Spontaneous Discovery Mondays

We had nothing on the horizon for today, so when my friend Jen texted and invited us to the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro, we jumped at the chance for something fun and different to do! The girls were excited and ready to go--especially on this crisp fall day.

We had been one other time to the Discovery Center, and I was so impressed with all of the interactive learning activities that my girls could be a part of and even comprehend. I had just begun teaching preschool at the time, and I came away with lots of ideas that I was able to implement in our class.

On Monday mornings, there is a special activity for moms and kids. It's kind of a mix between story time at the library and circle time at the beginning of a school day. Today the theme was spiders, so we started the day by reading Eric Carle's The Very Busy Spider, 

singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", getting spider rings, and making spider handprint crafts and spider snacks.

Then we went to explore. The kids jumped in a ball pit that represented red blood cells and white blood cells; they were car mechanics; they operated dump trucks and cranes and learned about levels;

they sat in farm trucks and pretended like they were in Disney parades; 

they turned cogs; they sat in fire trucks, 

went down twisty slides, 

and were archaeologists. They learned about water supplies and farmers markets.

 We even played Pocahontas. ;)

Then we went back to Jen's house and enjoyed a fun lunch with fun friends.

Today we're celebrating spontaneity, learning through discovery, and good times with good friends. (These 6 kids have been friends since before they could walk and talk, and their moms are some of my dearest friends too. So, I'm also celebrating mom friends today. They're the best.)

We had nothing on the horizon for today, so when my friend Jen texted and invited us to the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro, we jumped at the chance for something fun and different to do! The girls were excited and ready to go--especially on this crisp fall day.

We had been one other time to the Discovery Center, and I was so impressed with all of the interactive learning activities that my girls could be a part of and even comprehend. I had just begun teaching preschool at the time, and I came away with lots of ideas that I was able to implement in our class.

On Monday mornings, there is a special activity for moms and kids. It's kind of a mix between story time at the library and circle time at the beginning of a school day. Today the theme was spiders, so we started the day by reading Eric Carle's The Very Busy Spider, 

singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", getting spider rings, and making spider handprint crafts and spider snacks.

Then we went to explore. The kids jumped in a ball pit that represented red blood cells and white blood cells; they were car mechanics; they operated dump trucks and cranes and learned about levels;

they sat in farm trucks and pretended like they were in Disney parades; 

they turned cogs; they sat in fire trucks, 

went down twisty slides, 

and were archaeologists. They learned about water supplies and farmers markets.

 We even played Pocahontas. ;)

Then we went back to Jen's house and enjoyed a fun lunch with fun friends.

Today we're celebrating spontaneity, learning through discovery, and good times with good friends. (These 6 kids have been friends since before they could walk and talk, and their moms are some of my dearest friends too. So, I'm also celebrating mom friends today. They're the best.)

The girls' finished HD project and the beginning of a looong DIY binge list

Below are the side versions of the girls' finished Valentine holders. The first one is the Ansley/Patrick creation, and the other one is all-Addison. They are so excited, and these boxes have already been filled with secret messages, jewelry, keychains and "cookies." Such a fun project, and we will be back for the March one for sure!

While we were at Home Depot, we decided we needed a home project. A few months ago the girls literally ripped their towel holder out of the wall... I saw a version of this on Pinterest, and Patrick was excited about making it happen. I love my handy man. He cut the chair rail molding to fit the length of this wall, glued, screwed, caulked and painted (a light green--the color of Ansley's room and one of the colors in their shower curtain) the board and then attached the hooks. They are the perfect height for the girls to hang their own towels on them. They are also not going anywhere this time. :)

After he finished, Patrick was itching to do another project. We love doing stuff like this, but we always battle between putting too much into this current house verses doing stuff that we could take with us wherever we go.  Patrick has been thinking for a long time about doing something about a bed... for real adults... See, we've always just been boxsprings and mattress people... in our 7+ years of marriage. We have rectified that by using big euro shams and hanging some iron pieces above it.

I think that it might be time, and he is sure that it is time to do something about it.  I left him for a couple hours with his thoughts and went to celebrate my friend Wren with a girls night out to celebrate the upcoming birth of her 3rd baby and her first SON!  Wren and I were pregnant together 2 times before--both of our sets of daughters are one month apart and are the best of friends.  When she announced she was pregnant with her third, I freaked out and checked my bc pill pack to make sure I hadn't missed one, silently chanting my mantra, "2 and through, 2 and through," but when she found out she was having a boy, I started dreaming about having my own boy babies... It's funny those wars between the conscious and sub-conscious... Anyway, we went out for a girls night at Wild Ginger and enjoyed some good sushi, good fried rice, and good conversation.

When I came home, I was presented with these ideas.

While I had been thinking about a scalloped-fabric-tufted one, these are growing on me--especially the first one. Plus, with the access we have to building materials, it seems like a natural choice. Hope that we make some progress on this project soon-- at least more progress than I have made on the one below. I got this new sewing machine with Christmas money in early January, and it is still sitting on my dining room table looking just like this.  I thought I would be inspired to get going on this with baby gifts to make for Hadleigh, Scott, and girl-baby Stephens; Valentine shirts, etc... But, alas, it still sits like this...

Here's hoping I can get on the ball this week!

Below are the side versions of the girls' finished Valentine holders. The first one is the Ansley/Patrick creation, and the other one is all-Addison. They are so excited, and these boxes have already been filled with secret messages, jewelry, keychains and "cookies." Such a fun project, and we will be back for the March one for sure!

While we were at Home Depot, we decided we needed a home project. A few months ago the girls literally ripped their towel holder out of the wall... I saw a version of this on Pinterest, and Patrick was excited about making it happen. I love my handy man. He cut the chair rail molding to fit the length of this wall, glued, screwed, caulked and painted (a light green--the color of Ansley's room and one of the colors in their shower curtain) the board and then attached the hooks. They are the perfect height for the girls to hang their own towels on them. They are also not going anywhere this time. :)

After he finished, Patrick was itching to do another project. We love doing stuff like this, but we always battle between putting too much into this current house verses doing stuff that we could take with us wherever we go.  Patrick has been thinking for a long time about doing something about a bed... for real adults... See, we've always just been boxsprings and mattress people... in our 7+ years of marriage. We have rectified that by using big euro shams and hanging some iron pieces above it.

I think that it might be time, and he is sure that it is time to do something about it.  I left him for a couple hours with his thoughts and went to celebrate my friend Wren with a girls night out to celebrate the upcoming birth of her 3rd baby and her first SON!  Wren and I were pregnant together 2 times before--both of our sets of daughters are one month apart and are the best of friends.  When she announced she was pregnant with her third, I freaked out and checked my bc pill pack to make sure I hadn't missed one, silently chanting my mantra, "2 and through, 2 and through," but when she found out she was having a boy, I started dreaming about having my own boy babies... It's funny those wars between the conscious and sub-conscious... Anyway, we went out for a girls night at Wild Ginger and enjoyed some good sushi, good fried rice, and good conversation.

When I came home, I was presented with these ideas.

While I had been thinking about a scalloped-fabric-tufted one, these are growing on me--especially the first one. Plus, with the access we have to building materials, it seems like a natural choice. Hope that we make some progress on this project soon-- at least more progress than I have made on the one below. I got this new sewing machine with Christmas money in early January, and it is still sitting on my dining room table looking just like this.  I thought I would be inspired to get going on this with baby gifts to make for Hadleigh, Scott, and girl-baby Stephens; Valentine shirts, etc... But, alas, it still sits like this...

Here's hoping I can get on the ball this week!

These are a few of my favorite things...

I love my friends.

Last night we had an Oprah/Pinterest-inspired "Favorite Things" party. This was a sequel to our "Pinterest" party that we had back in the early fall/late summer. There were six of us, so we each bought 5 items of something that we consider a favorite and brought them with us, and our price limit was $5. Becky made heavy hor'devours, Heather made a delicious dairy/soy free chocolate cake, and we exchanged our loot.

This cake was decadent. So yummy, HDP.

This is what I was going to bring, but I couldn't get myself together to make five of them. Brain fog from too much holiday food??? I did make Karen's though and so she just got it for a belated birthday treat. Instead, I brought my favorite winter nail polish for everyone. "Grey Area."

Here is an up close picture of the goodies: Personalized ornaments, washi tape, emi-jays, MODA lip balm, Starbucks mixes, and nail polish.

Here is an "arial" shot. And that's me in the gray boots behind the table too. :)

I am so thankful for such good girlfriends and love making these memories with them. Thanks for a great night, ladies!

I love my friends.

Last night we had an Oprah/Pinterest-inspired "Favorite Things" party. This was a sequel to our "Pinterest" party that we had back in the early fall/late summer. There were six of us, so we each bought 5 items of something that we consider a favorite and brought them with us, and our price limit was $5. Becky made heavy hor'devours, Heather made a delicious dairy/soy free chocolate cake, and we exchanged our loot.

This cake was decadent. So yummy, HDP.

This is what I was going to bring, but I couldn't get myself together to make five of them. Brain fog from too much holiday food??? I did make Karen's though and so she just got it for a belated birthday treat. Instead, I brought my favorite winter nail polish for everyone. "Grey Area."

Here is an up close picture of the goodies: Personalized ornaments, washi tape, emi-jays, MODA lip balm, Starbucks mixes, and nail polish.

Here is an "arial" shot. And that's me in the gray boots behind the table too. :)

I am so thankful for such good girlfriends and love making these memories with them. Thanks for a great night, ladies!

The Almost Slumber Party and cookie fun with friends

It's always fun to have special gatherings with friends during the holiday season! This year, Wren, Olivia, and Molly hosted a Pajama and Pancakes party. Our big girls have been begging for slumber parties, and they are nowhere ready for that yet, so this was an "almost slumber party," and it was so cute.  The girls made Reindeer ornaments

They sang Christmas carols by the Christmas tree.

They ate yummy pancakes.

Then they piled up on pallets with their pillows and blankets and watched the Grinch.

Jen hosted us for a cookie decorating party, and we had fun with our favorite friends.

Addison's creation

Ansley's creation:

Jude is the cutest ever!

It's always fun to have special gatherings with friends during the holiday season! This year, Wren, Olivia, and Molly hosted a Pajama and Pancakes party. Our big girls have been begging for slumber parties, and they are nowhere ready for that yet, so this was an "almost slumber party," and it was so cute.  The girls made Reindeer ornaments

They sang Christmas carols by the Christmas tree.

They ate yummy pancakes.

Then they piled up on pallets with their pillows and blankets and watched the Grinch.

Jen hosted us for a cookie decorating party, and we had fun with our favorite friends.

Addison's creation

Ansley's creation:

Jude is the cutest ever!

Halloween Fun

Halloween gets more fun each year! This year we had a Minnie Mouse and a Strawberry Shortcake in our house. They were some cuties!

This Minnie Mouse started posing this way at our Halloween Party with friends, and I think it perfectly captures her little 2-year-old personality.

Minnie and Snow White bonded at the party, and Ansley kept asking if she could go trick-or-treating with sweet Rowan. I love little friends.

This is *most* of my cute class after our costume parade. That cute little Yoda makes me want boy babies. Not happening, but just sayin.'

I love preschool parties. I have the cutest, funnest moms in my class, and they did a great job making the party so special for their kiddos.

Addison's dress rehearsal...

We carved pumpkins on Ansley's Birthday. We thought it would be cool do do Elmo since we had an Elmo cake and balloons and napkins... Addison, however, wanted a jack-o-lantern... So we did a traditional one for her.

I loved getting to go to Ansley's fall party too. They made spiders and passed out treats to their friends and ate spider cookies that I made for them.

Another one from our friend fall party. Addison and Micah are kindred spirits I tell you, and look at that little Minnie poser again. (PS, don't know why my iphone app jumbles my pictures out of order.

It is kind of tricky on party days when you are the teacher but also a mom of a kid in your class, but I so enjoyed getting to be such a big part of this experience.

One of the games was to wrap a partner as a mummy. These are the Addisons, and they are quite the pair, let me tell you! I also got wrapped with all the leftover toilet paper. Fun times... 

More party pics...

About to go trick or treating. About halfway through, Addison yelled, "This is the BEST Halloween EVER!" and Ansley followed with, "Yes ma'am!" Loved it.

And we're back to the school party... crazy app...

Our cutest trick or treater made Patrick especially giddy and nostalgic with his costume.

My spider cookies... loved finding a treat that Ansley could enjoy every bit of!

Halloween gets more fun each year! This year we had a Minnie Mouse and a Strawberry Shortcake in our house. They were some cuties!

This Minnie Mouse started posing this way at our Halloween Party with friends, and I think it perfectly captures her little 2-year-old personality.

Minnie and Snow White bonded at the party, and Ansley kept asking if she could go trick-or-treating with sweet Rowan. I love little friends.

This is *most* of my cute class after our costume parade. That cute little Yoda makes me want boy babies. Not happening, but just sayin.'

I love preschool parties. I have the cutest, funnest moms in my class, and they did a great job making the party so special for their kiddos.

Addison's dress rehearsal...

We carved pumpkins on Ansley's Birthday. We thought it would be cool do do Elmo since we had an Elmo cake and balloons and napkins... Addison, however, wanted a jack-o-lantern... So we did a traditional one for her.

I loved getting to go to Ansley's fall party too. They made spiders and passed out treats to their friends and ate spider cookies that I made for them.

Another one from our friend fall party. Addison and Micah are kindred spirits I tell you, and look at that little Minnie poser again. (PS, don't know why my iphone app jumbles my pictures out of order.

It is kind of tricky on party days when you are the teacher but also a mom of a kid in your class, but I so enjoyed getting to be such a big part of this experience.

One of the games was to wrap a partner as a mummy. These are the Addisons, and they are quite the pair, let me tell you! I also got wrapped with all the leftover toilet paper. Fun times... 

More party pics...

About to go trick or treating. About halfway through, Addison yelled, "This is the BEST Halloween EVER!" and Ansley followed with, "Yes ma'am!" Loved it.

And we're back to the school party... crazy app...

Our cutest trick or treater made Patrick especially giddy and nostalgic with his costume.

My spider cookies... loved finding a treat that Ansley could enjoy every bit of!