Loop the Loop

I thought I should put it down in writing, here:

I'm not going to blog anymore.

Please. No tears.

I've realized in my search for fun things to do with my son, that there are a lot of great Mommy blogs out there, doing a much better job at it than I am. So, why try to reinvent the wheel? Instead, I can use my extra blogging time to do what I really want to do - play with my son, and maybe even write more children's poetry.

So I leave you with some of my favourite, go-to Mommy blogs, that have inspired me to play with my son in countless ways, and to let go of documenting it for all to see.

Please check out and support the following (but not not limited to):

Dirt and Boogers (love!)

Fairy Dust Teaching

Momtastic

No Time for Flash Cards

Random Thoughts of a SuperMom

Sense of Wonder (love!)



Now, go play! That's what I'm going to do! 

5 Little Monkeys

Max and I were counting his animals and grouping them into piles. And we discovered that he has 5 stuffed monkeys (including a finger puppet). So we got them all on the bed and sang the 5 Little Monkeys Song.

Throwing them off, one at a time was Max's favourite part.

We tucked the monkeys into bed when they were done jumping.

Do this with 5 of any of your stuffed animals, making it 5 Little Animals instead!

Homemade, Edible Play Dough

Max and I wanted to make play dough. Well, I wanted to make play dough. So I did and it was awesome.

This stuff is just as good, if not better, than the kind you buy. I originally got the recipe from Family Sponge but I changed it a teeny tiny bit.

So grab an adult, cause you'll need a little help on the stove.

Basically throw:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 cups water

2 tablespoons oil

4 teaspoons cream of tartar

packets of Kool-Aid 

(colours of your choice, about 50 cents each)

into a big pot over medium heat and stir.

This is what it looks like half way through

Once it looks and feels like play dough, it's done. Easy, right?

Then I put the dough onto a cookie sheet to cool a bit. When it was okay to touch, I separated it into 5 balls because I wanted 5 different colours.

Make little nests in the centre and add the Kool-Aid.

Fold in the Kool-Aid, kneading the dough. This was the most fun part. But while I was kneading, the other balls got a little dry. So I added a small dollop of oil to my hands while working with the other dough and it helped. Or else, keep them covered at all times - plastic wrap, tupperware, anything.

My finished play dough! 

I used the whole packets to get a the most saturated colours. You may add as much or as little as you want!
HAVE FUN!

Water Balloons!

We needed a little colour and pizzazz yesterday...

So we made water balloons.
Just filled up some regular balloons with water and they were perfect for throwing, bouncing, rolling, bobbing - they even withstood a little biting!

The trick was to leave extra space for the water to move around - too full and they'd burst! The little ones were our favs so we ended up making two more. (They were easy to hold and not too heavy for Max).

Squishy, blobby, cheap fun!

okay granola bars.

Max LOVES granola bars.
I thought I'd make him some - healthy, homemade, delicious, kid-friendly granola bars. YUM!

So... this is what I did:

MIX
2 cups of uncooked quick oats
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup raisins (though they were really stuck together so it could have been more)
1/2 cup honey and/maple syrup
1 egg, beaten (I'd do 2 next time)
1/4 mashed banana
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 cup of coconut flakes
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon

I mushed it together with my (CLEAN) hands - fun :) - and it looked like this.

Then I spread it out on a cookie sheet about 1/2 inch thick and it looked like this.

Then I baked it for 18 mins in a 350 degree oven.  At least, I think it was that long. I forgot to put the timer on.
I took them out when the edges were golden brown.

Were they delicious? Meh.
I'm eating them as I type so they must be okay.  We'll see what Max thinks...


UPDATE!

Verdict:
The boss approves. Maybe they are worthwhile!

Play Differently!

This might be obvious, but if your toys are looking a little blah, put some life back into them by changing the scenery. You don't need new toys at all...The best way to fall in love with your them all over again? Take them outside!

    SNOOZE

Plastic little animals sitting on the floor

WOO HOO! Way better!

Animals gather for an important meeting!

Giraffe playing hide-and-go-seek in the long grasses

Elephant stomping through the jungle looking for its baby

Camel in desperate need of a watering hole. "SO thirsty!"

Puppets!!

PUPPETS! Need I say more?

SO much fun... If you don't own any puppets, they're super easy to make. Use old socks, paper bags, clothes pins. Get creative!
Then you can play for hours. Write stories for your puppet to act out, or just take your puppet around and show him/her/it all of your favourite things.

If you make any puppets, post pics on my FB page. I'd love to see them.

From Six Sisters' Stuff

keeping a car ride entertaining

Making Music

Kids love music. We do a lot of singing and dancing, clapping and just generally making a lot of sounds.

A favourite thing to do though? Play musical instruments.
We're lucky enough to have a keyboard that I can pull Max right up to in his high chair. And he'll play for up to 20 mins (with the volume down low :). If you don't have that though - pots and pans work, or pill bottles with the lids securely attached can be the best shakers. Or buy a kazoo for 50 cents... Put on some music and go to town. We like Raffi best of all, and his album Singable Songs for the Very Young.

Quote of the Day

From My Modern Met

Buy Prints at Tang Yau Hoong

How to Keep Baby Busy

Here is a great video on how to keep your little friends entertained all day! Thanks Jen Warman, from the YummyMommyClub!

SORRY!

Okay!
I feel like I owe you all an apology... or at the very least, an explanation.

Yes. I've been AWOL for the last year. Oops.
No. I didn't fall off the planet, or jump, or LEAP :)

I had a baby!

Max is now the star of my life and he gets 99% of my attention. But now that he's a big boy (a whole 7 months!) I will try to slowly get back to work. That means more LEAP posts! More poems! More Surprises in the Mail!  And maybe more DooPod podcast episodes... but I don't want to promise too much :)

Soooooo. The below post is my first of many more to come.

See you soon!

Eyes! Nose! Mouth! Cheek!

Discovered a fun game with my 7 month old son, yesterday...

Cover your face with your hands, then separate your fingers to reveal a part of your face, while you say what it's name is.
It's fun to move the part too if you can (puff out your cheek or roll yours eyes or chomp your teeth... you get the idea!) Max thought it was hilarious!

NOSE!

EYE!

CHEEK!

MOUTH!