Tot School: Winter

So, it's 70 degrees outside, but we've still had a lot of fun working on winter activities during our school time.    Since I'm from Minnesota, I feel I need to pass on some knowledge of winter to my Texas boy.  :)  And, we have already had snow twice in north Texas this winter...maybe we'll get snow one more time before it gets warm for good?

Today, I'm linking up with Tot School Gathering Place to share our winter activities.

Marshmallow Race
One morning, we had a "marshmallow race"--I love Isaac's silly smile in these pictures.  He was so focused! I put a few marshmallows on his spoon as he stood in the family room, and then he carefully walked through the entry where he dropped them into his hot chocolate.  Isaac loves hot chocolate, so he didn't want to do too many "races" before drinking the hot chocolate.  :)

(I found the idea for a marshmallow race somewhere online, but have no idea where!)

Marshmallow Painting
 After gluing this snowman on paper and adding his eyes, hat, and buttons, Isaac used a marshmallow as a paintbrush to dot snowflakes all around the snowman.

 Of course, by the end of this activity there was also paint on Isaac.  :)

Snowman Snacks
Isaac had a "build-a-snowman" snack one day.  I filled muffin liners with different foods (chocolate chips, strawberries, raisins, banana slices) that he arranged on the snowman's head (a bowl of yogurt).
(Idea from The Iowa Farmer's Wife here)

And, this is another snowman snack we had.  (Idea from here)

Snowy Letters
We have been spending a lot of time working on letter recognition.  I wrote Isaac's name in glue on a piece of foam, and then he sprinkled "snow" (shredded coconut) over it.
(idea adapted from here)

Winter  Books

And, we love to read!   Lately, we've been reading

Winter in the Big Woods

White Snow, Bright Snow

Katy and the Big Snow

Isaac loves listening to an audio recording of Katy and the Big Snow while playing with this pretend snow.

 Our audio recording of Katy and the Big Snow was part of this activity kit that Isaac received from his Uncle Jon for his birthday.  We have listened to it over and over!

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday: My Valentine Babies

February 2010~Isaac at 4 months

January 2013~Emma at 11 months

Emma Victoria: 11 Months

Well, I got a little behind in Emma's monthly pictures.  Emma's 8 month birthday, October 20, was also Isaac's third birthday party.  And, we were in Colorado for Thanksgiving on Emma's 9 month birthday.  I finally got back on schedule in December & snapped this picture on Emma's 10 month birthday.

I just love her little face in this picture!

Now, Emma is just a month from turning ONE!  

I know all parents say this...but WHERE has my baby gone?

At 11 months, Emma loves....

• her brother!  Emma crawls as fast as she can to keep up with Isaac.  She especially loves when he plays horsies, because then he crawls right next to her on the ground.  

• cruising & getting around as fast she can!  I've caught her climbing up 2 stairs on several different occassions.  She can cruise while holding on to the couch very well.  

Emma & her new stroller from Papa & Nana

• reading!  Emma gets the biggest smile on her face when you sit down in her chair and read a book with her.  Sometimes, she'll even turn the page.  :)

• saying "uh-oh!"  She doesn't always say it in context, but hearing her say "uh-oh" is about the cutest sound I've ever heard.  Isaac gets SO excited when she says it.

• eating sweet potato biscuits and pumpkin pancakes.  She tries any food offered to her, but seems to prefer vegetables, meat, and anything baked.  :)  Emma will eat bananas and other fruits, but doesn't get very excited about them.  

• riding in the wagon with Isaac!

Emma has three teeth now (two bottom & one top).  On a "normal" day (generally any day but Wednesday or Sunday), Emma takes a morning and afternoon naps (anywhere from 2 - 3 hours each).  She goes to bed after her last bottle each evening and wakes up around 7:00 each morning.  Emma still has 4 bottles each day, but she is getting better at drinking from the sippy cup as we approach her first birthday.

One of my favorite things that Isaac does right now is "interpret" for Emma. 

Over the past week, Isaac has said all of the following are "reasons" why Emma is crying:

"Mommy, Emma is crying because she wants to go spend the night at Mom-o's."

"Mommy, Emma is crying because she wants to get down and play with me."

"Mommy, Emma is crying because she wants to play horsies with me."

"Mommy, Emma is crying because she needs to go take a nap."  :)

Here are a few favorite pictures from this past month:

Standing & holding on with only one hand!

Emma had a lot of extra snuggling time last week when she got a new top tooth. :)

We all love you, Emma!

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday~Christmas Stocking

 

Isaac at 7 weeks~Christmas 2009

 

Emma at 10 months~Christmas 2012

Peppermint Bath Paint

I found this idea in December; and, since we were a little stir-crazy today with the yucky weather today, it was the perfect afternoon activity.  :)

(I found this idea on The Iowa Farmer's Wife.)

 

This kept Isaac busy for nearly an hour, and then Emma joined in the fun when she woke up from her nap.

 

 

This bath time fun reminds me of this other shaving cream activity we did last year.

 

Christmas 2012

We had a beautiful, snowy Christmas in Texas this year!  

Our family attended Keystone's Christmas service on Sunday morning, December 23.  Dave served in Little Campers at Keystone at two of the services on Christmas Eve; and, my parents, Emily, and Caleb attended one of those services, too.  

I was able to take Isaac to the very end of the service they were all attending as everyone was singing "Silent Night" in candlelight.  It was so beautiful & moving--at one point many people in the auditorium lifted their candles up at the exact same time.  Holding Isaac at the back of the Keystone auditorium and singing "Silent Night" together with him was one of my favorite parts of Christmas this year.  ("Silent Night" is one of the songs Isaac learned to sing pretty well this December.)  

 

After Keystone, we all went to my parent's house for Christmas Eve.  

Emma with her Great-Grandma Dolores on Christmas Eve

The two best presents I could ever ask for!

Isaac was so excited to open presents!  He was running all around before we opened gifts saying, "I'm just so excited it's Christmas" over and over again.  :)  This was the first gift he opened--definitely appropriate for my little guy.

Emma was trying to help her Papa open his new railroad atlas. 

Daddy worked on assembling Isaac's airport.

Emily and Emma

Is this how you open presents?

We spent the night at my parent's house on Christmas Eve.  My parents had such a full house with my grandma, Emily, & Caleb all being in Texas for Christmas that Dave & I ended up on the floor.  :)  

 

Isaac loved helping Emma open her pink ballerina stocking on Christmas morning.

 

 

 

It had started storming during Christmas Eve night with lots of thunder and lightening.  The meteorologists were predicting it to start snowing around noon on Christmas Day, and they were exactly right!  We really had a white Christmas!

Christmas 2012!



We had our own little family Christmas at home on Wednesday morning, December 26.   Since Emma still takes a morning nap, she was sleeping while we opened most of our presents.

 

Isaac received this Hallmark book & puppy, Jingle, from Grandma Debbie, his birth grandma who lives in Chicago.  She sent a huge box of fun presents, but Jingle is definitely Isaac's favorite!

We gave Isaac MagnaTiles--I think Dave & I have as much fun building with them as Isaac does. :)

Opening Emma's stocking and gifts when she woke up.

 

After our Christmas at our house, we took Isaac & Emma sledding on the greenbelt near our house.  Isaac went down the hill several times with Emma, but he definitely preferred sledding by himself.  We sledded until all the snow was gone from the hill.  :)

 

 

A new tradition we started this year is having Emma and Isaac exchange gifts.  A few weeks before Christmas, we took Isaac and helped him pick out a gift for Emma.  He put it in a gift bag by himself and stuffed a lot of green tissue paper around it.  :)  Every day until Christmas, Isaac asked when Emma was going to open her "shir-affe" (giraffe).  I don't have any pictures of Isaac & Emma opening their gifts to each other, but it was very sweet.  After Isaac opened his train from Emma, he ran over to her, gave her a kiss, and said, "Thank you, Emma, for my new train from you!"

How is it January 8 and I'm just now finishing this post?  Tomorrow is Dave's birthday, so it really is time to wrap up Christmas & work on Dave & Emma's birthdays.  I guess that also means it's time to take down our tree!  ;)