Learning in the Bath

With Ryder now in preschool we love practicing what he's learning throughout the day. We try to go over Colors, Numbers and ABC's multiple times a day. Lately we've been taking our learning to the bath tub using Nuby's Bath Letters and Numbers.  It includes all 26 letters and 10 numbers so we try to go over each one. I do need to get another set though because he just doesn't understand why he can't spell his name since their is only one R.  

 

 

 

They stick to the bath tub wall, Or little brother in Ryder's case. They float in the tub and are Phthalate and BPA Free which is always a must when it comes to children's toys. It makes for a super easy and fun learning experience. There's no happier place than the bathtub!!

 

Nuby Bath Letters and Numbers are available at

- Meijer
- Buy Baby Direct
- Baby Depot
- Amazon


I received this product as a part of the Nuby Parent Blogger program. All opinions are my own.

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Family Vacation

This past week/weekend we loaded up the boys and headed out for our first family vacation. We went to bear world, island park and Yellowstone. There were a few bumps in the road like a vomiting Ryder, wolves in our camp, bear spray in our cabin and heading to a hotel at midnight. But we had SO much fun! For the most part the boys did great during the drive and not sleeping in their own beds. Bear world was definitely my favorite and I think Ryder and Gage agree.

Beware...major photo overload. 

Our first stop at Yellowstone was full of foreigners who didn't speak English. As we walked to some hot pots we got swarmed by people taking pictures of the boys and filming them. It was the weirdest thing and someone even asked if they were famous or something. The next few stops went a lot smoother other than some lady yelling at me in Chinese to put jackets on the boys.... It was 80 degrees. 

Spending time away was so refreshing and the boys absolutely loved spending time with their cousins. But there's just no place like home. The boys are totally off schedule and Gage has decided that since he slept with us the whole trip, that he's no longer sleeping in his crib now that we're home. Wish us luck on that! So this week will be spent catching up on sleep, unpacking, lots of laundry and since we got welcomed back with 90 degree weather, you can find us in ice cream truck Jammie's all day. Guess we'll celebrate summer while it's still here! 

Have a great Monday 

Struggles of Raising a Red Head

Life's been busy lately over here  and we are loving every minute of it. Ryder is loving school, we are busy planning our first family vacation and are elbow deep in yard work. We have had amazing weather and we are soaking it up as much as we can.The morning and evenings are cool and the afternoons are warm enough for shorts and a tee, but not hot enough that the boys can't play outside. And if you ask them, they think it's no clothes type of weather. 

Ryder has school two days a week which gives me much needed alone time with Gage. We've been really struggling with parenting him lately and it's taking a toll on all of us. He is so opposite of Ryder and I'm still adjusting to handling two different personalities. Gage is my little shadow. He follows me everywhere, wants to be held all the time and has been very needy. He is also a walking tornado and destroys everything in his path, no chores are done while he's awake. None. He is that wild baby you see in restaurants and you feel bad for their parents. Give him his plate of food, he'll toss it on the floor just because. "Oh you want milk Gage? Here's your sippy." As he rips the lid off and hulk smashes it across the room. He'll sneak behind your back and throw every thing he can find in the toilet. Tell him not to eat the dirt he is playing in, he'll look you straight in your eyes and shove a handful right in his mouth without even caring. Ryder gives him a hug and kiss while Gage pulls his hair and bites his face. These are things we never experienced with Ryder. Sure, he has his moments of tantrums and an attitude. But Ryder is sensitive, shy and for the most part pretty mellow. He cries during sad commercials or whenever he gets in trouble, worries about little things and takes care of everyone. Gage is my wild one. He challenges me daily and even though some days I feel like I just can't handle him, I absolutely love it. He makes me think out of the box, he's made me learn patience and tenderness, and has made me realize I can do hard things. God definitely knew what he was doing when he gave us Gage. I need him and he needs me. I love this little red headed spit fire. And if you ask me, I blame is red hair 100% 

Friday Favorites

 

 

 

 

Happy Friday friends! Today is going to be 66 degrees and our only plan for the day consist of soaking up this Sunshine while it lasts. This little sweetie melted my heart this morning as he dragged his teddy bear and blankie everywhere. This is seriously my favorite age and I wish he could stay this little forever!  

 

 

 

 Now, onto my favorites for the week....

With Winter slowly approaching I've been on the hunt for some good shoes for the boys. As you know we are definitely fans of moccasins but in the winter they just don't work. My favorite hard sole shoes for boys are Vans. These Canvas Half Cab Frost Grey are perfect for the cooler temps and even stomping through the snow. I love that they are a little higher up but not quiet a high top. They had an adorable brown pair with fur on the inside that I so wish I bought since they are now sold out. This is Gage's first pair of hard sole shoes and bless his little heart he looked like a new baby giraffe trying to walk in them.

 

Tubby Todd just released their new product line and I was dying to get my hands on it! As you know Gage has really sensitive skin and eczema so I have to be really careful as to what products we use on him. We have found a few products that have improved his eczema but i'm still on the hunt for new products to try on him. The All Over Ointment  and Dream Cream are by far my favorite. The ointment is so versatile that it can be used for diaper rash's, cuts, scrapes and eczema. My favorite thing about the ointment is it truly is scent free. Unlike some other products that have an awful smell when they aren't scented. The dream cream is so creamy and has an amazing mint scent. I plan on using both these products morning and night to combat Gage's itchy skin.

Old Navy is having a huge baby and kid sale so I got stocked up on the boys' cold weather clothes. This Quilted Chambray Vest, Fleece One Piece and Raglan were a few things I snagged. You can't beat a $5 tee!

 

 

Anthropologie and Pottery Barn are killing me lately! I just got the holiday sneak peak from PB and my wallet ran away from me. But this Measuring Cup Set, Farmers Market Basket, and these Latte Mugs and bowls are a few of my favorites.

 

And my last but not least....PUMPKINS! We snagged some pumpkins this week and they are slowly making their debut around the house. Next up, mums!

Have a great weekend!

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12 Hours

A peek at a day in our life, 12 hours, 12 photos.

 

This day was Monday, yesterday and I laughed as I took all these pictures because our day was so off schedule and crazy. The boys were up most of the night and it threw everything off for the rest of the day. But I guess that's the beauty of this series showing real life.  

7:00 am A quiet house and Coffee before the monsters wake up

8:00 am time to wake Ryder up for school. He snuck into our bed when Tyson left for work. 

Gage is still sleeping and I am dreading waking him up since he was up all night. Usually both boys wake up on their own between 7:00-8:30

9:00 am time for pre school! I finally woke G up 30 seconds before we left, poured him some milk and off we went, jammies and all.

10:00 am Gage is fed, dressed and we have some alone time. Even though I have so much that needs to get done I always try to put all my attention on G while Ryder is at school since these are rare moments.

11:00 am we pick up Ryder from school and they are so happy to see each other 

Noon: Lunch Time. Grilled cheese, fruit and cottage cheese.

 

1:00 pm It's Gage's nap time and I nurse him to sleep

 

 

2:00 pm Laundry, cleaning, blogging etc

 

3:00 pm Gage is up from his nap. By this time of the day im really dragging so it's an iced coffee for me, snack for the boys and we head out the door for a walk. Not pictured is the mud puddle they both decided to roll in and in G's case....eat.

 

 

4:00pm Quiet Time. Tv is turned off and the boys read books or play while I get some things done.

5:00pm Taco Casserole for Dinner. Dinner was early tonight because the boys desperately needed to go to bed early this night.

 

 

6:00pm My 6 o'clock hero walks in the door and the boys take a bath. Again, this is early because of the rough night they had. Usually we eat dinner and go on a walk at this time. 

7:00 pm early bedtime for the boys. Gage falls right to sleep and Ryder finally is out by 8:00pm

Bedtime for the boys is usually 7:00-7:30 for Gage and 8:00-8:30 for Ryder. 

 

Our daily lives are definitely not always pretty but it's mine and I love it!

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