Winter Break 2016: Play place and home play

Of course we had to wrap up Winter Break with some fun at the indoor play place!  I love that the girls can crawl around and get into everything, while Ben can use the bigger toys and meet other little friends!  Ali and Sammy loved playing with the balls again.  They also really wanted to play with Ben in the playhouses.  Ben wasn't super thrilled by that, sometimes little sisters can be in the way.  But he did a pretty good job of letting them play too.  Ben loved the trains and playing with Daddy in the playhouses!  I really enjoyed watching Pat hang out in the tiny houses. ;)  Oh, and Ali and Sammy managed to find all the outlets in the place and go right at them.  Luckily this play place is beyond child proof- no way they can actually touch them.  It was a favorite toy for a bit though, silly girls.

Sammy was the first to find an outlet.

Oh yes, she called her sister over.  

This outlet has a force field!

The boys playing house.  Ben loves to talk on the phone!

Little sisters attack!  Storm the house!

Daddy is a soft touch and let Ali in to play.

Sammy too!

The girls have really gotten into playing on their own.  They just take off to the toys and play by themselves and with each other.  We were able to pull out some different toys and let them go nuts over the break.  These girls really know how to destroy a room.

Double Trouble!  This is just a fraction of the mess they can make.

We found the Easter bunny ears.  The girls thought they were the funniest thing ever.

Sammy!

Ali!

I did have to do a little year end work, but Ben jumped right in to help me out!  It was so cute, like old times at the office.  He saw me working, grabbed his keyboard, drink, and asked for some notes a receipts to work on.  My junior bookkeeper hasn't missed a beat!

New office space- the kitchen table :)

Still my favorite coworker.  This kid has lots of experience!

Of course we didn't work on an empty stomach.  This sweet boy loves to help me make breakfast.  He's getting pretty good at scrambled eggs.

My little helper.  How do I get anything done without him?

It was such a great week.  We got things done around the house and had a ton of fun.  We felt ready to dive into the new year, refreshed and raring to go!

-Kim

Winter Break 2016: Zoo!

The big event of our Winter Break was going to the zoo!  Aunt Gail and Uncle Dan got us a family pass for the year and we are so excited to have it.  When Pat and I lived in the city years ago we would go to the zoo all the time.  In our old town we had an animal rescue zoo that we had just started to take Ben and the girls to, and we had so much fun.  We are so happy to have a chance to take the kids to the zoo even more now!

We took a chance and left before Ali and Sammy's first nap. I hoped they would sleep in the car, but they weren't super into that.  Oh well.  All three kids were awesome at the zoo though.  The girls loved looking at everything.  Ben adored seeing everything.  He was super well behaved and we were so proud of him!

Checking out where we wanted to go first!

Ali (L) and Sammy (R) were so happy to be out and about!

"It looks like the Lion Guard!"

It's handy to have Daddy to give you a boost!

My Ali!

My Sammy!

The Christmas stuff was still up, and we saw the Bumble from Rudolph!  Ben was very excited, but didn't want to get too close. ;)

Climbing up high to see the giraffes! 

I had to grab some selfies with my girls too.  These two were so fun, watching everyone and giggling!  They had a really great time!

For a super fun treat we let Ben ride the camel!  He was so excited while we waited for his turn.  He was jumping and so eager.  I was a little nervous he would back out at the last second, or get scared when he was finally on the camel.  But he loved it!  I was so proud of him!  He listened very well to the operators and sat so nicely on the camel.  The camel's name was Issac, and Ben still talks about his camel friend at the zoo.

One excited little guy!

Ready to ride!

He's growing into such a big boy!

We stopped to get a treat, but Ben wanted a penny from the machine.  We didn't have any change, but Pat is a great dad and waited in a long line to get some just for Ben.  Which penny did he want?  The camel to remember his camel ride of course!

We had such a great time at the zoo.  The kids did so well.  The girls were happy.  Ben behaved super well, staying right with us and listening nicely.  We are so excited to get to go back to the zoo again.  It was a wonderful day!

-Kim

Winter Break 2016: Outside play and library

The days after Christmas can sometimes be a bit of a let down.  Not this year though.  We managed to pack even more fun in!  Pat got the whole week of January off, so we decided to really enjoy our break.

The first thing on our list of to-dos was yard work.  I know, not always the most fun thing in the world.  The yard needed a little work though.  I have to say, doing yard work in the first week of January is really throwing me!!  I'm used to hunkering down and staying inside.  It is hard to even think of getting out to fix things up, but that's what we do now.  The kids thought it was all great fun.  We put up a pack and play in the yard for the girls and Ben ran around and 'helped.'  The girls thought being outside was super fun.  They were so cute waving and cooing at us! 

Ben loves being outside!

Little helper!!

Ben and Daddy, working hard.

Off to help some more!!

Little sweeties, enjoying the day

Happy Ali!

Smiling Sammy!

These two worked super hard. ;)

After a day working, we spent the next couple having fun.  We started off heading to a library branch Pat hadn't been to yet.  It's right up against a regional park.  This means it has great kids toys, books, and a little nature center for us to look at.  It isn't anything too much.  It has some snakes, things like turtle shells to touch, and things to buy.  Plus a short outdoor path to walk around.  Pretty much perfect for a toddler.

Sammy love the library!

Ben keeps super busy at the library.  Not usually with books, but he does love the toys!

Ali is always happy to be out and about!

I think Ben works the giant tablet better than I do.

Checking out snakes

Ben wanted to try out the antlers.  He's so cute.

Just in case we thought this rattlesnake wasn't hard core, he's just casually resting on a cactus.  Like you do.

It was a great start to the week.  I love that Pat had the days off and that we got to get some quality family time in!

-Kim

The Lemon Strikes Again

A little over two years ago, Uncle Jared got the chance to give Ben his very first lemon.  I know, it is kind of mean to give a small child something you know is going to be that sour.  But come on, we do so much for these needy little humans.  Yes, we get tons of joy and fulfillment from it, but sometimes you want to have a little fun too.  So of course when Uncle Jared announced he would be visiting at the holidays we said he could give the girls their first lemons.

You can check out Ali here.

Ali (R) tried it right away.

You can check out Sammy here.

Sammy finally got a taste.

Yes, I feel a little bad for letting this happen.  Not that bad, seeing as I recorded it.  It is just too cute to not record!  Thank you to the girls for being such good sports about this.  And thank you to Uncle Jared for being a fun uncle and carrying on this tradition.  I don't think lemons will be making a frequent appearance in our meal plans.

-Kim

BFBN: Crib to Bed Transition: Staying in Bed- Guest Post

It's a trade day!  The ladies of the Babywise Friendly Blog Network are swapping blogs on all sorts of topics today.  I am over at Twinning Babywise talking about baby led weaning and how having twins impacts using that method.

Here I have Emily from The Journey of Parenthood!  We recently switched Ben from his crib to his big boy bed.  So far he is following the rules and doing a great job.  But I am already looking down the road at when the girls switch beds.  Emily has gone through the transition with three kids and has some great tips to make the change easier!
-Kim

Transitioning from a crib to a bed is a BIG DEAL. The crib has four sides. It has clear boundaries! It's where you child has slept their entire life and feels comfortable, safe and content.

I am a big believer in NOT rushing the crib to bed transition. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I'd keep my children in the crib for as long as possible! We always do the transition because we have another baby on the way and will need the crib. In that scenario I recommend doing the transition during 2nd trimester of pregnancy. You don't want to throw too many changes onto your toddler at the same time and doing the switch mid-pregnancy gives the toddler plenty of time to fully adjust before their little baby brother or sister arrives. 

I have transitioned all three of my kids from the crib to the bed with minimal issues (We just recently moved our current toddler so I don't have a post on that yet but you can read about my oldest child's transition here and my middle child's here!). The crucial concern parents have about moving to a big kid bed is: "will my child STAY PUT?!?!"

Here are some tips to help with this transition and to ensure you ALL get some sleep without a toddler escaping their bed:

1. Build Up the Big Kid Bed: This is my #1 tip about switching from the crib to a bed. TALK IT UP people! Make it a HUGE deal! If you have a new baby on the way also talk about how the crib will be for the new baby and how special it is that he or she is going be a big brother/sister etc. Get them excited for their new bed and they will LOVE it!
2. Have Consistent Discipline: This is something you need to have in place prior to the transition. If you've been slacking a bit on a consistent discipline routine then get back on it and make sure your child knows that if they disobey Mommy or Daddy then there are consequences and make sure they know you will follow through with those consequences!
3. Lay Down the Rules: Decide with your spouse what rules you want to enforce with the new bed and then communicate those to your child. No standing, no jumping, no getting out of bed etc. Give then clear expectations and explain the consequences if they choose to disobey. 
4. Clear the Room: Remove temptations! Make sure there aren't toys on the floor where your child will be tempted to get out of the bed and get them. Have a clean room so it's rather boring for them! Set them up for success!
5. Keep Things Similar: Your child is comfortable in their crib so you want to shadow that experience as much as possible. If they are used to white noise, keep it. Black out curtains? Keep em. If they sleep with a lovey, be sure to bring him along for the big switch too! 
6. Watch and Respond: A video monitor is so crucial for this transition. You want to be able to watch your child like a hawk and RUN into their room the second they step foot out of the bed. You want to catch them in the act so they will understand they aren't supposed to get out. If they are out and playing and then you get onto them later they will not make the connection as well as if you get onto them the instant they step foot out of the bed.
7. Be Stern, Be Firm, Follow Through: When the toddler gets out of the bed be firm with them in reminding them of the rules. Remind them also of the discipline action you will take if they choose to get out of the bed again. Then it's so important to actually follow through. I like to give that one time of me just getting onto my child so they understand fully what I'm expecting and what will happen if THEY choose to disobey. Then the second time? I follow through with the disciplinary action.
8. Praise: Just as you built up the big kid bed, you gotta keep the excitement going! When they have stayed in the bed and it's time to get up SHOWER them with praise! Make them feel like the biggest big kid ever!

Like any transition it takes several days for a child to get use to their new sleep environment. Don't be surprised if it takes them longer to fall asleep (my recent child took over an hour at naps to finally fall asleep for several days when we transitioned) or if they are hesitant about things. Keep encouraging them and keep sticking to the plan and before you both know it the crib days will be a distant memory (or a current bed for a new baby as you start the whole process over again!). 

Emily is the mother of three (Kye, Britt and Tess) and is eagerly awaiting the completion of their family through the blessing of adoption! You can follow her at The Journey of Parenthood...

Christmas 2016: Final Pictures

We had a great Christmas holiday.  Good food, happy kids, and great times with family.  I am so thankful to Uncle Jared, Omi, and Meo for coming to stay with us!  I know it was a lot of people in our tiny house.  And there is no sleeping in with three little ones.  But the kids adored having you with us.  Pat and I enjoyed it too!  It was great to see so much of my side of the family.  As I said we all hadn't been together in over three years!  We hadn't spent a holiday together in even longer.  I am blessed with a great family that remains close even when we can't see each other very much, but seeing each other is wonderful.  Ben, Ali, and Sammy had a lot of fun.  It was a great first Christmas for the girls.

I have a few more pictures to toss out there.  I love seeing the kids interact with the rest of the family!

Ben loved hanging out with the guys.  Omi and Uncle Jared got to watch tons of Ben shows on their trip. :)

Buzz Lightyear snuggled up to Uncle Jared to watch Toy Story!

Brave uncle with all three kids!  They love him!

Omi along with Buzz and Woody.  (Pat is a great dad and put on the costume when Ben asked.)

Bouncing with Omi!

Sliding!

Sometimes I force Ben to take pictures with me.  Ben sandwich!

Ben tried to climb into the mattress pad all rolled up.  Yes, he got a little stuck.

Construction Ben!

We had a ton of fun.  Thank you to the whole family for all the love and generosity you showed us and the kids.  We had a ton of fun and hope we can all get together again soon!

-Kim