P Day - The Biggest Letter Day EVER!

We had so much stuff for P Day, we weren't able to smash it all into one day. We tried, but there was just no way! So cancel all your appointments, this is going to take a while!

P Day 1

D and I spent our not-so-lazy Sunday at Mom & Bob's house and brought all of our P Day stuff with us. Boy, we were busy! I think my parents were really excited to be a part of our huge letter day.

As soon as we got there, Pa had Phineas & Ferb tattoos to apply. Dylan got a Perry tattoo for P Day. He and Pa have been doing tattoos quite a bit lately and they are getting to be pros. And I'm sure Bob likes showing off his Phineas & Ferb tattoos to all the guys at work!

Whlie his tattoo was drying he decided it was time to eat. It was a day of P food! He snacked on some peanuts while Nonny made him a giant pancake!

He ate the entire pancake. And he definitely didn't want to share any of it with Lili the cat. I know it looks like D is showing Lili how to count to 4, but he was actually saying, "No, Lili! Stop! Go away!"

Ahoy! Next up was pirate time! We both put bandannas on and got out the pirate stuff. We forgot to grab his big sword from Matt & Jenn, but we brought his inflatable one from his first birthday party, and his Jake from my dad and Connie.

It didn't take long before our pirate time turned into a full, blown-out pirate sword fight. I know that it looks like a very unfair fight, but D made me take the big sword and he used Jake's little one.

 

 

We needed a breather after all the running around and laughing, so D and Nonny had some quite time and looked at his Jake & the Never Land Pirates look & find book. They looked  and looked and looked! He loves look & find books. 

After that, D wanted to do stickers with my mom. I don't think he is capable of going to their house and not "doing stickers." So, the two of them searched through all the stickers and found ones with P stuff on them.

There was just enough time before naptime (Yes, that's right - I'm not even to naptime of Day 1 yet!!) for one more P craft. 

Last week, at his Arts & Play Class at the Y, Dylan made a shamrock craft that we made into a pumpkin craft for today. I cut out a yellow pumpkin from construction paper and then cut up an orange sheet. I covered the pumpkin with glue and let him place all the orange pieces. It turned out pretty cute. We gave it to Nonny & Pa once it dried and they displayed it proudly on their fridge!

I had gotten three pumpkin books from the library. So, we snuggled up on D's bed and got reading pre-naptime. My favorite out of the three was How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin by Margaret McNamara.

When D woke up from his nap hungry, we filled his tray with P food! We adults had already indulged in a P lunch of Clints Pizza (So, we were happy!). Dylan had peanuts, pickles, pizza, peaches, and pudding!

P Day was definitely the easiest one for food. And it was a bunch of stuff that Dylan really likes!

On to another P Craft! It was time to make a pig!

I saw a similar craft online, but it was a plain plastic bottle with pink paper wrapped around the middle. I thought it would be much cuter if we painted it!

I squirted some pink paint inside of a clean and dry plastic bottle, put the cap on tight, and let D shake it until the entire inside was coated with pink paint (I used Martha Stewart high gloss paint).

D helped hold the pig still while my mom and I used her hot glue gun to glue a white pipe cleaner for the tail, pink paper ears, and squishy ear plugs for feet (the feet were my mom's brilliant idea - awesome!). I drew eyes, snout, and mouth with a Sharpie.

I think the pig ended up being the hit of the day. Although, I'm not sure that Dylan was as excited as the adults were. In my modest opinion, the pig is awesome!

After some pig play time, we got back to work! I had an actual worksheet for today along with all these crazy crafts. I printed off the Confessions of a Homeschooler letter search for P. 

Then, we made a pizza for Daddy. I had cut out some red circles and black mushroom shapes. Pepperoni and mushroom just happens to be Josh's favorite. So I asked D to make a really yummy pizza for Daddy. We glued all the pieces on and then took a pretend taste test. Hope you don't mind that we already had a bite, Babe!

While searching through his massive amount of books, Nonny and D found a picture of a beautiful peacock and a book about penguins!

By the time dinner rolled around D asked my mom if she would make some Mac & Cheese for him. Apparently  P Day was a little too much to handle because he started to fall asleep while chowing down.

I manged to get a second wind into him by pushing up bath time. By the time we got home, D was in his PJs and starting to get sleepy again. I put on Happy Feet (about penguins) and we snuggled up on the couch. Needless to say, he didn't make it to the end of the movie.

P Day 2
We didn't need a second day of P, but I had so many fun things to do, that I just couldn't stop myself. Day 2 wasn't nearly as full of letter stuff as Day 1.

We read Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear by Eric Carle (I know I've mentioned it before, but Dylan absolutely loves Eric Carle books) and then we made our own Polar Bear.

Okay, so I know that this is a pathetic attempt at a Polar Bear, but it was an easy craft that D could do all by himself. I drew a (poor version of a) Polar Bear, covered the paper plate in glue and let him stick cotton balls to it. Voila, craft accomplished.

For dinner, Dylan had Phineas & Ferb chicken noodle soup with Perry shapes. Perry, obviously, had to join us at the dinner table and check out D's food.

[Side note: for those of you who don't have kids or who haven't yet discovered Phineas & Ferb...you are missing out. It's pretty awesome. Just ask, well, almost anyone who has seen it!]

After dinner we were in a Perry mood. So we pulled out D's Phineas & Ferb look & find book and got a little assistance from Perry. We also watched the newest episode stored on the DVR while we were at it.

Before finishing our day with popcorn and the original Disney animated Peter Pan, we did one last P activity. I had some tri-colored pasta and had him separate it by color. He also spent some time pretending to chow down on the uncooked pasta.

I can't believe we are finally done with P stuff. I also can't believe that you made it through this entire entry! Whew! I think we may pick a less busy letter for tomorrow.

The Slutty Baseball Bat?

Halloween 2012. I had been looking forward to last night for quite a while. Not only did I finally get to attended the best Halloween block party in Moline, but Dylan is now old enough that he can grasp the idea of Halloween. Of course, that caused me a little trouble too! Let me rewind a bit…

The Moline Parks department had a Trick-or-Treating event at Prospect Park a couple weeks ago. So, my mom and I thought we’d take D for a practice run. This year, Dylan was Jake (from Jake and the Never Land Pirates). We can’t seem to escape Jake! We seem to tackle Jake once a year. Last year, it was his 1st birthday party, this year it was Halloween. It does really help that D is really cute when he says, “Ahoy mateys!” 

It's Jake! Oh, I mean, Dylan!

He was getting the hang of “Tick o Teat!” and “Tank you!” I think it helped that Mommy ad Nonny seemed to know all the people giving away candy – thank you, Music Guild. He did great and for the next couple weeks, we talked about Halloween and how he was going to dress up as Jake again.

The night before Halloween, Dylan was getting ready for bed at Pa & Nonny’s house (Mommy was lucky enough to be starting her Halloween off with a bang by going to the Rocky Horror Picture Show with some friends so D was having a sleepover - win/win for all!). 

Monkey Pa

Bob brought out his Halloween mask so Dylan could start to get used to it. Side note: Bob has been the same thing for Halloween for as long as I can remember. Some people (Like the May’s granddaughter) call him “Monkey Man” and Dylan started to call him “Monkey Pa.” We were a little worried that D would be scared of the mask, so we were trying to get him acclimated and show him that it wasn't scary.

Nonny told him that she was going to be a witch. I, on the other hand, hadn’t really planned on dressing up. But Dylan started listing off Halloween costumes, “Din-in be a Jake, Pa be a monkey, Nonny be a witch, and Mommy be... a bat!!”  Ummm, what? Now I have to be a bat? And Dylan was adamant about it! He said it about 8 more times that night and 2 the next morning.  So, now it was Halloween day and I, apparently, had to scrounge up a bat costume.

I told a few of my friends about how I had to scramble to get a last-minute costume. By the way, I have some really creative friends! I got some great homemade bat ideas and two of them suggested I twist Dylan’s idea and go as a baseball bat. My friends are awesome. I did think about looking for a Batgirl costume, but that was quickly shut down. There is a lack of non-slutty Batgirl costumes. Yes, I know that girls can make almost any costume into an excuse to show some skin. But not only was it frickin’ cold out there, but I was taking a 2-yr old trick-or-treating, spending the evening with my parents and all their neighbors, and my husband is on the other side of the planet…it was a no-go for the slut factor!

Just smile & nod and say I look like a bat. Please.

I managed to find a reaper robe thing that I cut up into a shirt (the arms looked a bit like wings) and bought a face mask. After I threw the outfit together I came out of my room and asked Dylan, “Does Mommy look like a bat?” His reply was a whispered, “Wowww! A bat!” I don’t really think I looked like a bat, but if the kid bought it, I claim success.

After making the rounds to Dylan’s great-grandparents (yes, we went to 3 homes in an hour and a half), we headed to my parents’ neighborhood. 

I am sure that very few people are aware of this, but my parents’ turnaround is the best place to be on Halloween! The neighborhood started this tradition a few years back and I had been looking forward to finally being able to go. If you've been to my parents’ house, you know that they live on the last street in the neighborhood and it has only one streetlight. Therefore, most parents will get to the top of the street, look down towards the turnaround and think, “Nope! Not going down there!” So after years of giving out candy to hardly any kids, everyone decided to just throw a block party and make up for the lack of kids with lots of food and adult beverages.

It doesn't hurt that my parents live next to the best martini-maker I know, who happens to travel with a mobile bar! After a few blocks of Trick-or-Treating I was more than ready to join the party!

The mobile work station for my favorite Martini Man

I wasn't the only non-resident at the party. One of my favorite girls came over to join the fun!

Ani & Erin

And Uncle Mike & Aunt Liz made a repeat appearance.

Ani & Uncle Mike

It was a great Halloween. The only downside is how cold it gets! 

Construction worker D telling Aunt Liz about his sword

But there was coffee & Bailey’s and there was a firepit in the middle of the turnaround.  But as I kept adding layers to both Dylan and myself, our costumes started to transform. Once I put Dylan’s orange Halloween hat on from Meme Gisele, he started to look like a construction worker…with a sword. And I ended up being a girl with lots of layers on wearing a black mask. Maybe I should have gone with “sexy baseball bat?” Oh well, there’s always next year.

Josh’s Farewell Party

I thought I’d use Memorial Day to write about Josh’s Going Away Party. Saturday, May 19 was the big day to celebrate my amazing husband. It wasn't to celebrate the fact that he was leaving. It was to celebrate the fact that he is serving our country, the sacrifice he is making, and to let him know how much he is appreciated and loved by family and friends.

Me & My Man

Some of Josh’s family was able to make the trip to Moline. His Mom, Dad, Sister Michelle, and Uncle Bud traveled to Illinois to show their support. I was so grateful that they were here. My Dad and Step-mom also came from Colorado for the party. It really meant a lot that these people traveled all this way for Josh’s send-off.

It was an all-American party, from the Coast Guard service-member to the décor! Fun note: the signs on the drink coolers were labeled VETERANS (Adult Beverages), ENLISTED (Soda), and RECRUITS (Water). I’m telling you, when I pick a theme, I stick with it!

We had so much food! There was enough to last all day with plenty leftover! My Dad was the grill master with the hot dogs, and I had lots of help with the food from my Mom and Grandmas. We even had a teamworking cookie machine the day before the party. Josh made the batter and then the cookies were baked by Cindy, Michelle, and Connie.

Speaking of cookies…

Cookie Bar

Josh isn’t much of a cake man so we decided to have a cookie bar for dessert. My grandma even made a huge batch of her chocolate chip cookies that she always makes for Josh. And we ordered a giant cookie instead of a cake.

It was quite the turnout. So many people came to show support for my man. I was so proud. He even got some special drinks and a cigar from some of the guests. Sometimes he is a little too humble to be the man of the hour, but he certainly deserved it this time.

I was happy to have several of my friends there to show support. Jon, Colleen, Erin, Tricia, and Breanne all came. I know that handful of friends are going to be the ones who are going to be here keeping me occupied over the next year. I’m really lucky to have their care and support.

Breanne, Colleen, Anika, and Tricia

Colleen and I shared a couple awesome moments. She had all her kids with that day and our children were bonding like crazy. While we were watching Dylan push Tyler around on one of his toys Josh came up behind us and said, “You two have been waiting for this moment for about 15 years, haven’t you?” Yes, yes we have.

Dylan & Tyler

Dylan also had a quiet moment with Kiley that I was really excited to catch with my camera.

Kiley & Dylan

Dylan had way too much fun at the party. I'm sure he thought the party was for him. There ended up being a lot of kids there.

He was also getting awfully spoiled by Poppy (my dad). He took Dylan for a walk across the street and bought him an ice cream cone! Good thing he was still in his swim gear because I think he got more ice cream on this clothes than he did in his mouth.

Dylan may have thought the party was for him, but Josh was obviously the man of the hour. I think he told the same stories more than a dozen times. When he was leaving, where he was going, about the kind of ship he'll be on. I even saw him with his phone out at one point, showing a map of where to find Bahrain.

Talking to B-ry

Overall, I think the party was quite a success. The kids seemed to love the Kids Zone in the back yard and it looked like the adults had fun too. So many people came to support Josh and wish him good luck. It was a great send-off. Josh even got support from California - Bryan called that evening.

I need to thank my Mom for weeks of help leading up to the party. She was there for me the whole time and I couldn't have gotten the party together without her and Bob. And a big thank you to everyone else who helped make the party such a success.

Anika: Wife, Mother, Party Planner :)

On Memorial Day today, I'm thinking even more of my amazing husband and all our friends who have or still are serving. That small percentage of our Country's population deserves more than a few special days a year when everyone remembers the huge sacrifices they are making (or have made).

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." ~Elmer Davis

Happy Memorial Day!

Bumper Bowling

One of the things I really wanted to do while Josh was here was to take Dylan bowling for the first time. We went to Sam’s on an afternoon. The place was deserted, which was pretty nice for us. As soon as we got there and Dylan saw all the open space, he wanted to run around. He was not happy with me not putting him down while we got our shoes and tried to get organized. I’m sure the guy working the counter was thinking, “oh great, these people brought a crier in here and it’s going to be awful!”

But everything calmed down once our shoes were on and the search was on for the perfect ball. We got Dylan the lightest one we could find (the 8 pounder) and headed back to our two lanes. The guy gave us two side-by-side. One with bumpers (for Dylan) and a regular one (for us).

Dylan helped Daddy put our names on the board while I tried to get the camera out, because we all know how photo obsessed I am! Dylan had no idea what was about to happen, but he knew it looked exciting.

Josh stood with Dylan and had me bowl once to show him what he was supposed to do. Then it was his turn. Josh carried the ball up to the line for him and Dylan followed. Only, I think he was trying to walk up all fancy like I did. What a ham! I can't tell you how happy I am that I got this little movie of his very first attempt at bowling!

We took turns bowling and helping Dylan. He had such a great time. We got him two 8lb balls so that we never had to wait for his ball to travel back up. I think it's a little much for a 1.5 year old to understand why he has to wait for his one ball.

His were the two on the left in the photo. I think he also liked how brightly colored they were.

But he also shared the spotlight. He wanted us to take our turns. When Dylan wanted one of us to take a turn he pointed to our bowling ball - yes, he figured out which one was Mommy's and which one was Daddy's. Then he'd either sit down on the floor or stand there patiently and watch. And he really liked cheering us on.

My parents showed up about halfway through to see Dylan's first time bowling. Dylan really started to show off once they were there (He gets like that when Grandma & Grandpa show up). We got through one whole game for Dylan and were almost done with our game when he hit his limit.

"Go, ball, go!"

In true toddler form, he started to throw a bit of a fit once he decided that he was finished bowling. Grandpa Bob saved the day and took him for a walk. Josh and I finished up our game and turned in our shoes. When the three of us went to find Grandpa & Dylan, we ended up finding them playing the race car game. Dylan was in charge of shifting and Grandpa was steering. I think they make a good team - even if they didn't come anywhere close to winning the race.

My parents took off for home, and Josh, Dylan and I finished our bowling experience with a stop at Clints for pizza. It was an AWESOME afternoon.