~Baby School - Puppies Theme~

Noah has enjoyed this more than anything we have ever done.

We started off with bathing a real pup. Since we have four of those I picked the easiest one to bathe.



We then made puppy cookies for our pups.







If you would like to make them:

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

1/2 cups water (add more if needed)
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup oats

Blend all of the wet ingredients.
Whisk the dry ingredients.
Mix the dry mixture into the wet mixture to form a ball of dough.
Roll out and shape.
Place on non-stick lightly greased cookie tray.
Cooking time in my oven was 10-12 minutes in a 400 degree oven.



I set up a puppy vet and groomers salon for him on his table.


He wasn't happy about the puppy being sick.







He made him all better and covered the booboo with a bandaid and gave him some food.



Next up he groomed a puppy. He liked it much better than the real thing. He didn't like the soap and mess when we bathed Piper. He pretended to squirt the soap on, massaged the fur, and towel dried her.




I even made up some little sticky hairbows for him to tape into her hair. It was so fun!


He worked on his puppy color pages for a while.




Noah finished his work with some snuggle time on the couch with Piper. She is our most snuggly dog, too.


He feeds his pups a treat he made each day and he has been much more loving to them or aware of them since we started this together. It was a blast and it was like playing pretend with my best friend Heather that I grew up with. We did things like this all the time. :)

I made Bleu-Raffe for my Boy Bleu

I made this sweet guy for my Noey Bleu. Isn't he amazing?





Boy Bleu drags him around everyday. I so hope he is passed down to his own sweet baby boy.

 

Creating Outside

Have you ever been in a three year rut? I have. Oh man, have I.
I am trying to revamp some things and pull myself out of this "place". So much change for me in the last three to four years and being in places I never saw myself in. I used to live so in the moment...just so happy where I was. I feel behind, I feel lost, I feel wasteful, and I feel upset with myself for how long I have allowed myself to be in this "place". I often wonder if I will wake-up ten years from now and wish I had been easier on myself in these moments.
On this day I stopped. I just stopped. I closed the books, I grabbed some supplies, and I made a nest outside for us to sit in while we played. I did this all the time in the past. I need to find that bliss for homeschooling, for homemaking, and I need to be okay with letting go of my birth work for a few more seasons.
...and then it happened...this perfect few hours...
I saw my sweet inventive baby turning preschooler in action. Light playing through the leaves of our apple tree lighting us up and making us feel perfect. The same apple tree we have lazed under so many times.


I saw my oldest and how perfect he needs to be once again. I saw how hard he really tries to succeed at what is at hand. I watched his newly etched big boy face for a long time. I noticed how his art wasn't finished because he needed it to be so good. He needed to be happy with it. How often I rush him or I don't see him now.


My baby delighted in his play. He was free.


I realized I have a sweet 10 year old who is still quite little right now. I treat him so much older than I should.


Our little pound puppy watched us in our efforts.


Just when I don't think it can get any better my sweet Noey brings a plate of grass and leaves to me from the yard. He used his sandwich plate. When I asked him what it was he told me it was a salad for the birds. He was trying to place it by the same tree we had helped the baby fledgling from just days before. I saw his heart. Outside I didn't see the messes he makes or anything negative. I saw a little person who really believed he could nourish the birds. He is a caretaker, even at two.



I was touched by the fact that Remy relished my help at every turn on his little art project. I forget how he still needs me. He acts so capable, but he loved sharing that time with me, of all people, me. His project made him think of my hometown and he told me he couldn't wait to eat seafood with my dad. I love how that is something he does with my dad.


I haven't been able to watch him in gymnastics much because Noey's baby gym overlaps. He wanted me to watch him do gym in the branches of our tree.


He even gave me a flower.


This time next year this little toddler will be so different. I need to see him. I need to be present.




I so need to pull myself out of the must do's and the bad moods and find myself and my children again.

A Space for Noey ~ Baby School

I have been decorating a little space for my Little Boy Bleu for some time now. This one was a "go" theme...anything that rolled.




I try my best to only use what we have around the house. I might buy from the second hand stores or consignment. The Dollar Tree has also graced his table. Whatever he is into at that moment or a holiday close by is my inspiration.



Fire Fighters ~ Baby School

Noey started his Fire Fighter Day with a color page. He reviewed the color red and talked about the fire trucks, the fire fighters, and fire.


I had the big boys babysit for a bit while I drew this house in the throws of a fire raging out of control. I went back in, gave him his fire truck, and told him to put on his fireman hat. We ran to the scene.


I gave him is "hose" a red spray bottle and he went into action.



Whew! This is hard work!




All in a days work...


Inside we would spin the red top for him to make "flames" for his trucks to visit. He had so much fun with this pretend play.


We read books before supper. He kept holding them. I guess he liked them and didn't want to let them go.


After supper we had a special treat for our fire fighter.


First you take the cup and draw a little face.


Cut out the little ears.



Attach to the cup with tape on the outside.


Make some vanilla pudding and add some mini chocolate chips.


Voila! A dalmation dessert fit for any baby fire fighter. ;)