Tot School {More Color Matching}

This month we have been working on colors, specifically the colors red, blue, green, and yellow.  There are an endless amount of things you can do to teach colors, but we kept it pretty simple for Luke and his 18 month big brain.  (Big head, big brain...right???)  These are activities that we have done for the past month.  We definitely haven't had a consistent schedule lately with traveling and outside gardening duties, but Luke and I try to slip in some Tot School when we can.  Here are some more color matching activities:

Scooping Poms

Rating: 5/5

Skills:
Colors: red, yellow, green, blue
Fine motor development
Counting
Sensory development

Activity:
Luke loves poms.  This was a simple activity to throw together when I was short on time.  I gave him a big bowl of pons along with a 1/4 measuring cup and another container.  We scooped pons from one bowl to another and talked about the colors he was scooping.

Color Basket

Rating: 3/5

Skills:
Colors: red, yellow, green, blue
Sensory development

Activity:
I put some items from previous color activities into a basket and let Luke explore.  We talked about the color of each object and he enjoyed sorting the pons into the cups, although not correctly.  We will get there.

Color Matching

Rating: 5/5

Skills:
Colors: red, yellow, green, blue
Sorting
Counting
Fine motor development
Sensory development

Activity:
This is an activity I have been using all month with different items.  I put four pieces of felt on the floor and we sort objects onto the felt.  We have used legos, magnetic letters, pipe cleaners, and puzzle pieces.  The options are endless.  Luke is really into cars right now, so we are going to sort his cars later this week. 

Linked up at:
http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net
http://www.icanteachmychild.com

Luke is 18 months

Where does the time go?  Really.  Where in the world does it go?  

My sweet tiny-toed newborn baby has turned into a toddler overnight, or at least it seems that way.  Luke turned 18 months a few weeks back and he continues to amaze Kevin and I day after day with all the new things he is learning and able to do.  He has recently started to amaze us with his ability to act like a two-year old (in the terrible two kind of way).  Here is what Luke has been up to lately:

• Luke likes to jog around the house, especially when he is excited about something.  His walking turned into jogging/running pretty quickly.
• Luke's most favorite thing in the entire world: anything that has wheels.  He loves tractors.  He loves trucks.  He loves cars.  The bigger the better.  We have spent many hours making circles around various vehicles checking out their wheels.
• Peanut butter and jelly on wheat bread is his favorite meal.  He also enjoys pizza, guacamole, banana muffins, yogurt with Cheerios, applesauce, bananas, and broccoli muffins.  We have to sneak fruit and vegetables in whenever we can, as he isn't a fan of eating them on their own.
• Luke has started to help 'pick up' whenever we are done playing with something.  He likes to pick up his cars and books.
• His current favorite toy: his garage sale John Deere tractor.  He calls it his 'ga ga', even though we have been trying to get him to say 'tractor'.  He rides on that thing every waking minute he is inside.
• If all is quiet in the house, I usually find Luke with a stack of books in his playroom.  He loves sitting there and looking through every. single. book.  He will also get out the Bible and bedtime book from his room and turn every page.
• Luke can identify his tummy, nose, and head.  He uses the signs 'more', 'please', and 'all done' pretty consistently.
• Luke loves his Daddy.  When Kevin gets home at night, Luke is attached to his hip.  He loves to sit on the bed as Kevin changes and play with his credit cards.  This could potentially be a problem one day...
• Luke is an outdoorsman.  On nice days, Luke loves to wander around the farm checking out all the tractors, the truck, and the shed.  He loves to get on/in them and work the steering wheels.  He will sneak in a ride on the swing every now and then.
• Luke has absolutely no fear of animals, even animals he doesn't know.  He will stick his hand in any dog or cat's face trying to pet them or grab their tail.  This works out well for him most of the time, except when he gets batted in the face trying to grab at a cat's tail.  We are trying to work on 'nice touches'.
• At meal time, we have to watch Luke carefully.  He has been throwing food off of his tray lately, mainly when he doesn't like it.  (This is part of the terrible twos thing, hopefully.)
• Luke says the words 'Dada' and 'Men (Amen)' consistently with meaning.  He will say 'Mama' and 'Papa' at times, but not on a regular basis.  He also says 'gaga' for 'tractor', but I'm not sure that counts.
• Luke loves to make piles of things.  He will take canned food out of the pantry and make a pile.  He almost always puts the items back where he found them.  He will do this with items in the bathroom as well as his cars.  This kid is a sorter!
• Wednesday is one of Luke's favorite days of the week because it's swimming lesson day.  He is able to hold his breath under water for 2-3 seconds and swim to me.  He loves chasing balls in the water and getting water on his face.  He is pretty good at climbing out of the pool from the wall.  We are still working on getting him to use his 'kickers'!  It will be fun to see what he does at the Quarry this summer!
• Luke is down to one afternoon nap a day.  He sleeps for about 3-4 hours in the afternoon.  He likes his sleep.  He still sleeps from 7-7 at night, which Kevin and I are so very thankful for!
• Luke will be a big brother in November.  He has NO IDEA what is in store for him, and neither do Kevin or I.  We are so excited and know he will be an awesome big brother.

These pictures were taken by Kim Kalina Photography and were done in the Old Market in Omaha.  Kim did a wonderful job!  Prepare for picture overload.

If you want to take a trip down memory lane, check out these posts(Mom you will need a Kleenex):

Luke is 1!

1 month away from 1 year

Luke is 9 months

Eight is Great: Luke at 8 months

7 months=212 days of Luke

6 months of Luke

Luke is 5 months

4 months of Luke

3 months old

2 months...already?!

1 month

Luke Edwin

Happy Momma's Day!

As Mother's Day wraps up for another year I sit on the couch feeling extremely thankful for the blessing of today and the opportunity to be celebrated and, also, to celebrate the amazing moms that have touched and continue to touch my life.  It was a special day as we were able to celebrate with my mom, grandma, Kevin's mom, and our little family.  Kevin sure knows how to make a girl feel special and I was feeling the love today from him and my main little man.  Even though there is one day a year to celebrate all the women out there that get called Momma, I have the amazing blessing of feeling appreciated each and every day from my men.  Life is good.  Hope you all had a blessed Mother's Day weekend!  

Mom and I today after church and lunch.  Can you spot the baby bump?? (Baby #2 coming in November, more on that later.)  

Diane, Kevin, and Luke celebrating tonight with pisssssa.

Somehow Luke and I didn't get a picture together today.  This is one of my favorites.

Random Picture Friday

What a week it's been.  It has been absolutely beautiful outside and Luke and I have been soaking up the sun.  Hope you had a great week and were able to enjoy some beautiful weather wherever you are!  Have a blessed weekend!

Farmer's Market 

Kevin and I went ON A DATE!

We picked up this John Deere gem at a garage sale on our date.  Luke  is on that thing pretty much every hour he is inside and awake.

At the zoo with Daddy for Teammates.

Luke LOVES his new watering can Aunt Hillary gave him.  (We might have some dead, overwatered plants this summer.)  :)

Pretending to 'drive'.  This kid gets excited about steering wheels.

Last Minute Mother's Day Ideas

Do you have the perfect gift picked out for the Mother who changed your diaper, fed you at 3 in the morning, and nursed your body, soul, and mind for all those years?  If not, here are some last minute Mother's Day ideas to get done in a jiffy.  Mother's Day always seems to creep on me, and I'm still pondering the perfect gifts for my wonderful Mom as well as all the other Moms in my life.  Five days left...

Chalkboard Pot

Mother's Day Handprint Flower

Photos in a Jar

Mason Jar with Candy (with free printable)

Personalized Pot Holders

Monogram Manicure Jar

Monkey Squares

Do you have over-ripe bananas sitting on your counter?  Yep, me too.  This recipe is perfect to use up those bananas you don't know what to do with.  Usually I try to make something healthy with my over-ripe bananas and throw them in the freezer for Luke like these Healthy Banana Muffins or these Banana Oat Bites.  Not this time.  I wanted something sweet and yummy with lots and lots of butter.  This recipe is it.  I found it over at The Girl Who Ate Everything and it's spot on.  Hope you try!

Monkey Squares

Ingredients
Banana Bars
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
3-4 mashed bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I did not use)
Frosting
1/2 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3-6 tablespoons milk or half-in-half

Directions
1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees, grease and flour jelly roll pan (10x15) or, for thicker bars, line a 9x13 pan.  
2.  Beat first four ingredients until creamy (make sure your butter is softened.)  Mix in bananas and vanilla with mixer for one minute.  
3.  Add dry ingredients.  
4.  Bake 20-25 minutes.  Frost when the bars are warm, not hot.
5.  For frosting: Melt butter in saucepan until brown and boiling.  Remove from heat and immediately stir in powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk or half-in-half.
6.  Spread over the top of the bars.  The frosting should be thinner than regular frosting, more like a glaze. 

   

Random Picture Friday

Happy Friday, all!  The rain has finally come to a halt here on the Trail and I was able to get some garden work done today.  Now I just need to get out there and mow those tall grasslands that are my yards.  I am excited for a fun weekend of friend time and even a date with my main man.  Hope you all have a blessed weekend!

Daddy and Luke at the aquarium at the zoo.  Luke loved it.

The zebra sharks made him smile.

 First time at the Petting Zoo for the whole family.

Kevin's grandparents gave him this keyboard a few years ago.  We got it out the other night for Luke to play and he was in heaven!

Luke is a fan of his 'new to Luke' toy cars that Daddy used to play with when he was a kid.

Amelia and Luke making May Day baskets.