Color Mixing for Toddlers

This camera is really going on me (I need to just break down and buy a new one!), so the color is not the best-which is too bad since we did color mixing today! Of course, Gracie has already experimented with mixing colors through fingerpainting in the tub, but this time we used what she calls "goop" (oobleck).

Yellow goop +

Blue goop=

Green goop!

And, of course, whenever we play with goop we end up in the tub. Gracie painted, then used shaving cream, and then ended up in a bath. This is the second bath that I have added Olive Oil to as my MIL suggested, and her skin and hair are super soft. However, all of her toys have a slightly slimy film on them now too.

Teaching the Important Stuff

Many of you know that Daddy and I are huge Milwaukee Brewers fans. We met most of our friends out there at Miller Park and had season tickets for a few years. Gracie spent most of her first summer at Miller Park-we know many of the employees and even had to "make the rounds" before every game to see all of our "baseball family." You may not know that before moving to Milwaukee I was a Twins fan. I grew up outside
of the cities and even spent many birthdays at the Metrodome.

I had to pick the girls up at my parents' house after work today and after dinner we put on the Twins game. Here's how our conversation went:

Me: Gracie, what's on t.v.?
Gracie: (barely glancing at the t.v.) Brew-ah
Me: (Smiling in a slightly gloating fashion at my dad)
Grandpa: You need to teach her.
Me: I DID.

Gracie being held by Corey Hart, Brewers right fielder (and Daddy's fav player).


This photo of us was in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Opening Weekend 2009.

Marble Painting Made Easy(ier)

Daddy graciously cleaned the apartment this afternoon while the girls were asleep so when Gracie asked to marble paint I couldn't find the paper plates I use as pallets (which I later found exactly where I left them. Figures.). After digging in the cabinets, I found one of her toddler plates with little sections divided out-perfect!

Daddy's been eating the new Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers and I have been saving the containers-certain they will be perfect for something, sometime. That's when it hit me-cleaning marbles! I dumped them in, added hot water and shook them for a couple of seconds. The strainer was perfect to aid in quick cleaning. It took about 10 seconds!

Sleeping Beauty

Lately, Brianna has started rolling to her side to sleep. She tucks her thumb into her mouth, rolls and quickly falls right to sleep. I think it's pretty much the cutest thing ever.

Watercolors!

Today Gracie tried watercoloring for the first time. She was very excited about it, and even waited patiently at the picnic table until I had all of the supplies out.

First masterpiece.

Such focus!

Did you notice the paintbrush keeps moving from left hand to right hand?


First watercolor masterpiece.



Starting to loose interest-asked momma to also paint.


Painting around our hands, then printing our handprints.


A couple of neighbor girls that like to play with Gracie joined her, and she asked them to paint too.

Action Painting

You may have heard of "Action" Jackson Pollack, the artist most famous for his "action paintings" such as Lavender Mist. I have often seen a lesser version of his style created by children using marbles. Most often, I've seen it with a closed mailing tube containing the paper and marbles dipped in paint. The child can then shake the tube up and the rolling marbles leave trails of paint in their wake. I've tried this, and never been entirely happy with the results. I was delighted the other day when I found a similar version of this project using a brownie pan instead of a tube. Using this idea, I brought the marbles, paper plate pallets, and paint out on our new picnic table tonight and we had a blast!

A little unsure of how to follow momma's lead.

I had intended to do all of the marble dipping myself and just let her shake the pan, but she wasn't going to have that! She dove right in after watching me for just a few moments. I love how independent she is!

I had originally thought it would be cleaner to scoop the marbles with a spoon, but we ditched that idea after the first marble. Using our fingers is just so much more fun!

Our three completed masterpieces-not bad for our first attempt!

Brianna's Dedication

Here is a video of Brianna's dedication. It cuts off a little abruptly because my dad was taking the video, and the family got called up to pray with us.

Picnic Time!

I got Gracie a picnic table at Aldi today. It even has an umbrella to give us a bit of shade this summer. Gracie seemed to enjoy her first time playing with it today.

First, we must get all the fun out of the box, of course!

Josey?

Best buds.

Chillin' with 'See.

Our table.

Impressed with the umbrella!

Fruit snack and apple juice picnic!

Gracie Loves Josey

Gracie and Josey were here.

Grace adores Josey.

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Can I just say, I have the best bathroom decor I've ever seen?

Big Sis Lil Sis

For Bri's dedication, my brother and his family got my girls matching necklaces. They are like the BFF necklaces, with a broken heart. One side says "Big Sis" and the other says "Lil Sis." Gracie was so excited when she opened them. She insisted that I put her on her right away. Here she is showing it off.

Bee

Green Thumb

Gracie loves her flower box. I think she is a little overzealous with the watering though. . .

She was supposed to be swimming.

Then, of course she needed to be watered!