My Sweet Babu

scavanger hunt

Although we were threatened with rain all of last week, the real storm did not hit us until the weekend.  After having company for lunch and our first full day of school on friday, I was more than happy that it was raining and that we would not have soccer practice.  However, facing the idea of spending an entire saturday cooped up in the house was not nearly as appealing!  We wracked our brains for a while, trying to think of something we could do, somewhere we could go, that would not cost much, if any, money.  The rain began to tapper off and we were struck with an idea...

We went online and did a Google searchg of free scavanger hunts.  You could look at what is available online, or make up your own list.  This is the one we used:

1.  2 different types of grass                    14.  Large rock

2.  Leaves from 3 different trees              15.  Moss

3.  Berry                                                  16.  Pinecone

4. 3 different colored smooth stones        17.  Water reed

5.  Animal tracks                                    18.  Nut or Acorn

6.  Flower                                              19.  Something red

7.  something plastic                              20.  Seeds

8.  Something faster than a snail             21.  Feather

9.  Something that fell out of a tree        22.  Stick

10.  Something that makes noise            23.  Wood

11.  Something shiny                              24.  Animal home

12.  Something white                             25.  Something soft

13.  Something that begins with the first letter of your name...

We put on our rain gear and headced out to the woods.  What was the worst that would happen, we'd get wet if it began to rain again?  It did not rain again and the kids had a great day clomping around in their boots, collecting some of the things on the list in their buckets.  This just goes to show me that we can't be afraid of the weather.  In truth, I think we all had an even better time becasue it was a little muddy out!  We saw some deer and some earthworms that were surely moving through the wet dirt "faster than a snail"!  I am looking foward to going to another trail another afternoon to see what treasures we'll find there...and I';m sure the kiddos will be jumping for joy and at the door as soon as I suggest it.

Happy hunting and have a great weekend!

a.

just add water

I wasn't kidding when I wrote that for us {the kiddos, really} to have a good time in the heat of the summer, we just need to add some water!  Where we live {just a couple of miles from the coast} there are all beach clubs.  Some of these clubs cost thousands of dollars to be a member of each year, but lucky for us, the beach club in the town I grew up in {10 minutes from where we live now}, where my parents still live, is wonderfully affordable for it's residents.  Thank you Mimi!

I am happy with the amount of times that I was able to get to the beach this summer...alone with 2 little ones.  However, as the summer drew on, my little ones became more and more brave when it came to the ocean.  After a couple of scarey moments, I decided that unless I had another adult to help me out, I was going to stick to the pool!  This has turned out to be a wonderful plan and I only wished that I started doing this earlier in the season!  By skipping the sand and spending just one day kiddie pool side, we get in extra days outside where the kids can really enjoy the summer season {and mama can not loose her mind!} 

Getting everything together and getting out of the house to do something outdoors-ey with the kiddos is no easy task when it is 90'+ with 90% humidity!  I know the pool is not the same as the beach in it's "nature value scale", but to me, we are all still outside!  And isn't the most important thing that we are having FUN when we are spending time outdoors?  Good times are what make good memories for kids and will keep them wanting to spend their time outside and in nature...pool or beach, atleast they are not in front of the television!

a.

one man's trash is another's treasure...

Last week I picked up a voicemail from man who owns a bicycle shop near us.  My husband was a competative cyclist at one point and became friendly with this gentleman.  The voicemail stated that he had been given a bicycle trailer {for children} that he did not have use for and would probably get rid of, unless, perhaps, we would want it!  I could barely contain myself and hurried to have my husband call him back right away to say, yes! 

 

You see, we have found ourselves in another one of those situations with our children where age really does matter.  Atleast a couple of times a week in the evening, we take an outing to one of the paved walking/bicycle trails near our home.  Tobin has been riding his two wheeler like a champ for close to 9 months now, however, while Sophia desperately wants to do what her big brother is doing, she cannot yet manage the peddals on her trike.  This leaves us holding her up in the "wheely position" by the handle of her Kettler, speed walking to keep up with our big boy.

 

This may sound a little ridiculous, but at first, I felt bad about Sophia missing out on this opportunity to try to pedal her trike, or atleast walk when she got frustrated.  There was another part of me that was not even sure if she would go for sitting in the kiddie trailer, which was part of the reason we had not shelled out the big bucks for one.  In the end, I convinced myself that she would have plenty of time to practice on her own trike and get exercise, but that it was also only fair that once in a while, we could enjoy a family bike ride that was more up to speed with Tobin.  And so goes the juggling act of being mama...

We took our first bike ride with our new treasure yesterday morning, and it truly was a treasure to have this little trailer!  It seems like forever sice I have been on a bike ride!  This was a perfect way to get outside, enjoy the beautiful scenery and spend time together as a family.  In truth, I would have been more than happy to have spent the day inside, finishing up my projects for the craft show...but as always, once we got out of the house, I was having a blast.  I am so pleased we avoided any major tantrums...infact, Sophia LOVED the trailer!  The ride was a little long for my big guy, but we all made it back with smiles on our faces.  I'm looking foward to the next time we can get out for a ride!

   alison

Backyard fun...

I know I have probably mentioned it before, but I live in a great little town.  We have some cute shops, great resteraunts, wonderful school and library, but most importantly, we have great people that live here!  Many of the mama's from town have chosen to work part time or stay at home, sacrificing the extra cash, vacations, etc., to be able to stay home and raise their children.  I really respect this and was thrilled to meet so many cool women when we moved to this town about 4 years ago.  However, over the last year or so, life has changed.  All of our children are older and are involved in a variety of different activities, leaving us mamas with less free time to hang at each other's houses or meet at the park.  As exciting as it is to see my oldest involved in new things, there is a part of me that misses the way things used to be...

Needless to say, I was thrilled to get an email from a friend {who lives just two houses away} saying that she would be hosting a little backyard, kiddie pool get together!  With peaches to share in hand, off we went...I'm not sure who was more excited, me or the kiddos!  We had a wonderful time!  I know I have written about spending special time with each child, your spouse, even taking time alone for yourself; but I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have friends.  Growing up as an only child who was sent to private school out of town, I missed out on these kinds of friendships and being a part of a community.  I can't tell you how surreal it is to have the life you always wanted as a child, as an adult.  Does that make any sense?  It also is great to know that my children will have a different {and in my opinion, better} experience than I had growing up.  There is such a great feeling about being able to walk out of your front door, and know that the people who live around you know your name and that you know theirs... suprisingly, these are the people who become your close friends; not becasue you have known each other forever, but because you see each other every day, just by virtue of where you live. 

To me, this is the kind of stuff that summer is made of: backyards, wet, playing children with grass stuck to their feet, and being able to have fun and see friends without ever getting in the car.  And to think, I have this great life, just from taking my little one's to the local park and getting to know the other mama's there. Pretty cool. 

a. 

Picking peaches...

Yesterday we took an adventure to our {semi} local orchard to pick peaches.  We go there every year for our apples and pumpkins, but this was the first year we have done peaches and I will tell you it will definately not be the last!

 

:: The weather was perfect...

 

::  The kiddos had a blast...

 

::  And now we have a beautiful selection of fresh peaches and nectarines to enjoy!  This whole experience really jives with my desire for my little ones to understand and appreciate where food comes from, {not the grocery store}.  I remember hearing that there was a dot com directory that you could look up that would direct you to orchards in your area that allow people to harvest their own produce.  Please, take the time to inquire about this opportunity, I'm sure you will enjoy it!  Now, what to make with all of these yummy goodies?  That is assuming that they are not gone by the weekend!

Have a beautiful day!

a.

Ballooning

This weekend we attended the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Readington, NJ.  I had mentioned in an earlier post that we did not plan any big vacations for this summer and opted for day trips that we could plan around our other commitments, the weather...and how mama was feeling!  When I came accross this festival, I thought this might be something fun, and invited Mimi and Pops to come too.  We bought our tickets in advance for a great discount, I was feeling good, so the only thing we needed to keep our fingers crossed on was, what else, the weather... 

 

:: Although it rained like crazy before we left, we did manage to make the most of the festival...

 

:: We braved the muddy {smelly!} hay covered fields, and I was amazed that my children did not look like they had just been to Woodstock by the time we left...

 

:: Listened to Gun's and Roses and ACDC as the balloons inflated...I guess someone thought that the music would get the crowed pumped?  I had to laugh...

 

:: And we ate food on a stick...  I have to tell you that there was not a more beautiful sight than when we finally arrived back at the car!  I was so ready to head home, but was also just as glad that we had come to the festival.  Seeing all of the families spending time together, watching the balloons lift off into the sky...well, it was pretty great, even in the mud.

 

And I got my funnel cake!  Life is good.

 

a.