15/16 Months Dr. Visit

The boys' 15 month doctor visit was really closer to 16 months, so I'm combining them. I need to be better at writing down/remembering all the stuff they're doing these days, because they are truly learning and changing every day. At this visit, they enjoyed the fish tank and pointing out the fishies. I made sure to pack a lot of toys this time for while we were waiting for the doctor. They were not this mobile at the one year visit! I thought they did ok, but probably it was only because my mom was there, too. Not sure how I could keep them both contained/entertained by myself.

Some cute things they are doing: They love to throw away trash. If we have a diaper after changing them, they will run from their room and throw it away in the trash! It's helpful! Sometimes the diaper makes it into the bread drawer instead...but oh well. They are saying a few more words, and can sign "more" and "all done". They love to be chased, and still love hiding behind the curtains. They still love turning light switches on and off and really love fans. The one at my parents' house has to be on each time they visit! They are much rougher on poor Lanore, and we remind them to be gentle and just "pat, pat" instead of pulling her hair and poking her eyes! They are starting to identify parts of the body, including eyes, nose, and mouth, so they love to poke Lanore's eyes. Poor dog.

Sleeping and napping are about the same, and eating seems to change often. They will love something for a week and then be sick of it. They are much less willing to try new things at this point. But like I said, it seems to change all the time! They are always interested in what I'm eating, so they'll often take little bites from my food. I hope they're gaining and growing somewhat...they still fit in 12 month pants! :) That's all I can think of for now, I'll have to try and add more later if I think of it.

 

 

 

Leah's Birthday

I had a super low-key birthday this year. (Hint to husband: next year should be big...haha, who am I kidding, he doesn't read the blog!) My only request was to get a few shots with the boys and with Alex. I feel like I haven't gotten nearly as many pictures as their first year because they don't hold still...at all...ever. And I think with me working more in the evenings it's been hard to get stuff up on the blog. But I'll keep trying! So anyway, I think we got a few good ones. I look good in most of them, anyway! :) It's still hard to get both boys to look at the camera or smile, as seen in the family shots below. And the last two pictures are a comparison: Last year and this year on mom's birthday. See any growth or change? :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fun at the Zoo!

My friend has a zoo membership, and was nice enough to let us visit with her! It was amazing how warm it was, and since there were so few people around, I felt comfortable letting the boys get out and walk most of the time. (Which they loved!) I can't wait to go back, as they seemed like they were really noticing all the animals. Their favorite part was definitely seeing the meerkats! I think they thought they were little dogs. The meerkats were right up by the glass and Henry and Holden kept pointing at them. Some of the animals weren't out, but the lions were also really active. It was probably more fun for me to see them right up at the fence; I think Henry and Holden were more excited about picking up sticks. I hope we get to go again soon since the boys learn and understand more all the time. They also play with their Little People zoo now, and like to make the growling lion sound. Now if only it would turn into spring around here....


 

 

 

 

 

 

Lions! Right up by the fence!

Thanks, Christie, for getting Holden to smile! :)

Toddler-Friendly Valentine's Day Party!

Henry and Holden had several friends over for a toddler-friendly Valentine's Day party! I used lots of ideas from Pinterest to try and make it fun for the littler kids. It was low-key but turned out great! 

Party prepping the night before

 I made tags to make Valentine treat bags as a favor. I just printed them two to a page, filled Ziploc bags with Goldfish or the toddler snack mix I made, and stapled the tags to the top. I thought they looked really cute as the table centerpiece. I also printed several free garlands and hung them with baker's twine. Simple and cheap! I'd like to make this a yearly event, so I can save them for next year. (I also plan to head back to the stores after Valentine's day and try and score a few sale things for next year!) Got a few other decorations and a felt garland in the Target dollar isle. I already had a red tablecloth, and just bought some cheap red plates at the store. I couldn't resist a few heart necklaces, bracelets and some cute bow ties for photo props. For some reason, all the kids love the necklaces, either to swing them around or chew on them. :) 

For food, I made strawberry cupcakes with Cool Whip for icing. (I didn't want to do anything to heavy and too sugary for a morning play date!) I also made the pretzel kiss buttons, since I'd made those before at Thanksgiving and they're a hit! Next year I bet Henry and Holden will be able to help me make them...or eat all the chocolate, anyway. The main snack was the toddler Valentine snack mix, which I saw on this blog. I thought it was a great idea, and it was a huge hit with the kids and moms! I used strawberry yogurt Cheerios, strawberry Frosted Mini Wheats, dried strawberries, yogurt melts (which was everyone's favorite ingredient, the kids were picking those out!) and some yogurt covered raisins. That will definitely be a repeat recipe! It's nice not to have  We also did little fruit kabobs, which I saw here. (I swear Holden ate at least half the tray by himself!) To drink, I just picked up some strawberry lemonade and added some fresh strawberries to the pitcher. I found some red paper straws and added them to the mason jars because that always looks so cute. A few juice boxes for the kids rounded things out.

I wanted to do a few crafty things, even though the kids were pretty young still this year. I got a few paint dot markers with a coupon at Michael's, and some foam heart stickers when they were on sale. I already had some stickers and crayons. Then I just bought some heart shaped cardstock cut-outs and some Valentine's colored cards so kids could decorate a card or heart. I wanted to keep it mess-free as much as possible! Maybe next year I'll brave finger paint or markers. :) I had plenty of left over supplies from this time around, so we'll see what we come up with next year! Like I said, there are always plenty of Pinterest ideas to browse through. 

So we had a great time! The toddlers played with all of Henry and Holden's toys and enjoyed the cupcakes and snacks. The moms took plenty of pictures and still had time to socialize a little. I also made sure to get a picture of each mom and kid in front of the cute heart garland and send it to them to include with the Valentine they made. Can't wait to do it again next year. Here's a link to the printable tags I made. Feel free to use them any way you'd like! I thought they turned out pretty cute. Click here to print them.

Pictures with our Valentines!

Gotta look good for the picture! Accessorizin' 

Too young to be kissing girls! 

Mmmm, cupcake

Why do we bother trying to take group pictures of toddlers? :)