Greening Sam and Avery

sister homemade christmas gift

You let your child collect shells for nine days while you are on vacation.

Then you come home with several bags of teeny-tiny seashells. What do you do with them?

Today, Sam and I decided to turn the seashells into a picture frame that Sam will give to Avery for Christmas.

Simple wood picture frame, hot glue and small seashells.

Sam was hesitant about using the hot glue gun so she asked me to do the glueing and she would place the shells.

When she decided we had put enough shells on the frame she held it up and said "Avery is going to love this". Priceless!

Sam helped me pick out a picture to print to put in the frame of the two of them on the boat in Cabo. She is so excited to wrap it up and then give it to Avery on Christmas morning.

I love the idea of having the girls make presents for each other.

Are your kiddos getting crafty this year? 

________________________________________________________________________________________

The Nitty Gritty!

This was a great way to use the shells that Sam was so proud of and had such fun collecting. I was a little nervous that she wouldn't want to give them up to make something that would be for her sister but so far she is only excited about the idea. She hasn't mentioned once being sad or angry about giving the shells away.

What do you do with your kiddos collections? Do they form serious attachments to them that are hard to sever?

a shorter boat ride

I wanted to jump back a few days and just post a few more photos from our trip.  We took Sam on another boat ride to do some sightseeing, see more wildlife and let Avery get a chance to be on the ocean.

Both girls had a great time. No whales or petting sea lions this time but we did get to see some pretty cool fish up close from the window in the bottom of the boat.  Avery loved the boat ride! She could not have been more excited about the fish, all the other boats that we coming and going, and the pelicans and seagulls that were around us. Sam did much better this time too. We stayed close to shore and it was only about an hour boat ride instead of 5+ hours. The coolest part was when we got out of the boat and walked from the Sea of Cortez across a beach to the Pacific Ocean. Pretty cool little spot.

After the boat ride Sam still told me she didn't really like boats but was very excited that this time she didn't get sick! I am glad that she came away with a little bit better memories from a boat ride but I don't think I will plan on taking her deep sea fishing again anytime soon!

 

she doesn't have to love every kind of outdoor adventure

Deep sea fishing is not for Sam. She was sick pretty much the whole boat ride! We were all very impressed because she never cried, whined or spoke even one word of complaint. She just kept throwing up, everywhere, and on everyone!  Disgusting! 

We had a few minutes at the beginning where she was not sick and then a little time at the very end where she was feeling okay, but other than that her trip was pretty rough. It didn't help that the fishing was horrible and we only caught one fish.

Way to go Uncle Craig.

But Sam got to see some sights and when she wasn't sick she had a great time on the boat.

Sam sat up for a few minutes when she really wasn't feeling well and was able to see a group of humpback whales that were not too far from our boat. It was amazing! Even though she was SO sick I still think she was pretty impressed.

Sam got a chance at the end of the trip when she was feeling better to reel in the bait fish. She was thrilled and thought she had caught a fish! We didn't argue with her.

At the end of the trip the captain was emptying out the bait bins and feeding the birds and sea lions. He got one sea lion to come all the way up on the boat and we pet it!

So cool to see a sea lion that close!

As we headed back to the house Sam told me that she never wanted to go on a boat again. I talked with her about all the great things that we saw but she still insisted that she didn't like it and didn't want to do it again. I don't blame her. If I had gotten that sick I wouldn't want to either. BUT I think I am going to make her take another boat ride while we are down here! I know, I am a mean, bad mom, but hear me out. They have these little tourist boat rides that you can take where you get to see the sea lions in their natural habitat, visit some secluded beautiful beaches and some awesome rock bluffs. The boat stays close to shore the whole time, is a short ride and there are stops to get out along the way. I think this type of trip might be a great way to show her that not all boat rides will make you sick and miserable. There is a risk that even this short and calm ride will make her seasick, but it is a risk I am willing to take so that she goes away with good memories and a willingness to try it again. Do you think I am crazy?

Okay, gotta get ready for the beach later!

preparing for the ocean

We leave in just a few days for the beach! Woohoo!!!

So I have been doing a few things to get the girls ready for our trip and to help them be more comfortable with the ocean. 

We have been reading some of the books that we have that deal with the ocean and beach.

 

We have also been playing with and crafting with the seashells that we have. Sam and I have also been talking about walking the beach to find more shells.

The craft we did was super simple. I made some shapes on paper board, then gave Sam glue, shells and beans. I encouraged her to make her own shapes but she just really wanted to keep glueing on the shapes that I drew.

The shells that we used were a part of a necklace that broke and when we ran out of shells we just switched to beans.

And then we looked at some of the other shells that we have.
`

They liked hearing about the shark's teeth too!

The girls have had some serious hesitations about the ocean in the past. I am hoping that talking about it, getting them excited for playing on the beach and knowing that there are other things we can do there besides just swimming will make them more willing to spend time on the beach. I will keep you posted on how it goes!

Back to packing...

tenney park and lock, madison

We took friends to Tenney Park and Lock today. It has become one of my favorite spots in Madison because of the combination of natural play areas, water and playgrounds (a favorite for my girls!). The girls love looking for all the wildlife that is around Lake Mendota, the creek and "pond" (may be a branch off of the river or the lake I am not actually sure). There are tons of big trees, wildflowers, a beach, rocks to climb and much more! Plus two different playgrounds within walking distance of each other that are great for little ones.

One of the things that is so great about this place is that it is in Madison, almost right downtown. Having places like this to go so close to the city means that even those families living in the most urban settings have a place nearby to play outdoors and see some natural areas.

Apparently today I was sick of taking pictures of my own kids and just wanted to take pictures of our friend's daughter! She is a cutie!!!!

Had a great weekend with friends and some fun outdoor play time. It was almost 100 degrees today so we didn't get to explore as much as I would have liked but the little girls (and all the grownups!) were just too darn hot!

________________________________________________________________________________________

The Nitty Gritty!

If you are headed to Tenney anytime soon I have a plan of action that I would suggest! 

Start your adventure at the small playground right by Lake Mendota, there is a parking lot right there. Then use the distraction of the big lake to draw the kiddos away from the slides. If you brought beach stuff you can head to the beach right from there. A short walk from the playground and beach is the Tenney Lock with a nice wildflower path, fish to look for and a great pier out on the lake to explore. Cross the street from there and you can head to the creek. There are birds, muscrats, beavers and tons of fish to find around the creek. Head to one of the stone bridges to get to the island that has soccer fields and another big playground. Once your kids have had enough for the day the walk back and be a way to point out more of the natural sights (and wear them out just a little bit more!).

This may seem really specific but I have discovered that one of the most helpful things when you head out on an outdoor adventure is knowing the location really well and having a plan for what you will do when you get there. Hope this helps someone that might be in the Madison area enjoy this fun place just a little bit more!

Day 330: our ocean scenes

Avery is getting very interested in copying what we say. She isn't really saying too many words yet but makes sounds as she points to things and tries her best to copy what we are saying. So Sam and I have gotten out a lot of our big, simple picture books. We sit with her, point to things, tell her what it is and then watch/listen as she points and tries to say it too.

The favorite right now is First Picture Nature a board book by Felicity Brooks.

One page that Sam really likes is the ocean page. Me and oceans do not really get along so her fondness of them is a little odd for me. Trying to sound excited about pointing out the shark and other ocean life is difficult for me.

Anyway, since Sam has been very into the ocean scene I thought maybe her and I could do a project to create our own oceans.

 
We started with paint. Using sponges for stamps we made fish. But I was really impressed with how she picked out certain features from the picture and focused on those.

Here is the jellyfish from the book.

 
And here is Sam's jellyfish.

 
The shark in the book.

 
Sam picked out the sponge that had the most "pointy things" to be the shark in her picture.

She also added green plants, fish and "pink stuff" like the coral in the picture.

 
After all the paint had dried we glued sand to the bottom of the picture and then hot glued some shells on there as well.

Unlike most times that Sam get creative, I took the time to get creative right along side her.

 
We both had a great time creating these pictures!

________________________________________________________________________________________

The Nitty Gritty!

This was  a neat way to use some shells and sand that we have collected from beaches in past trips. Using part of Sam's collection for an art project is a great way to have a reason to get it out, look at it and remember past trips. She had fun talking with me about finding the shells on the beach.

I can see using other collections to make "scenes" like this one. Leaves, pine cones and other seeds could be used to make a forest scene.

Love connecting our books with art projects!

 

Day 187: last day at the beach

Have I mentioned that it is winter here (brrrrr...HA! Just kidding!)? Which means that the ocean is actually really cold. So swimming in the ocean, at least for the girls, is not really an option. Bummer. Sam is still super hesitant about even getting close enough to the ocean to have her toes touch wet sand so not being able to swim has not been a big deal. But we have played in the sand and spent time on the beach several times.

Today Sam and I went early in the morning to build some sand castles. I couldn't figure out how to bring the camera, all the sand toys and Sam while also keeping the camera from being ruined so it got left behind (sorry!). We did the short walk down to the beach finding treasures along the way that we could add to our castles once they were built (leaves, sticks, coconuts, etc.). We made some pretty neat little castle and Sam finally starting to get the hang of how to flip the bucket over so that all the sand doesn't fall out. She had a blast.

We walked on the beach a little bit, finding more treasures, but with a steady wind and the loud noise of the waves Sam grew ready to head home very quickly.

We had a good time for our last beach adventure, even if it wasn't as long as I had hoped for.

________________________________________________________________________________________

The Nitty Gritty!

I had high hopes of spending whole days on the beach with the girls. I was even asking other bloggers for suggestions and ideas for how to keep toddler entertained on the beach for long periods. (Thanks Debi for your great ideas!) Unfortunately with the cooler water temps and wind we have been experiencing (plus lots of other activities and family to spend time with) there hasn't been as much beach time as I had thought (and hoped).

But this trip has been a great break from the winter snow and freezing temperatures.  We have been outside as much as possible everyday which will be a huge change for the girls when we get back to WI and they are back to only spending moments outside at a time.

We are headed back home tomorrow and it will be sad to say goodbye but I am also ready for my own home and my own BED! Does any one else get like that?

Day 185: a quiet moment

Avery woke up way too early this morning.  But was making enough noise that since the girls are in a room together I knew I had to get up and get her out of there.  It was so early that I just didn't want to expose the rest of the family to her loud ruckus just yet so we bundled up and headed to the roof top deck to watch the sunrise.

There were clouds on the horizon so we didn't actually wait long enough to see the whole sun but it went from almost complete darkness to this.

 
A little sliver of moon left, a litte color on the horizon and a bright bluw beginning to form. Avery was mesmerized (or maybe still a little sleepy!) and cuddled on my lap for quite a while.

It was a perfect way (albeight VERY early) to start our day together.

Plenty of outside time and noticing of birds and plants was done throughout the day but my time with Avery this morning was my favorite part of this day!

_________________________________________________________________________________________

The Nitty Gritty!

Even the youngest can enjoy a quiet moment of peace in nature! It is good for their soul. And the bonding time isn't half bad either.  Slowing down is not always the easiest thing to do but it can certainly be rewarding when we do and get to soak up a moment with a child.

Day 184: go fly a kite

ON THE BEACH!

With the help of Grandpa and daddy Sam got to fly the kite all by herself and she loved it.

 

 
Avery really wanted to try but just watching as Nana took a turn was enough.

 

And here is one just so you can see that there really is a kite on the end of the string!
 
We were having a great time with the kite and even getting Sam more use to the waves and having a bit of fun in the water until daddy lowered her a bit too far and a wave caught her, completely soaking her! This is the picture right before she got soaked!

 
The water right now is pretty cold in the ocean so we aren't doing much swimming but just spending time on the beach has been great.

And with the help of Grandpa and Nana, Sam is starting to learn some of her tropical plants as well! Palm trees, cactus, agave plant and even some flowers.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

The Nitty Gritty!

Long day in the sun so not going to expand tonight! Kite flying is always a good activity, for anyone, at any age!