Toddler @ Play! // New Games. Activities. Outings. Fun.

Preschool Paintball!

2010-07-13T16:04:00.001-05:00

Lil Bisuit has had a busy summer--he just turned three years old, so we've had lots of family in town for the celebrating, then his aunt was here for a few weeks and kept us entertained, and, in between, we've been working hard on preparations for Baby Biscuit who's due to arrive in August...so, we just haven't had a lot of time to blog. Now that things are settling down some, we needed some summer fun outside today...MESSY fun, of course...but since real paintball was out of the question for either of us, we decided to make our own game of it!

First we had to gather our supplies...water guns and squirters, splash bombs (those soft, foamie water balls for the pool), bowls, washable poster paint in various colors, and good ole' H20...

We filled up the bowls and blasters with a mix of water and paints, and we were ready for pint-sized paint wars!

He thinks he can avoid my expert, precision shots with his impressive ninja dodging skills...

OHHH! I gotcha!! Mommy 1, Biscuit - 0!! :D

Just wait...there's more where THAT came from :D

Hee hee...I think I'm still winning, but now it's payback time!

Uh-oh...he's gettin' serious now!

Time for Mommy to go on the offensive again!

Let's re-load...

Hey...cheater! You can't just smear me with it! ;)

Umm...I guess maybe me and Baby Biscuit didn't win after all?

The proud champion...:D

Oh well...there's always a rematch right? And clean-up is just as fun--especially with colored bathwater!!

Pet Caterpillars?

2010-05-24T22:41:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we had a TON of those tent caterpillars in trees around our house, and crawling all over the sidewalk. The first time we came across one, Lil Biscuit was so excited by it that I put it in a jar with some leaves and sticks and dirt so he could see it more up close at home.
Here's what transpired:

So as soon as we got him inside, he laid down on his tummy and started talking to the "worm" (I have a video of the conversation which was adorable but it is taking too long to upload so you'll have to trust me, it was cute!) anyway he kept asking me to get him out, so he could "pet it like a doggy"...so I let the fuzzy footed thing out of the jar to crawl around the kitchen floor.

Biscuit thought he was awesome!

He wasn't content just to watch him and pet him...

...he wanted to HOLD the caterpillar in his hand! He kept giggling and saying, "He tickle, mommy!"

He was pretty thrilled when I told him we could "keep" the critter overnight. We did let it go in a tree the next day, in case you were wondering ;)

Driveway Sponge Stamp Splash Art!

2010-04-01T15:45:00.001-05:00

Today we skipped spring and went straight to SUMMER! It was HOT...close to 85 degrees, so we had to do something outside and WET! I found some sponge stamps that I originally bought for less than a dollar at Hobby Lobby to use for crafts and painting (they didn't work so well for that) and figured they'd be more fun in a sand bucket full of water. I told Lil Bisucit the plan to stamp some shapes on the driveway with bubble water and sponge stamps...he thought it sounded like a good time!

First he had to pick out what stamps he wanted to use...

Then wring out some of the extra water....

Then he had to find a nice dry spot on the driveway to work. The stamps could make big blobs with too much water in them (or not much of anything without enough), but if you're really careful the prints turn out nice!

When he got bored with that, we moved on to stamping with Biscuit ... first, he put a foot in the water bucket...

and ran all over the driveway making footprints!

Here's one he made...

He made handprints too...

And splashed around with a soccer ball...

Then he washed rocks.

Finally it was time to clean up...he loved dumping out all the water!

He was a good helper...

He was all smiles after a good time - in a good mood, tuckered out and ready for a nap!

The Search for Signs of Spring!

2010-03-16T18:17:00.000-05:00

With Daylight Savings this week, we couldn't resist getting outside and scoping out the spring scene in our yard. Little Biscuit is really eager to get out and play in the parks soon so he's as excited as I am to find some "signs of life" out there! First we checked out the little tree out our front window...

Sure enough, some cute little buds have already popped out!

And look what we found in the flower bed...

A bunch, actually!

Is the yellow grass turning green yet?

Ah, yeah! Even some fresh clover has cropped in too.

And the grand finale...even the rose bush has hints of beautiful blooms to come soon!

Hooray for spring! Happy hunting at your house with your toddler too :D

Cup Concentration: A Textures Matching Game for Toddlers

2010-03-09T10:08:00.002-06:00

We had Little Biscuit's final visit from our Parents as Teachers rep this week and she had a great idea for a game we had to try. We collected some random odds and ends from around the house that were 2 of a kind - two craft pompoms, 2 mini cars, 2 little wood men, 2 marbles, 2 hair ties, 2 Cars dominoes, 2 bendy straw ends, 2 foam circles, and 2 q-tips (the objects can be anything as long as they match, have different textures, are safe for toddler hands and are small enough to fit in a cup). Before we played the game, I let Little Biscuit hold, touch and handle the gizmos for a few minutes so he'd know the differences and how they felt.

Then, we dumped them all into an 8-oz cup...

I put the cup inside one of his daddy's (clean!) tube socks so he couldn't see inside. We shook it up and, without looking, I pulled out one of the objects (a little orange wooden man). So it was his turn ...I let him put his hand down inside the sock...his challenge was to find the other orange man without peeking. He could only feel around for it...

Yay!! He did it :D

He was quite proud of himself :)

His first cup concentration match of the day...

Mommy's turn...can she find the hair tie Little Biscuit pulled out? If she does, she wins a BIG kiss, just like he did!! (Yippee, I won a big one!!! Here it comes...)

Another turn for Little Biscuit...can he find the other foamie circle?

Of course he can :D

We had a lot of fun - what a great learning game...thanks, PAT!

Make-It-Yourself Marble Launcher

2010-01-27T12:21:00.000-06:00

Today we decided to get a little goofy and bring out the foam noodle for some indoor fun; I figured there had to be a way to turn it into some kind of marble track. So, I rigged it up with some neon green duct tape to the edge of our kitchen counter and propped the end up on a chair. Then we set up a Sponge Bob dixie cup to see if we could catch the marble upon launching it through the noodle's center hole. I knew we'd have to get the angle just right to defy gravity and get it to go up at the end...

Little Biscuit couldn't wait to give it a shot!

Whoo-hoo, here comes the marble! The first few tries we defied gravity with no problem but took a while to get the cup in the right spot. Then, ...

Ta-da, we did it!! Yipee! The marble launcher worked AND we caught the marble in the cup!

So after our first success, we decided to get even more wild and crazy...

We made a marble "monster truck" course! Can our marble jump the stack of cars and land safely in the farm wagon? The suspense was killing us...

Indeed it could...way to go Little Biscuit! Then we had a great time experimenting with the angle of the noodle and seeing how high we could make it jump. This one made quite the evil kenevil leap into the air...but alas, we missed the mug at the bottom :)

If you have a marble and a noodle, why not give it a try? It was an entertaining way to spend a cold a morning and made for one happy little boy :)

Alphabet Soup Activity

2010-01-18T14:22:00.000-06:00

It's warming up outside, woo-hoo! But still a little too wet to go to the park or play much outside. In the meantime we passed some more indoor time today making some "alphabet soup" out of magnet letters just for fun.

First we found a nice soup pot and some water...

(Chef Smiley had to approve of course!)

Then he went "shopping" for his ingredients.

After he had his ABCs, he added them to the pot...

Then he stirred it up and let it simmer...

Time to add some seasoning...salt and pepper for sure.

Time to test the temperature to make sure it's just right...

When it's just right, he's ready to serve up a big bowl of alphabet soup!

MMMMM!! Yummy ABC soup!

DIY toddler wall storage solution for play area

2010-01-04T17:01:00.000-06:00

We just got home from a wonderful Christmas travel tour to visit both sets of Little Biscuit's grandparents. He didn't get spoiled in the slightest (yeah right!) Today we spent a lot of time removing Christmas decor and trying to find places for all the new toys. The biggest order of business was to make a special spot for his new fire house and gear. I decided to keep it really simple and instead of buying an expensive coat rack for the fire jacket and hat, we'd stick with Command strips. Besides, the extinguisher and hatchet wouldn't have worked on a coat rack. Those I just attached using the super-techy hair tie nailed to the wall with a photo frame nail :) The extinguisher and hatchet both store and come out really easy...and should hold up well too since they're stretchy.

I may use the same hair tie system to store some other stuff in his room too...

Of course it's not about the storage...the fun is getting it all out to play with!

here he is all decked out...

we call him "Captain Spaghetti Face!"

(On top of Old Smoky...lol... :)

Plush Alphabet Project

2009-12-10T11:01:00.001-06:00

So, a friend I met through MOPS had a set of super-cute felt alphabet toys for her toddler son. She couldn't remember where she got them and I couldn't find any the same size to buy in a store or online (I wanted them stuffed-toy size not magnet size) so over a vacation I decided to try to wing it on my mom's sewing machine. They turned out passable - not as cute as the originals but they'll do for letter games and early phonics and reading lessons...and just plain imaginative play, which is what little Biscuit likes them best for right now :)

We use them to make some of his favorite words...
CAR, of course!

FROG...

and just for fun, a little rhyming lesson using the "at" words...

All you have to do to make your own set of plush ABC's is get 26 full felt sheets (8.5 x 11) in fun colors. Fold each sheet in half and draw on a big bubble letter to fill each half sheet using sewing chalk or washable marker (a template for the letters adds more hassle...just hand draw them, it makes them "yours!"). Cut out any holes in letters like A, B, D, P, etc. Then sew carefully around each letter outline leaving an inch hole for stuffing (consider leaving two holes on complicated letters like M, X, W); cut each letter out; stuff 'em with fiberfill (use a pencil or dowel to stuff hard-to-reach areas) and sew up the loose ends. Trim any loose thread and there you are...all done! Have fun!

Leaf-Looking with a Little One

2009-10-21T15:55:00.000-05:00

Today we had the delightful combination of beautiful foliage and warmer weather so me and my little guy couldn't resist a trip to the park. In fact, we heard about a new one we had to check out, and it was paradise for a toddler ;D

Of course, the new playground was fun, but the best parts of all were not man made!!

He absolutely LOVED this little creek. And the gravel pile beside it of course! The colors of the trees near there were breathtaking! A photo does not do it justice.

The fuzzy "caterpillar" weeds made his day too!

He called them "tickle weeds!"

He also found some deer tracks...this place looked like Heaven for wildlife.

Then it was time to run through the fall fields!

Look! We found a scenic trail hidden behind a field.

Hmm...I wonder if there's a tree house to play in up there?

"See the pretty grasses mommy?"

And a bridge too? Wow, does it get any better?

Yes it does! Ladybugs!

And ladybug kisses!!

And holes to throw pine needles and rocks inside!

The quiet babble of the brook was so relaxing to us both.

I wish the leaves didn't have to fall off...but until they do, we'll probably be back to this place as often as we can!

Playroom Makeover

2009-10-01T16:01:00.001-05:00

With colder weather coming up fast, we needed to make some adjustments to the playroom so there'd be plenty to keep us occupied indoors this winter. The big room of toys didn't have much organization to it, so I gave it more structure and hopefully now it's more practical to use.

Here's the book nook...it features a fun new lounge chair and ottoman we got on clearance at big lots, a cozy bear for snuggling up for reading, ABC foam playmat, a bookshelf full of newbery medal books, puzzles and word cards and alphabet/phonics posters, a basket of lil biscuit's favorite stories, and of course, the plush icons of children's lit, Corduroy (biscuit's best bud!), Brown Bear...and Clifford, the best-read dog on the block ;) As you can see, lil boy has already made himself at home in his new toddler chair!

Next there's a center for playing cars, where all the radiator springs and hot wheels heroes cruise around. It has a playmat, race track, wooden parking garage and bin for storage. And beside it sits a small red table for building with blocks

The playroom playground has his pop-up tunnel (he loves pushing his cars through it), bounce house and slide; it's sitting on more foam playmat and carpet remnants.

Then there's the music center for pounding away at his keyboard; the box holding it doubles as storage for his ball pit balls; and the bins hold more toys that he doesn't play with all the time.

The last area is the art center, which has his new craigslist easel (it has dry erase/chalk board/roll of paper for painting) and toddler table/chair. The little drawers hold his crayons, colored pencils, markers and chubby chalk; the sand pail is play dough and accessories; the clothesline with pins for displaying his masterpieces; and the bin is for coloring books, aquadoodle, magnadoodle, sticker books etc.

Here he is, trying out his hand at watercolor...or, more accurately, trying to put his hand in the cup of water...

Anyway, clearly it's a low-budget production, but it should keep us a little more organized and occupied when the frigid air hits later on! In the meantime, it's "something different downstairs" and is already working as a nice boredom busters. So maybe we'll just keep re-arranging as needed to keep things interesting ;)

Going Green...(taking a toddler biking on a greenway)

2009-09-30T20:28:00.000-05:00

Now that the weather has started getting cooler, we decided to go for a family bike ride down a local greenway that connects a pair of parks near us...it made for a fun and scenic evening mini-adventure!

Hooray for greenways...want to come along next time?

Ready to Roll! (Hill games)

2009-09-21T14:50:00.011-05:00

Little Biscuit went with me this week to have a quick trip down memory lane ;) I found the greatest grassy hill for rolling down, just like when I was a kid. I figured, you're never too old to stop being a child at heart, so he's not too young to start playing like one either ;)
The moment I got up from my demo roll down the side of the hill, Biscuit was all over it ;) He couldn't stop giggling, and off he went, go-go-going!It was a big hill for a small boy...Split-second halftime break.Play resumes...Mission complete!Time for round two!
After he was done, he wanted to climb another "hill"...I wouldn't let him roll down this one though :-/
We'll definitely be back to visit the Hill when snow comes ;) Or maybe before, if I can find one of those fun ice-runner sleds for grass. (Wax paper didn't work as well as we hoped.)

Free Festivals...Another Family-Friendly Local Activity

2009-08-28T16:46:00.006-05:00

This past weekend we decided to check out the Festival of the Little Hills on the riverfront not too far from us. Of course it was mostly vendors but little b just likes to meander aimlessly anyway, pushing his stroller ... anything to get out some of that rambunctious toddler energy. So we visited the barbecue n burger kiosk for lunch, stopped by the stage to listen to the local municipal band (he is a huge music fan so little b ate it up!), got a free balloon for him from First Baptist Harvester's tent, visited the engine club's exhibit of spitting tractor and old truck motors (he liked seeing the displays but the noise made him skittish to get to close), visited the kids corner where inflatables, rock walls and other carnival-type were in action. But his favorite part of all was the hands-on craft tent where he got to paint his very own wooden snake. we didn't take many pictures of the day's festivities but we did get a few of the snake-painting...

Big Wheels and Waterworks!

2009-08-11T16:01:00.014-05:00

For a super-free and super-fun summer adventure, little Biscuit and I found a new park we'd never been to, thanks to a handy water-play reference list I found on KidsinStl.com. Then we loaded up his big-wheel and headed off for some splashing good times!

We ended up at Creve Coeur Park, where we found a beautiful lake, lots of paved walking/biking/blading trails, tons of picnic tables and 4 playgrounds, not to mention our favorite part, the spray pool with squirting fountains!!

First we figured out how to use the 'vortex' button....!We watched with anticipation to see what would happen...Then got set to enter the wild 'n wet zone!! Here, he plans his approach...He decides on waiting for more toddler-sized fountain sprays just perfect for a big-wheel wash ;)His back tire needed a scrub too...Watch out for that bucket!Time to get really wet now!!

Awesome Indoor Water Games

2009-07-24T15:28:00.013-05:00

Today it was so insanely hot that we wanted to play in the water, but the sun was so bright and the air so humid we didn't really want to be outside...instead we brought the waterworks inside!

We started pretty simple...good old fashioned spray bottle mister. Filled it with cool water and let him decide what to do with it :D

Hmmm...how do you work this thing?
I think he figured it out ;)
A water park without the puddles :)
He can't get enough!Who needs a shirt? Time to get really wet!Now time to try a great idea we found in Family Fun magazine...make your own "bubble snakes" with the Foamerator!! :DThis was so cool we're going to use it at VBS in a few weeks! We'll probably have races...who can make the longest bubble snake without its tail falling off?Ooops...the tail fell off! We used a straw and soapy water to make this bubble soccer ball.And a giant bubble in a bowl :DSuper easy, super fun! Happy summer, everyone!

Toddler-Sized Clean Up the Neighborhood Trash Patrol

2009-07-21T14:22:00.015-05:00

So it turns out that even 2-year-olds can get involved with hands-on community service and have a fun time with it! Here's how it started: almost every day little Biscuit and I go for a walk down the sidewalk in our neighborhood. He doesn't like to ride in the stroller much; he'd much rather push it (it's an obsession, really). And he's constantly stopping to try to check out the old soda cans and cigarette butts and boxes he finds that some litterer has thrown onto the street. I never let him touch these things because...well, they're filthy. But then, I didn't feel right about just leaving the junk sitting outside either. So I told him we'd pick a day and put our gloves on and clean up the trash we see on our walk. Today was the day and it was a fun activity for learning about cleaning up, helping others and being good stewards of God's world!

He knows what to do - see garbage, grab it...Then throw it in the trash bag!More trash. Better pick up that old straw, yuck.Uh-oh, he might be the pick of the litter but I don't think that's the kind of litter we want; besides, he won't fit in the trash bag...See, it's almost overflowing with garbage already!Time to take it all home and throw it in the trash can!

Lost Kitten, Happy Toddler!

2009-07-16T13:49:00.019-05:00

So today right after breakfast Little Biscuit and I heard a commotion of dogs barking unlike anything we've ever experienced in the neighborhood. I went out to see what all the fuss was about and there it was...a young, stray cat was all arched up with its hair on end as the dogs ferociously tried to get at it from behind a fence (I say 'it' because we don't know if it was a he or she but I'd like to say it was a she so I'll call it "her" from now on). Anyway she was clearly frozen with fear, so I called calmly to her and finally got her to move away from the dogs. She was very sweet and affectionate when she came to me, but had obviously experienced a difficult morning...her legs were soaking wet and the fur behind her head was all matted. Anyway, once I realized she wasn't wild or crazy but just maybe lost, I figured it'd be okay to show the Biscuit, who is absolutely head over heels for kitties. So I brought her to the door where he was waiting for me inside, and showed him, and you should have seen that face! I didn't get it on camera, but here are some other pics to let you know how happy he was about the whole thing :D

"Oh wow, a cat! Can I pet you...?"
"...and kiss you?"
"And talk to you?""And hold you?""And feed you milk and baby food beef and gravy?"And play games with you?""And take you for walks...in my toy stroller?"
"I mean, LOTS of walks?""And let you come in my house and live with me forever?"
"Oh, sorry...mommy says no cats allowed in the house. Daddy's allergic. But you can stop by and visit me anytime. Bye-bye for now, kitty!"

Balancing Games for a 2-Year-Old

2009-07-14T15:12:00.010-05:00

Today was a great day for playing outside - not too hot or too wet. So little guy and I decided to add some variety to our usual park playtime. I helped him try some new balancing activities just for fun, so he could get the feel of them.

First, the classic...balance beam time!

Then he showed me he could walk the white painted line on the tot rod street... I won't say he could do it without falling off but he sure liked putting his arms out to steady himself!Next we tried some whole-body balancing...sitting on a bouncing car hood without falling off! He did it...then he jumped off on purpose!Hop, hop, hop on one foot!Now for some wiggly-worm step action!All done! That was fun ;)

Summer Sweet Tooth: First Ice Cream Cone!

2009-07-03T14:58:00.007-05:00

Little Biscuit has lots of food allergies/sensitivities that have prevented him from being able to have real ice cream, much less a cone. He still can't have dairy but God has blessed in huge ways by allowing him to just recently start tolerating wheat without rashes ... the last couple weeks he's had tons of new snacks, including sandwiches, but one of his absolute favorites was getting to have his very first cone...featuring Rice Dream vanilla!!

Here he is in his own little "ice cream shop"...
He took his time, enjoying every bite!Mmmmm!! Good stuff! Drippy, delicious!Gotta have more, more, more!Uh oh, the shark's gonna eat it :)

Water Slides and Sand Splats!

2009-06-24T18:38:00.008-05:00

Well, I can't believe it but my baby boy turned two last week!! We had an 'off-road adventure party' to celebrate here at home, and a Hot Wheels party in Branson. Both were so much fun and we did a lot of swimming in each location! Now all he wants to do is play in the water and outside lol!

One thing we've done this week to keep him occupied is to move his toddler slide outside, and put it in his spring pool as a water slide; we also move it back and forth to the sandbox. It's pretty entertaining to watch lol :D

He scared me once, trying to go head first!Wheee!

Watercolor Wonder, Sticker Sillies and the Clothespin Challenge

2009-06-10T16:21:00.010-05:00

Nothing too original, but Little Biscuit and I had fun with some with some new-for-us activities last week. First I let him paint on a giant poster taped to his Lego table.(here is the arteest at work)
Then we made a sticker montage around his artwork, letting him place them wherever he chose.Finally we played in a pile of clothespins! It was especially silly to clip them all over him and let him try to figure out how to get them off! Good times!

Pop art - painting with popsicles

2009-05-13T15:50:00.009-05:00

This one doesn't require a lot of explanation ;) We created this activity when we were figuring out what popsicle flavors tasted the best for a boy with a sore mouth, and while we were practicing colors all at the same time.
Painting like a proMixing colors for an abstract lookThe artist with his finished work

A Trip to the Swingset Showroom

2009-05-08T14:30:00.010-05:00

Last week we decided to check out a giant play set store (Rainbow Recreation) not far from where we live...they have a free open play time for kids. They had so many cool things to do that Little Biscuit wasn't sure where to start!

Slides and swings and ladders and monkey bars and air pogo sticks...wow!
Trampolines...he loved that! But he pulled off his socks to feel the "bounce" on his toes so we had to take him off early ;)A basketball court!Setting up for a slam dunk!
His favorite discovery of all...a "just his size" play house with a full door! He couldn't stop going in and out, opening and shutting the door, sticking his head in the little round window, and washing his hands at the sink :) Too fun!Here he is inside another play house...It was a great morning and definitely worth the drive out :)

Stairway Safety 101: Going Downstairs

2009-05-04T13:55:00.015-05:00

Ba-Bonk! That's the sound we've heard almost every day for the last few months as Little Biscuit has discovered the fun of sliding down stairs on his backside. It's the way we taught him to get down safely without falling...and now it's one of his favorite at-home games!

He's ready to ride down!There he goes! Ba-bonk! Ba-bonk! Ba-bonk!
Whee! This is fun!I did it! Wow, that was cool!Time to go back up! He must think he's Evil Knievel...planning his next ride down on that motorcycle! Whew! Breaktime.

Messy play to stimulate the senses

2009-04-28T13:57:00.002-05:00

A while back we took our little guy to the local parents-as-teachers "messy play date" event for preschoolers. They had set up all kinds of play tables full of toddler-appealing things to touch and feel, such as...

wet, gooey spaghetti noodles...a pool full of shredded paper...
a tub of green slime...
Jello!
potato flakes and sand toys...
He had a great time and the really fun part is that if we ever get bored at home we can recreate some of this pretty easily and have our own messy playtime in the kitchen floor.

Easy clean-up toy ideas

2009-04-23T22:00:00.020-05:00

One of the exciting events of this month was being able to take down the baby gate that has guarded the kitchen since Little Biscuit's birth. Now that he's just a few months shy of two, we figured he was old enough to learn to stay away from off-limits items without baby proofing every cabinet, appliance, and door. We put happy face stickers on kitchen areas he can play in (like the now you see it, now you don't pull-out train track and toy car drawer above); we put "no" symbol stickers on drawers and places we don't want him to touch. Overall he's done a really good job following the rules...with a few slip-ups of course!
Even though he sometimes makes a mess in the floor around his play drawer, I prefer frequent clean-ups to the previous dilemma - which was frequently listening to him yell because he wanted over the gate and I wouldn't let him in. It's nice to be able to pick it up and just close the drawer when he's done. And it doesn't hurt that overall it's been a lot quieter around here lately...
...unless you count the rattle of trains and hot wheels speeding down the track ;)
Then, when the kitchen work is done, it's time for laundry...so we found a fun "secret speedway" for that too ;) Just flipped over the empty basket and voila! Gentlemen, start your engines!It's great to find these kinds of hidden play spaces all around the house! Makes the toys seem almost invisible ;) I just hope he doesn't get so into discovering the possibilities that he uses the toilet rim as the location for his next matchbox race! That might not be so easy to clean up ;)

Cheap Indoor Fun - All Smiles for Tile!

2009-04-13T20:58:00.013-05:00

So within the last few weeks little Biscuit has learned to smile when asked :) He doesn't always comply but when he is in a hammy mood, he likes to say cheese and grin from ear to ear! Sometimes he'll even point to the smile to let you know where it is, in case you can't figure it out for yourself. Today we had a little practice time when we went to the area tile store (no real reason other than another interesting place for a toddler to explore and play).They did have a preschool-size table set up in there with some Lincoln Logs and Disney books, but he was more interested in stepping in and out of the showers and bathtubs and checking out the sinks and cabinets.
He couldn't put down this sponge...we usually just have washcloths at home so the loofah he found in a soap dish was irresistible. He carried it around all morning!

Swingsets and Slides, Inside!

2009-04-04T16:36:00.003-05:00

A few days in the last couple weeks we've had some weather that prevented doing much outside. The playground wasn't an option (we actually had to make an emergency wal-mart run for new pants after the little guy slid down a slide at the park that was more like a raging water flume!) So we tried to be resourceful and use what we already had...we brought our Little Tikes swing and slide in the house, wiped it down, and found a nice spot for it out of the way. It has been well used - a lot more than it has been outside, where it gets wet and dirty and ignored. Little Biscuit loves to climb all over it and push his toy teddy bears and Frisbee the dog in the swing; but most of all he thinks the slide is one big giant car ramp, and boy do those racecars pick up some speed on it! VROOM!!

How to keep a toddler happy at the grocery store

2009-03-26T12:36:00.005-05:00

Who says grocery shopping can't be fun? Little Biscuit and I had a great time using our local Schnucks store for a big-time play date earlier this week. He brought his own toy shopping cart and since mommy didn't have much on her list, I wasn't in a hurry like I usually am. I walked along with him holding him close by his harness so he wouldn't have any run-ins with those real metal carts (right, Daddy? we need to keep our baby teeth until we're at least six years old!) I carried him into the store so we didn't have to dodge cars in the parking lot but as soon as we got inside, we were off!
He found mommy some yummy bread (apparently he knows I'm watching my weight and got the diet brand without even being told)...I ought to be paying him for this service! And he got me some rice milk, breakfast fruit and diapers (mommy carried those since they were too big for his cart).
Then, like the big helper he is, he unloaded everything when it was time to pay. After all the food was bagged he was ready to roll! Wow...if he can do this much before he's even two, I might be out of a job by his third birthday!

Learning to Jump

2009-03-02T13:12:00.010-06:00

Today at one of our quarterly Parents as Teachers meetings we talked about how, at 20 months old, one of Little Biscuit's next developmental milestones will be jumping - hopping up with both feet off the floor, down from on top of things, bouncing on a trampoline or in a bounce house, and leaping over things. So since I know he already loves trying to hurl himself off of way-too-high surfaces when I'm not expecting it, we decided to have some fun playtime practicing his jumping skills in a more controlled way this morning!

READY?SET?
GOOOO!!!!!!!!
"I did it. Again, again, Mommy!" :)
(What a fun way to build self-confidence! Now wouldn't it be nice if this kind of activity would help ease his separation anxiety!?)
OH MY WORD. The adrenaline is pumping now (mommy's, that is!) I didn't realize I'd opened a toddler gym.Yikes!! I said you could learn to jump, not train for motocross! (Please tell me I don't have one of those fearless daredevils on my hands who's going to want to skydive and roller blade across rooftops and generally give his mother ulcers.)

My First Pet - A Fish for a Train Lover

2009-02-12T16:41:00.006-06:00

Well Little Biscuit got his Valentine's gift from Mommy a bit early today - a brand new aqua colored beta fish, complete with a tot-style train theme tank!Meet Donegan (named from railroad lingo for a train that has been turned into a house - since a toy train has become this guy's watery residence!)Little Biscuit had a great time feeding him, and standing in a chair to watch Donegan take a "ride" in the red caboose.Not to mention it makes a fun accessory for his choo-choo toddler room! And very easy to care for - he only needs to eat every few days, and ever-so-often water changes ;)

The Reading Chair

2009-02-11T13:24:00.007-06:00

Here is a sight for sore eyes...a SUPER HAPPY little Biscuit bookworm!! ;) He has had a rough go of it since last September and we've had to back off on our weekly library trips (much to his disappointment); now he has another sore throat and runny nose he woke up with today...BUT on the bright side, he is NOT itchy or rashy with eczema even the slightest bit anymore, PTL!! His skin has never looked so good and he hasn't been this cheerful (cold and all) in months! His attention span for playtime and enthusiasm for stories and picture books has been awesome the past couple days (ever since eliminating peanut contamination of his snack crackers, which we know now he's very allergic to based on skin testing, and baker's yeast, just in case).

As an indication of how well he is doing, today I found him in his room reading in his little "reading chair" all by himself, out loud! :D He was reciting "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" and then a fun board book about Christmas.

He really enjoys his soft toddler-size reading chair with a book basket beside it ;) It does double duty for lots of entertaining diversions such as:

Story time (obviously)Giggle time!Song or music time ("eyes, and ears and mouth and nose!") -- definitely preferable to nose-picking time (*groan*)Even nap time :D

Winter Boredom-Buster Activity for Tots

2009-02-07T11:50:00.008-06:00

Here's playful way to spend a toddler-friendly afternoon on a lazy day.

1. Wake up from your nap. Bundle up. Don't bother brushing your hair; it adds to the fun. Head out the door with your mommy and daddy.
2. Look for animal tracks in the snow. Or try to catch a truck by following the tire tracks on the street!
3. Pretend you're the woodchuck on Groundhog Day; try not to see your shadow so winter will end sooner! 4. Do the Hokey Pokey in the middle of the street for the neighbors to see!
5. When you're all done, come inside and play some goofy games with static electricity!

An Indoor Toddler Snow Idea

2009-01-31T12:03:00.015-06:00

Well the whole family has been slammed with tummy flu (viral gastroenteritis) this week; it has been ongoing since Sunday night. The pic above is just our 19-month-old's opinion of the whole experience. I could say more but I think he sums it up pretty well :)

Today we're all still feeling pretty yucky but it is almost 45 degrees outside and we still haven't gotten to play in the snow; rather than wait for it all to melt we went out for just a few minutes since it's Little Biscuit's first "real" snow that he might actually remember...But since we couldn't find child sized snow boots in stock anywhere this late in the game, we couldn't stay out long. The little guy really wanted to play more in it when we were done, so we brought a pan of the cold white stuff inside. We filled it with sandbox toys and set him in the tub with it and let him go at it! He had his own bathub blizzard - a flurry of fun, flake-feeling, cheek-chillin', toddler-style snow-day festivities right there! Bundle up, bath buddies! It's c-c-cold in here!
So Mommy, how do I make a slushie?
More, more, more - I love the snow! It makes me forget feeling so sick!

The Toddler Playhouse Hideout Club

2009-01-16T19:22:00.023-06:00

An arctic blast hit this week and we were stuck inside almost all week (plus I had a particularly icky cold so didn't feel too energetic either). As you can see we were getting pretty bored and stir crazy with the usual plastic trucks and puzzles and blocks and stuffed animals...our eyes were beginning to glaze over!
Then, as if on cue, the FedEx guy delivered Little Biscuit's new PeaPod travel bed (a cool little tot-sized tent!) and everything changed for the better! Suddenly we had a whole new world of playtime opportunities! We set it up and the flap doors to his very first kiddie clubhouse opened just before naptime!
(He hasn't learned the "no girls allowed rule" yet so he let me take some pictures!)This is better than a boring ole' baby DVD anyday, Mommy!
The first meeting will come to order!
Okay mom I know the rule now...get out!His first member candidate gets initiated (do you know the secret kiss?)!

Let's Pretend It's Pepperoni

2009-01-10T08:42:00.013-06:00

Well due to his possible corn intolerance issues we've tried to come up with safe versions of "normal" food for Little Biscuit to eat. For some variety in his pretty bland toddler menu we recently tried pizza made on a kosher matzah cracker (but not kosher for passover as we couldn't find them and those are the only ones that are really supposed to be corn free); I just used regular pizza sauce with pureed beef mixed in it and spread it on the cracker and put on some cheese squares on top (this was before we realized that milk is also a big eczema trigger for him, or seems to be); So he had his first pizza party at 18 months old! Anyway he really enjoyed himself and I guess even if milk is a problem he can still have it without the cheese on top. As you can see he couldn't wait to get his hands on it - Needless to say it was really a celebration for him to get to eat pizza for once :D Little Biscuit didn't even play with his food too much - he was busy scarfing it down!
Not sure what the teething ring and diaper were for...
His bib is clean for the moment, but it didn't last long!
I had fun playing in the kitchen so I also made some home-made pizza for me and Big Biscuit too that turned out really yummy (probably because it actually did have pepperoni!).

The Doo-Dad Bowl for Developmental Delight

2008-12-31T21:48:00.010-06:00

An easy pleaser for Little Biscuit lately has been anything new and different that he can turn into toddler toys. So for a quick activity I fill up a mixing bowl with an assortment of oddments that help him explore and imagine. Puzzle pieces, blocks, chenille stems formed into fun spiral shapes, bendy straws in neon colors - you get the idea. Throw in a big spoon to stir it all up and he just goes at :) It's a sensory sensation too - he likes the sounds he makes when he stirs (and the noisier the better!)...
He can also taste it....mmm, that straw has a bold plastic flavor!Wonder what that bowl smells like inside?Touch it! Hands-on interaction is just as interesting for playing in the bowl - and all those textures are irresistable!Then it's time to dump it out all over the floor! Look at all those fun colors, shapes and sizes :)Do I have any other senses, Mommy? Can I try them all out at once?

Silly Games with Packing Paper

2008-12-18T19:19:00.012-06:00

Hide 'n seek...where's Little Biscuit?

Limbo anyone?

Today a package came with some of that ten-mile-long brown packing paper and boy did Little Biscuit ever have a good time with it! His favorite activity was standing under it when I threw the whole mess of it as high as I could into the air and let it fall down all over us. You can't really see the action of the paper falling in these photos, but that's what's going on. He was laughing his heart out and squealing with joy, falling into it and "splashing" in it and whatever he could do to make it a fun new toy. He sure needed something happy today too as he is not recovering as smoothly as we'd hoped from his myringtomies/ear tubes (his temp is still raised and he's having a lot of pain and drainage, so the doc is seeing him again tomorrow). I think he's going to enjoy Christmas so much, even if all he gets to do is play with the wrapping paper off the boxes :D

"Wheeeeeeeeee! Incoming!"
It's smiles like this that especially remind me I wouldn't trade being a mommy for anything!

"Oh boy, it's a TUNNEL!"

He can't jump yet but this "paper jump rope" sure makes him want to try!

"Who says I can't swim with ear tubes? Watch me SPLASH!"

A Nice Day for a Warm Winter Penny Kick

2008-12-15T07:57:00.017-06:00

On those cold winter mornings when it's too cold to get out and about, there's nothing like a good old-fashioned pretend picnic with all the stuffed animal pals. Little Biscuit is just learning how to do some imaginative role-playing now and he really had a fun time with this easy indoor activity :) I pulled out the silliest dishes I could find and watched to see what he'd come up with. I don't know if he had a better time feeding his fuzzy friends or chomping on the egg beater and ice cream scoop :) It kept him occupied most of the morning. And the best part was, we didn't attract any ants!

Mystery Septra rash

2008-12-14T14:28:00.008-06:00

Okay for all you House fans out there...can you help us out with a diagnosis until we're able to see the doctor in person? Little Biscuit popped out with some spots over the last day or two that don't really look the same as his usual eczema (these are more rounded and in unusual locations for eczema, like his thighs, and on his chest and arms); they do have the same scaly, rough feel as eczema though. They really got worse after his dose of Septra antibiotic last night (a sulfa drug). We called the on-call doc and they had us stop the meds ASAP with no substitutes "just in case" which we have done. In the meantime I took these pics and we'll ask the doc at his surgery if he thinks it's from the meds, but we wondered...is it eczema, or erythema multiforme, or just a general drug reaction rash that's harmless or something else? It doesn't seem to itch a lot, but he has been fussier the last two days - of course the antibiotics aren't working so we know his ears are hurting too so that's probably a big part of the fussiness. He only has a handful of spots but on the teeny tiny chance it could be EM we are not taking any chances whatsoever because if it is and we continue the meds, it could lead to SJS and that is about the scariest sounding condition I can imagine. Any thoughts, anyone? I know you're not docs but anyone with experience, this is your chance to throw out the advice!! Thanks :) I'll try to update this post when we find out the doctor's opinion.

Little Biscuit Helps Bake Christmas Cookies

2008-12-10T16:53:00.014-06:00

Biscuit had his ENT appointment today and the doctor scheduled ear tubes for his 18-month birthday, the 16th (next Tuesday). Hopefully this will solve his problem with recurrent infections. But to take our minds off of it (mine really), we had some fun after nap time with making up a batch of sugar cookies to share for Christmas. I wanted it as hands-on as possible for Biscuit (who can't have corn and it's in almost all those fancy icings and frostings) so we kept it as simple as possible with the egg-yolk glaze that goes on before baking. He had a blast using the rolling pin, cookie cutters, paintbrush, mixing bowls and of course, taste-testing all his hard work :D So did I but wow did my tummy hurt afterward. Oh my.

Time to cut out the snowflakes, Christmas trees and gingerbread men from the dough! Little Biscuit even used sound effects pressing out the shapes, grunting loudly every time he pushed one out! :D Too cute!
This was our glaze...Practicing in the bowl first...Then on the real thing (with some help from mom--although frankly I think his turned out prettier than mine!!)

A little diversion while they're in the oven...

And now for a scrumptious sample...mmm!! Biscuit's very first cookie, and boy did he like it!

Ta-da! Christmas cookies with a toddler's touch :)

Surprises in Storage

2008-12-06T20:15:00.014-06:00

Some of the most fun toys we've come across for Little Biscuit are ones we already have - most discovered accidentally while searching through old boxes in the basement :) We found a cool brand new mr. potato head that way from a prank gift my hubby got once, and a great electric train set (it will be more fun later on when Biscuit is older). Tonight Big Biscuit brought up his collection of die-cast cars from his childhood! You should have seen Little Biscuit's face light up and the speed with which he ran across the room to check them out when Big Biscuit opened the case... :DWhoa! Look at all those cars!!Let the dumping begin!And the driving!!A new treatment for double ear infections...drive away the pain?!Do we have to put them away?Uh-oh, I found a stow-away--he was hiding one away for later! (This was my personal favorite "surprise in storage!!")(I don't know if he did it on purpose or just sat down on one, but it was hilarious to spot it there!)

Pillow Party

2008-12-04T09:39:00.012-06:00

Little Biscuit and I have been down for the count the last few weeks - he's had a double ear infection since the beginning of October that just won't quit (he's on his 4th antibiotic for it and seeing an ENT on Wednesday) and I have either a virus or some kind of relentless allergy. Neither one of us have done a whole ton of playing since our trip to NC for Thanksgiving although we did manage to set up the Christmas tree and decor which he really enjoyed .... yesterday he seemed to be feeling ever so slightly better but not so much today. We did manage to squeeze in a silly pillow party this morning. He loves it when I throw lots of little pillows into his playpen so he can roll in utter delight all over them, doing flips (which he learned from his cousin), collapsing onto them and begging me play "peek-a-bop" (peek-a-boo with a pillow fight twist!). Here are some more pics of the morning fluffy festivities :D

Mall-a-palooza

2008-11-19T16:25:00.016-06:00

Sometimes life's simplest and least expensive pleasures are the most fun and memorable :) I say that because Little Biscuit gets such a thrill just from going to the local mall and checking out the sights and sounds. His favorite things to do there (besides the pet shop of course) are watching the carousel and getting on all the kiddie coin rides...he doesn't even really want us to put money in them - he just likes to sit and "drive"! (Good thing too - I can't see myself paying $1 for a 30 second ride!!) Anyway, it was a fun way to spend an evening out last weekend - and free too :D

"Hey look Aunt Hannah, an elephant!" (She collects them...)

"That carousel is so cool - can I have one for Christmas?!"

Gentlemen, start your engines!

Look, Mommy! I've got a backseat driver!

"Somebody needs to clean these windows." :)

"Race ya!"

"I think I can, I think I can...get this train to go!"

"How come the wheels on this bus don't go round and round?"

"The engine on the bus goes clankety-clank; everybody gets off the bus!"

Fitness Adventures

2008-11-13T19:46:00.017-06:00

Little Biscuit believes it's never too early to get started on the road to good health (this is his new philosophy now that he is fighting off his third week of antibiotic-resistant double ear infection). Here he'd like to demonstrate his latest regimen for exercise...diet will be discussed at a later time when he feels like eating again :D (he definitely does not recommend skipping meals in general!)

1. He warms up with some stretching followed by chest and back exercises.

2. Then he does a stint on the treadmill to get the heart rate up.
3. He keeps up his cardio workout with a little boxing.
5. After that he heads to the weight room. (He always has to add a few more to the rack).
6.) Uuuummphh! (Boy am I strong!)7.) He does an easy cool-down on the bike...but he can't quite reach the pedals on this one. Not to worry, he has a backup handy...

8. This one is JUST RIGHT :D

The All-Purpose Box Tunnel

2008-11-10T13:23:00.015-06:00

One of Little Biscuit's favorite aspects of train tables are the cool tunnels he gets to push things through. So when we had a giant cardboard box leftover from his early Christmas present, I knew I had to put it to work :) Here's a peak into some of the action it's been seeing lately, and what Biscuit has been using his new tunnel for:
1. For farm trucks...
2. For tiny race cars...3. For small trains...
4. For big trains...5. Um. For...tot-sized train lovers!?Oh well...I guess he likes it :)

Pat the Biscuit :)

2008-11-08T14:48:00.007-06:00

Here are Biscuit, Mommy and the puppy.
Mommy and the puppy can do lots of things.
Biscuit can do lots of things too.

Mommy can pat the puppy's head.
Now Biscuit can pat his own head.

Mommy can roll a ball to the puppy.
Now Biscuit can roll a ball to the puppy too
The puppy can make a face for the camera.
Now Biscuit can make a face for the camera too.
Mommy can say, "Bye-bye puppies!"
Now Biscuit can say bye-bye to the puppies too!

'Twas the Month Before Christmas

2008-11-05T19:01:00.013-06:00

'Twas the month before Christmas and all through the house
not a person was healthy (except for one spouse).
Outside was too windy to play in cold air,
And we were really too tired to go anywhere.

Those old winter blues were settling in
At the thought of being homebound again
for a whole season of snow and unfriendly ice;
We knew indoor diversion would be oh, so nice.

And so way before Christmas, before it was time,
We gave out a present (a holiday crime).
We didn't wrap it or stick on a bow
But Little Biscuit still knew the way toddlers know

That something exciting was on its way--
something was special about this blah day.
So what to his wondering eyes did appear,
A wooden parking garage with all its great gear!...
A car wash, toll booth, and a gas pump, woo-hoo!
Four levels of fun - an elevator too...
A pad for the chopper that came with the set,And bright wooden cars that are as cute as cars get.Roadways and ramps and street toys galore,
Hours of playtime, and maybe some more!Vrooming and beeping and such joyous tot chatter,
I sprang from my stupor to see what was the matter!
Boredom and brain fog had fled! Not in sight!
Merry Christmas (it's early!) and to all a good night :D

Juffuddy Day: a get-silly but not scary Halloween alternative

2008-10-30T13:27:00.010-05:00

Well, although our family doesn't get much into the halloween scene or trick-or-treating (we aren't fans of its roots and what it celebrates), we made up our own dress-up holiday today so Little Biscuit could get in on some innocent costume fun, in advance...I like to call it Juffuddy Day (Just-for-Fun Dress-up Day). It's based on Prov. 8:7 so it's about honestly dressing up silly just for the fun of it, and not for any scary/evil, deceptive reasons, etc. Since this holiday has totally different origins than halloween we can celebrate guilt-free ;) It was also cost-free because I just let Little Biscuit parade around the store in the cute costumes he liked that were for sale and took pictures to remember it all by. The best part was, he didn't have to pick just one character!

Biscuit the Tank Engine...Choo! Choo!
Swashbucklin' Jack Sparrow, Jr...(Well, Captain Jack, Sr. can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by his onesies, savvy?")Sheriff Lil' Biscuit, fastest draw in the west (as long as he's got a crayon!)Sir Biscuit the Brave Knight meets...a tickle dragon!?Lightning McBiscuit (his personal favorite - "ca-CHOW!")

Flashlight Fun for Little Ones

2008-10-27T16:38:00.002-05:00

A while back I "turned on the dark" for Little Biscuit to experiment with a flashlight for the first time (he's always liked flashlights, but he's never actually played with one with the lights out). Here are a few games we tried...

Shadow puppets...

Strobe light effects...

Who's light is it, anyway?Say, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!" (He's showing me his teeth!)

Toddler-size random acts of kindness :)

2008-10-24T08:51:00.025-05:00

The other night Big Biscuit and I were letting Little Biscuit burn off some energy just walking around at an arcade. Suddenly we heard someone squeal with excitement - a young woman (total stranger to us) with her boyfriend had just won a giant Clifford the Big Red Dog from one of those toy-crane machine games. The next thing we knew, she ran up to Little Biscuit smiling and shouting, "Hi there! Look what I just won for you!" She outright gave her cool prize to him just for fun! And boy did she ever make his day! This particular Clifford was even wearing a firefighter's hat!

Here are some around-the-house adventures Biscuit and his new buddy have had lately and the not-so-random acts they've inspired us to try to do together to serve God and keep sharing His love:

Donate baby toys and DVDs to someone in need, like a single mom or the Pregnancy Resource Center...
Visit someone who's sad or sick...

Love on a lonely dog (our local pet store might have just the pup...)
Biscuit says, "Thank you SO much!" to the generous, thoughtful person who gave him this sweet gift!! :) Oh, and don't worry, Emily Elizabeth...Clifford really likes his new home ... and you can come visit anytime!

Easy, do-it-yourself toy train

2008-10-20T15:15:00.006-05:00

Since Little Biscuit is so big into the train thing right now I made him a little steam engine of his own last week out of those Gerber plastic baby food containers. I turned three upside down, punched holes in the ends with a hole punch, strung them together with ribbon and added train stickers on the sides. It was super simple and Biscuit loved pulling it around and making it "choo choo!" Who knows, maybe when he's older and he starts losing his baby teeth I'll use this little train for keeping "track" of them. But if we do I guess we'll have to tell Biscuit to make it say, "Chew-chew!" ;)

toddler x-treme games

2008-10-16T21:26:00.013-05:00

Biscuit's morning adventure today was pretending to be at a toddler-style extreme sports competition. So hey...check out his way-cool tricks!

Arriving at the event...

Scoping out the competition...

BMX-ing (he's working on his wheelie stunts!)Skateboarding...(he knows his stuff! Just call him "Teeny Hawk!")
Moto X...(check out that over-the-handlebars big air action!)Aggressive in-line skating (practicing his moves, balance and coordination!)Great job! Now offf to visit with his fans!

Marker marbling: a toddler water coloring activity

2008-10-13T12:55:00.008-05:00

Today we decided to hang out at home and do some playtime inside. I filled a tray on Biscuit's toddler table with about a half inch of water (it could also be done in a white mixing bowl or any container where the bottom is white so the colors show up well against it). After putting down a towel under the table and dressing Biscuit up in his Home Depot workshop apron, I showed him how to dip some non-toxic watercolor markers in the water to see the inky effect. He swirled and swished and smeared it all around and thought it was big fun. After a while we were left with a muddy-colored mess in the tray but starting over with new water every few minutes keeps things interesting :) It's fun to try to draw actual objects he's familiar with - dogs, trees, trains - and see how they end up. It's kind of like cloud scenes - there one minute, gone the next! :)

A train-tracking scavenger hunt for toddler railfans

2008-10-09T12:00:00.009-05:00

1. Road #9293 diesel locomotive from the Norfolk Southern power fleet, model #GE Dash 9-40CW (D9-40CW), built in April '99, spotted at 8:27 am on Thursday 10-9-08.

For the past couple weeks I've wanted to take Biscuit to a railroad crossing when a train was actually passing by so he could see life-size locomotives in action. The problem was, we don't have a station in town, just a crossing for mostly freight trains, so finding a schedule of when to expect to see anything was next to impossible. Instead, we spent some time just listening for the "choo-choos!" Anytime we heard one go by, we'd make a note of the time and day. So today we decided to check our improvised timetable for accuracy by driving to the crossing and waiting for 8:26 am, when we'd heard a train pass exactly one week before. Immediately we encountered an "uh-oh" when we heard a train going by just as we got in the car to leave, about 8:14 a.m.!! Hmmm...maybe it was early?? We were afraid we'd missed our chance for the day but we decided to go anyway just to be sure. Well, 8:26 rolled around, but the train didn't, so we were afraid our suspicions were correct and we'd have to try to catch a train another day. But then, about 8:27, DING DING DING! The lights started flashing, the crossing guards came down and whoo-whoo came the train barreling past, just a minute after we expected it! WOO-HOO!! Biscuit was very entertained to watch, but we were glad we were there in time to see it because it was a VERY short train, only taking about 10 seconds to pass...
Which leads me to an explanation of our game...maybe you've heard of the 43 Things website where you create a list of 43 things you want to accomplish in your lifetime? Well, we're going to create a list of 43 things too, but with a twist - we'll make a scavenger hunt game of it: our goal is to see if we can spot 43 different locomotives before Biscuit is 43 months old. Anytime we can document a new sighting, I'll add the photo and info above in this post - Biscuit will have fun watching for trains and maybe by the time he's old enough to understand it all, he'll have a fun collection of railroad facts and photos to keep! Next week we'll try for the earlier train on the same day and see if we can get a glimpse of another one that lasts even longer!

Fall Toddler Art/Home Decor Project: Leafy Door or Window Clings

2008-10-06T13:53:00.014-05:00

Little Biscuit loves any excuse to go for a walk outside, so today he got to put on his backpack and walk with Mommy down the street to pick up some colorful autumn leaves. It was just step 1 of our outdoor/indoor toddler boredom buster activity today...Then, when we had gathered enough leaves, we came home and unloaded our finds. Since Biscuit loves stickers, leaves and also any excuse to stand at the windows and doors (more specifically, to pound on them!), we made glass clings from the leaves by wrapping them in squares of plastic wrap. Once assembled, I showed Biscuit how to "stick" them all over our glass door (I put up the high ones and let him go at the bottom of the door).
He had fun, (equal parts sticking them on and pulling them back off!) but when he was done I had a lovely seasonal masterpiece on my door to show for all his hard work...and one that wouldn't leave hard-to-remove gooey marks like stickers either :D (He's pretty satisfied too, as you can see!)

Planes, trains, and automobiles - our toddler's day at the Museum of Transportation!

2008-10-06T13:21:00.018-05:00

Biscuit, to put it mildly, loves trains...as I mentioned in the previous post, he is bonkers about train tables, as you can see from these pics...
So this weekend we went to a museum full of not only train tables, but REAL trains, and one you could ride as well. Old cars, boats and airplanes were on display too. We found coupons of course so it wasn't expensive at all, so although I don't usually post our adventures unless they're free or nearly free, I thought one one was too good not to share, if you don't know this museum exists...

(you can climb inside and ring this bell on the train!)

(or walk through a giant tanker, or sit on the side!)

(or ride on a scale-model train over a real retired turntable and wave as you leave the station!)

All Biscuit can think is...wow!! ;) Naturally he cried his eyes out when we had to get off!! We'll definitely have to go back sometime!

Do-it-yourself toddler racetracks, ramps and railroads

2008-10-01T14:59:00.019-05:00

Well, Little Biscuit has been dealing with some big pain at night the past few weeks from his molars and canines coming in - sometimes waking up every hour or two, so we are all pretty sleep-deprived. One thing that really distracts him in the daytime though and keeps him really happy for long stretches is table play. He is crazy about the free train tables set up at Barnes and Noble, Toys R Us and Lagoona Magoo. Since they're pretty pricey to buy ourselves, we improvised with some scrap wood slats I found at Home Depot for 1.27 apiece (I bought five and covered them with packing tape to avoid splinters and rough edges). Here's a look at just the tip of the iceburg of all the fun things we've been able to do with them so far...

Ramps...beep! beep!
(We used a basket and some of Biscuit's little bowls to make a ramp system. We also set a few ramps up against the couch, three in a row, and made a tunnel for his cars to drive through - he LOVED that, since he's a tunnel junkie!)

Racetracks...vroom! vroom!
Railroads...choo-choo! (We're still trying to decide if we want to draw railroad tracks on one side with markers, and street stripes on the other side...)

Peek-a-Boo-Boo! (making First-Aid "fun" for a toddler)

2008-09-26T12:37:00.025-05:00

Today Biscuit and I found a "hidden" park we didn't know existed - we both had a great time playing on the fun, new equipment, but after Biscuit played peek-a-boo on a swinging bridge with a new buddy he met there, we had to go home and play "peek-a-boo-boo." He'd managed to trip and fall and earned his "big boy badge" while he was at it -- he'd skinned his soft, smooth little baby knees for the first time!

I know today's incident is only the beginning of many more scrapes, splinters and sappy sagas yet to come, so I wanted his 1st "first aid" experience to be as positive as possible. Here's how it went down...

First, Biscuit got to play with the Boo-Boo Box full of gauze, sterile strips and other surprises...
Then he doctored up the Boo-boo Bear - we put some antibiotic ointment and a Band-Aid "sticker" on his fuzzy blue knee to see what it'd be like.Biscuit's turn! Let's wash that dirty knee, then put on some cream, and add the Band-Aid...Where's the boo-boo?? PEEK-a-boo-boo!! ("Who needs a Band-Aid, Mom? I'm a big boy!")"Ha, ha, nice try, Mom, but I'm gonna peek-a-boo-boo this one too when you're not looking!""So, hey, Mom...this was swell fun and all, but can we go back to the park now!?"

Fire House Fun!

2008-09-25T11:47:00.020-05:00

So after reading The Little Fire Engine Biscuit and I decided it might be fun to visit a real fire house! We stopped by a fire-and-rescue headquarters near our neighborhood to schedule a tour and the nice staff called in Fireman Mike right then - he showed us around on the spot! We got to see cool firefighter gear like these fire suits and hats....
Sit on the fire truck bumper...DRIVE the firetruck, wee-oo, wee-oo!! Steer the wheel, Biscuit!!
Check out the huge fire truck wheels - on the biggest engine in the county!!
Explore the fire truck...from hoses, to ladders, to survival tools like the Jaws of Life...Look inside the locked doors and compartments on the firetruck...what's in there, Fireman Mike?!
Awesome! Tool boxes and safety equipment!That was fun!! Let's do it again sometime :D

Animal Week Grand Finale: Purina Farms!

2008-09-22T12:00:00.031-05:00

Animal Week ended Saturday with a big hoopla at our new all-time favorite, 100% FREE, tot-friendly animal activity center, Purina Farms in Gray Summit, MO. We took about a half day trip out there and had a fur-real great time, especially in their barn play area for kids!! As you can imagine, it was hard to keep Biscuit contained...what is it, what do you see?? Oh, ANIMALS!!
LET'S GO!!
Besides seeing ducks, goats, donkeys, fish, cats and parrots, plus barn-swinging, ramp-running, playing with toy tractors on toddler-sized tables full of dried corn and crawling through mazes of barn tunnels, here are a few of the other animals and activities we got to watch or take part in...

Dairy cows dozing...
...and later, being milked (but we won't show that out of respect for her privacy!!)
Sheep feedingChicken chasing!!Pig petting, and feeling a floppy-eared bunnyStall staring
Dogs showingPets performing...
for instance: Frenzy frantically catching frisbees...
Fish, and water falls
Dog-food making
Puppy love!?

Silly Mommy Had Some Shoes! (The Rhymes Gym: Parent/Toddler Total Body Workout)

2008-09-20T14:32:00.014-05:00

Well, lately, as a mom who wants to get rid of some leftover baby weight, I've wanted to either join a gym with childcare (but I don't want to shell out the cash) or join some kind of stroller fitness group (but Biscuit doesn't really like sitting still for long so that was out too.) So, I suppose because necessity is the mother of invention, here's the little workout (aka "playout!") we came up with and have been doing together. We thought we'd share for other like-minded mommies (daddies, and other friends!) out there :D

Here’s how it works. First, learn this adaptation of a familiar children’s rhyme:

Silly Mommy had some shoes, E-I-E-I-O.
And on an airplane she wore those shoes, E-I-E-I-O.
With a "zoom zoom" here and a "zoom zoom" there.
Here a "zoom," there a "zoom."
Everywhere a "zoom zoom!"
Silly Mommy had some shoes, E-I-E-I-O!*

Then, on the quick reference page, check out the A-Z words to plug in to the rhyme for maximum workout fun! Learn the exercise that goes with each letter as well. (The example above is for the letter “A.”)

To get started, you have some options. You can either pick just a few letters to play with your child at random times throughout the day to keep your metabolism up. Or, for a general fitness workout, complete the entire alphabet at once. For the full workout, walk in place throughout the routine—slowly for the warm-up, picking up intensity for the high-impact section in bold and slowing down for the cool-down. Add the exercises indicated on the reference sheet for each letter. You’ll be getting a good workout and having a blast with your toddler all at the same time!
_________________________________________________________________________________________

*The word in red (airplane) is the rhyme object; the word in blue (zoom) is the rhyme action/sound. The object and action/sound change for each exercise. See the quick reference sheet below. And “Daddy,” “Grandma,” your child’s name, etc., can also be substituted for “Mommy.”

Silly Mommy Had Some Shoes!
Quick Reference Sheet (A- Z rhyme objects with actions/sounds + exercises)

A: On an airplane (zoom): walk quickly around the room w/ arms extended like a plane; let toddler copy you.

B: On a bike (pedal): lay back; sit toddler on lap; pedal your legs like an air bike; pedal his legs w/ your hands.

C: At a concert (clap): have toddler face you and hold your shirt; step to the L, tap foot and clap; repeat to R.

D: In the desert (walk): alternate knee lifts with exaggerated effort as if walking in sand; let toddler copy you.

E: On an elevator (up, down): squat up and down facing toddler and holding hands.

F: On a fire truck (wee-oo): walk forward four, then back four, w/ toddler in front helping you “steer.”

G: In the garden (dig): lunge forward alternating knees + hold toddler/tickle his armpits (keep back straight).

H: In Hawaii (hula): wave your arms in the air and slide to the left and right; let toddler copy you.

I: On some ice (slip, slide): sidestep holding your child, alternating two steps to the left, two to the right.

J: In the jungle (swing): bend down; clasp hands under back of toddler’s knees; swing him side to side.

K: In karate (kick): hop on one leg in small circles + kick other leg; switch legs (hold toddler’s hand).

L: Up a ladder (step): lay toddler on floor; pretend to use his tummy as a step as you reach for air “rails”

M: Up a mountain (climb): with hands and feet flat on floor, climb in place, switching feet; toddler copies.

N: And near and far (run): jog in place, then in a big circle holding toddler’s hands.

O: In outer space (blast off): lay on back; lift toddler high, superman-style; use knees/legs to support him.

P: Through a puddle (splish, splash): jump up and down in place holding toddler (or just holding hands)

Q: In a quake (shake): holding toddler, jump L, R, forward, then back.

R: In a raft (row): sit; face toddler; hold hands; lean back + pull him forward; you sit up; lean him back.

S: On a shooting star (swoosh): hold toddler tummy-down on your arms; swoop him around the room.

T: On a train (choo-choo): toddler walks behind you/holds your shirt; pump arms in circular motion at sides.

U: Underwater (gurgle, bubble): stand; lay toddler b/w your feet; stretch to floor; blow bubbles on his tummy.

V: In volleyball (spike): stretch R calf back/up + hold foot w/ R hand; L hand high-fives toddler; switch hands/legs.

W: In a wagon (bump): toddler walks behind you holding onto your hands as you skip gently.

X: At a xylophone (ding): sit facing toddler; feet together; w/ L hand stretch to tap his L toe/hold; then R to R.

Y: While she yo-yoed (whoosh high/whoosh low): alternate stretching low and high; let toddler copy you.

Z: Catching ZZZ’s (cuddle): grab toddler; collapse gently on floor w/ him; give kisses; fall “asleep.”

SAFETY NOTES: Please talk to your doctor before starting any workout routine, even this one that's just for fun. I am not responsible for any injuries to yourself or your child during this activity; I am simply posting it for the fun and enjoyment of others who choose to participate. Your safety is up to you. Here are some other helpful guidelines to keep in mind from a group fitness instructor (many thanks to my awesome sis-in-law, Candy, for these great suggestions!!)

"Make sure that core (abdominal muscles) are pulled in and good posture is maintained throughout the exercises. Keep shoulders rolled down and back, tuck chin in, pull in core, knees soft. For the squat down and up specifically, ensure that mommies keep their knees in line with toes, chest open and tall and core tightened to protect the lower back. You want their butt to sink back like they are sitting in a chair (or about 90 degree angle from the floor). Most people don't have the flexibility to do a squat safely and correctly and end up feeling it in their knees quite a bit or toppling over. Likewise for a lunge movement. Front leg forms a 90 degree angle toward the floor and the back leg forms a 90 degree angle toward the floor. Front knee never comes over the toe and the movement is straight up and down like an elevator--not back and forth like most people end up doing. Think about pushing off the front heel since a lunge is mostly about making changes to the front leg (i.e. glutes, hamstrings). Since most mommies have weak abdominal muscles and weak backs due to labor and child rearing I would say the core awareness would be beneficial for injury prevention and overall well-being."

PS - if I can get this routine on video, I'll try to post it eventually for the visual learners out there. Not sure if that'll happen anytime soon though...

That's Not My Sheep! (Animal Week, Day 5)

2008-09-18T12:12:00.012-05:00

Some of Biscuit's favorite board books are from the Usborne touchy-feely series. So for Sheep Day, we went on a touchy-feely-inspired wild, woolly adventure! As you can see, we had a bla-a-a-ast...!

That's not my sheep. Her mouth is too chalky.

That's not my sheep. His wool is too hard.

That's not my sheep. His teeth are too shiny.

That's not my sheep. Her back is too bumpy.

THAT'S my sheep! His nose is SO cuddly!
The End :)

(Note: We had to break up Sheep Day into two days because yesterday was Biscuit's 15-month checkup and we had to alter our schedule a little. He checked in off the charts for height - 34.5 inches - but had dropped a little in weight due to his meal-skipping the past few weeks from being sick and teething - he's at 90% now. The only way we can convince him to eat now is to pretend like his food is our food and he'll usually come ask for some. At the dr. he had his DPT shot and he still has blisters in his throat from the virus but hopefully they will clear up soon. The doc also said he's getting in all 4 first-year molars; plus he's almost done with his two canines on top. Whew. I sure hope he gets some relief soon!)

Animal Week, Day 4: Canine Competitions!

2008-09-16T12:23:00.029-05:00

Well, Dog Day has finally arrived! To celebrate it (along with Biscuit's 15-month birthday), he and I played a few "woof-woof" games around the house and then loaded up in the car and visited a local puppy breeder for some hands-on interaction. What follows are the doggy-style championship events we took part in today!

FLYBALL* (Run down to the "flyball box," retrieve the ball and run back to the starting line as fast as possible after seeing mommy demonstrate!)

AGILITY * (Maneuver through an obstacle course with strict attention to your handler - although I wasn't quite sure who was the handler in this event!)

OBEDIENCE* (Tell the good dog to sit, and watch how well he obeys!)

FRISBEE * (See how many times you can catch the disc in your mouth ... or, if you prefer, see how many times you can throw it down the stairs!)
HERDING* (Guide little woollies to their fold and guard them well!)

TRACKING * (See if you can track down the breeds of pups for sale using this poster.)

DOCK DIVING* (On the count of three, everyone jump into the water bowl!)

THERAPY* (Look at this cute face and just TRY to not to feel better!

Goin' on a Squirrel Hunt! (Animal Week, Day 3)

2008-09-15T13:07:00.020-05:00

Hi everyone, Biscuit is BACK! He is feeling a lot better today - not 100% yet, but still in much higher spirits and ready to play!!

This morning during breakfast he started barking and looking at something out the window...it was his first squirrel sighting! He was fascinated by its flicking fuzzy tail and it's cccc-ccc-cccalling sounds so we decided to postpone Dog Day until tomorrow and do Squirrel Day today instead :)

So, in honor of one of my favorite childhood rhyme games, "Goin' on a Bear Hunt," we changed things up a little and went on a "squirrel hunt" :) It goes like this...

Goin' on a Squirrel Hunt!
Gonna catch a big one!
I'm not afraid! (I'm not afraid!)

It's a beautiful day
The sun is shining
The birds are singing
The bees are buzzing

What's that up ahead?
A tall, tall tree!
Can't go under it
Can't go over it,
Gotta climb up it!Goin' on a Squirrel Hunt!
Gonna catch a big one!
I'm not afraid! (I'm not afraid!)

What's that up ahead?
A park bench.
Can't go over it,
Can't walk past it,
Let's watch for squirrels on it!

Goin' on a Squirrel Hunt!
Gonna catch a big one!
I'm not afraid! (I'm not afraid!)

What's that up ahead?
Looks like squirrel tracks!
Can't go under 'em,
Can't go through 'em,
Guess we better follow 'em!

Goin' on a Squirrel Hunt!
Gonna catch a big one!
I'm not afraid! (I'm not afraid!)

What's that up ahead?
A tree nut! Squirrel's favorite food.
Can't really bury it,
Can't even eat it,
I think we better hold it!

Goin' on a Squirrel Hunt!
Gonna catch a big one!
I'm not afraid! (I'm not afraid!)

What's that up ahead?
Oh it's a hole...maybe a nest!

I can't see anything.
I can feel something.
I can hear something.
We better turn on our flashlights.
(pretend to turn on flashlight.)

Hey, what is that fuzzy thing!?
Let's take a closer look...
Oh look, it's a SQUIRREL!!
RUN! RUN! RUN!
(We ran all the way to the car and drove as fast as we could to the grocery store...and would you believe who was there waiting for us!? You guessed it!!)
Goin' on a Squirrel Hunt!
I just CAUGHT a big one!
I'm not afraid! (I'm not afraid!)

Well, whatcha gonna do with it?

Can't really keep him.
Can't really talk to him.
I guess I'll let him go!! :)

Still too sick to play :(

2008-09-14T13:49:00.002-05:00

Well, our little guy is still pretty way-laid by this latest virus. He has been too zonked to want to play much but even sleeping is hard work when you don't feel good. He wakes up crying and even whimpers in his sleep, which is hard on his mommy and daddy to see. He started off his nap on a pile of pillows and blankets in the living room Friday, but it didn't last long...he ended up cuddling on me for the remainder of his nap. He's getting what appears to be 4 new teeth on top of his throat blisters and sore ear (or whatever is making him walk off-balance) so overall he just wants to stop hurting so he can get back to playtime and being his happy self again. Yesterday we thought he was on the upswing (we gave in and gave him children's Advil which doesn't have corn syrup either and it seemed to help for a while) but today he seems a little worse again. Hopefully the light at the end of the tunnel will be visible soon. Thanks for your prayers for Little Biscuit...we hope to have some more playful news to report in the next couple days!

Germ Day: A Whole 'Nother Animal (plus a little tangent on toddler corn allergies/intolerance)

2008-09-11T16:24:00.012-05:00

Beeeeeeeeeeeep!! We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming on animal week (which was going to be Dog Day) to bring you...um...Germ Day?!

Turns out, Biscuit came down with a high fever last night (102.5+) that didn't respond really great to Tylenol so he ended up in his favorite place this morning. The doc said he has viral stomatitis (super-painful blisters in the back of his throat) that will take a week to heal (3 days for the fever to break until which time he's really contagious). Needless to say we didn't do much today besides lay around (it's all we could do after such a sleepless night). What is so weird to me is that this is the second or third time he's had very similar symptoms and whether it's coincidence or what, I donno, but each time he's come down with it has been after accidental exposure to corn products (which we have recently discovered seems to give him headaches, eczema, tantrums etc) or those could just be his body's way of showing us he's coming down with something. But if it's corn...have you noticed that corn syrup is in practically everything known to man? That includes liquid Tylenol and Motrin for children too, so all this time we thought we were helping him with his teeth we might've also been messing with his corn-sensitive system. I don't think his stomatitis is necessarily allergic in nature (there is such a thing) but it makes me wonder if having corn in him sucker-punches his immune system (so to speak) and makes him more susceptable to nasty germies? Guess we'll never know, only try to avoid the stuff as much as possible. In the meantime the doc's office did some research for us and told us about some corn-syrup free pain relievers out there (not necessarily corn-free, but corn-syrup free, which is what seems to really bug him)...in no particular order, they are:

tylenol dye-free liquid
tylenol meltaways
motrin chewables (ibuprofin)

We opted for the meltaways since ibuprofin is associated w/ more adverse reactions generally, even though I think ibuprofin would normally help him more since it's for inflammation. After the tylenols today he took a great nap and his fever seemed much better.

He's still not eating much but crackers so for our big activity today we made "soothie smoothies" ... a mix of his formula, pureed bananas and crushed ice. His favorite part was getting to drink it out of one of mommy's cups with a grown-up straw:

Anyway we hope to get back to animal week when Little Biscuit is a feeling more like himself...stay tuned :D

Duck Tales: Animal Week, Day 2

2008-09-09T12:59:00.027-05:00

Biscuit got to feed some ducks at a pond last week and he thought they were loads of fun. But since he'd already done the most obvious duck-related activity, I wondered, waddle we do today on Duck Day - our second day of "animal week" ? But once we got our ducks in a row we came up with a few ideas ... so dive right in and dabble in our plucky diversions!

Sitting ducks

We went to a pick-it-yourself farm today (free to get in) and found some fun duck-shaped gourds there. Biscuit enjoyed checking them out and trying to feed them (and himself) pebbles and pumpkins. He got to pick a little 50-cent pumpkin for a souvenir...hmmm, maybe a duck-o-lantern??

Band the duck
The general idea is to chase the little "wood duck" all over the place trying to catch him, and when I do, "band" his leg so I can track him by his unique ID number, er, teether. He ran as fast as little "webbly" feet could go but I still got him...apparently he wasn't too traumatized by the ordeal either. In fact, he seems to think he was one lucky duck to get caught!

Dip in the duck pond

Of course there can be no duck day without some form of water play!

Quackers

Biscuit can only have one kind of cracker that we've found so far...the Full Circle brand of organic round snack crackers (like Ritz, but these don't have any milk or corn syrup, neither of which he tolerates well). So needless to say we buy them in bulk when we can and he LOVES them, and we have to break them in small pieces anyway for him ... so we had fun making little duck shapes out of the crackers at snack time today :) Hey, corny (and cornless) as they are, at least they might help break up the monotony of his usual cracker cuisine ;)

Horseplay!

2008-09-07T21:19:00.016-05:00

Biscuit has really gotten into animal sounds the past month or so...his favorites are horse, dog, sheep, cow and duck. So in honor of his newest infatuation, our plan is to focus on a different animal each day this week for playtime. Today we set up our dining room as an equestrian arena and enjoyed some equine-inspired toddler activities and games together. So hold your horses...here we go!

Western Events

Saddle Bronc Riding ("Yee-haa, giddy-up, Cowboy Biscuit!")
Bear-rel Racing ("Run, run, run, weave around the bears!")

Steer Roping (Hip-hip-hooray, he caught the hippo, yay!)
Pole-Bending!
("Go, Biscuit, push that toy pinto, or is it a mustang, around the poles!")

English Riding Events

Dressage ('Nuff said!)

Show Jumping (AKA, jumping over pillows to get to his favorite DVDs!)

Toddler Culture Class: Hands-On World Wonders!

2008-09-04T10:26:00.012-05:00

This past week or so we've had fun finding teachable moments in the world of play, right under our noses :) Here are a few examples - some of the pics are from our visit the Magic House Children's Museum in St. Louis on Labor Day, and others are just around the house... )

Industrial Wonders

The Panama Canal
The "Eye-Full" Tower ;)

Medieval Wonders

Stonehenge!

Ancient Wonders

The Great Pyramid of Giza

Underwater Wonders

Great Barrier Reef

And of course, my favorite wonder of all...a one-of-a-kind original, created in His image :D

Toddler games, toddler fun, toddler activities, toddler ideas - introducing toddleratplay.com

2008-08-30T10:37:00.014-05:00

The other day after an "aqua-painting" session (where Biscuit used a foam brush dipped in a little bowl of water to "paint" plain paper, his toys, his feet, you name it!), I decided to rename this blog with a title more relevant to what it's about, which is our toddler and all things toddler play-related, plus a little of whatever we learn along the way. We hope you can use some of the toddler ideas and adventures we share here (see my tags down the right-hand column for specific categories like games, crafts, indoor fun, free activities for toddlers, money-saving tips, toys, parenting solutions, etc) and even if you can't use 'em but just want to follow the life and times of a lively, loving Little Biscuit, well welcome, and happy reading!!

HAPPY YAY DAY, GRAMMY!

2008-08-29T09:09:00.007-05:00

Today is a very special day for Biscuit's Grammy. On this very day seven years ago she had surgery for cancer and (praise God!) the doctors got it all and she's been cancer-free ever since!! We like to remember this day every year with what we call "Yay Day!" in celebration of God's goodness to our family through the whole situation...so here is a little "shout out" Biscuit helped me work on just for you, Grammy (he was the sticker "sticker"). We LOVE YOU :D

Hard at work (almost done)....

Let's have a parade!! Hip, hip, hooray!! :D

Books as Toys! (Building Blocks of a Toddler's Love for Reading)

2008-08-27T12:29:00.015-05:00

Biscuit already loves books any way he can get them...he enjoys finding pictures of stars, dogs, balls and other familiar shapes in them, he likes touching and feeling texture books, opening and closing flaps on the lift-the-flap books and just snuggling up for a short story time. But we found out this week that books can be toys too! They make great blocks (especially board books, and puzzles too). They also work well as streets, ramps, bridges and obstacles for trucks, and are fun for balancing games (try to walk with a book on your head and see if your toddler will copy you - even if he can't, he'll sure think it's funny!) Books even work as push toys - Biscuit likes sliding them around the house, sometimes one under each hand! I'm hopeful that even though these aren't the "usual" uses for books, as long as he associates them with playtime fun, smiles and lots of mommy time, he'll be well on his way to thinking of books in a positive way later on when it's time to actually read them :D

Comic Book Kid!

2008-08-25T14:17:00.010-05:00

At an outdoor shopping adventure this weekend, I thought Biscuit was just having some fun exploring new sights - but after looking at these pics it appears that he was pretending to be superheroes! Here he is as Clark Kent in the phone booth...

Then...it's a bird, it's a plane, it's SUPER Biscuit!
Here he is again ... this time morphing into a mutant ninja turtle tot at the Build-a-Bear Workshop!

SpiderBoy learns that, with great power (in his case, the new ability to walk!) comes great responsibility :D
And finally, here's Itty Bitty Batman honing his art of stealth as he tries to appear invisible behind a fountain from his itty bitty Batmobile. (He has some work to do!)

Easy press 'n paint fridge art (Biscuit's first toddler art project - playdough fresco!)

2008-08-21T12:16:00.025-05:00

It was another rainy day so I decided to let Biscuit get colorful and artsy here at home. I didn't really want to do fingerpaints yet as I know he'd still try to eat it (same goes with crayons and markers) or splash it all over the place. So I rolled a ball of playdough onto some copy paper and mashed it into a thin layer; then I scraped off the excess with a plastic knife and back into the container. Biscuit used this no-mess surface as his toddler-friendly "paint" - it was a fun texture to doodle and play in with his hands (but I didn't have to worry about him eating dough since it was stuck on the paper). I showed him he could use his megablocks, some alphabet magnets, shapes from his sorter and random stacking toys as stamps by pressing them into the dough. He caught on quick so I just let him go at it. He got creative, as you can see - here's a peek at his finished masterpiece, which now adorns our refrigerator.

"Sticky Starry Night" by Biscuit Van Doh

Top Toddler Secrets: REVEALED!

2008-08-20T20:18:00.020-05:00

Little Biscuit's Biggest Fears:

1. Hearing someone cough
2. Elevators (but he's getting over this one)
3. Going to bed with (or following) a cold
4. Anything new (a change to his room or routine, a new bowl or plate, etc.)
5. The bulb syringe or toothbrush

Health Hints:

won't eat, won't sleep through the night, won't play for long, more dirties, more chewing, more fussy, more clingy=more TEETH

slightly elevated temp, runny or stuffy nose, croupy cough, rough nights, more clingy=another VIRUS

all of the above=more teeth AND another virus

head-banging, tantrums, eczema=possible environmental allergy and/or result of eating a problem food (milk or corn?); the eczema seems to get worse with any immune system response (even just a cold, but also shots, etc)

ear-holding, slight fever, inconsolable at night=probable EAR infection

Hush-Hush Sleep Tricks: (what works right now when nothing else will)
1. A back rub (or behind-the-ears massage)
2. Rocking and a lullaby (hummed not sung)
3. DVD or Newsboys "Go" CD (but these are losing their effect)
4. warm milk (I know, I know)
5. prayer and divine intervention ;)

Baby Talk Translator:
tea: EAT!
ba-ba-ba: bounce, bounce, bounce!
dee: drink
wuff: dog
diddy: DVD
puh: puffs
deh: yes
bah: ball
dih, dih: kick, kick
t-t-t-t: light!
buh: book
wa-wa-wah: WALK!
ra-ra-rah: rock, rock, rock (as in, a rocking chair)
mmm: this tastes good
woo, ooov: fire truck siren
ooua, oooooooua (grunty noises): uh-oh, a dirty diaper
nana, nana: wipe my nose or no, no, no! or banana, or help me!

Survivor: Toddler Island

2008-08-19T12:49:00.011-05:00

It struck me, while the Biscuit was playing in the woods the other day, that he'd make a great contender on reality TV. Here's how he could outwit, outplay and outlast the best of 'em...

OUTWIT!
(You'll never know by his face what he's thinking or what he'll do next...)

(...and he can find his own way around to map out the lay of the land).

OUTPLAY! (He doesn't need toys to have a ball...)

(...and if it means jumping off a bridge to prove you're brave, he's got what it takes.)

OUTLAST!
(He can start a fire with just a stick and his teeth....)

(...and he's not afraid to eat ANYTHING - unless it's his own baby food).

Well, there you go...he's almost ready for the auditions ;) We still need to work on endurance though...specifically, when he can survive a whole night without waking up his tribe for milk, he can start working on his application ;)

Fun ways to celebrate a toddler's "14 month" birthday

2008-08-18T12:49:00.008-05:00

This weekend was busy and loads of fun ;) Saturday Little Biscuit turned 14 months old so to celebrate, Big Biscuit and I packed him up for a drive...we went to the hospital where he was born to visit the nurses at the special care nursery (he had to stay there for several days as a newborn for some serious medical concerns). The staff enjoyed getting to see the "results" of their loving care over a year later (of course we know it was all by God's grace!!) And we enjoyed thinking back about what an adventure these 14 months have been so far!! Biscuit's favorite part was bopping the big monkey balloon he brought for them :) Here's the pics we gave the nurses of "then" and "now" for their album .... (one of these days I'll post the birth story on here too so you can get some background info):

What a difference, huh!? Well, so, that evening we went to the mall - the real treat there was go-kart watching! Biscuit is obviously too little too ride them (even the 'tot rods' have to be 36" tall) but he sure enjoyed watching the 'big boys' whiz by, around and around the track! He also enjoyed playing at the indoor play space, exploring the toy store and eating tomatoes off mommy's plate at Chevy's Tex-Mex! (It's okay...I was already full on chips n salsa!!) Big Biscuit liked stopping in at the Soda jerk and guarding the stroller from "car-jackings" (which was attempted once by a pint-size thief!) We also went into the glow-in-the-dark putt-putt just to let Biscuit see the eerie effects...indeed he was in awe and liked seeing the stripes on his shirt light up ;) Sunday was another first because not only did Biscuit stay the whole time during church in the nursery (without one of us being called back to console him), he also went again that night! He is improving so much in the area of separation anxiety! It was just one more reminder that our little baby is growing up way-y-y too fast!! :)