The Needham Family: 03/01/2010

This is what happens when there are no toys to play with in your room during quiet time.

For the most part, my kids keep their toys in their rooms. I have decreased the amount of toys that Blake has in his room by 50%, and placed the rest in the garage in storage bins. My kids don't really have a ton of toys, and I have found it to be so much easier for Blake to play in his room (for my requested 3 hours...) when there is less mess to make! He can concentrate easier, not get hurt, and create really cool things...like a drive in movie theater with an ice cream shop...all made out of tinker toys and a marble run!

I came to a point where I didn't want to clean up toys in their rooms at the end of the day, and after Blake had smashed the contents of yet another board game from stepping on it, I cleaned his entire room out of toys.

Every single bit. And left the books.

He now is earning each toy back one at a time. Everyday he get to choose a new toy based on how he was able to treat the other toys from the day before. That includes putting them away.

I tried the same trick with Parker about a week later. I told him that unless he picked up his toys right then and there, I would take all 6 of his baskets of toys.

He responded with exasperated arms, "Just take tem Mommy, take tem."

I win

We (actually...let's blame it on my mom) have started an icky habit in our house.

Ugh...we let our kids on occasion play with our iPhone.

I hate it. Soooo much. I could make it stop, but I now know how to use it towards my advantage.

My mom has two iPhones. Why not?

Both my kids get to play on them at the same time when they are at her house. (could life be any more fair?) When I came to pick the kids up from my parent's yesterday, I told the boys that their phone time had been tapped out for the day. They understood.

Last night after I tucked Parker in, I found Dave and Blake snuggled up, pouring over an app on Dave's phone that was all about planets...of course!

I gave a dramatic gasp, and said, "Blake, you knew that you were done with phone time for the rest of the day, yet you didn't tell Daddy that did you?"

He looked at me, looked at Dave and began to fake cry.

Don't.

I then told him to head to bed, and that he would not be able to have phone time for three days. You would think that I am dealing with my 16 year old here...

When Dave tucked him in, he told him that he was scared of Mommy.

Why am I beaming with pride?

Owie Knees

This is the current diagnosis at our house...

Owie Knees.

Poor Parker is having what we think is growing pains. The kind that cause my super durable, weirdly tough, 3 year old to howl for what seems like an eternity!

After being tested for leukemia, as well as having x rays taken for bone fragments, his testings came back normal.

I happen to have my camera in my purse, (along with a matchbox car, 9 containers of hand sanitizer, a banana, a pull up, piece of a plastic trumpet, an empty jar of vitamins...) and had to capture how darling he was in this gown!

That was two weeks ago. Now, every night when I tuck him in, he convinces me to stay and "twalk bout tings" like retelling the story of the day the men took pictures of his knees.

Valentine's Day

I try really hard to do a themed family night at least every other month. We usually come up with something fun for dinner, some sort of craft or game, and then watch a movie together.

Word to the wise...if you want Clifford's Valentine Special, get in line. Netflix was set to make the delivery to our mailbox come Easter. Thank goodness Dave brought his A Game and showed up with Miss Spider's Heartland. Nice recovery.

Blake brought valentine's to all of his friends at school. I wrapped heart candy boxes, and he wrote his name.

It almost killed me.

Especially when "just for fun" he started writing his name backwards.

I LOVE my family

Downsizing...

We have no need for toys here...we like canned goods.

Our babysitter is cuter than your babysitter

Especially when you run into her on the streets of Leavenworth, and she is more than willing to take part in a "triple kiss"

Licorice Man...or Moose?

Christmas in March

I have read all about people who do this thing called Project 365. Basically, they take a photo every day for a year.

No.

I tried for 25 days in the month of December. I think that I made it through 22.

Blake's Birthday

We had a "Not-so Sleepover Party" for Blake's 5th birthday. Complete with jammies, stuffed guys, a cartoon, a dance party and pillow cookies!

For his family party, he requested chocolate cake with volcanos, in his signature color. After hours researching, as well as shopping, I realized I had 4th of July sparkler picks from Crate and Barrel. Done.

Parker's Birthday

I have about 700 photos on my camera since December. I finally sat down to have a bit of a tug o war with my iphoto. Birthdays are so fun...why not relive them all year?

Parker was able to celebrate his 3rd birthday with his friends at the Children's Museum, as well as bring treats for his preschool class!

The Adventures of Pigs in a Backpack

Lucky us...every 2 weeks or so, we get to take home a new character for the weekend. Piglet was our first house guest, who we promptly left at Ms Linda's for the afternoon. Mommy was thrilled to drive back down to Bellevue to pick up Piglet (after a shopping spree at Lululemon) because we have to document each of our day's activities in the spiral notebook located inside of the backpack.

Piglet convinced Blake and I to take him on a cold hot cocoa/park date since Parker was sleeping at Nana's. (Can't you just hear Blake and Piglet slurping their cocoa?)

For the last 4 weeks, I have heard Blake randomly tell people, that his Piglet and Mommy date, was by far...the best day of his life.