Wordless Wednesday

Random summer pics.

How Caroline Does Food

With Wheeler, I made all of his baby food, except for the prunes.   I made it because I wanted to, not because I felt like commercially made food was bad or anything.  I enjoyed coming up with new combinations for him.  In the beginning, I think he had a huge repertoire of foods he would eat, I don't know what happened, though.  Now, it's not that there are foods he doesn't like, I call him a moody eater (unlike his father, who is a picky eater!)  Luckily he is at the point that he will try pretty much everything I ask him to try.

I planned on making Caroline's baby food all along, as well.  Life is getting in the way.  I kept saying "oh when school is out, she will be six months old, I will have moe time."  Ha!  Have you been following along this summer?  I have crammed this summer with so many fun activities, there has been no time for making food.  We have improvised.

Back in June, we started with avocado.

She wasn't sure about it at first.  I mashed up a little bit for her.

Brother got in on the action.

About five minutes after she finished eating, it ALL came back up.  We waited a couple of days and tried again, only this time, I just chunked it really small.

I put it on her tray, she played with it, but didn't try to put any in her mouth.  I used a spoon and my finger to give her some.  I was surprised at how she immediately began to gum it she she did so well mashing it with her gums.  She loved it.

A few days later I cooked carrot and cut it into tiny pieces.  I figured since it worked so well with the avocado that we might as well try other foods.

Carrots were a hit as well.  Next was applesauce.  I don't make it.  I have made it, and it was delish, but for the money and time, I don't make it.

She loves her applesauce.  But now that I put some oatmeal in it, she loves it even more!

I decided a couple of weeks ago that it was time to introduce the prunes.  We need the regularity, if you know what I mean.  Again, she loves them. 

In fact, I've yet to give her anything that she doesn't love.  So far she's had peaches and sweet potato, in tiny chunks, and peas, as well as all of the above.  We've been putting oatmeal in the applesauce and prunes for a little extra texture.  She will now pick up the pieces, and at least aim for her mouth.  She only hits her mouth about a third of the time.

I've tried not to stress.  We've been having so much fun this summer that I have needed this to be easy.  I am trying to decide what to do about food when school starts back next month.  She won't be in full time care, but I want it to be easy on the sitter we are lining up for Mondays and Fridays.  I have the ice cube trays and steamer ready to go if the urge to make and freeze some food hits me.

I'm so glad she has not been a picky eater.  So far.

Favorite Pins Friday

         

I'm linking up with Cara Carroll at The First Grade Parade again for Favorite Pins Friday.

First, the family loves this spaghettin bread from Rhodes Bake n Serve Blog.  It's really good, easy, and makes a ton!!!

Another one from the blog Smashed Peas and Carrots I love is these no bake energy bites.  This one has been around a while, but they are oh so good!

                                        

     

I've been having fun with this site!  Customize your dream home!  A girl can daydream, right!

My mom is extremely crafty and talented, so I am all the time pinning things for her such as this cute lunch sack I know she could make.

She has an etsy store with adorable items called Scraplady Creations.

And I REALLY want this for next year

That's what I've been pinning.

Bucket List Update

Well, summer is in full swing, and we are checking things off our Bucket List weekly.  Here's an update!

We didn't get any pictures at VBS but he went at the beginning of June and had a ball!  He's still singing some of the songs he learned.

A few weeks ago we went to the park and made a new friend (checking two off at once!)  E will be in K with Wheeler this year.  His mom and I teach together and thought it would be nice to get the boys together this summer.  We hope to do more with them before school starts next month.

We have gone strawberry and blackberry picking so far this summer with the cousins.  After strawberry picking we hit the park for a picnic.

Caroline has been a good sport!

At the park.

Surprisingly we found a lot of ripe blackberries.  To look at the bush they weren't ready.

We decided not to get Dollywood passes this year, but went during Sevier County days.

LOVE this pic.  He's so happy!

Game night!  I didn't get too many pics last month but we have another coming up next week.

We went to see Monsters University this week.  It was the first time Wheeler had been to the movies.  He loved it!

Swimming at Aunt Kelli's.  We've been a couple of times already.  Wheeler is around the pool like a fish and Caroline seems to love the water.

And this wasn't on our Bucket List, but I had the opportunity to teach summer school at the last minute and we had a Pre-K class.  Wheeler was able to attend.  He learned about the school, met several of the teachers, had lunch in the cafeteria, and learned some general rules along with having fun and meeting other upcoming Kindergarteners.  This is how the ride home went most days!!!

yes, we have a long commute so he decided to keep a pillow and blanket in the backseat!

We have more Bucket List activities planned and not much summer left!!

Favorite Pins Link Up

I've decided to try a link up with Cara at The First Grade Parade for a Pinterest link up.  I've actually been slacking on pinning things a little lately, but I've been doing/making/baking some pins lately.

Baby Food

With Wheeler I made all of his baby food (except for the prunes.) I am doing the same with Caroline, only a bit different.  We held off until right at 6 months to start solids.  I mashed her avocado the first night, and since then, I've just been cutting everything into tiny chunks and she does GREAT!  Since school will be starting next month and I will have to send food to the sitter on Mondays and Fridays, I figured it was time to look into some other things....mixed foods, etc for her.  One website I am looking at is The Fitnessista 

Lunch

Wheeler starts Kindergarten and I've been looking into some healthy lunch ideas

Yummy Lunchbox Ideas

The Bib Hook

OMWord!  I put one of these on the back of the baby's chair that the high chair is on.  Lifesaver!  Now I'm not always running to her room for a bib.  The idea came from IHeartOrganizing.

The Bossy R Triplets

Can't wait to use this from Jodi Southard this year in the classroom. Her blog is Fun In First Grade.

Today's Number

Loving this idea for math this year.  Not sure if this is where it originated, but I followed the pin back to Shoopdedoop.

There you have it. five pins I'm digging!

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Happy 4th

Don't forget to take some time out today to remember it's not just a holiday to be on the water, by the pool, or grilling out.  If it weren't for so many people hundreds of years ago we wouldn't live in this great country.

Yum

If it weren't for so many brave men and women who serve, we wouldn't have the freedoms we have.

Remember to pray for our country, our leaders, and our military.

Watching the fireworks last year.

Happy 4th of July

Random Thoughts

Listening to Wheeler on Monday as he played by himself (which is a rarity, the boy DOES NOT like to play by himself,)  I REALLY listened.  He is so peculiar.  Having never been an almost 5 year old boy myself, I wondered, do all little boys play like this, talk to themselves like this?  He was playing with a mixture of army men, aliens, space ships, astronauts, and dinosaurs (gotta love his imagination!)  They were all in space, somewhere.  Everything seemed fine and cheerful, and then came the "your head is blasted off!"  "Take that, you bad guys!" "Off with your heads!"  "Ohh, here you are my pretty."  He had engrossed himself into a little story line with them, and I loved it, but I wondered why all the violence.  We try to keep him away from violent things on TV and in movies, but man, it's hard! Violence is everywhere.

We have let him watch the original Star Wars, and while I'm not a Star Wars fan, at all!, they aren't as violent as a lot of cartoons these days.  I really miss the days of Smurfs (well, Gargamel was trying to get all the Smurfs, would that have been considered bad in our day) Tom and Jerry (although if you really watch, Tom is forever trying to get Jerry, was that bad?) and Bugs Bunny (oh, wait, Elmer Fudd was after that "wascally wabbitt! with his gun.)  Why is it that what was actually violence back then, is considered classic now and we think it wasn't so bad?  Sure, the gore factor wasn't there.  Is it that since I watched those cartoons as kids I don't think it's bad?  (Actually, we've pulled Tom and Jerry from the cartoon list for now.)

I don't have any answers to my questions necessarily.  Just thinking through the keyboard.

I guess what it boils down to is that it is MY JOB to expose my children and explain things to them the way I want.  I can't let mainstream society teach them that violence is the norm, but I can't shield them from it, either (that bubble isn't big enough for the four of us! LOL)

Ok, so I know this isn't my normal type of post full of pictures, but it's just what's been running through this jumbled brain of mine.