Fun with Fruit!

Here are some creative ways that I have seen in magazines and on other sites to help kids eat their fruit. Joshua, so far still loves fruit, so I really don't have that problem, but it is still fun to be creative with what he eats to change it up a little.



Fruit on A Stick:

Use kabob sticks and layer any fruit of your choice on the stick. You can find these kabob sticks at your local grocery store. I put Joshua's favorite fruit on the sticks and he loved it! Dan and I even like it as a quick snack to grab on the run.

Frozen Yogurt Popsicles:

Any fresh or frozen fruit or flavored yogurt(yoplait, dannon, etc.) will work. I used leftover frozen blueberries for the recent Popsicles I made. All measurements are approximate to taste. You are the best judge. After you blend the yogurt, fruit and a little bit of milk or soy milk, you want it to be the consistency of a smoothie. Just pour the "smoothie"mixture into plastic Popsicle containers(you can find these at Target, WalMart or the grocery store). Put in the freezer for a few hours and then enjoy. This is a great healthy alternative to regular Popsicles and you can have fun and have the kids help as well. Great for hot summer days!!

Frozen Grapes:

Any seedless grapes of your choosing. Put them in a plastic freezer bag and into the freezer and eat them as a nice frozen treat or plop some into a glass of water for a nice refreshing cool beverage.

All these ideas I have tried and have been successful with Joshua and Dan and I even enjoy them. The best part about these ideas is that you can create them your way and they are all kid friendly and a fun way to get your kids to eat fruit and involve them in the kitchen.

WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD!!

"Birthday Cake to Me"

Joshua has been going around the house lately and singing, "Birthday To Me, Birthday Cake to Me". I know he is trying to sing "Happy Birthday", but I am pretty sure it is a bit early for that. I think it might have something to do with his friends at school. Alot of them have birthdays in the spring and summer, so I guess they have been singing alot of the "Happy Birthday" song and having a treat as well. Yesterday while at the store, Joshua asked me if he could have birthday cake. I tried to explain to him that it was not his birthday, but that did not fly with him at all! I thought about it for a minute and decided that this is actually the first time that he has shown interest in something in the kitchen, so I decided that we would make cupcakes just because. So I let Joshua pick out the cake mix and the frosting, and he picked out confetti white cake mix and pink icing! This was a long thought out process, seriously we were on the baking isle for like 5 mins. It was fun though. He then thought he could have them right then, so that was a whole other explanation about how we had to bake them. Come to find out, two year olds could care less about the process, all they know is they want it and want it now....who knew(wink)?!?! I told Joshua that he could help me make them after he woke up from his nap, so after he woke up we proceeded to make "birthday cake to me" cupcakes and it went a little something like this:

Oh the memories that were made during this. I loved it! It was the first time Joshua has ever wanted to help in the kitchen. I have tried numerous times before but nothing until yesterday! He had such a great time mixing, pouring and watching the cupcakes bake in the oven. He enjoyed getting to "ice" his cupcake and adding the sprinkles. It was funny, because he licked the sprinkles off the icing of the cupcake and then just ate a couple of bites and was done. I thought he would eat the whole thing, but he isn't big on sweets, so that is probably why. What a fun experience and memory this was for both of us.

P.S. Since there were 24 cupcakes that were made, we decided to have a lesson in sharing as well, and we decided to share some with my office and give one to each of Joshua's teachers! We kept a couple for ourselves as well.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

A few weeks ago Dan had mentioned to me that he would like to take Joshua to a Round Rock Express Game, for his first baseball game. I thought that was a great idea, so on Saturday we took Joshua to his very first minor league baseball game. We think he enjoyed it! Uncle Chad was even able to come with us and share in Joshua's first baseball game. Joshua was interested in the players warming up, but not so much the game itself. He did get to experience the perks of being at a ballpark. He got to eat popcorn, a red sno cone, and even had a couple bites of nachos! He was in ballpark heaven! He would get bored and start counting the numbers on the seats and the players out in the field. He loved when they played music between innings! He would dance and dance!!! At one point he saw the mascot, which is a dog dressed as a conductor(odd, I know!) and wanted it to come over so he can give it a kiss and hug. The game actually lasted 13 innings, but we only stayed until the 11th. I kept thinking Joshua would fall asleep during the game, but he actually stayed awake and hung in there until we left(maybe it was the sno cone he ate....lol). We all had a wonderful time and it was a great evening for baseball!!! Below are pictures of our night!

Mom, please, I am trying to enjoy the game and my sno cone!!

Watching the team warm up

Trying to get a nice picture of the family at the game, but instead I get a picture of Joshua stuffing his face with popcorn!

At the game! (As you can see it was not sold out!)

KinderTots

I have been looking to find a tumbling/movement type class for Joshua to be a part of for a while now. The places like Gymboree and My Gym are just way too expensive, so when I was signing Joshua up for swim lessons, I browsed at the other classes that the recreation center offers and came across a class called KinderTots. The description seemed to fit exactly what I was looking for and the price was very reasonable, so I signed Joshua up. The class runs for 5 Thursdays and is from 530 to 600 in the evening. I am never sure how Joshua is going to respond in these situations, but our first class was last Thursday and he LOVED it! They basically do a lot of dancing, tumbling and other fun moves. This class is small(just 5 kids and 1 teacher) and is just for 2 year olds! Tonight, was his second class and Dan was able to join us for this one and he got to see how much Joshua enjoys the class and was able to take some pictures. Joshua walked into the class tonight like he owned the place and was very cooperative and listened to the instructor. When the music would stop, Joshua would say, "shh, listen, what next?" he would also tell the other kids in the class "good job!" after they finished their jumps or dance moves. I wish this class was more than just 5 classes. Our city recreation center has a lot to offer little ones, so I know I will be able to find other fun classes in the future. This class is perfect for him and it helps him get his "wiggles" out! It makes me smile to see him having such a great time!

Ready for KinderTots!

March, march, march!

Loving the parachute activity!

Helping make waves with the parachute!

Jumping on the number bubbles!

Parachute was his favorite!

Yes, that is my son in the center of the circle...showing them how the "teapot" is done!

The instructor said that while it is meant for the toddler's themselves, it always turns into a "mommy and me" class, because the little ones are so shy! Obviously, not my kid! I don't mind it, because it is a great way to get in a 30 minute workout!

Holy Tantrums Batman!!

This little angelic face can go from smiling....

...to face frowning, legs kicking, arms frailing, screaming uncontrollably in seconds.

This puzzles me so. I am not kidding when I say seconds! Everything can be perfectly normal and happy and then we do or say one thing that doesn't work for Joshua and the tantrums begin! It is very frustrating as a parent to try and figure out why they are throwing these tantrums and why you as the parent are sometimes the last person they want to comfort them. Joshua is very much an independent kid. He wants to do by himself. He doesn't necessarily have to have it "my way or the highway"(because Dan and I do not cater to that) but he does like to show his form of independence, which is a very good thing. The problem with this new found, head strong, independence is that if we even try to help him he completely melts down! It breaks my heart to see him like this. We are working on ways of expressing our emotions, but man is it tiring. We have had fair shares of watching him flop on the floor like a fish, fall to his knees in public while screaming and much more. This is just another trying moment in the toddler world. It is a battle that will soon go away, but when you see your sweet, little child reacting like a monster, it just breaks your heart. We are learning that with him we need to ask if he wants mommy and daddy's help instead of just helping him out. It does work some of the time. I guess he just feels like he can't do it if we step in and help him out. I am thankful for my strong willed, independent boy and I am also thankful that we have more happy faces than we do tantrums!!

PS: I write this blog for a couple of reasons: 1. To continue to show you that we do have trying moments in our life, it isn't all just about what we did on the weekend or pictures of happy times. We are still living LIFE! and 2. If anybody had any suggestions or ideas on how to help minimize these tantrums, I am all ears.

Getting Older by the Minute!

I thought it might be time for a little Joshua update. It seems like everyday he is discovering something, or saying something new. I love watching Joshua discover and say new things. Sometimes, I get blown away by what he can do and say.

Joshua's stats: Age: 2 1/2 Weight: 30lbs Height: 2ft. 10in. (He definitely has his daddy's metabolism)

Favorite foods: Goldfish, chicken(grilled or in nugget form), broccoli, green beans, cheese sticks, lunchables, apples (whole), grapes, rice, red sugar-free Popsicles, milk and water. These are his go to/must haves. He is still a pretty decent eater. He is starting to be a little picky, but I am still thankful that he hasn't given up on his fruits and veggies.

Favorite Toys: Cars and trucks, piano, his kid laptop, books, balls, and CD player

What is Joshua into these days: Elmo and Blues Clues are his latest, but he is still very much into his water table or anything that has to do with water, swinging and sliding, riding his push cars around. Running around and around the island in the kitchen, playing hide and seek, playing with his tool bench and looking for bugs!

Joshua is using 3 to 4 word sentences most of the time. He is definitely easier to understand and we love the fact that he can tell us what he wants and we can usually get what he is saying the first time around which helps with frustration on both ends. Some examples are Daddy/Mommy, where are you? when he is looking for us. Milo, get down! His most favorite sentence right now is "Wow, look at dat(that)!" He is progressing very well with using his words and combining sentences. It is amazing to hear what he can say and what he remembers. I was asking him about his friends in his class today and he named almost everybody in the class. I was impressed because not all of those kiddos come everyday, so that is impressive to me.

Potty training is not going as well as Dan and I had hoped, but we know that Joshua will eventually come around. He loves everything about the potty, except what it is used for! He will hold it and not go on the potty.

Joshua is all about discovering how something works. He concentrates on everything. I always wonder what his little mind is thinking. Today he kept looking down into the sprinkler to see how in the world that water was coming out so fast and so high. He kept looking up and then looking down. Joshua is a counter! The boy counts all the time. He loves to count everything! He can pretty much count to 20 with only a couple of numbers being skipped. He also loves to sing!

Joshua's favorite songs to sing: Twinkle, twinkle, little star, ABC's, Wheels on the Bus, and Skid-a-ma-rink(msp?)

Joshua is such a little copy cat. He copies anything you do or say! This is where Dan and I have to watch what we say, because for some reason Joshua will repeat the "bad" words over and over again. Not cool!

Joshua loves, loves to give hugs and kisses!! I love that he loves to do that. He will sometimes say, "Mommy/Daddy cheek?" Which means he wants us to bend down so he can kiss our cheek! Melt my heart, love it!! He has such a big heart and is a cuddler(for now)!

Joshua has many silly faces, this one is called I think the weed eater is too LOUD!

Still weed eater is too loud, but maybe if I stick my tongue out...

Discovery, Discovery!

Joshua LOVES red Popsicles!!!!!

Mr. Fix-It! Always ready to help!

Trying to get the pinwheel to work!

Joshua is at a fun age of learning and growing! He is a joy to be around and lives his life to the fullest everyday! This fun age also comes with tantrums and the little magic word, "NO!!" Joshua loves that word, lucky for us he doesn't say it all the time, but sometimes, I think I might just go bonkers, and that Joshua has pushed all my buttons, but I am thankful that there are more days filled with kisses and hugs than "No's" and tantrums!!!

Through the eyes of a Boy...

the world is totally different. For instance, everything has to "crash" and crash loudly! When Joshua plays with his trucks or with other objects they must collide and he says "crash" or "boom". Everything is either fast or flying, no matter what. He could have a cup in his hand and he will say fly cup fly and move it around and around to make it fly. The boy has a great imagination(can't fault him for that).

Boys also do not mind catching minnows, bugs or other creatures. To Joshua these things are fascinating. He spends alot of time looking for bugs(he mostly sees roly polies, and ants, but they are all buggies to him).
Your dog will always be your best friend no matter what. Milo and Joshua are the best of friends. At has been this way since day one, when Milo would lay in front of where ever Joshua was, rather it be his swing, crib, or bouncer, Milo was always right there to protect. Milo even lets Joshua wrestle with him and sometimes sit on him! They are fun to watch!

Dirt is never a foreign object! There is always some dirt to be found no matter where you are. Boys just love dirt and getting dirty(well mine does anyway).

Mud and rocks are a perfectly acceptable food group! It was very disturbing to see my son eat dirt/mud when he was younger. But, he survived(and I survived) and now instead of eating it he just throws it(see picture above)

Everything is meant to be climbed on and conquered! Joshua has "climbed and conquered" the dog kennel, our bed, the couch, bar stools, chairs, and much, much more!

Everyday is a new adventure! At least, that is what I think Joshua thinks when he wakes up. He has his TLC moments, but this kid is very much a rough and tumble kind of boy!

Lately!

Below are pictures from various things we have been up to lately and is the reason to why my blog posts have been short and sweet or not at all. So, I will give you the run down of what we have been up to and hope I can remember everything. This post might be a little long, but if you keep reading you will find tons of pictures waiting at the end. OK, here we go! After our week long trip with my mom and family to San Antonio, we came home and started swim lessons, which turned out to be kind of a repeat from the summers before, but it was still a good refresher course for Joshua. Then in the middle of swim lessons Joshua ran a high fever and had a slight ear infection which lead to us not being able to complete swim lessons because the 2nd week was all about going under water and holding your breath. I didn't think that would be a wise decision because of the ear infection, but he already was going under and holding his breath on vacation, so I didn't think he was missing out. Come to find out they had to cancel a couple of days of swim lessons due to all the rain and storms we had, so we actually received some credit back on our account. Then there was the fourth of July where we just hung out because Joshua was still not feeling well and then my mom was going to take him for a week to Dallas, but that feel through, due to Joshua still feeling lousy and clingy, so my mom ended up staying with us for the week. It was fun to have her here! She was able to keep Joshua during the day while Dan and I went to work and they had such great time. He had a few "mommy/daddy" moments but over all she said he did great and they had fun. All of that brings us to this weekend (July 9-11). My mom left and Dan, Joshua and I were supposed to meet my dad and step mom in New Braunfuels for my Dad's birthday weekend, but Dan got sick(I think he had what Joshua had a few weeks ago and then what I had. Just a really nasty cold). I really wanted to go see my Dad, because I hadn't seem him since May, so I asked Dan if it was cool that Joshua and I went while he stayed home and rested and got well. He told me to go ahead and go, because all he was going to do was lay around and rest(yes, he felt that bad). So, now here comes the fun part to this blog, traveling with a 2 year old and doing it by myself. I know parents travel all the time by themselves with kids, but I wasn't going to be staying with my dad and step mom, I was going to be at a hotel by myself with Joshua and that made me a little anxious. My dad and step mom had already made reservation for their bed and breakfast a long time ago and since we decided on a whim to do this we had to stay in a different hotel (it wasn't too far down the road). So, Joshua and I loaded up Friday after work and headed down. I am glad that the drive was only 1 hr. 15 mins and it was basically a straight shot down I-35. We made it there in time to have supper with them Friday night and then we checked into the hotel and began what I like to call a Mommy and Son mini vacay! It was interesting and sometimes testing, but overall Joshua did great and I am confident that I could do it again. I was sad Dan couldn't make it, but he was glad I went, because he said he wouldn't have been up to do anything. While on our mini vacay, we visited the river, rode a train, ate at several yummy restaurants and visited a little town called Gruene! This town is so small, but so quaint and cute. It has tons of shops and things to do there. Joshua's favorite things to do this weekend was riding the train, trying to catch minnows in the river, the elevator in the hotel and the vending machine. When he saw all the things in the vending machine, he would say, "Wow, momma look at that!" So, naturally I had to show him how it worked and he thought that was even more spectacular. The easiest things entertain my son. To be honest he hasn't stayed in a hotel since he was about 7 months old, so all of this was very, very new to him and he dug it! We loaded up on Sunday and headed home. It was great to see Dan when we got home and he was feeling alot better. I told Dan that we needed to go back for a get away weekend or something, because there was so much to do there. I have to pat myself on the back, because I was pretty anxious about driving and staying in a hotel all by myself with a 2 year old, but I overcame that and we had a great time and I was glad I went. Joshua had fun too minus the one huge tantrum in the middle of the parking lot, but he was hot, tired and hungry so it was bound to happen. So below, as promised are pictures of the past few weeks.

Joshua on the square in Gruene, Texas

Rib Time!

Oldest Dance hall! It doesn't have air conditioning. Just screened windows and Joshua loved listening and dancing to the music.

Cute kid on the river!

Some fireworks from the 4th of July!

Grandpa and Joshua waiting for the train!

Making faces! He was using the bucket to try and catch minnows!

At the hotel!