Always room for dessert!

I was babysitting one day last week for a friend that was going to the Masters. What do we need when we have extra special play dates??? Extra special treats!!!! I came across a recipe for Cinnamon and Sugar Bites a while ago and bookmarked it. We finally had our chance to try them out. So we got to work: The kids went and played dress up while the dough rose:

And the verdict:

Mmmmmmm

That's a thumbs up in case you couldn't tell:

Thumbs up all around!!!

We just loved having Lohreli over!!

Our latest garden...

April 3, 2011 More pics to come as it is completed. Daddy has done an awesome job!!

Another Sunday with the Harkins

April 3, 2010 Boy did we have a busy day enjoying the beautiful weather! We started our Sunday with Mass, and because the kids were so excellent, we stopped by Dunkin Donuts for a special treat on our way to the grocery store. As soon as we returned home, we literally ran everything inside, and hopped back in the car to do to the playground (the one we call the "big one" in the neighborhood): We rarely go ALL the way up to the "big playground" so everyone was real excited:

Good Times!

When we got back home, Daddy hooked the kids up wih an awesome lunch while I ran another errand:

T. R. O. U. B. L. E.

And later that day, I was trying to take some picture of the latest garden Daddy had just planted, and Ethan kept saying "take a picture me! take a picture me!" So I did :)

Half Pint Paint Play Date

My friend, Brooke, is starting up a mobile art studio in the CSRA. It's called Half Pint Paint. She asked me if she could do a demo class through our moms group and I jumped right on it!! I've been looking and looking for some sort of art classes that would be geared towards Madeline's age and haven't found anything in the area. So when she told me about her plans, I was thrilled! She held a demo class at her house (to get pictures for her blog), which we were invited to, and we loved it! If you visit her website, you can see pictures from that event. In order to hit more clientele, I asked her if she wanted to do a demo class at one of our neighborhood play dates. The pictures below are from that event :) I was impressed with how well every child looked at Brooke and listened to the lesson: Mister I-don't-like-to-get-messy loved the art lesson and got right to work:

Not so much into finger painting:

Madeline on the other hand:

This lesson was about artist Jasper John and using cool and warm colors as well as different materials to create texture in the collages:

TaDa!!!! They looked a little Eric Carleish to me....LOVED IT!!! THANKS BROOKE!

ZZZZzzzzz

On Friday and Saturday nights, Doug typically spends a little time playing his XBox. Occasionally on those evenings, he will allow Ethan to come play in the "Big Room" past his bedtime while Doug's playing video games. Ethan truly loves this time. As soon as they go in the room, Ethan gets Daddy all set up...turns on the tv, turns on te XBox, and hands Doug the controller. Ethan will play as long as he can, but usually doesn't last long before hopping up on Daddy's lap to fall asleep. This night I took a break from sewing to check on them, and there was Ethan, curled up in his little spot behind Daddy.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Doug's birthday was Friday, so while he was at work...we prepared:

The kids were so excited for him to get home to see:

They each picked out a super cool balloon from the Dollar Store and Madeline made him a cake out of Play Doh:

Ethan tasting Daddy's "cake"

Ethan couldn't wait for Daddy to see the balloon he picked:

We celebrated his birthday all weekend with lots of yard work, a few trips to the parks and dinner out (at a sit down restaurant for the first time since Christmas!). We love you Daddy!

Storytime at the Library

A few months ago, I finally decided to attempt going to story time with the kids again. I tried when Ethan was one, but it was just too overwhelming for me and made the experience ...well, not what it should be. I knew it was an environment that would be good for them both though, so a few months ago we gave it another try. I brought them to the one for 3 and 4 year olds knowing that it would probably help Ethan to see the older ones setting examples. And it really did. Both kids learned a lot through the past few months. Madeline has learned (for the most part) the appropriate times to speak and for how long. I think she also learned how to enjoy a setting not just for the opportunities to be around other people ("friends" as she'd say), but as an opportunity to learn. Ethan learned that if he wanted to do the craft at the end of story time, he had to sit quietly through the entire story time :) He got to do the last 3 crafts :) I brought my camera this day since it was the last story time until next school year starts. Ethan is in the stripes next to his buddy, Aidan and Madeline is saying "Hi" to the girl next to her...surprising, I know.

How they always begin story time:

After a story or two (depending on how the kids are acting), all the kids "get their wiggles out." Naturally, it's Madeline's favorite part. In fact, on this day when the librarian asked "Do you know what we're doing today?" Expecting the kids to say "read about animals," Madeline responded, "get our wiggles out!!!"

Yay!! He made it to craft time! After each story he'll say "Go do craft now?!?!!" He actually amazed me at how he listened to the directions and then completed the whole craft, correctly, in record time:

Madeline, on the other hand, is always the last kid done. She definitely pays a lot of attention to detail. I think she was starting to understand that there is a point at which we just have to go because she just glued down her pieces and said "I'll just finish it at home."

We LOVE the story time at the Columbia County Library and can't wait for it to start up again!!