Quality Time

 Everyone knows the importance of spending quality time with your kids. Time when you are enjoying their company and not just doing chores/errands/boring adult stuff. I've heard many parents complain that it's difficult to schedule quality time because of everything they have to do. We try to involve the kids in everything we do, from cooking to car repair.

Here my husband is working on his car. In order to make this a family activity, we got out the kids tool box and their cars. You can see both kids diligently fixing their cars near Daddy. They would often trade for a new tool when he did as well. 

We also alter our schedules to get in quality time. Each child attends a Montessori program 3 mornings a week. Sweet daughter goes M,T,W and sweet son goes T,W,Th. This means on Mondays sweet son gets a "Mommy Day" and the same goes for sweet daughter on Thursdays. This is a morning they get to choose what we do and get my undivided attention. Something that doesn't happen very often for twins. Usually sweet son wants to "play with toys, no share Sister" while sweet daughter wants to go shopping (grocery). 

Sweet son informed me one day of what he wants to do on his next Mommy day. He wants to ride in a passenger car, go over a trestle that's high in the air, go through a tunnel that is dark inside, and see a locomotive that's black. um... Specific much? No, I didn't find a way to make that happen on a Monday morning, but we did make that happen a few months later in a much more exciting way.

Puzzles

We spend a lot of time working on puzzles around here and it's good to have variety. In addition to the more traditional puzzles, here are some of our favorites.

 

These are called pattern blocks. We have a couple of different sets. The set you see abovehas foam pieces and many different pattern cards. My favorite setis magnetic, but comes with fewer pattern cards. We also use the pieces from each set for sorting by color, shape, and size.

Not a typical puzzle, but with different types of locksit keeps sweet son entertained for long periods of time. If you have a child who likes to open child locks this is a puzzle they will love, but it will only increase their skill, so be warned.

This is a Montessori inspired puzzle. The pieces fit in multiple places and the child tries to arrange them by height. This is one of sweet daughter's favorite puzzles. You can see in this picture and the one before it that the kids are doing puzzles on their "work mats" which is another Montessori concept. When they are doing work on their mats they must put it away before they get something else because otherwise there isn't room. It has helped keep our playroom much cleaner and everyone is happier.

I know I've posted this puzzle together and in the process of being assembled. Floor puzzles are always more fun and this is sweet son's favorite. We do have a few other floor puzzles - a farm and the Lorax - that get used regularly, but still not as often as this one.

Wordless Wednesday

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Sweet daughter singing in the back seat, "You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. I make you frustrated because I scream inside. You'll never know dear how much I LOVE YOU Mama. Please don't take my toys away." She actually made it all fit exactly in the phrasing of the song. I can't say the melody fit because her range is all of 2-3 notes so no song sounds right, but you get the idea.

Sweet Son brushing my hair

Sweet Son in the living room, "I put my feet on the couch so I can fall on my head. It's ok. I'll be careful, only hurt Sister, not me."

I made a deal with the kids. If they take a good nap then we cook in the afternoons. So far this week we have made homemade granola bars (yum) and egg salad. They like the egg salad the best. I'm just happy they slept 2/5 days so far this week! Hopefully this continues to work.

Making two batches of granola bars

My kids now drink out of cups without lids (other than overnight). This afternoon Sweet Son spilled his water. He looked down and said, "I need paper towel to clean it up, Mama." I'm so happy he didn't even think it was an option for me to clean up his mess.

Sweet Son asked for a baby like Jake's. Jake is a friend from his class and has an 11 month old baby sister. After a short pause he added, "or an alligator." hahahahahaha

 Just being cute