We Heart Grandmas and Grandpas

We love grandparents because...they love us to pieces, they make us smile and giggle, they hug us and give us kisses, they chase us, they play hide and seek with us, they read us stories, they play with us, the get us fun presents, they make cookies with us, they do puzzles with us, and they love us no matter what!

Our children are beyond lucky to have both sets of grandparents so close!!!!!!!  They are such an important part of Ava and Isaiah's lives and we are so thrilled that the kids can spend so much time with them.  For Valentine's this year both grandparents came over to our house to spoil these two lucky ducks with love and gifts. 

On Saturday my parents came over to hang out and give the kids their valentine gifts.  Ava and Isaiah were excited to tear through their bags to see what they got...they especially loved their new movies "Rio" and "Beezus and Ramona."

Ava showing off her new puppy and little puzzle

Isaiah was looking at a Star Wars coloring set

Grandma helping Ava with her puzzle

Jackson loves the attention when people are here and was right in the middle of all the action.  He also loves to shred paper.

My parents kid hearts around the house and the kids had to search for them.  Ava found a heart in the bathroom.

Isaiah found a heart tucked inside a picture frame in the hallway.

Grandpa was giving clues as to where the last few hearts where.  Let me tell you how proud I am of my Dad.  He's made an AMAZING recovery with his hip surgery.  He's weeks ahead of where he should be.  It seems so effortless now.  I am so happy to see him getting close to where he wants to be.  He's very dedicated, determined, and for the most part has had a very positive attitude about it!

Ava cuddling with Grandma while watching part of 'Beezus and Ramona."

Isaiah was showing Grandpa his Lego Star Wars video game.  They were both playing it together.

Tonight Andy's parents came down to give the kids their Valentine's Day presents.  Isaiah and Ava were very excited to hear they were coming.

Ava and Isaiah said, "Let's open our cards first."

Isaiah was very excited about his giant pirate floor puzzle.  You can even flip it over and color the other side.

Ava loved her Barbie puzzles.  There were three different ones and she was all about starting the 100 piece one right away.

Isaiah working on his pirate puzzle

Ava starting her Barbie puzzle...all three had to be completed before bed.  This girl love puzzles!

Isaiah was jumping for joy when he finished

One last picture...I took this the other day and love how cute Ava looks sitting next to Jackson.

Thanks for the fun Valentine's Day presents Grandpa and Grandma...we love you tons!

My Three Happy's:

1) Spending Valentine's Day with my loves...we just make it simple and do fun things at home...I wouldn't want it any other way!

2) Janet's "special recipe" Valentine cookies that she makes every year for us.  Love them!!

3) Is it already Wednesday tomorrow...this week has really gone fast so far!

Sweet as Candy

Don't you just love holidays?  It gives you an excuse to decorate, make treats or food that you don't usually make, buy presents, and do fun crafts.  With Valentine's Day right around the corner our house seems to be filled with festive holiday activities.  What can you do with  heart shaped balloon and a piece of ribbon...create a volleyball game.  I found these cute heart shaped balloons that resemble conversation hearts.  They come in many colors and have phrases written on them.  We blew a few up, attached a piece of ribbon from one end of the family room to the other and the kids played "Valentine Volleyball."

I know it's hard to see the ribbon...it's black and kind of blends in...and yes...Ava decided to play in her shirt and undies.  Here they are passing the ball back and forth over the "net."

Even Daddy got in on the action...look at that form!

Ava running after the balloon

Last night we made these fun valentine suckers.  If you have been a follower of our blog since the beginning you would have seen these last year.  I got this cute idea from the Family Fun website.  They are so easy to make.

You need mini candy canes from Christmas...so buy in bulk next year!

Line a cooking sheet with parchment paper and put the candy canes together to form hearts.

Bake them at 235 degrees (I know...random temperature) for 10 minutes.

Remove and immediately insert a sucker stick (I found them at Hobby Lobby)

Pinch the softened candy cane onto the stick

Then melt almond bark or white chocolate chips.  Add this to a zip lock and then cut the corner off so you can easily add the melted chocolate to the center of the heart. 

Then add sprinkles of your choice and allow time to harden.

I put ours in little treat bags and added Valentine ribbon.

Super easy and very cute!!!

Ava and Isaiah were adding the sprinkles

The kids made a little treat with the left over almond bark, Rice Krispies, and raisins.

Wrapped and ready to go

Since I'm on the topic of valentine treats, I have to share this story that Isaiah told me the other day.  He was watching a show on TV and they had a commercial for Little Debbie valentine cakes.  He decided that he wanted to make a valentine cake.  I asked him, "How would you make it?"  This is almost exactly what he said...as he talked I took notes because it was so cute!  Notice he says "valentimes."

"I will make valentimes cake for Valentimes Day.  You need 2 eggs, 10 sticks of butter, 3 cups of flour, 1 cup of brown sugar, 2 cups of white sugar, 5 salts, and 1 vanilla."  I asked him, "How long do you think you cook it and what should you turn the oven to?"  He said, "5 degrees for 5 minutes.  Then we need to mix it up and put it in the oven, then open the oven and then eat it.  It will be really yummy.  That's how we're goin' make it...I'm goin' help you make it." 

My Three Happy's:
1) Listening to Ava read books to me.  It's so fun to see her make connections to what we're learning and to recognize the things we have been working on in our stories.  We were reading the other day and she came to the word "then."  I said, "Oops Ava...we may have to sound that out."  She said, "It's the word /then/...that's one of my word cards."  My baby is growing up!

2) Tonight I worked with Isaiah on writing his name.  I'm a firm believer on teaching a capital for the /I/ but lowercase letters for the rest.  It would be easier to just write his whole name in capitals, but I know he needs to learn it the right way.  He traced over his name that I wrote a couple of times and then he wrote it on his own.  He was so proud and so was I!

3) Catching up on shows tonight.  I've been in a REALLY BAD HABIT lately.  I'm beyond exhausted every night.  No matter who I put to sleep, I always seem to fall asleep with them while we are listening to their music.  It's terrible.  Sometimes I don't wake up until 10:30...other times midnight.  Tonight I'm going to try my best to stay awake!

What Can You Do With a Roll of Paper Towels?

Our week has been crazy fun!  Only someone who lives in Iowa can say that the end of January was 65 degrees and the beginning of February was in the low 30's with snow.  This winter has been the strangest one I've ever seen.  We've been spending lots of time at the park and playing outside.  Here are a few silly pictures from this week. 

Our friends the Auderer's sold us their Barbie Power Wheel.  The kids were very excited to "drive" their own car.  This picture was taken seconds after Ava got into it for the first time.

Ava experimenting with the forward and reverse lever in our driveway.  Isaiah was patiently waiting his turn behind the wheel.

Now it's time to go around the block

I know it's girly and all, but Isaiah loves being the driver...it's so much fun that he overlooks the purple color.

Now onto a few funny pictures of Miss Ava.  I was giving Isaiah his bath the other night and Ava and Andy where out in the hall giggling and making all kinds of silly sounds.  It turns out they were taking pictures of each other.  Doesn't this girl make a tough football player?

 

What a throw!

Ava said to call this picture, "A scary looking face."

How cute is my Bootles!

Ava said this picture is of her "being crazy and singing."

...a balancing act

The rest of the pictures were taken today.  Ava went to her friend Lainey's birthday party and while she was there we ran some errands and then played out in the snow.  This was "perfect" snowball and snowman weather.  Isaiah started and continued to roll this ball with no help.  You should have heard him grunting as he pushed to move it each time.  He was trying so hard.

This snowball is almost as big as he is.

I called Andy over to help me lift the ball he rolled...I couldn't even get it off the ground.  We're in the process of making a "snow dog."  We have the three balls stacked but need to add the details tomorrow.

Who would have thought that rolls of paper towels would be so fun!  I peeked around the corner and took a picture of Isaiah making stairs.  He didn't know I was behind him.

The attempt to climb to the top...he didn't get that far...but he tried!

Then it was bowling.  Isaiah set the "pins" up for Ava and then ran off to the side...STRIKE!

Next it was boxing.  Ava stacked the tower and Isaiah was trying to punch them down.  Fun times!

When we were cleaning up the dishes tonight there was a pink heart on the counter that got wet and must have sat there a few minutes unnoticed.  When I peeled it off the counter...this is what I saw.  We tried to scrub it off...no luck.  I guess we'll have to find something stronger to use.  In the meantime, I'll just look at it as one of our "Valentine decorations."

What else have we done this week? 

...started to make our Valentines, made valentine crafts, baked cookies, played Star Wars and Barbies,  read LOTS of stories, colored, practiced reading stories, did activities to practice the letters of the alphabet...and the list could go on and on. 

My Three Happy's:

1) I just got done reading Ava 8 chapters in one of her Junie B. Jones chapter books.  We would have read the last two and finished the book in one night...but she fell asleep.  Those books are so funny!

2) Tomorrow we are going to one of our friend's houses for a Super Bowl party.  Rusty and Heidi started this tradition a few years ago and we're excited eat yummy food, see some people we haven't seen in a while, and cuddle their new baby Beckett.

3) Is this really my house?  I'm sitting on the couch finishing this blog and I'm looking at a clean family room and dining room...dusted and everything...not a toy in sight...everything is picked up.  Can this really be true?