Mommy & Me Monday!

Let's start the week with a little LOVE.

(It makes the world go 'round)

He is the cutest toddler in the world and he's all MINE! 

HAPPY MONDAY ;)

Teaching Toddlers 103: Water Exploration Day

One impossibly hot summer afternoon, Nico and I decided to go outside to play. We don't have a fan in the living room/play area, so we roamed into the side yard hoping to catch a breeze. After watching Nico sweat it out for a few minutes, a brilliant idea occurred to me. 

I could turn the broiling day into a teachable moment! Nico already knew it was hot, he told me as much several times in both English and Spanish, so I came up with a fun way to cool him off without leaving the house and without wasting too much water. 

I went inside and grabbed a milk carton that I had been saving for a spontaneous craft, and using scissors, a sharpie, and a stapler, I turned it into a "watering can" and a "water house"!

It's okay if the pitcher has holes in it! The point is for the little one to see and feel the water fall out

The hole in the front is so that water can been seen going through the carton

The flap on the side is so that the toddler can see the water pouring off onto the ground

  

Once our supplies were assembled, I went inside and gathered water from the sink into a large pitcher. 

That's when the real fun began! 

Nico learned about pouring water, and that though it is tangible, it cannot be grabbed, only felt and contained. Of course I wasn't trying to explain those complicated concepts to my 23mo, he was content to figure it out in his own way.

Please excuse his naked lower half, we are still potty training =)

 

 He also learned that some things sink in water, while other things float, and that if you put enough force on an object in the water, you can push it to the bottom.

 

By the end of our little experiment, he was cooled down and soaked! 

He ended up running free in his birthday suit without a care in the world, and the hot hot sun was long forgotten! 

It was just another day of trying to keep my Gummy Bear from melting! 

Mommy & Me Monday!

The reason behind the Mommy and Me posts is to remind myself that Nico always comes before work. During the day while I'm writing, Nico crawls on my lap, craving attention, and I take a few minutes to snap some pictures with him to make him feel loved and special. 

 

He's growing up so fast, I refuse to miss a single second of it!

 

He will always be my baby!! 

 

 

Happy M&M Monday ;)

Don't forget to cherish the ones you love every moment of every day! 

Easy Last Minute DIY Father's Day Gift (Toddler Friendly!)

This year is my husband Pedro's second Father's Day! 

His second Father's Day is equally as significant as his first, because our son, Nico, is finally old enough to help me continue the tradition of the DIY Father's Day present!

 22 months old

Last year, I created a little picture book explaining what made Pedro the best father in the world. 

It was kind of last minute, but I was able to put together something that he could look at on a bad day, or when he needed something to make him smile. 

This year since I already had an idea, I put much more thought and time into his gift, and I was able to make him something just as personal as the first, but a bit more practical......  

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

A wooden picture frame! 

Painting is a wonderful toddler friendly activity! Not only does it help little ones develop fine motor skills and creativity, it's a great time to teach colors! 

Not to mention, painting a picture frame is a simple activity for busy Kul Moms that takes 30 minutes or less! The small frame cost less than 10 dollars at Walmart, along with the paint and paint brushes. And the newspapers were free, making this activity affordable on virtually any budget! 

Since Pedro's favorite color is green we started with a green base. Nico enjoyed aiming for the picture frame, but after a while, that turned out to be the last thing he wanted to paint. 

CAUTION: This is activity is only for Kul Mom's who like to get messy! 

While I finished the green base and painted the borders blue...

Nico smeared green paint all over his hands and in between his fingers. It turned out to be a wonderful sensory experience for him! 

 

I added strokes of yellow before the paint was dry to give it a funky texture and painted the back of the frame a solid green. 

I had a number of pictures that would have looked very nice in the frame but none that managed to send the right message. 

This Father's Day, I wanted Pedro to know that I appreciate him as a dad, and also that I am in love with him as a dad. When we were dating, I used to sketch pictures for him all the time and write songs and poems about how I couldn't be without him. My heart was seeping love and it had to be expressed! I need him to know that I still feel that way, more now than ever! He is not the boy I fell in love with. He has turned into an incredible man who means more to me than anyone will ever know. 

I drew him a new picture to show him that I cherish the bond he has with our son, and that I still love everything about who he is. 

3 Strategies for Feeding Stubborn Toddlers

My 19 month old son is as stubborn as they come. As he begins to explore his independence and to realize his place in the world, he is often unreasonable and too clever for his own good. His strong will can be especially frustrating when it comes to eating meals. 

A once easy 20 minute dinner routine suddenly turned into an hour long nightmare. It was the part of my day that I absolutely dreaded, until I started paying attention to what Nico was really trying to tell me. 

1. Change the plate: It was 30 minutes in to our evening food war and Nico was on his 3rd bite of food. His dad was sitting close by eating the same meal from his own plate. In an attempt to help my futile efforts to get nutrients in to Nico's little stomach, Pedro stooped down and offered Nico a bite of food from his own bowl which Nico happily and willingly accepted. The very next day during lunch time, I put Nico's lunch in a grown up bowl and fed him with a grown up spoon and he blissfully ate every single bite. From now on, I will serve him a variety of food on a variety of platters.

2.  Stoop to his level: Another thing I realized when my husband fed Nico from his bowl was that he got down to Nico's eye level and made eye contact with him while smiling. Frowning and worrying while trying to feed your child can create a tense atmosphere. While looming above them must make us seem like the enemy trying to squash their new found independence. During lunch time, instead of sitting in a big chair in front of him, I sat on the floor in front of him and offered him lots of smiles and encouragement. It worked like a charm! 

3. GOT WATER?: Along with all of those things that I tried, I also gave Nico a little bit of water in his Sippy Cup and let him decide when it was time for a drink. To my surprise, he did not try to chug it. Instead he would take a drink after a couple of bites of food, just like mommy and daddy. He especially enjoyed feeling like he was in control of at least one part of his meal!