Our Handsome Boy!

A Beautiful Day Outside

Look What Grace Made With Our Easter Egg Shells...

Grace made a beautiful butterfly with our Easter egg shells! Grace waited patiently all week for the egg shells to dry out. We checked the eggs shells this morning and discovered that they were ready for the big project we have been planning! Grace excitedly spread glue on white butterfly wings and then carefully placed the cracked egg shells on the wings. This was a great fine motor activity that Grace worked very hard to complete. It was so much fun for her to see the cracked egg shells transform into colorful butterfly wings. I am going to hang Grace's butterfly in her window later today. Grace's butterfly will serve as a beautiful reminder of Spring and the special time we spent together coloring the eggs for Easter!

Four Months Old!

Our beautiful boy is now four months old. Here is an update all about Jack:

• Jack is producing so many sounds. He loves carrying on long conversations with us.
• Jack is such a happy baby. He smiles and giggles all the time!
• Jack can sit with support for long periods of time. He really enjoys this position.
• Jack can stand with support.
• Jack recognizes many words including his name, bubbles, snowflakes, Grace, Mommy, Daddy, zebra, lion, book, fan, and light. He also recognizes familiar songs & rhymes by smiling and looking. Jack shows a clear preference for certain songs.
• Jack has started eating cereal and he loves it! Yummy. I'll post pictures of this soon.
• Jack is using his two hands together. He really does a great job reaching for and holding onto objects.
• It looks as though Jack should be getting his first tooth soon!
• Jack's favorite things: his hands, sound play, peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake, play silks, singing, music, dancing, books, sitting, ball popper, bubbles, fans, watching snowflakes that I have hanging from our ceiling, kicking his feet, maracas, his celebration ring, mirrors, bath time, zebras, lions, monkeys, animal sounds, being outside, and Grace.

The Life Cycle Of A Butterfly

Grace made this butterfly life cycle project this morning. This activity provides a wonderful visual demonstration to explain how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. Grace & I first traced and cut out a circle on a piece of construction paper. We glued the paper down in the center of a paper plate and drew two lines to divide the plate into four sections. Next, I labeled the outer edges of the plate with the four stages of the butterfly's life cycle. Grace & I then went outside to find two small sticks and leaves. Grace glued the sticks and leaves onto the egg and chrysalid stages. Grace used a dried navy bean for the caterpillar egg and a dried pinto bean for the chrysalid. Later, Grace glued on a caterpillar and butterfly to complete the life cycle.Grace did such a wonderful job explaining the entire life cycle of a butterfly to me. Grace has always been fascinated by caterpillars and butterflies. Grace also does such a great job with sequencing so this was a perfect project for her!
We couldn't believe our eyes this morning as we were walking to the lake ~ a butterfly. How absolutely perfect! Grace hasn't stopped talking about this amazing sighting. This was the first butterfly we have seen this Spring and it couldn't have happened at a more perfect time.

Back To The Lake!

Jack, Grace, & I took a walk to the Lake Arrowhead beach yesterday afternoon, which is located a short distance down the road from our home. It was our first visit back to the lake since last Fall. This morning we packed a bag and spent most of our morning at the lake. Grace & I spent lots of time here last summer and Grace was very excited to be back at the beach again. This was Jack's first time experiencing all of the wonderful sounds, sights, smells, and textures the lake beach has to offer. Jack loved putting his feet in the sand. He was mesmerized by the sand and water. Jack loved watching Grace & I throw stones into the lake and watching and hearing the big splashes we made. I can't wait until it is warm enough for Jack to go into the lake. I have a feeling he is going to love the water just as much as Grace. Jack & Grace are going to have such fun together this summer!

The cold water certainly didn't stop Grace from going in up to her knees! Brrrr. It was much too cold for Jack & I but the cold never seems to stop our Gracie girl. Grace had fun filling her beach bucket with sand and water and building sand castles all along the beach.

Tick Tock

Grace has always been fascinated by clocks and by the concept of time. Grace is learning how to tell time and is loving it! Grace quickly learned how to identify the hour on an analog clock. Grace can also manipulate the hands on a clock when I ask her to show me a certain time. Grace can also tell me the time on any digital clock and she actually uses the words "analog" and "digital" to differentiate between the two types of clocks!

Story Time

Jack is doing such a great job sitting. Jack enjoys being in a sitting position so he can see everything that is going on around him ~ especially all that his big sister does! Jack loves sitting in this green chair every morning and afternoon during book time. Jack's favorite books are animal books and any book by Sandra Boynton.

Crack, Crack!

Gracie girl had the best time this morning cracking our Easter eggs and taking the colored shells off. We are saving the egg shells for a fun project later on this week!

Our Easter

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Thank you, Memere & Pepere, for a very special Easter. Here are some of our favorite memories.

Happy Easter

Ella and the Monkey

If you haven't done so already, please check out my Mom's blog site at www.ellaandthemonkey.blogspot.com. My extremely talented Mom made Grace & Jack's beautiful Easter outfits as well as cousin Rose & Kimberlee's halos, shirts, tutus, socks, and celebration rings.

Happy Easter Morning!

We're Ready!

My Little Bunnies

Jack & Grace made bunny ears this morning. Grace used markers, glitter glue, paint, crayons, and poms to decorate her ears. Jack used paint and Grace later helped Jack decorate his ears using glitter glue. Jack & Grace wore their adorable bunny ears to Portland today. My little bunnies & I went shopping for Daddy's birthday, which is on Monday. So many people said what cute bunnies Jack and Grace are....I wholeheartedly agree! Grace pretended to be a bunny rabbit by hopping around all day today. She really enjoyed wearing her bunny ears. In this picture Grace is about to hop off a chair on our deck!

Cardboard Box

There is a wonderful book called Not In A Box by Antionette Portis. It's simply a story about creativity. And it reveals an indisputable truth about childhood: there are few things in life better than playing with a cardboard box. The possibilities are endless! So after a package from Maddy was delivered today, Grace spent an afternoon in the sunshine painting her "boat," "rocket ship," "truck," and "car." Not In a Box inspires children (and reminds parents) that the most basic things are often the best vehicles for the imagination. Activities like transforming a cardboard box help children to think like a writer does -- making something out of nothing.Jack expressed his creativity by painting the bottom of the cardboard box with his feet....

...and then Jack "signed" his work with a foot print!

Practicing For Next Winter!

Coloring Easter Eggs

Easter Egg Counting Game

I made this Easter egg counting game for Grace this morning. This is a simple game that Grace really enjoyed playing. I used six plastic Easter eggs for this activity. First, I wrote a number on the top of the eggs, numbers 1-6. Next, I stuck the corresponding number of sticker stars on the bottom of the eggs. Finally, I separated the eggs and let Grace match them! This game also targets fine motor skills since Grace had to work to put the two halves of the eggs together. I later added the numbers 7-10 on eggs to make it more challenging for Grace.