Summer Bucket List

School just ended here in VB last week, so it's really feeling and sounding like summer now. Kids running around the neighborhood, lots of sunshine, and late day storms. Well that, and the 100 degree temps. Bleh! 

I have always loved the idea of a summer "to do" list. Must be the teacher in me - had to make the most of the summer break. And now that Z is old enough to really enjoy some fun summer activities, I couldn't help but create our very own family summer bucket list. 

We've already done a couple of these, and may even do them again. I love a to do list that's this easy to check off! And I can't wait to try this homemade ice cream recipe and these amazing s'mores!

There are a few things that didn't make it to the official list:

1. Visit the zoo - I've heard that the zoo in Norfolk has meerkats, which should blow Z's mind! (See photo above...Z carries her meerkat, Kiki, everywhere!)

2. Find a splash pad - there has to be one around here somewhere! 

3. Throw water balloons in the backyard.
4. Play with sparklers on the Fourth. (Z will probably be terrified of these, but it's worth a shot.)
5. Have a picnic. Even if it's in the backyard or living room (if it continues to be 1,000 degrees), a picnic is a summertime must!

We've got a trip to Crescent Beach in the books for August, something we do every year, although it's gonna be a much longer drive than we're used to this year! And lots of plans for stay-cation style summer fun, since the Hubs will be working like crazy - summer is his busiest time of year! And the In-laws are bringing our kayaks up when they visit next month (we had to leave them behind when we moved), so we're super excited to take the boats out for a spin. There are so many great kayaking spots around here, and I think we may even throw a vest on Z and bring her with us!

Any great summer "to-dos" that make your bucket list?

Toddler Road-Tripping Must-Haves

This past week, Z, Scout and I packed into our trusty VW and headed south for the 13 hour haul to Florida. My mom had surgery recently (and is doing great!), and with my step-dad headed out of town for work, she needed help with their 500 year old yellow lab while she recovered. 

I will admit, I was super nervous about driving solo with the kid and the dog. Not that Scout is much of a real issue, she's a great traveller, but I'm not so keen on leaving her in the car this time of year. Which means no Cracker Barrel breakfasts and no Moe's for lunch. Bummer. 

The real dilemma...how am I gonna keep Z happy for the loooonnnngggg drive on I95? Well, leaving at 4:30am is helpful, a basket full of grab & go snacks and this cooler filled with things like water, yogurt pouches, and grapes on the passenger seat is also a big win. But having a few other things handy is essential.

#1. Mini Magna Doodle
#2. Sago Mini Apps for iPad - These are the greatest apps for littles! No in-app purchases, no need for WiFi, super intuitive for toddlers, cute, funny, and fun. Z loves both of these, and I'll admit that I do, too. In Forest Flyer, Z drags a little bird around the forest where she eats a cupcake, pops balloons, and visits friends. Every time she plays it, something new is discovered. Doodlecast is a fun doodle app that lets Z choose her "paper", pen-type, and colors. It then records the doodling (with sound if you enable your mic - great for older toddlers who tell a story as they draw) and plays it back. Both are definitely worth the $2.99.
#3. Jumbo Crayolas - These are pretty indestructible, so no crayon bits floating around the backseat. I gave Z a small baking sheet to use as a tray while we traveled, so she was able to lay out her crayons and color comfortably.

#4. Munchkin 360 Cup - No spills or drips!
#5. I bought this on a whim at a kids' consignment shop and the price was perfect...$6.00! I figured if it was played with for a just a week, I got my money's worth. Fast-forward two months and this Laugh & Learn Laptop has become a go-to favorite. Who knew?!
#6. We are big fans of these books, and have quite a few. There's lots to look at and talk about, and they hold Z's attention for more than two minutes. My First Numbers and My First Baby Animals are  Z's favorites right now.

We also used this toddler-sized air mattress when we got to my mom's house. Z has never been a great sleeper (especially on the road) and was never comfy in the pack-n-play, which meant that we always had to have her in bed with us. And that meant that we either had to keep her up till we were ready for bed, or we called it a night at 8pm. Neither was a great option, so I took a chance and ordered the air mattress. And hallelujah! The kid actually slept. And slept well. Every night and every nap. People, the bed is magic. Magic.

Z is under there somewhere, sleeping like a boss!

And now for a "Real Mommy Moment", because this was all sounding a little too awesome...And really the only major trouble we ran into while on the road...rest stops. Z is terrified of the bathrooms - too noisy for her sensitive ears. I can't blame her. But, after waiting through half of South Carolina and the entire state of Georgia to make a pit-stop (Z took and epic nap, so I waited for her to wake up), I pulled into the Florida Welcome Center excited for relief. Of course, I got a sweet parking spot right in front, but had no idea what a tourist attraction this place was. Z started screaming the minute I put her shoes on. She knew what we were there to do. I carried her up the sidewalk, kicking and screaming bloody murder, getting judgmental stares from teenage girls and old men. One sweet grandmotherly woman gave me a look that said, "We've all been there. Do what you gotta do." So I went into the bathroom, calmly cooing to Z as she screamed. She screamed the entire time. You know that scream your kid makes when they get shots at the doctor? It was like that, amplified and bouncing off the tile walls. Pure hell. She calmed down once we got Scout out of the car and went for a walk, but my goodness. What a nightmare!

We're planning another big road trip in August (this time with the Hubs), so I feel like we are pretty prepared. I have to say though, using the baking sheet was a huge life-saver. Z was able to eat in the car without making a huge mess, and she laid the iPad on it while she watched movies.
Any great must-haves on your road trip list?

Giving Pinterest Play Dough a Go

Like most mommas, I am forever searching Pinterest for easy ideas to use with Z. We love artsy and hands-on activities, especially those using stuff I've already got around the house. Especially when we're on day two of rainy-caca weather. We spend time outside every day, so we both go a bit stir-crazy if we're stuck inside for too long.

A while back, I found this recipe for edible marshmallow play dough, pinned it, and forgot about it since I didn't have any marshmallows. Not too long ago, I picked up a bag to have on hand for s'mores, and thank goodness. Cuz today was one of those days when I needed something fun and new to do with the kiddo.

So here's what you need to make one toddler-sized ball of soft stretchy dough:

6 large marshmallows

3 tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp coconut oil

food coloring (I used 6 drops)

It's really so easy. Put all of the ingredients in a bowl (I recommend one with taller sides since the marshmallows expand in the microwave) and zap in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Stir with a spoon until it clumps up into a ball. If it's still sticky, add more cornstarch.

Then, once it's cooled down a bit, roll, knead, and stretch the ball in your hands until the color is well blended, adding cornstarch when necessary.

In the end, the dough will feel a bit like if regular play dough and taffy had a baby. Stretchy and easy to mold.

I don't know about you, but I love simple stuff like this. Z was eager to help, snacking on a couple of marshmallows along the way. That was probably where I went wrong.

Once she knew what the dough was made of, she did more snacking than playing. She was so funny, pinching off little bites and making dramatic yummy sounds.

Every once and a while she'd press a cookie cutter into the dough, but mostly, it was all about sneaking bites.

Unfortunately, I eventually had to shut it down. I know...buzzkill. But, I was getting nervous that eating so much sugary play dough before nap time would ruin my afternoon. So, we took a few more bites and headed to the living room where Z pretended to mix, cook and eat puzzle pieces while we watched Despicable Me. 

It wasn't a total fail. I had fun playing with the marshmallow dough before we had to call it quits, and we both enjoyed eating the rest of it after nap time!

I've got plans to try other Pinterest play doughs, so I'll keep ya posted!

Headed to Florida in the wee hours of the morning-just me, Scout, and Z. Wish us luck...it's gonna be a looonnnnggg trip!!

XO

One Step Closer to Big Kidhood

Back in late April, we took the front off Z's crib. We were getting ready to re-re-re-sleep train the kid, since moving had her all kinds of wrong. She's never been a champion sleeper, and the Hubs and I both agreed that bedtime had become a total effing nightmare-not to mention multiple night wakings. None of us was getting enough sleep. Things needed to change.

 The Hubs thought that we should give the toddler bed a go (we just had to take the front off the crib to make it happen). I was certain that Z wasn't ready. I was wrong.

It took a few nights of screaming and crying, and talking each other out of just bringing her into our room. It also took a few very early mornings, but after about a week, bedtime was locked down and after another week, the 5am wake up calls turned into 6:30 or 7am. Hallelujah! (And I'm not too worried about jinxing her sleep habits. We're headed to Florida in a couple of days to visit our folks. We'll be re-re-re-re-sleep training when we get back, I'm sure!) And once we had the great idea of leaving a snack and water in bed with her (something my mom did with me), Z was sleeping through the night, and the terrible two behavior during the day dwindled down to almost nothing. (Let's be real...she's still two...we still get cranky crying fits of undetermined causes. Good sleep can't fix everything!)

So how'd it all shake down? Well, the front came off the crib after nap time, so we spent the afternoon playing in the "new" bed and practicing sleeping. "I seep. I seep."

She kept grabbing pillows from the sofa and piling them in the crib. "My pil-ows."

The first few nights were no picnic. We let her cry and fuss for a bit, then one of us would go in for a couple of minutes. For a few nights, we did that for 45 minutes or so. I had envisioned her slamming her body dramatically against the bedroom door while screaming her face off, but she didn't. So in that respect, I guess it was a win from the get-go. Luckily, she can't work the doorknobs yet, so we didn't have to use any tricks to keep her in her room. Actually, the worst Z pulled off, was running in and out of view of the monitor, piling every single stuffed animal and blanket she could get her hands on in her bed, all while screaming her face off. Eventually, she'd crash out on top of the pile of animals.

Since then, the screaming has been replaced by a quiet and endless stream of "Da-ddy. Da-ddy. Da-ddy. Da-ddy.", getting more sing-songy as time goes on. (Daddy is in charge of bedtime most nights. When he's away for work, "Mom-my. Mom-my. Mom-my." takes over.)

Over the last month, we've seen her reading in bed (in the dark!), playing with blocks, she even ended up sleeping on the floor one night!

In another couple of months or so, we'll be switching Z to either a twin or a full sized mattress. I'm anxious to get her room decorated and looking cute again, but we can't decide which sized bed to go with. (Any recommendations?) She's kind of all over the place when she sleeps, so we're thinking bigger might be better, but who knows?! In typical fashion, the Hubs and I will overthink and over research until we can't make a single decision. She'll be 4 before we ever get it done, I'm sure!!