Raising Bean
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Sunday, November 10, 2013

Nature Scavenger Hunt

I love fall! It's the season where I feel like I come alive. The weather is perfect for walks and hikes, since it's cooler you don't get overheated quickly, and there's nothing that compares to the beauty of fall foliage! Bean and I find ourselves spending a LOT of time outside this time of year.

We live about 20 minutes away from our State Arboretum. Let me tell you, it is beautiful there! I'm planning on taking her tomorrow, and instead of just wandering around an exploring like we usually do, I thought it would be fun to create a Scavenger Hunt for us to do together. Now, there are rules at our Arboretum... Since it's a living museum we're not allowed to disturb wildlife, or take any flowers, leaves, etc home with us. So this Scavenger Hunt will be a look and find, and not a collect kind. We'll so it again at a later date to collect things and make a collage with our findings.

What do you like to do this time of year with your little ones?

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Minnie Mouse Ear Bows

So I've been getting everything together for Disney World. All of our Tinkerbell presents for Bean, packing list, money to pay the pet sitter, etc. But today I decided to get crafty! I made Bean a pair of bows that looks like Minnie Mouse ears. I had no tutorial to go off of, so it was all done with fingers and toes crossed. I didn't have the thought to write out a tutorial for you guys, but I promise with the next pair I make I will remember too! I couldn't be happier with how these bows turned out!! Totally cute, right?!

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Monday, July 1, 2013

We Love Water!

Have you ever gone outside with your toddler, turned on the hose, and hand it over to them? Sounds like a wet, possibly horrible idea - doesn't it? Well, it was a wet idea, that's for sure. But it was also one of the best ideas ever. Bean and I, and our dogs, had so much fun playing with the hose. No one was dry at the end of it.

It all started with me letting her fill up her water table. I was tossing (read: throwing as far as I can) our pit bulls jolly ball for him to chase and burn off some of his never ending energy. Well, our pit bull likes to reward himself, constantly, with "tootsie rolls". Oh yeah, you know what that means... poop. That damn dog (I really do love him to death, he's so cool.) loves to eat poo. So instead of wasting my breath yelling at him, I borrowed the hose, stuck my thumb in the end and sprayed water all over him. Bean thought that was amazing and immediately needed to be taught how to do it.

Girl catches on quick.

Not 30 seconds later she has it figured out, and my right side is dripping wet. She then proceeds to chase our pit bull around the yard and spray him with water, giggling with delight the whole time. After the spraying lost it's charm she started just waving the hose around like a crazy woman. My left side quickly beat my right side in terms of which was soaked more, Bean was mostly soaked through, and our dog was hiding around the corner of our home.

We then took a break to over fill the water table and learn that if you fill it to the top, then continue to fill it, it spills over the sides onto our toes. Let me tell you, how funny this physics lesson was for Bean. It was almost as funny as what happened next...

She let our dog drink out of the hose. He basically just chomped away at the water, and got annoyed because he's goofy and can't figure out how to drink it nicely, so it drenched his face. Bean thought it was hysterical. I mean, hys.ter.i.cal! She rarely laughs that hard. It's the type of laugh you hear from babies on viral youtube videos, you know what I'm talking about. They laughing that you can't help but laugh at because well, because you just can't help yourself! It's adorable, and humorous all at the same time. They kind of deep belly laughing that lifts your soul and makes your heart visibly smile. So Bean is in hysterics because our dog is biting the water stream. Then, she shoves her thumb in the end of the hose and sprays him directly in the face. He spazzed out and ran away. Bean attempted to chase him, but hit a small feed bucket (for my horse) that had water in it, and ended up sitting in the bucket of water giggling like an insane little child.

I couldn't stop laughing. We seriously had so much fun playing with the hose as a family. I cannot wait to do it all over again. Plus, it helped cool us down on a hot, hot day. And we made some amazing memories. I only wish I had someone to take pictures of the events. I didn't get to snap any, because I didn't want to miss a moment playing with her.

I hope you're Summer has one or two simple surprises in it, that give you memories to last a lifetime.