Too Big or Just Right!!!

AJ woke up running this morning, so, I knew I just had to hold on tight today! He immediately went to the school cabinet and wanted his bottles. I thought I would challenge him a bit today as we worked with size. So, I gave him a bottle and a collection of items and encouraged him to try to fit them in the opening. If the item was too big...he would call out...Too Bee! It was adorable!

The first time he came to a big car, he was indignant he would get it to fit!


This picture cracks me up. When he finally realized the big car wouldn't fit. He stopped, put the car down, put his hand on his hips and through a long sting of baby grabble said..."mama... car... too bee." Then, just stood there looking at me like..ok..mama...fix it!


Next, we moved on to Arts and Crafts. He was mving a mile a minute today, so I thought this project would not only keep him busy, but we could easily extend it as long as his atention permitted.
So, I pulled out some paper and we started with the markers. We went through the colors and then I insisted he name the color before he was allow to use it. Now, this might sound stern, but I did so by asking him what color it was? The answer was...of course...blue. So, I corrected him and then names the train that was the same color. For example, This is green (and we worked with several shades of each color). Percy is a green train. What color is this? Then, AJ would squeel...Ween! I would tickle and had him the marker. He got a real kick out of this!

What's better than markers....WATER!
This took some work for AJ. He had to figure out how to work the bottle. But, after a few spritz attacks around the island, he got the hang of it rather quickly!

Once you spritz, you have to wipe...and, then you dab...
Just when you think you are done...Glue!

Then, just to cement what we learned about the colors (and to make sure AJ is ready for a nap) we did a bit more work. We reviewed the colors we learned and then, I gave him a marker, asked him to name the color. Once he named the color (to the best of his ability) I asked him to go find something that was the same color. We lined each of his findings up with the markers. He loved this game!

How Many Colors do you have?

Today was another colorific day. I am really trying to get AJ to identify colors by name instead of calling everything blue. So, we started the day with painting.

We got these painting sheets for the Salvation Army. I guess if you are patient they work well by basically drowning the paper in water, but AJ is not so much the patient type. So, he added some water and then moved on to water color.


Aj painted severl more of these sheets and we really talked about the color. I would ask him to get a specific color paint and he had no problems finding the correct color. He still struggles to name the colors and persists to call them all blue. We will have to continue to work on that.

When he finished painting, he ran outside to the garage and grabbed the container of broken crayons. I thought it might be fun to let him smash the crayon pieces and make new ones. So, AJ helped me peel all the paper off, which he enjoyed. Then, I gave him a hammer and let him go to town. He was thrilled!



Then, he filled the muffin cups.

Then, we baked at 250 degrees for a few minutes.


AJ was really excited to try them out.


Then, he spent the rest of the day playing with his bottles. First he played with pom poms.
After pom poms, AJ put his puff balls in the bottle and attempted to shake them out.

Much to his dismay, they didn't come out as esily as he has hoped...
So he tried to pull them out.
It turned out to be a fun and productive day. We are going to keep working on the colors and I am not sure if AJ will ever tire with filling the jugs!

Another Rainy Day, but a Busy One!

It is cold and wet outside. From the moment AJ popped out of his room, he continuously repeated (and eventually whined) "bye bye". I tried to explain to him that it was cold outside and raining. I finally had to open the door, so he could feel for himself. It was adorable because he popped his head out the door said "cold" and slammed it shut. That was the end of that conversation! He quickly moved on...

First stop...Time to build!

He had a blast building the structures and then knocking them down. We spent 15 minutes building. He loves trying to see how tall me can make a structure and then loves watching it crash down. Definitely a boy thing!

Second stop...Puzzle Time!

I saw these on another blog and had to make them. I have to credit Mer Mag for sharing her Geometrics. I do plan on having my hubbie making these out of hardboard, but I couldn't wait. So, last night I carved up a white cardboard box last night so AJ could play today. He had as much fun building these rectangles as he did diving on the finish product and send the tiles sailing across out tile floor!

Third stop...Collage Time!
After a nice nap and a lunch of cheese crackers (I was just happy he ate!), we moved on to crafts. Today, I decided to venture into gluing. I found a glue stick in my craft box and thought it just might work...assuming AJ didn't eat the glue! So, I cut up some newspaper and let him go to town. He Had a blast putting the glue on the paper and I had to keep reinforcing that the point was to glue the squares onto the paper, not to simply put the glue on the paper and stick your hands to it. He enjoyed gluing his finger together and I enjoyed watching him try to get the newspaper squared of his sticky gluey fingers. It was like a battle of the wills.

After he had glued all the squares down, he then started gluing his face which led to his tongue. That didn't take long. I explained to him that we do not eat glue and that if he continued to glue his tongue I would have to take it away. I could almost see the gears turning and a sudden mischievous look quickly creep across is face. Then, in a split second he flipped the stick over, dove his little fingers in the glue and scooped a nice glue ball up. He was in full motion of putting the ball of glue into his mouth when I snatched the glue from his hands...instant stop! He realized I wasn't going to give on eating glue and then began to whine because he couldn't get the cap off the stick. Mama don't play!

Final Stop...Train time!


Since I do not own kids scissors yet, I took AJ's paint tracks picture the other day and cut it into the shape of a train. I had him work on coloring on a separate paper for the wheels while I worked. It made for a cute finished project! He had a great time moving it from place to place around the house and made a beeline to show daddy when he came home. It was a nice end to the day and what beats a train!

Arts and Crafts...Wax Paper Art

Yesterday, we decided to play outside a lot. We had a great time playing trucks and digging dirt. We played trains under the umbrella, took a stroller ride in the backyard. Then, we played catch with the fallen fruit before we cleaned it all up. After a nap and lunch it started to get a bit chilly out, so, we had to come inside.

I loved the idea of the Wax Paper Art from the Toddler Busy Book. So, we got right too it. I pullout 2 sheets of waxed paper, a small bowl, glue, food coloring and a sponge. I mixed 1-2 drops of coloring into the glue. By this time, AJ was trying to climb up my leg to see what I was doing.

Once he was seated at his table (and had his paint cover on), I gave him 1 piece of wax paper to paint on.


He loved painting on the wax paper. It was the first time he didn't paint himself. Once, he had a nice area covered with glue. I gave him some felt squares to put in his picture. My original plan was to go find some more leaves and determine what AJ remember from our walk the other day, but since the temperature had fallen that plan went out the window...hence the felt squares.



Once he had finished with the squares, I put the second piece of wax paper on top of the gluey one. When it finally dried, I cut it out in a shape and hung it in out window. AJ wasn't done painting though, so, I let him put the left over glue and felt squares on a piece of computer paper. It made a nice little present for grandma.