Ready for battle

We made this for John's birthday from things we had around the house: carboard, aluminum foil, black tape and felt. Surely it won't pass the tests of time, but hopefully the memory of making it will!

Flag t-shirts

I got this idea from my sister and thought it would be so fun to do for the 4th of July. I used old material I had on hand, cut out the sizes of strips I wanted, ironed the edges under then sewed them on. Put buttons on for stars, then walah! A unique flag shirt that can be worn for the 4th and all through the summer.

The Nesting Box

Pete's parents gave us a copy of this article from the Deseret News a year or so ago. Pete and I couldn't stop laughing when we read the part about the one little rabbit struggling at the bottom of the nest, but eventually fighting his way out. It reminded us too much of Joe who is constantly at the bottom of the wrestling pile. It turns out having kids who tease, wrestle and argue with each other might not have it so bad. In fact that might be what helps them survive!

Pine cone bird feeder

Yesterday the kids and I made bird feeders. John had made these in preschool and I thought it was a fun idea. We first tied yarn around the pine cones, then dipped them in peanut butter and bird seed. We hung them in some trees in our backyard and look forward to watching the birds!

Surviving the grocery store... with 3 little ones in tow

A few weeks ago after a very long, tiring, patience-testing trip to the grocery store, I swore I would never take all three of the kids with me again. I guess over time the pain of the experience wore off, because I decided to try it again. But this time I was more prepared. I decided to try and get the kids more involved instead of having them do their own thing and me my own thing. I assigned Dan to be the helper and and gave John the responsibility of crossing the items off my detailed list as we got them. I was more than surprised by how eager they were to help! Dan helped pick out the fruit, carry the milk, decide which yogurt to buy, where to put things in the cart, etc. while John sat in the cart with clipboard in hand, making sure everything got crossed off the list. Then about halfway through they decided it was time to switch jobs and try something new. And Joe? He got buckled in tight and I was more thoughtful about the toys I brought for him: magnets to play with on the cart, a small toy that plays music that he likes to dance to, and a book. I'm not quite ready to give him the freedom the older ones have yet, he's not very good at staying close and obeying me. But he didn't seem to mind staying put this time. Finally a shopping success! No one was crying by the time we got to check out!