Kiddie Acres

This morning Merritt and I joined our friends at Kiddie Acres. When we told people we were going, we heard similar comments about how old the place was but we had lots of fun. Merritt was not sure about many of the rides but she found one she could not get enough of... the Carousel!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Only 154 more days til Christmas - so I thought I would start decorating...

I'm joking, kinda.

I saw a tutorial on coffee filter wreaths and I had to tried one on my own! The wreath was simple to make and it costed less than $5!

You will need:

- foam wreath {$1 store}

- a package of about 150 coffee filters {$1 store}

- glue

- glitter {I used white and gold because my Christmas decor is all white, gold, and silver}

- ribbon

First, I folded the coffee filters and dipped the edges in glue and then white glitter. I let them dry. I wasn't sure how the filters would cover the green wreath so I hot-glued ribbon around the outside and inside. I didn't want the green to show through. Next, I began hot-gluing the coffee filters around the outside of the wreath and then the inner circle of the wreath. After I was happy with the fullness, I filled in the middle with the coffee filters. Lastly, I added gold ribbon and hung it up!

Now my mind is spinning with other coffee filter wreath ideas! I am thinking of making several smaller versions for my tablescape to go around candles. Or maybe using paint on the edges for different holidays or even a Hook'em Horn wreath for football season. Stay tuned!!

Summer Days

I love being a teacher for the summer days! Merritt and I have been having a blast these days - we love going to the park. We had a special day last week with Daddy and Grandma!

Bubbles, Bubbles are so fun! Bubbles, Bubbles for everyone!

Merritt and I hosted a playdate this morning in our backyard. We had so many of our T.O.T. friends come over for a fun morning in the pool {blow-up}. While the TOTS were playing, all the moms made bubbles from idea I saw on Brown Paper Packages. Yesterday, I prepared by purchasing bubbles from a local party store, cutting strips of scrapbook paper to fit perfectly over the bubble labels, and making homemade bubbles.

The ingredients for perfect bubbles are:

6 cups of water

2 cups of dish washing liquid {I used an apple scented - I am a teacher what do you expect!}

3/4 cup of Karo syrup {the same syrup that you would use for pies}

Each TOT picked out their favorite colored bubble bottle {I emptied the store-bought bubble solution} and the moms wrote their TOT's name with a black sharpie onto the scrapbook paper. Then we used packing tape {2 strips} to tape it onto the bubble bottle so the bubble solution would not mess up their names. Then using a funnel {sorry about the sideways shot, I forgot to rotate it!} we poured the bubbles into the new and fabulous bottle!

Bubbles are so much fun and really useful

Uses for bubbles:

1. Doctor's offices: I don't want Merritt touching anything at the doctor's office {books, toys, blocks, etc.} Call me paranoid but I don't want her to get something 'at' the doctor's office! Also, it helps while the doctor is doing her check-up to keep her mind off the thing being stuck in her ear.

2. Shopping: Grocery or Mall, I have pulled out my bubbles while waiting in line and in dressing rooms.

3. Car trips/Traffic: I blow the bubbles towards the ac and it blows the bubbles back to her.

I carry a bottle in my purse at all times and now I have a personalized bottle just for Merritt!

Take me out to the ball game...

Growing up I spent most of my youth inside the 8th Wonder of the World, the Astrodome. My family had our favorite seats and we would eat the Antone's subs we snuck in inside my mom's large purse {because at the time a $1.50 for a hot dog was WAY TOO MUCH to spend}. We would sit in the front row of the lodge deck on the 3rd base side. My dad would listen to the game on his Sony Walkman and my mom would keep track of game in her scorebook. The yelling back and forth between them is something I will never forget, "Was that a called strike or did he swing?" my mom would asked {the scorebook had to be right}. "What?" my dad would yell back about 4 times too loud because when you are wearing headphones you can't hear yourself talk. And then there was me, an Astros Buddy {I think I got a t-shirt, discounted tickets, a bag to bring all my baseball gear to the game, and a dinner for 4 gift certificate to the Cracker Barrel for joining - quite a deal!}. When I wasn't using my dad's binoculars, which weighed about 10 pounds, to stare at Craig Biggio or Bill Doran, I would hang K's on the railing each time the pitcher would strike out the batter. I need a moment, hold on readers.... I am thinking about the first loves of my life... {and their butts in those baseball paints}.

Ok, I am back.

I want Merritt to feel the same love about the game of baseball that her father and I do, so we started taking her to baseball games early. She listened to Craig Biggio's last game while in my tummy, she met Nolan Ryan in the elevator at her first Round Rock Express baseball game, and we use the ESPN box at the Dell Diamond whenever my hubby can get it from the station.

On our way to the game Wednesday, we practiced saying baseball and discussed what we were about to see {mainly me talking about my opinons and her saying 'Ok, mama' and 'Snack, Plez'}.

We had a great time with our friends and can't wait til Merritt loves the game as much as I do.

If I ran the Zoo

In a couple of weeks , Merritt and I are going to visit friends and family in Houston. I am planning to take Merritt to the Houston Zoo while we are there. My mom and I took her during our Spring Break visit but Merritt didn't seem that interested in the animals, she was mainly interested in the snacks we brought with us. Putting on my teacher hat, I feel like that was partly my fault because I didn't prepare her for our visit. The voice in my head is one of my administrator saying before our nine week assessments; "You must teach before you test." True.

So in preparation for our visit, we started a Zoo Animal thematic unit. And in tue teacher fashion, I made lesson plans and the 3 week unit! Each week we are learning 4-5 new animals that we will see at the zoo, doing crafts, zoo animal books, matching games, stickers, and of course I got her mini-zoo animals that she loves to throw in the pool. And I finally found a use for all the Beanie Babies I collected in the mid-90s - I use them to introduce the animal we are learning about that day and then Merritt and her new friend eat breakfast together.

If you have any other fun animal ideas - I would love to read about them, please post in comments!

She beats to her own drum

Today Merritt and I went to Children's Day Art Park at Symphony Square Amphitheatre. As we walked in there were musicians, clowns, and an instrument petting zoo. We walked by the french horn {she backed away}, violin {she shook her head no}, and other instruments with similiar reactions. But at the end of the line, there it was.... the DRUM. Just like her daddy, who's dream has always been to become a drummer in a rock band and trys to fulfill his dream every time a song comes on with a rockin' drum solo {you know have you seen that driver with the ac on full blast hitting the steering wheel - that is my husband}! Merritt grabbed the drum sticks like a natural and went back several times to ROCK IT OUT!

After, we walked down to the stage and had a seat to watch the show. One of the performers is one of my favorite children's singer - Lucas Miller, the Singing Zoologist. Daddy 'the drummer' even came to join us after his morning radio show had ended. What fun day at the park!