Q and Nicki Time

This past week, Q and I took advantage of our time together Thursday morning. Since Sloan has "school" for about four hours on those days, Q and I get to spend time together, just the two of us like it use to be. On these days, Q gets to choose what we do before he goes to school after lunch. Well this week was jammed with quite a few things. After dropping Sloan off at school Q asked if we could go to Lake Ellyn Park. So as we rounded the corner downtown on our way to the park, Q blurts out "We could always get Starbucks so we have something to drink at the park" (he knows there is a Starbucks there) and of course I whipped it into a first parking spot I found. Like I'm going to pass up a Starbucks coffee offer :) We don't leave to house without water bottles so it isn't like we didn't have anything... but it's Starbucks!

So we swung in and got ourselves a drink and then headed to the park. Instead of playing right away, Q wanted to sit at a picnic table to drink his vanilla milk. We chatted about the other things we were going to do after the park and people watched. I think Quinton enjoys people watching as much as I do. Only he scans and listens for Star War fans so he knows who to play with :)

After the park, we headed to the Halloween store. Q wanted to look for Transformer costumes. Plus he is just in awe over all the stuff they offer. Between costumes, makeup, props, etc...Q had a blast. I think we could have stayed there until his school started, but he wanted to go to McDonald's for lunch so our visit was limited to half an hour. He had fun though trying on masks and checking the price tags on ALL the things he wanted.

We then headed to McDonald's for lunch. Q was excited to go inside and be able to play at the "Play Place." He informed me that at McDonald's when it says "Play Place" it is meant for younger kids, but if it says "Play Palace" that means they have play equipment for older kids, like himself. Just so you know, they are ALL called "Play Place" no matter what kind of play equipment they happen to offer. So even though the equipment at this particular McDonald's was geared toward younger kids, Q found some children his age to play and be really LOUD with!! As icing on the cake, they even had Star Wars toys and Dad met us there, so he could take Q to school! I think Q really enjoyed himself on Thursday and I hope we can continue to make these weekly Q and Nicki times special for him.

School = New Routine and LOTS of Adjusting

This is the first week of school for both Quinton AND Sloan. It is always nice to get back into the school routine, however, this year is a bit different. Q has preschool in the afternoon instead of the morning... which means no hustling around in the morning to get breakfast eaten, dressed and out the door. However, it does result in an awful tired boy at the end of the day since he doesn't have quiet time anymore. Not to mention Sloan getting jipped a bit on her nap in the afternoon. Sloan is now going one day a week for about 4 hours. Her biggest hurdle right now is having mommy or myself leave her there. The whole discomfort of the unfamiliar will eventually subside. Q went through the same thing at her age. Once she gets use to the teachers and the other children, she will be fine. She's needs the socialization with other children her age as well as the time to get use to having those constant familiar people in her life not around all the time. Gotta love learning independence :) Sloan even takes a sack lunch to school each week which is kind of fun!

Due to both kiddos being in school and the times of day they are, we have had to switch our story time at the library day. It looks as though Ms Judy won't be the one reading on our new day, which is a major bummer. The kids absolutely love it when she reads and the fun songs they get to sing and dance to with her. To be honest I'm a little bummed about it myself. I enjoy story hour with the kids just as much as they do. But change can be good and we will adjust to the new storyteller in time. We are all adjusting to this new schedule. It will take some time but I think it is going to work out well.

Star Wars, Music and a Birthday

A couple weeks ago we celebrated Q's 5th birthday. Those that know the child, won't be surprised that it was Star Wars themed. He and ALL the kids, not matter their age, had such a great time... as did us adults! There was Star Wars Food (Padme Pizza, Death Star Donuts, Light Saber Pretzels and Yoda Soda), Star Wars Games, Star Wars costumes and even Star Wars Music! The biggest hit was the Jedi "Save the Hutlett" Mission where each child had to defeat Darth Vader at the end! It was a great birthday for the little man :)


Back to the Star Wars music... Both Q and Sloan LOVE the Weird Al Yankovik song "Yoda" I don't think there has been a day that has gone by where that song has not been played. Even Sloan will yell "Turn it up!" in the car. You know it's a good song if she's screaming that :) So if you'd like to hear this "Awesome song" as Q always says, click HERE.

Catching Up

I have a lot of catching up to do over the past two months! I was behind before my "Big Boom" but things are all finally starting to fall into place and settle down to a degree. With that said here are some pictures I'd like to share. They are a quick overview of the summer and activities and an easy way for me to get caught up and hopefully back into the swing of things!







So this is the last couple months summed up in a quick few pictures! Enjoy! :)

Last Week Run Down

Here is a run down of last week with the kiddos...

Q started t-ball on Monday! He absolutely loves it. A buddy from soccer camp ended up being in t-ball with him. Q loves his coaches and comes home talking up a storm from all his excitement.

Sloan had her last gymnastics day of the session. Although we are still adjusting to the difference from Ms Angie's, Sloan did enjoy herself. We met a few little girls that had the same love for shoes and bow as Sloan. Although she isn't going to be in gymnastics this next session, in the future she would enjoy seeing Coach Donna and Coach Beth again. Starting this week, Sloan will be in Dance! Can't wait to see what it is all about :)

Between scheduled events and play dates throughout the week, the kids and I were able to squeeze in a trip to the library, sign up for the summer reading program (hope mom and dad remembered to log their times over the weekend), go to some parks, have a picnic, and go to Splash Park! Just so you all know, Quinton and I read 2 1/2 Magic Tree House books last week. They easily suck you right in and it is hard to stop. Since we have been logging reading hours for the library reading program, Quinton is more reluctant to put a book mark into his book. Q also practiced reading some of his beginner books. He is getting there. I think I will be buying index cards tonight to take with me... you can never go wrong with homemade flash cards!

Splash Park is an great place for both kids. Q is old enough that he runs around and doesn't mind if he is soaking wet. It took him some time to really start enjoying himself, but he found a friend from t-ball (Jack) and met a new one (Shawn) as well. After that he was all over the place, using the water cannons, running under the water tunnel, and playing on the train. The ground is made so it isn't slippery when wet, which helped calm my nerves greatly. Q had a ball and was not thrilled when we had to leave. But he understood why and didn't argue at all... he knew Burger King was in his future for good behavior ;)

Sloan was a bit more apprehensive at Splash Park. It took nearly half an hour, but I finally got her to enjoy a small fountain. First she would only stick her toes in, then her hole leg got wet. Eventually she walked through it a couple times allowing her tummy to get wet. I think the next time we go, she will be more willing to get wet sooner :)

Overall Splash Park is a great place to take the kids. It is easy to keep an eye on both of them without being afraid something might happen to one... especially being the only adult there to keep an eye on them. I am much more comfortable taking them to a place like Splash Park than a pool. There is a great picnic shelter and playground next to Splash Park which allows kids to take a break from water or eat.

All in all we had a great week and I am sure this week will be just as fun as the last!

Cousins

Family Fun!

The week after Memorial weekend the kiddos were in Morton staying at Papa's before heading down to see CC and DD in St. Louis later in the week. Which meant we were able to spend a couple days playing and hanging out with their cousins. We went swimming one day and then made a trip into Peoria to visit Ms. Angie the next!

Swimming Fun!

Ms. Angie Fun!

It amazes me how much more Sloan talks around her cousins. All four kids had a blast and I know they can't wait to see each other again when M&M head up to Chicago land in a couple weeks!!! Then they'll have some Red White & Blue Fun! :)

Hot Days of May

Oh the hot days of May are about to do me in!!! Okay not really but walking outside in the morning and immediately sweating is not my idea of a good time. But the kiddos and I have made the most of it so far. Monday, Sloan and I walked to pick Q up from school. Thank goodness I brought water for him too otherwise it would have been even more dreadful. We were all dripping with sweat by the time we made it home. Quiet time after lunch was welcomed by all three of us.

Afterward, I lathered up the kids with sunscreen and we headed out back so Q could do the slippin' slide and Sloan could play in the water table. She isn't too fond of the slippin' slide yet; it still scares her. The kids had a blast cooling off in the water. Of course eating Popsicles may have been their favorite part of the whole 'Outdoor Heat Fest Activities Monday!' <-- Now that's what I call a title! he he :) So today was just as hot as yesterday. Not sure it the thermometer read the same but it felt just as hot! The plan was for us to go to a park in the morning so that in the afternoon we could do the whole water stuff again when it was the hottest part of the day. Mom brought the Morton Arboretum pass in from her car and Q decided that is where he wanted to go. I have blogged about this place a couple different time in the past, but it is seriously an AWESOME place! For kids and adults alike. On the way there, Q says, "Nicki remember we said we would close our eyes and go strait to the end. Then we can work our way back and play. We are still going to do that right?" I told his as long as that was what he wanted to do, it sounded like a good plan to me. We started out doing our usual routine, we stop by the restrooms to get it all out of our systems; with a recently potty trained 2 year old it is a must! For the record, Sloan did awesome without having a Pullup on in public today. I think we will try undies for gymnastics tomorrow. She always tells me in time, but I am always nervous with all the equipment. But I have a feeling she will be just fine! :) Okay, on with the story...

Then we headed into the Children's Garden where a volunteer offered Q a map of this wonderful area with kid activities. He gladly accepted. Q looked like such an explorer with his red baseball cap on and map in hand leading the way. Every time we saw a sign stating what the new location was, I had Q match it to the sign on the map. He wants to learn to read so bad, so I figured this would be a good exercise for him. "Come on guys. This way. We have to go straight ahead and then we will get the stone with tadpoles" he said. "Am I seeing that right?" He would always double check with me to make sure he was telling us correctly... and he was right each time! The map has detailed enough pictures so Q could figure out where each place was. He was a superb leader :)

After Q led us through the garden maze near the entrance of the garden, we made it all the way to the end which is Look Out Deck. It looked kind of like a giant tree house. The kiddos ate their snacks under the shade of the trees and structure. From there we made our way to the tree house play area. There is a lot of climbing and rope bridges that Q loves. Last we stopped by the Tadpole pond where you can wade in 6-8 inches of water, or use the stepping stones, and examine the tadpoles that are swimming all around and their habitat. It has been a few weeks since the last time we went. The tadpoles have gotten pretty big. Not huge, but a lot bigger than the last time we were there. Q actually took his socks and shoes off and waded in the water. I was shocked! Last time we went he had not interest in it and looked disgusted that I had even suggested it. But today he did his own thing while I helped Sloan. Maybe with all the school age kids there for field trips made him feel like he could do it. You know he always wants to do what the older kids are doing :) So those were the stops we made today. Oh I for got to mention that we were yet again, dripping from sweat from head to toe, on another Hot A** day in May!

We did the slippin' slide again this after noon as well as the water table. Popsicles followed as usual along with hot exhausted children. The sun takes so much out of them... well okay, it takes a lot out of this fair skinned girl as well. Sloan has been sleeping like a log during her naps the past couple days. When we go to wake her she is still fast asleep no where near ready to wake up. Hate waking her, but mom and dad would like to go to sleep at a decent themselves at night, so it's a must. I think all babies and children are so cute when you first wake them. They are go out of it, looking all over the place trying to focus. So cute.

We only have six more days of May left. Enjoy your own Hot Days of May while they last!! :)

Speed Demon

I mentioned it in my last post about Quinton learning to ride his bike, but wanted to post a video of him also! I am so proud of him!!! He got the hang of it quickly. Q even got to ride his bike to Stacey Park today and practiced bicycle safety by walking his bike across the streets (even a super busy one). After lunch he made a few laps up and down the sidewalk and again this afternoon. Quinton is enjoying his new 'freedom" and I know we will all enjoy it with him in the future.



Q is quite proud of himself which I absolutely love! He gets a huge smile across his face as he tells others of his accomplishment or hears one of us adults telling someone. Q even told the guy at the shoe store today that was measuring his feet what he learn in just one weekend!

Quinton is already talking about learning to tie his shoe. So I guess we are ready to move on to #3 on the list of things he wants to learn this summer :)

Morton Arboretum

Today was absolutely beautiful so the kiddos and I headed to Morton Arboretum. Last time Sloan and I went we were there just briefly before heading to pick Q up from school. Today I got to see more of the place, but not even remotely close to the whole place. We headed straight for the Children's Garden that houses educational play equipment, water features, playgrounds, etc.

The kids had an absolute blast!!! They ran, climbed, and were all smiles. We all wished we could have stayed longer but we had an important errand to run, lunch and Sloan's nap to contend with. I promised Q we would be back. Any time he wants to go, we will be there!! Here are a few pics from today!

There is a cute little area that has these acorns with tunnels and cut outs like a rock wall. The song "I'm a Nut" immediately popped into my head. That was one of Sloan's favorites to listen to at Papa's house. Q and Sloan were 'nutty' over the acorns as well :)

Quinton's Scavenger Hunt

Last week Quinton and I set out on a scavenger hunt to help familiarize ourselves with the new neighborhood. Many of the items were similar to the ones I had the kids do over Easter, but I changed some of the items and added a few new items as well. We headed out early Thursday morning to begin our hunt and make our way to the library (about a mile away). Sloan was strapped in the stroller and Q walked with me as we kept our eyes peeled for different things. Quinton got to take all the pictures proving we had indeed found each item. There are two items we did not get pictures of. A tree house was one. There is one less than a block from his house but we never walked in that direction with camera in hand to take a pic. The other was Something Star Wars that didn't belong to Q. A library book was the item of choice but again a picture was never taken.

Here is a slide show of Q's Scavenger Hunt. Enjoy!! :)

Customize a photo slideshow

Cosley Zoo

Today the kiddos and I headed over to Cosley Zoo. It is a lot like Wild Life Prairie Park, similar animals. Only this place is a lot smaller. No trails, train or playground equipment. It is free to get in and the kids enjoyed the educational caboose as well as seeing all the animals. Especially the new baby lambs and goats, which were two weeks old and younger.

One of the first exhibits we looked at was the Red Tailed Hawk. We got to watch one take a bath in the little pond. It was font and center only a few feet away, which made it more exciting for the kids. Later in the day Sloan was trying to tell her mom about it. We had previously been talking about the lambs.

"Bath. Takin' bath" Sloan says.
"The lambs were sun bathing" She nods.
"Bath. Ducks swimmin' bath"
"The ducks were swimming?" She nods then quickly shakes her head no.
"Ducks. Bath. Funny" as Sloan bounces her arms around and makes a face. That's when it clicked for me.
"The hawk was taking a bath wasn't he. Then he fluffed is feathers to dry off" Sloan laughs. "Yeah. Fluff" She imitates what she saw and giggles.

The things kids think of. Who knew talking about the lambs would make her think of the hawk. Obviously that "funny bird" made quite the impression on her today!

Beautiful Day

It was such a beautiful day, the kids and I couldn't pass up going to the Wooden Playground at Glen Oak Park (remember this blog). It's Wednesday, so Q had school until 2:30 today. We were heading down Knoxville toward the interstate when I asked Q what he thought about playing at the park. "That would be great!" he exclaimed. Thank goodness I had brought snacks for in the car. Both kids had a blast.

Q played Star Wars with a few older boys (7-9 year olds) running, climbing and jumping from here to there. Quinton was leading the older boys telling them what to do and how to do certain thing... no surprise there. He helped them pick Star Wars character names explaining each so the boys knew how to act. I couldn't help laughing to myself when I heard him tell the older boys "I can't do that guys, I'm only 4 1/2 you know." One of them offered to help him down and Q replied "No thanks. That's too dangerous." So he found an alternate route to get down off the play structure and met up with the others on the ground. I kept my distance and let Q do his own thing at the park. He was always within eye and ear shot, but he is definitely old enough to do his own thing and make his own responsible decisions. Obviously he knows his comfort zone and had no problem expressing his uncertainty. Q is quite comfortable being his own person which I love, as do his parents.

Sloan was all smiles once I parked the car and she saw the playground. She climbed up and down most of the structure and went down every slide a million times. While she was swinging, Sloan tried to talk with a little girl about her age, but the other little girl just looked at her confused. I enjoy watching little ones who are finding their voice and new words converse and interact with one another. Sloan also did the balance beam that was a good 3 feet off the ground, by side stepping and hanging on to my arms. She did great! Ms. Angie has had such a huge impact of both kids' motor skills. Q was even doing the other balance beam and them shimmied across the hanging bar wit his hands! Although I am sure he sees that as more of a 'Jedi move.'

It was such a great day. I hope we are able to go back to this park again before the big move in a couple weeks :)

Guess Who?!???

Do you remember the game "Guess Who?" It was a favorite of mine when I was a kid. Apparently they now have other editions besides the regular Guess Who game. There is Disney, Marvel Heroes, and the beloved Star Wars!!! Quinton is quite obsessed with Stars Wars; he has been for a good year. As much as he knows about the characters, movies and what not, you'd think he had seen every movie and tv series made multiple times. Not so much. He has seen a few episodes of Star Wars the Clone Wars tv series, but that is about it. All his other information has come from books, Wii game, and what friends and family have told him about the movie.

Q has been doing really well with all the hectic chaos that surrounded him at the first of the year with the move and living at Papa's. Mom found him the Guess Who Star Wars game, either at Walmart or TJ Maxx, along with Star Wars Trouble (I'm personally not a fan of that game, never have been). We broke into the Guess Who game last week and have played it each day for a good 30-40 minutes. Q is really good at it. We have fun thinking up crazy yes or no questions that haven't been asked before. Q's silly thing today was to pick the card that I had chosen for the previous game. Didn't take me long to catch on, but he thought he was pretty funny. He gets that little sparkle in his eye and grin across his face, which always gives him away! :)

I Got a Feeling...

A little music, a little singing, a little dancing and a whole LOT of fun was happening this afternoon at Papa's. Q wanted to listen to Black Eyed Peas "I Got a Feeling" but I couldn't find it on the computer's iTunes. Of course I went to my old stand by Google, and found the video on YouTube. At first the video was loading faster than it played so there were no pauses, but half way through the "buffering" started to occur. For those of you who aren't sure what buffering is, it is when the video or song is in the process of loading so it pauses the audio/image.

Although the pausing every 5-10 seconds was annoying, for both Q and I, we turned it into a game that got Sloan laughing hysterically. Since we were dancing like crazy anyway, each time the music paused, Q and I would freeze. It was the simplest and most logical thing to do. Q and I had fun being silly and stopping in weird poses while Sloan laughed so hard I don't think she could breath! She eventually caught on to what we were doing and started to freeze too! Which made her laugh even harder if that was even possible?! The song which is about five minutes long ended up taking close to 15 min. Of course we had to listen to it a second time. Since the loading was complete no pauses. Yay!!

Here is the video below. Hopefully it is a different one than the one we had playing so you don't have to deal with the buffering. FYI... I always minimize the screen when videos are playing since I never know what sort of content will be shown. The kids like certain songs and that is okay, but that doesn't mean the videos are always appropriate. Like I said we were dancing to the music not watching this video. And now that I think about it I don't think I have ever seen this particular video. Hmmm... Enjoy!!

Snow Day at Papa's

Although Tuesday technically wasn't a snow day for Quinton's pre-school, there was no way I was going to drive him into Peoria from Morton after the snow and ice we got Monday night. I decided to take the interstate into Morton knowing it would be more clear than the highway. Although it was mostly clear there were enough patchy spots and accidents to deter me from taking Q to school.

With our unexpected time off Q and I filled the day working on a few activity kits. One was a Crayola Flip Flop Kit. It came with fabric markers. Q colored the flip flops with the special markers and then we threw them in the dryer on high for 10 minutes to set the colors (no running or wearing off... pretty cool!). Q has trouble walking in them which most kids do. He wore them for about 10 minutes pretending he was at the beach before he gave up on them.


The other activity kit we started was a model car kit. You cut foam core pieces out, glue, then paint them. Well we started it a bit backward. Q wanted to paint them first so I let him. Once he finishes painting them, perhaps on another snow day, I'll take them home and cut them out. Then he will be able to glue them together and add stickers :) We'll see how long it takes us to get them complete.

Lastly, Q had pajama day for the snow day. Him and Sloan both. Not that I could blame them. Since he had good behavior he was able to play the Wii for 30 minutes as a reward. Just look how he concentrates!

This is how we spent Q's snow day at Papa's house!

The Letter 'P'

We started this week knowing that it was going to be busy. When Q announced Monday that they were talking about the letter 'P' at school I jumped on the chance to do something fun as well as distract the kiddos from thinking about the move. On our short drive home I asked Q to name as many words that started with the letter P that he could think of. Papa, Peaches, Pumpkin, Pasta and Poop (go figure) were among the few he through out. Since most of the words were food I asked him "If we had a Letter 'P' Lunch tomorrow, what do you think we should eat?" His response...

"Pizza! No wait, make that Pepperoni Pizza!"

By the time we got home Q had decided that we were going to have Pepperoni Pizza, Peaches ("...or Sloan can have Pineapple if she wants"), and Pepsi (Sloan had milk) which he drank from a Pumpkin cup. I wasn't so sure about the Pepsi, but I figured in all the years I have been babysitting Q, I have maybe given him soda three time. This was the first for caffeinated soda. No worries, he did not drink the whole bottle. He was given 1/3 of his pumpkin cup (about 4 oz) and that was it. Q wasn't too happy that I wouldn't let him have any more, but I don't like giving children soda. That's Nanny Nicki's Personal Preference!!

Sloan participated in letter 'P' day by not only eating the 'P' foods, but also wearing Pajamas and Pigtails all day! Shhhh... don't tell anyone, but CC wore her pajamas for most the day too ;) Both the kids had fun as did grandma and I. What more could you ask for?!

Movie Night

Tonight I went into Peoria and watched the kiddos for a few hours while mom and dad went on a much needed night out. It is so great to be greeted at the door by Q's smiling face and hear Sloan repeatedly yelling "Hi Nit-tee" waving from her booster seat. Both kids were already decked out in their comfy pajamas and were eating ice cream when I arrived. We had a movie night which is usual if I watch them in the evening on weekends. Q requested Little Mermaid 2. You may think this is an odd request for a boy, but the "mean witches" as he calls them are his favorite. Obviously Ursala made quite the impression on him in the first Little Mermaid for him to want to watch Morgana in the second. Sloan even sat up on the couch quietly for a good 10 minutes before she started bothering big brother :) Sloan and I spent most of our time in the playroom cooking, talking to each other on the phones, and playing musical instruments; while Quinton watched the movie in the family room. He had a million questions about what was going to happen next in the movie and why this person lied or that person stole. I love how inquisitive he is about most things; always wanting to understand everything in full. I think this is why his vocabulary and cognitive development is and always has been so good. His questions have always been addressed no matter what they are.

Speaking of development, I need to go back earlier in the evening before mom and dad left. Sloan was inquiring about gymnastics. Not sure what made her think of it, maybe they had been talking about it earlier in the day or maybe she knew something was up since we missed gymnastics Friday due to Q being home sick from school. Regardless, she was nodding her head and asked "Angie?" Of course making sure I understood her correctly I said "Ms. Angie?" and Sloan nodded her head "Yeah." Then she went on to say "Ropes" although it doesn't sound exactly like that, I knew what she was saying (I've heard it enough). Apparently that's what the little one was thinking about. I asked her if she liked swinging on the rope at Ms Angie and she nodded "Yeah". That is all that was said about it the rest of the night but it was fun having this little conversation with her that I actually knew exactly what she was saying without making her repeat herself a few times. Sloan is growing up so fast I can't believe it! Both kids are :)

So needless to say we had a good night. Watched a movie, read a couple books to each child, and to bed they went without any trouble. I hope their bedtime routine will be this easy once they move to Morton. It will probably take a couple weeks, but you never know, they just might surprise us all :)

Special Gift for a Special Someone!

With mom and dad being out of town most of the week for work, we had to keep ourselves busy. Q had Pajama Day on Tuesday and Stuffed Animal Day on Wednesday which helped make the days more exciting and go by quickly. Besides trying to have movie nights (stubborn, argumentative and tired boy didn't get a full movie in until Thurs afternoon) we also worked on a special project for the kids' gymnastics teacher, Ms. Angie! We have known her for three years now. Both kids absolutely adore her. She has such a natural nurturing way with all the children, interacts so well with them, and truly loves each individual child. It is no wonder why she's such a big hit! We have been trying to get Q in to do a class with Ms. Angie since he started school in September. Finally, there was a day that worked. Conferences were today at his school so he had the day off. Fridays just so happen to be Sloan's day for gymnastics. Yes, Q was with 18 month olds, but he did well. Had to sit down once because he was completely out of control and careless with a new little guy that was there, but after a few minutes to think about it Q was more aware of his actions and the little ones around him. He had so much fun. He showed Ms. Angie all the skills she had taught him over the years and was disappointed when class was over. Ms. Angie was so happy to see him again. She has watched him grow up just like I have over that past few years. I know she will miss both kids greatly as they will her.

Back on the special gift... When asked what he wanted to make, Q said "Something with my picture on it so Ms. Angie will always remember me. Then we can put a magnet on i!t" He is really into the magnet things because we have done a number of crafts with magnet on them over the years. I talked him into a hanging gift that could go over a door knob or hang on the wall. Q thought about it briefly then decided "It will work much better for Ms. Angie if it hangs, huh? Yeah it HAS to hang, Nicki. It really does." So with that bit of direction Sloan and I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up crafting supplies, ribbon and paint. Here was the end result.

Ms. Angie absolutely LOVED the gift the kids made for her.

Day at the Park

It was an unusually warm November day... I think it was in the mid 50s, but felt warmer with the sun shining. After hanging out around the house in the morning playing Star Wars with Q while Sloan took an early nap due to waking up at 6:00, we headed out after lunch to Hobby Lobby to buy some craft supplies (blog to come tomorrow). Then went to Glen Oak Park and played on the wooden play equipment. This was a huge treat for Quinton, who always wanted to play at the wooden playground during the summer, but since Sloan was so young and that particular set is swarming with older kids, I didn't want to risk her getting hurt. Or Q for that matter. So during the summer we always played on the equipment across from the pavilion that was appropriate for younger children.

When I say the wooden playground was "swarming with kids", I can say in the past I have witnessed nearly 70+ kids playing on the equipment at once during the summer. Not to mention all the caregivers scattered about taking up even more space. But since most kids are in school until 3/3:30, it worked out great for Q and Sloan to experience it. I wish every community had a playground like this for children to play on. It is quite the set up. There is an area for all ages, one year all the way up to teens. There are tons of stairs, hidden ladders, balance beams, monkey bars, swings, sand pit, slides, wooden cars with steering wheel, etc. It is the perfect set up for playing Hide 'n Seek or Tag!

Here are a few pictures of this kids playing today. We had a great day. It gave them both the chance to run off some energy, although not enough. The last 45 minutes I was at their house tonight, they were running none stop chasing each other, giving me high fives, giggling, and being utterly out of control. Hopefully they crashed hard for mom and dad tonight. I think everyone could use a good night's rest tonight!

Camp Out

Last week Quinton and I were talking about the next time I spent the night, what we would do. He can be random at times and apparently he was thinking about me sleeping over from earlier in the year. We finalized our plan to have a "Camp Out" themed evening. This included setting up his fold out Incredibles tent in the living room, lying out his bug sleeping bag (thanks Aunt Jodi) while watching a movie, and of course making s'mores. I figured this is what we would do in September while his parents were on a trip, but a last minute one night trip to Chicago made this all come true this weekend!

Q was so excited, from the time I arrived Sunday morning. He was such a good boy and was on his best behavior all day, not wanting to risk having his special night taken away (he knows I stick to my guns). We went all out that evening. First we roasted hot dogs over the open flame of the gas stove. Yes, we actually did this. Kind of crazy, but lots of fun. You may be wondering what we used for sticks . . . well I found some 16" skewers under the sink that I soaked in water for 30-45 minutes before using them. It was perfect. Q wasn't too close to the fire, but was able to reach and cook not only his own hot dog, but mine as well. Along with our hot dogs we had strawberries, green beans and the ever so easy camp side dish of chips! The only thing missing was the smell of burning wood and the bugs. Pretty sure I actually enjoyed not having to contend with either of those things.


After dinner, we ventured to the park a couple blocks from the house so the kids could get some fresh air (perfect temp) and run off some energy. I hate to report that Sloan ended up getting her first bloody nose. She lost her footing on the mulch and as she tried to regain her footing she tripped over my shoe. She did a face plant right on the sidewalk. It sounded and looked worse than it was. Her nose didn't start to bleed until after she stopped crying (maybe lasted a minute). You could hardly see the red mark on her forehead as I put her to bed and by morning no evidence of a fall was visible. Although I wouldn't be surprised if her nose was still sore. Poor baby.

Once we got home, I put Sloan to bed, so Q and I could start the fun. Q brought his tent up form down stairs while I grabbed his pillow and sleeping bag. We got it all set up in the living room before we made s'mores. Q had even more fun roasting the marshmallows than the hot dogs earlier in the night. Maybe it was a anticipation of the sweet gooey fluff in his mouth. Who knows?! Q made my marshmallows as well as him own (2 each, one for the s'more and the other to eat). We ate at the table to keep the carpet and furniture from getting sticky. For a child who hate to have his hands sticky and stuff all over his face he managed to keep his discomfort under control. I had warned him before hand he was going to get extremely messy and sticky and that it wouldn't do any good to wash up until he was finished eating.


To end the evening we watched the movie Lion King while Q laid in his tent. It was probably not the best move for me to bring considering he gets emotional when bad/sad things happen in movies. He was so tired that when Mufasa died at the beginning of the movie, he could not let it go. Q cried off and on throughout the whole movie. Don't get me wrong he'd laugh at the funny parts, but would ultimately end up crying again. Needless to say, we did not finish the movie. He crashed upstairs in his room almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Quinton and I had a great night. We just might have to do this again next time mom and dad are gone :)