Mommy Day

Recently, I had my first official full "mommy day." Kailynn spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa while I had the day to myself. I could have caught up on some laundry, house cleaning, yard work, got my nails done, written a novel, anything, but I did absolutely nothing! I felt lost. I didn't know what to do since most of my days revolve around Kailynn. It felt amazing to lay in bed and not worry about anything all day.

I get so caught up in taking care of everything in the house that I sometimes forget that I need to take a break every once in a while. I felt much more energized and ready to take on the world after taking a break from my day-to-day tasks. It's as if I had a reset button.

I was greatful that my family gave me the time I so desperately needed for myself, but I was also glad to have Kailynn back home.

I need to make sure I have "mommy day" more often. I am certain the family won't mind having Kailynn over for another sleep over. Until then, we are back to learning our ABCs and 123s while making a mess of toys throughout the house.

Caterpillar

I will admit I have been slacking this week. I had family visiting and was so busy that I forgot about our letter C project. Originally I was hoping to make cars using house hold items, but it seems that I accidentally put the car parts into the recycle bin and they are probably being made into something else by now. After investigating our arts and crafts supplies, I constructed plan B, a caterpillar.

Supplies:

Pom-poms
Googly eyes
Glue
Letter C template
Marker or pen

(All found at the dollar store)




Instructions:

1. Glue pom-poms in the form of the letter C
2. Glue googly eyes onto the head of the caterpillar
3. Draw the caterpillar legs with black marker or pen






This was a simple and fun project. Kailynn identified the colors of the pom-poms as she glued them onto the paper. She practiced her colors and letter tracing skills simultaneously. Kailynn also played with her cars and colored with crayons on "C" day.

*As soon as I have the supplies, I promise to share with you how to make the cars I originally had in mind for this project. 

Rocket Launch

On Wednesday evening, Kailynn and I went to Kennedy Space Center to watch the rocket launch. Not only was this Kailynn's first time going to see a live rocket launch, but it was also my first time. Kailynn had no clue what was going on at first but I was full of excitement.

When we arrived at the park, the first thing we did was find a spot on the grass and park the stroller. We arrived early to ensure we had a spot to sit back and watch this historic event. To pass time we had a picnic on the grass with Kailynn's favorite snacks: pomegranate craisins, caramel rice cakes, and mickey mouse shaped cheese. By the time we finished our little picnic, the launch viewing area was packed! There was a live broadcast over the speakers around the park. As soon as the count down began, the croud stood up in unison and prepared their cell phones and cameras to capture what was about to unfold. I sat Kailynn up on my shoulders and told her what we were here to see. She was excited to find out what we were really doing at the park. She called out for "rocket" while looking around for it. The final count down began and when they finally reached 1 Kailynn shouted, "blast off!" The glowing light from the flames brightened the night sky as it lifted from the horizon and the crowd cheered with excitement. The rocket left a ribbon of smoke trailing behind as it made its way into space. In the blink of an eye, the rocket was out of sight and Kailynn waved good-bye to the rocket.

It was over as soon as it began but it was worth the wait. I have never seen anything quite like it. Although Kailynn thought the rocket was Rocket from The Little Einsteins, she was in awe when she saw the glowing lights in the sky. We both enjoyed sharing this moment together and can't wait to do it again. 

B Book

What better way to focus on the letter "B" than by making your own Book? Book starts with B so why not start with that? This "B Book" I speak of is filled with things that start with the letter...? You guessed it, B. Its easy to make and you can buy everything you need at my favorite place for toddler crafts, the dollar store. Here is what you will need:

(I forgot to put a glue stick and a stapler in the

picture so be sure to have those on your list as well.)

The prep work was done while princess Kailynn took a nap. I found pictures of things that start with the letter B on the web then printed and cut them out. I also attached the letters to the foam cover of our book and wrote the words of each picture onto the the pages made by cut out pieces of construction paper.

Since my one and a half year old doesn't know how to read, (if yours does please share your wisdom with me) I read to her each word on the page and she picked the picture that matched what I said. She then glued the picture to the matching word page. After all of the pictures were matched up with the correct words, we stacked the pages between the foam covers and stapled the book together along one side. Ta-da! Your very own "B Book." Now that our book is complete, all that's left to do is read it.

The Letter "B"

And so we continue with our ABC challenge! This week we will focus on the letter "B."

I have an alphabet app on my phone that Kailynn loves to play with. In the app, you "build" the letters. I thought why not turn this app into the real deal?

Since I already had the files on my laptop for each letter, it saved me preparation time on this week's alphabet activity. Be sure to have these tools handy before you start: scissor, glue stick, colored construction paper. (Feel free to use bottled glue if that's what you prefer. I used a glue stick because it makes for less clean up when it's in a toddler's hand.)


Step 1:  Print out letter "B"

Step 2:  Cut pieces of construction to fit into the shape of the letter

Step 3:  Glue construction paper pieces onto the letter

It's a simple activity that any toddler will enjoy. Kailynn loved this activity and has started pointing out the letter "B" in some of her books. I will admit that when I first started the alphabet challenge, I wasn't sure if she was going to understand much of it. To my surprise, she is able to identify these letters on her own. It seems to be working! Stay tuned for our next alphabet activity. I have a few creative ideas in mind that I'm sure you and your little one will love!

Potty Training

The time has finally come! I have waited a year and a half for this moment and it is finally here! This morning when Kailynn finished brushing her teeth, she sat on her potty and said, "Bye-bye pee-pee!" Although she still had her diaper on, I think she understands the concept; which is good enough for me!

Since I was already out running errands this morning,  I decided to make an extra stop at Walmart where Kailynn was able to pick out her own big girl panties! She was so excited that she carried her panties to the register herself.

Kailynn is now taking a nap and we will begin the potty training as soon as she wakes up. Being that this is a first for both of us, I think this will be a fun journey. I'm sure I will have funny stories to share through the whole experience. I can't wait to get rid of those diapers for good! Wish us luck!