Car Ramp

Caden has really been into his cars lately.  He puts objects under our rugs to make little hills.  So Daddy got a piece of wood and set it up so Caden could race his cars down.  He loved it!

Valentine's Day Heart Pancakes

It has been almost a week since I have post!  Well to recap, Valentine's Day was very nice.  In the morning I made red heart pancakes for everyone.  Caden gave his gift and cards he made to Daddy.  Caden got some cars for Valentine's Day, Daddy got some homemade cards and two new shirts, and Mommy got a few hours a way to get some clothes for myself.  What a great hubby!  

Tot Lapbooks

I was searching the internet for more toddler activities and came across this Tot Lapbooks.  What a brilliant idea.  So I finally completed it, he was semi-interested but if I keep introducing it I am sure he will become a liking to it because he absolutely loves books.

Tent, Long and Short

This morning we made a tent and it was defiantly a hit with my 8 1/2 month old.  It was sooo cute!  My son was just rolling around and hoped that Hannah would wrestle with him as most boys would.  

While Hannah was asleep for her morning nap Caden and I discussed long and short and I was really impressed with what he already new about long and short.  He called it baby and long line instead but he got the idea.

Chicken with pancake mix

Ingredients:

• Chicken with bone and skin
  
• Olive oil
• Flour 
• Bisquick or any pancake mix
• Salt and Pepper
• Paprika

Preheat oven 400

Drizzle olive oil in a baking dish.  Salt and pepper your chicken then put the following ingredients in a gallon zip lock bag:  flour, bisquick and paprika.  Place chicken in the bag and coat them and then place it on the pan and cook until chicken is done about 45 min.

Floor Puzzle Mat

Floor Puzzle Mat with cousin Zoe

Bead sequencing set

Caden wasn't that interested in the bead sequencing until we sorted them into colors instead of using it as sorting patterns.  We will have to try it again later until then we are just going to experiment with it.  

Valentine cards

I got this idea from this site, I thought my 2 year old son would enjoy it because he absolutely        loves gluing anything on paper!  We also talked about big hearts and little hearts.  I used candy hearts also, it was hilarious because he had such a hard time not eating them.  We also talked about sharing because he didn't want to put the hearts on the paper because he wanted to eat it.   

Italian Saghetti

I am full blooded Italian so last night we had my famous spaghetti sauce. Hope you enjoy!

1/2 yellow onion

4 cloves of garlic

extra virgin olive oil

2 cans of hunts tomato sauce

1 can of hunts tomato paste

1 can of the hunts tomato can filled with water

Basil

First I saute the onions in some olive oil about 1-2 tablespoon, then after the onions done I add the garlic (chop it very small depending to your liking).

Then add the 2 cans of tomato sauce, 1 small can of hunts tomato paste, 1 can of the hunts tomato can filled with water, and then add as much basil as you like.

I cook that for about 30 minutes and then I Owen's Italian sausage. You don't have to add meat or you can have hamburger meat or just plain sausage.

Blocks and Coins

I got this idea from one of the blogs I found but I can not find it for the life of me.  So if you read this and this is your idea let me know so I can give you credit.  I got the blocks and wood circles from Hobby Lobby and then painted them.  When the blocks you can have your son or daughter flip the blocks over and in the end have all the same colors facing up.  Then with the wood circles I painted and put numbers on them and I got a oatmeal container and he puts them inside and we name the colors and numbers.  In one of the pictures he made up his own game.  He matched the blocks with the same color wood circle.  He loves matching.  

Mess!

Caden has really been into messes lately.  Everything that is dirty he tells me so we can clean it up.  This picture was taken today when my husband mowed the lawn and was sweeping the deck my son defiantly wanted part in cleaning up the mess.  cute!!

Moo Shu Noodles

Moo Shu Noodles from the Rachel Ray Show Very yummy and pretty easy.  Everybody loved it!!

Chicken noodle soup

My moms chicken noodle soup recipe:

• Put chicken in water were the water just covers the chicken.  
  
• Add 4 cups of chicken broth
• Add 2 cans of stew tomatoes
• Celery
• Carrots
• Parsley
• Salt and Pepper

Cook pasta as directed

The soup is ready when the vegetables are soft and chicken is done.

Talapia

Last night for dinner we had Talapia, Caden loved it and it was sooooo fast and easy.  I called the doctor today to ask if Hannah can have fish and she said yes so she could have eaten the meal too.

Recipe:

Frozen Talapia from any store

Thaw and season as you like.  We used blackened catfish seasoning.

Put olive oil at bottom of pan and cook on broil at 375 for 8-12 minutes.

Sides:

Corn-used steam corn in the bag

Sweet Potato with butter- cooked in oven for 1 hour at 400

Having fun outside....we are so ready for spring!!!

Last week we went outside, it was sooooo beautiful.  Just thought I'd share some pictures of my little slugger and my sweet angel.

Daddy's Valentine present

For Valentine's Day we are making Daddy a heart with lots of things he loves inside.  Caden absolutely had a blast painting the heart with a roller.  I planned to put both of the kids foot prints in the shape of a heart on the outside of the box, but Caden insisted he wanted it on his hand.  I will post the finished product when done..   

Hannah sleeping on Daddy

Sooooo cute!

Family story time

Caden's go-tee

Caden ate all of his broccoli (trees) in his plate for dinner so he was rewarded with a popsicle.  What a mess!:)

Paci update

It was a disaster yesterday when we attempted nap without the paci's.  Needless to say there was no nap and no paci's.  So weird he had a great day even without his nap.  So bedtime was at 8:30pm and I read him a few books and asked him what he wanted for breakfast and he said "Pancakes" and I left the room crossing my fingers.  No sound until 7:30am when I woke him up.  Wow, life without paci's are doing better than expected.  He hasn't even asked for them, I guess he knows what I will say (the garbage truck took them).  

Caden is in his room right now hopefully trying to fall asleep.  Today I put some toys (flashcards and books) in bed with him.  I keep looking on the monitor and he is still busy reading so I hope he finds his new way of putting himself to sleep.  

Chicken Spaghetti

Last nights dinner:  Chicken Spaghetti that the kids love!

3 or 4 boneless chicken breast

1 pkg. spaghetti

1lb. velveeta 

1 can Ro-tel

1 can cream of celery

Boil chicken for about 20 minutes.  Cook spaghetti as directed.  Melt velveeta in a large pan.  Add cream of celery and drained Ro-tel.  Combine chicken sliced up with the cheese sauce.  Stir.  Add spaghetti and mix all together.  

No more Paci's

So yesterday Aaron and I decided it was officially time to take away Caden's paci's (Ba Ba's).  So this is how we did it.  We were on our way back from church and Caden kept yelling for his 2 Ba Ba's so we gave them to him and we told him why don't you throw them out the window.  He said, "No my Ba Ba's."  We have been so tired of these things, constantly looking for them, needing 2 every single time, waking up in the middle of the night because one fell out of his bed etc.  Plus he is now 2 and it is time to give them up.  

So Aaron was taking out the trash and Caden asked for his 2 Ba Ba's and Aaron said we put them in the trash and we had Caden help Daddy take out the trash.  Oh, and Caden wasn't very happy with that.  So they came inside and he was still yelling for them and I said the Garbage truck took them away.  So everytime he asks for them that is what we say.  He cries a little bit but surprisingly not too bad.   When it was time for bed time that was a little rough.  He cried for about 20 minutes and finally went to sleep, only for about 30 minutes.  Bedtime last night was a little rough too.  Daddy read about 15 books and then I went in there and sang to him.  It was so cute...I stopped for a little bit cause I saw his eyes were closed and he opened them and said, "More Mommy."  Then he slept like a baby!!!

See and Spell

See and Spell by Melissa and Doug was shipped to our house two days ago.  Caden absolutely loves it.  The last few mornings while we were eating breakfast he asked for it.  He gets a good 20 minutes out of it, and that is pretty good for him to stay attentive that long.  I am so proud of him, the last few weeks we have been practicing the alphabet and he knows a lot of the letters.  For example, here are the ones he knows so far:  A, B, C, D, E, F, I, J, K, M, O, R, S, T, U, W, and X.  The rest he hasn't really gotten.   He loves putting his magnet letters on his easel and he quizzes me, he holds up the letter and asks me what it is.  So Cute!

Early Valentine's Activity

                                                               

 I got this idea from http://www.associatedcontent.com/pop_print.shtml?content_type=article&content_type_id=120035 this website.  I couldn't resist starting on some Valentine Activities.  It is a sun catcher.  You get glue and red food coloring mix together and then paint it on wax paper.  Cute and easy!

Many Activities Today

Today we have done a couple of things.  Caden did not have school today so I made sure he stayed pretty busy to keep him out of trouble.  First we played with play doe.  Then made stars with chalk on black paper.  After we made the star then we had a star cut out from http://www.first-school.ws/activities/nrhymes/twinkle.htm.  The reason we did a star activity is because we are currently reading The Big Picture Story Bible.  For our theme at church this year they are guiding us through reading the Bible.  They are doing the same with the kids.  Each week they have been getting a piece of paper that aligns with the bible and is also a puzzle piece.  

Today was such a pretty day we had to go outside.  Caden found his helmet and decided to put it on himself (backwards of course)...so cute!  We also played with some beans.  I put a couple of bowls and water out.  He loved it!!!

Blue Heart Pancakes

Every Saturday Daddy makes pancakes.  So this Sat. I decided that Caden would like red heart pancakes.  Well Caden was watching me get out the food coloring and he new what it was so he insisted on his hearts be blue.  So we had blue heart pancakes. :)

Fish sticks for dinner

Tonight for dinner we had fish sticks http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=40740  Caden and my husband thought they were good.  For sides I had macaroni and cheese and peas.  Very simple!

Oh, and for dessert I cut up strawberries, blueberries, fruit cup that had peaches and pears, and a banana and topped with whip cream.  

Hannah's schedule

I swear my little girl Hannah is just so darn sweet, loving and affectionate!  I guess that is the difference between a boy and girl sometimes.  Oh, and she will play independently and Caden always needed me right there.  Dont' get me wrong she still wants me in the same room but I can do stuff on the computer and she will be playing majority of the time.  The only time she fusses is when she is hungry or tired.  I think I am finally getting her on a schedule, it has taken me a lot longer to get her on a schedule than Caden.  

This is our schedule: 

• 6:30am wake and formula (4-5 oz.), then she goes back to sleep.  She is not very consistent on the morning nap she takes.
• 9:30am homemade baby food and formula (4-5 oz.)                                          http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/solidfood6to8montholdbaby.htm
• 12:30 pm homemade baby food and formula (4-5 oz.)
• Around 1 pm afternoon nap
• 3:30 pm formula (4-5 oz.)
• 6:30 pm homemade babyfood and formula (4-5 oz.)
• Sometimes an evening nap 15 min.
• 8:30 pm formula (4-5 oz.) and bed time

For the most part she will take 30 minute- 1 hour naps (she defiantly doesn't take as good as naps as my son).  She will also sleep through most nights (she just started this about last week, she is 7 1/2 months old).