More Busy bags!

So... back to the busy bags.  Brady loves playing with them!  Along with the play date I've been working on at ton that I liked too.  Then at the bottom are some AMAZING $1 store finds that have worked well with quite time too.

Shadow puppets with Flashlight from Harbor Freight and card stock...
I did put them on Popsicle sticks, after I took the picture

Legos!  Works with colors, patterns, and building.  Brady doesn't get the
 patterns yet, but he likes to match the colors.

Popsicle stick puzzles.  I used 6 fat ones, and did a shape on each side.
Brady LOVES carrying them around and working with shapes.

Snake Button with felt squares

Found this on a blog... 6 different animals with 3 body pieces.  It's fun to make "silly" animals,
and the magnets help keep them in place better.

Button color sorting

I bought a HUGE bag of pom poms from Amazon and I didn't really care for it cuz it didn't have a lot of colors... more tie die.  I decided to put magnets on Popsicle sticks so you can match them or make patterns.

Caterpillar counting... I'm a big fan of putting magnets on them so it's not
frustrating with them rolling everywhere

I took a mini Gerber Baby Food container... Brady LOVES it!  

Just yarn, beads and cardboard... this lasted 15min of an hour car ride.
The other side has 1, 2, 3...10 beads for counting.  

Another print off Pinterest... A-Z cards with color pompom matching and Alphabet.  The picture is B for Balloons.  I put magnets on them so it's easier.  

Popsicle color matching.  Brady loves to eat the popsicles!

Thread the buttons

Paint chip matching and clothes pins

Then some great finds at the dollar store!

I lied... this was $3 target

Stacking, color, numbers... so much fun!  DICE are the BEST THINGS EVER!!! (at least Brady thinks so)

Erasers with magnets attached.  I was going to have him match them , but it also works out to
 just play and make pictures with them.. not sure how he will like it.

Mini Dominos!  another BEST $1 find!  We have done counting, colors, and matching

This is a matching game, shapes, and puzzle on the other side.  for $1!  I love it cuz it's thick cardboard and has handled all of Tanners chewing with no problem!!!

Well, I hope those were some fun ideas!  I am all busy bagged out... lol.  I am excited to see how they work on our long road trip!  I'll let you know!

Busy Bag Play Date

With Brady getting older, I've been trying to do 5-10min learning time right after Tanner lies down for a nap, then Brady reads books for the next 45-60min.  I started looking for some quiet busy activities that he could start doing because books for that long is getting harder for him.  I found a blog that did a busy bag swap!  I got a group of 10 people, and we each made 10 of the same busy bag, with each person choosing a different one.  I gave them a month to make it, and 2 weeks to choose what they were making.  We all posted on FB so we knew what each one had.  I decided to have the age group 2-4 yrs old.  I LOVED how it turned out!  I just wanted to share with you all the creativity my friends have!  PS... There are 11 because someone chose to make a bonus one!

Felt board with make your own face, ice cream cone, and Caterpillar with the cutest legs EVER!

Geo board! One of my favorites!  I LOVED how she used nuts and bolts so it's easier for the little fingers.  You can also make cards to go with it to challenge them to make specific shapes.

I Spy Bottle.  It didn't come with a page of items to look for, so I'll dump it out, take pictures.  Brady loves  shaking it, but needs help to point out objects.  Great for in the CAR!

Play Dough Mats!  This came with 10 different ones!  So fun!

Counting Train.  You can attache velcro or magnets to help them stay on better.

Magnet bottle.  Cut up pipe cleaners, safety pins, and paper clips to try to catch, and some pompoms and buttons for them to learn about what's magnetic and what's not.  Great for in the CAR!

I made this one... sewed 100 fish!  I didn'dt want to glue the felt because I was scared the small magnet would fall out.  I LOVED how they turned out!  ( may be biased a bit ).  Small size to fit in the purse/diaper bag.  Came with 10fish.

Velcro Posicle sticks.  Again, you can make cards to help them have ideas of shapes to build.  Small to fit in the purse/diaper bag

Velcro Rainbo Chain.  Perfect for little fingers and coordination. small for purse/diaper bag

Fun for all ages!  Small ones like to figure out the clothes pins, and big ones learn the Uppercase and Lower case letters. 

Counting caterpillars, with colors

During the month of getting ready, I chose to make about 20 more myself... addicted?  Probably.  I'll most those next.  Since we are going on a road trip I decided to separate them into good road trip ones, and and not so good... I'll let you know how the road trip goes with those activities!

Where do they come up with these ideas?

I have learned... boys are crazy!  Brady turned two 2 weeks ish ago... and he comes up with more crazy ideas than ever!  Ever since he turned two, he's been turning his toys into birthday cakes, blowing out the candles, and and singing "Happy to you!".  A week later was Wills birthday, and mine soon... so he asks for cup cakes and presents each day.  So much fun!

We haven't been up to much... So here are some pictures...

Tanner loves peeking around doors... and Brady loves to close them so tanner can open them again.  They do it with cabinets too!

Making sugar cookies for Valentine Day.  Tanner is just as bad at stealing the dough as Brady

Brady asks to lick anything and everything involved with cooking.. his favorite... sour cream

Both boys were sick with a bug... and then turned into ear infections.
I have had my fair share of cuddles this past month

They play more and more together each day.  Tanner just follows Brady around

He was so excited to blow out the candles by himself!

Real tools... yes Will wants more "fix up" projects from this guy

Has pretty good use with the hammer... only gets his fingers a couple of times

Stole Brady's old hammer, cuz he has a new one now

Happy Birthday!  He got other stuff too... just did'nt get a picture

Tanner:  Just stated saying "mamamama" today!  Crawls EVERYWHERE!  Pulls himself into kneeling position on chairs and toys.  LOVES to stand and look outside.  We are waiting for warmer weather for easy entertainment for the boys.  Doesn't drink during the night anymore!!!  Yay!

Brady:  Comes up with random ideas... building mountains with couch curtains, birthday cakes, builds all kinds of towers, runs runs runs, loves getting Tanner to follow him and then play peek a boo with doors.  Scoots on the floor with Tanner, and loves bubbles!  Loves learning his numbers, colors, and shapes.  And likes to point out everything that is big or little... and everything big is now "heavy"

Charisse:  Working on lots of fun busy bags for Brady's quiet time.

Will:  Enjoys the new job... that's not so new anymore

Snow Fun!

We got 8 inches of snow after about an inch of rain Sat-Sunday.  It was so much fun!!!  Brady got to go sledding for the first time and LOVED it!  After me going with him twice, he wouldn't let anyone else go!  Him and Will built a tunnel in our snow pile too!  

Getting all bundled up

The weather wasn't bad...but it would get really windy and the snow/ice chunks hurt!  Tanner lasted 20min... Brady went out 4 different times.

"I've fallen and I can't get up!"  Story of his day...

LOVE his face!

Will didn't make it down...

He loved going on his tummy too!

Life has been a little crazy, but we are enjoying it!  Here's what we've been up too...

Tanner (5) months:  Scoots to toys closes to him, and loves to roll around and play on his tummy.  the Jumper is his favorite (and my lifesaver for about 30min each day), and he likes to get up on his knees, but no crawling yet.  He has a smile for anyone and everyone until 4:30 rolls around, then there isn't one thing that can make him happy.  He thinks Brady is the funniest thing alive.  We are working in him sitting up.  And he is getting his first tooth!

 Brady (22 months):  Crazy as ever!  He is always moving and coming up with random objects to play with and trying to figure anything and everything out.  He likes playing with Tanner occasionally and says "hi" to anyone or anything (yes, random objects and appliances). Some of his favorite words are: working, sneeze, cookie and any other word that is more "difficult to say he will probably say it for you.  Favorite song : "Tinkle Tinkle little star"

Loved playing in the first snow!  He ate any snow he could get his hands on for days!

Figured out how to hang ornaments all by himself... and manged to break all of  the ones he was allowed to play with.

Charisse:  I am on my home run stretch of working for 3 months part-time to cover for a girl on maternity leave.  I love that I have been able to help people out as a PTA, but I also miss being with the boys more than the afternoon.  It's been a little crazy.  In my spare time I've been working on some canvas artwork for my bathroom.  All it is is aluminum foil, modge podge, and canvas.

Will:  November he started his new job as an Apprentice Power Lineman.  I admit, this is the job we have been looking for, but it's been a pretty rocky start.  He travels to Iowa to work for technically 4 days, then is home for 3 days...but there are a couple of projects that have been really behind so they have been traveling to the boarder of Iowa and Wisconsin, and parts of NE so he is gone for more like 2weeks at a time.  He loves the work and the people he works with.  We are crossing our fingers that they will be back on their "original" job, and home his "scheduled" times so we can see him more.  

We had a great Thanksgiving with my parents and are looking forward to spending time together for Christmas!  I am so blessed to have these boys in my life.  Although it's been a rough two months, I am grateful for the blessings I have received and know that as I have faith things will all work out, the RIGHT way in the end.  

Usually they are smiling...but never when I need them too.  Whenever I need something to entertain both boys, I make something.  Makes the house smell great, but not so great for the slimming tummy!