December 2012

December is a busy month with Christmas and the boys' birthdays.  This December is the first in three years with snow.  Christmas just feels more like Christmas when it is winter.  We took advantage of the winter weather by sledding, building snowmen, having snowball fights, and seeing the Christmas lights.

 

The experiment!  Justin wanted to put marbles and some other things into water tinted with food coloring to see what would change color and what wouldn't.

We read a little about Hanukkah and played dreidel.  I had the boys make tally marks to show how the dreidel landed and then we graphed our results.

We went to the CdA resort to have their famous gooey desserts and to see the Christmas lights in the downtown area.


 

The boys have really enjoyed building different marble runs.

We made "gingerbread" houses out of graham crackers, frosting, and candy.  Ryan ate more candy that he used on his house.

We decorated Christmas trees.  The boys really like the peel and stick foam stickers.  Basically the more they peel and stick, the better.

Sledding on Cherry Hill!  I can't believe I let Ryan go down alone.

Play doh!  Grandma doesn't mind the clean up as much as I do.  I swear they somehow get it all over.

Our snowman.

Snow angels.

Down the hill in the yard.  Not as big as Cherry Hill, but still fun.

My baby turned four.  I can't believe it.

My big boy turned 6. :)

January/February 2011

 January continued to be a rather relaxed period.   So many new things to play with since the boys have Christmas AND their birthdays in December.

We took a trip to Swakopmund on the Namibian coast.  The boys loved the water and the playground.  The snake house, crystal palace, and other more typical tourist attractions were not as exciting for them.

The beach at Swakopmund, Namibia.  Ryan LOVED the waves and the sand. Justin was a bit more cautious of the ocean.

Ryan and Justin LOVED the bouncy castles and various other inflatable climbing and sliding structures.  Justin must have gone up (and down) the water slide a million times.  I think this was his highlight for the trip.

  

To help celebrate my birthday, Justin and Ryan made birthday crowns for everyone.

February still pretty laid back.  Justin is more interested in doing his own thing rather than doing a lot of structured activities.  He loves all of his games, old and new.  He plays them the correct way and also his own creative versions.  If I am playing, I would rather stick with rules I understand. :)

There are a lot of different spins on the traditional three bears!

J was more creative with his valentines than I am.

Ryan's version had the whole word to match rather than individual letters.  Good practice cutting, something Justin really needs.

Activity related to Mama, Do You Love Me? book.

One of the robot valentines we made for friends,  Body is a Hershey's mini candy bar.  Justin really enjoys folding the paper for the arms and legs.  Ryan is all about the wiggly eyes.

Some of the Valentine books we read over and over and over...

Even more Valentine/love books

Ryan "writing" his alphabet letters.

Justin and his writing.  He needs to work on appropriate grasp and letter formation, but doesn't want to hear about that from Mom!  I get in the way of his creativity.

Watching the video show how to make the letters is better than listening to Mom.  If it is on the TV it HAS to be good, right?  This is from the Waterford early education series.

We taped markers to Thomas trains and drew on some of the paper that was used as filling in packages we received in the mail.  A great activity for a rainy day.

We had MANY trains available for drawing/racing.

We have to drive by this church regularly and, though a major tourist attraction, had never gotten out of the car to look at it.  We FINALLY did.  Justin calls it a gingerbread church and Ryan says it is a castle.  Although it was supposed to be opened, the doors were all locked.  I have read that the inside is nothing special, but the boys were a little disappointed.  At least now when we drive by I don't have to promise that someday we will stop to look at it.  We finally have!