I definitely recommend this blog makeitandloveit.blogspot.com - it's got tons of great project ideas.

A Year and a Half Later...

Can you believe Camryn is 18 months now? It's been a year and a half since we welcomed her into our little family, on a cold March day in Wisconsin. It's strange to think that Camy is now as old as Avery was when we moved here!

She's learning so many new things, like how to screech really loud when her sister steals her toys and how to run away really fast when her diaper is off. :) She's really smart and can understand a lot of what we say. She answers all our questions with a "ya" or "mo". Her vocabulary is growing every day and is picking things up quick. She's super cute with her blonde hair getting longer, huge brown eyes to charm everyone, and kissable cheeks that you just can't resist! She adores her sister Avery and calls her "Ay-jah". They get along much of the time but they're still learning how to play nicely (I have a feeling this will take many, many years of practice!).

We're so glad to have Cam as a part of our family!

Park Rules... for Moms

I'll be honest. I used to not like going to the park with my kids. Give me 5-10 minutes and I'd be ready to get out of there. Well, this summer we've spent a LOT of time at dozens of parks. We've got 3-4 within reasonable walking distance and let's face it, we've got long winters in Wisconsin, so I'd better get my kids out of the house while I can. What more does a 3-year old and a 1-year old love to do when it's warm out? Despite my past grudge with playgrounds, I really have learned to enjoy them.

10 Things This Mom Learned at the Park:

1. Don't expect to sit and read a book while your kids play. I never get through two paragraphs, so by not bringing a book I don't set myself up for disappointment.

2. When my kids turn three, they're not allowed to go in the baby swings. Try getting a three year old in one while you've got a baby on your hip! It's just too heavy and awkward to get them in and out and they really can handle the big kid swings by then.

3. I try to bring our own sand pails and shovels if the park has a sand box. This will occupy them for a while and it helps them to learn to share and make friends.

4. Teach your kids to pump as early as possible. My goal is by the time they turn 4, but we'll have to see how that goes next summer...

5. Never go down the slide with your kids on your lap. I've recently heard from two moms that they've broken their kids legs this way. Yikes!

6. I don't let my kids go on the swings until they've played for 10-15 minutes. I think I deserve a break while they find things to play on when we first get there. Plus, they would have me push them on the swings for hours if I let them.

7. Packing a lunch or some snacks really helps tide everyone over so that we can stay longer and not have meltdowns or McD's runs on the way home.

8. We like try out new parks all the time. It's exciting for the kids to explore new playground structures and it's more fun for me than just going to the same place every time.

9. The park is a great place for me to help my kids challenge themselves. I encourage my kids to go down the slide on their tummies hands first, run across the wobbly bridges, and try all the various climbing walls. With me near them they gain confidence and learn that they can reach a little higher.

10. You know what the best thing about the park is? Letting your kids run around wild and having no mess to clean up afterwards! Oh and did I mention that it's totally free fun?

These are just a few things that I've learned this summer. I hope they will help those of you with young children. What are your tips and tricks?

Iowa Apple Pickin'

This weekend we've been visiting my sister in Des Moines, Iowa. On Saturday my sister and I took the kids to a farm that had lots of fun things to do for kids- ride on tractors, animals to feed, and plenty of apples to pick. We got a peck of Paula Reds and have been making apple crisp and apple pie all weekend. Yum!
Camryn and her cousin Emily.

Preschool!

My little Avery had her first day of our co-op preschool. We're doing it with three other 3-year olds, once a week for two hours, and the moms take turns teaching. Avery was really excited! She's sporting a new outfit, her Princess backpack she got for her birthday, and a special new 'do fixed up by yours truly.

She's pointing to a school bus that drove by. Luckily that's not until next year (maybe). In Wisconsin they have 4K, which is basically public preschool, every day for a half day. Here she is hugging her little baby sister. Camryn didn't know what happened when we dropped Avery off and it was just me and her. We ran errands while Avery was at preschool and I was hoping she'd be better behaved without big sister... ha.


Avery had a great time. She came back with several worksheets and a family tree. She was really excited to show them to me and her teacher said she did great. I'm so proud of her!