Art Week

Last week we decided to celebrate art in all its forms (or at least as many forms as we could cover in four days!) I only had the budget to work with what I had in my own home, but if you have a little extra cash to spare and want to try this out yourself, I would suggest getting your children out to museums, art shows, concerts, and dance recitals. But alas, here is a little of what we managed to do:

Monday: Dancing 

On Monday I set up the Wii and me and the girls played Just Dance for an hour! It was exhausting, hilarious, and tons of fun!

Tuesday: Music

On Tuesday I busted out the ukulele and maracas and me and the girls went to town playing and singing songs. I love the picture of Lily on the left shakin' it like nobody's business! So funny!

Wednesday: Painting

 On Wednesday I brought out the paints and let the girls brush and stamp to their little hearts' content.

Most of the paint ended up on Lily's hands and face but she had a blast putting it there! Brooklyn was much more meticulous then her younger sister and made sure to carefully wipe up every misplaced smudge. Its so funny how very different they are. :)

Thursday: Sculpting

On Thursday we practiced our sculpting skills. Brooklyn started recreating Stonehenge while Lily stacked the clay blocks. Eventually I had to sculpt her a little kitty to get her to understand the concept, and before I knew it, both girls had little clay kitties and had turned "sculpting time" into make believe time.

Friday: Mom's Day

On Friday I decided to finish off our upstairs bathroom. When me moved in, it was not only filthy, but it had a very "special" hunting shower curtain that the previous renters left behind as well as a remarkably yellow tub/toilet/sink combo.

Anyway, when I first moved in my only goals were to get rid of the nasty curtain and find a way to hide the mustard color. I tried a lot of different contrasting and complementary colors but nothing looked right. So finally I decided to celebrate the yellow with more bright colors. I found the shower curtain, rug, hand towel, and towels at Target and purchased them (with the help of my awesome mother-in-law). Then I found some old frames hiding in our storage, painted them, and then created some art in Photoshop to round the whole thing out. The entire bathroom makeover cost me a total of $20 dollars out of pocket and I think it turned out pretty cute!

Magnificent Mommies Week!

In preparation for Mother's Day, me and the girls spent all last week learning about different kinds of moms! Here is a little of what we did:

Monday: Mammal Mommies

On Monday we learned about Mammal Mommies. This involved sitting at the computer, learning about mammals, watching a LIVE birth, and coloring pictures of mammal moms. The girls LOVED it and were surprisingly more mature than I was when we watched the baby be born :)

Tuesday: Marsupial Mommies

On Tuesday we learned about marsupial moms, made a Kangaroo mom and baby (complete with toilet paper roll pouches), and had pouch races! The pouch races were hilarious! I just tied a bandana around both the girls' waists, let them pick a stuffed animal to stuff inside, and then we did hopping races and running races whilst trying to keep our "babies" safe in their pouches!


Wednesday: Mommies that lay eggs

On Wednesday we did the Naked Egg Experiment and learned all about how eggs work and what kinds of animals lay eggs. The girls were fascinated by the eggs and REALLY enjoyed busting them open!

Thursday: Bird Mommies

On Thursday we learned about bird moms and then we made a bird house to put outside our dining room window. The bird house turned out pretty crooked with all the extra "help" we got from the girls, but they LOVED it and are very proud of all their hard work.

Friday: Mom's Day

On Friday I began a whole weekend of being spoiled for Mother's Day! I was fed many fantastic meals, got to spend the night with one of my girl friends while Kevin took Brooklyn camping, received many fantastic gifts, and had an incredible time hanging out with my wonderful husband and cute little girlies! Can't wait for more fun to come!

Fun with Friends Week

This week came as a bit of a surprise for me. I had planned a different theme, but after several invites from several AMAZING families to come and play, I decided to let go of the "plan" and find joy in the company of good friends! And because we had so many invitations, I had to switch my "mom day" to Monday so I would actually have time to get things done. Another consequence of all the excitement is a SERIOUS lack of pictures. In fact, I didn't even manage to take any until the week was at an end. But anyway, here is what we did last week:


MONDAY: Mom's Day

Lots and lots of cleaning for me, and lots and lots of TV for my girls!

TUESDAY: Lunch with Rachel

On Tuesday, me and the girls took my good friend Rachel out for her birthday. We went to Pei Wei's and had a blast trying out new food and catching up with each other. The girls especially enjoyed the fortune cookies!

WEDNESDAY: Play date at the Booth's

On Wednesday I brought the girls over to my friend Tiffany's house. Tiffany has two girls about the same age as mine. We let them all loose to play and enjoyed a few wonderful hours of adult conversations while the kiddos let their imaginations run wild!

THURSDAY: Book of Mormon Book club

Last September I set up a Book of Mormon Book club with several of my friends (like a Bible study group). We meet every Thursday at our church to discuss what we studied during the week while our kids run around the nursery room and play. But on this particular occasion, we were lucky enough to go to Nicole's house (one of our awesome members) to have a brunch during our discussion. We all had a WONDERFUL time together and the kids had a blast too. After all, who can resist a room full of "new" toys!

FRIDAY: Sushi and the Motion Explosion

On Friday I went to my friend Stephanie's house, where we had a fantastic sushi lunch while our kids ate macaroni and cheese. We also enjoyed hours of adult conversation while our children played happily in the next room. As the day wore on we were having so much fun we decided to make brownies and then go to the Woodridge Motion Explosion. The kids got to ride a train, drive a bus, hang out in the back of a police car, pet a team of sled dogs, and slide down a giant bouncy slide. It was the perfect ending to an incredible week filled with friends and fun! Can't wait to see what next week will bring!

Phineas and Ferb Challenge Update

 So far the Phineas and Ferb Challenge is going REALLY well at the Hanks Home!

We've spent a LOT of time playing at the different parks around our house, (indoor and outdoor) as well as taking walks around the complex and neighborhood. The girls have even run a few impromptu races around the sidewalk triangle in front of our house!

Brooklyn has also asked to color several times this week and one day she even asked if she could make a puppet show. So, I printed off some farm animals for her to use and she colored, cut, and glued them together all by herself to make Popsicle stick puppets!

One of my favorite requests this week was to go to the library! When we got there, we read a few books together and then gathered a bunch of books and DVD's to bring home.

Then the girls played with the library toys for about an hour before we decided to head home.

It was so much fun watching them build with the Lego's and play with the other kids. Totally a worth while trip. And when we got home they both sat and read by themselves, to each other, and with me for another hour!

During one of Lily's naps this week, Brooklyn and I played with sidewalk chalk on our front porch.We got to practice drawing all sorts of fun things together and really enjoyed the sunshine at the same time.

Another request this week was to paint pumpkins. I didn't happen to have any laying around so I pulled out some wooden pumpkins on sticks that I had in my craft boxes and we got to work.

Daddy helped the girls paint their pumpkins and when they were all dry, everyone got to draw a face for their wooden jack-o-lantern.

Then, when the pumpkins where completely finished, the girls wanted to plant them outside. So... we stuck them in some old flower planters for everyone to enjoy.

And last to report, last night Brooklyn asked if she could find a buried treasure. Her dad gathered some pocket change and buried it in the garden for her to find. She dug around until she found it and then buried it again and re-found it over and over until her fingernails were black with dirt and she was all worn out.

Anyway, that is how our week has been going so far. We've really had a lot of fun and hope to continue having more fun for the rest of the week. What kind of things have you done with your children during the Phineas and Ferb Challenge? We would love to hear about all your adventures!

Outdoor Adventures: Bubbles by Erin Uda

The other day I caught my 8 year old son making bubbles out of hand soap, water, and a Lego and immediately knew what my post was going to focus on this week – bubbles!

For a small child, bubbles are magic. Everything about them is a mystery. Even when kids begin to understand how bubbles work, they only seem cooler. So put on some old clothes, grab some soapy water, and let’s get outside.


Start by blowing some store-bought bubbles and letting the children pop them. Talk about the bubbles as you pop them together. Look at the swirling patterns. Ask your child what she thinks causes the swirls. If you like, you can try explaining the real reason, but there’s nothing wrong with a sweet ‘maybe so’ once your child has explained her theory.

Once your children get bored, show them how to combine soap and water to create your own bubble mix. Bring out an assortment of homemade or found bubble wands and encourage the children to make as many shapes and sizes of bubbles as they can. Again, talk about what you’re doing. Ask questions if necessary and get a conversation going.

Now break out your big guns: the huge bubble makers. I’ve seen some enormous bubble wands on TV, but I’d settle for the 1-foot bubble wands you can find in a local dollar store. Make as many as they can pop and enjoy their childish giggles and squeaks as they soak it all in – literally.

Some fun ways to enjoy the bubbles without bumping into each other:

• Have the children lie on their back and blow the bubbles over them. The rule is they have to stay as still as a statue. The bubbles will fall and pop all over them, causing squeals of delight all around.
• If your children are too tiny to enjoy the anticipation of the previous activity, try spinning in a circle as you blow the bubbles, or walking backwards. This spreads them out and makes your child have to work to pop them. It should also make it easier if you have multiple children on bubble patrol; you don’t want them falling all over each other.
• Stand the children in a line and blow a bunch of bubbles over their heads. Have them blow the bubbles up into the air. See who can keep the most bubbles above their head before they pop.
• Try catching a bubble on your finger.

Suggested Reading:

• Bubble Bubble, Mercer Mayer (P Mayer; ISBN: 9781577683483)
• Bubble Trouble, Margaret Mahy (P Mahy; ISBN: 9780547074214)
• How to Make Monstrous, Huge, Unbelievably Big Bubbles (Klutz), David Stein (ISBN: 9781570542572)
• Bubble Bath Pirates, Jarrett J. Krosoczka (P Krosoczka; ISBN: 9780670035991)
• The Bubble Gum Kid, Stu Smith (P Smith; ISBN: 9780762420469)

The Benefits of a Play Group

I'll be perfectly honest with you... I used to be one of those "critics" who thought that the only reason women put together play groups was so they could showcase their perfect children who never have boogers on their faces, breakfast on their clothing, bad manners, or bad hair days. Obviously, I wouldn't quite fit in. :)

It wasn't until recently, when a friend of mine started a playgroup for the ladies that I go to church with, that I decided to give it a real try. Tiffany (the lady who runs the group) does a great job making sure the activities are either free or very inexpensive, and she also makes sure to switch up the location so no one's house gets overwhelmed with hordes of hyper active children for too long.

Anyway, today's activity was a FREE story time and craft activity at Lyman Woods and I decided it would be nice to get the girls out of the house. So, we went. About half way through the activity, it finally dawned on me... Women don't go to play group to show off their kids, they go to get a break! Not necessarily from their kids, but from their preschool oriented lives. It gives them the opportunity to turn off Dora the Explorer, or zone out their 3-year-old's chatter, and have some real adult conversation with other ladies who live the same life they do! And once you've spent 2 straight hours listening to your 3 year old explain why ballerinas and race cars don't mix, or trying to explain to your husband what you did all day, adult conversation with women who relate to you can be a VERY welcome thing!

Another great benefit of playgroups... your children get to learn knew things in a new environment. Today, Brooklyn and Lily sang songs and read books about salamanders!

They also got to see bees busy at work on their honeycomb...

and color and glue on a surface other than my kitchen table, saving me time on cleanup, and money on supplies!

All the kids who showed up even got to see nature face to face at the turtle tank...

and in the end, they got to bring home their very own salamander-on-a-stick! How very clever!

The point is, you can never really underestimate the benefits of socializing yourself and your children. I feel like I caught a fresh breath of air and a second wind, and I guarantee I won't have to talk my husband's ears off as bad as I usually do when he gets home. Also, my kids had a blast, went down for naps SUPER easy, learned new things, made new friends, and got to shake off their cabin fever! So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, my inner critic has been shuffled away and I am a believer.

Oh, and as an afterthought, if you don't have a local playgroup you can join, you should definitely consider putting one together yourself. It doesn't have to be a big deal or even every week. You could try a once a month thing if you wanted, or something with just one other mom. Really... something is better than nothing!