It’s been another fabulous week at A&B Enterprises! I’m so thankful to report that we went seamlessly back into our routine after having Daddy home all last week. Hallelujah!
1) On Saturday we took the girls downtown for our town’s monthly street festival. I love how they just jump right in and dance to the music. Kids truly “dance like no one’s watching”…although my dynamic duo does sometimes draw a few spectators. :)
2) The girls are doing great with their tricycles! Baby A has mastered forwards, backwards, and she’s pretty proficient with steering. Baby B can peddle quite a long distance, and pretty fast, when she sets her mind to it. She is still working on the steering part, though…so I have to make sure she doesn’t gather speed and suddenly head into the curb!
3) [KNOCK ON WOOD], the girls have napped so well this week! To celebrate, I took the girls on Wednesday afternoon to a new bread shop for a cookie. They were so well-behaved! They sat perfectly nicely while I got our cookie and paid and fixed their cups of water. They even talked with the baker lady when she came over to say hello…even before I’d made my way back to the table. My little ladies are growing up!
4) Instead of riding tricycles one afternoon this week, I took the girls to the backyard with the express intent to crunch leaves. They had a blast! They ran and stomped and crunched, and sat and crunched some more. (And I might have taken 124 pictures in about 30 minutes, enjoying it all myself!)
5) Daddy introduced the girls to the idea of “adults” and “children”. After he left for work one morning, Baby A said, “One adult is here, and one adult is at work.” Too funny!
And what did I do for ME this week???
I got a massage!!! I had intended to indulge in that more frequently this year (maybe once a quarter), but I hadn’t kept that promise to myself. There was no special reason for this one, other than I just wanted it. And I have to say, it was The Best Massage Ever! I saw the same therapist I’ve seen for several years, but I think I was just in the perfect mental state, or something. Bliss!
And instead of rushing home to fix supper after my massage, I picked up a pizza instead. That was another big treat…no fuss, no mess…and the girls were SO EXCITED over such an almost-unheard of mid-week treat.
What made your week fabulous???
Ticker
Showing posts with label tricycles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tricycles. Show all posts
October 14, 2011
October 11, 2011
My Irresistible Counting Trick
I know…I know…playing tricks isn’t nice…
…but this is really pretty benign – academic, even! – and this mama is not above trickery.
Once upon a time it seemed like a novelty for the girls to clean up their toys in the den. They loved “helping”, and life was good. The novelty of that wore off after a while, though, and I had to get inventive.
My next stop was to ask the girls to play “teacher”. “Can you teach Abby and Lily [the girls’ dolls] how to stack the dishes in the kitchen?” “Can you show Abby and Lily where the books go?” Granted it took longer when the girls had a baby under one arm, but they were the cutest little instructors, taking care to make sure their babies understood what to do.
That tact still occasionally works, but not always. I guess Abby and Lily have a pretty good grasp on the basics of cleaning, and unmotivated students can make for unmotivated teachers.
My newest trick involves counting. “Let’s put the blocks in the bin,” and I’ll start counting, “One-two-three-four,” as I put each block in. The girls can’t seem to resist. This often evolves into a near-shouting match as the girls scramble to count how many blocks they’re stowing away.
I’ll encourage them to count how many things they can pick up to return to the toy shelf. “One-two-three-four-five…Mommy, I have full hands!”
Score! A math lesson AND a clean floor…I love it!
As we’ve been practicing with the girls on their tricycles this week, I again employed my counting trick.
The girls were pretty good with the peddles after the first day, but they didn’t seem to want to peddle for very long. I don’t know if it’s just hard work for them…or the lure of fallen leaves that Need To Be Crunched is just too strong…but they would go five feet or so, and then hop off.
I knew they needed to get a real feel for distance before they could really start to enjoy their trikes. I tried saying, “Let’s go check the mailbox!” which I think sounded like so much fun, they wanted to run there instead.
Finally, I said, “Let’s see how many times you can peddle!” I started counting each time they pressed their foot forward…and viola! Baby A took off pretty quickly thereafter, such that I lost count. I counted up past 100 with Baby B before my tongue got tied.
I’m sure I’ll have to find another trick at some point, but I’m going to count this as a success as long as I can!
…but this is really pretty benign – academic, even! – and this mama is not above trickery.
Once upon a time it seemed like a novelty for the girls to clean up their toys in the den. They loved “helping”, and life was good. The novelty of that wore off after a while, though, and I had to get inventive.
My next stop was to ask the girls to play “teacher”. “Can you teach Abby and Lily [the girls’ dolls] how to stack the dishes in the kitchen?” “Can you show Abby and Lily where the books go?” Granted it took longer when the girls had a baby under one arm, but they were the cutest little instructors, taking care to make sure their babies understood what to do.
That tact still occasionally works, but not always. I guess Abby and Lily have a pretty good grasp on the basics of cleaning, and unmotivated students can make for unmotivated teachers.
My newest trick involves counting. “Let’s put the blocks in the bin,” and I’ll start counting, “One-two-three-four,” as I put each block in. The girls can’t seem to resist. This often evolves into a near-shouting match as the girls scramble to count how many blocks they’re stowing away.
I’ll encourage them to count how many things they can pick up to return to the toy shelf. “One-two-three-four-five…Mommy, I have full hands!”
Score! A math lesson AND a clean floor…I love it!
As we’ve been practicing with the girls on their tricycles this week, I again employed my counting trick.
The girls were pretty good with the peddles after the first day, but they didn’t seem to want to peddle for very long. I don’t know if it’s just hard work for them…or the lure of fallen leaves that Need To Be Crunched is just too strong…but they would go five feet or so, and then hop off.
I knew they needed to get a real feel for distance before they could really start to enjoy their trikes. I tried saying, “Let’s go check the mailbox!” which I think sounded like so much fun, they wanted to run there instead.
Finally, I said, “Let’s see how many times you can peddle!” I started counting each time they pressed their foot forward…and viola! Baby A took off pretty quickly thereafter, such that I lost count. I counted up past 100 with Baby B before my tongue got tied.
I’m sure I’ll have to find another trick at some point, but I’m going to count this as a success as long as I can!
October 10, 2011
Fall Break Bucket List: Report
Daddy's Fall Break was last week. We didn't have any "big" plans...but we planned to do lots of "little" fun family things.
We delivered on all my hopes and expectations...and then some. It was a busy week, but not too busy. We had some nice downtime in there, too.
Friday. Kicked off the vacation by ordering pizza...yum!
Saturday. Bagels at Panera, followed by giving the girls their tricycles. They were a hit! That afternoon we turned our focus indoors, and the girls got to decorate cupcakes for the first time. [Saturday night Mommy met a few friends for a small baby shower / late dinner (hence the cupcakes). Girl time is always great!]
Sunday. Family breakfast and lots of downtime. [Mommy slipped away mid-afternoon for a pedicure!]
Monday. Semi-annual trip to The Big City for new shoes and shopping. It was an all-day affair, and the girls did great!
Tuesday. We hung out at home in the morning, and Miss Jennifer came to play with the girls in the afternoon. [Meanwhile, Mommy and Daddy had an afternoon "date". We enjoyed the most wonderful homemade pizza (Sashimi Tuna with Spicy Aioli Sauce...ahhh-mazing!). Oh, and then we might have had a little ice cream before heading back home.]
Wednesday. We ran a couple of errands as a family, and then went out for lunch.
Thursday. Took the girls to the zoo! They were such troopers...they walked the entire time and ooh'ed and ahh'ed at all the animals, right on cue! We enjoyed a late lunch at P.F. Chang's (another big treat), and the girls napped in the car on the way home.
Friday. Family grocery shopping in the morning. [Mommy slipped out for some solo errands in the afternoon.]
Saturday. Bagels at Panera, dancing to live music on the square downtown (as part of the monthly street festival), and lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Frozen yogurt as an afternoon treat. [Mommy and Daddy enjoyed "date night in" after the girls were in bed, piled on the couch to watch the Bama game on the DVR.]
Sunday. Family breakfast and a great walk. A picnic snack with "Aunt" Karen on Sunday afternoon, and time spent walking around downtown.
Tricycles were a part of every day...and I'm proud to report that every day but one also included a nap (for the girls and Daddy, and a couple of times for Mommy, too!)!
This picture, taken at the zoo, sums up the week for me...lots of awesome family time, lots of time outdoors, and lots of great experiences.
So...looking back at my bucket list for the week, we did pretty well! The only exceptions...
***
We're back to regularly-scheduled programming today.
We've spent the morning building block towers, having tea parties, doing artwork, and reading. With all our going and doing over the past week, I realized the girls haven't used crayons in over a week! We can't let that trend continue!
Looking forward to another great (albeit quieter) week!
We delivered on all my hopes and expectations...and then some. It was a busy week, but not too busy. We had some nice downtime in there, too.
Friday. Kicked off the vacation by ordering pizza...yum!
Saturday. Bagels at Panera, followed by giving the girls their tricycles. They were a hit! That afternoon we turned our focus indoors, and the girls got to decorate cupcakes for the first time. [Saturday night Mommy met a few friends for a small baby shower / late dinner (hence the cupcakes). Girl time is always great!]
Sunday. Family breakfast and lots of downtime. [Mommy slipped away mid-afternoon for a pedicure!]
Monday. Semi-annual trip to The Big City for new shoes and shopping. It was an all-day affair, and the girls did great!
Tuesday. We hung out at home in the morning, and Miss Jennifer came to play with the girls in the afternoon. [Meanwhile, Mommy and Daddy had an afternoon "date". We enjoyed the most wonderful homemade pizza (Sashimi Tuna with Spicy Aioli Sauce...ahhh-mazing!). Oh, and then we might have had a little ice cream before heading back home.]
Wednesday. We ran a couple of errands as a family, and then went out for lunch.
Thursday. Took the girls to the zoo! They were such troopers...they walked the entire time and ooh'ed and ahh'ed at all the animals, right on cue! We enjoyed a late lunch at P.F. Chang's (another big treat), and the girls napped in the car on the way home.
Friday. Family grocery shopping in the morning. [Mommy slipped out for some solo errands in the afternoon.]
Saturday. Bagels at Panera, dancing to live music on the square downtown (as part of the monthly street festival), and lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Frozen yogurt as an afternoon treat. [Mommy and Daddy enjoyed "date night in" after the girls were in bed, piled on the couch to watch the Bama game on the DVR.]
Sunday. Family breakfast and a great walk. A picnic snack with "Aunt" Karen on Sunday afternoon, and time spent walking around downtown.
Tricycles were a part of every day...and I'm proud to report that every day but one also included a nap (for the girls and Daddy, and a couple of times for Mommy, too!)!
This picture, taken at the zoo, sums up the week for me...lots of awesome family time, lots of time outdoors, and lots of great experiences.
So...looking back at my bucket list for the week, we did pretty well! The only exceptions...
- We didn't go to the orchard (but it was so warm this week...I decided I didn't want pumpkin patch pictures in halter tops!).
- I didn't clean out my junk drawers or my closet (but I rationalized that it was "vacation"...and I opted to do some scrapbooking and some reading at night instead).
- I didn't get a massage...but I have one booked for later this week. SO looking forward to that little gem!!!
***
We're back to regularly-scheduled programming today.
We've spent the morning building block towers, having tea parties, doing artwork, and reading. With all our going and doing over the past week, I realized the girls haven't used crayons in over a week! We can't let that trend continue!
Looking forward to another great (albeit quieter) week!
October 8, 2011
Saturday Snapshot
We're having a fantastic week, enjoying Daddy's vacation to its fullest!
I hope to post about all our adventures, but in the meantime, this picture says a lot about what we've been up to...
...new kicks on new tricycles!
Happy Saturday, Everyone!
I hope to post about all our adventures, but in the meantime, this picture says a lot about what we've been up to...
...new kicks on new tricycles!
Happy Saturday, Everyone!
October 3, 2011
Fall Break Fun!
I really can't believe it's already time for Hubby's Fall Break! It seems like he just started back to school...but I'm not complaining!
We don't have any big plans, but we hope to spend a lot of fun family time together.
We kicked things off on Friday night by ordering pizza, a very rare treat.
On Saturday morning we headed to the farmer's market, followed by bagels at Panera. Saturday afternoon we gave the girls their tricycles.
We've actually had their tricycles since last December, but we'd been waiting for the right time to give them to the girls. The weather this week is supposed to be pretty perfect...nice fall temps and beautiful sunshine. That, coupled with an extra set of hands from Daddy, made us decide that Saturday was "The Day".
I sent the girls on a walk around the block with Daddy, while I staged their trikes in the drive. The girls were ecstatic when they looked to the top of the driveway, breaking into a run.
Saturday afternoon we got some peddling in, but it wasn't until Sunday afternoon that we made any considerable forward (and backward!) progress.
I'm hoping that "steering" kicks in on Day 3.
As for the rest of the week, here's my bucket list...
Family / The Girls
Looking forward to a great -- and productive! -- week!
We don't have any big plans, but we hope to spend a lot of fun family time together.
We kicked things off on Friday night by ordering pizza, a very rare treat.
On Saturday morning we headed to the farmer's market, followed by bagels at Panera. Saturday afternoon we gave the girls their tricycles.
We've actually had their tricycles since last December, but we'd been waiting for the right time to give them to the girls. The weather this week is supposed to be pretty perfect...nice fall temps and beautiful sunshine. That, coupled with an extra set of hands from Daddy, made us decide that Saturday was "The Day".
I sent the girls on a walk around the block with Daddy, while I staged their trikes in the drive. The girls were ecstatic when they looked to the top of the driveway, breaking into a run.
Saturday afternoon we got some peddling in, but it wasn't until Sunday afternoon that we made any considerable forward (and backward!) progress.
I'm hoping that "steering" kicks in on Day 3.
As for the rest of the week, here's my bucket list...
Family / The Girls
- Jackson’s Orchard, including a wagon ride and pumpkin patch pictures
- New shoes
- New fall / winter clothes
- Trip to the zoo
- Clean out two junk drawers
- Organize my closet
- Order September pictures
- "Date" with Hubby (in some form or fashion)
- Pedicure
- And should I be so bold as to actually consider a massage???
Looking forward to a great -- and productive! -- week!
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