Searching for Tadpoles

We were given some tadpoles a few weeks ago.  I did a water change, not the first time.  But this time I killed them.  All of them  there were about 50.  The kids were really taking an interest in them.  So I thought we should go and find more.  We didn't find any but had a good time looking.  We also looked in the lake and in the pools around us.  We will get some more this weekend from where we got the others, in a pool.  So silly.  I think I will take them to the bigger lake tomorrow to see what we can find.  

It's a bad picture sorry.
She (R) is telling me its cold.  Notice none of the others seem to notice.  

We brought with us two pitchers and two nets.  Everyone shared.  The littles ( what I three younger ones age 1-2) spent more time pouring out the water.  It's their favorite thing to do right now.  The older ones spent their time seeing if they could jump across and looking under rocks.

We had a friend and her two kids ( same ages).  She made a comment about this moment "stretching her wings as a mom".  That she doesn't know if she would have thought to let the kids do this.  Funny because I don't really know what else to do with them!!   ( I think I just found a new post idea)

Where do you take your kids to find Tadpoles?

Glow sticks in the bathtub

Thanks to a post at Play at Home Mom I got the idea to bring glow sticks in the bath tub.  I got these at Dollar Tree they are the necklaces/bracelets so you get more, I think we ended up with 12.  I am still learning how to take pictures in the dark.  Check out hers they are much better and give you how truly and exciting the it is.  C and R stayed in for about a good hour if not longer.  With the lights off.  I don't think any cleaning got done, just a whole lot of fun!   Sometimes we need that more then being "clean".

The great dirt pile!

After hill jumping we set off to the great dirt pile that is on the other side of us.  

R could spend hours making "chocolate milk"

There go the "big kids" off to create something as far away from the littles as they can.  

I brought these over and they spent a long time sitting there by themselves.  I thought CJ would have picked them up.  

F is gathering her materials and her plans.  She wouldn't tell me. 

They are starting to play together a little more each day.  They still like that side by side play.  They are usually together. 

The stage of fill it up.........

.......and pour it out.  Covering his leg I might add.

C went and go some other materials along with those tucks. They were really working together and talking about what they were going to do and who should do what.  They really work as a team.

I made CJ one of his most favorite things....  A MUD BALL!!! 

Again dump it out and............

Oh where it as a hat!

F and I made a mud man. 

 

They created a fire pit out of materials laying in the area.  Looks great doesn't it!

Good times had by the great dirt pile.

The neighbors have plans to put trees here.  Bummer :( maybe I can get a smaller version for our yard.   

Hill Jumping and exploring the great outdoors

 As you know my now we enjoy being outside.  The kids also enjoy trying some new skills.  I think it started out by us running down this hill.  It is the ditch between our houses.  CJ loves to do what C does.  In the first you will see.  He trips and laughs about and goes back.  The true sprite of a 1  year old.

They also just love to look in the grass to see what they can find.  Collecting rock is also top priority during these outing.   

Family Child Care: A date around town.

We were way past an oil change on the car. We took a trip to get it done.

The owner told the kids it was okay to crawl through the tires after I expressed a worry of them falling down. Needless to say they had a great time round and round they went. I think I want to make one in the yard. The owner was nice enough to give them each a fruit snack.

Next we headed to the park.

This is the way we sit and line up when getting in and out of the car.

We then headed to a Mexican restaurant in town. This was our first sit down restaurant. They did great, people were in shock when they where leaving. They didn't know there were 5 kids in there with them. Proud day for me.

Loving that is was nice enough for us to get out. Bring on the spring weather !!!

"There are stars in our room!"

Sorry the pictures are bad.  I saw this idea on Play At Home Mom.  She made a cave.  If you have not checked out this site yet you gotta.  She does some really amazing things.  

I used a pen and poked holes.  There were more lights then I wanted to be in the box so I left some outside the box.  They made this in to many things and played with it for days.  

There are two cabinet boxes taped together.  

moving chairs in to make a car.

Lights off in the room

Lunch-able made at home

 My kids love the Kraft Lunchables.  It is a bit costly if I would get it for all the kids and they always want more.  Here is our version: I let them cut the cheese.  This was the first time they did this.  They did not want to stop we did two bricks of cheese while they were learning.  It was a great time.  The older kids cut some and gave to the younger ones.

C was singing a song about how yummy this was.  They made sandwiches and mixed in the veggies.

I did let them pick out of the veggies we had, its always different, but they eat them better when they are in sticks.

 I have even served it with a juice box for the added excitement.

Kool- Aid Playdough

Found this recipe on DLTK.com ( really enjoy that site)

The kids had a great time making this.  It is a keeper!   I have been taking a step back with the older ones and letting them take over while we work in the kitchen. They have been reading and matching the measuring cups up.  They are even helping and teaching the younger ones.  I like recipes like this because they are able to see what happens if they don't add the ingredients correctly and easily.   

Also like it as R still tastes everything.  Give it a try! Let me know how it goes!

Kool-Aid Playdough
Ingredients:
 • 1 1/4 cup flour
 • 1/4 cup salt
 • 1 pkg unsweetened Kool-aid ( powder)
 • 1 cup boiling water ( they put it in the microwave about 2 min, I took it out )  
 • 1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Directions:
 1.  In a bowl, mix the dry 
 2.  Stir in water and oil ( I had them make a valley in the middle and watch the color it changed)
 3.  Knead with hands.
 4.  Store in ziploc bag for up to 2
 4.  months.
 5.  Use like playdough.
 6.  Smells wonderful and takes on the color
     of the koolaid. 




Do you have any recipes that work well at your house, let us know we love to create and explore! 

It's water time in October!!

Who new you could have summer fun in October!