Book Binge!!

One of the blogs that I love, It’s not all Mary Poppins, is having a Book Binge that sounds like fun for the month of April. You can join in! Just click here and follow the directions!  Then we can all read about other good books to partake in!

The Letter of the Week is C

C is for Clara, of course.  But today, C is mostly for car!  Fun, fun car painting!  I got this idea from OMSI’s Science Playground, which we go to at least three times a month (we’re members), but I’ve only seen this once there. Once was not enough.  Its easy and fun.  No brushes required, and Clara loves it.  

All you need is some paint (I used washable tempera), a couple of little cars (matchbox or others; these were from Dollar Tree), a plate to put the paint on, and some paper.  Roll the cars through the paint, then roll the cars on the paper; repeat.  They make tracks, the paint colors mix, everyone has a joyful painting experience.  

That is until your little toddler decides that the paint tastes good and starts dipping her fingers in it and sucking them off.  How she can eat that stuff, I’ll never know.  Bubble solution, paint, markers, they all taste great to her.  I’ve tried them and they really do not.  Of course, she loves to take her vitamins, too and they taste like blood.  So, its a win/lose situation.  But, that was the end of Clara’s car painting.

Friday Exercise/Diet Check in

Well, I have somewhat given up the workout idea. I know. It didn’t last long. Clara and I are going on awesome walks about once a day, so I’m not completely sedentary and I have been gardening (weeding and digging up my plots) which must be exercise because its zapping a lot of my energy.
I am, however, limiting my food intake to make up for the lack of exercising that I’m doing. I’m trying to eat 1,200 calories or less and I’m really trying to be honest and not cheat. Nap time is hard for me. I really like to sit around and eat bonbons during that time and the kitchen just keeps calling my name. But, I’m persisting in trying and I’m doing pretty well. As I mentioned last week, I’m tracking my caloric intake, exercise, and weight loss on fitday.com. I highly recommend it. It blows my mind how many calories some things (uhhhm… chocolate chips, anyone) have in them. That’s why they’re so yummy, though.

The Letter of the Week is B

Once a week, I have two little girls at my house for the morning as part of an awesome babysitting swap which we are hoping to make into three time a week preschool sometime in the next few months.  I’ve decided that during those times, we are going to explore a letter of the week (and sing songs, read stories, play outside, have snacks, etc.).  Last week was the letter A.  They now know the letter, but my idea of pasting pom poms in the shape of the letter A was a flop.  They had fun trying, though, so that’s what really matters.  There are no pictures of cute little products, though.  

This week, we did the letter B.  After singing the alphabet and reviewing the letter A, we discussed the letter B, what sound it makes, what it looks like, what words start with B.  Then we covered some letter B’s with bubbles!!  I cut some bubble wrap that was left over from Christmas into small squares, got out some giant ink pads, and they went to town.  They loved it!  They stamped the paper, the table, their faces, but it mostly went well and was a lot less messy than paint (not that I shy away from that).  And now they know the letter B (well, mostly).  I’ll try to post the letter of the week and our activity when they turn out well, and sometimes when they don’t.  If you try any of these activities, let me know how they turn out for you!

Bock, bock, bock, bock, chickens?!?

For the past three or four years, I have harbored a secret (okay, maybe not so secret) desire to have my own flock of chickens.  They could eat my dreaded slugs and bugs.   I could feed them scraps from the kitchen.  They could lay me eggs which I would bake into all kinds of yummy breads and cookies.  They could wander the yard while I garden and cluck pleasantly.  Oh, I know that it is somewhat ironic that I would have chickens in my backyard whilst not eating eggs myself.  But Adam eats eggs and I cook with eggs, so its not totally weird. 

I am fully considering taking the plunge this spring.  But of course I have to decide soon so I can get myself some little chicks!  But what kind?  How much would they cost to maintain?  What kind of care and cleaning am I taking about?  I’ve been trying to research such things and I’m learning a lot.  But is it worth it?  Will I really enjoy it?  Can I build a coop?  Where would I put it?  Will they like Clara?  What would I do with them on vacations?  How much work are they really??!!

What do you guys think of this cock-a-maime idea?  Should I do it?